There was a time when my brother was everything to me.
A figure so far ahead that I could never reach him, no matter how much I struggled.
He was my goal. My ideal. The unshakable pillar I sought to stand beside, even if all I could grasp was the edge of his shadow.
He never acknowledged me as his equal.
But I chased after him anyway.
Because that was the only way I knew how to live.
ㅤ
ㅤ
—
I blinked slowly, the weight of sleep still pressing against my mind. The cold from before hadn't left me yet, lingering in my fingertips, spreading through my limbs.
The voice on the phone…
It was Nii-san.
And he wanted to meet.
Outside.
I frowned slightly, my thoughts sluggish. Why now? After so long, after so much silence—why was he calling me this hour?
I tried to think of a reason, but nothing came.
Everything still felt hazy.
I barely even remembered falling asleep. The warmth, the steady presence beside me—it had all blurred together in a dreamlike fog.
I shifted, glancing at my phone's screen. The call had ended, but the lingering weight in my chest told me that the conversation wasn't over.
I exhaled slowly.
It wasn't like I had a choice.
Nii-san… was supposed to be the reason I came to this school in the first place. He was the reason I had fought so hard my whole middle school, the reason I had spent so long believing that I needed to be strong, needed to prove myself worthy.
But somewhere along the way because of my bizarre circumstances.
That changed.
I hesitated.
How did Nii-san even get my number?
The thought flickered through my mind, brief and fleeting, but I let it go just as quickly. It didn't matter. Not really.
There were more important things to deal with right now.
I got dressed.
Then, I turned, eyes settling on Ayanokouji.
He was still standing there, near my phone, near the remnants of the warmth I had just left behind.
His expression was unreadable.
I swallowed, forcing a small breath past my lips as I reached for my clothes, slipping into them quickly. My fingers were steady, but only just.
"I'll… I'll be back soon," I muttered, my voice quiet but firm.
I hesitated for a moment, glancing at him again before adding, slightly softer—
"D-Don't you dare disappear, okay?"
There was the faintest stutter in my voice. A crack I didn't mean to let slip.
He didn't answer.
Not with words.
But he nodded—slowly, deliberately—his gaze never leaving mine.
I should have felt reassured.
I should have.
But for some reason…
Like I was missing something.
Like—
No.
I pushed the thought aside.
I turned toward the door.
And soon stepped into the night.
The soft hum of the elevator filled the silence as I watched the numbers change, one after another.
I wasn't sure why, but my chest felt tight.
Not from fear. Not from unease.
Just… something.
It's been a long time since I saw Nii-san.
I shook my head slightly, pushing the thought away.
The elevator slowed, a soft chime signaling my arrival.
I stepped forward, the doors sliding open, and made my way through the quiet halls of the dormitory. The air outside was cool, brushing against my skin as I exited the building, but it did little to chase away the lingering heat inside me.
I walked forward.
Past the entrance, past the streetlights that flickered dimly against the pavement.
And then—
A shadowed alleyway.
It wasn't far. Just a small space between buildings, tucked away from view but not completely hidden.
He was there.
Standing in the dim light, his arms crossed, his figure as composed as ever.
Nii-san.
My chest tightened for a different reason this time.
"…Nii-san."
The name left my lips before I even realized it.
I took a step forward, my expression softening.
"I—"
I wasn't sure what I was going to say.
That it had been a while? That I was glad to see him?
That despite everything, a very small part of me still wanted his approval?
But before I could find the words—
"Silence."
His voice cut through the air, sharp and cold, slicing through the warmth I had barely begun to grasp.
I froze.
He took a step forward.
His gaze bore into me, cold—except for the quiet fury simmering beneath the surface.
"Do you even realize what you've done?"
I blinked.
Confusion flickered through my mind, slow and hazy.
What…?
My lips parted, but no words came out.
I didn't understand.
What had I done?
Why was he—
Something felt wrong.
The silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating.
Then—
"I don't know if this was your misguided attempt at garnering attention—"
His voice was like ice, precise and cutting, carrying the weight of quiet fury beneath each syllable.
"—but through your deplorable conduct, you've managed not only to invite scrutiny upon yourself but have also forced the school to question me in relation to your actions. And now, I too find myself embroiled in controversy."
His words were methodical, each one chosen with the precision of a blade being sharpened. They cut right to my soul.
"To think that I—" his tone lowered, sharpened, "—allowed my own sister to engage in such a disgraceful spectacle. A trivial and undignified performance orchestrated by some first-year."
The air felt heavy, pressing down on my lungs.
"Do you now comprehend the severity of your actions?"
I stiffened.
The weight of his words crashed into me, and in that moment, realization dawned.
The dance battle.
That was what this was about.
That was why he was furious.
But he was wrong—he didn't understand.
I inhaled sharply, my lips parting as I tried to explain.
"It's not— It's not what you think!" My voice was unsteady, my pulse racing. "I wasn't—"
"Very well."
The two words struck harder than a physical blow.
His gaze locked onto mine, unwavering, unforgiving.
Cold.
And within that cold, an unmistakable rage—controlled, restrained, yet simmering beneath the surface.
A shiver crawled down my spine.
"Then explain," he said, his posture rigid, his presence suffocating.
"Walk me through the exact thought process that led you to such reckless and inexcusable behavior."
His eyes bore into me, unyielding, demanding.
"I will hear your reasoning."
His voice, smooth and deliberate, carried an unspoken warning.
But no matter what I said—no matter how I tried to explain.
I knew.
He had already judged me.
I opened my mouth.
No words came out.
I had to explain.
I had to make him understand.
But—
How?
How was I supposed to justify something so irrational?
How was I supposed to put into words what even I didn't fully comprehend?
Dancing against Ibuki. The ridiculous, impulsive challenge. The way my body had moved on its own, driven by emotions I had never allowed myself to acknowledge before.
Even I couldn't believe that I had done something so absurd.
So how could I possibly make him believe me?
I swallowed hard, forcing my lips to move.
"I—I didn't— It wasn't—"
The words tangled, slipping from my grasp before I could shape them into something meaningful.
"I just— It wasn't like—"
Nonsense.
A mess of broken sentences and half-formed explanations that even I couldn't make sense of.
And he saw it.
His expression didn't shift, not even slightly, but I could feel the disappointment radiating from him like a crushing weight.
"Then there is nothing more to discuss."
His voice was final. Absolute.
And then he decided to destroy everything.
"As of next week, you will no longer be a student of Advanced Nurturing High School."
The world blurred.
I stopped breathing.
My heart slammed against my ribs, a deafening thud that drowned out every other sound.
No.
No. No. No.
Did I mishear?
Had he really just—?
"You will be unofficially expelled and sent home."
I felt my body lock up.
Cold.
So cold.
His voice, sharp and unwavering, cut through the chaos in my mind like a knife.
"Father will decide what to do with you from there."
No.
I felt something shatter.
Everything—everything—would be gone.
Everything I had worked for. Every struggle, every effort. The future I had envisioned.
Gone.
The feeling I had fought so hard to keep.
Gone.
The happy life I had started to carve out for myself.
Gone.
No. This—this wasn't—this couldn't—
I tried to speak.
Tried to breathe.
It was as if the ground beneath me had collapsed, and I was plummeting into an endless abyss, my fingers grasping at nothing.
"No! You can't do this to me!"
My voice came out sharp—desperate—far too raw.
I didn't care.
"I—I'll do better!" My breath hitched as I forced the words out, barely able to hold onto my own thoughts. "I studied for the midterms! I led Class D to a higher position! I accomplished this myself!"
I wasn't lying. I had worked harder than ever before.
I had pushed myself—changed myself.
Didn't that count for something?
Didn't I count for something?
But when I looked at him—when I met his gaze—
I felt my stomach drop.
It was there.
That look.
Not just disappointment.
Not just judgment.
It was disgust.
Like I was something pitiful to witness.
"As if that matters." His voice was ice, razor-sharp, and cutting through me with terrifying precision. "All you've proven is that not only did you follow me to this school, but you also lack any semblance of self-restraint."
My breath faltered.
No.
No, this wasn't happening.
This wasn't—
This couldn't be real.
I had spent my whole life looking up to him.
Chasing after him.
I had wanted to be like him. To be strong, to be perfect.
But now when I finally stopped.
Now he wanted to erase me.
I didn't even realize how hard I was shaking until he moved.
He stepped forward.
And then—
Pain shot up my arm.
My wrist—
His grip was too tight, firm, and unyielding as his fingers wrapped around me.
"I see it now." His voice remained calm, composed, unaffected by my reaction. "You're not even fully aware of your own actions, are you?"
His fingers tightened.
Too tight.
Panic surged through me.
"Let go."
No response.
"This isn't—" My breath hitched as I struggled against him, my other hand moving to pry his fingers away. "Nii-san, let go of me."
Nothing.
Like my words didn't even reach him.
"Clearly, this needs to be handled sooner than expected." His grip didn't waver as he took a step forward, his posture rigid, his decision already made. "We're leaving."
"No—No, I'm not—!"
I thrashed.
Pushed.
Pulled.
Struggled.
I couldn't let this happen.
I wouldn't let this happen.
Not when I had finally started to feel like I had something—like I had something of my own.
Not when I had finally started to feel alive.
But the more I fought—
The more his grip remained steady—
The more I realized—
It didn't matter.
To him—
It didn't matter.
No, no, no—!
Desperation clawed at my mind as I struggled in his grip, my breath quick and uneven. My body refused to listen, my strength insignificant against his unshakable hold.
This couldn't be happening.
I couldn't let this happen.
But no matter how much I fought—no matter how much I willed my body to move—
Nothing changed.
I was powerless.
No…
And in that moment—
When the weight of reality pressed down on me like an unrelenting force.
A single thought surfaced in my mind.
One I had tried to ignore.
One I had wanted to be rid of.
S-System!
Nothing.
Tears welled in my eyes.
P-Please… please answer me.
I could feel the remains of my composure slipping, the sheer helplessness sinking its claws deep into my chest.
I know what I said! I know I said I wanted you gone, that I didn't need you anymore—but please, please—!
I squeezed my eyes shut, my body trembling.
I need your help!
P-Please…!
And then—
[Oh shit—]
The voice echoed sharply in my mind, sounding both alarmed and exasperated.
A gasp caught in my throat.
System!
It was there. It had answered!
[Hold on. Just—just hold on tight!]
And before I could even process what it meant.
My body moved.
Not by my own will.
But on its own.
A sudden, unnatural force surged through my arm, and in an instant—
I broke free.
My wrist wrenched itself from Nii-san's grip, the motion sharp, almost unnatural.
And in the process, my hand struck against his face.
His glasses slipped.
Fell.
A sharp clatter echoed in the alley as they hit the ground.
My balance faltered.
My vision spun.
And before I knew it—
I nearly collapsed.
I barely caught myself, my knees trembling as I struggled to stay upright.
The world around me felt unsteady, my body still reeling from the sudden movement.
Silence.
A heavy, suffocating silence.
I forced myself to look up through blur.
A wave of frost shot through my veins.
Nii-san stood there, his posture rigid, his expression unreadable.
But his eyes—
His eyes burned with barely restrained cold fury.
My breath hitched as I stumbled backward, my body moving before I could even process what had just happened.
Nii-san reached for me again.
I felt it—
The sharp, controlled precision of his movements.
A force I knew I couldn't escape on my own.
But before his fingers could close around me—
My body jerked unnaturally to the side, narrowly dodging his grasp.
It wasn't me.
It was System.
[Shit—he's fast. Stay still—just for a sec—]
But even as it forced my body to evade, I could tell Nii-san was a troublesome opponent. Far stronger and better than I could ever be.
He wasn't someone who made the same mistake twice.
The next time he reached for me.
I couldn't escape.
A sharp, practiced grip locked around my arm, cutting off my movement entirely.
I inhaled sharply, panic flooding my chest as I struggled against him, my heartbeat hammering against my ribs.
"Enough."
The single word cut through my frantic attempts like a blade, his voice laced with pure, unshaken authority.
"Enough of this childish behavior."
My body tensed.
Even now—
Even when I was fighting, panicking, breaking—
He spoke to me as if I were nothing more than a reckless, misbehaving child.
Like my struggles were nothing more than a mild inconvenience.
"Do you even realize what you're doing?" His grip tightened slightly, his voice carrying a sharp edge of frustration. "Do you even understand the consequences of your—"
And then it happened.
His stance shifted.
A calculated movement.
System—!
Nii-san was going to end this rebellion.
A sudden force pulled through my limbs as System tried to force my body to move again.
But it was too late.
I barely had time to register the motion.
The sudden shift in weight.
The impact.
A sharp, overwhelming force struck the side of my head.
My vision exploded into white.
A shockwave of pain surged through my skull.
Before the world spun violently around me.
My knees buckled.
I fell.
And in those fleeting moments—
Just before everything slipped into darkness—
I saw it.
A single, fragmented image burned into my mind.
Nii-san's expression.
Not cold.
Not furious.
But—
Shocked.
Horrified.
And then—
The world vanished.