I really don't want to be reborn.

They were clearly extremely angry, to the point of rage!

"You can't remember my birthday, but you remember everyone else's birthday very well, brother."

Her brother retorted, "Just like you, warm and friendly outside, aloof and reserved at home, pretty much the same."

"..."

Kirino hung up the phone.

Kyosuke sighed softly. He didn't know why, but the closer he got to his sister, the more he wanted to tease her.

He himself didn't understand what kind of mentality this was.

Ah, that's how it is.

They always show the greatest kindness and gentleness to the cute cats they meet for the first time, creating a harmonious scene that resembles a loving father and son.

As for their lazy cats, they would occasionally hide their furballs, lift them by the neck and shake them, or suddenly throw them into the water...

This is a rather subtle psychological issue.

Just as he was about to call back to apologize to his sister, he found that this guy had called first, not giving him a chance to apologize. His voice was muffled: "You can see Chiba's direction now, right?"

"The window faces right there."

"Then go to the window, I have something to show you."

Despite not understanding what his sister was saying, Kousaka Kyosuke still went to the balcony and opened the curtains as instructed.

The Rainbow Bridge was as beautiful as it was last night, shimmering with light, a rainbow arching over the bridge, its light stretching to who knows how far away, and above the Rainbow Bridge was the Tokyo sky.

The night was deep, with dark clouds looming overhead; the dark sky seemed like his closed-eye dream.

"Kirino, what do you want to show your brother?"

"Then look further ahead! I don't know if you can see in the direction of Chiba."

He gazed into the distance, looking across the sea at Chiba, and guessed what his sister wanted to do. His tone became even gentler: "Then let's begin. I'm watching."

"Ok!"

Faint crackling and whooshing sounds came from the other end of the phone; it was fireworks rising into the sky, exploding suddenly in the night.

Kyosuke slightly raised his head.

A gleam shone through his deep gaze.

It seemed that there was a torrential downpour of starlight in the direction of Chiba.

"Did you see that? Fireworks?"

He looked at the edge of the dark sky; where were the fireworks?

Touched by his sister's childish act, and then feeling a pang of nostalgia, he nodded slightly and lied, "Brother saw it, it's very pretty."

Kirino's tone immediately became cheerful and lively: "Hmph, it's your birthday after all, so I reluctantly prepared a small gift for you. Please accept it with trepidation."

"...Would you die if you didn't act all tsundere?"

"No way!"

Kyosuke Kosaka was amused by his sister's exasperated voice: "Where did you set off the fireworks? Go home now."

"Right on the roof of our house."

"Get down here right now! You almost fell off this hill when you were a kid!"

He made a move to hang up the phone when he heard Kirino's request.

The younger sister wanted to talk to him a little longer, since they wouldn't see each other again until the day after tomorrow—it was only two days, but Kirino felt that her brother had been gone for two months, so hearing his voice now must make her want to talk to him a little longer.

It would be best to talk until dawn.

Are you lonely right now?

"Yes."

Kyosuke couldn't believe his sister could be that lonely. He knew that when loneliness reached its extreme, one couldn't even bear to blacklist scam calls, but his sister clearly wasn't.

"You have so many friends, why don't you just chat with one of them? Okay, Kirino, go to bed early tonight."

Kirino Kousaka had already gone downstairs and returned to her room, closing the door behind her. She had originally wanted to talk a little longer, but upon hearing the comforting words "Kirino, be good," she couldn't refuse: "Alright then, you have to come with me the day after tomorrow."

The older brother's helpless voice came through the phone: "Definitely."

"Don't lie to me!"

"I won't lie to you."

Only then did she press the hang-up button with satisfaction, lying on the bed staring blankly at the phone screen, thinking fiercely to herself, "If you lied to me, then we'll both suffer a terrible death."

Setting her phone aside, Kirino took out the photo of the two siblings in Akihabara and looked at it in front of her.

Hmm, are those two in the photo siblings?

She stared at her brother in the photo, a smile welling up in her eyes, turning into tears. Her breathing quickened, and she pulled the blanket up, the blanket under the light seeming like ocean waves.

He had just ended a call with his sister when he received another call from Ayase Aragaki. He thought she was also there to wish him a happy birthday, but the girl's first words sounded a bit off.

"Big brother, I need your help!"

His tone sounded somewhat lacking in confidence.

"Oh?"

Half an hour later, he finally put his phone away, his back to the flowing light outside the window, with a rather strange expression.

------

Kyosuke Kousaka's birthday is said to be the same day as Hachiman's, which is August 8th. Tokyo Summer Comic starts on the second Friday of August—but August 2005 does not fit this setting; instead, the September calendar does.

The chapter title is inspired by Guo Xiang's poem, "When I walked through the mountains, the mountains remained silent."

When I passed by the sea, the sea did not answer.

My little donkey is also silent, the Heaven-Slaying Sword accompanies me as I travel the world.

Everyone says I miss you, but I can't see you.

She then chose to shave her head and settle down in Emei.

Actually, I just fell in love with the mist and clouds of Emei Mountain.

It's just like the fireworks that bloomed when I was sixteen.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Pitch Black! Utterly Pitch Black! Beep beep beep!

"Kousaka-kun looks great today."

"Ah, I went out to celebrate with my friends last night. Oh, let me introduce you, this is my sister, Black Cat."

At the breakfast restaurant, Kyosuke Kousaka runs into the manga artist from yesterday morning again, but luckily the self-important lady doesn't show up today.

So his expression was natural; there was no need for him to constantly put on a flattering face. The cartoonist, on the other hand, had a rather strange expression, staring at the petite girl beside him for a few moments.

"A black...black cat?"

Kyosuke nodded: "Yeah, Black Cat, that's her cute nickname, why?"

"No, it's just a coincidence, I also like black cats."

The manga artist smiled politely at Miss Black Cat, then began chatting with Kyosuke: "Eating chocolate in the morning? That's not a good idea."

“It’s okay. According to Buster’s chocolate theory, men’s interest in chocolate declines sharply after the age of fifteen and doesn’t return until they are sixty. I want to eat it a few more times before I get tired of it.”

(That's right, men tend to like women with big breasts and long legs before the age of fifteen and after the age of sixty. Between the ages of fifteen and sixty, they tend to like younger women... don't you think?)

"Oh, it seems that chocolate is a bit childish to men. Men under fifteen and over sixty are all children. But you, Kousaka-kun, don't seem childish at all. Your mannerisms and speech are more mature than mine, an adult."

"Actually, my mental age is much older than my actual age... Black Cat, is this breakfast to your liking?"

The black cat and the fork in its hand looked at each other, feeling a little guilty about being asked that question: "Um... it's alright."

"Do you want me to cut it for you?"

The girl looked at him, a hint of mockery flashing in her eyes, which were covered by colored contacts: "No need, Onii-chan."

"..."

very good!

That "Onii-chan" that was almost identical to Tamaki's almost made him swoon with cuteness. Even the somewhat shy manga artist couldn't help but marvel: "You two siblings have such a good relationship, and I must say your sister is really adorable."

Kyosuke was both amused and exasperated: "She...this girl isn't cute. She was just acting."

When it comes to acting, the cartoonist's expression suddenly became complicated: "Acting, well, that's just how women are. They're born actors, able to switch between reality and illusion, and portray a thousand different faces. It feels like they were born with that skill."

"Hmm, she's a natural-born politician, always testing men and using strategic retreats to advance. Women studying politics would be a huge disaster. Judging from your tone, your wife is quite the actress, isn't she?"

"Shiho... she won't say anymore, she won't say anymore."

It turns out his wife's name is Shiho, which is the same name as the female protagonist in "Detective Conan".

Just as Kousaka Kyosuke was about to offer a perfunctory compliment, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind, and he instantly remembered who this guy in front of him was. His gaze towards him inevitably carried a complex sense of pity.

"So it was you..."

"Ok?"

Kyosuke feigned sudden realization: "When you mentioned the black cat earlier, your expression suddenly became a little unnatural. That reminded me of a manga series also called 'Black Cat.' I finally remembered."

The black cat lowered its head and quietly fought to the death with the Western-style breakfast.

"That work...it's actually yours, isn't it?"

Kosaka put down his cutlery, extended his hand, and said with a complex mix of surprise and nostalgia, "Hello, Mr. Kentaro Yabuki. I never expected to run into you here. It's my great honor."

"Oh dear, don't say that. It's embarrassing to be addressed like that. I'm only twenty-five years old this year, not much older than you."

"You're too modest. Oh, I remember your wife was a cartoonist before we got married."

"Yes."

Kyosuke introduced the black cat: "This teacher is the author of 'Yamatai Fantasy Chronicle' and also the author of the manga 'Black Cat,' do you remember him?"

Black Cat was taken aback, never expecting to run into the author of a popular manga while having breakfast. She lowered her head slightly, a little embarrassed, but of course, she didn't forget her sharp tongue: "Let's not even talk about Yamatai, but the similarities between 'Black Cat' and 'Yu Yu Hakusho' and 'Rurouni Kenshin' are just too many..."