Sister, Don’t Marry That Guy – Chapter 12

Chapter 12

I was sitting under a tree, facing the training ground, and when our eyes met, it meowed.

I ran over in an instant.

“Nabi.”

The name that naturally suited this fellow the most flowed out.

I crouched down in front of the cat.

It had been raining until just a moment ago, so Roy Blackwinter wasn’t visible.

“Are you okay?”

Nyaa━!

“I ran over because I thought you might have gotten rained on…”

It seems it wasn’t for nothing. The cat’s black fur was completely soaked.

I held a towel in my hand and slowly reached out. I was very slow, in case it got scared and ran away.

Poof!

Fortunately, it didn’t avoid my hand. It even rubbed its head against the towel, as if it was warm. How admirable.

“But why are you alone? Where did your owner, who always takes care of you, go?”

Niyaaa━!

“Right, not the owner? I guess not. Leaving you this wet.”

Even though I said that, I thought it was quite possible. It didn’t seem like the kind of cat that would be taken inside.

“Still, I’m glad that at least you’re by my older brother’s side.”

I gently stroked its fur and murmured without thinking.

“I didn’t have anyone.”

Unfortunately, no one.

Before I remembered my past life, my efforts back then flashed through my mind. It was a rather pitiful sight. Soon, that image disappeared like smoke.

It’s okay, if I survive anyway, a good day will come someday.

Having experienced it, I know now, even if I roll in a dog poop field, this life is the best. I don’t mind living like a weed.

This life, even if I can’t become a flower, I want to live long, warm, and well-fed.

It was around the time I was evenly drying its fur.

Plop. Plop, plop.

……Huh?

Plop, plop, plop.

Swoosh!

“Ugh, ugh!”

I jumped up from my spot.

I stuck close to the tree. In my arms was the baby cat I had already hugged tightly.

‘It’s raining?’

It was raining heavily.

Because the tree had thick leaves, I could avoid it for a while, but my clothes were getting wet.

Meow meow! Mya━!

Fortunately, the cat didn’t struggle in my arms, but it cried non-stop. Cats didn’t like water, right?

“……This is bad. I’m glad I wasn’t too late.”

I stopped feeling around the tree and lowered my head. I felt a gust of wind at my feet, and when I looked, I saw a knot at the bottom of the tree.

It was quite a large hole, big enough for a cat to easily fit in…

I looked back and forth between the cat and the tree, then sighed.

And I put the cat, still wrapped in the towel, inside the knot. Then I used my bare hands to clear away the rotten soil and fallen leaves that had accumulated inside the knot.

“Can you bear with it even if it’s a little damp? I’ll make it fluffy for you.”

I also unfolded the blanket I had brought and took off my thin cardigan, clumsily wrapping it around to make a house shape.

Then, I moved it again, still in the towel, to the house.

It was a cardigan I had worn just in case, but it came in handy.

“Nabi, do you like it?”

Nyaa━!

I bit my lip. The rain was falling even harder.

“Actually, I want to take you to my room, but my physician is coming today or tomorrow. He freaks out whenever he sees an animal.”

This is a very mild way of putting it.

They said they brought a very talented person from all over the continent as my physician, but his personality was awful.

He was at least polite, but there was one thing he hated with a passion, and that was animals.

A long time ago, when I brought a wounded baby bird from the garden, the physician…

“Dirty animals are not good for your health!”

…told my father, and the baby bird was released before it could even get better.

A few days later, I saw a bird that had been cut by a knife and died. It wasn’t released, it was killed.

I couldn’t let this cat suffer the same fate.

“Next time, I’ll bring you something delicious.”

Nyaa━!

The cat slightly poked its face out and rubbed its head against the back of my hand. Sting. It stung because of the wound on the back of my hand from yesterday, but I smiled.

“I must have been very lonely. Seeing how easily I’m falling for your charm.”

Nyaa!

“Okay, then let’s see each other again.”

This should be good enough for it to stay until the rain stops.

The rest can wait until the rain stops, and yes. Let’s come back after the physician has visited.

Then, I’ll bring something even more delicious to charm Nabi and charm my Third Older Brother too.

I was already completely soaked. It was only natural after all this trouble in the rain.

“Goodbye, Nabi.”

I looked down at my hands, which were a mess with dirt, roughly wiped them off, and said goodbye to Nabi.

And then, I turned around.

“……”

Surprisingly, there stood Roy Blackwinter, holding an umbrella and staring blankly.

As if he had the same thought as me, he was holding a towel in one hand.

I could feel his eyes staring at me. Embarrassed, I glanced up at him once, then scratched my cheek.

“……I just, did it because I wanted to.”

After saying it without thinking, it sounded like an excuse. No, it was an excuse.

Why am I making excuses to that young older brother? It’s not even his cat.

……Though it seems like he was taking care of it.

“I didn’t come to see you, Older Brother.”

Roy Blackwinter slightly narrowed his eyes. I thought he might be thinking, ‘Is she here to bother me again today?’, so I corrected myself.

“It’s just……. um, because it’s raining. Um…….”

Strange? I’m not usually someone who can’t speak well.

I might have been that timid version of myself before I remembered my past life, but not now, after remembering my past life.

It seemed like it was because I got too much rain. I could feel my body slightly trembling.

‘Well, he probably doesn’t want to see me, right? I even got angry at him.’

I should bring something else nice for that young older brother. After the rain stops and the weather clears up.

I slowly walked past the young older brother with the umbrella.

“……You.”

“……”

“Hey.”

My head felt a little heavy. Because of that, I slowly turned around, and I saw Roy Blackwinter, who was also facing me. The rain was falling too hard.

“You……. why.”

“Don’t be angry. It’s scary.”

It was at that moment. Roy Blackwinter looked like two people. No, three? Well, whatever.

But why.

Doesn’t it look like the world is turned upside down?

At the same time, I felt a dull pain. Suddenly, I could only see feet in my vision.

Ah, I must have fallen. Seriously, such a weak body……

“……! ……!!”

With Roy’s words shouting something as the last thing I heard, I slowly closed my eyes.

Ah, please. Don’t just abandon me, go. I muttered inwardly.

* * *

When I opened my eyes, it was dark.

No, that was only for a moment, as the black smoke gradually cleared, and I could see properly.

“Teacher?”

“Nuna?”

A child tilted their head in front of me. Hmm, where did I see this kid? I looked around and nodded.

It was the place where I did volunteer work a long time ago.

These kids were the ones who came to see my performance.

I used to do storytelling at charity performances sponsored by a national volunteer organization.

I also liked my usual resonant voice, and there were times when a certain amount of money was given.

The places were usually hospitals, orphanages, or sometimes department store halls.

Right now, it was a hall set up inside a department store.

Also, it seemed like the performance was all over, as I could see people moving equipment in the back.

Sometimes, after the storytelling ended, curious children would come to visit, and this was one of those moments.

“Nuna, Nuna, so what happened to the swallow?”

“That’s right! He says the swallow died!”

Hmm, was today the day I read 「Heungbu and Nolbu」? I shrugged and continued with a rough explanation.

I didn’t feel bad.

When someone came to visit like this after the performance, it felt like I had become a rather valuable person, so it felt good.

That was until one child asked a question brightly.

“But Nuna! Why don’t you have a mom and dad?”

……Huh, this young friend is cheerfully making a “padrip”.

But I wasn’t flustered. It wasn’t really something to be flustered about.

It seemed like someone with a big mouth in this organization had been talking about me again.

This organization sometimes wrote nasty introductions like ‘A fairy tale told by a brave orphan nuna,’ after all.

“The teacher over there said that nuna doesn’t have a mom and dad, but she grew up well!”

“That’s right, that’s right! My mom said she’s pitiful, so I should be nice to her!”

The child even smiled brightly and offered me something like candy. I clicked my tongue inwardly.

There was someone who looked like a mother standing behind the child, and when she met my eyes, she looked at me as if she was displeased. Usually, they would stop them if they said something like this. So that’s how it is?

I smiled brightly. Then, I stroked the child’s head.

“Little friend, you asked about the swallow earlier, right?”

I glanced at the mother’s side and smiled even more vividly.

“Swallows appear to good people, but if you say things like that, the swallow won’t come to you.”

Then, I whispered softly in their ear.

“Got it? You little tyke?”

When I squeezed and released their shoulder, the child started to sob and cry.

I’m sorry, but this nuna is a bad nuna that the swallow won’t come to. Got it?

“Hey, what are you doing to our child right now!”

That’s right. I don’t have parents, so I have nothing to fear.

While I was muttering inwardly, the child’s mothers got angry at me, then pulled their child’s arm and turned away.

I stared blankly at their backs, then looked down at the fairy tale book in my hand.

「Heungbu and Nolbu」, 「The Little Mermaid」, 「Cinderella」, 「The Happy Prince」, 「Aesop’s Fables」…….

I gripped the books that I once loved so much tightly.

“……I have parents too.”

Yes, I have a family too.

How amazing they are. I have them, okay?

……I finally have a family, so why am I like this.

I watched their backs as they walked away for a long time.

I have a family now too. Why do I feel envious?

And then, I slowly opened my eyes.

It was time to wake up from the dream.