[Morning Whispers]
"Rito! Wake up already!"
The sharp voice pierced through the morning stillness, echoing off the pale walls of the room. The sun was barely peeking through the thin curtains, scattering slanted rays of gold across the boy's messy bed and tousled hair.
With a quiet groan, Yuki Rito stirred, his golden-brown eyes fluttering open to meet the familiar ceiling. His hair, a wild mix of orange and brown, reflected the sunlight in a strangely soft hue.
"I'm up! I'll be down in a minute!" he called out, his voice carrying just enough to be heard downstairs.
For a moment, he stayed still, sitting on the edge of his bed as his gaze wandered toward the window.
The early morning breeze brushed against his face, carrying the faint scent of dew and freshly cut grass. A quiet smile tugged at his lips.
That voice earlier—sharp yet caring—could only belong to Mikan. His little sister. Or at least, that's how it should be.
'Really, what a weird world this is...' Rito thought, fingers running through his hair. 'A harem-based anime world, huh? If I were still on Earth, I'd probably be one of those guys cheering for this kind of story... not living it.'
The thought brought a quiet laugh to his throat. A mix of irony and amusement colored his tone. But beneath that laugh lingered something deeper—a warmth, a strange comfort.
Mikan's voice, her overbearing tone, even the subtle tsundere-like annoyance she carried—it all had its charm.
Yet, now that he had memories of another world, one where his life had been normal, the way she looked at him sometimes... felt nice. Too warm.
'If anyone from Earth saw this, they'd call it forbidden fruit,' he mused, shaking his head with an amused sigh. 'Still, I can't deny it—this world has its own kind of pull. Something... that makes me want to stay.'
Ever since those memories awoke—a flood of thoughts, emotions, and knowledge from a world that treated his life as fiction—Rito had been struggling to find balance.
At first, he questioned everything. Was this reality a dream? Was he just a character written by someone else's hand? But panic had only led him to exhaustion.
Eventually, he realized that denying his existence wouldn't change a thing.
This was his life now. Whether he was "Yuki Rito" or someone who merely remembered being another, it didn't matter.
Both halves made up who he was.
And honestly, having the experience and knowledge from another life wasn't bad at all. His mind felt sharper. His memories—clearer.
He could recall entire scenes from his other world in vivid detail, down to the sound of city noise, the flicker of streetlights, and even the exact taste of the ramen from the corner shop he used to frequent.
Photographic memory, or maybe just the side effect of two souls blending into one.
"Maybe calling myself a genius isn't too far-fetched," he muttered with a grin, stretching before getting up.
Pulling on a clean shirt, he stepped out of his room.
The hallway felt oddly nostalgic, even though it was from a world born of ink and imagination. The faint chatter of a television downstairs, the sizzling sound from the kitchen—all so ordinary, yet now layered with a surreal familiarity that made his chest tighten slightly.
"Rito! You're up," came Mikan's voice again, this time softer. She stood by the stove, apron tied neatly around her waist, her dark-brown eyes focused as she flipped something in the pan.
"Breakfast will be ready in a minute."
"Don't rush it," Rito said, walking down the stairs.
"I'll take a quick shower first. We can eat together after that."
As he passed by, he reached out and gently patted her head. Mikan froze, her expression blank for a moment before a faint pink brushed her cheeks.
"Okay, but—stop petting me already! It'll mess up my hair!" she huffed, brushing his hand away with a small pout. Her tone was annoyed, but her eyes betrayed a flicker of warmth she didn't quite hide fast enough.
"Sure, sure," Rito chuckled, raising his hands in mock surrender. "You're as scary as ever in the morning."
Mikan rolled her eyes, muttering something about "hopeless brothers," but the corners of her lips curved ever so slightly as she turned back to her cooking.
Rito smiled quietly to himself as he walked toward the bathroom.
The faint smell of miso soup and grilled fish followed him, mixing with the morning light filtering through the window. For all its chaos and confusion, this world felt real—and maybe, just maybe, it was a world worth living in.
'Yeah... maybe this isn't such a bad start to the day after all,' he thought, as the sound of running water soon filled the air.
[Morning Warmth]
The sound of running water echoed faintly down the hall, a steady rhythm that mixed with the soft clatter of utensils in the kitchen. Steam drifted lazily from the pot on the stove, filling the air with the scent of miso and grilled fish.
Mikan stood with one hand on her waist, her other stirring the pan almost absentmindedly. Her usual composed expression was tinged with something softer—a quiet, thoughtful pout as she watched the clock tick by.
'Is he… changing?' she wondered, her eyes drifting toward the hallway where her brother had disappeared moments ago.
It wasn't something she could quite explain. But lately, Rito had felt... different. His clumsy charm was still there, yet behind his usual awkwardness, there was a calmness—a maturity that hadn't been there before.
Not that it was a bad change. If anything, it made things easier. He was more attentive and more composed, and for some reason, conversations with him didn't feel as frustrating as they used to. In fact, she found herself enjoying them.
'Yes… it's like he's becoming more like his old self again,' she thought, her lips curving faintly as she flipped the last piece of grilled fish.
Her memory flickered back to middle school—to that one time when Rito had come home looking broken after some embarrassing incident he refused to talk about. He had laughed it off back then, but afterward… something in him had dulled. He had become more timid, more easily flustered, like he was constantly afraid of breaking something invisible between them.
Now, that feeling was fading away. Slowly, quietly.
The sound of the shower stopped. A few seconds later, the door creaked open.
"Ahh! That was a nice bath..."
Rito stepped out, towel draped loosely around his neck, a faint cloud of steam still clinging to his skin. His hair was damp, sticking to his forehead as he ran a hand through it with a relaxed sigh.
"Then come and eat before it gets cold," Mikan said matter-of-factly, though her tone carried a hint of warmth she didn't bother hiding.
"Yeah, yeah," Rito replied with a small grin as he made his way to the table. Mikan, meanwhile, swiftly took his towel the moment he sat down and tossed it into the washing machine before returning to her seat. Her movements were brisk and efficient—as if she'd done this a thousand times before.
Rito smiled softly at that thought before pressing his hands together. "Thank you for the food."
Mikan nodded slightly, already taking a bite of her rice. Her eyes flicked toward him for a moment, catching him staring.
"Hmm? What is it? You've been looking at me for a while now," she said, tilting her head.
Rito chuckled. "Nothing. Just thinking your portion looks pretty small today."
Her chopsticks paused mid-air. "...It's nothing. I just feel like I've gained a little weight lately," she mumbled, cheeks turning a faint pink. The moment the words left her mouth, she blinked, realizing what she'd just admitted. "A-And don't think too much about it!" she added quickly, flustered.
Rito stifled a laugh, the corners of his lips twitching upward. "Really? From where I'm sitting, you're still as light as a feather."
His tone was teasing, but there was an underlying sincerity that made Mikan's cheeks burn even more. She puffed out her cheeks, glaring at him half-heartedly before huffing, "You really... have gotten weird lately."
"Maybe I've just started seeing things properly," Rito replied casually, taking a sip of miso soup.
For a brief moment, silence filled the room. Not the awkward kind they used to share, but something more comfortable—like a quiet morning in a home that felt a little more alive than usual.
Mikan averted her gaze, pretending to be focused on her food, but her lips twitched slightly as she took another bite. "...You talk too much sometimes," she muttered.
"And yet, you're still listening," Rito teased, earning a small "hmph" in response.
Still, she got up moments later and refilled her bowl with rice—her actions speaking louder than her embarrassed words.
Rito smiled to himself, resting his chin on his hand as he watched her move about the kitchen.
[A Quiet Morning Stroll]
After their small breakfast episode, the morning slipped into its usual rhythm. Rito returned to his room, slinging his bag over one shoulder and giving everything a final once-over before heading out. On the way to the bathroom, he paused in front of the mirror, adjusting his collar and brushing a few stubborn strands of hair into place.
The hairstyle was new—something he'd started caring about recently. It gave him a sharper, cleaner look compared to his usual half-asleep mess, and for once, he didn't mind the reflection staring back at him.
"Not bad," he muttered with a small smirk before stepping out.
At the front door, he found Mikan already there, neatly dressed in her school uniform, tying her ribbon with quiet focus. She glanced up when she noticed him approaching.
"You're leaving early today?" she asked, slipping on her shoes.
"Yep," Rito replied casually, closing the door behind him. "Nothing bad—just thought I'd take a stroll on the way. Clear my head a bit."
Mikan nodded slightly as they began walking side by side down the familiar street. The morning air was crisp, and the faint hum of cicadas in the distance blended with the rhythm of their footsteps.
After a moment of silence, Rito threw her a sideways glance, his lips curving into a teasing grin. "Say, Mikan… do you get a lot of confessions with your looks?"
The effect was instant. Her steps faltered just slightly, and a faint blush crept up her cheeks. "W–What's with that question all of a sudden? Does that even matter to you?" she huffed, crossing her arms defensively. "And no, I'm not dating anyone, if that's what you're trying to ask."
Rito chuckled, enjoying her flustered reaction a bit too much. "I see, I see. Well, I guess that's their loss. You're really lucky, though. Not many people your age get that kind of attention."
It was a harmless tease, but the thought lingered in his mind for a second longer than he expected. After all, Mikan was one of those people who drew others in effortlessly—quietly, naturally. A main heroine in her own right.
"If anyone ever pesters you, just let me know, alright?" he said, his voice softening as he reached out to pat her head. "Big brother will deal with it."
She puffed her cheeks slightly, swatting his hand away with a half-hearted glare. "Hmph! No need. I can handle it myself."
Rito laughed lightly, shoving his hands into his pockets as they turned the corner. "Yeah, yeah. But still, I'll be around."