7 Brother's Gift

Kimiko was walking down the street while clinging on to her mother's arm. They had just returned from Kenji's trial. Kenji, her older brother, was just sent to prison for aggravated assault.

"It's all my fault. Onii-chan's in prison because of me."

Kimiko teared up as she blamed herself. She felt guilty for her brother's imprisonment and keeps blaming herself because she got on the train.

"Kimiko, don't blame yourself, your brother did it to protect you."

Her mother comforting her.

"That's right, if he didn't do that, that bastard would've taken your purity away! You know what?! I'm proud that your brother did it, I trained him after all! It's wrong that he's in prison right now, and for 3 years! That bastard deserved it! He marked his own death when he laid his hands on you!"

Her father yelled out boisterously.

Despite his son being in prison and guilty for assault, he was proud of him. A brother that looks out for his younger sister is the best brother you can have. And that man deserved it, harassing underage girls all his life. His death was inevitable.

"Don't worry, you know your brother, he has a chance of parole as long as he doesn't do anything idiotic."

Her mother said, trying to cheer Kimiko up.

"Mom, you don't get it!"

Kimiko yelled.

"What do you mean?"

"Onii-chan is going to be so lonely..."

She began tearing up. Her mother brought her in closer and hugged her tightly.

20 minutes later, they arrived home.

"You should go to bed now, it's already late."

Her mother said as she softly stroked Kimiko's black hair.

"Alright, mother."

Kimiko went up to her room. When she arrived on the second floor, she looked at her Brother's room. She approached it and opened up the door. As she peeked her head inside, it was all empty. There was a feeling inside her as if something important was missing. Of course, that something is her brother.

Kenji's room was small yet comfy. When they moved into this house, Kenji offered the bigger room to Kimiko as he didn't like having so much room. Kimiko's room was two times bigger than Kenji's.

"Onii-chan..."

Kimiko walked up to Kenji's bed and sat down. She then looked up at the portrait on the wall that Kenji had painted of her.

Even though people called him weird because of his eyes, they have also been suspecting that it must be the source of his intelligence. Kenji has flawless grades on all his exams and though he isn't in a sports club, he could probably be a captain if he wanted to. But he was in the art club because he says that art is the source that calms one's nature. A man once said that "The true use of art is, first, to cultivate the artist's own spiritual nature." His paintings represented the level of what his spiritual nature was.

Kimiko exited the room and closed the lights behind her. Then she went to her room and went to sleep.

***

The next day...

Kimiko was walking down the stairs into the kitchen. Her mother had just left for work and her dad went out to buy more groceries.

Kimiko opened the fringe and searched for the milk. No milk.

"I hope Dad remembers to buy milk."

Kimiko closed the refrigerator. As she did, she noticed a small note stuck to the door. She took the note off the fridge and read it.

It read.

[Check under your bed.]

"Under my bed? What's under my bed?"

Kimiko went up to her room and searched under her bed. Eventually, she pulled out a little box wrapped around in a gold-colored wrapping.

There was a tag on the blue ribbon which read.

[For Kimiko]

As she slowly opened it up, under the wrapping was a little box that looked like it could hold a ring. When she opened the box, inside was a note. Kimiko took the note and read it.

[Dear Kimiko, my cute sister,

If you are reading this, I am probably not there. Due to a premonition, I knew that I wouldn't be there for your 14th birthday; I apologize. But before that event happens, I prepared your gift so that you would still receive a gift even though I am gone. Happy 14th birthday, my adorable little sister.

Sincerely,

Kenji...]

Kimiko began shedding tears. It was like that time that Kimiko wanted a little teddy bear in a claw machine. She was crying because she just couldn't get it, not even her parents could. That was until Kenji got it on his first try.

Kimiko looked at the box. There was a golden ring with a butterfly symbol on it. The butterfly and two tiny little rubies planted into its wings. Kimiko took out the ring and smiled.

"Thank you Onii-chan."

She wore the ring on her left index finger.

After that, her father and her mother came back home with her cake, and they all celebrated Kimiko's 14th birthday.

And so, 1 year and 5 months passed...

.

.

.