In Tokyo: They are heavily dependent on me

Chapter 118. Summer begins, and with you, everything is perfect.

"elder brother."

"Time to go out—"

Having made preparations, Rin carried a decorative handbag and wore wooden clogs she had bought from a yukata shop. It was nearly six o'clock in the afternoon, and the surrounding light was gradually dimming. Since the lights were off, the visibility in the entryway was not high, and only the general outline of her body could be seen.

Soon the fireworks display will become incredibly crowded with people, making even finding a place to stand a luxury. To avoid that, it's essential to leave early.

After changing into wooden clogs that she wasn't used to wearing, Kaoru lifted the curtain of the ramen shop and walked towards Shinjuku Station.

Because of the fireworks festival, the street scene had changed to a sight never seen on ordinary days. A terrifying number of people wearing yukatas flooded into the subway station. Kaoru and Rin were mixed in with the dense crowd. Looking down at the escalator, there was a huge, dark mass, reminiscent of a migrating ant colony.

The pungent smell of camphor balls lingering on clothes mingled with the faint fragrance of an unknown perfume and was inhaled into the nasal cavity.

On this day, traffic in Tokyo was almost paralyzed due to congestion. The venue was surrounded by vehicles, and traffic police were working hard to maintain order to prevent accidents.

The crowds were just as dense as during the cherry blossom season in March.

"Speaking of which, aren't there just too many people?"

Xun, squeezed into a corner of the carriage, let out a sigh.

For the first time, he directly realized, "Wow, so many people live in this city!"

"Brother, I suddenly remembered that this is probably the first time I've attended a fireworks festival with you."

Rin's back pressed tightly against the carriage, and Kaoru's body became the only barrier separating her from the crowd.

When she was looking down at her face from below, feeling that close gaze, Kaoru's breathing became erratic.

"Rin, what's wrong... why did you suddenly bring this up?"

"I'm just feeling a little sentimental. Just a year ago, my brother and I were homeless, and our ramen shop was on the verge of collapse because it had only been open for a short time. Back then, I was thinking about what my brother and I would do if we couldn't make money. Every day when I opened my eyes, I felt a heavy burden pressing down on me. I was overwhelmed by all sorts of troubles and had no time for socializing. But now... so many things have changed."

Rin said this with a sigh of relief.

His facial expression seemed to relax, and his eyes were filled with emotion and memories of the past.

Looking back, the events of this year were indeed overwhelming. If Rin hadn't silently endured all of this, our lives wouldn't be developing in the direction we envisioned.

Compared to a year ago, the ramen shop's revenue is several times higher, so there's no need to worry about the things we were concerned about before.

It would be impossible for just one person to achieve such perfection.

It's all thanks to Rin.

"Brother, it's all thanks to your hard work!"

Rin's words, spoken without hesitation, caused Kaoru's thoughts to pause briefly.

No, no, it's Rin who's working hard.

Her mind desperately refuted what she had said, but in the end, it was as if she silently accepted it, and those complicated thoughts were swallowed back down.

Between Rin and me, there's no need to focus on such formalities anymore.

"I... I've always been very grateful to my brother. I always feel that... no matter what I do, I can never repay him for his help. Without him, my world would be gray."

Being stared at like that, Kaoru suddenly lost the courage to look back at her.

Looking out the train window, the subway was passing between two buildings, and the familiar scenery below looked incredibly small.

The train carried nearly a thousand people, and the carriages were crowded with hundreds of people.

At this moment, everyone's destination is the same. Regardless of their profession or age, they have all reached a consensus. All that is left is to reach the destination. It is strange to be able to maintain a connection with strangers.

"Rin, what are you thinking about?"

The figure, much shorter than himself, was now aimlessly gazing at a place beyond his sight.

In that instant, the distance between me and Rin seemed to widen.

"I wasn't thinking about anything."

Rin responded in a cold voice.

"Is it just my imagination? I have a feeling that Rin has been hiding something from me lately... I can't quite put my finger on what it is, and maybe I'm just misunderstanding. But Rin, if you have any thoughts, it would be best if you spoke up. Sometimes I also want to know what my little sister is thinking."

The eyes in front of me seemed to flicker slightly because of what I had just said.

However, it quickly returned to normal.

They maintained an expression where they seemed to be staring at something unseen.

"No, that's not true, brother."

"Look at me."

Rin raised her face, and her face, enhanced by makeup, was reflected in her eyes.

In my memory, Rin rarely dressed up like her peers, and most of the time her clothes were so simple that they seemed plain.

Even so, she still managed to make the customers in the restaurant feel loved.

Therefore, seeing her after she had been carefully made up, the beauty of her face was so striking that it would make anyone feel inferior.

"What's wrong, brother?"

Her cherry lips, painted pink, twitched slightly as she squeezed out these words.

Her slightly trembling eyelashes and the frequency of her blinking eyes were all clearly visible.

A distance where even each other's breaths can be clearly heard.

Kaoru took a deep breath.

"Rin, don't treat me like an idiot. Although I can be slow at times, I'm not so slow that I wouldn't know when Rin has changed. Something has definitely changed about you. Tell me... I want to know."

"Brother, do you really need to know? Even if telling you will make you feel heavy-hearted."

Tell me, if I have to guess, I'll just feel breathless.

"In that case—"

The train gradually slowed down, and another group of passengers poured into the carriage, further compressing the distance between them to less than twenty centimeters.

at that moment.

It happened without any warning.

I felt a touch on my cheek from a hand.

Despite the warm summer weather, the temperature transmitted to my fingertips was icy cold.

Rin tiptoed, and her breathtakingly beautiful face was magnified several times in her increasingly distorted vision.

Their lips touched.

It lasts only for a brief moment.

It was over by the time the next breath arrived.

Even though it only occupies a tiny fraction of a moment in a life, the memories and sensations it leaves behind may be unforgettable for a lifetime.

They kissed.

The object... is Rin.

"That's how it is, brother."

Rin pulled back from her forward lean and looked with satisfaction at the shocked reaction on Kaoru's face.

"—My changes."

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

Upon arriving at the venue for the fireworks festival, dense crowds streamed out of the subway station. It is said that more than 200,000 people attended the fireworks festival in Adachi Ward alone, and tens of thousands of fireworks were set off in the night sky.

The sheer number of these figures is astonishing. The atmosphere at the event will reach its peak when the night sky is illuminated by thousands of fireworks.

Upon arriving at the venue entrance, a long queue had already formed.

Couples dressed in yukatas behaving intimately, children playing and frolicking, middle-aged couples arm in arm with smiles on their faces—everyone was already looking excited even before it started.

Kaoru and Rin mingled in the crowd, with a steady stream of people queuing behind them.

"Wow, there are so many people..."

It's said that it will rain tonight.

Kaoru looked up at the night sky, which had become completely black.

Above the venue floated the clouds, which were unique to summer and had an unpredictable temperament.

It was unclear when it would rain. The air around us felt even more muggy than when we set off. On this windless night, the muggy feeling kept creeping in.

"Brother, let's hold hands."

Rin's words interrupted Kaoru's thoughts.

"Holding hands? Why?"

"Is that not allowed?"

"No... I just feel very hot, and I might sweat a lot."

"That kind of thing doesn't matter, I'm already almost soaking wet anyway."

After saying that, Rin took it upon herself to grab Kaoru's right hand.

As expected, their palms, pressed together, quickly became sweaty, as if glued together.

Even so, Rin still had no intention of letting go.

A scene from the subway briefly flashed through Kaoru's mind.

Why...why would Rin do something like that back then?

The reason for doing that... is completely unimaginable.

After queuing for nearly twenty minutes, I finally entered the venue.

The temperature is currently at its peak during the summer nights, and the stillness makes the nights even more unbearable. The humid air envelops the entire body, and everyone in the venue has their backs soaked with sweat from their constant secretions.

That feeling is like enjoying a sauna.

Even so, tourists continued to flock to the fireworks festival.

That's the charm of a fireworks festival.

"elder brother."

Rin suddenly turned her head to look at Kaoru's position.

"Aren't your hands sweating a bit too much? I sweat too, but it's not to the point where it's running down my arms. Come to think of it, your hands always seem to sweat a lot."

Ah... Oh no...

Even though it was in front of Rin, being bluntly exposed still made him feel helpless.

"Don't say such sarcastic things to me... If Rin finds sweaty hands disgusting, just loosen your grip next time."

"No, anything related to my brother won't make me feel disgusted."

Rin said those words in an undeniable tone.

There seemed to be something unfamiliar mixed in with her calm eyes.

Kaoru found a patch of grass to sit down and gazed into the distance.

This vantage point offers a perfect view of the venue. Two rows of straight lanterns have already been set up along the path leading into the distance, where vendors are gathered to serve guests. Everyone attending the fireworks festival wears a happy and joyful smile.

There are still twenty minutes until the fireworks display.

What should we do next?

"Rin, there's a shooting game over there, wanna go...?"

"don't want."

...The refusal was quite decisive.

"Catching goldfish is also a good idea; I don't think any girl would dislike it."

"......boring."

"What about a darts game?"

"Only kids would be interested in that."

The speed at which they refused was still astonishingly fast.

Rin gazed into the distance without moving, occasionally clenching her hands, which were about to fall off due to sweat. The incessant chirping of cicadas could be heard all around, and the sun had already sunk below the horizon and disappeared completely.

The hand that Rin was holding showed no intention of letting go.

It feels... like we're a couple.

"So, Rin's just going to sit here and wait for the fireworks to go off?"

"Does my brother find this troublesome?"

"I hadn't thought of it that way... I just suddenly remembered that Rin doesn't seem to have any particular hobbies. Even if she's interested in something, it's just a passing fad. Her passion fades quickly. That includes the idol I've been supporting, and the doll I've been clamoring to buy for a long time. Once I actually got it, I quickly lost interest."

"elder brother......"

Rin looked at Kaoru with a suspicious gaze.

"You really are terrifying. So you've been spying on your cute little sister all along?"

That look of disgust... Ah, that's it, let's look at it a little longer.