真実性-4

Phoenix

The hot water hit my skin like a wave of relief, washing away the grime and the tension from earlier. I just stood there for a good while, letting it soothe the aches from climbing 22 floors. I couldn't get that ghost out of my head — the way it felt when she tried to take over. The cold, suffocating weight pressing down on my chest, freezing my bones from the inside out.

I shivered despite the heat and quickly scrubbed the shampoo from my hair, trying to force those thoughts away. I wasn't gonna let that scare me out of the job. I couldn't just keep letting Ace do all the work. Next time, I'd be ready. No more freezing up.

By the time I got out and dried off, it was already past 8. I pulled on my white fluffy night suit — the one with the little bear design on the chest. Soft and cozy, just the way I liked it. I glanced at the mirror, running a hand through my wavy mullet to tame it, then walked out of the bathroom feeling way better than before.

Ace was on the couch with Kuro sprawled on his lap, scrolling through his phone like usual. He looked up when I came out and gave me a quick nod before carefully moving Kuro aside. The cat gave him a sleepy, mildly annoyed look but didn't complain. Ace stretched his arms over his head, yawning loud enough for Kuro to flick his tail in protest.

"I'm up next," he muttered, ruffling his silver hair before heading to the bathroom. I watched him go and flopped down on the opposite end of the couch, pulling my knees up to my chest. Kuro took that as an invitation and climbed into my lap instead, making himself comfortable. Typical. I scratched behind his ears, and he started purring again, the soft rumble vibrating against my stomach.

My thoughts wandered back to that house. That feeling of helplessness when the spirit latched onto me... It sucked. I hated feeling so weak. Ace always made it look easy — confident, unshaken, and never breaking a sweat. I guess that's why I always thought I could handle it too. Turns out I was way off.

By the time Ace came out, he'd swapped his usual black-and-white getup for his brown, fluffy bear night suit. I tried not to snicker — he looked like a sleepy grizzly. He caught my smirk and raised a brow, like he knew exactly what I was thinking, but didn't bother calling me out on it.

He collapsed onto the couch beside me, scrolling through his phone lazily. Kuro jumped onto his shoulder and made himself comfy, like it was his personal perch. Ace didn't seem to mind, just idly petting him while looking at the screen.

My stomach growled, loud and demanding. Ace glanced at me, unimpressed. "You hungry?"

"Obviously," I mumbled, rubbing my stomach. I hadn't realized how starving I was until now.

He didn't even argue, just flicked through his phone a bit more. "Takeout?"

"Yes, please." I almost sounded too relieved. Honestly, I didn't have it in me to cook either. The adrenaline crash hit me hard, and now I just wanted to sink into the couch and eat something hot and greasy.

He tapped on his phone, probably ordering from our usual spot. I zoned out, staring at the muted TV while Kuro kept purring on Ace's shoulder. I couldn't help but glance his way, wondering how he always kept so calm.

"Ace," I mumbled, not even sure why I spoke up.

"Hm?" He didn't look away from his phone.

"Back at the house... Were you scared? The first time you had to face something like that?"

He paused for a moment, then sighed. "Yeah. Scared outta my mind. But I couldn't just freeze up, y'know? If I did, it would've gotten worse." He glanced my way, one ocean-green eye peeking from under his messy silver hair. "Fear's normal. You just gotta learn how to work with it instead of against it."

I looked down at Kuro, stroking his back as he shifted to get more comfortable. "I just... I didn't think it'd be that bad."

Ace let out a low chuckle. "No one ever does. That's why you practice — so when it happens, you're ready. You did alright for your first time. Just don't let it scare you out of the next one."

His words made me feel a little better, even if I didn't want to admit it out loud. I just gave a small nod and leaned back against the couch, trying to let go of that uneasy feeling still stuck in my gut.

The sound of a notification made Ace perk up. "Food's on its way," he announced. I gave him a thumbs-up, not trusting my stomach to stay quiet after that.

We just sat there, me lost in my thoughts and Ace scrolling through whatever on his phone. Even though I was still rattled, having him there made it feel... safer. Like maybe I wasn't completely useless after all.

Sometimes, when it's quiet like this, I can't help but think about how much Ace has done for me. It's been two years since Mom and Dad died. Two years since that car accident ripped everything apart. I still remember the way it felt — like the whole world had just... shattered. Seeing them like that, lifeless and cold... It was the worst day of my life.

I didn't think I'd ever get over it. Honestly, I'm not even sure I have. But Ace — he didn't let me drown in it. He picked up the pieces like it was second nature, taking care of everything without ever making me feel like a burden. I don't know how he did it. He became my brother, my father, my mother — all in one. The way he just kept moving forward, kept pushing on, it... inspired me, I guess. He's not the type to say it much, but I know he loves me. I can see it in the little things — the way he wakes me up, nags me about school, or makes sure I eat even when I don't feel like it.

I glanced over at him, sprawled lazily on the couch with Kuro still making himself comfortable on Ace's shoulder. I couldn't help but smile a little. He doesn't know how much he's helped me just by being there.

A sudden buzz on his phone broke the silence, and Ace glanced at the screen. "Food's here," he mumbled, pushing himself off the couch. He gave Kuro a gentle nudge to get him off his shoulder, but the cat just gave him a look like "How dare you?" Typical Kuro.

Ace went to the door, paid the delivery guy, and came back with the takeout bags. My stomach growled again, and this time I didn't bother trying to hide it. He just gave me a look and shook his head, like I was the biggest idiot on the planet.

We moved to the dining table, setting the food out — greasy takeout burgers with fries and soda. Not the healthiest option, but at this point, I couldn't care less. I was starving. Just as I was about to dig in, I remembered something.

"Did Kuro eat?" I asked, glancing at the little troublemaker now sniffing around the table.

Ace paused mid-bite and sighed. "Not yet," he muttered. Without another word, he got up and grabbed a can of raw cat food from the cupboard. Kuro followed him like a shadow, tail swishing with excitement.

Ace scooped the food into Kuro's bowl and set it on the floor, giving the cat a little scratch behind the ears before coming back to the table. I couldn't help but grin. Even though he acts tough, Ace has a soft spot a mile wide when it comes to Kuro.

We finally dug into our burgers, and the first bite tasted like heaven after the day we'd had. I didn't even realize how fast I was eating until Ace gave me a side-eye. I slowed down, pretending I wasn't just inhaling my food.

I wiped my mouth with a napkin and decided to break the comfortable silence. "Hey, let's talk about our favorite memory," I suggested between bites.

Ace raised a brow, like he thought it was a weird topic to bring up, but shrugged. "You start," he said.

I chewed on a fry, thinking. "Hmm... I think mine is when we went on that camping trip with Dad. Remember? You tried to set up the tent on your own and almost got buried under it." I couldn't help but snicker at the memory. Ace just rolled his eyes.

"I didn't get buried. It was just...complicated," he argued, though his lips twitched in a half-smile.

"You were buried. Dad had to come save you, and you got dirt in your mouth from falling face-first into the ground," I pointed out, grinning.

He gave me a look but didn't deny it. "Yeah, well... you screamed like a little girl when you saw the beetle on your sleeping bag," he shot back.

"That thing was massive!" I protested, but he just laughed, and I couldn't help but laugh too. It felt good to just... talk about the good stuff.

Ace took a sip of his soda, and his expression softened. "You know, that was the first time Dad taught me how to make a fire. Kept saying I'd never survive in the wild otherwise."

I smiled, a little sad but mostly grateful for the memory. "He was right. You almost set your jacket on fire."

He snorted. "Details."

We fell into a comfortable silence again, just eating and reminiscing. It felt lighter than before, like talking about those happy moments made the grief a little easier to carry. I couldn't help but glance at Ace again, grateful that he was still here — still keeping us going.

Yeah... he really was the best brother anyone could ask for.