The war was won, but the battle had taken its toll. I had successfully defended Ectiqa's identity, but I was a wreck. I was a zombie at school, a ghost at home. My life was a blurry haze of exhaustion and the lingering satisfaction of a knight's duty fulfilled.
I was so focused on my own fatigue that I didn't notice, at first, the change in Rina. The anxiety that had made her jumpy and paranoid for weeks had been replaced by a different kind of turmoil. She was quiet, contemplative, and I would often find her staring into space with a complicated expression, her cheeks tinged with a faint pink.
One evening, I was slumped on the sofa, trying to summon the energy to do my homework. Rina came and sat on the armchair opposite me. She fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve for a full minute before speaking.
"Onii-chan," she started, her voice unusually hesitant. "Can I ask you something... weird?"
"If it's about my laundry, the answer is no, I haven't done it yet," I grumbled into a cushion.
"It's not about that," she said softly. "It's… advice. About a person."
That got my attention. I pushed myself up, my 'overprotective brother' alarms starting to buzz. "Is this about that secret boyfriend again? Is he giving you trouble?"
"He's not my boyfriend!" she said, her cheeks flushing a deeper red. "And it's not trouble. It's just… complicated." She took a breath. "What would you do if you… really, really liked someone, but you've never met them properly? Like, you know them, but you don't know them."
I frowned, trying to decipher her cryptic words. "So, you know this guy online?"
She nodded, her eyes fixed on the floor. "He's just… amazing. He's smart, and kind, and he's always there for me. When I was having a really hard time recently, he stood up for me. He protected me when I was scared. He's like a… like a knight."
A knight. The word sent a strange jolt through me. I thought of my own online persona, of my desperate desire to be Ectiqa's shield. For a second, a wild, insane thought flashed through my mind, but I crushed it. This was about Rina and some random guy on the internet.
I looked at my sister, at her earnest, hopeful, and terrified expression. The grumpy brother in me receded, replaced by someone older, someone who understood the confusing pull of admiration. I thought of how I felt about Ectiqa- my respect for her art, my desire to see her succeed and be safe. Rina's feelings for this "knight" of hers… they sounded just as real.
"Well," I started, choosing my words carefully. "It doesn't matter if it's online or not. How he makes you feel… that's what's real. If he makes you feel safe, and understood, and protected…" I met her gaze. "Then he sounds like a good person."
Her eyes widened, shining with unshed tears. "He is," she whispered.
"Then you should tell him," I said, the words feeling surprisingly wise. "A person like that, who does so much for you… he deserves to know how you feel. It's scary, I get it. But bottling it up is worse. You have to be brave."
I had no idea I was giving her advice about myself. I was just a brother, trying to help his sister navigate her first crush. I felt mature, responsible, proud that I'd handled it so well.
Rina looked at me, a real, beautiful smile spreading across her face. The doubt in her eyes was gone, replaced by a new, shining resolve.
"You're right, Onii-chan," she said, her voice filled with a strength I hadn't heard in a long time. "I have to be brave."
She stood up and went to her room, leaving me alone in the living room, feeling like the world's best brother, completely oblivious to the fact that I had just personally authorized and encouraged my own sister to confess her love to me.