Beep beep. Beep beep.

I reached a hand out of the covers of my bed, blindly fumbly for my phone, before getting up groggily to squint at the screen.

8am.

It was time to wake up for school. Any later than this, and I won't make it for homeroom class.

My morning routine was simple -- get out of bed, brush my teeth, and run some water over my hands to try to comb out my bed hair with my fingers. After doing the best with what I could do for my hair, I stared into the mirror for a moment.

A boy with wild black hair and equally black eyes with slight signs of dark circles underneath them stared back at me. Pastel shaded skin from too much time spent indoors, playing computer games and browsing the web, and although it was clear from my appearance that I didn't care much for sports or any physical activity, I had a medium build with height taller than most of the other kids in school.

But other than that, I was a pretty average looking dude, what you'd expect from a typical Japanese highschool boy.

Changing into my school uniform, I walked out to the living room of my small apartment, glancing around the desolate place.

I still had trouble understanding why rent in Tokyo was so expensive considering how small the place was. I had been sent out here from Yamanashi by my parents to live here alone so that I could 'attend a good highschool and get into a good university'. But I probably wasn't doing a very good job of that. Sorry mum and dad.

It wasn't that I was dumb. School just didn't interest me. The subjects taught were done in an impassionate manner and seemed to have zero practicality in real life. Spending hours every day to study was simply self torture in my mind.

Well, there was also another reason why my parents had sent me to live here alone in Tokyo.

Eating some cereal for breakfast, I left the apartment, locking the door behind me as I began the train commute to school.

~x~

"Uwah, did you watch the latest episode of that TV show last night?"

"Are you up for playing some basketball after school?"

"I've heard someone saw Sugita at Shinjuku yesterday..."

I strolled into the school grounds, carrying my bag over my shoulder as I walked past crowds of lively students chattering to one another all around the place.

What a bore. Just overhearing the conversations going on around me made me yawn, wishing that I was back at home, sleeping.

"Hey dude!"

Koichi slapped a hand down on my shoulder, grinning, as he joined me in walking to the school building, "Another boring day of school, huh?" He said.

I glanced at Koichi, his spiky brown hair gelled upwards as usual, a rough broad face matching his solid build. Unlike me, Koichi was actually a pretty athletic person, having played in the nationals for football a year ago, which really begged the question how we were even friends in the first place.

"Man, I told you not to be so chirpy in the morning," I sighed jokingly, "You're ruining my vibe, Koichi."

"Right!" Koichi laughed heartily, "Gotta look all cool and emo in front of the girls, right? I'm sure they dig that."

I grinned at Koichi. He was probably the only guy at school that I could stand. Just as I was about to reply to Koichi, I heard excited cries and whispers coming from the crowds of student around us.

I followed the eyes of the crowd to see what they were looking at.

From the front of the school gates, a girl was walking into the school gate, surrounded by a group of friends around her.

"Waah, it's Kawano-san...!" A girl in a crowd next to me squealed.

"She's always so pretty even in the morning...!" Someone else said.

"Damn, I am so jealous of the guy that gets to date her...!" A guy in another crowd said.

I stared at the girl they were all looking at.

Luscious long blonde hair falling past her delicate shoulders, and scarlet red eyes that glimmered like two ruby gemstones, surrounded by long dark eyelashes. She had a stunningly beautiful face, not a single sign of blemish or flaw marring her perfect complexion, with a slender nose, cherry pink lips that pouted outwards alluringly and cute dimples that made themselves visible whenever she smiled, making her look like an angel.

Even the way that she wore her school uniform was visibly distinct from those around her, every piece of clothing being worn perfectly on her petite body when most students would adjust their uniforms slightly to stand out or for personalisation. There was not even a single degree of improper angling on her clothes, nor was there so much as a crease anywhere to be spotted.

Truly, the only word to describe her was 'perfect'.

...

Or that was what I used to think before I confessed to her.

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Saiki caught my eyes staring at her, and she smiled at me, giving a small wave from across the school grounds.

"Did Kawano-san just wave over here...?" Someone in the crowd next to me said.

"It kind of looked like he was waving to that guy..."

"No way, why would Kawano-san wave to him..."

Dammit! That yandere. I told her to keep our relationship discrete at school.

Luckily Saiki didn't do anything else besides the wave, now chatting to her friends besides her.

"Dude," Koichi said from my side, sighing as he lowered his voice to a whisper, "I still can't believe you and Kawano-san are now dating. What I would give to have such a hot girlfriend. You're probably the luckiest guy in the world right now..."

Yeah right.

"Anyways, do you want to go hit the arcades after school today?" Koichi asked, "You're not going on a date with Kawano-san again, are you? Gotta leave some time for your best pal, ya know."

"Nah, sorry Koichi, I can't today," I said, shaking my head, "Today is..."

"Oh, that's right... Sorry dude. How could I forget." Koichi said, grimacing, "Yeah, no problem, Naosuke. Tell her I said hi, yeah."

"Thanks Koichi. I will."

~x~

It wasn't long before the day of school eventually came to a close, and I took the usual train going back home. Except I wasn't going home. Staying on the train for a few extra stops, I left the train at Asagaya station.

Then, I walked out to the streets outside the station, following the street until I arrived at my destination.

Walking inside the tall building, I was greeted by a receptionist at the front desk.

"Ah, Ishimoto-san!" The receptionist smiled warmly, seeing me, "You're back."

"Yep." I said, "How is she doing today?"

"Lovely and strong as ever," The receptionist said, "Always saying how she's so excited for you to come see her next! She's going to be so happy to see you today!"

"I see," I smiled softly, "Thanks."

"Please, come with me, I'll take you to her."

Following the receptionist up the elevators, she led me to one of the many doors along the corridor.

"She's just inside," The receptionist said, "I'll be downstairs at the front desk if you need anything."

"Thank you." I said.

The receptionist left, walking down the corridor, and I pushed the door open, entering the room.

Inside the room, a young girl was lying on the bed alone, wearing a plain gown with white bedsheets covering half her body.

She had tidy black hair, falling over a pale delicate face with round black eyes and a short nose. The girl had a young cute face, being around the age of 7, but there was a frailness to her appearance as though she was undernourished.

The girl raised herself up from the bed upon hearing me open the door, perking up alertedly.

She was silent for a few seconds, listening carefully, then in a soft voice, she said, "Big bro...?"

"Yep, it's me." I said, smiling as I walked over to the bed where the girl was.

"Is it really...!" The girl cried cheerfully, "You came to see me, big bro!"

"Of course I came, Sayuri." I laughed, "What do you take your big brother for? Some heartless demon?"

"Ah! I didn't mean to make it sound like that...!" Sayuri said worriedly.

"Chill," I chuckled, "I was just joking."

I stared at Sayuri, watching her lying on the bed.

Although her eyes were open and her face was turned towards my general direction, she wasn't really looking my way. Her black eyes seemed to hover somewhere near my head, staring into nothing at the wall behind me, a big smile on her face.

My little sister, Sayuri, was completely blind.

This was one of the reason why our parents had sent me alone to Tokyo as well. To look after my sister who was receiving treatment in a hospital at Tokyo due to the special conditions of her medical illness.

"Jeez, you're so mean, big bro!" Sayuri pouted jokingly.

"Sorry, sorry," I laughed, placing my bag down on the ground as I pulled up a nearby chair to sit next to Sayuri on the bed, "Anyways, I got you a present today, Sayuri!"

"Really?" Sayuri's face turned bright with excitement, "What is it, big bro? I'm so excited!"

Rummaging a hand into my bag, I pulled out a doll of a blue bear about the size of a pillow that I had purchased a few days ago, "You were saying the other day that you really loved that TV show about the bear family they played in the hospital, right?" I said, "So I got you a doll of the main character in the show."

I handed the doll to Sayuri's outstretched hands, and she gasped, "Y, you mean Nampo...?"

"Huh?" I was confused for a second, until I remembered Nampo was the name of the main character of the TV show, "Yeah, Nampo, that's the one."

Sayuri shrieked, feeling the doll in her fingers, "I, I'm so happy, big bro! I can't believe it! Thank you so much! I really love it!!"

I laughed, not expecting her to have such a huge reaction as I watched Sayuri pull the doll into a tight hug, "It's the least I can do for you, Sayuri..."

Sayuri shook her head, "No, you didn't have to do anything for me, big bro, and yet, you still went out of you way to get it for me. That makes me really happy!"

"I'm glad you like it." I said.

"I'm going to sleep with it every night!" Sayuri said as she hugged the doll spinning left and right, "You're the best big bro ever!"

"I'm not sure if the nurses will let you sleep with it..." I laughed weakly.

"What?" Sayuri cried disappointingly, "No way!"

"Um, I will speak to them about it." I said, seeing the frown on her face. "I mean, it should be fine, I think..."

"Thank you, big bro!" Sayuri smiled in my direction again, then she turned her head back to the doll, holding it out in front of her.

Gradually, the smile on her face started to fade as she faced the doll in silence.

"Is something wrong, Sayuri...?" I said.

"It's a really great present, big bro..." Sayuri said, her voice now quieter, "I just... I just wish I could see it..."

Crap.

I fell silent, not knowing what to say.

Maybe I shouldn't had given her something she can't see.

"Um, I think I saw some soundtracks of the songs in that TV show selling as well when I was buying the doll," I said, "Maybe I can swap this one for..."

"No!" Sayuri suddenly cried, turning the other way to hide the doll away from me, "I don't want anything else! Don't take it back! Don't take it away from me...!"

"Okay..." I said.

Sayuri went quiet for a few seconds, "What does Nampo look like, big bro...?"

"Huh? Oh, the doll..." I said.

She nodded.

"It's blue," I said, "Ah, looks just like a normal bear. Big eyes, circle nose and a smile..."

"Is he cute?" Sayuri asked in a quiet whisper.

"Yeah, of course..." I smiled.

"Good." Sayuri smiled, hugging the doll even tighter.

~x~

I stayed at the hospital for a couple more hours, chatting to Sayuri about what I did at school before I eventually left, stepping out of the building to see the night sky outside.

Every time I saw Sayuri, it broke me inside to see the state of her. We were close siblings growing up and I had been the one to look after Sayuri almost her entire life. She wasn't born blind.

About a year ago, she was kidnapped on the way home from school one day by a gang of yakuzas. The yakuzas had been looking for a way to make quick cash, subjecting her to horrifying abuse and torture for an entire month, intending to sell her off in the black markets as a child slave, before the police eventually tracked them down.

She was so scarred from the trauma inflicted on her that she developed conversion disorder, losing sight in both her eyes.

In the end, the police wasn't even able to keep the yakuzas locked down for long due to some deal their boss struck. Still to this day, they were probably freely roaming the streets somewhere.

I gritted my teeth, slamming a fist into a nearby telephone pole, barely being able to feel the pain stinging my knuckles.

If I saw those bastards ever again... I would kill them with my own hands.

That is what I had swore to myself.

Strutting into the dark streets, I began the journey back home.