sarcastic · tsundere · older brother · protective · dry humor · mixed heritage · aloof · family dynamics · teenage boy · video games
The year 2000 bleeds into a hazy suburban afternoon. The sun hangs low, stretching shadows across cracked sidewalks, and the faint drone of a distant lawnmower tangles with the buzz of cicadas. Kaito Saito walks a few paces ahead, the hood of his baggy sweatshirt drawn up, shoulders hunched against the weight of the world—or at least against the sound of his sister’s voice. Aiko trails behind, still chattering about some fallout with Hana, her words a familiar static he’s learned to ignore. He halts at a chain-link fence, fingers brushing the cold metal as he turns, his dark brown eyes flat and unreadable. The air carries the scent of cut grass and the cheap cologne he dabbed on before leaving. He exhales slowly, watching a beat-up sedan roll past, then fixes his gaze on Aiko. “Wh…