3.3

Big brothers

Saying that was an enjoyable meal would be a gross understatement, but everything had to come to an end. When Hiro tried to leave the kitchen, there was Johann von Brandt, waiting there. It seemed like they would have a private talk. The two decided to go to the infirmary where Victor was nowhere to be found. There were only the two and of course, Suiren.

Facing with the young warrior was an unnerving experience. Always so serious and intense, Johann’s presence completely dwarfed the office worker.

“So what do you want to talk about” Hiro asked, keeping his calm.

The young man couldn’t think Johann could look more serious, but he managed it. His eyebrows furrowed, the young warrior sighed and… bowed.

“Mr. Hanazawa, I want to say sorry for doubting you”

“Eh?” The young man had no idea what was going on.

“When we first met, I was wholly disappointed with what I saw. You simply looked useless in my eyes, your power limited by your physical capability” Johann said it straight, hearing those words hurt slightly “Then I saw how my sister seemed to believe in you and even after hearing all the stories I wasn’t convinced one bit”

Because most of them were overblown by Willow and Malcolm. The young man did deal the finishing blow to the chimera but he sure as hell didn’t do it deliberately while bellowing “Begone foul creature”. His plan against the Centurion also backfired mostly, Hiro could only be a meat shield for Willow. And yet, his involvement was certainly played up.

‘He weakened the Captain with his power’ Malcolm said, a sentiment echoed by Hiro’s biggest fan. Thus, that victory was attributed mostly to him.

“I didn’t believe a single word said about you” Continued Johann, still serious “You must have used your power to somehow change people perception of you. I thought. But I was wrong”

Even now, Hiro still had no idea why the young warrior changed his mind. The answer soon followed.

“But then I heard words of your praise from someone I know, Ms. Guillard. You managed to win whereas Mr. Kira had failed. And I could see the injuries, you bear them with dignity and courage. My doubt vanished then”

Hearing that made Hiro felt like he was being stung by needles all over. That was also a lie, Fleur didn’t want to draw attention to herself, the same reason why Malcolm propped him up. There was nothing admirable about him, someone who charged in recklessly to die. No, that was all Fleur, she burnt bright and triumph heroically. Meanwhile, he was just someone who could endure pain pretty well.

Nevertheless, he needed to keep up this ruse.

“I get what you came from, don’t worry, I wouldn’t trust someone like myself either. Apology taken”

Johann breathed a sigh of relief and sat down. It was unreal, seeing how the young warrior so bothered about something like this. It was just an apology and yet he treated it as seriously as the fate of the world. Hiro always thought of Johann as someone who was eternally serious and grumpy. But now, he had taken a liking to this person in front of him.

“This world needs heroes, Mr. Hanazawa. And I am glad to have you as one of her saviour”

It was a line as cheesy as it could get. And yet, there was no hint of sarcasm or forced delivery. No, the Johann that said it was the embodiment of sincerity. Seeing this, Hiro couldn’t help but smile as that reminded him of a certain someone.

“What’s wrong?” Johann asked, wondering what was amusing.

“No, you are more similar to Willow than I thought. You both are all so sincere” ‘Unlike me’ Hiro thought to himself.

“The children of von Brant are taught to be honest”

Mentioning that zealous girl reminded the young man of something.

“So was your doubt related to why you kept splitting Willow away from me?”

Training, reporting, talking, even resting, there were always a reason for Johann to drag his sister away. But today, not only did she roam free but the girl also made the best albeit stacked breakfast for Hiro.

“Yes” Johann answered without any hesitation “I thought you would be bad influence and was only trying to use her. That was childish of me to believe so, it was her decision”

“You couldn’t be helped but be worried”

The young warrior remained quiet for a bit in contemplation “I guess… no I was, among our siblings I was always the emotional one”

Momo-chan: [Talk about a curveball]

Hiro: {I can and can’t see that at the same time…}

Johann looked up to Hiro and asked with all seriousness, just like usual “So what is she to you, my sister”

That question was rather out of nowhere, but the young man could answer it comfortably “She is like a little sister to me, sorry to stepping on your turf”

“Willow told me about how you protected her from the Captain, that girl, her job was to do the opposite. But it’s not like I am in any position to say that” Johann sighed, remembering that man with his zweihander “Thank you for looking out for her”

“The pleasure is all mine” Hiro said, leaning on the table.

In his mind, the image of Willow von Brandt was pushed to the front. She was strong, stronger than he would ever be and yet the girl was weak at the same time. When it was her time to step up, to shine, she couldn’t do it. Was it that moment, when Willow slumped down powerless in front of the masked attacker that Hiro realised it. She was so young. It was his job, the senior, the shield her, to protect this kid.

But Willow was so much stronger than he thought. That fight with Malcolm, she was dominated, even the youth didn’t expect her to stand up. And yet she did and grew as a person, wearing her scar as proof. Inside Hiro there was this tingling feeling to see that girl moving forward, learning.

Just now, Hiro learnt of her amazing cooking prowess. He wanted to see more of that girl, to see Willow kept on walking, growing. And the young man wanted to be by her side as she continued to take those steps…

His thought was interrupted by a simple question.

“So Mr. Hanazawa, do you have any sibling”

It was simple and so was the answer, just a ‘Yes’ would suffice. And yet, Hiro was at a lost for word, the image in his mind was the von Brandt child still. He tried and yet the person he wanted didn’t surface.

“Yes” Hiro answered, shaken by a realisation, one he tried to hide.

It was failure, Johann noticed something was wrong. Was this a touchy subject, the young warrior thought to himself, he decided not to dwell further.

Their conversation ended there as Hiro excused himself, retreating back to his room.

Momo-chan: [What’s wrong] Even the voice couldn’t tell what happened.

Hiro: {Tell me, do you miss her?}

The voice didn’t understand the question, which ‘her’ here was his host referring to. Was it Willow, the topic of the latest conversation. But it didn’t make sense, they just met her as well. Was he talking about someone only he would know, that didn’t work either. Momo tried to think of a ‘her’ that both of them would be familiar with and miss. The class rep?

Hiro: {Yuuko}

Momo-chan: [Guess not, I mean it’s not like I could do anything for her anymore. Besides, I know she would be in good hands]

Hiro: {Then do you miss her at all, as a brother}

Momo couldn’t say anything, his answer was silence.

Hiro: {How did it become like this}

He sat on the bed with his hands covering his face. The two were both taken way back, when a new Hanazawa was entering this terrible world. Knowing only abuse and neglect, didn’t they made a vow, one that they both still remember.

‘No matter what, big brother will always protect you’

Hiro: {I don’t understand, I did everything for her, working my life away for her. I EVEN SOLD MY ORGANS FOR HER}

Yes, it was two years ago when their father ran away, leaving a crippling debt behind for his children. The sharks were hungry, they could smell blood in the water. The payment must be made, the girl would have to sell herself. Or her brother could bear it all, having him cut up. That ‘doctor’, that operation without anaesthesia, he endured it all without even a sound. A liver and who could tell what else were cut off to pay that debt.

Hiro: {I… can’t even remember her eyes}

He didn’t understand how. The young man cared for her, he even tried to reconnect on that birthday. And yet, there was this pain in this chest, of guilt.

Momo-chan: [I don’t know…] His host was lost and so was he. Could it be that they didn’t care for her, but then, his older self wouldn’t go through all those sacrifices. Maybe the answer lied within him. Why didn’t he look for her, care for her.

The answer was because there was no need for that, Yuuko was already cared for.

Momo-chan: [She was loved]

By mother. Yes, the same woman who lamented of her lost youth, pinning it all on his head. Her neglect left scars deeper than all the beating they received. And yet, when that little girl was born, she changed. That once scornful woman loved and cared for her child. She worked for her little girl so hard that one day she collapsed and never moved again.

The answer came to them both. Mother cared for her child, not her children. A symbol of mistake, she never looked at her son. Soon, Hiro couldn’t bear seeing his sister anymore, she had everything that he didn’t.

But Hiro trudged on when mother died, he made a promise and he would prove it. The young man would prove that he was better than his deadbeat father, than mother.

And yet, he still couldn’t bear looking at his sister.

“My Yuuko, what have I done”

Hiro lamented, in the end he was no better than that neglecting mother of his. His mind went back to yesterday when she came home late, that girl hurt. ‘My little Yuuko was hurt’. Even before that, she asked him a question he hadn’t heard once for the last two year. She asked him to come to the parent meeting. ‘My little Yuuko called out to me’.

Wait, wasn’t this that day, back in his world. Yes, it was parent day. He needed to go, Hiro needed to go to see her.

“Rosebud”

He left to meet with her again. Hiro had forgotten about something, the other him, also receiving this grim realisation. But Momo-chan could never go home again, much less seeing his sister once more time.

___

It was work day and the company employees were hard at work. But then, someone stood up and left. It was that guy at the bottom of the food chain, one everyone dumped their work on. Something was strange, however, he wasn’t hunching like usual.

The boss was mad, the seniors were livid. They tried to stop him, there were works to do.

But the young man didn’t stop, he simply told them to step out of his way. His timid voice was gone, it was replaced by one filled with determination. And there was fire in his eyes.