119 Fake Brother (1/2)

When Seiji regained his senses, he discovered that Shika was in his embrace.

‘I actually did such a thing!?’

He was shocked at his own actions.

He discovered that he was more worried about her than he had previously believed.

Once again, he thought back to those… innocent dying words of hers.

As she lay there dying, she never complained about any of the difficulties that she faced.

She had plenty of right to complain or to hate this unreasonably cruel world.

But she didn’t.

She only smiled.

At him… saying farewell to her only friend in the world.

Like this… for such a girl… such a death… How could he possibly accept it!?

Seiji was unable to accept it.

That was why he was unable to… control himself when he saw her alive and well in front of him again.

He went up to her, kneeled, and hugged her.

She must be confused at this situation.

Perhaps… he would be pushed away by her.

Seiji laughed wryly at himself in his heart.

However, he didn’t let go.

‘This is wonderful.’

He had wanted to say that she was fine… but he changed it in the end to ”you came.”

You came, you’re safe, and you’re here. How wonderful…

Seiji was attempting to transmit his emotions.

At the same time, he also mentally prepared himself for him to be shoved aside.

Instead…

No fist, foot, or any type of beating awaited him.

Shika Kagura didn’t resist at all.

”Older brother…”

Older brother?

Seiji paused in surprise at hearing her call him this.

”My older brother’s… coming for me…” Those were the words she spoke last as she died during the last iteration.

Her ”older brother…” Seiji assumed this older brother was once a truly important figure in her life, but he’d already passed away.

Was she mistaking me for her older brother?

‘Are her injuries that serious?’ Seiji’s heart skipped a beat as he imagined it.

No, that wasn’t it! When she came down from the sky, she could still stand… and now she was still kneeling on one knee! It meant that she still had some energy!

It was just… perhaps she received some type of impact, and she temporarily… wasn’t in full possession of her faculties… something like this.

‘Yes, that must be it. That was why she didn’t push me away. I’ve become someone else in her eyes.’

Seiji was certain of this.

”Older brother… Older brother…” A soft and gentle voice was calling to him.

Seiji blinked.

”Yep… your older brother… is right here.”

He decided to pretend to be her older brother.

Even if this was only a temporary fantasy, he decided to allow this girl to feel a sense of familial warmth, however brief.

She… must have not felt it for such a long time already.

”It’s okay. Everything will be fine. Your older brother… has always been by your side and will always accompany you. You… are not alone.”

Seiji hugged her while speaking in the gentlest deep voice he possibly could.

He wished that his words would console her lonely heart at least a little.

”Older brother… Wahh…. Older brother… Wahh…”

She began to sob lightly.

”Wahh… Ahh…. Ahhhh!”

Her crying began to increase in intensity.

After a while, Shika Kagura was weeping in her loudest possible voice as she clung on to the warm, strong body in front of her.

This was crying that came from her soul.

Her older brother was here.

Her older brother had found her.

Her older brother would always accompany her.

She… was no longer by herself…

A huge warm feeling seemed to envelop her entire world and fill her heart.

It squeezed out the iciness, loneliness, and her original distant attitude.

It turned into unstoppable crying.

It turned into a never-ending flow of tears.

‘Just what type of crying is this?’

Seiji trembled as he listened to her crying.

It seemed like her crying was venting all her cold, dark feelings… Just how deep did they run…

Was she always shouldering such a burden?