Food Time!

The dorm room door clicked shut behind Claire and her three friends, laughter still clinging to their voices from the walk up. They had bags of warm food cradled in their arms, fragrant steam curling out as they stepped inside. Claire moved first, dropping her things on the small dining table, then turned around to find Aether awkwardly standing by the entrance, his expression stuck somewhere between polite detachment and mild panic.

"Well, we bought something to eat anyway. Wanna join us, Aether?" Lena asked brightly. She adjusted the takeout containers in her hands, giving him a hopeful grin. The food was from the academy cafeteria — which meant it was fresh, hot, and undeniably expensive, especially when taken out like this. Most students only splurged on it when they were too tired to cook or just wanted to enjoy something extra.

Aether lifted a hand almost defensively, waving off the idea as if it were smoke he could clear away. "Ehh—it's fine. Really. No need to go to any trouble on my account."

He fumbled for more excuses, eyes darting about the room. Claire didn't even give him the chance to finish. Without hesitation, she hooked her arm around his, tugging him closer with an affectionate firmness only a sister could muster.

"I bought food, so sit down and eat with me. Come on," she insisted, pulling him right to her side.

"Okay—okay, I'm coming, alright?" he muttered under his breath, trying to sound annoyed but failing miserably as his stomach chose that exact moment to growl in betrayal. Aether let out a resigned sigh, glaring down at his traitorous midsection. "Tch. This stomach of mine…"

Claire just smirked. From the side, Lena let out a delighted little laugh. "I'm starving, so let's all dig in already," she chirped.

"Pfft, hahaha," Zhenny snickered. Even Hinata cracked a small smile.

Claire settled down on a soft mat on the floor and patted the space beside her with an eager grin. "Come and sit here, Aether."

He let out a heavy sigh, looking like he was about to protest, but finally relented and dropped down next to her. His shoulders hunched slightly as if embarrassed by how naturally he was being fussed over. "I'm not a baby, you know…" he muttered under his breath, voice low enough that it was almost swallowed by the rustle of bags and opening boxes.

But that didn't escape the attention of Claire's friends. All three of them exchanged sly glances, then broke into matching smirks meant to tease. Zhenny was the first to pipe up, her voice dancing with mischief. "It looks like your brother is more important than us, huh, Claire?"

Claire didn't even pause to consider it. "Yup, he is first. Haha."

That left them momentarily wide-eyed. Lena blinked, then burst out laughing. Hinata's smile stretched a touch wider, and Zhenny shook her head with amused disbelief. None of them had ever seen Claire so quick to show her cards — so unabashedly honest. They'd all known her to be cheerful, a bit silly, but this was different. This was Claire in a form they hadn't witnessed before: openly thrilled, practically glowing with joy, all because of one person.

Aether only sighed, feeling his cheeks grow warm. "This sister of mine… she really is hopeless when she gets excited," he thought, burying his mild embarrassment behind a quiet scowl.

When he finally took a proper look at the food they'd set out, his eyes nearly bulged out of his head. His mouth actually opened on instinct. "Eh!… Ehhhhh! Is this what you guys meant by some food?"

The small table between them was piled with more containers than he could quickly count. Noodles steaming in glossy sauces, fluffy fried rice topped with sliced eggs, skewers of grilled meat still dripping juice, vegetables glistening under a slick of fragrant oil. Easily enough to feed six — meaning they were all about to eat twice as much as a normal dinner.

Claire ignored his astonishment and busied herself serving up plates. "Forget about that and start eating before it gets cold," she said in a breezy voice, practically shoving a brimming plate into his hands.

Left with no other option, Aether scooped up some food and gave it a tentative taste. Almost immediately, his brows rose and a pleased sound escaped his throat. "Hmm… this is actually really good. Tasty. Guess I can see now why they ordered so much," he admitted inwardly, a small smile ghosting across his face.

Lena, catching the subtle shift in his expression, jabbed him playfully with her chopsticks. "It's nice, right? We usually get these when we're too lazy to cook. Worth the extra money."

Hinata simply nodded in solemn agreement, chewing with a kind of delicate focus that made it clear she was enjoying herself too.

The meal drifted by in bursts of chatter and laughter, the casual atmosphere growing so warm it nearly melted the lingering awkwardness from before. But after the plates were scraped clean and the wrappers pushed aside, the conversation took a quieter turn. Lena set down her chopsticks, folded her hands, and looked curiously at Aether.

"So, why exactly did you two hide your relationship?" she asked. Her tone was gentle, not judging — only genuinely wanting to understand.

Aether hesitated, his gaze dropping to the floor for a second before lifting again. "It's because… well, if the students here found out a gifter and a non-gifter were siblings, they'd probably start talking behind both our backs. Might even start treating Claire differently, even though she's a chosen one. It could get her in trouble too."

He gave a small shrug, a humorless little laugh slipping out. "So that's why we chose to keep it quiet. Though honestly… it's more like I made the choice."

None of them jumped in right away. They'd all seen enough of how the academy worked — the whispered gossip, the cruel hierarchies — to know he was telling the plain truth. Eventually Zhenny exhaled, her shoulders slumping. "What your brother did was smart. Still… it must've been hard on you two. Staying in the same academy but barely able to act like siblings."

Aether's eyes drifted to Claire. His lips twitched into something trying for a smile. "It doesn't really matter. I mean, I can talk to her in times like this, right?"

But even as he said it, his voice didn't carry the weight of conviction. Claire caught it immediately. Her brows pinched together. "You say that, but this is literally the first time you've come to my dorm," she grumbled, half joking, half hurt.

Aether sighed, dropping his shoulders. "I'm sorry, okay?" Then he leaned into her slightly, head brushing her shoulder. After a moment of quiet he murmured, "You know, non-gifters like me… we have to work twice as hard if we want to stand even close to the same ground as gifters. I'm doing this so that in the future, nobody can say a damn thing about us being siblings."

The words carried more weight than anything else he'd said all evening. It pressed down on the room until Claire's chest tightened painfully. Her hand flew to her mouth as her eyes blurred.

"I… I'm sorry," she choked out. Tears brimmed and spilled before she could stop them. In her heart she cursed herself — "I was so stupid. I kept selfishly thinking how lonely I was, forgetting how hard Aether's been working just so no one would ever dare look down on us for being brother and sister…"

Aether let out a tiny huff, then reached up and brushed the tears off her cheeks. His touch was awkward but careful, as if afraid he'd break her. "Come on, what are you crying for?" he teased softly. "You're supposed to be my elder sister — not act like a baby. What are you, five?"

A small wet laugh escaped Claire even as more tears slipped out. Around them, Lena, Zhenny, and Hinata all looked at Aether with the same tender gaze. One by one, they shifted closer and patted his head gently, as though trying to reassure a much younger child.

"If no one's ever told you this before," Lena said, voice unusually soft, "then let us be the first. You're a really good brother, Aether. Your sister's lucky to have someone like you."

Claire's heart swelled so full it ached. "Yes… I really am lucky," she thought fiercely. "The one and only brother I'll love forever — no matter if he fails or succeeds, I'll be there. I'll do my best as his big sister, always."

While her thoughts were still tangled up in that promise, Lena leaned in suddenly and pressed a quick kiss to Aether's cheek. His eyes popped open wide, and his hand flew to the spot. "Ahh—!"

That snapped Claire right out of her emotional haze. Her head whipped around, eyes blazing. "Hey! Hey! Hey! He's my brother, you know!" she shouted, half rising to her feet.

All three girls burst out laughing. "Well, your brother is our brother too now. Haha," Zhenny teased, winking.

Claire dropped back down with an exaggerated sigh, but clenched her fist threateningly. "I don't mind you treating him like family… but if any of you try that again without my permission—!"

"Jeez, okay, okay, relax! We won't," Lena said quickly, hands up in surrender. Zhenny snorted. "What an overprotective sister…"

"Of course I am! I'm not letting you three spoil his innocence," Claire huffed.

Their giggles rose again, light and easy. Aether just sat there, staring at Claire with a deadpan look. "Did she really just share me like I'm some kind of snack…?" he thought, half amused, half mortified.

Eventually the laughter faded. Aether got to his feet and stretched, peeking at the small clock on Claire's wall. "Haha… well, it's getting late. Almost nine. I should head out."

Claire's expression immediately softened. She glanced at her friends. "Hey, want to come with me to drop him off?"

"Yeah, let's go," Lena agreed without hesitation. The others nodded, and together they gathered up their things, still laughing under their breaths.

And with that, they left the dorm in a small, bustling group, the hallways echoing faintly with voices that seemed warmer and brighter than they had any right to be.

✦ To Be Continued [Jojo'z Theme] ✦