Night had fallen.
Nanao had just finished taking a shower. His hair was still slightly damp as he walked toward his room to change clothes. However, the door was closed.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Airi, are you finished?" Nanao asked from outside.
"Yes, I'm done," Airi replied from inside.
Nanao opened the door.
As soon as the door opened, he froze.
Airi was standing there wearing a simple black skirt and a plain long-sleeved black shirt. Her black hair was tied into a ponytail, and her blue eyes looked clear beneath the room's light.
There was a brief silence.
Nanao quickly looked away.
"Big Brother?" Airi asked in confusion. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I just wasn't expecting you to be ready already," Nanao replied awkwardly.
"Is that a compliment?"
"Yeah... I guess."
Nanao cleared his throat.
"Anyway, you should go outside for a moment. I need to change."
"Okay, Big Brother."
Airi left the room and waited in the living room.
Not long afterward, Nanao came out wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and black pants.
Airi smiled slightly.
"Wow, our outfits match."
Nanao smiled casually.
"Haha... I did that on purpose."
Airi suddenly remembered something.
"Big Brother?"
"Yeah?"
"I've never seen the younger sibling you told me about. Were you lying?"
"Oh, her?" Nanao replied casually. "She's in prison."
Airi's eyes widened.
"What?! Prison? She's that young! Why?"
"Calm down," Nanao said with a small laugh.
"She's only 'imprisoned' in Mom and Dad's room. Her case is serious."
"What did she do?" Airi asked curiously.
"She destroyed almost everything in this house."
Airi immediately burst out laughing.
"What kind of crime is that?"
Nanao smiled as he watched her laugh.
"Come on, let's go. We'll be late."
Airi nodded enthusiastically.
They grabbed their bags and knocked on their parents' bedroom door.
"Dad, Mom, we're leaving," Nanao called.
His mother opened the door.
"Okay. Be careful on the way."
"Where's Dad?" Nanao asked.
"He hasn't come home yet," his mother replied.
Airi glanced inside the room.
There, she saw a little child seriously playing with a TV remote. On the bed, another baby was sleeping peacefully.
Oh... Nanao actually has two younger siblings, Airi thought.
"Alright, Mom. We're leaving," Nanao said.
"Me too. Goodbye, Mom," Airi said politely.
"Be careful," his mother replied with a smile.
Nanao and Airi then left the house together.
The night felt different.
Their footsteps fell into the same rhythm as they walked.
Airi felt a little more at ease than usual, knowing she was no longer walking home alone.
---
On the way to the study trip meeting point, streetlights illuminated the sidewalk.
The area was fairly crowded with other students also making their way toward the school.
Nanao suddenly spoke.
"I want to ask you something."
"What is it, Big Brother?" Airi asked innocently.
Nanao glanced at Airi's clothes.
"What's the size of that shirt?"
Airi stopped walking.
She had misunderstood his question.
"W-Why are you suddenly asking that...?" she muttered.
Nanao immediately realized the misunderstanding.
"Wait! I mean your shirt size! That's all!"
Airi's face turned red from embarrassment.
"Y-You should've said that from the beginning!"
"How was I supposed to know what you were thinking?"
Airi lowered her head, still embarrassed.
"My shirt size is L."
"L, huh..." Nanao muttered.
"Yeah."
"I thought you'd wear something bigger."
Airi looked at him suspiciously.
"What?"
"Nothing!" Nanao quickly replied.
A few seconds of silence passed.
Nanao then checked his watch.
19:08.
His expression suddenly changed.
"Oh no."
"What?" Airi asked.
"The bus leaves in seven minutes!"
"What?!"
Nanao immediately started running.
"Hurry!"
"Hey, wait for me!" Airi shouted as she chased after him.
The two of them raced against time.
The streetlights, passing vehicles, and laughter from other students blurred around them as they hurried toward the meeting point.
The school bus finally came into view in the distance.
---
They managed to get onto the bus just in time.
Several students were already seated and chatting. The bus was filled with laughter and music from a small speaker near the front.
Nanao breathed a sigh of relief.
"That was close..."
"Yeah... We almost missed it," Airi replied with a small smile.
They looked around.
Most of the seats were already occupied.
"There are two empty seats in the middle," Nanao said.
They walked over and sat down next to each other.
Airi sat by the window, with Nanao beside her.
The bus slowly began moving.
The interior lights were dimmed, leaving only the faint glow of the city outside.
Airi looked out the window.
The city lights looked like stars moving backward.
"It's beautiful..." she murmured.
Nanao glanced at her before looking back ahead.
"Yeah," he replied quietly.
A few minutes passed.
The bus shook slightly as it drove over an uneven road.
Airi accidentally bumped shoulders with Nanao.
"Sorry..." she said.
"It's okay," Nanao replied quickly.
A moment later, the bus suddenly braked because of a vehicle ahead.
Airi, caught off guard, nearly fell forward.
"Careful!"
Nanao quickly steadied her by the shoulder.
Airi froze for a moment.
"Thanks..."
"You're welcome," Nanao replied.
Some students in the back began teasing them after seeing what happened.
"Woooo~!" one of them shouted.
Airi became embarrassed and lowered her head.
Not long afterward, the bus became quiet again.
Soft music played through the speakers.
The journey was still long.
Several students began falling asleep.
Airi, exhausted from the day, slowly closed her eyes.
Without realizing it, her head rested against Nanao's shoulder.
Nanao froze.
He glanced toward her.
Airi was already asleep, her expression peaceful.
Nanao smiled slightly.
"You're tired, huh...?" he whispered.
He didn't move his shoulder, afraid of waking her.
Outside the window, the city lights continued passing by.
For the first time, the long journey felt peaceful.
---
Airi slowly woke up.
Her vision was still blurry until she realized she had been resting against something warm.
She immediately sat upright.
Nanao, who hadn't fallen asleep yet, glanced at her.
"You're awake?" he asked softly.
"Yeah..." Airi replied while rubbing her eyes. "What time is it, Big Brother?"
Nanao checked his watch.
"21:31. We're stopped at a rest area."
He smiled slightly.
"If you want to sleep again, go ahead. We've still got a long way to go."
Airi looked out the window.
The rest area's lights were bright, and several students had already gotten off the bus.
"Are you getting off?" Airi asked.
Nanao shook his head.
"I'll get off if you do."
Airi looked at him in confusion.
"Why? Don't you need to use the restroom?"
"Not yet," Nanao replied casually. "I'll go when I need to."
"Oh..." Airi murmured.
Without saying anything else, Airi closed her eyes and—
fell asleep again.
Nanao stared at her.
"She fell asleep again...?" he muttered.
He looked at Airi, who had once again fallen asleep beside him.
Nanao let out a small sigh and smiled.
"That was fast..."
A few minutes passed.
The bus doors opened and closed as students returned with snacks.
Hana, who came back later than the others, glanced toward Airi and Nanao.
She stopped for a moment before giving a small smirk.
"So that's why they're always together," she muttered before taking her seat.
Not long afterward, the bus engine started again.
The bus began moving.
Nanao looked ahead before glancing at Airi again.
He quietly took off his jacket and placed it over Airi's shoulders so she wouldn't get cold.
"Sleep well..." he whispered.
Airi shifted slightly, getting more comfortable in her seat.
Nanao remained still.
Outside, the night grew darker.
Inside the bus, everything was peaceful.
And for the rest of the journey, Nanao stayed still—
simply so Airi could sleep comfortably.