[Chibiloli]

Originally Posted by Alastor Mobius Toth

There was a building called Sears Tower once...

Also, more of extra love drama. A bit shorter this time, and it pretty much closes the narrative arc, before we move onto deeds.

Spoiler for Enter the Cryska:

Within the span of few months, Yui had learned to sift the women her brother spent time with, into two groups. Those who had been nothing more than friends, and the rest were the sows that sucked up to him. The first group was relatively small, and kept mostly to his university acquaintances; Tarisa, who for all her faults would walk into hell to help her friends, Stella, who for all her flirting was always willing to lend an ear or advice. Even Sharon – well, Yui still disliked her, but at least she kept her lust to Leon. Mostly. There were also these three –weird- girls; Alastoria Toth (who names their daughter like that!?), Goose (she never caught her first name) and Stephanie Sasahara. Yui was pretty certain that it was more than “girl’s friendship”, beyond the fact that poor Stephanie and Goose were always dragged into some other, insane plot that Alastoria cooked up. Yui still remembered the rather…spectacular fire that ensured that Fikatsia Latorova would never hold a barbeque, ever again, and that would leave the poor, clumsy Japanese Australian forever without husband.

Although, she had to give it to Alastoria; Yui had never eaten a better steak since then.

Then, there was the rest. It was a diverse group, all the way from refined Takatsukasa sisters, to that Chinese (or Taiwanese – Yui didn’t care) slut, Cui Yifey. Yui had very quickly found a way to deal with them – a smartass remark there, a polite slight there. The best part however, was that she knew these women would – could not do anything about her. Her brother would always take her side in an argument, and none of the girls would dare to insult her in Yuuya’s presence. Everyone had assumed that Yui was simply an overprotective younger sister that didn’t want her brother leaving her family.

They thought it was cute.

And then, one day, when her parents took her away on business trip and Yuuya stayed behind; they returned to find him in a futon with a girl his age, in a complete state of undress.

It was how Takamura family learned of Yuuya’s girlfriend.

Her mother only chuckled, and politely nodded to the girl, before indicating that she was, quite naked, and should rectify that immediately. Their father laughed and gave mortified Yuuya a “thumbs up”, leading Yui and her mom out of the room, saying that his son needed “the quality time”.

She was too shocked to say anything.

Yui couldn’t say that it was the first time she met Cryska Barchenowa personally – she had showed up at their house before. She had always been a quiet, reserved woman. She spoke in rather cold tone, and rarely displayed her emotions. She reminded Yui a bit of an ice sculpture – very beautiful, but very cold, and lonely.

She’d often talk with Yuuya on some technical matters (Yui knew that they were in same class for mechanics and applied robotics), but it didn’t seem like anything more than a professional friendship. Sure, Yuuya would argue with her from time-to-time on some philosophy, or would bother Cryska about her demeanor, but that was it.

Yui should have known better.

She should have noticed that faint smile Cryska would involuntarily show when being around Yuuya, the same glazed eyes as she had herself when looking after him. She should have known that Cryska was in love with Yuuya as well.

She wanted to hate Cryska with every fiber of her being. Cryska was beautiful, in this exotic, fairy kind of way. She had wonderful, gleaming, silver hair, a magnificent bust and a fit figure. She had such pretty, light lavender eyes. And her voice. Yui hadn’t quite realized, but it sounded more like some kind of fantastic fey song that human speech, whenever the woman opted to drop her cold façade. If Cryska went into entertainment business, she would have made a killing. But above everything else, she wasn’t Yuuya’s sister. How could Yui compete with that?

She couldn’t. Yuuya loved Cryska– of that much she was certain. He would talk about her to no end, even when it was just him and Yui. He had became quite serious too – she could have heard how he was planning on starting working immediately after his university, maybe receive officer’s training, and then commission, in the army. He wanted to give Cryska a real home.

He wanted her to become his wife.

His father was happy. Her mother approved – Cryska was not from Japanese high society, but she was pretty, intelligent and well-mannered, if a little blunt at times. Her guardian was also a very famous businessman. Yui wanted to hate her so much, she wanted nothing more to take her family sword and drive it into Cryska’s heart again and again…but she couldn’t.
She understood that her brother was happy with Cryska. And as a woman who loved Yuuya Takamura, Yui couldn’t bring herself to ruin his happiness.

She wanted him to be happy for gods’ sake!

So she had went back to crying softly into her pillow, dreaming at nights that she was in a different world, as a different Yui. A world where her love was, simply put, normal.

But that didn’t help anymore.

She begun to be more apathetic day-by-day. Her friends became worried about her well-being, but Yui just brushed them off with some casual excuse. She felt like she was locked into a cage of ice – able to watch the world, but unable to do anything about it.
She watched how her brother had spent time with Cryska, and bit her lip when she realized that there was nothing she could do.

“Do you…hate me, Takamura Yui?” Cryska was sharper than Yui assumed. Or maybe, she was getting sloppy.

“You’re important to Yuuya…and so, you are important to me. If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know.”
How!? How was she doing it!? Yui had to turn around to hide her watering eyes. Did that woman knew just how painful these words were? How deeply they wounded her, how easily they shattered the illusion about her life?
She wished that she could just say something and wave her off. But she couldn’t. Not anymore.
“We are not enemies, Cryska Barchenowa.” Yui whispered quietly. “We are something much, much worse than that.” Yui took little solace in the woman’s shock as it spread across her face.
“But in the end, I never stood a chance against you.”
And a single tear fell into the wind.

From personal experience, being powerless is the absolute worst experience you can ever have. The despair of the fact is almost overpowering.

Also, the first drinking will be next. As will Inia's master plan for a Happy End.

so far I'm liking this, please continue AMT.