"Alright, got that done!"
It's a normal weekday morning in my living room as I finish typing out the new chapter for my web novel "Living the sweet life with a cool, sharp-tongued beauty" and I can only breathe out a sigh as I upload it.
"Done writing, Onii?"
Stuffing her cheeks with French toast, Karen, my younger sister who is in the fifth grade, asks me that.
"Damn, poured too much syrup again."
"Again? Pass the syrup Onii."
"You have no interest in my problems..."
I pass her the syrup and she gives me an innocent smile.
"This is for you Onii."
"Ah, thanks."
I start eating the egg-and-chive toast that Karen made. Her breakfast is as good as ever. The outer layer is crisp, but once you bite into it, you can feel the fluffiness and sweetness jump into your mouth. You can feel the chives in the back of your throat as you continue eating and the soft boiled egg just spreads all around your mouth as it breaks up. After spending all my energy writing, this toast is the perfect way to recharge.
"That was delicious, thanks!"
"That was fast, are you a Dyson!?"
"Who are you calling a vacuum cleaner?"
By the way, both our parents are always on business trips, so they are rarely home, which leaves the chores to Karen and me. Karen is a splendid cook, so I have no issues leaving that to her, meanwhile, I do everything else. Cleaning the bathroom, taking out the trash, you name it.
I'd say it's a fair trade-off. Karen's amazing cooking skills aren't that labor-intensive, so it's all good. Anyways, as I sip my morning coffee, Karen begins speaking.
"You're writing a sweet love story, yeah? I read a bit and it's boring."
"Is that so? Well, if you're interested in the stuff I'm writing, I'd be more concerned."
Because I've been living such an unfulfilling school life so far, my story is my only retreat from my pain. For elementary students with a bright future ahead of them, my story wouldn't serve them any purpose.
"Oh, but I recommended it to one of my classmates, Ishikawa-Kun, and he cried when he read it!"
"Is he alright?"
Ping
I hear the notification sound coming from my notebook
"Ah, it came."
"Some reviews?"
"Yep."
"Nira-san?"
"That's right."
Nira, which is his username, is one of my loyal followers. No matter when I post a chapter, he'll always post a review within 10 minutes, it's honestly stunning.
"This chapter was good! I loved how Maika-chan held Ryousuke-Kun in a motherly embrace, that scene made me cry! Thanks to the author, you're the best!"
It's a simple message, but I understand him completely.
"Ahh, thanks, Nira-san."
I can feel my heart calming down.
"This chapter was good!"
Reading those words, it really makes me feel at ease. It's because of the readers that I have the will to keep writing consistently. I owe Nira-san a lot.
"Hmm, how to reply... Ahh! Nira-san, I appreciate your comments on each chapter! I also cried when writing that scene, it makes me hap-"
"Onii, you're acting weird."
"It's a very heartwarming scene that you wouldn't understand yet."
Karen gives me a sarcastic smile. Seems like that as she's growing up, she's learning how to torment people. I'm honestly a bit worried about how she'll turn out in the future.
Ding Dong
Just as I hit the enter to send the message, I hear the intercom ring.
"Seems like Rin came, Onii."
"It's already time to head to school, huh..."
I close my laptop, put it in my bag, and get up.
"Alright, let's go."
"Alright!"
We leave the living room and I open the front door.
"Good morning Tohru-Kun."
In her neat uniform stands my childhood friend, Rin Asakura, elegant as always. Her long black hair sways to and frays in the breezy March wind and the sun shines on her regal face. She truly does look like a goddess, leading me to the holy land. As she's about to say something to me, I hear her breath, which sounds like the instrument of an angel.
"I see you're the same as ever, with the rotten face of yours."
Kind of ruining the mood, as ever.
"Hey, it's my business face. Have to keep track of the Nikkei Stock Average!"
"That's your business face?"
"Sorry, sorry, I will do better next time!"
Rin glares daggers at me as I give an exaggerated reaction.
"Come on, we don't have time to idle around and chat, let's get going to school already."
With that, Rin turns around.
"Wait a minute, Rin."
She stops and our faces come close to touching.
"He-"
She always hides her emotions, so this is the first time I'm seeing her so vulnerable. Her face is a bit red and shaking a little bit, my curiosity gets the better of me so I ask her about it.
"Aren't your eyes a little red?"
"Tss..."
She clicks her tongue.
"Is something wrong?"
"I was yawning before, that's all."
She's lying, I can tell that immediately. Whenever she lies, she moves her eyes left and right rapidly. I understand her quirks easily.
I know because I'm her childhood friend.
I don't know exactly what is bothering her, but there is something.
I know because I'm her childhood friend.
"Why are you staring at me, it's gross."
"I'm not staring at you."
She probably read a really moving shoujo manga. She doesn't seem like the type to like those things, but she's a fan of anime and young adult fiction and cries easily.
I'm her childhood friend, so I should do something to cheer her up.
"I-if you have anything troubling you, just tell me and I'll help you however I can."
"Help... me?"
Rin makes a fist in front of her chest.
"What?"
"Nothing, let's go dog."
"Hey, I thought I told you to stop calling me that."
I notice Rin's mouth rises up a little bit, but it returns to her normal expression after a second. And so we start walking and I'm lost in my own thoughts.
Talking with Rin is so much fun. We spent 10 fun years together and we don't need to hold back with each other. I can't have this kind of relationship with any other of my classmates. Goofing off with Rin every morning is the best.
And so, we continue our walk, keeping a 30cm distance apart. We get to the station, get on the train and get off when we reach the station nearest our school. We continue our banter as we arrive at school. We're in different classes, so once we reach them, it's time to say our goodbyes.
"See you."
"Yeah, see you. Do your best today!"
Our last words to each other are painted with a sense of pain as we are reluctant to part. And yet, we head our separate ways. My chest feels all warm and fuzzy.
Today was a good day.
However, that warm feeling would soon change to despair a few hours later.