The three of us immediately sped to the abandoned warehouse by Tokyo Bay. After unlocking the door, we found Dango slumped over a computer desk.
Seto slapped him awake. Smack! "Huh?! W-what is it?" Dango yelped.
"Where's the girl? Shut down the device now," Haru ordered.
"Y-yes!" Dango hurriedly suspended Yurei's avatar server, locking it down.
As he did, I spotted a black-haired girl in a shrine maiden outfit watching us from a far corner of the warehouse. She waved at me, and then her form slowly faded away like dust.
"Waaaaah—why, why?!" Kurayami's scream echoed from the side of the building.
"She's been here the whole time, Dango?!" I stared in disbelief. That was definitely Kurayami's voice.
"Then why didn't you tell us?!" Seto grabbed Dango by the collar, raising his fist.
"I didn't know! I passed out for seven hours! She must've snuck in after school—I had no idea!"
Haruki rushed over to his sister, who was storming toward him in her school uniform, glasses clenched in her hand.
"If you pull this again, I'll smash those damn glasses."
"Oh yeah?!" Kurayami turned to me, narrowing her eyes. "Then what about you guys? What kind of work have you been doing, sneaking out late at night and leaving me alone in that stupid room!"
"You're a kid. Stay out of adult business," Seto snapped.
"Come on, missy. We all have work to do," I tried to calm her down.
"And what kind of 'adult business' is it, huh? Running clubs, laundering money, dealing drugs? All that filthy gray crap—you think I don't know?!" Hit where it hurt, Haruki fired back.
"I don't even know what Father saw in you that made him push you to be an idol. It's ridiculous. I poured so much into this, and the outcome is literal crap!"
Kurayami shouted through tears. "Every yen I earn goes into the shared fund—that's your money! I barely spend anything on myself! And you never have time for me! Ever since Dad died, you never once cared how I was doing! I'm scared to even leave my room! I just want someone to understand how I feel! I watched Dad get shot right in front of me! What if I'm next—!"
"That's enough! As long as I'm here, there won't be any more fucking funerals!" Haruki yelled.
"You only see me as a burden! Not because you love me. You make that obvious! You say what I do is meaningless, right? I can pay for my own education! You don't need to worry about this fucking 'burden'! Do whatever you want; just stay out of my life!" She turned away, crying on her own.
"K-Kurayami… I didn't mean—" Haruki rubbed his face, guilt flooding in after his outburst.
"I think giving her time is best," I said quietly. "She's been through things most kids never face. She'll need time to adjust."
She let out a shaky breath through her mouth, tears welling in her eyes.
"A kid shouldn't have to go through something like this… you guys neither. My dad shouldn't have dragged you into something like this at all. Damn it." Haru said.
"I've got a younger brother to take care of too," I said, finally letting out what I'd been holding in. "I understand what it feels like to carry a weight on your chest."
"I know you're far from home," he continued. "Next week I'll try to close the deal with Takeo. If everything goes well, we won't have to worry about money anymore. I'm sure it won't be long before you can go back to your brother with a big sum in hand."
I nodded and followed the Bito family, then heard, "Please talk to Kurayami for me."After that, I walked over to Kurayami, who was sitting in the corner of the warehouse, hugging her knees and looking gloomy.
"Don't bother me~" she said, turning her face away from me.
"Hey, hey, no need to sulk," I said gently. "Your big brother just doesn't want you to ruin your health, you know. That's why he doesn't want you going into that fantasy world too often."
"It's not just a fantasy world, Seoki-chan," Kurayami replied. "It's my whole world. The world where I get to be with everyone."
Hearing that, I finally understood what was going on in her head. The girl just wanted those glasses as an escape from the harsh reality she couldn't handle anymore."I'm scared of the real world," she whispered. "I'm scared that when I wake up tomorrow, I won't see anyone ever again."
"I understand how you feel, my lady," I said softly. "I lost someone I loved too. My parents… they're not with me anymore. But what I want to build is a better future—one where no one has to leave us ever again. So you have to be strong and face that fear. Clear away the negative thoughts. Just think about simple things—like what you'll eat tomorrow morning, or what song you'll sing tomorrow. First, take a deep breath. Slow and steady."
My gentle words helped her calm down."Now… let it out softly."
She inhaled deeply and exhaled. "I'll try," she said. "Thank you for helping me understand."
She gave me a small, timid smile and reached out her hand. I pulled her up, while Haruki and Seto watched from a distance with relieved smiles on their faces. Kurayami was back in a good mood, swinging my hand back and forth.
"Man~ You're seriously a top-tier babysitter," Seto teased.
That made Dango, who was drinking water, spit it straight onto the computer screen. Pffft!
When Kurayami stood in front of Haruki, she immediately bowed. "I'm sorry for being childish."
Haru knelt down and looked his sister in the eyes. "I'm sorry too—for saying hurtful things and for not spending enough time with you. Everything I've done has been for you. Soon, our family won't have problems anymore. I promise."
Kurayami burst into tears and hugged her brother tightly. The sight made Seto and me glance at each other and raise our eyebrows.
"Gotcha," Seto said. "Alright then! It's late. Let's head home, or we won't make it in time to take our young lady to school tomorrow."
"On the way back, I want Rhythm of the Night," Kurayami added.
"You got it~ Coming right up," Seto replied without hesitation.