A Pure White Snow Over the Trash Mountain
Jin, as if sensing my and Shine's presence, slowly began to turn around.
"Ah..." His mouth hung open blankly, and a clump of damp hay fell from his lips.
With a soft *thud-thud*, the hay hit the ground, and the surrounding rabbits immediately swarmed over to nibble on it.
"Hello there," Jin greeted us warmly, standing up. He looked so composed that it was hard to believe he had been chewing on hay just a moment ago.
Brushing a stray piece of hay from the corner of his mouth, he asked, "Did you come looking for me, by any chance?"
A glittering gaze, filled with ambition. It was unmistakably the look of someone coveting talent. I swallowed hard as I met his eyes.
"Jin."
"Yes. I am Jin."
"I want to do the same work as Amy."
He looked surprised by my words. One of his eyebrows arched high, and the corner of his mouth twitched subtly.
"Really...? Are you sure?"
"Yes." I nodded.
Beside me, Shine grabbed my arm, but I didn't look back.
"Jeff..."
"Alright, Jeff. I understand your resolve. Does Amy know about this, too?"
"No."
"I figured as much. If Amy felt the same way, she wouldn't have sent you to me."
Jin said this and scattered a handful of hay over the rabbits. As the hay dispersed in all directions, the rabbits' eyes grew as wide as saucers, and they scrambled toward the food.
"Now, Jeff. You and I are of the same mind, aren't we?"
"Huh...?"
"Because I truly wish for you to work on our side. And, of course, Shine next to you as well."
Jin's voice, which had been so clear, began to grow hazy. As his words drew to a close, I saw Shine's back as she stepped in front of me, blocking my view.
"You!"
A sharp shout. The moment Shine's voice rang out, Jin's voice, which had filled my head, vanished without a trace. My physical senses returned. As my hazy mind snapped back to reality, I saw Jin and Shine glaring intensely at each other.
With the rabbits between them, the two had locked eyes in a tense standoff. I shook my head and approached them.
"Jin? Shine?"
Neither answered. Shine only opened her mouth once the rabbits had devoured every last bit of hay. Once the rabbits at their feet dispersed, Shine spoke.
"What were you trying to do to Jeff?"
Shine was questioning Jin. But Jin kept his mouth tightly shut, offering no reply.
"Speak! What were you trying to do to Jeff!"
Shine's eyes trembled violently. She was genuinely anxious. Before I could even register my confusion, Jin suddenly began to shudder violently.
"I said, speak!"
Shine's high-pitched scream shook the small farm. It felt as though my brain was rattling inside my skull. I clutched my head and collapsed to the ground. The rabbits seemed to feel it too, slumping onto the floor just like me.
Jin, who had been trembling all over, suddenly developed a nosebleed and collapsed. His eyes rolled back, showing only the whites, and his hands twitched. Yet, even then, his mouth remained sealed.
"Jeff..."
Shine's shadow fell over me as I lay sprawled on the ground. I managed to lift only my head to look up at her.
"It's too hard..." Shine muttered, looking completely drained. She looked pitiful, but for some reason, goosebumps broke out all over my body, and my hair stood on end.
"If I do it too hard, I feel like you'll break..."
"Shine..."
"Because Jeff is precious... I always tried to be careful..."
Her shadow began to sway, rocking slowly from side to side. A fractured, distorted smile spread across Shine's face as it began to blend with the shadows.
"He tried to do something strange to my precious Jeff."
"Shine...!"
My body was paralyzed by an unknown force. I tried to summon my powers like before, but a bizarre current scrambling my brain made it impossible. A blue spark flickered at my fingertips, only to scatter like dust.
Shine...! With my body frozen and even my tongue locked in place, my attempt to call her name dissolved inside my mouth before it could form.
Shine sat down on the floor. In her hand, she held one of the limp rabbits that had been lying nearby.
"If I do it too hard, it breaks..."
Shine's small hand moved to the rabbit's head. She gently stroked its fur. The rabbit blinked its tiny eyes, but the moment Shine's hand passed over them, they slowly began to close. The rabbit went completely limp, in a way that was entirely different from before. Its tiny chest, which had been rising and falling with breath, no longer moved.
"Jeff..." Shine let out a soft sigh and looked at me. The emotion in her eyes was, without a doubt, affection. An overflowing, terribly immense affection that was veering in a twisted direction.
"I'm going to make it a little stronger." Shine whispered, stepping closer to me. Her hand slowly reached out and covered my face. Her small fingers twitched, caressing my cheek.
"Because Jeff was the one who did wrong."
Her hand moved gently. I closed my eyes, surrendering my body to her touch. The sensations throughout my body began to fade. My head was softly lifted and placed onto Shine's lap. A gentle breeze blew past, brushing my hair aside. I blinked and looked up at Shine. She was smiling brightly, gently stroking my hair without a word.
Shine. My mouth moved, but no sound came out. Panicking, I tried to move my body to reach out, but I couldn't budge an inch.
White snow fell over the massive mountain of trash. A pure white snow that blanketed my entire memory. Before me, the mountain of trash no longer existed.
"Jeff. Is it hard?"
I only blinked without answering. Is it hard? For me?
"Hehehe...!" Letting out a soft giggle, Shine began to speak again. "You know, Jeff. I wish you would rely on me a little more."
My head throbbed. It felt as though someone was tapping directly on my brain. Nursing a severe headache, I raised my hand as the sensation in my body finally returned.
"Jeff. I'm your older sister, right?"
My face contorted from the headache. Through my tightly furrowed brows, I caught a glimpse of Shine's smiling face. She reached out and took my hand.
"I'll make sure you're never in danger." Whispering softly, Shine blinked and nodded. "Yes. I have to make sure Jeff is safe. To do that, I need to get stronger. Much stronger."
Looking down at me, Shine then raised her head. Her gaze shifted to Jin, who was currently covered in rabbits.
"Jeff. You were right. To protect our family... to protect you, I have to get stronger. You agree with me, right?"
*Ahaha!* Shine burst into laughter. She laughed as if she were truly, genuinely happy.
"Jeff. I love you so much!"
Shine pulled my lying body up and hugged me tightly. However, Shine's weak arms couldn't support my weight, and she tumbled down onto the green grass with me.
"Let's do the same work as Amy. We'll get suits, obtain support items, and become stronger."
Shine hugged me with all her might. As if she had made up her mind, she nodded and stood up.
"I'll protect you from everything that could ever put you in danger. I will do it."
Saying so, Shine walked over to the limply collapsed Jin. Crouching down, she began to mercilessly slap the cheeks of the unconscious Jin. *Slap, slap!* Each time her small hand struck his face, Jin's cheeks flushed a bright red.
"Wake up. Wake up."
"Ugh..." Jin groaned in pain. He still seemed unable to regain his senses.
"Listen carefully, Jin. We are going to do the same work as Amy."
"Work...? Amy...? The Resistance...?"
"That's right. Jeff and I are going to join the Resistance."
"Now, Jin. When I count to three, that's how it's going to be."
Shine pulled Jin up and placed a rabbit in his arms. Then, she began to count.
"One. Two. Three. *Clap!*"
"Jeff!"
My blurry vision began to clear. Sitting there blankly, I blinked and looked around. The familiar layout of the room, and even the computer screen in front of me. Everything was an incredibly familiar sight.
"Jeff. Were you dozing off?"
Just then, a familiar voice spoke from right beside me.
"Ah... Rain?"
Rain was smiling brightly. It seemed she was the one who had been calling my name. The bandage wrapped around her right arm caught my eye.
"Discharged...?"
"Yep! Today's the day."
The little chick fluttered her bandaged arm. Didn't it hurt? As I stared at her worriedly, she replied with a confident expression.
"I'm totally fine!"
"Ah... okay." I chuckled awkwardly and patted Rain's head. Her soft hair slipped through my fingers.
After enjoying the pleasant, soft sensation for a while, I checked the date displayed at the bottom of the computer screen. January 20th.
Staring at the blinking clock for a long moment, I let out a sigh and slid down from my chair. I couldn't remember what I had been doing just a moment ago.
"Where is Shine?"
"She went out with Amy for a bit."
Hearing from Rain that Shine wasn't in the room, a strange anxiety welled up inside me. My fingers twitched as I walked over and sat at the table, which gave me a clear view of the front door.
"Are you waiting for Shine?"
"Yeah."
"You must really, really like Shine, Jeff."
"Yeah! A lot. She's my favorite person in the whole world."
Rain slid over to sit next to me, rubbing her cheek against the table with a pout full of jealousy.
"Then what about me?"
"You're third, Rain."
"Who's second?"
"Amy."
"Now I'm a little hurt."
"Sorry, Rain."
At my apology, Rain turned her head away with a huff. I let out an awkward laugh at her reaction.
Shine. When is Shine coming back?
Shine.
My small fingers fidgeted restlessly on the table. I picked up a small pen and put it down, repeating the motion over and over to make a quiet clicking sound. Not long after I had passed the time like that, the front door clicked open, and the long-awaited figures of Shine and Amy appeared.
"Shine! Amy!"
My heart, which had been thumping with anxiety, now raced with wild excitement. My cheeks flushed slightly. A smile spread across my face, warmed by a rosy glow.
Stepping through the door, Shine looked startled when she saw me.
"Jeff?"
*Pitter-patter!* My small footsteps pattered rapidly as I dashed toward her. Reaching out with all my might, Shine instinctively opened her arms to catch me.
"Shine!"
I sank into Shine's soft, pillowy embrace. Her familiar scent washed over me.
"You're fixed!"
Shine, who had frozen in surprise, soon broke into a radiant smile and hugged me tight. *Fixed? What does she mean by that?* As I looked up at her in confusion, a pair of small, soft lips pressed against my cheek.
With a soft *mwah*, I startled and pulled back. Pressing my hand to my cheek, I felt a lingering, damp sensation.
Shine was looking at me with a playful smirk. Flustered, I sat down on the floor, my mouth opening and closing soundlessly. The hand cupping my cheek felt incredibly hot. My pounding heart showed no signs of slowing down. My chest throbbed so violently that I actually worried my heart might burst.
It was a strange sensation. A tiny, faint emotion I had felt for a long time had suddenly blossomed into something massive.