I leaned back in my chair, watching the download bar crawl like it had a personal grudge against me. 6 tracks. Six half-finished pieces of my soul, trauma, and questionable life choices.
The files finally finished downloading.
- Forsaken ft. MTB – Touch Down
- Forsaken ft. Kurogane – Respect
- Forsaken ft. Sora – Matsumoto Vibes
- Forsaken ft. Kurogane & Sora – Reset
- Forsaken ft. Rei – Broken
- Forsaken ft. Sora & Rei – Life on the Street
Kaede was still fussing with my vinyls, lining them up like she was arranging a shrine to my bad taste.
I cracked my neck, clicked open the folder, and glanced over my shoulder.
"Yo," I said, keeping it casual. "I'm actually working on my first mixtape."
I tapped the screen.
"Wanna hear a song?"
Kaede's head snapped up so fast I thought she'd pull something.
"M-me? You want me to hear it first?"
She blinked, eyes huge, hands frozen mid-vinyl.
Then her face lit up like someone flipped a switch.
"O-of course I wanna hear it! Are you kidding? Before everyone else? Before it drops? Before the internet gets it?"
She bounced over, nearly tripping on my rug.
"I'll be quiet! I won't interrupt! I won't even breathe loud! I'll sit right here and be your number-one listener!"
I glanced over the corner, where I had some folding chairs stored.
"Go and grab one, no need to sit on the floor," I said.
She went to fetch the chair, speeding down the room like a cat. Then, she sat down beside me, hugging her knees on the chair, eyes sparkling.
"…Play it, Onii-chan."
Her voice softened.
"I wanna hear what you've been working so hard on."
I nodded once like it's no big deal, and clicked play on the first track. Dark 808 trap beat rumbled through the speakers.
Kaede leaned forward, chin on her knees, listening with that intense focus she gets.
The beat dropped. My verse hit.
She didn't speak. Just listened. Small nods here and there, absorbing every word.
Then—a sharp knock on the door.
She didn't wait.
Suzuki burst in, ponytail swinging, gym bag slung over her shoulder.
"Shiba-kun, turn the music down a little, can't you? I'm trying to get some slee—"
She froze.
Her eyes landed on Kaede.
Kaede blinked back at her, still hugging her knees on the chair.
Suzuki blinked twice.
Then her face flushed pink—classic idol panic.
"U-um… hi!"
She straightened up instantly, like someone just reminded her she was on camera.
Kaede tilted her head, smiling shyly.
Suzuki cleared her throat, recovering fast.
"I—I mean, hi! You're… Shiba-kun's little sister, right?"
Kaede nodded, eyes bright.
"Yep! I'm Kaede!"
Suzuki gave a quick, bright idol smile—practiced, but genuine enough.
"Nice to meet you properly, Kaede-chan! I'm Suzuki Aika—your brother's neighbor, classmate and… friend."
She shot me a quick sideways glance, like she was checking if that was okay.
I shrugged. "Yeah. She's kinda like my first friend."
Suzuki puffed her cheeks a little, turning back to Kaede.
"I've heard so much about you! You're super cute, by the way~"
Kaede's face lit up even more.
"Really? Thank you, Aika-oneechan!"
Suzuki's flush deepened to full tomato, but she rolled with it.
"A-anyway! I just… heard the music. Thought it was too loud. Didn't know you had company. Sorry for barging in!"
Kaede giggled softly.
"You can stay and listen if you want, Aika-oneechan! Onii-chan's song is really good!"
Suzuki froze again.
Her eyes flicked to me—wide, questioning.
I raised an eyebrow.
"Up to you, princess."
Suzuki huffed, clearly flustered, but a tiny smile crept in.
"…Fine. But only for a minute. And if it's bad, I'm leaving."
She dropped her gym bag, grabbed a chair at my instructions and sat down beside Kaede—careful not to touch anything, like she was afraid of breaking the moment.
I hit play again.
The beat dropped once more.
This time, two girls listened—Kaede hugging her knees, eyes shining; Suzuki sitting cross-legged, arms wrapped around herself, pretending she wasn't completely invested.
And for a few minutes, the room didn't feel so heavy.
I let the track run.
"Huh… okay, I see why MTB's been blowing up in the rap scene," Suzuki said, tilting her head, eyes scanning the speakers like she was reading sheet music.
"Your part's solid, Shiba-kun. Seriously. Sora's rapid-fire flow is chaotic but sharp, and Rei… his emotional delivery is messy, sure, but it hits. Authentic, I'll give him that."
She huffed, crossing her arms.
"Don't let it go to your head, though."
Kaede's eyes went wide, shining with excitement.
"Wah… Onii-chan, that was so cool!" she squeaked, clapping her hands and bouncing a little on the floor.
"Yeah, thanks for the feedback, ladies," I said, stretching lazily.
"You wanna stay for a movie? I can make some popcorn."
Kaede's eyes lit up again, but she didn't explode—just smiled big and nodded quickly.
"Really? Yes please! Can we watch something fun? Like… Studio Ghibli? Or maybe a superhero one?"
She rocked back and forth on her knees a little. "I'll help with the popcorn! I'm good at not burning it!"
Suzuki blinked, caught off guard. Her arms were still crossed, cheeks faintly pink from being called out earlier.
"A movie?" she echoed, like the idea was suspicious. "Here? With… both of us?"
She glanced between me and Kaede, then huffed, uncrossing her arms but not fully relaxing.
"I mean… I guess I don't have practice tomorrow morning," she muttered, trying to sound casual. "And popcorn's fine. But only if it's not some weird horror thing—I'm not in the mood to be scared tonight."
We sat on the couch, Suzuki pulling her knees up and hugging them like Kaede was doing. I sat next to my sister, sandwiched between me and Suzuki on the small couch.
Kaede giggled softly.
"Yay! A movie night! Onii-chan, you pick first! But nothing too scary, okay?"
I shrugged, already reaching for the remote.
"Let's go with Marvel, I guess. Spiderman."
Kaede giggled softly.
"Onii-chan really likes American movies."
The room went quiet for a second—just the hum of the PC fans and the faint city noise outside.
I hit play.
Suzuki crossed her legs, pretending she wasn't completely invested in the movie.
Kaede leaned against the side of the couch, eyes glued to the screen like she'd never seen a superhero before.
I took my place on the couch with them, arms crossed, pretending this wasn't the most peaceful moment I'd had in months.
The room was dim except for the glow of the monitor.
Popcorn crackled softly in the bowl between the girls.
Kaede giggled when Spiderman swung into a wall.
Suzuki snorted when he tried flirting and failed miserably.
And me?
I just… breathed.
For once, the air didn't feel heavy.
Kaede nudged my arm gently.
"Onii-chan," she whispered, "your place is really cozy."
Suzuki nodded, cheeks puffing a little.
"Yeah. It's tiny, but… it feels like you."
I rolled my eyes, but something warm spread in my chest anyway.
"Don't get used to it," I muttered. "I'm not running a daycare."
Kaede giggled.
Suzuki elbowed me lightly.
And the movie kept playing.
Just three people.
A cramped apartment.
Popcorn.
And a guy in red spandex swinging through New York.
For the first time in a long time…
It felt like I wasn't alone.