Ch 56 - Taking My 1st and 2nd Pt. 7

"So, how are you enjoying the date?" Shiro asked.

"It's going good. By the way, shouldn't I be the one asking you that...?- ...wait, WHAT?!"

A-A-A-A-A DATE?! HE CONSIDERS THIS AS ONE?! OH, UH...I don't know what to say...

"Well, it's technically a date, right? Besides, it ain't bad, wanting to know you more." Shiro chuckled.

"Well...same here." I scratched my cheek while giggling nervously.

"So...what exactly made you wanna do this?"

"Hmm? Didn't I say that I want to get to know you more?"

"Yeah, but like...you didn't do this on a whim, did you? I'd understand if the shoe was on the other foot, since I'm that type of person, but I can't really see you being somebody who'd just suddenly want to hang out with somebody you don't know...Could it be that...?"

"That...?" I jumped a bit.

Oh crud...did he see through me!? Is our plan foiled!?

"...You had your eye on me for a good while?"

"...W-What do you mean?"

"I mean, I had my eyes on all of the Hololivers the moment I fell down the Hololive rabbit hole. I imagined what it's like being a Vtuber of some sorts and wondered what our collabs would be. Soon enough...I would like to make a portal in the Holostars Minecraft server that connects to the ID, JP, and EN server."

Oh? Is he serious? For a fan that has just known Hololive for a short time, he's willing to put in the dedication? That's amazing...

"And when I laid my eyes on you, Reine, I was thinking maybe we could have a chill time, drinking coffee or so as we look at the chat. Sometimes, I wanna have a good time and chill with the community. Don't you have the same thing for me?"

"Ah, yeah! Actually, your music talent was very nice, and it's also good to know you can produce music! I was thinking if you could produce music for me? Of course, I won't go out of my way to let you make a whole song, you can even just take care of mixing or co-producing, but you've taken the interest of everybody, especially those that love music, like me!"

"That's great! I'd love to have a session with you in my room. Just imagine all the music we could produce."

"Yeah! Of course, I'll pay you for what it's worth."

"Say, after we get our food, wanna go watch a movie together?"

"Sounds great!"

And so, me and Shiro kept talking more about what's been happening with HoloID and Holostars, and once we got our food, we finally ate. Of course, he had to take his mask off, so I saw his scar. I was surprised, and I even kept looking at it, but after a while, I got used to it. Besides...he does look sorta cool with it. Though, knowing that it's full of bad memories, according to some clips I watched, I don't wanna glorify it too much.

We finally arrived at the mall, and went into the cinema, with Shiro paying the fare for the taxi as usual. We saw the selection, from horror, to action, to sci-fi, and even romance and comedy.

"Say, what movie do you wanna watch?" Shiro asked.

"Hmm...Oh? What's that?"

"...Ah...that movie is hella nostalgic." He giggled.

"Oh? You seem rather happy."

"Yeah. I watched that movie before with my best friend. Got most people crying in the cinema, but me and Subaru were mesmerized with the storytelling despite the somewhat amateur-looking camera shots and out-of-place lighting. 'All About Lily Chou-Chou'. If I remember correctly, the movie was one of the top grossing movies of 2001."

"Ah, really?"

"Mhmm. It does a good job in showing what it's like having problems and stress as a teen, wanting to escape reality with music, as well as how Japan was with its social problems which are still prominent to this day. It was as if I watched the movie yesterday."

"If you think it's good, then let's watch it! You might relive the memories!" I said, dragging him by the arm.

"Woah, wait for a sec, Reine." He said.

"O-Oh?"

"You see...the movie isn't really for kids. Don't you see the rating on it?"

"...Oh...it has mature content, huh?"

"Yeah…"

I felt Shiro getting closer to my head, and he whispered this to me.

"From what I remember in the movie, there was death, rape, bullying, and all that shit. Kinda funny how the actors at the time were around 15 years old, yet the content was for adults. Heh."

"...Huh...I see." I said, giving a little nervous giggle.

"Well, how about we try that?" I pointed at another movie.

"Oh? Ah, Saul Goodman getting beaten up, huh? I don't know what to expect, but we're both over 18, so let's watch it. 'Nobody' looks enticing." He said.

"Okay!"

And so, me and him watched it. I was amazed at all the fighting, and Shiro was even gasping and snickering at some moments of the movie. He did say, very quickly, that the fighting scene at the bus was accurate. It finally came to the end of the movie, and we both went to take a little bathroom break before finally meeting again outside.

"Ah...that movie was fun!" I said.

"Yeah. Although it was epic, that ending was creatively unrealistic." He chuckled.

"Hmm?"

"Of course, since it's a movie, it's just meant to be like that, but Reine, what do you think will ACTUALLY happen if I stuck a claymore to a shield and went straight for my enemy, making the claymore explode?"

"Hmm...the guy would explode to a million pieces?"

"More than that. That guy would be nothing but mincemeat, and my ears would've exploded, making me unable to hear anymore. Not to mention, the force that the claymore sent to the mafia boss was just not strong enough. Assuming he could survive it, he should've been sent way way back. But it's a Hollywood movie, what can you do about it?"

"Yeah...oh, by the way, Shiro...!" I said.

"Hmm?"

Crap, I forgot what the purpose of this date was! It wasn't so I could actually get familiar with him, but rather, to figure out who he has a crush on.

"What do you think of me?" I asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Um...you said before that I was really pretty...so I was wondering what else you thought about me." I said, playing with my hair by twisting a small strand with my index finger.

"Hmm...you're beautiful, funny, friendly, really caring...I love your interests in a lot of things, the way that you give your thoughts is rather amusing. You're a great girl, Reine."

"Say, don't get any assumptions, but...am I your type?"

"Ah-...that's a rather bold statement, Reine." He giggled nervously.

Y-Yeah, I know...but wait! The way he said it...could I be his crush, after all?

"Although you're quite the woman, and you can be good waifu material, you're...not exactly my type." He scratched his head and chuckled.

"Oh? Well, as far as I know, I don't think you've stated what kind of girl or type you like. I mean...of course we know you want a loyal girl, but how about jumping into specifics? Maybe you have fantasies that you want fulfilled by a certain girl? Maybe you prefer somebody more cheerful than a girl who's a brat? Just anything like that."

"Oh? Well, let's see…"

Nice! I'm leading him on, and it doesn't look like he's noticing what my plans are! Good job, Reine!

"...I want a girl who cares about me like I care about her. I want to be hugged by her daily. I don't care if she's a good cook or not, but I want her to be at my side at all times, regardless of the distance. Although I would like a girl that's kind, she doesn't necessarily have to be kind all the time. I want a girl that, even though she acts like she hates me, in her heart, she truly cares and would be worried sick if anything happened to me."

"I can imagine lying on her lap in a field of green, the sun shining bright, birds chirping, and the wind going at a nice pace. I imagine myself opening my eyes to see her smiling face that's as bright as the sun seeping through the leaves of the trees while looking down on me. I also want her to be a girl that will work hard for me. A girl who is always waiting silently and will do what it takes to see me again. I want a girl who loves what she does and does it very well!"

"...That's the type of girl I think I would like. It's rather embarrassing, and you might not have expected it, but...I really want to have that type of girlfriend soon." He scratched his head and giggled nervously.

"Woah…"

A hypothesis of mine is that it may be Subaru-senpai, since she's the "Sun of Hololive", but...we'll see. I'll do a "girl's talk" later with them in Discord. It could possibly be Calli because of the "hard-working" part, and maybe even somebody else like Mel-senpai because of her kind nature. Who knows?

"I think that's a nice type! I will admit, you didn't look like the type that wants to be cared for that much." I said.

"Well...sometimes people can be like that, right?" He chuckled.

"By the way, why'd you ask that? That was a bit of a weird question, coming from you." He asked.

"I was just curious! Sometimes we ask questions that are a bit weird, you know? Besides, Hutch, in the movie, had a family, so I was thinking what it would be like if you were in that scenario. Anyways, I wanna go buy a snack at the nearby 7-eleven. Mind coming with me? I won't bother you for too long, 'cause I think this is enough for our date." I said.

"Yeah, sure. I also wanna buy some bread, fruit, and some dark chocolate. Oh yeah, maybe I'll also buy something for all of HoloID as a treat."

"E-Eh? You don't have to! Don't worry!"

"Ah, screw your opinion." He said jokingly as we both laughed.

"Jokes aside, I wanna be able to do this much. I mean, they're good people, even though I'm not exactly that close to them."

"Well, we'll talk about it once we actually go to the store. So let's go!" I said, grabbing his arm near me and going out the mall.

"Woah. Slow down, woman...!" He said.

We finally came to the 7-eleven store, and bought what we needed. As we met at the counter, I looked at what he put on it.

"...Seriously? The thing you're gonna buy for us is snacks and flavored water?! That's too many!" I said.

"It looks like a shit ton, but don't worry. It's better if you just accept it. Trust me. Just think of it like a gift or something to satisfy your cravings."

"Huh...well, okay…" I said as I looked away and held my other arm.

We finally got our groceries, and we started walking to a nearby stop to wait for a taxi.

"Are you sure you don't need help in carrying all that?" I asked.

"Nah. I should at least be able to carry this much, seeing that I'm a past soldier."

"...Say, something's been on my mind, lately." I said as we sat down.

"Hmm?"

"What are your morals, Shiro? What are the principles and morals you follow everyday?"

"Well, help those in need, and expect nothing in return. That's the most general principle I follow. Of course, by 'those in need', I don't necessarily mean poor people or whatever, but rather, those that seem to have that look in their eyes, screaming for help or are desperate to end their agony."

"Me and the Hololivers aren't in agony, nor are we in need of help. Yet, you helped most Hololivers, especially somebody like Rushia-senpai and the others. I understand helping another Hololiver with like collabs or technical issues, but...for you to go to the extent to even sacrifice millions of yen, and even take some of your time just to help them with very serious and personal matters that strangers are not supposed to stick their nose in, and not to mention, even going as far as expecting nothing in return despite having trust issues against women? I don't understand it at all, you know?" I said.

"Well...Reine, let me ask you."

"Oh?"

"Have you ever seen kids starving? Crying as they sit there defenseless with their parents either lying lifelessly on the ground with their blood spilled on the floor or them hugging their child, praying to whatever God they have, hoping some sort of savior will save them? Have you ever seen comrades who you've known for a whole year and made memories with, starting out fresh like you, only to then have their blood spilled on your hands right before your eyes? Have you ever seen the destruction of churches with women laying on the grass with their bodies exposed as they were stripped of their chastity by people of the same kin?"

"..."

I stayed silent, not because I was shocked, but I was listening to what more he had to say. It didn't feel like he was just giving examples as to why he's so strong with his resolve in helping, but rather, it felt like he was saying it from personal experiences. It sounded like he first-handedly experienced this with every ounce of regret and anger behind it.

"Have you ever seen the difference between a poor man and a desperate man? A damsel in distress and a wicked witch? Have you ever seen people, who spent their entire life with their friends and special someone, only to then have it taken away by terrorists? Have you ever looked at the entire world, and thought to yourself, '...Life is both precious and very cruel…'? Those are the exact reasons why I help people. Why I became a soldier. Why I'm willing to do self-sacrifice."

"...Still, with all those reasons, don't you think sacrificing yourself constantly will lead to you feeling empty inside?" I clenched my fists.

"Elaborate, please."

"Don't you think helping others will take too much of your personal time that you can't chase goals? Don't you want to do something for yourself instead of for others? There have been countless people who say they want to help people, only for them to end up feeling lonely and empty. Yet, you always help others. For this long, you've been helping people. Don't you just feel tired? Don't you know that, no matter how much you do good, there's always evil?"

"I know that...but there's a saying my mom passed unto me. 'No one loves a warrior until the enemy is at the gate.' I have friends and family that I have to protect. Hololive, currently, is my family. Before I discovered you all, I felt empty and didn't want to do anything but lay in bed all day. Now that I'm here, even if I don't trust you all completely, you still welcomed me with open arms, and I have to get along with those that are my family."

I looked down at Shiro's hands, clamping together and clenching it.

"And when you all are in trouble, who else will help you other than yourself? No man is an island, after all. One day, you all will have a shoulder to lean on, and even me, a soldier, who is perceived to be tough."

He looked me in the eyes, and although he had the mask on, it felt like he smiled at me.

"I will fight for those that I love, whether they be a stranger, friend, or family. I can't ever afford to not help those in need. Even though there's always evil in the world, no matter what, if it can at least be mitigated...that's why I always help people. Besides, Reine…"

"Hmm?"

"...You might say I'm lying, and you might even think this is cheesy, but...I love everybody in Hololive, and I love keeping peace in the world as much as possible. Even though I'm retired now, if I can at least help one more soul, my life would be complete. Even if I had to be cruel and have evil means, as long as I can do good..."

"...I see."

So Shiro didn't actually do it just because of being a soldier, or that his thoughts were molded to be that of a soldier's, but rather, THAT was the reason why he wanted to be a soldier. He already knows the consequences and what would happen to him, and yet, he does this out of the goodness of his heart.

He does this because it's what feels right to him, and because he loves everything, even when he is forced to do something bad.

"...Oh?" He said as I leaned on his shoulder with my hand wrapped around his left arm.

"So you didn't have those morals and principles because you thought that's what a soldier should have?"

"N-No. I had those way before I became one. You're not an exception either, Reine. I became the shoulder Rushia and the others leaned on, and I won't falter if you leaned on me too."

"Is that so? Then...if I were ever to be in trouble, or if I need help, or maybe something as simple as just some comfort...will you come to my aid?"

"Of course...I'll protect everybody, after all." He said, wrapping his left arm around me and to my waist. Before I realized it, we were closer than ever. I even yelped.

"EEK!"

"Hmm? ...Ah-"

He immediately let go of me, and I scooched back to where I originally sat as I looked away and blushed.

'W-We just did that in the heat of the moment! Yeah! We were just having a deep moment! The furthest we could ever be is just a platonic relationship! Yeah!' I thought.

~~Shiro's POV~~

'...Yabai. That was really yabai. Then again...she gave the same aura as Rushia and the others did before...Basically saying, she was kinda cute back there. Eurgh...no no, Reine just thinks of me as a friend...Though, I'mma admit, the possibility of having a crush on me isn't too far, but I can't jump to conclusions.' I scratched my cheek and blushed a bit.

"Oh? Hey, Reine. Let's ride this incoming taxi now." I said, standing up and waving my hand.

"Oh? R-R-Right, right!"

We finally got in, and it drove us to the bakery near the school.

"...Say, Reine. I've been wondering ever since you asked me out."

"Hmm?"

"...You didn't ask me out because you wanted to know more about me, did you?"

"...No, not really."

I chuckled a bit from the reply. It was a bit funny seeing her deviate a bit from what the expected reply should've been.

Though, I think I got a gist of what it could've been. That "what type of girl do you like?" question was just a bit too weird. But regardless, I had fun with the date. I don't think there's anything harmful anyway with what I said to her.

"...Well, whatever it may be, I won't pry into personal business. Did you at least enjoy the date? I did...I enjoyed it a ton."

"Me too. I enjoyed it a lot."

"Heh...oh?"

I looked to my right to see her sitting close to me, and wrapping her arms around my right arm.

"...Just for now...until we get back to the house."

"...Well, fine by me."

My urge to wrap my arm around her waist because it's more comfortable was strong. I tried to fight it 'cause of not wanting Reine to feel uncomfortable, but...you know what happened.

She fucking lied though when she said she may be "getting fat", 'cause as far as I'm concerned, her waist is perfectly normal. Matter of fact, it's slender.

When we finally went back to the Holohouse, we saw the Hololivers and a few Holostars. Of course, there were some HoloID there.

"Hey, welcome back, Reine!" Ollie said.

"Um...I tried to stop him, guys." Reine said.

"Oh? Ah!-" Ollie gasped as Reine laid the 3 big plastic bags on the table.

"He uh...bought you all some snacks and drinks…" Reine giggled nervously.

"BRUH?" Ollie said.

"The heck? Why did Shiro buy all this?!" Iofi asked in Indonesian. I assume she was asking Reine.

"I bought all of that 'cause I felt like it. Think of it as charity." I replied in Indonesian.

"OI! YOU'LL LOSE MONEY QUICKLY!" Iofi said.

"I don't give a fuck about your opinion. We're on Twitter, Iofi." I said as the others laughed.

"Oh yeah, how was your date, Reine?~ Was it good?~" Ollie asked.

"A-Ah...well...we did watch a movie and stuff...so yeah?"

"Oh? Tell me all. The details. Later.~" Ollie said.

"Well, although it's a bit early, I'd like to visit my best friend's parents now. I won't be meeting them in a long time after this, after all. Plus I'd like to see how much stuff has changed in their house."

"Oh, when you get back, can you also take pictures of Hanako? I'd like to see what she looks like!" Ollie said.

"Well, if she wants to. I won't force her, so I'll just see later on." I waved my hand.

"Yay!"

"Hey, got a question, Shiro! Is Hanako still single?" Iofi asked.

"Yeah...though, she isn't really interested in finding another person." I sweat dropped.

"Really? I mean, maybe you could fill that role?"

"E-Eurgh…" I sweated a bit and held my arm.

"...Oh, uh...I-I didn't mean it like that, I was just-" Iofi panicked a bit and raised her hands.

"I-It's fine. Just uh...I don't like the thought of doing that. Can't really break the 'bro code'."

Subaru has finally passed away, but I really can't think of Hanako as anything but a big sister figure. Plus, that's...that's lowkey NTR.

"Anyway, I'm gonna be going now. Have fun eating those snacks and drinking the water. No need to pay anything back to me." I said, waving bye to them and going out to get a taxi.

"Bye!" The HoloID said.

I took one, and I finally arrived at the house. Although I felt fine before I went there, as I took a good look at the house again, knowing we were gonna have a good time talking about Subaru as well as wondering what's been going on with each other, the memories hit me hard.

This was the house where I would hang out with him as well as play games and make music. Good memories were what filled the house back then.

"Heh...yeah...good times, good times." I said, going to the door and giving it two knocks.

"Hello? Dad? Mom?"

'Ah...just like the old days...it's still embarrassing, after all.' I sweat dropped and blushed.

"Ah, Shiro! Coming!" I heard Mrs. Levisay say through the door.

The door opened, and I was greeted with a smile.

"You're very early! Then again, you do have to do your work later on, but we can at least have a drinking party at around 5:30 or so! Come on in!"

"Thank you." I said, bowing a bit and putting my shoes in the genkan.

"Do you need coffee? Tea? Are you hungry?"

"Nah, I'm good...Oh hi, Dad."

Mr. Levisay was sitting on the chair at the dining table, watching a Youtube video on his phone.

"Ah, Shiro! You came really early, but you can at least roam around the house and make yourself at home before Hanako comes!" He said, standing up.

"Here, I actually bought some milk tea earlier. You can have this." He said, going to the fridge and taking it out.

"Oh, really? Thank you." I said, giggling a bit and taking my mask off.

"Well, since you're at home, and the blinds are closed, so nobody can see us, you can put your mask in your pocket or so."

"Yup." I said, taking it off completely and putting it in my back pocket.

"Say, is Subaru's room open? I'd like to see what's been up with his room." I said.

"It's always open, and we got spare keys all around the house anyway if one of the doors is locked accidentally." He said.

"Great. Thanks!" I said, going up to the 2nd floor and checking the rooms out while sipping on my milk tea.

"Oh yeah, Hanako said that she's coming around 5, so you better welcome her when she comes!"

"Hai!" I shouted.

'Just as I remembered...the doors still all look the same.' I thought.

The nostalgia...the rooms and the hallway still look all the same. I finally went up to his room, and opened it.

"...Still the same old room as always, huh?" I chuckled.

It's neat, well-maintained, clean, and organized. His laptop there under his computer desk, his computer on top of it, his books on the bookshelf, his bed sheets and pillow, his pictures of him and Hanako together, his favorite music albums along with those books, shoes, sandals, wardrobe. It's all here.

"...I bet they clean and maintain his room every once in a while." I chuckled.

I sat down at the bed, looking at the window and seeing the buildings at the distance as well as the blue sky full of clouds.

"...Just like before...man, it feels nice." I smiled.

Thankfully, ever since he died, my PTSD has finally calmed down, albeit by about 20%, I'm at least happy being here and reliving the good memories. Though...that doesn't mean I'm not prone to nightmares. But hey, this room is just nostalgic as hell.

"Hah...I wanna lie down for a while." I said, putting my milk tea on his desk.

I looked up at the ceiling while resting my head on his pillow.

"How nice it would be if he was still here. I wonder if Hanako would love to lie down here too." I chuckled.

'Knowing her, she'd turn on her pervert mode and just dig her face in his pillow. That's the time I get the fuck out of his room and leave her to her business while being on my phone downstairs.' I sweat dropped.

I killed time by being on my phone for a while and seeing what's up with the hololivers currently, as well as going downstairs and eating an apple for a snack while talking with Mr. and Mrs. Levisay and drinking my milk tea. I also turned the TV on, watching some nostalgic shows and news. Occasionally, I'd also check UFC.

I heard three knocks on the door and then the expected and obnoxious, "Konnichiwa!~". It was very energetic, there was no doubt that was Hanako.

"Hanako! Coming!" Mrs. Levisay said, opening the door.

"Hello! Thankfully I'm here now!" She said, hugging Mrs. Levisay as she also hugged back.

"Yes, you are!" Mrs. Levisay giggled.

If you could just dye the hair with the same color of the other, they could look like sisters. They already got the bonding part down.

"Ah! Good afternoon too, Dad!" She greeted Mr. Levisay.

"Good afternoon. Glad you came earlier than expected. See, Shiro's on the couch, so you can hang out with him for the meantime."

"Hey, Hanako-neechan-"

"SHIIIIIIIRRRRROOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!~~~" She said, instantly pouncing on me like Hunter from Left For Dead. I had a mini heart attack, since her body didn't look like the type to move around energetically, and not to mention that she might hurt herself.

"WHAT THE FU-" I got cut off as she hugged me, and because of how strong the force was, we fell down the couch together, and I ended up taking the impact as I fell on my back.

"Argh...! That fricking hurt...!" I said in English.

"Hihi~ Feels like old times, doesn't it?"

"This is the first time that led to us falling off the couch, and seriously, you're too clingy! I'm not Subaru that would hug you back! GET OFF OF ME!" I blushed and growled.

"Oh, but you're so cute! I've always wanted a little brother, and besides, you were much more loving back in the day!~" She said, rubbing her cheeks against mine as I grabbed her arms.

"Jesus Christ, I forgot Subaru taught you some Jiu Jitsu, so your grip is strong...! GAH!" I said, freeing myself from her grip and panting as I stood up.

"Seriously, you're too clingy!" I bonked her.

"OUCH! Hmph...! Is that how you treat your onee-chan!?" She pouted.

"Only to you. If you could tone it down, then I wouldn't have to resort to force." I groaned.

"I refuse." She said as Mr. and Mrs. Levisay laughed while I groaned and blushed more.

'I met her everyday since Subaru introduced me to her, and yet, I will never get used to her clingy and affectionate shenanigans. Subaru, please teach me how to handle her...!' I thought in my mind.

But so, we finally settled down, and we opened the beer bottles.

"Here's to 3 years since Subaru's passing. Let's have a good time and chillax. Of course, there's going to be an open bottle for Subaru to drink." Mr. Levisay said, opening another beer bottle of black label Sapporo as he laid it to my left side where a vacant chair was placed. He put it exactly in front of the chair and giggled.

"Cheers!" He said in English.

"Cheers!" We replied, and I chugged the whole bottle down.

"Gulp...gulp...gulp...gulp...gulp...AH!~ That was nice." I said.

"Hey! Don't drink it too fast! It'll be bad for your body, you know?" Hanako said.

"Sorry. I just couldn't resist it. I love Japanese beer. Plus my tolerance is huge." I wiped my mouth as the Levisays laughed.

"Subaru would scold you, you know?" Hanako pouted.

"Nope! He would've done the same thing. Hell, we'd have a competition as to who could drink the most beers in 1 minute!" I snickered.

"Hmph! Having alcohol tolerance is nice, huh?" She crossed her arms and looked away.

"Sorta. But hey, don't force yourself, Hanako-neechan. I don't plan to drink too much either 'cause I still got a stream to do later." I patted her shoulder.

"Well, I was planning to take my alcohol slow, 'cause I wanna do something with you!"

"Oh? What's that?"

"You see…" She said as she got her bag and opened it.

"...I brought my Nintendo Switch! How about we play Smash like the old days?"

"Ah...like the old times, huh? You bet!" I chuckled.

And so, after we talked with Mr. and Mrs. Levisay for a while, as well as getting a couple pictures for the Hololivers to see, me and her got the switch, put the stand on the table, and we looked at the screen as she kept beating me up. I was playing Cloud, she was playing Pikachu.

She already finished one bottle, and is on her 2nd. So far, it's about 3/4th full. I could tell though she was more than tipsy, 'cause her face looks a bit red right now.

"Ah, I'm gonna get you!" She said.

"Oh, no you're not. No, you're not! NO, YOU'RE NOT!- Ah...that's my loss." I laughed as I put down the controller.

I was at the edge, and I had to launch myself upwards with a sword slash to get to the ledge while she was waiting for me, but it seemed that I wasn't able to reach it, so I fell to my inevitable death to whatever was down below.

"Ahaha!~ I got you, Shiro!~" She said as she put the controller down and clung to my arm.

"Ah...You haven't raised your alcohol tolerance since then, huh?"

As expected of a Japanese...though, even Subaru's mom was able to handle more alcohol. This girl is just hopeless. I can't ever imagine her going to a bar alone.

"Oh, don't be stupid!~ I've increased my tolerance by a bottle and a fourth!~" She said as she poked my cheek with her finger.

"Ahaha...Dad, I think she's drunk now."

"Really? Let's test it. Hanako! What number am I holding up right now?" He said as he put out a "3".

"Um...Oh, I don't know, 4?~ I promise you I raised my alcohol intolerance!~" She said, pouting and groaning. She did a little lilt as a result.

"It's 'alcohol tolerance', not 'alcohol intolerance'." I said and giggled.

"Whatever! ...Oh yeah!~ I wanna see Subaru's room!~ Shiro, can you take me upstairs so I can examine it?~"

"Ah, sure, but I'll be there to support you, okay? I don't trust you when you're drunk. Dad, I'll be taking her upstairs, okay? I'll be back soon." I said.

"Okay! Take care, Shiro!" He said, giggling and patting Mrs. Levisay by the head. They would have their own little conversation, while me and her would go through memory lane.

I opened the door and we both looked at the whole interior of the room.

"Woah...!~ It's still neat and organized!~ I'm amazed no cobwebs and dust have been collecting here!~"

'I get dust, but why would you expect cobwebs? This is not an abandoned house.' I thought and deadpanned.

"Ah...Subaru's bed...!~" She said, digging her face into his pillow.

"Ah...!~ Despite it being 3 years since then, I can still smell his lovely scent!~" She said, being muffled by the pillow.

'There it is. Her pervert mode on.' I deadpanned again.

You know, I originally planned to leave her alone to her fantasies, but I just can't leave her alone, 'cause she needs protection.

"...Ah...I've had my fill now!~ Shiro?~" She asked.

"Oh?"

She patted her right side and said, "Here, sit!".

"Uh...okay...?" I said.

"...Eeeeyy!~" She said, hugging me and pressing the side of my head into her chest, making me deadpan at the window.

'...I should've expected Hanako-neechan to do that.'

"...Hey, Shiro. Do you remember the first time we met?~"

"Oh? Ah, back when I was still around 14 years old, right?"

"Yup!"

It was that time...back when Subaru said he wanted to introduce me to his girlfriend, 'cause he said he wanted to shoot a skit, and it had to involve me and Hanako.

...

...

...

"Hey, Shiro!" Subaru said at the door of the house.

"Yo, whaddup?" I said, turning to my back from the couch as I stopped Netflix and looked at the girl beside him.

She looked a bit older than I expected, had lovely brown eyes, and long brown hair. She stood there with utmost confidence and happiness. Her aura was unlike any other girl I've met. She felt like a big sister, alongside with Subaru, who was like a big brother to me. He was, after all, 20 years old, and I was just 14 years old.

"C'mere. I wanna introduce you to my girlfriend. The one I've been telling you about." He said.

"Ah, her!" I said, vaulting over the couch and walking to them.

"Her name's Shuichi Hanako. I once met her when I was ordering coffee in Starbucks, if you remember."

"Yeah, I accidentally bumped into him, and so...that started our so-called 'love story'." Hanako scratched her cheek and giggled nervously.

"But nonetheless...Hanako, I want you to meet Shiro. The kid I've been talking to you about. Ishijin Shiro."

"Pleased to meet you, Shiro-kun. Let's get along!" She said, bowing.

"Same here." I said, bowing a bit as well.

"Shiro, please treat her right. She's a woman, after all." He giggled.

"Roger, sir!" I said, saluting in a joking manner, which earned a giggle from the two.

"I gotta go buy some groceries for lunch, by the way. My parents are gonna be away from home for a week, so I gotta keep watch in the house for a good while. Take care of Hanako in the meantime, Shiro." He said.

"Okay!"

"I'll be going out!" He said.

"Come back home safely!" Me and Hanako said.

"...So, your name was Shiro-kun, right?" Hanako asked.

"Yup! I heard that you always cooked him lunch when you had the chance, plus that guy couldn't shut up for an hour or two, talking about how you're the perfect girlfriend to ever exist. Then again, guys take pride in their girlfriend." I chuckled.

"Mhmm! I love him just as much too!~"

"I was looking forward to watching more of the movie with him, but since it's gonna be delayed for longer, I'm gonna have to wait for longer too, so I'm bored." I deadpanned.

"Hmm...now that Subaru is gone...wanna do something fun?~" Hanako said, looking at me while licking her lips.

"U-Uh...Hanako-oneechan...? Why're you looking at me like that?" I sweated a bit.

"Oh, nothing. If you want to have fun...then we can do something reeeal quick...~" She said, giggling a bit.

'Oh...?' I thought.

And so, we did the "fun" thing, which actually took a couple minutes, and once Subaru came back…

...

"I'm back!- ...Oh?"

"Hehehe.~ And...SMASH!" Hanako said as she used Mario to send me flying to the right side of the screen.

"UWAH!!! NO! I LOST AGAIN...!" I said as I put the controller down and growled.

"It seems that you two are getting along nicely playing Smash 64." Subaru giggled nervously.

"Yeah! Shiro-kun said he was bored, so I wanted to play with him!" Hanako said.

"Hanako-oneechan is very good like you, Subaru. I was SO close to defeating her." I deadpanned.

"Well, you don't play in the console very often, so it's understandable. I bought the groceries, so I'm gonna cook rice and continue watching 'The Bourne Ultimatum'. Actually, let's rewind that so that Hanako can watch along with us." Subaru said, laying the groceries at the kitchen counter.

"Yay! I get to watch another movie! By the way, Subaru...!" Hanako said.

"Hmm?"

"Shiro-kun is so cute! He's like a little rebellious brother! I've always wanted an otouto!~" She said, hugging me.

"H-Hey, Hanako-oneechan! Stop it...!" I said, putting my hands on her arms while trying to break free.

"I know, right!?" Subaru said, vaulting over the couch.

"H-Hey! Subaru! Don't just join in with the hug! Weren't you supposed to cook rice?!" I said, using my right arm against Subaru, and my left arm against Hanako.

It was a 2 v 1! A strong ass soldier boi vs another strong ass soldier boi and a clingy ass onee-san! It doesn't help the fact that Hanako's got package, so I can only push her shoulders...!

"Eh?~ But you're also like a little brother to me.~" He said as the two tried to kiss my head and get all lovey-dovey with me.

"AaaaAAAA!!!! THIS IS HELL! I REGRET COMING HERE TODAY!" I sobbed.

...

...

...

"Yeah...I still remembered how clingy you two were with me." I deadpanned at the window even more.

"Hehe.~ But you were just so cute back then.~"

"...Well, what about that time, anyway?"

"...You know, throughout my life, I've always had men that admired me. Men that always tried to hit on me, and just full on strangers sending me their you-know-what and even stalking me...My father, mother, and my friends were the only ones that have helped me through those tough times. It was thanks to all my family, not just my dad and mom, that I was able to get through it all…"

"But I've always wanted to have a family of my own. I wanted to know what it's like holding a baby with the man I love...then that's where I met Subaru."

"Ah, in Starbucks. Yeah, yeah…"

"Un. I was so happy when I met him. I thought he was a creep, initially. You know...just me trying to defend myself when I bumped into him."

'Well...me and Subaru ARE men, after all. Why wouldn't we want to see huge boobas?' I thought.

Of course, I'd bleach my eyes the moment I ever see Hanako's nipples.

"Though, before I knew it, we had a good 1 hour talk there. We ended up exchanging our contact information, and just after a few days, we became lovers! Then I met you..." She started patting my head and she slowly guided me to her lap so that I could rest my head on her lap pillow.

"...Shortly after watching that one movie when we first got acquainted, it felt like...we were a family. You were like a son while me and Subaru were the father and mother. I was so happy I got to meet you and Subaru! Not to mention, all of Subaru's friends and yours were so friendly!~"

"Yeah…"

"Say, do you love your Hanako-neechan?~"

"...Well, of course I do." I blushed.

"You are like a big sister to me, after all." I said.

"Hihi.~ And you're just like a little brother...I've always wanted to have a kid with Subaru, but it's too late for me...I've already lost somebody dear to me, and I won't lose you either...I know you're already retired, Shiro, but...you're just too kind."

"Oh? What do you mean?"

"...You sacrifice yourself too much for the sake of others. I worry you'll end up with the same fate as Subaru...You know how Subaru is. He would never die that easily from just a gunshot to the head, would he?"

I widened my eyes and clenched my fists, thinking about what she just said.

'She's right...Subaru may look and act like a crackhead, but he was just as skilled as me. After all, our squad was one of the best in there, even though we weren't operators…'

"Are you saying he sacrificed himself for a fellow soldier, and not because he was being careless or overrun?"

"Yeah...he's always just been…he's always been too kind...just like you…" She said, clenching her fists.

I could sense the anger seeping out from her. Her hands were just an obvious sign.

"...Don't worry." I said, putting my hand on hers.

"O-Oh...?"

"I won't pass away like he did. If I were to ever die, it'd be by old age or natural causes, not by blood."

"...Please do...I have my friends and family, as well as Subaru's parents, but the last thing I'd want is to lose you too...!" She said, bringing me up and into a hug.

"...You worry too much, Hanako-neechan…" I said, patting her head.

"...Maybe...but I just love everybody too much…" She giggled.

"Me too." I chuckled.

"You don't sound as drunk anymore. Has the alcohol faded away?"

"Maybe...I still feel the tipsiness, so…" She giggled nervously.

"Do you want to examine more of his room, or can we go downstairs now?"

"Well...I guess I'll look around for a bit more. I wanna see if there's some stuff we can find, like his diary, or his clothes!" She said, putting a fist up.

"Ah...of course you girls would be very nosy." I sweat dropped and giggled nervously.

We weren't able to find a diary of some sort, not like Subaru was ever that type of person to do that type of thing, but we were able to find his military uniform, as well as some more Hanako pics he stored. As expected, she was getting all giddy and such. She was just fangirling all over the place.

I finally took her downstairs, and set her down on the chair.

"Ah...we're finally back, Dad." I said.

"How was it? I heard there was a lot of noise in Subaru's room. Was Hanako a pain to deal with?" He asked.

"Very." I sweat dropped, which earned the laugh of the Levisays.

"Hmph! I don't care about you anymore!~" Hanako pouted.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

I looked at the separate beer bottle that was left for "Subaru".

"...Well, bro. You don't seem to be up for beer right now. Mind if I take this? Thank you." I said, gladly taking the bottle while turning the bottle a full 180 degrees.

"Ah…" I drank about 1/4th of the bottle and checked the time.

"...Oh? It's about 20 minutes before I gotta go back. Better make the most of my time here before I go back."

"Really? You don't think traffic will get too jammed when you go back?" Mr. Levisay asked.

"Don't think so, but don't worry. That's why I'm gonna go back an hour early so that I wouldn't get too caught up in traffic if it was really really bad." I waved my hand.

"Well then...please enjoy your time here while you still can!"

"Mhmm!- ...Ah…" I deadpanned as I looked at my right arm.

"Yay! I can cling to Shiro for longer!~" Hanako shouted.

"Oh, you are so annoying." I said and sweat dropped, earning a laugh again from the Levisays.