Perhaps due to the influence from her mother, Aizawa also became a football fan. Hide clearly remembered that since Aizawa was a toddler, she always watched a soccer match with Emily.

After she finished helping Hide wash the cutlery, Aizawa immediately sat in front of the TV and waited for the match between Nakamura Ocean and Yuko Mountain to start. Then, Hide, who had no interest in soccer matches, also came into the living room and sat down beside her.

Aizawa nervously asked, "Big Bro, do you want to watch a movie?"

While turning on his laptop, Hide answered, "No, Big Bro has something to do."

Relief instantly filled Aizawa's heart, but she desperately tried to hide it. A sign that she wasn't completely comfortable when Hide was around. But it didn't take long before Aizawa immersed in the match between Nakamura Ocean and Yuko Mountain.

Hide also stopped typing and turned his attention to the TV when the second half began. He knew that three minutes after the second half started, Nobuyuki Masaru would score the first goal against the Nakamura Ocean with a quick stab.

No one expected that Nobuyuki, who usually gave super-accurate passes from the right-wing, would execute sprint & dribble from his position.

Yuko Mountain supporters looked at Nobuyuki's actions, who at first glance seemed careless with wide eyes. While Nakamura Ocean supporters spontaneously scoffed at his stunt, some even burst out laughing.

But the entire stadium and even the commentator fell silent as Nobuyuki gracefully passed two of the best defenders in the Britiss League. Then outwitted the best goalkeeper in the Nikko League with his left foot.

For the first time in his professional career, Nobuyuki Masamura had finally shown the public that his strongest weapon was not his right leg, but the left.

As soon as the referee signaled that Nobuyuki's goal was valid, the screams of Yuko Mountain supporters echoed throughout the stadium. Meanwhile, Nobuyuki casually jogged towards the Yuko Mountain side, as if his goal was just an ordinary thing.

If in the first half Yuko Mountain shuffled a little, in the second half the momentum of the match slowly shifted to them. This was because Nakamura Ocean's player who guarded Nobuyuki, began to struggle to read the young players' intentions. Given that in the second half Nobuyuki not only provided accurate long passes, but also often made lightning stabs to midfield and sent short passes to strikers.

After his first goal, Nobuyuki sent two short passes which led to shots on the goal. Unfortunately, the two shots all hit the crossbar. It was only in the 57th minute that Nobuyuki made another lightning stab and penetrated Nakamura Ocean's goal one more time.

Yuko Mountain supporters spontaneously screamed while Nakamura Ocean supporters closed their eyes, or looked away from the field because they did not have the heart to see the blow to their beloved club.

In the 63rd minute, the only Yuko Mountain striker had to be stretchered off the field because of an injury, and the game became more balanced again. Even so, three minutes before the end of the match, Nobuyuki scored another goal.

The match then ended with a live broadcast of Nakamura Ocean supporters who were crying and shedding tears. It was natural, because this was Nakamura Ocean's first defeat since the season started. Moreover, the defeat was caused by a young player whose name rarely caught the attention of Nikko League fans.

Luckily, Aizawa was a Yuko Mountain fan. So she didn't have to cry too. Hide looked at Aizawa's beaming face before saying, "Brush your teeth before going to sleep."

"Mhm."

Aizawa cheerfully gave a small nod before running towards her room.

Hide then replaced the TV channel with world broadcasts in the news. Then, he listened to the news while checking a pile of documents on the table.

---

The clock showed 10:50 pm when Hide heard the front door was opened. He then turned off the TV, reached for the documents on the table, and walked over to his father.

As usual, Hide smelled a thick sake from his father. While in his hand he was carrying a mini bag containing two packs of 6-cans beer.

"I need your sign."

Without many words Hide's father accepted the pen, then gave his signature to each point that Hide showed, without realizing that one of these documents was Hide's appointment as guardian for Aizawa. Meanwhile, the other two were permits for Hide to take the graduation exam and transfer of ownership for the house they currently live in.

"Thank you," Hide said calmly.

As his father walked to his room, Hide tightly held the document in his hand.

'Now I can send Aizawa to the boarding school.'

---

It was exactly 09:30 pm, when without any warning a heavy rain accompanied by strong winds and lightning poured down on Nichiko.

Hide immediately grabbed the laptop he used for studying, then rushed to Aizawa's room. While his mind was filled with old memories, regret, and bitterness that had jumbled into one.

A few months after Emily died, one night Aizawa came to his room. She begged to be allowed to sleep in his room, because she was afraid of the heavy rain that had just fallen without prior warning, but Hide sternly refused her.

Even when Aizawa only asked to be allowed to sit in his room until the rain stopped, Hide without any further thought refused and asked Aizawa to come out of his room and lock the door.

He never knew whether after that Aizawa returned to her room or remained at the door of his room, and only after long years before he wondered how Aizawa had been through the night that was ravaged by thunderstorms until morning. Of course, his chest would feel very tight every time he recalled the event.

Hide slowly opened the door, and he found the main light was brightly turned on while Aizawa hid on the bed under the blanket. He could see that Aizawa was trembling while sobbing.

"Aizawa..."

"Uwawawa!"

Hide only whispered, but that was more than enough to make Aizawa startled.

"Aizawa, Big Bro wants to talk for a moment."

Aizawa didn't answer right away, and Hide could see that her younger sister seemed to be wiping her tears before came out from her blanket. Hide then climbed into bed and sat next to Aizawa, who looked at him questioningly but with relief.

"Do you remember that Emily once took you to Kitaro Music School?"

Aizawa nodded slightly, and Hide immediately opened his laptop, displaying the Kitaro Music School brochure that he had downloaded.

"Big Bro has been thinking for the past few days, maybe you want to study there. Considering Emily once said that your tests of aptitude and interest showed you would be a good musician."

Aizawa seems to remember clearly when Emily took her to the Kitaro Music School, because it happened several days before Emily had an accident that took her life.

Aizawa stared at the Kitaro Music School brochure before sobbing, and Hide immediately stroked her head softly.

"You do have to stay there, but every Wednesday you are allowed to go out from one to four o'clock. So Big Bro will visit you and we can play wherever you want.

Also, you can come home every weekend. Big Bro will pick you up on Saturday at one in the afternoon and take you back there on Monday morning."

Sniff! Sniff! Sniff!

Because Aizawa's sobbing became harder, Hide chose to stop his explanation and wiped Aizawa's snot and tears.

One thing Hide didn't expect was, Aizawa suddenly crawled towards her desk, took a brochure from the drawer, and handed it to Hide.

"Aizawa wants to study music in Kitaro but doesn't want to stay there. Kaede Sensei said Kitaro has a pick-up service for children who don't want to sleep there, but Daddy doesn't agree and Aizawa should stay at East Nichiko primary school."

Hide instantly frowned, while a big question mark appeared in his mind. "When did you talk to Daddy?"

Aizawa counted using her little fingers before answering, "Nine days ago."

"Did Daddy take you to Kitaro?"

Aizawa shook her head before answering, "Aizawa went there alone and met Kaede Sensei."

Hide instantly felt as if his heart was being ripped to the shred. "Aizawa, did you really go to Kitaro alone?"

"Mhm, Aizawa was afraid at first, but a kind subway officer escorted Aizawa there, then Kaede Sensei took Aizawa home."

Hide subconsciously clenched his fists until his fingernails pricked his palms. While inwardly, he tried to imagine what kind of circumstance that drove a six year-old little girl to check a school alone.

'Loneliness and longing for her mother who left her at such a tender age,' muttered Hide as he held back the bitterness in his heart. In a slightly trembling voice he then said, "Aizawa, Big Bro will make sure you study in Kitaro without needing to stay there."

"Really?"

Aizawa asked expectantly, and Hide nodded firmly.

"Yes."

*****