Yavi's sleepiness vanished, and he jolted upright in bed. "Gossip? And identity theft, at that?" He pricked up his ears, his Witcher Senses allowing him to catch the conversation in the corridor clearly. This was much more interesting than afternoon tea!
High heels clacked along the corridor, accompanied by complaints from a forceful female voice. "I checked. He's the only person living in this room. I'm going to expose that impostor today!"
Yavi was listening eagerly to the commotion when, with a sudden bang, someone kicked his door open. It slammed hard into the wall, shaking a decorative vase onto the floor.
"Wait, what does this have to do with me? How did watching the drama turn into being the drama?" Yavi sat dumbfounded on his bed, still clutching the shirt he had only half pulled on. His golden curls were tousled from sleep, and red marks from his pillow still lingered on his face.
"So it's you?" A red-haired senior with a high ponytail stormed in, her heels clicking sharply against the floor. A young man and a young woman followed her. The round-faced senior behind her looked ready to cry as she desperately tugged at her sleeve. "Mel, we really shouldn't be doing this..."
The red-haired senior swept her gaze over Yavi and suddenly froze. She stared fixedly at his face in disbelief.
The red-haired senior's hands suddenly began to tremble slightly, and the book she held fell to the floor with a clatter. Her lips quivered as she called tentatively, "Y... Yavi?"
Yavi was about to explain that this was a misunderstanding when her call stopped him short. He studied the red-haired beauty before him carefully: those brown eyes, exactly like his father's, and the tiny tear mole at the corner of her right eye...
"Mel... sis?" Yavi's voice was a little strained, and he rubbed his slightly narrowed eyes in disbelief.
Mel suddenly rushed forward and pulled Yavi into her arms. He could feel her trembling slightly. "It really is you... Father said you had already..."
The round-faced senior watched the scene, dumbstruck, and whispered to the young man beside her, "Wh... what's going on?"
The young man shrugged. "Looks like a family reunion?"
The sudden embrace left Yavi at a loss. The familiar scent of citrus perfume surrounded him-it was his mother's favorite fragrance. He stiffly raised his hand and gently patted Mel's back. "I... I wrote to you every year, but I never got a reply..."
Mel turned deathly pale. "It was the same at home... Mother wrote to you regularly, and Father even sent an owl specifically to deliver the letters..." Her voice began to tremble. "Every time Kharkov came back, he said you were studying hard and had no time to reply... Then Kharkov stopped coming back these past few years. Father said that after so many years without any word from you, perhaps... But Mother always believed you were still alive."
Mel and Yavi looked at each other, both realizing something at the same time.
The air in the room seemed to freeze. Yavi's fingers unconsciously clenched the bedsheet until his knuckles turned white, then loosened again.
Yavi sighed deeply, his gaze gradually softening. "Maybe... Master Kharkov was afraid I'd miss home too much if I received letters from you..." He shook his head with a bitter smile. That really was his style...
Mel frowned. "But that still doesn't-"
"He always said, 'A true witch... hunter must learn to let go.'" Yavi gently interrupted his sister, unconsciously tightening both hands around hers. "Thinking about it now, he was protecting me in his own way. It's just..." His voice grew quieter. "I never thought it would make you believe I..."
Mel hugged Yavi tightly again, squeezing so hard he could barely breathe. Her voice was muffled against his shoulder, a faint sob catching in it. "You idiot... None of that matters anymore..."
Yavi felt warm liquid soaking through his shirt. Mel lifted her head, her eyes red but her smile radiant. "What matters is that we're finally reunited! And..." She suddenly pinched Yavi's cheeks and pulled hard. "You actually got into Oxenfurt Academy without telling us! And you're even living in a luxurious single room like this!"
"Ow, ow, ow!" Yavi struggled, his face contorting, but couldn't help laughing. "Sis, you're still just as rough!"
The round-faced senior and the young man stood to one side, one wiping away tears of emotion and the other awkwardly rubbing the back of his head. The senior sniffled softly. "It's so moving... Just like that novel, Sister and Younger Brother Separated for Many Years..."
Only then did Mel remember that other people were present. She hurriedly wiped away her tears and cleared her throat. "Ahem... Let me introduce you. This is my younger brother, Yavi, who's been studying away from home for years." She proudly wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
Yavi scratched his messy golden hair sheepishly. "Hello, seniors."
Mel released Yavi and turned to gesture toward the two behind her, her voice regaining its usual briskness. "These two are my most capable assistants in the student council-" She first pointed to the tall young man. "Kent Werner, an expert in swordsmanship."
Kent extended a friendly hand. "Hello, Yavi. It's an honor to meet you!"
The two exchanged a friendly handshake.
"And this is Pep Holt," Mel introduced the round-faced senior next. "She's my good friend and my most capable assistant."
Hearing Mel introduce her, Pep blushed as she shook Yavi's hand.
Reluctant to part, Mel ruffled Yavi's golden curls and sighed. "As much as I'd love to drag you off and talk for three days and nights, there's an emergency student council meeting..." She turned and gave Pep and Kent a meaningful look. "You two go ahead and prepare the documents. I'll be right there."
After the two left, Mel gently shut the door, and her expression suddenly softened. She returned to Yavi's side and reached out to straighten his rumpled collar.
"Seven tonight. I'll be waiting for you at the Oak Restaurant by the academy's north gate." Mel's voice was much gentler, and she gave her younger brother a light hug. "Seven. Don't be late." She handed Yavi a small badge, then headed toward the door, turning back to add, "Just the two of us. We'll have a proper talk about everything that's happened over the years. Keep it casual; there's no need to dress up."
Watching Mel leave, Yavi stood where he was, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the little badge she had given him. Outside the window, the afternoon sunlight fell gently across the floor, gilding the door's broken lock. He suddenly realized that tonight might be the first time in all these years that he could have a simple dinner with family like an ordinary person.
The bells of the distant clock tower rang out leisurely, and Yavi began looking forward to this long-awaited family dinner. He turned toward the wardrobe, considering what to wear to see his sister-nothing so formal that it felt distant, but nothing so casual that it seemed he wasn't taking it seriously enough. Yet this simple choice let him feel the warm worries of family that he hadn't known in so long.