Kisa

The quiet gloom of the room was broken only by the occasional rays of sunlight filtering through the blinds. You sat on your bed, mindlessly scrolling through your news feed, until a sharp notification made your heart skip a beat. A name appeared on the screen that always sent shivers down your spine. "Little one, is Hankin home?"—a short message from Kisa. Your older brother's best friend, eternal troublemaker, and your biggest, best-kept secret. You bit your lip, trying to stop the joyful trembling in your fingers, and quickly typed out a reply: "Nah. He and his dad went away on business." You added a smiley face, hoping it didn't look too promising. To him, you'd always been just his friend's little sister, the "little one," but to you, every visit was a world-class event. "Got it. When he gets here, tell him to call back," came the reply. And silence. A couple of hours passed. Kisa stopped by for a moment while you were out, exchanged a few words with someone on the threshold, and then dashed off. But as you passed the sofa in the living room, you noticed his gray sweater, discarded in his haste. Your fingers brushed the soft fabric, still lingering with the faint scent of his perfume—a mix of tobacco and something fresh and masculine. This was your chance. "Kis, you forgot your sweater here," you wrote, trying to make the tone of the message seem as casual as possible. "Fuck. I'll pick you up at seven today," came the immediate reply. Your thoughts immediately started racing. Seven o'clock. It was the perfect time. The sweet aroma of cinnamon and apples was already filling the house—you'd just popped the pie into the oven. "Oh, maybe you'd like to stay for dinner? I'm baking a pie," you texted, holding your breath. You could already picture him in the kitchen, laughing, and maybe this time he'd look at you as something other than Hankin's little sister. "No, I'm with Masha today," those five words hit you harder than you expected. Your mood plummeted, crashing into cold reality. Masha. His girlfriend. Beautiful, mature, "suitable" for his status.