My Brother’s Little Secret

Laughter in the dark

It had been a long, tense week.

Between Kaito’s endless tests, the suspicious looks from Toma, and the cold silence from Ren, Lena felt like she was constantly walking on a tightrope—blindfolded, pretending to be blind.

She hadn’t truly relaxed since stepping into this house.

Until Riku showed up with a bucket of popcorn and a ridiculous grin.

---

“Knock knock,” his voice rang out as he burst into her room without knocking.

Lena looked up from where she sat cross-legged on the rug, pretending to be folding laundry with her eyes closed. She smiled. “You know you’re supposed to say that before entering, right?”

“I’m unpredictable,” he said proudly. “It’s part of my brand.”

She giggled softly. “What brand is that? Annoying little brother?”

“Excuse me, I am everyone’s favorite older brother. It’s a universal fact. I googled it.”

Lena raised an eyebrow beneath her sunglasses. “You googled yourself?”

“Hey. Someone has to update my fan page.”

---

He plopped down beside her, dropped the popcorn between them, and leaned back on his elbows.

“I heard from the maids that you’ve been brooding like a sad poet,” he said. “So I, the glorious Riku Takashi, have arrived to cheer you up with my undeniable charm.”

“You’re not supposed to be this confident,” she said, reaching blindly for the popcorn.

“Sweetheart, I’m a global sensation. The Japanese government tried to declare my smile a national treasure.”

She laughed. Loudly this time.

For the first time in days, it felt real.

---

They talked for hours.

About his concerts. His fans. The weird letters he gets from girls claiming to be his reincarnated wife.

“One girl said she had a dream where we were married in ancient Rome, and I gave her a sword made of moonlight.”

“And what did you say?”

“I said she could keep the sword, but only if she promised not to stab me with it.”

Lena was wheezing from laughter by that point.

Then he reached over and gently flicked her sunglasses.

“You know, for a blind person… you sure know when to laugh at the right moments.”

Her heart skipped.

“…I laugh with my ears,” she said, recovering smoothly.

He stared at her for a moment, then smiled. “That’s a good answer.”

---

As the sun set behind the estate, casting warm orange light over the windows, Riku stood and offered his hand.

“Come on. Let’s sneak into the kitchen. I heard the chefs are hiding chocolate cake.”

“Isn’t that illegal?”

“Only if you get caught.”

She took his hand and rose slowly, playing the part of the blind girl perfectly. But her chest felt lighter now.

Safer.

For the first time in weeks, Lena wasn’t thinking about blood or secrets or locked doors.

She was just a girl, laughing with her not-blood-related brother.

And she kind of liked it.