There's Always Someone Better (5k5)

Among the members of the Drama Club, apart from the two First Year students Tsubaki Sakurako and Nanase Tsubasa, the remaining second-year members, whether it was Ichinose Honami, Karuizawa Kei, or Sakura Airi, were all quite familiar with Hotaru. Therefore, when they saw her skipping and hopping into the auditorium, they all immediately raised their hands to greet her.

After all, even setting aside her relationship with Kitagawa Ryo, it's easy to develop a strong liking for Hotaru, a clever, cute, and well-behaved human child, even though Kitagawa Ryo himself feels that these adjectives don't seem quite right now.

But there was nothing they could do. Just as Hotaru had lost Kitagawa Ryo's social connections over the past two years, Ichinose Honami, Karuizawa Kei, and Sakura Airi's impressions of Hotaru remained from over two years ago. Only when they actually approached them did they realize, somewhat bewildered, that Hotaru had grown from a little girl who had just graduated from elementary school into a young woman about to enter high school. During this period of rapid female development, she had inadvertently undergone a transformation.

"This is my younger sister, Hotaru."

Considering that there were two girls present, Nanase Tsubasa and Tsubaki Sakurako, who did not know Hotaru, Kitagawa Ryo first gave them a brief introduction.

He initially thought that Hotaru would pounce on him like she did last Christmas, and he was even prepared to catch her. But perhaps because there were quite a few people present, and most of them were old acquaintances, Hotaru behaved quite normally this time, greeting everyone with a bright smile.

"Okay, just call me Ying."

Nanase Tsubasa didn't think much of Hotaru's words, assuming it meant her club president's younger sister was a gentle and kind girl like her president. Therefore, while enthusiastically introducing herself, she began using this rather intimate form of address:

"Is Ying here at ANHS also for the club exchange meeting? Could it be that you're the opponent we'll be facing next?"

"No, that's not it. I'm here as a documentary photographer."

As she spoke, Hotaru raised the camera hanging around her neck again and gave a slightly comical salute towards Nanase Tsubasa:

"I'll definitely take some nice photos of my senior in a bit."

"Okay, okay, it's settled then--"

Unlike Nanase Tsubasa, Tsubaki Sakurako knew more about Hotaru. After all, in the nearly one year before entering Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, she had studied almost everything about Kitagawa Ryo, trying to use it as a breakthrough to uncover the truth about her sister. Therefore, she also knew about Hotaru.

Although Kitagawa Ryo himself never actively promoted his family, there were always enthusiastic fans who would dig up such things. So, a long time ago, Tsubaki Sakurako already knew about Hotaru's existence, and even knew that Hotaru herself suffered from a certain congenital disease. Kitagawa Ryo had spent most of his earnings as a child Actor in the early and middle stages on this information.

From Tsubaki Sakurako's perspective, Kitagawa Ryo and her older sister both entered the White Room in their childhood, and she and her two younger sisters, Hotaru, should share some similar thought processes.

It was precisely for this reason that when Tsubaki Sakurako left school during Golden Week in May this year, she vaguely sensed that the relationship between the brother and sister was not as simple as it seemed on the surface. After all, even a younger sister like her, who was in a psychological breakdown because her older sister was eliminated from the White Room, would develop a kind of obsession or desire to Salvation her that transcends ordinary sisterly relationships.

If this person is also of the opposite sex, and immediately after leaving that place, they continue to exploit their talents and emotions to raise money for their illness, then unless they are completely unaware of the truth, this will definitely give rise to another kind of feeling.

Although the reality that Tsubaki Sakurako had always envisioned did indeed contain some errors and divergences from what actually happened, perhaps due to some kind of unspoken understanding between the sisters, she eventually managed to capture some of Hotaru's true thoughts, at least faster than the seniors on the field who had known Hotaru for a long time but were still lamenting how much a girl changes as she grows up.

Furthermore, regarding Hotaru's earlier statement that it's fine to just call her by her name, Tsubaki Sakurako couldn't help but think of more things, since her older sister also had this habit of disliking surnames and only wanting others to call her by her given name.

If the older sister simply felt no sense of belonging because of her surname, while her given name truly carried her memories with Kitagawa Ryo, then what was Hotaru's mindset when she said this?

Recalling what her father had once said about Kitagawa Ryo's background and the whole series of things that followed, Tsubaki Sakurako felt that she had found part of the truth, after all, this once again confirmed her initial thoughts.

After all, if the other party really had that kind of thought, then this would definitely be a good thing for her, not a bad thing.

"Is it okay if I don't film your school's clubs?"

When Kitagawa Ryo asked her question, Hotaru shook her head indifferently.

"It's alright. I'm not the only photographer from our school this time. Originally, the task was for two people to focus on our own school, and one person to photograph the club activities of ANHS and other middle schools."

"Speaking of which, if we're talking about the best-performing, most talked-about, and most popular club in the entire Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, it has to be my brother's Drama Club. So I had absolutely no problem coming here."

Although she said that, Hotaru immediately took the camera off her neck and handed it to Ichinose Honami, then moved back to Kitagawa Ryo's side, tiptoed, and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Come on, let's take a picture together, brother and I. Could you please take the picture for me, Sister Honami?"

"Okay, but did Maki when she came?"

Ichinose Honami nodded in agreement and began adjusting the camera to take pictures of the close brother and sister, while casually asking about her own sister.

"Maki is here too, but she should be on the track now, since she's in the Athletics Club. If Honami- neechan is free later, she can go watch her competition there; she'll be playing today."

As if she had completely forgotten that her best friend had asked her to say hello to Kitagawa Ryo her, after saying that, Hotaru closed one eye, winked at the camera, held her brother's arm tightly with her left hand, and raised her right hand in a V-sign in the air.

Although it's still nine months until the next Valentine's Day, Hotaru has already planned what she'll write on the letter paper:

[So, will my brother accept my special chocolate, or the one from my brother's side...?]

P. S.: Thank you for reading and subscribing.

PS2: Happy Valentine's Day. The last sentence of this chapter comes from this picture I saw today.

PS3: I finally found a place to live and moved all my things over in the last couple of days. I'll start catching up on updates tomorrow.

Chapter 47: There are still experts (5k5)

After all, the focus today was still on the Special Exam for the First Year, so Kitagawa Ryo didn't let Hotaru continue to steal the show. After taking a few photos with his sister, he temporarily pushed her to Ichinose Honami's side, while he gave his final instructions to the two First Year students who were about to take the stage.

Because Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School had already released information about the other schools participating in the club exchange two weeks prior, Kitagawa Ryo couldn't be said to be completely unprepared for the challenge from Azabu Middle School, but he certainly wasn't much better prepared.

"Huh? I thought this was the senior's alma mater, and that all the participants would be juniors the senior had mentored. Turns out, it wasn't?"

"That's true, but I didn't pay much attention to the Drama Club back then, not even as much as I do to the current Drama Club."

Kitagawa Ryo himself was a little helpless. After all, theoretically, it had only been less than two years since he graduated from there. This time, there were indeed quite a few students from Azabu Middle School who came to ANHS, but that was all they were familiar with.

"If we're being honest, Kushida from Class 2-C is probably the senior who knows them best, since she was in charge of the Drama Club back then, kind of like a club manager."

"So, you and Karuizawa didn't go to the same middle school?"

"Yeah, Honami is in the same school as me, but she's on the Student Council side. Besides Kushida, Suzune is the only other person in my department."

"As it turns out, Horikita Manabu is now in the Student Council at ANHS University... It sounds like a life-swap story."

Looking at Nanase Tsubasa, who seemed more concerned with the love-hate relationships of her seniors than the upcoming Special Exam, Kitagawa Ryo didn't know what to say. At least he wasn't nervous?

"Senior Liang's younger sister is two years younger than Senior Liang, right?"

Tsubaki Sakurako, on the other hand, was clearly more interested in Hotaru.

"Um."

"Your pupil color is the same as your name. Was that why you were named that?"

Perhaps influenced by her older sister, Tsubaki Sakurako indeed has an exceptionally high sensitivity to names, and with her keen observation skills, she quickly arrived at this conclusion.

"That's part of the reason, but the name Ying is related to me; its origin is..."

Kitagawa Ryo had originally intended to take the opportunity to explain the ancient poem, but considering Tsubaki Sakurako's older sister, Yuki's, opinion on the two names, he refrained from saying it and instead gave a vague, perfunctory answer:

"It was something my parents had planned long ago."

Whether you call him a seasoned veteran or someone who can speak to people in a way that suits them, if he's by Xue's side, then he's the coolness that embellishes Xue's name; if he's by Ying's side, then he's the coolness that adorns Ying's autumn.

"Alright, let's focus on the game first. The other side is actually quite restrained; they chose Shakespeare's 'As You Like It,' and their attitude is quite friendly. It's similar in theme to our 'Much Ado About Nothing.' Let's see how you perform."

Seemingly sensing that the two might become overly relaxed after he took the field, leading to some completely unnecessary mistakes, Kitagawa Ryo earnestly gave them further instructions:

"The judges this time all know my background, so they definitely won't give us a high score just because of me alone. On the contrary, they will value the performance of both of you more. The stage is a whole, after all, it's not a solo performance, and you both have to be able to keep up with the play."

"I've recently rewatched Ryo-senpai's old videos many times, and I've also consulted with Karuizawa- senpai a lot. I'll try my best to do well."

Unlike Tsubaki Sakurako, who responded to Kitagawa Ryo's expectations very seriously, Nanase Tsubasa's attitude was not so formal. After all, this was not her usual personality. She seemed a bit nonchalant, but she was still thinking about Tsubaki Sakurako's reaction and the questions she had asked.

These two younger sisters--

I always feel like some people are putting on a show for real, while others are trying to make it real.

As Kitagawa Ryo was talking to the two First Year juniors, Hotaru unconsciously began to re-evaluate the three older sisters in front of her whom she had known for a long time.

Although Hotaru Ichinose Maki to inquire about Ichinose Honami from Maki Ichinose before coming here, she never doubted whether Honami had actually gone that far with her brother. In fact, in her opinion, Ichinose Honami was the girl with the best chance and the most right to be with him.

This impression, which has persisted from the past to the present, did not waver in Hotaru's heart as those past events were revealed. Instead, it made her understand more deeply why she felt that Honami- neechan was a very good person when she was in elementary school, but she never competed with Karuizawa Kei, who suddenly jumped in front of her brother in the theater.

After all, she was just a Bystander watching the story. When she saw Kitagawa Ryo fall under her knife, even Hotaru herself couldn't help but feel a dizzying, almost suffocating sensation. How much more so for the person involved?

So now that Ichinose Maki say that Honami has moved on from the shadows, and that she has personally confirmed it, it is only natural that Hotaru can make such a deduction, because this should be the most natural step in the whole.

In Hotaru's own opinion, if she ever had to confront someone for help in the future, then Honami- neechan would definitely be the most suitable one.

Next up is Karuizawa Kei.

Although Hotaru's impression of Karuizawa Kei wasn't particularly good before going abroad, because she always felt that compared to Ichinose Honami, the latter's every move seemed a bit deliberate and utilitarian, many situations in reality don't actually conform to the idea of 'not competing is competing.' On the contrary, Karuizawa Kei's exceptionally high level of execution is definitely something she should learn from.

Rather, among the videos edited for her by her own allies, Karuizawa Kei is the most classic example, personally demonstrating countless wrong choices through her three case studies.

With her own age increasing, Hotaru can now understand more and more why her brother seems to have a special fondness for Karuizawa Kei among so many girls. Perhaps from her brother's perspective, such a girl is indeed the one who makes him the least troubled.

After all, among the girls around her brother, including herself, there was one of them who he could never truly trust. So Hotaru was willing to thank Megumi, who had not only not caused her brother any trouble over the long term, but had also genuinely helped him and herself a lot.

As for Sakura Airi, since she had always been a fan of Ichinose Maki, just like her, and since she hadn't seen Ichinose in those clips, Hotaru's attitude towards her remained the same. After all, an idol who could shine on a stage in front of thousands of people was a huge advantage for her when she was just a little girl, far more impressive than theatrical performances that she knew very little about.

Furthermore, compared to Ichinose Honami and Karuizawa Kei, Hotaru always felt that the story about a national-level beautiful idol who was actually my older brother's childhood friend in some sense and who graduated was probably just too much like a light novel. However, this story had absolutely no influence from her past life, and all the details actually happened in reality.

For this reason alone, Hotaru could never hate the other party, because for her, the experiences of these past years in the present world are the true source of her feelings, while the memories of her past life are just the last straw that broke the camel's back and a complete guide.

However, as Hotaru sincerely communicated with her three older sisters, she couldn't help but remind herself that she was still far from getting there. She thought about all the chocolates she received for her birthday last year. If even one of them was someone she couldn't accept about her and her brother's situation, or someone she herself couldn't accept, that would be a real problem.

After all, not everyone is like these three people in front of us, who know each other inside and out.

Judging from the memories alone, among the people she hasn't met, Horikita Suzune, Sakayanagi Arisu, and Yuki are clearly not easy to deal with. Each of them has had a rather outstanding or rather morbid side. It's just unknown whether her brother has properly resolved these issues, since mental illness is obviously more difficult to cure than physical illness.

Thinking of this, Hotaru casually brought up the topic of the previous birthday present and asked Ichinose Honami and the others about the whereabouts of the others.

"Suzune and Yuki should be at the Student Council right now. That's where they're taking their exams. Suzune, like Ryo, requested help from outsiders using her Aid Card First Year. As for Arisu, I don't really know. Speaking of which, I haven't seen Ichika either. She should be free today. Hotaru asked this because she wants to go over and thank them one by one later?"

"Yes, after all, everyone asked my brother to send me very expensive gifts for my birthday last time, so I should at least express my gratitude to them in person."

"I'll contact Arisu and Ichika for you later, or you can ask Megumi and Airi to help. I'll go check on Maki's situation."

After chatting with Hotaru for a while, Ichinose Honami took the initiative to say goodbye to everyone and headed to the playground where her sister was. After all, her sister couldn't move around freely like Hotaru, and might have to go back to her club team after the competition, so it was better to go there in advance.

Ultimately, Ichinose Honami's change of heart was simply a re-examination of her relationship with her family and relatives. However, this does not mean that she has directly severed ties with her family of origin. Especially for her Ichinose Maki, she is still the kindest older sister, but this time she will not think of stealing for her.

"By the way, what are they performing today, brothers?"

Although the Drama Club from Azabu Middle School was the first to take the stage, Kitagawa Ryo, Nanase Tsubasa, and Tsubaki Sakurako had already gone backstage to prepare, such as changing costumes. In order not to disturb the judges who were already seated in the front row of the audience, Hotaru and Karuizawa Kei also voluntarily moved to the back of the audience and continued to talk in a low voice.

"Much Ado About Nothing."

"Oh..."

Although Hotaru's face showed a knowing expression of "Oh, is that so?" and her tone was particularly meaningful, Karuizawa Kei and Sakura Airi old friends who had known each other for a long time. Seeing this, they smiled at each other and did not point out that the other did not understand drama at all and was not interested in it.

The two of them had originally intended to give Hotaru a brief overview of the plot, but they hadn't expected her to stand up from her seat so quickly.

"Let's come in when my brothers go on stage. I can use this time to wander around other places, like, for example, the Student Council area?"

"The Student Council's activity room is on the top floor of the club building. I'm not sure if it will be open to outsiders today, but it should be fine for someone like Hotaru, right?"

"Okay, then I'll go take a look first. Goodbye, Sister Hui! Airi!"

Watching Hotaru run off again with her camera in hand, Karuizawa Kei turned to Sakura Airi and complained:

"I wonder when Yingnian's brother will change this habit. He came here just to see Liang, and then left again as Liang wasn't going on stage for the time being. His purpose is too obvious."

"After all, they haven't seen each other for quite a while. Although Ryo manages to meet up with them whenever she leaves school, it only happens a few times. Hotaru only came back from abroad at the end of last year, which seems normal. But speaking of which, she has indeed grown up a lot all of a sudden. She used to be a complete child compared to now."

"That's right, I used to think that when she grew up to be my age, she wouldn't be as clingy as she was when she was little."

Sakura Airi smiled slightly upon hearing this.

"Isn't Megumi clinging to Ryo herself? And why does it sound like she's jealous of someone?"

"Tch, when have I ever been jealous of anyone else? But Hotaru is definitely a bit different. Airi knows what Ryo was like a few years ago. To put it bluntly, he was almost obsessed, his mind was full of his little sister. That's probably why I'm a little concerned."

"You said yourself that she's your younger sister, and I actually like that about Ryo. Do you think Megumi would have been better off if Ryo hadn't chosen to do what she did?"

"... No, that's not it. Never mind, let's watch the show."

Karuizawa Kei didn't want to tell Kitagawa Ryo Sakura Airi Kitagawa Ryo's mental breakdown tendencies at one point in his life. One of the most important lessons she learned from her past experiences was that the person who wants to Salvation you and the person you want to Salvation are both likely to be the ones you hurt the most or the ones who hurt you the most.

So she has been puzzled by Kitagawa Ryo's obsession with Hotaru until now, since in her past life, there was no such thing as Ryo's younger sister, Hotaru, and the only one named Hotaru was a kitten with the same eye color.

However, since Kitagawa Ryo didn't bring it up to her, Karuizawa Kei naturally wouldn't ask her either. But every time she saw Hotaru, this question would involuntarily well up in her mind, and today was no exception, even stronger than before, for some unknown reason.

So, what exactly is the relationship between Ying and Ying?

So, how exactly do we view them?

Even as the Azabu Middle School Drama Club's performance neared its end, Karuizawa Kei still hadn't truly figured out the problem. Instead, the more she felt that her past, which she had almost completely understood and had nearly achieved a breakthrough in her life, was now shrouded in a layer of mystery.

Isn't this a kind of "Much Ado About Nothing"?

However, if things can end As You Like It like a drama, then it doesn't seem to matter.

Karuizawa Kei no longer wanted to create any more complications; she was satisfied with the current situation.

But just like back on the cruise ship, if one day Kitagawa Ryo were truly willing to reveal the whole truth, she would hope to be the first.