Chapter 549: Precious Piggy Bank
Chapter 549: Precious Piggy Bank
"Come on, Anya, you have to call me Big Sister!"
Astrid whined, her voice carrying just enough to make the nearby tables go even quieter.
"It’s only right! I am your older sister, after all!"
She pressed a hand to her chest, her expression indignant, before nudging Anya again.
"Just one time! Let me hear it! Say ’Big Sister’ or ’Older Sister’ or anything! As long as it acknowledges my seniority, I’ll be happy!"
Mika groaned internally, rubbing his head.
Would Astrid ever stop with this?
He had to deal with her antics, and now here she was, starting on her sisters.
Meanwhile, Anya didn’t even lift her eyes from her laptop as she responded, her voice cool and measured.
"I’m sorry, Astrid, but even though we’re family, everything in this world operates on business transactions."
She glanced up briefly, a calculating gleam in her eye as she said,
"So, if you want me to call you ’big sister,’ you’ll have to give me something in return."
Astrid’s ears perked up, her tails wagging with renewed excitement.
"What is it, Anya? Tell me what it is, and I’ll give it to you immediately!"
Mika shook his head slightly, his expression a mix of affection and exasperation.
It was so easy to manipulate Astrid when you held the promise of sisterly validation.
Anya chuckled, a soft sound that held no warmth.
She then raised her fingers and rubbed them together in the universal gesture for currency.
"Money makes the world go round, Astrid. If you really want me to call you ’big sister,’ then give me all the cash you have."
To Mika’s complete lack of surprise, Astrid didn’t hesitate.
She fumbled with her purse—a well-worn item that Nadia had given her years ago, still cherished despite its age and dumped all the cash it contained onto the table.
She even emptied her pockets, producing a handful of coins that she added to the pile with proud flourish.
"There!" She declared, beaming with anticipation. "Now you should call me ’big sister,’ right?"
She looked like a dog awaiting a treat, her eyes bright and hopeful, her tail wagging so vigorously it created a small breeze.
Mika had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing.
She was so utterly transparent in her desperation.
But Anya simply glanced at the pile with a dismissive smirk.
"You can’t possibly tell me that’s all of your money, right?"
Astrid blinked, momentarily confused. Then realization dawned, and she nodded vigorously.
"Oh! Right, right! Let me send you the rest!"
She whipped out her phone, fingers flying across the screen as she navigated to her bank app.
After several moments of frantic typing—accompanied by endless codes and pin numbers—a soft chime came from Anya’s phone.
Anya glanced at her screen, and for the first time, genuine surprise flickered across her features.
"Oh wow. You really sent it."
She looked up, her gaze sharpening with something between suspicion and grudging admiration.
"Are you sure you want to send all of this just to have me call you ’big sister’? I know Auntie Nadia only gives you a limited allowance.’
’It’s not like you’re super wealthy or anything."
"It’s totally fine." Astrid shrugged, her expression utterly unconcerned.
She then reached across the table, her hand finding Anya’s in a gesture of genuine warmth.
"As long as I can hear you call me ’big sister,’ that’s more than enough."
Mika felt a warmth spread through his chest.
Despite her naive devotion to the title, there was something genuinely touching about Astrid’s willingness to give everything she had just to hear that acknowledgment from her sister.
Anya stared at her sister, her expression unreadable.
Then she curled her lips into a sly smile.
"There has to be a little more money left, right?"
She said, her voice dripping with false skepticism.
"I can’t feel your sincerity right now."
Astrid’s eyes went wide.
"What? No, I really don’t have any more money! That’s all I—"
She stopped, a flash of realization crossing her features.
"Wait. No, I do have one more source of income."
But her enthusiasm had faded, replaced by nervous hesitation. Her hand went to a ring on her finger.
"But that money...that money is precious to me."
Her voice had grown small, almost scared.
"I really don’t want to give it up."
Anya stared at her, and the silence stretched between them like a taut wire.
Finally, Astrid’s shoulders slumped in defeat.
"Okay. I’ll do it." She bit her lip, looking like she was about to face her own execution. "If that’s what it takes for you to call me ’big sister,’ then...I’ll do it."
Both Mika and Anya had a surprised look.
Neither had expected her to actually produce anything else.
But then, to their shock, Astrid waved her hand, and a spatial ring on her finger glowed.
In the next moment, a piggy bank materialized on the table!
It was pink. Old. Covered in scratches that spoke of years of use.
And it was absolutely stuffed to the brim with bills and coins poking out of the slot at the top.
Astrid looked back at it with genuine sadness, her fingers tracing its faded surface.
"This piggy bank...."
She began, her voice thick with emotion.
"...has been with me for quite a while now."
She smiled, a wistful expression that made her look younger, more vulnerable.
"A long time ago, when I was still a child, I happened to walk past a jewelry store. And I saw something that made my heart stop."
Both Mika and Anya leaned forward, completely captivated.
"There were engagement rings in the window."
Astrid continued, her eyes growing distant.
"Beautiful engagement rings, sparkling under the lights like captured stars. And the moment I saw them, I fell in love."
She laughed, a soft, self-deprecating sound.
"I immediately ran to Mama and begged her to buy one for me. But she just smiled and shook her head.’
She told me that engagement rings weren’t something you just casually bought and gave to someone. They were special. Meaningful."
"But I didn’t accept that reason!" Astrid said, her chin lifting with stubborn pride.
"I was quite adamant. I needed that ring. I needed to give it to Mika!"
Mika felt his heart clench. He
"So to deter me, Mama told me something that changed everything."
Astrid’s voice dropped, taking on a reverent quality.
"She said that if someone else bought the ring, then all the love I wanted to give to Mika would belong to them instead."
She gasped at the memory, the same reaction she must have had as a child.
"And that terrified me! The idea of someone else giving my love to Mika...I couldn’t bear it!"
"So Mama bought me this piggy bank."
Astrid held it up, her hands cradling it like it was made of crystal.
"And she told me that I had to save up my own money. That way, when I was ready, I could buy the ring myself with my own money. And all the love I had saved up could finally be given to Mika."
She looked at the piggy bank with an expression of profound sadness.
"This was supposed to be my engagement fund. There should be enough here to buy at least one of those rings by now."
She bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes.
"But it seems like circumstances have changed. I’m going to have to transfer these funds somewhere else."
Anya opened her mouth, clearly about to object, but Astrid cut her off.
"It’s alright." She said, though her voice cracked with emotion. "I can just save up more money for Mika."
She sniffled, a tear escaping down her cheek.
"These funds—I can give them to you, Anya."
She raised the piggy bank high, holding it like an offering to the gods, and looked ready to smash it against the table.
Mika panicked, his hand shooting out—
But Anya was faster.
She lunged forward, grabbing the piggy bank and pulling it into her own embrace.
"Don’t!" She said, her voice sharp with surprise.
Astrid blinked. "Anya? What are you doing? I was going to give it to you."
Anya shook her head, her expression strange—something between frustration and embarrassment before she finally said,
"I...I never even wanted your money in the first place, Astrid. I was just teasing you, trying to see how far you would go to hear me call you ’big sister.’"
Astrid stared at her, confusion written across her face.
Anya’s usual composure cracked, her cheeks flushing slightly as she looked away.
"But I never expected you to actually give me something you treasure so much."
For a moment, silence hung between them before a hint of warmth touched Anya’s usually composed features.
She looked almost...moved. It was a rare sight, one that made Mika’s breath catch.
And then aa if she had made her mind about what to do next, Anya pushed the piggy bank back toward Astrid.
She then looked at her sister with a shy gaze, her voice barely above a whisper as she said,
"...Big Sister Astrid."
The words hung in the air like magic.
Astrid’s eyes went wide, shimmering with unshed tears.
"Anya..." She breathed.
"Are you satisfied now?" Anya asked, a hint of playfulness returning to her tone.
"I’m satisfied!" Astrid sobbed, throwing her arms around her sister. "I’m more than satisfied! Thank you, Anya! Thank you so much!"
Anya patted her awkwardly, a helpless smile tugging at her lips.
"Alright, alright. That’s enough. Let go of me."
"No!" Astrid clung tighter. "I’m never letting go! Not after you called me Big Sister!"
"I have work to do." Anya protested weakly, but her smile betrayed her true feelings.
Watching the scene, Mika couldn’t help but chuckle.
The transformation was remarkable—the last time he had seen them together, Astrid had ignored Anya completely, and Anya had returned the favor with equal indifference.
But now...everything had changed.
They were harmonious, comfortable, almost like they had reverted to their past selves—the time when they had been the best of sisters.
Mika was about to step forward, to finally make his presence known—
—when another scene began to unfold before him.
One so captivating that he found himself frozen in place, watching with rapt attention.
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