Chapter 20 Younger Brother

Kataomoi’s lips twitched into a frown. He may have been daydreaming, but he never lost his guard. He was already standing at the base of the fence by the time the intruder reached the top, his arms crossed and his expression stern.

“You’ve got three seconds to get down from there. And I’d suggest you make it quick.”

The climber froze, halfway over the fence, and slowly turned to look down. When their eyes met, Kataomoi groaned. Of course. It was his younger brother, Akarui.

“Oh, hey, big bro! Fancy seeing you here. Mind giving me a hand? This fence is taller than I remembered.”

Kataomoi pinched the bridge of his nose, already feeling a headache coming on. 

“Akarui, what the hell are you doing? You’re supposed to be in class, not scaling fences like some kind of monkey.”

Akarui swung his legs over the fence and dropped down, landing with a thud. He brushed himself off, still grinning.

  “Relax, I was just running a little late. Didn’t want to make a scene at the front gate. Figured I’d take the scenic route.”

“Oh, I’ll show you scenic! Let’s start with the campus rules you just broke. Rule 14: No unauthorized entry. Rule 27: No climbing on campus property. And let’s not forget the possibility of expulsion for repeated offenses. Do you have any idea how serious this is, Akarui? You can’t just—”

Akarui, already bored out of his mind of listening to his brother usual lectures, interrupted with a sudden shout, pointing dramatically behind Kataomoi.

  “Ahhhh! Isn’t that Professor Ichiban with another man?!”

Kataomoi’s head snapped around so fast he nearly gave himself whiplash.

“What? Where?!” he shouted, his eyes scanning the campus grounds. His heart raced, a mix of panic and irrational jealousy flooding his thoughts.

"Another man? Who? When? How?"

But the moment he turned, Akarui was already gone, sprinting across the courtyard like a man possessed. Kataomoi’s eyes narrowed as he realized he’d been played—again.

“Oh, no you don’t! Not this time!”

 He took off after his younger brother, his security guard training kicking in as he gave chase.

Akarui glanced over his shoulder, laughing as he ran.

“Come on, big bro! You’re getting slow in your old age!”

“Old age?!” Kataomoi shouted, his face red with anger and exertion. 

“I’m only three years older than you, you little brat!”

The chase led them through the courtyard, past the library, and around the science building. Students stopped to watch, some cheering Akarui on while others laughed at the sight of the usually stoic security guard sprinting after his brother.

Akarui glanced over his shoulder, his grin widening as he saw Kataomoi gaining on him. He needed a distraction—fast. Spotting the main building up ahead, he darted inside, his eyes scanning the hallway for an escape route. That’s when he saw them: Makiko and Shujinko, standing next to none other than Professor Ichiban. Perfect.

"Hey! Wait up for me!"

Without missing a beat, Akarui sprinted toward them, his arms outstretched, leaping into the group and wrapping his arms around Makiko and Shujinko in an exaggerated hug. 

"Hey, what's up, Shujinko? Hanging out with your two girlfriends? Living the dream, huh? You lucky dog!"

Then he leaned toward Makiko and teased, "Aren’t you jealous, though? Sharing Shujinko with the professor? Maybe I should just snatch him for myself! Hahaha!" 

But before they could respond he spun them around and dragged them down the hallway, disappearing around the corner just as Kataomoi burst into the building.

"Hoy! Oi! Tomoichi! Akarui Tomoichi! Get back here! I’m not done lecturing you! And no running in the hallways!"

Kataomoi skidded to a stop as his eyes landed on Professor Ichiban, who was standing alone, looking slightly confused. His heart skipped a beat, and all thoughts of chasing Akarui vanished. He couldn’t let her see him like this—sweaty, disheveled, and clearly in the middle of some ridiculous sibling drama. That would be… creepy. Or worse.

"Ah, Professor Ichiban. Good morning again. I, uh… didn’t expect to see you here. I apologize for this unsightly scene. That boy, my little brother, was late again. I caught him climbing over the wall to sneak onto campus. I gave him a good scolding, but he ran away in the middle of it. And well… this is the result." He sighed, running a hand through his neatly combed hair, which was a stark contrast to Akarui’s wild locks.

Professor Ichiban smiled warmly, her eyes crinkling at the corners.

"Oh, it’s quite alright, Kataomoi-kun. You’re just doing your job. But don’t be too strict with him. He’s still young and full of energy. Boys his age tend to be a bit reckless—it’s all part of growing up to be as manly as you."

Kataomoi straightened up, his face showing signs of blushing.

"You’re too kind, Professor. But if I don’t keep him in line, who will? He’s already causing enough trouble as it is."

She chuckled, clearly amused by his flustered state.

  “Well, I appreciate your dedication. But maybe take a moment to catch your breath? You look like you’ve been running a marathon.”

Kataomoi’s face turned bright red. 

“Right. Yes. Good idea. I’ll, uh… do that.”

Kataomoi was still trying to regain his composure when Professor Ichiban turned back to him, her expression softening.

  “You know, Kataomoi-kun, if you’d like, you can come inside my office for a cup of water. You look like you could use it.”

He blinked, caught off guard by her offer.

  “Oh, I—I wouldn’t want to impose, Professor. You’re probably busy, and I—”

She waved a hand dismissively, her smile warm and reassuring.

  “Nonsense. I’ve got a few minutes before my next class, and it’s no trouble at all. Besides, you’ve been standing out here in the heat all day. A little break won’t hurt.”

Kataomoi hesitated, his mind racing. On one hand, the idea of spending even a few minutes alone with her was both thrilling and terrifying. On the other hand, he couldn’t exactly say no without sounding rude—or worse, suspicious.

  “Well… if you’re sure it’s not a bother…”

“Not at all,” she said, gesturing for him to follow her.

  “Come on. I’ve got some cold water in the office, and maybe we can chat for a bit. It’s not often I get to talk to someone outside the science department.”

Kataomoi nodded, falling into step beside her as they walked into her office. His heart was pounding, but he tried to keep his expression neutral. 

"Don’t say anything stupid. Don’t say anything stupid."

 She motioned for him to sit in one of the chairs while she poured him a glass of water from a small fridge in the corner.

“Here you go,” she said, handing him the glass. 

“Take a seat and relax for a moment. You look like you’ve had a rough morning.”

Kataomoi accepted the water with a grateful nod, sitting down carefully as if the chair might break under him. 

“Thank you, Professor. I… appreciate it.”

She sat across from him, her hands folded neatly in her lap. 

“Now, tell me, Kataomoi-kun, what’s been troubling you? Sometimes, sharing a burden can make it feel lighter. I’ve noticed you’ve seemed a little… down lately. You’ve been spacing out more than usual, and I can’t help but wonder if something’s troubling you. Would you like to talk about it?” she asked, her voice soft and soothing.

Kataomoi looked up from his tea, surprised by her observation. He hadn’t realized his feelings were so obvious. 

“Oh, I… I didn’t mean to worry you, Professor. It’s nothing serious, really. Just… life, I guess.”