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Hitoshi loved his little sister, there was no doubt about that. he loved her smile and her laugh. he loved the doodles of him that Shouta would magnet to the kitchen fridge. he loved her kindness and compassion for others.
but, sometimes, he didn't really like her all that much. he hated it when she would Interrupt him when he was trying to do other things. He hated it when she would constantly ask him questions when he just wanted to be alone.
but most of all, he hated that his parents seemed to focus all their attention on her instead of him. he had gotten so used to being the only child, so the sudden change in his place in their family was jarring to say the least. He never demanded much in the way of attention from his parents, but he felt a hole forming where his parents time and attention once was, and he didn't know how to fill the hole.
so, he withdrew more, and tried to fill the hole with studying and other things. his grades improved, but he still felt the hole, and it felt like it was growing larger. so, he tried to spend more time with his friends. his friends helped fill the hole a bit, but he still felt the hole, even though it wasn't as big as it used to be. Eri always seemed to be the center of attention, while he was nothing more than an afterthought. though he understood that younger children needed more attention, it still hurt that Eri was always the one that everyone loved more.
maybe Eri is replacing you, was a thought that often invaded his mind. maybe, your parents don't love you anymore, so they got Eri to replace you. Hitoshi know that Shouta and Hizashi had adopted Eri because she didn't have anywhere else to go after being rescued, but the thoughts didn't go away. Hitoshi had been thrown away by foster parents before, and Shouta and Hizashi had promised to never leave him or give him away, but he was beginning to doubt those promises.
after a week or two of Hitoshi desperately trying and failing to fill the ever-growing hole, Shouta and Hizashi had seemed to catch on to Hitoshi's behavior. they seemed to talk to him more, ask him how he was doing more often, and inquire more into his hobbies. Though Eri still got a lot of attention, and the bad thoughts didn't go away, the hole seemed to fill up more, though it wasn't completely filled.
He also tried to spend more time getting to know his sister more. He would play with Eri, take her to the park, or listen to her go on and on about her day, or her favorite TV show, or whatever was on her mind at the moment. spending more time with her helped him fill the hole, and both of his parents loved how much Hitoshi cared for Eri. Eri loved every minute she spent with her brother and seeing her so happy made him happy too.
over the next few days, Hitoshi's mood had vastly improved. the increased attention from his parents and the quality time with his sister had greatly increased his overall morale. both of his parents were very happy that Hitoshi seemed happier, but they still sometimes worried about how Hitoshi was handling the shift in family dynamics. One afternoon, Hitoshi was reading alone in his room. he had finished his homework, so Shouta knocked on his door, and asked,
"Hey Hitoshi, mind if I come in?"
"You can come in." Hitoshi replied. Shouta came inside to find Hitoshi, reading his book. "Did you need something?" Hitoshi asked.
"Hitoshi, how are you doing?"
"Fine, is something the matter?"
"Well, Hizashi and I were concerned that maybe you felt like you were being ignored or replaced."
"Well, sometimes, I do worry that I'm being replaced. Sometimes it feels like you love her more than me. I know that she's younger and she's been through a lot, but I can't shake the thoughts."
"Hitoshi, just because Eri is a part of our family now doesn't mean you are any less important. We would never try to replace you or get rid of you."
"I know that, but I can't stop myself from thinking it."
"Well, if you ever want to talk about it, were always available. If you ever need anything, even just someone to talk to, you can always ask either of us."
"Thanks. I love you both."
"I love you too Hitoshi."
And with that, the hole felt filled again. He loved his family, and though the change was hard at first, he was happy with the new dynamic. He loved his little sister and knowing that she loved him just as much made everything ok.