DOWN IN THE DUMPS

Keys jingled and jangled as Tanaka unlocked his front door. The tiny keychain [Y/N] had bought for him stood out against the boring keys. It was a little too girly for his taste but he carried it with pride.

Stepping inside, he took off his shoes and carelessly shoved them to the side. Looking down at the black pumps which lay side-faced on the ground next to the other unkempt pile of shoes, he figured his sister was already home. The sound of kitchen utensils scraping against a pan confirmed his suspicions.

Walking out of the hallway towards the kitchen, he spotted his sister, Tanaka Saeko, who was in the midst of flipping an omelette. It made a 'plak' sound as it connected to the pan, she moved the pan back over to the stove. Looking up at Tanaka, she gave him a bright smile.

''Dinner is in 5 minutes, set the table will you?'' Saeko said, her hands going over to clean up the mess she made. Tanaka dropped his school bag on the floor and made his way over to the kitchen cabinet, grabbing 2 plates. Setting up the table, he grabbed some chopsticks out of a draw before nodding over to his sister, silently telling her the table was set.

Saeko grabbed the pan's handle and used her spatula to transfer the omelette over to Tanaka's plate, going back to the stove to make herself one.

''Omelettes are supposed to be for breakfast, you know,'' Tanaka said, mouth full, about to take another bite.

''Well how about you cook next time.'' Tanaka's eyes went wide, quickly shaking his head no and praising his sister for the food. Tanaka was the furthest thing away from a cook, he was capable of burning anything food related when he cooked- without even touching the stove or microwave!

Saeko took her seat next to Tanaka and grovelled her own food down, eyes closing in pleasure of the egg-y dish.

She'd just come off work and was ready to hit the hay, when she got a message from her parents, telling her they'd be gone for a while. She'd have to tell Tanaka, he would surely be disappointed.

He's been waiting to tell his parents all about his volleyball successes but they were too busy to pay him any mind. They've been out of town for quite a while now, on some sort of business trip.

And they were about to go on another one it seemed, without even coming home to visit first.

Her whole life Saeko had to deal with her parents being gone for long periods of time, only having her babysitters as company. When Tanaka came into the picture, she thought for sure her parents would dedicate more time at home with them.

Sadly that was not the case, nothing changed. She grew up raised by her babysitters and in the end, she turned into Tanaka's babysitter. Not that she minded. She loved her baby brother and supported him to the fullest. Always cooking meals for him and encouraging him about his volleyball career.

When she hit 18, the babysitter's left and she was thrilled to finally be alone with her little brother, to raise him into a man. Never did Saeko think of it as a burden, but a blessing.

Their parents only came home every few months, but when they did, she made sure Tanaka got to spend as much time with them. She knew Tanaka needed this, he needed the parental figures that wasn't just her.

''Hey after dinner, let's shave that head of yours,'' Saeko mumbled into her food, looking over at Tanaka for confirmation.

''Alright, " Tanaka said, nodding his head.

The sound of buzzing echoed against the bathroom walls. There sat Tanaka on a stool, next to the sink, his sister hovering over him with an electric razor.

''Move your head to the side.'' Tanaka complied, feeling the razor buzz off any growing hairs on his head. He trusted only his sister to cut his hair. Never in his life has he gone to a barber to have his hair cut professionally, and he wasn't going to change it anytime soon.

This was also a time where he and Saeko were calmer in each other's company. Usually, the two together would be quite rowdy, shoving each other playfully and spouting backhanded insults back and forth.

''Ryu...,'' Saeko started, finding it hard to break the news of his parents not coming home. She let out a sigh and continued, ''Mom and dad, they won't be back for a while.'' She watched the mirror's reflection, Tanaka's head was still leaning to the side, head slightly bowed. He had a blank look on his face.

''I know.''

''I'm sorry.''

Saeko's eyes diverted from Tanaka's blank look and focused back on shaving the rest of his hair off. Her thoughts on Tanaka, wondering how he was dealing with it. She'd come to terms of their parent's absence in her life, Tanaka was a different story.

''It's okay,'' He said, looking at her through the mirror. Saeko solemnly nodded back at him, taking note of the pain in his eyes.