The skies over Tokyo wept that afternoon.
Dark clouds pressed low, heavy with water, until the first drops began to fall on the polished stone courtyard of Meishin Academy. Students rushed beneath umbrellas, ducking into cars, pulling their coats tight.
Anna did not.
She tilted her head back, letting the rain kiss her cheeks, her golden hair dampening quickly into a tangled crown. She stretched her arms wide as though the world were hers alone.
"Anna, you'll catch a cold," one of her friends laughed, tugging at her sleeve.
"I don't care!" Anna spun once, her violet eyes sparkling with mischief. "Rain isn't something to run from it's something to dance in."
Her friends laughed, shook their heads, and hurried toward the waiting car. Within moments, Anna was the only one left in the downpour.
Or so it seemed.
A tall, familiar figure stepped out from under the academy's gate, raincoat hood pulled over his head, an umbrella in hand. He walked with the same calm rhythm as always, as if the weather itself had no power to disturb him.
Aqua.
Anna grinned the moment she saw him. "Finally! I thought you were going to abandon me."
"You don't need me," Aqua said evenly, stopping in front of her. He held the umbrella out. "Take it."
She shook her head, droplets flying from her hair. "Nope. I like the rain."
"You'll get sick."
"Then you'll have to take care of me. Isn't that what big brothers do?"
"I'm only older by five minutes," Aqua muttered.
Anna's grin widened. "And yet you act like you're fifty years older. Come on, Aqua, live a little!"
Before he could step back, she lunged forward and grabbed his hand. Her palm was warm despite the rain, fingers lacing with his as she tugged him forward.
"Run with me!" she laughed.
Aqua did not laugh. He never did. But he allowed himself to be pulled.
They ran across the courtyard, Anna dragging him through puddles, their shoes splashing, her laughter ringing louder than the storm. She twirled, spun, shouted to the sky, while Aqua moved stiffly beside her, his face unreadable.
When she finally stopped, gasping for breath, Aqua lifted the umbrella and held it over her head.
"You're reckless," he said, voice calm as always.
"You're boring," she countered, brushing wet strands of hair from her face.
Her smile softened then, her eyes finding his beneath the shadow of the hood. "But… you're here. And that's what matters."
Aqua adjusted the umbrella so that it covered her more than him. Water dripped from his hair, sliding down the curve of his jaw, but he didn't seem to notice.
"Let's go home," he said quietly.
Anna didn't argue. For once, she only nodded, slipping her hand back into his as they walked.
That night, the rain still fell. The mansion was warm, its lights soft against the storm outside.
Anna curled on the sofa with a blanket, her hair damp but her smile undimmed. She scrolled through her phone, laughing at messages from her friends, while Aqua sat at the window, a book resting on his lap, eyes following the rain's endless descent.
"You know," Anna said suddenly, breaking the quiet, "when I'm with my friends… it feels like the world is full of color."
Aqua didn't look away from the glass. "And when they're gone?"
She hesitated. "When they're gone… it feels empty. But you're always here, so I guess I don't mind."
Finally, Aqua turned to her. His face remained calm, but his voice was softer now. "Don't put so much of yourself in people who won't stay."
Anna tilted her head, smiling gently. "Then I'll put it in you."
Aqua didn't answer. But he didn't look away, either.
Outside, the rain washed the city clean, but inside, the silence between the twins felt like something unspoken fragile, heavy, and unbreakable all at once.
Saturdays at the Yakosobi mansion were supposed to be quiet.
The schedule for their parents was packed as usual business meetings, televised appearances, charity events. They hadn't been home in weeks, and if they returned tonight, it would only be for sleep.
But Anna refused to let silence own her.
She burst into Aqua's room that morning, sunlight following her in through the curtains she yanked wide open.
"Wake up, Grandpa!" she sang, jumping onto his bed.
Aqua stirred beneath the blanket, blinking slowly. His hair, messy and golden in the morning light, framed his sharp but tired face.
"I'm not your grandpa," he said, voice flat.
"You are to me! You never laugh, you never go out, and you spend your life reading boring books. That's Grandpa behavior."
"Get off my bed."
"Nope. Not until you agree to come with me."
His eyes narrowed. "Where?"
Anna grinned like a fox. "The city."
Within an hour, they were walking down the bustling streets of Shibuya, Anna's arm looped through his as if he might vanish if she let go. Neon signs glowed even in daylight, vendors called from every corner, and crowds of people moved in waves.
Anna thrived in it. She darted from shop to shop, pointing at outfits in the windows, dragging Aqua along whether he wanted to or not.
"Look at this dress!" she exclaimed, pressing her face to the glass. "It would look amazing on me, right?"
"You already have too many clothes," Aqua replied.
"You sound like Mom."
"Mom doesn't notice what you wear."
Anna paused, then shrugged, brushing the weight of his words away. "Well, you do. That's enough."
She tugged him into a sweets shop next. The air smelled of sugar and strawberries, trays filled with colorful cakes and delicate pastries. Anna's eyes sparkled.
"Two strawberry crepes, please!" she told the clerk, then shoved one into Aqua's hands before he could protest.
"I don't want this."
"Yes, you do. Eat."
Reluctantly, Aqua took a bite. The sweetness burst across his tongue, almost overwhelming. He didn't react, of course.
Anna leaned close, watching him with exaggerated intensity. "Well? Don't you feel even a little bit happier?"
"No."
Her face fell dramatically. "You're hopeless."
But when she turned away to eat her own crepe, a faint trace of amusement flickered in Aqua's eyes the kind no one but Anna would ever notice.
Their next stop was the arcade. Bright lights, flashing screens, a cacophony of music and cheers. Anna rushed from game to game, swiping tokens, laughing, her golden hair bouncing with every step.
Aqua stood at the edge, hands in his pockets, observing.
"Come on, Aqua!" Anna waved him over to a claw machine. "Help me win this!"
"It's a scam."
"Everything in life is a scam. That's not the point."
Against his better judgment, Aqua stepped forward. He studied the machine, the angles, the grip strength of the claw. Then, with one precise movement, he guided it down and lifted a small plush bear.
It dropped perfectly into the prize slot.
Anna gasped. "No way! You actually did it!"
She grabbed the bear and hugged it tightly. "This is the first prize we've ever won together."
"It's just a toy."
"It's a memory," she corrected, smiling at him in that way that made the world brighter.
Aqua didn't reply. But as she skipped ahead, clutching the bear, he walked behind her with a quiet sense of… something. Not joy. Not pride. Something harder to define.
By evening, the twins found themselves sitting on the steps of a quiet shrine, away from the crowds. The city's noise was distant now, replaced by the rustling of leaves and the faint sound of bells swaying in the breeze.
Anna leaned against Aqua's shoulder, nibbling the last of her crepe.
"Today was fun," she said softly.
"You always think everything is fun."
"That's because everything is fun… if I'm with you."
Aqua looked down at her. Her eyes were half-closed, her smile peaceful, her golden hair catching the orange glow of sunset.
He turned away, staring at the sky instead.
"…You're too easily satisfied."
Anna laughed, her voice light as air. "And you're never satisfied. That's why we balance each other, Aqua."
The shrine bells chimed. The sky darkened. And for a fleeting moment, Aqua felt the quiet truth of her words settle deep inside him.
The autumn air carried the sweet scent of roasted chestnuts and grilled skewers.
Meishin Academy's festival sprawled across the campus like a small city food stalls lined the pathways, lanterns swayed above the courtyards, and laughter echoed beneath the bright banners. Students in matching uniforms moved about proudly, guiding visitors and showing off their clubs.
For Anna, it was paradise.
"Look at all of this!" she squealed, tugging at Aqua's sleeve as she pulled him toward the crowded street of stalls. "Takoyaki, candied apples, games oh! And look at that haunted house!"
Aqua followed at his usual pace, unhurried, umbrella tucked neatly under his arm though there wasn't a cloud in the sky. His eyes scanned the crowd, his posture sharp despite the cheerful chaos around them.
"You'll waste all your money in the first ten minutes," he remarked.
"Then you'll pay for the rest," Anna teased, sticking out her tongue.
He didn't respond. He rarely did.
Anna quickly became the center of attention, as always. A group of her friends rushed up the moment they spotted her.
"Anna! You look amazing today!"
"Come take a photo with us!"
"Let's go check out the stage together our class is performing in an hour."
Anna's laughter rang above theirs, bright and warm. She linked arms with two girls, her violet eyes glowing. "Of course! Aqua, come with us!"
A dozen eyes turned to him then. Aqua stood a little apart, hands in his pockets, his face expressionless.
One boy smirked. "Does he even talk?"
Another girl whispered, "He's kind of scary…"
Anna's smile didn't falter. She grabbed Aqua's hand boldly, dragging him into the group. "Don't mind him. He's just shy."
Aqua let her pull him, but his gaze swept across her friends. He saw the smiles too quick, too practiced. He saw the glances not at Anna, but at each other, trading whispers behind her back.
He didn't like it.
They toured the festival together, Anna darting from stall to stall with her friends while Aqua trailed just behind, silent, watchful.
At one point, a boy from her circle leaned close to Anna, offering her a candied apple. His grin was too wide. His words were smooth.
Aqua's eyes narrowed.
Anna accepted it cheerfully, laughing as the syrup stuck to her lips. She didn't notice the way the boy's smile faltered when she turned back to include another friend. She didn't notice the way their eyes rolled the moment her back was turned.
But Aqua did.
Later, when Anna excused herself to run toward the haunted house, Aqua lingered. His gaze met that same boy's across the crowd.
For the first time, Aqua spoke directly. His voice was calm, but cold enough to cut through the laughter of the festival.
"Stay away from her."
The boy blinked, then laughed uneasily. "What's your problem, man? She's my friend."
Aqua didn't blink. "Friends don't use each other."
The boy scoffed, turning away with a muttered curse. But Aqua kept watching, his hand tightening slightly at his side.
That evening, lanterns glowed as the festival drew toward its finale. A stage had been set up in the main courtyard, where students performed music and plays. Crowds gathered, clapping and cheering.
Anna stood among her friends, her face lit by the warm glow. She clapped along, laughing freely.
Aqua stood at the edge of the crowd, silent as ever. But his eyes never left her.
For all her laughter, for all her brightness, there was a fragility to Anna that only he could see. A loneliness hidden beneath the noise. She threw herself into her friends, into the crowd, because she feared what silence would do to her.
And Aqua… he feared what people would do to her.
As the final fireworks burst above the academy, painting the sky in scarlet and gold, Anna cheered with her friends, her voice rising with theirs.
Aqua stood in the shadows, unmoving.
And in that moment, he knew with a clarity that chilled him: the world loved Anna's light. But it was the kind of love that consumed.