Noah didn't respond to her immediately.
Instead, he raised his hand and playfully flicked her forehead.
"Silly girl! How could you curse your big brother?" Noah said playfully, noticing the protest in her gaze. "Alright, let's go..."
He softly grasped her hand before guiding her to his car.
Alicia was surprised to see her brother open the car door for her. She pulled Noah's hand and leaned closer to whisper, "Bro, you come with your boss?"
Noah ignored her question.
"Hurry up, Alice! We don't have much time!" he said urgently.
Once settled next to his sister, Noah told Jason their destination, leaving Alicia even more puzzled.
She grabbed Noah's arm and leaned into him, "Bro, we're headed to the restaurant? Why tho? The hospital cafeteria food is hella good and, like, super cheap! Let's just eat there, huh!?"
Alicia felt a bit worried that her brother might end up spending too much if they went to the restaurant. She's already aware of the challenges he's facing, especially with their mother having been in the hospital for many months now.
Noah smiled at her in silence, then shifted his focus to the road ahead.
Fortunately, his sister didn't ask him anything else until they arrived at the nearest Japanese restaurant to the hospital.
...
Sitting in the VIP room of a fancy restaurant in their city made Alicia feel even more worried and panicked.
"Bro, I'm seriously not hungry. Let's get out here and visit Mom..." Alicia said, grabbing her bag and getting ready to leave the room.
However, she paused when Noah gently stopped her.
"Alice, we really need to discuss something important. And the hospital is right beside this restaurant. We go after our discussion."
His tone was less playful than before, prompting Alicia to glance at Noah with an apparent frown on her young forehead.
"The hospital is very close. That's why I believe this is the right place for us to talk," Noah continued while gesturing for her to sit down again.
"And I know this is an expensive place to eat, despite their delicious and original Japanese cuisine. But don't worry about that; I can handle our expenses. If you need me to purchase this place, I can also manage that."
Noah spoke calmly while Alicia shot him—you must be kidding—kind of look.
Seconds later, a faint smile emerged on Alicia's lips. "Geez, you are too funny, bro. Your imagination is so wild," she said while returning to her seat.
Despite her worries about bankrupting her brother today, she obediently took her seat across from him again, noticing the seriousness in his gaze.
As soon as Alicia settled back in her seat, he smiled and shared the news about the call from her teacher, Karina.
Alicia's face went stiff when she heard that.
"Ms. Karina called you? When?" she asked, her voice revealing her lingering disbelief.
She began to wonder why her teacher called Noah. A single thought occupied her mind: the form she had yet to submit. She clearly remembers turning down the scholarship program.
"Hmm, she called me, and I came immediately to see you."
Alicia opened her mouth several times to speak. Still, it was hard for her to express her thoughts after seeing the disappointment flash in his gaze.
She tightened her hand for a few more seconds before finally finding her voice.
"Brother, I don't want to continue studying at the university."
Noah calmly drank the ocha tea, his eyes focused on her. His sister was the brightest student in the school, and he knew she dreamed of becoming a doctor.
Now, after receiving a scholarship to the top medical university in the country, she abandoned her dream simply because her family was too poor to afford it.
"Why?"
"You already know the answer, bro. Why ask again?" She gives a bitter smile. "I've done some research. While this is a scholarship program, it's not just any major. We're talking about the medical field! We still have to invest a significant amount to study there."
Noah can't help but laugh wryly to himself. He might have agreed with her if this had happened a few days ago. Being poor really sucks!
'Money! How frightening it is when we don't have money? Just because of money, Alice will lose her opportunity.'
Alicia continued speaking after seeing her brother say nothing. "How could I be there when you work hard alone to support our mother and me?"
Her voice was soft, yet Noah could detect a slight tremor in every word she uttered.
"Brother Noah, I'm here to help you!" She smiled, her tears held back as she gazed into his blue eyes. "After I graduate, I'll look for a job in this town while supporting Mom in the hospital. You won't need to work so hard for us anymore."
Seeing Alicia on the verge of tears, Noah set the empty glass on the table and stood up. He approached her and sat beside her.
When he noticed her sobbing, he placed his hand on her shoulders, let her look up, and met his gaze.
"Alice, look at me. It's okay to cry sometimes, but remember, you look so much prettier when you smile!"
"Oh, shut up! Don't lie, I'm always ugly, even when I smile..." she murmured through soft sobs, struggling to hold back her tears and wipe the remnants from her cheeks.
"Of course, you are not. You are the prettiest and smartest girl I have ever met." Noah tries to cheer her up.
"Really?!" she asked, trying to narrow her eyes at him.
"Silly! How could you not believe your only brother? I never lie to you, Alice. You know that." He smiled when he saw her stop crying and start smiling happily.
"Hmm, I know, I'm just trying to humor you..." She inhaled deeply, filling her stuffy chest with fresh air before continuing. "But I'm serious; I won't go to the capital to study medicine, brother. You know we can't afford it."
Noah offered her a napkin to wipe her tears before he began to tell her about what had happened to him over the past few days.
"Y-You what!?" Alicia shouted, her sadness fading away in an instant. She felt a rush of shock and overflowing joy for him.
"You met them? I mean, your dad? And they are so freaking rich? For real, brother?" Alicia said, her mind buzzing with curiosity.
Noah smiled as he looked at how adorable her expression was now.
"I haven't met my father yet. He is sick and lives in the capital. However, I intend to fly there to see him soon. That's why I am here to discuss this with you. I want you to accept the scholarship and move to the capital with me."
Alicia, in a daze, tries to process what she just heard. Later, she grabs Noah's hand and says, "Brother, how about Mom? I can't just leave her here alone, right?"
"Alice, of course, Mom will move with us. I plan to move her to the best hospital in the capital. So..."
"I AGREE! I AGREE! Brother, let's move there!" Alicia chimed in excitedly, interrupting Noah. "Mom won't have a chance to wake up if she stays in this town's hospital..."