Marie

This is a rough, rough translation of Marie’s light novels for Sister Princess. Chapter titles are in bold.

To you, far away

Every night, night comes…and I turn off the lights in my room and go to sleep in a pitch black room…

I am a little scared sometimes.

Enter the room… Close your eyes, and find something even more special than this dark room.

When you enter a world of pitch black….. that moment before you fall asleep.

I’m scared… so, in truth, at times like these… if only I could be by your side… next to me… I would like to quietly feel your warmth…

I want to feel better… That’s what I can’t help but think.

That morning…

I felt like I heard a voice calling me from somewhere far away.

“Woof woof woof!”

When I woke up, I found my bedside blanket lying next to my bed.

There was Mikael sniffing his hand.

“…Ah, Mikhail, good morning ♡ Morning has come already.”

Michael is my very kind and obedient friend… He’s a big golden retriever. He looks so big, so it doesn’t seem like it… but he’s still a kid inside… He’s a little mischievous, and very charming♡ He always makes me happy when I have to leave home and stay alone at the sanatorium♡ When morning comes like this, he often comes to wake me up. Hehehe… Michael is so smart. But this morning… I wish Michael had waited a little longer…

That… that dream… was a scene I had always imagined.

I was in a nostalgic house filled with sparkling sunlight… Yes, Mikael was there too ♡ Mikael was still a really small child… And as I was watching Mikael running around playing with me, I suddenly had an idea. I gently motioned for Mikael not to make a fuss, and then I quietly got behind my brother so he wouldn’t notice… And at that moment, he saw Mikael suddenly stop running… And then I… heehee ♡ I quickly covered my brother’s eyes with both hands. “Who’s that?” he asked…

The garden… I was full of energy and running around the garden, and beside me… my older brother was gazing at me dazzlingly from the terrace.

Even though he knew it was me, he laughed and said “Huh? Who is that? That’s confusing…” as if he was teasing me… gently…

It was a truly happy scene that happened when I was still healthy and living at home with my brother. In my dream, I gently touched his cheek, and it was so warm that it felt like it was real, but it was still just a dream. Every time I remember it, every time I dream about it, happiness and tears come all at once. I’m sure I’m no longer in that world.

“Woo woof woof woof!”

Michael…

At that moment, Mikael roared loudly… and I was taken aback. You’re right, I shouldn’t be thinking about such things… I came here to cheer myself up… to return to my brother’s side once again. I shouldn’t be so weak-willed. …Yes! Thank you, Mikael. I believe in you. Someday… I’ll be with you forever.

The day will come when I can do so. Big Brother is always worried about me and encouraging me, so I have to cheer up for you too♡ Big Brother…I’ll do my best for you! So this morning too…I said “Good morning, Big Brother♡” to the photo of my beloved Big Brother that I always have hanging by my pillow…and said it with a smile.

“Hey, Michail! You see, this morning I had a wonderful dream about you, my brother…”

Life in the sanatorium follows a set schedule. A regular life is very important for me… So, in order to get better as quickly as possible, I try to follow the schedule as closely as possible.

First thing in the morning is study time. There are many other children in the sanatorium besides me, so there is a private school here.

The teacher who gives me this is Yuriko-sensei, who has a very gentle voice, loves reading, looks great in her pure white blouse, and is always calm… When something fun happens, she bursts into laughter with a very gentle smile. I hope I can become a woman like that in the future… Hehehe The classroom faces the garden, so when I look outside during class, on sunny days I can see the vast, clear blue sky. Me…

At times like that I always think that.

“My precious big brother is far, far away in this sky…♡”

Then at lunchtime, everyone goes back to their rooms to eat lunch.

Takushi can’t eat much, so it’s always hard for him to eat everything… But he wants to get better soon so he can meet his big brother again♡ Today, he did his best and ate everything! Ufufu♡ That

I took the slightly bitter medicine right away afterwards too.

But then when I took my temperature…

The nurse who handed me the thermometer looked a little troubled, so I thought, “Oh…” Shortly afterwards, the doctor in charge came and told me that I had a slight fever, so I should stay in bed and rest for the afternoon.

I did as I was told and got into bed, but I felt so pathetic in bed that I shed a few tears. Because… at this rate, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to go to my brother… If I don’t get better, my brother will surely forget about me… No, more than that… if time continues to pass without me… then my brother will grow up… and I’ll be all alone…

I guess… No, as time passes… My brother will grow up… and I’ll be all alone.

“Woof woof woof woof woof!”

…………………Michael! Don’t cry so much… I’m sorry for crying again. …………… But………But, I’m so sad…Because, Brother

………………Oh? Michael…what’s that in your mouth?

Mikael gently brought me something in his mouth… It was a letter from my big brother. He was concerned about my health and wanted me to get better soon, but he said that I was too serious, so I should take my time and not rush it… And that my big brother was always watching over me…

………………I was so happy, my heart was full… I couldn’t say anything ♡ It was as if my brother had really been watching me from afar as I cried, and his letter gave me strength… However, at the end of the letter it said “Take care not to get your shoulders cold,” so I stroked Mikael’s head and said thank you, before getting safely under the covers.

Hey♡”

“Dear brother… how are you? I am… today too.

I had a slight fever. I was a little disappointed because I thought it would be a long time before I could meet you again, but then I got a letter from you…♡ Mikael was so excited, as if he knew it was a letter from you…

Brother… I’ll be patient… I’ll get better soon.

On a nice day…

Only once a week…is Michael’s shampoo day.

Shampooing Mikael is one of the jobs I look forward to the most. I can only do it on days when I’m in good health, but I’ve been feeling pretty good this week… hehehe ♡ When that happens, I usually choose a sunny afternoon on a day off to wash Mikael!

I’m in a nursing home, so I don’t have any opportunities to help with things like washing dishes, cleaning the house, or preparing meals… I always know that I can’t continue like this, but whenever I tell the nurses, they always tell me, “Getting better is more important than that. You can do all those things when you get better and go home.” So, taking care of Mikael is the only job…or rather, the role that I can do for someone else.

I only shampoo once a week, but it seems that Mikael doesn’t really like shampooing that much… hehe ♡ Even though it’s only once a week, he always comes reluctantly –But during the summer, on those days when I go outside like this and make a big fuss with Mikael… I feel like I’ve become a normal… lively girl… and it’s a fun time.

I change into a freshly washed dress in case it gets dirty again today, and get ready…oh no! Then when I go outside, I don’t forget to put on my big sun hat…yep! That’ll do ♡ I call Mikael and head out to the garden.

“Now, Mikael! It’s time for shampooing. ♡ … Ufufufu, it’s a nice day today. ♡ Mikael is surprisingly mischievous. I have to give him a good wash! Come on, don’t go ahead, come over here.

As expected, Mikael came towards me with a slightly depressed look on his face. Ufufu…♡ Mikael really hates shampoo. But if he doesn’t wash his body at least once a week, he can’t always smell good, right?

But Mikhail always becomes completely calm when I start pouring hot water on him. So it doesn’t take that long, and there’s no foam or hot water splashing all over him… he’s such a good boy! And after he’s been thoroughly washed and is completely wet, he gives me a clear signal with his eyes that he’s far enough away from me, and then he starts shaking… to drain the water♡ After that, I dry him off with a big towel. But on this day,

In the middle of shampooing, Michael suddenly stood upright and started barking.

“Woof woof woof woof woof!”

“Ahhh, Mi-Michael… W-what happened?!”

Even though he was completely covered in foam… I don’t know what he was surprised by, but Mikael was trembling and barking… It looked like he might run off somewhere at any moment. I thought I had to calm him down somehow, so I tried my best to hold him down, but at that moment Mikael stood up again…

“Kyaaaahhhh…!”

I was pushed by Mikael and fell down. And then… I got hit by the shower… and my head got splashed with water…

“Kyuuuuun…”

Then, Mikael noticed me right away and looked dejected… I said, “It’s okay, it’s nothing serious… I must have been so surprised that I screamed…” but I must have shouted too loudly – a nurse came running over at that moment… I ended up going back to my room. Mikael… followed me with a worried look on his face, but he told me to come back later because I couldn’t stay wet… I’m sorry… for scaring you, Mikael… I’m really… okay…

But… that night…

I guess pouring water over my head was a bad idea after all… I got a high fever.

Put it away…

To be honest, I don’t remember much about that time. However, after the nurse took me back to my room, I gradually started to feel colder. As I was wondering what to do, my body started to get really hot and my head became fuzzy. Before long, I didn’t even know where I was.

I felt so helpless. My body was burning hot and my head was foggy.

I felt dizzy, as if I had never been in a room before, and yet the room was dim, as if the lights were not on… Also, there was no sign of anyone around me as I slept, and the heat of my body was making it harder and harder to breathe, but all I could hear was… the sound of my own breathing.

And then, the only sound that could be heard in the empty room was the ticking of the clock…

“Haa… Haa, I want to see you, Brother…”

Suddenly I felt very lonely and without thinking I called out my brother’s name. And then… I think at that moment I fell into a dream.

“Oh, Brother… so you were there. I… I…

In my dream, all I could see was my brother’s figure floating in the pitch black darkness.

Big Brother opened his arms towards me, welcoming me with that sweet, gentle smile he always shows only to me. I hugged him without hesitation – hehe… I hugged him tightly, although I’m too embarrassed to do that normally. Before I knew it, tears were filling my eyes, and I felt as if I could feel Big Brother’s sleeves getting hot and wet with my tears.

…And then I thought… I wish time would just stop.

“If I can stay in my brother’s arms like this… then I don’t mind if it all fades away like this…”

But…………After that, the next time I noticed……ufufu♡

Right in front of me was my big brother…my real big brother…and next to him, Mikael was smiling…

“Oh, Brother! You were really here?! So then… then, the one who took my hand in my dream… the one who embraced me… was the real Brother in reality?”

I heard later that my brother… it was a holiday, so he came to visit me secretly to surprise me. And so, when Mikael barked that time, he must have just arrived at the sanatorium… because he had found me… Oh my… Mikael♡

Brother… I’m sorry. I… I didn’t care if it was fleeting.

I don’t think about it anymore. Because back then, it was my real brother who brought me back… I felt so safe and secure in his arms… it was so wonderful. I hope that one day I’ll get better and I’ll be able to be held like that again…

amulet of life

“Lights out…”

I heard the nurse’s voice from afar and realized I was dozing off. Ufufufu… I’m not usually one to fall asleep so easily… Maybe it’s because I’ve been in bed all day today knitting a sweater to give to my big brother? I’m kind of tired… and before I knew it, I’d fallen asleep ♡ But… I want to finish knitting it quickly and give it to my big brother as soon as possible! When the cold season comes, before my big brother gets cold… I want to warm him up with this sweater filled with my feelings… ♡

What a thought… While I was thinking about this, the nurse on patrol came into my room and said to me.

“Oh, sorry for waking you up… It’s time for lights out… Come on, come on, put your hands in the bed, okay? That’s…

Do you have one?”

“Ah… this is…♡”

The nurse was looking at an important charm tied to the headboard of my bed. Before I knew it, I had reached for the charm and fallen asleep clutching it. I thought I’d gotten over it recently, but there I was, clutching it again… hehehe ♡

Seeing that I had laughed involuntarily, the nurse gently tucked my arms under the blanket and smiled…

“It’s a very important charm….who gave it to you?”

“Yes… it’s a very, very important charm. My older brother gave it to me a long time ago…♡”

This was shortly after I found out about my illness.

I was immediately admitted to hospital, and without any mental preparation, I ended up not being able to go home after my examination… But even after I was admitted to the hospital, it took a while for me to get used to the change in environment… I was still young, and there were tests every day, I was in a ward full of strangers, and I slept alone at night… I felt lonely and sad… and I just cried every day.

But at that time, my older brother came to visit me…

At first, my brother seemed a little unfamiliar with the hospital and seemed quite uncomfortable. He brought me a bouquet of Turkish bellflowers, which I like, but he seemed a little reluctant to give them to me… and handed them to me rather brusquely — now that I think about it, he must have just been a little embarrassed.

Right, heehee… But when I saw my big brother like that, I somehow felt even more lonely… and I couldn’t bear the feeling of insecurity… So I quietly hugged my big brother… and said, “I want to go home”… and began to cry…

Big Brother remained still in my arms for a while… but then, while I had my face buried in Big Brother’s tummy and still hadn’t stopped crying… he suddenly said in a loud voice, “All right!”… and then he wrapped me in his gown, picked me up, and threw me out the window of the hospital room…!

And then he went outside too… That’s right. The two of them… ran away from the hospital!!!!!

“Oh, Brother… T-that’s not okay…♡”

Right, Ufufuku… But when I saw my brother like that, I somehow felt even more lonely… and I couldn’t bear the feeling of insecurity… I just remained silent and hugged him… and said, “I want to go home”… and I began to cry…

Brother stayed in my arms for a while, but then I buried my face in his stomach and started crying.

While this continued, he suddenly said in a loud voice, “All right!” and then he wrapped me in his gown, picked me up, and threw me out the window of the hospital room.

And then he went outside too… That’s right. The two of them… ran out of the hospital!!!!!

“Oh, brother… T-that’s not okay…♡”

I was so surprised, because I never thought that Big Brother would do something like that, so I blushed and panicked. I thought it was because I was being selfish. But Big Brother smiled brightly and…

“It’s okay, no one will think that Marie is in the wrong. I’ll be the only one who gets scolded,” he said…

That’s how you act, my brother… then, when that happens, I will be just as guilty!”

After that… My brother took me by the hand and we walked around the area, chatting happily about all sorts of things… and then we went to a nearby shrine.

My brother prayed for me, saying, “I hope Marie gets better soon and can come home as soon as possible.” So I joined him in praying, hands together. I prayed that my brother and I could be together forever and ever.

“I’m sure I’ll get in trouble if I go back…” “Hehe… I think I’ll just not come back.”

On the way back to the hospital… I had completely regained my strength thanks to you, Brother. Because… I realized. That you would always help me when I was in trouble or feeling lonely… You were the only one who always truly understood my feelings.

But after that, when we returned to the hospital… My brother was scolded by the head nurse. I tried my best to explain that it wasn’t my brother’s fault, but that I was the one who started crying, but she still wouldn’t forgive me… I wondered what would happen, but in the end she said, “Well, I’ll just make Marie-chan better.

I admit that I was wronged, but I must never do this without permission again.

“Good luck!”

“Yes!” she said… and then she winked at me…

And when my brother heard that, he said “I’ll come again” and left. I watched him go until I could no longer see him… But then, just as I was completely out of sight, the head nurse told me to hurry back to bed. So, I had no choice but to go to bed, and then…

……………Suddenly, I noticed a small red charm in the pocket of the gown I was about to take off. There was also a small piece of paper in it…and it was written in what seemed to be Brother’s hasty handwriting……………

…………………That was just one word………………that was written…

“My treasure, that charm, is something I can never put away. When I hold it, I feel as if His Lordship is always protecting me. Whenever I see it, I think to myself, “I must do my best, and get better soon, for the sake of my brother, who has been supporting me.”

Promise of a distant day

A quiet library is one of my favorite places.

The sanatorium’s library faces the elm grove at the rear of the site. It’s a completely separate building from the wards, and it’s quite large and spacious. The building itself is quite old… Apparently it was renovated from a place that used to be used as a church… But the exterior wall is entirely made of latticed glass, so it’s very bright… and when you sit in a chair by the slightly worn-out window and read a book… on sunny days, the sunlight filtering in through the trees makes your body feel warm and cozy, and it’s a very pleasant place.

When I’m here, I feel like I’m not living in a sanatorium… it’s different from normal… I feel like I’ve become a normal person. …………………I wonder why? Hmm… maybe it’s because of the smell? This place is filled with the smell of old books that I love… the smell of a hospital.

“Oh, this is…”

…because it doesn’t smell like medicine at all…

That day, I was supposed to write a book report as homework, and I came to choose a book. The teacher told me to choose a book I had read recently, and any book would be fine, so I could have written about a book I had already read… But I thought I might as well try reading a new book… Besides, even if I was going to write about a book I had already read, I thought I would understand it better if I read it again.

I slowly walked through the bookshelves, thinking about what kind of book I should choose. Ummm… I actually like stories with little girls in them… but since I’m going to write a book review, maybe a history book or a biography would be good…

I picked out some books I had read and some I hadn’t, and piled them up in front of the card. Then, as I was looking through the pile of books, wondering if it was this one or that one, I noticed one book…

“Oh? This is…”

I don’t remember choosing it, but before I knew it, it was on my desk.

The title of Taso’s book is “The Little Two.”

It was one of my favorite books when I was still very young, about to enter kindergarten or elementary school.

“The two tiny little squirrels were… brother and sister.

Little sister Squirrel loves her kind older brother Squirrel very much!

And big brother Squirrel loves his cute little sister Squirrel very much!

The two of them were very close brother and sister, running around on the branches of trees and playing together every day.

One day, the mother squirrel said to them,

“The cold, cold winter is coming soon. You guys have to help us prepare for the winter.

How do you prepare for winter?

The two of them, who had no idea what to do, began preparing for winter with their mother’s help.

First, they have to gather enough food to last them through the winter so that they can have a warm house to protect them from the winter. It’s a lot of work for two little ones, but they’ll be fine.

Two people can carry a big walnut that one person cannot carry, and there are plenty of fluffy dead leaves to make a futon in the secret place they found together. They curl up next to each other in the dead leaves they carried together and sleep soundly until spring comes.

However, one day while the two were working in the forest like that…”

It had been years since I last encountered it, but reading it again after such a long time…

A cute book. When I was reading this book, I was interested in the story.

It had been years since I last encountered it, but when I read it again after such a long time…

A lovely book. When I was reading this book, the lives of the siblings that appear in it… were exactly the lives of my brother and I… At that time, I never imagined that the two of us would be separated like this.

I couldn’t even think about it… I was completely empty-headed… I was just having fun. …If I could still be with my brother…

Could I have lived such an innocent and happy life?

…………………This is not good…I’m crying again…

In this story

………………And at that moment, as I was hastily trying to close the book, something rustled out from between the pages of the book…

It was a small bookmark made from pressed tri-colored violets that my brother and I had picked and made together a long time ago.

When I was still a child… Yes, I think it was around the time I was reading this book. My brother and I went on a trip together…

I wonder if it will?

“Th-this is…”

The two of us bought a set of tiny tricolor violets as a souvenir for Uncle Toki. His mother was delighted and pressed them into flowers, which she then gave to me, saying they were so pretty that she would give them to Tokoe in return… I thought she’d lost them at some point… But why is that bookmark in a place like this? That book…

It should be at home by now…. The same book is also in this library.

But………………I was curious, so I looked inside the back cover of the book where the bookmark was.

……………It was undoubtedly the book I had. Because …in my handwriting as a child ……………the word “mariito” was written there……………

Then… I instinctively looked up and there was my big brother there, smiling!

“The nurse said she was here…

“Well, well… Brother.”

This book was brought to me by my brother… He came across this book when he was tidying his bookshelf at home… He said he thought I would be happy to see it, so he brought it to me! And then… I was looking at it so intently that he thought he’d tease me — Oh my brother♡ — He secretly mixed it into the pile of books I had chosen and said he was watching what would happen♡ …So then, did you see how I was crying thinking about you, brother…? I’m so embarrassed… I feel like my face is going to burn…

Seeing how embarrassed I was, my brother laughed for a while afterwards, but when I told him that I came here to write a book report and didn’t know which book to choose… he said, “I’ll choose one for you”… and gave me my mini

I got it.

Please tell me “I’ll choose a favorite for you”… and listen to my advice.

It had been such a long time since the two of us had worked on our homework together, trying to figure this out and that… It was as if we had returned, even if only for a little while, to the world of “The Little Two”… I felt so happy… It was as if I was living in a dream that would never end…

Thanks to you, Brother, I was able to finish writing my review without any problems. It was only a short time, but I really enjoyed spending time with you like normal siblings… Thank you so much for coming. The nurse said that you are my best medicine…♡ Brother, I believe that one day we will be able to live together like the siblings in that book…

Hibari-chan

Ever since it was decided that Hibari would be discharged from the hospital…I was filled with a feeling of uneasiness.

Hibari-chan was my best friend in this sanatorium…..hmm,

We are good friends. She was hospitalized before me.

When I first came here, I didn’t understand many things, so I always asked my parents for help.

She was a very reliable friend who taught me sincerely.

She is cheerful, talkative, kind to everyone, and a little

She was very mature… and much more energetic than me, but…

Hibari-chan was also hospitalized with the same illness as me…

I feel like we understand each other’s feelings very well… We talked about each other’s families.

And I talked to him about my beloved brother…

But… we were good friends.

But Hibari-chan is finally going to be discharged from the hospital…

I… in truth, I should have been the first to be happy for her… no, at first… When I first heard it, I was so happy I jumped for joy. I thought that Hibari had finally gotten better. Now she could do anything… she could be with normal girls, and I was so happy… But as time passed, and the day drew closer… I began to feel lonely… and for some reason, I suddenly started to feel like I didn’t want her to be released from the hospital…

…………………I’m sorry. I… am really… a nasty person for thinking such things.

So… on the day that Hibari-chan was finally going to be discharged from the hospital, I was a little nervous from the morning. Maybe because of that, I woke up much earlier than usual… But that day, we all had a farewell party for Hibari-chan in the morning, and then by the afternoon,

“I got up right away to see Hibari off.

I put on my special pale lavender dress. And then… I quietly took out the gift I had prepared for Hibari from the drawer… and then I sighed a little.

Tong ton ton…

“Marie-chan, are you awake?”

Hibari came to visit my room… I quickly hid the wrapped present behind my back.

“H-Hibari-chan! What are you doing out here so early in the morning?”

Hibari-chan smiled and said that today was the day she was finally going to be discharged from the hospital, but before that she wanted to go on one last walk with Marie-chan, so she came to invite her over.

There was…

“Yamie-chan, I thought you might still be asleep… but you’re awake after all♡”

Saying this, Hibari-chan giggled, and was just the usual Hibari-chan… I knew that Hibari-chan must have been nervous and woken up early, and that I was just as nervous as she was… We seemed to understand each other in an instant. So, until then, I had felt a little distant from Hibari-chan, who was about to be discharged from the hospital, but when I saw Hibari-chan’s smile like that… somehow, I also felt strange… I giggled, and at Hibari-chan’s invitation, I held her hand.

So the two of us climbed the hill beyond the elm grove at the back.

Hibari-chan too

Then we sat side by side on the hill and talked about all sorts of things.

Hibari-chan has the same disease as me… Even though she was able to leave the hospital this time, we don’t know when she’ll get a relapse. If that happens, she’ll have to go back to the sanatorium, but I still hope she never comes back.

And… we had been encouraging each other, but Hibari-chan was worried about me being discharged from the hospital first, even if it was only temporary… so I’m really happy that we were able to talk like this at the end. Also, she believed that since she was hospitalized before me, I’m sure that in the order of events, I should be able to leave the hospital soon too…

And then… “Let’s meet again,” “I’ll write you a letter,” “I’ll let you know if I get a boyfriend,” and so on… Hibari made so many promises to me. But then… at the very end… she said this.

“You see…the truth is, I’ve always been jealous of Marie-chan.

Tanda…”

“What…why?”

Hibari-chan is always so energetic…strong and kind, and liked by everyone…I’ve always thought it would be great if I could be more like Hibari-chan…

Then Hibari stood up straight, smacked the grass off her bottom with her hand, smiled mischievously and said…

“Well, you always had such a wonderful, kind older brother come over, right? I always thought you were a great person, Mari-chan. Actually, I was… actually, I was in love with your older brother…”

And then, at that moment………………

“Hey!” I heard a loud voice

I instinctively turned to where the voice came from and saw Mikael running excitedly… and next to him was my older brother waving kindly…

“Oh, Brother…why are you here…!”

Surprised, I stood up without thinking, and Hibari gave me a smile that said, “See?”, then said, “Well, I’ll go back first! I’m busy today!” and ran off by myself. All I could do was watch her off in a daze…

“What? Where’s Hibari? My girlfriend is having a farewell party today and she asked me to come…”

My brother said this as he climbed up, breathing a little lightly…Is that really what Hibari wanted my brother? But…Hibari’s condition earlier…

……………I felt a slight pain deep in my chest… But… but I had to say it… I had to say it for Hibari-chan’s sake… my mouth got tangled… my chest got tight.

“I did.

“Ummm… Hibari-chan, I actually care about you, Big Brother…”

But, my brother didn’t seem to hear what I was saying at all, and suddenly he smiled happily… He leaned over and looked into my face,

“Good morning, Marie. I’ll be lonely without Hibari-chan, but… I’ll be here with you today, so I think you’ll feel better,” he said, and he cupped my cheeks with both hands…

I… couldn’t help but hug him tightly ♡ And then… all I could do was murmur these words in his arms…

“I’m sorry Hibari-chan… Only my brother… Only my brother… I just couldn’t… I’m sorry… Please forgive me…”

Is it no longer possible?

I haven’t been feeling well lately… Tomorrow I’ll be staying out for the first time in a long time…♡ I’ve only seen my brother at the hospital, but I’m finally going to be able to spend some quality time at home with him. I wonder if he’ll be happy too…

Tomorrow is the day when I will finally be given permission to go out overnight for the first time in a long while.

I have so many things I want to do when I get home!

Well… first of all, I’ll go on a… date with you, Brother♡ Hehe… of course… this is only if you say it’s okay. But you always said that next time I’m allowed to stay out overnight, you’ll spend a whole day with me… Usually, I meet you in this asylum, but I… actually, I’d like to meet you in a more normal place.

I want to be like a normal brother and sister, in a normal place, going on a normal date, and not having to worry about my body at all.

Brother, you’re always worried about me… I’m very, very happy about that… but sometimes I can’t help but wonder… if maybe I’m a burden to you.

But… No, I know very well that you don’t think of me that way. But… every time you help me… every time you worry about me… and every time you look at me with a worried expression as I lie in bed… I realize how much trouble I’ve caused you… and how sad I’ve made you feel… and I feel sorry for you.

If I see something like that… I’ll say more…lol

If I had been a cheerful, bright, and stylish little sister, I’m sure you would have had much happier, happier lives…

Brother always brings me happiness… Just thinking about it makes me happy

All those precious memories…all of them…even though they are all memories with Big Brother…when I think about it, I wonder if I have been able to repay Big Brother for all he has given me…

Someday… I want to be someone who can bring happiness to you, Brother. Just thinking about you… makes my heart warm.

If only I could become that kind of person…

So, tomorrow is the first step! My brother is coming to pick me up early tomorrow morning, so I’ll meet him with at least my best smile….a smile so good it’ll make him forget about my illness….!…Ufufufa

But even so…

I had to check if I was allowed out the next day, so in the evening I headed towards the office building. Just as I was about to turn the next corner and reach the doctor’s room, I suddenly heard a small voice speaking in a serious tone. It was the voices of my doctor and the nurse in charge.

“…But sensei, that would be too cruel…It’s been a long time since I’ve stayed out overnight, and I’m really looking forward to it…”

“But with these test results… and it may be that staying out overnight is not even an option for her. If things continue like this…”

“Th-That’s not possible… Sensei!”

I got up and ran back to my room.

Gusssssssssssssssssss…

Brother… Brother… I, I…

Is it already too late…?

I went back to my room.

I just wanted to live a gentle life beside you, Brother… that was all I ever wanted… but I never thought it would turn out like this… I just… Maybe God is telling me that I shouldn’t be by your side anymore… That I’d be a nuisance to you if I was by your side… Really… that might be true, but… but but but but!! That… I don’t want that…

Ah, Brother…

“Um… E-chan?”

As I was crying face down on the bed, a nurse came and called out to me. I quickly wiped away my tears, but… I was crying… she must have seen… I don’t know why, but the nurse seemed really hesitant to say anything, and I thought she was probably going to tell me about canceling my permission to go out overnight, so I started to say, “Um, I… tomorrow…” but then…

“Your brother is calling.”

From my brother…?

At first I didn’t understand what he meant. But… maybe… he called my brother first because he didn’t want me to be shocked? If so… I’m usually happy to receive a call from my brother.

But… today I got a slightly sad phone call… I’m sure you’re annoyed. I promised you that I’d definitely get better, but it’s come to this again… Ugh.

“Yes… this is Marie…”

As I answered the phone, struggling to hold back my tears, I heard my dear brother’s voice on the other end of the phone… Even at a time like this… hearing my brother’s voice still makes me feel relieved… Oh, man! But the rest of the story… as expected…

“I got a call from the hospital saying that Marie isn’t feeling well…”

At first I was very shocked. But then I was shocked. Because my brother told me that he might not allow me to stay out overnight.

The teacher said that, so I’m worried, but I’ll take good care of you.

And somehow, I was given permission to stay out overnight…or so I said.

… ……………Oh, my brother… you’ve gone that far for me…

He asked me because he knew how much I was looking forward to our sleepover. Brother, you really…

Ah, I want to fly to you as soon as possible and… I want to do anything for you ♡

forever the two of us

Today is our date, made possible thanks to my brother…

My brother came to pick me up early in the morning, and I went out with him, still overwhelmed by the emotions from the previous night. Because… it had been a really long time since the two of us had gone out like this, and more than anything… my test results were not good… and I was almost about to lose my permission to stay out… so it was my brother who asked the doctor at the sanatorium to take me out.

Brother said, “I’ll take you anywhere you like,” but I… if I could go out with Brother, I’d always wanted to have a normal date, like a normal couple would, so I asked Brother to do the same… Because… if I’m with Brother, we don’t have to go anywhere special… any place will be the most fun in the world, that’s for sure.

And besides… if I were to be with you, there would surely be so many happy and joyful things happening that I would start to get palpitations.

My brother laughed and said, “I’m not greedy…” but he still wanted to go to a big shopping arcade, a big bookstore that I can’t usually go to, a delicious cake shop, etc.

He took me to all the places I wanted to go.

There was a big craft store in the arcade, so I bought a new one for my brother.

I also bought some new yarn… hehehe ♡ I always knit for you, but yarn… I’m usually far away, and I’ve only ever bought it by myself, thinking of you – because I only started knitting after I got ill – so I was really, really happy to be able to look at the yarn with you ♡ The shop staff measured you to your size,

Please measure my width

…And then, while I was trying to see if it would suit you, Brother… I was able to choose yarn for the first time, after asking you about your preferences. It was a really… wonderful experience for me, hehe… And now that I know your preferences… I can knit to suit them properly from now on. Brother seemed a little embarrassed… But I was so happy, and maybe he could tell that I was excited? Somehow… he seemed happy too♡

And then… after walking around here and there and it was time to head home…

I was able to go out today thanks to my big brother, but actually it was you who told me first…

“You must not push yourself too hard today”…

When I saw it, I couldn’t help but say “Ah♡” in a small voice.

Of course, if I were to collapse during the trip, I would end up causing trouble for my brother again, so I promised him that I would never do such a thing.

It’s… a sign for a newly opened amusement park on the outskirts of town…

Of course, I thought I couldn’t go because I was about to go home…

After that, I couldn’t take my eyes off him… I thought, maybe… just once, if I could ride with my big brother… what a wonderful memory it would be. I’ve always thought… even if it was just once, I wanted to ride the Ferris wheel with my big brother… So I decided to take the plunge and ask him, and when I looked over at my big brother’s face next to me, he had a look that said, “I know what you mean”…

It’s rice…

“I’m too tired today…”

…That’s right…right…?

……………It’s as you say, Brother. I’ve had so much fun today, so asking for more was too greedy… I’m so sorry! I got too excited… I feel like I’m completely fine now… I thought I could be with you forever and ever… But tomorrow I’ll have to go back to the sanatorium… I’m so sorry… Brother. I’m so embarrassed… I’m going home now…

But my brother heard what I was saying and turned away, and then he hugged me tightly from behind.

“Okay, but just once, okay?”

It was the first time in my life that I had heard my Big Brother’s voice so close to my ear… It was gentle, and yet it made my heart flutter… That was the voice of my Big Brother…

By the time we got on the Ferris wheel, it was already starting to get dark, and the lit-up Ferris wheel was shining beautifully. The view from the big Ferris wheel, which I rode for the first time, was much more beautiful than I expected… When I thought about being surrounded by such a beautiful view and being alone with my brother, it somehow felt like there were only two of us in the world… My heart started beating faster again ♡ Also, at the top, my brother said it was cold and put his jacket on me… I was so happy that I wished time would just stop…

……………Later, when I got home, it was already completely dark.

Well… Mother scolded both of us a little bit.

But thanks to that… it was getting late, so my brother decided to stay the night with me…

So, I… was really, really happy today… and so I sat down next to you, wanting to express my gratitude to you as best I could. But maybe because I was excited after spending the whole day on a date and now I get to spend the whole night with you, my cheeks are starting to get hot…

“Brother… I had so much fun today… Today’s drawing was truly the best in the world… I am so happy…”

I could hear my older brother’s voice calling from afar, “Well, a picture!!”…