I looked at the target with bloodshot eyes. There was something I absolutely had to say.
"First off, Shiori. I need to apologize to you."
I said, slowly opening my mouth.
"I ran away from your feelings. Even though I knew how you felt. Appearances and meeting you face to face. I used those convenient excuses to escape. But that's not true. The truth is, I was scared."
--To me, you are light itself--
I remember what Shiori had said to me before.
"I just didn't want to get hurt. I didn't want to make a mistake as a brother and sister, afraid of what others would think. But you were the one who confronted me head-on about how you felt. You remember, right? The sandcastle we built in the park. The day I swore I'd make you my wife. And yet, I turned a blind eye to that fact.
It may sound like an excuse, but I was thinking about what we could do to avoid hurting each other. But I'm stupid, and I'm slow, so I ended up doing the worst thing I could think of. Don't tell me we should just find separate lovers. Saying that Aika was pressuring me is no excuse. I was just weak-hearted. That kind of indecisiveness is what led to this situation.
I wonder why I didn't reciprocate your feelings. Maybe it was because I wanted to be the only good guy, or maybe it was because I didn't want to make any mistakes. Whatever the case may be, I continued to reject your advances.
But what exactly is wrong? Is it right to fake your feelings and maintain a superficial relationship? No, that would just be forcing your own convenience on the other person.
When I think about it like that, everything I've done has been nothing but ego."
"No way...Brother, you did nothing wrong..."
Perhaps because tears were welling up in my eyes, it was difficult to hear what Shiori was saying.
"Don't make me say it again. It's my own doing that caused this."
"That's not true...!"
Shiori objected a little forcefully. This seemed to be the spark that started the tears that began to flow from her eyes.
Oh no. I made him cry again.
but....
I spoke to Shiori, who was crying and holding his face in both hands, in a deliberately strong voice.
"But you're wrong too."
"picture"
Shiori looked up, her face wet with tears.
I hesitated for a moment when I saw his face. But I had to say it. For Hikaru's sake, too.
"It's wrong. The fact that you weren't indicted even though you killed your parents, and that you were taken in by us, were all due to the law. So breaking the law when it's inconvenient for you is just being selfish. If you're tired of being bound by the law, why don't you go live on a deserted island with no one around? A world with no TV, no books, no computers, cut off from the outside world. It's impossible, right? Even if you want something, if you don't have money, you have no status or power. In short, we're still just kids who can't do anything.
Do you understand? I'm not saying you shouldn't express your opinions. I'm saying you should wait until you can take responsibility for your own words and actions. You are important to me, but so are Mom, Honoka, Shomei, and Aika. I can't accept the idea that as long as you're fine, the people around you don't matter..."
As I was about to say that, I suddenly felt dizzy. It seems that I had lost too much blood and was anemic.
"Brother...!"
Shiori immediately came running over and embraced me.
"Brother, it's okay now. I understand. So, hurry up and go to the hospital..."
"That's right, Su-kun! I'll call an ambulance!"
"No. Don't call an ambulance..."
I said to Honoka, who had taken out her cell phone.
"Why?! If this keeps up, you'll bleed to death!"
"Yeah... that's right..."
I answered as my consciousness faded. I couldn't really tell, but Honoka's face looked extremely upset.
"But if I called an ambulance here, I'd be charged with assault. No one would believe me if I said I was trying to commit suicide. The knife has Hiro's fingerprints on it, so it would definitely become a police matter. What's more, Hiro had killed his parents in the past. With a criminal record, there's no way I can avoid going to court."
"I don't care what happens to me! As long as my brother is saved..."
"Don't mess with me."
I interrupted Hoshi's voice. I stared at his face, but I couldn't tell what expression he was making.
"I just told you to take care of those around you. You're smart, right? Think of a way to get me hospitalized without the police finding out..."
I was beginning to lose consciousness. My senses were numb, the pain had disappeared, and I was simply becoming sleepy.
"Brother! No! Don't die!"
Shiori shouted, shaking me by the shoulders.
"There's no way... I'd be hospitalized without telling the police..."
That was when Honoka muttered this while crying.
"Well, that's not impossible."
It felt like it was the first time I'd heard that voice in decades.
However, the person was the same person who had been on the phone just a moment ago.
He walked right up to me.
It was the lighting.
"Susumu, are you okay?"
Teruaki asked in a calm tone, even as he looked at my wound.
"No, it's not really okay..."
That was all I could do to answer.
"I guess so."
The light is in my pocket,
"I've already called an ambulance."
He said, showing me his phone.
"What..."
When I opened my mouth to speak, the light smirked faintly.
"Don't worry. It's one of the hospitals run by my father. It's a private ward that VIPs like celebrities and politicians use secretly. Susumu, well... I wouldn't call him a VIP, but he is my dearest friend. Even though it's an ambulance, it will be a normal car, and I've arranged for your injury to be treated as a simple accident."
"you..."
"So you can sleep in peace."
That was the end of the explanation given by the lighting.
"Sorry. I'm going to get some sleep then..."
I fell into a deep sleep.
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