Sibling Love (Sequel to I Just Want To Be Loved)

Mom?

Kirika watched in horror as paramedics took Daphne into an ambulance and brought her to the hospital. Shu drove her and Valt there too.

"Will Daphne be alright?" asked Kirika.

Luckily, it seemed that Daphne had only suffered a mild concussion. The hospital staff tried to contact Daphne's parents to tell her the news, but any phone calls went straight to voicemail.

"Sorry," said a nurse. "It seems like her parents are ignoring her. What kind of parents don't care about their child's health?"

Shu suddenly got extremely uncomfortable. He looked down at his feet.

"Big brother, I'm hungry," said Kirika.

"Oh. We might still have some leftover cake from your party."

"No. I want chips!"

"Haven't you have had enough junk food..."

"Please?" asked Kirika as she made the biggest puppy dog eyes ever. Shu could never resist her puppy dog eyes.

"Okay, stop with the puppy dog eyes," said Shu.

Valt giggled a little. "Shu, you really do spoil your sister."

However, as Shu was buying a packet of chips from a vending machine, he looked up and gasped.

"What's wrong, Shu?" asked Valt.

"Valt, it's her."

"Oh. Let's go the other way."

"Who?" asked Kirika. Then she suddenly saw a head of light pink hair just like hers.

"Is that Mom?" asked Kirika.

"Er... I think so?" asked Shu.

"I want to see Mom," said Kirika and went up to the woman.

"Kirika, wait!" said Shu.

Kirika turned around, wondering why her brother sounded so concerned. However, she accidentally bumped into the woman.

The woman turned around, ice blue eyes looking around. She glared at Kirika. "Who are you?"

"Kirika Kurenai?" asked Kirika.

Shu ran up to them. "Kirika, get away from her."

"Is something wrong?" asked Kirika.

The woman gasped when she saw Shu. "You," she said.

Shu suddenly looked scared. "Hi Mom," he said quietly.

Kirika was surprised to see her brother look so timid, but Shu felt like a child again facing the mother he hadn't seen for years.

"So this is the little brat?" asked Masumi Kurenai as she looked at her daughter.

Shu covered Kirika's ears. "Don't call my sister a brat. She's only a child."

"What are you doing here?" asked Valt.

"My friend has a daughter who is getting a shot," said Masumi. "Ugh, it's all Katrina this, Katrina that..."

"You guys do realise that I can still hear you," said Kirika. "I'm not a little girl."

Shu slowly uncovered his sister's ears. Masumi looked at her.

"So you kept your word," she said to Shu. "You raised her all by yourself."

"Yeah," said Valt. "And he gave her the best life she could ask for, unlike you who completely neglected him!"

"Valt, Kirika's listening!" said Shu.

"Oops," said Valt.

"Wait, what?" asked Kirika. She had just comforted Daphne for having neglectful parents. And now it seemed that Shu's childhood paralleled Daphne's.

"Don't talk back!" snapped Masumi, and she raised her hand to slap Kirika.

Shu stopped her hand. "Leave now," he said. "I will not let you hurt her like you hurt me. She's a child who deserves love and affection and kindness and a good family. All the things that I never got from you and Dad!"

Kirika looked at her brother in shock. She had seen him angry before, but not like this. Shu was voicing out the pain he had suffered under his parents.

Masumi glared at the siblings one last time before leaving.

Valt looked at Shu. "Shu, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," said Shu quietly.

"No, you're not," said Valt. "I know you so well. I always know when you're faking it. Like when you hurt your shoulder!"

Kirika blinked in surprise. "Is that why you freak out every time I hurt myself?"

Valt and Shu looked at each other. Shu sighed.

"Sis, it's time that I told you the truth."