The surrounding scenery is still blurry and hazy under the gray rain.
After saying goodbye to his seniors, Raku Sakakihara held up an umbrella and walked home with his silent sister.
The heavy rain made the air feel chilly. It was around 10 o'clock in the night, and the neon lights on the streets of Tokyo began to flash. The colors of street lights and billboards on the wet road became more and more dazzling.
From time to time, cars speed by on the road around you, and the sound of splashing water can be heard in your ears.
"Guest has been waiting for a long time, you ordered takoyaki."
"How much?"
"Concession 1,200 yen."
Sakakibara put away his umbrella, took out a banknote and two coins from his wallet, and while handing over the money, he caught the steaming octopus balls.
The top of the takoyaki is sprinkled with bonito flowers and cheese, and even on a rainy day when the air is cold, there is a faint aroma.
Raku Sakakihara turned around and handed the freshly baked takoyaki in his hand to Suzu Sakakihara, who was still sulking in front of him:
"Here, take it and consider it as an apology."
"Smelly Lele..." Sakakibara Suzu muttered in an extremely low voice, then grabbed the takoyaki in his hand, picked up a toothpick and inserted one into his mouth.
"Be careful when it's hot." Raku Sakakihara warned subconsciously.
"I didn't know you could see the sound room."
"It's your fault anyway!"
"Okay, my bad."
Seeing her angry look now, and thinking of her blushing expression when she said she liked Ni-chan just now, Sakakihara Raku couldn't help but laugh.
"Pfft——"
"Still laughing! Don't laugh!" Sakakibara Suzu was very sensitive to his smile now. She held the unfinished takoyaki in her mouth, puffed her face, and stepped on his shoes.
"Okay, then I won't laugh. Pfft——"
"Sakakihara Raku!" Sakakihara Rin almost broke her voice.
"Sorry, sorry, I accidentally couldn't hold it back." Seeing A Ling's eyes turn red instantly, Sakakibara quickly stopped smiling.
When he stopped thinking again and looked at his sister, he found that the corners of Sakakihara Suzu's eyes were filled with crystal moisture.
She stared at him with trembling eyes for a long time, then turned around decisively, not wanting to see him again.
Really angry?
"A-Ling...A-Ling...A-Ling? A-Ling, are you okay?"
Raku Sakakihara gently shook her shoulders behind him, kept calling her nickname, and thought about looking at her face many times.
But every time he poked his head in, Sakakihara Suzu would look away, let alone her expression. Sakakihara Raku hadn't even seen her profile.
She didn't even eat her favorite takoyaki, she just held it in her hands.
Sakakibara looked at her little back in school uniform, thinking that he wouldn't really make his sister cry, would he?
The last time I made her cry was a long time ago.
Let me explain in advance, he is not the kind of person who likes to watch girls cry.
But as the brother who has watched her since childhood, he has quite complicated emotions about A Ling crying.
First, I just think it’s funny and interesting.
He likes to watch his sister cry in front of him... I don't know if this is a bad taste shared by brothers all over the world.
The second thing is that after you find it interesting, you will still feel a little distressed.
"Are you really crying?" Sakakihara put down his hand and looked at the white back of her neck and asked.
"Who is crying... I didn't cry... Such a small thing is nothing..." A slightly choked voice came from the back of Sakakihara Suzu.
"Tough talk." Raku Sakakihara smiled at her back.
"I'm not so stubborn..."
The air was silent for a long time, and the only sounds of rain and cars on the street could be heard.
"A Ling."
"What..."
"Don't be angry."
"I'm not angry..." Sakakihara Suzu did not turn around to look at him.
"Your brother didn't do it on purpose. I went in to take a look after Miss Yoshihara said it wouldn't affect your work."
"But!" The voice gradually became softer, and Sakakihara Suzu's shoulders dropped slightly, leaving only her back, as if she was speaking angrily, "But you just heard it..."
"It doesn't matter if you hear it. The relationship between us won't change anything just because of two sentences."
"Then you still laugh at me and... keep laughing!"
"No," Raku Sakakihara smiled lightly, "I really didn't laugh at you, I just thought you were cute. Don't you often say you are cute in front of me?"
"That's all-that's all because-!"
Sakakihara Suzu suddenly turned around, with tears in her eyes, and raised her little face up to stare at him with red eyes. But as soon as the words came to her lips, she suddenly stopped talking, and she didn't even know what she should say. "She said she wasn't crying." Sakakihara Raku smiled at Sakakihara Suzu, wanting to comfort her.
"I just didn't cry! Stinky brother... Stinky brother, stinky brother, stinky brother!"
After closing her red eyes, Suzu Sakakibara yelled out a few words about "stinky old man", then grabbed the umbrella in his hand, held the takoyaki that she hadn't eaten even two bites, and quickly turned around and walked towards the other end of the street in the rain.
Run.
Soon, her back disappeared from Sakakibara's sight.
Sakakibara smiled, he knew Sakakihara Suzu very well, she just needs some time to be alone now, don't worry.
Raku Sakakihara raised his head, his gaze passing over the eaves of the street, staring at the drizzle falling between the high-rise buildings onto the street.
The rain was so heavy that there were not many pedestrians visible on the street, and ordinary figures became blurred in the falling rain.
Sakakihara looked at the rain happily, feeling a little dazed.
He suddenly realized a problem.
The umbrella was snatched away by Ah Ling, how are you going to get home now?
......
When Raku Sakakibara saw Suzu again, it was at the door of his house.
She squatted in the corridor of the apartment and slowly scrolled through her phone. Next to her were an open umbrella and a takoyaki box with only one toothpick left.
The fluorescence of the mobile phone screen illuminated her beautiful face, and now it seemed that her eyes were not as red as before.
Since she has finished eating, it means her anger has subsided.
Sakakihara Raku, who had some rain on his body, came to squat in front of her, put his hands on his knees, smiled and said to her:
"Do you feel better now? If you are still angry, I can apologize to you again."
Suzu Sakakihara knew he was coming, turned off the screen of her mobile phone, leaned her back against the wall and whispered: "Then apologize."
"I'm sorry, Suzu." Sakakihara said with a sincere tone and smiled, "Is this okay?"
"Not enough."
Sakakihara moistened her throat again: "I'm sorry, Suzu, I shouldn't have peeked at your work."
"..."
After being quiet for a while, Sakakihara Suzu puffed up her cheeks and raised her head again. Her red eyes had not completely subsided, and now she looked like a little girl who had just become sulky.
"Stinky Lele."
Sakakihara didn't pay attention to her saying that he was happy, and reached out to touch her head: "Isn't this good? Be happy."
"Don't touch my head..." Sakakihara Suzu lowered her head again and muttered in a low voice.
"Okay, I won't touch it anymore," Sakakibara laughed and retracted his hand, "You haven't eaten dinner yet. As a second apology for accidentally overhearing your work, what do you want to eat tonight? Your brother will give it to you.
Do."
Sakakihara Suzu lowered her head and mumbled twice.
"What?" Sakakihara Raku didn't hear clearly.
"Beef curry rice...and passion fruit ice powder made for lunch..."
"Both of these."
"No?" Sakakihara Suzu held her legs with both hands and looked at him with resentful eyes.
"Okay! If you want to eat it, I'll make it for you! But I've run out of passion fruit, so I'll buy it for you when I go out." Sakakibara put the shoulder bag he brought from school on the ground, and took out the key and handed it over.
She said, "Here, take it. I knew you didn't want to disturb their sleep, so I squatted here playing with my phone and didn't knock on the door."
"What are you giving me the key for?" Sakakihara Suzu raised her head and looked at him.
"Open the door for yourself, I'll go out and buy passion fruit."
"Do you really want to go to the supermarket?"
"What else?" Sakakibara smiled, "Don't say I don't care about you. Besides mom, the person who has known you the longest is me. I am your brother. Just tell me what you want to eat. Stretch out your hand.
Come out."
Sakakihara Suzu stretched out her hand blankly and took the key from him.
The lights in the corridor were slightly dark in the middle of the night, but Suzu Sakakihara could still clearly see a small dolphin on the keychain in her hand whose pulp was worn to the point of turning white.
Sakakihara Suzu's red eyes glanced twice at the little dolphin.
"Okay," Raku Sakakibara stood up with his hands on his knees and said to his sister below: "Then I'm going downstairs. Don't squat here all the time. Come inside quickly. It's raining outside. Be careful of catching a cold.
"Also, remember to always bring an umbrella. I might forget one day and you will be angry with me again."
"I know, I know." Sakakihara Suzu, who was squatting at the door, just hugged her legs again and nodded lightly.
After Sakakihara Raku walked downstairs, Sakakihara Suzu stretched out her right hand again.
In her hand was the keychain Sakakihara Raku had just handed her.
The little dolphin on top of the key chain had half of its dorsal fin broken off due to wear and tear, and only a bare rod was left of its crescent-shaped tail fin. It looked ugly and desolate, and it was something that should have been thrown away long ago.
With the white dim light falling from the top of the corridor, Sakakihara Suzu's eyes were fixed on the top for a long time.
She pursed her lips, hugged her knees again with her hands, buried her head, listened to the sound of rain, and muttered in an inaudible voice:
"Why do you still keep it..."
The rain continued, and in the long and narrow corridor of the apartment, there was only one white light on overhead. Suzu Sakakihara, who was huddled in the corner and hugging her legs, was talking to herself in a voice that no one could hear...