"Kaito? You're awake! It doesn't seem to be that severe," Hana said as their gaze met.
"It seems I have died. I could see an angel right in front of me. My wish has been fulfilled," Kaito thought to himself, letting his imagination run wild.
He didn't even sense that Ryota was beside him.
"Well then, I'm going to my extracurricular class. See you later," Hana said as she left the room with cheerful hops.
"Oh, okay. Bye," he said as she disappeared from his sight.
From her perspective, it looked different.
'Oh no, I'm late for my extracurricular class. Should I tell them I was keeping watch at the infirmary for someone? No, they won't believe me,' she started her inner monologue.
'I'll try using that hopping technique I saw on TV, using my front feet to jump,' she thought as she began to leap in a comical way.
'I hope they don't make fun of me in class,' she continued to think.
Meanwhile, the boys in the infirmary were still arguing.
"Hey, hey, hey, were you alone with Hana? What were you two doing? Naughty things?" Ryota teased Kaito.
Ignoring Ryota, Kaito said, "Alright, it's time to go home and study." He grabbed his backpack and walked out of school.
"Hey, at least let's walk together. My house is on the way," Ryota suggested as they reached the school gate.
"Suit yourself," Kaito replied as they started walking together.
Ryota's inquisitive gaze pierced Kaito's concentration, "What are you going to do at home?"
"Study," Kaito replied, almost absent-mindedly.
"Well, other than that?" Ryota prodded further, looking for a more interesting answer.
"Sleep, eat, and rest," Kaito shrugged.
"You're so boring," Ryota teased. "Do you want to go out during the midterm break? My friends are organizing a badminton competition. The winner gets Hana."
Kaito's brows furrowed in confusion, "What?"
"Hahaha, of course not," Ryota chuckled, easing the tension.
"Give me a break," Kaito sighed, "Let me study in peace. We're already two months into the twelfth grade."
Ryota persisted, "Have you decided which university to go to?"
Kaito replied, with conviction, "Isn't it obvious? The University of Tokyo."
"Well, it's obvious for you. What major are you taking?" Ryota asked.
"I'm taking Civil Engineering," Kaito replied.
"You already think so far ahead, huh?" Ryota responded.
As they continued walking, they finally arrived at Kaito's house.
"Here's your house. See you later," Ryota said.
"Bye," Kaito replied as he opened the gate.
"I'm home," Kaito called out as he entered the house.
"Welcome back, big brother," Kaede greeted him cheerfully.
"Is Mom working late again, Kaede?" Kaito asked.
"Mhm, she told me to make dinner today," she replied.
"Don't forget to tie your hair when you cook. Call me when it's ready," Kaito reminded her.
"Okay," Kaede replied.
"Alright, time to study. It's already 4 PM and I've wasted about thirty minutes passed out," Kaito said to himself as he prepared to hit the books after he changed his clothes.
"Let's see the schedule for tomorrow... physics, biology, compulsory mathematics, culinary, and religion."
"Okay, I'll probably prioritize physics first and then mathematics. Three hours for physics, two hours for mathematics, and one hour for biology."
"That should give me enough time to get a full 8 hours of sleep from 10 PM to 6 AM."
An hour into his study session, Kaito's phone rang.
"Huh? Do we even have homework? Why did someone contact me?" Kaito wondered to himself, feeling a bit confused.
--- Ryota ---
'Kaka, my guy. The exam is coming, can you tutor me?' Ryota's message read.
'Busy.' Kaito responded.
'Please?' Ryota begged.
'Hey! Don't leave me on read,' Ryota sent another message.
-----
"I don't have time to tutor anyone right now. My grades would drop tremendously if I did that," Kaito sighed.
"Big brother, dinner is ready," a distant voice was heard from Kaito's room.
"I'm coming!" Kaito replied as he walked out of his room.
"Your hair looks so messy today," Kaede said as she prepared dinner on the table.
"Your body proportions are overloaded every day," Kaito said.
"Wouldn't that be a compliment?" Kaede replied, smiling.
"Let's just eat," Kaito said as both of them prayed before eating.
"Thanks for the food," they said in unison.
Kaito and Kaede are sitting at a small wooden dining table in a modestly decorated dining room.
The walls are painted in a soft shade of beige, and there are a few framed pictures hanging on them, including one of Kaito and Kaede when they were younger.
The table is covered with a red and white checkered tablecloth, and there is a simple flower vase in the center with a few pink carnations.
The room is dimly lit, with a small pendant light hanging above the table.
The aroma of freshly cooked food fills the room, and a faint sound of the ticking clock can be heard from the nearby living room.
Kaito is sitting with his back straight, reading a book, while Kaede is casually scrolling through her phone with a faint smile on her face.
"Why do you keep staring at your phone and smiling? Are you making money?" Kaito asked.
"Well, I could work, but would big brother even allow me to?" Kaede replied.
Kaito looked up at the ceiling and sighed.
"Whatever, I'm finished," he said as he put his plate in the sink and returned to his room.
Kaito's room was cluttered with many papers scattered across his desk and the floor, making it look very messy.
The room was dimly lit as he rarely turned on the lights, making it even harder to see the dust that had accumulated on his furniture and belongings.
Kaito returned to his studies, muttering to himself "Back to it," before diving into his books. The minutes seemed to pass by quickly, and before he knew it, hours had slipped away.
Six hours had elapsed, with only a brief pause for dinner.
As Kaito's phone rang, he was jolted out of his concentration.
The sweet voice of his little sister filled the room, "Big brother! I love you! Rest well!" It was only then that Kaito realized the time.
"Wait, it's already 10 PM?" he exclaimed in surprise, having lost track of the hours.
Realizing that he needed some rest, Kaito shut his books and headed to bed, declaring to himself, "Alright, time to sleep."
In the living room, Kaito's little sister felt confused.
'Did I just hear my own voice? My big brother is already home. Is this my inner demon?' she wondered to herself.
"Jeez, I must be really tired," she muttered, "I need to get some rest and think about this tomorrow." With that, she headed to her room.