Sunlight streamed in through the window.
The clock on the wall ticked softly.
In his room, Arou was still asleep on his side, his blanket half-fallen off the bed and his hair messy, as if he had just come back from a battle in his dreams.
Suddenly—
Tok, Tok.
No answer.
Tok, Tok, Tok.
Still nothing.
The bedroom door slowly opened.
A girl stood in the doorway, one hand on the handle, her expression flat but clearly looking for someone to bother.
"Hey."
No response.
She stepped inside.
"Dad."
Silence.
She stood right beside the bed.
"Dad, wake up."
Arou stirred slightly.
"…Five more minutes…"
Hikari narrowed her eyes.
"You'll be late for school."
The words hit him like lightning.
Arou's eyes shot open.
"Huh?!"
He turned toward the clock.
The hands pointed to 6:00 a.m.
His face immediately went pale.
"SIX?!"
He jumped out of bed and almost tripped over his pillow.
Hikari stood there calmly, her hands on her hips.
"I've been trying to wake you up."
"When?!"
"Just now."
"That's not a specific answer!"
Hikari let out a quiet sigh.
"The point is, it's already six."
Arou immediately grabbed his uniform and rushed into the bathroom. The sound of running water mixed with his panicked muttering.
Hikari leaned against the bedroom wall.
"Morning drama is always the same," she muttered.
---
Downstairs
A few minutes later, Arou came down the stairs while buttoning the last button on his uniform.
His hair was still a little messy.
In the living room, Airi had just come down from the other side of the stairs, holding a glass of water.
She stopped when she saw Arou.
"Where were you last night?"
Arou paused for a moment.
"I was working."
Airi raised an eyebrow.
"Working?"
Before Arou could explain—
A relaxed but sarcastic voice came from the sofa.
"Wow…"
Nora, who had been lying down, immediately sat up.
"Looks like the apocalypse is coming."
Arou turned sharply.
"Why?"
Nora grinned widely.
"Of course it is… You've been unemployed all this time, and now you suddenly want to work. This is a miracle."
Arou pointed at himself.
"I wasn't unemployed!"
"Then what were you?"
"I was… planning my life."
Hikari answered from behind him.
"Lazy version."
Airi immediately let out a small laugh.
Another laugh came from the kitchen.
Priscilla covered her mouth as she giggled.
Shi, standing near the kitchen table, only smiled faintly.
Lumina even tapped the table while laughing.
Akari, who was arranging some books in the living room, stopped and looked over.
Seeing everyone ganging up on Arou, she smiled too.
Arou looked around.
"Why are you all teaming up against me this early in the morning?"
Nora crossed her arms.
"Because a rare phenomenon deserves to be celebrated."
"What phenomenon?!"
"You working."
Arou scoffed.
"My boss said I adapt quickly."
Nora pretended to be shocked.
"You're already calling him Boss."
"That's what you're supposed to call him!"
Hikari stepped closer.
"So now you're a hard worker?"
Arou puffed out his chest.
"Exactly."
Hikari stared at him for two seconds.
"We'll see how long you last."
Arou fell silent.
Airi laughed again.
---
A Noisy Breakfast
The dining table felt livelier than usual.
Arou ate quickly.
"Tired?" Akari asked softly.
"A little. But it's fun."
Nora immediately chimed in, "It's always fun on the first day. By the third day, you'll start complaining."
Arou looked at her.
"Why do you sound like a commentator narrating my life?"
"Because your life makes good content."
Hikari calmly took a sip of water.
"I wouldn't be surprised if he quit."
"I'm not quitting!"
Everyone looked at him.
Arou realized he had sounded a little too enthusiastic.
He cleared his throat.
"I mean… I'm not planning to quit yet."
Priscilla smiled gently.
"That's good."
Shi nodded slightly.
"Experience will be useful."
Lumina added, "At least you're giving it a try."
Arou smiled faintly.
Amid all the jokes, something felt different.
Usually, whenever he said he wanted to work, it was just talk.
But now… he was actually doing it.
And everyone could see that.
---
On the Way to School
Arou stood by the front door with his bag over his shoulder.
Akari was ready too.
"Let's go," she said.
Arou nodded.
Before they could leave, Nora called out again.
"If you start studying seriously too, I might actually believe the world has turned upside down."
Arou opened the door.
"Just wait."
Hikari leaned against the wall.
"Classic line from someone who hasn't proven anything yet."
Arou turned around.
"Why are you attacking me this early in the morning?"
Hikari smiled faintly.
"Because it's fun."
Airi waved at them.
"Don't fall asleep in class."
"I'm not that weak!"
---
On the Road
The morning air felt fresh.
Arou and Akari walked side by side.
They stayed quiet for a few seconds.
Then Akari spoke softly.
"Are you really serious about this?"
Arou looked ahead at the road.
"Yeah."
"Why?"
He thought for a moment.
"Maybe because… if I keep taking things easy, I'll be the one who loses out in the end."
Akari smiled faintly.
"You're only realizing that now?"
"I'd say I've finally started moving."
Their steps continued at a steady pace.
The sun slowly rose higher.
Everything felt normal.
No chaos.
No strange incidents.
Just an ordinary morning.
But for Arou—
This morning felt like the beginning of a small change.
And back at home, even though everyone had been teasing him—
Their laughter wasn't meant to put him down.
It was simply their way of acknowledging one thing.
Arou had finally started moving forward.
The final school bell rang.
Chairs scraped against the floor, bags were zipped up, and conversations broke out across the classroom. The afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a soft orange glow across the floor.
Arou put the last book into his bag.
He hadn't talked much in class today. It wasn't because he was sleepy—though he was a little tired—but his thoughts kept drifting toward one place.
The bookstore.
Day two.
Akari stood beside his desk.
"Are we going straight home?"
Arou closed his bag.
Usually, they would walk home together. Sometimes they stopped by a convenience store for a while, sometimes they went straight home.
But today was different.
"I can't go with you," Arou said softly.
Akari looked at him.
"What's up?"
"I'm going straight to the bookstore."
Akari was quiet for a few seconds. She wasn't surprised, just making sure.
"Oh."
Her voice was calm, but there was something faint beneath it. Not disappointment. More like… adjustment.
"I told you to go home first," Arou continued. "I have to get there earlier today. Boss said he wants to teach me how the inventory system works."
Akari nodded slowly.
"Okay."
Arou stood up.
They left the classroom together and walked down the school hallway.
Their steps were side by side, but today felt slightly different. It wasn't awkward. Their destinations were simply… no longer the same.
At the school gate, Arou stopped.
"Let me know when you get home."
Akari looked at him.
"You too."
Arou smiled faintly.
"Don't worry. I'm not disappearing."
Akari smiled slightly.
"I know."
They stood in silence for a few seconds.
Then Arou turned around first.
His steps were quick.
He didn't look back.
Not because he didn't care.
But because if he stood there too long, he might change his mind and walk home like he always did.
And today… he chose something different.
---
On the Way to the Bookstore
A light afternoon breeze blew through the streets.
Arou walked along the sidewalk with his bag hanging from one shoulder. The sound of passing vehicles filled the street, while the smell of warm asphalt mixed with the dust in the air.
In his mind, he pictured the rows of books.
The neatly arranged novels.
The smell of fresh paper.
And the voice of his boss from yesterday, speaking in a flat but firm tone.
On his first day, he had still felt a little awkward.
Today…
He wanted to be more prepared.
"I can't look like some clueless rookie," he muttered.
He quickened his pace.
Every step felt like another small decision to reaffirm.
No one was forcing him.
No one was telling him to do this.
It was entirely his own choice.
---
The Bookstore – Afternoon
The little bell above the door rang as he entered.
Ding—
The familiar scent of paper greeted him immediately.
The bookstore wasn't too crowded. A few customers were slowly browsing the shelves.
His boss stood near the cashier, checking a list.
He glanced over without much expression.
"You're early."
"Yeah."
"Good."
There was no long praise. No small talk.
But somehow, that one word was enough to make Arou feel welcome.
"Put your bag in the back. Today, you're helping with inventory."
Arou nodded.
"Got it."
He went to the small room behind the counter, put down his bag, and rolled up the sleeves of his uniform slightly.
Today wasn't just about standing around and watching the counter.
Today, he was going to learn.
---
Learning the Rhythm
His boss walked between the shelves.
"At the end of every week, we have to check the inventory. If there's a discrepancy, find out why."
Arou followed him with a clipboard in hand.
"Here's the list of novels we need to count."
The first shelf.
Title after title.
Arou counted slowly.
At first, it seemed simple.
After a while… it became tiring.
Some books had been placed in the wrong spots.
Some volumes had been mixed up.
He had to stay sharp.
"Don't just count," his boss said without looking at him. "Pay attention to the condition too. If anything is damaged, separate it."
Arou nodded.
His hands kept moving.
His eyes stayed focused.
For the first time in a long while, he was doing something that couldn't be solved with a joke.
It required attention.
It required precision.
And he didn't want to disappoint anyone.
---
On the Way Home – Akari
Meanwhile, Akari was walking home alone.
Her steps were slow.
Usually, Arou's voice would be beside her. Random comments. Complaints about unimportant things. Or jokes that made absolutely no sense.
Today… it was quiet.
She looked at her reflection on the sidewalk.
Nothing was wrong.
Arou was working.
That was a good thing.
But still…
The usual rhythm had changed.
Akari looked up at the afternoon sky.
Then she smiled faintly.
"He's trying," she murmured.
And somehow, that thought alone made her steps feel lighter.
---
Back at the Bookstore
An hour passed.
Then two.
Arou's hands were starting to ache.
"Tired?" his boss asked briefly.
"No."
A little lie.
But he didn't want to sound weak.
His boss glanced at him.
"You can take five minutes."
Arou nodded.
He sat on a small chair near the window.
Watching customers come and go.
Life kept moving.
People came in to buy stories.
While he himself… was writing a small chapter of his own life.
He took a deep breath.
No explosions.
No drama.
No strange incidents.
Just work.
And a very real sense of exhaustion.
Strange.
But satisfying.
---
Night Approaches
The bookstore lights grew brighter as the sky darkened.
His boss closed the notebook.
"That's enough for today."
Arou stood up.
"You catch on quickly," his boss continued.
Arou was slightly surprised.
"Seriously?"
"Don't let it go to your head."
"Right."
But the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
When he left the bookstore, the cool night air greeted him.
The sky was a deep blue.
Streetlights came on one by one.
He took out his phone.
There was one message.
From Akari.
＞ Are you done?
Arou smiled.
He typed a short reply.
＞ Just got out.
The reply came quickly.
＞ Be careful.
Arou slipped his phone back into his pocket.
His steps toward home felt different from that morning.
A little heavier.
But also steadier.
Today, he had told Akari to go home alone.
Today, he had chosen his own path.
And even though it was something simple—
That small step felt like the beginning of something much bigger.