"Let's go! Let's go!"
God, she's so hyper... Did that man feed her way too much sugar? Well, I guess they're rich, so...
"So-so-so-so-so! Who's going to be the "it"?!"
"... You. I mean, I'm a guy, so obviously I would have superior speed."
"Hmph! I'll show you!"
She tags me and I chase her around the village centre. Oh dear, she's also fast as well, what kind of turbo maggot is that? Despite this, I feel like she also "holds back" herself, as if she went even faster, there would be no way I would catch her.
"Tee-hee! Fortune you're so slo-ow! Fortune you're so slo-ow!"
"Grr, I'll show you this then!"
And by some kind of miracle, I would end up tagging her. My body felt so much lighter now, as if the time itself bent around me. And it wasn't the first time it happened. When I would play tag with my sister, sometimes, when I was on a losing streak, I would "accelerate", making it impossible for her to catch and she would give up. Perhaps if I really-really-really want to, I would be able to be as fast as a hare.
"Oof!"
"Now! No holding back! Tag, you're it!"
"Hey!"
In order to not lose the sight of her, I run backwards and I see her putting in more effort into chasing me. Damn, she really is fast for a pampered girl like her... What is she, a budding athlete?
Despite this, I use this backwards run as a way to taunt her, this girl needs to be put in place by the king of all things tag! Some mini-athlete won't stand a chance against the one who barely lost to his older sister!
"Bebebebebebebebe!"
"Grrrrngh!!..."
Her face is so funny when she's mad, kinda like how I used to pester my sister as a child and she would make all those very funny faces. Later she would heavily berate me for this, but what danger does this girl have? I continue to tease and mock her before I, in my haughtiness, bump into a stranger.
"Yeowch!"
"Hey! Watch where the hell you are running, kid!!"
"I-I'm sorry, I d-didn't mean to--"
The man punches me in the face, hard, to the point I fall down the street. Sol immediately rushes towards me and tries to get the man to apologise.
"What the hell do you think you are, brat?! Want to taste the same medicine as this challenged lad?!"
Sol braces for the blow, looming over me to protect me before her father shows up to stop the stranger.
"If you lay even a finger on a child, I will break your arm. To ANY child."
"Y-Yes sir!"
The man flees from the scene and Sol's father checks up on us with a concerned look on his face.
"Hey, are you both alright?"
"I... I'm fine! B-But Fortune!..."
"... I've had worse."
"Is there a local hospital. I'll fetch you to it. That hematoma is a rather serious one, you could've lost your conscience to that blow and if you didn't recover quickly, you would've ended up with brain damage."
"... Sir, I'm fine... Don't talk about me as I'm dying..."
"No, we're going to the hospital. Look at you, holding your head. I bet you're having a massive headache. Come on."
Sol's dad helps me up and with my struggling directions, we end up at the hospital of Praeya, a small little run-down building that despite everything, still operational.
"Oh, a guest? What business do you have over here?"
"Please take this child. A grown man has clocked in the face and he needs immediate medical help. I'll pay the bill"
"Alright."
The nurse takes me in and recognises me.
"Oh, you're that kid that is taking up various jobs around the village. I saw you at the bakery sweeping floors."
"..."
"... I know your sister would also take up those. She would even take jobs from me... But it seems she didn't like it very much, and it's a shame. I would've used a helper around..."
"... Why are you expressing your false sympathy, you don't even know us."
"It's not false! Your sister... She opened up to me on some details of your situation when she was working here. She said that what you're experiencing... Is awful. The worst part is that I can't do anything about it, nothing at all... Come to think of it, it's after she revealed this information to me that she left, so maybe that info... Maybe I'm overthinking it.
What I'm trying to say is that I know how hard your situation is, seeing you take the same dullness in your eyes as your sister is just awful considering... You know. She wanted you to be the happiest boy in the world and I want to upkeep the promise, yet... I don't know the full details of whatever's going on in your family, and I don't want to open the wound as wide as I already did, but I can't do it. Nevermind that, I still have other patients to look out for. Sure some of them are rude, but human life is important to me, so I don't want to discriminate.
The best I can do is to offer you a "discount" for my services. In case something like that happens, you're free to visit me here; I'll try my best to patch your wounds. And, as a bonus..."
!
"Voila! A candy! Kids love candy. Cathy also loves candy. Oops, well, let it be a secret between you and me; take it as a payment for receiving free healthcare. The moment you reveal Cathy, I'll stop accepting you into the hospital, capisce?"
She puts an ice packet on my face. It feels... Alien to have someone actually caring for us.
"Cathy is my adopted niece, and I keep her secluded here. It seems you already have a friend of your own, but it wouldn't hurt to see baby Cathy. I know for a fact that she'll like you."
Good, now I have another babysitting job... Now I can see why Sylvie was so annoyed with me.
"Again, please keep her existence a secret. This is a village of uncouth thieves and cunning bandits. And she was already taken from a bad place, so I don't want to endanger her again."
She sings a small tune and with that, I feel like my pain is soothed. I feel... At peace.
"I'm sorry that I can't do anything regarding your family situation, but that's the least I can do. Don't tell anyone about this exchange, alright?"
"Um."
"And... Sorry to drag your sister into this. She probably meant a lot to you..."
"... It's been almost two years... I... I moved on."
"..."
Exiting the hospital, Sol cheerily hugs me, happy to see me. Her dad smiles as well and asks if the nurse was scary.
"No. Not at all. Thanks, um..."
"Oh, right, I never introduced myself to you, did I? My name is Oswald Emerade. I'm a researcher magician and I'm taking this business trip to research some crystal growth in nearby mines, as they were reported to have magical properties."
"Ooh... Well, my dad used to mine here and I helped around at times."
"Sweet, can I conduct an interview with him?"
"Eh, no. He... Doesn't like people like you, sir. I doubt he'll be cooperative"
"That's a shame. And I assume you don't know too much about those crystals?"
"Nuh-uh."
"Alright. Guys, I think we'll call it it for today. You two can play tomorrow, okay?"
"Fiiiine..." Sol pouts and then she looks at me
"Don't do that ever again!"
"Wha? What?"
"The teasing! You were too mean!"
"Alright, sorry, I might've went overboard, I'll be gentle next time."
"And!... Don't hurt yourself ever again..."
"... Fine,
whatever you say, "princess"~"
"HEY!"
We bicker for a bit, leaving poor Oswald exhausted from our childish behaviour. He then truly called if quits and dragged Sol away from me, as she promises revenge on me.
I soon return home and start writing down the events that transpired in the diary.
"<...> It has been quite lonely without you, Sylvie, I think you would've liked Sol as you're both quite feminine. And she would also probably gush over Mallow if she was still here."
It seems despite me constantly reassuring myself that I had moved on, I simply just can't go ahead and forget my sisters. And that nurse, just as she said, widened the wound.
Well, at least I have something to look forward to tomorrow.