Chapter One

Being in my last year of middle school was a fucking mess. I normally wouldn't curse, but it really was. Between entrance exams, choosing schools, and keeping up with my friends, it became really hard to handle at times.

My brother was still in the hospital when I had to make the final choice about what high school I was going to. I had narrowed it down to two: Seirin, my brother's school; and Kirisaki Daichi, my dream school. I knew what Teppei would advise me to do from the very beginning, but I wanted to get his consent anyways.

I remember thinking to myself that there was more to what my brother was saying that day than he was letting on, but I had just brushed it off at the time as nothing more than a weird feeling.

"You should do what makes you happy. Don't worry about me." He had said. I expected this response from him, but what was with the betrayal that seemed to linger at the end of his every word? If only I had known then.

"I know, but you went to Seirin so you could take care of our Grandparents. It isn't fair if I got to go to my dream school when you had to sacrifice so much."

"I made that sacrifice so you didn't have to. I just wanted to play basketball, it really didn't matter to me where," He shrugged, "Basketball is basketball no matter what school you go to, but academics aren't. You want to go to school for literature and you should go to the school that helps you pave the way for your future." My brother, in this moment, even in this hospital bed, seemed bigger than he ever was. All I could do was pout and turn away from his greatness, but I could still feel his smile on the back of my head.

Looking back at it now, I understand what this meant so much more than I did then. At the time, it just felt like he was being supportive of me, but now I realize that this was his way of letting me go and it wasn't until the morning before my first day of high school that I began to put the pieces together.

~x~

"Hey, Chouko."

"Hm?" I looked up from my book and at my brother. He was leaning on the counter by stove in his pink apron, cooking up some breakfast. I was convinced this man had no shame (and still am), but I was just glad to see him back in the house, even if he was on crutches.

"Be careful in school, okay? Don't get involved with any one who you don't think is good news."

"Aww, you worried I am gonna end up bringing home some bad boy?" I laughed, "You know you don't have to worry about that. I have got my head in the game." If only I knew the irony of this statement.

"Well no, it's just," he paused for a while, "There are some people at that school that aren't the best news and I won't be there to protect you if something happens."

"I know you are worried, but there are bad people at every where. I won't always have you there to protect me."

"Yeah I know but – "

"Why are you being so weird about this?" I snapped. I had thought that if he didn't want me going to Kirisaki he could of stopped me when he had the chance, but it never was that simple.

The tension in the room was high. The sound of sizzling followed by the occasional popping noise from the pan grease was the only sound to be heard. Teppei was the first to break the silence, "I really did not want to tell you this, but I guess you would have found out anyways." I looked at him questioningly, but waited for him to continue, "The basket ball team that messed up my leg during that game was the Kirisaki Daichi basketball team." My brother looked away from me and attended to his cooking.

"Oh," I was dumbfounded, "Why did you tell me?" I wish I hadn't asked so many stupid questions at the time.

"You wouldn't have chosen that school if you had known that."

"Of course I wouldn't!" I stood up from the table angrily, grabbed my things, and headed for the door; images of my brother with that shadow across his face flash in my mind.

Before I had walked out of the house I heard my brother call out to me, "Have a good first day." I glared back at him and left with no response.