Chapter 15: Little Sister
Translator: Soafp
[Nao PoV]
After my mother went to the police station, I felt a sense of relief wash over me.
“Finally, justice was being served for Onii-chan.”
Ever since my parents told me that Onii-chan had been arrested for getting involved in a fight and the police found a pocket knife, I knew something was not right.
The Onii-chan I knew would not be that kind of person. He was always caring and looking out for others, and him being in a fight didn’t make sense.
The fight happened on a Friday evening, but at that time, Onii-chan went to the convenience store. I knew that, so it was odd that he got arrested for something like that.
I even told my parents that he couldn’t have done it because he was at the convenience store, but…
“Mom, Dad, Onii-chan couldn’t have done this. He went to the convenience store and bought me some candy.”
“Nao, we know you love Ryota but the evidence are against him”
Mom said, her voice trembling with emotion
My heart sank at her words, but I refused to give in.
“Something is not right! Onii-chan would never do this!”
“Nao, sometimes people don’t look like what they are.”
Nii-san said it while trying to hide his smile. Why are you smiling? Even if you two are always arguing, he is still your brother.
My thoughts were a jumbled mess, making it impossible to think straight.
“I never thought I would see my own son behind bars.”
Dad mumbles
“I always thought that I taught him how to behave. Taught what was right and what was wrong… I guess after his mother died he went the criminal route…”
“It’s okay Dad, we will get through this, together.”
“Thank you, Yuto. Atleast you are behaving well.”
I couldn’t contain my frustration any longer. How could they not trust their own son? How could they already treat him like a criminal?
“How could you not trust your own son?!”
I burst out, my voice cracking with emotion.
“How can you already treat him like he’s a criminal?!”
Their dismissive reaction only deepened the wound in my heart.
As they shook their heads in disappointment, something inside me shattered. It was as if a fragile glass wall, built on years of trust and love, suddenly crumbled into a million irreparable pieces.
Their lack of belief in Ryota, their own flesh and blood, cut deeper than any knife.
It pierced through the core of our family bond, leaving behind a hollow emptiness that echoed with the pain of betrayal.
In that moment, I felt a profound sense of loss—not just for Ryota, but for the parents I thought I knew.
How could they abandon him so easily, without even a shred of doubt in their hearts?
The foundation of trust that once held our family together lay in ruins, and I realized that I could no longer rely on them for solace or support.
They had failed Ryota when he needed them most, and in doing so, they had lost my trust forever.
“Damn it, I have it enough!”
“Nao!”
My father grabbed my mother arm who was trying to stop me.
“Let her cool down. Today was a rough day.”
With a heavy heart, I retreated to my room, the weight of their disbelief weighing me down like a leaden shroud. From that day forward, our family would never be the same again.
With a heavy heart, I retreated to my room, the weight of their disbelief weighing me down like a leaden shroud. From that day forward, our family would never be the same again.
As I lay on my bed, tears streaming down my cheeks, I couldn’t shake the feeling of betrayal that gnawed at my insides.
How could I ever look at my parents the same way again, knowing that they could turn their backs on their own son so easily?
Then suddenly, a thought struck me like a bolt of lightning.
“Would they do the same to me?”
The realization sent a shiver down my spine, I don’t know if I can ever trust them.
As much as I wanted to believe that my parents would never betray me in the same way they had betrayed Ryota, I couldn’t ignore the nagging fear that lingered in the back of my mind.
What if they believed I was capable of the same wrongdoing? What if they turned their backs on me too, without a second thought?
The thought filled me with a profound sense of unease, a feeling of vulnerability that I had never experienced before.
With a heavy heart, I drifted off to sleep, the weight of our fractured family weighing heavily on my mind. From that day forward, nothing would ever be the same again.
After that day, I couldn’t see them as my parents anymore.
Their actions had shattered the pedestal on which I had placed them, revealing them to be fallible and flawed in ways I had never imagined.
The trust that had once bound us together had been irreparably broken, leaving behind a gaping chasm of resentment and doubt.
As I navigated through the days that followed, our interactions became strained and awkward, filled with unspoken accusations and lingering disappointment.
I found myself withdrawing further into myself, seeking solace in the solitude of my own thoughts rather than the company of those who had failed to stand by their own flesh and blood.
In their absence, I sought refuge in the memories of happier times, clinging to the fading remnants of a family that had once been whole.
But deep down, I knew that things would never be the same again. The bonds that had once held us together had been severed, leaving behind nothing but the bitter taste of betrayal and regret.
But I still wanted to clear Onii-chan’s name. Unable to rely on my family and lacking friends to confide in, I sat alone in my room, pondering the events surrounding the day that Onii-chan got arrested.
But no matter how I was thinking I couldn’t think of anything major. So, I replayed the situation.
“I sat on the couch, trying to distract myself by watching some drama. Onii-chan had returned from the convenience store and went upstairs. Shortly after, Nii-san came home, and without a word he was looking at the news.”
His silence was palpable, and his demeanor sent chills down my spine. It was as if something had shocked him to the core, a stark departure from his usual easygoing self. But I couldn’t lead this to anywhere.
After much thinking I gave up and went to bed.
Then Monday came—the day Onii-chan would be freed.
I was eager to hear what he had to say, to finally unravel the mystery surrounding his arrest.
But my plans to get home early were thwarted when my classmates insisted on going to the karaoke cafe, dragging me along with them.
Desperate to leave, I discreetly slipped out of the booth, determined to make it home in time.
As I opened the door, relief flooded over me.
“I am home”
but it was short-lived.
“Welcome back Nao.”
The tension in the air was palpable as I entered the living room to find everyone seated on the couch, their expressions grave.
“Where is Onii-chan?”
My heart pounding with apprehension.
Mom visibly flinched at my question before gesturing for me to take a seat.
“Nao…have a seat. I have something to tell you…”
Dad’s voice was heavy with emotion as he motioned to the empty seat beside him.
“Nao…When I picked up Ryota from the police office…things got a bit messy once we got home…”
“Messy?”
I echoed, my voice barely above a whisper, already dreading what I was about to hear.
“Yes, we had some talk but it went messy after that. Ryota blamed Yuto that he planted the switchblade in his pocket.”
“I had enough. It was the last straw for me. He is blaming his brother for his wrongdoing… So, I kicked him out of our house.”
Onii-chan got kicked out of the house? This, this can’t be true right?
“You’re joking, right?”
I pleaded, searching their faces for any sign of humor or reassurance.
But they remained silent, their downcast eyes betraying the truth of their words.
Not only did they not believe him, but they also punished him by kicking him out…
“Ha-hahaha….”
“Nao….”
“Sorry, I will going to my room.”
I forced a laugh, masking the turmoil raging within me. With a heavy heart, I retreated to my room, desperate to escape the suffocating atmosphere of disbelief and betrayal that hung in the air.
I couldn’t bear to look at their faces any longer. The disappointment and lack of faith they had shown in Onii-chan shattered my trust in them completely.
As I collapsed onto the floor, tears streaming down my cheeks, a profound sense of loss enveloped me. Not only had I been denied the chance to hear Onii-chan’s side of the story, but I was also robbed of the opportunity to ever see him again.
The weight of the injustice pressed down on me, leaving me gasping for air in its suffocating grip.
As I lay there, consumed by grief and anger, a sense of determination began to stir within me.
“I will find the culprit, and they will pay for what they have done.”
But as I calmed down, a troubling realization struck me. My father’s words echoed in my mind—Onii-chan accusing Nii-san of planting the switch knife in his pocket…I knew he would not do this but,
“Nii-san….”
The thought ignited a fierce anger within me, but as quickly as it flared.
My anger started to boil up again, threatening to consume me. But amidst the rage, one thing became clear:
“I will tear this family apart…There is nothing left. The is no more bonding between us, it is already broken.”
I muttered bitterly to myself.
“…I will clear your name Onii-chan. Ehe….ehehehehee.”
A dark, bitter laughter bubbled up from within me, echoing through the empty room. It was a laughter devoid of joy, filled only with the grim determination to seek justice and unravel the tangled web of lies that had torn us apart.
With that resolve burning fiercely in my heart, I pushed myself up from the ground and set out to confront the secrets that lurked within the shadows of our fractured family.
Alucard90
April 12, 2024 at 12:04 amImouto for the W
Xson
April 12, 2024 at 12:16 amI want to know if MC died or not!
Xson
April 12, 2024 at 12:20 amBut yeah, it’s over for this family
MangHose
April 12, 2024 at 2:57 amBefore, we said to protect Kenji at all costs.
Now it has been upgraded to “protect Kenji and Nao at all costs!”
karnal0z
April 12, 2024 at 7:29 am“Would they do the same to me?”
Very serious reflection.