006. The Little Sister’s Unremarkable Path to Ruin

As soon as they stepped out onto the street, Umaru appeared rather excited and exclaimed, "Big brother, your singing is really amazing! What was the name of that song?"

Umaru considered herself to know her brother very well. She was aware that Jiang Yu was skilled at the piano, but hadn’t expected his singing to be so pleasant. It left her both a little surprised and somewhat dejected. Yet, remembering that her brother had always seemed capable of anything since childhood, her mood brightened once more.

Jiang Yu smiled, "Butter-Fly. It translates to 'butterfly'." Even as he spoke, Jiang Yu felt a shiver at the Japanese word for "big brother," pronounced as "Onii-chan." Wasn’t this word dangerous? Why did it sound so delightful every time he heard it? Utter nonsense!

Umaru’s large eyes sparkled, and she pleaded, "Big brother, will you sing it for me again when we get home? Umaru really wants to hear it a few more times!"

Jiang Yu thought for a moment. "We don’t have a piano at home, but there’s a guitar. If there’s a chance, I’ll play it for you."

Umaru nodded eagerly, like a chick pecking at rice.

Looking at the girl’s charming and innocent appearance, Jiang Yu couldn’t help but reach out with his right hand and gently pat her head.

After a brief moment of surprise, Umaru leaned into his palm, giving Jiang Yu, as a brother (and something more, perhaps), immense satisfaction.

...

The night breeze was cool, and the city lights had just come alive.

In the broad sense, Tokyo is a vast place, divided into many districts. But in the narrow sense, people usually refer to Tokyo’s 23 special wards. Among these, the six central wards are known as the heart of Tokyo, and Jiang Yu’s residence in Chiyoda Ward placed him right in the middle of one of the world’s most bustling urban centers.

Thus, even at night, the area remained as busy as ever.

"Now, to celebrate big brother’s successful job hunt—cheers!" The petite girl with flaxen hair, her face brimming with excitement and admiration, raised a glass filled with cola, clinked it with Jiang Yu’s, and drank it all in one gulp.

Jiang Yu’s eyebrow twitched, and he silently wondered, "Does Umaru really love soda this much? How many glasses has she had? No, it must be her second bottle already!"

Clearly, Jiang Yu was celebrating his new part-time job with his little sister. The reason for this scene began when Umaru had announced, excitedly on the street, "Let’s celebrate your new job, big brother!"

Afterwards, Jiang Yu was dragged into a department store, suffering through a day of shopping with Umaru.

Notably, when passing a shop that sold both clothes and pets, Umaru gazed at the hamsters in the window with eyes that sparkled like stars.

Seeing her like this, Jiang Yu recalled the goldfish that had died of hunger in Umaru’s third year of elementary school, as well as the cactus that succumbed to overwatering in fifth grade.

So, when Umaru turned to him, full of excitement, and said, "Big brother, buy this for me!" Jiang Yu replied in an unwavering, resolute tone, "No. You’ll get bored of it soon enough!"

Umaru puffed up her cheeks in indignation, her eyes flashing with mischief. She adopted a pitiful, tearful look and whimpered, "Big brother... I’m so lonely..."

Jiang Yu, along with the onlookers nearby, were startled. As anxiety rose within him, a mist formed in Umaru’s eyes and she continued, "Always at home alone, waiting for you... I can’t take it anymore!"

With that, Umaru covered her cheeks with her hands, feigning unbearable sadness.

Jiang Yu glanced stiffly at the expressions of the passersby, cold sweat trickling down his forehead.

"He made a girl cry?"

"Such a beautiful girl..."

"That man is unbelievable!"

Thus... Jiang Yu bought two hamsters for Umaru, who named them "Hamutaro" and "Hamutaro III."

As for the money... Jiang Yu’s allowance usually arrived on the last day of the month, but in the confusion of the past few days, he had forgotten all about it.

After promising to showcase his skills for his sister, Jiang Yu bought a fish, a chicken, some pork, and seasonal vegetables, only to be pulled once again into a convenience store by Umaru.

As they walked, Umaru declared, "How can a celebration be without drinks and snacks!"

So when Jiang Yu habitually grabbed a bottle of cola, the shopping cart was already overflowing with snacks like chips and pudding, as well as two more bottles of cola.

Plus, the latest issue of Jump magazine, which Umaru insisted on at the entrance.

Once home, while Jiang Yu prepared dinner, Umaru polished off two bags of chips, a box of bamboo shoot chocolates, and a whole bottle of cola—two liters’ worth.

When Jiang Yu finally presented his carefully cooked braised fish, stir-fried peppered pork, and black chicken snow fungus soup, Umaru looked at him with a pitiful "I’m full, I can’t eat anymore" gaze and apologized, "Onii-chan, I’m sorry."

Jiang Yu, unmoved, saw that her act wasn’t working, so Umaru poured two cups of cola, toasted him, and downed them in one gulp before leaving the table with a flourish.

Jiang Yu sighed helplessly, muttered, "Don’t do this again," then ate alone, shooed Umaru away from helping with the dishes, sent her off to bathe, and retreated to his own room to open his Mac.

Staring at the unfamiliar anime characters on the screen, Jiang Yu once again felt, unmistakably, that this was another world. He was no longer the college graduate just entering society, but a fresh-faced sophomore in high school.

Why worry so much? Jiang Yu chuckled at himself, quickly created a new folder, then a new Word document, naming it "My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected."

He wrote: Volume One, Chapter One: In Short, Hikigaya Hachiman Is a Loser.

And so, the only sound in the room was Jiang Yu’s fingers tapping the keyboard.

...

Two in the morning. The moonlight was thick and fragrant.

Silver light poured like water, filling the room with a gentle scent.

Regaining his focus, Jiang Yu blinked his tired eyes, closed the laptop, and collapsed onto the bed. Though he’d already bathed, sweat now seeped through his clothes once more.

When was the last time he’d been so absorbed? What event was it?

Staring at the white ceiling, Jiang Yu let his thoughts wander freely.

Perhaps the last time he was so engrossed in something was during university, making games. Further back, it would have been the college entrance exams.

Today, he’d spent more than five hours writing. The first volume of "OreGairu" had eight chapters; he’d finished a little over two, averaging four to five thousand words per hour—much faster than his usual output of two to three thousand for original works.

Back in the days of endless study, modeling, programming, character design, editing... it was the same. Once he relaxed, he would collapse on the bed, stare at the ceiling, and drift into boundless daydreams.

Add in the struggles of daily life, and this... was the sum of his early years.

Jiang Yu felt a slight flare in his nostrils, a tinge of sorrow. His eyes grew hot. He barely managed to quell the surge of emotion, forcing a helpless smile at the corner of his lips.

No family, no friends—the only people he knew were those anonymous online acquaintances. The person he once adored was now just a grain of sand in the river of memory—shining, but submerged in the surging current of life.

Suddenly, Jiang Yu remembered a great writer he admired, and a line from one of his poems:

"Do not pine for old friends or old lands; instead, try new fires with fresh tea. Enjoy poetry and wine while youth lasts."

How many have drawn their swords and ridden forth, declaring that poetry and wine are for youth? But do they realize that youth is but a fleeting moment?

Who in this world can claim their life is perfect and without regret? How many grow old, bearing wounds, amidst their own happiness and regrets?

If all these experiences are but a dream, why not make my dream sweeter?

Jiang Yu felt his consciousness fading, eyes closing slowly.

Tomorrow.

It will surely be more beautiful and full of hope, won’t it?