Not again.

Not this again.

Sho was way too old for this.

Maybe he was just dreaming. Maybe if he went back to bed in his dream then he would wake up in reality. Maybe when he woke up in reality then everything would have been fine. Just, that was it. Just a very vivid dream. He had those sometimes. He had just been having one…which might have been how he had gotten himself into this predicament. That was just it….and also probably the whole liter of cola he had drank that night. That might have been it, too. Big sis told him not to drink so much before bed.

Because this would happen…like it happened sometimes….too many times.

And it was not a dream. Sho tried to lay back down and go to sleep but he couldn't. He was wet and cold and gross…even by his standards. This was the worst. He was supposed to be too old for this. This hadn't happened since he was little. Mom had been the one to tell him that it was something that a lot of kids went through and that he would grow out of it in time. Well a lot of time had passed. He was eight years old now.

And eight was way too old to be wetting the bed.

He threw his blankets off with his powers. Now he was even colder. This sucked. This really sucked and he would use the word sucked because it sucked. It sucked in Korean and English and Japanese and Mandarin and every other language that had been invented. It was wet and gross and it sucked and then at any minute big sis would notice his aura and then wake up and tell him that it was going to be alright and get him new pajamas and new bedding and a new mattress cover and then-

Her bed was totally empty.

He checked the clock. It was late. They had gone to bed hours ago…but she didn't always stay in bed. He knew where she was. There were only so many places in this borrowed house that she could have been hiding. She was either in the bathroom, maybe, or with dad, probably. She and dad liked to hang out late at night. He didn't like to join them. They were always so boring together…and also dad didn't seem too happy to hang out with him. Even though he had his powers and he was impressive….

Sho got out of bed.

His pajamas clung to him. They felt gross. They felt gross and smelled worse and usually this was the part where big sis helped him get out of his pajamas and stripped his bed…but she was busy. That didn't matter. He didn't care. He could take care of himself. He would take care of himself. He was a big kid now. She was off with dad and that was fine. He knew where the spare pajamas were, he knew how to strip a bed, he knew how to take a shower….which he had to even though he didn't want to. He was covered in pee after all.

He was covered in pee and nobody cared.

Mom had usually been the one to take care of him when this happened. Now it was big sis. He never even had to wake her up. She could tell by his aura. She was always there, had always been there, in the next bed. Before. She was hanging out with dad more and more these days. He even let her sleep in the bed with him. He always kicked Sho out when he tried. Dad said that he took up the whole bed and also kicked in his sleep. Sho didn't think that was fair. He couldn't control what he did in his sleep. Big sis did stuff in her sleep too. She snored and hugged you and also made the bed float sometimes. It wasn't fair…

A lot of things weren't fair.

He took off his pajamas and threw them in the hamper. He stripped the bed with his powers and then did the same thing. As long as he got new bedding on the bed and put new pajamas on himself then dad would be none the wiser. Dad hated it when Sho wet the bed. At least he had when Sho had been little. Dad didn't know that Sho still wet the bed sometimes. Big sis was good at hiding the evidence…but now she was gone….

He could see her aura. She was still in the house.

He didn't need her. He was a big kid now. He could do this himself and he did do it himself. He had hid the evidence. Now all he had to do was take a shower, no time for a bath, and then put new bedding on the bed and head back to sleep. Simple. He didn't need her or anyone else to take care of him, he could take care of himself, like dad was always talking about. He was a complete person on his own. He didn't need big sis and she didn't need him. She had someone else to hang out with now. Someone who was boring and read books all the time and probably didn't even like her. They seemed like they didn't like anyone…but for some reason his big sis would rather have hung out with someone who was mean and boring than her own little brother.

Some best friends they were.

He had always disliked it when she called them best friends. You weren't supposed to be best friends with your sister. That was not what sisters were for. He hadn't ever liked it….but that didn't mean that he wanted her to replace him. First she had replaced him with dad and then she had replaced him with her new friend….and that was fine. He could replace her with…with….with….

He didn't even know.

But he did know that he was cold and covered in pee. That was not the way to be. So he decided to head down to the bathroom and take a shower all by himself…even though he could count the number of times he had bathed on his own with one hand…but he was not a little kid anymore. He could shower on his own. Even though he preferred baths he could shower on his own. He couldn't just go off and run himself a bath. Dad would notice and then he would ask why and then Sho would have to either make something up or tell dad the truth. Getting caught in a lie was worse than getting punished for what he had done. Dad said that he considered lying to be a form of betrayal and he punished it accordingly.

Dad would punish him if he knew.

Dad probably noticed his aura but…but he never said anything. Not unless Sho was being a jerk…which he was not being right now. He was just doing a naked run down the hall to the bathroom. Well Dad could punish him for that, too, and he would if he caught Sho running around naked. Dad was always on him to wear clothes. He wasn't allowed to even hang out in pajamas or his underwear. Dad said that they were people and people had to wear clothes. Dad wore clothes all the time. He even wore clothes to bed, daytime clothes, and Sho would not have been surprised if dad took baths fully dressed in his clothes too. Dad was weird like that.

Dad was weird.

Sho could have filled books with all of the weird things that dad did. Like how he slept in his clothes and ate breakfast for almost every meal and hated Ratatouille and every other movie with either mice or little people in them. They tried to watch The Secret World of Arrietty with dad once, or at least he and big sis had been watching it and then dad just came and sat down with them which was another weird thing he did sometimes, and then he watched for a little bit but then he was all 'this is disturbing' and then he went to his room. Even though it was a Japanese movie and dad was always going on and one about how awesome Japan was even though there were a lot of other countries in the world and they had their own cool stuff. Dad was weird about Japan sometimes, too, like how he was so into it but he wouldn't take them home…

Dad was weird.

And he was being weird now, too. Sho could hear him. He was in his room and he was….happy? Sho could see his aura. He wasn't that great at auras but dad felt…happy. He sounded happy too. The dad version of happy, not the normal person version of happy. If dad were a normal version of happy then it was a sign of the end of the world and Sho maybe should have took up praying. Dad was never normal people happy. Sometimes he could be the dad version of happy. Like when something good happened at work or there was a new documentary about Japan or something good happened with kendo, the most boring way for two people to beat each other up in Sho's opinion, or when he was hanging out with big sis.

Dad was happy because he was hanging out with big sis.

Sho knew that the smart thing to do would have been to just go and take a shower and then go back to bed and then wait for tomorrow to happen. Maybe he would be less of a jerk tomorrow. Yeah, he would play with big sis and they would do stuff that she liked. She could totally put him in one of her stupid dresses and put clips and stuff in his hair and then they could play dolls or watch one of her movies or something like that. He wouldn't complain and he wouldn't fight with her. He wouldn't shoot her with his dart gun either. Dad said that a gun was a coward's weapon anyway.

But a bamboo sword was fine.

"That's a Nippon. Right, dad?" asked big sis. Sho frowned. They were watching kendo…and he didn't care. Kendo was boring and dad was boring…and he knew that he had to get a move on…and he knew that he shouldn't have cared either way what dad and big sis were doing.

"Nippon. You're correct Daughter. Good eye." Said dad. Sho could hear him. He got as close to dad's door as possible. Dad's room was always closets to the bathroom because he had to get ready for work and stuff in the mornings. Sho didn't know what he had to do to get ready since he slept in his clothes and his hair was so short that he didn't even have to brush it. Sho didn't get it. Big sis probably did. She was always hanging out with dad after all. They were like best friends….if you could even be best friends with your dad. Sometime, in the times before mom had left, he had felt like they were friends. Mom understood him. She understood the things he liked, the things he cared about, and the things that he wanted. She understood him…and now she was gone. She was gone and he was alone and now there was no one to understand him or anything like that. It was just him…him and big sis…

But she had other people now.

She had always had dad but now she had a friend…sort of. Technically they were supposed to come over and teach big sis about her plant controlling powers, powers that it was not fair that she had and Sho didn't, but they mostly just hung out with big sis and read and drank coffee….which was gross and made Sho's heart all fluttery and his head hurt. Sho didn't know why she wanted to hang out with someone who was so boring. Maybe she just liked boring people. Maybe that was why she was sleeping with dad. Maybe she just wanted to spend time with the most boring dad in the world watching the most boring sport in the world. Maybe because she was so boring. Maybe she just knew that she was the boring sibling and Sho was the fun sibling and that was why she had stopped inviting him to hang out with her and dad at night.

Sho didn't even care. He had other things to do with his time…like shower…and he would. In a minute.

"The blue flags are kind of confusing but at least the Nippons are the same." Said big sis. Sho knew what Nippon meant. That was when you scored a point in kendo. Kumdo too, which was what they called it here, even though it was almost totally the same. Scoring points in kendo was dumb. You had to call your attack and then do it perfectly. Plus everyone was wearing protective gear, too, so they couldn't even hurt each other for real. So boring.

"Mostly the same. You're right though, Daughter, it is much better in Japan." Said dad. Sho wished that dad hadn't told big sis that she was right. He was always telling her that she was right. He was always nice to her like that…and it just was not in any way fair….but things had never been fair for him. Whatever. He had powers now. Dad liked him for that. What did he care if dad never wanted to hang out with him?

"I don't really mind kumdo, dad, it's ok. I've been watching naginata, too, and it's nice. I think I like it as much as kendo." Said big sis. Sho had no idea what naginata was. Probably something boring. Probably something boring that dad and big sis were going to do together….something that he wouldn't have had any interest in anyway because it was so boring.

"You're about old enough, you know." Said dad. She was always old enough. Old enough to hold onto their money. Old enough to be in charge. Old enough to decide where they went. Old enough to be friends with a grown up. She was always old enough because she was a year older than he was….and she wasn't! This was the part of the year when their ages overlapped! He should have been old enough. He-

He tried to calm down.

Because he did not want to get caught. Dad did not like to be bothered. He did not like to be bothered and he did not like it when Sho ran around less than fully dressed…and he was all the way naked now…and then if dad caught him he would be all the way mad too. He hated it when dad got mad at him. He never got mad at big sis. Big sis was about the only person that he was almost never mad at. He even got mad at Fukuda sometimes and Fukuda said that he and dad had known each other for thirty years. That was longer than Sho had even been alive. Dad had gotten mad last time Fukuda came over, when Sho tried to hang from the shower curtain and fell and messed his arm up, because Fukuda had stayed and hung out and then Fukuda and Minegishi got into kind of a fight because Minegishi said that it was weird how Fukuda wanted to take a walk through the neighborhood with him. Minegishi was weird too, in Sho's opinion, for wanting to hang out with big sis. It was wrong to call Fukuda weird for doing the same thing that they themselves had been doing. In Sho's opinion.

Dad just told Fukuda not to over step. Sho hadn't thought that Fukuda had overstepped…but Sho was not big sis. Dad only cared about what big sis had to say.

"To like naginata?" asked big sis

"To start naginata. I think that you're old enough." Said dad.

"But what if…sometimes back at school I would get scared when we played games in gym because…because I might have lost control…and I still worry about losing control. Sorry. I'm sorry that I lose control sometimes still." Said big sis. That was true. Sho's control was much better than hers. Dad had even said that his control was impressive. Dad had said that Sho had very good control, even better than dad himself had at Sho's age. That had been one of the few nice things that dad ever said to him….

"You still do." Said Dad. Sho tried to keep his aura close. He was such a jerk. He was the biggest jerk that there had ever been. He was happy that his own dad had said something mean to his big sis. He should not have been happy about that. He should have felt bad that dad had said something mean…to his best friend…

What was wrong with him?

He was dad's son. Dad was the biggest jerk in the world and that was why it made sense that Sho had been such a jerk for his entire life. Dad wasn't always a jerk, sometimes he could even be nice, and Sho was he same way. He didn't set out to be a jerk he just…just did jerk stuff. That was just the way he was…and he couldn't help it. He and dad were two of a kind…maybe. No, they weren't…because Sho knew that he was being a jerk…and he could do things to stop it. Like…like by being nicer to big is. Yeah. Tomorrow he would be nice to her…

Even though dad was already plenty nice to her.

"Yes. I'm sorry. I know that you want me to be better…and that I have to set a good example for Sho…" said big sis. Sho stuck out his tongue. He didn't need anyone to set a good example for him.

"You're fine. You haven't lost control in any serious way. I would have been able to feel it." Said dad

"You can feel me from all the way at the Fifth Division?" asked big sis. Sho had no idea where the Fifth Division was but he knew, from dad's complaining, that it must have been far. Dad had really good range. Sho's range wasn't that good. Dad's range was better….and he probably could have felt Sho….but unless Sho bothered him then he would say nothing. Dad didn't care about Sho unless he was doing something cool with his powers or doing something to mess with big sis or bother dad.

"Yes. If I focus I can feel you and your brother. I check in on you two like that from time to time." Said dad. Sho felt…nice…because dad had checked up on them…but then he reminded himself that dad was probably only checking on big sis. He only cared about big sis. Unless Sho was doing something cool with his powers…and he hadn't done anything cool with them lately. He could move things without touching them and he could make himself float but that was about it. Big sis could control plants. That was much cooler.

"Why not just call? We have phones now and-" said big sis

"Why call when I can just expand my perceptions for a moment and feel the both of you? It's just easier." Said dad

"Oh. Ok." Said big sis

"And your control has been very good lately. Better than I would have thought that it would be. You have the occasional hiccup but I think that you would do well in naginata. It's mostly skill, not power. It's a sport which rewards control and planning. That's why I think that it would be good for you, daughter." Said dad

"Ok…but I wish that I was a boy so then I could learn kendo….so you could teach me. I like it when you teach me things." Said big sis. Dad was always teaching her things…but dad didn't ever accuse her of bothering him. Dad was always happy to teach her stuff…and he had been teaching her stuff for as long as Sho could remember. Sho didn't need to be taught how to use his powers. Sho just sort of knew how they worked.

Big sis might have had dad to show her how her powers worked but dad had never called her 'impressive'.

"I suppose some things do transfer over. It would be easier for me to spar against you. When you gained some skill of course….and I brush up on mine. It's been several decades since I last touched a shinai." Said dad

"That's ok I guess….but I think that Sho would have more fun sparring against you. He likes to fight." Said big sis. Sho would have loved to spar against dad….he would have loved to wail on dad with a bamboo sword…and he knew that he was a jerk for wanting to beat dad up with a shinai. He had those sorts of dreams, sometimes, except for how in his dreams he didn't use a bamboo sword. In his dreams he mostly used his hands…

He had weird dreams sometimes.

"Son would not do well in kendo." Said dad. Sho wanted to…he wanted to go up to dad and…but that would have been so stupid. Dad was bigger and stronger than he was. Dad was just being a jerk, anyway, and he…maybe he couldn't help it. Maybe he couldn't help it like Sho couldn't help it. Maybe he didn't realize how hurtful he was being….but he must have had to have known. He knew that Sho was right there after all….

"But he loves fighting." Said big sis

"Yes, he does, but his emotional control is terrible. Son can hit things and hit them hard, and his strength is impressive, but kendo is a sport of control. I never once used my powers and I almost made it to world class." Said dad. Sho waited for big sis to defend him. His emotional control was great! He never lost control of his powers like big sis did! He always had perfect control! Near perfect control! Dad had even said that he was impressive! If he was so impressive then why….then why did that say that? And what…what was big sis going to say? She was…she was going to defend him. She always defended him. That was what big sisters did. They defended you when your dad decided to go off and be a jerk and say…and say jerk stuff….

"But he never loses control of his powers like I do." Said big sis. She shouldn't have said that so quietly. She should have said it nice and loud. She should have said it as loudly as she could so that dad heard her and he got the message. Sho had good control. He was powerful. He was impressive. Dad had said so.

Dad didn't ever tell lies.

"He never loses control in the same way you do but he does lose control. We both know it. I know you, Daughter, and I know that you are not the quarrelsome one. That is what I like about you. You're never quarrelsome. Son on the other hand…Son is very quarrelsome not only with you but with me as well. He does not have the control or the patience for kendo. He can't even sit still to watch it. Not like you." Said dad

"Yeah…he says that it's boring. He says that it's a boring sport for boring people who love to be boring. He probably wouldn't have much fun…even though he likes fighting a lot more than I do…" said big sis

"Exactly. He should stick to drawing. He's a very good artist." Said dad. There. That was dad being nice again. Sho didn't get it. Sometimes dad could say such nice things…it didn't make sense. Nothing made sense. Nothing was fair and nothing made sense and also he was very cold and knew that he needed to take a shower…but he just could not stop listening…even if this didn't concern him at all…as dad would probably tell him if he ever decided to get out of bed and tell him to put some clothes on and go back to bed.

"He is a really good artist…and I think that it would make him happy if you told him that. I mean then he would believe that you liked his drawings…and that would make him happy, I think. I don't think that he believes me when I tell him that you like his drawings." Said big sis. Well she was right about that…but not because he was hearing it from her. He just didn't think that dad liked anything. If dad liked his stuff so much then he should have just told him to his face…like mom had…back when she had been around.

"He knows how I feel." Said dad. Sho wanted to tell dad that, no, he did not know how dad felt! Nobody knew how dad felt! Nobody knew how dad felt because dad never acted the way he felt! Unless he was mad he never acted like…like….like anything! He was like big sis…but big sis never showed when she was mad….

Dad and big sis were still talking.

But Sho did not want to hear anymore. They could stay up all night watching boring TV and talking about boring stuff. He just did not care. He had better things to do with his time. He didn't need big sis or dad or anyone. He didn't care what they had to say about him or about anything. He had stuff to do. He had to shower and put new sheets and bedding on his bed and then go to sleep.

That was what he did.

He showered, got dressed, fixed his bed, and went to sleep.

And it didn't happen again…on that night, anyway.