Author's note:

Please be aware that this is a Hanahaki romance with a plot twist tag so don't blame me for any tears that might fall from your eyelids. I will be the one cutting the onions. This is a complete work of fiction and none of the situations or attitudes of the characters represent my opinions in any way.

 I have no personal experience in the genre of romance, and it is my least favourite genre to read so it is a miracle that I am writing this😅.

~~~

Jingling bells, jingling bells. Jingling all the way. Oh, what fun it is to know I'm gonna drop out of school today.

 I hum the song in my throat, overlapping the Japanese music blasting from my headphones. It attracts the attention of students that have their noses buried in heavy textbooks and they scrunch up their noses at me. I flinch back and cower more into my school hoodie. Partly from the icing cold in mid-January.

"Kimchi?!" I hear a jolly voice that immediately warms up my heart. I slowly pull my head from my hoodie and turn to meet her gaze 

"Oh! It's really you." She squeals and jumps right at me, elbowing me down and tousling my freshly cut hair. People step aside like the Red Sea parting because she has that kind of presence. Maybe it's her bright blue eyes and sleek black hair that pop against her pale skin. Or perhaps it's the warmth she radiates, which is a surprising contrast to her intimidating figure that leaves others in awe.

Some students make faces, but I notice their eyes are still on her, glimmering with curiosity. She fires back at them with a deep frown, her blue eyes squeezed between her eyebrows and soft cheekbones. Attitude. Now walk off. She turns us around and walks further ahead of me with a gentle sway to her hips while purposely chewing her gum louder to further irritate them. My misophonia would be triggered if it was anyone but her. I don't know; she works magic on me.

My music pauses for a second as an automated voice breaks through: Message from Mom: Did you know Hisako-san is your senior?

I stop in my tracks, already hearing my mom's playful teasing in my head. Senior? Like, a high school senior? Ugh, of course, it's about that! Just thinking about it makes me feel so anxious. Honestly, I might as well just drop out right now. 

I'm ready to turn around and bail on  school, fully aware that there'll be some fallout, but I don't even care—especially when the cause of my distress is right in front of me.

"Hmm? Kenny? Not coming?" She tilts her head to the side, and her innocent doe eyes almost blind me. No, I think I might actually go blind from seeing her smile. Her carefree smile curls up at the end almost as if she knows I know my predicament. The curling smile turns into a sneer.

"Kimchi~ So! You know how back in middle school we were always in the same class and age group?" Hisako shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly. Monster. Okay, a slightly evil angel seems better.

"Hmm?" My husky voice squeaks out from my dry throat. Like a fool, I encourage her in her mission to make my life miserable. 

See, Hisako and I have been best friends since before we were born. When I was young, I didn't know how to make friends; luckily, I was given a pre-packaged, parent-approved circle of friends.

Hisako and I share a deep bond, not just because my mother and hers were close pals back in 5th grade, but also because Hisako is 364 days older than me. Not 365, three hundred and sixty-four. One day, an exact 24-hour difference. And she uses this information to get me to worship the path she walks daily. Nah, not really. I hope she would do that, though, but Hisako isn't a tease.

"Well, this school does it differently for high school." Her eyes turn into little crescents, and for the first time in my life, I want to walk away from this girl.

 I, Teruya Ken'ichi, 12 years old, is scared of a girl who was 364 days older than me. She was 13, but let's be honest, the days matter more.

"Hisako~" I can already see how this is going to play out. She's definitely going to take this opportunity to make me run errands for her, and with Japan's emphasis on age, height, and social status, I'm pretty much doomed. I might as well just be her personal assistant at this point. I said Hisako wasn't a tease, but that didn't mean she wasn't an opportunist. Not like I'm complaining either.

Stepping up till I'm eye level with her, Hisako stands just an inch taller than me, and as much as I didn't want that to bother me, it did. She was more athletic, more brilliant, and more easygoing than me. The most intelligent and talented of our peers. Even the seniors were feeling the need to prove themselves to her. I knew this before anyone, but that was back in middle school, where I had her to myself; now we were in high school, and I'm sure others realized this too.

"Are you threatening me?" I cock my eyebrows and try to lean forward, but she doesn't budge but stays still, so I almost crash into her.

"What if I am?" She questions me back. Her blue eyes glint with playful mischief.

"I would—" What would I do?

"What would you do?" She interrupts me, but all I can think is the exact same question.

"Hisako!" All heads snap to the loud, booming voice, and soon an ugly girl with pigtails comes running towards us. Why did Miki have to come in now? I back off from Hisako, and Miki flashes me a glare. What was she getting salty for? Ahhh, it would be such a hassle to ask her.

Don't get me wrong; I wouldn't say all girls were ugly just because I liked Hisako. Although they were. But Miki, with her extra attitude, acted like she was the boss of Hisako or some sort of manager. Miki is the president of Hisako's fan club. 

Yup, two years into high school and dear Hisako already has a fan base. The only problem I have with Miki is she doesn't know her place, and as much as I'd love to teach her, I was simply a man and I would get sued for as much as poking a girl.

 It would be such a hassle to have to go to Juvenile for that, now wouldn't it?

"Hisako, the entrance ceremony starts in 25 minutes; Teacher needs you to get prepared," Miki states as she chews loudly on her gum. I clench my fists into balls to stop myself from ripping her pigtails out until she goes bald, but this fist position also makes it possible for me to punch her ugly gyaru makeup.Hisako had once said she loved that style of make-up and for some reason, Miki made it her entire personality the week after that. A week because her broke ass couldn't come up with the money to get into it the very next day. Tsk, tsk.

While Miki is still loudly chewing on her gum, I place my headphones back on as I intercept a new message. The automated voice rings out once again: New message from Mom: Please, Honey, can you go to your father's office and ask for the house keys? He'll be staying late at work, and I still need a new one from the wielder.

I whip out my phone from my pocket and frantically text back my reply.                                                                                                                                                  

                Sorry, I can't. Entrance ceremony starts in 25mins.

My mom's text bubbles come back up for a second.

Pretty please🥺? I really can't get off work right now, and your new school is close to his workplace. 

                                                                                                  FINE!!!!!

Tell Hisako-san good luck at her ceremony; I know you're together right now.🤭

I read her message but don't respond back. Nosy mothers. "Kenny, come with us. I need a practice buddy." My heart fills with butterflies but then despair as I remember my urgent plans.

"Why should he come?" Miki juts out her head like a turkey's and sweeps her layered bangs to the side with her bead-infested arms. Lord, help me.

"I'm sorry. I don't think...I can't" Hisako's face falls, and I want to quickly add on the reason why until Miki sings Hurray! and snatches Hisako by her arms, pulling her in the direction she had come from.

"Oh...See you later in the crowd, I guess?" She shrugs her arm from Miki's hard grip, but the foolish girl doesn't take Hisako's obvious discomfort. I watch Miki again hold her down by her arms, and she skips away with a disheartened Hisako.

"Good luck, Hisako" I murmur sheepishly, like someone too lame to confess his feelings. I'll have to confess them sooner or later, but right now I know I won't stand a chance against the piled-up suitors. Hisako is an innocent, soft-hearted girl who could never see me as anything much more than a 364-day equal brother. Not younger brother. And equal one. It's the fullness of the years that counts, ya know? 

I push my way through the crowd when a faint bell rings in the distance, shattering the calmness as students hurriedly gather their bulky textbooks to head into the school hall for the Entrance ceremony. I spot some seniors in the corners, head bowed, already in tears over their Welcome back to school test that will mess up their report cards. "Yeah, I should drop out"

Author's Note.

My first romance book as an Aro-ace so go easy on me now😅😅😅

Hisako called Ken'Ichi "Kimchi" at the start because she's has some Korean blood in her family tree, so when they first met and Ken'Ichi told her his name, her first thought was "Kimchi!" She would always mistake his name when they were younger, and as they grew, it turned from an inside joke to his nickname.