Read on Twitter
Alright, time for some Hinomori sibling content.
Imagine that things are rough before Leo/need have even spoken to each other again. Shiho has so many walls up - she pushes everyone away, so much that she has no friends. (Cont.)
Imagine that things are rough before Leo/need have even spoken to each other again. Shiho has so many walls up - she pushes everyone away, so much that she has no friends. (Cont.)
It doesn& #39;t get her down, no. It can& #39;t. She& #39;ll never admit it.
Shizuku notices, though. Shiho& #39;s very obvious about it, and it makes the tension between them sharper than ever.
Shizuku notices, though. Shiho& #39;s very obvious about it, and it makes the tension between them sharper than ever.
She& #39;s wise enough to know that she can& #39;t confront Shiho about it, or do anything more than just be there for her if she ever needs it, as anything else will scare her off or cause her to sink deeper.
So Shizuku waits. Both metaphorically and literally. She waits at the bench outside of Shiho& #39;s classroom everyday.
Shizuku tries to be discreet about it, but she& #39;s not very convincing. Shiho tries to brush it off as unrelated to her the first couple times.
Shizuku tries to be discreet about it, but she& #39;s not very convincing. Shiho tries to brush it off as unrelated to her the first couple times.
Soon enough, Shiho confronts her about it.
Shizuku doesn& #39;t answer any of her ticked-off questions or ranting. All she does is ask if she& #39;d like to eat lunch together.
Shiho& #39;s more frustrated than she was before and storms off.
Shizuku doesn& #39;t answer any of her ticked-off questions or ranting. All she does is ask if she& #39;d like to eat lunch together.
Shiho& #39;s more frustrated than she was before and storms off.
That feels like a punch in the gut to Shizuku, so early on too. Sure, it was expected, but... Has she stepped too far? They aren& #39;t exactly the best at understanding each other...
She& #39;s ridden with worry that she& #39;s hurt Shiho. She never wanted to do anything wrong.
She& #39;s ridden with worry that she& #39;s hurt Shiho. She never wanted to do anything wrong.
Even so, she waits outside the classroom again.
Shizuku gets ignored, glared at, and a whole lot of being huffed at by Shiho. But she doesn& #39;t know what else to do... She skips a few days sometimes, to see if that& #39;ll heal the cracks.
Shizuku gets ignored, glared at, and a whole lot of being huffed at by Shiho. But she doesn& #39;t know what else to do... She skips a few days sometimes, to see if that& #39;ll heal the cracks.
On those days, where the bench is empty, Shiho feels stabbed by regret. She& #39;s been ungrateful, cold, and blatantly cruel and she knows it. She knows that Shizuku has been nothing but good to her, but... It& #39;s hard.
It& #39;s so, so hard. Because if she accepts her help, that means she needs it.
It also feels weak of her to do. Sitting with her sister at breaks because she has no-one else. Surely Shizuku& #39;s only doing it out of pity, right? (She& #39;s not.)
It also feels weak of her to do. Sitting with her sister at breaks because she has no-one else. Surely Shizuku& #39;s only doing it out of pity, right? (She& #39;s not.)
Shizuku realises that they aren& #39;t getting anywhere, so she goes for a more head on approach.
She sits down beside Shiho after Shiho& #39;s settled outside, and waits for her reaction.
Shiho tenses a little, but she doesn& #39;t say anything. They eat in silence.
She sits down beside Shiho after Shiho& #39;s settled outside, and waits for her reaction.
Shiho tenses a little, but she doesn& #39;t say anything. They eat in silence.
This continues for a while. It& #39;s... Nice. Even if it& #39;s quiet up until the very last minute, of which both stretch out as far as they can.
Their relationship is healing over, but it& #39;ll take time and a little more effort from either side.
Their relationship is healing over, but it& #39;ll take time and a little more effort from either side.
Shizuku breaks the ice sometime, even if it takes a while for her to come up with something to say.
Shiho doesn& #39;t reply, but... She likes it. Even if she doesn& #39;t know what to say.
Shiho doesn& #39;t reply, but... She likes it. Even if she doesn& #39;t know what to say.
Shizuku makes comments every now and then. Recounting stories, telling jokes - anything so long as it gets her that little smile by the end of the hour.
Shiho& #39;s warming up to her, little by little.
Shiho& #39;s warming up to her, little by little.
One day, Shiho dares a laugh. A week after that, she hums in acknowledgement. Soon she& #39;s making little replies too.
It& #39;s always Shizuku doing most of the talking, but this is so much better than it& #39;s been in years.
It& #39;s always Shizuku doing most of the talking, but this is so much better than it& #39;s been in years.
A few months after this began, Shiho manages to get out of class early, and waits outside Shizuku& #39;s classroom with a warm and shy smile.
Shizuku thinks of nothing but that for a week. It& #39;s worth it, it& #39;s all worth it.
Shiho is smiling again.
Shizuku thinks of nothing but that for a week. It& #39;s worth it, it& #39;s all worth it.
Shiho is smiling again.
It& #39;s Shizuku that persuades Shiho to try again with her old friends. Shiho& #39;s very private about the details, and a bit more on edge since she& #39;s starting all over again with a whole set of people, but Shizuku is nothing if not patient.
Eventually, Shiho passes Shizuku by to eat with Leo/need. It makes Shizuku... Happy? Proud. They still don& #39;t talk at home much, so she& #39;s time with Shiho again, but Shiho& #39;s trying and that& #39;s all the closure she needs.
It doesn& #39;t go well. Reconciling is hard, and Shiho& #39;s walls go up again like they had never been down before.
Shizuku feels a lot: not just for Shiho, but for her as well. She can& #39;t do anything right. What& #39;s the use in her trying if it will only fall apart in the end?
Shizuku feels a lot: not just for Shiho, but for her as well. She can& #39;t do anything right. What& #39;s the use in her trying if it will only fall apart in the end?
Of course, Leo/need fall out for a while and Shiho& #39;s eating alone again.
This time, Shizuku doesn& #39;t bother. She doesn& #39;t want to hurt her more.
This time, Shizuku doesn& #39;t bother. She doesn& #39;t want to hurt her more.
Tensions with Leo/need are at their highest point and Shizuku& #39;s feeling low about it all.
But Shiho doesn& #39;t want to be alone today. She& #39;s afraid of what will happen if she is.
So she seeks Shizuku out and asks for forgiveness, just for today.
Shizuku agrees without a doubt.
But Shiho doesn& #39;t want to be alone today. She& #39;s afraid of what will happen if she is.
So she seeks Shizuku out and asks for forgiveness, just for today.
Shizuku agrees without a doubt.
Shiho starts the conversation. They don& #39;t talk about what happened between them, Leo/need, or anything else in between. They talk to keep the edge off, and persuade themselves that there& #39;s still hope.
It hurt Shizuku. It really, really did. She knows it& #39;s hard for Shiho, but all of her efforts were thrown away as if they were nothing.
Even so, Shiho needs her. It& #39;s her independent decision that she& #39;ll be there for her. Because she wants to be.
Even so, Shiho needs her. It& #39;s her independent decision that she& #39;ll be there for her. Because she wants to be.
This was only a one day thing though, and the minute Shizuku site down beside Shiho, they& #39;re back to square one.
Still though, if they managed to clear each others& #39; heads for just a moment... Then that& #39;s enough for now.
Still though, if they managed to clear each others& #39; heads for just a moment... Then that& #39;s enough for now.
Things get better with Leo/need. That& #39;s one weight off Shiho& #39;s back.
But what happened between Shizuku and Shiho is completely separate from that, and they& #39;ll have to smooth that over sometime.
But what happened between Shizuku and Shiho is completely separate from that, and they& #39;ll have to smooth that over sometime.
In comes the traditional route both of them avoid at all costs: talking about your feelings. The crowd cheers.
Shizuku listens as Shiho vents hesitantly and emotionally, and doesn& #39;t dare interrupt.
Shizuku listens as Shiho vents hesitantly and emotionally, and doesn& #39;t dare interrupt.
When it& #39;s Shizuku& #39;s turn, she doesn& #39;t know what to say.
All her life, she& #39;s had to be strong, forcing herself to keep things inside in exchange for helping others and mature faster than she should.
All her life, she& #39;s had to be strong, forcing herself to keep things inside in exchange for helping others and mature faster than she should.
How is she supposed to open up about these things now? To the very person she& #39;s felt the need to protect from such ugly thoughts and feelings the most?
Shizuku can& #39;t do very much, not today.
That& #39;s alright. Shiho leaves it, and not because she& #39;s not willing to put in any effort herself.
She understands.
Like Shizuku, she& #39;ll keep waiting for her, everyday until things heal over.
That& #39;s alright. Shiho leaves it, and not because she& #39;s not willing to put in any effort herself.
She understands.
Like Shizuku, she& #39;ll keep waiting for her, everyday until things heal over.
Does that conversation come? Maybe it does, maybe it doesn& #39;t. Whenever it& #39;s relevant.
And although there& #39;s still a lot of tension and a long way to go for the both of them, they can care for each other again, and right now, that& #39;s all that matters.
Now Shizuku can smile too.
And although there& #39;s still a lot of tension and a long way to go for the both of them, they can care for each other again, and right now, that& #39;s all that matters.
Now Shizuku can smile too.
Now that they can be by each others& #39; side again.
