Chapter 101

Chapter 101: Family (3)

…I had a dream of a long time ago. It was a dream of living with my family in a cramped room. The memory was fleeting like a broken sunset, not even a single moment was left complete, but it was beautiful. I also had a family.

“…”

I opened my eyes. The bright sun was beating down. It was dazzling, so I blocked it with my hands. The area surrounding me was covered in wind-swept grass, and I could hear the chirping of grasshoppers. The trees surrounding me shook and spat out their leaves as the wind pushed past us.

While exploring that landscape, the cute pitter-patter of small footsteps approached from somewhere.

“Brother~.”

A childish and cute cry. I looked toward its source.

“Brother~, where are you~?”

She was maybe six years old. Although she couldn’t speak properly, I knew immediately who she was. A smile naturally lit upon my mouth.

“Brother~.”

It was Yeriel. She had run to the middle of the forest in search of her brother. I muttered to myself.

“Is this Yeriel’s memory?”

It seemed that the security mechanism of the diary or something similar had put me into this memory.

“Brother…”

Yeriel, who had been searching for a while, put a finger to her lips and bowed her head sadly. And then.

“…I can’t find it!”

She shouted out loud. I managed to hold back the laughter that almost burst free from me.

“I can’t find it!”

There was, of course, no answer. Only Yeriel’s cry echoed out lonely.

“After all, it’s my brother~ I can’t find him~.”

Yeriel praised her brother. I was very jealous of him.

“I can’t find it!”

“…”

“I can’t fiiiiind~!”

Yeriel walked back and forth, repeating only that cry.

“Brother…?”

She kept walking. With her short stride, she jumped back and forth, but as the forest deepened, she suddenly turned back.

“…”

She had come so far that she couldn’t even see the way back.

“…Ugh.”

Yeriel back-pedaled in fear. Tears welled up in her eyes, and her hands gripped the hem of her dress.