Under the Rain [Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS]

S1-10✩ A Meaningless Reunion

Revolver 1.

That boy with striking silver hair had never thought, let alone imagined he would hear someone calling him with that nickname ever again. No-- not just any 'someone'. There could only be one person on earth who would call his nickname out like that. The girl whom he thought he wouldn't be seeing again since that incident ten years ago: Mirai, his only little sister.

Of course when he first overheard her voice at the Stardust Road, he had his suspicion. That voice bear so many similarities with the girlish giggles he loved to hear in his childhood. Every time he heard that adorable giggle he would smile unknowingly, and in fact this habit of his continued until now even after ten years had passed. As his lips slowly formed into a sad smile, he thought it would be nice if that voice really did come from his little sister, but he's not the type who hoped for miracles. And to reunite with his little sister was no more than a selfish wish; he himself thought their mother made the right decision by taking her away to live with her.

....yes, exactly. Because one, his sister didn't need to know the absurdity of their father's twisted desire which eventually became the reason for his broken marriage. Two, she didn't need to feel the same anguish that he felt towards the experiments their father conducted to those six poor children. And three... it's best for her to stay away from their father's truth so only the good things with him would remain within her memory.

The boy clenched his fists as he kept striding forward, ignoring that girl's vague call. For ten years, those three reasons had always been rooted in his mind in order to suppress his desire to meet her. In return, he expected during those ten years of his absence she would just miraculously forget his existence entirely....

...but, again, he wasn't the type who ever hoped for miracles.

The boy's eyes widened in shock when suddenly a pair of slender arms hugged him from behind. He stopped walking immediately and stared down at those arms. His facial expression darkened.

"....can you let go?"

"No," was the firm answer he received as he could feel those arms squeezing his torso. "The last time I did, I hadn't seen you for ten years. So I won't... I'm really sorry..."

Soon after those almost inaudible last words were spoken, the owner of that fragile voice could feel warmth brushing against her trembling arms and slowly, her cold hands were enveloped by the same warmth. She could feel a strong, yet gentle hand patting her head. As she looked up, a pair of pale, yet beautiful blue eyes gazed back into her teary ruby-red eyes. There was a mix of sadness and relief in those lonely eyes that matched with the thin smile that adorned his lips.

"It's been ten years, indeed. You've grown taller... Revolver 2."

As he pulled Revolver 2 into his embrace, Revolver 1 thought that perhaps, three reasons would never be enough to sever the bonds and memories they shared as siblings.

✩

Revolver 1 took his sister to sit with him on nearby bench. Once they had settled down he practically shoved the hotdog that he just bought from Café Nagi to her, wordlessly telling her to eat it. Sheepishly, the younger girl bit onto the warm food while her brother silently watched her. A few moments later, she inclined the hotdog to him, beckoning him to also take a bite. He smiled.

"To think you'd run after me when I clearly gave you the cold shoulder," the boy chuckled softly as he declined her offer. "...and hugged me from behind. What would you do if you hugged some random man, hmm?"

As Revolver 2 aka. Tsubaki Mirai finished gulping down her meal, she quickly shook her head. "I knew it was you, Ryoken-niisan. Otherwise you wouldn't react to that nickname."

Ryoken didn't reply, only gaze upon the glittering sea. She was right, no one would definitely react to a silly nickname unless those who made it. As a kid he always thought western movies were as cool as Duel Monsters, so he thought it only felt natural to give him and his sister a "code name" that revolved around that genre.

"Why do you still remember it? It's been ages since we last used it. Even I had forgotten why I would think it was a good idea to call ourselves revolvers."

"I don't think it's a weird nickname," Tsubaki replied as she fiddled with her fingers. "I cherish it. It always reminds me of all those happy times we spent playing together as little kids. Aren't you feeling the same, Nii-san?"

"....I guess so." was all that Ryoken said as a reply before silence filled the air around them. The spring wind blew softly, caressing their cheeks.

"So... how is Otou-san? I hope he is doing well."

"He sure is. Busy as always," Ryoken smoothly told his lies. He glanced to Tsubaki, who had her eyes fixated on the ocean, as he continued, "What about Okaa-san? Doing well too, I suppose."

"Okaa-san is... not doing well," Tsubaki replied boldly, enough to surprise him. "Physically, she's well... but not her mental health..."

Ryoken was taken aback when the girl looked directly into his eyes. Those eyes-- they looked empty, as if it was reflecting despair itself. Never once he would imagine he'd see such coldness in his cheerful sister's eyes. He could only stare in bewilderment as Tsubaki clasped his hand.

"Hey, Nii-san? Won't you move in with us?" She muttered to him, her voice almost sounded like a whisper. "After Okaa-san left you and Otou-san, she couldn't stop thinking about it. She spent night after night grieving... about how she shouldn't have left you alone with that man. She told me he abandoned his family to do horrible experiments to children."

Ryoken's eyes widened in disbelief. His thoughts ran wild as the girl tightly squeezed his hand.

"Tell me, Nii-san. Did he... make you part of his experiments? Were you suffering because of him, truly? Is father really... evil?"

When he heard that, Ryoken's hope crumbled.

He really wanted to scream in frustration. This was exactly what he was trying to prevent. Now what was the point of those three reasons he made up? They turned out to be useless, and their mother was the very person who destroyed that little hope he had for his sister to keep her love for their father in her memory. It's pointless.

Everything he had endured these ten years was all for naught.

Ryoken slowly pulled his hand away from Tsubaki's cold hands. The boy looked away from Tsubaki's dejected eyes and frowned profusely as he intertwined his fingers.

"Mirai... I'm sorry," he finally spoke, causing the poor girl's shoulder to slump. "How I wish I could tell you everything... but I can't. For now."

He stood up from his seat, turning his back away from her. "Just wait a little longer. When the time comes... I swear I will tell you everything."

With those firm words, Ryoken swallowed hard the bitter truth that he just learned and forced his way out of his sister's sight. Preparations needed to be made to take down his enemy.