--Night . Pasta home.

I made too much!
"Not again. ！！！！！

　The dining room of Pasta's mansion echoed with loud comments.
　It's a large hall in a large mansion, and the tables are suitably large.
　The table, which is long and can hold up to twenty guests, is filled with food.

"Hey, the maid couldn't eat this morning, so...
"That's not what I meant!　If you had asked me to leave some for you, I would have gladly done so!

　The maid sticks out her tongue, and the girl with the sword holds her head.

　The nightmare of this morning is back.
　I thought I was going to dream about it, but I didn't think I'd get to taste it again before I went to bed," she said, staring at the table with a fearful expression.

　The steam and aroma of the warm food was wonderful, even though my stomach was growling cheerfully.
　Still, the thought of forcing myself to stuff myself as I did this morning made me feel both hungry and full at the same time.

Oh, Sister Coro, you're amazing!
This is brilliant.

　If there's one thing I'm happy about, it's that we have two more guests.
　The man with the iron door, with whom Leafy had just had a brief handfasting, seemed to be a good friend of both Pasta and Futa, and the girl, who seemed to be his daughter, seemed unusually fond of Korona and Futa.

　The girl, however, would not be able to help them.
　I'm talking about the food, of course.

"No, no, no.
No, no, no.

　Corona and the girl, Ruri, exchanged a peace sign.
　Corona and the girl - Ruri - exchanging peace signs, and her father looking on with a lax expression, is difficult to mix, to say the least.
　I'm sure he would have looked a little more sage in the arena, but I'm convinced that people change from place to place, and in a different way than I originally thought.

"-Oh, another grand one.
"Don't you ever learn?　That maid.

　When the door finally opened, Leafy squealed with delight.

"Welcome, victims one and two!

　He smiled and patted them on the shoulder, the difference in height was terrible, but there it was.

No, victims for Corona's meal, that's a terrible thing.

　Hooter paid me off.

"Yeah. Well, whatever you do, show some respect for the food.

　Pasta pays me.

"Aren't you guys hitting me too hard?

　The fake siblings looked at each other and laughed happily as Leafy cried out with a tearful expression.

　The two siblings looked at each other and laughed happily. Then, somehow, Leafy couldn't come on too strong either.
　I'm not sure who was the first person to call for the worst table air championship. Even though she was the first to be appointed, there was always a rift between the two after that.

　If I could see so clearly that they were mending their relationship. It's no wonder their expressions became loose and bonded.

　And if the two of them saw Leafy's expression, it was only natural that they would guess it too.

"Sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
"So don't look at me like that, you bitter bastard.

　I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.

"Mr. Futa, Mr. Futa!
What's wrong?
You did great!
Yes, Corona, you did. Thank you. That looks delicious.
It's Master Futa's birthday. You should be proud.
Thanks, thanks, thanks.

　This is a great way to make sure that you don't get caught in the middle of the action.

　When he saw Ruri's eyes sparkling at the food in front of her, he promised himself to make it quick.

　Corona's eyes looked expectantly at Futa's every move.
　I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who's not afraid to ask questions.

　And Pasta, with her cheekbones in the air, awaited his words.

For the first time, I'm a champion.

　It was an honest feeling.
　Was he really the champion he had been at the Colosseum? Up until now, I had nodded indifferently when asked that question.
　In fact, I was, and more importantly, I did not lose.
　I am a champion because I have not lost a fight. If you say so, then so be it.

　But in the end, for Futa, a champion is something so vague and worthless that he can't even drink it down without theorizing about it.

　That's why today was so special.

　I became a champion for the first time. I stood at the top for the first time.
　There's no logic to that feeling. The moment Lilac handed me the flag, the roar of the crowd, it clicked. Yes, it really clicked, as if the pieces fell into place inside me.

　So, this is the champion, I thought.

　It's been a long road.

　If you glance at Leafy, you can immediately remember the fierce battle in the qualifying round.
　In the beginning, I didn't pay attention to the crowd.
　But thanks to the pasta, he got a position as a commentator, and his position in the crowd was established.



　I'm sure I'll never forget the card with Izna Sienzan.
　I'm sure I'll never forget my card with Izuna Sienzan.
　I shudder to think that the first time I heard such a loud cheer, it was for me. It was truly a great favor.

　It may not have been that big of a deal to Pasta.
　But it was through her efforts that the existence of Futa, the swordsman Futa, was rewarded for the first time.

　So I decided to return the favor.
　I also thought that this was the place to return the favor.

　The match with Lilac.
　As a result, I turned my back on what she had been looking forward to.
　But I was going to get my first victory. The fact that I did everything in my power to achieve this means that I met her head on.

　I reached out my hand, hoping to reach my dream.
　I got my first victory.
　Futa still believes that it was not a small thing for Pasta either.
　Even though he had been made to feel uncomfortable, the smile on his face that day was probably the most genuine and sincere expression he had ever seen.

　And the final.
　The arrangements were made. It wasn't just Futa who looked forward to winning.
　The two of us. All of us.
　It was the first time we had fought Arawn, but we were able to overcome him head on with our "fighting swords".

　Looking back, those were intense days.

　I open my eyes and realize that the tournament has come to an end.

　I chuckled when I realized that I had only declared myself a champion.

　But then again, I'm not that good of a talker.

"--Yay, cheers!
"That's all you got?

　"That's all you've got?" asked Leafy.
　I'm not that good with words.

"Cheers!
"Hi!

　The maids were all smiles, and even Ruri, who hadn't quite grasped the situation, smiled and toasted to her brother's victory.

"I wasn't there for the whole thing. --But I'm still glad to have been invited.

　Wind, smiling loosely, also clinked his glasses with Futa's.
　While everyone was celebrating.

　Corona glanced at the pasta.

　She fiddles with the cup in her hand and looks around at everyone.

　--Thinking about it, at Leafy's victory party, she didn't try to fit in with everyone until the very end, and proceeded to eat quickly.

　It's not that I still regret it. There's no way I could have toasted with a smile after what I went through.
　But.

"See you tomorrow for the victory party.

　I'm the one who promised that.

　He drew a small arc around his mouth.

"We won. ！！！！　Total victory. ！！！！

　He shouted and slammed his own into the other cup with such force that it spilled out.










　The diner was still bustling with people.
　Pasta went out alone to cool down his burning body after he had had a few drinks.

　It is often said that one should enjoy the night breeze.
　It was indeed a good way to cool down and cool down a hot body.
　I got drunk and had fun, and I ended up hanging out with a lot of stupid people.
　It's strange that I don't think it's a bad thing, but I guess I'm still drunk. I must be.

　The breeze is gentle, a small caress to my hair.

　A small cluster of flowers in the garden bed brought a hint of fragrance to her nostrils.

You're here?

　That's when.
　She turned around and saw the light leaking from the window.
　The young man seemed to have dutifully walked out of the front door and came here, with the crowd of people on the other side of the wall.

You didn't have to come looking for me.
I thought you might have gotten lost.
In your own house?　That's not funny.

　The sound of stomping on the lawn echoed in the background.
　The only light came from the dining room and the stars.

　Just the two of us, with the early spring insects making a slight bell-like sound. 　

I looked for you on the balcony.
"Oh, because of the night breeze?　Yeah, that's usually the case.

　The balcony of this house is also more than a little large.
　The balcony of the mansion is much larger than that of the garden, but if you ask me, it is much more plain than the garden, and I was only aware that it is used for drying clothes.

　I didn't have an image of her going in and out of the balcony herself.
　This was more apparent when compared to her sister.

I like it this way.

　She said, stepping forward with her hands behind her back.
　The sky is far away from here.
　But...

It's not that I don't like balconies, but... It's just that flowers take root in the ground.



　Looking down, I see flowers.
　Flowers in the garden, neatly arranged, swaying as if enjoying a gentle breeze.

"If it's a star and a flower, I just like flowers.

　I crouch down and gently stroke the lining of the petals.

　You can find a lot of people who are looking for the best way to get the most out of their life.

　Futa remembers, "By the way.

"Did you do these flowers yourself?
Yes, I take care of them.

　Futa's eyes widened slightly at the simple words.
　It was unexpected, but it also made sense to me.

　Thinking about it, it was true that he often went out to the garden alone.

I've been doing this every day, and it doesn't take much time at a time. ...... I'm not as busy as I used to be, you know?
...... I'm not sorry.
I don't want to hear that empty apology either. It's just...

　I'm not going to say that I'm not sorry.

I don't care enough about it anymore to be able to mix it into casual conversation like this.
"......
You don't care?
"Because...

　I'm not sure what to make of it.

　It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your vacation.

You're not going to forgive me, are you?
...... unless you apologize.
I didn't do anything wrong.
Then you did.
Hmm.

　One day, I'll say something that will bring back the bad times.
　Futa was silent for a moment, unsure of what was going through her mind at the moment after their victory.

　She, too, said nothing for a while.
　Quiet silence descended on the night of victory.

　After a while...

The first job I ever got into was selling flowers.
...... That's...
You don't have to look for the deeper meaning. I just thought it was a children's florist.

　A children's florist.
　It sounds very cute, but Futa knows that her past is not that great.

　Indeed, he had never asked her about it in detail.
　I knew I shouldn't have.

　What was it that prompted her to open her mouth?
　--I'm sure it's nothing.

　It's probably nothing.

"I didn't know you very well.

　If what she said was true, it was because the girl in front of her already knew Futa well.

　That's all I'm saying.

　Just as Futa told me about his past.
　She also just felt like spilling a little. It's a sign that we've grown close enough to reveal our heavy memories, that we want each other to listen.

　In spite of the fact that we were in a relationship where we "never forgave" each other and "never apologized" for what happened.
　The feelings that gave rise to that stance had somehow drifted away in the breeze. I have long since lost all sense of resentment and anger.

"A manager is a seller. --I'm sure she was trying to make it clear to me, but it was annoying. I started a flower shop thinking that I could get by selling things, but I got trampled by stray dogs claiming their territory.
......
"In the end, you can't do anything without power. You can't do anything without power. I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it.
"......

　But that's not the point.

If you didn't have the talent of a manager, do you think you would have survived that beating?
"...... No.
No. It didn't change. It's only natural for a kid who's just been thrown out and doesn't know his way around. It would have been no surprise if he had been killed. But I survived because I was a manager."

　He exhales and says.

I had a brother."

　Huta's eyes widened at this comment.

　He listened to the story as it was being told. I thought he was opening up a little, that much I thought.
　But...

　But then I remembered that the reason why she was clouded by the word "brother and sister" was because she hadn't heard it yet.
　I never got around to asking her.

"To be precise, it was just a violent device to call me 'brother'."
...... What the hell does he want?
"Maybe he just wanted to play family."

　She then sat down on the grass and looked up at the sky.
　The unreachable stars twinkled.



When I gave up selling flowers, I wanted power to survive. There was no way I could train myself, so the fastest way was to get into the hands of someone with power. And that's what I found.
"......
"You can do whatever you want with me. Now that I think about it, he's a cocky little prick. I'm not sure what a single digit kid is talking about. ...... But I was desperate, too, since there was no price I could pay.
"......
It was awful. It's true he was strong. But when he didn't like something, he hit people. He hit things. He even hit me, over and over again. ....... I had to be his little sister. I was involved in a lot of businesses behind the scenes, trying to survive, but ...... when he came back home.

　She continued to mumble about her miserable past.

"You have to smile and say welcome home. You'll get five blows. Three if I don't like the way you smile?　Well, I'm helpless, so all I can do is apologize.
What do you mean, "family"? You just want a convenient doll.
You just want a convenient doll. ...... So you wanted a convenient doll. And he had the power to get it. That's all I'm saying.

　I have no good memories of my brother.

　I don't have good memories of my brother.

"...... Do you have an aversion to the word brother and sister?
"No. I was just irritated because it reminded me of that b*tc* Lilac. --That's what I'm trying to tell you.

　The story of the girl who shut her mouth one day.

What happened then?
"We got an extermination order for the slum we were running. They were going to kill us all, so I ran away first thing. --I was picked up by the Orba Trading Company.
"...... I see.

　He nodded. Again.

Yeah, .......
What, twice?
No. I'm sorry I tried to force the issue.
It might have been a little less awkward if you'd stepped in. It's all in the past.
...... Is this past history, too?
...... Yes.

　Affirmative.

　Futa let out a small breath.
　He didn't know what to say to her.

　Futa's siblings are not going to be a good memory for him. Even so, Futa doesn't regret handing over her "profession".

　Her case is different.
　There was nothing I could do. There was nothing she could do to change it. Then it would be cloudy. She must not have wanted to hear even the word "brother.

　But even then, she would clench her teeth and give up everything for profit.

　I sat down next to her.

...... Is there anything I can do to help? For example...
What?

　I'm at a loss for words.

　As usual, I hated myself for not being able to come up with a witty line at a time like this.
　If only one word could change her gloomy expression into a smile.
　Because that's what Futa wants right now.

"If you can smile--

　"If you can smile," he said, reaching out his hand.

"Maybe we should really try to be brother and sister.

　In the end, he could only tell her straightforwardly.

　As soon as I muttered this, a night wind blew.

　She rolled her eyes in surprise. Her blue eyes glittered in the starlight, and I honestly thought it was beautiful.

　Only. She took a glance at Futa's outstretched hand.
　That hand, scarred.

　She gave a small smile.

　She removed her hand.

"I'm not like them.

　Futa was stunned for a moment, but she closed the distance between them.
　They were sitting next to each other, and now they're here. The height difference that was normally unreachable is now reachable.



　If you can't reach the stars, bloom like a flower on the ground.
　Then what you want will come to you.

"I'm not gonna be your brother or sister, much less

　Whisper in my ear.

　Gently touch my cheek-- something soft and wet.

　She laughs in front of Futa's stunned eyes.

I'll never be a burden to you.

　That smile was, oddly enough.
　It was the smile that Futa was looking for, the one that would shake off his melancholy.

　Futa doesn't know much about flowers. He doesn't know the names of any of the flowers in this garden.

　But he knew the name of this flower that bloomed under the starlight.

　He didn't know that it was such a beautiful flower.