Chapter 129

7th January.

The new year has passed and so the winter holiday which ended yesterday. It means as a high school student right now, I should be in the classroom with everyone. But today it wasn't like that.

Right now, I am in front of the station waiting for Ruri to arrive. Yes, Ruri was on the way here in the morning to see her friend, Kousaka Kirino who chased away from her home with her brother, Kousaka Kousuke.

As it was about Kirino, of course, my cute friend who called me 'Onii-san' Aragaki Ayase also stood beside me waiting for Ruri to come before we go to the apartment where Kirino reside right now.

Yesterday, Ayase contacted me about Kirino who didn't show up in the school at the first day of the school after the winter holiday. Although this wasn't a rare thing for someone didn't come to school, Ayase who has a bad feeling about it immediately consulted me about it.

Naturally, I who also didn't know the reason Kirino didn't come to the school could only console her saying it would be fine. My intuition does tell me something did happen but it wasn't something that endangering their lives. Still, there is no way I could say that to the worried Ayase.

And just as my intuition told me, that night Ruri called me saying that Kirino and her brother chased away from their home because their parents found out about their relationship. She also asked me to accompany her and maybe helping them to solve their problem which I answered with 'yes' as that's my promise with her and Ayase after all.

Solving the problem about their relationship was actually very easy as long as both of them already agreed and prepared to bear the responsibility. The problem is telling or even convincing their parents about it.

Needless to say, they could just run far away from home and continue their relationship without telling their parents. But the fact that they still in this town means they still hesitate whether to continue or not because they felt bad for their parents.

Therefore, I'm going to ask about their resolution before presenting a simple way to solve their problem. And if they're resolute about it, I'm going to ask them to somehow talk to their parents. Of course Ruri, Ayase and I will come to support them.

Because even if their parents scold them, shout at them or even hit them, I believe no parents want to see their children unhappy. I mean, that's why they tried to separate them as Japanese people don't see that kind of blood-related relationship in a good light. Well, cousins or step-siblings might be an exception, though.

"I am sure they're fine physically. Besides, that's why we're going there, right? To support them." I smilingly said to Ayase who look a little worried while squeezing my hand.

"I know, I believe Onii-san could help them. But I still can't help but worry." Ayase looked at me and said with a quiet smile.

".... The way you smile while looking a bit worried was really adorable, you know." I stared at her before said with a teasing smile.

"M-mou, Onii-san. Please don't tease me at a time like this." Ayase said with a reddened face while trying to make an angry face but the way her mouth curved betrayed her.

'Hmmm, adorable.'

"Hehe, my bad. But, it did the job to lighten the mood, right? Besides, the fact that you are adorable didn't change." I smirked and said.

"..." Ayase lowered her head with an embarrassed smile and her face reddened.

"And don't forget, we don't help them. But we will support them. The one who should make the decision and resolution is none other than themselves. And if they have decided and resolute to that decision, that's finally our turn to support them. Because that's wh-" I said but before I was able to complete my sentence, Ayase cut in.

"That's what a best friend does...right?" Ayase raised her head and said while looking at me with a smile.

"Hehe, that's right." I smiled and said while looking directly onto her eyes.

*Cough* *Cough*

As we're sweetly staring at each other, someone coughed and made us looked at the direction of that cough and saw Ruri stood there with her usual calm expression. However, even without intuition I can see envious looks from her eyes.

"Good morning, Izumi-san. Looks like you're having fun flirting with a cute girl." Ruri calmly said.

"Yes indeed. Can't be helped, she is very adorable after all." I smirked and said.

"..." Ayase shyly lowered her head with a reddened cheek yet happily smiled.

"*Sigh* At any rate, this is the first time we met, so let me introduce myself. My name is Gokou Ruri, same as you, that girl's and Izumi-san's friend." Ruri politely introduced herself to Ayase.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Aragaki Ayase, Kirino's friend and Onii-san's…*Ehem* A-anyway, could you please tell me the whole story? I actually didn't know that much since unfortunately Kirino didn't tell me anything about it…" Ayase had blushed when she introduced herself before she immediately looks concerned when she asked about Kirino's problem.

"..." Ruri raised her eyebrow as she heard Ayase's introduction.

"I want to know about it too. But let's talk while we're going to their apartment since my maid has been waiting in the car for quite a while." I said as I pointed at the luxurious car ahead.

"Alright."

---

As the car driving toward an apartment located at the northwest of Izu, Ruri slowly talked about what happen to Kousaka siblings from the start with her point of view.

Ruri, Saori and Kirino met at an otaku girls circle offline meeting. Ruri was already not that bad towards strangers at that time after often talked with us, but she didn't find any people who have the same interest as her in the offline meeting. Thus, she decided to silently wait for the meeting to end.

As she was watching the others while casually answering the question that came toward her, she found that she wasn't the only one who didn't find anyone who has the same interest. It was a girl who wears a very fashionable clothing that didn't suit with this kind of offline meeting.

Unlike her who still greeted or questioned by many other members, Kirino only greeted by the one beside her. Besides not having the same interest, her fashionable clothes might be one of the reasons it was hard to greet her.

Although there are some fashionable ones among otaku nowadays, it was still hard to talk with those we considered normies like her. Or they might already know she was a model at that time.

After the offline meeting end, Kirino and her was invited by Saori to join another meet-up but this time only the three of them. At that meeting, one more person who has been observing them, or to be precise, Kirino from the start also joined. And that was her brother, Kousaka Kyousuke.

That was the time we officially become a circle. At first, Kousaka siblings just look like a normal sibling who constantly quarrelling. Kirino even said a harsh word sometime. But actually, the one who act like a normal sibling was the brother. Albeit a little, Ruri or even Saori noticed that the way Kirino look at her brother was different.

As times passed, it became more visible that Kirino love her brother as that of a different gender. Ruri and Saori felt her brother gradually came to love her too. It was just when her brother went to America just to pick her up that they finally understand their feeling was right.

But, Kyousuke himself didn't realize that the way he looked at his sister was different from before. When Kirino brought her fake boyfriend home was when he realized his feeling. In fact, Ruri and Saori knew that both came to realize their feeling for each other at that time.

Needless to say, none of them know what to do about it since they're a blood-related sibling. But it was also hard for them to hold their feelings back. And it seems the kiss they shared on Christmas Eve broke that barrier a bit.

"From here on will be something that Kirino herself told me." Ruri said before continuing.

Since Kyousuke live in his own, Kirino often come to visit him and both of them indulge themselves with each other presence. Even so, they never crossed the line.

The barrier called, 'Blood-related' was too strong for them to completely break through. Still, at that miniscule moment, they're satisfied. But that was until their mother incidentally found out about them four days ago.

Needless to say, their father knew about that too after that. Both were scolded and Kyousuke even punched by his father. He also told them to just get separated and just forget about and their mother was looking at them with a sad expression.

Then for the first time, Kyousuke argued back. As a result, their father could only look at them with a sad expression and told them to go out of their house. Thus, since four days ago they're already not on their family home.

"That's about it…" Ruri took a deep breath as she concluded her story.

Silence assaulted the car as Ayase was silently trying to digest the story about her friend that she didn't know of.

I look at Ruri who calmly looking at Ayase seemingly waiting to hear her reaction toward the story. She didn't look worried or maybe even already prepared herself to help her friend.

"I see…. So, it was like that... I wish she just told me about it directly." Ayase said with a sad smile.

"... You didn't feel disgusted or even angry about it?" Ruri looks surprised as she asked. Well, it was natural, this kind of thing was difficult to accept for ordinary people after all. Then, Ayase looked at me who sat beside her with a smile and gently held my hand.

"Fufu, I feel like having déjà vu from that question. The previous me might be angry even disgusted about it. But, someone told me it is the duty of a best friend to laugh and accept whatever my friend's hobby is or in this case relationship.

I, too, understand she must be embarrassed to tell me about it since it wasn't exactly something that could easily be told to others. Besides, I believe that certain someone would help us to support them." Ayase said with a loving smile as she looked at me.

"...Hehe, what a coincidence. I believe that too." Ruri smilingly said while looking at me like Ayase. I looked at the rear-view mirror and saw Grayfia also glanced at me and nodded before she continues to look at the road.

"Hehe. Well, for now, let's ask their preparedness first then we could support them to talk with their parents." I chuckled and said.

"Nn!" Ruri and Ayase simultaneously nodded.