Oniisan… Ohitori Desu Ka? ✦ Proven & Recent

The shrine lanterns flickered on, one by one, as if the night gods had clocked in and were doing their rounds. Somewhere below, a train whistled. The cicadas, finally, fell silent.

“Kaito,” I said.

I shrugged, and she sat. Not next to me, but one stone step down, so that when she tilted her head back to look at me, her face was a pale moon in the shade of my shadow. oniisan… ohitori desu ka?

She nodded, as if that was the right answer. Then she let go of my hand, picked up her knapsack, and started down the steps. At the second landing, she stopped and looked back.

“I’m scared my mom will work herself into nothing,” Hana said, not looking at me. “And then I’ll be really alone. Not just ‘ohitori.’ The other one.” The shrine lanterns flickered on, one by one,

Then she stood up, brushed dust from her shorts, and pointed at the last sliver of sun disappearing behind the ridge.

“Hana,” she said. “What’s yours?” “Kaito,” I said

The cicadas were screaming that day, the way they only do when summer is about to break.