CH 96

At the Park

After walking past the paddy field serenaded by the frogs’ chorus, I arrived in front of a grave and joined my hands in front of it. There are no telephone poles here at all so I am currently being illuminated by moonlight which creates a slight fantasy-like atmosphere.

As I stood there not knowing what I should pray for, I felt the presence of a person next to me. Needless to say, it was just Misaki.

Unable to come up with anything, I ended up praying that I can safely spend my days in peace. Still, the fact that I am praying for such a thing already indicates that my current circumstances are anything but peaceful though.

When I looked up I saw Misaki, who must have finished her prayer earlier than me, looking my way. When our eyes met, Misaki smiled at me and I couldn’t help but smile in response.

“Hey, Onii-chan. Can we talk a little?”

Since we couldn’t just stand in front of the grave forever, we moved to the nearby park.

“Do you remember? This park?”

“Yeah, this place was where you always come to hide right?”

“Can we talk a little here?”

“Sure.”

Whenever Misaki got scolded by our mother or had a fight with her friends, she would always be sitting on the swing in this park.

Misaki may seem like a cheerful girl now but in the old days, she used to be a head-strong girl who always got in arguments with others and ran away to reflect on her actions alone. To put it in a simple way, she was a girl who’s clumsy when it comes to interacting with others.

“I like this place. I can be by myself and I knew that Onii-chan would always come for me here.”

“That’s……it’s because this is the only place I can find you when you are gone. Conversely though, I got real panicked when I couldn’t find you here that one time.”

There was one time where I couldn’t find Misaki here.

Well, I forgot what it was about but I got into a quarrel with her back then so she probably tried to go to a place I couldn’t find her———she ended up lost though.

It was around this season too so it didn’t get dark that early. Still, in a rural town like this one, there are places that would turn pitch black once night comes so there are a lot of places she can hide in.

At first, I just ignored her since I was fighting with her but since she wouldn’t come back no matter how long I waited, I got worried and went out to find her.

Back then Misaki just got into elementary school and I was only in third grade. I knew that she couldn’t walk far but I was still at a loss when I couldn’t find her.

The place I finally found Misaki was on a swing inside a small park beyond the farm road after it already got pitch black.

She looked like she was about to cry at the time and when I found her I thought about scolding her too but I only told her that I was worried about her in the end.

Hearing that, Misaki cried and hugged me.

I said that I was sorry too and hugged her tightly there for a while.

After that, I led us home since I know the way. Still, since we got home late, our mother got really angry at us.

“But ever since then, we never fought with each other again right?”

“Yeah, you’ve become obedient since then, I think. I mean, we really never fought since then huh?”

There may have been some small quarrels but as far as I can remember there’s never been a fight that lasted longer than a day since then. If I think of it that way then I’ve spent 10 years with no quarrel with Misaki huh.

I wonder why.

“That quarrel began since I was being selfish after all. I think I stopped fighting with Onii-chan because I loved you even more when you found me.”

“…..love huh, you sure can say something like that so easily……”

“Eh? Onii-chan loves me too, right? Ah! Of course, in an unromantic way, okay!”

“No, I understand that much. Well,……I can say that I don’t disklike you though.”

“Ahaha! Onii-chan is all shy now!”

“Y, You idi–! I’m not shy at all alright!”

But still, I think that Misaki is an important family member and I do love her.

I can talk with her about anything and Misaki herself is a good girl too. It’s really strange that she still hasn’t made a boyfriend yet……she would consult me about such a thing, I’m sure. Also, if I find out after the fact then I will surely investigate the boyfriend in question too.

“…….But you see, the main reason is probably, how kind you are, Onii-chan.”

“…..me? Kind?”

“You are right? Ever since before, you would always look for me even when it gets late, and nowadays you would go shopping with me and help me study too.”

Said Misaki as she looked toward me.

“Well, you are my only sister after all. I don’t have to be kind to go out shopping with you right.”

“No, my friends said that their older brothers and sisters rarely go out with them nowadays. Also, Onii-chan often says this but those clothes are expensive right?”

“You think so? Well, the clothes are surely expensive but they are pretty affordable with my work you know. It’s the money I earned not the pocket money from our parents after all.”

I do pride myself in earning way more than others my age and that I almost never spend them myself since I only have reading as my hobby. That’s why even if she compared me to others I should still be normal…..I think.

“You are so stubborn to not recognize that you know.”

“Well, I mean…..”

“Then what about this? Rescuing a girl in a bind when others chose to look away, or always walking your female coworker to a safe place after work. Something like this should count as acts of kindness, don’t you think?”

Certainly, those things should be able to be counted as kind. Still, those actions have one thing in common.

“But those things only happen when I’m Kamishiro Kousei right.”

“…….what do you mean?”