Ruby's Independence (Yoharuby)
Ruby stood in front of the mirror adjusting her hair. She hadn’t tied it into pigtails for two years now, but for this evening she decided to tie a ribbon at the back. It matched the rest of her outfit. A black blouse paired with a plum colored skirt, black flats and tights to tie it all up. A far cry from her usual clothes, but there was a first time for everything.
Besides, there was the need to impress someone tonight. Imagining her flushed cheeks brought a smile to her face.
A knock on the door brought her out of the stupor. She turned to the door as it slid open. “Ruby, what do you want for-“ Dia stopped, her eyes wide in surprise at the sight in front of her. “Are you... Going somewhere?”
Ruby nodded, looking down to inspect the contents of her purse. Her wallet and her phone were inside. What else would one need for a date? Her sister was there, she might as well seek advice. “Hey, Onee-chan. What do you bring with you on a date?”
“A d-date?” Dia stuttered, her composure slipping for a moment. She then remembered Ruby was already seventeen, and that composure quickly recovered. “Will you be out with Yoshiko for this evening?”
Ruby looked at her sister from the mirror’s reflection. She adjusted how her hair settled on her shoulders. “Yes. I already told our parents about it. I’ll be staying at her residence tonight, as well.”
“Ah. Is that so...” Dia’s voice trailed into a tense silence. She watched Ruby smile at herself in the mirror. Her attire was sharp, and she carried an air of dignity. As her older sister, she couldn’t be prouder. Yet, there was a gnawing discomfort in her stomach. A fact in life that she can’t sit with. And that was the girl Ruby was dating. Or, as how Hanamaru described it, ‘trying out the waters, zura.’
She cleared her throat, words trickling out cautiously. “Ruby, how have things been progressing with Yoshiko?” Their eyes met through the mirror. Ruby gave a soft hum of thought.
“This dating relationship is relatively recent, and we’re still discovering how things will proceed.” An informative response. Dia also heard from Hanamaru that Ruby because student council president at their school. She was in Tokyo attending university when they paraded the news in the Aqours group chat. She had been so happy, welling with pride for her younger sister. If she had been at home, she would’ve celebrated.
Before her semestral break came the news that Ruby was in a more intimate relationship with Yoshiko. If she had been at home, she would’ve tried to convince her sister against it. “Surely, she is a handful during these types of outings, right? I remember her being quite, eccentric.”
Ruby giggled, returning to focus on her reflection. “She’s still the same weird Yoshiko, Onee-chan.”
“Isn’t that disquieting?” It accidentally slipped. Ruby watched her with the mirror, her hands stopping.
“However do you mean?”
Dia swallowed, growing nervous under her gaze. “About Yoshiko... You’ve matured so much, Ruby. Meanwhile, she’s still running around with that fallen angel schtick of hers.”
A silence began to stretch between them. Ruby’s eyes were filled with disbelief as she stared at her sister. Unease clawed inside her, bought she fought it down, maintaining her usual proper demeanor. Yet, there was the worry on where this conversation was going. “What are you implying, Onee-chan?”
The frustration in her voice was unintentional, but Dia heard. She stepped in the room, heaving a long breath. “Ruby, I believe that Yoshiko is not suited to be your partner.”
“...What?” Ruby stared in shock at the sudden revelation. It stole her words for a few seconds, but when the shock dissipated, frustration burned. “Are you saying this based on your judgement of her in our first year?”
"No, but-" Words caught in her throat. She believed her stance to be right, yet there was hesitation. Dia pushed it all down. Ruby will thank her someday for addressing this issue. Guilt stung her for calling Yoshiko an 'issue.' Were they not friends?
"From what I've heard, my judgement won't seem to change. She still acts how she did back in your first year of high school." For her sister, friends would matter little. For Ruby's sake, she won't mind being the aggressor.
Ruby faced away from the mirror toward her sister, muttering under her breath. Before Dia could ask her to speak up, she did. "How can you say that?!" The composure crumbled under the weight of her anger. Her voice strained from the sudden outburst, but that was at the back of her mind. A thick silence settled in the room, Dia's breath bated.
Ruby's breath was unsteady, but she forced down the long-forgotten feeling to cry. She walked over to her, a fire in her glare. The height difference against her mattered little. Right now, she only wanted to leave, before she'd say anything regretful.
"I'll be late if I don't leave now, Onee-chan..." She hated how fragile her voice sounded. It was like the last two years vanished at the soonest argument with her sister. "Please, if you'd step out of the way."
"Ruby..." Dia's voice was soft from disbelief. Ruby reached for the door and she watched silently. It slid open, but neither dared to move. As if either was waiting for the other to speak. An apology, an understanding word, anything.
When the silence persisted, Ruby took in a shaky sigh, staring out the door before stepping out. "I'm heading out now."
Two steps out the door and a hand kept her in place. Ruby didn't bother to look back. The miniscule discourtesy was enough to breathe anger in Dia, who kept her grip on her wrist. "Ruby, don't turn your back to me!"
"I don't believe you know what's best for me. Only I know that." She shook her head, her voice a harsh snap.
"Am I not your sister?!" Dia all but shouted the question. It felt more like a reminder, but she hoped Ruby would turn around and realize her words.
But Ruby kept her gaze forward, her hand balled to a fist. "As my sister, I had hoped you would respect my decisions." She pulled her arm away from Dia's grip, walking silently to the front entrance. Dia followed behind, calling out her name in vain. When she opened the door, there was a brief stop.
"It's great to see you back home, Onee-chan." Ruby stepped out, sliding the door shut on her sister.
Dia stood in the deafening silence of her home, staring at the old paper door. A different heaviness weight on her chest. Guilt? How could that be. Everything she said was for her younger sister's wellbeing. Had she misjudged?
Was she wrong?