At Tokyo Medical University Hospital, the smell of disinfectant concealed the fresh citrus scent of Nyamu's luggage.
Having just endured a one-sided "mental crushing," Yuutenji Minoru on the hospital bed had completely devolved into a mollusk, almost shrinking into the white sheets, only half of his face, filled with guilt and remorse, peeking out.
"So~," Nyamu said, her arms crossed, looking down at him.
Her crisp Kumamoto accent now hammered at Minoru's fragile nerves like tiny hammers.
"You've been missing for years, not even sending a word home, just because you feel you haven't made something of yourself and are ashamed to face the folks back in Kumamoto?"
"Uh... mm..." Minoru stammered, trying to weave a pure urban fairy tale of a hardworking part-timer who struggled and then unfortunately got into a car accident, carefully omitting dangerous plot points like "Stand User," "assassination missions," "dramatic ups and downs," and "almost becoming a star."
He dared not look into his sister's eyes; her gaze was too bright, as if it could pierce through all his lies.
He only wanted to keep his family out of his troubles, the farther the better.
"Hmph," Nyamu let out a short, cold laugh, her voice brimming with the implication of "I don't believe a word you say."
She stopped talking nonsense, turned around, and began efficiently tidying up the mountain of snack wrappers, empty soda bottles, and greasy lunchboxes piled on the bedside table.
Her movements were as swift as picking tangerines in an orchard.
Soon, a bulging trash bag, reeking of unhealthy food scraps, was tightly tied shut by her.
"Honestly... you hopeless big idiot! How could your family be disappointed in you for something like this?"
Nyamu grumbled indignantly, then with a flick of her arm, the bag of trash, like a thrown bowling ball, accurately struck Yuutenji Minoru's face, which was still etched with self-reproach.
"Waaah!" Minoru reeled back from the impact, the soft trash bag covering his head, leaving only muffled whimpers of grievance.
"Nyamu... you actually still care about me, don't you?" Tears of emotion instantly welled up in his eyes.
"Everyone actually never expected you to make something of yourself."
Nyamu's voice was calm and unruffled, as if stating the most natural fact.
"Mom and Dad just pray you stay safe and don't cause trouble for society; they'd be thankful for that."
"Guh... just kill me..." As if pierced by an invisible arrow, Minoru groaned in pain, collapsing into the covers, trash bag and all.
Nyamu rolled her eyes, too lazy to continue such a childish conversation with him.
"Anyway, seeing you still happily gorging yourself and being a freeloader, full of more energy than an ox, I'm too lazy to worry here."
She clapped her hands, as if to shake off bad luck.
"But, you'd better call home quickly.
Mom, Dad, eldest brother, and the two little ones are worried sick, constantly talking about you."
"Then... what about you, Nyamu?" Minoru suddenly poked half his face out from under the trash bag, like a small animal emerging from a cave, his eyes wet, bright, and full of anticipation, trying to catch a hint of his sister's warmth.
"Huh?" Nyamu raised an eyebrow, showing an extremely bewildered expression, as if trying to identify a stranger.
"Who are you? Do we know each other?"
"Guh... kill..." The bubble of hope instantly burst, the light in Minoru's eyes extinguished, his mouth dramatically turned down, and tears once again gushed out.
Looking at her second brother's carefree yet somewhat annoying demeanor, the taut string in Nyamu's heart finally loosened a bit.
At least, he was still alive, his spirit wasn't broken, and he was still that familiar scoundrel.
She sighed almost imperceptibly, then leaned down to open her heavy suitcase, which was packed with the flavors of her Kumamoto hometown.
"Here," she began pulling things out, placing them one by one on Minoru's hospital bed.
"These are tangerines freshly picked from eldest brother's orchard, the freshest batch, very sweet, much better than those you used to steal.
Eat them sparingly, don't get a nosebleed from overeating again."
"These are late-ripening white pomelos that Mom and Dad specially traded for from the Iseri family in the next town, saying they're good for recovery and help with phlegm and coughs.
The skin is thick, you figure out how to peel them yourself."
"This is a Kamen Rider model little brother made in his craft class, he said it's for you."
"These are flowers little sister picked for you... oh, they've already wilted."
Minoru on the hospital bed looked at these items from home, from his family, and his nose tingled.
Especially seeing the thoughtfulness of his younger brother and sister, he almost couldn't control his tear ducts again.
"Nyamu..." He sniffled, his voice thick with a nasal tone, his gaze once again filled with hope as he looked at his sister.
"...And you? Did Nyamu bring me a... gift too?" he asked cautiously.
Nyamu's movements paused, her back to him.
After a few seconds of silence, she slowly turned around, a very "kind" smile on her face.
"...Want a punch?"
"Hiss--!" He gasped, shaking his head like a rattle drum.
"No, no need! That... a gift or anything... it's not important! Really! Our sibling bond is deep, the thought is enough! Can we make up?"
Seeing her second brother's comical gesture of surrender, Nyamu's lingering annoyance was ultimately replaced by a sense of helplessness and amusement.
She snorted, unclenched her fist, and temporarily let him off the hook.
She reached deep into her suitcase and pulled out a particularly thick, weighty kraft paper envelope.
This was something her parents had repeatedly instructed her to hand to Minoru personally; it contained the remaining medical fees the family had scraped together and some emergency money for him.
Just then, the hospital room door was gently knocked.
A young nurse poked her head in, a professional smile on her face: "Mr. Yuutenji, excuse me.
You have visitors; it's the Chihaya Family from before.
They would like to meet your family to discuss subsequent matters."
"Ah, that's the kind Chihaya Family mentioned on the phone, right...?" Nyamu reacted immediately, then turned to glare at Minoru.
"You really got lucky; that day you were clearly being crazy and suddenly rushed into the middle of the road, yet they not only didn't complain but also kindly covered such a large medical bill for you."
"Ahaha... yes, yes! Such a great kindness, I'll never forget it! I will definitely thank them well, even if I have to work like an ox or a horse to repay them!"
Minoru scratched his head, laughing awkwardly, a few drops of cold sweat appearing on his forehead.
Recalling the true cause of the car accident, his heart was filled with even more dread and guilt.
"Anyway, I'll go meet them first."
"As for you, stay put in bed!
You must follow the doctor's orders, and if I catch you secretly drinking soda, eating fried foods, or staying up late watching anime..." Nyamu shook the bag she had just used for trash.
"I'll pack you up with them and throw you out! I don't have time to constantly babysit you like a mother hen!"
With her second brother nodding like a pecking chick in assurance, Nyamu tidied her clothes and hair, then, filled with gratitude and a hint of apprehension, followed the nurse out of the room.
The door gently closed.
Yuutenji Minoru, who had just been acting meek, instantly relaxed.
The guilt and emotion on his face had not yet faded, but his eyes were already deftly scanning the envelope Nyamu had just taken out.
His name seemed to be written on the envelope?
Seeing no one around, Minoru secretly removed the plaster cast he was using to feign illness, used the water droplets of Daydream Cafe to gently close the door, and brought the envelope to his hand.
Upon opening it, it turned out to be a stack of banknotes, and two even thicker small envelopes!
"This... this much?!"
He carefully poured everything onto the bed; the banknotes scattered.
Between the banknotes and the two small envelopes, he pulled out a folded letter.
Unfolded, it was his mother's familiar, slightly clumsy but incredibly warm handwriting.
The letter contained no words of reproach for his four years of silence; every line was filled with unyielding worry, prolonged longing, and cautious encouragement:
[...Minoru, you must have suffered a lot outside, right? Why didn't you tell your family?]
[When I heard you were injured, my heart shattered.]
[If you don't have enough money, you must say so; no matter how difficult it is, the family will find a way.]
[The storms outside are too great; come home and take shelter.]
[The family orchard is growing very well this year, and your eldest brother always complains about being short-handed.]
[Little brother and sister also always ask when their second brother will come back to teach them their homework...]
[Nyamu has also grown up and often talks about how she wants to 'repay' you for your past care.]
[Crops will always ripen one day, Minoru; you don't have to demand that every year be a bumper harvest.]
By the end of reading, Yuutenji Minoru's vision was completely blurred.
His heart, parched for too long, was completely soaked and overwhelmed by this simplest, most selfless love from his family.
He missed the citrus-scented air of Kumamoto, his father's silent concern, his mother's nagging admonitions, his eldest brother's broad shoulders, his younger brother's adoring gaze and younger sister's sweet smile, and even his third sister's fists...
He was homesick! More than ever before!
However, the more this surging homesickness swelled, the more sharply the guilt arising from "failure" and "burdening his family" stung him.
"No! I can't just go back like this, tail between my legs!" Minoru fiercely wiped away his tears with the back of his hand, a strong unwillingness bursting from his eyes.
The emotion of a moment ago was instantly replaced by an almost obsessive fighting spirit.
"I will fight again! Again! I still have a chance! I haven't fallen yet!"
He sat up straight in the hospital bed as if injected with adrenaline, his arm no longer seeming to hurt.
His brain spun wildly at an unprecedented speed, and his long-dormant "world-shaking wisdom" once again engaged at high speed.
"Dangerous black-market jobs are out... scamming those upper-class individuals is too risky... I need a more stable, more legitimate path... That's it!" A flash of inspiration struck him like lightning.
"Girl bands! This is the golden age of girl bands!"
"Tokyo is full of girl bands eager to debut, and Ikebukuro especially sees countless bands coming together to celebrate! I've been in Tokyo for four years, influenced by everything around me, and my connections (he believed) are extensive!"
"I understand packaging, marketing, and how to create buzz! This path will definitely work! And the startup capital—"
His gaze fell upon the pile of banknotes on the bed, gleaming enticingly, and the two equally thick small envelopes, his confidence rapidly inflating like a balloon.
"My parents have already prepared it for me! With the strong support of my family, this time, I have the right timing, geographical advantage, and human harmony all in my hands! I, Yuutenji Minoru, will surely make a comeback and reclaim everything I've lost!"
He seemed to see himself standing at the pinnacle of Ikebukuro, with his girl bands sweeping the nation, wealth pouring in, and all the Togawa Conglomerate, Tsukumaki Conglomerate, and Teiai Group trampled under his feet!
On the outside of the envelope, his mother's elegant handwriting read "For Minoru."
These words, in his eyes now, were like an imperial edict sealed with a jade seal, bestowing upon him supreme confidence and ambition.
He felt full of power, as if he could reach the peak of life within a few days!
The only scoundrel son of the simple Yuutenji Family—Yuutenji Minoru—was completely engrossed in the grand blueprint he had woven, selectively forgetting (or rather, never truly understanding) a small habit his parents had regarding money management.
Regardless of the purpose, they liked to temporarily mix all the money in one large envelope, then count and distribute it in person when needed.
He also didn't even consider why the envelope was so thick.
He also didn't know that among the thick stack of banknotes in his hand, exuding an aura of "hope," only a small portion at the very top was for his remaining medical expenses and travel fare home from his parents.
And what was contained in the two substantial small envelopes below was his sister Yuutenji Nyamu's lifeblood—tuition fees for Geijutsu Academy, living expenses for the next few months, rent for Tokyo, and her small savings accumulated over the years through excellent grades and part-time jobs.
"A man who doesn't strive for lofty ambitions, merely wastes his eight-foot stature!"
Yuutenji Minoru, envisioning his future, couldn't help but feel a surge of heroic ambition and excitement, even reciting a doggerel he had read in a web novel.
"With you all, I am invincible!"
Yuutenji Minoru pocketed all the funds from the envelope, quickly packed the gifts, then glanced back at the hospital room, found a pen and paper, and left a poorly written note for his dear sister.
"Second brother is off to fight, don't worry!"
Satisfied, Yuutenji Minoru packed his bags and headed to the battlefield of the great girl band era, once again leaving without a word.
Ten minutes later, when Yuutenji Nyamu returned to the empty hospital room, looking at the empty envelope and the crooked handwriting, the fire in her heart finally erupted after a long silence.
"Gah! I'm going to kill you!"
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