"Are you scared?"
Hina shook her head.
"What about you, Sis?"
Kirishima Ai was actually a little scared.
She had never been particularly brave since she was little. Whenever she encountered dark places, she would get scared. Even when watching TV, if a dark scene came on, she would feel as if something frightening might suddenly appear.
Things had not improved much even after she grew up.
"As long as Hina is here, I'm not scared."
Kirishima Ai smiled.
Whenever she was with Hina, she had never been afraid of the dark. It was the same now—walking hand in hand with her little sister made her feel at ease.
After hearing Kirishima Ai's words, Hina lowered her head slightly.
"You're always like this, Sis... braver than I am."
She spoke softly.
Kirishima Ai froze for a moment, but Hina soon raised her head again. Looking at the pitch-black surroundings, she edged closer to Kirishima Ai, relying on her sister a little.
"When we were little, I think there was a time like this too. I got lost in a dark place, and you were the one who found me all by yourself..."
Her little sister spoke slowly.
Listening to her, Kirishima Ai recalled some things from the past as well.
Once, when they had been playing at the mountain lodge at night, Hina had gotten lost. The whole family had been unable to find her. Her little sister had been very timid back then, but in the end, Ai had found Hina in a place with barely any light.
Kirishima Ai did not know why she had gone there to look for her sister at the time.
"I was so scared that I couldn't even speak, but you were different, Sis. You were like a hero."
As she said this,