The twins weren’t in their room when I went to check in on them. I presume they went somewhere together.

Thank you for the help. I guess that’s alright, since we have free time all day today…

I’m a bit worried about the fact that we don’t know where they went. Our conversation from yesterday didn’t end on a very pleasant note.

And here I was hoping to take everyone out on a drive to lift our spirits…

Our other two members are missing as well, so I suppose it’s just the three of us for now.

Buchi-san’s at the sauna again, and Netaro was wrapped up in his sheets mumbling about something.

I presume he’s a bit upset that his invention wasn’t able to make its grand debut yesterday.

Okay… Then there’s no point in just standing around, so let’s head out.

(I hope Toi-kun and Ryui-kun are doing alright…)

……

……

Do you want to play with my pop it toy, Brother Dearest?

Ah, sure.

Mommy, uppies…

Here, come sit on Mommy’s lap.

……

Sleepy?

Mm…

You can sleep on my shoulder.

(His scent…)

(He’s really alive…)

No one’s here.

Yeah, it’s just the two of us.

Yep.

(It’s so quiet. It feels like we’re going to be swept away to somewhere and disappear…)

Brother Dearest, let’s hold hands.

Alright.

(Our steps are in sync. I want us to leave our marks in the snow…)

……

(I wonder what it looks like here in the spring.)

(By then, our matching footprints will be gone.)

When spring comes…

I want us to have a picnic under the cherry blossoms and doze off under the sun.

Alright.

In the summer, we can compare our heights to the sunflowers in the fields…

Mhm.

And in the fall, we can take a walk on a path lined with really nice-smelling osmanthus trees.

Yeah.

(Every time I take a breath, I’m filled with his scent. It reminds me that he’s alive.)

But I’m okay with doing anything, as long as I’m with you.

Same here.

(Chasing after his happiness, celebrating his happiness…)

(I wonder if there’s a world where we can always walk side-by-side, even if we aren’t matching.)

(If there is one, I wish time would stop, so I can stay as the person I used to be.)

(And when everyone else forgets about us, we can quietly melt into the ocean and disappear together…)

…Promise, Brother Dearest?

Promise.

Brother Dearest… The blizzard is…so strong…

Everything’s…stark white…

(Everything… Even the matching footprints we left in the snow.)

*pant, pant…*

Toi, your fever’s⁠—

Brother Dearest, I need to tell you something.

I’ve…changed…

……

Just like Aa-chama does, I can destroy spirits like they’re nothing. I even made all of those spirits that were following you around go pop.

Just like Aa-chama does, I like the taste of blood and liver, and I keep getting it all over my hands without even realizing it.

For a long time now, I’ve been⁠—

I know.

Huh…?

I know, ‘cuz I used alla that bubble wrap to pack jars of liver pâté in my suitcase.

And when ya left to go to Natsume’s room that one night, I was the one who changed your bedsheets.

……

Does that mean… You’ve always known that I’m not a good person anymore?

You’ve always known that I’ve…become ugly…?

I don’t care if you ain’t a good person or if you’re ugly.

I’ll always accept you, and I’ll always be by your side no matter what you decide to do. No matter what happens.

(‘Cuz that’s what it means to be family…right?)

Toi, if ya wanna stop right here forever, I’ll stop with you.

…!

Even if you turn into a Toi that everyone else won’t forgive, I’ll forgive everything. I’ll be there for everything.

…No.

No… I can’t forgive myself. I can’t forgive the version of me who killed us.

(Even after I’ve turned into this…)

I can’t forgive myself for wanting to live…!

Then I will. ‘Cuz I…

I’ll always be the one to love you.¹

……

…Home…

I wanna go… I wanna go home…

Yeah. Let’s go home together.

(I want him to stay with me… No. I want to stay with him… I⁠—)

Ryui, I want to stay by your side…!