Only my sister and I were left in the arcade. We both continued to stare into the distance where Julie had left. Once it fully sank in that she wouldn't be coming back, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders.
That was a pain, but… it was nice seeing her today.
I quickly shook my head. No, there's no time to be content right now. I turned towards my sister with my usual expression. She stared intently into the distance. There was a faint sense of longing that glittered in her eyes.
"You know, you can always go with her."
I said it purposefully, trying to sound a little sad. I wanted to lighten the mood a bit with a joke, but also let my sister know that it was okay to go with her.
Lily softly shook her head and glanced up at me with an affectionate smile.
"No… I don't think I will," she said resolutely.
I tilted my head quizzically.
"Why not?"
She paused for a bit before answering.
"Because… I have an easier time being with you!" she said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Her face shone radiantly as she looked at me. Before I realized it, I was looking away from her. The forced smile I had donned became just a little more genuine, but she couldn't know that.
Lily seemed to sense that something was wrong as she took a step closer, leaning in.
"What's wrong? Did I make you happy~?"
I clicked my tongue.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, kid."
I quickly turned back, a devilish grin on my face, and ruffled her hair.
"Hey- Stop doing that!"
She tried to slap my hands away, but it was a futile attempt. No matter how much she pleaded, I wouldn't stop. She seemed to have realized that and begrudgingly gave up. Even though she gave me a cold side-eye, her smile never wavered.
Giving her one last ruffle, I asked, "Alright, I think it's about time we get your sushi. Where do you wanna–"
"A SUSHI RESTAURANT!"
"No."
"Ughhhhh, Why not?!"
"Because it's too expensive."
Her face suddenly contorted into one of pure horror. Her mouth hung wide open, but she covered it with both hands as if she was about to throw up.
"Don't tell me… You plan on getting me convenience store food?!"
"Well, if you insist. I guess I have no choice."
I sighed and shrugged like I didn't want to do this. A petrified look crept onto my sister's face. I grabbed her hand and dragged her toward the nearest convenience store.
"NO! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME! I DESERVE BETTER!"
Her screams attracted the attention of nearby people. They all seemed to be whispering things like "is she getting kidnapped?", but I paid it no mind. My sister was probably revelling in the attention, though.
The moment we got to the convenience store, my sister let go of my hand and swiftly wove through the aisles until she got to the sushi section. Wasn't she just complaining about store-bought food? Make up your damn mind. Her hands shot forward as she picked out a multitude of flavours.
"Some avocado rolls sound nice… but I'm kinda in the mood for something spicy. Maybe I should go for spicy tuna rolls instead? But I can't just pass up on a classic salmon sashimi… Eh, whatever! My brother is paying for it anyway—I'll just get it all!"
Before I could even take another step forward, my sister dashed back to me with her hands full. That mountain of food held a lot more than just sushi.
"Uh, care to explain—aside from the 5 different flavours of sushi—why you have three different drinks and two bags of chips?"
I couldn't see my sister's face from behind the amalgamation, but I could tell just from her voice that she was wearing a smug expression.
"Uhhhh, so I can eat it all??? Duh!"
"Can you even finish all that?" I asked, trying to sound as reasonable as possible.
"Nope."
My eyebrows twitched.
"Then why are you getting that much?"
"Because I want to try all the different flavours??? Worst-case scenario, you can finish them– I guess."
"'I guess'?" She didn't even care to incorporate me into her thoughts when she picked this all out. How selfish of her. I rolled my eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. I should've seen this coming since she does this all the time, so that's on me—I guess. I tugged on one of the bags of chips, trying to lead her to the line. It took a while, but we eventually made it.
"I can take the next customer!"
We both walked over to the cashier.
"Hello, how may I help you today?"
"Yeah, I'd just like to buy everything she's holding."
I pointed over to my sister, and the cashier's gaze followed suit. Her smile became slightly strained. Lily waddled over towards the countertop and threw the mountain of food on it. A loud clattering sound rang out in the store.
"I'd like to buy all of that for my sister, please," I said with a warm smile.
"O-oh! You must be really hungry to be buying all this, sir!"
I intentionally tilted my head to the side, looking confused.
"Hungry? Nah, this isn't for me, everything's for her."
The cashier turned towards Lily, who had an angelic smile on her face. Anyone else would think she actually had a vibrant yellow aura around her, illuminating the world around her ever so slightly– but I knew better.
"Yep! It's all for me!"
The cashier's eyes widened, but she quickly recovered and proceeded with the next steps.
"Would you like a bag with that?" she asked.
My sister and I glanced at each other, then turned back and responded at the same time.
"Yes."
"No."
We both turned to each other again, and lightning sparked where our gazes met. We waited intently for the other to make a move. Lily's hand twitched, but mine was faster. My hand shot forward and covered her mouth. She tried prying my hand off, but I kept it firmly in place. Her muffled screams leaked through my hand, but I put on a soft smile while looking directly at the cashier.
"She's lying. She's just trying to make me carry it all without a bag. So please help a dude out and give us one."
The cashier hurriedly grabbed a bag and put all our things into it. I paid for our food, grabbed the bag, and dragged my sister out of the store. Once we were outside, Lily began laughing ballistically.
"Hahaha! It never gets old!" she said while wiping a tear off her face.
I thought it was pretty funny too, but I didn't let it show. I'd rather die than let her know that she's actually kind of funny.
"Thanks for playing along again!"
"You say 'playing along', but it's true that you want it all for yourself," I said as I continued walking forward.
"And even though it's always like this, you still play along with me. So stop pretending like it's not funny!"
I let out a tired sigh.
"Whatever you say."
I paused for a moment before asking, "So, what are we going to do now?"
My sister's laughter lingered in the air until not a single sound remained. Her stride gradually became slower and slower until she stood perfectly still behind me. I turned around and faced her. Lily gripped her arm and looked at me with a grim expression.
"I… don't want to go home… "
I stayed silent, unsure what to say. But I maintained the same indifferent yet gentle smile in front of her.
"Well, what do you want to do?" I asked calmly.
I waited patiently as she mulled over her thoughts. Eventually, she answered in a shaky voice, "I-I don't know…"
I silently urged her to continue. Her eyes trembled as she looked at me, but I softly shook my head. She gave me a meek nod and took a deep breath.
"I know… that I have to go back sooner or later. I can't just sleep in the middle of the streets."
She let out a hollow laugh.
"But… I'm scared. I don't want to see Mother again."
She gripped her arm even tighter.
"No… I don't want to go back!" she screamed, her voice full of desperation.
"Y-you're not going to force me, right?! You said you would protect me! So, please– don't make me go back there! Don't abandon me too!"
Her knees buckled from beneath her, causing her to collapse onto the floor. She didn't even bother trying to get up. Instead, she clutched her chest and shed silent tears.
I slowly walked over to her and crouched down, embracing her in a tight hug. She wrapped her arms around me and cried into my shoulder. Her sniffles became muffled in my clothes, but it still hurt all the same.
"If you don't want to go back home, then I can figure something out."
Lily shook her head.
"I-I don't want to go home– but what's even scarier is the thought of not having a place to return to."
She let out a shuddering breath.
"If I don't stand now, when will I? Will I just run away forever? Sleeping in a different place every night? All on my own?"
She buried herself further into me.
"No, I don't want that! But I don't want to return home either. I just… don't know what to do…"
Lily's body shook as she struggled to hold in her sobs. She was… trying her best, in her own way. So, I have to, too. I gently pulled myself away from her and looked her directly in the eyes.
There were many things that I could have said here, but they would only ever be just that—words.
The only one who can truly help her is herself. All I can do is support her to the best of my ability. Whether I'm worthy or good enough doesn't, and shouldn't matter to her.
I brought my hands to her face and began gently wiping away her tears. Once they were all gone, I spoke in a soft tone.
"Then, why don't you fight for your place?"