Epilogue
This chapter was translated by the wonderful minib0ss, and proofread by kuririn, yuugs, shizuumi, and dei-hime!
After I entered Hakuo Academy,
spring, summer, autumn and winter came―
A whole year passed, and spring found us again.
It was the season that heralded new life as cherry blossoms bloomed all over. I had just become a second-year, and I quietly looked up at the cherry blossom tree in the rear courtyard, just like when I first enrolled here.
Chizuru Yukimura: "With this, I'm a second year student at Hakuo Academy too, now..."
As I was watching the cherry blossoms don the same colors as they did last year, I felt outside of time somehow. Almost like everything until now had been a dream… but there was no doubt that the memories I held in my heart of my school life this past year were true.
The fun times.
The hard times.
And the good times.
As well as every single word I exchanged with Kaoru...
Looking back, my first year in high school was a series of plentiful encounters and discoveries. For my first midterms, I reviewed my notes in a rush after I had heard about the penalties. During the summer, I went to the pool with everyone and occasionally took care of the cat around the school with Kaoru…
And then I got roped into an embarrassing role at the cultural festival. I never thought I'd find myself dressing up like that, but looking back on it now, it made a good memory.
Then, there were the memories of winter, of Christmas and Valentine's Day, that warmed my heart.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Hehe...."
Looking back on this past year, I couldn't help but smile. I wondered if I was able to grow as a proper student over the past year? Also...
Chizuru Yukimura: "I wonder if Kaoru and I have gotten a little closer now. We’d been apart for so long..."
I thought about that as I walked leisurely home, and eventually my house came into view. In front of it was a parked moving truck. When I spotted who it was standing beside it, I gave him a little wave.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Kaoru!"
Kaoru Nagumo: "Well, look at that, you're finally home. What kind of sister are you, to keep me waiting for so long?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "You were the one who said to take my time coming home because you wanted to get here first…" I retorted. "More importantly, have you finished moving your things in?"
Kaoru Nagumo: "Just now. It's not like I had much to bring in. It went faster than I expected, too, since no one was here to slow me down."
Chizuru Yukimura: "...Uh-huh, that’s nice," I shrugged, ignoring the snide remark and challenging look he sent my way. ...I guess I’d grown immune to his sarcasm by now.
Kaoru Nagumo: "...What's with that attitude? God, you're more thick-skulled than I thought if you don't even understand sarcasm. As your brother―"
Chizuru Yukimura: "It’s because I know now that you don’t actually mean to hurt me with it."
Kaoru Nagumo: "Wha―..!?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "You've probably been moving your things in because you wanted to finish unloading everything before I had to help out with it, right?" I spoke with a bright smile on my face, to which Kaoru’s response was a sour look.
Kaoru Nagumo: "...Has anyone told you lately that you're not charming in the least?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "You would be the first… Forget it. Let's just go inside. I'll make us some tea or something." I opened the front door, watching the truck leave before stepping inside. I beckoned for Kaoru to follow me. "Come on, Kaoru. Hurry up, now."
Kaoru Nagumo: "Yeah, yeah. Well... excuse me," he said, stepping inside.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Kaoru. It’s not, ‘Excuse me.’ This is your home too, starting today." I looked back at him, smiling.
He hesitated a moment. Then his face flushed red and he said:
Kaoru Nagumo: "...I'm home."
...It had all started with a phone call from my father.
My father, Koudou Yukimura, had been in a remote village with no other doctor for several years now. Due to his work, he was only able to come home a few times a year. It seemed that there were a lot of patients who needed him these days, so he had decided not to leave, but to settle there as that island's full-time doctor instead. So, he asked me if I'd like to go live there with him.
...Honestly, had I been the same person I was a year ago, I would have gone with him despite my reservations. I’d have been glad we could spend time together after he'd been away for so long. That used to be the most important thing to me.
But...
Now, I wasn't able to nod and go along with him. Living with my father was something I'd wanted for years. But now I was just as attached to this town, and I loved the school I went to, Hakuo Academy. I wanted to learn a lot here before I headed out into the world...
When I told my dad that, he objected to the idea, noting how dangerous it was for a girl to live on her own...
But then Kaoru, who was with me at the time, interrupted him, saying it must be okay as long as I wasn’t on my own. Kaoru, who despite our unwilling distance until now was still my brother by blood, put in a lot of work to persuade my father and the Nagumo family to let him live with me...
Chizuru Yukimura: "...That said, there sure were a lot of arguments over it, weren’t there?"
Kaoru Nagumo: "Ahh, about me moving into your place, right?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Yeah, stuff about inheritance and your rights as someone adopted by the Nagumos..."
Kaoru Nagumo: "Hah. As if it matters. And what's wrong with siblings living in the same house? If anything, this way is normal."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Well, that's true, but..."
Kaoru Nagumo: "Or do you not like it? Living with me." His sarcastic tone couldn’t hide the insecurity underneath.
I shook my head to reassure him.
Chizuru Yukimura: "...No, it's nothing like that. I'm really happy about it!"
Kaoru Nagumo: "I-Is that so..."
Chizuru Yukimura: "But are you okay with this, Kaoru? You might actually lose your place in the Nagumo family home this way."
Kaoru Nagumo: "...I don't mind. Well, I'll show my face for New Year's and festivals and whatnot."
Chizuru Yukimura: "...Hehe."
Kaoru Nagumo: "W-What's with the weird look on your face? If you've got something to say, just say it!"
Chizuru Yukimura: "It’s just, Kaoru, you've changed. The old you would've said something like 'I don't care about that house,' right? No questions asked."
Kaoru Nagumo: "...I won't deny that. But, well, they raised me all this time, so I feel some obligation to them." Kaoru was curt in his declaration, huffing as he looked away from me.
The fact that he expressed gratitude at all was...
Chizuru Yukimura: "Yeah. I think you have changed after all."
(CG get!°˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°)
It was so endearing, I couldn't help myself: I patted him on the head.
Kaoru Nagumo: "Wha―...!?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "...There, there."
Kaoru Nagumo: "What the hell do you think you're doing? I'm the older one, you know...!"
Chizuru Yukimura: "We were born at pretty much the same time, so I don't think it makes much of a difference."
Kaoru Nagumo: "I was born a second earlier than you, so obviously I'm your older brother! Now get your hands off of me!" Yet for all his complaints, he didn't move to brush my hand away. Instead, Kaoru closed his eyes for a moment, almost as if to savor the feeling before he reached for my head next.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Kaoru...?"
Kaoru Nagumo: "Just stay put."
We lost the warmth of our parents early on… it was like we were looking for some of that familial warmth now.
Kaoru put his hand on my head, sounding uncharacteristically gentle as he told me...
Kaoru Nagumo: "When our parents died...I was still just a kid. My hands were small. Too small. I was powerless even to stop you from being taken away."
Chizuru Yukimura: "......"
Kaoru Nagumo: "But...I'm different now. I'll be the one closest to you, as your brother, and I'll be able to keep you safe."
Chizuru Yukimura: "...I'm not the only one being protected here. I can be your support, too."
Kaoru Nagumo: "...You're pretty cheeky, for a baby sister."
Chizuru Yukimura: "You're pretty stubborn, for an older brother."
Kaoru really was twisted, contrarian, and mean… but he was the best big brother I could ask for.
Chizuru Yukimura: "...Looks like I'll be having a hard time from now on..."
Despite what I said, the smiles we both had never left our faces.
After so long, we were reunited. My eyes slipped shut, all the better to feel the warmth of Kaoru’s hand on my head. I was content at last, now that we were able to live together as siblings--as a family-- again.
Yes...maybe we could even move forward together from Hakuo Academy.
The End