The 7th of W49-999 started out as an ordinary day. Nothing in particular had happened, at least in this quiet place. According to the news, there were still conflicts here and there. Even though I liked to stay informed, it wasn't something a student should worry about.
But if there was one thing that really annoyed me, it was this game.
Sitting in front of my computer, I scratched my hair lightly while staring at several lines of code. The game had a few bugs, and I just needed to find the errors causing them.
"Hey, big brother, can I come in?" Louise asked, opening the door with a cheerful face.
Turning my rolling chair, I saw her walking in as if she were in her own room.
What was the point of asking for permission if she was going to come in anyway before even getting it?
"Aren't you asleep yet?" she asked with a smile.
Even though I was wearing headphones, no music was playing at all. I took them off and set them on my desk, then went back to manipulating the computer to hunt for the bugs.
I don't know why, but sometimes I need someone watching me to work efficiently. Alone, I don't have enough willpower.
"No, I'm working on a game right now. I want to finish a big part of it before going to bed."
She started creeping up on me as soon as my back was turned.
Eventually, she sat on my lap, placing the bag of chips and the soda on the desk.
"Mom is going on a trip for three days, apparently. Did she tell you what it was about?"
I stopped typing, grabbed the bag of chips, opened it, and held it out to her. Louise plunged her hand in while watching the code I was working on.
I was pretty sure she didn't understand a thing.
"It's nothing a big girl like you should worry about. From what I know, it's just a business trip like usual."
My hand immediately dove into the same bag, and I pulled out a chip.
But, not satisfied with eating the one in her hand, she leaned over and ate the chip I was about to eat.
She was way too comfortable. I calmly stared at her, and I could have sworn her eyes were watching me back provocatively.
"Have you studied your lessons? I don't want to raise a parasite in a few years!"
"No!" Louise said proudly.
For someone who could only study at home, she allowed herself a lot of freedoms. I knew she was just trying to annoy me. Louise was a kind girl, always seeking attention.
"How about I give you a few exercises, then?"
She suddenly got up from the chair, climbed onto the bed, and sat on the side like it was some dramatic scene.
"You wouldn't dare," she said, pretending her voice was trembling.
"Try me," I said, standing up.
Of course, this was all just a show. But Louise knew me well enough to understand that the evening could easily turn into a homework session. Her eyes trembled slightly.
Louise, my one and only little sister, had just glimpsed the future waiting for her. She searched for her words quickly.
"Don't worry, big brother! I've done my exercises perfectly. You can check later if you want. It's true… Yes, yes!"
I sat back down in my chair and resumed checking the code, while hearing Louise sigh loudly behind me. She must have been really bored today.
Louise and I are biological siblings, but after seeing other families, I could say that the bond I shared with her was different from the usual.
If I had to put it into words, she was like another part of me.
Louise, this girl who looked like a schoolgirl just like our mother, meant a lot to me. Her black, straight hair made her someone you could call atypical.
She spent most of her time in this building, rarely going outside. Since she was young, she had always had fragile health, and current medicine wasn't advanced enough to identify what she was suffering from.
Because she couldn't live like most people, she had developed some unusual behaviors.
Of course, it wasn't entirely due to her illness.
"Hey, bro? Can I sleep here?"
"No. If you're done bothering me, go to bed. And of course, I'm keeping the chips and the soda."
Even without looking, I could feel her eyes piercing me.
"Hmpf, we can't even ask for such a small favor? I knew talking to you was useless. You have no reason to refuse!"
"Mmm?" What was this girl talking about? I had every reason to refuse — she was old enough to sleep alone.
"You're old enough to sleep by yourself. At some point, you'll have to face your phobia. How long do you plan to cling to me like this?"
Looking behind me, I saw that my remark had made her frown.
Ah… sometimes, I was too stubborn. I already knew how it would end, and yet here I was, starting an argument with her.
"Mom never saw what was wrong with me staying here."
"Just because she doesn't say anything doesn't mean she agrees, or that things should continue like this. A grown girl like you shouldn't rely so much on her big brother."
In truth, I didn't really mind her attachment to me — we were family, after all.
But her dependence was something else, and this argument we just had was pointless since the outcome was already known.
Still, it was something I had to do as her brother.
Of course, I was sure she understood. She just did whatever she wanted, at least most of the time.
She was considerate only when she wanted to be.
That night, Louise left, as if she didn't want to bother me, and I returned to my work.
And the next morning, when I woke up, I didn't know when she had come back, but she was in my bed.
And my right arm was numb.