The final bell finally rang.
Way later than it should have.
"Ahhh! I'm gonna be late!"
I muttered, stuffing my books into my bag in a frantic mess.
My pen rolled off the desk and clattered on the floor, but I ignored it. No time. I threw my bag over my shoulder and bolted out of the classroom.
The hallway was already jam-packed. Students clogged the narrow corridors like a traffic jam from a nightmare.
I weaved through them, heart pounding, nearly knocking over a first-year who yelped and jumped out of the way.
"Sorry!"
I gasped, clutching my bag tighter.
Feet pounding the floor.
Breath getting heavier.
Doors swinging open around me.
Chairs scraping.
Voices echoing.
Everything was a blur.
I tightened my grip and pushed forward.
Left.
Right.
Dodge.
Slip through.
Almost trip over a shoe.
Regain balance.
Almost there—!
"EXCUSE ME!!!"
BOOM!!
The weekend came. Like it always did.
Routine. Predictable.
Safe.
I stood at the sink, up to my elbows in soapy water, washing dishes while Ren zoomed around the tiny apartment like a kid high on sugar.
"Big Sis! Look! I can spin the ball on my finger!"
he shouted from the living room.
The crash that followed said otherwise.
"Ren!! If you break the lamp again, I'm not fixing it!"
I yelled over my shoulder, rolling my eyes with a smile.
I finished washing the last plate and dried my hands on a raggedy old towel.
The apartment smelled faintly of lemon cleaner and something burning .... probably my earlier attempt at lunch.
Mom's handwritten note was still stuck to the fridge, reminding me she wouldn't be back until late. Dad... well, his name hadn't been spoken in the house for a long time.
It was just me and Ren.
It was always just us.
I gathered the grocery list from the counter, pulling a hair tie out of my messy bun to redo it tighter.
"Ren! Put on your shoes! We're going grocery shopping!" I called out.
"Okay, Big Sis!" he chirped back.
The grocery store was only a few blocks away, but Ren insisted on dribbling his basketball the whole way there.
"Stop dribbling! You're going to lose it in the gutter!" I scolded.
"No, I won't!"
Bounce bounce bounce clatter!
I sighed and helped him fish it out from under a car.
Again.
By the time we made it back home, both arms were sore from lugging the heavy bags. I kicked the door open with my foot and staggered inside, collapsing the groceries onto the kitchen counter with a thud.
Ren dumped his shoes in the corner and darted to the living room, ball glued to his hands like always.
While I unpacked, I heard the faint bounce of the ball... followed by a loud yelp outside.
I peeked out the window.
Nothing.
Weird.
Shrugging, I finished stuffing vegetables into the fridge and wiped my sweaty forehead. Saturdays were supposed to be relaxing, weren't they?
Knock! knock! knock!
Another knock!
This time more urgent.
I froze, looking toward the door.
Was it a neighbor?
Mom?
Someone selling weird insurance again?
I tossed the dish towel onto the counter and headed to the door.
When I opened it....
"Ren?!" I gasped.
There he was.
Clutching his basketball, eyes glassy with unshed tears, his right knee scraped and bloody.
Standing beside him was... I blinked, genuinely confused for a second.
A boy.
Taller.
Toned.
Sporty jacket slung lazily over one shoulder.
Piercings glinting in both ears.
Hair tied back in a loose messy ponytail.
An intense look that didn't match his casual slouch.
Who...?
"Yo," the boy said simply. "Satou. Kiyoshi."
I just stared.
Satou?
SATOU KIYOSHI!?
The nerdy, always-hiding-in-the-back-of-the-class, never-spoken-a-word Kiyoshi?
My mouth opened. Then closed.
Then opened again
.
"You're kidding," I managed.
He smirked slightly. "Not kidding."
Ren beamed up at me proudly. "Big Sis! Big bro Satou helped me! I fell and he carried me home!"
I blinked again, still trying to connect the dots.
Kiyoshi scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Your brother kinda crashed while playing ball. Lucky I was walking past, I guess."
"Oh—uh—come in! Please!" I said, stepping aside, heat rushing to my face.
I couldn't even imagine how dumb I looked right now, gaping like a fish.
He stepped in, looking way too casual about it, like saving random kids and showing up at classmates' doors was just another Tuesday for him.
"I'll, uh, make tea?" I offered weakly.
"Sure," he said with a small chuckle.
I led him inside, still trying to reboot my brain.
Got it! I'll dial back Kiyoshi's confidence a bit while still maintaining that cool and mysterious vibe. He'll be a little more introverted and reserved, still having that "good guy" persona despite his new look. Here's the updated version where Kiyoshi retains his awkwardness, but he's a bit more comfortable in this new persona without losing his natural introversion:
Kiyoshi sat down on the edge of the couch, his posture a little stiff, almost as if he wasn't used to sitting in someone else's living room. Ren immediately hopped beside him, practically bouncing in excitement, clutching his basketball to his chest like a prized possession.
I shuffled around the kitchen, trying to keep busy and not overthink the situation. There was something oddly... awkward about the whole thing.
"Here," I said, handing Kiyoshi a cup of tea, still trying to act like I had everything together.
Kiyoshi accepted the cup with a quiet nod. "Thanks."
I took a seat on the opposite side of the room, a little too conscious of the fact that he was Satou Kiyoshi, the quiet, introverted guy I barely spoke to in class. But here he was.... different. Pierced ears, tight sports jacket, hair tied back, and a look that screamed anything but nerdy.
I cleared my throat.
"So, uh... thanks for... helping out with Ren."
He shrugged, glancing over at Ren, who was now animatedly showing him how to "dribble like a pro." "It's no big deal. He's a good kid." He paused, then added, almost in a whisper,
"Just... don't let him get any funny ideas about basketball."
Ren was so caught up in his own excitement that he missed the underlying humor in Kiyoshi's voice, but I caught it. There was something strangely endearing about it.
"Big bro Satou, can you teach me how to dunk?!" Ren asked, bouncing the ball up and down, nearly hitting Kiyoshi in the face.
Kiyoshi gave him a look that could almost be described as a mix of disbelief and amusement.
"Well, kid, you've got a lot of growing to do before that happens." He smiled, but it was a quiet one, the type that barely touched his eyes.
Ren deflated for a second, then bounced back up with renewed vigor.
"I'll grow strong! Like you!"
I couldn't help but smile. I'd never really seen Ren like this before. He looked up to Kiyoshi, probably because he had no idea how much of a different person Kiyoshi was now.
"Alright, alright," Kiyoshi muttered, eyes flicking away for a moment. "I'll show you a couple tricks later."
He paused, glancing over at me, as if making sure I was okay with it.
I smiled awkwardly. "You don't have to, really... But thanks."
Kiyoshi just nodded, his expression a mix of mild discomfort and sincerity. "It's fine."
The silence stretched, but this time, it wasn't awkward... it was comfortable, if that makes sense. I found myself watching him closely. He wasn't that talkative, but when he did speak, it was kind of... soft? Thoughtful, in a way. It was like he didn't want to say much, but when he did, he meant it.
"So,"
I said after a few beats of silence, feeling my cheeks heat up slightly. "What's with the whole... new look? The piercings and everything?"
He glanced up at me, briefly surprised. "You noticed?"
I tried not to overthink it. "Well, it's hard not to notice when you look like you belong in a band and not a high school classroom."
Kiyoshi chuckled softly, more to himself than anyone else.
"I guess I wanted to try something different. You know... change."
Ren, who'd been busy pretending to dribble an invisible ball, suddenly stopped.
"Are you a rockstar, Big Bro Satou?"
Kiyoshi stared at him, blinked twice, and then burst out laughing...awkward, but genuine. "Nah. I'm not that cool."
"Aw, come on!" Ren protested, slapping his knee. "You totally look like one."
Kiyoshi scratched the back of his head, clearly not used to the attention. "I don't know about that, Ren... But hey, if you think I look cool, maybe I'll teach you how to get the right look for yourself."
Ren's eyes went wide. "Really?!"
"Uh, no promises," Kiyoshi added quickly, his face softening. "But maybe some tricks."
I shook my head, grinning despite myself. Kiyoshi, for all his edgy appearance, was still awkward in his own way. He wasn't the tough guy I'd initially imagined. He was... well, he was a good guy. That quiet guy who wanted to help but didn't quite know how to put it into words. He wasn't over the top or overly confident. It was like he was still unsure of himself in this new persona, and I could tell that....despite his appearance....he was just as introverted as he was back in school.
Ren leaned back into the couch, still holding the basketball like it was a treasure. "Big Bro Satou," he started, his voice far too serious for his age. "Will you be my friend?"
I nearly choked on my tea again.
Kiyoshi froze for a moment, his eyes wide. Then he let out a nervous laugh. "Uh... sure. If you don't mind me being kind of weird."
Ren nodded eagerly. "You're my big bro now!"
II sighed, sitting back and watching them both.
The whole scene felt surreal. How was this even happening? How was I sitting here with Kiyoshi, of all people, having tea and laughing about Ren's strange obsession with him?
Ren, still brimming with excitement, looked over at me with his eyes wide, practically bouncing off the couch. "Big Sis, can I invite Big Bro Satou over again tomorrow?"
I blinked, half-surprised. "Huh? Tomorrow?"
"Yeah!" Ren nodded vigorously.
"We can play basketball together, and I can show him my new moves! Please? Please, can I?!" He was practically begging at this point.
Kiyoshi, sitting awkwardly with his tea, flushed red at the idea. "Uh, I mean... I don't mind..." His voice trailed off, and he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I just... don't want to, uh, get in the way of anything... or be a bother
I couldn't help but smile at his awkwardness. It was adorable. "It's fine, Ren. You can invite him again."
Ren's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Yay!!! Big Sis is the best!"
He practically flew over to Kiyoshi, hugging his arm with all the enthusiasm he could muster.
"You're the best, Big Bro Satou!"
Kiyoshi chuckled, though it was more of a nervous laugh than anything. "You're really excited, huh?"
"I am! You're my big bro now!" Ren grinned, not caring that the situation was totally embarrassing Kiyoshi.
I could see Kiyoshi's face turning a deeper shade of red as he tried to hide it behind his cup of tea.
"Yeah... sure... No problem."
I rolled my eyes playfully, then looked at Kiyoshi. "You sure? Ren's got a lot of energy. But it'll be fun."
Kiyoshi's response was a soft chuckle, though it was awkwardly laced with his introverted nature. "I guess I'll have to be ready for his enthusiasm, then. I'll... try to keep up."
Ren gave Kiyoshi a thumbs-up, his grin widening. "It's gonna be awesome, Big Bro Satou! You'll see!"
Kiyoshi shot me a sideways glance, still somewhat uncomfortable, but his lips quirked upward in a tiny, genuine smile. "Alright, I guess I'll look forward to it. And, um, thanks for letting me hang out here today."