Sample of Home

As the sun set, I entered through the front door of my apartment.

Strange. The lights are out. They're almost never out when I come home. I looked over at the shoe rack. Apart from my only two pairs of shoes, there was a collection of others. Everything looks the same, so... Why am I feeling weary?

I reached my hand for the wall where the light switch was. The moment I flicked them on, I heard a subtle click. Suddenly, my head was drenched in water that rapidly made its way down to cover my whole body.

An ear-splitting laughter filled the apartment. From the other side of the kitchen counter, a head poked out, shaking left and right while a finger was pointing at me. The moment I saw her, all the worries I had disappeared.

"It worked!" she exclaimed. "I thought I would've messed up since it was my first time pulling it off, but it actually freaking worked! Haha... ha..."

The moment our eyes locked, her look of accomplishment slowly faded.

"Yozora Nae..." I muttered. "Pack your belongings and leave this apartment by sunrise."

"Eh?! W-what?!" she shouted.

She immediately dashed over, sliding her face on the ground before throwing her head up and down in atonement.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! It won't happen again! I swear!"

I couldn't help but chuckle as I rested my hand on her head. Her black hair falls to her shoulders, but while mine's a mess, hers is perfectly straight. I'm relieved she doesn't have the same tired bags under her big eyes like I do. Otherwise, I'd start thinking I'm doing something wrong.

"You know I'd never do that," I smiled as I lifted the plastic bag in my hand. "Here. I bought some ramen from your favorite place."

Slowly, her eyes widened while her face morphed into a massive grin. Just seeing that made me happy, but that's something I'll never admit to her.

She threw herself off the ground with her arms opening toward me.

"You're the best—eugh...!"

I held my hand out to block her head before she could make contact.

"First, clean this up," I said.

"Tch... and just when I was about to say that you were the best big brother... You ruined the moment."

"I'm gonna go wash up. Don't wait for me to eat."

"Okay."

I headed to the washroom and stepped into the shower. The warm water flowed over me, soothing my body, but my mind drifted back to what had happened earlier. After a few seconds, though, I decided I didn't want to dwell on it. Instead, I let my thoughts slip away, leaving my mind blank for the rest of the shower.

When I finished, I turned off the faucet and dried myself off. After putting on a shirt and some shorts, I joined Nae at the dining table.

However, I was surprised to see that she hadn't eaten yet. There were two ramen bowls on the table, all set up and ready to be eaten, yet Nae was sitting on one side while swinging her legs back and forth. The strange thing was that I only bought one portion, and it was for her.

"Didn't I tell you to not wait for me?" I sighed.

"Eh? How could I do that when you bought it?" she asked genuinely. "It's not good manners to eat when not everyone is present at the dining table."

I walked over and sat down on the other side of the table. The chopsticks were already set up on a napkin for me.

"Huh. Strange," I said as I scooped up some ramen. "That's not the Nae I know. When did you learn such decent etiquette?"

"Well... I've been learning, so deal with it."

"And you split the food. Very strange."

"S-shut up! I just thought... I'd be... kinder to you..."

"Haha. Kinder to me? What sparked this sudden change?"

"Tch... I don't have to explain every single thing I do to you."

"Fine, fine."

I took a bite and allowed some time for the taste to settle. I can see why this is Nae's favorite place to get ramen. It's very good.

"So, have you listened to Sunayomi's new album yet?" Nae asked.

"I haven't had the chance to. I'll do it tomorrow."

"It's so~ good! Do you know when they're gonna release their next one?"

"The hell? How am I supposed to know that?"

"Eh? Don't you work for them? I figured they'd give you a sneak peek or something like that."

"That's not how it works. Besides, I don't work directly for them. I work for the agency that sponsors them."

"Same thing, isn't it? Ah~! I wanna work for them when I grow up too. That way, I can see Yoshino Yoko every day. She's so beautiful and cool, isn't she? Tell me you agree, brother."

The first thought that came to my head when I heard 'Yoshino Yoko' was our less-than-stellar encounter earlier today. I can never tell Nae about that. She'd rip my tongue out.

"Sure," I said.

"You don't sound so sure... Are you really telling me that you don't find her pretty?"

"Of course I think she's pretty. I'd be surprised to find someone who doesn't. However, that's all there is. Everything else, from her personality to her hobbies and interests—I don't know anything about that, so I can't call her 'cool' just yet."

"Whatever. I wouldn't expect a loner like you to understand, but I'd better not hear you badmouthing my queen."

"Seriously...?"

Here I am, talking shit about fans being too fanatical when my own younger sister is one of those people. She's been listening to Sunayomi since their debut. I daresay she might be their biggest fan, but anyone can pop up and claim that title.

She's also the reason why I came to know Sunayomi. Originally, I didn't even know that Yori Entertainment was sponsoring them when I applied for a job there. I found out afterward, and Nae has been bothering me about it ever since.

"You know, I brag about you to my friends sometimes," Nae said.

"What? What is there to even brag about?".

"That you work for Sunayomi, and you get me free tickets to their concerts."

"That is such a stupid thing to brag about."

"Not when Sunayomi is a hot topic nowadays. Say, you'll get me free tickets to their next concert, right? Like last time?"

"I don't really have a choice, do I? Otherwise, my little sister here might murder me in my sleep."

"Damn right, I will."

"Hah."

At the very least, Sunayomi has played a major role in Nae's happiness. They have been for a while. I can't say that I feel the same way as she does, but I'm glad they were able to make her smile again. That's all that matters.

"Are you done yet?" I asked.

"Yup! Thanks for the meal."

"You don't have to thank me for something like this. Give me your bowl."

"No, it's okay. I'll do it."

While I was too flabbergasted to say another word, she grabbed my bowl and bolted towards the sink to wash it.

What... the hell? She's never once done that. Every time we finished a meal, I was always the one to wash the dishes. There's also the fact that she split the food today, and I buy her meals almost every day.

"Um... I-in that case, I'm gonna call it a night," I said.

"Alrighty. Good night."

After brushing my teeth and washing my face, I retreated to my room. It didn't take long for the insomnia to hit, so I got up and turned on my computer.

Two anomalies appeared just then. Nae split the food, and she even offered to wash the dishes. Combine that with my official meeting with Sunayomi... Man. Today is just not that day, is it?