"Nothing special," Rin sighed as he placed the manga book back on the rack. He grabbed a juice can and walked toward the receptionist to pay. He set the can on the counter.
An old man behind the counter looked up, checked the price, and said, "$0.50, sir."
Rin placed the cash on the counter, took the juice can, and headed out of the mall.
Outside, he walked down the quiet street under the night sky, sipping the cold juice. "Why did that manga say summoning to another world is possible?" He let out a small laugh and took another sip. "We all know that's not gonna happen… It's just a stupid fiction story."
When he finished the juice, he tossed the empty can near an alleyway. He glanced down at his wristwatch. It read 9:25 PM.
"Damn, I'm getting late," he muttered. "I better reach home before 10 PM or I'll have to spend the night on the street."
The moment he lifted his head from the watch, he saw a speeding truck racing straight toward him.
"Ha ha~ It's my end…"
He didn't move. No panic. Just a little spark of excitement in his chest. But unfortunately, the truck slowed down and stopped just inches in front of him.
"Fuck… What's this supposed to mean?"
The driver poked his head out of the window and yelled in rage, "HEY! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR GODDAMN MIND, KID? GET LOST! Or if you have a death wish, then stand there and die!"
"Blah blah blah," Rin muttered as he stepped aside, giving the truck space to drive away.
"I was so close to reincarnation, damn it," he whispered with a hint of annoyance.
He checked his watch again. It now showed 9:50 PM.
"Fuck… No, no. I better run."
He started sprinting toward home. By the time he reached the main door, he was breathing heavily. He looked at his watch one last time—he had made it just in time.
He slowly pushed the door open. Surprisingly, it was already unlocked. Once inside, he closed it behind him and looked around. The house was silent except for the living room, where the TV and lights were still on. Someone was clearly still awake.
"Eh? I thought everyone had gone to sleep," he muttered under his breath.
Before he could take another step, a smack landed on the back of his head.
"Ow?"
Rin turned around and looked up. Aisha stood there with both hands on her waist. She was wearing an oversized shirt and full pants. Her cold eyes stared down at him as she stepped closer, towering over his smaller frame.
"You came home drunk?" she asked.
Rin froze for a second. Why was she asking that so suddenly? He quickly shook his head. "No!"
Aisha didn't look convinced. "Then did you take any drugs?" Her voice stayed firm.
"ABSOLUTELY NOT, SIS. I'm still young as hell!" Rin replied.
"Then where have you been?" she pressed.
Rin took a moment before answering. "I was at the mall, peacefully reading the new manga books. I didn't find anything special, so I bought a juice can and left. That's it."
Aisha clearly didn't believe him right away. She bent down to his eye level and gently sniffed near his mouth to check for any scent of alcohol. Rin blushed hard and shivered from the sudden closeness.
"Sis—"
Aisha pulled back and straightened up. "Fine, I believe you. Now go to sleep. It's too late. I'll join you later. Go."
Rin nodded and headed upstairs to their shared bedroom. He and Aisha slept together because she was extremely overprotective and cared for him more than any sibling usually would.
He stopped in front of the door, opened it, and stepped inside. The room looked the same as always, but somehow it always felt new to him. He walked over to the bed and sat down.
"She'll come soon and join me… How am I supposed to stay calm when she's that close?"
He facepalmed and muttered to himself.
He glanced at the two pillows—one for him, one for Aisha. "But I better behave like a good brother, damn it."
Just then, a notification rang on his phone. He pulled it out and saw: "A new anime will arrive next week!"
Rin swiped the notification away. "So what? Even if a new anime comes, I can't even live an anime-like life. I was literally so close to ending my life in front of that truck like a main character… But that stupid driver stopped before hitting me."
He placed the phone near his pillow and lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
"Oh god, if fantasy really exists… I'd like to experience it."
He closed his eyes.
...
The next morning, Rin woke up slowly. His eyes opened and immediately landed on his side. Aisha was still sleeping, her arms wrapped tightly around him.
"Not again… This is literally torture for me. I can't stay in control like this."
He closed his eyes tightly again.
Then a sudden movement caught him off guard. Aisha was waking up. Her eyes opened and met his. Rin froze.
"Morning… baby brother," she said in a soft but slightly dangerous voice. She adjusted her grip and pulled him even closer.
"Wha… Sis… what's with that nickname now?" Rin's face flushed red.
Aisha laughed and leaned in so close that their noses brushed. "Why can't I tease my brother, hm?"
"I mean… fine. But not so suddenly… I… just can't handle it," he stuttered.
Aisha finally pulled back and sat up in bed. She ran her hands through her hair to fix it. "C'mon, nicknames are meant to be used anytime." She stretched her arms. "Whatever… now get up."
Rin gently shook his head, trying not to look at her while she stretched. He slowly sat up on the bed.
"Fine…"
He was about to get out of bed when, the moment his feet left the mattress, a portal suddenly opened beneath him. Instead of landing on the floor, he fell straight into it.
"AAAAAH!" he screamed.
"RIN!!"
Aisha pounced forward and grabbed his arm just in time. But she couldn't keep her balance and fell into the portal with him.
The portal closed behind them.