You started this journey for me, even when I didn't know it back then… ~ Florence Joyce
xxxxxx
"How did you end up with a sprained ankle early in the morning? Are you even trying to be careful? You're supposed to be watching where you're going."
Risa sighed and rolled her eyes at the way her half-brother scolded her in the middle of the plaza while tending her ankle. Thank goodness that it wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. But it was still hard for her to walk with this injury.
And here she thought she'd be able to roam around and just enjoy the scenery while thinking of what to do with her life next. She didn't like that person who bumped into her and threw her to the ground.
"I'm fine, Hiro." Then again, Risa knew it wasn't enough to calm him down. She might be older than him by three years but he was the one who would constantly worry about her and their mother. "How's the university, by the way?"
"We'll talk about university later. Right now, I have to make sure your ankle would be functional before the day ends or who knows what mom would do when she sees this."
'Oh, yeah. I forgot.'
Risa's mom (who happened to be Hiro's stepmom) could be a worrywart most of the time no matter how understanding she looked. Hiro was her dad's son from a relationship that ended a long time ago when her parents' relationship nearly fell apart.
Risa was so young and unaware of the issue back then at the age of 2. But even so, she was just glad that Hiro remained with them when the extramarital affair was settled. Her mother treated Hiro as her son even after that.
Risa remembered her mother saying that Hiro had nothing to do with the cheating issue and that she shouldn't include him in her wrath. Especially when his birth mother just left him to Risa's dad all because the woman doesn't want to have the responsibility of rearing a child.
In Risa's opinion, Hiro's mother was heartless for doing that. How could she even do that to her child? She was glad that her father didn't do the same and decided to take care of her half-brother as he did his best to mend his broken relationship with her mother.
All these years, Risa could see that it got fixed.
"By the way, Dad won't be home for two months because of work," Risa said, breaking the silence between us as Hiro tended my sprained ankle.
"I know. He went to the university before he left. He told me to do my best to visit you and mom while he was away as long as university activities don't hold me back."
She nodded. So that was why he was here. "Does that mean you have free time now?"
Hiro looked at Risa as he finished bandaging her ankle. "Only for a week. But I still have to review for the midterms while I'm here. So I might not be able to pay attention to the chores in the house."
"Were you able to visit Mai before you went here and started scolding me?" she asked, talking about her best friend since high school.
With a frown, her brother looked at her and she just grinned. "What?"
"Do you think I'd forget the love of my life before I headed here? Of course not. I went to her house and we talked for a while. I don't even know how I was able to sense that you're hurt. So I had no choice but to leave her for a while."
'Oh... He sensed it again, huh?'
Risa had no idea what kind of ability her half-brother possessed. But for a long time, he seemed to have a built-in radar of some sort when it comes to her and their mother. Whether it was instinct or something else, she had no idea. And yet it had been pretty useful to him over time when he started accepting it as part of himself.
"I'm just glad you're here. Even if it's for a short while."
Hiro smiled and nodded. "Same here."
= = = = = =
Hiro left Risa at the plaza when he made sure that she was okay and could move a little better than how she was a while back. He still had to find a certain book that he needed for his review, so she let him do what he wanted. He could tell that she wasn't joking or bluffing when she said that she'd be okay. As soon as he calmed down, she let him go.
For sure, he would be heading back to Mai so that he could talk to her, anyway.
At that thought, Risa couldn't help feeling wistful. She wondered when would she be able to feel such love as the one that her brother felt for a long while now? Had she missed her chance already? Though she was only 26 years old, it seemed that she had missed out on a lot in her life. It could be because she decided to live like that.
Risa wasn't sure of the reasons for her to do that, however. Did she choose to live like this just because she had no choice at the time? She never even had a relationship in her life. And she kind of envied that from her brother. She wasn't even sure what she was looking for in a potential partner, anyway.
Or could it be that there was something else to that? Another reason that she wasn't aware of until now?
Risa looked around once again and frowned at the sight of the bookstore still not open even though it was past 9 in the morning already. This doesn't usually happen. She could recall that the owner would open this at around 8:30 in the morning every day except Saturdays as it was his day off. From what she could tell, it wasn't even Saturday.
Did something happen?
Then again, why did Risa feel worried about that? Seriously, things were getting strange for her as time passed by. First, that stranger who helped her. Second, another man bumped into her and caused commotion earlier. Third, the bookstore owner did not show up at the usual time.
Risa knew she shouldn't worry about all this. But things don't even add up here. In any case, she should get going. Maybe she'd stop by the bookstore once again a little later.
"Please come here…"
Risa was about to get up from the bench when she heard that all of a sudden. She wasn't going to lie, it brought chills to her spine. What in the world was that?
She looked around but she couldn't see anything strange. People there kept minding their own business. Of course, it was a good thing. But for some reason, the normalcy she saw had only made her feel anxious.
"Please, release me from this curse…"
Wait, not again. Could she be hallucinating?
"I know I had breakfast, so hunger isn't the reason. Lack of sleep?" She shook her head. "I slept at the regular time last night. So why?"
Perhaps talking to herself at the moment was a bad idea. But when Risa looked around again, something caught her eye and made her frown.
"Why is that book over there?"