A pale young man with long, midnight-black hair sat with his head resting on his desk, fast asleep. His hair covered the right side of his face, leaving only one eye visible—an eye so bright and orange it seemed to glow like the sun.
RIIING! RIIING!
The final bell of the day echoed through the school.
Chairs scraped the floor and papers rustled as students began packing their things.
"STOP!"
An old man barked from the front of the classroom. He stood stiff and stoic, his sharp eyes scanning the room before settling on the slumbering student.
"Just because today is the last day doesn't mean you should stop studying."
He paced slowly in front of the chalkboard.
"Remember: during the holiday, you'll need to prepare for your college entrance exams. Make sure you revise well."
With that, he gave a brief nod.
"You're dismissed."
He walked out of the room, his footsteps fading down the hall.
The classroom emptied quickly, leaving only two students behind: the sleeping boy and a girl sitting on the edge of his desk—her silver hair glowing under the light, her deep blue eyes calm and alert. Her skin was almost as pale as his.
She leaned in close, her hair brushing against his shoulder.
"Nocti… Nocti…"
Still no response.
Ava narrowed her eyes, then smacked the back of his head—just hard enough to make a point.
"Ow! What was that for?" he grumbled, sitting up with a sharp glare.
"That's what you get for sleeping through class," she said, arms crossed—but a faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Be grateful I even bothered to wake you up."
Noctis blinked the sleep from his eyes and gave her a look. Her face was inches from his, and for a moment, neither of them moved.
Then she looked away, rubbing the back of her neck.
He groaned and leaned back in his chair. "Isn't it your fault I'm tired? You dragged me into playing that weird game you got from some random guy. And stop calling me Nocti—it sounds dumb. My name is Noctis."
Ava shot him a mock glare as she shoved her books into her bag. "You're so dramatic. I like Nocti. It suits you."
He looked at her, deadpan. "I'm not a nickname person."
"You keep telling yourself that," she said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Anyway, let's go. We need to pick up your sister. I've missed her—she's so adorable."
He stood up slowly, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Are you ignoring me?"
She tilted her head with a smug grin as she walked toward the door. "Me? Ignore you? I would never."
Noctis blinked, confused by her tone—but didn't push it.
"…You're weird," he muttered, following after her.
But his voice lacked any real annoyance. He was already more awake than he had been all day.
As they walked down the hallway, Ava nudged his arm. "Come on. We're gonna be late."
"Alright, alright. Stop rushing," he said. "She's my sister, remember?"
"Nah, she's mine now too," Ava said with a grin. "Let's see who she runs to first."
"You wanna bet?"
"What are we betting?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"If you win, I'll try to beat that ridiculous game you keep talking about."
"And if you win?" she asked.
He smirked. "You owe me ten bucks. You've got cash—I've seen your snack budget."
Ava let out a dramatic gasp. "Unbelievable. You're only friends with me for my money?"
He shrugged. "I gotta get something out of this friendship."
She rolled her eyes but laughed—and that was enough to make the walk feel a little lighter.
The sun hung low in the sky as Noctis and Ava made their way down the quiet street. The late afternoon air was warm, filled with the scent of spring. Just ahead, a crowd of younger students spilled out of a nearby elementary school.
"There she is," Noctis said, pointing to a little girl with jet-black pigtails, waving wildly.
"Brother!" she squealed, running up the sidewalk, her tiny backpack bouncing behind her.
Ava grinned. "There's my girl!"
The little girl—around seven years old—ran into Noctis and hugged him tightly. He crouched down to her level, smiling more softly than Ava was used to seeing.
"Hey, Luna," he said, ruffling her hair. "You're early."
Luna looked up, her bright orange eyes matching his. "Nope! I ran as soon as the bell rang. I didn't wanna miss you."
Then her eyes landed on Ava. "Sister Avaa!"
Ava knelt down just in time to catch Luna in a hug. "I missed you too, Lulu! You're growing so fast."
"No, I'm not!" Luna giggled. "You're just shrinking!"
"Excuse me?" Ava said, mock-offended. "I'm still taller than your brother when I wear heels."
Noctis rolled his eyes. "Doesn't count."
Luna looked between the two of them, then leaned toward Ava and whispered—loudly, "Are you gonna marry my brother?"
Ava froze. "Wh—what?"
Noctis nearly choked. "Luna!"
"What?" Luna said, blinking innocently. "You two are always together."
Ava cleared her throat. "That's… not how it works, Luna."
The little girl just grinned like she knew better.
As they walked home, Luna held onto both Ava's and Noctis's hands, swinging between them.
Ava glanced over at Noctis, watching as he listened to his sister chatter about her day. He always looked calmer when Luna was around—like she was the one grounding him.
"You're a good big brother," Ava said after a moment.
He blinked, caught off guard. "You think so?"
She nodded. "Yeah. Luna's lucky."
He gave her a small, genuine smile. "Thanks."
They kept walking in silence, but it wasn't awkward. It was familiar. Comfortable