Chapter 872: Higo’s Feeling

Well, Higo didn’t waste his time here, telling the story and pouring all of his anxieties out to his sister. Ayaka herself didn’t say anything else in the process. She just listened to the whole thing quietly, not even making any comment or judgment.

However, if anything, this only made Higo feel worse, not knowing how his sister reacted later.

"Well... That’s it..." Higo heaved out a sigh while taking a sip from the glass of water that he brought to relieve his hoarse throat. "Anyway, what do you think, Aya-nee?" He asked; his tone was hopeful.

"What do I think? Well, you could at least guess it, right?" Ayaka snorted amusedly, knowing that her brother was not an idiot.

"...You also think that Sakura-san is right, huh?" Higo smiled bitterly.

"Not just that I think, but I know that you also know that she is right. You cannot hold her back just because of your selfish desire, you know?" Ayaka said. "I mean, tell me again, what is the reason you fell in love with her in the first place? And don’t answer me with something convenient like because she is your childhood friend, I swear!"

Higo snorted for a moment at the light threat that his sister threw. He opened his mouth, wanting to answer the question, but somehow, everything seemed to stick in his throat.

"You know the answer, right?" Ayaka smiled knowingly. "You fell in love with her because of her brilliance. So, why are you trying to take that away from her? Let her fly as far away as possible, because she knows that she will have a place to be called home in you. She is also doing the same for you, right?"

The boy grunted lightly, yet still showing his agreement even though he was a bit reluctant about it.

"The thing is, a relationship is not something you can force. You have to be willing to accept your partner and support her without any conditions, just like what she did to you. That way, you both will be able to move into a better place together, not leaving each other behind."

Silence followed for a moment as Higo thought about it carefully. Well, he didn’t really need to think about it, since his brain knew what was right in this moment. It was his heart that needed to be convinced right now, and honestly, he started to feel a crack inside him at this point.

"...You sure know a lot about relationships for someone who has never been in one, Aya-nee." Higo smiled lightly as he tried to ease the atmosphere here.

In return, it was his sister’s time to snort. "Well, that’s what you call a girl’s intuition." However, after that, her tone turned into a serious one once again. "Still, I think I know what your problem truly is."

"Oh?" Higo raised one of his eyebrows lightly. "Please, do tell. I am curious right now." He leaned forward a little bit, feeling curious. After all, he himself didn’t really know why his heart couldn’t accept it, so how could his sister know?

"Well, it is easy. The problem is that after experiencing her tender care during your recovery time from the injury, you have gotten so used to being spoiled by her. Now, you are afraid of doing anything without her, and hell, you even have to ask her about every single thing in your life to her first, right?"

This time, Higo didn’t have any answer. It wasn’t like his sister was accusing him. No, she just knew about it, and that was what unsettled the boy.

"I mean, while it is okay to be spoiled by her, you have to remember your core, Ryukkun."

"My... Core?"

"Yeah, your core! The one that shapes you into who you are right now!" Ayaka nodded firmly. "Remember the day when we were still in middle school? Where we had to do everything, even including taking care of Mom by ourselves? That day when we had a shift of who would cook for dinner, and who would clean the dishes later?"

At this reminder, something finally clicked in his brain. It was like a dark room, and then someone just switched the light on to enlighten the whole room, as his heart finally figured out everything in that moment.

"Yeah... I think I understand, Aya-nee. Thank you." Higo smiled; his expression looked like he finally found peace.

"Atta boy! That’s my brother!" Ayaka clapped happily. "You can rely on as many people as you want, but never forget where your root is, what kind of past that shapes you into a man that you are right now. You yourself are always an independent boy who is clear-headed when facing any trouble in front of you, and while it is good to have someone to rely on, don’t lose that sharpness inside you."

After that, at least, Higo didn’t feel the heaviness inside his heart once again. After the call lasted for a while, his sister finally cut it off, having something to do. The boy checked his clock, and it was around midnight at this point.

Having his bottle of water empty already, the boy decided to fill it again, but on the couch, he found that Kumiko-chan was there; her expression was heavy. It seemed that she herself also couldn’t sleep from the last conversation, and when she finally noticed his presence and their eyes met...

"Ryukkun!" / "Kumiko-chan!"

They both greeted simultaneously, being followed by an awkward silence since they looked at each other with a dumbfounded look.

"YOU FIRST!" / "YOU FIRST!"

The exact same thing was spouted together once again, and in the end, they burst out laughing, finding the situation to be ridiculous. Soon enough, Higo joined her on the couch, and the first thing he said was...

"I am so sorry for being selfish. However, please keep in mind that it doesn’t mean I am not supporting you. Just like you will always have my back, I will try my best to do so, and when you are climbing higher, I will be the loudest one to cheer for you, okay?"

Kumiko was stunned for a second before a smile finally bloomed on her face. "Yeah, I would love that."