The groan of the pipes woke her up,

Rika blinked slowly.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been asleep, or what she was doing before falling asleep on the couch, but the blanket felt warm and heavy around her, a soft weight she didn’t want to leave.

She sank a little deeper into the couch. Her head felt fuzzy, like the inside of a peach, she thought.

“Good morning..” she whispered to noone. It wasn’t morning, but that’s what she always said to her plushies.

Bunny—the bunny—sat beside her, ears flopped over his eyes like he was still sleepy too.

She noticed Dino had fallen to the floor, his green tail peeking out from under the coffee table like he was hiding.

Rika wriggled free from the blanket and leaned over to pick him up. 

“You fell off,” she murmured, patting his head gently. She placed him back beside Bunny, their noses barely touching, like they were whispering secrets.

She yawned.

Her legs stretched long across the couch as she wiggled her toes.

Her stomach made a soft sound—maybe hungry, maybe just bored.

She turned Bunny to face her.

“Do you think Ryu’s coming back soon?”

Bunny didn’t answer. 

She nodded anyway, hugging him close. 

“Maybe soon.” 

The soft creak of the front door—

Rika pulled the blanket up to her nose, hiding half a second before peeking out. Ryuya stepped inside quietly, glancing in her direction.

He didn't say anything.

Then, he bent down to align his shoes in the corner.

She wiggled out of the blanket, holding Bunny tightly.

Ryuya calmly moved to the kitchen, Rika trailed behind him.

He stopped in front of the fridge, the quiet stretching softly.

“What’s for dinner?” Rika asked.

“It’s too soon for that,” he replied, opening the fridge.

The clink of glass echoed faintly.

“Oh...”

“…"

"What’s for snack time?”

Ryuya didn’t laugh, but something in his shoulders moved like he wanted to. He glanced at her and reached into the fridge, grabbing a bottle of milk. “You can have hot cocoa,” he said finally.

She smiled.

The mug of cocoa sat on the coffee table.

The steam curled in slow, quiet spirals, like little ghosts vanishing into nothing. Rika watched them like they were alive, pulling Bunny close again.

She glanced at her brother.

“You’ okay?” she asked, almost like a whisper.

He glanced back.

“Yeah,” he said, as he straightened, already halfway to his bedroom. Her eyes lingered as his figure dissapeared into the hallway.

Then, she curled up again, tucking herself under the blanket until it reached her eyes. For a moment she didn't move, didn't say anything, her head empty.

She glanced at the mug cooling down on the table.

“…Maybe he needs hot cocoa too,” she whispered into the softness. 

But even as she said it, she already knew he wouldn’t want any either..

The groan of the pipes woke her up,

Rika blinked slowly.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been asleep, or what she was doing before falling asleep on the couch, but the blanket felt warm and heavy around her, a soft weight she didn’t want to leave.

She sank a little deeper into the couch. Her head felt fuzzy, like the inside of a peach, she thought.

“Good morning..” she whispered to noone. It wasn’t morning, but that’s what she always said to her plushies.

Bunny—the bunny—sat beside her, ears flopped over his eyes like he was still sleepy too.

She noticed Dino had fallen to the floor, his green tail peeking out from under the coffee table like he was hiding.

Rika wriggled free from the blanket and leaned over to pick him up. 

“You fell off,” she murmured, patting his head gently. She placed him back beside Bunny, their noses barely touching, like they were whispering secrets.

She yawned.

Her legs stretched long across the couch as she wiggled her toes.

Her stomach made a soft sound—maybe hungry, maybe just bored.

She turned Bunny to face her.

“Do you think Ryu’s coming back soon?”

Bunny didn’t answer. 

She nodded anyway, hugging him close. 

“Maybe soon.” 

The soft creak of the front door—

Rika pulled the blanket up to her nose, hiding half a second before peeking out. Ryuya stepped inside quietly, glancing in her direction.

He didn't say anything.

Then, he bent down to align his shoes in the corner.

She wiggled out of the blanket, holding Bunny tightly.

Ryuya calmly moved to the kitchen, Rika trailed behind him.

He stopped in front of the fridge, the quiet stretching softly.

“What’s for dinner?” Rika asked.

“It’s too soon for that,” he replied, opening the fridge.

The clink of glass echoed faintly.

“Oh...”

“…"

"What’s for snack time?”

Ryuya didn’t laugh, but something in his shoulders moved like he wanted to. He glanced at her and reached into the fridge, grabbing a bottle of milk. “You can have hot cocoa,” he said finally.

She smiled.

The mug of cocoa sat on the coffee table.

The steam curled in slow, quiet spirals, like little ghosts vanishing into nothing. Rika watched them like they were alive, pulling Bunny close again.

She glanced at her brother.

“You’ okay?” she asked, almost like a whisper.

He glanced back.

“Yeah,” he said, as he straightened, already halfway to his bedroom. Her eyes lingered as his figure dissapeared into the hallway.

Then, she curled up again, tucking herself under the blanket until it reached her eyes. For a moment she didn't move, didn't say anything, her head empty.

She glanced at the mug cooling down on the table.

“…Maybe he needs hot cocoa too,” she whispered into the softness. 

But even as she said it, she already knew he wouldn’t want any either..