BXBX NOVEL Chapter 63: His Family
She laughed again, clutching her stomach as if he\'d told her the funniest joke.
Haruto\'s eyebrows lifted as she continued, "My brothers might look rough, like gangsters or something, but they\'re honestly big sweethearts!" She picked up her glass, taking a sip with a satisfied smile.
\'A sweetheart? She has to be joking,\'
Haruto thought, recalling Daiki\'s near-lethal rage and Shohei\'s towering, intimidating frame that was more titan than man.
"My dad\'s a diplomat, and my older brother, Shohei, is just a businessman. So yeah, we\'re well-off." She gave a proud smile, puffing out her chest a bit.
"Hmm… I can see that," Haruto said, nodding. It was becoming clear that Akane had no idea about her brothers\' real lives.
She was blissfully unaware, a sheltered, innocent girl. His lips curved into a smirk as he thought,
\'I wonder how Daiki would react if I took that innocence away.\'
"Here, try one of these! It\'s baumkuchen—it\'s delicious!"
Akane offered him a slice, her cheerful smile still lighting up her face as she took a bite herself.
Haruto accepted the treat, eating it slowly.
\'I\'ll have to get some of this for Haruka,\'
he thought, knowing his sister would enjoy it.
"But you\'re really quiet, just like my brother," Akane observed, breaking the silence. She stroked Mochi absentmindedly.
"Sometimes, I don\'t know what he\'s thinking at all."
"Same here. His moods are… unpredictable," Haruto replied, matching her exasperated sigh.
"Right?" she laughed.
"One minute he\'s all kind, and the next, he seems totally uninterested. It\'s a bit exhausting sometimes."
Haruto nodded, amused by the shared sentiment. While he wanted to learn more about Daiki, his curiosity now shifted to Akane.
If he wanted an excuse to keep coming around, he\'d need to get to know her better.
"I noticed you\'re in junior high. My sister goes to the same school—do you know Haruka?"
Akane\'s face brightened. "Oh! The girl with that beautiful white hair, right? We\'re both in third grade, just in different classes! You\'re friends with my brother, and I know your sister—such a small world!" She laughed, finding the coincidence delightful.
They chatted on, sharing more about their lives until the evening shadows lengthened, signaling it was time for Haruto to go.
Rising from his seat, he gave her a small smile. "Let\'s talk again soon, Akane. Mind if I call you that? And you can call me Haruto—I\'m not much for formalities."
"Sure, why not?" Akane smiled back as she stood.
"Oh, and can I get your LANE ID too?" Haruto added. "It was fun talking with you, and as I said, I\'ll take you to one of my matches sometime."
Akane hesitated, a mix of excitement and nerves crossing her face. It felt a bit rebellious, but since she knew one of the fighters now, she couldn\'t resist.
"Hm… alright, here you go," she said, exchanging contacts.
As they stepped outside, Akane waved him off with a cheerful goodbye. Haruto returned the wave, grinning to himself.
She was as innocent as they come, and he wouldn\'t let the system forget it.
\'Add her as my next target,\'
he commanded silently, watching her wave until he was out of sight.
Haruto walked along the bustling city streets, taking in the vibrant lights from the busy stores still open late into the night.
He no longer worked at Asuka\'s shop; she\'d told him, "Your job is to answer my call," giving him more freedom to focus on his plans.
Humming softly, he felt his mood lift as he mentally mapped out his next steps.
\'Everything is going just as planned,\'
he thought with satisfaction.
\'But I need to move faster with Kota. Time is running out.\'
Just as he was lost in thought, someone hugged him from behind. He smiled instantly, recognizing the familiar sound of her footsteps.
"Haruka, don\'t sneak up on me like that! What if I had a heart attack?" he chuckled, teasing her.
"No way you would!" Haruka laughed, letting go and moving to his side as they continued walking.
Haruto\'s eyes fell on her uniform, and his brow furrowed slightly. "Haruka, why are you coming home so late from school?"
She jolted, caught off guard. "Umm… I stayed for extra study. Just eight more months, and I\'ll be in high school!" she said, a mixture of excitement and nervousness in her voice.
Haruto stopped in his tracks, his thoughts growing serious. The idea of his sister going to high school always worried him, and he knew he needed to address it now.
"Hey, why don\'t we stop at one of these restaurants? My treat."
Her face lit up with a wide smile. "Really? Let\'s go!" she exclaimed, hugging his arm before pulling him toward a nearby restaurant.
Once inside, they found a table and settled in, flipping through the menus. After placing their orders, a comfortable silence lingered until Haruto finally broke it.
"Haruka, about high school…"
Before he could continue, she cut in, smiling brightly. "I want to go to the same school as you, brother."
His heart skipped a beat at her words. He wanted her to stay by his side, but he also remembered the dangers that might await them if she went to the same school as him.
"Have you thought about a private school? You\'re a bright student, and I think it would be better for you to have a good education."
Haruka pouted, her brows knitting together in disappointment. "But I want to be with you! You agreed before—why are you changing your mind now?"
He wanted to tell her everything, about the painful future he was trying to prevent. But he couldn\'t burden her with that knowledge.
She was innocent and cheerful, and he wanted her to stay that way. A brother\'s duty, after all, was to protect his sister from pain, even if it meant keeping her in the dark.
"Yes, but now that I have a stable job, I can start saving for your tuition," he said, taking her hand gently.
"So please, think about going to a good university and marrying a rich," he added, half-jokingly.
Haruka didn\'t find his words funny at all. She scowled, her voice laced with defiance. "I don\'t want to marry rich! I want to be with you!"