The car felt too small for the three of us. My dad hummed along to the radio in the driver's seat, his mood light, almost celebratory. In the backseat, sitting as far from me as the door would allow, was my half-brother, Ryūnosuke. The silence between us was a solid wall. He stared out the window, his posture perfectly still, giving off that intense shiii of not giving a fckk. His lips were sealed tight. We may have shared a father, but in that moment, we were strangers.
I, on the other hand, felt like my nerves were live wires. My knee bounced uncontrollably. I was buzzing with a messy cocktail of excitement and pure fear. This was it. The road to Akatani Academy. The escape from my full-blood brother's shadow, the one who had made it clear I'd be an embarrassment at his precious dayschool.
"Haru, relax," my dad said, catching my jittering leg in the rearview mirror. "You're going to love it. Both of you. It's a new start."
Ryūnosuke didn't even flinch. He just kept watching the world blur past. I forced my leg to be still, clutching the acceptance letter in my lap. The paper was starting to feel damp in my sweaty hands.
When the car finally pulled up to the academy's grand gates, my heart hammered against my ribs. The campus was huge, a mix of modern buildings and traditional Japanese structures with dark, graceful roofs. It was intimidating and beautiful all at once. As we got out, the sound hit me—a chaotic symphony of shouts, rolling suitcases, and slamming car doors. The courtyard was a swirling mass of new students and anxious parents.
My dad clapped us both on the back, a little too hard. "Alright! This is it! Ryūnosuke, look after your brother. Haru, make us proud." He gave us a final, brisk nod before getting back in the car. Just like that, he was gone, and we were alone in the crowd.
The silence between me and Ryūnosuke was now deafening. He finally looked at me, his expression unreadable. "Stay close," he said, his voice flat. It wasn't a suggestion; it was an order. He turned and walked towards the dormitories, and I had no choice but to follow, feeling less like a brother and more like a lost duckling.
Sakura Hall was pure, unadulterated chaos. Boys were everywhere, hauling trunks, shouting greetings, looking just as lost as I felt. The air was thick with the smell of new leather and nervous energy. A teacher with a clipboard was barking out names and dorm assignments.
When he called, "Kurosawa, Haru! Kurosawa, Ryūnosuke! Bunk 14!" my stomach dropped. We were to be roommates. Of course we were. Ryūnosuke's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly, but he just grabbed his bag and headed for the assigned bunk near the window. I dragged my suitcase to the bottom bunk, my face already heating up with a familiar embarrassment.
What do you do when you're in a room full of strangers and your only family acts like you don't exist? I had nothing. My hands felt empty and stupid. My eyes darted around and landed on a thick dictionary someone had left on a nearby desk. It was a move of pure desperation. I sat on my bed, opened it, and stared fcknn readinggg. I know, I know, it was fckknn embarrassing. I buried my face in the definition of "ostensible," praying I would just disappear.
But when I peeked over the top of the page, my breath caught. Ngll buhhh there were handsome faces all over. A boy with sharp, intelligent eyes making his bed with military precision. Another with a bright, open laugh that made my chest feel funny. A group of guys who were obviously repeaters, already oozing a cool, collected confidence I could only dream of. I felt down and cheap as shiiiii. Like I didn't belong in their world.
Dinner in the massive dining hall was its own kind of overwhelming sensory attack. The noise was a physical force. The smell of curry rice was everywhere. Ryūnosuke got his food and found a spot at the end of a long table, not even checking if I was behind him. I sat down opposite him, and of course, our height made us stand out. We were two silent, goddamn tall islands in a raging sea of chatter.
Then I saw the other one. A guy even taller than us, with features that clearly marked him as a foreigner. This had to be the Kenji my siblings had mentioned. He was at the serving line, trying to charm an extra piece of chicken out of the lunch lady, his Japanese a little broken but full of perfectly delivered cussing words that made her laugh. He caught me staring and gave me a quick, easy wink before turning back. My face flushed hot.
After dinner, we were herded into lines along the side of the hall. The Head Boy, a senior with an air of easy authority, moved down the line. He stopped in front of me, a friendly smile on his face as he looked up.
"Well, hello there. We're going to have to get you a special tall-person permit," he joked. "I might need a step ladder to talk to you properly."
A few guys around us chuckled. I managed a weak smile, my cheeks burning. It was meant to be kind, but it just made me feel like a giant, awkward spectacle.
As we walked back to the dorms in the darkening evening, Kenji fell into step beside me. Ryūnosuke walked ahead, oblivious. "Rough first day, huh?" Kenji asked, his voice cheerful.
I just nodded, words failing me.
"Don't sweat it. It's always like this at first. I'm Kenji."
"Haru," I mumbled.
"See you around, Haru," he said with a grin, before peeling off towards a group of his friends.
Back in the dorm, lying in the strange, creaky bed, the fear was still a cold weight in my stomach. I could hear Ryūnosuke's steady breathing from the bunk above. He hadn't said a word to me since "stay close." But as I replayed the day—the chaotic dinner, Kenji's unexpected friendliness, even the Head Boy's joke—the fear was now mixed with something else. A tiny, stubborn spark of possibility. The adventure had begun. It was messy and scary, and I felt completely alone, but I was in it. And tomorrow was a whole new day.
END OF CHAP 2