Yuna came over from the desk and sat down on the futon. She stroked her hair thoughtfully and looked at the sparkling eyes of her sister.
"Where shall I begin?" she asked.
"Our family is dead."
"Yes."
"It was a gas explosion, right?"
The blue-haired nodded hesitantly. "Yes."
"And Yoshiro is dead too."
"Unfortunately, yes."
"Why?" The younger one stared at her sister.
"Why? Because I rammed a knife into his heart and stole his soul," Yuna thought. She looked at Yui thoughtfully. "I don't know."
"He was murdered. Right?"
"Yes. That's how it was written in the papers."
The blonde frowned. "Don't you think that's strange?"
"Strange?"
"First, our family dies, and then Yoshiro too? In such a short time? That can't be a coincidence."
Yuna lowered her gaze. As always, her younger sister was way smarter than it was good for her. She had certainly researched and compiled every piece of information about the whole deaths.
"Sometimes life is cruel, Yui."
She shook her head. "I think something is being hidden from us."
"Even if? What should we do about it? We're just two school girls."
Irritated, Yui looked at the high-school girl. "Where is your imagination and curiosity?"
"I'm sorry that I had to grow up, and can't dream all day long anymore!" Her tone was harsher than she had intended, which she felt sorry for.
"I'm sorry." Yui turned her gaze to the side.
"Don't worry. It ... it's difficult. We both knew that."
The middle-school girl nodded. "Yes. Everything has changed. Even the both of us."
"You don't know how much," went through Yuna's head. Silently she combed her hair with the fingertips of her right hand.
"So ... how did that work out with the guardianship?"
"First, Yoshiro had taken it over. He had even submitted adoption papers to secure us financially," the high-school student said.
"And?"
"Did you know he was rich?"
Yui looked at her sister questioningly. "Rich? He had always been very generous."
"No. Not that. He was really rich."
"For real?!"
Smiling, the older one nodded. "Yes. His full name was Yoshiro Takagi and he was the financier of the Takagi group."
"This medicine company?"
"Yes."
The blonde whistled approvingly. "Wow. That means we are rich now?"
"Yes and no."
"So the adoption was not approved?"
"It was."
The younger one pulled her brow up. "But?"
"In collaboration with Haruka Narusegawa and Kazuki Chigusa, I'm setting up a foundation."
Yui shook her head and raised her hands. "One moment. With whom?"
"Haruka Narusegawa is the mayor of our city. Kazuki Chigusa was Yoshiro's financial consultant and asset manager. Both were friends with him and worked with him," Yuna explained.
"Okay. So?"
"We thought it would honor his memory when we continue to do good with his inheritance."
"Continue?"
The blue-haired began to smile. "Yoshiro was not just good to us. He took care of all people. Around the whole city. Each year, he donated millions of yen to support the University Hospital and other projects."
"He was a philanthropist?"
"Yes."
"Then he must have been really rich."
The older one nodded casually. "He had a lot of money, but his true wealth was his good heart."
The thought struck her own heart. It had been over three months ago, but the pain over Yoshiro's loss still haunted her. She had murdered the most generous and loving man she ever knew. Despite all the bad things he might have done, he was almost a saint. At least she conceded this to him. He had given so much of himself, even his life. Tears came into her eye.
"Yuna ..." Yui crawled out of her futon and slipped on her knees to the blue-haired. She wiped a tear away from her face and hugged her. "It will be alright."
The high-school girl played with the idea of using her power, but perhaps it was good if she would cry together with her sister. She wrapped her arms around the small body and sobbed. "I miss him so much. He took care of me so well after it had happened."
"I believe you without a doubt." The blonde stroked her sister's back as they pressed against each other. "I'm missing him too. It would certainly be easier with him."
"I'm sorry you couldn't see him anymore."
"I will never forget him."
"That's impossible. Somebody like him can't be forgotten."
"Guess, I'm probably the big brain now," Yui joked.
"Yes."
"What about our house?" The younger broke away from her sister and sat down beside her.
"It's being renovated. I don't know what to do with it."
"Live in it?"
"I don't know. Wouldn't that be strange?"
The blonde frowned. "It's our house. It was always our home."
"Sure ... but after all that has happened ..."
"Do you want to live here for the rest of your life?" Yui didn't seem to like that thought at all.
"Well ... we inherited Yoshiro's estate."
"Estate?"
"I wasn't there yet, but it must be quite big. It's out of town."
"Unpractical," judged the younger girl.
"Yeah ... that's what he had said."
"That has time, hasn't it?" The middle-school girl smiled gently.
"Yes."
"How did Midori become our legal guardian?"
"We needed one and grandfather was out of the picture because of his dementia."
Yui laughed. "At least grandfather still lives."
"He'll outlive all of us."
"Don't be so naughty," Yui teased her sister.
"I'm just saying."
"Does he know?"
"No idea. I didn't visit him yet. The last time he didn't even recognize father anymore, let alone us."
"Maybe we should visit him. We only have him left."
"We'll see. In any case we needed a legal guardian. Haruka Narusegawa wanted to take over ..."
"She's Nisha-chan's mother, isn't she?"
The older one nodded casually. "Yes."
"Then we would have become sisters."
"Something like that. In any case, I didn't want that. When I talked to Midori, she immediately agreed to take over the guardianship."
"Despite her pregnancy?" Yui wondered.
"She probably didn't know that at the time."
"Who's the father?"
Yuna shrugged. "No idea. I never asked her and she never told me. I think she is embarrassed, or that she's not allowed to say anything."
"Hm ... I'll ask her."
"Is there anything else you want to know?"
Yui rolled her eyes thoughtfully. She tapped the left forefinger against the lower lip as she pondered hard. The blue-haired watched her.
"The thing about Tirr and the dragons still occupies my mind."
"Hm." Yuna had not the slightest desire to chat about this topic again.
"I still have nightmares about it, but it's not that bad anymore," the blonde explained.
"Sometimes it takes quite a long time to get over a trauma."
Yui nodded with her eyes closed. "I know. Takashi-kun has explained that to me over and over again. And Doctor Yamada, too."
"Still, you can't let it go, do you?"
"It just seemed so real to me. I really believed that we had a dragon in the house."
The blue-haired kneaded her hands thoughtfully. "Yes. Our imagination is a really absurd thing."
"True. I can be glad that it's only in my imagination."
Yuna closed her eye. "For real. At one point, it will go away."
"We should go to sleep, right?"
"Yes. Tomorrow is school. You don't want to be late, do you?"
"No ... listen ..." The older girl gave Yui her full attention. "If I should cry while sleeping, just leave me alone, okay?"
"Certainly not. I'll cuddle and comfort you."
The blonde looked worried at her hands. "I'm still crying a lot."
"I don't mind, Yui."
"You're really the best sister one can wish for," the younger one said, looking up again.
Yuna smiled. "I'm doing my best."
The Masuda girls laughed and chatted a little while they made themselves bed-ready and then went to sleep.
Yuna lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling. Next to her, Yui whined in her sleep. She had warned her. The blue-haired sighed, rolled over and wrapped her arms around her sister.
"It's all right, Yui. Someday, it will be fine."
Affectionately, she stroked the girl as she thought of the terrible nights that lay behind herself.