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Hiiro was only 13 when Rinne left. He was only a child, someone who couldn’t understand why Rinne did it, no one had even taught him about this. His older brother was the only one who cared for him in the village, it wasn’t like he was abandoned or mistreated. They just saw him more as a tool to help the future chief rather than a child.
When he found out his brother went missing he felt his heart ache, Hiiro couldn’t understand this emotion however. All he could do was cling onto his dress-shirt and wipe away the tears coming from his eyes as he was summoned to his fathers room.
“Hiiro, as you know your brother ran away…” his father paused as he looked at Hiiro who couldn’t stop crying no matter how hard the boy tried. It was only natural to feel this way, he had always stuck by Rinne’s side since he could remember. “It means that you’ll have to take the responsibility of leading the village, do you understand..?”
Hiiro sniffed as he mumbled a soft yes while nodding. His father let him leave once they finished the conversation. He knew Hiiro needed time alone
Hiiro returns back to his bedroom and sits on his bed. He held a poorly-made plush in his hands. It was made by Rinne when they were younger, the older women in the village had taught them how to sew and Rinne made a slightly ugly dog plush for Hiiro. However bad it may look, his younger brother still treasured it a lot.
“N-Niisan..” the tears don’t stop coming down as he reminisces over his older brother. After all they mostly had each other for company and for entertainment. Majority of their time they were glued together whether it be hunting or just relaxing.
“W-why didn’t you take me with you…”
And that thought would stick with Hiiro for a few years, sometimes when he trains he’d think of his brother and wonders how he is doing. When he eats his meals he prays that his brother has food on the table every day. And when he goes to bed he dreams of the happy memories they had when they were younger.
So he trains hard and hopes to make his older brother proud of him! He wants to show Rinne that he can be strong and independent on his own.
Hiiro was 17 when his father called him into his room to give him a special task. Go to the city and find your brother. It was an unexpected one for sure, after all Hiiro had already been slowly trained to become the new chief. Maybe his father didn't want to waste the 17 years he had spent taking care of Rinne.
Of course Hiiro accepted the task, he wanted his big brother back more than anything. So the next day he set out to find his big brother and bring him back to the village. They would finally be reunited again like Hiiro has always dreamt of for 4 years.
When he reaches the city the first thing he was instructed to do was buy a phone. Did he know how to use it? No! But some nice people at the store taught him how to. Next he decided to search around the city for any sign of his brother, asking random strangers if they had heard of him.
To no avail however, it seems no one has heard of this so-called Rinne Amagi. Hiiro decides to wait till tomorrow and find some place to eat first.
The city was an interesting place compared to his village, they had cars and stores which sold everything you could think of. It was no wonder his brother wanted to come here and live here.
He found a small little restaurant that had a nice smell, so he decided to go in and try the food. While he scans the menu he couldn’t help but take a listen to the conversation that was going on at the cash register.
“Ah Shiina-san, will you be visiting Amagi-san tomorrow?”
“Hmm.. Maybe, I was hoping to buy some flowers but the store has always been out of stock of hyacinths..”
Hiiro’s eyes widened as he heard the mention of the name Amagi. He ran towards the counter and looked at the lady who was talking with a grey haired man. “Amagi?! As in Rinne Amagi?” Hiiro asked as the grey haired man looked shocked, as if he had seen a ghost.
“...Do you know Rinne-kun..?” he asked as Hiiro nodded excitedly.
“Mhm! He’s my older brother! Can you bring me to see him? Wait- How rude of me I apologise! My name is Hiiro Amagi!” he does a small bow as the man chuckles.
“You both do have the same enthusiasm.. My name is Niki Shiina, I was a.. good friend of your brother..” Niki introduces as Hiiro smiles, he was thankful to know that his brother had friends.
The woman excuses herself to let the two men continue their conversation. “Give me a second to get off my shift and then we can go to my place to talk!” Niki excuses himself as well.
When he comes back he notices Hiiro was still there waiting for him, he seems to be more well mannered than Rinne ever was. Niki led him back to his apartment and on the way there they had a small chat about Rinne, it seems that the two could relate with their experiences in a way.
Hiiro felt happy to know that his brother still cared about him even after he left home. He was confident that Rinne would return with him if he missed him that much.
They both sat on Niki’s floor as Hiiro shoves the delicious food that Niki made into his mouth. “This is delicious! Thank you Shiina-senpai!”
Niki’s heart warmed as he saw Hiiro like this, he was like a carbon copy of his older brother but nicer. “No problem!” he smiles. It felt glad to know his brother also loved his cooking like Rinne did.
“So is my Nii-san here?” Hiiro asked as he watched Niki’s face shift into a more sadder look.
“Rinne-kun…” Niki says softly before he makes his way into his room and brought out a box. “These were all his belongings, he didn't have much but still. I kept these incase, you know..?”
Hiiro didn't understand, “Why would Shiina-senpai store Nii-sans things in a box? Does he not need them anymore?” Hiiro asked, confused.
Niki felt worse the more he realised how naive Hiiro was to all this, “...I’m sorry Hiiro-kun, Rinne-kun is.. no longer with us..” it hurt Niki to tell the poor boy this. He had seem so excited to see his brother after so many years of being apart.
Hiiro paused as he tried to understand Niki’s words, and when he finally realised it he felt his world collapsing in a matter of seconds.
Hiiro was only 17 when he had lost his brother again. This time he had lost him permanently, there was no way to get him back. He begins to think of all kinds of scenarios to get a better outcome.
If he had been a better brother would Rinne not have left them and ended up leaving for good? He begins to cry again like he did when Rinne first left. He starts to blame himself, he could tell that Niki did too.
The two of them just stayed in silence as the room echoed with Hiiro’s sobs while Niki wrapped him in a warm hug. Maybe Niki also wanted to hug his Nii-san like he did now to Hiiro.
The next day Niki brings Hiiro to see Rinne’s grave, on the way there Niki explains everything to Hiiro.
When his brother first came to the city he was founded and taken in by Niki. And soon Rinne suggested they become idols, he seemed to love the way fans cheered and smiled for them.
And they did, but everything soon fell apart and the hate overthrown the support. Rinne couldn’t stand it anymore, especially when it was directed towards Niki. He felt like a burden, and so he got rid of it. But Niki never wanted him to leave.
And neither did Hiiro, who now stands in front of his brother’s grave and lays down some flowers for him. He also places the old toy that Rinne had made for Hiiro.
Hiiro knew there was no other way he could ever get his brother back no matter how much he misses him. All he can do now is live on in his memory and remember their childhood.
“Nii-san… I hope you’re happy with Mom up there..” he says before giving his final goodbyes and leaving.
He soon returned home with the box in hand, as he watched his father cry for the first time. And he too says one final goodbye to the village he grew up in before moving to the city.
Hiiro was only 18 when he successfully debuted as an idol, and together with his unit mates he shall live the dream that was once his brothers.
“Nii-san..” Hiiro whispers as his brother sits up from the bed.
“Eh? Ototo-kun? Did you have a bad dream?” he asked as Hiiro nodded.
Rinne let out a small chuckle as he allowed Hiiro to come up onto his bed. “Don't worry! Nii-san will always protect you and be by your side, okay?”
Hiiro looks up to his older brother and smiles, “Thank you Nii-san…!”
“No problem Ototo-kun… Goodnight, sweet dreams...”