after years, your best friend's older brother makes an earth shattering appearance back into your life. and suddenly, a shared secret not only turns your lives upside down but forces you two to be closer together than ever.
est. may 2023
CITY LANDSCAPES FLASHED BY as the train ran at full speed. the moon was bright in the night sky, hung up by the millions of stars freckled in the atmosphere. the air outside was thick and humid, the effects of the blazing midday sun still weighing on the calmer night.
tsukishima had the entire left side of the train to himself. it was late, so most of the passengers had vacated the area and headed to their respective homes, save for a couple of men and a woman sitting across from him. he was slumped in his chair, legs spread comfortably as he held an unlit cigarette between his lips.
he tipped his head back and closed his eyes, feeling the smooth trajectory of the vehicle massage his tensed muscles.
"aw, c'mon baby, lemme buy ya a drink," a voice said, sounding far away.
tsukishima opened his eyes, disturbed by the noise. before this loudly spoken request, the train car was quiet save for soft mumbles and the hum of the wheels on the track.
"i'm okay, really. i have to get back to my family," he heard a woman's voice respond, wobbly and strained. "besides, i-i'm underage."
"m'aw, you're so cute. nobody's gonna know you're underage if i buy the drink, silly," the guy's slurred voice cut through the air, feeding tsukishima's growing annoyance. when the woman accidentally let out a whimper, the blonde was forced to actually turn his attention towards the commotion.
his nose wrinkled at the scene: a man, clearly drunk, slowly creeping closer to a young girl who looked so mortified that the sight would make anyone uncomfortable. the few men sitting lazily around him just watched with amused expressions, looking equally as sleazy as they leered at the girl.
immediately, the flashbacks hit him. pictures of his younger sister repeatedly getting hit on by older men when they were in high school. the number of times he'd been in fights because they wouldn't take no for an answer was ridiculous. it was funnier because nobody ever expected tsukishima to be the fighting type, but, surprisingly, his harsh words didn't always work.
the current situation was so uncanny. he'd even go as far as to say it gave him deja vu.
irked, he looked back up to find the offender slipping the most unsettling grin onto his greasy face. "a pretty thing like you..." he caressed her cheek, and she reeled back. ignoring that, the man continued to exhale his beer breath onto the poor girl's face. "looks like you could use a break," he waved the beer bottle in his hand as an indication.
