Path of the Extra Chapter 371: Leo Karumi [5]

"Wow, you're gonna be a big brother soon, right!?"

"I suppose..."

Leo and Nathan were perched on the swings as the sun dipped below the horizon.

Over a year had flown by.

...and Leo's little sister was on the verge of arriving. His mother was already admitted to the hospital, expecting to give birth any moment this week. The pair lingered at a nearby playground to the hospital, where Nathan's parents and Leo's father were also present.

Since joining the basketball club at middle school, Leo had pushed himself harder than ever before.

He recalled vividly. Those harsh words from that evening when his parents quarreled over him.

She labeled him a monster. She claimed he wasn't an ordinary kid.

...Yet since then, Leo had come to a realization.

It didn't matter. Being abnormal was fine. Embracing the monster within was acceptable.

As long as his mom kept her gaze on him, as long as her attention never wavered...

He'd gladly transform into the most fearsome monster imaginable.

At nine years old, he finally received lessons from a top-tier, highly talented piano tutor. His mom insisted she was among the elite, and Leo trusted her judgment completely.

With such lofty hopes from his mom, Leo felt compelled to fulfill every one.

He needed to fill her with pride.

"...You still don't seem thrilled?" Nathan inquired, his eyes filled with concern.

Leo continued gazing at his shoes. Noticing this, Nathan attempted to lift his spirits.

"We're heading to the same middle school at last, aren't we, Leo? I'm dying to share a class with you!"

"...Yeah."

Several years back, when Sarah intended to switch Nathan to Leo's elementary school, he reconsidered once home. Unwilling to abandon his buddies, he pleaded tearfully to remain.

That's why he stuck with his original school through elementary.

However, now they were entering middle school side by side.

It turned out to be a highly esteemed institution complete with an admission test. Unsurprisingly, Leo breezed through it.

Nathan poured intense effort into studying this time, eager to stay near Leo, and he barely scraped by. Although... he hadn't dominated the exam by any means.

Yet Leo's thoughts wandered elsewhere.

Waves of doubt churned endlessly in his head.

"Take this."

His reverie shattered as an object obstructed his view—a shiny apple.

Leo blinked several times at it before lifting his gaze. Nathan hovered before him, face etched with worry, extending the fruit with both palms.

A touch bewildered still, Leo accepted the apple. Nathan's features instantly lit up with joy and ease.

Crunching into the apple, Leo's expression noticeably relaxed. He nibbled steadily, cheeks puffing out like a chipmunk's.

"Hey, Leo... could it be you're feeling jealous?"

Leo scowled but persisted in eating. He shot Nathan a sideways look, head cocked a bit.

"Your sister... her name's Lia, isn't it? You've never shown much joy or eagerness whenever folks mention her arrival... so, are you envious of her?"

Leo halted his chewing and gulped down the bite.

"...I'm not jealous."

He whispered it, eyes dropping again.

"But you are! Totally jealous of little Lia, huh!?"

Nathan leaned in close to Leo, who remained on the swing, intensifying Leo's scowl.

"Leo, you're afraid Aunty and Uncle might ignore you now, aren't you?"

Leo's features stiffened further, eyebrows furrowing tightly.

"You're creepy. Back off."

"Exactly! See, I'm spot on! You just won't confess it!"

"Are you hard of hearing—"

"You light up sooo much when they compliment you, you know? With Uncle, that smile sticks all day, but Aunty's praise? You glow like you're floating on clouds and rainbows for a whole week!"

Apple juice trickled along Leo's fingers as he squeezed harder, jaws grinding.

"You train suuuuper secretly to delight Uncle and Aunty, right?"

"...Be quiet."

"Huh?"

"Your breath reeks. Your tone grates. Makes me nauseous."

Nathan recoiled, gaping at the ruthless glare in Leo's eyes as he stared back with icy disdain.

"M-my breath? But... no way! I scrubbed my teeth for a full five minutes this morning to skip tonight!"

He cupped his hand over his mouth, huffing into it repeatedly to check, while Leo pressed his lips thin and averted his eyes to his feet once more.

Truly, he wasn't.

He wasn't envious of Lia at all.

Jealous that an unborn baby commanded more focus than he did, when he was right there before their eyes...

Why couldn't they notice his true desires? He adored them fiercely, so shouldn't his devotion suffice? He strived endlessly for their affection, yet this yet-to-be-born rival already stole so much time and attention from him... What if their love couldn't stretch to cover both?

What if forced to pick, they passed him over?

"There you two are!"

A distant call yanked them from their musings.

"Mom?" Nathan glanced up, startled, as Sarah dashed over, phone light beaming, the dusk grown quite shadowy.

She hurried up and halted before them, kneeling down while leaning in, breathless and red-faced.

Nathan dashed to her side, and Leo rose from the swing to approach too.

"I-it's happening... Jeanne's gone into labor."

*****

By now, Leo had lost track of the elapsed time.

An hour? Several?

The only certainty was his spot in the corridor, Nathan beside him, head slumped on Leo's shoulder, snoring softly with a bit of drool.

With a sigh, he held steady to avoid disturbing Nathan, figuring that annoyance outweighed the light burden of his empty-headed noggin. From his pants pocket, Leo fished out a slim white rectangular case.

Carefully, he unlatched it, the magnetic clasp emitting a faint snap.

Nestled within lay a stunning gold necklace decorated with delicate golden blooms. Leo learned that childbirth brought immense agony to women, so he picked this present to brighten her spirits.

Opting for gold was straightforward: Leo knew his mother cherished it.

A year prior, he'd casually asked her preference—gold, silver, or bronze—purely from interest.

Drawing from her response, etched in his memory, he'd spent his pocket money and tournament prizes on this necklace.

Leo softly shut the case with a snap and slipped it back into his pocket.

His fists balled up.

Much like that instance when he attempted to sketch a gift for her...

Abruptly, as worry and jitters about her response crept in, hurried familiar steps echoed their way. Leo tilted his head discreetly and spotted Sarah alongside her husband Tim—a burly, suited man with glasses and a kind demeanor—approaching with beaming delight.

"Leo, ready to greet your little sister?"