The young girl's eyes widened in shock. She imdiately ran to Namita, hugging him tightly.
Bump!
Namita froze, feeling a subtle wet sensation on his uniform.
"I missed you! I missed you!"
The young girl cried in his uniform.
Namita held a gun behind him, watching the girl quietly.
"..."
He was waiting.
"Where did you go?"
The young girl suddenly asked, her expression sorrowful.
But seeing Namita's cold and indifferent face, she froze in fear, her eyes widening in shock.
She burrowed her head in his uniform, hugging his waist even more tightly, as if she was afraid of him leaving.
"Are... are you still angry at , brother?"
The young girl spoke in a low tone, on the verge of exploding into tears.
"I… I'm sorry, I didn't an to run away at that ti…"
She clenched Namita's uniform.
"But… it's okay now, right? I'm back! I'm safe! I'm never going to run away again, brother! I realized that I only have you in my life… and you too! With your terrible personality, I doubt you'll ever find a girl! Hehe…"
The young girl spoke almost incoherently, yet full of emotion, causing Namita's hand to tremble slightly.
"Oh yeah, I also got the highest grade in my class! As expected of a genius detective's sister, right?! Are you proud of ? Please tell you're proud of brother, I'll forgive you if you do."
"... Mom visited last ti when you were investigating a case. She wanted to bring away, but how could I accept that?! She left and you alone after dad died…!"
"... We only have ourselves, brother, didn't you say that to ? I… thought you were just scaring , but I understand what you ant now. This world is terrible to the two of us…."
"... I t that guy again on my way ho again. I was so scared… I don't think I can ever forgive him. You rember him, right? The one who was driving drunk and almost hit . Thankfully, the truck missed… or else…"
"Brother, I was extrely scared that ti. When the truck's headlight flashed, my mind and body froze and, and, I thought I was going to die… but that day, didn't we get into a big fight? If I died there, and I wasn't able to say sorry…"
The young girl raised her head, staring at him quietly.
"How sad would it be?"
Namita's body trembled, his hand shaking constantly.
How sad…
His mind subconsciously recalled the past six years, where he learned that tears could also dry out not just from joy, but also from too much pain.
Namita quickly regained his senses. The hand he was holding the gun with slowly moved.
For the first ti in years, he felt the cracks in his heart reopen.
He couldn't accept that!
'No…'
But Namita couldn't bring his hand forward, as if sothing was stopping him.
His eyes felt an indescribable itch, while his lips trembled soundlessly. Breathing itself beca a difficult task.
He was waiting.
"... But, it's okay, now… right brother?"
He was waiting.
"... If you stay with here, we'll be together again… forever."
He was waiting.
"In this place, we'll be happy… so happy that mom and dad will regret abandoning us."
"We will be happy together… forever… and ever. Even if the world shuns us, we'll be… happy."
He was waiting.
But as the girl fell silent, his uniform was slowly moistened by her tears. She was so small, brittle, and soft, but right now, he felt even smaller than her.
Her small, soft arms huddled his body as if she was afraid that he would go away. When minutes passed, and nothing happened, it struck him.
Namita realized.
She… was never going to attack him.
Because all she ever wanted was for him to stay.
The scariest monsters weren't those that could kill you, but those that could give you everything you ever wanted.
"Alyssa…"
Namita murmured, fully breaking. Tears slid down his cheeks, and his hand dropped the gun he was holding.
He patted the young girl's small head, feeling her soft, silky hair.
A sense of familiarity rose up in him, making it harder for him to let go.
The voice, the mories, the body…
It was as if his deceased sister had co back to life.
"Brother Namita!"
The young girl raised her head, her expression mixed with joy and sorrow.
"Brother Namita! Brother Namita! Will you stay!?"
"Alyssa. My dear… Alyssa."
Namita murmured her na softly, patting her head. He looked straight into her eyes, a soft, gentle smile erging on his face.
"I'm no longer the sa person you admired."
Alyssa's face imdiately turned pale. She burrowed her face deep into his uniform, hugging him tightly.
"... Don't go."
Namita fell silent, his heart crumbling. He crouched down, hugging her tightly as well.
"... I killed a lot of people, including the driver who killed you." He confessed. But there was no regret in his voice. "Alyssa, I will always love you. But I… I'm not your brother anymore."
"No! No! No! NO!"
Alyssa scread, clenching Namita's uniform as she burrowed her face in his shoulders.
"You will always be my brother! I don't care… I don't care if you turned into a bad person! Alyssa will also be a bad person then!"
Namita fell silent, then he bit his lips, blood leaking from his mouth.
"I'm sorry…"
At that mont, Alyssa felt a hand push her away.
"No… no… no!"
But Namita stood up, as if he couldn't hear her cries.
Step… step…
"Please… don't go. I'll… disappear again…"
Namita froze. His shoulders felt extrely heavy, shaking briefly.
But he couldn't stop.
He mustn't stop.
Step… step…
So he kept walking.
And walking, until all he could hear was his breathing.
Until even his breathing turned faint and shallow, leaving only his steps.
The thick, gray mist had covered his back, and the young girl whom he had left behind in the smog disappeared.
Seiji glanced at Namita silently.
Namita's hand went to his pocket, but then he froze.
"... Let's go."
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