And then Sister suddenly hugged me, resting her head on my shoulder and weeping.
The girl lowered her head, her voice steady, but her eyes were filled with tears.
At that time, I thought she was very strange.. her expression was.. very frightening to me.. Back then, I felt something was wrong with Sister, I wanted to call Mother over.
Nana paused, steadying her voice: "Sister suddenly spoke up, saying she was scared, very scared."
I find it strange.. but.. I'm not as scared anymore.
Gin did not interrupt her.
And then she asked, what would happen to Zhenjun if she died?
The Silver-haired youth's fingers twitched.
He lowered his head.
The girl's voice continued, conveying stories from the deceased that Gin was unaware of.
She said that Zhenjun only has me to trust. If I cannot stay by her side, will he feel lonely? And.. Zhenjun is there, where he must be cautious; if he has no one he can trust.. he will.. he will surely be exhausted in the future.
Gin listened quietly, the Little girl's voice constantly reaching her ears.
Her thoughts drifted away.
Actually.. looking back on it, that mission to the USA was also full of suspicious points.
The timing was just too perfect. Although this mission was difficult, it wasn't as if there were no one capable of completing it. Moreover, he had just recently been under suspicion from the Black Organization; how could they have let him undertake a mission abroad so quickly?
It was clearly just to get him out of the way.
He thought that, in truth, it was unnecessary.
[Because he had never cared about Shiratori's family at all.]
If it weren't for the Black Organization killing the Shiratori couple, if it weren't for Vermouth, he might not even have remembered those three in the future.
He realized this and felt a sense of bewilderment, but even standing before Shiratori's Grave and seeing Shiratori's sister, he remained unchanged.
He merely sighed in lamentation, but he did not take it to heart.
To Gin, Shiratori was naturally important, but his family was nothing more than strangers to him; at most, he would look after them for Midori's sake after meeting them.
The Little girl's words continued.
It continued, persistent and irritating, reaching his ears.
And then Sister suddenly pleaded with me, her voice trembling as she begged, saying that if I were to see Zhenjun after her death, I must never lie to her, not even out of kindness.
She hoped that Zhenjun could have someone he could trust, even if it were just one person..
Even if Zhenjun doesn't know, she still hopes there will be someone in this world who will never lie to her; she hopes this person exists, so that she can walk a little more with peace of mind.
Nana's certain voice seemed to overlap with her Sister's voice in that instant.
She hoped that in this world, there would be at least someone he could trust with all his heart; otherwise, it would be too exhausting, too bitter, even if he didn't feel it himself.
It's so exhausting to carry it all alone.. I won't lie to you, never.. Mmm.. At most, I just won't tell you, but anything I do say will be the truth!
She hopes that more people will 'love' Zhenjun.
“—I hope there can be more people by your side.. What are you doing? You're being far too tense!”
“She also told me that, if possible, could I stay by her side forever.. But she didn't say it as earnestly as before, as if it were just an additional request..” As Nana spoke to this point, her emotions stabilized considerably.
And then.. it was as if Sister had come to her senses; she said she was just talking nonsense and didn't mean anything by it.
The little girl said this, then added more, her eyes carrying a meaning she herself could not quite define, appearing both lost and hopeful.
But in the very end, she added that if it were possible, she still hoped Nana could help, as long as she could fulfill the first request.
Well.. how can I be at peace like this.. If I'm no longer around, you must find someone who can treat you with sincerity forever!
—But that person might not be like me! Cherish me well, do you hear me!
..
He realized so clearly the differences between himself and Shiratori.
Gin lowered his head slightly, his fingers stroking Shiratori Midori's Tombstone, where a black-and-white photo of the girl was attached, her smile gentle and bright.
How could you.. possibly like me?
..
Nana seemed to have finished speaking; the long string of descriptions had overwhelmed her throat, leaving her coughing for a long time.
Then, the little girl lifted her eyes and asked earnestly, "You are Zhenjun, aren't you?"
She spoke in a question, but her tone was clearly one of certainty.
Gin did not refute her; he simply nodded.
Having received an affirmative answer, Nana seemed very happy. She gave a soft laugh and then spoke:
At that time, I was thinking, how could it be you who killed her? Even if it were anyone else, why did it have to be you?
That's right.. why would it be me?
The Little girl's raspy voice rang out again, carrying an inexplicable sense of certainty.
But thinking about it later, if it were you, Sister probably wouldn't even blame you, even if she died, right?
Gin suddenly looked deep into her eyes.
She gazed into Gin's eyes for several seconds, her green eyes seemingly ablaze with fire.
I'm telling you this because I have my own selfish motives.
The Little girl's voice was a bit faint; she tried her best to speak louder, but the pain in her throat sent waves of protest through her, which she endured through gritted teeth.
I can't get revenge.. I can tell that Sister cares about you deeply, you don't feel indifferent toward Sister either.
She lowered her eyes, let out a self-mocking laugh, then looked up again. "But you don't care about us—about us, Sister's family."
Nana was not stupid. This half-month of fleeing had made her realize even more the coldness of the world—even if she hadn't known before, she could understand it now by looking at her attitude toward her last time, as well as her indifference toward the news of her parents' death, which he had long since known.
She knew that what she was doing was risky, but she had no other choice and could only stake everything on this one final gamble.
Anyway, even if she lost, it wouldn't be more than this.
I have my own selfish motives. I'm telling you this to use Sister to shake your resolve.. perhaps.. it could lead you to seek revenge for us.
Gin raised an eyebrow as he looked at the little girl who was staring at him stubbornly.
She had no leverage, yet she looked at him with such determination—perhaps she truly held a resolve to die.
In an instant, he felt as if he saw the gaze Shiratori Midori had before her death.
SSCH
If you just say it out loud like that, aren't you afraid I'll refuse you because I hate your 'schemes'?
The little girl lowered her eyes gloomily; she knew the chances of success were slim, but she would still feel deeply saddened if she were truly rejected.
"I know.." There was no need to pretend to be calm, no need to feign strength—not that she was strong to begin with—her voice was thick with tears:
But.. Sister begged me, she begged me like that, I promised her. I can't lie to you.
A glint flashed in Gin's eyes, his cheek twitched violently.
..
Looking at the Black-haired girl's corpse before him, Gin quietly lit a cigarette.
He had been busy with this matter for a long time.
And because of this matter, he didn't feel at ease leaving it to anyone else; he could only do it himself.
The Silver-haired youth gazed at the girl's corpse, slowly finishing his cigarette.
I really am selfish.
Gin thought to himself.
Then he turned and walked away.
A few days later, he received the news, as expected, that Sherry's family had been dealt with.
The Silver-haired youth showed a look of shock and rage, his teeth biting hard into his lower lip, revealing an undisguised ferocity and murderous intent.
Just like his reaction when he first heard it, facing Vermouth.
After a long silence, he grit his teeth and said, word by word, "What about Sherry's sister?"
"She.. she is also dead." Facing the youth whose reputation within the Organization was growing more fearsome by the day, the newly promoted Cadre's face was filled with panic.
Beside him, Vermouth watched him with concern.
As the newly promoted Organization Cadre implied that he would surely be stripped of his skin today, the Silver-haired youth let out a deep sigh.
He blinked his eyes, his face full of exhaustion: "You should go."
He seemed to have lost a great deal of spirit in an instant.
"Take care of yourself.." Vermouth said softly. His words were always half-truth and half-lie, it was rare for his to offer such blunt consolation.
Only after the Blonde-haired woman had left did the confusion and sadness on Gin's face slowly fade, replaced by a contemplative expression.
Vermouth..
..
That day, before Shiratori Midori's Tombstone, the Silver-haired youth finally could not help but take a step forward and embrace her under the Little girl's surprised gaze.
Despite being somewhat fastidious, he embraced the disheveled Shiratori Nana without any disdain, even though the girl's voice already carried a foul odor.
She stroked Nana's greasy hair, her voice coming from above Nana's head.
It was very soft, filled with hesitation.
But Nana remembered it for a long time.
From now on, I will be your brother.
Author's Note:
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