𝗢𝗢𝗚𝗢𝗘 𝗗𝗜𝗔𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗗────── k. aren x original character

𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫

"i-it's time for kuboyasu-kun to go home, actually!"

the lighthearted smile on kuusuke's mouth did not settle in well with kotoe. she hurriedly took the paper bag from his hand and placed it on the table. at the same time, she heard footsteps coming down the stairs and when she turned, kusuo was staring at her with eyes wider than usual.

she couldn't read his mind, not at all, but she knew him better than anyone else. and she knew that kusuo's mind was filled with the same popping question: why the hell is kuusuke here?

kotoe didn't think too much of it at first—her brother was a free soul. he was the type to suddenly appear and reappear; but today out of all days? the day where she is doing her group project? the coincidence didn't look like it was a coincidence. kuusuke was probably keeping track of her schedules again—that damned calendar app in her phone, kotoe swore that she was never going to use it ever again!—and she would definitely be scolding him later.

she mouthed, to kusuo, a small whisper of his name. his eyes darted back and forth between his siblings, and he decided to step into the room.

"kotoe-san," kuboyasu stammered then, breaking kotoe's concentration on her twin brother.

"right, kuboyasu-kun? home, right?"

"kuusuke—" kusuo tried distracting the attention from kotoe by calling out to kuusuke, but the oldest didn't even budge from his spot.

kotoe felt her toes scrunching, she immediately turned back to kuboyasu to find him already packing his things; she was glad that he was understanding.

"yeah," he coughed up, pushing his chair backwards. "actually— i, i need to go home, y'know?"

"yeah."

kuboyasu's hard stare was drilling holes into her skull, but she knew that he was as fidgety as she was at the animosity kuusuke had to offer. maybe he sensed that he was a danger to his well-being, and he wouldn't be absolutely wrong with that.

"already?" kuusuke's voice boomed in the room and kotoe felt both her and kusuo cringe. "i was hoping that you would help me test out my new invention, kuboyasu-kun."

"i can help you, nii-chan!" kotoe shrieked, wrapping her fingers around kuboyasu's wrist before quite urgently dragging him out, keeping their distances as she used the long route and went behind kusuo.

kuusuke frowned. "but ko-chan's a girl," kotoe could see that he was going to let this one slide. she felt her fingers gripping kuboyasu's wrist harder. "well, if kuboyasu-kun really has to go. . . next time, then."

"i'm sorry," kuboyasu stammered, nodding his head relentlessly as kotoe continued to drag him out.

"next time, then," kuusuke repeated his words with a ominous smile as kotoe opened the front door.