It was a chilly Thursday morning, and Kaito woke up promptly at 6 AM to prepare for school.
The first thing he did was stretch for ten minutes and drink 500ml of water to energize himself for the day ahead.
"Kaede! Wake up, it's already six-thirty. You'll be late for school!" he shouted as he knocked on her door.
"Coming," she replied, groggily.
"Breakfast is already on the table. I'm going to take a shower first," he said as he headed to the bathroom.
As he showered, Kaito counted the seconds in his head, stepping out as soon as he reached 300.
He quickly dressed and joined Kaede at the breakfast table.
"Mhm, breakfast is delicious," Kaede remarked.
"If it wasn't delicious, you wouldn't eat it," Kaito said.
Their mother usually came home late from work and slept for a couple of hours after they left for school.
Kaito was always meticulous in planning his days to avoid any missteps.
He waited patiently in front of the door for his sister to walk together to school.
"Aren't your skirt too short?" Kaito asked as he looked at his sister, scrutinizing her outfit.
Kaede, however, was quick to retort, "Aren't your attitude too stiff?"
Kaito couldn't help but chuckle at her response as he mimicked someone grabbing her thighs, "They can easily grab your thighs like that."
Kaede was taken aback, "Eek! Pervert!" blushed Kaede.
With that, they walked to school together, enjoying the cold morning breeze.
As they strolled, cats roamed the street and houses, and all sorts of people came out to start their day.
"Yo! Good morning Kaedy~" her friend greeted.
Kaede replied enthusiastically, "Morning, morning!"
Her friend couldn't help but comment, "Your brother is still scary as ever."
Kaede just shrugged it off, replying, "No comment."
As they parted ways, Kaede's friend said, "Well then, I'll get going first."
"See you at school!" Kaede shouted.
Kaito muttered under his breath, "Yuki Takahara, he's in the basketball club."
Kaede was surprised by her brother's comment and asked, "Eh? Are you stalking him?"
Kaito laughed and responded, "No, just making sure that my little sister's friend is not a delinquent."
Kaede's words hit Kaito like a ton of bricks, leaving him feeling both embarrassed and frustrated.
"Now, I know why they say you have a siscon," Kaede said, her tone teasing.
Kaito's face reddened as he replied, "What kind of strange rumor are they spreading?"
As Kaede recounted the time when Kaito had gone home to fetch an umbrella for her, he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in his actions.
"Well, how can't I let my little sister get wet in the rain?" Kaito said defensively.
But Kaede's next words made him feel uneasy.
"All of my friends saw that and think that you are my boyfriend," she said, her voice trailing off.
"And I said you are my brother, now they think that my brother has interest in me romantically."
Kaede ran away to school, leaving Kaito standing there with a mix of emotions.
He wanted to explain himself to Kaede, to make her understand that his actions came from a place of brotherly love and protection.
He reached out to grab her shoulder, but she was too fast.
"Kaede..." he called out, his voice filled with emotion.
But it was too late; she was already gone, and he was left alone with his thoughts.
Kaito finally arrived at school, feeling a sense of relief as he entered the familiar halls.
'Ahhhh, it's still in the morning and Kaede is already being so childish,' Kaito thought to himself as he quickly put his shoes in the locker.
"Yo, morning Kaito," Ryota greeted him, but Kaito's response was emotionless, almost like he had been given a stage five cancer diagnosis.
"You're being more emotionless than Kanao," Ryota remarked, and a girl approached them.
"Hwaah," both Kaito and Ryota were taken aback by Kanao's sudden appearance.
"I know that is academically better than me, but what about you Ryota? What are you comparing?" Kanao asked, looking from Ryota to Kaito.
"Eh, bye Kaito," Ryota said quickly before darting away.
"Well, I'm going to get going. See you later, Kanao," Kaito said as he walked away, his mind preoccupied with the strange conversation he had just had.
'What are they talking about?' Kanao wondered to herself as she watched Kaito's retreating back.
...
"Hey Hana, the exam is coming up. Can you tutor me at your house?" Yuna asked.
"Of course!" Hana replied with a smile.
Kaito observed from the reflection of the clock and thought to himself, "Why does Yuna keep pestering Hana? She's only going to hurt her chances of getting a good grade. She should be grateful she can talk to Hana so casually."
The teacher walked into the classroom and announced, "Class is starting. Please take your seats."
The bell rang, indicating that class had begun.
"Please stand up," said the class president, and all the students rose to their feet.
"Let's greet the teacher," the president continued.
"Good morning, teacher," the class said in unison.
"Good morning everyone, please take your seats," the teacher replied.
"Anyone know what's coming up?" the teacher asked as the students settled into their seats.
"The 60th chapter of 'Rhapsody of the Otherworld'?" one student said.
Kaito thought to himself, 'You idiot, don't just read novels all day. It's the exam!'
"No, sadly, it's the mid-term exam," the teacher said.
In unison, the students groaned at the mere mention of the upcoming midterm exam.
The weight of the impending test seemed to be bearing down on their shoulders, and the atmosphere in the classroom was palpably tense.
"Don't worry, it won't be that hard. You still have more or less two weeks before it," the teacher reassured, trying to ease their anxieties.
With the teacher's words of encouragement, the lesson continued.
During the break period, the class president had an idea to help their classmates prepare for the midterm.
"Everyone! The Midterm is just in less than 16 days. Would you agree if we have peer tutors?" the class president suggested.
But not everyone was on board with the idea. Kaito, the second-ranked student, raised his hand and voiced his disagreement.
"I disagree," Kaito spoke up, his tone firm and resolute.
The other students couldn't help but wonder if Kaito was being cocky.
"Wow, the smarty pants doesn't want to teach others," one student sneered.
"Man, he literally said no like a gigachad," another added, smirking.
But the class president quickly intervened, silencing the unruly students.
"Enough! There might be a reason for Kaito not wanting to do this, but for everyone else, you can raise your hand if you agree," the class president said, his voice tinged with a hint of annoyance.
Everyone raised their hand except Kaito.
'Huh?'