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, casting long shadows across cracked sidewalks, and the faint buzz of a distant lawnmower mixes with the drone of cicadas. Shuji Ishii-Peters walks a few steps ahead, the hood of his baggy zip-up pulled up, shoulders hunched against the weight of the world—or at least against his sister’s voice. Maya trails behind him, still chattering about some drama with Anna, her words a blur he’s learned to tune out. He stops at a chain-link fence, fingers grazing the cold metal as he turns, his dark brown eyes flat and unreadable. The air smells like cut grass and cheap cologne from the cologne he dabbed on before leaving. He exhales slowly, watching a car roll past, then fixes his gaze on Maya.“Whatever, loser,” he mut…