Capítulo 2: Chapter 2: Sickly Sister Kasugano Sora
Chapter 2: Sickly Sister Kasugano Sora
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"I'm back."
"Sora, are you awake?"
After school, Elric arrived home to a clean and tidy hallway and an empty living room.
"This kid, still sleeping in?" he muttered.
Changing out of his school uniform into casual clothes, Elric put down the daily necessities and schoolbag he had brought home. He walked to the door of a room and knocked softly.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Sora, I'm coming in."
Opening the door, he was greeted by the sight of a cozy, warm bedroom. The bed, adorned with various plush dolls, held a small figure nestled among them: his sister, Kasugano Sora.
In the world Elric inhabited, his father had been an exchange student. After falling in love with Elric's mother, they settled in Japan, where Elric was born.
Tragically, Elric's mother passed away from a serious illness, leaving behind only Elric and his father. Later, his father met Kasugano's mother, who had also endured a similar loss. Both were single parents with children, and they quickly bonded. With mutual support, they fell in love and formed a new family.
Sadly, a workplace fire claimed the lives of both parents, leaving Elric, then twelve years old, and Kasugano Sora, just ten, to fend for themselves.
Logically, the two would have been adopted by relatives, but in an era of societal indifference, no one wanted the burden of taking in two children. Refusing to rely on others, Elric took Sora under his wing, surviving on their parents' insurance money and his knowledge from two lifetimes.
"Sora, why are you still sleeping? Did you eat today?"
Kasugano Sora, despite their merged family, had retained her original surname. This was largely due to her quiet and introverted nature, as well as her fragile health. Elric had been concerned that adopting a new family name would disrupt her already delicate emotional state.
At first, Elric's impression of Sora was colored by memories of Yosuga no Sora. But over time, he realized that Sora was not a character from any story. She was her own person—Kasugano Sora, his sister, with her own thoughts, memories, and individuality.
Of course, her frailty remained a defining trait. Knowing she disliked social interaction and refused to leave the house, Elric didn't force her to attend school. Instead, he respected her wishes, prioritizing her happiness above all else.
He pulled back the curtains, letting the setting sun and fresh air brighten the room. Turning back to see Sora stirring under the blanket, Elric sighed.
"Utaha is coming over for dinner later. What do you want to eat? I'll cook."
"Anything is fine," came Sora's muffled reply from beneath the quilt.
The tone of her voice hinted at annoyance over Utaha's impending visit, as if she were silently asking, Why does my brother keep inviting other women into the house?
"Alright, then get yourself up and ready. I'll go start preparing."
With a helpless smile, Elric left the room, closing the door softly behind him.
Click.
As soon as the door shut, Sora slowly poked her head out from under the quilt. Her delicate face was tinged with a faint blush, and her dark eyes glimmered with emotion.
Taking a deep breath, as if trying to catch traces of Elric's lingering scent in the air, she whispered, her voice almost trembling:
"Stupid… brother…"
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Silent.
Frail.
Secluded.
Weak and sickly.
If one were to describe Kasugano Sora, these four words would suffice.
She had been frail since birth. Her poor health had caused her father to separate from her mother at an early stage of her life.
In Sora's memory, her home had always been cold.
There were hospitals, rooms filled with the pungent smell of formalin, patients who died daily, and...
"Have you heard? The Kasugano family's child is incurable. The disease can only be managed, not healed."
"That's right. And her personality is awful. I've never even heard her speak."
"It's hard on Kasugano's mother. If it weren't for that child, she'd probably have a much better life, don't you think?"
These were the kinds of whispered comments Sora heard most often.
Am I a burden to my mother?
Should I... not have been born into this world?
Influenced by her environment, Sora gradually closed off her heart, feeling the malice of the world pressing down on her.
It was during this time...
"Sora, from today on, he will be your... father."
"And Elric, he will be your brother from now on."
When her mother brought a man and a boy into their home, Sora didn't know what to think of Elric or his father.
"Hello, Sora. You can call me uncle for now, and we'll get along slowly," said Elric's father gently.
"Hi, Sora. My name is Elric," the boy introduced himself with a bright smile.
Unlike the forced smiles she was used to seeing, the smiles on their faces were warm—genuinely warm.
But happiness was fleeting. Before long, tragedy struck again, and this time, even her mother was taken away.
At the funeral, Sora watched as unfamiliar relatives debated who should adopt her and Elric. She didn't care.
It doesn't matter. I'm tired of all this.
"You don't need to worry. I'll take care of myself—and Sora," Elric said firmly.
Although he was only two years older, his words carried unshakable conviction.
Why is he doing this? Why does he want to take care of me?
Sora couldn't understand Elric's determination. She didn't think she had ever been a good sister, not even calling him "brother."
But then he said:
"Sora, from today on, there will only be the two of us."
At that moment, as Sora looked at the boy whose shoulders weren't much broader than hers, yet bore the weight of the world, something inside her shifted.
From that day forward, Elric lived frugally, studying tirelessly while taking care of her in every way imaginable. He made sure she never had to return to the hospitals she hated. Even the bitter medicine she despised was sweetened by his coaxing and care.
The girl, who had once despaired of the world, began to see a light in her life—a light brought to her by Elric, her brother.
"Brother... will you leave me one day?"
Her voice was tinged with fear. Fear that Elric would leave her behind like everyone else. Fear that the warmth she had finally grasped, the tenderness she so desperately needed, would one day vanish.
If I had never seen the light, I could have endured the darkness.
But after seeing its beauty, how could I ever go back?
"Leave you? No. I will never leave you."
The world outside might be stormy, but Elric's heart burned with unwavering warmth.
Looking at his steadfast figure, Sora could feel his sincerity, his commitment, and the gentle light he carried—enough to rekindle her hope.
Slowly, she emerged from under the quilt, clutching the small rabbit doll Elric had given her—the first gift she had ever received from someone other than her mother.
Her fragile heart had already surrendered.
"Brother..."
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