CHAPTER 25
"Wh… what do you mean? Say goodbye?"
The first to speak was Yuki; her voice sounded like she was almost out of breath. Her lips were trembling, and her eyes looked like they were about to tear up.
Gekka instantly wrapped her arms around the girl, patting her gently on the back as she tried to console her.
"It'll be fine, Yuki; your big sis is only joining the academy a bit earlier than most… Something really urgent came up, and you can always pay her a visit."
Yuki calmed down a bit, the trembling of her lips slowly coming to a halt; however, the waterworks still continued. Soon, she began sobbing.
Rikiyo simply looked away from the scene while Tsukina bit down on her lower lip. She was contemplating how to approach her younger sister.
As for Megumi, his gaze was fixed on the three young adults standing a few meters away from him; his attention was particularly fixated on the blonde woman who was definitely the leader of the group.
He now understood why Rikiyo had been in such a hurry and the reason she was trying to help him in such a short amount of time. He had already known that something was wrong, and though he now had somewhat of a clear picture, some questions were still unanswered.
He would have to think about it later, though, because before him was a heartwarming scene slowly unfolding. He already knew that Rikiyo particularly didn't have much to say to him, but he did want to see how things would play out between the two sisters.
There wasn't much he knew about Tsukina, as she was neither close to him nor Rikiyo. The only relationship they shared was as cousins, and she had only followed them on this trip because her younger sister was coming too.
It could have been the other way around, though, but one thing he was sure of was the strong bond that the sisters shared.
Soon came the moment he was anticipating as Tsukina clenched her fists and slowly walked forward, stopping right before her younger sister. Her gaze remained fixed on the ground, and then, slowly, she lifted her head and looked at Yuki straight in the eye.
Gekka left the girl, who had soon stopped sobbing, and slowly backed away…
There was a moment of suffocating silence as the sisters stared at each other intently. Megumi waited for what seemed like an eternity, his heart almost thumping, and then, Tsukina finally broke the ice, her voice low as she spoke.
"Yuki… I really should have told you about all this earlier; believe me, I really wanted to. But I knew you were going to worry about me, and I didn't want that… So I didn't say anything, but hey, I should at least say goodbye, right?"
She sniffled as she took a step forward toward her sister, her once sharp and vibrant pupils slowly beginning to swim in a pool of clear liquid.
She quickly wrapped her arms around Yuki, and drawing closer to her, whispered.
"I'm sorry."
Megumi couldn't help but rub his eyes repeatedly as he watched the heartwarming exchange unfolding before him. He was struggling to keep his eyes from watering, and soon, he began sniffling. His nose was now a bit runny…
… He had to hold it all in, though; otherwise, he was going to miss this moment.
While Yuki cried in her sister's embrace, Tsukina, hugging her tightly, was trying her best to hold herself together, but it wasn't long before she broke down as well.
But she wasn't done talking.
"Please, don't worry about me, Yuki… I'll be back before you know it. It… It'll only be for a short while; you'll probably forget today ever happened by the end of it all."
Stunned for a moment, he was unable to hold it back any longer; a single tear slowly rolled down his cheek, and his pupils were now veiled in a wall of unshed tears.
Meanwhile, Yuki quickly wrapped her arms around her sister's waist, pulling their bodies even closer, and with her face hidden behind her sister's chest, she began to cry.
Her sobs and sniffles quickly turned into an inconspicuous wail, and then, after about a minute, she finally composed herself as best she could, ready to voice a few words.
She was still sobbing, making her voice crack and stutter as she tried to get the words out.
"Tsu… Tsu… Tsuki, you don't have to be sorry. I understand… I totally understand why… Please… don't worry about me while you're at the academy; I'll be fine… And I'll get stronger so you don't have to worry about me anymore."
Completely immersed in the moment, Megumi stood still as his vision was gradually blurred by the tears welling up in his eyes. Slowly, they rolled down his cheeks.
He didn't bother to wipe his eyes even after realizing it. Why even bother? This was one of the few moments when he could actually relate to the fact that even if this was a world of superhumans, the people here were still human.
And his friend, or perhaps his best friend, let out her emotions, freeing herself of her burdens like every child should; it warmed his heart. He was happy for her, to the point that he was on the verge of tearing up himself.
'It's probably this body; I wouldn't cry over something like this.'
At least, that was what he wanted to keep telling himself. But watching the two sisters suddenly brought someone to his mind; it was his sister, Rikiyo.
He turned around, hoping to see her staring at the scene, but instead she was suddenly right in front of him, quickly reaching out her hand. She wiped the tears from his face, and then she grabbed both of his hands and pulled him in.
He couldn't describe what he felt at that moment as their bodies made contact and his sister gently wrapped her hands around him. The hug only lasted for a brief moment before she pulled away and did the most surreal thing he had ever witnessed.
Her lips slowly curved, forming a gentle upward arc, and the corners of her mouth stretched toward her ears… She was smiling…
This was unlike her usual facade; it was an authentic, genuine smile intended for him.
His eyes were instantly flooded with tears, and quickly, he began rubbing his eyes as he tried to keep himself together, and after finally succeeding in keeping his waterworks at bay, he looked up at his sister once more, a pronounced smile on his face.
He clenched his hand into a fist and raised it slightly above his face. Then, he raised his thumb to her.
"Do your best, sis."
With a smile still beaming on her face, she said,
"You do your best as well, brother."
He chuckled as he turned his gaze to Yuki, who had now pulled away from her sister and was presently smiling as they talked, though her face was tear-stained.
Then, after many minutes of tears and laughter, they both looked at their older sisters, their voices echoing in unison…
"Goodbye…"
"Rikiyo…"
"Tsukina…"