Spin Harmony (Jaya Week 2023)

Day 1: Hobby

Hi! I know I'm a day late but I still wanted to participate! Thank you @jayaweekofficial for organizing this again! I'm not gonna say I'll draw a cover 'cause I've only written one chapter so far and it's already day two, so you're gonna get my minimalist canva one for now and probably forever.

Also, I've kinda been having writers block lately so, A, if you read Bound, I'm sorry I haven't updated it, and B, if the writing seems a little choppy/unnatural, also sorry.

"Remind me why I'm here again?" Nya groaned.

"Because I am your legal guardian, and you have nowhere else to go." Kai told her calmly, walking towards the docked ship in front of them and up the metal ramp that led towards the open door in its side.

Nya tugged at her suitcase, which had caught for a moment on the edge of the ramp, then walked quicker to catch up with him as he crossed the threshold into the ship and then into an elevator. "I knew I shouldn't have let Wu graduate me early. Besides, why are you my guardian? It's not like you ever take care of me!"

He sighed. "I'm your only living relative, and Wu arranged a long time ago that I would become your legal guardian when I turned eighteen, if I earned enough money to support both of us."

"But you're only two years older than me! You should be my brother, not . . . whatever!"

"It's only for two years, Nya." She could tell he was struggling to stay calm.

She sighed. "Then why did he even bother?"

"Because he knows I can support you well." The elevator doors opened, and she followed him out.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm pretty sure when Wu told you you had to be able to support us, he meant go get a job at the pizza shop or something. Not let that talent scout rope you into this mess."

"Don't you dare call it that again, Nya!" She could see the anger building in his eyes, but she didn't back down. "And I'm sure he's happy that at least one of us amounted to something, after all the trouble he put into us."

"Oh, is that so?" He had crossed a line, and they both knew it. "You think you amounted to something in his eyes? You ran away from home to train and form your stupid band! You left us all behind!"

"You could've come with me, Nya," He held her gaze. "I could've given you whatever you wanted–I still can."

"No, I couldn't've! You running away was already enough! I had to stay, be a good student, prove that Wu had been right to keep us and I wasn't an unthankful brat too!"

"Talk about being a brat! Just look at you!" He matched her shouting tone, their voices echoing in the enclosed hallway. "You should be grateful that we have this, and happy for me that I found something I love! But no, you're just twisting the situation, making it sound like you're the good girl, and I just packed my bags and estranged myself or something!"

"Didn't you? That's what it always seemed like to me! Wu obviously cared about us and our futures, to take us in after mom and dad died! And he runs a boarding school, for goodness sakes! Didn't it occur to you that he probably wanted us as his star students? Wanted us to make stable futures for ourselves and end up worth it? But no, you just packed up all your things and left to risk it all with that talent scout!"

Kai paused, his voice turning from furious to confused. "Is that really what you think?"

"Of course! What did you expect me to think?"

He sighed. "I guess it would seem that way from your point of view. But from mine–I felt like we were a burden to him. I always felt like he liked you more than me–you were so young, you hardly remembered mom and dad, and you adapted so quickly, like you were always meant to live at the academy. But I missed our parents, and I got into trouble. I thought if I left, it would be easier. And the talent scout promised me I could be rich–I always planned to pay Wu back for everything when I'd saved up enough. I just–" He trailed off. "I'm sorry, Nya."