Ch.295If Side Story. Tokyo Slayers: Final Chapter (32)

People say everyone dies someday, but Souta hated the idea of people dying.

That’s only natural. Especially if the person dying was someone close to him.

Of course, looking at the situation objectively, there was no reason to assume Yuka would die.

It hadn’t happened yet. He didn’t even know if such a thing would actually happen.

But even so, thinking about how Yuka herself was steeling her heart with such thoughts, Souta couldn’t simply put his mind at ease.

After all, the reason Souta and his friends had gathered here was because they didn’t know what might happen today.

“……”

Perhaps it was only natural that he couldn’t sleep and was up in the middle of the night.

As Souta tried to get up, he noticed Shii sleeping while firmly holding onto his arm.

She could have slept in Yuka’s room or with Fukuda and Nanami, but Shii had come out to sleep in the living room where Souta was.

She said she didn’t want to be separated from him.

Thinking about Shii, who had probably been worrying at home all day, Souta felt nothing but sorry.

There were curtains in the living room, but Souta deliberately left them open. Shii didn’t really like places that were too dark. He didn’t want to frighten her more, especially since she’d been scared ever since seeing Souta’s condition and hearing they needed to come here.

Souta slowly got up from his spot.

Maybe I’ll get some fresh air.

That’s what Souta was thinking, but—

“…Brother?”

Someone grabbed his sleeve.

It was Shii, still lying under the blanket.

“…Shii.”

“Where are you going?”

Seeing her rubbing her eyes as she got up, it seemed she hadn’t been awake all along. She must have woken up when she felt Souta slipping away.

With a bitter smile, Souta said to Shii as she sat up with a sleepy voice.

“Go back to sleep.”

“……”

At Souta’s words, Shii quietly puffed her cheeks, and Souta couldn’t bring himself to insist that she go back to sleep.

Shii had already nearly died once. It was because she had tried to help someone who asked for help, as if it were the natural thing to do.

The sight of a person’s form swelling grotesquely and turning into a yokai wasn’t exactly a pleasant memory.

For Shii, who had truly almost been “eaten” by that monster, it must be an unforgettable memory.

“I’m sorry.”

“…What does Brother have to be sorry for?”

When Souta apologized sincerely, Shii’s voice softened a little. As if she thought she had been too harsh.

When Souta got up, Shii got up too. Both were wearing pajamas. Even when following Yuka back here, Shii had carefully packed all of Souta’s necessary items—clothes, underwear, and toothbrush.

Such a perfect sister, almost too good for Souta.

But because of that, Souta couldn’t bring himself to refuse what Shii asked.

“Want to get some fresh air together for a bit?”

At Souta’s words, Shii quietly nodded.

The two opened the large window in the living room and stepped outside for a moment.

The tropical nights had passed. It wasn’t cold enough to call it chilly yet, but it wasn’t hot anymore either.

The two sat on the porch connected to the living room and looked up at the sky for a moment.

“…I was scared today.”

After a while of silence, Shii opened her mouth and said this.

Souta realized that since Shii had arrived, they hadn’t had any time alone together. If she had something she wanted to talk about, now was naturally the time.

“I’m sorry.”

Souta apologized again.

Shii probably wasn’t looking for an apology or trying to make him feel guilty, but it was wrong of him to have worried her by not answering any of her calls.

Shii shook her head again.

“Actually, I could have found out if I had called the other seniors… not just you.”

“Ah.”

Only after hearing Shii’s words did Souta remember this fact.

While Shii couldn’t be said to have a very good relationship with Souta’s female friends, they weren’t living without any interaction either. They had at least exchanged phone numbers.

That’s why Yuka had been able to go pick up Shii.

“But I was scared.”

“Scared?”

“……”

At Souta’s question, Shii lowered her head.

She clasped her hands together and fidgeted with her fingers. She looked like she was wondering whether she should say what was on her mind.

“Tell me. If there’s something I need to fix, I should know.”

“No, you don’t need to fix anything…”

But Shii’s words were cut off midway.

After contemplating for a while, Shii seemed to have made up her mind and nodded with a small “Yes” before looking up at Souta.

“I was scared… that you might be with one of the seniors I know.”

“Huh?”

For a moment, Souta tilted his head, not understanding Shii’s words.

“I was afraid that maybe you were having such a good time on a date with Yuka-senpai that you didn’t answer my calls, or that you were alone with Nanami-senpai and that’s why you didn’t answer.”

“That’s…”

“I’m your little sister. I know that. Someday we’ll definitely live apart. No matter how precious family is, we can’t live together forever. In fact, because we’re family, that’s even more true.”

“……”

Because Souta would eventually start his own family. The same would be true for Shii.

Of course, they might not get married. But even so, when they become adults, siblings usually live apart. If anything, living together for life would be considered unusual.

“But still, but still…”

Tears welled up in Shii’s eyes.

“I was scared… that someone more important to you than me would appear. So… I couldn’t bring myself to check.”

I see.

Souta closed his eyes.

During the past summer vacation, Souta had made quite a few memories. Of course, not all of them were good, but he had been able to enjoy his “youth” incomparably more than the previous summer.

Though not intentionally, he had enjoyed the festival alone with Yuka. Nanami had also grown closer to him.

As for Fukuda and Kurosawa… although there was still some distance, Souta considered them friends.

He didn’t have a lover yet. But from others’ perspective, it was certainly enough to cause misunderstandings.

His classmates already teased him about his relationship with Yuka, and some were genuinely jealous.

The same was true of his relationship with Nanami, to the point where several friends were jealous of Souta because of the beautiful girl who came to see him from another class.

What would Shii think? The kids right next to him would think the same thing, so if she saw Souta not answering calls while always hanging out with those girls.

“……”

Shii had an unfortunate past. Despite being Souta’s blood sister, the woman who took Shii away—her mother—had terribly abandoned her.

So she must be feeling the fear of being abandoned again.

“Shii.”

Having organized his thoughts, Souta spoke.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you would feel that way.”

“No, Brother…”

“And Shii, you’re my only little sister. Moreover, you’re my only family right now.”

Both their parents were alive, but neither really acted as a father or mother.

Of course, their father did provide the minimum financial support… but that was probably less out of love for his son and daughter, and more because he didn’t want to add the burden of child abuse to the shame of being divorced.

Maybe their relationship would improve someday. But at least for now, for both Shii and Souta, they were each other’s only family.

“So that family connection will never be broken, no matter how much time passes.”

Souta said with a smile.

“If you have any troubles, you can come to me. We can see each other when we have time. If we live nearby, it’ll be easy to meet.”

“Brother…”

Shii leaned against Souta’s side.

Souta put his arm around her shoulders.

“So there’s no need to worry too much. No need to be scared. The idea that I wouldn’t cherish you—that will never happen.”

“……”

Shii wrapped her arms around Souta’s waist and hugged him tightly.

She seemed somewhat relieved.

And so was Souta.

The two sat together like that for a while, looking up at the sky—

—And then.

Thud.

Souta heard the sound of someone walking.

At first, he thought someone else had woken up, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

Because,

“Wait, Kurosawa-san!”

The next sound he heard was Yuka’s father shouting.

And following that was a scream.

“…Brother?”

“…Shii.”

Souta got up, leading Shii with him.

He still didn’t know what was happening.

But he could instinctively feel that whatever was “happening” wasn’t something entirely safe.