The peaceful sleep that had enveloped me was suddenly disrupted, as my dreamscape came crashing down.
"Wake up."
A voice called out. I stirred, opening my eyes and taking in my surroundings. Standing before me was a petite girl, with hair that was not quite short, but not quite medium either. It cascaded down to her small shoulder. She wore a school uniform, and I recognized her immediately as my younger sister, Kaede.
"What time is it...?" I mumbled, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I tried to sit up in my bed, throwing off the covers.
"Just shut up and wake up," Kaede retorted with a sigh.
"Woah, that rhymes. You should try to be a rapper."
"Ha, are you still dreaming?" she replied, rolling her eyes. Then she turned back and left the room.
I got out of bed, stretching and taking in the mess that was in my room. It was small and cramped, a reflection of our family's struggling finances. The weight of my family's struggles weighed heavy on my mind and the hope of my family to me.
I went to the bathroom to take a shower, and on the way, I remembered that my mother had passed away when I was born. Sometimes, I felt guilty for it, imagining how much happier Kaede would be if she still had both parents.
I descended the stairs, my hand trailing along the smooth railing as I made my way to the bathroom on the left side of the landing. I stepped into the small space, the tile cool under my feet. I reached up and grabbed the showerhead, turning on the water with a low flow. I ran my hand under the stream, feeling the chill of the water. A shiver ran down my spine, the thought of taking a cold shower too much to bear. I decided to just wash my face and brush my teeth. The water splattered against the floor, drops hitting me on my legs.
With a towel wrapped around my waist, I returned to my room. I rummaged through my dresser, finally settling on my school uniform. I spritzed on a bit of cologne, trying to mask the fact that I had not taken a proper shower.
Making my way back down the stairs, I headed to the dining room to start my day with a delicious breakfast.
"Ah, there you are."
Kaede's voice chimed as I settled into my seat at the breakfast table. Her words were like music to my ears, a sound that could only belong to her with its cute and high-pitched tone. It was no surprise that I could easily identify her amidst the small number of inhabitants in our home.
"Good morning, Dad," I greeted my father who had just taken a seat next to me. "Why didn't you wake me up? I'm gonna be late."
"Oh, Izagi. You're finally up," he replied, a hint of confusion in his voice. "Wait, I thought I asked Kaede to wake you up a long time ago already?"
"Uh, no?"
"Stop speaking bullshit," Kaede suddenly interjected, her cheeks flushing with anger as she spoke in a loud, quavering voice.
"Kaede, there's no need to talk to your father like that," I swiftly intervened, not wanting an argument to break out.
"You must haven't woken up even when Kaede called, right?"
"Yes, I guess so," I replied with a shrug.
Kaede headed to the kitchen, soon returning with plates of food. We ate in a peaceful silence, the atmosphere serene and calm. This was the life I had always wanted and I had it already, a life where I could simply enjoy the company of my loved ones. I just hoped that this moment would last forever.
"I'll be heading out then," I called out, my voice ringing loud and clear in the morning air as I stepped out of the entrance.
"Take care of your Kaede," my father instructed.
"Of course," I replied, confident in my abilities as an older brother.
However, Kaede was not having any of it. "I'm not his," she declared haughtily, her piercing gaze fixed upon me.
"Dad's not hearing that, you gotta speak up a little," I chuckled, teasing her gently.
"Hmph," she huffed, turning on her heel and storming off ahead of me.
I sprinted to catch up with her, my feet pounding against the pavement in rhythm with my heartbeat.
"You look like kind of a stalker now," she teased, glancing over her shoulder with a smirk.
"Well, I'm your older brother, not a stalker."
I replied, matching her step for step as we made our way to school, where I was in high school and she was quickly approaching the same level of education. Despite the little difference in our ages, we were bonded as siblings, united by love and a shared future.
Not long after, we reached school and went our separate ways. I entered my classroom and saw a sign that read '2-B' hanging above the door.
"Yo, morning!"
One of my classmates called out to me. I gave a small wave in response. To be honest, I was never particularly social. But it was just luck that I ended up in this class with some pretty cool people. I got bullied a lot in middle and early high school, but these guys have been pretty nice to me.
Still, I don't really believe in the idea of friends. People tend to abandon you when you need them the most, and come back around only when they want something from you.
I settled into my seat in the back of the classroom, nestled in the center row. As the teacher began their lessons, I found my mind wandering. I was never particularly fond of studying, so I often took out my phone and fiddled with it, keeping it hidden from sight beneath a textbook.
'A total solar eclipse will be visible in Japan on 1 December.'
'Asteroid makes one of the closest approaches to Earth.'
Despite my general disinterest in news, the news about the total solar eclipse and the asteroid approaching Earth is quite intriguing, even for someone like me who doesn't usually follow this type of news. Wait a minute... isn't today December 1st? I suppose I'll go check out the eclipse for myself and maybe with Kaede too.
After the lesson came to an end, I made my to Kaede's class. I doubted that Kaede, who dislikes these kinds of events, would be enthused about witnessing a total solar eclipse, but I figured she might tolerate it due to its infrequent occurrence.
Upon arriving, I called out for Kaede, but was met with silence. I scoured the class for her, guessing that she maybe was in the toilet.
Suddenly, a stranger asked from behind me, "Are you Kaede's brother?"
I reluctantly confirmed, "Uh, yeah."
"She's in the cafeteria, alone."
I made my way to the cafeteria, where I found it to be relatively quiet. Kaede was seated alone at a table, and I approached her and took a seat beside her without a word.
Kaede turned to me and asked, "What are you?"
"Do you want to see an eclipse?"
She responded skeptically, "Why would I want to see that?"
"You haven't seen one right?"
Kaede hesitated before responding, "I guess."
She has never had the chance to witness an eclipse, but I was not optimistic about this change. I briefly explained to her to keep her phone notifications on, as I would call her when it was about to begin. And with that, I left her and returned to my own class.
"Where'd you disappear to?" my classmate asked.
"Just nowhere special," I answered with a shrug.
I noticed that my classmate was trying to chat with me, but I wasn't sure how to respond since they weren't part of my inner circle. Nevertheless, I managed to offer a friendly smile and went back to my seat.
A short moments later, the room was filled with murmurs and excitement. My classmates had gathered at the windows, and I could hear them talking excitedly. It must be the eclipse, I thought, as it had grown quite dark outside.
I quickly pulled out my phone from my pocket and called Kaede.
["It's the eclipse."]
["Yeah, I know. I'm not blind."]
["Hope you're enjoying it."]
["Not really."]
Kaede's disinterest in the event wasn't a surprise, and she hung up abruptly.
"What the fuck is that?"
"The hell…"
"Is it…"
Suddenly, the lighthearted chit-chat transformed into panicked exclamations. I was curious, so I pushed my way through the crowd of students gathered around the windows. And there, right in front of me, was the bizarre and awe-inspiring sight.
...what is that?