Scandalous - KuroKen

1

Kuroo exhaled as he removed his glasses, placing them on the desk with a soft clink. The moonlight filtered through the window, casting a pale glow over his script. He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his eyes. The quiet hum of the city outside contrasted with the silence of his apartment. A quick glance at the clock made him sigh-it had gotten late without him realizing it.

Stretching, he got up and made his way down the hallway, stopping in front of his brother's door. He knocked but got no response. Typical. With a sigh, Kuroo pushed the door open.

"Hanzo," he called out, spotting his 12-year-old brother hunched over his gaming setup, the glow of the screen illuminating his focused expression.

"Yeah?" Hanzo muttered, not taking his eyes off the game.

"What did I say about playing until 9? It should be off by 8."

Hanzo paused for a moment but didn't turn around. "The monitor wasn't working for a good hour, so I thought I'd make up for lost time."

Kuroo frowned slightly. "Still giving you trouble, huh?"

"Yeah, it's super annoying," Hanzo grumbled.

Kuroo walked over and ruffled his brother's hair. "We'll figure it out. But for now, come eat something. You've got school tomorrow."

Hanzo let out a sigh but paused the game, finally tearing his eyes from the screen. "Alright, alright. I'm coming."

Hanzo dragged himself out of his chair, stretching his arms with a loud yawn. Kuroo watched him with a small smile-his little brother had grown taller recently, almost catching up to him, though he was still all awkward limbs and messy hair.

As they made their way to the kitchen, the smell of the leftovers Kuroo had reheated earlier filled the air. He pulled out a chair for Hanzo, who plopped down at the table, still half-absorbed in whatever world he'd just left behind in his game.

"You're gonna burn out if you keep playing like that," Kuroo remarked, setting a plate of food in front of him.

Hanzo rolled his eyes. "I'm fine. It's not like I stay up all night or anything."

Kuroo raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh. Last week I had to drag you out of bed twice because you stayed up past midnight."

Hanzo grinned sheepishly, shoving a forkful of rice into his mouth. "That was different. I had a strategy to finish."

"Sure," Kuroo said, sitting down across from him. "But if you keep skipping sleep, your grades are going to tank."

Hanzo waved him off between bites. "Yeah, yeah. I've got it under control. Besides, you're the one who never sleeps. Always up working on some script or something."

Kuroo laughed lightly, leaning back in his chair. "Touché. But I'm not twelve, am I?"

Hanzo snorted but didn't have a comeback. For a few moments, the only sound in the apartment was the quiet clinking of utensils against plates. Kuroo glanced at the clock again, noticing how late it was, but he didn't have the heart to rush Hanzo through dinner. They didn't get to have quiet moments like this often enough.

Suddenly, Hanzo got up and made his way to the living room, grabbing the remote and flipping on the TV.

"What're you doing?" Kuroo asked, following him.

Hanzo didn't answer right away, instead navigating to YouTube. "Check this out," he said, finally breaking the silence as he pulled up a video.

The name *Kodzuken* flashed on the screen-a gamer Kuroo had heard of in passing but didn't pay much attention to. His brother, though, was practically obsessed.

"You watch this guy all the time," Kuroo muttered, sitting back on the couch. "What's so special about him?"

"He's awesome!" Hanzo grinned as the video started. "Kodzuken's got the best strategies in the game. No one reads the meta like him. And he's cool."

The screen was filled with fast-paced gameplay, mixed with clips of Kodzuken himself. Hanzo's eyes were glued to the TV as if he hadn't already spent half the night gaming.

"Look at how he predicts every move!" Hanzo exclaimed, pointing at the screen. "No one else can pull this off."

Kuroo chuckled softly. "Yeah, looks like you're pretty hooked. You gonna try out those moves tomorrow?"

Hanzo smirked, glancing at Kuroo. "Obviously. I'm gonna be better than Kodzuken one day."

"Better, huh? Big talk," Kuroo teased. "You've got school tomorrow. Maybe save the world domination plans for after class."

Hanzo groaned, but there was a spark in his eyes as he turned off the TV, the video leaving a lingering excitement in the air. "Fine, but Kodzuken wouldn't stop practising just because of school."

Kuroo ruffled his hair. "Well, lucky for him, he's not stuck in middle school."

Hanzo laughed and rolled his eyes, getting up from the couch. "Alright, alright. I'm going to bed."

"Good call," Kuroo said, following him back to the kitchen. "But seriously, we'll check your monitor tomorrow. Can't have you falling behind on those pro-gamer dreams, right?"

Hanzo grinned, his earlier reluctance gone. "Thanks, Tetsu."

850 Words