***
A cool spring breeze brushed against my face, carrying the soft chirping of birds with it. The melodies drifted in my ears, stirring me awake. I slowly opened my eyes. A warm ray of sunlight peered through the curtains, illuminating the space around me.
…What time is it?
I sat up in my bed and gazed around, but my vision refused to focus. I patted the area beside me until my fingers brushed against something cold and hard—it was my phone. I picked it up, turned it on, and squinted at the screen.
It was 7:00 a.m.
I let out a disappointed groan, slouching in the process.
Ugh. I guess I have to get ready.
I begrudgingly dragged myself out of bed and shuffled toward the washroom, my steps unsteady. I grabbed the doorknob and twisted it. Nothing happened. I twisted it again. And again. The rattling echoed faintly in my ears, blending into the haze of sleep.
Suddenly, a loud voice shattered my limbo.
"Goddammit!"
The door swung open, and I was met face-to-face with my Big Brother. He glared down at me with furrowed brows, clicking his tongue.
"Jesus Christ, dude. Can't you just wait a little longer, lil sis?"
I covered my mouth and yawned.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever."
I shoved him aside and barged into the washroom. He rolled his eyes, but he didn't do anything to stop me. In the end, we both stood at the sink, brushing our teeth side by side.
I stared at our reflection in the mirror. He used to be so small… but now he was a whole head taller than me.
"Sho," he mumbled through his toothbrush, " are you exshited to gho back to school?"
As he spoke, pellets of toothpaste mixed and sprayed onto the mirror, tainting our images in the mirror. I took my toothbrush out of my mouth and stared at him, unimpressed.
"You're disgusting. Just shut up and finish brushing your teeth before you talk."
Big Brother stared at me, eyes wide.
"Gheez, shoory I guesh," he muttered.
We finished the rest of our routine in silence. Big Brother finished first. As he left, he tossed something onto the counter with exaggerated force.
A piece of candy.
Once I finished rinsing my mouth, I peeked at it with bright eyes. It was my favourite kind. From my reflection in the mirror, I noticed a faint smile appear on my face. This guy…
I hurried through the remainder of my routine and snatched the candy before skipping back to my room. All the clothes in my closet had been hand-picked by Mom, so I didn't have to think too hard—everything looked good.
After choosing an outfit, I sat down at my desk and began doing my hair. Mom used to come in every morning to style it for me. I hated it back then. But every time I went to school like that, my teachers and friends would always tell me how pretty I looked.
Eventually, I stopped complaining—and even learned how to do it myself. I braided a small section of my hair while leaving the rest straight, adjusted my bangs, and clipped everything into place. When I looked in the mirror, I nodded in satisfaction.
Perfect! I can't wait to show Mom!
I stepped out of my room and immediately noticed movement to my right. I turned to the side and saw Big Brother standing right there. His room is to the right of mine, so it wasn't anything strange.
What was strange was seeing him in his middle school uniform for the first time.
A devilish sneer crept up my lips.
"Pfft."
I laughed just loudly enough to get his attention, then covered my mouth sassily.
He snapped his head toward me, clearly offended.
"The hell are you laughing about?"
I twirled my finger lazily in the air.
"Ohhh, nothing. I almost didn't recognize you. Formal clothing really doesn't suit you."
He awkwardly scratched the back of his neck, averting his gaze.
"Oh shut up, I'm not wearing this because I want to."
"I'd hope not," I said sweetly. "Just don't get your hopes up—no one will compliment you looking like that, okay~?"
His jaw tightened. His eye twitched—just slightly.
"Why you-"
Before he could say anything back, I dashed for the stairs, clapping my hands over my ears.
"Lalalala! I can't hear you!"
Even without looking back, I knew he was chasing me. I flew down the stairs, laughter bubbling out of me, straight toward where our parents were waiting.