episode_0079

It’s still dark in the early morning.

The sun has risen, but it is the time when the red morning and blue night interlock with each other and the world winds up.

It’s the time when people around the world wake up and go to work, and the time when the trains that travel around the city start moving for the first time.

At this early hour, I woke up.

Well, as always, I woke up at this time, finished a lot of things in advance, and prepared breakfast.

But why do I feel strange even though I woke up this early?

Maybe it’s because I fell asleep last night after hearing something from everyone.

Everyone was coming and going, telling me to get some rest and to sleep in a little longer. Do these people realize that it’s harder to break a routine that’s already been formed?

No, more than that, I think the problem was that I slept more than I thought yesterday and couldn’t sleep.

I kept pestering Hye-won, who is always unplanned, and finally got her to tell me when to wake up. The four-hour difference between the time we promised and the time we woke up is just too much.

But I don’t think I’ll be able to go back to sleep because I’m already so wide awake.

It’s just so inefficient to just sit on the bed like this and waste time.

So what I chose to do was to do the things I couldn’t do yesterday.

Even though people are waking up now, it is a time when there are more people sleeping. Noisy laundry or cleaning should be put off…

I said I cleaned up after eating it yesterday, but I don’t like it, so I’ll start cleaning up from there.

So, little by little, I was starting a rewarding day by organizing small pieces of trash and clearing out the trash cans in various places in the living room.

“Sister… ?”

“Arin…? It’s this time of day, why are you up instead of sleeping more?”

“No, I couldn’t sleep and it was almost time to go to school so I’m not sure… No, more than that, Unnie, I told you not to wake up early and to stay up late!”

“Ah, habits are really hard to change. I know that waking up early is a positive habit, so it seems like it’s even harder for the body to change. Arin, sleep a little longer. I’ll wake you up.”

“No, my sister needs to go up and sleep more. Stop what you’re doing and go up.”

“I feel really uncomfortable with what you just said… It’s okay, really.”

“Sister, do you think I’m asking for something? Come on up.”

“Arin… ?”

I was working in the dark so as not to disturb others who were sleeping, so I couldn’t see Arin’s expression.

Her expression, reflected in the familiar darkness, showed that she was more angry than expected.

I can tell that Arin was tired since morning and was upset because I was doing my work without listening to her.

I’m not that clueless…

And, in this situation, if I insist and don’t go up, how annoying it will be. And on the day I decide to spend time with Arin, I don’t even want to think about what will happen.

“… That, that… Arin, this might sound like an excuse, but let me tell you something… ”

“What is this? If you’re going to make excuses and drag it out like this until I go to school, you’d better abandon me.”

“No, that. Haa… I slept too much last night.”

“Can’t sleep? Go lie down and you’ll fall asleep.”

“No, I really can’t sleep.”

Perhaps because he thought I would make more excuses, he stopped listening to me and grabbed my hand, dragging me to my room.

In the end, Arin was led by the hand, forced to lie down on the bed, and even had a blanket covered over her before she finally opened her mouth.

“Good night.”

“No, that… ”

“Main.Tax.”

“Yes. Arin will sleep well again, right?”

“No? I have to go to school.”

“No, isn’t Arin the one who needs to grow up? Arin, you should go to sleep quickly.”

“… Are you kidding me by saying I’m small right now?”

“No, that’s not true. I’m already fully grown. There are too many inconveniences at this height. Go ahead and get some more sleep.”

“I’m not short… ?”

“I’m speaking from the perspective of someone who has fought Blanc for a long time with this key. Rather than the advantage of a small hit area, the inconvenience in daily life is… ”

“I’m not small! I’m not average among kids… but I’m not small!”

“I used to be quite tall. I used to be a little under 180cm tall, but now that I’m at this height, there are a lot of inconveniences. Arin, so go to sleep.”

“No, that means it’s not small… Haa, okay, I understand. Instead, I’ll sleep next to you.”

Arin, who had been grumbling that she wasn’t short, pushed me to one side while saying that she would sleep next to me, and then confidently took up a corner of my pillow.

“Hey, Arin…? Weren’t you supposed to go to Arin’s room…?”

“Yes, I’ll be fine here.”

“Umm… Arin, then I’ll wake you up. I’ll set the alarm.”

“Yes. Haa… Sister’s blanket is warmer and cozier than I thought. Is it because you’re next to me?”

“Yes, yes. Go to sleep.”

“Sister, can I hug you?”

“Yes?”

“I need someone to hug me while I sleep to be able to fall asleep.”

“Arin, I’ve seen you sleeping so many times. Close your eyes and go to sleep.”

“Cheet.”

With those words, silence flowed.

Light streams in through the gaps in the blackout curtains meant to block out the rising sun.

I felt the girl next to me move.

“… ”

Are you planning to leave quietly?

Then I also quietly hold Arin’s hand.

Keeping them from going out, with their hands tied.

“…?!”

“Arin, don’t even think about leaving quietly, just go to sleep.”

“Ugh… Yes.”

Only then did Arin’s breathing change.

Only when Arin’s breathing and heartbeat became the music of sleep was I able to fall back asleep.

I thought I wouldn’t be able to sleep. Maybe it was because I was holding Arin’s hand, but the warmer bed made me feel tired.

Just like that, I fell into a deep sleep.

How deep was the sleep?

I barely managed to wake up to the sound of the alarm and the second verse of the alarm song.

First, I have to wake up Arin who has to get up to go to school.

“… Why is Hyewon here?”

“I came early because it was my day, but Arin was already here.”

“… Didn’t you clearly say it was after 10 o’clock?”

“What should I do with my eyes waking up early?”

“… First, let’s send Arin to school, right?”

“Yeah. But, it’s a little disappointing. I wish you’d only pay attention to me.”

“I’m the type of person who is not good at saying no.”

“Ugh… Arin, wake up. You have to go to school, right?”

“Umm… Sister… Just a little more… ”

“Your schedule is on a different day. And then you’re late?”

“… Perception. Oh, huh?!”

Arin, startled by the word “late,” looked at the clock in her room.

Arin stared at the clock for a long time, perhaps because she couldn’t read the clock with the minute and hour hands properly, or because her mind was clouded by her panicked head and morning drowsiness, and then she asked me what time it was.

“Sister, right now… ”

“It’s still 8 o’clock. It’s earlier than Arin usually wakes up.”

“Ahh… Huh?! 8 o’clock? Ahh… ”

“Why are you drooling?”

“Ahhh… A little longer… Haa, no. Thank you for sleeping with me. Then, I’ll wake up first. If I stay here any longer, Hye-won will scold me.”

“Yeah, Arin, get ready to go to school. Bine, would you like to talk to me?”

Hyewon sends Arin away.

Arin went downstairs to get ready for school.

“No, what do you mean there’s something to talk about?”

“What were you doing that made you end up sleeping with Arin? Arin, you must have gone into your room last night.”

“When I woke up at dawn, Arin also woke up just like me, and she dragged me in. She said I needed to sleep more. But I couldn’t sleep, so I was dragged in and laid down, and I ended up falling asleep.”

“What, you didn’t do anything else?”

“Don’t you love Arin too much? Even I wouldn’t touch a child like Arin.”

“Ah, what… Ugh. No. Okay, what do you want to do today?”

“That’s something I’d like to ask, but… Would you like to start with breakfast? I’ll prepare it right away. Arin, you’ll have to leave soon.”

“Morning… Let’s just eat cereal today and then go out.”

“I know there aren’t many places open this morning.”

“My sister wants to see you, so bring her.”

“… Are you talking about citrus? Why is that person suddenly… ”

“When I told him yesterday, he said he would make time right away. He said he would leave the bakery to a part-time worker and wait.”

“Haa… Seriously, what trouble am I in because you’re not good at playing the role of your little sister?”

“Do you know that that’s your karma?”

“Why is that, ah.”

“Accept it, just do it. Think of it as atonement for losing your sister’s leg, and just act like a good sister, right?”

“I’m not a good person. I remember that I always fought fiercely when fighting Citrus.”

“You fought so hard that your sister lost her leg, right?”

“Oh really. The person involved didn’t say anything either.”

“Do you know that I became a magical girl only thinking about that one thing? After I captured you. Haa, this isn’t the time to talk about this. I’ll tell you later. For now, get ready first. I’ll get the cereal out. ”

“Oh, you’re taking it out? I think Arin should take out the cocoa balls inside. I ran out of Orio Onz the day before yesterday. I forgot to buy some.”

“I’m going to the department store today, so I can buy it there.”

“Department store… Ah.”

“Why do you hate dating your sister so much?”

“… Is this a date? Who goes on a date with three people? The purpose itself is disrespectful, let alone the other way around.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter. Get ready quickly.”

The day with Hye-won has now opened its doors.

No one would have thought that this day would become a new turning point in their relationship.