In Tokyo: They are heavily dependent on me

Chapter 99. The Neglected Aspects

On the way home, that strange feeling returned.

Perhaps it's an instinct hidden in human genes. When walking on the street, even when everything around you is normal, sometimes your body can't help but have the urge to look back.

Kaoru couldn't explain why her body was reacting this way.

He wasn't even sure when he started having these thoughts.

As he attributed it all to "perhaps having experienced too much lately," he failed to notice the unfamiliar figure that had been following him ever since he left the building.

......

------------

"Speaking of which—next month is Rin's birthday, right?"

On this day, the ramen shop closed earlier than usual.

The recent release of meatball ramen has led to a shortage of ramen ingredients. Although Kaoru has been trying to contact suppliers, their response has been, "We've already tried our best," so the situation hasn't changed much.

It's rare for me to eat according to my biological clock.

Kaoru thought about today's date; there was less than a month left until Rin's coming-of-age ceremony.

So he took the opportunity to tell the story.

"If my brother is planning to give me a gift, there's absolutely no need for that."

Rin picked up some food and put it in her mouth, her tone of replying very coldly.

"Don't be such a spoilsport. This is your once-in-a-lifetime coming-of-age day!"

Was it because I was too tired from work today? Kaoru pondered as she ate.

In my memory, Rin would sometimes be cold to him, but it usually didn't last long.

As for today... it seems that ever since he came back, Rin has maintained this impatient expression, and her voice sounds weak and listless. The enthusiasm that she showed when facing him has completely disappeared.

"Oh, really?"

Rin finished her dinner very quickly.

After saying "I'm done eating," she stood up and walked upstairs.

Soon, the sound of a door closing could be heard.

The surroundings were eerily quiet.

"Aozora-chan, has anything been happening lately?"

Feeling that Aozora, who worked with her, might know something, Kaoru turned to look at the seat next to her.

Because of her height, Aozora's legs were dangling in the air when she sat on the chair. To Kaoru, her figure was far too petite, making even adult tableware appear enormous. If you ignored the astonishing size of her breasts... probably no one would associate her with the word "adult".

As she answered his question, Aozora's legs were still gently swaying, and this adorable reaction made people question her real age even more.

"There were some drunk customers arguing in the store... and the police had to come and handle it."

Kaoru said "Oh," and chewed her rice absentmindedly. Just as she was about to drink the miso soup, she belatedly realized what was going on.

"So that's what happened! "

"The air conditioner malfunctioned due to high load operation, and the customers kept complaining. While washing dishes, Rin accidentally broke a bowl and cut her hand. A customer lost their wallet and demanded to see the store's security footage, only to find out they had left it at home. And..."

Aozora listed out all the recent events.

Xun's eyes widened as she listened, and halfway through chewing, food remained in her mouth.

I've been through way too many of these kinds of troublesome things!

Just hearing what she said gave Kaoru a headache.

A huge machine has malfunctioned, and he needs to eliminate all the faults. He is now feeling just as troubled as he would be if he were facing such a situation.

Rin's job... is harder than I imagined.

His thinking was too idealistic; he had only been enjoying Rin's care for him one-sidedly, ignoring these insignificant aspects.

Even though her work is already very demanding, she can't help but become irritable when dealing with difficult customers, and she also has to spend time and energy preparing dinner every day... Rin's workload is unusually heavy.

In contrast, Kaoru, as the older brother, was taken care of by his younger sister the entire time...

The guilt he belatedly felt made him feel ashamed and unable to hold his head up.

"That's terrible..."

Before his body could even react, the words had already come out of his mouth.

"Rin-senpai... is Asuka's idol."

"Asuka wants to be like her, able to live on her own, so she needs to work even harder than she does now."

After finishing his miso soup, Aozora jumped off the chair and began the final touches.

Upon hearing her words, the previously vague thoughts in my mind quickly emerged into a clear outline.

Kaoru's heart became absolutely certain.

------------

"Brother...brother?"

The door was opened, and warm light spilled out from the crack.

Rin was clearly surprised to see Kaoru standing outside the door.

"It's so late... What's wrong?"

Xun has a habit of going to bed early, and it's already past 10 p.m., so he should have been asleep by now.

Could it be... that something important has happened?

"Rin, are you going to sleep?"

Kaoru ran her right hand through her fluffy hair, scratching it. Her restrained demeanor only strengthened Rin's conviction.

Brother... he's really strange!

This is highly suspicious!

"Brother, just say what you want to say. Why do you have to do this?"

Rin opened the door, then closed it again, staring intently at Kaoru's reaction.

Having lived together for so long, Rin, as the younger sister, can accurately detect any subtle changes in her brother.

"Rin... Aozora-chan mentioned what happened recently, and I was really shocked when I heard it... Because Rin is the kind of person who chooses to bear trouble alone, and I'm quite oblivious to these things, I often overlook Rin's feelings. I must have caused Rin a lot of trouble so far, so this time... I'm here to apologize!"

"From now on... it's okay if Rin doesn't have to bear it all alone. I don't want to take my sister's care for granted all this time. I want to do something for you sometimes too. Please! Let me fulfill your wish!"

Kaoru took a few steps back and then bent her body downwards.

An apology full of sincerity... that's how it should be understood, right?

Rin placed her hands behind her back, her toes twitching shyly, and the back of her ears was flushed with a striking blush from what Kaoru had just said.

"Honestly... suddenly saying such responsible things... my brother is so boring..."

"But... my brother has finally shown me the responsibilities that come with being an older brother."