Chapter 73: Colored Drinks and Tarot Cards

One of the strangest things Haru encountered in the Hayashi household, more than the portraits of the dead son and the empty rooms and scattered mementos, was the eldest son. Saito, who's 3 years older than Haru, was a peculiar boy.

At first, he just seemed curious when he entered Haru's room and grinned while greeting him.

"Hi, I'm Saito! You must be the replacement for Hiroto, hmm?" He was straightforward. Something about him exuded contempt.

Haru maintained his respectful and good boy image. "H-Hello, brother. Please take care of me."

Saito neared him and pinched his earlobe. "Wanna put some piercings here? I was going to give Hiroto one, but he suddenly died, that stupid brother of mine."

Haru suppressed his shock. Showered with care and consideration, he hasn't even encountered this kind of person in the orphanage.

"I really like you so won't you let me give you a piercing?" Saito grinned. "I promise it won't hurt!"

Haru glanced at his earlobe and saw no piercing. He couldn't predict this elder brother, so he just went with it. Saito grabbed a needle from his room and returned to pierce his brother. Contrary to his promise, Haru felt tortured with the needle as it bled.

When he started complaining and said that it hurt, Saito told him to just stay still and endure it.

"Sorry, I keep on messing this up," He chuckled. "Don't be a crybaby, I was just joking around!"

After a few hours of just pricking Haru's earlobes, they ended up not having the piercing anyway. Saito said he's tired, so he returned to his room.

"W-What was that all about…?" Haru wondered as his ear bled and reddened.

The next day, Saito invited him to play catch.

The first few minutes were genuinely light and fun, but soon, it turned dreary. At the middle of the game, Saito suddenly threw hard, hitting Haru's forehead and making him fall down. Saito used to throw lightly, allowing him to catch the ball.

"Hey, are you alright? I'm sorry, I forgot to control my strength!"

"I-It's okay, brother…"

But that apology didn't mean anything. Saito kept on giving unpredictable throws, hitting Haru in his face, arms, chest, and legs.

Soon, the ball looked like daggers and bullets to him.

When Haru started avoiding the ball and told his brother that he wanted to stop playing, Saito refused.

"No, let's play a bit more," He said with a sinister and malicious expression. He looked like a devil.