Chapter 17: *The Brotherhood Blunder*
{ Aether high cafeteria}
The school cafeteria was a war zone.
Flying noodles. Screaming banshee-lunch ladies. Enchanted trays tap-dancing on their own. And smack in the middle of it all—Kaito Nakamura, soaked in strawberry soup, holding a napkin like it was sacred scripture.
"I, Kaito Nakamura," he declared dramatically, "swear eternal brotherhood with Jin Lee! May the afterlife strike me down if I ever betray this bond!"
The entire cafeteria turned silent.
Jin blinked. "W-What's happening right now?"
David spat out his juice. Alexander's eye twitched.
"I now proclaim us BROTHERS FOR LIFE!" Kaito shouted.
Jin, too polite (and terrified) to say no, raised a shaky pinky. "B-Brothers?"
They linked pinkies.
The cafeteria erupted into chaos again—mostly laughter.
Behind them, a floating camera orb projected the scene LIVE across every magical screen in the school.
Jin and Kaito stared at their faces plastered above the dessert station with glowing letters reading:
*"AFTERLIFE'S CUTEST BROTHERS?"*
Kaito squealed. Jin fainted.
At the end of the day they are still the school clown,
Outside the cafeteria, Alexander watched from a balcony, arms crossed, the wind dramatically ruffling his cape (yes, he wears a cape now).
David stood beside him, sipping blood-orange soda aggressively.
Alexander muttered, "Why is Kaito so loud?"
David added, "And why is Jin entertaining that nonsense?"
Alexander scowled. "They're close. Too close."
David smirked. "You jealous?"
"I don't get jealous," Alexander replied. "I get concerned… and mildly homicidal."
David nodded. "Same."
Behind them, White Louise watched them both. "You two are the worst liars I've ever seen."
Later that day, Kaito and Jin were dragged into a joint training session—"The Brotherhood Trial."
It was supposed to test their *bond.*
First challenge? Trust fall.
Kaito climbed a wobbly floating platform. Jin stood below with arms open.
"Don't worry!" Kaito called. "I trust you!"
He fell.
Jin panicked.
And sidestepped.
Kaito landed in a magical bush that turned him bright pink.
"I'M A PASTEL PEACH!!" he screamed.
Alexander, watching from the shadows, coughed into his hand to hide a laugh. David wasn't even trying—he was on the floor, wheezing.
"BEST. DAY. EVER," David shouted.
—
{ Back at the dorm}
That night, Kaito and Jin lay in bed (separate bunks, of course), staring at the ceiling.
"Did I embarrass you?" Kaito asked.
Jin sniffled. "No… okay, yes. But it was sweet."
"Wanna revoke the brotherhood?" Kaito whispered.
Jin smiled. "Never. But maybe… we tone it down?"
Kaito grinned. "Deal. Starting tomorrow."
*He forgot tomorrow was the school's live theater day.*
{ Aether high grand hall}
The next morning, Aether High's grand hall buzzed with excitement. It was *Live Theater Day*—a tradition where students showcased magical skits. Kaito and Jin were *forced* to perform together, still awkward from their "brotherhood" fiasco.
"Okay, no pressure," Kaito whispered as they stood behind the curtain. "Just don't trip… or accidentally kiss anyone."
Jin swallowed. "You first."
The curtain rose.
Their play? A simple "Legend of the Spirit Brothers"—ironic much?
Jin began, "Once upon a time, two brothers…"
Kaito interrupted, "Who were definitely not lovers!"
Jin gave him a glare but continued.
Suddenly, Kaito's hand twitched. Instead of pulling a harmless glowing orb, he summoned a giant, blubbering ghost that looked like it forgot to take its afterlife meds.
The crowd gasped. The ghost belched ectoplasm all over Kaito.
"EXCUSE ME!" Kaito shouted, slipping and *accidentally* crashing into Jin.
Their lips met for a split second.
The audience went *wild*.
Jin's face turned scarlet. Kaito's eyes went wide.
David, backstage, punched the air. "Finally!"
Alexander groaned. "Please stop."
Meanwhile, White Louise whispered to Clare and Mara, "If they survive today, I might actually like Kaito."
Huh hhhhhh mmmm the twins answered at once
—
( Back stage).
Backstage chaos ensued.
Jin yelled, "That was an accident!"
Kaito stammered, "I swear! My spell went haywire!"
David couldn't stop laughing. "You two are *literally* the worst."
Alexander sighed. "I'm done with this family drama."
—
As they bowed to the roaring crowd (half laughing, half stunned), Jin whispered, "Maybe being brothers is… complicated."
Kaito grinned. "Complicated? Try *disastrous*."
(Both laughed, unaware their bond was deeper than they'd ever guess).
( Back stage)
The curtain fell, and the crowd's laughter echoed like a thunderstorm in the hall. Kaito and Jin stumbled offstage, faces flaming hotter than a cursed flame.
David was doubled over, clutching his stomach from laughter. "I haven't laughed that hard in centuries!"
Alexander, arms crossed, shot Kaito a glare sharp enough to cut through ghost armor. "You're lucky I'm too distracted by White Louise to strangle you."
Kaito groaned. "Can we just pretend that never happened?"
Jin wiped ectoplasm off his shirt, muttering, "Pretend? I think half the school saw my soul crack."
White Louise, perched nearby, smirked. "You boys are quite the entertainment. Maybe this 'brotherly love' thing isn't so boring after all."
Clare whispered, "She's jealous."
Mara rolled her eyes. "Of Kaito? Please."
Meanwhile, Alexander paced, muttering to himself, "Why am I so jealous? It's just Jin… but why does it feel like a curse?"
David nudged him. "Welcome to the club, hotshot."
Jin sidled up to Kaito, voice low, "So… about the accidental kiss…"
Kaito's eyes widened. "Don't remind me!"
They shared a nervous laugh—awkward but genuine.
Suddenly, the lights flickered. A chill swept through the hall.
Kaito looked around nervously. "Did anyone else feel that?"
Before anyone could answer, the glowing cursed symbol appeared again—this time on the stage floor.
White Louise's voice cut through the tension. "It's starting."
The afterlife just got a whole lot more complicated.
The cursed symbol's eerie glow pulsed rhythmically, casting long shadows over the shocked students. Whispers filled the auditorium like restless spirits.
Alexander's eyes narrowed. "This isn't just some school prank. Something's coming."
David, ever the sarcastic, quipped, "Great, just when I thought Kaito's disasters were the biggest problem."
Jin tugged at Kaito's sleeve, his voice barely above a whisper. "You think it's linked to that memory orb we saw?"
Kaito swallowed hard, glancing at the flickering symbol. "If it is… we're all in trouble."
White Louise stepped forward, her usual cold composure replaced by a rare flicker of concern. "We need to find out what this means before it's too late."
Suddenly, a booming voice echoed from the shadows.
"Looks like the afterlife's finally waking up."
From the darkened corners emerged a figure cloaked in black, eyes glowing with ancient power.
The room fell silent.
Kaito's heart pounded. "Who... who is that?"
Alexander stepped protectively in front of Kaito and Jin. "Trouble. And we need to be ready."
David whispered, "Well, after the show tonight, I guess we're signed up for the real drama."As the mysterious figure advanced, the air crackled with tension—and the promise of chaos.
The cloaked figure stopped just a few feet from the group, the glow from the cursed symbol reflecting in their piercing eyes.
"Who are you?" Alexander demanded, fists clenched.
The figure chuckled darkly. "Let's just say I'm someone who knows your secrets—and the truth behind that cursed symbol."
Kaito stepped forward, summoning all the courage he had left. "If you know so much, then why don't you help us instead of lurking in the shadows?"
The figure's lips curled into a smirk. "Because, Kaito Nakamura, your little school is a ticking time bomb. And I'm here to make sure it explodes."
David scoffed. "Sounds like a bad movie plot."
Jin, ever the peacekeeper, whispered, "Maybe we should hear him out before jumping to conclusions."
White Louise's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Agreed. But no funny business."
The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. Just as the figure began to reveal more, the lights flickered—and everything went dark.
A chorus of gasps filled the room.
When the lights returned, the figure was gone.
Only one thing was clear: The real battle had only just begun.