Light spring rain fell softly outside, making a quiet pitter-patter on the clay roof above. Inside the house, it was warm, and the three members of the Kazahana family were having dinner in the too-spacious room.

Dinner was always a quiet affair at the Kazahana household. Sumire’s grandfather was not one to initiate idle chatter, being a reserved person even to his own granddaughters, who were sharing a table with him. It was as if there was an invisible barrier separating him and everything else beyond him.

Sumire was used to the silence, but her sister would have none of it. She would happily break the silence with mundane questions.

Such as—

“How was your school today? It’s mid-semester week now, right?”

Kazahana Koharu was Sumire’s oldest sister. Half sister, their grandfather often insisted. Not that it mattered to Sumire. They were sisters, through and through.

As far as Sumire remembered, Koharu had been the only one to ever care for her. She taught Sumire things that their grandfather never bothered to teach — like school subjects, basic etiquettes, and caring for herself.

In short, she was the one who raised Sumire. Many people mistook her for Sumire’s mother — especially since she was old enough to be one. Not that Koharu cared about the misunderstanding. She loved Sumire like the daughter she never had, just like Sumire loved her like the mother she never had.

If their grandfather was a towering mountain, then Koharu was a serene lake flowing from its river, calm yet unassuming. Its depth kept Sumire away from things about their family, knowledge that would otherwise hurt her. Sumire was grateful to have her.

The thing was… Koharu lacked any spiritual power, despite the divine blood running in her veins, so she couldn’t become a yokai hunter. Their grandfather, well… he didn’t treat her horribly, but he also didn’t seem to care about her either.

Before Sumire was born, her grandfather had focused his attention more on his grandsons, twins — Kazahana Nadare and Kazahana Shigure. Both had great spiritual powers and even greater potentials to become powerful yokai hunters, and thus Koharu was shoved to the side.

That was, at least, until… well—

“We had a math test today. It was quite difficult, but I studied hard yesterday. It wasn’t much of a problem”, Sumire answered eventually, not wanting to dig up family scars from before she was born. She didn’t need to worry Koharu needlessly, and that was the least she could do.

“I’m sure you will ace them”, Koharu added, pride clear in her voice.

Sumire eyed her grandfather, who kept eating as if he didn’t hear about the conversation around him. Bitterness swelled inside her chest. Like poison, it spread inside her before she squashed it resolutely.

“Thank you for the dinner”, Sumire eventually said. Her appetite gone, she placed her chopsticks in their  designated place and stood up.

She didn’t resent her grandfather, but sometimes she wished he cared more about things that were not related to yokai hunting.

—

Sumire opened her textbook to study. Tomorrow, she would have a biology test — one of her most hated subjects. Before she could read the first page, however, someone tapped lightly at her door. She sighed, knowing well who was outside, and rose from her chair.

“Sister”, Sumire called as she slid the door open. As expected, Koharu was standing there, a small smile on her lips.

Koharu always dressed in plain clothes. Depending on the season, she wore either a patternless yukata or a kimono in equally plain colors. It was like she was trying to blend into the background. You could easily mistake her for a servant of the mansion and none would be the wiser, except for Sumire. She often acted like one too.

“Don’t bother with Grandfather, okay? I know you worked hard for the tests”, Koharu reassured her, before handing her a small plate of cherry blossom milk pudding. “Here. I saw it back in season. I thought you would like it.”

“Thank you”, Sumire replied, accepting the pudding gratefully. “It’s my favorite.”

In silence, they stood awkwardly at the doorway. Sumire really needed to study, but she didn’t have the heart to send her sister away. She waited patiently, and was spared when Koharu eventually took a deep breath.

“Your brother sent an email this morning. He asked me how you’re doing”, Koharu said, and Sumire often wondered why she would reference their brother that way. Like Kazahana Shigure was not her brother too. Like they were all not a family.

“I’m fine. School keeps me busy”, Sumire answered with a small shrug. “We have an archery tournament in April, so the club leader is trying to recruit me to join.”

“Did you accept her?” Koharu asked.

“Of course not”, Sumire answered curtly. “It will distract me from my duties as a yokai hunter, grandfather said.”

Koharu looked like she was going to argue, worry clear on her face. She always worried for Sumire, so the least Sumire could do was to try and reassure her.

“It’s fine, though. I have a new acquaintance. A new student in my class”, Sumire said with a low voice, like she was telling a secret no one was supposed to know. “He helps sometimes.”

Koharu’s face shifted from bewilderment to amazement. Soon, a teasing smirk curled on her lips, and Sumire began to regret her small admission.

“A new ‘acquaintance’, huh?” Koharu asked. “Well, I’m glad. I always worry for you. Your brother too. Well, mostly your brother, because he’s not here.”

Shigure was a heart surgeon. At eighteen, he ran away from home to study medicine in Germany, despite their grandfather’s fury. He got his doctorate and found the love of his life at age thirty-two.

“Mm”, Sumire hummed. She didn’t know what to do with her siblings’ worries, so she didn’t say anything. The silence fell once more.

“Well, enjoy the pudding”, Koharu said, putting an end to their chat. “Don’t stay up studying too late.”

“Mm”, Sumire repeated, and she closed the door. She took the pudding to her desk, and took the first scoop of it.

It was delicious, and somehow, she felt motivated to study that night.