Tokyo: Oreimo

If she won't open the door, then keep knocking until she does.

He'd had enough of this cold war; he was determined to find out why the girl was angry today.

Knowing that guy's personality, if I do this, he'll definitely piss me off and beat me up.

Ling Nai is absolutely capable of doing something like that.

But then, wouldn't that have worked?

As Ryosuke had expected, a slightly impatient voice came from inside the room.

"You better stop now! If you keep hitting me, I'll kill you!"

"Open the door."

"do not want!"

"Your academic tutoring has been suspended for a week, hasn't it? With your brain, you'll be completely behind the school's pace if you don't get extra help."

"Stop nagging, what does that have to do with you?"

"Is it okay if my father takes away my computer?"

Ryosuke said calmly.

Then, as he expected.

The blonde, disheveled girl opened the door, but instead of her usual displeased expression, she appeared quite indifferent.

"...It's okay, I'll ask Ruri for advice on that. I can manage without you."

"...In the end, you were forced into this kind of academic tutoring, it was just a collaboration, you tutor me, and I help you with your drawings."

"...Now, I announce that the partnership is coming to an end."

"I will continue with the company's affairs, as it was agreed upon with everyone a long time ago, and I also have a share in it. As for comics and academic tutoring, please stop doing them."

Ryosuke was taken aback when he heard Ling Nai's words.

This scene is just like the expression on Ruri Aragaki's face when she said she wanted to break off their friendship at the CM exhibition.

"Is it okay if we don't see the sequel to the story?"

“That doesn’t matter. Shueisha can just stop publishing.” Takashiro Ryouno turned her head away. “I don’t care anymore.”

Then, with a hint of warning in her tone, she said:

"Stop knocking on my door!"

As she spoke, the blonde girl was about to close the door.

"and many more!"

Why do people ignore you after saying something like that?

Ryosuke's actions were faster than his brain's reaction; just as the door was about to close, his hand had already wedged into the gap.

The edge of the wooden door firmly clamped his palm, and a dull pain shot up his finger bones.

"hiss!"

He frowned, but did not pull his hand away.

Ling Nai clearly hadn't anticipated this development; the door panel paused the moment it clamped down on Ryosuke's hand.

She instinctively wanted to let go, but she forcefully suppressed the urge and maintained the closing posture, though she had already lost most of her strength.

"...Are you crazy?"

Takashiro Ryouno bit her lip, but her expression remained cold and aloof.

"Well, my sister is angry after all." Ryosuke's eyebrows furrowed in pain.

"I'm not angry."

"Then just leave it there." He simply stuck his palm there, leaning against the door frame, showing no intention of backing down. "Anyway, I'm the one who's in pain."

The corridor was quiet for a few seconds.

Ling Nai's eyes seemed to be filled with mist as she looked away from Ryosuke's face, then quickly looked at the hand stuck in the crack of the door.

".....idiot."

She finally let go of the doorknob and turned to go back into the room.

Chapter 184 Not Siblings

Ryosuke pushed open the door and moved his hand, which was pinched red. The bone should be fine, but it would definitely be bruised tomorrow. With this kind of injury, he wouldn't be able to hold a pen for at least two or three days.

He plopped down on the tatami mat in the same familiar spot.

Takashiro Ryouno showed no intention of speaking, her eyes fixed on the computer screen as she played her game.

"I disagree with the termination of the cooperation."

Ryosuke placed his hands on his knees and said, enduring the pain.

In situations like this, if you really act as if nothing happened, believe Ling Nai's angry words, and turn around and leave...

Knowing his sister as he does, he'll definitely be so angry he won't be able to sleep, and he'll completely treat himself like he's invisible at home.

What do you mean you're not angry? You're almost losing your temper!

"In short, if I have done anything wrong, please tell me and I will apologize to you."

Ryosuke sighed, "I won't let you drink because you're not an adult yet, and besides, you're not exactly a good person anyway."

The room was quiet. Ling Nai rested her chin on her hand on the desk, her head turned to the other side, as if she didn't want to see Ryosuke.

“...It’s not because of that.” she muttered.

"what?"

“I said it wasn’t because of that, and I wasn’t angry.”

"Then why don't you eat well? You lock yourself in your room all day, ignoring me when I knock, and you've neglected your studies..."

Ryosuke continued speaking, but was quickly interrupted by Ryouno's loud voice.

"...Why should I?"

"What right do you have?"

"Why do you have the right to meddle so much?!"

Ling Nai turned around, her eyes a little red, but no tears fell. "Who are you to me?"

"You suddenly barged into my life, prying into my secrets, and wanting to meddle in everything you do. What I do is none of your business, right?"

Ryosuke was taken aback.

"Because I am your older brother."

"That's hilarious, isn't it a blended family?" The blonde girl placed her hands on her knees, her shoulders trembling slightly, and her face forced a show of her former arrogance.

"...I can't treat you like an older brother, so don't try to lecture me like an elder. After all, you're only a year older than me!"

Ryosuke was momentarily at a loss for words after being confronted by her prickly demeanor.

"You forbid this and you forbid that? Who do you think you are?"

"...A cooperative relationship is a two-way street, isn't it? I've already said that, starting today, I'm unilaterally terminating this verbal agreement."

Seeing that Ling Nai was completely unresponsive and unwilling to communicate, they realized that Ling Nai was not listening to anything they were saying.

Ryosuke decided to try again.

Why do you want to end this?

Ling Nai clenched her fists tightly.

"...Because I don't want to see you."

Why don't you want to see me?

"If I don't want to, I just don't want to. Why are there so many whys?"

"Why didn't you say anything before? Why didn't you say anything when you came to my room without permission and peeked at the script? When we were working together on 'Cardcaptor Sakura' in Sakae-cho, and you dragged me to the studio every weekend to draw drafts, didn't you want to see me there either?"

Ling Nai's body stiffened for a moment.

“It wasn’t like this before, was it?” Ryosuke continued, “It’s just that you’ve been acting strange ever since we came back from Ureshino.”

What is it that you're unhappy with about me?

Ling Nai lowered her head, and the stray hairs on her forehead fell down, obscuring her expression.

"No."

"Ling Nai."

"I said no, and that's final!"

Her voice suddenly rose, sounding particularly jarring in the quiet room.

"No....."

She repeated it again, this time with a nasal tone in her voice.

Ryosuke didn't press the matter further; he simply sat quietly to the side.

Unlike when they first met a year ago, Ling Nai wouldn't resort to violence at the slightest provocation now.

She learned to be patient, to conceal her true feelings, and to keep what she really wanted to say to herself, building a wall of indifference and sarcasm.

But no matter how high the wall is built, it still can't stop what it can't stop.

For example, tears.

Ling Nai didn't cry out loud, but tears had already started falling, one by one landing on the back of her hand.

She didn't want Ryosuke to see, so she kept her head down, buried her face in her knees, and curled up into a ball.

Like a cat with its fur standing on end, it pretends to be fierce even when it has nowhere to retreat.

Ryosuke looked at her like this and remained silent for a few seconds.