The Restart

"Ouch... You hurt me much, my little sister..."

"Well, that's what you get for calling me a ghost, hmph!"

A wave of nostalgia washed over me. This was real. I was back in the past. The sting from Shino's kick was proof enough.

"Hey, Onii-chan, you good? You've been staring at me since you woke up... It's creeping me out."

Haha... Sorry about that, Shino."

Shino Kirishima. My little sister. According to the calendar on my bedroom wall, three years remained before leukemia would steal her away during my college days. 

Right now, she should be in her second year of middle school.

"Well, Nii-chan, just get ready for school... I'm leaving now. Hurry up, okay?!"

"Yes, yes... My little sister..."

Just like always, Shino woke me up for school. I'd missed these mornings.

Following her instructions, I headed straight to the bathroom, splashing water on my face. Staring into the mirror, the same thought echoed...

This is real... isn't it? Not a dream? Right?

The silent reflection offered no answer, yet a growing certainty settled within me. This was reality.

After preparing my things with a familiar routine, I went downstairs and saw her. Mom. Alive and vibrant.

"Oh, Keito, eat first before you go. You're not late yet, are you?"

"Mom?" The single word escaped me, laced with disbelief. Mom was here, alive.

Was this heaven? Had I somehow been granted a reunion with my family? But then, a pang of absence hit me. 

If so, where's Dad?

"What's with the shocked face, Keito? It's like you haven't seen me in ages..."

I have missed you, Mom... I haven't seen you in ages. 

"Yeah, Mom, he's being weird... He called me a ghost earlier..." Shino chimed in, ever the observant little sister.

"Are you okay, Keito?" Mom's brow furrowed with concern.

"Nothing, Mom, I'm fine. Come on, let's just eat."

And so, I shared breakfast with my family, a simple act that held immeasurable weight after so long.

"Keito, will you reserve the flowers at the usual shop for our visit to your father's grave?"

Ah, right. This wasn't heaven. This was the past, before Dad... "Sure, Mom, I'll do it after my classes."

"Thank you." Her gentle smile met mine, a warmth I thought I'd lost forever.

Soon after, it was time for school. That familiar, dreaded routine. "We're going now, Mom!" Shino and I called out in unison.

"Okay, be safe out there, you two!" Mom's farewell echoed in the doorway.

Turning to Shino, I couldn't help but feel a surge of protectiveness. "Be safe, Shino, okay?"

"Yes, yes, my creepy big brother..." Her playful jab earned a chuckle from me, and she joined in my laughter.

"Be safe too, Onii-chan!" With that, we parted ways, her middle school to the left, my high school to the right.

Walking down this familiar alley, every step was a memory. I could still trace the countless walks to school.

I wonder... What happened to me....

I wonder... what exactly happened to me? This path, this time... this was the precipice of everything changing. The biggest restart of my life.

And I could only hope with every fiber of my being... that this was it. The chance I desperately longed for.