Meanwhile, several kilometers away from Rasa's house, in another room—
"Sis, you're not going to sleep yet?"
Yashaka opened the door and looked curiously at the woman sitting by the window, gazing longingly in a certain direction.
Hearing her, Karura slightly tilted her head and glanced at her younger sister.
Then she returned to resting her chin on her hand, eyes full of melancholy as she stared out the window.
Seeing this, Yashaka's delicate face filled with concern.
She quietly walked over and leaned her head against her sister's soft, slender shoulder.
"Sis, what's wrong? You've been like this ever since dinner."
Karura didn't react to her sister's gesture at all — her half-closed eyes remained fixed in that same distant direction outside.
Even though there were kilometers of densely packed rooftops and houses between them…
Karura seemed to be able to see his busy silhouette at the farthest edge of that cityscape.
After staring silently at the distant horizon for a few dozen seconds, Karura finally spoke.
Her voice was gentle and fragile, like it might shatter with a single breath.
"Yashaka, I wish our family were stronger. That way, we could actually help him."
"Instead of being like we are now — scared of getting in his way, not even daring to visit, afraid to burden him."
Hearing this, Yashaka lifted her head and furrowed her fine brows.
Her sister had always been gentle, ever since they were children — but never before had she looked this fragile.
Yashaka wasn't stupid. After a moment's thought, she immediately understood who her sister was so worried about.
A swirl of emotions surged in her heart, but she quickly steadied herself and pushed aside that unfamiliar feeling.
She took a deep breath — her modest B-cup chest gently rising and falling.
Then she reached out, tenderly but firmly, and turned her sister to face her.
Looking straight into her sister's tired eyes, she said:
"Sis, why are you hiding here drowning in self-pity, indulging in your own imagination — instead of going to see him and asking him how he feels?"
Karura's deep-blue eyes lit up briefly, but the light faded just as fast.
She avoided her sister's gaze, tilted her head slightly, and whispered:
"We've only met twice. If I suddenly show up acting all concerned… what would Rasa-sama think?"
"We've never had any meaningful interaction, and now—at a time like this—I just barge in to check on him… wouldn't he think I'm being opportunistic?"
Seeing her sister like this, Yashaka couldn't hold her anger in anymore.
She grabbed Karura's soft, pale hands and started pulling her toward the door while angrily saying:
"I've had enough of this cowardly side of you! Rasa-sama isn't the kind of short-sighted man to make such shallow judgments."
"Even if he does misunderstand, so what? Just explain your reasons properly! That's still better than sitting here like some abandoned, love-sick woman!"
When she said the words love-sick woman, Karura's pretty face flushed red.
Clearly, saying something like that was no small challenge for this chaste young lady.
"Yashaka! How can you say such… such improper things?!"
Karura was stunned when she heard that.
Then she forcefully stopped in her tracks and pulled her sister back, her face now bright red as she began scolding her.
Yashaka quickly bowed her head and took the lecture like a good girl.
But when she snuck a glance at her sister's face and saw that the melancholy was finally gone—
She smiled to herself.
Yashaka didn't agree with her sister's reasoning about "not bothering" Rasa.
Because she knew Rasa better than Karura did.
But in order to snap her sister out of that gloom — without actually going to disturb Rasa — she had no choice but to play this card.