"Beep beep—"
After a busy tone from the other end of the phone.
It then connected.
"Hello?"
Before Kazuo could finish speaking, the other side directly hung up the phone.
Kazuo couldn't help but touch his nose, then dialed back.
After a series of busy tones, the call was directly hung up this time.
He dialed again, and it was hung up again.
Kazuo shrugged and put his phone aside.
He ignored it, but less than five minutes later, the phone rang.
This time, Kazuo didn't even look at the caller ID and directly pressed the hang-up button.
Then, he quickly called back.
Because he knew his younger sister too well; if he kept teasing her like this, it would cause trouble.
This time, the phone rang only once before it was answered, but as soon as it connected, Kazuo heard the sound of someone already blowing her nose.
"Big Brother is guilty, I shouldn't have joked with you!"
Sure enough, he had made the little girl cry. Kazuo could imagine her wiping her eyes on the other end of the phone.
"Stupid Big Brother! You're so mean!!"
Xiao Bei was scolding Kazuo's behavior from the other end, but she was clearly not angry because of his appearance.
"Why didn't you come back during the holiday!"
Indeed, this was what she cared about.
During the long holiday of nearly eight days, Kazuo chose to stay in Tokyo alone. For Xiao Bei, who hadn't seen him in over two months, the long-awaited holiday was now dashed by Kazuo's decision.
After all, the higher the expectation, the greater the disappointment.
Xiao Bei had been looking forward to it for so long, but then Kazuo said he wasn't coming back.
One can imagine the complex emotions brought by that sense of disparity.
The little girl had been quite a handful at home. Besides sulking, she almost went to Tokyo by herself to find Kazuo.
For the past few days, she had been waiting for her Big Brother's call at home. Who would have thought that with more than half of the holiday already passed, Kazuo still hadn't made a single call home.
And when the call finally came, because she was in a fit of pique, Xiao Bei suddenly felt extremely wronged. Standing in front of the phone, her voice trembled slightly as she spoke into the receiver.
Kazuo heard this voice and knew something was amiss.
He had been so focused on the upcoming exams these days that he had indeed neglected to keep in touch.
Although Kazuo had asked Yuriko to help send some flower tea and other souvenirs back to his hometown, after all, being away for a long time would make the family worry.
Thinking of this, Kazuo quickly apologized: "I'm sorry, Xiao Bei. It's really not that Big Brother doesn't want to come back, but because these upcoming exams are really important to Big Brother. If I don't pass, then perhaps your Big Brother won't be able to stay by your side much longer, you know?"
If he were dismissed by Tracen Academy, then he would only be able to watch his sister on the TV screen in the future.
"Compared to being separated by distance in the future, this brief separation now is for a better reunion and long-term companionship in the future... Don't you agree, Xiao Bei?"
Kazuo earnestly tried to persuade her. At times like this, mutual understanding was indeed necessary. Kazuo alone had indeed endured a lot of pressure outside, and the first month after arriving in Tokyo could be said to have been very difficult.
Before finding an affordable place to rent, Kazuo was looking for a job and a place to live at the same time.
During this period, he worked as a convenience store clerk, washed dishes, and delivered food. He had stayed in internet cafes and also slept on park benches.
He squeezed into a capsule hostel with ten people in three tatami mats, enduring thunderous snoring every night while reading and studying.
When away from home, people often only report good news, not bad. They say at home you rely on your parents, and when you go out, you rely on friends.
But in a foreign land, without relatives or friends, it is incredibly difficult to make a name for oneself alone.
In that month, all Kazuo encountered were crowds of people coming and going, dense subway lines, and the heavy, nerve-wracking smell of steel, cement, and concrete.
He had faced numerous setbacks and struggled to make a living, so it could be said that he seized that one opportunity to get to where he was today, step by step.
Sometimes he even wondered, what if he hadn't delivered that order, hadn't seen that notice, hadn't impulsively rushed into the venue—
Too many 'what ifs' had given him this opportunity, so this time, he absolutely could not fail in this battle.
If he lost here, no one knew if he would have another chance to start over.
Pressure had, in fact, always been on Kazuo.
"...I know that too..." Xiao Bei said softly, sniffing, "But, there's one thing, Big Brother, don't forget... This will always be your home."
"If you feel tired outside, you must come back. Don't force yourself."
There was some speechlessness, some silence, some emotion.
Kazuo never felt he was alone, because he always had his family behind him, and the most sensible younger sister in the world.
And now, people were slowly willing to walk with him, with Xiao Hai Wan always by his side.
Or rather, Daijin and Myou Motion, who should be considered friends.
Similarly, he also had mentors and friends who guided him, like Miss Tojo, Old Man Yoshida, and his unreliable roommate, Senior Koji.
Therefore, he would even less allow these established bonds and connections to be broken.
"Thank you for your understanding, Xiao Bei. Big Brother will definitely not disappoint you. I will absolutely become a top Trainer, and then announce to everyone that my sister is the greatest athlete of her generation."
He had never forgotten this fundamental goal. On his journey forward, only during brief rests could he look back and see how far he had come.
"Mm! Xiao Bei believes in you!"
This brother and sister gave each other faith and supported each other. Perhaps it was precisely because of this that they could go further, perhaps striving towards even greater goals.
Before hanging up the phone, Kazuo seemed to remember something: "Oh, right, I'll call Miss Ayako later, and then next summer holiday, Big Brother will take you to Tokyo to play, how about it? As an apology for not coming back this time?"
"Really!? You can't lie to Xiao Bei this time! Anyone who breaks a promise has to swallow needles!"
Xiao Bei on the other end of the phone burst into laughter through her tears, saying with a hint of playfulness.
Kazuo also smiled and promised:
"Of course, we've agreed. Afterwards, I'll take you to the biggest Racecourse in Japan to watch a race! Of course, the prerequisite is that you have to be in the top fifty of your grade!"
"It's a deal!"
"Mm, it's a deal."
Hanging up the phone, Kazuo put down his cell phone and let out a long sigh.
When you're tired, you'll find that there's always someone behind you supporting you. Nothing is more inspiring than that.
Sometimes when you're tired, you stop, and then life has to continue.
"Alright! Let's get back to studying!!!"
Recharged, he was about to dive back into exam preparations, Kazuo thought, when his phone rang again.
But this time—
It was an unknown number.