The day after the talk between Gin and an employee of Anew.

“Gin, can you help me in human anatomy later? We don’t have club today, so would you mind if I go next door?”

“About that… I will contact you if I am available later. I may or may not be in my place later because I don’t know what chaos will enter our family house today.”

“Is something the matter in your house?”

I let out a sigh and rested my chin on my table. Rin is currently on Nagi’s chair since he is not around because of volunteering around school for two periods.

“The chaos’s name is Anna Sakato and she is my little sister I haven’t seen her for fou- two years and now she’s visiting us she said that there’s something she wanted to talk about when I called when we were talking on the phone and then she laughed like there is grief that’s going to eat me.”

“At least you’re talking a bit slower than your usual speed talk so I understood what you said.

I think you’re exaggerating, actually.”

“Yeah, I thought so too. She’s not really a troublemaker when she was a kid, and I haven't really seen her a lot these days so I'm a bit nervous. But I feel like I will be really surprised on what she’ll tell us.”

“May I ask how old is she?”

“She’s turning 15 on November and currently on third year in junior high, which means I’m a year older than her.”

“Ah, I forgot that you will be 16 next month.”

“Yeah. But 18.”

“Now that I think of it, you and Shiro will turn 16 on November, right?”

“Hai.”

“Actually, I need to confirm something when it’s still early.”

Gin took his phone out and called someone.

“Hello, Anna?”

“Nii?! Why call this early?!”

“Hey, I know that you’re up early today, you know. And you’re lagging behind the time. It’s not early anymore because it’s already 9.

Anyways, when will you be arriving at the house?”

“Probably around lunch.”

“I see… I’ll be dismissed at 3 and don’t think you’re the only one with surprises.”

“Eh~ Now I want to go home earlier…”

“Just a second. I need to call someone okay? I’ll call you again as soon as possible.”

“Now that’s fishy. Well then, bye~”

*beep*

Gin quickly made another call. This time, it’s to his mother.

“Hello, Mom?”

“Gin? What’s up now? Anna is still not here.”

“Yeah, she said that she will be home around lunch.

But that’s not it. Can you please lock the door on my room there? It’s empty right now so I don’t want Anna seeing it. I’ll surprise her that I moved out. You haven’t told her yet right?”

“Not yet. Well, I guess that’s for the sake of fairness.”

“Don’t tell me you already knew what she will say.”

“Alright, I locked the door already. You’re home at 3, right?”

“Yes, and it’s obvious that you’re avoiding the topic.

Anyways, I’ll call Anna again.”

*beep*

“Sorry, Rin. One last call.”

“Take your time.”

“Actually, before I call my sister, Rin, can you call Nagi right now?”

“Huh?”

“Just call him, I may just move the ramen day.”

While Rin is calling Nagi, Gin stood up and called the rest of his friends.

“Hello, Nacchi? Gin, he’s on the line now.”

“Hey, Jean, Akira, Shiro! Are you free today? I’m moving the ramen day after school today.”

“Woah, seriously?! Great!”

“Better not disappoint me today, Gin.”

“I’m in.”

“Hey, Nagi. You?”

“Of course. I’m already getting hungry even right now.”

“Nacchi said he will go. Of course I will too.”

*beep*

“We’ll be sneaky today, especially me. I think the two of us should go first and we will let them follow us. 10 meters of distance ahead is good enough.

Good thing I have done shopping a few days ago.”

“I’ll call my sister now.

…

Hello? Anna? I’ll be making ramen today. I’ll be with my friends after school for you to meet them. Is that good?”

“I didn’t know you could cook…”

“I heard that.”

“I’m looking forward for the ramen later and to your friends!”

“Yeah, yeah. Class is about to start so see you later.”

*beep*

“Hey, Rin. We’ll be having a ramen party today.”

“Wha~”

“And there goes Rin’s sparkly eyes… Kawaii…”

▪ ▪ ▪

Around 3 in the afternoon.

“Nii?! I thought you were at school! Why are you wearing house clothes?!”

“It’s because I already went home.”

“Hey, don’t point at your brother.

You ready to see a surprise?”

“Don’t tease me and just show it to me. I’m getting nervous, you know.”

“Alright~ let’s go outside now.”

~ ~ ~

“Ehhhhh?! You live here?!”

“Gin? I heard someone. Is that your sister?”

“Yeah.

Anna, she’s a classmate and a neighbor.”

“I’m Ringo Akanami. Nice to meet you.”

Anna still looks surprised but she leaned forward to whisper to Gin.

“Eh~ I thought she was your girlfriend at first glance.

Well, I’ll be rooting for you two if that happens. She’s on your grasp. Don’t let go of her.”

“Don’t accuse us with stuff that will cause misunderstandings.

Ehem… That’s what she said.”

“Nee-chan.”

“Eh?”

“I’ll call you Nee-chan from now on.”

“Nani?”

“N-n-n-no! Please don’t! It’s embarrassing!”

“Nee-chan.”

“Oww…”

“You see… she’s the same of our species.”

“Don’t say it like we’re aliens or something!”

While the three of us were arguing, Akira and the others finally arrived.

“Yo, Gin! Sorry we’re late.”

“Just according to the plan, Gin.”

Then Akira gave a wink and a thumbs-up.

“Is that…”

“Yeah, she’s my little sister. She’s also the same species as us.

By the way, you haven’t even introduced yourself.”

“I said don’t make it look like we’re aliens, Nii!”

“Why don’t we all come to my place?

Rin, can you tell your parents that I’ll drop some bowls in your window later? It’ll be for your parents and your big sis.”

“Ok.”

“Let the ramen party start!”

“Wait first. I haven’t even made the noodles. Well, I’ll just show you my speed at making it.”

“Then while we’re waiting…

Nii- Eh? What happened to your arm?”

“It got burnt last month but it’s about to heal now.”

“I see…

If that’s the case, I’ll tell you what I’m going to say now.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I’ll be transferring to Blue Ink next week! This means that I will be here for good!”

“Ah, okay.

…

WHAT ON APPLES DID YOU JUST SAY?!”

“I’ll be here for good and will be studying at the school where Nii and Nee-chan is studying at.”

“Whaaaat?!”

“Please stop the Nee-chan~!”

“Then Gin’s sister will be our kouhai!”

“This calls for a party!” Akira cheered.

“It’s already a ramen party, you idiot!” Jean reprimanded.

“She may just be my sister’s classmate, I think.”

“Oh yeah, you have a sibling in third year, Nagi.”

~ ~ ~

“Man, you make a good ramen, Gin!”

“Heh.”

“One more bowl please!”

“Thank goodness I made more than enough. Good thing I thought of you asking for seconds.”

“Well, yeah, thank goodness too. You’ve already ate three bowls.”

“I’m tired, you know. It’s only natural.”

“Yeah, yeah. But it’s unnatural that you finished three bowls already while I just finished one.”

“Waaah… Nagi is glaring on my empty bowl for some reason.”

“You don’t really eat that much, right?”

“I’m still hungry…”

“What?! You’re adding up another serving instead of just three bowls?! Are you and Goku blood-related?!”

“Let’s just empty the stock and the noodles, then let’s at least help out later on washing the dishes.”

“Nah. It’s fine, Jean. You’re all guests.”

~ ~ ~

It’s almost 6 in the night and now Gin’s house got quiet all of a sudden.

Jean, Akira, Nagi, Shiro and Anna are all seated in the living room while Gin and Rin are washing the dishes. While the two are still at the kitchen, the group in the living room started talking about them.

“Hey… Nii denied that Nee-chan is her girlfriend. Is that true?”

“Yeah, it is. Though, there’s nothing more to their relationship, I think.”

“They’re friends and yeah, neighbors. That’s all I know.”

“I know this story isn’t really centered in romance, but I am at least expecting of something, although very little.”

“The author is unpredictable too. He may be fooling us.”

“But why call her ‘Nee-chan’?”

“Because that may just happen in the future. I may very well be her sister.”

“You’re really not going to give up aren’t you?”

“Well, there’s no denying that we ship them.”

“So even his friends shipped them too?”

“They’re finished already. Let’s stop the conversation here.”

~ ~ ~

“See you tomorrow then!”

“I’ll see you tomorrow too, Gin.”

“Yeah. Have a good rest.”

All of them left the house and the only ones remaining are Gin and her sister.

But Rin is still outside of Gin’s house because she’s fixing the plants on the plant box. While she’s doing that, Gin called out to Anna.

“Anna, have a seat. There’s something I haven’t told you.”

“What is it, Nii?”

“Sorry.”

“Wha-? For what?”

“I lied to you.”

(!)

“I’m also sorry, Rin. I lied to you too… for the whole time.”

“Did he know I was still here?!”

“It’s okay. You can listen to what I will say. Come in.”

She opened the door and took a seat. She didn’t ask how she was found out.

“I saw your shadow outside so I figured that you need to listen to what I will tell you.”

“But it sounds like it’s something that only your family should only know…”

“You should know what it is too. I lied to you too, and to our friends.

And I trust you.”

***

This does sound really serious. I wonder what it will be.

I’m getting worried because his apology is really serious. It’s probably something he couldn’t say easily to the point that he needs to lie even to his friends.

***

“First of all, I lied to the both of you about my arm.

Second, I lied about my age.”

The two of them are in total silence while they listen to Gin. Even though they are calmly listening, the shock on their faces can’t be removed.

Gin removed all of the bandages on his right arm.

“It wasn’t burnt.

As you can see, there are no wounds present. Well, not anymore.”

“…”

“I should get straight into it.

I was the one hit by the truck in Queen Street a few weeks ago. August 27, 2017, Sunday, at exactly 10:36 in the morning, I was hit by a truck with faulty brakes, flew a few meters away and landed my back badly on a wall.”

I thought that a sudden pause is needed. Their heads are already drooping down.

“I know it’s hard for me to tell this since we were just having fun earlier.

…

But I was saved. I was saved by people who the world didn’t know they even existed.”

“E… Exiles…”

“That’s right, Rin.

They are not dead. But they are here somewhere—the beings considered as trash are living with us without our knowledge. They surfaced to prove that they are not useless.

They treated my wounds at the same day of the accident. It was later that night, where Hiroomi Katsuto and Sean Hickory saved me from the doors of death.”

“…!” Rin looked up.

“They told me that most of my bones were shattered and the only part safe is my left arm. But when I woke up, I felt that I can still move a finger. I was told by them that I have a special characteristic in my bones that naturally made them heal. That time, my bones are all finally in one place, but they were still in pieces.

They told me that the final healing process will take one and a half year. And before you get surprised, I will tell why I lied about my current age.

…

Right now, I’m currently 17 years old instead of 15. How did that happened, you probably ask yourself. Believe me or not…

I was stuck in time. No, I trapped myself in time. I decided it myself. I spent two years in a room where I can’t get out of it, unless the required time is finished. I survived inside a room where the only shadow I saw was mine and no one else.

Well, yes. As you can see, I successfully spent the two years I needed. But that’s not the whole of it.

A few months after I entered that room, I almost killed myself by slashing my torso with a knife.

“…!”

“They said that the scar will last for long, and I thought so too.

…

Rin.”

“Y-yes…”

“Do you remember the shirt you saw at that box when I was still moving here? The torn one.

It was the shirt I wore when I did something like that. But that’s not all. When I did that, I don’t have my sanity in place. I lost my rational thinking. In short, I had gone insane.

After that, I was unconscious for three days and I finally came back to my senses. There are two more times where I lost my mind, but thankfully I didn’t do something deadly.

This is the scar I made. It looked like it was small on the shirt but this is how big the wound is.”

“…”

“After a few more months, I realized that I was taken over the despair in my heart that even I don’t know about, or should I say hidden in the depths of my heart.

After that, I managed to get back to myself and did as much as I can in the remaining months I have there.

I realized my stupidity of escaping the pain brought from my past. But I still can’t remember anything.

…

I called that room the ‘Room of Reality’ and ‘Void’. I started to love that place but I felt extreme loneliness because I never saw anyone in that two years.

I also forgot to say that after I came back to my senses, I suffered from a very high fever, just like last time when my temperature is up to 40, but thankfully, I did not lose my sanity. In the last remaining months I had there, I conditioned my body to fully adapt to the gravity.

Every month, the gravity increases. The first months, the gravity geometrically rose, but it went to arithmetic changes afterwards. I trained my body physically and whilst on the process, I asked the outside to bring me paint and art materials so I can get myself back to art. Every month, inside that room, the door opens temporarily and when it happened, there are supplies left for me to use, even food.

With that, I felt less lonely because someone is keeping me alive. And then the third August 27, I emerged from the Room and came back in September 1, 2017, 11:30 pm. It’s the same time when I entered the room five days before that day. And that is why I was on a leave for a week.

“…”

They are still not trying talk, but their tears can’t stop flowing from their eyes.

“When I saw all of you at the rooftop, I was so happy that I might explode. I… That time… I wanted to cry… I wanted to embrace all of you… When I was inside, I finally understood why… I-I decided to enter that room. It was for me to understand that I lived my life the wrong way… And that room saved me instead of killing me…

If not for that room, I may have not been in front of you any-“

As all of our tears flow, I felt a warm touch on me.

It was Rin who embraced me while her tears gushed down to her cheeks.

“I’m sorry…

I’m sorry that I wasn’t there for you when you were in pain…! I didn’t think that you suffered loneliness more than anyone…

I was also lonely when you are not around… There are times where I thought you will leave us… leave me for good and never… come back.

I was so afraid of you disappearing even when you were just right in front of me… I… I was so scared that you will vanish… I was so close to you… but I can’t reach you because you were so far away…”

“I… I thought I was being selfish…

I thought that no one cares about me… So I selfishly wanted to be cared… I didn’t think about what others might feel… I didn’t care about the other things, but just for people to look at me. I was so naïve to think that the emotions of humans… are just easy to understand.

I became blind and deaf…”

“Don’t ever tell me that you will disappear and vanish… Please… don’t. My heart won’t take it… if you disappear from my sight. I wanted you to stay… I thought I was going to get depressed if I won’t see you the next week when you left…

So please… Don’t ever tell me that you will leave me forever… Please…”

She’s still holding me…

She’s still holding me this whole time. When I was about to fall to the chasm, she’s the one who saved me so I won’t fall. Because if I fall, there’s no way for me to go back above.

“Anna… Come here.”

I don’t think out tears will ever ran out.

After I called her, she immediately embraced me too along with Rin.

“Thank you, Anna. Thank you for staying here for good.

Thank you, Rin.

I never thought that you think of me like that. I won’t leave you. I won’t leave anyone. I will stay with you and I will stay here no matter what happens to me.

Thank goodness… I am finally home.”

“Gin… welcome home.”

“Nii… welcome home.”

“Thank you, you two. It’s better to say thanks than sorry, right…?”

“Yeah.”

It was so lonely. In the past, I could see them well with my eyes. But once a time came, I can’t see them. I still have my sight, but I was as good as a blind person. No… I am worse.

~ ~ ~

All of us finally calmed down. I sent Anna home and she immediately fell asleep.

Right now, the remaining people in the house were Rin and I.

“Anna fell asleep quickly, as expected. She got really tired. I didn’t even see my parents bought a mattress for her.

Well, she will be using my old room now.”

“Will you tell your story to the others?”

“As I have said, I will tell it to them when the right time comes.”

“Don’t tell them in the form of your vague words. Tell them straight with your heart.”

“I guess I could tell them confidently now.

It’s because you’re here.”

“Hey, Gin…

What if I told you that I have feelings for you?”

“…

You mean… in that way?”

“What would you even think of? As a friend? Or as a neighbor?

Idiot!”

…

“Pfft… Ahahahahaha!

That’s the first time you called me an idiot.”

“And why are you laughing? I’m asking you seriously…

Ahahahaha!”

“Is that you being serious?”

“Hey… stop it!”

“How can I tell if you’re serious, then?”

She stopped smiling and looked at my eyes directly. She didn’t even avert her gaze from me.

While she was still looking at me, I can’t resist and pinched both of her cheeks.

“Ow…”

“Well, you asked ‘what if you told me’ only. So you haven’t even told me if-“

“I love you.”

It feels like something exploded inside of me.

It echoes, and echoes, and echoes, and echoes to my head like a never-ending loop of her words.

This isn’t a dream anymore.

“…

Never in my life that I have been close to a woman, more so, being friends with one.

Actually, I think I have known already. I probably got certain when you were helping me move. Hiro even gave me a hint when he visited me when I was ill.”

“So… you knew already…?”

“I wouldn’t really say that I already knew that time… I guess you could say that I am suspecting if it’s really the case…

You’re pouting, you know.”

“Yeah, I am.

I just thought you would be surprised if I told you. I’m feeling quite defeated right now.

…

Now that I’ve told you my feelings, what will you do now?”

I placed my hand on her head while I still don’t know if she’s mad or not.

“Pat you on the head.”

“Hey!”

“Don’t ask questions like that out of the blue. It’s difficult to answer…”

“You’re being bashful.”

“Yeah, right.

Are you even aware that this story might actually not have any romance?”

“Don’t kid when it’s tagged on the genre. But just answer me, regardless of that.

“What if I told you that I love you too?”

I’ve never thought that I would say those words. It’s so natural that those words came falling smoothly like a waterfall.

“Gin… Can I punch you on the face?

“Huh? For what reason…?

Now you’re acting a little tsundereeeee-!

Ouch!”

She really did punch me in the face.

“What was that?! I just answered you!

And I was supposedly going to tell you that I love you for real!”

“…!

W-Well… thanks…

But I just felt like punching you.”

“Hahh…

Do your parents already know this?”

“They already agreed to it once they realized what’s happening to me.”

“That was fast…”

I’m seriously running out of things to say. I just blurted those words out and now I can’t find more words that I can say.

But I suddenly remembered her face when she was crying.

“Hey, Rin…

You said that you don’t want me to leave, right?”

“Mhm.”

“Then you shouldn’t leave me too.

Promise?”

“It is a promise. So… are we-”

“Then, congratulations!”

“Eh?! Uncle?! Auntie?!”

I didn’t even know that Mom and Dad were listening… no—eavesdropping.

“Oh hey, Mom, Dad. Thanks for eavesdropping.”

“So you even told Ringo, huh.”

“It’s about time for me to spill the beans anyways.

But look at what you did to Rin, she became a statue.”

“Oh, sorry, Ringo. We didn’t mean to startle you that much.”

“Yes, you did.

And now she’s clinging to my arm like she saw a ghost.”

“She’s trembling.”

“P-p-please don’t tell Anna or G-G-Gin’s brother about this, please.”

“About what, Rin?”

“I thought we are now-“

“I’m joking. Of course we are.”

“I’m so happy I wanna cry…”

“If she said so, don’t tell Anna or Kei about this. Kei teases Rin a lot.”

“So the ‘Nee-chan’ that Anna is talking about in her sleep was you, Ringo?”

“So she said that in her sleep, huh.”

“She’s even saying ‘don’t leave’. So we figured that you told them the truth.”

“Thank goodness you didn’t see our drama earlier.

I’m crying like a five year-old earlier, you know. And this little girl beside me doesn’t even want to release me when she’s hugging me in her tears. Now she’s clinging to me again.

Right, Rin?

…

Huh?”

She fell asleep while resting her head on my shoulder. She’s like a child when she’s sleeping. It’s not like I don’t like it, though.

“I didn’t even have a chance to tell how cute she is. But at least the cliché made up for it.”

“Hey, Rin. Rin! Wake up!

Wake up you pretty little girl!”

She’s not responding.

It’s probably because she had two bowls of ramen then exhausted herself mentally. It’s just fair to say that it’s my fault she got really tired.

“Well, she’s not waking up.”

“Alright, Gin. The only way is to let her-“

Fortunately, she released my right arm. I stood up and rested her head to the sofa. Without further ado, I straightened up my back and carried her on my arms.

Dad stepped back and Mom covered her mouth out of surprise.

“I’ll apologize to you tomorrow.

…

You’re being too hasty, Dad. I’m not going to let you say that.”

“How manly our son has become…!”

“’Don’t ever tell a woman that she’s heavy otherwise she will get mad.’”

But actually, it’s the opposite because she’s so light! Well, it’s also because I trained myself in a 100 times gravity room. But if I tell her that she’s light because she would think it’s an insult of not eating properly.

She had two bowls of ramen and devoured it in approximately 7 minutes.

“Uncle! Are you there?”

“Coming! Who is calling out this late?!

Oh, kid-

…

Ringo-chan?! Why are you carrying our beloved Ringo?!”

“She actually fell asleep after we ate earlier. She wouldn’t wake up actually.”

“Ah, yeah. Thanks for the ramen earlier, young ‘un.

So that’s it… It’s hard to wake her up when she just fell asleep but she can wake up on her own after a few hours.

But the way you carry her… You really look like a gentleman but…”

Rin’s mother suddenly popped up to his husband’s back.

“Does this mean you two are in a relationship now?”

…

“H-Honestly, I don’t even know who confessed first. I confessed some things to her earlier then she told her true feelings to me.

I was planning on visiting here tomorrow to properly tell you but she fell asleep and ended up going today. And the answer to the question is yes. We’re in a relationship now.”

“I’ll call you musuko from now on.”

“Eh?”

He called me musuko… which means “son”…

“Anyways, well said. Now go inside and let her rest in her room.”

“Huh? Me? I will? Why?”

“Just go to her room and drop her there. Then go down immediately.”

“U-Understood.”

Even though I haven’t gone upstairs to their house, I immediately knew where her room is since I follow the direction on where my room is too.

“This is definitely her room.”

I slowly dropped her off to her bed but I heard Rin sleep talking.

“I… I love you…”

“…

Likewise.”

I went downstairs and quickly walked out to the front door.

“I’ll be going now.

I promise that I will take care of her from now on.”

“Well, what can I say? I hope you have a happy relationship with our daughter.”

“Thank you very much.”

Another eventful day ended. Yes, my life will never be “normal” again. I did say that pain is unavoidable. But it’s like I completely neglected something that people really need in their lives—Love. I forgot that there is also love in the world of sadness and sorrow. I was so focused to them that I never thought about unconditional love.

Before even sin came to mankind, love is the foundation of this world. Family, friends, people, and someone; they are whom we love. We are not alone to begin with. We may think that no one loves us but surely there will be people that will come to our lives who will hold us tight.

I thought I just found the purpose of my life. But in reality, it was “purposes” of my life. It’s not just one, but a lot.

I was once a naïve child who lost his only key to living. But I am slowly regaining my emotions and now I finally felt how it is to live as a human.

Thank you, Rin… and to all of you.