43 Flashback (1/2)

Not long after I left Hanako and first came to Okinawa, I was pretty lonely. Sure, I still had Mio with me, but when you suddenly have to leave a friend, it's always painful. It had already been a full week, and I still can't get over our partings.

”Yuuji Nii-sama~~~”

Mio, who was around 10 years old at the time, called out to me.

”What is it, Mio?”, I asked.

”Cheer up, Nii-sama!”

”Huh?”

I looked at myself at a nearby mirror on the wall. Unconsciously, my facial expression doesn't look too good. I have bags under my eyes like a panda, my hair is dishevelled, and it seems that I've unconsciously made a depressed face.

”A-Ah... Thank you, Mio. Don't worry. It was nothing.”

Even though we both know that I have something on my mind, I pretended that I am fine.

”Nii-sama... Is it about Hanako Onee-chan again?”

”...”

Bullseye. I possibly can't let Mio know that, though.