"So, what's your plan for today?" Kikukawa Yuu looked at her younger sister, who was still squinting and looking completely out of it. "Judging by how you look right now, even if you go to school, you'll probably just end up sleeping through class."
"Probably."
Kikukawa Kyo tilted her head back and slumped into the sofa again. Sometimes, what really messes with your energy isn't just staying up late, but having your sleep schedule thrown completely off.
"Then why don't you just take the day off and sleep at home?" Yuu suggested without hesitation. Since their parents were usually busy with work, she was often the one acting as Kyo's de facto guardian. The way she said it made her sound like some kind of delinquent.
Kyo cracked one eye open to glance at her older sister before shutting it again. She clicked her tongue in amusement.
"I didn't even think about just not going… That way of thinking—seriously, you are a delinquent, no matter how much you deny it."
"Heh, and if you do go, you're just going to doze off in class and give the teachers a headache. Don't act like you're some model student."
"Hmph."
Kyo made a small noise of protest but didn't argue—she knew she had no leg to stand on.
"So, what's the decision? You going to school or not?" Yuu pulled out her phone and waved it at Kyo. "If you're not going, I'll call in for you."
"Nah, I'll skip."
"Okay then."
The process of calling in an absence was easy. Yuu dialed Kyo's homeroom teacher, introduced herself, and smoothly lied that her sister was staying home with a fever. The teacher accepted it without much fuss.
"All set. I told them you've got a fever, so don't go slipping up later. I do not want to get dragged to school at this age for a lecture from the teachers."
"You say that like you're some old lady."
"If you do know that, then maybe stop calling me 'old lady' all the time. Would it kill you to just call me 'big sis' in a nice, sweet voice? It might even make that annoyingly smug personality of yours a little cuter." Yuu teased, flashing a grin.
Kyo didn't respond. She just opened her eyes again, this time staring at Yuu with an unreadable expression—one that carried a faint trace of disdain.
"…I think I need to keep my distance from you. Who knows when you might suddenly go feral."
Yuu instantly knew that Kyo was mocking her for bringing up that embarrassing topic so casually. Seeing her younger sister's expression—half disgust, but mostly just playful mischief—made a vein pop on her forehead.
"As someone who probably knows you better than anyone, I gotta say—whoever falls for you is seriously doomed."
That perfectly-timed, deadpan look of disgust on Kyo's face? Pure acting. It was so effortless, so natural, that even Yuu had fallen for it at first. Her stomach had dropped for a second, thinking she'd actually said something out of line.
"That's so mean. I'm hurt."
"I was just speaking from the heart."
Somehow, even though she was the older one, Yuu always seemed to lose these verbal battles.
She grabbed her sporty crossbody bag, slung it over her shoulder, and made her way to the entrance, ready to head out.
Kyo could skip school, but Yuu still had a bookstore to run.
"So, are you just going to sleep all day at home, or do you want to crash at my place?"
"Hmm…" Kyo considered it, still keeping her eyes closed. For a moment, Yuu wondered if she'd fallen asleep mid-thought, but then she answered,
"I'll stay home. If I decide to go out later, I'll call you."
"Alright. I'm off."
Yuu didn't bother saying much else. She wasn't worried about Kyo figuring out her own lunch or anything—her sister could handle herself just fine. With that, she opened the door and stepped out.
Now, the house was completely quiet, except for Kyo.
Well, not completely quiet. Without conversation filling the space, the soft hum of the fridge running, the occasional rustling of wind through the balcony screen, and the gentle bubbling of the fish tank by the entrance all became more noticeable.
Skipping school felt amazing.
The quiet, layered with these small background noises, made for the perfect peaceful atmosphere on what should have been just another school day. Kyo shifted on the couch, found a more comfortable position, hugged a cushion, and slowly drifted off to sleep.
---
Sakiko stared at the empty seat in front of her. Morning homeroom was about to end, and the first period was about to begin—yet, that seat remained unoccupied.
Why isn't Kyo here yet?
Sakiko was always one of the earliest to arrive at school. If she could help it, she would rather not stay in that cramped, dimly lit apartment where a drunkard was always passed out.
Even if she often woke up still feeling exhausted, she would rather come to school and rest her eyes in her seat than stay there.
Kyo wasn't exactly the most diligent student, but she had never been late before. At the very least, in these first few days since school started, she had always arrived on time.
Did something happen? It was unusual enough that Sakiko couldn't help but feel a little concerned.
Just then, their homeroom teacher walked in.
"Kikukawa Kyo is out sick today. She's got a fever and a cold, but it doesn't seem serious, so no need to worry. If there are any assignments from today's lessons, I'd like those of you who are close to her to make sure she gets the updates."
As soon as the teacher finished speaking, murmurs spread through the class. Kyo, the polite yet ever-so-enigmatic student, had actually taken a sick day?
Kyo caught a cold? Sakiko was surprised. Honestly, with how reckless Kyo could be about her own well-being—constantly getting herself drenched without a second thought—Sakiko had half-believed she was immune to getting sick.
Maybe I should stop by her place after school to check on her?
---
Meanwhile, in Class 1-A
Having just successfully recruited two new band members yesterday, Anon was practically bursting with excitement. She was even whispering to Tomari during morning homeroom, which was rare for her.
Of course, the topic of discussion was none other than their band.
"Tomari, do you know what exactly a band is supposed to do?"
Anon had been the one insisting on starting a band, but in truth, she had no real idea of what band activities actually involved. Back in middle school, her so-called "band" had only performed once at the school festival before disbanding.
"Uh, um…" Tomari panicked for a moment, trying to come up with an answer. But honestly, she had no clue either. Back in CRYCHIC, the only two things she had ever done were singing and writing lyrics. "Performing live… and writing songs…?"
Performing live? That answer was practically useless. Anon wanted to know what they were supposed to do before reaching the goal of a live performance.
But writing songs—that part intrigued her. Still, she wasn't entirely sure how that process worked.
"Having original songs for our band… just thinking about it gets me so hyped!" Anon beamed at Tomari. "Hey, why don't we ask Kyo about it later?"
---
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