"Sis!"
Hojo Suzune practically bolted out of her bedroom, forgetting her slippers, her fair feet padding on the floor. Her small face was taut, her hair seemed to stand on end behind her like an angry Neko from Kuroko's Basketball, as she rushed towards the girl sitting on the living room sofa.
"What's wrong?"
Hojo Shione asked without turning her head, her legs together, a cucumber in her hand, her gaze fixed on the TV screen. She was munching away with the serene focus of a character enjoying a solo snack.
Seeing her so leisurely, Hojo Suzune immediately felt a surge of anger.
At a time like this, she still had the leisure to munch on a cucumber? Was she planning to pickle herself in denial like some tragic figure?
No wonder she couldn't keep her man—she didn't even know he'd run off with someone else!
Hojo Suzune tiptoed and directly blocked her sister, obscuring most of the screen.
"?"
Hojo Shione's moist eyes blinked, her gaze focusing on her sister. She looked at her scrunched-up small face and asked, puzzled:
"What's wrong? Have you packed everything? What's gotten into you this time? Did you forget to watch the latest Spy x Family episode or something?"
Hojo Suzune bit her red lip, a cloud in her eyes, and said coldly, seeing the other's nonchalant expression:
"You knew all along, didn't you?"
"..."
Hojo Shione didn't speak, taking a bite of the cucumber, chewing it unhurriedly, her eyes unusually calm.
"Why didn't you tell me about this?"
"If I didn't tell you, don't you know now anyway?"
Swallowing the cucumber in her mouth, Hojo Shione chuckled softly.
"..."
Looking at the calm smile on her sister's face, the expression in Hojo Suzune's eyes grew colder.
The other's indifferent attitude made her slender shoulders tremble with anger—she was practically channeling Kana Arima's signature frustrated glare—and her voice rose several decibels as she demanded:
"So, this is your attitude now? You're just going to sit there like nothing happened?"
Hojo Shione tilted her head, a confused look in her eyes, and asked in a calm tone:
"What else do you want me to do? Should I be furious, then unable to eat a single meal every day, lock myself in my room weeping, become emotionally distraught and only able to rely on antidepressants to cope like some melodramatic character?"
"Or, like you are now, randomly pick someone to vent your anger on? Let others know how miserable you are? Should I start practicing my tragic backstory monologue?"
"Or, should I go to Tokyo right now and confront Shiratori Seiya about why he suddenly has a girlfriend? Demand answers like I'm in a Kaguya-sama love war?"
"..."
Hojo Suzune couldn't utter a word, her bitten lip trembling uncontrollably, and crystal tears welled up from her eyes.
"Don't be like this."
Seeing the clear tears rolling down the corner of the girl's eye, Hojo Shione reached out and gently wiped them away.
Slap!
"Idiot!"
Her hand was pushed away, but Hojo Shione didn't get angry. She looked at her sister in front of her with a gentle expression and said:
"Since he's already made his decision, just accept it. No matter how much you like him, you can't force it, can you? Love that is begged for is too humble, too shameless—it's not some Fruits Basket curse you can break with determination."
"You're going to see Seiya tomorrow. If you cry yourself sick, you won't have fun then. He'll think you've been practicing your Your Lie in April waterworks instead of picking out outfits."
Tears streamed down her cheeks, Hojo Suzune couldn't hear what the other person was saying, only felt a sharp pain in her heart, as if something beautiful she had once longed for had suddenly shattered. She trembled as she asked:
"You don't love him anymore, do you? You used to like him so much, and he liked you so much, w-why..."
Hojo Shione was taken aback by her words, then suddenly laughed after a moment.
Pfft!
"But, Suzune, people always change. That's just how it is—this isn't some Toradora where everyone's destined to end up with their first love."
"When I was sixteen, I liked Seiya. When I was seventeen, I still liked him. When I was eighteen, I loved him very much. But now I'm nineteen, and since he gave up on me, I don't want to love anymore."
"Is that so hard to understand?"
"Nonsense!"
Hojo Shione shook her head slightly, looking at her already blurry eyes, and asked:
"Suzune, can you say you'll love Seiya forever? Can you promise with the same conviction as a Sailor Moon oath?"
"I will!"
Almost without hesitation, Hojo Suzune's firm voice emerged beside her ear.
"Oh."
Hojo Shione nodded calmly, but her pitying gaze clearly mocked her childishness.
Hojo Suzune naturally saw it, took a deep breath, suppressed the urge to slap her face—barely restraining herself from going full outburst—and slammed the door as she left.
"Disgusting!"
Bang!
Hojo Shione silently watched her sister's closed door, gazed for a long time, then withdrew her gaze.
Honestly, because she hasn't tasted the bitterness of love, she can't keep her composure? She's acting like a first-year who just discovered romance manga.
How will you ever capture his heart like this?
Silly sister.
Hojo Shione turned her head, staring blankly at the television, the idle hum of some variety show filling the silence.
Crunch.
Lowering her head, Hojo Shione took a forceful bite of the cucumber, feeling a sourness well up in her heart.
She couldn't help but freeze, then gave a self-deprecating smile.
What was it, a pickled plum after all? Sour, sharp, and lingering on the tongue no matter how much she tried to swallow it down.
....
The next morning, nine o'clock.
Sitting in the car on the way to meet Shiratori Seiya, there was a silence in the vehicle that felt heavier than the quiet moments in Violet Evergarden.
Hojo Suzune leaned back in her seat, opened her portable small mirror, and examined her face, wanting to see if there were any details she hadn't perfected.
However, even with concealer, foundation, and eyeshadow—layered with the precision of a Shirobako animation director checking cels—the faint redness around her eyes was still visible.
Putting away the mirror, she felt that no matter how much more she tried to conceal it, this was as good as it would get, and she couldn't help but sigh.
She should have used an ice pack last night.
Before yesterday, Hojo Suzune would get excited just thinking about meeting Shiratori Seiya, but now her mood was unexpectedly calm. It was like the stillness before a dramatic reveal in Steins;Gate.
She couldn't help but look at her sister, who was driving in the driver's seat, a puzzled expression in her eyes.
Why did it turn out this way?
How could she suddenly stop loving him just like that?
Logically speaking, her sister not liking Shiratori Seiya should be on the same level as her sister and Seiya breaking up—both reasons to celebrate with a piano piece. She could practically hear the triumphant chords.
However, when she truly learned that her sister didn't like Shiratori Seiya, she found that she wasn't as happy as she expected.
She knew very well how much her sister used to like Shiratori Seiya, and the more she knew, the more insanely jealous she became.
Hojo Suzune never felt that her love for Shiratori Seiya was any less than her sister's, so why should her sister be able to enjoy Seiya's tenderness with a clear conscience, while she could only watch from the sidelines? It was like being the overlooked supporting character in a romance anime.
She could only watch her sister monopolize him, not even getting a sip of the soup.
More than once, she thought about taking him from her—scheming like a proper Kaguya-sama strategist.
Precisely because she felt her feelings for Seiya were almost identical to her sister's, when she heard her say she didn't like him, she couldn't help but feel some doubt.
A bewildered look appeared in the girl's eyes.
Could it really be that you could just stop loving someone? Was it really that simple, like flipping a switch in a Re:Life reset?
Once a love as brilliant as fireworks, in the blink of an eye, it turned to ash, leaving no trace... Would she also experience that? Would her own fierce feelings someday fade into background noise?
"We'll be there soon, don't fall asleep. You'll miss your dramatic entrance."
Hojo Shione glanced at her sister in the rearview mirror, seeing her somewhat listless, and reminded her.
"..."
Hojo Suzune was too lazy to talk to her, but she straightened up and looked out the car window.
"Tonight, either you or Seiya can call me, and I'll come pick you up."
"You don't have to pick me up."
Hojo Suzune mumbled, not even looking at her.
Betraying love was the most shameful thing—worse than any K-On! character forgetting their instrument.
"Hmm, that's true too, as long as Seiya agrees to let you rest at his place. You've always been better at convincing him than I have."
Hojo Shione's lips curved slightly upwards, then she slowly applied the brakes, stopping at the intersection of the ramp.
"We're here. He should be waiting for you over there. Try not to knock him over when you charge at him."
"Don't forget what I told you..."
"..."
Hojo Suzune didn't answer, her eyes involuntarily widening, her body practically pressed against the car window like a Haikyuu!! player watching a game-winning spike, constantly searching for the memory of the boy's figure.
Even with the lowest spirits, the thought of meeting him would make her incredibly excited. Her heart was already racing ahead of her.
Once the car came to a complete stop, she immediately pulled open the door and rushed out.
Sunlight instantly streamed down her dark long hair as the charming girl stood still, looking towards the intersection ahead.
When her gaze settled on the boy's familiar figure, when she saw him waving at her—casual and effortless like a Free! character greeting a friend—the girl's deep, alluring eyes lit up instantly, and she felt a warmth in her chest, her heart pounding thump-thump-thump intensely.
A surge of joy immediately welled up, seeping into every inch of her fair skin through her blood.
Her chest was warm, her face was warm, her eyes were warm, and it felt as if lemon soda had exploded in her heart—the same fizzy, dizzying rush as a confession scene in HoriMiya.
She was almost moved to tears.
Taking steps, her body unconsciously rushed towards the distant boy.
Taking three steps at a time, she was practically leaping, her dark hair streaming behind her like a heroine in full sprint.
The boy's figure in her sight grew closer and closer, and she could gradually make out his face.
The person from her memories and the one before her overlapped... A clear smile bloomed on her face, brighter than any ending sequence, and she couldn't help but call out.
"Seiya!"
I finally get to see you.
*****
You might have noticed, I'm trying something new. Give it 7 chapters. If it doesn't work, let me know.