[ It was an ordinary morning.
"Marya, be good to others, okay?"
"Brother, I am already ten! Don't say it like I have been making trouble every day."
The black-haired girl puffed her cheeks in irritation. Why would her brother repeat it every day he sent her to school? It's not like she bullies everyone she meets, even though she can. Heh.
"I just reminded you."
He pinched the fluffy cheek of his sister, chuckling while looking at her angry face. Every day was the same, but it never bored him.
"Tsk, go to school. You will be late again! You are the real troublemaker."
Marya shooed her brother away to go to school. He was already in high school, but her brother always neglected school. Always went late to school.
"Yeah, yeah, I will. Wait for me to pick you up. Don't wander around. Don't talk to strangers. Don't —"
"Don't forget to eat lunch. Don't dilly-dally in class. Don't bother the teachers and my friends. I will call you if anything happens or inform the teacher. I easily memorized everything you wanted to say. So, just go, brother. I'm not a kid anymore."
"Uhh, my sister has become big now; she even managed to function on her own. I am a proud older brother."
He hugged her sister tightly, much to his sister's protest and rejection. He even ran their cheeks together, getting a loud yelp from his only sister.
The other parents who sent their children looked at the sight in amusement, and the teachers who were tasked with welcoming the children at the gate shook their heads. Most of them already get used to this; it's an everyday occurrence.
Marya pushed her brother away, puffing her red cheeks in embarrassment when she saw the attention they got. She frowned, but that did not make her look scary at all. Her brother cooed at the sight like some die-hard fan looking at their idol.
"Stupid, Michael. Stupid! I hate you!"
Marya quickly ran inside the school grounds after finally managing to escape further bullying from her only brother. Michael widened his eyes at the shocking words.
"Hey, take that back!"
She looked back and pulled her tongue out before she continued running again. Michael puffed his cheeks at the audacity of his sister to throw such words at him.
"Bye, my baby sister!
"Shut up!!"
He laughed when his sister said that. Ah, his morning was not complete without teasing his sister. Michael waited until he couldn't see Marya in his view anymore. He turned towards the teacher, whom he recognized as Marya's homeroom teacher.
"Please take care of Marya, Miss Lau Di."
The homeroom teacher in her early 30s grazed her face with a delicate smile before she patted Michael's shoulder.
"You should hurry to school now. You will be late."
"That's not a problem, Miss Lau Di. I am the favourite student in my school."
He smirked and took off to his school, leaving Miss Lau Di, who let out a sigh at that 16-year-old's behaviour.
He didn't run or walk in a hurry. He took his time to enjoy the morning breeze and the voices of people walking. He put his hands in his pocket and hummed a melody while his eyes roamed around the place, which was already becoming his usual sight to see due to his years of living in this neighbourhood.
He greeted the old man and woman he recognized, and they replied with a smile. He also greeted the familiar face that always brings her dog for a walk every day, patting the dog for a minute before he continued his journey to school.
He arrived at the school to find the gate already closed. There, standing, his discipline teacher slashes his temporary homeroom teacher due to his homeroom teacher having a family problem and needing to fly back to her country on the other side of the globe.
He grinned and planted his face on the cold bar of the gate, looking at his teacher, who replied with the usual menacing gaze.
"You again."
His teacher touched the back of his neck after he said that, and he let out a frustrated sigh.
"Tsk, can't you come early for one minute? Why are you always late for one minute?"
The teacher put his hand on his forehead, having a headache just to think about this student's problem of not coming on time and always being late for one minute.
"Like you said, it was just one minute. Sir David, just let it slide, please."
There is a distant sound of shoes meeting the road. The sound became clearer and louder as each second passed.
Mr David let out a sigh again when he saw five more students run like their lives were on the line towards the closed gate. He is getting more headaches every day when he needs to monitor this bunch of students. Why would the troublemaker always be in the same class?
"Huf! Huf! Good morning, Mr. David!"
"Huf! Hey, Michael. Late again? Same!"
"I want to puke, urgh."
"Not here, idiot! Hah!"
Mr. David pinched his nose bridge before he opened his mouth.
"All of you, detention after school."
"No! I need to pick up my sister after school! Sir, please reconsider it. What if she needed to wait a long time for me? What would you do if she cried until her eyes were puffy and red? Sir David, my sister would be scared if I didn't show up at her school in time!"
Michael grabbed the gate tightly while looking at Mr David with an expression of agony.
"Ugh, fine. Do five laps around the field, then go into your class. Now!"
"Run again?! Ugh."
"Roger, sir!"
"Let's go."
"Someone drags him."
Michael pulled up a thumbs up when the other five students peeked at him; they smirked and pulled up a thumbs up too.
"Move fast! Don't you dare run slowly to avoid the first subject this morning!"
"Yes, sir!!"
×××××
"Hey, Michael. Let's go to karaoke after this."
Michael raised his head to look at the five students just now; someone was slinging their hand around his shoulder.
"Eh, but I need to pick up Marya."
"Duh, pick her up like usual. Send her home and go out."
Michael furrowed his eyebrows, opening his mouth to reject the invitation. He didn't want to leave his sister alone at home. There is a caretaker hired by their father, and she will leave after six, but he wouldn't want to leave her sister alone with that old hag.
"We never hang out with you! Just for today, not that long. We'll be back home before dark."
"Yeah, let's go! Today is your birthday, right? How about we celebrate it together?"
Michael stunned. How did they know? He never told anyone about this, though. It has been a long time since he celebrated his birthday. Marya is just the only one who will wish him a happy birthday every year and kiss him on the cheek—a once-in-a-blue-moon action. She would act like nothing happened afterwards, and he also did not say anything and just smiled in contentment.
"I saw your student's data when I went to the office a month ago; well, it's not my fault that all of the documents were put on the table just like that."
The teacher is just too careless; she shouldn't leave such documents in the open like that.
He looked at one of those five friends of his. He let out a sigh.
"Well, let me think about it."
"Yes! If you don't come, we'll barge into your house!"
"That's trespassing."
"I hope you will come, birthday boy."
"I'll send the location later."
Michael just nodded and exchanged goodbyes with his friends after the bell rang to indicate the end of school. This time, he would run rather than walk to reach Marya's school.
"Marya!"
The black-haired girl raised her head before she made a beeline towards him.
"Let's go!"
They walked hand in hand.
×××××
"We're home."
The silence gave a sense of oddity towards the sibling. Marya took off her shoe before going straight inside her room. Michael also took off his shoes before he made his way towards the kitchen.
There is no one there, which is odd. The caretaker should be here now, berating over her life because she needed to take care of a disobedient and deranged teenager. She would repeat that every day and every minute when she was in this house like she had nothing better to do.
Michael walked towards the fridge, where a sticky note was stuck on it. He pulled out the pink sticky note to read whatever was written on it. Right after that, he crumpled the note and threw it inside the bin before he opened the fridge.
"Bullshit."
He closed the fridge harshly before he went towards his sister's room.
"Marya, what are you doing?"
"What do you want?"
"Could you be nice to me today? Ugh, my baby sister is in her rebellious phase now."
Michael sighed exaggeratedly. Marya rolled her eyes.
"I'm no longer a baby, idiot Michael!"
"Ugh. So cold!" He put his hand over his chest.
"Tsk, where is that granny, by the way? It is too quiet. Is she finally sewing that mouth?"
Michael stood straight before he crossed his arms.
"Emergency leave whatever it is because she didn't cook anything today. So, I'll be cooking today. What do you want?"
Emergency leaves his ass. That old hag must go out somewhere; today is her payday after all.
"Anything is fine."
"Okay, omelette then." That is the easiest food he could make.
"Yes, yes, get out now."
"Why so cold, Marya? Kids these days are scary."
Marya glared at him before he scurried away to the kitchen to do what he had said just now. He moved swiftly into the kitchen to make two servings of omelette, which is not an unusual thing for him. He had done it many times anyway.
He finished two plates of omelettes after 15 minutes. He put the plates on the table before he went to the fridge to get milk and orange juice.
"Marya, food is ready!"
He poured the drink into a transparent glass. His sister arrived not long after and took a seat. They ate in silence.
"You can go."
Michael raised an eyebrow before he took a large sip of the milk.
"Go where? Are you driving me away now?"
"No, stupid Michael! Your friend sent a location for the karaoke just now. You can go if you want; I'll be fine alone."
Did his sister really look into his phone without his permission now? Nah, not like he cares. There's nothing to hide, anyway.
"No, anything could happen when you're alone at home." He spoke in a serious tone.
"Oh please. I am already big enough; you also live on your own when you are six. Don't baby me too much. Just go enjoy the day. You won't be back after dark anyway."
Marya avoided the piercing gaze on her and looked at her half-eaten omelette.
"Will you be okay?"
"Of course, I won't open the door even if someone I know comes. Go enjoy today with your friends. Today is your birthday; you should celebrate it at least."
"Aww, but I want to celebrate with my baby sister!"
"Ahh! I don't want to celebrate with you; stop calling me baby! Stupid Michael!"
His lips turned into a Cheshire grin before they rose into a warm smile. He ended up agreeing to go meet with his friends. He changed into a casual outfit before he walked out the door.
"Wait for me to come home. I'll buy something on the way home."
"Humph, take your time. And buy strawberry shortcake."
"Yes, yes, be a good baby sister and give your big brother a kiss, please."
Marya gave him a disgusted look.
"I already did in the morning. Go now! You will make your friends wait!"
Marya pushed him outside the door.
"Aww, please. Pretty please. Just one more time."
"No!"
Marta slammed the door in his face. Michael jolted back. His sister is so cold. Before he made a move, the door swung open again and his hand was tugged down. Marya landed a simple kiss on his cheek before she slammed the door closed again.
His face contorted into an amused smile.
"Pfft, my baby sister is so cute!"
"Shut up!"
Michael laughed while walking away to their meeting place. This year's birthday was more enjoyable than normal, and he didn't hate it. ]