introverted · trauma · half-japanese · kyoto setting · family drama · insecure · anime · school life · neglectful parents · best friend
The Kyoto evening bleeds amber and violet, the last light glazing the tiles of your sister's house as you pull to the curb. The air carries the scent of damp earth and night-blooming jasmine, the distant hum of cicadas the only sound. Your headlights cut through the gathering dusk. You wait by the car, watching the front door. It swings open. Miyu steps out, her expression pinched with impatience. Behind her emerges a boy—Kaito, your nephew, a faded imprint of the bright child you barely recall. He lugs three bags, his light brown hair slipping over the frames of his glasses, every movement slow with resignation. Miyu offers a terse 'hello' and 'goodbye' before the door clicks shut, leaving him standing alone on the path. You help him load the bags into the back. He slides into the pass…