I slowly knelt beside the pond.
The water reflected the stars so perfectly that it almost looked like another sky had been hidden beneath the surface.
I hesitated for a moment before carefully reaching my hand forward.
The tips of my fingers brushed against the water.
Cool.
Clear.
Gentle.
Tiny ripples spread across the surface, making the reflected stars dance before slowly becoming still again.
"...It's cold."
I smiled to myself.
It wasn't the uncomfortable kind of cold.
It felt... peaceful.
As though the pond itself was quietly welcoming me.
A soft flutter sounded nearby.
I looked up.
One of the glowing blue butterflies circled around me before gently landing on my shoulder.
"...!"
I froze.
"...It..."
Another landed on the top of my head.
Then one rested carefully against the sleeve of my uniform.
None of them seemed frightened.
None of them flew away.
"...They're..."
A quiet laugh escaped my lips.
"They're so pretty..."
I lifted one finger carefully toward the butterfly on my shoulder.
Instead of flying away...
It simply climbed onto my finger.
"I've never seen butterflies like these before."
Another laugh escaped me.
This one louder.
Completely genuine.
"They're not even scared of people!"
I slowly stood up before turning in a small circle, watching dozens of glowing butterflies drift through the night air.
"They're everywhere..."
The moonlight reflected across the pond.
The blue glow surrounded the clearing.
For the first time in years...
I forgot everything.
The bruises.
The shouting.
The fear.
Even the blood I had witnessed earlier.
Everything disappeared.
I couldn't stop smiling.
"This place is amazing..."
I pointed excitedly toward a group of butterflies dancing over the water.
"Hayato-san! They're glowing! And look over there… The flowers are glowing too! And the water...It looks like the sky!"
I kept talking.
Pointing at everything.
Every tiny detail amazed me.
The butterflies.
The flowers.
The reflections.
The soft breeze.
Everything felt beautiful.
Everything felt alive.
I didn't even notice Hayato watching me.
He remained standing quietly behind me.
His expression unreadable.
His eyes...
Somehow farther away than before.
He wasn't looking at the pond anymore.
He was looking at me.
Almost as though...
He was seeing someone else.
After a while...
His footsteps quietly approached.
I looked over.
He slowly crouched beside me near the edge of the pond.
Neither of us spoke for a moment.
The water reflected both our faces beneath the moonlight.
He rested one arm on his knee while staring at the rippling surface.
I continued smiling.
"I really like this place. And I think...It's the prettiest place I've ever seen."
Another butterfly landed on my shoulder.
I laughed softly.
"It likes me… I wonder if they always glow like this… I wish I could stay here forever… Oh and look-"
I stopped.
Something warm rested gently on top of my head.
"...?"
I slowly turned.
Hayato's hand remained there.
Lightly ruffling my hair.
Not roughly.
Not awkwardly.
Just...
Gently.
I blinked in surprise.
He wasn't looking at me.
His eyes stayed fixed on the pond.
The smile on my face slowly faded into quiet confusion.
"...Hayato-san?"
After several seconds...
He finally spoke.
"...You know... Kid."
His voice sounded quieter than usual.
"...You remind me...of my little sister."
I stared at him.
"...You...have a little sister?"
He gave a small nod.
"...Yeah."
His hand slowly left my head.
"...She was..."
For the first time...
He struggled to find the words.
"...Annoyingly energetic."
A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"...She hated dirty rooms… Every time I cleaned something... She'd grab another towel and insist on helping. Even though she'd usually make a bigger mess."
I quietly listened.
"...She always smiled...Always talked. Asked way too many questions…. She followed me everywhere... Kind of like someone else I know."
I blinked.
"...Me?"
"...Yeah."
A small smile slowly appeared on my face.
Then a thought suddenly crossed my mind.
"...S-So..."
I tilted my head.
"...Did...Did she kill people too...?"
Silence.
Hayato slowly turned toward me.
"..."
Before I could react-
Thonk
"...Ow!"
He lightly flicked the top of my head.
I rubbed it immediately.
"T-That hurt!"
"...Good."
I puffed my cheeks.
"...Mean..."
He sighed.
"...And of course not, you idiot."
His voice sounded almost offended.
And he looked back toward the pond again.
"...I wasn't like this back then."
I blinked.
"...Oh..."
I quietly rubbed my forehead again.
"...Sorry..."
A few butterflies drifted lazily across the water.
Neither of us spoke.
Then...
Hayato quietly continued.
"...She cried a lot...If she scraped her knee...she cried. If someone stole her candy... she cried. If I left the house without telling her... she cried even louder."
I couldn't help smiling.
"...She sounds...cute."
"...She wasn't... She was loud…annoying, stubborn… She'd argue with anyone. Even adults... Especially adults."
His voice gradually became quieter.
"...One day... She argued with the wrong people."
The smile disappeared from my face.
Hayato's eyes never left the pond.
"...They belonged to another gang… She was only trying to protect someone… She said something..."
He slowly closed his eyes.
"...Something only a child would have the courage to say."
The breeze quietly passed between the trees.
"...But they didn't like it."
His voice became almost emotionless.
"...So...They… killed her…."
Silence.
No anger.
No shouting.
Just...
Silence.
"...I found her... But it was too late."
The butterflies continued dancing across the pond as though nothing had happened.
"She never got to grow up...Never got to complain about school… Never got to become an adult… She stayed that age forever."
My chest tightened.
I looked down at the water.
"...After that..."
Hayato quietly continued.
"...I stopped believing people like them deserved another chance."
"...If someone enjoyed ruining innocent lives... then I decided... I'd ruin theirs first."
He looked at his own reflection in the pond.
"...That's when everything changed… That's when I became..."
He stopped himself.
The sentence remained unfinished.
He didn't need to finish it.
I already understood.
The night became unbelievably quiet.
After another long silence...
He finally looked at me.
Not with cold eyes.
Not with the expression that frightened me.
Just...
Tired ones.
"...Every time I look at you..."
His voice barely rose above the sound of the breeze.
"...I keep seeing her."
I couldn't find any words.
"..."
"...She'd probably be around your age now."
A weak smile crossed his face.
"...If she were still alive."
The smile disappeared almost immediately.
Leaving behind nothing but the quiet sound of the pond...
And two people who had both lost something they could never get back.
Neither of us spoke for a long time.
The butterflies continued drifting peacefully above the pond while the moon reflected across the quiet water.
Hayato-san kept staring ahead.
I kept thinking about everything he had just told me.
His little sister.
The way he described her.
The way his voice softened whenever he mentioned her.
"..."
A thought slowly formed in my mind.
"...Um..."
He didn't even look at me.
"...What."
I hesitated.
"...Was...was I really that similar to your little sister?"
He let out a tired sigh.
"...Yes."
"...Really?"
"...Do I seriously have to repeat myself?"
His voice sounded slightly annoyed.
"I already answered that."
"Oh..."
I quietly scratched my cheek.
"...Sorry."
Silence returned.
But my brain refused to stay quiet.
I started remembering everything he'd said.
She liked cleaning.
She followed him around.
She cried a lot.
She smiled a lot.
She wanted to help.
"..."
The more I thought about it...
The brighter my expression became.
"...!!"
An idea suddenly popped into my head.
I immediately turned toward him.
"What if..."
Hayato-san slowly glanced sideways.
"...?"
I jumped to my feet.
A huge smile spread across my face.
"What if..."
I stretched one hand toward him.
"...I become your little sister?"
Complete silence.
Even the butterflies seemed to stop moving.
He simply stared at me.
His eyes widened ever so slightly.
"...Huh?"
"I mean- I already remind you of her! And we're probably going to live together from now on! So… if I become your little sis-"
Before I could finish,
THUMP
"...WAH!"
Something suddenly tapped the back of my knee.
My balance disappeared instantly.
"Ahhh!"
I landed right on the soft grass.
"...Ow..."
I looked up in confusion.
Hayato had casually lowered his hand after lightly striking the back of my knee.
"...W-What was that for?!"
He looked completely unimpressed.
"...What are you talking about... You little brat."
I immediately puffed my cheeks.
"I'm serious!"
"That's exactly why I'm worried."
I pointed at him dramatically.
"Think about it! You said I remind you of her!"
"That's not something to be proud of."
"I-I wasn't finished!"
"You talk too much."
"I definitely wasn't finished!"
He sighed loudly.
"...Continue."
I quickly climbed back onto my feet.
"...See? If I become your little sister... then maybe... You won't feel lonely anymore."
The words left my mouth so naturally that I didn't even think about them.
Hayato froze.
Just for a second.
I didn't notice.
I kept talking.
"And I'll help clean every day! I'll cook once I learn how! And I'll stop crying so much… Probably…"
"...You're negotiating against yourself."
"H-Hey!"
I crossed my arms.
"I'm trying here!"
He rubbed his forehead.
"...Kid."
"I'm fourteen!"
"...I noticed."
"And you know I don't even have anywhere else to go."
"So?"
"So..."
I smiled brightly.
"...Wouldn't it make sense? I'll live here from now on anyway... it's basically the same as-"
THONK
"...Ow!"
I grabbed the top of my head.
"W-Why do you keep hitting me?!"
"...Because you keep saying stupid things."
"I wasn't done talking!"
"...Thankfully."
I glared at him.
"...You're so mean."
"And you're so loud."
"I am not!"
"You've scared away three butterflies."
I immediately turned around.
"...Wait..."
The butterflies were still peacefully floating around the pond.
"...They're still here."
"Does it matter?"
"...HEY!"
A tiny grin almost appeared on the corner of his mouth before disappearing again.
I pointed at him.
"You smiled!"
"Didn't."
"You did!"
"Your imagination."
"I saw it!"
"You need glasses."
"I DON'T EVEN WEAR GLASSES!"
"...Exactly."
"...I don't like talking to you anymore."
"Good."
"...You're impossible."
"I've been told."
I huffed dramatically before sitting back down on the grass.
"...I'm still serious."
Hayato-san looked toward the pond again.
"...I know."
His answer surprised me.
"...Then... why not?"
The breeze quietly passed between the trees.
He remained silent for several moments before finally speaking.
"You can't replace someone."
His voice was calm.
"...No matter how similar they are."
"..."
"...My little sister...was my little sister."
He slowly looked at me.
"And you're..."
He paused.
"...Just you."
The words settled between us.
Quietly.
I looked down at the grass beneath my feet.
"...No."
The answer slipped out before I had time to think.
Hayato-san raised an eyebrow.
"...What?"
I slowly lifted my head again.
"I said... No. I can still become your little sister."
His expression immediately hardened.
"...Kid."
"I'm serious! I don't mind If... if seeing me reminds you of her… Then maybe that's not a bad thing. And Maybe I can make you smile again."
He stared at me for a few seconds before letting out a quiet sigh.
"...You're forgetting something."
I blinked.
"...Huh?"
His voice became colder.
"...Aren't you forgetting who I am?"
The warmth around the pond suddenly felt distant.
"I kill people. I've killed more people than I can remember. I carry blood on these hands every single day."
He slowly looked down at his palms.
Even beneath the moonlight...
They almost looked stained.
"...Do you really think someone like me deserves to have a family? Someone like me... doesn't get to be called an older brother."
Silence.
For a moment...
I couldn't find any words.
Anyone else would probably be terrified.
Anyone else would've taken a step back.
But...
When I looked at him...
I didn't see a monster.
I saw the person who had given me warm food.
The person who had saved me from those men.
The person who had silently brought me to the most beautiful place I had ever seen.
The person who kept pretending he didn't care...
Even though his actions always proved otherwise.
I slowly took one step closer.
"...So what?"
His eyes shifted toward me.
"...What?"
I smiled softly.
"...You're still kind."
His eyebrows twitched slightly.
"You saved me, fed me, let me stay in your house… you brought me here..."
I looked around at the glowing pond.
"...You didn't have to do any of that...but you did."
His expression remained unreadable.
"..."
I lowered my voice.
"...People who are truly bad wouldn't do those things."
The breeze gently moved my hair.
"...Maybe you've done terrible things, think you don't deserve anyone, but..."
I smiled again.
"...I don't think you're a bad person."
His eyes widened ever so slightly.
"...Because..."
I hesitated.
Then quietly spoke.
"...You're already acting like an older brother."
The world became unbelievably quiet.
No wind.
No footsteps.
Only the gentle ripples across the pond.
Hayato simply stared at me.
As if he had forgotten how to move.
"...So..."
I scratched my cheek awkwardly.
"…Whether you like it or not...you're already my Onii-chan."
Everything stopped.
His pupils shook ever so slightly.
His breathing became quieter.
For several long seconds...
He simply looked at me.
Not with annoyance.
Not with anger.
But with complete disbelief.
Almost...
As though he had traveled years into the past.
"..."
He slowly turned his face away.
The moonlight hid most of his expression.
"..."
When he finally spoke...
His voice was barely louder than the wind.
"…Not only do you look like her..."
Another long silence followed.
His shoulders rose ever so slightly before falling again.
"...You even sound like her now…"
I blinked.
"...Huh...?"
He didn't answer.
His eyes remained fixed on the pond.
Almost as if he were looking at someone standing there instead of his own reflection.
Minutes seemed to pass.
Neither of us moved.
I shifted nervously.
"...Hayato-san?"
No answer.
"...Did...Did I say something wrong?"
Still nothing.
I carefully stepped a little closer.
"...Are you mad?"
The only reply I received was another long silence.
Eventually...
He let out a tired sigh.
"...Tch."
He rubbed one hand across his face before shaking his head slightly.
"...You're unbelievable."
I smiled sheepishly.
"...Is that a compliment?"
"...Don't push it."
He looked at me again.
This time...
His expression looked strangely tired.
But...
Not cold.
"...Fine."
I blinked.
"...H-Huh?"
"...Brat."
He folded his arms.
"...If you're really that stubborn... And you insist on staying as my..."
He paused.
The next word sounded almost awkward coming from him.
"'Imouto.'"
My eyes immediately lit up.
"...Really?!"
"Don't interrupt."
"...S-Sorry!"
He sighed again.
"...Answer me honestly. Can you stay exactly the way you are now?"
I tilted my head.
"...What do you mean?"
"Can you keep smiling like an idiot?"
"Hey!"
"Can you keep talking even when nobody asked you to?"
"...That's rude..."
"Can you keep cleaning everything you see? Can you keep crying over the smallest things? Can you..."
His voice became quieter.
"...Stay alive?"
The last sentence caught me completely off guard.
I stared at him.
"..."
Then...
I smiled brighter than before.
"I can and I promise! I'll do my best! I'll become the greatest little sister ever!"
A tiny breath escaped through his nose.
Not quite a laugh.
But close enough.
"...We'll see."
I couldn't hold back anymore.
I threw both hands into the air.
"Thank you, Onii-cha—"
Thonk
"...OW!"
I immediately covered the top of my head.
"W-Why?!"
Onii-chan calmly lowered his hand.
"...Because… You're getting ahead of yourself."
I puffed my cheeks.
"But you literally just accepted me!"
"I accepted an annoying kid. Not permission for you to yell 'Onii-chan' every three seconds."
"That's basically the same thing!"
"It isn't."
"It totally is!"
He turned around and began walking back toward the forest.
"Keep arguing and I'll hit you harder next time."
"...You're bluffing!"
"Try me."
"...Onii-cha-"
Thonk
"...OWWW!"
"I warned you."
I rubbed my head while hurrying after him.
"...You're such a mean brother!"
He didn't look back.
"And you're already acting like an annoying little sister."
For some reason...
Hearing those words made me smile even more.
Because for the first time in my life...
Someone had finally called me family.