𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 | 𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘴𝘶𝘺𝘢 𝘵. ᯓ ᡣ𐭩

015. | ᴀ ᴛᴜʀɴ ᴏꜰ ꜰᴀᴛᴇ

Kana sat on the couch in the living room, her books and papers spread out on the living room table in front of her. The room was quiet, with the only sound being the turning of pages as she worked on her homework. Despite the relative serenity of the moment, a hint of tension was noticeable in her body language, as if she were thinking of something else entirely.

Despite her intense focus, there was a hint of exhaustion in her eyes, as if she were carrying a weight on her shoulders. The quiet of the room was only broken by the occasional pencil scratching against paper or the sound of Kana muttering under her breath as she worked through a particularly tricky part of the problem.

Despite having taken a rest after her fainting spell, she still felt a lingering weakness within her. It was like her body wasn't quite her own yet, as if every movement required a bit more effort than usual. She could feel a dull ache in her limbs and a heaviness in her chest that stubbornly remained no matter how much she tried to shake it off. She sighed, frustration creeping in as she continued to struggle through her homework.

Takemichi entered the house through the front door, the sound of his footsteps echoing in the quiet space. "I'm home." he announced, his voice laced with stressed notes. He took off his shoes at the entrance with a sigh, setting them aside neatly.

Kana's head snapped up from the couch at the sound of Takemitchi's voice and greeted him from the living room, "Hey, Takemitchi." she called out, a smile on her face.

Takemichi couldn't help but return her greeting with a small smile of his own, glad to be home. Despite the exhaustion seeping into his voice, he tried to hide it, not wanting to worry her.

Kana could sense the exhaustion in her older brother's voice, and a tinge of concern flickered across her expression. She asked in her usual teasing tone,"Rough day? Or did you just miss me too much?"

Takemichi rolled his eyes playfully, a small tired smile tugging at his lips as he responded in banter. "Oh, you know it. My charming little sister's company is what makes my day so much better."

She couldn't help but smile at her brother's comment, it was comforting to see that despite his fatigue he was still able to maintain their usual brother-sister banter.

Takemichi made his way into the living room and took a seat next to Kana on the couch, a small sigh escaping him as he leaned back against the cushions.

She noticed the weariness on his face and her concern grew slightly, but she decided to lighten the mood with a teasing remark. "Did Hina get tired of you and send you back home? I have to deal with your whining now?" she teased with a smirk.

Takemichi feigned offense despite his stress, playfully rolling his eyes at his little sister's jab. "Watch it, smartass." he retorted without any real heat.

The banter between the siblings continued, each exchange bringing a lightness to the room, momentarily overshadowing the exhaustion that had followed Takemichi home. However, Kana couldn't help but notice the growing shadows under her brother's eyes and the slumped shoulders. She gently nudged him and asked in a softer tone, "Hey, are you really okay, though?"

Takemichi seemed to deflate momentarily but quickly regained his composure and offered her a weary smile. "Yeah, I've just been thinking about everything, that's all."

She sensed the weight of her brother's words and realized something was troubling him. In that moment, her teasing and lightheartedness gave way to empathy and concern. "Wanna talk about it?" she asked gently, her tone free of any mockery or frivolity.

He hesitated for a brief moment. As Takemichi looked at his little sister, his mind fixated on the subtle but unmistakable traces of weakness and exhaustion in her demeanor. His gaze lingered on her, noting the way her shoulders slumped ever so slightly and the slight lack of spark in her eyes. "Kana," he finally spoke up, his tone filled with tenderness but sharp. "Are you feeling okay?"