It had been a week since that eventful day, and today, Touka was finally being discharged from the hospital. Our family came to pick her up.
"Everything ready, Touka-chan?" my mother asked, her smile warm.
"Yes, Ma'am," Touka replied, nodding politely.
"Himeya and my husband will go to your apartment later to bring some of your things back here, alright?"
"Thank you, Sir, and thank you, Himeya," she said gratefully.
"Think nothing of it," my father replied with a gentle smile. "You're part of our family now."
Haruka, though, was unusually quiet. I moved closer to her and whispered, "What's wrong, sis?"
She looked up and gave me a faint smile. "Nothing, really."
Strange… I thought, but let it slide.
Afterward, my father drove us home and helped arrange Touka's belongings in Haruka's room. Once we were settled, he got ready to head out again.
"Well, let's go, Himeya. We have more to pick up," he said.
"Alright, Dad," I replied, guiding him to Touka's apartment.
Inside, the room was dim, only a faint light filtering through the vent.
"This is her place?" my father asked, a touch of disbelief in his voice.
"Yeah… I've been here before…" Memories flooded back to me of the last time I was here—her birthday.
Flashback
"Nya nya nya day?" I'd joked, glancing at her calendar.
"It's my birthday," she'd said with a small smile.
"Wait, today's your birthday?"
"Yeah, February 22nd," she confirmed.
"You should've told me, dummy!" I'd laughed, retrieving a small cake I'd bought beforehand. "Here."
Her eyes widened. "What…? How did you know?"
"I wanted you to enjoy it, especially after everything." A smile crept onto my face.
She laughed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "H-Himeya… pfft… haha…! I never expected you to be this… sweet."
I laughed with her, feeling a warmth I couldn't quite describe.
I sliced the cake and held out a piece. "Here."
"Feed me," she'd said, grinning.
"Sigh… alright. Say 'aah.'" I fed her the first bite, and she closed her eyes, savoring it.
"Sweet… more, please…"
She ate slowly, a happy hum following each bite.
Then, her expression changed, and tears mixed with laughter.
"Touka," I said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder.
She looked at me, all her emotions laid bare. "Happy birthday," I whispered, patting her head.
"Hic… thank you, Himeya."
End Flashback
Blinking, I found myself back in the present.
"Himeya, let's finish up here," my father called, breaking my reverie.
"Right." We packed up her things and headed home. On the way, my father asked about Touka's family situation, and I filled him in on what I knew.
"How could parents treat their daughter like that…? Unbelievable," he muttered, visibly upset.
Once home, we brought her things upstairs. Touka was in the living room, talking with my mother and Haruka. They seemed deep in conversation, and I noticed a worried expression on my mother's face.
As night fell, my mother prepared a feast to welcome Touka.
"Thank you for the meal, Mom," I said, digging in.
"Delicious as always, Mariea," my father added.
As we ate, Haruka suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence. "Um… I have an announcement."
An announcement?
"I've accepted a job in Shinjuku, so I'll be moving there… and Touka-chan will be coming with me."
My heart dropped. "Wait, sis, you're…?"
Before I could finish, she continued, "I want to thank the Shin family for all the kindness you've shown me," Touka said, bowing her head. "This is the first time I've felt like I was part of a family. I'm so grateful… but soon, Haruka and I will be moving to Shinjuku. I'll be in her care from now on."
She looked at me, smiling softly. "We'll be leaving in two days."
I couldn't respond. Shock and sadness swirled within me.
Later that night, after everyone had gone to bed, there was a knock at my door.
"Come in…"
The door opened, and Touka entered, closing it softly behind her. She stood in front of me, but I couldn't bring myself to look her in the eye.
"Himeya…"
"…"
"…Himeya."
"…What?"
"Can you at least look at me?"
I raised my head reluctantly, and there she was… tears streaming down her face. Touka was crying. I felt a pang of guilt—had I made her feel this way?
She came closer and sat beside me, resting her head on my shoulder, her voice trembling. "I'm sorry, Himeya…"
"…"
"I don't want us to be apart, but I can't burden you."
"Touka, you'd never be a burden to me," I whispered.
She smiled weakly. "I knew you'd say that. You're always too kind. I hope you'll understand my reasons."
"How… can I convince you to stay…?"
She shook her head. Her resolve was clear.
"You're really determined, huh…" I said, feeling a bittersweet acceptance.
She nodded. "So… come find me soon, Himeya."
I couldn't hold back my feelings anymore. "I promise… after I graduate, we'll never be apart again."
"Never again," she echoed, hugging me tightly.
After a moment, she pulled back, her eyes teasing. "You probably don't realize, but you're pretty popular with the girls now…"
"Am I?" I chuckled. "But for me, there's only Touka."
"…Thank you," she whispered, her smile brighter through the tears.