Hoshino POV:
*buzz* *buzz* *buzz* *buzz*
My consciousness was roused by the buzzing to my side, and I slowly opened my eyes. Usually, since it was Sunday, I'd be a lot more reluctant to the idea of waking up this early. But over the past month, this had happened so many times that I don't care anymore.
Whatever, let's just get this over with.
I stared at the ceiling as my vision slowly adjusted. That was when I noticed something strange. The only source of light in my room… was a single ray of sunshine peering through the crack in my curtain.
There shouldn't have been any problems with that under normal circumstances. But I was sure that I had fallen asleep with the lights on last night.
It couldn't have been Mom; she slept downstairs on the couch, so she couldn't have known. Which meant it could only have been Lily... or Dad.
The events from yesterday flashed in my mind. Then it spread to the past week. Then the past month.
I took in a sharp breath, then exhaled slowly, pushing everything out with it. My body seemed to grow heavier as I sank further into the bed.
I guess... he really is trying.
I bit the inside of my mouth.
...But he isn't the only one.
With a sigh, I shook my head, erasing my thoughts.
I sat up in my bed and grabbed my phone. A surprising number of notifications waited for me.
I opened the first one, which was from Mei. It was just a simple:
She sent this an hour ago. I didn't think it was that long ago, but I still felt a bit bad for making her wait, so I sent her a quick reply.
There were a few misspellings here and there, but I hit send anyway. It was out of my hands.
I moved on to the second message, which was from Yu. It read:
A proud smile tugged at my lips.
At least he came to me this time…
I sent him a simple response:
This time, I spelled the entire text correctly.
Now that that was done, I moved on to the final message—which was a missed call notification from Luna. I opened my text messages with her and typed:
She read it instantly.
Damn… I didn't know it was that serious.
Her reply came exactly one second after.
Wow. Guess I was wrong.
When I finished reading her message, my eyes narrowed, and I brought my phone closer to my face.
There's… no way I'm reading this right.
I read the message again. Then again. And again.
My phone suddenly vibrated. It was another text from Luna.
My proud smile from earlier morphed into a crooked grin.
There's no way she's actually asking this…
I reluctantly sent her a reply telling her I was coming, and quickly got out of bed to get ready. I brushed my teeth while picking out what I should wear.
I don't do this for just anyone. You'd better be grateful for this!
It wasn't too hot outside, so I settled on a large black hoodie, which I put a baggy dark red jersey over, plus baggy tan cargo pants.
I ran back to the bathroom, spat out the toothpaste, washed my face, ran back into my room and grabbed everything I needed to.
As I descended the stairs, the smell of fresh eggs wafted toward my nose. The living room expanded into view with each step I took—until I finally reached the bottom.
It was a typical Sunday morning. Dad was eating the breakfast that Mom had woken up to make for him, while she had returned to resting on the couch.
At the sound of my arrival, they both turned towards me.
A bright, obnoxious yet childish smile bloomed on Dad's face. "Wow! It's rare to see you up so early!"
Dad's gaze slowly traced me from head to toe. He gave me a knowing nod, then returned to his meal. "Ah, you're going out today. I see. Have a good day then."
It was a quick and simple greeting, which was exactly how I liked it. He didn't bother wasting my time with small talk. Just checked in and checked out.
So, just like any other day, I should have taken my leave. But this time, for some reason, the subtle feeling that something wasn't right settled in my chest as I watched him eat. It wasn't anything serious, but it was enough that I couldn't shake it off.
I wonder… how long it took for him to learn to deal with me this way.
I never told anyone—especially not anyone in this house. So there was no way he'd know it. Yet here he was, doing exactly that.
Maybe… I can try a little harder.
I took a deep breath, then approached Dad at the table.
Sorry, Luna, but I'm going to be just a little late.
I didn't wear my detached expression. Instead, I tried to greet him with a smile.
His eyes widened slightly, but he quickly laughed it off.
"What's this?" he bellowed, pushing his plate toward me. "Do you want some of my breakfast? I can share if you're hungry."
I steadily shook my head and sat down next to him. "No, I just... want to ask if you were the one who turned the lights off in my room yesterday." I blurted out the first thing that popped into my head.
Dad blinked at me blankly a few times before his face lit up in realization. "Ohhhh. Yeah, that was me. How did you know?"
I shrugged. "Who else could it have been? I know it wasn't Mom, and it definitely couldn't have been Lily". I paused for a moment before continuing in a sarcastic tone. "Unless you're trying to tell me I'm sleepwalking or it's a ghost, then it could've only been you."
Dad chuckled. "Hah! Well, you got me."
He looked down at his food, his thumb gently caressing the handle of the spoon.
Then, he looked back up and gave me a wide, soft smile. "Yeah, I was the one who did it."
I opened my mouth, but the words caught in my throat. I gripped my thigh, struggling to push the words out.
Ugh. Just say it!
I opened my mouth once more and pushed the words through. "T-thank you." Those words came out in an awkward stutter, but it was out.
I quickly shifted my gaze to the corner of the table. I couldn't bring myself to look at him right now, but I still wanted to hear his response.
Dad didn't move, as if he were frozen in place. Yet, I could still feel his gaze on the side of my head.
After a few seconds, Dad took a deep breath, then opened his mouth.
What came next, however, wasn't the light, childish voice of my Dad. Instead, it was a soft—yet domineering voice.
"Where do you think you're going? Son?"
Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted, growing infinitely heavier. A chill ran through my spine, and goosebumps crept up my arms.
Dad and I turned toward the voice. Mom had risen from the couch, staring down at me as I sat in my seat.
My smile faded—and my detached expression fell into place. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm going out."
Mom let out a quiet sigh, shaking her head disappointedly. "Don't you have exams? Shouldn't you be studying?"
I was going to counter by saying I was studying with friends, but she spoke again.
"If you're going to be studying with your friends, then why are you empty-handed? Besides, is it even effective for you to do so? Wouldn't you be better off studying alone?"
I didn't—and couldn't—say anything. Everything I could have said had been shut down with perfection. There was nothing else I could do.
Realizing that, Mom crossed her arms and took a step closer, drawing the final line. "You're staying home."
Her words echoed over and over again in my head. With each iteration, it felt as though the muscles in my face unravelled, falling lower and lower.
Then, in the midst of it all—I bit the inside of my mouth.
...Don't tell me what to do.
My lips parted on their own, and with it—came out a voice devoid of anything.
"Mom, I don't care."