"Thanks for dropping me off!"
My Older Brother didn't reply. He didn't even glance back. He just pivoted on his heel and walked away into the morning crowd.
I watched him go, a small, stubborn smile stuck on my face. Geez, it wouldn't kill you to say goodbye to me, you know?
Although I'd complain about it, of course, I never actually bring it up.
I watched as his figure slowly disappeared into the sea of students before finally stepping into my own homeroom.
I walked along the endless aisles of desks, carefully navigating between them until I arrived at my own. There was still some time left before homeroom started, so I pulled out my phone.
Before I could even turn it on, however, two hands slammed onto my desk.
"Oh. My. God. Is that who I think it is?!"
She's so full of energy this early in the morning...
I put my phone down on my desk and glanced up. Yuka was standing in front of me, a wide, energetic grin plastered across her face.
"Good morning, Lily! How was your evening?"
I contemplated giving a basic response like, "It was good, how about yours?" but knowing her, she'd probably see through the lie before I even finished the sentence.
With a heavy sigh, I rested my head against the hard surface of the desk.
"Aight, I heard you." Yuka sat beside me to my right, so she pulled out her own chair and sat right next to me, leaning her weight against my shoulder. "Well, I'm listening, go on."
I took a deep breath, preparing myself for the splurge of words that were soon to follow.
"Well, Mom and I got into a fight—again. But it wasn't as serious as the one two months ago, just in case you were wondering. Anyway, when I woke up, I found out Mom and Dad were avoiding each other. I think Dad's just giving her space, though. Then this morning, I ran into Remi and Luna, and Remi basically had a physical breakdown. Anddddd, yeah. That's about it."
Yuka pulled back, her eyes boring into mine, waiting for the "just kidding!" When she realized I was being dead serious, she pinched the bridge of her nose and shut her eyes.
"Okay, okay, hold on. Let's start from the beginning." She opened her eyes again and stared at me seriously. "You said you fought with your Mom… how did it go?"
I understood why Yuka was concerned. When I told Yuka about the first fight, she was shocked beyond words. She couldn't even do her stupid jokes. For the next two weeks after that, she wouldn't leave me alone for even a second.
"Well, as I said, it wasn't as bad as it was before," I said. "I think… it was just a normal fight."
To be honest, I wasn't completely sure. I haven't fought with my Mom many times before. So, all I could say was, at least compared to the first time, it felt manageable.
Yuka crossed her arms, a troubled—yet understanding—expression emerging on her face. "Okay… well, it happens. Are you okay, though?"
I didn't answer right away.
Every time I thought about it, my heart began to pound in my chest. But... if push came to shove, I could talk to Mom again if I had to.
If anything, that was the easy part compared to the other problem…
Yuka didn't know about that, though.
No one did, and no one will.
"Yeah, I'd say so," I replied with a casual shrug. "It's not like it doesn't affect me at all—I'm not my Brother. But I could go back home alone if I had to."
Yuka stared at me for a little bit, as if studying my expression. But that all disappeared once she let out a small sigh that seemed to deflate her whole body.
"Well... if you say so."
After that, she and I discussed the walk I had this morning with my Brother, along with the little meeting I had with Luna and Remi in the hall.
Sadly, homeroom started, which cut our conversation short. But I told her that I'd fill her in during gym class, which was coincidentally our next class.
The bell rang, signalling the end of homeroom. Everyone got up from their desks and headed toward the changing rooms.
Once everyone finished changing, we met up on the field. Just like every other gym class, our time was spent practicing for sports day.
I was only participating in the sprint and the relay, so I didn't have too much to rehearse.
I was busy stretching for the sprint when a heavy hand tapped my shoulder.
"Yo! If it isn't Little Hoshino!"
I spun around, annoyed at first. But that annoyance was replaced by a friendly smile when I saw Yu.
He always had this bright, happy smile whenever I saw him, which never failed to lighten the mood—at least for me.
If there was one thing I could complain about, however…
"Stop calling me little Hoshino!" I screamed with a childish stomp. "I have a name, y'know!"
Yu laughed, leisurely scratching the back of his head. "Haha, my bad. But you look just like him! How am I supposed to hold myself back?"
Wow... that is the most insulting thing anyone has ever said to me.
People who knew both of us always claimed that we looked identical, but I refused to believe I had that same "I don't care" expression my Brother always had.
"Don't say that!" I protested. "I'm much prettier than my Brother!"
He stubbornly shook his head while clicking his tongue, as if he were dealing with a toddler.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. I didn't mean it as an insult. I think you both look beautiful! You should be proud to look like him!"
Perhaps in any other scenario, I would've been offended. But he said it with such sincerity that I didn't have the heart to correct him.
This is why I hate nice people!
"You…" I let out a resigned sigh. "Fine. You're right."
Yu laughed—a loud, booming sound that definitely drew too much attention.
Okay, but please be just a little quieter! I'll look bad if people think my only friends are my Brother's friends!
Once his laughter died down, he gave me a supportive pat on the back that almost sent me tumbling to the ground under its sheer force.
"Well, it was nice talking to you," he said happily, ignorant of the fact that he almost killed me. "But I need to head back to class now. See you next time, little Hoshino!"
My eye twitched, and I felt a vein on my head throb. "HEY–"
But before I could correct him, he had already run off into the distance.
Without anything to lash out at, I kicked a pebble on the ground. It rolled only a few centimetres away from me. A pathetic display.
My irritation only grew more.
AGHHH! For the last time! I'm not just little Hoshino!
Even though it annoyed me, there was nothing that could be done about it.
So, with the soft click of my tongue, I continued with my day as usual.