Kurumi waited in silence for Daichi to answer her question. One that she knew was hard for him to say out loud. It had been hard for him to talk about it when they had met in Diagon Alley that one summer and she had told him about her own mother. She hadn't meant for him to reveal something so deeply personal to her then - her own feelings had just been too much for her small frame to handle and they had come gushing out before she could stop them - but the fact that he had. The fact that he had told her what had happened...it made her all the more protective of Daichi.

It made her see him even more like a real little brother.

Which was why right now it was excruciatingly hard not to just tell him to drop the cake so she could give him a big hug. But that was her being selfish. Hugging Daichi right now, babying him as it were, was not going to help him face his fears any better. It was just going to give him a crutch to fall back on.

And then he finally spoke. Kurumi's expression changed instantly into a closed mouthed smile. "That's good, Daichi, really good," she nodded, taking a few steps closer towards him. It really was progress but Kurumi was left wondering just how much further she could push it. Especially since he hadn't answered her question. Something she WAS willing to look over for the time being though. Baby steps, right?

Her hands toyed with the box of candles for a moment before Kurumi decided that they should keep this positive force going. Not push further for now. Keep Daichi feeling in control. "Okay, Daichi, what I want you to do now is count to ten, slowly, looking at the flame the entire time. Let whatever feelings and memories might come up happen, don't try to suppress them...just like you have been doing. When you get to 10 you can blow it out, okay?"

She pocketed the box and took another step back so she was out of the metal ring. This was Daichi's moment. He needed to savor it.