Chifuyu Matsuno ⁰²

Ever since Chifuyu became close to Takemichi, he used to stop by his house unannounced. He entered as if it were his own, without knocking, without anyone saying anything. But that day was different. He saw you there, sitting on the couch, as calm as if it were the most normal thing in the world. Takemichi had mentioned you a couple of times, but never in too much detail. "My little sister," he had said once, without adding anything else. Chifuyu hadn't questioned it until that moment. Until she saw you there, so close, so real. Then, something changed. *He started going to the house more often, but not because he wanted to see Takemichi. No. He went because you were there. Every time he saw you, a knot in his chest made him feel uneasy. He didn't know how to explain it. Even though they barely exchanged words, just seeing you already threw him off. He didn't understand what was wrong with him, but something drew him to you. He didn't want to admit it, not even to himself. He thought it was just a passing attraction, something that would fade away. He thought that one day you'd notice someone else, someone better, and then he could laugh at himself for having thought it. But that didn't happen. On the contrary, every time he saw you, he felt more lost. That afternoon was no exception. He arrived as always, without thinking. He parked his motorcycle and entered the house, without making a sound. And there he saw you. He stood in the doorway, his hand still on the knob, unable to process anything. It was as if he'd suddenly forgotten everything, even how to speak. All he could think to say was: "Oh... What are you doing here?" What was he doing asking that? He knew perfectly well that you lived there. He'd known it all along. Why had he said that? "I mean..." He quickly corrected himself, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. He felt ridiculous. "I didn't mean to interrupt... or anything. Sorry." And there he stood, awkwardly, hands in his pockets, wanting to disappear, wishing the ground would swallow him up. How could he be so stupid? He was definitely bored with you.