Shinae unconsciously slumped down against a ivory plastered gravestone. 

I-- I have to run away. I have to-- Before Mother sees me-

Her knees felt like they'd crumpled. She desperately pulled herself together and dragged her numb body on the ground behind the chilly slab of gravestone. To hide from the two people's sight.

A few moments of terrified silence passed, and Shinae felt as if every second span to eternity before the second voice reply.

"Mother, you can go to work. I'll go home afterwards."

"You sure?"

"Mhm."

"K... Come home before it's dark."

"Yes, Mother."

...

After a few minutes, Shinae shakily looked behind the stone to the spot where the figures were. The standing figure, Mother, had left, leaving a kneeling silhouette before Aniki's gravestone. 

She didn't notice me, thank god...

Shinae secretly let out a relieved sigh and leaned her tensed body against the grave.

The shock in her subsided, and a fresh new wave of questions flooded her mind.

[SHINAE'S POV:]

Wait wait wait... why are they here? They never give a shit about his grave... it was my father who built it... nor have they visited it before, I'm sure. They never care about Aniki, even when he... died. They... Mother doesn't seem to care at all, of course... She wasn't even kneeling or holding incense... but why is that fvcking bullshit kneeling before Aniki?

Could he...

Could he actually be paying respect to Aniki's grave?

Rage exploded again in my chest and scorched every cell in my body.

He has never, NEVER visited Aniki's grave before, and now he IS.

My teeth gritted so hard I feel like my jaws were going to collapse-- 

My fingers dug tight into the nilon covering of the bouquet--

Then it finally clicked on me.

Ohh, are you seeking for a chance at redemption? For forgiveness? Oh, well well well... You finally managed to pull that tiny simple fvcking thought out of your disgusting mess of a brain after I had to punch the fvck out of you? Pathetic. 

I could sense a distorted smirk creeping across my face, as rage flooded my mind with the most gruesome of intentions.

Tsk, tsk. Too bad for you, dear brother. I am sure Aniki would prefer a face-to-face apology.

My grip tightens even more. Impulse flared up in me, and my feet ached to dash there and slay that fvcker that very moment.

Fvck... get out of this place NOW! BEFORE I CAN'T HOLD MYSELF ANY LONGER!! I'll end you today... but--

I snuggled my burning hot face into the bundle of white daisies, desperately seeking for any peace from the smooth white petals to calm myself down.

but... but--

--not here.

The vaguely sweet sense blooming from the sunny bright centered flowers brushed against my skin and gently soothed my stormy mind.

They're... almost as soft as Aniki's hand.

My body relaxed as I leaned against the tombstone amongst the scent of fresh daisies wafting in the air.

It's okay... I can wait until he leaves, and then I can place the flowers... No need to hurry. Mother has a night shift today so...

I stretch my leg out on the cold fog-coated grass of the graveyard, blades of green leaves touched my bare ankles and soaking my black cotton jeans with foggy rainwater. It seems weirdly comforting for such a place.

My eyes slowly lifted up from the crowded stone slabs in the graveyard at into the blushing red sunset above me, feeling grateful that the weight on my mind has lifted a little bit.

🌆🌆🌆

[THIRD PERSON'S POV:]

It was a while before Akuito finally said anything else.

"Brother..."

Shinae's thought was broken from the drifting cotton candy clouds in the sky, and silently groaned agitatedly to herself. 

Who is the asshole calling brother... Only I can call Aniki that!

Her embrace on the bundle of daisies tightened as she listened to Akuito's babbling on and on. 

Piece of bullshit please leave quickly, it's getting cold! huffed Shinae angrily as she snuggled her hands under Rindou's sleeves. I... We need to go before the new day comes!

Her ears suddenly perked up as she caught her name in Akuito's talk.

"... so yeah, brother. Shinae and I fought last night..."

She was dazed from head to toe with rage.

What in the fvcking world?? For fvck's sake, did he just tried to tattletale me to my damn brother?? This brainless bullshit-- What the hellish world are you thinking in that rotting brain?? Motherfvcker...

Shinae felt the anger burning her throat dry. She clenched her hands.

B_tch, you are getting on my nerves too much. You'll pay for it, deservedly, fvcker, so pick your ass up and hurry!!

"And she just... broke down and... slept. I really thought she was going to cry, but she didn't... "

Shinae's strainfully constricted misty blue eyes unconsciously and immediately softened. Because the first words she could hear again after calming down was

...

"... but I can't blame her for it..."

"Wah... what?", gasped amaze-stricken Shinae as she leaned over the stone slab to look over to the voice.

"Huh?", asked the voice, with hints of surprise and brief embarrassment in his voice. "Who's- Who's there!"

Shinae quickly covered her mouth and retrieved back behind the grave to protect a shocked gulp from leaving her mouth.

"Oh... oh... Maybe I was just imagining...", was Akuito's words before he relapsed back into silence.

What? WHAT?? What the fvck does this mean? What is he saying? I don't understand this! He... just said he... didn't blame me? What the hell?? Is this even him??

Shinae's thought continued to rush on and on, as Akuito continued his mournful tone.

"She... still haven't gotten over your death yet, brother... She told me to apologize to you... She wanted to kill me... to come to you..."

Why.. why is he... why is he telling this?? What the fvcking hell? He just said he doesn't blame... but now he is--"

"... But..."

" but she's not wrong.

I do... owe you an apologize, brother. I had wished have a chance, but...

I'm just a fvcking coward."

Shinae can't help but to let out a gasp.

Akuito jumped to his feet.

"Who's there?! Show yourself!"

Shinae slowly stood up from behind the tomb stone and turned to face the now dumbfounded face of her brother.

"Shi... Shinae?", gasped the latter.

"Br... brother..." was the only world she could call out before burning tears welled up in her unblinking eye and dripped down her numb windblown face.

"You... you've been here this whole time, Shinae?"

Shinae couldn't reply, all that was on her mind was the burning heat up her nostrils and the miserable lump running up up her throat.

Should this be so unfamiliar?

"Wa... Waaahh!", went her heartbreakingly into full hysterics, "I'm so sorry! I'm so so sorry!"

She rasped between her sobs, crouching down onto the ground. Her hands were still tightly wrapped around the bundle of flowers and her head hung down low.

Her figure shivered uncontrollably from the crying.

"You... you're crying, Shinae!"

Large drops of bitter tears continued to stream down her now blushed cheeks, as her peacock blue eyes raised pitifully up to meet Akuito's amazed blue eyes.

"Shinae...", whispered Akuito as he hesitantly approached her, "You... Are you okay?"

He kneeled down next to her, and she could feel the warmth from his hand as it slipped over her shoulders to steady them down.

Moments of silence past by amid the snuffling of Shinae.

The sunset was beginning to come to an end, as the sun from afar settled snugly down to between the spikey skyscrapers and radiating its last redness for the day. The sky turned a deep radiant purple hue with fluffy cumulus clouds in the sky.

"C'mon.. Let's sit together. You haven't laid brother his flowers yet.", whispered Akuito as he gently peeled the bouquet from Shinae's palms and dragged her up with him.

Shinae lifelessly stood up with the pull and step down next before her beloved Aniki's grave, as Akuito placed the daisies before the tombstone and carefully lit up a new incense to hand it to her.

Next to her own bundle of white petals was, already in a circular glass vase, one of the daintiest blue marguerite daisy bouquet she'd ever seen. As they were set down near, some of the flowers touched and mingled, blowing there sweet scent into the air.

"Lovely daisies, Shinae."

The trembling girl only nodded as she carefully inserted her incense into the stone bowl before her and kneeled down to a small bow. Akuito gazed as she clasped her pale hands together and muttered a few words, big droplets of tears continuing to roll down her elegant jawline.

Afterwards, she crouched down next to him, hugging her legs.

Akuito's hand slowly touched and held onto her hand while slowly turning his head to look at her, smiling with hints of tears in his eyes.

Shinae gazed back at the face before her, the face she'd resented her whole life, the face she'd met in every one of her haunting repetitive nightmares, the face hanging in her room as the bull's eye, as the scapegoat for her vents.

His smile slowly faded away as he turned from her stare.

"Now, let's talk things over, shall we?"

Her tears seems somehow even more bitter than they were as she nodded.

"Yes. Let's get this over, brother."

P/s: Yo... guys... I'm so sorry for mysteriously disappearing for almost two weeks without uploads 😅 I have a mock test to deal with and my finger is protesting so much against drawing now. For the other days it's just me being too lazy or drained of innovation to continue this chapter, and guess why? Guys the votes are the innovation to my writing so please vote when you've enjoyed the chapters 🙏. Anyways sorry for the belated update and here's an extra long chapters for yall.

P/s: Anyways, guys, Lunar New Year's near already here guys, and I'm so fricking excited for it yayyyyyyyyyy.