The morning sunlight streamed into our small apartment, casting warm golden hues on the walls. Aoi was up early, practically vibrating with a mix of excitement and nervous energy. She stood in front of the mirror, adjusting her woolen hat that hid her cat ears, her tail, hidden under her clothes, her large green eyes full of apprehension.
"Onii-Chan," she whispered, her voice soft but full of uncertainty. "Does Aoi really look okay? What if someone notices?"
I knelt beside her, placing a reassuring hand on her small shoulder. "You look perfect, Aoi. No one will notice your ears. And if they do, we'll figure it out together, okay?"
She nodded, her hands clenching the straps of her new cat-themed backpack. "Aoi will be brave," she declared, her voice quivering slightly.
I smiled and kissed the top of her hat-covered head. "That's the spirit. Let's get going; we don't want to be late for your first day."
We made our way to the school, Aoi clinging tightly to my hand. As we approached the entrance, the sight of kids running around the playground, laughing and playing, made her grip tighten even more.
"It's okay," I whispered, squeezing her hand gently. "You'll make friends here, I promise."
A boy around Aoi's age ran past us, laughing with his friends. He glanced at Aoi briefly, his eyes widening as he noticed her white hair spilling out from under her hat. "Whoa, her hair is so white!" he whispered to his friend. Aoi watched them go, her eyes wide with apprehension.
I knelt beside her once more. "It's going to be fine. Just remember to be yourself," I said, giving her hand a final squeeze.
Ms. Sato, Aoi's homeroom teacher, approached us with a warm smile. "Good morning! You must be Aoi Takahashi," she said, bending down to Aoi's level. "I'm Ms. Sato, and I'll be your teacher. We're so happy to have you in our class."
Aoi clung to my hand a moment longer before taking a deep breath. She looked up at me, her green eyes filled with both fear and hope. "Onii-Chan, will you be here when Aoi comes out?"
I smiled, nodding. "I'll be right here waiting for you."
With a final, shaky breath, Aoi released my hand and followed Ms. Sato into the school. I watched her small figure disappear through the doors, her long white hair glinting in the sunlight, and my heart ached with both pride and worry.
Aoi walked into her new classroom, her heart pounding in her chest. The room was bright and colorful, decorated with posters of numbers and letters, and children's artwork adorned the walls. Ms. Sato guided her to the front of the room, where she stood nervously as all eyes turned to her.
"Class, this is Takahashi Aoi," Ms. Sato announced, her voice kind and welcoming. "She's new here, so let's all do our best to make her feel at home." Then she turned to Aoi with a gentle smile. "Aoi, why don't you tell us a little about yourself?"
Aoi's face turned bright red, and she gripped the straps of her backpack tighter. "U-um… Aoi lives with Onii-Chan," she started shyly, her voice barely audible. "Onii-Chan is very kind to Aoi. He makes Aoi breakfast every morning, and he always makes sure Aoi is happy." Her eyes sparkled with admiration. "Onii-Chan helps Aoi with everything. He's the best Onii-Chan in the whole world."
The class listened with varying degrees of interest. Ms. Sato's smile became a bit awkward as Aoi went on. "Oh, um, that's good, Aoi," she said, gently cutting her off. "You really love your Onii-Chan, don't you?"
Aoi nodded eagerly, her cheeks still flushed. "Yes! Aoi loves Onii-Chan very much!"
Immediately, the room erupted in chatter. The first thing the students noticed was Aoi's striking white hair, spilling out from under her hat.
"Whoa, her hair is so white," one boy whispered to his friend, his eyes wide with amazement. "Like snow!"
"Is she an ice princess or something?" another girl asked, her voice full of curiosity.
A few boys near the back of the class blushed, whispering to each other. "She's really cute," one boy muttered, his face turning bright red. "Her hair is like a fairy's."
"Yeah," his friend replied, trying to hide his own embarrassment. "She looks like a doll."
"I am so jealous her Onii-Chan, I want to be him," another boy whispered to them.
Aoi's cheeks flushed, and she clutched the straps of her backpack even tighter. The attention was overwhelming, and she felt as if she wanted to melt into the floor.
But not all the reactions were kind. Haruka, a girl with long, straight hair and a scowl on her face, crossed her arms and huffed. She sat with two other girls, Mei and Rina, who were clearly her followers, and she didn't look happy at all.
"Ugh," Haruka muttered loud enough for her friends to hear. "Why is everyone making such a big deal over her? It's just hair. She thinks she's so special."
Mei and Rina snickered behind her, their eyes narrowing. "Yeah," Mei said mockingly. "And what's with that weird hat? Is she hiding more than just her hair?"
Rina giggled, covering her mouth. "She probably wears it to hide something embarrassing," she added, her voice dripping with mockery. "And did you hear how she talks? She says her own name instead of 'I' or 'me.' Who does that?"
Haruka, rolled her eyes. "Wow," she muttered to Mei and Rina. "She's totally a brother-con. How weird."
Mei smirked, leaning closer to whisper. "Yeah, it's so creepy. Who talks about their brother like that?"
Rina giggled, covering her mouth. "I bet her Onii-Chan is some ugly loser who's tired of taking care of her."
Aoi's ears, hidden beneath her hat, flattened instinctively, even though no one could see. She could feel the animosity coming from Haruka and her friends, and it made her heart race even faster. But she tried to stay strong, remembering Onii-Chan's encouragement.
She walked forward, trying to find an empty sit.
A girl with short, curly hair and glasses turned around in her seat to face Aoi, her expression warm and friendly. She had bright, cheerful eyes and a sprinkle of freckles across her nose. "Hi, I'm Yuki," the girl said, her voice cutting through the tension. "I think it's nice that you care so much about your Onii-Chan. It means he must be a really good person."
Aoi's cheeks turned pink again, but this time from a feeling of relief. "Aoi thinks so too," she whispered, her voice soft but grateful.
Yuki smiled even wider. "By the way, I like your hair! It's so unique. Do you like drawing? We're doing a project today."
Aoi's nerves settled slightly at the mention of drawing. She loved drawing, especially animals. She managed a small smile, feeling a spark of excitement. "Aoi… Aoi likes drawing," she replied.
Yuki pointed to her own desk, which was covered in colored pencils and sketch paper. "Great! You should sit with me. We're drawing our favorite animals."
Aoi's nerves settled slightly at the mention of drawing. She loved drawing, especially animals. She managed a small smile, feeling a spark of excitement. "Okay," Aoi replied, her voice a little stronger.
Yuki leaned in and added, "By the way, your hair reminds me of someone I saw earlier. He had white hair too. Is he your Onii-Chan?"
Aoi's eyes lit up, and she nodded. "Yes, Aoi's Onii-Chan has white hair too! His name is Ryu."
Yuki's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "That's so cool! You two must look like siblings from a fantasy story."
Haruka rolled her eyes, her scowl deepening. "Whatever," she muttered to her friends. "She won't last long here."
When the bell rang for recess, Aoi followed the other children outside. The playground was bustling with activity, and for a moment, she felt the nervousness creeping back. But then she spotted Yuki waving at her from the swings.
"Come on, Aoi! Let's play!" Yuki called, her voice cheerful.
Aoi took a deep breath and walked over, her steps hesitant at first but growing surer. Just as she was about to reach the swings, Haruka and her two friends stepped in front of her, blocking her path.
"Hey, new girl," Haruka sneered, crossing her arms. "What's with that stupid hat? Are you hiding something ugly under there?"
Mei and Rina snickered, Mei adding, "Yeah, and that weird way you talk! Why do you keep saying 'Aoi' instead of 'I' or 'me'? Are you trying to be some kind of baby?"
Rina giggled, pointing at Aoi's long white hair that peeked out from under her hat. "And that hair! It's freakishly white. You must think you're special or something."
Aoi's eyes filled with tears, but she tried to keep them from falling. "P-please… Aoi doesn't want any trouble," she whispered, her voice shaking.
Haruka smirked and leaned in closer. "Trouble? You must be used to it if your Onii-Chan has to look after you all the time. I bet he hates having to take care of a burden like you."
Mei added with a nasty grin, "And I bet he doesn't even look that good. Probably some ugly guy who's tired of having you around."
Aoi's face flushed with anger, a new and powerful feeling she wasn't used to. "How dare you insult Onii-Chan like that? Take that back!" Aoi shouted, her voice loud and furious. "Onii-Chan is kind and amazing! Aoi is not a burden to him!"
Haruka raised an eyebrow, surprised by Aoi's outburst.
Haruka smirked and reached out. "Let me see what's under there," she said, her hand moving toward Aoi's hat.
Before Haruka could grab it, Yuki stepped forward, placing herself between Aoi and the bullies. "Leave her alone, Haruka!" Yuki said, her voice firm and unafraid. "You're just being mean!"
Haruka's eyes narrowed, and she scowled at Yuki. "Mind your own business, Yuki. Why are you sticking up for her?"
"Because Aoi is my friend," Yuki shot back, her eyes blazing with determination. "And friends don't let bullies push people around!"
Haruka's face twisted with annoyance, but she didn't back down. "Oh, really? Well, maybe the princess needs to learn how things work around here," she said, reaching for Aoi's hat again.
Ms. Sato appeared, her voice ringing out with authority. "Haruka, Mei, Rina! What is going on here?"
The three girls jumped, their faces paling. Haruka quickly dropped her smug expression, her bravado vanishing. "N-nothing, Ms. Sato," she stammered, trying to look innocent.
Ms. Sato crossed her arms, her eyes stern. "I don't want to see any more trouble from you three. If I do, there will be consequences. Do you understand?"
Haruka and her friends nodded, their confidence completely deflated. "Yes, Ms. Sato," they mumbled, retreating quickly.
Ms. Sato turned to Aoi and Yuki, her expression softening. "Are you both alright?"
Aoi nodded slowly, still holding her hat tightly. "Aoi is okay," she whispered, though her heart was still pounding.
Yuki placed a gentle hand on Aoi's shoulder. "Hey, don't listen to them," she said softly. "They're just trying to make you feel bad because they're mean. Your Onii-Chan sounds wonderful, and you're lucky to have each other."
Aoi's eyes filled with tears, but this time they were tears of gratitude. "Thank you, Yuki," she whispered. "Aoi is happy to have you as a friend."
Yuki grinned. "Anytime! Now, let's go swing before recess ends!"
Aoi felt her heart lighten as she followed Yuki to the swings. Maybe, just maybe, she would be okay after all.
Hours later, when school was finally over, Aoi burst out of the front doors, her hat slightly askew and her smile bright. She ran to me, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Onii-Chan!" she called, throwing her arms around me. "Aoi had so much fun! We drew pictures, played on the swings, and Yuki is really nice!"
I felt a wave of relief and joy. "That's amazing, Aoi! I'm so proud of you," I said, hugging her tightly. "Who's Yuki?"
Aoi's eyes lit up even more. "Yuki is Aoi's new friend! She helped Aoi when the mean girls tried to be scary!"
Just then, Yuki appeared, her short curly hair bouncing as she ran up to us. She adjusted her glasses and bowed politely to me. "Hello! You must be Aoi's Onii-Chan. I'm Yuki," she said, her voice cheerful but respectful.
I smiled and nodded. "Nice to meet you, Yuki-Chan. Thank you for helping Aoi today."
Yuki's eyes sparkled with interest as she took a closer look at me. "Wow, you have white hair too! Are you and Aoi siblings from a fairytale or something?"
I chuckled, amused by her comment. "Something like that," I said. "It's nice to know Aoi has such a brave friend."
Yuki beamed. "It was no problem at all. Aoi is really sweet, and I'm happy to be her friend."
As Yuki and I chatted, Aoi's smile wavered slightly. She watched us talk, a tiny pout forming on her lips. Aoi was happy they were getting along, but she couldn't help feeling a little jealous that her Onii-Chan was paying so much attention to someone else.
"Hey, Onii-Chan," Aoi interrupted, tugging on my sleeve. "Aoi wants to show you the drawing she did today!"
I turned to Aoi, my smile widening. "Of course, Aoi! I can't wait to see it."
Yuki laughed softly. "I'll see you tomorrow, Aoi! Bye!" she said, waving as she ran off.
Aoi felt her heart settle as I focused on her again. She hugged my arm and grinned. "Aoi's drawing is really good! Onii-Chan will love it!"
I chuckled, feeling grateful for both Aoi's new friend and the special bond we shared. "I'm sure I will, Aoi. Let's head home and celebrate your first day."
As we walked home, Aoi chatted nonstop about her day, her laughter ringing out like music. I felt a sense of peace wash over me. It had been a small victory, but it was one worth celebrating.
END OF CHAPTER: 10 : FIRSRT DAY OF SCHOOL