Rumours ~ Ruikasa

Things Sure Have Changed, Haven't They...

     "I'll deal with it on my own!" Rui shook his head.

"You can't do everything on your own, Rui!" Ms. Kamishiro began to shout. "Look where it got you!"

"Like you could've done anything to stop it!" He began to heat up. "Nobody could have done anything to stop it!"

"Then how will you deal with it on your own?" His mother had a point, and he didn't like it.

     "The past is in the past." Rui retorted, knowing it was not the best argument.

     "Well, I've got news for you, then," Rui could feel his mother's patience ticking away slowly. "The 'past' is apparently still happening."

     I knew I should have come up with a better argument...

     "And so is school," Rui pointed out, getting onto his feet. "Which I have today."

     "No, Rui—"

     "Bye!"

     "...Bye. Don't forget to eat something. This conversation is not over."

     Ugh, why not? I'm fine now! I don't care about those people anyway!

——————————

     "Rui," Nene said, walking on the little ledge of concrete on the side of the road, trying not to  lose her balance and fall off.

     "Yes, Nene?" Rui glanced at Nene protectively, walking closely beside her to make sure she didn't fall off.

     "Stop acting like the overprotective older brother that I never had!" Nene glared at him.

     "I act like this because I love you like a little sister, Nene," Rui put on a false expression of pain and sliding one of his hands out of his pocket to place it over his heart dramatically. "Don't you love me, too?"

     Nene rolled her eyes without giving a response, a pink dust of embarrassment spreading across her face.

     "Ah! Neneeee!" Rui began to fake sob.

     "Ack! No, Rui, stop that!" Nene looked around to make sure nobody was there. "You're acting like a baby!"

     Rui frowned exaggeratedly at Nene.

     "Ugh, fine," She turned her head away from Rui. "I love you, too. Happy now?"

     A smile instantly broke out on Rui's face, his fake sorrow vanishing in a split second.

     "Yay!" Rui hugged Nene and squeezed her happily, lifting her feet off of the curb.

     "RUI! RUI, WE'RE GONNA FALL!"

     "No, we're not! I've got you! Just trust me, Nene!"

     "EEEK! PUT ME DOWN!"

     "Nope~!" Rui finished lifting Nene onto his back. "For old time's sake!"

     "'For old time's sake'? What, are you suddenly eighty years old?"

     "Doesn't my back seem perfectly fine?"

     "Your brain really doesn't."

     "Aw, don't be like that!"

     "This is how siblings act, isn't this what you wanted?"

     "As the older brother, I—"

     "No. You're my grandpa."

     "Aww..."