71 It's time to give up

Obviously, now was a rare opportunity.

The war between heaven and man in her heart left the girl at a loss as to what to do.

It wasn't until she passed by the house without seeing Kazuki enter that Rinka Okino suddenly snapped back to reality.

Looking up at her brother's lonely and desolate figure, the girl saw him arriving at the door of Sister Otome's house.

But he only came to the door and then just stood there as if his feet were rooted to the ground, showing no sign of moving.

He stood like this for who knows how long.

A question full of doubts came from the other side of the road, making the two people who were standing motionless startled.

"Kazuki, Rinka-chan? Are you okay?"

Like a rusty machine, the boy turned around stiffly.

A smile appeared on Okino Kazuki's dark and ugly face, and he looked at Sakuragi Otome, who looked a little pale but had no other abnormalities.

Not noticing any changes in the girl's appearance and feeling a bit overly sensitive, he sighed.

The overall spirit also changed from gloomy to joyful.

Witnessing the change in her brother, Okino Rinka, who felt both sour and happy in her heart, clenched her white little fists hard.

How she wished Brother Kazuki's emotions..whether happiness, anger, or sorrow, could change because of her... but...

Her heart was filled with complex feelings no one could understand.

The girl stood there slumped, head lowered.

Just as she was thinking about whether to drag her brother home as usual, Okino Rinka paused.

Because after waiting for a long time, she didn't hear her brother's response to Otome-san, so she raised her head in confusion.

What came into view was Brother Kazuki, who was looking pale and biting his trembling lips, staring blankly behind Sister Otome.

With doubts in her heart, she turned her head.

Though the angle wasn't very great, the door of Fuyumi's house was quite wide, so what Kazuki could see, Okino Rinka not far from him could also see.

In the yard behind Sister Otome at the door.

There was a white sheet hanging on a rack.

This white sheet, unlike ordinary white sheets, which are as white as snow after being washed.

Had large yellowed stains on it, resembling a map with clear curves from afar.

And at the center of the bed sheet, there was a dark red mark the size of a palm.

At first glance, it wasn't noticeable, but upon closer observation, one could see that Otome had a complexion even fairer face than before, just like an afterglow of something.

This, combined with the red letter symbolizing the start of an intense war and the yellowing bedsheet indicating the intensity of the battle, all came together.

The sudden recollection of the phrase 'She caught a cold last night and can't go to school today...' completely distorted Okino Kazuki's ghastly pale face.

But that was all there was to it.

He didn't furiously question anything in a fit of madness.

He simply trudged towards the front door with a slumped posture, step by step, looking utterly dejected.

Watching his brother walking past him like a zombie.

Watching her brother pass by like a zombie, Okino Rinka looked at his despondent and dispirited back and murmured to herself, 'Maybe it's time to give up...'

Then, shaking her head, determined to seize the opportunity, she waved her hand to the confused sister Otome and quickly followed behind her brother.

And Sakuragi Otome, looking at the back of Kazuki, whose expression had changed drastically just now, followed his gaze and slowly turned her head, only to see the bedsheet she had placed on the rack, now fallen to the ground.

What happened to them?

Puzzled.

_____________

After returning home, Okino Rinka looked at her brother, who threw down his schoolbag and went upstairs without saying a word.

She picked up the apron beside the dining table, tied it skillfully around herself, and then called out to her brother, who had already gone upstairs, "Brother Kazuki, is there anything you'd like to eat? I'm about to start making dinner~."

This was a phrase sister Otome often said to Brother Fuyumi, and it was something she had often heard when she freeloaded at his house

And every time she said this when her brother was around, he always would always look envious.

Okino Rinka, who noticed this scene, secretly remembered these words in her heart.

If he likes Sister Otome that much, then she can just transform herself into someone more like her...

After all, compared to Sister Otome, who has her heart set on someone else and has already given her first time to that someone, Rinka, the 'Otome card' who would respond to his every request, must be more attractive, right?

With this thought in mind, the petite girl, wearing an apron and standing on a stool, prepared some of her brother's favorite dishes with expectations in her heat.

She thought so in my heart.

But what she didn't know was.

In the room upstairs, Okino Kazuki, who was sitting by the bed, did not react with the touched or pleased emotion she hoped for upon hearing her words.

Instead, he punched the bed in great annoyance.

Rinka's words did not make him feel any positive emotions.

On the contrary, these kinds of actions and words related to Otome only reminded him of the picture he had just witnessed and the words Sasaki said this morning.

This act of repeatedly tearing open wounds and then sprinkling salt on them made Kazuki, who initially wanted to be alone and quiet, notice his sister's constant 'sarcasm.'

Reflecting on the past, whenever he tried to talk or attempted to interact with Otome, he was always interrupted by Rinka.

Thinking about the times he wanted to spend with Otome, he was always delayed by the nagging Rinka, leading to missed opportunities.

He was thinking about himself for once.

Thinking about yesterday, when he helplessly watched Otome stay at Sasaki's house because he had to chase after Rinka...

If she hadn't played that prank at that time, perhaps there might have still been a chance; perhaps it wouldn't have been too late...

Thinking of all these events, it seemed as though the anger accumulated in his heart suddenly found an outlet, just like pulling out the plug from a tank full of water.

At this moment, Okino Kazuki, who did not reflect on himself at all and only attributed everything to Rinka, instantly lost his mind.

But his nature wasn't enough to prompt him to rush downstairs and take out his anger on her.

So, he could only vent his frustration by smashing everything he could see in his room...

Snapped--

After sweeping everything on the desk to the floor.

He looked around at the empty surroundings that could not be damaged further before turning his head and glancing at the alarm clock Rinka had given him at the bedside.

Remembering that it was because of her obstruction that he lost Otome.

With his eyes red and the stagnation in his heart still lingering, he grabbed the alarm clock and threw it at the closed door.

It was at this time...

Click——

As the door handle of the room turned, Okino Rinka, who had finished cooking, opened the door.

"Brother..."

Called out--

Standing at the door of the room, the girl who hadn't yet seen clearly what was flying towards her felt her heart tighten.

Subconsciously closing her eyes, she shrank her head and froze in place.

After throwing the alarm clock out, Okino Kazuki was also heartbroken when he saw Rinka suddenly opening the door.

Perhaps it was her good luck, but the flying alarm clock flew past and hit the door frame, missing the girl's head by just a few centimeters...

Looking at the girl unharmed and regaining a bit of calm, Kazuki thought to approach and console her, but thinking of what she had done before, he retracted his step and stood there with a dark expression.

Carefully opening her eyes, Okino Rinka, with her small chest heaving violently and her body trembling slightly, looked down, only to see what was flying towards her was the gift she had given to her Brother Kazuki.

A feeling of pain in her heart, soreness in her nose, and mist in her eyes swept through her whole body.