Lion King

He looked up at Amu.

"Can I borrow your arm?"

He stretched out his arm, without asking why as before.I hugged his right arm and walked to the platform.

"Thank you, Amu."

"Why are you talking about this all of a sudden?"

"I just wanted to say."

Because there will be no chance in the future.

"Then, see you on winter vacation."

Before getting out of the car, Amu waved at me as usual, and after he got out of the car, I stopped him.

If you don't say it now, you won't have another chance in the future.

"Goodbye! Amu!"

He looked at me suspiciously.

"This month... I'm going to America this month, I don't know when I'll be back—"

Tears fell out of the eye sockets uncontrollably.

"Thank you for your care in the past two years, Amu, I like you very much, the number one in the world!"

After shouting out my admiration for him, I looked into Amu's eyes and waved vigorously.

He stared at me blankly, and suddenly rushed to the carriage, at this moment the door closed.A Mu patted on the car door and said something eagerly, but I couldn't hear him.

After the tram started, his figure was thrown far away, and soon disappeared.

Although I knew that many people around me looked at me strangely, I couldn't help crying.

Why did I have to leave my siblings, my friends, my beloved?

The heartache is about to shatter.

Fujima

"Fujima-kun!"

In the summer of my freshman year in high school, my teacher called me to read the text aloud because I lost my mind in English class.Just when I was dizzy and didn't know where to start, Mariko sitting behind me poked my waist and whispered to me:

"page34, the fourth line!"

Although her voice was very low, her tone was thin, and those words came to my ears clearly.Thanks to Mariko's tip, I was able to pass the level smoothly.Although Mr. Sato was dissatisfied with me, he could only push his glasses and give me a warning look.

"What's wrong with you recently? You always look listless..."

On the way to the cafeteria during lunch break, Mariko asked me with a worried face.

"Eh? Could it be that you fell asleep in Mr. Sato's class today?"

Toru, who was with us, was surprised.

"The other teachers are okay, Mr. Sato is always strict... how many times is this?"

After the county meeting, I was in a bad state, and I couldn't help dozing off during class.There is nothing wrong with dozing off in itself, but I always get sleepy in English class, and the strict Mr. Sato is inevitably dissatisfied with me.But today I didn't fall asleep in class.

"It's just a daze for a while."

With a sigh, I grew up with him, and he understands that I don't want him to continue asking.But Mariko is different, this girl's mind is always full of various questions.

"The county meeting is over, and there is still some time before the national competition. The camp is also held during the summer vacation—Teng Zhen-kun, do you have any troubles? If you don't mind...you can talk to me about it."

Mariko can always easily guess what's on my mind.I have always wanted to discuss the "trouble" in front of me with her, but I don't know how to speak.

"This is..."

Aware of my anxiety, I took a clear look at me, and stopped a boy passing by.

"Hey, isn't this Hasegawa, go grab the limited bread?"

Hasegawa, like me and Toru, is also a member of the basketball club. After being stopped by Toru, his expression was a bit puzzled.

"Well, yes... Do you want to come together? It's still early."

Touchong waved to Mariko and I, and followed Hasegawa away.

Now it's just me and Mariko.

In order to repay her for supporting me in English class today, I promised Mariko to buy her a drink.Because the walk is fast today, there is no one in front of the vending machine.

Mariko chose strawberry-flavored Ou Lei, while I was hesitant between oolong tea and plum tea.In the end, Mariko pressed Strawberry Ole again and made the choice for me.

"Occasionally develop new flavors!"

She suggested me with a smile.

"But... such a sweet thing, only girls can-"

"It's prejudice, prejudice!"

Mariko handed me her Strawberry Aureole, leaned over to take out my can, clicked twice, opened the tab and handed it to me.

"Try it, it's delicious."

I tried to take a sip - it was really sweet and would cause tooth decay.

"I won't get cavities!" My thoughts were once again seen through by Mariko, who leaned over and opened her mouth wide to show me her pearly teeth.

"See? If you brush your teeth well and floss properly, you won't get cavities."

She raised her head and stared at me—although she was half a head shorter than me, her aura remained the same, so I had no choice but to nod in agreement.

"Then, go ahead and drink now."

Under Mariko's watchful eye, I drank a whole can of Strawberry Aurée.This drink is so sweet that my tongue is numb when I eat pork chop rice.

Mariko was very happy with the drink, and she ran to buy another can after dinner.Looking at her in the long queue in front of the vending machine, I couldn't help but think of Li Yang.

If it was Li Yang, she would say "I'm on a diet" with disdain, reject Mariko's proposal, and choose oolong tea.

Li Yang is my younger sister. We separated when my parents divorced when I was six years old.She went to Tokyo with her mother and only returned to Kanagawa this spring.

She has been a child with a strong sense of self since she was a child, and she rarely condescends to cater to others.I'm a lot like her in that, but also not alike.

What I want to discuss with Mariko today is related to Li Yang.

After lunch, I took a walk in the courtyard with Mariko while thinking about how to raise my "troubles" to her.Just when I was in distress, Mariko tapped my shoulder.

"...dark circles."

She pointed to my face with a panicked expression.

"what?"

"You have dark circles under your eyes, Fuji-sama-kun."

I touched my face.

"The skin is so rough!"

"Boys' skin is not delicate."

Mariko looked at me worriedly.

"Dark circles and rough skin are symptoms of lack of sleep... Is that why you sleep in class... Surely Fujisama-kun has some troubles?"

As expected of Mariko, when I was upset, she had already said what I wanted to say first.

"Well, if you have to say it..."

Pressed by Mariko, I told her everything.

Li Yang's stepfather gave her a stereo, so every day at eight o'clock, Li Yang's room would play fierce rock music.The sound insulation of wooden houses is not good. If the volume is increased, it feels like the house is about to collapse.

It doesn’t feel like my parents live on the first floor. I live next door to her. The roar of X-Japan echoes in my ears every day. Even if the stereo is stopped, the melody just now is automatically playing in my mind, and it doesn’t stop until late at night.

Sometimes when Li Yang gets excited, she will turn on the stereo even late at night.At this time, the melody does not come from my brain, but from reality.

Because of this, I protested to Li Yang, but she packed her clothes in front of me nonchalantly and said she would move downstairs.

Of course I wouldn't let her move downstairs, Mom and Dad would think we had an argument—although it wasn't uncommon.

Li Yang is unhappy and restrained living in this family. I know this, so I want to meet her needs as much as possible and not interfere with her.

But this time I really don't know what to do.Except for the occasional heavy metal rock playing in the middle of the night, she also woke up very early in the morning, and heard noises coming from her room after four o'clock in the morning.

I was a very light sleeper, and every time I was woken up early by her, I couldn't fall asleep again.

This has seriously affected my normal life. Even though I care about Li Yang, this time I really can't bear it any longer.

"So, you're wondering how to bring this up to your sister?"

Mariko quickly extracted the center of what I wanted to express, she jumped two steps forward, turned around and stood in front of me.In the summer afternoon sun, her glossy chestnut hair looked particularly healthy and vibrant.

"It's not easy to handle..."

Mariko frowned, thinking seriously with her left index finger resting on her chin.

"What kind of person is Fujima-kun's younger sister?"

... What kind of person is he?

"According to my parents, Li Yang and I are very similar in appearance and personality."

After listening to my description, Mariko seemed to have the word "terrible" written on her face, looking quite bad.

"Is it really that bad?"

She nodded sympathetically.

"It's okay if only the appearance is similar to you, it means she is a beauty, but when it comes to character—"

Mariko looked at me cautiously.

"If you have similar personalities, it's not easy."

Li Yang also said that I have a bad personality. I thought it was her angry words. It seems that not only her, but even Mariko thinks of me that way.

"Well, it would be biased just to listen to Mr. Fuji's one-sidedness. It would be great if I could meet your sister...Photos are also fine. I'm learning physiognomy recently, maybe it will be useful."

So I took out the family portrait from my wallet and handed it to Mariko.The photo was taken at the door of our house on the day we picked Li Yang home. Li Yang and I both wore black clothes.

"Well, she does look alike, she's a beauty. She's also very self-aware, right?"

Looking at the photos carefully, Mariko asked me.

"It's not just strong..."

Hearing my answer, Mariko laughed.

"It's exactly the same as Fuji Masaki!"

"I didn't—"

"Ah, the ears are big too, kid."

Mariko ignored my protest and continued to observe Li Yang in the photo.

But because it was a group photo, I couldn't see more details, so Mariko gave up after a while.She asked me if I had a recent photo of me alone, and I carefully recalled that there was a single photo of her in Li Yang's room.

"But your current relationship is not good enough to ask for each other's photos, right?"

Mariko brandished the sword of truth again, and showed me the bloody facts.

"I'll figure out a way to take a picture."

After we promised Mariko, the two of us left the courtyard and walked to the classroom.

"Fuji Masaki's younger sister seems to be dissatisfied with you, because no matter how much she likes rock and roll, she won't play it in the middle of the night, so she can't rest well, right? Is there any pressure? Love or something? ?”

Along the way, Mariko kept raising hypotheses, and I kept them all in my heart, and I was going to check with Li Yang when I got home, but——

"But if you ask her directly, 'Is there any trouble? If you have something, you can talk to your brother', you will probably be... uh, I wonder if your sister has practiced aikido or something like that— "

"She's from the track and field department."

Mariko showed a relieved expression.

"You mean I'm going to be beaten?"

Mariko nodded.

"I will probably use something like a pillow, don't worry."

I felt powerless for a while.

"Speaking of which, why did Fuji Masaki think of discussing this matter with me?"

Why did you find Mariko?I thought about it for a long time before this—in addition to Mariko's powerful insight, there was another reason why I asked her for help instead of others.That is--

"You and Li Yang look very similar. I think if it was you, I might be able to understand what she was thinking."

Mariko and I are friends, and we have always gotten along very well.Then Li Yang, who is similar to Mariko, must have a way to live in harmony.

Mariko nodded slowly: "I see."

"Teng Zhen-kun, do you like your sister very much?"

I nodded without thinking.

"So you must like me too?"

When I heard this sentence, Mariko's shoulder was pressed against my arm, and the body temperature was transmitted to my body through the fabric.

It felt very similar to the touch of Li Yang's soft face on my neck when I hugged Li Yang who was crying when I was a child.

Warm, soft, and trusting.

But now Li Yang is like a violent lion, no one dares to approach her easily at home.

Before I could answer, Mariko patted me on the shoulder and joined in the chatting and laughing of my friends.I stood at the door for a while, and when Tou came back, we discussed the dormitory, and then it was time for class.

After school that day, I forgot Mariko's advice, and went straight to Li Yang's room and asked her:

"Do you have any troubles recently? If you have any, you can come to me to discuss."

Li Yang puffed up her cheeks and glared at me angrily.

"I see that you seem to have accumulated a lot of pressure. Did you encounter something in school? Campus bullying? Or is your relationship not going well—"

Bang!

Before I could finish my sentence, a pillow hit my face, blocking all my words.

"I'm so annoying to the nagging ghost! Even your ball, don't bother me!"

Li Yang slammed the door of the room angrily. If I hadn't taken a step back beforehand, the door would have hit me on the nose.

Fujima

"How was your talk with your sister?"

The day before the final exam, Mariko asked me.

I tried my best to restrain myself from showing disappointment, but she saw through it at a glance.

"Being beaten?"

"……No."

She rested her index finger on her chin, stared diagonally upwards for a while, and asked, "Attempted?"

I could only pretend to have an itchy forehead and flick my bangs to prevent her from discovering my embarrassment.Mariko didn't continue to ask, looking at the green leaves stretching outside the window, she held her chin and wondered what she was thinking.

We sat in the window seat of the classroom, silently enjoying the last lunch break of the first semester of the first grade.

"Teng Zhen-kun...do you like your sister very much?"

Mariko turned her head, the scorching sun at noon cast on her bright cheeks, so bright that I dare not look at her directly.

"Living with my sister whom I haven't seen for ten years... what's it like? Mariko is curious—"

She opened her eyes wide, propped her hands on my desk, and leaned over, so close that she could count her eyelashes.

"Will you fall in love with your sister?"

I swallowed, avoiding Mariko's gaze.

"Of course I love my sister—don't ask such a strange question!"

A look of disappointment flashed across Mariko's face.

"Speaking of which, I seem to have seen Fujima-kun's younger sister. During the finals of the county conference, there was a girl in the stands who looked very much like you—"

County convention finals?stands?Did Li Yang come to see my game?

"Hanging on the railing and yelling 'kill him', on the last ball."

My only impression is that Mu Shen stole the ball from my hand and scored.

"At that time, I felt that this girl was very similar to you. After seeing the photos, I became more and more sure. It feels uncomfortable to be copied in front of my sister, right? Especially when she cheers for you—"

No, you are wrong, Mariko.

If that was really Li Yang, "kill me" could only be cheering for Mu Shenyi.

"That 'he' refers to me, Mariko."

"what?"

"The one who got killed was me."

As much as I hate to admit it, it's true.

In my sister's heart, my brother is not as good as a black and strong truck guy.

Mariko opened his mouth, then pursed his lips again, looking at me cautiously.

"Your brother-sister relationship is really not good... But why does she cheer for Hainan? Isn't she in the third year of middle school?"

I forgot to tell Mariko that Leo is at the same level as me.After explaining that Leo and I are not twins, Mariko has a new problem.

"Why do you want to go to Hainan? Isn't it good to come to Xiangyang?"

Well, this is one of the reasons why Li Yang hates me.

Before the final of the county conference, mother and father mentioned the idea of ​​letting her transfer to Xiangyang, and Li Yang was furious and lost her temper.I know she misses her family and doesn't want to be part of our family, so I'm sure she's unhappy.So I didn't say anything.

My mother mistakenly thought that I was angry and came after me to comfort me, which made Li Yang even more angry.

Ah, by the way, is it because of this that Mu Shenyi "killed me"?

If it were someone else, I would have been angry a long time ago, but that was my sister. Although I didn't deliberately speculate on her thoughts, her emotions would always be synchronized with me intentionally or unintentionally.I can empathize with her anxiety, boredom, and anxiety.So I'm not mad.

Bloodlines are really wonderful things.

"It's really complicated, between siblings."

Mariko sighed and said happily, "It's a good thing I'm an only child."

When I was young, I also thought that it would be great if Mariko was my sister, but as soon as this idea appeared in my mind, my head would hurt, as if my childhood memories were blaming me for betraying Li Yang.

After reuniting with Li Yang, I realized that only my father and I have missed her for so many years, but she has no affection for us.

"Compared to being with you, I am a brother with Yiyi."

She once told me bluntly.

I was not very sad when I heard this sentence, after all, it is a fact - it is true that blood is a bond, but having a bond does not necessarily create a fetter.Apart from the blood relationship and the vague memories of childhood, the two of us are just strangers who have to live under the same roof.

But sometimes, I also think, if the relationship between Li Yang and me can be as close as Mariko and I.

Originally, our relationship was very good when we were young, and we will become good siblings when we grow up.If it weren't for the relationship between my parents, maybe she is sitting next to me now, puffing out her cheeks and playing with Mariko.When I was judged as having a "bad personality", I would angrily respond with "how can I".

I know it's just a delusion, but I can't help but fantasize.

On the second day after the exam, my mother sent me and Liyang to buy baking materials. Grandma's birthday is coming soon, and she wants to make a birthday cake for grandma.

"Li Yang hasn't seen grandma for a long time, right?"

While eating breakfast, my mother accidentally asked.Li Yang was eating porridge while reading a magazine, when she heard the question, she said "Huh?"

"Is that guy still alive?"

She raised the magazine to cover her face, and asked me in a low voice.

"...Of course he is still alive. He is only 70 years old this year, which is a very healthy age."

"yes……"

She shook her head regretfully, and suggested to her mother: "The cake is too sweet, why don't you make rice cakes?"

Mom thought about it seriously and said let's try it.

So after breakfast, the two of us went to a nearby supermarket. In addition to the materials on the shopping list, Li Yang also bought two boxes of jelly.

"For grandma."

That's how she explained it to me.

"I hope she doesn't choke to death."

After I came out of the supermarket, I immediately opened her jelly and ate it up. Li Yang was so angry that she punched and kicked me.

"What are you doing, bastard! That's my jelly!"

Since my mouth was full of jelly, it would fall out, so I didn't answer her right away.

"Spit it out for me—"

She shook my shoulders violently, and I had to cover my mouth to prevent the jelly from spraying out of my mouth and nose.

Maybe it was me who was choked to death——

While this thought was passing through my mind, I saw Mariko over the top of Li Yang's head.

She was carrying two shopping bags, and looked at me blankly, with a very strange expression, like watching a frog spit bubbles on a rainy day.

I was about to wave my hand to greet her, but Mariko sighed heavily and walked away while shaking her head.

I still choked on the jelly.

Li Yang soon realized that my complexion was wrong, and after punching me on the back was ineffective, she quickly went around behind me and hugged me, strangled my stomach with her hand, after a few times, the piece of jelly that blocked my trachea was coughed out.

Li Yang patted my back to help me calm down, while looking around.

"There's no one you know around here, right? At least he's considered a man of the hour. It would be too bad for others to see such a distressed appearance. Do you need me to cover your face with a handkerchief?"

I shook my hand.

His throat was hot, and tears flowed out. He coughed on his knees for a while before recovering.

"Really, why did you rob me for food? Did you get retribution?"

Being held by Li Yang's arm on the way home, he was naturally read all the way.

"Why do you hate grandma so much?"

I asked her before entering the door.Li Yang turned her head and glared at me: "Did you forget?"

"Forget... what?"

She sighed and waved her hands: "Forget it, forget it, let's go home."

The next day, my mother took the prepared cakes and rice cakes, and went to celebrate grandma's birthday with my father, Li Yang and me.At the birthday banquet, relatives all cast curious glances at Li Yang, who hadn't seen her for many years, but she stared back viciously.

"I remember Li Yang was always clinging to Kenji when she was a child, how cute it was then!"

The aunt said with a smile, but Li Yang fiddled with the spoon as if she didn't hear it.

"On the day Ryoko left, the child hugged Kenji tightly and didn't let go, crying so sad... Oh, really, I can't figure out why Ryoko insisted on leaving, the children are so sad..."

My aunt sighed after she finished speaking, as if she felt sorry for Li Yang and me.But it didn't take long for her to start eating chawanmushi, praising the chef's superb craftsmanship—it was my uncle's restaurant that hosted the birthday banquet, and the family members also echoed after hearing it.

Some are sincere, some are perfunctory, and some—such as Li Yang and I, ate up the tea bowl soup with a blank face.

"Delicious is delicious, but I don't want to praise it at all."

My sister let out a "hum" like a child.

"Me too."

The two of us are always on the same page when it comes to loathing someone.

The aunt is familiar with entertaining guests and attracting guests for her husband's restaurant.Her voice was shrill, and even though she was always walking around, the content of her conversations with the female relatives still reached my ears from time to time.

"...that's rude, that kid..."

"Ryoko? After remarrying..."

"...It's completely out of tune with our family, exactly like her mother..."

All kinds of vitriolic words fluttered in the ornately decorated hall, piercing me like aimless flying knives.

My aunt’s words brought back my memories—before my mother left, she had decided to leave Li Yang and me at Fujima’s house, but Li Yang was holding on to her mother’s clothes, so grandma decided to leave Li Yang to her mother.I couldn't accept the separation from my mother and sister. Before they left, I hugged Li Yang tightly and cried very sadly.

"I don't want it! I don't want it! Why does Li Yang have to go? Why can't mom stay? This is so strange!"

I remember resisting like this.But children are no match for beating.Grandma grabbed Li Yang's hand, pulled her fingers off my clothes one by one, and then grabbed my hand and did the same thing.

At that moment, I realized my weakness and powerlessness.I could only watch them leave. Even though Li Yang had been lying on the back window of the car looking at me, I couldn't do anything.

It's better for such an adult to choke to death.

In the middle of the birthday banquet, Li Yang excused that the school had to leave beforehand.After seeing her off, I asked the waiter in the restaurant to buy two boxes of jelly for me as a gift for grandma.

Although she was teased by her aunt: "Grandma is a mature woman, what does it look like to give this kind of food to children!" But grandma still happily accepted it.

From the moment Li Yang entered the door to the time she left, she never smiled at Li Yang, she is really an excessive elder.

After the birthday banquet, I told my grandma that there was training in the basketball club and left first.In the evening, my father called home and said that grandma had entered the hospital.

"I choked while eating jelly, but fortunately I found it in time, and I'm fine now."

Li Yang, who was lying on the sofa reading fashion magazines, was surprised when she heard the news. She sat up from the sofa and muttered softly: "There are so many unworthy descendants."

"After all, she is that kind of old man."

I pretended to be nonchalant and went to the kitchen to pour two cups of oolong tea.

"Could it be that the elegant person from my aunt's family did it?"

she asked enthusiastically.

"Well, maybe... drink?"

I handed Liyang a cup and sat beside her.

"But that guy doesn't look that courageous, is it really him?"

This question bothered her for a long time, and neither of us argued until bedtime.

Thanks to grandma, I had a beautiful and happy day.

Fujima

On a rainy day not long after the start of the second grade, Li Yang had a car accident and fell into a coma.

When I heard the news, I was still practicing in the gymnasium. It was the head teacher who ran to the gymnasium and told me.We talked on the phone the night before, and we had a big fight on the phone. She hung up the phone angrily. I wanted to call her later to explain to her, but I saw her surrounded by life support equipment in the hospital.

At that moment, regret and sadness overflowed my chest.

Both Mariko and Toru have said that the relationship between Li Yang and I is not very good, and that as an older brother, I should be more considerate of my younger sister.But I didn't think so at that time. Although there would be quarrels, cold wars, and sometimes mutual understanding, but blood is blood, and it cannot be cut off regardless of time and space.When Li Yang left Fujima's house, she once told me that there is no need to meet each other in the future. Although I agreed on the surface, I didn't take it seriously at all in my heart-it's just that my adolescent sister is rebellious, and it will be fine after a while.

I didn't notice the emptiness in Li Yang's heart, I just blindly speculated about her with my own thoughts, but never listened to her well.

When I went to the hospital to see Li Yang, I really couldn’t accept that the puppet-like girl on the hospital bed was my sister, so I couldn’t help but say things that shouldn’t be said—if she could be more rational, considerate of her parents, and love herself , perhaps such a thing will not be encountered.

If Li Yang was conscious, she would definitely jump up and kill me.

How I wish she could jump up, pull my hair fiercely, and yell at me to shut up.

I'm so scared she won't wake up again.

In the third month after Li Yang was hospitalized, my father finally plucked up the courage to visit her in the hospital with me. Before that, he waited anxiously for my mother's call every day, listening to her report on Li Yang's condition.Like him, I didn't have the courage to face the current situation of my family's serious illness, so I kept avoiding it.

"If you're going to see your sister with this expression on, I advise you not to go."

Knowing that I was going to visit my sister, Mariko poked my shoulder and warned me very seriously.

"She'll be pissed off seeing you like this."

I touched my cheek, not quite understanding what she meant.

"This look...?"

"That's right, it looks like this!"

Mariko pinched my cheeks and pulled them to the sides: "It's too unlucky, can't you be happier?"

happy?I can't be happy at all—unless Li Yang wakes up, or Xiangyang beats Hainan in the county meeting.

In this year's county conference finals, Xiangyang lost to Hainan again. Seeing Mu Shenyi and his teammates embracing to celebrate the victory, the flame of refusal to admit defeat ignited in his heart, and it might last until winter.

"You, if you always put on an unhappy expression, even if Li Yang wakes up, she will fall asleep again because she hates seeing you, absolutely!"

My face hurts from being pulled by her. In this extreme situation, Mariko asked me to smile.

"From the bottom of my heart, to pass on my love and energy to my younger sister who is sick, do you understand?"

"……Well."

I barely made a sound in response, and Mariko sighed.

"Sometimes I really don't understand you, why can't you be more frank when you obviously like it?"

She gently grabbed my wrist and shook it slightly back and forth, as if she was relaxing my tense muscles.

"I've been...very frank."

I hope that my family can live together for a long time, I hope that I can return to the relationship with Li Yang when I was a childhood sweetheart, I hope that I can make great progress in studies and basketball... I also hope that I can see Mariko every day.

I try my best to realize my hope, and I never slack off.

However, it is an unchangeable fact that my parents are separated, and it is also a reality that I cannot live with Li Yang.Although the distance is closer to us, life has not changed in any way.

I just, unilaterally don't want to accept this fact.

That's why I used childish methods to retain and control me - I frankly expressed my selfish desires, and Li Yang saw it clearly, so she chose to turn her face away and ignore me.

"Do you need me to accompany you?"

Mariko asked me, I shook my head.

"It's okay to laugh like this..."

I opened my mouth and tried to put on a smile that I thought was kind, but Mariko looked like he had seen a ghost.

"...Don't laugh, it's so scary."

So I went to the hospital with that expression of Mariko thinking that Li Yang would be half-dead from anger.

The doctor said that Li Yang began to respond to external stimuli, which is a good sign.After hearing this, Dad was so excited that tears almost fell down.

Because the incident happened suddenly, my father has been busy contacting the hospital, cooperating with the police investigation, and suing the perpetrator. Although we rushed over immediately after Li Yang was hospitalized, we had no idea how much damage Li Yang had suffered.

So when I saw my weak sister on the hospital bed, the pool that kept the weak emotions was broken. I couldn't help shaking with fear, and I just wanted to find an outlet to release my inner panic.

I blamed the comatose Li Yang, resented her willful behavior, and wrapped up the fear of losing her with harsh words.

Mariko is right, I should express myself frankly, but I can't.

I am terrified.

Not long after my father and I left, my mother called to tell us that Li Yang had woken up. She was crying and laughing, and hung up the phone without giving a detailed explanation.

"Maybe I knew you were too happy to see her, so I woke up!"

Mom said so.

But after waking up, Li Yang was still very indifferent to me and my father.Li Yang's dissatisfaction with us reached its peak because her mother suffered from ants and had to move in with us again.

Seeing my dark circles get worse, Mariko giggled.

"Let me tell you, you occasionally talk to your sister, so don't worry too much about trivial matters, you are an older brother."

I followed Mariko's advice and laughed at Li Yang's taste after she went shopping-I thought I would be hit on the head with a shopping bag, but Li Yang was very curious about my suggestion and even asked me to be her dating consultant.

When I reported this to Mariko, she was rocking with laughter.

"Whenever you can care about me so much."

she said half-jokingly.

Soon, I told her in my mind.

When Xiangyang becomes number one in Kanagawa, I will confess to you.

Looking at Mariko's shining eyes under the sun, I firmly believe that all my wishes will come true through my efforts.

Whether Li Yang, parents, Mariko, or basketball——

I will make them come true.

However, not everything is going as I wish.

My sophomore year of high school was full of pain, and I lost my sister again.

After saying goodbye to Li Yang, I held back my tears and walked into the tram, but I couldn't help crying after all.

Immediately after the summer of the third grade, without even seeing Mu Shenyi, Xiangyang lost to the underdog Xiangbei.

Although Toru and Hasegawa, who are at the same level, both decided to give up their studies and persisted until the winter season, they couldn't beat the pressure from their families in the end.Not long after the end of the winter season, I saw Mariko and Toru walking in the atrium during the lunch break.

She held a can of strawberry-flavored coffee Ole in one hand, and held Tou tightly in the other.

"I... have been thinking for a long time about the relationship between me and Teng Zhenjun. Although I have been clamoring for you to express yourself frankly, I am not a frank person. You are too strong, and I can only follow you if you are so strong. Chasing you behind you, being dragged by your emotions... It's really hard. I'm sorry."

Mariko shook my hand for the last time and whispered to me:

"Goodbye, Kenji."

There were many people around me at the graduation ceremony, but none of the people I wanted to be with me.

At that moment, I suddenly understood Li Yang's anger at that time.

I found Mariko,