In the warmth of daylight, a little girl and a boy ran hand in hand, their laughter echoing through the trees. The branches swayed as if alive, shaking loose a few leaves to join their play.
But suddenly, the ground opened beneath them. The boy slipped, falling into a gaping grave that yawned like a hungry mouth.
Yuji jolted awake, clutching his chest. His breath came in sharp, uneven bursts, as though he had truly fallen. Cold sweat clung to his skin.
Beside him, his little sister stirred, rubbing her sleepy eyes. Her short, black hair was a tangled mess, a few strands sticking up stubbornly despite the pins still clinging to them. She blinked at him in confusion, her delicate face soft with drowsiness.
"Why are you shouting, brother…?" she mumbled, her voice faint and heavy with sleep.
Yuji turned his head toward her, still clutching his chest, his breath unsteady. The nightmare clung to him like chains, but seeing her small, worried face grounded him—if only for a moment.
"Bad dream"
Yuji sat on the edge of the bed for a moment, letting his heartbeat steady. Then, with a quiet sigh, he gathered his uniform and stepped into the bathroom.
The sound of running water soon filled the house. He let the warm shower wash away the sticky sweat clinging to his skin, as if rinsing off the remnants of the nightmare. By the time he stepped out, steam clouded the mirror and his hair clung damply to his forehead.He towel-dried himself quickly dressed.
Adjusting the collar, he took one last glance in the mirror—neat, refreshed, ready to face another ordinary day.
In the kitchen, Yuji tapped his phone, letting a thumping DJ track spill through the small speaker. The beat bounced against the walls, filling the air with energy.
"Alright, let's cook!" he muttered, snapping his fingers in rhythm. He moved with practiced rhythm. He cracked eggs into a sizzling pan, the faint aroma mingling with the steam from the miso soup he reheated. The toaster clicked, browning the bread to a perfect golden.
Hina rubbed her eyes once more, then raised both arms like a DJ hyping the crowd. With a small bounce, she shuffled left–right in rhythm with the beat, her legs sliding on the kitchen floor.
"Cheeky darling, hiding with a mystery,
Funny heartbeat, playing like a melody,
Silly sunshine, laughing with a wink and smile,
Crazy beauty, dancing in a naughty style!"
She snapped her finger with rhythm.
"Morning, Hina," Yuji said softly, sliding a plate in front of her.
"Morning, brother…" She stepped into the restroom.
For a while, the house was filled only with the quiet clatter of utensils and the simple warmth of breakfast together—a fragile peace, as if the nightmare had never existed.
Yuji grinned, sliding a perfectly fried egg onto her plate with a final twirl of the pan. "Because mornings need style."
She sighed, half-amused, half-embarrassed, before finally sitting down. The music played on, and the small kitchen filled not just with the smell of breakfast but also with laughter and rhythm—an ordinary morning painted in bright colors.
Just as Yuji sat down to eat, his phone buzzed on the table. A notification flashed across the screen.
He picked it up, chewing on his fried egg as he read the message.
Yukino: Hi.
Yuji tapped back a quick reply. Hi.
Another bubble popped up almost immediately.
Yukino: I thought about that yesterday… okay, shall we walk together?
He hesitated, and typed, My sister's in middle school. We should leave her first and then we'll go.
Before he could send anything else, a small hand snatched the phone right out of his grip.
"Hey!" Yuji protested, but his little sister had already seen the chat.
Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "Brother… is she your girlfriend?" she asked, grinning wide.
And before Yuji could grab it back, she tapped the screen and sent a reply on his behalf: Okay.
"Oi! Give it back!" Yuji groaned, reaching across the table while she laughed, holding the phone just out of reach.
Yuniko: Can you send your location?
"Brother…" she sing-songed, lifting her eyebrows with a sly grin. "She's asking for your location."
Yuji's eyes widened. "Wait—don't you dare—!" He lunged across the table, reaching for the phone, but his sister slipped out of reach with surprising speed, laughing as she darted to the other side.
Her fingers danced over the screen, and with a triumphant little tap she turned the phone toward him.
"Sent," she declared, flashing a teasing grin.
Yuji sprang up and chased after her.
His sister only giggled, clearly proud of her victory.
His sister started humming to herself, shaking her hips in exaggerated rhythm.
"A girl is sending…" she sang, waving the phone like a mic. "Hi message in the morning…" She swayed her head left, then right, snapping her fingers to her own beat. "And in the first message, she asked for your home location—ale… he, he, he…"
Yuji groaned. "Oi—stop it already."
But she only laughed louder, dancing in place. "A girl is sending…!" she repeated like it was the catchiest chorus in the world.
That was when Yuji leaned forward and clamped a hand gently over her mouth. "Enough! Keep my phone with you if you want, but don't you dare sing your own ridiculous song."
Her eyes sparkled with triumph above his hand, muffled giggles still escaping as if she had already won.
Meanwhile, Yukino stared at her phone, the little blue dot leading her down a street she hadn't walked before. Step by step, she compared the map with her memory, her brows knitting together.
*Yeah… I'm not wrong, she thought, glancing around. His house isn't on this side. Then why did he come with me yesterday…?*
Her grip on the phone tightened. She hadn't asked for his location to come meet him—not at all. She only wanted to know where Yuji really lived, to understand why he had gone out of his way to walk with her in the opposite direction.
Yuji's sister stood in the middle of the room, holding the rice paddle like a weapon, her legs spread apart in a karate stance. She narrowed her eyes, puffing her cheeks, and shouted, "Hyaah! Any intruder will face my ultimate rice attack!"
Yuji looked at her. "Why are you like this…?"
Before he could say more, a sharp knock echoed through the house. *Tok! Tok! Tok!*
Both of them froze.
His sister straightened, clutching the rice paddle tighter. Yuji's chest tightened as realization hit him.
"She came…" he whispered, eyes widening.
His sister turned toward him, grinning mischievously. "Onii-chan's girlfriend is here!"
Before Yuji could react, she spun on her heel and rushed toward the door, her socks sliding across the floor as she ran. "My sister came!" she shouted.
*What...? Sister...?* Yukino thought.