SS: A Totally Normal School Day!

The Daydream Begins.

The day started like any other—bright, sunny, and with me, the ever-adorable Komachi, running to school at the last possible second. Not because I overslept or anything. I just have my priorities straight, okay? Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and toast with strawberry jam deserves my undivided attention.

Once I reached the classroom, I was greeted by the usual chaos. Girls chatting in little clusters, a couple of boys play-fighting over some manga, and our teacher looked like she needed an extra cup of coffee to handle us all. Ah, middle school. It's a battlefield in its own way.

"Komachi-chan! Did you finish the math homework?" my desk neighbor, Satomi-chan, leaned over and whispered conspiratorially.

"Huh? Of course, I did!" I shot back confidently. I mean, I might have borrowed Onii-chan's brainpower for some of the trickier questions, but details, details.

Satomi gave me a skeptical look. "You always say that, but then you somehow end up forgetting to turn it in."

"Hey! That was one time! And it wasn't my fault—I was distracted by the weather. It was too nice to sit still in class."

Before she could tease me further, our teacher clapped her hands to start the lesson. Math first thing in the morning is not the vibe, let me tell you. I mean, what's the point of calculating the speed of a train when Onii-chan can just ride his bike and me everywhere? Priorities, people!

Somewhere between the third equation and Satomi's sneaky doodles on her worksheet, my mind started to wander. My thoughts drifted to Onii-chan, my dear older brother.

Lately, he'd been… weird. And not the usual weird where he makes some deadpan comment that's both hilarious and depressing at the same time. No, this was different. He was quieter, more thoughtful, and honestly, kind of scary. Like, don't get me wrong, Onii-chan's always been a bit of a loner with a slightly villainous vibe, but I knew him. He was my Onii-chan.

Now, though? It felt like he was changing. Sometimes I'd catch him staring off into space with this intense look like he was plotting something. Other times, he'd mutter to himself, and I swear, I heard him practicing fake laughs in his room the other night. Creepy, right?

What happened to the Onii-chan who used to bicker with me over the last pudding cup in the fridge? The one who would awkwardly pat my head when I was upset? Everything seemed so much simpler before that whole rejection thing happened.

Ah, yes. The infamous rejection. The moment when Onii-chan's romantic life went up in flames and left him with a pessimistic worldview even darker than his usual one. If I could go back in time, I'd totally stop that stupid girl from breaking his heart. Not that I'd let her date him either—she didn't seem Komachi-approved, you know?

But then again… if that hadn't happened, Onii-chan and I wouldn't have met her.

Evil God, as Onii-chan called her in his sleep—err, I mean, Onee-chan—changed everything. She wasn't like anyone I'd ever met. Very smart, calm, and with this air of mystery that felt straight out of a detective novel. Onii-chan and I got dragged into her world of obliviousness regarding current society, and somehow, we became her… allies? Sidekicks? I'm still not sure what to call it.

One thing was for sure, though: without her, Onii-chan would've stayed in his weird, isolated bubble forever. And, knowing me, I probably would've ended up stuck in there with him because, well, I love my Onii-chan.

Still, even as much as I admired Onee-chan, a tiny part of me wished things could go back to how they used to be. Back when everything was simpler. Back when Onii-chan wasn't a dark, brooding antihero who carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.

But the more time I spent with Onee-chan, the more I realized how incredible she really was. There was this one time I asked her for help with my homework—something about math or Japanese, I can't even remember. I thought she'd just give me the answers and call it a day, but no! She sat me down and explained everything, step by step, like a super patient tutor.

At first, I thought she must be some kind of genius, the type who hides her smarts behind a mysterious, quiet demeanor. But when I told her that, she spoke with this soft, unchanging tone, "I'm not that special."

I could never tell if she was being modest or if she genuinely believed that. Her voice was always so calm and steady and she looked like... like… like those plush dolls with blank expressions that are still somehow cute. You know the ones—they're just sitting there, staring into space, but you can't help but adore them.

That's exactly what Onee-chan was like. Except she wasn't just cute; she was super sheltered too. I mean, how else do you explain why someone as clever as her would spend so much time with a pessimist like Onii-chan?

But maybe that's why they got along so well.

In her own quiet way, Onee-chan was the glue that kept things together. And even though I couldn't always understand her, I had to admit: that she made things more interesting.

The best thing about her, though, was the effect she had on Onii-chan. During summer vacation, he started becoming more confident in the way he spoke. He didn't hesitate to call people out or, well, insult their ideals if he thought they were being stupid. Okay, sure, that wasn't exactly a good thing, but if it even slightly improved his self-esteem, then who was I to complain?

In the end, Onii-chan and Onee-chan really seemed to fit together. Unlike all the other girls who crossed paths with Onii-chan, Onee-chan never once insulted or called him dumb nicknames. Every other girl—every single one—loved to poke fun at him or simply throw jabs for some reason, whether it was about his personality, his face, or his habits.

Ugh, Komachi hated that kind of thing.

But Onee-chan? Not a single insult. Not once. She just… talked to him. Like a real person.

That's probably why, no matter how weird things got, I always rooted for the two of them. They were strange together, sure, but maybe that's what made them perfect in my eyes.

But then, one day, Onee-chan disappeared.

Just like that, she was gone—like a dream you can't quite remember after waking up. Onii-chan never said anything about it, but I could tell it hit him hard.

I tried asking him about it once. Just casually, you know? Like, "Hey, Onii-chan, whatever happened to Onee-chan?" But he brushed me off with his usual grumpy tone and told me not to pry.

That didn't stop me from wondering, though. What did happen to Onee-chan? Did she really just go to another school? Did something bad happen? Or… did she just decide to walk out of our lives without saying goodbye?

I didn't know. And honestly, that scared me more than anything.

"Komachi-chan, wake up!" Satomi's voice jolted me out of my thoughts.

"Huh? What? I'm awake!" I quickly scribbled down the next problem on my worksheet, pretending I'd been paying attention all along.

Satomi giggled. "You were totally spacing out. Thinking about someone special, maybe?"

I waved her off with a grin. "Nah, just my brother. He's been acting weird lately, that's all."

"Your brother? Oh, come on, Komachi-chan. Don't waste your daydreams on a boy you're related to!"

If only she knew. Onii-chan wasn't just any boy. He was my complicated, frustrating, occasionally terrifying, but ultimately irreplaceable big brother.

And if he was heading down some mysterious, shadowy path, then it was up to me to figure out how to bring him back.

No matter what it took.

ㅤ

:3~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~:3

ㅤ

Something's definitely up with Onii-chan.

Lately, I'd noticed something odd going on with Onii-chan at school. At first, I thought it was just another one of those Service Club requests—you know, helping someone with their unimportant teenage problems. But no. This time, it was something else entirely.

Apparently, Sobu High was having some kind of Special Exam. What even is that? I'm just a middle schooler, so maybe I'm not supposed to get it, but when I saw this massive stack of papers with weird rules and regulations on Onii-chan's desk, I felt like I was looking at the manual for building a rocket ship.

It was terrifying.

Naturally, I did the only logical thing: I screamed, "What is this madness?!" and ran back to my room. Onii-chan barely even looked up from his work. Typical.

For the entire weekend, Onii-chan barely left his room. He was holed up in there like some kind of hikikomori, only emerging to grab food from the kitchen before disappearing back into his lair.

Seriously, how can he live like that? I was this close to calling an intervention, but I settled for pouting dramatically whenever he walked past me.

By Sunday night, I couldn't take it anymore.

"What are you doing in there?!" I demanded, standing in the hallway with my best Komachi Angry Sister face.

"Work," he replied flatly, not even bothering to look at me.

"Work?! What work? You're a high school student, not some salaryman!"

He sighed, clearly wanting to avoid the conversation, but I wasn't about to let him off the hook. "Onii-chan," I said sweetly, putting on my cutest, most irresistible Komachi smile, "tell me what you're doing~!"

He flinched—victory was mine.

"Fine," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm… running predictions."

"Predictions? Like, the weather? Are you secretly a meteorologist now, Onii-chan?!"

"No," he said, deadpan. "I'm analyzing scenarios for the Special Exam. How things could go right, how they could go wrong, and how to minimize the fallout."

I blinked. And then blinked again. "...What?"

He sighed again, launching into some long-winded explanation about strategy, contingencies, and… I don't even know what else. I tried to follow along, really, but the more he talked, the more it sounded like he was planning for an alien invasion.

So, I did what any good little sister would do: I nodded wisely and pretended to understand.

"Ah, I see, I see," I said, folding my arms like I was some kind of intellectual. "Good luck with… whatever that is, Onii-chan."

He just gave me a look that said he didn't believe me for a second, but hey, at least I tried.

Still, I couldn't help but worry. What was this Special Exam really about? And why was Onii-chan so caught up in it? I didn't like seeing him this stressed out. It wasn't like him at all.

I wanted to help, but what could I do? Onii-chan was always the smart one, the planner, the "dark and brooding antihero" type. I was just his cute, lovable little sister.

For now, all I could do was cheer him on from the sidelines. That, and make sure he didn't forget to eat. Seriously, someone has to keep this family functioning.

But deep down, I couldn't shake the feeling that something big was coming. And whatever it was, Onii-chan was right in the middle of it.

ㅤ

:3~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~:3

ㅤ

When I heard the sound of the front door unlocking, I practically bounced out of the kitchen. I knew it was Onii-chan; his steps always had that sluggish, "I hate the world" vibe.

"Welcome home, Onii-chan!" I called out cheerfully, poking my head out from the kitchen. "I ordered some food for us!"

To my shock, he barely looked my way, just giving a half-hearted nod as he shuffled in.

"Yeah, thanks. I'll probably just eat tomorrow, though. Too tired tonight," he mumbled, kicking off his shoes and making a beeline for his room.

Huh? That wasn't normal. My Onii-chan might not be the biggest eater, but skipping dinner entirely? That was a red flag.

"Wait a second!" I called, hurrying after him. "You? Too tired to eat? That's weird."

He stopped just as he reached his door, his hand on the knob. I could see the slump in his shoulders, even from behind.

"I'm fine," he said, his voice as flat as week-old soda. "Just tired. Planning to sleep until tomorrow."

I frowned, crossing my arms as I caught up to him. "Uh-huh. Sure you are," I said, leaning in closer to inspect his face. "Whoa, Onii-chan, your eyes look even more dead than usual. Like, seriously. Did something happen? You look like you've been carrying a boulder or something. A boulder made of despair."

He flinched at my words, his expression stiffening slightly.

"My eyes look worse than usual?" he asked like he was genuinely considering it.

"They do!" I exclaimed, gesturing dramatically at him. "You've always had that whole 'dead fish' look going on, but now it's like… zombie fish. Did someone say something to you? Did you fight with someone? Did something bad happen at school?"

He grimaced, brushing me off with a tired wave of his hand. "It's nothing. Just a lot going on with school. Special Exam soon, you know? I'll be fine after some sleep."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Hmm… Komachi's lying detector says otherwise. You're not, I don't know, pushing yourself too hard, are you? Because if you're gonna burn out or fall into some kind of tragic existential crisis, I need to know!"

Onii-chan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose like he always does when I hit a nerve.

"Komachi…" he started, his voice quieter this time.

A-ha! Progress! I clapped my hands together, ready to declare victory, but before I could, an idea popped into my head.

"You know what'll cheer you up?" I said, grinning like the genius I am. "Let's watch Pretty Cure together! You always loved it when we were kids!"

He froze, his hand still on the doorknob, and turned to give me the most exasperated look I've ever seen.

"Komachi," he said, his tone deadpan. "I'm in high school. Do you have any idea what would happen if anyone found out I was watching Pretty Cure? My already non-existent reputation would hit rock bottom. I'd be the first person in history to invent negative social standing."

I couldn't help but giggle. "Oh, really? Since when does my super cool, super detached Onii-chan care about what people think? I thought you were all about ignoring societal norms and doing your own thing."

"That's… not the point," he muttered, clearly flustered.

"Uh-huh," I said, smirking. "So what I'm hearing is that my super cool Onii-chan actually worries about his reputation. That's so cute!"

He groaned, muttering something about how I was impossible. But I didn't care. I wasn't about to let him mope around like this.

"Alright," I declared, stepping forward and wrapping my arms around him in a surprise hug from behind. "If you're not gonna cheer yourself up, then I'm doing it for you! No escape this time, Onii-chan!"

"What the—Komachi!" he exclaimed, freezing in place. "Let go!"

"Nope!" I chirped, tightening my grip. "I've decided! We're going out to eat. Right now. My treat."

"What? But you said—"

"You heard me!" I cut him off, dragging him toward the door. "You've been moping around way too much. As your adorable and responsible little sister, it's my duty to make sure you don't turn into a ramen-eating hermit!"

He sighed, slumping in defeat. "…Fine."

"Yay!" I cheered, skipping ahead to grab my purse. "Don't worry, Onii-chan. You're weird, but you're my weird brother. That's what makes it okay!"

...

The small, cozy restaurant was just the kind of casual place you'd go for a relaxed meal. The menu was full of comforting Japanese dishes that didn't cost an arm and a leg. But of course, my attention was mostly on Onii-chan. He was already half-distracted by the menu, though I could tell he wasn't really paying attention. But me? I was practically bouncing in my seat, torn between choices. I couldn't decide between the omurice or the karaage set, and it was starting to feel like a big deal.

"Onii-chan, what do you think?" I asked, trying my best to look as cute and indecisive as possible, knowing he'd probably give me his usual 'I don't care' response.

"Does it matter what I think? You're just going to pick whatever you want anyway," he replied nonchalantly, barely glancing at his menu. As expected. He already knew what he was getting—tonkotsu ramen, without a doubt. It was his go-to, no fuss.

I puffed my cheeks. "You're so boring, Onii-chan," I said, but of course, I already made my decision. "Fine, I'll go with the karaage. I haven't had good fried chicken in a while. And maybe melon soda. The perfect combo~"

The pretty waitress arrived a moment later, her polite smile in place. She took our orders quickly, and I couldn't help but notice how she lingered just a little longer than necessary on Onii-chan. Maybe I imagined it, but there was something about the way she looked at him.

"Is that all for now?" she asked, still holding her gaze on him.

I frowned slightly, sensing something was off, but Onii-chan didn't seem to notice. Or maybe he did, but he didn't care.

"Yes," he said, pulling out his wallet and paying for both meals.

I blinked, completely caught off guard. "Wait, wait, wait, did you just… pay for me?" I asked, my voice tinged with disbelief. "Onii-chan, are you feeling okay? You're not running a fever, are you? I said it was my treat!"

He just shrugged, as if it was no big deal. "It's fine. I just figured if you paid, whatever scraps of dignity I have left would evaporate on the spot. That's all."

And just like that, I couldn't help but burst out laughing. Seriously, Onii-chan was too dramatic sometimes. "Oh, Onii-chan, you're so funny. I honestly thought you'd say something else."

"Like what?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

I couldn't help myself; I had to tease him. "If a girl pays for her own meal, she'll grow up to be a good woman."

His face froze. "...When did I ever say something like that?"

I shrugged, unable to stop grinning. "Oh, you didn't, but it totally sounds like something you would say, doesn't it? Onii-chan's taste is always a little… different."

I could see the hint of irritation flicker in his eyes, but he didn't say anything, so I kept going.

"Admit it, Onii-chan," I pressed.

"Let's just eat," he grumbled, clearly done with the teasing for now.

But for a moment, my playful grin faded as I remembered something I'd noticed earlier. I had seen something in his eyes when we were at home that made my chest tighten. "You know, Onii-chan," I began, trying to sound lighthearted, "when I saw you at home earlier, I thought your eyes looked... really scary. Like, for a second, I almost thought you died or something."

The words just spilled out, but I didn't know why I said it. It wasn't something I'd normally point out. But now that it was out there, I had to see how he would react.

He froze, his expression blank. I felt my heart sink. I had definitely hit a nerve.

"You always have that 'dead fish' thing going on, but today… it felt different. Like you weren't just tired. You looked so—" I hesitated, searching for the right word, "—strained. It's like you're carrying something really heavy, but you won't let anyone help."

For a moment, there was nothing but silence between us. His gaze fell to the table, and I could see his discomfort written all over his face. It wasn't easy to break through Onii-chan's walls, but somehow, I had.

I leaned forward, trying to soften the atmosphere. "I miss when my Onii-chan was more… relaxed, y'know? You used to be yourself, even if that meant being lazy or weird or annoying sometimes. But now, you're always on edge, like you're holding everything together but don't know how."

I watched him carefully, wondering if he'd say anything back. It was hard to read him sometimes. But I knew that deep down, Onii-chan was struggling, and I just wanted him to know I was here for him, no matter how distant he seemed.

"Komachi…" His voice was quiet, but I could hear the weight behind it.

I smiled softly, trying to reassure him. "You know you can talk to me, right? I mean, you're my Onii-chan. You're supposed to be the one looking out for me, but that doesn't mean I can't do the same for you."

He nodded slowly, his eyes holding mine for a brief moment. "Thanks," he said, his voice steady, but still low.

A small, bright smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. "Of course! But don't think this means I'm going to stop teasing you. That's part of my job as the little sister."

I could tell he was trying not to smile, but I saw the hint of a grin tug at his lips. "Yeah, I figured."

"Good!" I chirped, trying to lighten the mood again. "Now eat up, Onii-chan. You need all the strength you can get to deal with my amazingness."

He rolled his eyes, but I could see that he wasn't as tense anymore. The conversation had shifted something in him, even if just a little. It was like I had broken through some of the walls he'd been putting up.

But as I looked at him, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was still something deeper and unresolved in his eyes. Something that wasn't just about the stuff we were talking about. It was as if there was something he hadn't said, one he couldn't bring himself to share.

...

I hadn't meant to bring it up. The mention of Onee-chan just slipped out of my mouth, like it always did. But suddenly, Onii-chan's reaction was so different from the usual. His face—his eyes—there was something dark about them that made me scared.

I didn't know what was going on, but the way he stood up so abruptly, the tension in his movements—it sent a chill down my spine. "We're going home," he said, his voice strained, like there was something heavy inside him that he couldn't carry anymore.

I couldn't catch my breath. "H-Huh? Wait, what? Why—what's going on?" I tried to ask, but my voice didn't sound right like it wasn't even mine.

But he didn't answer. He just walked. Walked like he had somewhere to go, but no destination in mind. I started to follow, my footsteps hurried, desperate to keep up, even though I had no clue what was happening. "Onii-chan! Wait! What's wrong?!"

He didn't turn around. He didn't look at me. His back was all I could see, and that was when I knew something was really wrong.

When we finally got home, I watched him, trying to make sense of it all, but he didn't stop. He didn't even glance at me as he moved toward his room. The silence between us was suffocating, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest.

"Sorry," he muttered, but it didn't sound like an apology. More like a way to hide from me. The door to his room slammed shut before I could say anything.

I stood there for a moment, just... frozen. What was going on? What had I done? Why was he acting like this?

I wanted to follow him. I wanted to say something, anything to make him turn around, but my feet felt like lead. I couldn't move.

Finally, I found the courage to peek inside but the moment I did, I saw how his hands trembled as he picked up a piece of paper.

I didn't want to intrude, but I couldn't stop myself from watching as he unfolded it. The image was so familiar. It was a photo of the three of us.

I wanted to reach out to him. I wanted to say something, but... how could I? How could I fix this?

And then I heard it—the quiet words, barely a whisper, almost as if he was talking to himself. "You disappeared. You just vanished into thin air. And you left me here. Alone. With all of this."

A sudden realization hit me, sharp and painful.

Onii-chan was still hopeless.

Still hopeless in love, like he had been all this time.

All this time, I had thought he was moving forward, that he had found a way to heal. But now, seeing him like this, I knew he was still stuck. He hadn't let go. He couldn't.

Onee-chan, where are you?

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:3~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~:3

ㅤ

I was walking out of school, feeling the warm afternoon sun on my face. I reached into my bag, pulling out my phone to send a message to Onii-chan. I hoped he wouldn't forget and would buy me something to eat on his way back. Lately, he'd been coming home a little late, so I had to walk home alone. Time for a little payback for that!

Komachi: Onii-chan, buy me something to eat when you get back! You owe me for making me walk home by myself!"

I typed with a little smile on my face. I felt like I deserved something nice today.

As I was about to walk home, I thought about how Onii-chan seemed so lost in his own thoughts lately. Maybe today, I could finally pull him out of that mood. But today wasn't the day for me to dwell on those things.

Suddenly, I felt my fingers slip on the phone's screen as I looked away for just a second, distracted by something on the other side of the street. And then it happened.

My phone slipped from my hand, falling toward the ground, and panic shot through me. No!

But before it hit the ground, I felt the air move and then—a hand, reaching out at the last second to catch my phone.

I looked up, my heart still racing, and there was the savior of my precious device. A boy stood in front of me, holding my phone, with a small smile on his face.

"Careful," he said, almost casually, like it was the most normal thing in the world. "I don't think you want your phone meeting the sidewalk."

I let out a relieved breath, quickly walking over to him. "Thank you! That was close…"

"No problem," he replied, shrugging his shoulders, his gaze seemed a little more focused now, as though he was studying my reactions. "I'm new here, actually. Just moved to the school."

I blinked, surprised. No one mentioned a new student. "You… could you show me around?" he asked, hesitating slightly, as if unsure how to finish his sentence.

"Ah… sure," I said without thinking too much. "Well, if you saved my phone, I guess I owe you that much!"

He chuckled faintly, his eyes seeming to shine in an odd way for just a moment.

"Hikigaya Komachi," I smiled, "Nice to meet you!"

He smiled back.

"Yagami Takuya."