Hugo

We spent the rest of the day frolicking around the village, buying food from the local grocery, watching the blacksmith do his work, and playing with the other kids that lived in the village.

To my relief, that big guy didn't bother us again. Maybe he was licking his wounds. No doubt he felt absolutely humiliated by his defeat, especially since it was done by me, a mere five year old.

How old was he anyways? Around Marina’s age? Maybe a little bit older? Maybe around 12 or so.

Well, whatever. I didn’t want to see his ugly mug ever again, especially near my sister.

Before we knew it, the sun was already going down.

It was time to go home.

“Wait, Hugo.”

As we walked back however, Marina suddenly stopped me in my tracks.

“I have something to talk about.”

Her face was all serious, but there was a melancholic smile adorning it as well.

Oh no, I think… I think I might know what she’s going to talk about.

She took me off the road, to one of the grassy plains. Then, she sat down, motioning me to sit down as well beside her.

In front of us was the setting sun, beautiful in all its crimson glory.

“You took me here today because I’m going to leave soon, weren't you?” she said with a smirk.

Bingo. She read me like a book.

“Y-yeah…” I admitted, averting my face away from her, finding it reddening yet again.

“I see… Then, are you satisfied?”

“Eh?” I turned my head to face her.

“Are you already satisfied, with what we did today?” She asked me again, all with a gentle smile on her face.

I paused. I looked away from her once again, choosing to stare at my boots instead.

“I-I do… I think...” I answered. “Y-you got to see my cool side after all!” I blurted out, giving her a fake smile.

If I were to be honest, I wasn’t.

I wasn’t satisfied at all.

I still wanted to be with her for longer.

I knew it’s pathetic, for an old man in a child’s body to be feeling that way.

But, after being so close to her for these four years, feeling her warmth every single day, that was what I felt.

Of course, I couldn’t tell her that. It would only pain her more.

I knew her. This separation must hurt for her as well.

And besides….

It would be uncool for me to do so.

I wanted to be a strong little brother that she could leave behind without worry.

Unlike my old, weak self.

However, before I knew it...

I was already in her embrace yet again.

“You’re lying, aren’t you, Hugo?” She whispered as she rubbed my back. “You can’t hide anything from your big sister, you know.”

I exploded into an awful, terribly uncool sobbing mess.

----

The very next week, it was time for Marina to leave.

Father would be going with her while me and Mother stayed in our house.

I spoke my goodbyes to her without a single tear.

It seemed I had given all my tears away that dusk, under the setting sun.

We promised to exchange letters, of course. But it could not really replace the closeness we always had.

I just had to bear it. I just had to bear it until next year, where she would come home on her holidays.

And when she did, she would find me more grown-up than she could possibly imagine.