Monotonous | Nanami Kento x Reader

23 | Hana | Best Sister of the Year Award Goes to...

I'll admit, I wasn't always the best sister.

Ada just gets on my nerves. Like a lot. Like today, when she tried to make slime with my shampoo. The look on her face when I caught her mixing the ingredients in the bathroom sink-- that gremlin! I was going to tell big sister as soon as she got home since dad was sleeping and I didn't want to bother him. Dad's been sleeping a lot. He goes out a lot on mom's insistence, but it's hard for him to get a job given how up and left his last few ones. He's like an absent father except he's actually here. Is it that wrong me to resent him?

Just a little bit. I love dad, I do. But--

Ok, I realize that counteracts my previous statement by adding but, but he really needs to pull himself together.

When big sister got home today, I forgot to snitch on Ada when I saw her tired face. No, it was more than tired. Exasperated? Done? Empty? I thought she was in a world of her own when she left Ada's annoying questions with no answers. As much as I thought my younger sister deserved it, it just wasn't my big sister to do that.

I decided to leave her be for now. Maybe she just needed a nap. Yeah, a nice long nap. That was the least I could do for her, right?

I distracted Ada by playing her with so she wouldn't be a bother. On the side laid my textbooks as I studied simultaneously.

"I'm hungry." Ada whined, pulling on my pajama sleeve.

I groan, nodding as I peel my eyes away from the diagram of a mitochondria cell-- which by the way is the powerhouse of the cell. Absolutely goated-- "You just had dinner. You want more of this poor peasant pasta Dad made?"

"No, I want cake."

"We don't have any--" I froze midway, suddenly remembering that in our fridge, there was, indeed, cake. "Gah! Fine, just make sure to get some out for me and big sister too."

I took a piece of it upstairs, hearing my dad's snores. He was still sleeping as usual. Typical. I wasn't going to give him any cake even if he was awake anyways as retribution for that boring lunch he reluctantly made as he woke up from his mid-afternoon nap early. Shame; it was such a nice Saturday too. So, I strode past his room. But even as I stopped right behind my older sister's door, I felt something was off.

"Y/N." I softly whispered as I twisted opened the door.

The sleeping body of my sister was buried under blankets, the slight moving of her chest at least telling me she was alive. Of course she was alive. I wasn't scared! No, I wasn't.

...

Ok, fine. I may have been a little. I can't be blamed. Maybe all that overworking finally got to her head. 

I put the plate down on the dress table before I go to sit beside her. The mattress dips down, but not enough to wake her up. My sister's face was troubled, even in sleep. A scrunched nose, furrowed eyebrows, and a set jaw speaking plenty about her state of mind.

How could I make this better? I didn't know. This was the first time I saw her taking a nap. The last time must've been when I didn't even exist and she was in kindergarten. Maybe, everything is actually fine as she's becoming a regular person who needs sleep now.

I stood back to my feet, but just as I was about to leave, the cake on the table for when she wakes up, I freeze. It wouldn't hurt to just check one last time, and so I put my palm to her forehead. I gasped, recoiling my fingers. It was like a burning iciness, like dry ice or something was underneath her skin. I didn't need a thermometer to tell something was terribly wrong.

I look down at Y/N, biting my lip. How could I help? Whenever I or Ada got sick-- wait, first, I'll get her a warm compress-- No, a cold one. I can't tell if she's burning or freezing. I'll just get a lukewarm one to try to get her temperature to normal then.

When I walked past Ada on my way to the kitchen, I told her to be quiet. For once, she agreed, even with that downcasted expression.

As I wet a cloth, I decided to speak up to Ada, my voice softer than usual. "Everything's fine."

"Rosie looks sick. You should make her soup. Mama does that."

I bit back a fiery response -- Well, mama isn't here-- and instead said, "Later." This wasn't her fault after all. 

I wrung the wet wag, the droplets falling onto the sink. I slipped back upstairs, applying the semi-warm fabric onto my older sister's forehead. With a bated breath, I waited. For what, I did not know. Maybe I just wanted to see the state of how Y/N was in, to soak it in when I couldn't all the other times due to her business.

Eyebags darkened her under eyes, weariness etched into every breath of hers. This wouldn't have happened if even one of us checked in on her and intervened. Gosh, this was my fault. I should've stopped her from working so hard. Or-- I'm old enough. I should've gotten a job. I just had to be so selfish.

I knew what Y/N would tell me if I said this out loud: that I wasn't selfish and that it was her job to take care of us, but that isn't fair!

It's not fair how mom's sick. How dad just gets to shut down. It's not fair. Nothing is fair! Ada's too young to really understand this, and I'm caught in the crossfire. Stuck and unable to do anything. WHat do I have the power to do? It's so unfair.

I sigh in resignation. I couldn't dwell on those negative thoughts, no matter how addictive they were. Y/N needed rest, and for a good while. I'll take matters into my own hands.

Quietly, I used Y/N's phone to dial her first workplace, a bakery I had only been to once. A kind-enough sounding woman picked up, elderly, I could tell by the slow and sweet drawl. Once I told her 'I' wouldn't be coming in for a couple days, I hung up. Next step, I might make her mad at me for this, but I swear, I'm doing this for her. 

I wrote an email of resignation to her second job. She didn't like it as much anyways, and it was more tiring for her to bike around. Plus, it was dangerous. What if some creep decided to invite her into their apartment and she did?! At least, that was what I told myself. Hopefully, she didn't actually go into someone's apartment because they asked her too. Since it was a part-time job, they didn't care that she wanted to quit; I bet everyone does. I would too if I was a food deliverer-- ok, that was mine.

But see? I did her a favour!

"Hm, Hana, what are you--?" A sluggish voice mumbled from the blankets, taking my attention.

"It's ok, big sister. Go back to sleep." I try to comfort her with soft affirmations. It didn't take much more than a couple words for sleep to rouse her back.

Once I was sure she was asleep. I carefully lifted the blanket to curl up beside my sister. She was so cold, even with the layers. I stayed awake a bit longer, enough to hear tiny footsteps pitter upstairs and the creak of the room door left slightly ajar as a little figure entered to sleep beside us as well. 

For the first time in the longest while, I was with my older and younger sister in a peaceful moment.

But for how long would it remain like so?

"Big sister, please get better."

I didn't know what to do.