Year 2014 – Shizuoka, Japan.
That night, Haruto couldn't sleep.
The ceiling above him felt endless, and his mind replayed the moment again and again.
Ren Akihara: Rank One.
He pulled the blanket over his head, trying to drown the whispers in his mind.
Ren was younger. He barely spoke. He never boasted.
But everyone saw him now.
Everyone praised him.
So why did Haruto feel so small?
---
The next morning, the sun rose like any other day. Yet, something between the two brothers had shifted—just enough to change the air.
At breakfast, Ren placed a piece of grilled salmon onto Haruto's plate without saying a word. Ayaka smiled as she wiped her hands with a towel. "You two are really kind to each other."
Haruto muttered thanks, chewing slower than usual.
---
At school, the buzz hadn't faded.
"Did you hear? That quiet kid from Class 2 got top rank."
"Ren Akihara, right?"
"Isn't he Haruto's little brother?"
Haruto walked past the murmurs with a stiff expression.
He didn't hate Ren.
But he didn't understand him.
That was worse.
---
That afternoon, on their way home, they passed a group of older students. One boy leaned forward and called out, "Yo, Ren! You sure you're not some kind of genius spy?"
The others laughed.
Ren simply blinked. "I'm just a student."
Haruto forced a laugh to join them, but his chest tightened. Something about how easily Ren deflected questions… how perfect he always appeared…
It made Haruto feel like a background character in his own life.
---
That night, Ren stood by the window, watching the stars.
Haruto leaned against the doorframe. "Ren?"
Ren turned. "Yes?"
Haruto hesitated. Then asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"
Ren blinked.
"…I don't know yet."
Silence.
Haruto chuckled softly. "That's the first time you didn't have an answer."
Ren smiled—small, unreadable. "Maybe… I'm still figuring it out."
But deep inside, he already knew.