Sᴘʟᴀsʜᴇs & Sᴛʀɪᴋᴇs | Nagi Seishiro √

01: 𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐲.

"Yo!" Reo snapped his forefinger in front of his sister, who was zoned out at her locker. She was startled, blinking her eyes twice before looking at her brother with a frown. "I was just checking what happened to you. You were frozen, staring at your locker, Rea!" He defended himself, keeping his hands up while trying to peek into her sister's locker. However, this caused Rea Mikage to shut it loudly.

The students in the hallway had their eyes on the siblings, but quickly averted their gaze upon realizing it was the Mikage siblings. Rea, one year younger than her brother, was a year away from high school graduation. Both of them had completely opposite personalities.

Reo excelled in academics, possessed a strategic mind, and was more forward and demanding. On the other hand, Rea was gloomy and blunt, not caring much about her surroundings. It was hard to believe that she had a friend named Kaori, who happened to sit next to Rea. Kaori was a cheerful character, always trying to engage in conversation with the silent Rea, despite her reticence.

"None of your business, Reo," Rea retorted, sending a sharp glare at her brother before walking past him. He let out a sigh; she was never in a cheerful or playful mood to hang out with. They used to be quite close and playful when they were younger, until they started schooling.

Unlike Reo, Rea wasn't academically inclined, which made her family life more chaotic. Her parents constantly compared her marks to Reo's. Her brother consistently topped his class and everything else, while Rea was the opposite. She barely passed exams and had no interest in studying. Swimming and listening to music were her preferred activities. She found them peaceful, and her dream was to pursue a career related to swimming and music, possibly aiming for the Olympics in swimming.

As soon as she departed from her brother, she met Kaori, who greeted her with a 'good morning.' Rea only nodded in response, listening to her bubbly friend's thoughts on yesterday's drama. Rea loved listening to Kaori because she saw a free soul in her. Raised by a single mother after her father's death in a car crash, Kaori didn't complain about the absence of a father figure. Her mother respected Kaori's aspirations and never pressured her. Rea noticed at parents' meetings how Kaori's mother appreciated her daughter's progress rather than scolding her for low marks.

However, Rea Mikage's life was quite the opposite. Every day, she had to endure her parents pressuring her to become qualified to take over their business with Reo. Disliking the idea, as business was never her cup of tea, she longed to be a free soul like Kaori.

"I'm just wondering, Rea; why do you act so cold toward your brother?" Kaori asked as they settled into their seats. Kaori was seated in front of Rea and turned her chair toward her. "Reo-senpai was trying to talk to you, but you-"

Rea let out a heavy sigh, resting her head on the desk and staring at the surface. "I don't know."

"You don't know?" Kaori's brows furrowed. "Is everything alright? I'm just wondering why you're so blunt."

Rea chuckled and shook her head. She raised her head to meet Kaori's face, stunning her friend with the unusual smile. Rea playfully pinched her friend's cheek, finding her adorable. "You're cute."

Kaori blushed at Rea's words. She wasn't fully aware of what Rea was going through. She always wanted to see Rea smile, and this small chuckle made her look at Rea in awe because she was beautiful. Rea had waist-length purple hair that she often French braided into two sides or tied into a high ponytail for school. Her purple eyes matched her brother's, and her features were adorable, if not beautiful. She had delicate eyelashes that seemed filled with hope, yet her face typically displayed cold expressions.

Meanwhile, Reo caught up with Nagi, who was sauntering towards the class while engrossed in his phone rather than watching where he was going.

"She shut you down again, huh?" Nagi asked without even looking at his friend, who sighed in response. "Don't you think you should talk at home and sort everything out?"