The price to let someone into your life is to accept them as they are. Even if you set a boundary, at some point, you have to deal with your companion's personal problem.
Would you push aside their issues? And only stay for the fun. Or, would you stay and be there for them?
Answering these questions seems easy enough, but that's because you are pondering behind the screen called detachment.
No one ever truly feels the weight of responsibility until you face it directly.
That's my conclusion after taking care of Clairemont Eldora, my dear friend.
I thought I had gradually healed her. Until one moment, a single mistake blew up her trauma.
We played Playmeta 5 together, and she beat me three times. Being a man of my words, I honored our deal and called her 'big sister'.
But man, was that embarrassing words hard to escape my lips? I cleared my throat, but when I tried to utter the words, I gagged.
Claire pouted. "Is calling me big sister that hard?"
I raised my index finger. "One moment, big—big sister," I whispered after a slight pause.
She leaned over, tucking her silky gray hair behind her ear. "What did you say? Big sister can't hear you "
I sighed. "Alright. This is hard, but a moment please. I just need time. Anyway, how old are you again? Why are you so adamant to be called Big Sister?"
She poked my forehead. "Asking a lady for their age is rude."
I grinned. "Who knows, sis? Maybe I am into older ladies. I am eighteen by the way."
"I am just slightly older than you."
"Really?"
She harrumphed. "Wow, are you saying I look old?"
"Not going to lie, sis, I can't tell. Well, you are kind of pretty, I guess? But you are too skinny from malnutrition. Not to mention, that black circles under your eyes, you kind of look like a granny."
"Now you have done it!" She grabbed a pillow and launched a combo on me.
"Hahaha, that tickles, Big Sis. I'm sorry."
She stopped her hands mid-air and asked, "What did you say?"
I scratched my cheek and looked at the floor. "B-big Sister "
"Hehehehe." She closed her face with the pillow and rolled her body on the floor.
I took a slight glance of her white panties when she swung her legs too excitedly, but I immediately slapped my eyes. I felt ashamed of getting a slight excitement from a mentally unstable girl.
"Hey, zip it. I'm just calling you Big Sister. You act too weird about it, br—sis."
She straightened her body and slipped down the pillow, showing a wide smile. "Hehe, sorry."
"What?" I asked as she kept staring into my eyes.
"I have been feeling happy ever since you arrived. Thank you."
I nodded. "Well, I guess my time here is not bad either."
"Only not bad?"
I looked at the lamp. Thinking back about it, I had only bad experiences with my prison mate. Being alive felt so awful I would rather spend time looking at the lamp.
Being locked in this room didn't feel like a prison because of her company. "It's really not bad, ten times not bad."
When I pulled away my gaze from the lamp, I almost gasped when she crawled onto me, her nose almost touching mine.
She giggled. "You have an odd way to express your feelings too. I'm not the only weirdo in this room."
"I guess? But sis you are too close," I said, her warm breathing splashing my face.
"But sis loves to tease her little brother. Hehe, just kidding." She pulled her body, hair falling onto her cleavage. "Mind if you wait a bit? I feel like showering."
"Please do. You smell bad. Ouch, ouch, just kidding, sis. Alright. I admit it. You oddly smell good even though you never took a bath for the past few days," I shouted when she tickled me with a barrage of pillows.
She dropped her pillow after hearing my confession. "Good boy. Sis doesn't like a liar. Don't try to run away from Sister when she's away, okay?"
"Sis, the room is locked. Just go first. I want to take a bath too."
"Want to take a bath together?"
"You are out of your mind, indeed. Stop joking. Shoo." I sent her away with the waves of my hand.
"Sis is not joking, though," she mumbled before closing the door of the bathroom.
Having nothing to do, I decided to exercise, one of my usual habits in prison. In that place, they provided a gym with various weightlifting tools, but I was more of a calisthenics guy, so I could exercise without them.
Although, I planned something novel today. I crossed my legs and flipped a book titled [Eldora Family's Secret Manuals]. It also came alongside the food tray.
After reading the contents and the introduction of the techniques in that book, my annoyance to Brian actually decreased. Imagine forgiving your own kidnapper, well, I did that just now. That's how valuable the knowledge written in these papers was. That honorable old man really looked at me as his grandson.
I wanted to learn them all, but I focused on the most important thing for a beginner like me, [Lightning Demon Breathing Technique]. Every core family member of Eldora trained this top-quality breathing technique to increase their mana. I estimated this thing was just as expensive as 100.000 AP [Sun Breathing Technique] in the system.
I followed the guidance in the book. The first step required me to breathe in a certain rhythm until my body drew in mana.
True of its top-quality, I did it in just thirty minutes. Refreshing air seeped into my pores, as if I grew noses all over the body. I somehow envisioned the first dawn as I stood atop of the mountain peak, pampering myself of the virgin nature.
Of course, the guide told the practitioner about the quick practice advantage of the first step. However, the second step required me to consume magic resources.
I could worry those things tomorrow. Pamper my new grandpa a bit, and he would spend everything for me. Thank you, system, for the 100% affection.
At this moment, I just wanted to get rid of my mana virginity. Truly I would let the mana pump my pores and impregnate my mana well, but the lack of activity in the bathroom kinda concerned me. Surely, she wouldn't do something like self-harming after our wholesome moment, would she?
Feeling concerned, I approached the bathroom and stuck my ear on the door.
"Ahn, Ryder, there~ Do Big Sister harder there~"
I heard her calling my name, but the door dampened her voice, so I thought she wanted me to do something.
"Yes, Big Sister, can I do something for you?"
"Kyaaaa!"
"Sister, are you alright?" I shouted, banging the door. I feared that she would do something reckless. "If you don't answer me, I will kick this door!"