Chapter Text
Chifuyu p.o.v.
While I was strolling down the corridor, one of the Toman members that also attended our school informed me of Baji's state, according to him, he was out of it as if something serious was bothering him. Since it was in the middle of the lunch break I went to the cafeteria to buy some bread. While munching on one of the bread, I asked other students if by any chance they saw Baji around. The leads pointed at the rooftop and that's where I found him. He was sitting on the ground, leaning against the wall looking up onto the sky deep in thoughts. Suddenly he ruined his slicked-back hairstyle, by messing up his hair as a distressed person would. I sat beside him, offering him the second bread I bought.
“What’s up?” I asked while he was opening up the wrapper.
"I don't know, there is a part of my life that makes absolutely no sense." He explained, was he worried about his future all of a sudden? Or there was something specific that was bothering him?
"Maybe if you elaborate on it, we can both put our heads together and come up with a solution?" he finished the bread in seconds, and so the rant began.
"You know, today when I woke up I found out my sister was sick, so mom drove her quickly to the hospital." I nodded there was nothing strange in this scenario so far, was he perhaps worried for his sister well being?
“And? Did you wish to be by her side?” I asked, he just shook his head after sighting.
"The thing is..." he paused for a moment as if he was trying to collect the right words in his mind. "Somehow I am aware I have a sister like my head tries to tell me it's something expected at this point." I titled my head while he continued. "But no matter how much I ponder about this matter I don't have any recollection of us sharing any memories together." Baji didn't seem like the guy that would neglect their sibling's existence.
“Are you two on bad terms?” he shook his head and looked like he was ready to fight with the wall behind him.
"Think about it, have I ever mentioned having a sibling in any circumstances?" I pondered about it a little, and soon found out he was right. My brain tried to make me believe I met her before, but when I tried to recall her face, age, or any details for that matter, there was only emptiness.
“Damn, you are right! My brain tries to convince me I met her, but I can’t recall anything detailed.” We just sat there in terrorizing silence.
"Is she some sort of alien that implanted fake memories of her existence?" We shuddered both at the idea alone. Suddenly Baji received a message from his mother that asked him to go arrive early at home, so he could take care of his sister, since she had an afternoon shift, so did his dad. Apparently, his sister was discharged but stuck in bed due to a high fever.
“I guess there is no way out of this.” he sighed.
“How about I come over, while we pretend I came there to help with your studies, but instead we investigate this matter?” Baji’s mood lighted up a little, so we agreed to meet up after school.
After the classes ended we met up at the school gates, some of the members tried to invite us out, but we told them that we had some matters to attend to. Once we arrived at his house, we decided to check out what his sister was doing, was she an alien that actually brainwashed us as we suspected? We knocked on her bedroom door and just heard a soft.
"Come in." We both looked inside expecting the worst, would the illusion disappear now when we discovered her secret, but no, she just looked like a normal 10-year-old, just sick and like a carbon copy of her brother, but female and younger. She was holding onto old school albums, she noticed us looking at them, so she answered the questions we had inside our heads.
"Oh I was looking at my brother's pictures in previous school years, there is not much I can do while I'm sick and alone." she closed the album and sat up, putting a pillow behind her back probably for comfort. Though when she said there was nothing to do, I couldn't stop myself from looking around her room. Although at first glance it looked like a perfectly normal child's room, everything looked too perfect and empty.
There were no magazines, no manga, no eye-catching decorations, no games, and all the books that were present looked perfectly new and unused. The room was engulfed in awkward silence and finally, Baji decided to engage in some sort of small conversation.
“So you know Chifuyu right?” she just nodded her head.
“Your best friend, yea what about it?”
“He came to visit to help me with my homework.” She just nodded and later asked.
"You aren't mad I took your albums right?" he shook his head and patted hers. If I didn't know any better, I would think they are a pair of siblings that get along just nicely. Soon the room's atmosphere fell into silence again, it looked like the awkwardness was too much so Ryoko took it upon herself to break it.
"You guys need something? You come into my domain with no get-well wishes, no chocolates or flowers picked up from the street. Totally mean, where are your manners?" She pouted and crossed her arms, making me question who was this sassy child.
"Next time I will remember to bring you something, ok kiddo?" I assured her just to please her.
"No kiddo, call me by my name. Say after me Ryoko-chan... Also pinky promise?" I accepted this silly pinky promise.
"Big brother's friend is my friend." I was pondering whether I should let her call me Chifuyu, maybe this could establish some trust between us two. Could I get her secrets to slip out if we got close?
“Then just call me Chifuyu.” She nodded.
"I will check what's in the fridge," Baji said as he ran from the room leaving me alone with Ryoko, I guess he was taking the task of cooking food as an excuse to run away.
"So Chifuyu~" What was this sassy tone coming from this girl? "You allowed me to call you by name because you want to be even closer to my brother? Such splendid strategy you got there buddy." She gave me a thumbs-up showing off a gremlin smile.
"No..." I said rather confused, what was even going thru this kid's mind?
“Also I must warn you, I won’t let you snatch him away from me.” she pouted again while puffing out her chest.
“Wait what? What are you on about Ryoko-chan?”
“It may be only respect and friendship for now, but you never know when love will develop.”
“What?!” I yelled.
"Think about it, two sweaty dudes having each other's backs. Good start of a love scenario." Who gave this kid such ideas.
"Listen here, you don't need to worry about things like this." I wished for Baji's return so he could save me from this absolute weirdo.
"I need to, gotta make sure brother is with someone reliable." Baji returned unlike my previous guess, he seemed to have actually taken his task of making food seriously.
"Why were you screaming?” I just sighed.
“Nothing don’t worry about it.” Ryoko just snickered, this mischievous kid was nothing like her brother.
"So how about some porridge?" he asked, well it sounded simple and people did usually eat it, but Ryoko had an outburst.
"NO! Porridge sucks balls! I WANT chicken noodle soup!" Baji looked quite horrified at the demon spawn.
"Who taught you to say such words?" his brotherly instincts must have manifested, they could easily fool me into thinking this is an everyday occurrence if it wasn't for Baji's previous concerns.
"Internet!" we looked at each other a little bit confused.
"So about that soup, can you? Mom bought chicken and noodles just because I asked so nicely." She was giving us puppy eyes. Baji glanced at me, his eyes begging me to help him with the cooking progress. Making instant ramen probably wouldn't be a problem, but a whole soup? From scratch?
"Doesn't Mitsuya often cook, why don't we ask him for a recipe?" Baji seemed to like this idea, but we soon remembered that since his family was poor he didn't yet own a phone.
"Maybe I can give him a visit and get a recipe out of him?" Baji asked, wait did he really want to leave me alone with this gremlin, that thought I had feelings for him. I rather not.
"Yes go, just ask him to write it down for you." it seemed she was aware that he didn't have the best spelling abilities. So Baji ran out and took his bike to visit Mituya by himself, leaving me with this.
"Are you already regretting coming over or what? You are sweating!" Ryoko said as she started to laugh, this was too nerve wreaking, what if she was actually an alien, and since Baji left she was about to show me her true colors.
"You look like you saw a ghost, are you ok?" I heard, worry in her voice.
"Are you planning to kill me?" this came out of nowhere, and I quickly covered my mouth looking at her, welp now the rabbit was out of the bag.
“What?” We started at each other in silence.
"Yes an 11-year old that never fought once in her life, will totally overpower a guy that constantly gets himself involved in gang fights because I'm such a genius in fighting that one punch will blow you away." Then she started to hum some melody and soon screamed.
"ONE PUNCH!" and she was singing an entire song I couldn't identify. Since she was yelling out most of the words, it made me wonder if she even was sick.
“What song is this? I never heard it before.” she just shook her head.
"I won't tell you and you will never find out." She seemed confident about it. At this moment I realized it wasn't that bad to have her around, although I couldn't figure out why her room gave me the creeps. Soon Baji came with the recipe in hand, Ryoko sat by the dining table to watch us cook, of course with Baji around it became quickly stressful so at some point I asked him to sit down as I took care of the preparation. Once the cooking time was over I poured the soup into Ryoko's plate.
"Hmm, you get a pass for being a husband material..., for now." I couldn't tell what she was implying this time.
Later when Ryoko went to take a power nap as she called it, I spoke to Baji.
“Isn’t her room too weird, I dunno it just looks so brand new.” he seemed conflicted.
"I really want to ease my mind and settle this once and for all, but I have a hunch Ryoko is the only one that knows the truth, unless she doesn't then we will just be wasting our time on this weird mystery." Ryoko did seem suspicious, but at the same time, I guess we both could tell she didn't mean any harm.
"Since things turned out this way, how about we just roll with as if she always been my sibling, maybe once she becomes more comfortable around us she will share some of her secrets if there are any." I just nodded, but I couldn't put my curiosity to rest.
"Sure." I just agreed, for now anyway. I had to wait and see if I wanted to proceed with this task alone, behind Baji's back.