A few hours ago, at the restaurant...
As Rudra disappeared through the doors of the restaurant, a tall, broad-shouldered middle-aged man approached Lily's table with steady steps.
"Brother!" Lily stood up quickly, her face lighting up with surprise and joy. She embraced the man warmly. "How are you? Did the hunt go well this time?"
"Hmm… I'm fine," he replied, scanning her expression carefully. "And yes, the hunt went well. We'll probably pull in a billion this time."
Lily's eyes sparkled. "Really? That's amazing!"
But the man didn't smile. Instead, he looked past her toward the restaurant entrance where Rudra had vanished moments ago. "That aside… who was that just now?"
"Uh… who?" Lily blinked, caught off guard.
"The boy who was sitting with you. You two were talking like old friends."
"Oh, him?" Lily scratched her head, clearly flustered. "He's… just a junior—no, actually, a friend of mine. You won't believe it, brother, but he's a genius! He tested his strength today and punched over 943 kilograms! And his speed? It's already past the threshold of an official-level warrior. Can you imagine? He's only seventeen!"
She continued excitedly, her voice animated with admiration as she listed Rudra's feats. But in her enthusiasm, she missed the shift in her brother's expression.
He was silent, his brow furrowed. This was... odd. His sister—the same girl who had always kept her distance from men, who scoffed at the idea of relationships—was now passionately talking about a boy. A boy she called a genius. A friend.
Unbelievable.
"Lily," he interrupted, voice firm and unusually serious. "I want to ask you something. And I need you to be honest. This is important."
She paused, sensing the gravity in his tone. "Okay… what is it?"
The man stared directly into her eyes, then asked slowly, "You… like that boy, don't you?"
"Huh… HUH?! What are you talking about, brother?!"
Lily's expression twisted in shock. Her face flushed a deep crimson, a mix of embarrassment and panic.
"Hahahaha!" Her brother roared with laughter. "I understand now! You, who always despised men, actually fell for a pretty boy! Hahaha!"
His loud voice echoed through the restaurant, drawing curious glances from nearby tables. A few people even stopped eating to look at the scene unfolding.
Lily's eyes widened as she noticed the attention. "You idiot!" she hissed, kicking her brother under the table.
"Ow!" he grunted, still chuckling as he rubbed his shin. "Okay, okay! I'll stop."
But her face was still burning red, and her hands fidgeted under the table.
Her brother finally calmed down, then leaned forward, his voice now gentle.
"So… you really like that boy?"
Lily lowered her eyes. Her voice came out so soft it could barely be heard over the clatter of cutlery and quiet chatter.
"Y… Yes. I like him. But… I don't know how to express it. And he… he seems to be avoiding it."
For a moment, her brother didn't speak. He just watched her, the usual teasing smile fading from his face.
Then, he nodded slowly.
"I see. So that's how it is."
He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed.
"Well, if he's avoiding it, then maybe you should ignore him too—for a while."
Lily looked up, startled. "Ignore him?"
"Yes," he said with a calm expression. "Sometimes… silence says more than words. Let him wonder. Let him realize what he's missing. If he truly cares, he'll come to you."
"Uh… I'll try. But… what if he doesn't come back?"
Lily's voice trembled slightly, her face shadowed by uncertainty.
Her brother looked at her quietly for a moment, then smirked.
"You've really changed," he teased.
"You—!" Lily growled; her fists clenched.
He chuckled, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. But if you're this worried… then stop waiting. Go after him. Tell him how you feel."
Lily fell silent, eyes fixed on the table. She seemed to wrestle with her emotions for a moment.
Then—her eyes lit up with a firm resolve.
"Okay. I've decided. Once Rudra finishes the Prospective Martial Artist test, I'll confess my feelings to him—no matter what."
Her voice was calm, but her eyes burned with determination.
Her brother, mid-sip of his soda, nearly choked.
"Cough, cough—what?!"
He set his glass down, coughing into his hand.
"Lily, I don't think that's... appropriate. I mean, he's just seventeen. What will his parents think?"
Lily blinked, then her expression softened. "His parents… he only has his mother," she said quietly.
"His father died before he was born. They live in the Fifth Residential Area. That's why he joined the dojo so early—to support her."
The air between them grew quiet for a moment. Her brother leaned back slightly; the teasing gone from his eyes.
"I see…" he muttered, glancing out the window.
He didn't speak again, but something in his expression had changed—a quiet respect for the boy his sister had chosen.
"Anyway, do what you want. Your brother will always support you."
He raised his soda can with a small grin.
"Thank you, brother."
Lily smiled, touched by his words.
"Hahaha, no worries! After all, I'm your big brother. If I don't help you, then who will?"
He laughed heartily.
Lily suddenly leaned in with a sly grin.
"Oh? Then should I start calling her 'sister-in-law' now?"
"Haha—" His laughter stopped mid-chuckle. "Oh s**t"
His face froze. The playful energy vanished.
"Lily, my dear sister… You will help your poor brother, won't you?"
Lily didn't respond. She simply smiled—a sly, mischievous smile that could only mean one thing: blackmail.
"Please, Lily. Please don't tell her! If she finds out, I'm dead meat!"
He clasped his hands together dramatically, practically begging.
But Lily remained silent, enjoying the sudden shift in power. She stood up, grabbed her bag, and strolled out of the restaurant without saying a word—grinning like a cat that just stole the cream.
Her brother slumped in his seat.
"I'm doomed…" he muttered.
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Hello readers, I would like to thank you all who supported me. But it'll be better if you all support me.
Support me with power stones. Although writing fanfic seems easy, but you cannot deny the hard work behind it. So your support are like a better fuel that will help us to write much better.
So, give me some power stones. I'm actually poor, bro.
Kidding. 😜😜😜