Thursday, June 2nd

Maeda and Marco silently analysing their friend as she proceeded to eat her food a with jovial air around her. She held a more rejuvenated aura to accompany her positive exterior, continuing to smile at herself while her two companions shared theories over the source of her joy.

"So, (Y/n). You're in a good mood today." Maeda commented with an uncertain smile before getting regarded by the optimistic girl.

"I'm just so happy I'm not going to die today." She replied, further eluding away from answering her friends' concerns.

Marco leaned in towards his partner in speculation to whisper his conclusion. "I think the cleaning chemicals finally got to her." The two looked back towards the girl who happily hummed to herself as she enjoyed her lunch. After finding himself disinterested with the analytical behaviour, he ended up slumping against the table. "Guys...I think my boyfriend is cheating on me-"

"Say that when you have evidence!" The boisterous girl snapped before lowering her hype to annoyingly glare at the boy along with an equally irritated (Y/n). "Honestly, it's not even fun to tease you anymore." The purple haired female grumbled before laying her head down on the table between folded arms.

"Look on the bright side, next week we leave school on Wednesday. After that, Summer vacation!" (Y/n) stretched her arms to ease the tension in her muscles. "And it's really warming up now. Do you guys want to make plans to go somewhere?" The female questioned, perking the interest of her two companions.

"Hell yeah! Do you think your mum will be well enough to go back to work? I don't want you to skip on your shifts." Maeda half joked as a curious Marco peeked over her shoulder, also interested.

"Mum will most likely come back by the end of the week. She's a workaholic, she can't stay still for long." The girl sighed to herself at the relieving thought of no longer performing labour on behalf of her mother, though receiving a sense of guilt and uselessness as she would leave her parent to singlehandedly support the whole family once again. The trio were then alerted by the indicative sound of a bell, forcing them to groan out of their seats.

"Hey, can you wait here while I change out of my uniform?" (Y/n) questioned her female friend, getting the girl to confirm her request with a nod. The worker proceeded to enter the bathrooms where she received the lonesome privacy to switch clothes. "Did Marco already go?" She loudly asked, earning an unseen eye roll from her companion.

"Yes, he said he had to go and check up on his boyfriend. That guy is gonna lose him if he keeps acting this paranoid." Maeda called back, earning a confirming scoff from the changing girl.

"I wish he was that focused when we're having a conversation. He'll grow out of the distrust soon." (Y/n) assessed, putting on her last article of clothing before placing her uniform in her bag. "Do you think we should invite him for ice cream just to get him to relax? We can invite his boyfriend too." She quizzed, earning nothing but silence from the other side of the door. The female furrowed her brow as she called out once more, only for no response to follow. "Maeda, did you hear me-?" Upon opening the swinging entrance to the outside, the girl was greeted by an empty space of where her friend was supposed to be.

Gazing around the area, the only sign of human life came from the few arbitrary students that were leaving the building or running last errands for the day. The girl allowed confusion to seep in before shaking her thoughts away, concluding her friend to have left her.

'At least she could have told me...' Placing her bag over her shoulder, the girl lifted her mood up once again at the positive day she had planned to have at work, without the unnecessary worries of danger or stress. 'Well, duty calls.'

The sun pleasantly tingled the female's delicate skin as she listened out for the small abundance of wildlife around her chirping and crackling. Nearing the entrance of the compound she pleasantly exhaled to herself as she memorised her tasks and course of action once she would near the building.

'Alright, today I finish early and make sure to come home ahead enough to make dinner. I'll give Mai a bath then I'll probably clean Mikah's room. And then...' The female felt her positivity falter as she reminded herself of entering a deep moment of slumber at the end of the day, only to wake up and repeat the day like a present clock.

She could already imagine where the sun would be at morning. Where it will be after school. Where it will be when she arrives at work. Where it will be when she leaves. And when it will disappear to signal her to rest; right until it shows itself in the morning to dictate her cycle of the next 24 hours. She sighed to herself as she imagined continuing on with the same conventional actions and work each day after another, like a cog in a mechanism.

She shook her anxious thoughts away as another, more soothing revelation came to mind. 'It's ok if every day has the same general routines. That doesn't make every day the same. I've got those weird boys making it different each time...even in the most subtle of ways.' She exhaled to herself before a satisfied smile played on her lips. As much as she would love to complain about their antics, she'd rather live through and clean their messes rather than spend her hours in draining silence, mechanically finishing each task like a chore rather than a responsibility. 'Though...I would definitely not want a repeat with Gennai's behaviours.'

She unintentionally gave a bitter smile as she finally neared the gates of the house. Preparing to enter the private area, she was abruptly stopped once her eyes located on an individual waiting at the opening. The girl took a moment to register the company before her brain further delved into confused territory.

"Gennai? What are you doing here?" She questioned, watching the male's focused and determined expression direct towards her. She noticed him holding onto a metal briefcase and piece of paper in hand, but directed her attention upwards as he regarded her.

"I want to go visit big brother." His stern and solid tone resonated his request while the female could only process the words without managing to gather proper context.

"What?" (Y/n) stared into the male's golden eyes, seemingly trying to find any sign of humour or trickery that would invalidate his request.

Gennai stepped past the gate of the premises to declare his requisition once more. "I want you to take us to visit big brother."

His repeat only further complicated the female's brain as she gave him a bewildered smile. "O-oh, you want me to take you? But, I don't know which hospital he-" (Y/n) was promptly hushed as the piece of paper that had thus far remained in his hold, was waved in front of her face like an indicative proposal.

"The address is on here. Let's go." Before the girl even had time to check over the writing, her hand was yanked away, heading in the opposite direction from the house. Watching the building slowly becoming smaller as the distance increased, she swung around to regard the boy.

"G-Gennai, I have a job to do! I can't take you anywhere. Are you even allowed to have this paper with you?" She questioned, looking back at the highly formal looking sheet of official documentation that she doubted was willingly given to the boy.

Gennai, however, ignored her uninterested pleads as he continued tugging her all the way to the bus stop, tightly clenching the metallic case in his other hand. He proceeded to sit down on the bench before letting go of the exasperated girl.

"Listen, you can go visit your brother if you want. I really need to go and do my work." Turning her back on the boy, the girl proceeded to begin her departure from the male, right before her attention was attracted back from her forceful company.

"If you leave, I'll tell someone that you promised to take me but left me all alone in town." The girl glared back at him with an astounded expression.

"Huh?! You've got no proof! I didn't even enter the building yet!"

"That's not the story I'm going to tell." The male wrapped his arms around himself in a consolidating embrace as he hung his head low in a turmoiled display. With a shaking and conflicted voice, he sounded out his sorrow. "'She came to me with the letter, promising to reunite me and big brother, but she simply left me alone in the middle of town. Without a guide or a word of comfort, leaving me to fend for myself.' Yes, that should do the trick." He lifted his smirking face up towards the female who stared at him in bewilderment of his intentions.

"Y-You can't be serious! You don't have any evidence to prove that!" She angrily shouted at the indignant impeaching of her intents.

"And you don't have any evidence to disprove that. So I would be careful about who sees you with that letter. It's classified so if you attract the wrong attention it might just help my story." He smiled towards the dumbfounded female who stared at his performance in a speechless manner. "Or you can make it even easier for me and just leave it arbitrarily somewhere, proving that you were just trying to cover your tracks. That letter was very specifically hidden, mind you." His condescending grin became wider as he did not need to see the girl to know of her torn demeanour.

"It's your word against mine!" She retorted back, earning an unconcerned shrug from the boy.

"No, it's my tears against your words." Gennai proceeded to place his balled up fists against his eyes, representing his desperation to hide his synthetic sorrow. "'S-she promised...she promised to bring me to see big brother. And then when she left me alone, she came back to throw away my belongings. Why...why would she do that...?'" He proceeded to hiccup and sniffle, to sell his act further.

"Are you kidding?! I'll tell someone about the things you put me through these past few days." She backlashed with her own threat, seeming to unsuccessfully faze the boy in any way.

"Do it. Everything has been cleared up by now, you don't have anything to support your claim. It'll make you seem even more guilty since you're trying to cover my accusation with another." He cooly explained, undeterred by her own threat. The female let out an aggravated grunt before turning her back on the male to allow herself the privacy to think. She remained unsure whether his act was a bluff or not, but felt conflicted at the chance she could be taking.

'Calm down (Y/n). He can't prove anything. I'll just give him back the letter and no one will be the wiser.' She nodded at her intent, turning around with a calm smile to accompany her relaxed mood. 'Alright, just hand it and run-' (Y/n) was abruptly stunned as she watched the boy boarding onto the bus that had seemingly driven in like a silent ghost. 'Where did that bus come from?!' She exclaimed to herself, flinching back into reality as she heard the engine roar with the intent on its leave. "No! Wait!" (Y/n) sprinted towards the vehicle, catching it's attention before it had the chance to properly start.

Entering the bus, the female located the boy that had seated himself beside a window, staring nonchalantly out into the open world. She quickly strode towards him where she flung the piece of paper in his face, failing to earn a reaction from the stoic male while he simply glanced at her with a silent, calculative gaze.

"Take it! I'm not coming with you!" As she waved the paper around, her body was slightly shifted off balance as her environment began moving. Realising the bus had already started its journey towards the next checkpoint, the female frantically shook her head in disbelief. "No! Wait! I need to-! Gennai, here!" She tossed the paper into the air, allowing it to flutter onto the male while the girl stomped towards the closed entrance where she stood there, awaiting for the doors to open for her leave. "I'm getting off the next stop. You do whatever you want!" She snapped at him, holding a stern glare towards the automated, glass doors.

"Oh that just makes it easy for my story." The female gawked at him in bewilderment as the male turned on his water works with a pair of coon vocals. "'S-she...she left me in the middle of the bus journey...I didn't know where I was and how far the next bus stop would be. S-so I...-I had to try and find big brother all on my own, with nothing but the letter she left me with.'" After a few small caught and gasps, he looked over to the girl with clean eyes and a daring grin.

"You're insane. I'm not going to babysit you." She demanded, holding her ground in the argument. Gennai began analysing the female, carrying an unreadable expression as he assessed her.

"Aren't you concerned about Eban, even a little?" The girl's body automatically froze up as her muscles tightened from his words. "For someone who didn't want to leave him when he was hurt, you sure don't care about how he's recovering."

The girl turned towards him to give his accusing tone a repudiate scowl. "That's not true. I'm still worried over-"

"Were you just acting like that just to look nice? Because you might get in trouble if you looked like the culprit?" The boy presented her with a mocking smile that knowingly teased the female's emotions.

"No! I really am. I really hope he gets better, but-" (Y/n) found herself getting cut off by the boy who continued bombarding her with unflattering assumptions.

"Aren't you even a little grateful that he saved you? If it wasn't for him, you would be the one in hospital. How would you feel if no one came to visit you to show their concern? If no one cared about how you were doing?" The female knew her company was tugging at her conscience and guilt, toying with her gratitude. She hated how the male was using her will and morals to his advantage. She hated how easily he twisted things on their head for the sake of his own innocence. She hated it even more that it was successfully working.

(Y/n) found herself sitting down beside the snark male as she remained unwilling to get off the bus once it came to its next stop. She could practically feel the complacent smirk emanating from her partner. As they both rode the bus in silence for a few minutes, the dominating quietness was then broken by the boy's satisfied vocals. "Are you annoyed over how easily I can play you?" He mused out.

"Don't talk to me until the end of this bus ride." She commanded, thickening the smug silence between them.

The girl finally found the room to stretch her stuff legs after being forced to take two long bus rides, one after another. Gennai curiously looked around his new environment as he sniffed the air for any resources he can scavenge. Looking towards the male, (Y/n) was reminded to enquire on his luggage as her attention drifted towards the metal case.

"What's that?" She indicated towards his belongings, making the boy quickly hug the shiny item, away from the female.

"It's money, in case I want to get something! Now come on! Lead me to big brother!" He demanded, waving the piece of document in front of the girl's face again. (Y/n) annoyingly grumbled as she took the paper to inspect it.

Scanning the letter, she landed on the address as she tried to decipher the location of the post code. The more she through over the destination, the more recognition began to settle as the hospital started morphing into a familiar image of a building. 'This hospital...is it?' The female turned towards the male to confirm her suspicions, only to be met with an empty space where his form used to be. "Huh? Gennai?!" She darted her gaze around before spotting a scuttling figure entering a nearby shop. She stared for a second, wondering if that enthusiastic and scampering individual was her company and had to run after him to assure his safety.

Entering the building, she discovered it to be the charity shop she would pass by every school day. The girl looked around at the second-hand items and clothing strewed over walls and racks, creating a slightly stuffy but mixing smell that held the illusion of multiple bodies. With the few people that were in the store, it didn't take long for the girl to perk her ears at an incessant and fascinated grumble and mumble to enter her perception.

Locating the source of the familiar sound, she found the her escaped partner suspiciously and intriguingly assessing the environment. "Gennai, what are you doing? Come on, didn't you want to-" She was immediately shushed by the male as he let out a few considerate hums. After he seemed to have made up his mind on the subject, he proceeded to run towards the front desk where he was met by the friendly cashier.

"Hello Sir, how can I help you?" He asked the observant boy before the worker nearly jumped back as Gennai flung the metal case on the desk.

"I want everything in this store." The boy demanded, earning confused stared from the worker and the female that was witnessing his deal.

The girl proceeded to pull him towards her where she regarded him in a hushed tone. "Gennai, you can't just come into a place and ask to buy everything. Just get something and let's go." The boy proceeded to stare at the female as he absorbed her words and began processing her input.

"I see..." He walked over to the desk as the girl watched him from a distance, wary of his intents.

'Though, would it be that bad? This is all going to charity...' She waited for the male's next move and remained stunned as the boy proceeded to flip the lid of the case open to present the stacks of neatly ordered bills that lined every inch of the holder.

The cashier stared, seeming to be going through many emotions and thought cycles for the presentation in front of him. "Holy damn..."

"How much do you want for the entire franchise?" Gennai commanded in a stern tone.

'He's going to buy the charity?!' (Y/n) finally felt her joints moving as she reached out to grab the boy by his ear, making him squirm and yelp. The worker stared after the suitcase as the female closed it and snapped the locks in place before sliding it off the counter. "I'm sorry Sir, these are his life savings. We need to talk about where he should invest them." She rushed her explanation before dragging the fidgeting boy out of the shop. "What is wrong with you?"

She scowled at the apathetic male who grabbed the suitcase from her and hugged it tight to his body. He grumbled inaudible complaints under his breath before turning towards the girl to make a request. "I'm hungry. Buy me something!" He stipulated, staring intently at the unwilling guide.

'Is this guy serious...does he really mean...?' She gave him a suspicious look before voicing out her concern. "And is your share of the food going to come out of my pocket?"

"Of course. I'm not wasting my money on something that will be gone in seconds." He explained, grinding the female's nerves to a sore numbness.

"I'm not buying you food, I'm getting myself something to eat." The boy seemed surprised at her rejection as he glared at her with wide eyes.

"But you're responsible for me! I'm hungry!" He shouted as he watched the girl walking away towards an area with goods.

"And you're stacked! You should be buying me lunch!" She called back before managing to find an open shop for her to settle her hunger. The male hung around the girl as she ordered her request from the open window to the woman inside, before being given a fresh bag of goods in exchange for money. Gennai's stomach proceeded to grow as he grumbled to himself when the female indicated for them to keep moving, refusing to give him even an offer on the food.

Gennai mopingly trailed behind her, glancing towards his company's direction a few time in hopes of gaining some sympathy that would provide him with a share of her lunch. "I'm not giving you anything."

"But you bought loads! You're not going to eat all that in one go!" He remarked, shooting her a sharp glare.

"I'm saving some for later, now stop complaining. It's your own fault you didn't buy some." As they continued walking in the intended direction, the boy glanced towards the girl to see her unwrapping a freshly made, warm grilled sandwich. He quickly looked away as he knew the pain in his stomach would follow if he witnessed her devouring the goods.

After a few moments, he slowly drifted his gaze back to make sure the worst part of the scene was over. As he did so, he discovered to be walking alone, only being accompanied by the thought that the girl was striding beside him. Looking back, he noticed the female bowing down in front of an older man that leaned against the shade of a building. His clothes had numerous tears that were only partially sewn up, the material matted with dirt and worn out from natural conditions. His long patchy head of grey hair stuck out as though it had never seen a brush before as his thick beard wildly grew out from his aged face.

The man had a panting dog beside him as his only means of comfort and a few articles of material that made up a sleeping space for him. The dog wagged its tail and almost seemed to smile as the female reached out to offer her untouched food to the man. Gennai watched with itching intrigue as the older individual seemed more than elated at the girl's gesture, placing the offered food on his lap to shake the female's hand in gratitude as he spoke to her words that the dark haired boy could not hear.

The female bid him a good day before turning around with the intent to rejoin the boy, leaving the shelterless man to share his food with his pet companion. Approaching the male, her satisfied smile faltered as she gave him a confused look to his calculating stare. "What?"

Gennai turned back around to the path, irking the girl into also proceeding with the intended journey. As they continued walking in stifling silence, the male finally found the urgency to inquire on her actions. "Why did you do that?"

She gave him a bewildered stare, trying to interpret his track of thoughts. "What kind of question is that?" Gennai avoided making eye contact with her, only paraphrasing his words for her understanding.

"It's not your problem he's like that. You're not obligated to give him anything." The girl furrowed her brow in confusion before relaxing her features to give an encouraging smile that she knew, would remain unseen by the boy.

"I know that. But that's the issue." The girl took out another item of food from the plastic bag, looking at the convenience of the resolve for her hunger with an analytical gaze. "I know it's not my problem. The problems are all on his shoulders and it's hard to cope when you have so many worries that you can't share with anyone." She turned towards the boy to be met with his back, unable to get a proper inclination over his thought track, but proceeding to explain herself regardless. "That's why I like to think that by doing something little like this, I chip away some of his problems and ease his troubles." She allowed a gladsome smile to spread to her lips before sighing out. "I hope that a small luxury like this would at least help him ignore or ease one of his problems. Even just a little." The boy finally gave her a side glance where a frown was revealed on his features.

"It's not like you have a lot to give in the first place." The condescending statement hung in the air, looming over both their head like a nagging remark that could not be denied.

"But he has even less than I do." Gennai remained quiet as the two continued walking towards the assigned destination before a loud churning and growling sound resonated into the silence. "Oh my God, just eat! Your stomach is getting on my nerves now." She threw her sandwich at the male's face who shakily took it before glaring at the girl.

He proceeded to take a stubborn bite out of the given food before his annoyance dissolved into fascination as he eyed the teenage worker. He looked down at the food in his hands as he attempted to process the gesture based on the girl's own perception. 'But you have less than me.' He took another bite out of his food before a loud shrill of anguish sounded, making his bones jitter.

"Oh God, I knew this was the hospital!" She exclaimed, looking up at the tall building that was the objective of their search. As she stared at the structure in turmoil, a figure quickly whizzed past her as he darted into the premises. "G-Gennai, wait!" She ran after the boy where she found him inside the reception area, climbing over a desk to force an answer out of the poor nurse sitting behind it.

"Tell me where Eban is-!" The male was yanked back with a brief, sharp screech as the lobe of his ear pulled his entire body away.

"I'm sorry ma'am, we're looking for this person." The girl handed the woman the document that withheld all the confidential information, and after a few moments of checking through the computer system, the nurse handed the paper back.

"Are you a relative?" (Y/n) prepared to calmly state their relationship with the boy, before Gennai threw himself back on the desk where he came face to face with the shocked worker.

"I'm his little brother! Tell me where Eban is! Did you do something to him-OW!" (Y/n) angrily pinched the boy's ear once more with an excessive amount of force until she brought him to his knees.

"Behave! Sorry, Miss. Yes, he is Eban's brother, and I'm a friend of his." The girl wasn't quite sure what to call her acquaintanceship with the young man, but knew her own access would not be permitted otherwise.

The woman reluctantly took her position close to the edge of the desk, warily keeping an eye on the dormant boy who sulked on the floor. "He's in room B105. Take the elevator to the-"

"Come on!" Before the worker had her information leave her mouth, the boy grabbed the girl's hand to drag her away.

"Where are we?" Gennai looked towards the inquiring girl as she stared at him, keeping her distance from the numerous amount of kids and children running through the corridor, being eagerly scouted out by a few nurses and parents, ignoring the high-pitched crying, screaming and laughing from around them. "You took us to the children's ward! How did you manage to go in the exactly opposite direction of where we're supposed to be?!" However, the boy was too focused on a bouncing red ball that was occupying a little girl's attention.

"I want!" He shouted, heading to snatch the red plastic, right before he was pulled by the hood of his zip-up. Taking a few moments to scramble and grumble, he was finally shut up when the girl raised her voice.

"Stop wasting time! You want to see Eban, don't you?!" The male lowered his gaze as he finally relaxed out of her hold where he silently sulked during the journey, right beside her.

The pair walked through the sanitised corridors, turning a few corners before managing to get a good indication of the area they were in.

"Alright, stay right here while I ask someone for direction." The boy crossed his arms as he bolted his body to the floor, allowing himself to only glance around. 'Huh...he's actually listening to me for once.' The female looked around before noticing a woman that held her attention away from the girl, further down the corridor. (Y/n) began approaching the adult with the hopes of gathering insight on their location before stopping dead in her tracks.

The woman ahead held a resemblance too familiar to be mistaken for another. Too maternal to be a stranger's and (Y/n) could feel recognition seeping in.

"Huh...Oh! Hey, mum-" As her initial sense of joy came, it was soon overshadowed by a dreaded fear as she reminded herself of her position. The girl looked back to see the boy looking off to the side as the scene began playing out in her head. 'If she sees me with him there's no way I can deny the situation! Especially with a mouth as big as his!' (Y/n) froze up as she heard a curious hum come from the woman who now began turning to look at the call. 'Oh no!'

"Ma'am, please come back to your room." A nurse quickly ran to her mother's side as she kindly indicated for the woman to follow her.

The woman reluctantly whined as she fidgeted in her spot. "Oh please, you must have something here I can clean! I already cleaned the windows in my room and I'm absolutely restless." She groaned like an unsatisfied child as she was having a mini tug of war with the cloth in her hand and the nurse's confiscation over it.

"You're here to rest. Your blood pressure is still too high to be putting yourself through more stress." The worker took the cloth out of the woman's hands before gently pulling her towards her side of the hospital.

"Oh please! Could you at least break something in my room and leave so I can clean it up! I won't tell a soul." She pleaded, batting her eyes at the unfazed woman who simply rolled hers.

"Ma'am, we've been over this for the past few days, you're not allowed to put pressure on your muscles. Come back and rest." The female, however, still struggled and reluctantly dragged herself towards her area.

"Come on...I can give you good alternatives to sterilising medical equipment! Just give me a-" The female soon abruptly cut herself off as she heard frantic footsteps disappearing from her vicinity. Looking down the corridor, she was greeted with simply the emptiness of the environment, peaking her curiosity as she was pulled away by her nurse.

(Y/n) panted, tightly holding onto the boy and pressing him against herself as her own body pushed against the wall. Gennai struggled as he tried wriggling his mouth free from the girl's hand. The more seconds that passed them by, the boy could feel his heart increasing the strength of each beat as he felt the warmth of her form pressed against his back. The foreign feeling and sensation made him panic and wraith against her hold before instinctively pressing his teeth down on her fingers.

The girl had to suppress a screech as she had to gasp out her pain. She wiped her hand on her clothes before rubbing the ache away. She then glared towards the boy who had managed to gain a small amount of distance from her in the process. "I'm sorry, but was that necessary?" She complained before her features loosened as she stared at the boy's dishevelled form.

Gennai kept patting his chest as he felt like his heart would jump out at any second, each beat hammering against his rib cage while his stomach fluttered. His face felt hot, radiating warmth like a flare while his body stiffened. The girl approached his unstable state, leaning in to get a better assessment over his health.

"Gennai, are you getting sick? You look like you're burning up?" She gave him a concerned look, reaching out to feel his face with the back of her hand. The boy's eyes shot towards her gesture, feeling the thumps in his chest increase with each inch that closed off the gap between them.

He quickly smacked her hand away before scuttling a few feet back. (Y/n) gawked at him before rubbing her sore joint. "Don't come closer!" He warned, trying to rub off the heat in his face with his hands. The female could only stare at his behaviour before turning her back.

'Maybe he needs to be registered here...' She commented in her head before walking away.

"Alright I think this is it." The girl said, stopping in front of a door that she suspected would be the room to the boy they were searching for. She hadn't had time to reach out and take the handle to permit entry until Gennai ran past her, bursting through the entrance to disappear inside the room.

The female heard a heavy grunt as cracking springs followed a loud thump. Entering the room, (Y/n) confirmed the origin of the sound as Gennai happily held onto his sibling with a wide smile while Eban patted the boy's head in soothing comfort. Upon assessing his state of the second male, the female noticed the blond didn't seem surprised by the visit at all, despite there being no inclinations of their checkup. 'It looks like he knew we were coming.' She uncomfortably stood a small pace away from the males before Eban turned his attention on her.

"(Y/n), come here. I'm so happy to see that you decided to come and visit me." He called her over in a gentle and joyful tone, incentivising the girl to approach his side.

"You're looking good, will you be coming out any time soon?" The female noted that there was a bandage looping his head, but besides that inclination, his physical state seemed unaffected. He gave her a confirming smile, continuously stroking his brother's head as the younger boy melted into his healthy sibling's embrace.

"I was told I'll be allowed to leave tomorrow, so everything is just fine." A concerned expression appeared on (Y/n)'s features, analysing his exterior.

"Are you ok? You had a serious fall back in the house." Eban gave her a confirming nod as he patted his head to demonstrate it's sturdiness.

"It's fine, it was a small fracture so nothing serious was damaged. It just hurt like hell, haha." The female exhaled before smiling to herself at the relieving attestation.

"I'm glad, tell me if you need anything to help, ok? I really owe you one." The girl offered with an eager smile while the male seemed to hold his gaze down in a thoughtful manner.

After seeming to contemplate her words, he lifted up his sights to make eye contact with the girl, requesting to her in a shy tone. "Could you possibly, kiss it better?" (Y/n)'s face contorted into an astounded stare as she tried to annunciated any sound that resembled a question or response. The boy just gave her an amused smile to return at her startled appearance. "I'm just kidding. If I need anything I promise it won't be as personal as that, haha." The girl relaxed as a relieved smile appeared on her lips before jumping back as the entire bed was shaken.

"I'll kiss it better big brother! Where does it hurt?" Gennai panicked out his concern, drastically looking for an indication of a wound on the boy's head. Eban's smile wavered and became forced as he tried to restrict his brother as calmly as possible.

"That's ok Gennai, I was just joking." He continued pushing the eager boy away while the female watched from the side at their spectacle.

"I'll leave you guys for a bit then. I have some small business to take care of so please look after yourself." Eban managed to shove his sibling off the bed before regarding the girl with a composed smirk.

"Only if you promise to come back and say goodbye to me before you leave." He adamantly requested, getting the girl to nod at his demand before leaving him with his brother.

(Y/n) slowly entered inside the familiar room to accompany a certain familiar figure that seemed more than surprised at her visit. "Hey mum, how are you doing?" As the girl approached the woman, the older female gave her a disgruntled frown before swiftly turning her head away from the girl with a disapproving hum. 'Huh?! Did she see me with Gennai?!' The girl gave her a concerned smirk before forcing back any suspicious behaviour. "What's with that reaction? Did I do something wrong?"

Her mother glanced back with a stern gaze before turning her attention fully on the girl. "You haven't come to visit me in almost a week. I felt like you were forgetting about me." She pouted, taking out a plastic cup she had hidden to begin cleaning it for comfort. (Y/n) breathed out her relief before a slight tingle of guilt entered her senses.

"Sorry mum, I've just been a bit busy." The adult gave her a glance of suspicion as she began peeling away layers of the girl's facade to try and locate the true reasoning.

"Busy with what?" She sceptically inquired, stumping the girl for an answer. (Y/n) kept her external composure with only a moment of hesitation before managing out an explanation.

"I've just had a few chores to do around the house and summer homework is being given out so I'm trying to finish it to clear out my schedule. Sorry, I'll try and visit more often." She gave her dubious parent an attempt of a convincing smile, which narrowed the woman's eyes in further suspicion.

"If you say so...well, you won't have to anyway. I'll be coming out sometime by the end of the week so just make sure to keep yourselves alive until then." She joked before concentrating back on polishing the plastic cup. The girl smiled to herself before sitting beside the woman where she relaxed into the comforting atmosphere.

"Have Mikah and Mai been visiting you?" She questioned, hoping her mother hadn't completely been abandoned by her family. To her delight, the woman satisfyingly smiled.

"Yes, they've visited me quite often now. Unlike some people..." She moped, focusing her bitter gaze towards the girl.

'She's really sour about my neglect...' (Y/n) propped her hopes up on a small smile as her conscience got to her. "Well...how about I try to make it up to you somehow-?"

"I'm glad you asked!" The woman chirped, catching the girl in surprise as a new spark of life radiated inside the adult. The woman took her daughter's hands in her own weak but thriving grip to stare determinedly towards the girl. "When I come back, I want you to fold me a paper crane!" She requested, further befuddling the teenager at the wish.

"Huh? That's very random. Why a paper crane?" She questioned, doubting the reliability of the requisition. Her mother gave a big smile that radiated a whimsical wander.

"I heard that if you fold 1000 paper cranes: life long luck will follow, or you will be granted a single wish." She excitedly exclaimed, nearly fidgeting from side to side at the mere concept. "It sounds so beautiful. I just want one though, that you made. That way, maybe you'll be able to help me out in spirit in somehow." The genuine joy in her frail mother's look didn't give the girl the heart to question the validity of her sources. Instead, she simply nodded back in agreement.

"You're really easily amused mum, you know that?" The woman gave a confused tilt at her words, only to be dismissively shrugged off by the girl.

(Y/n) rejoined the two siblings after bidding her mother a farewell, and came inside the blond's area to see a very curious younger brother playing with the heart beat monitor. "Gennai, I wouldn't be touching that if I were you." However, the boy continued scrambling around with the wires and buttons to continuously cause various reactions from the machine.

As the girl entered, Eban smiled at her return, grabbing his brother by his clothes to retrieve him from his accident-in-waiting. "Hey, I'm going back now. I need to explain my absence to Nori before I get in trouble." She prepared to wave her departure, right before her wrist was grabbed by delicate fingers to retrace her exit.

Eban gently pulled her towards him where he held her hand in an apologetic manner. "I hope it's not too much trouble, but could you convince Gennai to go? It's starting to get dark and he'll probably get lost or distracted if he goes alone." The girl was held at a conflicting indecisiveness at the boy's polite request.

"Why would I want to leave?" Gennai questioned, looking for a reply in his sibling at the seemingly absurd suggestion. Realising the implication behind his confusion, the blond beaconed for his brother to approach him. The black haired boy sat himself at his sibling's side and intently watched for his brother's words.

"Gennai, you need to leave now." The younger male prepared to swiftly contradict his request, only for the boy to cut him off before a word was uttered. "I'll be dispatched tomorrow. I'd really appreciate it if you keep my side of the room clean by then." He politely requested the male, making him reluctantly frown at the proposition.

"Can't she do it? She's the cleaner after all." The girl silently glared at the boy as Eban simply shook his head to reject the proposition.

"If you do so, I promise I'll give you my pen collection when I come back." (Y/n) saw a blur dash past her, bringing a cultivated gust of wind blowing in pursuit. She looked towards the door to see Gennai lingering behind the frame, seeming dissatisfied with his choice, but completely immersed in his temptation.

(Y/n) sighed as she realised she'd have to spend another bus journey with the male's excessive company. The female prepared to follow him out before she felt a light grip curling around her hand. Looking back, she noticed Eban's fingers wrapped around to hold her palm before he regarded his sibling at the entrance.

"Gennai, could you possibly bring me some cake? I'm quite hungry." The boy in question seemed reluctant as his lazy mannerism displayed in his disinterested expression. With a reluctant groan, he proceeded to run off and leave the pair at their lonesome. "It'll take him quite a while to find anything. They don't serve pastry sweets here." Eban amusingly informed, giving the female some slight concern.

"Then I'll have to help him. I think there might be a bakery open-" Taking a step towards the door, (Y/n) was restricted as she couldn't move further than her hand would allow.

"Actually, I wanted him to leave for a second so I can spend these last minutes with you." The female gave him a curious expression to his request, relaxing her posture into a more open and conversing position.

"Did you need anything?" She quizzed, hoping to repay her saviour with any request he may have. However, Eban simply shook his head in a disagreeing response before smiling up at the female.

"Do I need a reason to have you around?" His innocent enough question sparked the girl to speak otherwise as she attempted to dismiss the inference. "Or are you looking for a reason to leave? I guess I can be quite disinteresting compared to others, unlike my brother..." The blond seemed to try and covet his saddened smile while the girl became obsequious with trying to push away the implication.

"No Eban! I wasn't meaning it in that way. I was just hoping I can repay you somehow for taking the damage for me." The male allowed a satisfied smirk to appear on his lips before he gently pulled the girl to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Then you can do that by talking with me for the little time we have." He eagerly insisted, allowing the female to exhale in relief as her attentiveness increased to regard the boy fully. "I wanted to say how impressed I am with how you handle Gennai. He doesn't have a very trusting attitude towards people, so it's admirable how you've managed to connect with him." The boy admiringly praised, giving the girl some confidence in her progress and his supportive words.

"All I honestly did was get frustrated. He just wants someone he can depend on." Eban nodded his agreement, while (Y/n) took on some solace at the security of her relationship with the energetic boy.

The girl then flinched into a frozen bewilderedness as she felt the warmth of a palm being placed at her cheek. The gentle touch brought a tingle to spread across the side of her face as her sights were directed to focus on the boy in front of her. "Maybe he got captivated by these pretty eyes." Eban's delicate whisper was a delayed register, taking the female by surprise as she stared at his fixated gaze that refused to break contact with hers. (Y/n) was looking in her mind for a response to the comment, trying to decipher the validity of the compliment. "Just kidding." The boy assured, retracting his touch from the slightly eased girl.

She exhaled loudly to rid the tension before she regarded the male with an unimpressed smirk. "What? Does that mean I've got no assets with my appearance?" She exaggeratedly humoured, earning a reassuring smile from the male.

"Not at all. You're a very beautiful person (Y/n)." The girl watched him with a blank expression for a moment before placing her hand against her face to blanket some of her embarrassment.

"Haha, sorry, I don't know why I'm getting a bit self-conscious. I was the one who forced the joke out of you." The girl consciously laughed as the male kept his amused smile still plastered on his lips.

"But I'm not joking this time. You really are very charming (Y/n)." The girl couldn't help but let out a few humoured chuckles before feeling her pride expand at his considerate, courteous compliment.

"Ah, you're so nice Eban. It's a real confidence booster to talk to you." She chirped eagerly, hoping to bring the boy equal chivalry. The male gladly smirked at her gratefulness. "Just between you and me, you look good for someone who had his head smashed on polished ground." She playfully stated while the blond grinned, reciprocating to her comment with a pat on his head.

"And just between you and me, you look good for someone who's spent their day with Gennai." (Y/n) gave a brief laugh at his words and remarked on his awareness over his brother's loaded personality. "Well, I know how much of a handful he can be at times. So I'm very happy to see that you're patient with him and his antics."

"Well, he's just a kid at heart." She dismissively shrugged, thankful she had managed to get on the boy's good side. She had an opportunity to relish in a more welcoming environment with the dark haired male's dependent nature towards her presence. The girl's lighthearted smile slowly disappeared as she noticed a more bitter twist to her company's own grin, alerting her of any misjudged wording.

"Or is it that he's more interesting than me." The acrid undertone to his audible mumble gave the female some slight concern, forcing her to act against his worries.

"No, I'm not saying that! Gennai has a really interesting character to him but you're much easier to be around." She tried to soothe him as she softened her her vocals, attempting to bring a more placid ambience to their situation.

The blond hesitantly parted the corners of his lips to present his sanguine attitude towards her. "Don't worry, I wasn't being that serious." The girl gave him a doubtful stare, making the boy simply giggle at her perturbed state. "I'm sorry, it might take a while before you get used to my humour. Please don't take me so seriously, most of the time I exaggerate my intentions." His dismissal sat loosely between the two. (Y/n) could feel the edge in the voice that he reassured her with.

"That's ok. I'm very adaptable when it comes to jokes so I don't mind." She quickly dismissed his concerns right before noticing a more distant expression lining his features.

"Don't go to the park with Gennai..." (Y/n) felt slightly bewildered and lost at the elusive request, as there was no previous indication of her intent on sightseeing with the boy in question. No interaction was given between the two for the longest time, as all the female could do was wonder for an answer while the boy remained unresponsive towards her, right before he gave her a weak smile. "Sorry...just kidding."

"Big brother, here!" Gennai quickly ran into the room where he placed down a large, card box in front of the bedded boy. The male wasted no time in grabbing the girl's wrist as he rushed towards the doorway. "Get better soon! You better come back tomorrow!" He shouted towards the stunted boy as he lead the shocked female out.

Eban stared at the doorway, hearing the footsteps of his visitors quickly disappearing down the corridor. He looked towards the box which he knew contained the requested dessert item and gazed towards his window to see the darkening sky before releasing a held in sigh. 'Seems like nothing has changed...did I really expect it to?'

The girl yelped and grunted as she was being dragged towards the exit of the building by the rushing boy. "Gennai, what's wrong? Why are you being so fast?!" As the male seemed too preoccupied to grant her the privilege of an answer, the girl caught the sound of a separate conversation being held up ahead of them.

"I don't know what happened! The cake just disappeared from my hands! I blinked once and, POOF, the box was gone!" A staff member seemed to be timidly explaining to the rest of her workers, quickly catching the boy's attention to force him to swivel sideways and avoid the area as much as possible. The girl could only glare in disbelief, or what she thought should be disbelief.

'Am I really surprised by now...?' She was finally given the chance to breathe in relaxation as she stumbled out of the hospital. The male seemed to have settled his panic at the safe surroundings, urging him to finally take on a more gradual pace while he swung his metal suitcase back and forth. The female followed after him, irefully watching the boy for his next course of action.

"So, are you satisfied you got to see your brother today?" The girl questioned him, earning an agreeing nod from the male.

"Yes! Big brother is ok! I'm happy I got to see him!" He chimed, gladly gushing over his visit, proudly walking in an assured fashion. (Y/n) thankfully grinned to herself as she allowed her concerns to flutter away with the evening breeze.

As they walked, the girl nearly found herself bumping into the male who had abruptly stopped to observe something off the path. "What's wrong?" Trailing his gaze towards the area that caught his interest, the girl noticed him thoughtfully staring at the park she grew up with. The boy seemed too occupied to notice her confused gaze before he proceeded to point out the local vicinity.

"Is that the park that you said you liked?" He questioned, determined with a number of thoughts swimming in his mind. The female reluctantly answered the excited boy.

"Uhm...yes it is, but-" Gennai waited for no further explanation before darting towards the location with an eager sense of wonder. (Y/n) had a delayed reflex at his behaviour before running after him to assure no ulterior motifs were under consideration.

For an elongated moment, the girl could not have spotted the boy anywhere in sight, darting her gaze from tree to bench, to shrubs and paths. She frantically skidded around converging stone grounds, straying off to search through the entire zone of darkness and blank shadows of the foliage for her companion.

Calling out for the male, the girl eventually came into a clearing where she noticed the boy standing beside a large water fountain centred in the opening. She exhaled her alleviation at his discovery, and proceeded to jog towards the distracted male. "Gennai, what happened? Why did you suddenly run in here?" Her questions didn't seem to retrieve the boy out of his daze as he continued staring at the sky. "Gennai?" (Y/n) raised her eyebrow at his distant behaviour, right before a loud popping sound echoed in their empty surroundings, accompanied by a bright flash and dazzle of saturated colours. She directed her sights towards the sky where the distraction originated from, and became just as enthralled as her company, gazing up at the exploding sprinkles of light and radiant shimmers dissolving into the atmosphere. "Fireworks..."

They both stared at the show of light, watching as one disappearing spark was replaced with another elevating explosion, continuing an unending cycle. Taking a moment to admire the eye-catching display, she looked towards the boy who was also taken by the sight. "It's so bright." His amazed whisper received an amused smirk from the girl. "I wanna touch it!" He shouted, reaching towards the heavens, clenching his fists in squeezing motions to grab the far explosions.

'I don't think you'd actually want to do that...' She humoured to herself as she watched the male trying to catch the distant bursts. After a small moment of his eager attempts, the male froze in his position, his outstretched palm remaining in the empty space that he could no hold.

"It's so far away..." His disheartened observance came through a surrendered mumble, his entire body visually slacking at the realisation. "I can't get to it..." The girl's own amusement deflated, watching the boy staring up at the brightness he could not reach. Sensing the complete shift in tone, the female remained silent, allowing the stillness of the dark surroundings to engulf their forms.

As she watching his solemn state, her perception slowly caught the sound of rushing water, interesting the girl enough to turn towards the fountain. She stared at the flowing water shooting out of the faucets and trickling from the taps oriented inside the corroded sculptures of sea life that built up the entire structure. Carefully observing the lustering water, she caught glimpses of the colourful glimmers and shimmers of the fireworks dancing in the stygian stream. As an epiphany was brought to her realisation, she approached the water.

Gennai continued staring up at the flowers of fire in the sky, right before he felt a presence stopping beside him. Glancing towards the direction, he was immediately caught by the glimmers of light that were now descended to his level. The boy stared down at the pair of hands that held a quantity of water, and as the makeshift puddle was directed to the light display above, the reflection of each firework shimmered and mirrored into the liquid, creating a miniature presentation of the exhibition above, playing in the girl's palms. The radiance of each explosion contrasted effortlessly with the murky surroundings, making each colour and spark prominent inside the darkness in her fingers.

"Now you can hold them from here." Gennai felt far more mesmerises by the demonstration occurring on the ground than in the sky, his fascination growing at the dazzling reflections.

"It's so bright!" He exclaimed, seeming to gush over the discovery. As he brought his features closer to the cupped water, he felt a wave splashing over his face, surprising him at the pranking action. "What the hell did you do that for?!" He angry shouted at the female as all she could do was laugh and titter at his gullible trust.

"I'm sorry, but it got too tempting. It's like dangling a candy in front of a kid and telling it not to take it. The opportunity is just too good, haha." She chuckled, completely guiltless over the male's compromising embarrassment. As the girl's giggles started to die down, she noticed the male had fixated his eyes on the ground, his own riled attitude completely gone by that point. The girl tried to force on an apologetic smile as she finally felt slightly mean-spirited at her amusement of his shame. "Hey, sorry. Don't take it so personally, I was just joking."

"I can't reach it, can I?" His words caught the girl by surprise, getting her concern directed at his somber attitude. "Just like him." (Y/n) tilted her head to the side in confusion at the intent of his speech, staring at the boy who only dared a small glance towards the bursting spark of fire. "You've noticed it too, big brother is so bright and glowing. He's so far away to reach." The boy sensed his heart tightening as he felt his world separating from his sibling's. "Big brother...is so cool and kind...he's so far away for me to reach that kind of radiance." Giving out a saddened smile, the boy looked away from the bombs of light to stare at the dim ground that was fogged by the evening.

(Y/n) watched as his body crumpled up and clenched, all his previous excitement dissipating like the dissolving sparks dissolving into the night sky. 'Does he feel left out?' The girl analysed the male before her, seeing an isolated emptiness that deserted him from the brightness of the colourful night. "You can be just as bright as him too, Gennai." The boy doubtfully looked at her, taking in her words by the grain of salt.

"But it's so dark down here..." The rayless and dim environment swallowed any motivation that would allow him to change as he knew his intended place was amongst the blackness. "Big brother naturally attracts others to him. He's so warm and comforting. It gets scary how dark it can be behind his shadow." The boy squeezed his hands together, his entire form shrivelling as his voice lost its energy and trembled with a surrendering knowledge of an unobtainable feat.

'He really does admire him.' (Y/n) sent the boy an unseen staid gaze, looking at his struggling concerns and vain endeavours. The more she focused on the male's disquieted frame, an encouraging smile began spreading to her lips. "Then you'll shine even brighter when your turn comes." Gennai looked over to her, an uncertain frown staining his features as he turned his focus to her edification. "The darker the place is, the more radiant the light will be, right? The moment you show how compassionate you are, it'll be as obvious as the fireworks in the night sky." The male slightly fidgeted as he felt a rush of rejuvenation coursing his veins as he desirously regarded her with eagerness.

"Do you think, I can be just as compassionate as Eban? Even just a little!" He hopefully demanded, his vocals earning back their wonder and anticipation, yearning for that same comparison. Feverishly staring at the female in the hopes of confirmation.

"You are. I've seen it Gennai, the way you look up to your brother and value him. You shine the brightest at those moments." The boy's body expanded as he inhaled a deep breath, intently staring at the female that sent his mind rushing with encouragement as his blood warmed up against the cool, evening air. "And it's admittedly quite adorable and considering when it happens. And it's so powerful and clear because it's coming from such a dark place." Gennai stared at the girl's hopeful establishment, intensively watching her like a guiding light. "Do you think these fireworks will be just as radiant and beautiful if it was day time? Right at this moment, they're so pretty." (Y/n) looked up towards the bursts of light to examine their contrasting elements that unite to create the final presentation.

The male, however, remained fixated on the girl herself as he watched each flamboyant and explosive firework reflecting off her (e/c) eyes. As each loud burst of fire struck in the sky, it became overshadowed as his ears could only hear the inconsecutive poundings of his own heart while he stared at the girl that seemed to have a glow that he couldn't compare to his sibling. "So pretty..." (Y/n) turned towards the male as her ears caught the sound of his whisper.

"Did you say something?" Gennai was snapped out of his dazed state to switch his gaze anywhere else but the female.

"Nothing." He blabbered out, furrowing his brows in stubborn denial. The girl raised her eyebrow before her attention was struck by another presentation for her sights.

"Gennai are you catching a cold? I can see you're neon red, even with how dark it is." She approached the boy to inspect his state, feeling a sense of responsibility for any health issues he might live through, under her supervision. She prepared to place the back of her hand against his forehead, but the male froze up at the approaching limb.

He felt his heart pump a full rush of blood to circulate his body in one beat. A loud smack was heard as the girl's hand was sharply whacked away, making her stare at the boy's sporadic actions. "Don't touch!" He shouted, backing away as he gleamed in a flushed hue, warming up his entire body from the hydraulic speed of his blood. He pressed his hand against his unnerved chest as a panicking thought swirled through his brain. "What did you do?!"

He accusingly pointed a finger at the confused girl, her only response remaining as a baffled stare. The boy tried to suppress the frantic ticking beats of his heart as his active mind formed an exaggerated conclusion as an explanation towards his bodily reactions.

'T-there's a bomb in my chest!' His eyes widened as he glared at the girl before backing away from her. "Witch! How did you do that?!" He commanded for an explanation, earning an unamused scowl from the girl.

(Y/n) turned around as she began walking back in the direction she had come from, intending to finally end their tour. "Come on, we're both so tired we're starting to go crazy." Gennai suspiciously peered at her, waiting until she was a few feet away before he began following the female, feeling his heart settle at a more consistent pace once the distance had been enlarged. The male looked up towards the empty night to confirm the end of the firework show. He glanced around, searching for any traces of visible light in the starless sky.

(Y/n) sternly watched the boy as he walked a few feet away from her, towards the house. Throughout their entire journey back, the male seemed uncharacteristically quiet, avoiding eye contact at any given moment, and detaching himself from the girl's company completely. 'He even sat two rows away from me on the bus, what's up with him?' She speculatively gazed, hoping to gather any sort of indication from the male ahead of her.

However, soon they approached the gate of the compound, rendering the girl's attempts fruitless as she realised her time with the male would soon be over. As the pair both came at a proximity of the private area, they were greeted by a tall, overbearing figure that awaited for them near the entrance. Gennai annoyingly stared at the man, knowing the tedious ostracising he would have to endure. Meanwhile, the girl promptly ran up to the worker, hoping to explain her situation before the male had time to scold her.

"Nori! I'm so sorry I didn't come today. I got a bit sidetracked and-" Her superior put his hand up to indicate for silence on the girl's part. The female muted herself as she watched out for the man's serious features to speak against her.

"I'm not putting any blame on you (Y/n). I think higher of you than to do that." The girl exhaled to display her gratitude towards the man's lenient action before he piped up again, regarding a second individual that was attempting to scuttle away. "As for you Master Gennai, I request an explanation." The boy flinched as he was discovered before he could stealthily make his way to the entrance of the house.

Gennai glanced back with an innocent smile displayed on his lips. "What? I simply wondered around the woods and asked (Y/n) if she wanted to join me." The girl remained quiet, her only reaction coming in the form of an unamused ridiculing face while the older male himself remained unfooled.

"Is that why you're carrying that briefcase full of money?" The boy looked down at the metal holder before turning back towards the expectant man.

"Some animals owed me one." (Y/n) could feel her superior's urge to plant his palm into his face, if it weren't going to look unprofessional for his mannerisms.

"Very funny. I expect that you have the letter from the hospital you kept requesting for." The boy puffed out his cheeks in contemplation whether it was worth the try to keep up the facade.

"I don't know what you're-"

"Just hand it over. It's confidential and something that shouldn't have left my office." Gennai fixated a glare at the worker before sighing in defeat. He pinched the edge of his jeans before pulling them outwards to open a gap from the rim. The boy prepared to stick his hand down to search for the letter he had briskly hidden from anyone's inspection. "Keep it! I have copies. There's no point, you saw it anyway..." Nori quickly interrupted before Gennai had a chance to execute his reveal, muttering bitterly to himself. He turned towards the girl before him, to dismiss her for the day. "You can go home now. It's too late anyway and your shift is done."

The female nervously twitched as she felt a weight of guilt from her unprogressive day. "But I need to clean, I didn't get a chance to-" She was promptly waved off by her colleague, indicating her to cease her worry.

"Don't fret. I finished off your share of work for today." (Y/n) shamefully avoided his eyes as she felt larger grief for forcing on her troubles on him.

"I'm sorry, you didn't have to-"

"Hey, we made a deal yesterday that if you were in a compromising situation, I'd be the one to take up your duties. I have plenty of time to spare so don't feel concerned." She nodded reluctantly, still feeling slight queasiness at her irresponsibility. "Don't worry, there wasn't much to clean anyway, you can't expect all the rooms and quarters to be a mess every day. Plus, I'd much prefer cleaning the house than spending a day with Gennai, so I honestly feel for you." The girl scoffed out her amusement before daring to look up at the man's encouraging smile. "In any case, have a safe journey homes Miss (L/n)."

"You have a pleasant evening as well, Nori." The two waved each other off, with the girl preparing to turn and leave before noticing a figure still lingering at the doorway, staring at her with his bright golden orbs. "You have a good night as well, Gennai!" Her bidding sent the male's cheeks into a deep, crimson flush as he quickly turned around to avoid her mesmerising sights.

(Y/n) blinked a few times to try and decipher the meaning behind his actions, stopping once she felt her attempts to be futile as her mind could no longer pin point anything around her. With her eyelid weighing heavy against her eyes and her head spinning, she let out a yawn that was swallowed in the cloaking darkness.

'I guess I would rather clean than be Gennai's babysitter.' She lightheartedly humoured, making her way out of the gate, back home. 'But he's at least more entertaining. I guess there's a disadvantage to every joy, haha.'