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akito never expected ena to stay. shibuya was a bustling city, full of opportune, yes. but it’s also where she grew up, where she had felt her first heartbreak in the form of art. where she picked up the pieces and rebuilt that beating heart herself.
their childhood home was nothing but a hollow, it had grown warmer this past year. ena had worked hard to be a better sister towards him, she let him into her world more- they had nights where they cried to each other, fought and screamed or just simply sat in each other’s company.
yet none of that could ever completely fill the void of what could’ve been. a talented artist of a father, stubborn yet encouraging, the warmth of a mother who truly cared, a creative, kind older sister and a rowdy but headstrong younger brother.
however that’s what could’ve been, it’s not what is. akito had long given up on trying to change or “fix” their family and recently ena had come to terms with it as well.
not to mention traditional school was never ena’s strong suit- it was never akito’s either. she and her group (whatever they did) also worked online, she could go anywhere. do anything, be anything.
she didn’t have the looming figure of her father over her shoulder anymore- which lead her to applying to the tokyo university of the arts, with it’s 20% acceptance rate and all. she had backup plans of course, but this. this would prove her father wrong.
but it was more than that, more than her father now. she could prove to herself that her art, her pride and her passion was of worth. she already knew people enjoyed her art, the niigo comment sections proved that much- but perhaps it was needing more than a icon on a screen.
and during the summer months, when the sun was high in the sky and akito was broiling away in his room, ena barged in.
she was in a tank top and a pair of shorts, her hair was frazzled and she had circles under her eyes as if she had woken up early for whatever she was about to show him. the day has been burned into the back of his mind.
he remembers the chirping of the cicadas, the buzzing of his fan, ena’s squeals of delight. he remembers his clothes sticking to his skin and the sun rendering him unable to read whatever ena was showing him on her phone.
she had to turn the brightness to max and when she did akito’s mind blanked as he read what was on the top of the email.
Tokyo University of Arts. oh.
he read a little further.
We are pleased to welcome you, Ena Shinonome, to our 20XX class of Oil Painting!
oh. oh shit! his sister just got accepted into the most prestigious art school in japan. all her stressing and late nights and train rides with mizuki to drop her off at the entrance exam hall was worth it.
he remembers the warmth he felt when he hugged her.
—
that led them to today, a random day in august when the heat is finally starting to subside. ena is very carefully wrapping her monitor and drawing tablet in bubble wrap while akito moves her main suitcase to the bottom of the stairs.
all of her art supplies had been packed up for ages other than her sketchbook and supplies that she absolutely needed for niigo work- until today.
she had informed them ages in advance that she wouldn’t be drawing as much, or calling as much, or focusing on niigo at all that much.
she had to navigate what living alone for the first time would be like, specifically without akito.
she had to start making an effort to wake up to alarms and go to bed at a reasonable time and learn what it meant to not have someone down the hall at all moments- to talk or rant or cry to.
every second she was spending with her little brother now felt like a novelty- which is why she hadn’t told him yet but she was taking him downtown to their favorite cafè after they had finished packing.
it was not only going to be a thanks for helping her move all her stuff but for everything. for sticking with her when she had shut everyone out, for listening to her, trusting her even when she didn’t have trust in herself. for encouraging her, for being there for her even when she wasn’t there for him.
“jeez don’t tear up on me now, we still have to figure out what to do with your hoard of plushies,” akito huffs when he returns to the room, sitting down next to ena and her half-wrapped wacom tablet and resting a hand on her shoulder.
“fuck off,” she laughs, wiping the tears from her eyes and gently putting her tablet into her backpack.
she doesn’t expect akito to hug her. they weren’t huggers by any means. a little touch-starved but they had never really showcased that to each other.
“i’m gonna miss you,” he mumbles and ena just frowns.
“akito it’s an hour and a half train ride, now get up. we’re going somewhere,” she laughs a little, pulling back and rising to her feet.
“ena i can’t afford train tickets whenever i want,” akito sighs, walking in front of ena.
“i’m sure toya wouldn’t mind paying,” she muses, staying a couple steps behind.
ena takes one last look at her childhood room, barren and empty except for the pile of stuffed animals in the corner that akito was going to have to figure out what to do with (she’s not dealing with that dilema).
her drawings don’t line the walls anymore, her bed lacks the fluffy sheets she adores so much, her round table isn’t cluttered with papers and graphite smudges anymore, it lacks all of…her.
but she’s going to put herself somewhere else now, she’ll paint the halls of that damn school with her own mark if it’s the last thing she’ll do- and with that thought she shuts the door.
—
akito is slightly skeptical when ena opens the door to the cafè, the little bell jingling and notifying the staff of their presence- they were both regulars by this point.
“order whatever you want,” she says as they both join the line, skimming over the menu and acting like she isn’t going to order the same thing she always does. a simple strawberry cheesecake. she’s not going to have this place anymore or it’s cheesecake anymore.
akito squints at her. shouldn’t he be doing all of this? some sort of gift? she had been getting a lot of those recently.
“...you sure?” he mumbles, looking up at the pancake dish that’s calling his name. a stack of pancakes with blueberry drizzling and maple syrup with cream cheese on the side and fresh fruits. he then looks back and ena.
“it’s like a thank you…now stop looking at me like i’m going to poison you,” she sighs, waving him off, “you want the big pancake stack right? go sit down i’ll order.”
akito blinks but compiles, finding them a seat by the window and waiting for ena to order.
—
the stack of pancakes is everything akito could’ve ever wanted and then some. it’s warm and the perfect amount of sweet from the blueberry drizzle and maple syrup and good balance of tartness from the cream cheese and fresh raspberries.
ena just smiles as she watches her brother enjoy himself, taking small bites of her own cheesecake. it’s not like she was flying out to another country but it sure as hell feels like it as she watches the city outside her window with a sense of familiarity.
she knows this place like the back of her hand and the hour train ride feels like a whole new world. at least she had the chance to explore the area with mizuki but it didn’t feel the same- it would never be the same.
and that was okay. it would be okay. this change wasn’t a bad thing, it would be new and scary but exciting and fun- she was sure of it.
“what exactly is this a thanks for?” akito breaks her out of her thoughts when he’s scoffed down half of the pancakes.
“helping me move my shit, and just…being a good brother even when i wasn’t being a good sister. i know i’m still not perfect but i feel like things have been better recently and just- thanks for putting up with me all these years,” she rambles around a bite of cheesecake, ending it off with a middle finger and akito just looks down to his plate smiling.
“you’re welcome,” he says simply.
—
“remember to lock the doors, and put dryer sheets in and don’t order take-out all the time and-”
“ena,” mizuki laughs, practically trying to push her onto her train.
“what?! i have to make sure he doesn’t kill himself!” she shouts, pushing back against mizuki which results in neither of them moving an inch.
“i’m sure i can handle myself big sis,” akito smiles, crossing his arms over his chest.
“eurgh, don’t call me that- but one more thing. you can stop by anytime ok! i know that place can be pretty suffocating,” ena says, before her train gets her last call.
she hugs both mizuki and akito before rushing off with all her suitcases and bags in hand.
they both wave her goodbye, and akito keeps her words in the back of his mind.
and as the train races off and ena’s waving figure disappears along with it he feels a sense of bittersweetness.
it was just him and his father alone in the house now, and with how much he ignored the man he was practically alone- but not really.
he had mizuki who stood next to him, and his teammates who were currently waiting on him back at vivid street. and he had his sister in the distance.
he’s sure when he’s on a train like this next year he’ll be alright.