Chapter Text
Saki was really tired.
Not just physically, though she had to admit today was still exhausting. That wasn't the only thing, though. She was tired of being tired. It was tiring to come home after an exciting activity, where she was forced to lie down and rest because she knew her body couldn't handle it. Where her buzzing mind and tingling skin had to calm down or else she'd have an attack right then and there and worry everyone again. Where she had to teeter between getting extra sleep and missing out on late-night chatting or staying awake and risk overexerting herself.
So tonight, Saki chooses a compromise between the two. Unintentionally, of course. Originally, she was planning on calming down after today, where she got to hang out with all her friends and bump into a few familiar faces on the way. It had escalated quite a bit, and now she was still feeling dizzy with excitement (not literally dizzy, though!) With that, Saki decided on giving herself a proper rest. Of course, it was difficult to stick to that statement, and she found herself in the dark, with her eyes open.
Lying on her bed, with her curtain open, revealing the late-night sky, Saki spotted a shooting star. Stars were awfully pretty, and she recalls the glittering Sekai she and her friends created. It was truly a dream come true, one she had longed for all those lonely years confined to her hospital bed. Memories like that tended to weigh Saki down but made her reinvigorate her appreciation for the present, where she can laugh and talk to her childhood friends, where she can see the stars within her room, outside, or even within the Sekai.
The present, where she can attend her brother's shows and watch him grow like the greatest star she knows she'll ever witness, despite him being such a worrywart, even on the days Saki feels her best. Where she can hang out with Touya like a second brother that flips between older and younger and just the same age (despite that, she still calls him Touya).
On the days' Saki really looks forward to the future, where she knows her friends and family will be. Yet, despite that...
On the shooting star that was passing by, in the clear night sky right outside Saki's window, she heard her mind whisper a wish. Partly within her control, partly out.
I... want to get stronger. I want to be healthier, like Oniichan.
Right after the wish left her mind, so too did the shooting star. Smiling, Saki left the curtain open, as she slept within the starlight, shining through her window.
Dawn broke through and glared at Saki's face in the morning, and she was honestly regretting leaving the curtains open like that last night. Sure, it had been nice to fall asleep to the stars, but summer had the sun peek through early in the morning-- too early-- and frankly, Saki was sort of annoyed at it. Especially since today, she had planned on sleeping in as much as possible. Eh, it's not like the sun was going back down anytime soon, and Saki was eager to speak with her friends again. Thus, she bounded out of bed.
Glancing at the clock, it revealed a hideous 9 in the morning. Ugh, so the sun's been out for a while, huh? Luckily, the morning sun wasn't so bad on the skin, and only now was it bright enough to glare through Saki's eyelids, so she supposed nothing more had to be done as she went to wash her face and bound down the stairs.
"Oniichan!" She called into the kitchen. The Tenma household was rather large, so large that Saki could almost hear her own echo.
"Ah, Saki!" Came the familiar voice of her brother. "Good morning! I didn't realize you'd be up so early. Er-- well, it's not really that early, but for you..."
Saki rolled her eyes as she stepped into the kitchen. Her brother was wearing an apron, and within his hand was a spatula hovering over a pan. Which could only mean one thing.
"It's pretty early, and anyway, the sun woke me up!" Saki stepped a little closer to her brother, wafting the scent drifting from the pan. "Pancakes!!" She grinned.
"Yes, yes, now go sit. Chef Tsukasa shall serve them right away!" Tsukasa proclaimed, waving the spatula in the air while being careful not to hit the pan handle.
"Ehehe~ Of course, server." Saki rubbed away the sleep in her eyes, settling herself down to a table seat. "How long have you been up, then, Oniichan?"
"ME?" Tsukasa asked, though there was no one else to answer the question, and Tsukasa was Saki's only older brother. Thus, he went on ahead. "I've been up for an hour at this point! We're practicing for a play today, so I wanted to be completely prepared! Just like how I usually am! Hahaha!" A little flump was heard, as Saki could hear her brothers voice shift from the previous hollering to muttering about the quality of the pancakes.
"That's interesting~." Saki replied, now wide awake. Her brothers enthusiasm was quite contagious. "I can't wait to see it!"
"But of course! Any show containing the great Tsukasa should be the most interesting ones one ever sees!" As his sentence ended, another flump was heard. "Ah, this seems about right. One plate of pancakes, coming right up!"
Saki grinned as her brother, in all his KitchenKasa glory swiftly placed a plate of pancakes in front of her. It smelled sweet and fresh, and looked as golden as the morning summer sun streaming through the window. "Looks delicious, Oniichan. Thank you!" As her brother gave a nod and returned to his stove-work, Saki stood up to retrieve a fork and butter knife.
The Tenma kitchen was spacious, and there was no door between the living room and the dining room. Saki liked it that way. When she was eating, it never felt lonely if her brother was busy practicing for a play in the living room. Not that her brother would want to leave her lonely anyway. Still, Saki didn't want to bother him.
...Not that her brother would ever be bothered by her requests.
It was a bit of a catch-22.
Returning to her seat with fork and knife in hand, as well as a bottle of honey she had just remembered to grab, Saki drizzled the honey down onto the pancakes. It was so satisfying, watching it go and fall like liquid glass, especially since the sunbeams were hitting her plate. "Itadakimasu!"*
"Ensure that you eat slowly, Saki." Tsukasa scolded, partly playfully as he watched his sister chow down the first layer of her pancakes, each piece cut getting larger and larger.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it", Saki replied. These pancakes were delicious!
"And no talking with your mouth full."
"Mmh!" Saki whined while keeping her mouth shut. Even if she made noise, that didn't count as talking! "Have you eaten yet, Oniichan?" Saki inquired, swallowing the remains of her first pancake.
"Of course! I had just finished before I began making your stack of three. After this, I'll be heading out." He paused as Saki finished her second pancake. "Are you going anywhere today?"
Saki shrugged. "I might text Icchan and the others to hang out."
"I see." There was the clanking of dishes being put into the dishwasher. "Well, yesterday seemed pretty exciting for you, so don't overexert yourself! Make sure to put your dishes in the dishwasher, when you're done, and-"
"Yeah, yeah-- isn't it almost time for you to go, Oniichan?"
"Eh-- Ah! You're right, my dearest sister! Thank you for reminding me. Your brother shall be taking his leave now-- farewell!" With a quick wave goodbye, Tsukasa rushed to the front entrance of the house. It was quite a ways away from the dining room, and across the living room from the bottom of the stairs. Saki was always concerned her brother would slip on fall with the twists and turns it took to get there, but that thankfully didn't happen this time.
"Be safe!" Saki called after him, and with a firm click of the door being closed, Saki knew her brother had left.
She smiled, and finished the final bite of her pancake.
I wonder what Icchan and the others are up to?
Through the window, the sun beat down on the earth as it struck 10 am.