"Senpai, do you like snow?", Tsubaki asked me.
"I don't particularly have a preference. If it falls, I can enjoy it as part of the scenery. Does Tsubaki like snow?"
She squats by the roadside, pinching a little bit of the remaining snow with her fingertips and stands up. Then, she places the snow on her palm and spreads it out in front of me.
"Can you see it?"
Upon her request, I gaze at the snow on her palm. Since it's a small amount, it quickly melts away due to the warmth of her hand.
"If Ayanokoji-senpai had a brother, and that existence had been hidden from his parents for many years, and he didn't know about it. But suddenly, one day, he was told that it's a real family, would he be able to like him as a family? Of course, assuming there is a genuine blood connection."
"It's a difficult question."
As far as I know, I don't have any siblings. However, with the setup that it had been hidden, there is a possibility. If that man had another son besides me... What would I think when meeting him? The thought intrigued me, but it didn't evoke any outrageous emotions.
"I might not think anything. Of course, it would depend heavily on the other person's personality and circumstances. If they grew up completely separately, accepting and getting along as family all of a sudden would likely be challenging."
"That's true. I probably would have similar feelings as Ayanokoji-senpai. But if I found out that the other person had special circumstances and a sad past, I would feel the desire to know about it and want to be there for them. If there were a sister who had been distant, I would want to learn more about her."
