厜ćă
â  It was another beautiful snowy evening for Makoto. Sheâd spent the day exploring the city, searching for a suitable job and was eager to return home to relax. When she stepped through the door of her house, she snuck past her roommates, not wanting to disturb them, and hurried on to her room. Surprised, she found herself face-to-face with a small box. It was decorated lavishly in black and silver, and attached to a sparkling ribbon was a tag with her name. çąĺŹ
   Her eyes went wide as she carefully opened the box, and inside, all she found was a simple note. ćĺ¨ä˝ 躍螚ăä¸ĺé˝äźĺ弽çă Iâm here for you. Everything will be alright. Who..? Who could have left this for her? She looked around, but her roommates were nowhere to be seen, and she certainly hadnât gotten any messages from any of her friends here in the city... Well, there really was only one thing to do.
   Makoto stepped into her room and turned the light on, unsure of what to expect. What she saw brought tears to her eyes and such a tremble to her hands that she dropped both the box and her phone. Before she could fall with the objects, heâd stood and moved toward her, steadying her by her shoulders. One of his hands was rougher than the other, it didnât curl around her upper arm like the other, but it didnât bother her.Â
   Before long, both of her arms had wrapped tightly around him, and the pair stood in near silence, other than the sound of Makotoâs soft sobs, as they held each other. âBrother... Iâm home...â Sheâd said it once, all those years ago. Cried into his warm chest, holding a brother who sheâd searched so long for only to find too late. But this time... this time, he answered her. âWelcome home, sister. I missed you so much. Iâm sorry you suffered so much by yourself. You really have grown up to be a strong, beautiful person. Iâm proud of you, Xiao Qiao.â His voice was as gentle and comforting as sheâd remembered it from her childhood, and the way his hand found its way to smooth down her hair made her feel like a child again.Â
   For as long as he was with her, whether this was reality or a dream, Makoto wouldnât leave his side. Sheâd tell him everything she went through, ask him about his life, his time in Japan, his friends, his hobbies... sheâd get to know him. Theyâd get to be a family just one last time. And this time, sheâd get to say a proper goodbye.











