Chapter 106 Fear

"I..." Sora's grip on the blanket tightened, her small frame trembling as she lowered her head. "I'm just a little scared."

"What are you afraid of?" Aoki Shi's brow furrowed with concern as he reached out, cupping her delicate, cold-cheeked face, feeling a slight softness beneath the chill.

"Shi..." Sora lowered her head even more. "I... I'm becoming more and more dependent on you."

"I'm afraid... Every time you're not home, every time you get hurt, I get scared—terribly scared." Sora's eyes reddened gradually. "I'm afraid you'll be badly hurt, afraid you'll leave me..."

I'm afraid that one day, I'll suddenly die at home, and you won't even know... Sora choked on her words, tears spilling out in a broken confession.

"Because I'm afraid, my heart aches terribly."

"Because my heart aches, I'm scared that I might..." Her tears slid down Aoki Shi's fingers, falling onto her clenched hands on the blanket, her voice shaking with despair. "I'm scared I might... die."

"I don't want to die..."

"I don't want to die... but, but I..." Her words faltered. "I can't go back to being indifferent to everything like before, not caring about anything at all." Sora lifted her gaze to meet Aoki Shi’s eyes, her own filled with helplessness. "What should I do now, Shi?"

I especially don’t want you to be sad or hurt because of me. What should I do? Shi?

Her fingers gripped the hem of his shirt tightly.

Aoki Shi gently pulled her into his embrace, closing his own slightly reddened eyes as he cradled her small head. "Sora..."

"What am I supposed to do? This is all your fault—it’s your fault for making those careless promises to protect me, and now I just worry every day. So, what else can I do?" Sora sobbed and pounded against his chest. "Other than trying to force myself back to the way I was, what else can I do?"

"Why do you still come to me, still care about me, when you clearly..." Sora lifted her face to his, her voice trembling. "You clearly... can't do anything, just make empty promises, so why do I still..."

She didn’t finish. Her head dropped, and she let out stifled sobs.

And I can’t do anything either—not even make you hate me. Sora's heart ached with misery, yet she still couldn't bring herself to truly voice her feelings.

"Sora." Aoki Shi held her face firmly, making her look at him. "Do you trust me?"

"W-what?" Sora stammered through her tears, her gaze evasive.

He gently smoothed her messy silver hair and tucked it behind her ear. "I will cure you."

"I’ll make it so that one day you can run like everyone else, go to school like everyone else, live a normal, happy life." He spoke with quiet conviction. "Do you believe me?"

"That kind of thing... how could that be possible?" Sora replied, yet even she didn’t know why she already believed him almost completely.

Aoki Shi smiled and pressed his forehead to hers, their noses nearly touching. Sora froze, stiff as a board.

But he only rested his head against hers, eyes half-closed, his voice gentle. "Trust me. One year! Within one year!"

"I’ll make you well again. You can trust me without worry, and I’ll never betray that trust. Maybe I’m not capable of making you happy yet, but I’ll work hard, as hard as I can, until you can live freely, without worries. I understand your fears. I understand your anxieties. I’ll carry them all in my heart and do my best to answer your feelings. Believe in me, Sora."

Sora squeezed her eyes shut, feeling the warmth from Aoki Shi’s forehead radiate through her, her body turning wooden and a gentle heat coursing through her like electricity. She actually felt a reassuring calm; her heart pounded so fiercely that it hurt a little, but for once there was no fear—only comfort and... a restless flutter.

Is...is...is he going to kiss me? I—I’m not ready! Should I avoid it? But aren’t we supposed to be siblings? But we’re not related by blood, so it should be fine, right? But, but...

Her mind went blank, and she couldn't even remember what Aoki Shi had just said.

And just as she unwittingly tilted her chin upward, Aoki Shi pulled back, smiling as he ruffled her hair. "So, do you feel better now?"

Sora turned away, her face flushed so deeply she nearly cried from embarrassment. She hastily pushed him away, bumping into the headboard with a yelp. "Ow... Idiot, idiot, idiot!"

"Get out!"

Seeing her suddenly so flustered, Aoki Shi was bewildered as he found himself pushed off the bed, landing squarely on the floor.

"Huh?"

Utterly at a loss, he was unceremoniously shoved out of the room by a furious Sora.

Standing outside, staring at the door she'd slammed, Aoki Shi was dumbfounded. "Why? What did I do?"

"Strange..." He sighed. "That kind of comfort used to work so well on my little brother..."

"Idiot!" Sora shouted another curse from within, still not appeased. Dutifully, Aoki Shi knocked on the door, apologizing. "Sorry, I was wrong! But tomorrow, Sora, don’t be upset anymore, okay? I’ll be sad! And as long as I’m here, you’ll definitely get better! I promise!"

Listening to his voice at the door, Sora, her face blazing, let out a mortified whimper, squatting down and shouting, "You’re the worst, Shi!"

"The absolute worst!"

"I won’t worry about you ever again!"

She clutched her wildly pounding heart, quickly took a pill from her bottle, and calmed her breathing until it returned to normal.

Cure me?

She stared at the bottle in her palm, her voice low and complicated. "Even the doctors can’t do that—what makes you think you can..."

"Idiot..."

Yet, for some reason, the anxiety that had haunted her these past days seemed to calm. She even felt a mysterious trust in Aoki Shi’s words—so much so that she began to look forward to that day. If Shi really could heal me...

She covered her burning cheeks with both hands. "Am I an idiot too, to even think that..."

And remembering how she’d just tilted her chin, acting so foolish, she pressed her hands over her face in deeper embarrassment.

Outside, Aoki Shi, unable to fathom Sora's outburst, could only sigh again. He recalled that just recently, that girl named Ruri Gokou had said something similar to him, and even cursed him...

Back in his room, Aoki Shi took out a medical book, but couldn't focus on studying. He finally set it aside with a wry smile, pulled out his phone, and nervously typed into the search bar: "What should I do if someone curses me and now I'm having bad luck? Need urgent help."