Zenjiro stared at the wet pill resting in his palm. His logical brain calculated the immediate loss. There were only two medicines in the entire house. She just completely wasted this one. The moisture had already started to dissolve the outer chemical coating. It was ruined. There was only one pill left.
My head also hurts terribly, Zenjiro thought. What a big waste.
He reached across the table with his right hand. He grabbed a square piece of white tissue paper from the small holder. He carefully placed the saliva-covered pill directly into the center of the soft paper. He folded the edges over to hide the wet mess.
He stood up from his chair. He walked to the kitchen sink. He turned the silver faucet and washed the thick saliva completely off his left hand. He dried his fingers on a nearby towel.
He walked back to the kitchen counter. He picked up the second silver foil packet. He tore the top edge and popped the final white pill into a small, empty ceramic bowl. He reached into the utensil drawer and pulled out a heavy metal soup spoon. He pressed the curved back of the steel spoon directly down onto the hard white pill.
Crack.
The sharp sound echoed loudly in the quiet kitchen. Zenjiro froze for a single second. The physical motion felt incredibly familiar. It dragged his tired mind straight back to a freezing winter night eleven years ago.
Liora was only seven years old back then. It happened right after that terrifying incident with the delivery truck, when she had just started clinging to him like a shadow. She caught a terrible seasonal cold from the freezing wind. Clara tried to force a bitter fever pill down her throat, but little Liora just cried loudly.
She clamped her small mouth entirely shut and refused to swallow it. Zenjiro had stepped in to fix the problem. He took a heavy spoon, crushed the medicine into a fine dust, and mixed it heavily with sweet strawberry jam. She ate it for him instantly without a single complaint.
He pushed the metal spoon down again. He ground the broken pieces into a fine, white powder against the ceramic.
She has not changed at all, Zenjiro thought.
He looked over his shoulder at Liora. She slumped dramatically at the dining table. Physically, she was an eighteen-year-old high school student. But the exact moment she felt sick, she completely abandoned her maturity. She reverted straight back to that stubborn, helpless seven-year-old girl. She expected her older brother to magically hide the bitterness of the real world for her.
He walked over to the pantry. He grabbed a small plastic jar of white sugar. He dumped a generous spoonful of the sweet crystals directly into the bowl. He mixed the sugar and the bitter powder thoroughly together. He scooped the entire powdery mixture onto a silver spoon.
He walked back to her side and sat down on the chair. He held the spoon up.
He looked at Liora's stubborn face and prepared to use the exact same psychological tactic.
"Here comes the sweet magic powder," Zenjiro cooed softly. He smiled a fake, overly bright smile. "Open wide, my pretty princess. This one is entirely sweet. I took all the bad taste away just for you. You are my only favorite imouto, right? A perfect princess needs to take her special medicine so Onii-chan can stop worrying about her. Say ahh."
Liora stared at the spoon. The childish words completely bypassed her stubborn defenses again. She slowly opened her mouth wide.
Zenjiro pushed the silver spoon entirely past her lips. He dumped the sweet powder directly onto her tongue. He pulled the empty spoon out. He immediately grabbed her glass of cold water from the table. He brought the glass directly to her mouth. He tilted the rim against her lower lip.
Liora drank the water rapidly. She swallowed the heavy powder down. She did not gag. She did not spit.
"You should eat," Zenjiro commanded gently. He placed the empty glass back onto the table.
"I don't wanna eat," Liora mumbled. She crossed her arms over her chest again.
Zenjiro picked up her wooden chopsticks with his left hand. He reached forward with his right hand. He placed the side of his right index finger firmly under her chin. He let the weight of her jaw rest directly against his finger. He extended his right thumb. He placed the flat pad of his thumb directly against her soft lower lip.
He pressed down. He forcefully pulled her lower lip open.
He used his left hand to pinch a small clump of hot fried rice between the wooden chopsticks. He pushed the food directly into her open mouth. He pulled his hands entirely away.
Liora closed her mouth. The food sat completely motionless inside her cheeks. She did not chew. She just stared blankly across the room.
"Chew it, princess," Zenjiro ordered softly. "You need to eat. You did not eat dinner last night. You missed breakfast entirely."
Liora ignored him. She refused to move her jaw.
Zenjiro let out a slow breath. He raised both of his hands. He reached forward and placed his open palms flat against the sides of her messy head. He pressed his fingertips deep into her blonde hair. He started massaging her scalp. He moved his fingers in slow, firm circles.
Liora let out a long, quiet sigh. She closed her eyes completely. Her tense shoulders dropped. She visibly relaxed under his hands. She felt incredibly good with the deep massage.
Zenjiro abruptly stopped his hands. He pulled his fingers entirely out of her hair.
Liora's blue eyes snapped wide open. She glared at him in pure shock.
"I will massage your head completely after you eat," Zenjiro bargained. He pointed at her full mouth. "If you want me to massage your head, then chew."
Liora frowned deeply. She finally started to move her jaw, chewing the cold rice incredibly slowly and swallowed it down.
"The food is already cold," Liora complained loudly. "I don't want it."
Zenjiro grabbed her ceramic plate from the table. He stood up and walked to the kitchen counter. He opened the microwave door. He placed the plate inside and pressed the start button. The machine hummed loudly for sixty seconds. He pulled the steaming plate out and carried it back to the table.
He sat down again. The rice was incredibly hot now. Steam billowed rapidly into the air.
He picked up a silver spoon this time. The chopsticks were too slow. He scooped a massive pile of the steaming rice onto the metal.
He reached forward with his right hand. He grabbed her chin again. He used his index finger to pull her lower lip completely down. He pushed the full spoon directly toward her mouth.
Liora took the food. She immediately flinched.
Zenjiro pulled the empty silver spoon out fast.
"It's hot!" Liora yelled. She leaned back slightly. She opened her mouth incredibly wide. She started blowing rapid, frantic bursts of air over her own burning tongue.
Zenjiro reacted instantly. He leaned his upper body aggressively forward. He closed the physical distance between their faces. He stopped about five centimeters away from her open mouth.
He took a deep breath. He blew a strong, continuous stream of air directly inside her mouth. The cool wind washed over her hot tongue and the steaming food trapped inside her cheeks. He blew a second time. He blew a third time in rapid succession.
Liora stopped pulling back. She felt the temperature inside her mouth drop. She closed her lips tight and chewed the warm rice happily.
Zenjiro raised his right hand. He patted the top of her blonde head gently.
"Good girl," Zenjiro praised softly.
He scooped another large bite of the hot rice onto the spoon. This time, he held the spoon up near his own face. He blew a long, steady stream of air over the food to cool the temperature completely before moving it forward. He pushed the cooled rice directly into Liora's waiting mouth.
This exact process repeated over and over. He scooped. He blew the hot steam away. He fed her. He pulled her lower lip down with his index finger whenever she acted stubborn. He emptied the entire ceramic plate. The food was completely gone.
Liora leaned back in her wooden chair. She rubbed her full stomach.
"Massage my head now, Onii-chan," Liora demanded. She closed her eyes again. "My head really hurts."
Zenjiro dropped the empty spoon onto the plate. "Alright. Just go to your bed. I will massage your head there."
"Just do it here," Liora complained. She refused to open her eyes. "I don't want to stand up."
"Alright," Zenjiro agreed tiredly. "Let me finish my food first."
"Okay," Liora mumbled. "But be quick."
Liora lifted her right arm. She placed it flat onto the dining table. She dropped her upper body forward. She rested her pale forehead heavily onto her arm again. She waited quietly.
Zenjiro grabbed his own ceramic bowl. He picked up his wooden chopsticks. He shoveled the cold, untouched fried rice directly into his mouth. He ate rapidly. He emptied the bowl in less than two minutes.
He placed the empty dishes down. The heavy physical exertion of cooking, arguing, and feeding her finally caught up to him.
The violent throb behind his eyes flared aggressively. The hangover headache returned with massive force. The dull pain radiated straight down his neck.
He rubbed his temples hard with his fingertips.
There is no other medicine left now, Zenjiro thought miserably. My head really aches.
He opened his eyes and looked down at the messy wooden table.
His tired gaze accidentally landed on a small, square piece of white tissue paper resting near his empty bowl. He stared at the folded edges.
Zenjiro sat perfectly still in his chair, staring intently at the white tissue paper.