The third floor hallway was quiet during class hours. Later that morning in school. Yoshiro walked calmly toward the library, a book held in his hand as usual. As he passed by the window, something below caught his attention. He stopped.
Looking down at the school field, he immediately recognized a familiar figure.
His Yashio-niisan was in P.E. class, standing with his classmates under the bright afternoon sun. For a moment, Yoshiro's expression softened. A small smile appeared on his face—one that almost no one ever saw.
"…Niisan." He quietly watched him from above. But then someone approached Yashio. A girl. She walked up to him and started talking, smiling brightly.
Yoshiro's smile slowly disappeared. His eyes narrowed slightly. The hand holding his book tightened. His fingers curled into a fist. "…Who is she?"
The warmth in his eyes was gone. Yoshiro continued staring from the window above. Whoever that girl was… she was standing too close to his Yashio-niisan.
Meanwhile, 4th period ended.
The classroom became noisy as students packed their things. Yasuo sat near the window, looking outside. From his seat, he could see the school field.
Yashio was still in P.E. class. Even from afar, Yasuo recognized him immediately. "Yashio-niisan is so cute… I wanna hug him," he said happily to himself. His usual bright expression softened.
But the happiness didn't last. Someone approached Yashio. A girl. She started talking to him, smiling.
Yasuo's eyes narrowed. "Ohhh… so someone is trying to steal him from us, huh?" His smile remained, but it wasn't the same cheerful one. There was something sharper in it, anger. A quiet, protective possessiveness.
His classmates noticed the change. "Woah! Yasuo, you look scary," one of them joked nervously.
Yasuo didn't respond. He kept watching the girl talking to his Yashio-niisan. His hands rested on the desk, slowly curling into fists. He didn't like seeing someone get too close.
The afternoon sun was still high as the final bell echoed across the campus. Yashio stepped out of the school building, stretching his arms. The P.E. session had left him tired, and all he wanted was to get home and relax.
He didn't have to look for his brothers. He didn't even have to wait.
"Niisan!"
Yasuo's voice cut through the noise of the crowded gate. Before Yashio could react, a weight hit his left side. Yasuo had looped his arm through Yashio's, leaning his head against his shoulder with a content, almost cat-like sigh.
"You're late, niisan. We've been waiting for ages," Yasuo pouted, his voice childish and sweet. "I missed you so much I almost fell asleep standing up."
"It's only been an hour since lunch, Yasuo," Yashio chuckled, though he didn't pull away. He was used to the weight.
On his right side, the air felt cooler. Yoshiro walked up silently. He didn't cling like Yasuo did, but he stepped so close that their sleeves brushed with every step. He reached over, his fingers grazing Yashio's wrist for a second before he took Yashio's heavy sports bag from his hand.
"I'll carry it," Yoshiro said simply. His voice was calm, but his eyes were scanning the crowd, wary of anyone who might try to interrupt them.
"I can carry my own bag, Yoshiro—"
"No," Yoshiro interrupted, his tone firm but quiet. "You're tired from P.E. Just walk."
As they moved toward the train station, the triplets fell into a perfect, synchronized rhythm. They walked as a single unit, Yashio safely tucked in the middle. To any outsider, it looked like a close-knit family. But to Yashio, things felt… different today.
He felt the way Yasuo's grip tightened every time a group of girls walked past. He noticed how Yoshiro shifted his position to block anyone from accidentally bumping into Yashio's shoulder.
"Hey," Yashio said, looking between them. "Is something wrong? You both seem… extra focused today."
The twins stopped at the same time. They turned their heads toward him in unison, their expressions unreadable.
"What do you mean, niisan?" Yasuo asked, his smile bright and innocent.
"We're just taking care of you," Yoshiro added, his voice steady.
"I know, but..." Yashio trailed off. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. It was the way they looked at him—like he was something precious that might disappear if they let go for even a second. "Never mind. Let's just go home."
"Yes, niisan," they chorused.
As they walked, Yasuo reached out with his free hand and took Yashio's hand, interlacing their fingers. On the other side, Yoshiro didn't take his hand, but he placed a steadying palm on the small of Yashio's back, guiding him forward.
***
The night was quiet in Yashio's room, the only sound being the rhythmic scratch of his pen. His shoulders were stiff from the long P.E. session earlier, a dull ache making it hard to focus.
The door clicked open softly. Yoshiro stepped in, carrying a cold drink and a pack of pain patches. He moved with a quiet grace, standing behind Yashio to carefully apply a patch to the sore muscle.
"Thank you, Yoshiro," Yashio said gently, leaning back into his brother's touch.
A small, genuine light appeared in Yoshiro's eyes at the praise. He lingered for a moment, his hand resting lightly on Yashio's shoulder as if checking to see if the pain had faded yet.
The door swung open again—more energetically this time. Yasuo arrived with a tray, a slice of cake sitting in the center.
"For you, niisan!" he said, his voice bright and full of innocent affection. "You need sugar to keep your brain working!"
"Thank you, Yasuo," Yashio smiled, reaching up to ruffle Yasuo's hair. Yasuo beamed, looking as though he had just received the greatest gift in the world.
Yashio turned back to his desk, reaching into his bag to put his notebook away, but his fingers brushed against something unfamiliar. He pulled out a pale envelope—a love letter.
The air in the room changed instantly.
Yoshiro went still, his silent jealousy making the room feel heavy. Yasuo's smile remained, but it was thinner now, a protective heat radiating from him as he stared at the pink paper.
"Who gave you that, niisan?" Yoshiro asked. His voice was soft, but the overflowing jealousy was clear in the way he stood a little closer to Yashio's side.
"Is it the girl who approached you a while ago?" Yasuo added, his eyes narrowing slightly as he tilted his head.
Yashio felt a flush of embarrassment and quickly tucked the letter back into the side pocket of his bag. "I… I think it's just a misunderstanding. I'll just give it back tomorrow."
"We're coming with you," Yoshiro said immediately, his voice quiet but firm.
"Yeah! We want to see the girl who gave you that," Yasuo chirped, though his tone was laced with a deep, protective yearning to be by Yashio's side.
Yashio shook his head, looking down at his desk shyly. "No need. I can handle this on my own."
The twins exchanged a quick, synchronized look. They didn't push further, but they didn't move away either. They simply stood on either side of him, a united front of brotherly devotion, silently vowing to be there the moment he stepped foot on campus the next day.