The Story of Two Sisters

Now only the two sisters remained in the room. They had the same face but different stances. Hisana slowly walked towards Rukia, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Rukia..." she murmured, walking over to touch Rukia's face. Rukia instinctively dodged Hisana's hand. Although the person in front of her looked exactly like her and was very likely her older sister, she still felt a little uncomfortable. After all these years, it wasn't easy to accept an older sister all at once.

Hisana was also taken aback, then awkwardly withdrew her hand, her eyes showing a hint of disappointment. Rukia hand, was in a state of confusion, unsure of how to face her older sister.

Hisana had already anticipated Rukia's reaction; it was only natural, and disappointment was inevitable. "Rukia, I know you must have many questions right now. Don't ask them yet; let me tell you a story first."

"Once upon a time, there was a family: a kind and gentle mother, an honest and hardworking father, and a lively and cheerful daughter. One day, the mother suddenly announced that their family would soon be welcoming a new member—her younger brother or sister." At this point, Hisana looked at Rukia, the meaning of her words crystal clear.

Hisana continued, "As Mother's belly grew bigger day by day, Sister's anticipation for her unborn sister grew stronger with each passing day. Finally, on that night, Mother went into labor, and the cry of a newborn broke the silence of the night, but..." At this moment, a trace of fear flashed in Hisana's eyes.

Even so, Hisana continued, "That very night, countless Hollows attacked that area, which was already quite remote. There was no Shinigami capable of destroying Hollows. Father and Mother sacrificed their lives to protect my older sister and my newborn younger sister!"

Hisana could no longer hold back. Tears silently streamed down her face, and Rukia's emotions also turned sorrowful. She knew, of course, that the sister in the story was her. When Rukia heard that her parents had sacrificed themselves for her, her heart trembled involuntarily. Although she had never met them, how could Rukia unmoved upon hearing this news?

"Hoo~" Hisana took a deep breath, forcibly controlling her emotions, and continued, "The two surviving sisters had nowhere to go. The older sister led the younger sister, wandering around, but the environment they were in was not good, and the security there was very bad."

Rukia looked like she knew what was going on; having grown up in the District 78, she naturally understood the situation there.

"So, to survive, the older sister abandoned her infant sister and fled to another neighborhood." As she said this, Hisana's eyes were filled with guilt. She even felt ashamed to face Rukia, while Rukia looked at Hisana with slight shock. She wasn't shocked that Hisana would abandon her, after all, in that kind of environment, even if she had taken her, there was no guarantee of survival.

Rukia that she had such a background. She realized that she was not alone; she had a loving father, mother, and sister.

"After that, my sister was fortunate enough to meet a benefactor in her life, which changed her destiny dramatically. At this time, it was extremely difficult for her to find her younger sister. However, heaven rewards the persistent, and she finally found her sister, and now she is right in front of me."

Hisana finally finished telling the story of what happened back then, and at the same time, she breathed a sigh of relief. After all, this secret had been hidden in her heart for so many years, and today it was finally released.

Rukia listened quietly to what Hisana had to say, her expression constantly changing. In the end Rukia still couldn't figure out how to face her older sister.

"Rukia, I'm so sorry, I know it's impossible to beg for your forgiveness now, but I still want to say: Rukia, are you still willing to accept me as your unworthy older sister?" Hisana's tone was filled with sincere pleading. People always have to pay the price for their mistakes, and Hisana was also filled with anxiety. Would she accept me?

Unbeknownst to them, two other people were standing outside the door. Byakuya stood silently, his fists clenched tightly. He was unaware of these things. Hisana had only told him that she had a lost younger sister, but she didn't say how they had been separated. Seeing that she wouldn't elaborate, Byakuya didn't press her for details.

Who would have known there was such a story behind this? If Ye Yang hadn't asked him to stay and listen, Hisana probably would never have told him. Normally, Byakuya wouldn't stoop to eavesdropping like this, but Ye Yang's words made him waver. "If you leave, you'll never know the truth!"

But what can she do even if she knows the truth? All she can do is slowly heal the wounds in her heart.

Ye Yang turned to Byakuya and asked, "What do you plan to do?"

Byakuya remained silent, because he didn't know how to handle the matter either. If he were to adopt her into the Kuchiki Clan, it would definitely cause controversy, and the old folks in the Council of Elders would certainly not agree. They had already reached their limit by acknowledging Hisana's existence, and his grandfather probably wouldn't agree to something that would damage the face of the nobility.

Besides, even if Grandpa agreed, what would Rukia's status be when she enters the Kuchiki Clan? Hisana's sister, her own sister-in-law? That seems rather absurd.

Byakuya frowned slightly, Ye Yang suggested, "How about this, let Rukia enter the clan as your sister. That way, even if the Council of Elders to stop you as the head of the clan, they can't do anything about it. The only thing left is your grandfather's side. As for what the outside world thinks? Who cares?"

Upon hearing this, Byakuya's brows gradually relaxed. This wasn't a bad idea. Although the two sisters' identical appearances would inevitably attract gossip, at least it Rukia's name. The Council of Elders could handle it themselves; Byakuya had done similar things before. Didn't he also face numerous difficulties when he married Hisana back then?

Byakuya nodded without speaking, agreeing with Ye Yang's suggestion. He remained silent for fear that the two sisters inside would hear. Ye Yang lowered his voice and set up a barrier around them. If others saw the Kuchiki Clan head and the Shihoin Clan head eavesdropping on someone else's conversation, it would be quite a mess.

The two continued listening to the sounds inside, waiting for Rukia's answer. Inside, Hisana stared intently at Rukia, caring more Rukia her answer than anyone else.

However, Rukia remained silent for a long time. Hisana quietly asked, "Rukia, do you hate me?"

Rukia shook her head, while Hisana was somewhat disappointed. If there was hatred, it meant Rukia still cared about her, but Rukia had no feelings for him whatsoever, so where did the hatred come from?

"I wouldn't say I hate you, I'm just a little sad," Rukia finally spoke. Who wouldn't feel a pang of resentment after being abandoned?

Hisana sighed softly. It seemed that getting Rukia to accept her wouldn't be an easy thing.

Surprisingly, Rukia smiled generously and said, "Actually, it's nothing. If I were in your shoes, I probably would have made the same decision as you. So, sister, thank you for telling me so much."

Hisana's body trembled almost uncontrollably. What had she just heard? Her sister? My God, that was the most beautiful voice in the world!

"Rukia, what did you just call me?" Hisana asked again, seemingly unable to believe her ears.

"Sister," Rukia said matter-of-factly. Although Rukia felt a little resentful after hearing that Hisana had abandoned her, she could not deny the deep bond of blood between them. It was through Hisana that Rukia experienced the love of family for the first time, which was exactly what she had longed for since she had been an orphan since childhood.

She also really enjoyed the feeling of being cared for. Although she and her friends had cared for each other before, this was a completely different kind of care, and she didn't want to lose this hard-won family bond.

"That's great Rukia! You've finally called me 'older sister'!" Hisana stepped forward and hugged Rukia, feeling a warmth she hadn't experienced in decades.

For decades, Hisana had dreamt of reuniting with Rukia, imagining Rukia calling her "sister." Now, she even had the illusion that she was dreaming. She knew her time was running out; even with the Spiritual Pressure isolation bracelet Ye Yang had made, she couldn't possibly last ten years. How incredibly lucky she was to find Rukia while she was still alive!

Hisana secretly vowed in her heart that she would make up for what Rukia had lost in the days to come; she didn't want to lose this hard-won family bond again.

Rukia

"Ah?"

"Come back to the Kuchiki Clan with me."

"Huh?" Rukia exclaimed, "The Kuchiki Clan?" Ye Yang had already told Rukia Byakuya and Hisana's full names before, but at that time Rukia was thinking about her family, so she didn't have the mind to listen to these things. Although she already knew that her sister had married a nobleman, she hadn't thought much about it.

Hisana's words left her somewhat bewildered. The Kuchiki Clan? Or a noble family? Although Rukia had only recently joined the Seireien, she had heard some things about the place.

Rukia cautiously asked, "Could the Kuchiki Clan be...?"

Hisana smiled and said, "It's the Kuchiki Clan, the head of the Four Great Noble Clans. The man just now was my husband, and also the 28th head of the Kuchiki Clan, Byakuya Kuchiki. Of course, he's also your brother-in-law now." Hisana dropped one bombshell after another, leaving Rukia completely bewildered.