az: Please review. It was not that hard to leave some words behind. If I could disallow people from putting my stories as their favourites or disallow people to put me on their alert, I'd do that now.

The Letter

Written by Izzu alias honou-no-izumi

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"Ne, Ainosuke."

Ainosuke glanced up from the corner of the bed as he stared at his brother in confusion.

"What is it, niichan?"

"Suppose if one day I died of a violent accident, would you be able to live by yourself without me?"

The alarmed look that Ainosuke wore right now was enough to answer him.

"Niichan! Are you... you're not in any trouble, are you?"

Yumehito hurriedly wore his usual smile as he raised his left hand in the usual sign he had always made. It was hardly a puzzle that his affections over his little brother ran very deep. Ainosuke might as well be his greatest weakness. Nothing could top Ainosuke's importance in his heart. Pity that even this would not convince him to back away from executing his well-laid plans.

"No," he said, using his usual cheerful voice as he spoke. "Of course not. But I can't help wondering..."

Ainosuke pouted, looking angry all of the sudden as he crept into his lap and wrapped his arm around his shoulders.

"Stupid niichan! That joke was not even funny. Don't even make those kinds of joke again!"

Yumehito grinned despite the sudden painful stab at the centre of his heart that he felt. He embraced his little brother in return as he held him close a little bit tightly. Guess he had to really take all his chances to hold his brother like this to full use, because he knew. The moment his plan would finally take root, they would never again be able to spend time together like this. Never again.

He could feel Ainosuke tensed a bit, as if sensing his unusual behaviour. He ran a hand over Ainosuke's head as he teased him.

"Oi, Ainosuke. Are you crying over there? Don't snivel on my shirt, you crybaby!"

That brought a slight chuckle from Ainosuke, tickling his neck as the storm of tears came after. Yumehito could not help laughing at how easily he had made his brother laugh and cry at the same time.

"How troublesome, Ainosuke. At this rate... I can't even see myself married to any woman. Because I would already be busy with watching over my little baby brother who is more like my son rather than just a little brother..."

Ainosuke's fist hit his back as he chuckled again in glee.

"Lies! What kind of woman could ignore you? Brother is the coolest person in the whole world! Anyone would jump at the chance of marrying you. And who wouldn't like me as their cute brother-in-law?"

Yume laughed. Despite that, what he had just said was only half truth. He would never get himself attached to any woman in this lifetime but not because of the reason he had said. It was more because he would be too busy executing his plans than wasting his time over such frivolous matter. But Ainosuke didn't need to know that.

Then again, if he had been able to find someone that he would want to spend his lifetime with; he wouldn't be thinking of going through with this plan of his. Haha, the irony.

"How nice... holding Ainosuke like this brings up a lot of fond memories..."

Said brother groaned a bit over his shoulder as Yumehito chuckled.

"Yeah, you're fifteen now... and your birthday would come later in almost half a year after today. But that doesn't mean that you'd stop being my baby brother..."

Ainosuke pulled away as he pouted at him.

"Niichan hidoi! Why did you always wanted to bully me?"

Yume held out his hands towards him as he pinched both of Ainosuke's cheeks.

"Because you're too cute to bully!" he answered sneakily as Ainosuke ran off to his small table to resume his drawings. Yumehito stood up as he took a look at some of the drawings that Ainosuke had drawn and set aside. He immediately frowned as his eyes fell on a drawing of a wolf and a bear caught in the middle of a confrontation.

Somehow, among many of Ainosuke's drawings, this piece drew him in strongly. He wondered if unconsciously, Ainosuke did remember.

That's it.

"Ne, Ainosuke. What do you think about having a cornea transplant?"

Ainosuke turned towards him almost immediately.

"Eh?"

"You dreamed to be an illustrator, didn't you? It would help a lot if you could see with both your eyes. I can imagine your drawings would improve after that."

It was a slight reaction but he could see that Ainosuke was excited.

"Really? Is it even possible?", he asked before sobering up again. "But who... certainly things like this, you have to wait for some bit of time... right?"

Yume shook his head.

"Nope, you won't have to wait long. Because you already have a donor who can offer his cornea to you."

"Eh? Really... but who?"

He smiled as he stared at his brother's puzzled face.

"Me."

xxx

Yumehito smiled. He was back at his own place or what's left of it. Aside from his clothes and other necessary items, he had mostly threw or sold them away. Added with the amount of money he'd get from selling this apartment, that amount should be enough to aid Ainosuke when he would further his studies. Considering he already can manage by himself to support his own living right now.

He took out a piece of paper as he begin to write.

-------------

To Ainosuke.

Gomen ne, I had to leave you so suddenly. Suddenly, I felt really tired. I'm at my limits now.

I don't think I could continue living like this, maintaining this façade of normalcy that our society seemed to dictate.

I've decided. I've already had enough. It's time for me to go and do something that I felt I would like to do. Even though, you might not agree with me about it.

It's not your fault. Despite it was... in a way. But I'm not blaming you, it was my choice to make after all and I had never regretted it. Though I really wished that you would have remembered, it was a bit lonely when I'm the only one who did. But that was still, not your fault.

This does not mean that I didn't love you anymore. I do. But because of this, I cannot stay with you any longer. I cannot hurt you, I couldn't... even if I tried my best to do it. But I needed to somehow divert these ugly thoughts somewhere.

This was why I'm leaving. I--

-------------

Yumehito hastily crumpled the paper as he wrote on a new piece of paper.

Dear Ainosuke,

Somehow, I think I may not be able to be with you for a while. In the mean time I think I'll leave this much for you just in case something happened. I know, I really should be around more often with my little brother. Sorry.

I will be supporting you with your illustration.

From your brother.

xxx

He smiled. At least this one was shorter and with less excessive information Ainosuke could do without. He wouldn't want Ainosuke to suspect anything too soon.

As for his own feelings, perhaps one day Ainosuke would be able to figure it out on his own. He was his little brother after all. Ainosuke should be able to do that. He was after all a smart kid, even if he had never realize it himself.

It should be wise for Ainosuke to disassociate himself from him. There won't be any good for him to cling on to this image of the kind older brother of his that had already started to crumble. It was a useless effort.

His phone suddenly rang as he picked it up.

He started to smile as he received the news.

"Oh? Hamada did? No... don't do anything yet. Just watch over him... you might even consider leaking this to the police. I might have some use of him yet again. Yes. Do that."

He ended the call as Yumehito smirked.

Everything was falling into place so neatly. Perhaps this was a sign that his début should begin.

Right now.