Chapter 50 - Back to the routine [1]

Looking into my eyes, Ruby just nodded, a faint smile forming on her face. I pat her head, a gesture I've been doing since we were kids. Even as grown-ups, I keep up with that tradition. She's never complained, so I never stopped.

"Anyway, let's put that aside for now. Were you able to go to school without me? Actually, tell me how your days have been since I haven't been home" I asked, while Ruby simply nodded in confirmation.

After that, Ruby gave me a brief summary of her situation. When I disappeared, initially, she felt helpless, not knowing what to do. Even so, Ruby decided to carry on with her days as normally as possible. She mentioned feeling that if she didn't do that, she would fall into sadness.

At one point, Ruby shared with me that she genuinely thought I had abandoned her. From her perspective, she thought I saw her as a burden. Although it bothered me a little to know she thought I could do something like that, she told me she quickly dismissed that idea. Even without any proof, she said she trusted me. Anyway, that summed up Ruby's day-to-day while I was absent.

"I understand. You've been through a lot. I'm sorry for worrying you" I said, letting a sad smile linger on the corners of my lips.

Noticing my expression, Ruby gently shook her head and then looked at me with an understanding smile on her face.

"It's okay, I know my brother had to face many things. And even if it's selfish of me, knowing he thought of me in that situation made me happy" Ruby replied.

"I couldn't stop thinking about you. You're the most important person to me. If anything happened to you... No, honestly, I can't even imagine a world without you. Thinking of you was what kept me going in that place because I knew you were waiting for me at home"

Ruby and I spent some more time talking, sharing how much we missed each other during my absence. At one point, I realized the conversation was getting a little uncomfortable, so I changed the subject, reminding her that she needed to get ready for school.

Sure, I also needed to get ready for college, so we both got ourselves together. We didn't usually go together since we had different routes. Actually, I don't even remember taking Ruby to school ever. She had been enrolled there since before our parents passed away, so I doubt anyone there knows me.

Although I knew I'd be running 10 minutes late if I took Ruby, I really wanted to spend some more time with her. Plus, with everything that's happened, I wasn't in the right headspace to focus on studies. I mean, I still have my powers, and technically, I can't even consider myself human anymore.

After getting ready, Ruby and I walked through the neighborhood towards her school. Although she asked me several times if it was okay for me to come along, I just reassured her, telling her not to worry. Normally, it takes about 30 to 40 minutes from here to my college by train, but honestly, I can run much faster than a train if I use all my power.

As we walked, other kids Ruby's age started joining us on the way. Her school wasn't that far from our house, which was the main reason we moved to that apartment. Plus, it was relatively cheap.

The reason for that is Ruby has a pretty fragile body. Though it doesn't necessarily interfere with her daily routine, exerting too much effort can worsen her condition, which at some point could be fatal for her. So, I try to keep her life as calm and simple as possible. Well, though it led me to attend a college far away, I really didn't mind.

Following the path, more and more students started appearing around us. It was a bit strange, but there were several girls and boys looking at us. What exactly was going on? By the way, the way those boys are looking at Ruby is really bothering me for some reason.

"Ruby!"

While I was distracted looking at those boys around, a cute voice caught my attention. When I turned, I saw a cute girl running towards us with a smile on her face.

"Clara!" Ruby responded with the same intensity.

As they got close to each other, they hugged while smiling. I didn't know her. I mean, I wasn't very up to date with my sister's private life. It wasn't for lack of interest, but I was always busy. Plus, Ruby probably didn't want to worry me with her stuff, so we hardly ever talked about her.

"By the way, who's this handsome guy by your side, Ruby? Could it be... your boyfriend?" Clara asked, with a suggestive smile on her face.

Hearing her words made me raise an eyebrow. How the heck did she jump to that conclusion? Plus, who was the handsome guy? Me? Honestly, no one had ever used that term to refer to me. I'm kind of a loner, you know? Girls usually just look at me from afar, and guys don't seem to like me much for some reason. Plus, I really don't care much about my appearance. Even my hair is pretty long, though I don't mind much, as I've recently grown to like this style.

"What are you talking about, Clara? This is my older brother, Noah" Ruby replied while letting out a small laugh.

"Hmm, hmm, on closer look, you two do look alike" Clara replied while striking a camera pose using her hands. "You both really make a good pair. Cute siblings are quite photogenic" she commented, letting out a laugh.

Although I didn't know her well, my first thought was about how peculiar this girl was. Well, not that it was necessarily a bad thing.