Chapter 30 - Welcome Back

*Ding dong dang dong* the chimes of the end of the day rang.

“Stand up! Bow!” I said as I’m the class rep, and everyone followed me and gave a deep bow to thank the teacher for the hard work.

I then rushed to the front and cleaned the chalkboard since I’m also at duty today, when the others are going home one after another.

After I cleaned up the chalkboard, I shoved all my material books and notes into my bag. I can sort them later back home anyway.

“Haruka-chan, you wanna go~? Karaoke~?”

“Hmm? Ah, sorry. I need to go to the hospital again today! Have fun for my share, everyone~!” I grabbed my bag, waved at my friends before I bolted the classroom.

I ran down the stairs, and almost bumped into a passing by sensei but I quickly apologized before he could get angry.

I changed my uwabaki into running shoes.

When I made it to the schoolgate, and waved again to my friends that are still talking about their plan in the classroom.

>X<

In the hospital room, I once again visited the guy who is still in coma for a month.

“Dear my dumb and lovely Onii-chan. Are you doing well~? You eating well~? Let’s stop eating from that liquid, hurry and wake up so I can cook for you again~”

The person he’s engaged to, MIKA-chan is next to him. My soon to be Onee-chan!

I could say that I’m basically their love culprit and they will be forever indebted to me, hahaha!

… they were supposed to plan their marriage soon after the trip, but they had to get into such an accident…

It was a bus accident, getting crushed by a JSDF truck driven by a drunk JSDF member. DON’T HIRE SUCH PERSON TO MILITARY IN THE FIRST PLACE!

All the passengers beside these two… had passed away in their comas… including that one member driving the JSDF truck too.

It is weird for so many people to fall into a coma at once. The doctor said there is nothing wrong with most of the victims’ vitals, but they died anyway…

The news is making a fuss of it as a mass coma incident, even using MIKA-chan’s name for getting more traffic. This is why I hate those people from the news! They are repeating the same thing that made MIKA-CHAN have to take a break!

Haah… I mean, I’m also indebted to you two, you know…

“Onii-chan, you were always protecting me from bad people and raised me well… but you spoiled me too much, so I had to kinda make some distance so you will stop spoiling me so much.”

In the end, he's still spoiling me rotten though…

When Dad died, you stepped up and said things that consoled me and Mom’s heart…

Not just by your mouth, you’re really doing your best to help our family’s financial… you moved me to the heart, that I started wanting to help too.

“I’ve always thought of you as my hero, you know? But I was too embarrassed to say that to you, so I ended up telling MIKA-chan instead…”

I then looked at MIKA-chan. She went through a lot of things, maybe harsher than us…

It is a few weeks after I just lost my Dad… The moment I saw you in a random magazine my friend brought to school, it struck me how you captured the feeling of matureness and loneliness.

I started following your chwitter radio… and I think I almost went there to listen whenever you opened one. Come to think of it, I was being overly creepy, wasn’t I?

I was so shocked when I learned that you’re still only the same age as my Onii-chan. Were all 13 years old all that mature? Even that dumb Onii-chan of mine who spoiled me rotten looked more mature since our Dad passed away…

I immediately became a fan of yours. You are my OSHI! I started chwitter only to listen to your radio, but I couldn’t help myself whenever I bought the magazines you were in and posted the moment when I bought them.

When I was the sole listener to your radio because you were late opening it, I mustered my courage to ask why can you be so mature.

You answered that you’re nothing of such. You started talking about how your father is doing his best, and that you wanted to help him. You also told me that you never received any motherly love, and didn’t even have much time with your Dad…

At that time, I felt something similar in us… and I decided to root for you.

Until that fateful day, the day I became the cupid for the two of you.

I thought Onii-chan was hallucinating or something, but then I remembered that he’s not a person who would lie like that.

One day when she was late again and I’m the sole listener, I mustered my courage and asked your opinion about Kyoto, then you said you’ve lived there when you were little. You told me something about your prince, about how you have to be separated from him and are still looking for him…

I thought it was my Onii-chan, so I asked mom if she knew something, and she confirmed so.

The probability of the prince you are talking about is my Onii-chan went up to 80% inside my head, so I dragged him to your first meet and greet… though I was so excited seeing the real MIKA-chan in front of me, I couldn’t help but fangirling you and forgot about my Onii-chan completely.

You realized immediately that I am the person behind that account, ahh I can’t help it! I LOVE HER! But tch, that stupid Onii-chan of mine kinda ruined my mood with his comments.

I then introduced my full name to you, then I saw your surprised face as you immediately ran to catch my brother to question him. When that dumb Onii-chan of mine dared to lie, I was about to kick him so hard but managed to hold it.

Still, I was shocked when you proposed to him. It was an interesting watch, knowing I would get MIKA-chan as my Onee-chan…!

But that dumb Onii-chan of mine, doesn’t even accept becoming a couple with you for years! What is he thinking!? With your fiery approach that is making me jealous of my own Onii-chan, how can he not fall for you!?

Ah, but, MIKA-chan… I don’t think you’ll follow the obvious joke idea about making yourself as the present. I can’t help but see how childish you are at that time.

Then a few years passed, and I heard from Onii-chan you got into an incident when filming your first CM offer, and decided to not take one like those anymore. It is a shame, but it can’t be helped.

Then, that thing happened to you… you lost your father, yet you still did your best so your father’s company won’t fall apart…

You became more closed to strangers, but still had so many job offers… You did your best, you know?

I won’t forgive the person who spread the news about your dad and made you take a break from the modeling industry…

… but somewhere inside my heart, I’m kinda glad that you’re finally taking a break…

When I was asked by my Onii-chan to buy you a gift, I never thought he would bring me to a ring shop.

That dumb Onii-chan of mine… If I know sooner, I would’ve done some more proper research!

In the end, we choose the heart shaped ring that I think will match to your liking since you got so many heart-patterned belongings. I feel bad about sneaking up to your room to prepare for your change, but I can’t let my Onii-chan do it himself.

The whole day for your birthday, I was waiting relentlessly in the living room. Onii-chan said he would contact me soon after he proposed, but he completely forgot and I only found out when you two came home!

When Onii-chan pitched the idea to buy your father’s old shop, I was surprised and felt proud of his idea. It was an honor for me to plan the content for the promotion, starring MIKA-chan, my one and only OSHI!

I never thought the shop would become so full of people that me and Mom had to stop making bento and help with the shop though.

“Hey, you two~ It’s been a month already, how long are you two gonna sleep~? Don’t tell me you two are planning on hibernating~”

I tried to cover my sadness by phrasing some jokes…

… Why did you two have to get into such an accident…

… But… it’s just hard… that I can’t stop my tears from flowing… thinking that you two might be gone from my life too…

No, I don’t want that! You two are my reason to live!

My Hero… and my Oshi… If you two are gone, what’s the meaning of my life!?

“Onii-chan… MIKA-chan… Please, I beg you two… don’t leave me…!”

“We won’t, my little sister.”

“That’s right, Haruka-chan.”

I was shocked when I suddenly heard their voice. It’s been only a month, yet it felt like I haven’t heard them for years.

The two of them, sitting on their bed, smiling at me.

I wiped my tears and tried my best to put up a smile.

“WELCOME BACK, YOU TWO…!”

““We’re back.””

I hugged both of them, and cried a lot. Like a just born baby, but I bet it is louder than I ever cried.