Big Brother leaned against the door with both hands stuffed into his pockets. I stood there, silently staring at him, trying to mentally probe his attention—but he never noticed.
I tried saying something, but the words caught in my throat. Instead, I took a step back, dug my nails into my hand, and lowered my head.
There were so many things I wanted to ask him. Yet something always told me it was better left unsaid. Even if I could, where would I even begin?
Why is he getting colder? Why have Mom and Dad changed?
I care about all of that—obviously. But what bothered me the most was… why don't I know anything?
An annoyingly comforting voice that I knew all too well snapped me out of my thoughts.
"Why are you just moping around, lil sis?"
My head shot up.
Big Brother was suddenly standing right beside me, a teasing smirk on his face. It was as if the person he had been earlier had vanished—like it never existed.
My body breathed a sigh of relief.
My mind didn't.
Ah, he's doing it again.
Whenever we are alone, Big Brother is always so kind and playful—just like he's always been. And of course I'm happy with that. That's the Big Brother that I know and love.
It's just that… he changes too fast.
Even though he always makes sure to be bright around me, it's growing harder to just unsee every other part of him.
It's scary.
I… don't want to lose Big Brother too…
My lips quivered as tears welled in my eyes.
No—I can't cry. Not when he's here.
My chest convulsed as I fought the urge to sob, but I held it in.
The smirk on Big Brother's face faded into concern. He gently grabbed my shoulder and gave it a light shake.
"Hey–"
Before he could say anything else, I dug my nails even deeper—forcing my trembling lips into a smile. Moisture lingered in my eyes, but he wouldn't notice.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine," I said. "I'm just a little sad that my hair was ruined."
I grabbed a strand of my hair and held it up. My hair this morning had been clean and glossy, not a single strand out of place. Now it was messy and dishevelled.
I was slightly disappointed—but it's nothing that I'd truly cry over.
Still, I allowed a single tear to slip down my cheek.
Big Brother noticed and gave a loud sigh.
"Okay, I got it. Turn around."
Without waiting, he grabbed my shoulders and spun me around.
"H-hey! What do you think you're doing!" I protested, trying to sound as irritated as possible.
I began flailing around on purpose, making it as difficult as possible for him to do whatever he was planning. Big Brother clicked his tongue and grabbed my arms.
"Dude, just chill out!"
"NONONO! I don't trust whatever you're plotting!"
Big Brother muttered an exasperated 'Oh my God' under his breath. I pretended like I didn't notice.
"If you trust me," he said, "I'll buy you food when we get home."
I straightened instantly, my arms falling neatly at my sides. I tilted my head, flashing him a cheeky grin.
He rolled his eyes and grabbed two handfuls of my hair. Satisfied, I turned forward again.
"Can't you ever just listen to me without getting bribed?" He muttered through clenched teeth.
"Hehehe, sorry," I said. "But I don't do things for free. You know that the way to a woman's heart is through their stomach, right?"
Big Brother lightly tugged on my hair, causing a dull pain to shoot through my scalp.
"Ow! What the hell was that for? Are you doing this on purpose?"
I tried turning around, but my head stayed firmly in place. No, it's more like if I moved too much, that pain would come back again. So, I didn't have much of a choice but to blindly trust him.
"Shut up," he said. "Don't rush me. I dunno what I'm even doing. I've never done this before."
Curious, I closed my eyes, focusing on the sensation of his hands. They shifted awkwardly through my hair.
It was like he was… tying them together?
No… that's not it…
A quiet gasp slipped out of me. I tensed, and Big Brother stopped moving.
Please tell me he didn't hear that.
A split second later, he grabbed another section of hair and continued doing his work. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.
Phew, close call.
I focused on the feeling of his hands again, and a sense of warmth flushed my chest.
He was… trying to fix my hair.
Big Brother never does things that he isn't good at. The fact that he was even attempting this–
I pressed my lips together, trying to suppress this feeling.
A smile broke through regardless.
"There," he said. "I'm all done now."
I opened my eyes.
The left side of my head felt… heavier.
I immediately grabbed my phone and switched to the camera feature.
There was a big, uneven, ugly braid hanging off the side of my head. The clips that I had placed so perfectly this morning were now scattered randomly. Worst of all, there were parts of my hair that stuck out in random directions.
I slowly turned around, a shadow looming over my face.
Big Brother stood there with his arms crossed, wearing a proud smile on his face. He nodded to himself, letting out a satisfied 'hmm-hmm'.
A vein twitched on my head.
"Wow, I did better than I tho–'
"THIS IS AWFUL!"
Big Brother took a surprised step back. I stomped towards him and began stepping on his feet.
"LOOK AT WHAT YOU DID TO ME! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GO TO SCHOOL LIKE THIS? I'M DOOMED TO BE A SINGLE LOSER NOW, ON THE VERY FIRST DAY TOO!!!"
Big Brother's smirk slowly dissolved into a small frown.
"Well, just deal with it then," he said pettily.
Still, I caught the faintest trace of disappointment in his voice.
Contrary to what he said, Big Brother reached out toward me. His hand was "open"—nothing like Mom's.
Without thinking, my own hand shot up and slapped his away.
The sharp sound froze him in place.
His lips parted.
"What are you–"
"NO, DON'T TOUCH IT!"
A stale silence settled between us.
He blinked a few times before speaking.
"But, I thought you hated it."
I turned away and let out a forced scoff.
"Okay, yeah. I said it's ugly—and it is. But that doesn't mean I hate it!"
I kept my gaze averted as a small, restrained smile formed.
"I… like it because you did it. So please—just let me keep it."
I heard Big Brother's breath hitch. He quickly hid, furrowing his eyebrows and shaking his head.
"Fine, do whatever you want."
He turned around and slowly started walking away.
"If you don't hurry up, we will be late for school," he said without turning back.
His voice sounded far away, but I knew that he wasn't.
I watched his back intently until he was far enough away. Only then did my body finally deflate as I released a breath of true relief.
Thank goodness, he never noticed…
It was the first time in my life that I had ever tricked my Big Brother.
And it definitely wouldn't be the last.
Looking back, that may have been what started it all…