*This chapter is a flashback.
Gentle hums left the male as he brushed his teeth thoroughly, soon to comb through his white locks as he faced himself in the mirror. Placing a hand to his chin, he leaned forward, an eyebrow tugging suggestively. "Such a handsome face so early in the morning!" The male exclaimed, flaunting over himself with gentle cooes.
"This is why you don't have a girlfriend, Sei." Spoke from beside him. Yet another presence was near, and this caused the primary male to jolt and turn around sharply, facing with a pair of deep crimson orbs. The figure leaned against the door frame, arms crossed, and carried a small yet warm smile.
"Oh shut up, Shiro!!" Seiichiro replied, shooing him off with his hand. "Although we're twins, I'd say that I look better than you." He started laughing aloud, much to his brother's dismay. Shiro turned around, sighing to himself. "I'm gonna go and hang out at my secret hideout, I'll be home later."
Seiichiro scoffed as he watched his brother walk away, and then glanced down at a bottle of pill tablets filled halfway. "Ah, crap- bro!" He grabbed onto the bottle and then skidded out of the bathroom, only to realize Shiro's presence had cease to exist. "You didn't take... huh? He left that quickly?"
He placed a hand to his hip as he tossed the object into the air, catching it carelessly. "I'll have to force him again... ugh..." He slouched, eyebrows crossing. "Shiro can be scary when he doesn't take his meds..."
Meanwhile, Seiichiro's brother had climbed onto the ladder leading up to the window belonging to a vacant room, as the black backpack strapped around his arms bounced during his movements.
This ladder led up to his neighbor's attic.
Hoisting himself through, he landed forcefully onto his feet, and then locked the aperture afterwards. "Time to read." Shiro threw himself against the couch he kept clean, and once he got comfortable enough, he took off his bag and unzipped it, revealing snacks, headphones, and stacks of comic books. "Good thing the previous homeowners left this couch here.."
The male began his break, and within only four hours, he started to feel a bit strange. His blood started going, and his palms felt sweaty as he held his book. He perked up, and then began to rummage through his things. "Ah.. my pills... I didn't take them.."
Now packing his belongings, he planned to leave, until he heard what sounded to be a thump. He moved over to the window, spotting what seemed to be a moving truck.
Realization struck him hard.
"Huh..? Someone's moving in? I'd better go.." He moved back over to the couch, lifted his bag, and pulled his arms through the straps. "My movements are getting a little slow too. I have to take my medication quickly."
Without his daily pills, he was afraid of losing his mental balance.
Making sure to organize things as they were, the male approached the window he last entered through, however just as he unlocked it, he overheard a soft voice.
The voice belonging to a girl.
Shiro halted. Curiosity got the best of him in an instant. A firm resolve overcame him as he inched away from the window and over to the center of the floor, eventually dropping to his knees a bit roughly. Diving his head down, Shiro pressed his ear against the wood, listening more closely.
"Seiichiro Yuuki. Pleased to meet you."
"[F/N] [L/N]. It's nice to meet you too, Yuuki. From now on we'll be neighbors... right?"
His eyes dilated for a split second, and his heart jumped periodically. Fully aware of where that deep, velvet voice came from, Shiro discarded his brother momentarily, sinking his ear even further against the floorboards to hear your voice again. 'Her voice sounds so serene.. she must be pretty..' He thought, red-coated cheeks lifting up as he smiled gently.
'I wanna meet her too.'
The boy with red eyes stayed there for minutes, listening to your conversation with Seiichiro. It was strange. His brother hadn't mentioned him. Not even once.
Though, he decided not to dwell on it, and stayed in his position even further. There were certain times where he couldn't hear you, which made him feel lonely, however he didn't fret over it too much.
He was so drilled into your voice that he didn't even realize that he stayed there for hours. Wanting to meet you got the best of him, it was as if he was a eager puppy waiting for his owner to return home. Shiro suddenly lifted his head and glanced back at the window, and then perked up, as he realized the sky became dimmed. "Oh, I should head back, Sei must be getting worried. He doesn't know where I am.. I didn't take my medicine either. Strangely enough.. I feel better."
The male returned to the window, however tripped due to the foot of the couch he sat against hours ago. In order to catch himself, he used the window's edge, but the force of impact created a thud. His eyes widened slighly, awake to the possibility that you could've heard.
Now frantic, Shiro opened the aperture, and then brought one leg before the other in order to descend from the roofing.
By the time he reached the ground, he released a loud exhale, tense about the situation. Shiro looked back up, cheeks a slight red. His heart thumped in excitement, without a doubt. 'Our new neighbor... I'll try and see her soon. Introducing myself properly helps build bonds.'
There was no telling that his interest in you would have gradually ascended into an obsession. As he returned home, he opened the door to notice his brother laying down on the couches while staring at the ceiling. Kazuma, their dog, yipped in the instant he spotted Shiro.
"What's up, Kazuma?" Shiro crouched down and lifted the dog gently, soon to walk up to the couch containing a silent male. Kazuma squirmed in his arms while his tail swayed in eagerness. "Sei? Something wrong?"
Seiichiro looked over at his brother, and then grinned toothily. "I'm thinking about our neighbor! She's so kind, and even cute. Maybe I can hit it off with her!" He chuckled to himself and then shot up, watching as Shiro sat beside him slowly.
"..."
"...Oh."
The younger one replied. His head lowered a bit, getting silent, until his brother spoke once more. "I'll have to break up with my girlfriend, though. That crazy girl..." Seiichiro stressfully ruffled his hair, just as Shiro perked up.
"You have a girlfriend? Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, finally laying the dog down. Kazuma used this as a opportunity and pounced onto Seiichiro, showering his chin with licks.
"It's because she forced me to be with her. Using guilt against me like that is just wrong. Still... it was my fault too." The male with golden eyes pushed his dog down, but he simply came with even more persistence. Shiro, on the other hand, started to stand in order to leave the area, causing his brother to jerk in surprise.
His sudden silence was eerily unpleasant.
"Hey! Where are you-"
Slam.
Flinching as the door closed loudly, Seiichiro was placed under the impression that Shiro was unhappy.
But for what?
Tuesday, November 12th.
>[Time: 6:00 PM]<
"...I'm home." Seiichiro announced, throwing his bag down against the floor. He entered their home further, eyes lowered in dismay. Awaiting a response from Shiro, he heard nothing. Now curious, he searched for his brother, instinctively entering his bedroom.
With the door opened, he was able to vividly spot his brother, who sat against his desk, appearing to be writing. Shiro glanced over to look at the figure at the doorway, leaning back in his chair a little. "I didn't hear the door. How was [L/N]'s first day?"
"..."
Seiichiro's eyebrows trembled, just as he brought his palm to cover his face. "Her first day was good since I was there for her.. But she told me that she feels paranoid... like someone's been watching her." He then looked up, staring between his parted fingertips.
"...Have you taken your medication at all?"
Shiro's trademark expression had vanished. He tapped his pencil against his desk while he nodded his head dismissively. "I have." He then forced a calm grin, as if he tried to put him at ease.
"..I..."
"... I know you're lying.." Seiichiro lowered his hand, revealing a set of skeptic golden hues. "After all.. I've never told you [L/N]'s name before." The male shifted to the side, fringing his bangs a little bit more. "Now take it before you need it."
The tapping against Shiro's desk stopped as abruptly as his smile. Unwilling to admit himself, Shiro brought his eyes down to the paper on his desk momentarily, listening to both his brother's movements, and his words. "And do me one favor..."
The male kept his hand against the door knob, pulling against it as he took a step back. "...If you're not in the right state of mind, don't come anywhere near our neighbor."
After his final words, the door closed completely, leaving Shiro inside his room completely enamored with silence. He released a chuckle while he leaned forward, and then gripped onto his white locks almost stressfully. 'Sei just doesn't understand. I fell in love the moment I heard her voice.' The more his thoughts increased, so did his instability. 'I... I.. feel like I'm myself! I don't need medicine anymore!' Shiro's darastic laughter was the most genuine yet. Choosing to quiet down to ease his nerves, he'd grin slightly, lifting up a sheet of paper containing very few letters:
I Love Sei.
I Envy Sei.
I want to Become Sei.
[Chapter END]