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Nene heard someone’s ear-piercing scream—loud enough to cut straight through her noise-canceling headphones.
She paused her video, deadpan. Only one person in this world screams like that.
Rolling her eyes, she pushed herself up from her chair. “What did he do this time…?”
Even though she already knew it was Tsukasa—because who else could manage that dramatic of a yell—she headed down the hall anyway. If he was screaming that loudly, there was at least a 50% chance something dumb had happened.
And, fine, maybe she was a tiny bit worried.
“Tsukasa? You good?” Nene called out from halfway down the hall, not even bothering to raise her voice. If he was in trouble, he’d hear her.
“Nene! Help me, this bug is threatening me!” he yelled back, voice cracking in sheer panic.
Nene stopped. ‘…Okay, what the heck?’
For a full two seconds, she seriously considered turning around and returning to her room. Pretend she heard nothing. Pretend he was fine. Let future Nene deal with whatever chaos was happening.
But no—she was the only one home with him. Rui and Emu had gone to the supermarket, and if she didn’t handle this, their neighbors would absolutely show up at their front door with noise complaints… again.
She sighed, resigned. Oh, the things she put up with for him.
Nene pushed open the door to the spare room—and there he was. Tsukasa stood plastered to the far corner like a terrified cat, knees bent, hands braced against the wall as if preparing to sprint for his life.
On the opposite end of the room, crawling lazily across the ceiling, was the “threat”: a perfectly normal-sized bug.
…Yeah. That made sense.
“It’s just a bug, Tsukasa,” Nene deadpanned.
“It’s trying to fight for territory—my territory—and it’s winning!” Tsukasa cried, pointing at the ceiling as if accusing the creature of a crime. “Nene, you have to help me take it down and protect my honor!”
Nene stared at him. Then at the bug. Then back at him again.
He looked genuinely distressed, gripping the wall like it was the only thing keeping him alive.
“…It is not that deep,” she muttered, though her shoulders tensed a little. She grabbed the flyswatter anyway, because someone had to deal with this and Tsukasa was currently glued to the wall like a terrified sticker.
She stepped under the bug, lifted the swatter, and took a swing—and the bug launched itself into the air.
Nene very nearly dropped the swatter.
A shiver ran up her spine.
Oh no.
Nope.
Absolutely not.
It could fly.
She took an instinctive step back, eyes widening just a little more than she wanted to admit.
Behind her, Tsukasa shrieked again, but honestly? Nene was about one decibel away from joining him.
The bug hovered near the ceiling, its tiny legs scraping lightly against the light fixture, and Nene froze. She could feel her heart hammering in her chest. Flying bugs were… not her forte. The way they could dart in any direction without warning, the way they always seemed to know exactly when you weren’t ready—ugh, just thinking about it made her skin crawl.
Tsukasa pressed himself further into the corner, his eyes wide, his hands raised as though he could somehow block the bug with sheer willpower. “Nene! It’s… it’s—” he stuttered, “…it’s coming for me! Protect me!”
Nene’s stomach sank. She wanted to sigh and walk away, go back to her game and pretend she’d never heard a peep. But no. She couldn’t. Rui and Emu hadn’t come back, and the yelling alone would have drawn every neighbor within a five-block radius. Someone had to handle this.
She took a tentative step forward, flyswatter in hand, trying not to tremble. The bug shifted, and for a moment it seemed to hover right in her line of sight, wings buzzing menacingly. Her palms felt slick, her grip weak, but she told herself she had to move.
Another second passed. She edged forward. Then another. The bug twitched, almost as if it were sizing her up. Her breaths came quick and shallow, and her ears rang from Tsukasa’s occasional high-pitched squeal whenever it shifted closer.
“I… I can do this,” Nene muttered under her breath, trying to keep her voice level. She raised the flyswatter a little higher, as if that made her seem confident. Her legs shook. Her chest felt tight. But she squared her shoulders. If she froze any longer, the bug would get comfortable and she would lose all courage.
Tsukasa peeked from behind his hands, eyes wide. “Nene… you’re so brave…”
She glared at him, not because of the compliment, but because he made her more aware of how terrified she felt. She inhaled slowly, letting her fingers tighten around the handle.
The bug darted down toward her, flitting almost playfully around her head.
Nene flinched instinctively, taking a tiny step back, but then she forced herself to focus. Her vision narrowed. Her jaw tightened.
“Okay,” she whispered, teeth clenched. “I’m not scared. I… I can do this. For… for honor… or something.”
The bug hovered closer. Nene’s hands shook, but she lifted the flyswatter high, bracing herself. And then—she struck.
WHAP.
The bug tumbled onto the floor.
Nene exhaled shakily, lowering the swatter like a warrior finally allowed to rest. Her knees felt like they might buckle, but she straightened anyway.
Behind her, Tsukasa burst into cheer, running a tiny victory lap in the corner. “You did it! You saved us!”
Nene glared at him, even as relief washed through her. “I… handled it,” she said, her voice wobbling just slightly. “All under control.”
The bug lay on the floor, motionless… at least, she thought it was motionless.
Just as Nene lowered the flyswatter, it twitched.
Her eyes went wide. “What—?!” she squeaked, instinctively swatting it again.
THWACK!
The bug rolled over one more time, finally staying still. Nene exhaled, shaking, as adrenaline finally started to fade.
Behind her, Tsukasa was practically bouncing on the spot, clapping his hands like she’d just won a championship. “Nene! That was amazing! You… you saved us!”
“…We?” Nene asked, raising an eyebrow.
“You know,” he said, voice a little brighter, eyes sparkling, “both of us… thanks to you, I’m still alive.”
Nene blinked, caught off guard. “…Why would you say that?”
Tsukasa’s grin widened, but he quickly looked away, pretending to inspect the ceiling. “No reason!” he said, a little too quickly, voice a tiny bit higher than usual.
Nene rolled her eyes, a small smirk tugging at her lips. “Uh-huh. Sure.”
She put the flyswatter back on the counter, still trembling a bit, while Tsukasa lingered in the corner, looking ridiculously pleased with himself—and maybe a little too impressed with her bravery.
As she set the flyswatter back on the counter, her shoulders relaxed, and she let herself chuckle quietly, a soft sound that didn’t reach him. ‘Stupid.’ She thought, shaking her head with a small smile. ‘Absolutely stupid—but also kind of nice.’
For a moment, she just stood there, letting the quiet settle, the lingering adrenaline making the room feel warmer somehow. She didn’t need to admit it out loud, but she couldn’t help enjoying that tiny, ridiculous compliment he’d given her.
Tsukasa was still grinning, completely oblivious to the fact that she’d caught herself smiling.
Nene let out another small chuckle, muttering under her breath, “Why am I laughing at this…”
And somehow, that made the whole thing even better.
~
A few minutes later, the sound of keys jingling and the front door opening signaled Emu and Rui’s return.
“Hey, we’re back! Did you—” Emu started, but froze mid-step. “Uh… why is it so quiet in here?”
Rui tilted their head, scanning the room. “And… why do you both look so… smug?”
Tsukasa and Nene exchanged a glance. Both were still holding back quiet chuckles.
“Nothing,” Nene said, voice calm, though a small smile tugged at her lips.
“Just… hanging out,” Tsukasa added, a little too casually, his grin betraying him.
Emu and Rui exchanged suspicious glances but said nothing. Whatever had just happened, they clearly weren’t going to get the full story.
As the two newcomers moved into the kitchen, Tsukasa leaned slightly toward Nene, whispering, “We make a good team, you know.”
Nene stifled a laugh, shaking her head. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t let it go to your head.”
And as the sound of groceries being put away filled the room, Nene and Tsukasa shared a quiet, satisfied chuckle, both thinking the same thing: this was ridiculous—but absolutely worth it.