Misha had almost no memories of his grandmother’s funeral. Did he even attend to it in his past life? He honestly couldn’t remember. His mind was too foggy. It seemed that his past self did come, but at the same time, he also had the feeling he hadn’t. One thing for sure, however, was that attending her burial was not an enjoyable experience, and he could have done without it.
Fiddling with the buttons of his sleeve cuffs, Misha looked around the church in search of some familiar faces. But he soon realized that he knew almost no one except for his immediate family. Besides them, there was also Gabriel, Stephan, and even Yuki, who had come to offer their sympathy.
For the nth time, Misha couldn’t help but throw a glance at the nurse, discreetly sizing her up. She stood beside Masha, helping her move about her wheelchair, very attentive to her every need.
It had been a few months since his sister’s accident, and Masha had more or less grown accustomed to her new physical condition. She could now get around without help, yet neither she nor Yuki seemed to want to bring up the subject. Instead, the nurse silently cooperated with the teenage girl, lending a hand whenever Masha asked for it. Sometimes, his sister didn’t even need to ask, and Yuki was already by her side—just like today.
Yuki had no reason to come to the funeral; however, she was nevertheless here, quietly supporting Masha. She didn’t attend the burial as her nurse but as her friend. Anyone could tell that they had grown closer over the past few months. And along the way, Yuki had also started helping with the house chores. Whether it was for cleaning up or cooking, she was always ready to lend a helping hand. It reduced Misha’s workload by a lot, to the point where the child was left with so much free time that he sometimes wondered what to do.
Smacking his lips, Misha observed the two a little longer. His sister had tried not to cry during the ceremony, but it was without much success. The tears still rolled down her cheeks, and she was now burying her head in the crook of Yuki’s neck, sniffling and hiccupping. The nurse, who was kneeling on one knee, didn’t say anything and gently stroked her back. Her face appeared expressionless, but her eyes seemed to shine with tenderness whenever they landed on Masha.
“What are you thinking about?” Gabriel faintly chuckled, his voice snapping Misha out of his thoughts. “If you keep on staring at those two so much, they’re going to feel awkward.”
“…Is Yuki in love with my sister?” Misha asked in a low voice, looking around to make sure no one would hear them.
Because the boy stood in an inconspicuous corner, there wasn’t anyone nearby. Stephan had long disappeared to who knows where, whereas his father was talking with Fredrick and his friends. Everyone seemed to have forgotten his existence except for Gabriel.
“Well, that,” Gabriel coughed, a little taken aback by the child’s straightforward question. “It’s—”
“Or is my sister in love with her? They’re suspicious, very suspicious,” Misha interrupted, seemingly talking to himself. “What do you think? Don’t they look good together? Wouldn’t Yuki be a good partner for my sister?”
The words freely left Misha’s mouth, a smile in his voice. He suggested such a thing because the nurse was always there for his sister, and he had a pretty strong hunch that it wasn’t only due to her job. She was supposed to come two to three times a week, yet she was at their house five days a week. Sometimes, she would show up on the weekends or holidays.
Moreover, Yuki took Masha’s side no matter what. She even scolded Misha when he stumbled upon their conversation a while back and discovered his sister’s lies, which had sent him into a fit of anger. Although it lacked tact, it prevented Misha from saying things he’d have regretted.
However, Yuki seemed to have felt a bit guilty afterward, quietly doing more housework and whatnot as if to atone for her untactful words. It had made Misha feel a little helpless. Truthfully, he didn’t mind her intervention, feeling grateful instead. If she hadn’t spoken up, Masha and Gabriel wouldn’t have told him anything, taking the blame in silence. They would have let him vent his anger as much as he wanted, and even if Misha did have the right to be angry, he also needed to look at the other side of the story.
Whether he liked it or not, Misha had to know he had hurt his sister first so that he wouldn’t keep on hurting her. For him, his sister was worth the world, and he didn’t want to hurt her any more than he already had. Hurting her was hurting himself. Although it was due to his innocence as a child, Misha wouldn’t shy away from his responsibility. If he was the root of the issue, he could at least do something about it and help his sister overcome her fear. But to do that, he had to know the problem first, which wouldn’t have been possible if Yuki hadn’t spoken up.
Back then, it maybe wasn’t the best time to tell him the truth, but Misha knew Yuki didn’t mean any harm by doing so. After interacting with her, he came to understand she was actually awkward and sometimes didn’t know when or how to express herself. Nevertheless, she stood on his sister’s side and didn’t hesitate to tell him the harsh truth, not treating him with kid gloves. Considering this, Yuki was a good counterpart for someone like his sister, who kept everything inside for fear of hurting him.
“Yup. Yuki is perfect for my sister,” Misha concluded, a broad smile soon blooming on his face. “She’d be a perfect sister-in-law too!”
“…”
What was Gabriel supposed to say to that?
“So, won’t the fake boyfriend help me get my sister a girlfriend?” the boy sweetly asked, shifting his attention to Gabriel.
The smile curved the child’s eyes into adorable crescent moons, yet they also seemed to carry a hint of silent threat. Even if Misha had forgiven them for lying, he still held some grudges, and Gabriel was the one who had to bear with the child’s mood swings. And upon seeing that sweet expression of his, he knew he couldn’t say no, or else, all hell would break loose.
“…Sure,” Gabriel cleared his throat, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Misha responded by letting out a chuckle, rubbing his hands with glee. It made him look overly mischievous, as though he was plotting something terrible. That expression of his drew the attention of a few persons, who then threw him odd gazes. What was that child laughing at when they were in the middle of mourning?
But Misha couldn’t care less about their thoughts, too happy with the idea of getting his sister a girlfriend. She had done so much for him in their past life, working herself to the bones just so he could live comfortably. Now, it was his turn to take care of her and ensure she didn’t lack anything, starting with a doting lover.
***
After returning home, Misha didn’t take his sweet time before ambushing Yuki, shooing Gabriel and his sister away. While he was busy sounding out the nurse, he had given Gabriel the mission to distract Masha and also comfort her. Their grandmother’s death had affected her more than she wanted to let them know, and right now, she needed someone by her side.
Once they were left alone in the kitchen, Misha squinted his eyes, intently staring at Yuki—who had already begun to busy herself with tonight’s dinner. He watched her cut the vegetables for a short while, and after she put the knife away to wash the potatoes, he finally asked, “Hey, are you in love with my sister?”
The unexpected question startled Yuki, and she dropped the potatoes in the sink. A second later, she slowly turned her head toward the child, whose eyes were sparkling with expectation. At first, she thought of denying it, but after seeing that excited face of his, she couldn’t. Swallowing back the words on the tip of her tongue, she waited for a few more seconds before finally mustering the courage to say, “…Is it that obvious?”
“Yes, yes, yes!” Misha nodded like a little chick pecking at the ground. Then, he abruptly stopped moving his head about, correcting himself, “Well, maybe not that much. But anyway, that doesn’t matter. You’re really, really in love with her?”
“Yes.”
“Seriously? I didn’t know you were gay.”
“I don’t really care about gender. If I love someone, then I love them, and that’s all,” Yuki shrugged, picking up the potatoes to wash them once more. “I never labeled my sexual orientation, and I don’t plan on doing so. It’s too troublesome. Although I do have a preference for men, I’ve never been against the idea of being in a couple with someone of the same gender as me. To me, it doesn’t matter as long as I feel happy in this person’s company.”
Misha quietly listened to Yuki, and a pensive look flashed across his face. He couldn’t help but be a little drawn to her point of view. Because she never treated him as a child, she told him things exactly as she viewed them. Gabriel and Masha avoided talking about their sexuality, changing the topic whenever it got too close to it, but Yuki didn’t. She would always tell him everything he wanted to know straightforwardly.
“So, what do you love about my sister?” Misha asked curiously, sorting out the spices they would need to add more flavor to the meat.
“If I say everything, would you believe me?” Yuki chuckled faintly.
“Eeeh? That’s cheating! I want to know more!”
“Ok, ok, I got it. How to say this…” the nurse whispered, her eyes becoming tender. “Your sister is a strong person, you know? Despite going through such a tragedy, she didn’t lose her smile. She worries more about her family than herself, even though her legs are, let’s say, in quite a pitiful state. She’s full of life, gentle yet firm in her conviction. Well, she’s a little too stubborn at times, but it’s also charming in a way. I love to hear her laugh and listen to her stories. It makes me feel warm inside. I’m not a good talker, and I was often told that I’m dull or untactful. But your sister doesn’t mind it, and she talks for the both of us.”
“Hm? You say you’re not a good talker, but you’re talking quite a lot right now.”
“That’s because the topic of our conversation is your sister,” Yuki replied, a smile in her voice.
As they prepared the dinner, they chatted. Yuki had a faint smile curling up the corner of her lips whenever the subject strayed to Masha. She wasn’t the most expressive person on earth, but it didn’t prevent Misha from noticing the deep love she held toward his sister.
“Then why don’t you confess? To me, it feels like my sister shares your feelings.”
“Misha, how old am I?”
“Around 25, I think? Why?”
“How old is your sister?”
“…Oh.”
“Besides, it hadn’t been that long since Camille broke up with her. And most of all, from an ethical point of view, I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to confess to my patient.”
“Well, isn’t Masha’s birthday next month? She will turn 18, so it should be fine legally speaking, no? And it has been months since the breakup. It’s not like you’re taking advantage of it. I mean, Masha is not feeling as depressed now.”
“That’s…”
“And who cares about that ethical thing! If you fell in love, you fell in love! What’s wrong with that? If you confess, I’m sure it would make the best birthday gift ever!”
“Let me think about it,” Yuki sighed, rubbing her neck.
That boy was worse than a teenage girl when it came to love matters, talking non-stop and pushing her about. But maybe he was right; maybe she should try to muster the courage to confess. Perhaps their love story would have a happy ending. Who knows?
Edited by Clozed! ♥
