The time Misaki's at her grandparents' place was relaxing and peaceful. She felt the stress she had accumulated while in the city was slowly disappeared after being here. If she stayed there, she would probably go bald from having to think about so many things.

"Woah! Grandpa, look! Onii-chan managed to catch a big fish!"

Misaki exclaimed cheerfully as she carried a bucket of fish that had been caught.

Right now, they were having a picnic on the lake. There is an area that people usually use as a fishing ground. In addition, the view is also good, and even if you visit during the day, you will not feel the high heat because of the lush trees.

And since their arrival, Kazuto immediately took out his fishing rod and started fishing.

Whether it was because he had skills, or his luck was never used in gacha games, Kazuto kept getting fish with his bait. He would look like the god Jiang Taigong if he wear a hemp hat and wear a fake beard while fishing like that.

(Note: Jiang Taigong is a strategist and he considered as fishing god who is said to be able to catch goldfish without bait. This source is irrelevant because I don't really understand the legend at all. Lol)

"Hoho, my grandson is really smart. Let's grilled some of it and we'll make the rest for dinner later. And call Kazuto because he might get worshiped by the local angler if he keeps sitting there."

His grandfather seemed to have the same thoughts as Misaki that he was giggling too.

"Hihi, fine grandpa."

After calling him to come back, they ended up eating the sandwich that Misaki and her grandmother had previously made at home. There is also a fish caught by Kazuto which is grilled to add flavor to their taste buds.

Eating while feeling the summer breeze is a great way to pass the time.

"Look Onii-chan, I got one!"

After that, Misaki took Kazuto to look for beetles. She became very happy when she managed to got a rhinos beetle and put it in a jar.

"Misaki! Be careful, something will hit your head if you do that!"

Not stop on there, she ran to and fro cheerfully, starting with rolling on the warm expanse of grass.

"Ahahaha, but this is fun!"

And she ignored Kazuto's warning completely.

"Shh, lower your voice Onii-chan. If you too loud they can fly and run away."

Misaki whispered who was squatting behind a rock with Kazuto.

She wanted to photograph the humming birds using the camera they had brought from home when she find them perched behind a tree. She laughed happily when she got a good scene and proudly showed it to Kazuto. She felt he could become a famous photographer if she wanted to pursue it.

But that thought was immediately lost when she met a beaver who was building a dam down the river.

"Look at that Onii-chan! They look so cute! I can't believe they can build their house with just sticks."

Misaki exclaimed as she gazed from a distance at the beavers who bit the twigs and carried them to the dam they had built. If they were dolls, then she would have come to hug them long ago.

"Yeah, I thought the beavers in Japan were extinct long ago. I didn't expect their species to still survive here."

Kazuto who was by her side replied. He then continued while making a smile.

"But you know, I saw something even cuter than them here."

Misaki who heard that was immediately excited as she looked at him and wondered.

"Where? Where is it? Tell me, quickly!"

But instead of replying, Kazuto laughed slightly and stroked her head as if she didn't need to know.

"Haha, you'll never know even if it's so close to you."

This immediately made Misaki pout as she felt Kazuto was just toying with her.

Their time continued after that.

And the hyperactive Misaki was currently climbing a tree which made Kazuto very worried as he looked at her from below.

"Misaki, come down. It's not a place you can just climb up."

"Hahaha, look Onii-chan, in here I can see all the places! I can even see the direction of our way home as well as the places we visited before!"

Misaki ignored Kazuto's warning once again as she stared in amazement at the scene in front of her.

"Misaki, come down. Or I'll report this to grandpa and grandma."

Kazuto asked her to come down while getting more and more worried for fear that she would fall and get hurt.

"Fine, fine. I'll be down."

Afraid of the scolding that might come from them later if they found out about this, Misaki finally came down.

"W-"

But because she was in a hurry, she ended up taking the wrong footing because her foot stepped on a tree branch that was still too young, until it finally broke. Misaki who lost her step fall down at the moment she couldn't react in shock.

"Misaki!"

Misaki closed her eyes in fear thinking she would actually fall with pain feeling. She was too careless that she forgot her own circumstances.

Just as she feel her body about to hit the ground, she pray that the pain will not that bad, but that thing it never happened when someone came to grab and hug her tightly.

"O-Onii-chan..."

Misaki slowly opened her eyes and controlled her breathing as her heart was beating so fast from the fall.

"You stupid girl, I told you not to climb!"

Luckily, Kazuto always kept an eye on her and managed to catch her. The distance Misaki climbed was 6 meters from the ground. If he didn't manage to catch it, Misaki would not only suffer from just minor injuries. That's why he scolded her, because he didn't want an incident like the last time to repeat again, where he had to see Misaki lying in the hospital alone. His heart ached at the thought of it.

Misaki was stunned and blinked repeatedly, because this was the first time Kazuto had snapped at her. In her life for these 12 years, Kazuto had never scolded her at all. And she feel sorry because her actions earlier seemed to make him very anxious.

After calming his emotions, Kazuto slowly changed his expression as he asked worriedly.

"Are there any injury? Tell me."

Misaki who was still in Kazuto's arms silently stared at him. HHer expression slowly softened as the corners of her mouth rise.

"Ha ha ha..."

She suddenly laughed as she wrapped her arms around him and dug deeper into Kazuto's chest.

"... What are you doing?"

Kazuto become confused by what she doing.

Instead of answering, Misaki continued to do that which left him speechless.

----

Some time passed, and now like a flashlight that ran out of battery, Misaki slept with her head resting on Kazuto's shoulder with her arms still around his neck. This happened because she didn't want to go from Kazuto's arms no matter what. Even now her arms were still tightly wrapped around him as if to confirm that. Either because she was traumatized or felt the position was comfortable for her, she didn't let Kazuto leave, so Kazuto gave up and now he sat and leaned against one of the trees not far from where his grandparents were.

"Gosh, you're not a baby anymore."

He complained as he moved her head from his shoulder to his arm, so she could sleep more comfortably. He also removed the arm that was wrapped around his neck because it would only tire Misaki.

Glancing at Misaki's face who had a peaceful expression with her eyes closed, she couldn't help but sigh.

"She's acting weird."

Je muttered.

Misaki was acting too cheerful today. From how she laughed amd how she moved, it all seemed too excessive to him. Like she was trying to hide something. Maybe it was just Kazuto's feeling or overthinking. He felt unsure, but his feelings stated that way.

"You stupid little sister, at least you can tell me. Why do you think I'm always by your side."

Adding to the grievances in the words he spat out, Kazuto leaned his head back as he stared at the blue sky that lay before him. The clouds moving in the direction of the wind blowing make his mind also calmer.

"You don't even know how much I love you."

The wind blew past his face. Kazuto slowly closed his eyes to enjoy it. The refreshing wind relaxes his mind.

"I also really love Onii-chan, you know."

But it had to stop when he got an answer on his side.

Like someone who was splashed with cold water, Kazuto suddenly stopped leaning back and sat up straight, and opened his eyes. Then he looked at Misaki who was now peeking at him with one eye closed while smiling. Kazuto became a bit awkward as his words were heard.

"You're awake."

Kazuto talked about something else to distract her.

"Of course I woke up. My pillow just suddenly refused to hug me while I was sleep. It definitely bothered me."

"Is it just me or you're getting more and more rebellious towards me."

Kazuto replied while raising one of his eyebrows.

"Hey, it's not wrong."

Misaki stopped lying down, but she was now sitting on his lap which made Kazuto a little uncomfortable, but let her be.

Looking straight at Kazuto, Misaki smiled faintly at the face she had seen every day. After a slight sigh, she slowly approached. Her arms passed through the narrow gap between Kazuto's arms, and she finally hugged him as she also rested her chin on Kazuto's shoulder.

Wanting to know what her actions meant, Kazuto was about to ask. But before he could do that, Misaki had spoken first.

"You know Onii-chan, I always wondered if you were bothered by me. I always depend on you, I get scared easily, even just in dark places, I also get sick a lot in summer. And all the that time, I always interrupt Onii-chan's time."

"Am I a bad sister?"

Hearing her question, Kazuto was silent for a moment before answering in a calm and smooth voice.

"Of course you are not a bad sister. Just like you who always depend on me, I am also a person who depends on you. You always make me breakfast, wake me up every morning, encourage me when I need it. Every human being is like that, a loner need to depend on others too. So don't say useless things like that."

What he said really came from the bottom of his heart. If Misaki hadn't been around, then the current Kazuto might never have had the character he is now because he would have had to grow up on his own without the guidance of her who had common sense first.

"You can also depend on me for the rest of your life, I will never leave you alone in this world."

Added Kazuto, who was secretly blushing because he felt that he had made a confession. Luckily Misaki didn't see his face because her head was resting on his shoulder.

"Fufu, so that's how it is."

Misaki laughed softly at his answer.

"Does that mean I'm a good sister?"

"The best that will never be replaced."

"Is Onii-chan happy with me?"

"Very, very happy."

They continued to have a strange question and answer session. And Kazuto who though still didn't know the meaning of the question, continued to answer very naturally.

"Lastly, does Onii-chan not hate me and continue to want to be with me?"

"Don't ask silly questions. Obviously I'd never hate you if I felt happy with you."

Kazuto answered with a strange expression at that absurd question.

"And of course, if I could, I would like to continue to accompany this little sister for a long time."

"How long?"

"I don't know. Maybe until the next reincarnation and so on."

"Hahaha, that's crime, Onii-chan. It's like you being a stalker."

Said Misaki with a laugh at that answer.

I see. Misaki thought as she secretly felt warm in her heart.

She could feel relieved in case her spirit was taken and she really had to leave his side now. What was her duty to change his own future from the past had been accomplished. She couldn't be happier than this.

"Onii-chan, if one day I have to leave your side, please... Don't feel sad, understand?"

And without her noticing, her restlessness was blown away by that as her voice hoarse.

"What do you mean?"

Kazuto frowned after Misaki said those words. Was this what had made her act strange all this time?

Realizing her mistake, Misaki hastily changed her tone and calmed herself down with a laugh.

"Haha, it's nothing. I seem to be still delirious from just waking up."

"... Is that so."

Kazuto stopped being suspicious which made Misaki feel relieved.

She clearly knew that Kazuto had noticed the strangeness of her act all along. Luckily she didn't question it, thinking it might not be that complicated and Misaki could sort it out on her own so he didn't say anything to her.

But in reality, the act Misaki had taken during this whole day was to reduce her anxiety.

The reason was because that day was drawing near. The day that she wanted to change Shirogane's future would soon come after summer vacation had passed. And Misaki didn't have a good plan to begin with. The only advantage she had was that she knew where the murder took place with her memory skills, but she didn't know the face of the culprit at all because that person was never caught. Also she couldn't carelessly call the police because that wil alert that person and might choose another place. That way, Misaki's advantage will be lost, and the unwanted butterfly effect will occur. And she had to move on her own because there was nowhere she could tell this, and perhaps what she will do can make her in danger. That was why she had to act carefully so as not to set off the alarm in the wrong place. Another thing is about Shirogane. He was a much different person compared to when they had met in the past. Perhaps the reason was because his family had not died as a result of that incident. But she felt something else, especially after the suspicion that the mysterious child who visited her in the hospital was Shirogane. But she still had doubts. That's why she never tried to call or make contact with him. She wanted to confirm it once this problem was over.

Misaki is under stress because of a problem she deal with. She afraid that her actions will change the future more worse, she was afraid that her plan would fail, she was afraid of not being able to save the family of someone she knew.

Why are you trying so hard to save someone you're not a part of? Why did you go so far and to put yourself in danger? Is it worth for your effort?

The question once crossed her mind which made Misaki hesitate to change the future.

But the bottom of her heart immediately answered the question.

How would you act when you find out that the family of someone you know is about to be murdered? Yeah, obviously Misaki would try to save them as long as she could, since it was someone she knew. She did it only for her own satisfaction. She wasn't trying to be a hero or a saint, because even though she could tell that there would be people out there going through the same thing and Misaki knowing that, she wouldn't try to help them because she wasn't the one that can to do it. And if she did that, then she should also do it to other people she knew were in trouble because it would be much hypocrisy to just save one person and not all of them. That was why, only this time Misaki selfishly changed the future for Shirogane, and not all of them. It was because she didn't want the people she knew to be the same as in the past. And for others? She wouldn't try to help them because it was none of her business, even if her conscience hurt.

That thoughts kept swirling in her head, and all of them weighed her mind which now made her fearful and restless.

Maybe she would die while carrying out his half-baked plan too. That was why she wanted to satisfy herself as much as possible if it really came to that, and that was how she overreacted today. Even though she was afraid, she still dared to step through the swamp that she had never been through.

"Onii-chan, if someone hugs you then you should hug back. You're not a sensitive person, are you."

But ignoring the storm that was constantly going on in her head, Misaki was still smiling with a calm expression at the moment she closed her eyes.

"Fine, fine. Anything for you, I'll do it."

Kazuto said as he hug and gently wrapped his arm around Misaki.

Misaki tightened her embrace as if she was afraid that she might disappear at any moment, and Kazuto also did the same as if he didn't want to lose her.

They were silent and no one speak after that. However, the comfort they feel accompanied by a gust of wind does not make them feel awkward.

️

Under a lush tree, two people who do not understand each other's heart are hugging to fill their hopes and desires that may not be fulfilled.