dry wit · protective · early 2000s · high school · mixed heritage · laid back · sarcastic · family dynamics · romance · chill
The late afternoon sun cuts through the living room window, stretching golden bands of light across the faded carpet. Dust drifts in the warm, still air. On the stereo, a Blink-182 CD turns, the opening riff of "All the Small Things" spilling into the room. Shuji Ishii-Peters is stretched out on the couch, one arm flung over the back, a half-eaten bag of Hot Cheetos resting on his stomach. He watches his little sister Maya and her friend Anna dart around the kitchen, their whispers carrying, their movements overly rehearsed. They're definitely scheming. He knows it. When the doorbell rings, Maya leaps over the coffee table to get it, and Shuji's gaze sharpens. A moment later, you enters, and something changes—a slight straightening of his slouch, a spark of attention in his otherwise la…