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The door clicks shut beside them, and now it’s just him and Nori. At Onoe’s place, past ten at night, bags of Nori’s belongings by the door.
Kaburagi feels the headache and fatigue building, but resists the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. Instead, he places his hands on Nori’s shoulders in what he hopes is a comforting gesture.
“I don’t hate you,” he reiterates. He has no idea where to go with this conversation, never really learned how to have heart-to-hearts, so he starts with something simple and true.
“So why did you leave?” Nori asks, a whisper. He thinks back to the Nori in his memories; loud, brazen and relentless as she walks all over the lines their parents set out for them.
Quietly crying once the doors of her room close, only audible to him because he was right next door and holding his ears to the wall. His body refusing to move and feeling guilty about it, because just how many times has he gone in to comfort her? How many more times would he have to? Do they have to wait until their parents kick the bucket from their own horrible life decisions, or they gain enough independence to get out and cut contact?
Kaburagi was so, so tired, and so he cut off all contact with his family the moment he went to university, and has never looked back.
Tried his hardest to not look back.
“I couldn’t stand it,” Kaburagi answers. His voice sounds tired, even to himself. “Our parents, having to go against them again and again. Having to see you fight everyday.”
He hugs Nori, pulls her close to his chest, because he’s definitely making some kind of expression he doesn’t want Nori to see.
“I couldn’t do anything about them. So I left.”
Nori trembles in his arms. A familiar gesture from the past, two children trying to support each other in a house that won't. Now, there is no looming threat of having to face their parents again tomorrow, and Kaburagi’s arms can properly circle her body, with enough strength and energy to support her leaning her full weight against him.
Nori hugs him back, a light grasping of the back of his t-shirt. She is supporting herself perfectly fine, as she has for the past eight years of no contact.
When he’d finally gotten his full-time job at Shinkansha and his own place, Kaburagi had considered trying to get back into contact with Nori. He stopped once he found about her graduation at a Tokyo university, a couple months before his contemplations. She wasn’t in Kansai anymore, and probably has her own life now, separate from their parents. Good for her.
Kaburagi didn’t want to think about it then, but it had stung, a little. He would have liked to take a photo of Nori in her graduation robes, he thought briefly, before shoving that thought to the furthest recesses of his mind.
“I’m sorry for not contacting you all this time,” Kaburagi says, and surprising himself at how much he means it.
A pinch on his back, just enough to hurt a little.
“You should! Who gives their cute little sis the silent treatment like that!” Nori’s voice wavers, and her eyes are wet with unshed tears, but she smiles. Bright and full of teeth, like she always has.
It’s a relief Kaburagi never thought he would experience. But here it is, and it’s one more thing that he has given up on showing up insistently at his doorstep. And like with Onoe, he would be stupid not to take the chance.
Right, Onoe. Speaking of…
“I’ll give you my new number, but you need to get out of here. Right now.” Onoe is far too kind for his own good and would probably say yes if Nori asks to let her stay. Kaburagi isn’t, and he’s not dealing with any more of this nonsense today. The hug has dissolved, and he’s treated to a big eye roll.
“But I don’t have a place to stay!” There's no real urgency to her words; Nori probably has enough money for a hotel, and he’s more than willing to lend money if needed, not that she’d accept.
“You can stay at my place if you’re so desperate.” He’s definitely staying at Onoe’s tonight, and his place might as well be a hotel room with how barren it is.
Nori’s face wrinkles in distaste as she gathers her belongings around the room. “Stayin' at my brother’s bachelor pad? Absolutely not. I’ll go to a hotel, it’s only a 10-minute walk.” Nori pauses. “Then again, you’re not a bachelor anymore, huh?”
He raises his brows. Nori giggles. “Come on, you and Onoe-san are an item, right? He got drunk and spilled it all when you left us alone.” Ah, Onoe and his big, honest mouth. He’s never seen him drunk before, but that tracks.
Some part of him curdles in jealousy at Nori seeing Onoe drunk before him. It’s quickly followed by the embarrassment of being jealous of his own sister and annoyance at being jealous at all. Fuck this.
“I’ll leave you two alone to be lovey-dovey then! I should probably leave him a thank-you note…”
Kaburagi clicks his tounge. “You should apologize to him while you’re at it. You’ve caused enough trouble.”
“I was a good guest, you know,” Nori says, penning something down on a piece of paper on the side table. “Probably nicer than you are. He was complainin' about how you weren’t nice to him, you know.”
Kaburagi’s brain buffers at the statement. Nice? He’s been nice enough to Onoe. The nicest he has ever been to someone, considering the shit he has to put up with by seeing Onoe on a near-daily basis. He frowns.
“I am nice. He’s just saying shit.”
Nori scoffs. “Sorry, nii-chan, but you’re not nice. Poor Onoe-san, having to put up with a bastard like you.”
“Out,” Kaburagi says, pushing her through the open doorway she has been leaning on throughout the conversation. The day was turning out to be a net good, but it’s near eleven already, and crashing into the nearest bed (Onoe’s, conveniently) is sounding better and better by the minute.
Outside of the complex, Kaburagi hands Nori his business card. Nori examines it with a visible wonder and happiness that Kaburagi doesn't want to process at this hour of the day, so he doesn't.
“’Photographer’, huh. Guess all of those scenic spots you went with Sanjou-san to came in handy.” Sanjou, yet another name from his past. He’s had enough of facing those today, thank you.
“Call me if you need anything.”
Nori looks surprised for a second, but goes back to teasing. “I’d rather call Onoe-san instead, he’s so much nicer!”
“If you contact Onoe again I’m blocking your number for good.”
“Fine, fine, I won’t bother your lover anymore, you jealous asshole.”
“I’m not jealous.”
“Whatever you say, nii-chan.” Somehow, even with all their years apart, the back-and-forths has managed to stay the same. Kaburagi finds himself relieved.
Her smile is gentle as she waves goodbye. “Catch ya later!”
And he will, won’t he? They both live in the same city, have each other’s contacts, and Nori even has his company address now. They really might see each other again.
“Yeah. Catch you later.”
He watches Nori until she disappears around a corner. He hears Onoe's footsteps approaching him from behind, but doesn’t take his eyes off the street until Onoe speaks.
“Oh? Did Nori leave?” Onoe’s familiar voice brings his attention back to the present, and in this present it’s probably near midnight and Kaburagi is done for the day.
“Yep, gonna stay at a hotel,” he answers, trudging up the stairs without bothering to look back. “It’s late, I’m crashing here tonight.”
It's been tiring and exhausting, and he will make Onoe pay him back for it. But it could have gone worse, and he has his boyfriend’s bed to hog tonight. Time to sleep immediately.