129. Brother and Sister
「Now, no one can touch that time anymore」
Finishing like that, Karen and Ayame cast their eyes down in front of Tsumugu.
Tsumugu experienced it to the last.
The body that felt despair when she was the young 『Onikko』.
Only that was told. Only that was taught.
But still……no, this one is much more painful than the other story.
「……What was wrong?」
Karen muttered.
What was wrong?
Hearing that, Tsumugu can only answer 『fate』.
But still, by force. If she make up an answer by force.
「Okasan……Tsukie-san"s parents, were killed……by Unknowns. I want to ask, but I haven"t ask anything yet……she didn"t tell, means that she hasn"t found yet. The Unknown」
The matter in the past.
The thing that became the root is the former 『Black Pandora』"s distortion.
And Nagumo Tsukie"s madness which educated him like that.
Even so, that was all because Tsukie carries the past of 『seeing her parents being devoured by the Unknown』.
But Tsumugu and Iwato won"t say anything about it.
「……This is, already. Something in the past, that has been resolved」
Saying that, Tsumugu leaks a small sigh, and looks at the hallway.
「Everyone tried to forget it. Tries to forget about it. Otou-san, Okasan, Nakajima too. ……I don"t know about Sana, but I"m also the same. I know that it is something bad. But still, I chose to be by his side. Even though I know it is just a reliance」
Losing her father, she suffered a heartache.
Escapism, hatred, and above all, loneliness overwhelmed her.
And, she saw her own father in the worst man.
That is something that shouldn"t happen.
Something like depending on the enemy just because of being lonely.
……But for the young her, she couldn"t endured it.
The loneliness. The despair.
「……But that person. Don"t think that way」
The worst man that she knows.
Up to the present. Has never forgotten about that day. She knew it because she has been looking at him for quite some time.
–I forgive you, already.
Getting hurt pitifully, but still, she tried to say those words many times to him who keeps moving forward.
I forgive you, already.
Nii-san, gave me happiness.
Because you did your best, for me.
That"s why–
She tried to say that many times.
But if she says it, she felt something would be broken.
Therefore, she didn"t say it even now.
–Night.
Midnight in the dark town.
The snow reflects the moonlight and shines the courtyard dimly.
Without thinking anything at all.
Sitting at the porch, I sigh when I heard footsteps.
「Sorry, even though you prepared it specially」
「Nn, it"s okay. It will be our breakfast for tomorrow」
That voice is the one that I have been hearing from the 『past』 till now. I listened to that voice continuously even though I didn"t want to, and before I know it, I got used to it.
She sits beside me.
「……Did you told everything?」
Such question came out from her mouth.
Did I told everything to the two?
Asking that to me, she smiled.
「Don"t worry, I inserted 50% fiction in it」
「……Does that even count that you told them?」
I smile wryly and reach out the canned coffee on the side.
I drink up the cold and bitter coffee. It"s quite similar to the lead-like feeling that I used to feel. Cold, bitter, and hopeless to the end.
The moment when I told them the truth, the mood in this house was just like that.
「……I cut, much of it. If I told them everything, probably, I won"t be able to get back on my feet. I won"t, be able to, touch Nii-san the same as always」
Well, I guess so.
I agreed to her in my heart.
After all, we, the people concerned, have not get back on our feet yet. Everyone pretends to have forgotten everything. But it is still not forgotten yet. They forget it so they won"t bring it up. Only just that.
「Besides, I have things, that I don"t want to say」
「……Well, yeah」
Things that you don"t want to say……huh.
There"s no way I don"t have the memory of it.
But it"s just that I can"t discern it because there are too much of it.
……Because I have done that much things.
I sigh greatly while looking at the moon.
Even though it is cold, she"s sitting slightly away from me unusually. Unusually, normal. She"s sitting a few fists away from me.
「……Nii-san」
Suddenly, she opens her mouth.
Even so, no matter how long I wait, she doesn"t say anything more.
I turn to look at her.
Her white hair glitters slightly by the moonlight, her blue eyes look charming in the night, and above all, she is standing out beautifully.
The breath leaking from her mouth can be seen.
After a short silence, the blue eyes stare at me.
「Nii-san, are you, regretting now?」
Ah, I am.
I open my mouth, wanting to answer so–but my voice won"t come out.
The words stuck in my chest as if my throat was clogged.
I have the answer since the beginning.
It"s obvious that I have it.
Since the day I joined the Special Forces.
Since the day I killed an Unknown for the first time.
Since the day……I killed her father with my own hands.
Of course, I am regretting.
And yet, no matter how wide I open my mouth, only breaths came out from it.
Opening my mouth like an idiot, and only breaths come out.
Words won"t come out.
Staring at such me, she continues her words.
「……I, am still, not sure, even now. Tou-san was killed, by Nii-san……I thought of, killing you many times. Even now, I recalled about Tou-san. And I think, why did Nii-san, killed Tou-san」
My heart starts to ache.
My already-broken heart, somehow feels pain.
Before I can question myself.
She smiles pleasantly.
「But, now……is very fun」
Hearing that, for some reason, the 『usual』 scene came to my mind.
Karen does something stupid.
Then, Ayame goes to scold her.
Sensing the fun mood, Tsumugu follows.
And I look at them in amaze.
For some reason, I"m recalling that daily life now.
And……tears fall suddenly.
I thought I have no tears anymore.
I thought the time when she gave me a present was the final.
And yet, tears fall and it won"t stop.
「There is Karen, there is Ayame. And sometimes, Nakajima comes. Okasan, and Otou-san, also come back sometimes. Everyone here……and Nii-san also. At present, it is very fun」
That"s why.
Continuing that, she smile as if she"s troubled.
「If it is Tou-san, he won"t be mad seeing the current me. Because I know that, I can"t say……why you are 『regretting』」
……Ah, I see.
She"s enjoying the present.
I also thought the same way before I know it.
Since some time or another, I felt fun being with the three.
I started to feel happiness.
That"s why, the answer couldn"t come out.
Even though I know that I must not stop 『regretting』 in my sense.
But in reality, I felt 『happiness』 somewhere.
That"s why, it"s this–
「–Nii-san」
Suddenly, her hands grasp my right hand tightly.
「I am, happy when Nii-san laughs. I am, happy when Nii-san strokes my head. I am, happy when Nii-san hugs me. I am, very happy when Nii-san is happy. Nii-san is everything for me. Nii-san is my world」
Tears fall.
Even though I know that I should stop it, I sob like a child. As if I returned to that day, that time, that night when I was lamenting under the moon.
Shedding tears like an idiot, I grasp back her hands.
「……Un, un. ……I understand. Right」
The world must be bright.
Her world must be happy.
That"s right. I promised her.
Long, long time ago.
When I and her were still children.
We made a promise.
A promise that will never change.
Then, I have to keep the promise.
Because I have decided to not break a promise anymore.
That"s why.
–I"m sorry, Tsumugu.
I was about to say that……but I thought of a different word.
「–Thank you, Tsumugu」
Saying that, I hug her.
Reflecting upon the pitiful sobbing.
I hug her tightly.
The girl once wished to the boy.
I want you, to change me into a human.
「……Tou-san said. I……If Tou-san died, I will do my best, for the coexistence of humans and Unknowns. That"s why, I need to know more, about humans. That"s why–」
That"s why.
The girl says that, and the boy smiles as if he is troubled.
But still, there was nothing to hesitate.
The boy changed the girl from 『Unknown』 to 『human』.
Because that was her wish.
Without hesitating, he used his 『superpower』 on her.
「I will live for your sake. I will give everything to you. I will grant every wish of yours. I will fill your world in happiness. I will protect you from any enemies to the end」
I won"t let her get hurt anymore.
He placed a curse on himself.
The unbreakable curse conditions called as promise.
「I won"t make you hurt anymore. ……But that is not the job of the 『Black Pandora』」
As the final job as the Black Pandora.
He erased the 【superpower】–from himself.
He erased his own superpower with his own superpower.
Thus, his hair turned into black.
As the one and only powerless person.
As the one and only brother to her.
The boy smiles broadly in front of the girl.
「I will stay as the powerless 【black】 until the day you wish for」
This is a secret story that only both of them know.
The sequel of the story of sin–exchanged by the two.