Last time:
The brothers made new friends on their first day. But before all that, Jerry faced hate and doubt. Will he finally mature—and will Terron be able to tolerate him?
Jerry's alarm blared at 6 a.m., loud enough to rattle his brain. He groaned, stretched, and glanced at his still-sleeping brother.
"Hey, wake up. We can't be late for school."
Terron mumbled half-asleep, "Wha... gub... goobadumba... just wait..."
Jerry blinked at him, confused.
"Terron, I didn't catch your demon language, but don't worry—I'll exorcise the lice and clean your head right now."
He started gently brushing through Terron's hair"
Forty minutes later...
Jerry wiped his forehead dramatically.
"Okay, my thumb's skin is peeling, my hands hurt, but my hard work paid off!"
He held up his damaged fingers like a war hero.
Terron yawned, rubbing his eyes.
"Why are you awake this early? At least you're ready for school... I'm still half-dead."
They both got dressed in their uniforms, repeating the same tired morning routine.
Jerry made breakfast—eggs and bacon—and chuckled to himself.
"This looks like some goofy movie breakfast. Hehe."
Meanwhile, Terron brushed his teeth and hair, eyes barely open.
A few minutes later, Jerry plated the food as Terron wandered into the kitchen.
"Ugh, I hate staying up late," Terron muttered.
Jerry took a bite. "Food's good. Eat up. I'm tired too, but what can you do?"
They both ate quickly, trying not to choke in their rush.
"Crap, Jerry, we need to go!" Terron said.
Jerry grabbed his bag, stuffed with pens, notebooks, and markers.
"Alright, I'm ready. Let's go, Terron—chop chop!"
They walked to school, dragging their feet in silence until Jerry spoke.
"We still need to find a part-time job this weekend, bro. We're broke."
Terron sighed, shoulders slumped.
"I know, I know. Calm down. It's only three days away... I'm just tired."
Jerry kicked a small rock along the path.
"Let's get that coffee again. Maybe we'll wake up—or die from a caffeine overdose."
Terron chuckled. "Sure. I need the kickstart anyway."
At the coffee shop, Jerry held the door for Terron and went to the counter.
"Oh, um—hi. Can I get two chocolate coffees, please?"
The barista stared at him, sighed, and muttered, "Sure, kid. I'll make them. Not like I'm getting paid enough to tell you no."
Jerry blinked. "Okay then... that was unexpectedly depressing. Yay?"
He sat with Terron by the window. Terron stared outside, quiet, lost in thought. Jerry recognized that look—it was homesickness.
"Hey," Jerry said softly.
Terron turned to him, squinting slightly. "What is it, Jerry?"
Jerry smiled faintly. "So, Miss Canada... do you miss Tim Hortons? Hehe. I miss my room."
Terron sighed. "Yeah... I miss my room too. My friends... and I miss Sam."
"…Terron, do you ever miss our old last name? Before Aunt changed it to hers?"
Terron looked away, his eyes drifting toward the street. His light-gray irises flickered as people passed by.
"Yeah… it made us who we were. But I guess she thought changing it would help us fit in."
The barista called out, "Order for Mr. Kentaki!"
Jerry and Terron groaned in unison.
"Kill me already," Jerry muttered.
"Me too," Terron added, rubbing his face.
Jerry handed over the yen, grabbed their drinks, and they started walking to school.
At the front gate, Haru, Mina, Kaito, Nana, Tomo, Aiko, and Ryo were already waiting. When they spotted the brothers, everyone waved.
"Morning, you two!"
Terron gave a tired but soft smile. "Morning, everyone."
Jerry felt a warm spark in his chest. They didn't forget about me too… I'm actually happy.
"Hey, everyone," Jerry said, grinning awkwardly. "Let's head to the club. Maybe Haru can finally touch grass—oh wait, he already can! Look, it's right there."
Haru blinked. "Is that supposed to affect me personall—"
"Shut up, Haru," Nana cut in sharply. "No one wants to hear you talk like you're the main character when you still don't know how to clean up after yourself."
Haru's face turned red. "OH YEAH? Says the one who's still scared of spiders, ants, and the dark!"
Mina cleared her throat. Instantly, both of them straightened up.
"YES MA'AM!" they shouted in sync and sprinted toward the clubroom.
Kaito chuckled quietly. "Looks like no one wants to mess with you, Mina."
Mina frowned, her sharp eyes softening. "Wait… am I really that scary?" Her voice cracked slightly, and her eyes watered just a little.
Terron and Ryo panicked. "Of course not! You're just… intense-looking! But you're super nice! You'll always be our best friend!"
Jerry's brain froze mid-conversation. "Wha—when—how—what's going on right now?"
At that moment, Tomo arrived, jogging up to the gate.
"Sorry I'm late! Had to run errands. Let's go, people."
She grabbed Mina and Aiko by the wrists and led them off. Both followed without resistance.
Jerry blinked after them. "I think I'm devolving… Anyway, Ryo, Terron, Kaito—let's go to the club."
Inside the clubroom, a new face caught their eye — a boy drawing a dragon.
Jerry tilted his head. "Who let the pretty poser boy in here?"
A paper ball immediately hit him in the forehead. "Oof—hey!"
Without even looking up, the boy said, "Who let these guys in here? They're not allowed in this gro—"
Before he could finish, Nana lunged at him, tackling him to the floor.
"IS THAT HOW YOU TREAT OUR NEW FRIENDS, HUH?! I'LL SHOW YOU MORE RESPECT THAN YOUR MOTHER EVER DID!"
"ACK—okay okay okay! I surrender! Please let go!" he gasped, tapping out.
Minutes later, everyone was in their classes.
Jerry's POV
Okay… Nana is officially terrifying. But I can tell there's something between her and Haru. Tomo's super athletic but not great at math—kinda like me, but I'm learning.
I grab my pencil and look over at my translator—Haru—sitting next to me.
He explains the math problem: "What's the square root of 568?"
Ten minutes later, after a lot of erasing and groaning, I write 23.83.
And I got it right… I think. When I saw my score later, I realized I only got 32% wrong this time. Major improvement from the last two days.
When class ends, I pack my bag. The semester's almost over, and math is my last subject for the day. As I walk toward the gate, I spot Aiko.
She's standing alone, watching Ryo talk with some other students. There's a distant, nervous look in her eyes—like she wants to talk to them but can't bring herself to move.
I take a deep breath and start walking toward her.
Jerry crept up behind Aiko and whispered, "Boo."
Aiko jumped so hard she nearly punched him. Jerry dodged just in time.
"WOAH—calm down! You almost one-punched me!"
Aiko exhaled sharply, glaring. "Then don't scare me, asshole. Hmph."
Jerry laughed it off. "Fair enough. Hey, Aiko… do you wanna go talk to everyone else too?"
Aiko hesitated, her eyes shifting. "Oh, um… what's the point hiding it? I want to be like Ryo—athletic and brave—but look at me. I'm awkward. I get scared of connecting with people because of my flaws."
Jerry's expression softened. "Ah, I see. You're afraid of embarrassing yourself when you talk. Funny thing is, I used to be the same way. Got me pretty hated too."
He smiled faintly. "But that doesn't mean it has to hold you back. You can be like Ryo if you try—but most importantly, figure out what you want. Be honest with yourself. Or are you just calling yourself awkward to hide how you really feel?"
He tilted his head. "I'm not dense, Aiko. You like Ryo, don't you?"
Aiko froze. "WAIT—W-WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! I-I DON'T LIKE RYO! …Maybe just a little. It's normal, okay? We've been childhood friends since preschool."
Jerry crossed his arms, pretending to think. "Yeah, but you reacted to that, not to my heartfelt pep talk. Cold, Aiko. Cold, I tell you."
Aiko's eyes fell to the ground. "I didn't ignore what you said. It's just… I get scared talking in groups. I feel like a—"
Jerry finished softly, "An outsider. Yeah. Been there since day one."
Aiko looked a bit guilty. "I know. Me and Ryo kinda made you feel like that the first day you came. But… we know you better now. You're not a bad guy, Jerry. Just… rough around the edges."
Jerry started walking away, waving lazily. "Don't give up, Aiko. Listen to your heart and you can do whatever you want. Don't overthink being awkward—it doesn't make you less. You're amazing, and honestly? Stronger than me."
Aiko smiled faintly, her hazel eyes glimmering with tiny tears she wouldn't let fall. "Thank you, Jerry."
Jerry arrived home a little later. Terron was sprawled on the couch, scrolling through his phone.
"Hm, you're late. Make me something to eat, I'm starving."
Jerry dropped his bag on the hanger and his shoes on the rack. "Alright, just give me a sec."
After changing into shorts and a T-shirt, he said, "Okay, I'll whip something up."
Terron smirked. "Finally, you cook for once."
Jerry ignored him and made rice with seasoned chicken chunks. The mix turned a rich orange-brown color, and the smell filled the room.
"Done. Come eat, Terron."
"'Kay, I'm coming."
They ate quickly, full and content, then crashed on their futons.
Today was… something else, Jerry thought. I barely talked to Sora. I'll fix that next time. But Aiko—she'll get braver, I know it. For now… I just need sleep.
One Month Later
Jerry and Terron now worked part-time at a themed café that required butler cosplay. Their short, messy hair and natural banter made them instant fan favorites.
"Terron, we've got school tomorrow," Jerry reminded him.
Terron groaned. "Please don't remind me."
During their break, they sat side by side in silence until Jerry said, "Time to head home."
"Yeah, yeah. Let's go."
After a ten-minute walk, they reached their apartment—only to find Aiko, Ryo, Mina, Kaito, Nana, Tomo, Sora, and Haru already inside, lounging around like they owned the place.
"Hey, Jerry, Terron! Didn't expect you two back so early," Aiko said.
Jerry blinked. "How the hell did you get in here?"
Mina smiled sheepishly. "Uh… we saw you guys come here yesterday. Terron gave us the spare key."
Jerry turned to his brother, who was already whistling and pretending not to hear.
Jerry sighed. "...Fine. I forgive you, Terron."
Hours later, everyone was asleep.
Jerry lay awake, staring at the ceiling.
I miss home so much it makes me sick… I miss my room. My siblings. Mom. Dad. Even my old friends.
His chest ached. I hate being homesick.
When morning came, Jerry was the first awake. The others were scattered everywhere—Mina, Kaito, and Haru slept peacefully, while Nana, Ryo, Aiko, Terron, Tomo, and Sora looked like they'd lost a game of human Twister.
Mina stirred, eyes half-open. "Huh… what's going on? Oh, right. Sleepover…" She yawned—and promptly stumbled forward.
Jerry caught her just in time. "WOAH! Hey, Mina, easy! You almost face-planted."
Mina blinked drowsily, still leaning on his shoulder. "Sorry, Jerry. I'm just too tired to move."
He helped her lie down on the couch. "Then don't. Everyone would cry if you broke your nose."
He smiled faintly, thinking about how oddly peaceful mornings like this felt.
"I'll wait till everyone wakes up," he muttered. "We're still watching that horror movie later, like you guys said in the group chat."
Mina was already fast asleep again. Jerry chuckled quietly and turned toward the window. Snowflakes drifted down outside—light, quiet, almost unreal.
He walked into the bathroom and stared at the mirror, half expecting… something.
"I knew I was getting delusional," he murmured, twisting the hot-water knob.
He splashed water on his face, looked up—and froze.
Blood.
His reflection showed crimson running down his chest, dripping from his mouth.
Jerry's voice was low, trembling. "…I'm outta here."
He turned away from the mirror, heart pounding, and stepped out.
The next day had already begun.