Today was The first day of summer break, and with it, the blistering heat of late July. The sun blazed down mercilessly, as if Japan had somehow moved a step closer to hell.
This summer was especially brutal, the sun seeming to hang a hundred times larger in the sky, its oppressive heat making the air feel dry and suffocating.
The Hayashi siblings could barely feel a breeze, and what little there was offered no relief.
"Are you alright, Haruka? You're sensitive to sunlight, aren't you?" Haruto asked with genuine concern, his eyes scanning her from head to toe.
They stood on the porch, ready to leave. Haruto wore knee-length pants, a simple white shirt, and a hat to shield himself from the sun, while Haruka had practically armored herself against the light.
She wore a long-sleeved shirt to protect her arms, layered under a jacket, with long pants, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses.
She had even pulled out an umbrella, which she brandished like a shield.
Haruka had albinism, a condition marked by her white hair and striking red eyes. The sunlight was her enemy, making her skin burn quickly and her eyes sensitive to bright light.
Prolonged exposure could give her headaches, nosebleeds, and even cause her to faint.
"I'm fine, I'm prepared!" she declared confidently, opening her black umbrella with a flourish as if it were a weapon.
The wide, dark canopy provided her with much-needed shade, covering her completely.
Haruto couldn't help but chuckle. "You're going to get heatstroke with all that on. Just ditch the jacket."
She pouted but relented. "Fine, I'll take it off."
After shedding the extra layer, the two siblings set off toward the temple, which was about a hundred meters away.
The air buzzed with the sound of cicadas, their song the only relief from the stifling heat.
Haruka held her umbrella over her shoulder, leaning on it like a parasol, while Haruto listened to music through his earphones, one hand in his pocket.
As they walked, Haruka suddenly kicked a small rock along the path, her expression thoughtful.
"Brother, why are you suddenly paying attention to that woman?" she asked, breaking the silence.
Haruto pulled out one of his earphones, glancing at his sister. "Isn't it good? She's been doing a lot for us lately."
"What do you mean? She married Father after Mother died. She must have been cheating with that drunkard!"
She spat, stomping the ground in frustration. She turned to face her brother, her eyes flashing with anger.
"She's our mother's sister, our aunt! Isn't it weird that she became our stepmother?"
He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, it's strange, but Haruka, we need to move on. She's just as pitiful as we are, being stuck with that trash."
He reached over and ruffled her hair, a bit more roughly than usual, causing her to pout.
"Still, don't get too close to her! What if she seduces you?" Haruka shot back, her voice laced with irritation.
Haruto laughed, knowing how ironic her warning was. "Are you jealous?"
"Wha-what?! Of course not!" she stammered, her cheeks flushing as she quickly turned away, embarrassed. "Just… don't get too close to her!"
Without waiting for a reply, she broke into a run, leaving her brother behind. He watched her go, shaking his head with a fond smile.
'I need to be more careful,' he thought, realizing that his sister was more perceptive than he had given her credit for.
If he wasn't careful, she might catch on to his plan to subjugate Chiyo.
Haruto suddenly realized that Haruka had run quite far ahead, disappearing around a corner. Panic surged through him.
"Don't run like that! You'll run into something!" he shouted after her.
Haruka's sensitivity to intense light often left her disoriented, leading her to crash into objects or, worse, people.
A sharp cry followed by a hurried apology confirmed his fears. "Ow! I'm so sorry!"
Haruka's voice carried back to him, filled with distress. Haruto's anxiety spiked, and he sprinted after her.
Rounding the corner, he found her bowing repeatedly in front of a group of rough-looking high schoolers.
They wore their gakuran uniforms inappropriately—jackets unbuttoned, sleeves cut short to show off tattoos, and hair dyed in various shades of rebellion.
Their faces were dotted with piercings, and the way they stared at his sister made Haruto's blood run cold.
It was clear these were delinquents, and their predatory eyes were fixed on his sister.
However, one of the boys, the tallest among them with striking red hair and piercings in his nose and ears, broke into a wide grin when he spotted him. He waved enthusiastically.
"Oiii!!! Haruto, what's up?! Long time no see, man!"
Without a second thought, he strode over, draping an arm around his neck with a heavy thud.
"Damn, still looking as gloomy as ever, huh?"
Haruto sighed, struggling under the weight of the man's long arm. "Yeah, yeah, Enji. Let go of me, don't you realize how big you are?" He wriggled, trying to free himself from his iron grip.
"Huh? You're still no fun!" he laughed, releasing Haruto with a playful shove.
Enji, towering at more than 200 cm and built like a tank, had been his close friend in junior high.
They'd been assigned seats next to each other, and despite his delinquent ways, a friendship had formed.
He had always been a leader, commanding his own gang of troublemakers, but Haruto wasn't in the mood for reminiscing.
His attention was on Haruka, who still looked terrified, her wide eyes darting between the delinquent.
Her bad eyesight didn't recognize Enji.
Haruto gently took his sister's hand and pulled her closer to him. "Haruka, you go ahead. I'll catch up later," he said softly, trying to reassure her.
"But, brother…" she began, worry evident in her voice.
Enji, who had been watching the exchange, finally took notice of her. "Ohh, so this is your sister, Haruka?"
His eyes roamed over her, a grin spreading across his face. "She's grown up, huh? But she is still short!"
Hearing that, Haruka squinted her eyes and finally recognized the giant man. She pouted at the insinuation.
"Ah, Enji! I'm not short! You're just a giant!" she protested, but her words only made him laugh harder.
As he reached out to ruffle her hair, Haruto slapped his hand away with a sharp motion.
"Don't touch her," His voice was low and dangerous, his piercing green eyes glaring at his old friend from beneath his bangs.
The memory of Haruka surrounded by men—a trauma he hadn't yet overcome—flashed through his mind, filling him with a sense of dread.
Even though Enji had once been close to them, he couldn't shake the fear that gripped him.
"Don't touch her," he repeated, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Then, turning to his sister, he gave a firm order, "Go, Haruka."
Haruka, rarely seeing her brother this angry, nodded quickly and hurried away, casting one last worried glance over her shoulder.
Once she was out of sight, the tension between the two friends became palpable. The rest of Enji's gang began to close in, trying to intimidate him, but he stood his ground.
He'd faced far worse than a group of delinquents.
Suddenly, Enji broke the silence with a booming laugh. He slung his arm around Haruto's neck again, this time rougher, pressing his knuckles into his head and giving it a playful yet painful rub.
"You've got guts, huh?"
"Stop, stop it!"
Haruto struggled, finally managing to pull away as he released him with another laugh.
"You've changed since junior high," he said, grinning as he looked him up and down. "You were always so passive back then, just letting people walk all over you."
Haruto's eyes widened at the comment, the words striking a nerve. Memories of his high school days, where he had been too passive, too submissive, flooded back.
That passivity had cost him dearly—he couldn't protect Haruka when she needed him most. His fists clenched at his sides, and his jaw tightened with determination.
"Enji," Haruto's voice was steady but firm, "let me join your group."