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The world was so big when they were little. Rain was a mystery and the stars were magical.
It was raining the day they met. They wouldn't remember it.
Shigeo was always a curious child. He spent the days absorbing as much as he could. There was a lot to see. He had just started to toddle around. He fell often and resorted to crawling, but he was moving around just fine. There was another baby in the house. His parents had recently brought him home.
“Shige,” his mom said, lifting him up to see inside the crib that normally towered above him. “This is your little brother Ritsu.” She watched his face for any sign of recognition or reaction, but was met with large, confused eyes.
Shigeo stared at the mysterious creature in the crib. It opened its eyes and stared up at him. They locked eyes for a moment. Then, the baby started to cry.
“Aww,” his mom said, putting Shigeo back down. “What's wrong, Ritsu? Are you hungry?” The baby's cries rang through the house. Shigeo didn't like the noise.
Raindrops hit the windows with hundreds of little taps. Shigeo sat in his father's lap and watched them fall.
***
Ritsu was starting to get agitated.
The walls of his crib were too high. They blocked him out from the rest of the world. He wanted to see more than just the room he slept in. He gripped the sides of his crib and whined. He wanted out.
“Ritsu?”
Ritsu tried to see over the crib walls. He couldn't.
“Ritsu!”
There he was. His brother, Shigeo.
Ritsu didn't know what that meant yet, but he had grown to like the small stranger who kept coming back to entertain him. Shigeo would somehow make it over the crib walls and sit inside with him.
Ritsu sat in the crib with him, still antsy. He tried to stand up by holding on to the bars. He shook them, trying to get out.
Then, it happened. He made it out. He was flying over the crib bars. Ritsu loved the feeling. He would always laugh and clap his hands whenever Shigeo made him float.
“Ritsu! Shige!” Their mother burst into the room. Ritsu stayed airborne for a few more seconds before he fell into his mother's arms with a squeal of joy.
He laughed and laughed which made her smile, but she still scolded them about safety. They were both too young to understand any of it.
***
Shigeo didn't know he wasn't normal. He thought everyone could see the colorful creatures that existed around him.
The first time he bent a spoon, his parents were shocked. Shigeo was scared. Had he done something wrong? He could make all his toys float. They were more fun to play with when they were flying. Ritsu agreed.
Ritsu couldn't make things float. He loved whenever Shigeo did. He called it magic.
His parents told him to be careful. His powers simply became a part of the household. The spirits would leave him alone if he didn't talk to them. They all seemed so sad, but he didn't engage with them anymore. His parents told him not to after one of them told him to go stand on train tracks.
They used to watch a lot of movies together. Sometimes, they watched very tame horror films. They never scared Shigeo.
“Is that what ghosts really look like?” His dad would ask him, motioning to the white figures on the screen. Shigeo would simply shake his head.
Every time they watched those movies, Ritsu would get scared. He would never admit it, but he would always come to sleep in Shigeo's room that night.
“Are ghosts really scary like the ones on TV?” Ritsu would ask, pulling up the covers.
“No,” Shigeo would say, patting his head. “They aren't actually like that.” He would tell Ritsu stories of the spirits he'd seen, describing them in detail until Ritsu fell asleep.
Sometimes, Shigeo felt sorry for them. He wished they could see the colorful creatures that existed beyond their imagination. He couldn't imagine a world without them.
The stars glimmered bright outside his window. A shooting star darted across the sky.
Shigeo wished he could share some of his magical world with Ritsu.
***
Ritsu loved it when it rained. The harsh sun rays were softened by clouds that dumped buckets of water over the city. Ritsu heard the taps on his window and got excited.
“Nii-san!” he shouted, running to Shigeo’s room. “It's raining! It's raining!” Shigeo slowly sat up from his futon and blinked, yawning. Ritsu tugged at his arm.
“Let's go outside!” he exclaimed. Shigeo glanced outside his window. Then, his eyes widened and he leapt up. The two rushed to get ready and change. They ran downstairs, laughing and excited.
“Boys,” their mom said, stopping them at the door. “Are you gonna go play outside in this rain?” They both nodded enthusiastically. She sighed, but there was a smile on her lips. “Okay,” she said. “You can go, but you need to wear your coats and rain boots.” It was annoying, but the two complied.
They tugged on their rain boots in the genkan and Ritsu opened the door.
“Wait! One more thing,” their mom called out after them. Ritsu frowned, bouncing in place. He was itching to get outside.
“Don't forget your new umbrella, Shige,” their mom said, handing Shigeo his yellow frog umbrella. “You finally get to use it!” Ritsu was too impatient. He grabbed Shigeo's arm and pulled him outside. Their mom waved as they went outside.
“Have fun!” she called out. Ritsu ran outside and spun around, laughing as the raindrops hit his face. Shigeo opened his frog umbrella and smiled as he held it over his head.
“Wanna look for frogs?” he asked Ritsu. Ritsu grinned and nodded. The two leapt around in puddles of water, searching for any frogs that had come out in the rain. They wandered down the block, giggling and splashing in puddles. Then, a flash of green caught Ritsu's eye.
“Nii-san!” he exclaimed, pointing. “I found one!” Shigeo came over and the two bent down to look at it.
“There's another right there,” Shigeo said, pointing. Ritsu smiled.
“We probably shouldn't touch them,” he said. “Mom said they have diseases.” Shigeo hummed.
“What about this?” He said, standing up. Ritsu watched as Shigeo pointed at the frogs. He stood up and grinned. The two frogs ascended above their heads. They began moving their arms and legs in a repetitive motion.
“Ritsu, look!” Shigeo said. “They're swimming!” Ritsu laughed and splashed around in more puddles.
“That's so cool, Nii-san!” He exclaimed with shiny eyes. The frogs swam in the air around them as they hopped around and ran in the rain. Ritsu leapt up to try and reach the frogs, but Shigeo made them swim just out of his reach. They made a game of it.
After a while, they both got tired and sat on the sidewalk together. Shigeo lowered the frogs back down and they hopped away.
“That was so much fun, Nii-san,” Ritsu remarked.
“Mhm!” Shigeo agreed. The rain picked up fast and the two scrambled home sharing Shigeo's umbrella. They were completely soaked, but it didn't matter to Ritsu.
He had the best big brother ever.
***
Shigeo couldn't sleep. He had been tossing and turning for hours. He thought about reading the manga he had gotten for Christmas, but he didn't want to wake himself up even more.
Shigeo loved watching the sky. It seemed endless, with patterns of clouds and stars stretching on endlessly. Tonight was a particularly clear night. The moon was out and the sky was beautiful.
Shigeo heard a noise from next door and stood up quietly. He crept out of his room and across the hall to Ritsu's. The door was creaked open already, so Shigeo slipped inside.
“Ritsu?” He whispered, tiptoeing inside. Ritsu was sniffling.
“Nii-san?” Ritsu called back, sitting up. He was crying.
“What's wrong?” Shigeo asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. Ritsu wiped his eyes.
“I had a nightmare,” he said softly. Shigeo nodded. He thought for a while before standing up.
“Come with me,” he said. “Let me show you something.” He led Ritsu back to his room and slid the window open.
“Nii-san?” Ritsu asked as Shigeo began to climb out. “What are you doing?” Shigeo turned to him and held out his hand.
“Come on,” he said with a smile. “I won't let you fall, I promise!” Ritsu nodded nervously and gingerly took his hand. They both climbed onto the window ledge. Then, Shigeo used his abilities to lift them both up to the roof. Ritsu gripped his hand tight. They landed on the roof and Shigeo smiled.
“Look, Ritsu,” he said. Ritsu had shut his eyes tight when they were on the window, but he slowly opened them. The night sky was glittering with stars. They stretched above the city, sparkling. Ritsu stared at them in awe.
“Woah,” he breathed. “So pretty.” Shigeo nodded.
“I do this sometimes when I have nightmares,” he said. Ritsu nodded, still gazing at the sky above them. He was shivering a little.
“Are you cold?” Shigeo asked, noticing. Ritsu nodded. A blanket flew out the window and up to meet them. “Thanks, Nii-san,” Ritsu said, now snug in the blanket. “You're so cool.”
They didn't talk about Ritsu's nightmare. He didn't even remember it anymore. They stayed huddled together, watching the stars until Ritsu fell asleep. Shigeo gently lifted him up with his powers and brought them both inside again. He crept back into Ritsu's room and placed him back in bed, tucking him in. Then, Shigeo went back to his own room, closed the window, and went back to sleep.
The next morning, Ritsu woke up saying he had the best dream. Shigeo smiled as Ritsu told him all about it, ecstatic.
He loved his little brother more than anything.
***
Ritsu was excited. Their mom had finally given them some money to go buy snacks with.
He walked down to the konbini with Shigeo. They had never gone to the store alone before. The bell chimed as the door slid open. They ran inside.
“What should we buy?” Shigeo asked.
“It's hot outside,” Ritsu noted. “Want some popsicles?” Shigeo nodded and Ritsu got them two watermelon popsicles from the freezer. They paid for them at the checkout with their money. Despite barely being able to see over the counter, Ritsu felt grown up. With their treats in tow, they ran over to a bench nearby to eat their popsicles. Shigeo unwrapped and started to eat his. Ritsu turned it over and read the packaging.
“Nii-san!” He said. “These are the special popsicles!”
“Special?” Shigeo asked. Ritsu nodded.
“If you get a winning popsicle, you can get another for free!” Ritsu exclaimed, carefully tearing off the wrapper to preserve the message.
“Oh!” Shigeo responded. “Maybe we'll win!” Ritsu nodded and the two began to eat their popsicles together. The popsicle was sweet and fruity. Ritsu ate fast so that it didn't drip. He flipped the stick over and gasped.
“Nii-san, look!” Ritsu said, showing it to Shigeo who was just finishing his own popsicle. “I won!”
“Cool!” Shigeo said, standing up. “I didn't win but I'll buy another one so we can eat them together.” Ritsu went in and redeemed his prize. Shigeo checked out another popsicle and they returned to the bench. They finished their popsicles with the same result: Ritsu got a winner and Shigeo got a normal one.
“This time!” Ritsu said, handing Shigeo the popsicle he had won.
“I chose it so it'll be a winner!” Ritsu was already full from two popsicles. Shigeo was also full, but he ate it upon Ritsu's request. As he bit off the top, Ritsu watched as the familiar markings on the stick were revealed.
“Wi…” he read. Shigeo kept eating. He finished the popsicle and Ritsu frowned. “Wi. It's just wi.”
They both went home with stomachaches.
***
Shigeo admired Ritsu. Even though he was younger, he was incredibly smart and resourceful.
It was a sunny day. The family had gone out to barbecue. While the food was cooking, Shigeo and Ritsu went into the forest to go bug-catching.
They scavenged through the trees and found a couple bugs that they caught with their nets. They collected some in their bug container and admired them for a while. Then, Shigeo felt bad for them and released them. They were fun to look at but he knew they were scared and he didn't want to keep them there for very long.
After releasing the bugs, Shigeo suggested they go exploring. The forest was pretty and exciting. Ritsu agreed and they wandered around for a while.
“Nii-san,” Ritsu said. “I'm getting hungry.”
“Me too,” Shigeo responded. “Let's head back. I think I know the way.”
“Okay,” Ritsu said. Shigeo led him through the forest, trying to find the way back. They ended up right back where they started. They were lost.
“Wait!” Ritsu said, kneeling down next to one of the trees. “Look! I learned this in science class. The side the moss grows on is north. It grows on the side that the sun hits the least. If we go this way, we'll get back to where we were barbecuing!”
Shigeo was amazed as Ritsu led them right back to their parents with just his brain.
Ritsu was truly amazing.
***
Ritsu didn't realize how much he loved Shigeo's attention until he had to share it.
He had made a new friend on the playground. Her name was Tsubomi. Shigeo really enjoyed playing with her in the sandbox. Ritsu always tagged along. Shigeo made sure he was included whenever they played together.
But now, someone else was with them. Someone loud and unfamiliar. She didn't care for the faucet, Ritsu's favorite part of the playground. She thought frogs were gross. Worst of all, she thought Shigeo's powers were boring.
Before this, Shigeo had never shown his powers to anyone else. It was like they had their own secret. It was exciting and thrilling. It was special. Then, Shigeo showed Tsubomi. Ritsu was a little upset. He didn't understand why she had to be a part of their special world. He didn't want to share his brother's attention.
“Eight… nine… ten! Ready or not, here I come!” Shigeo and Ritsu had hidden in the tunnels while Tsubomi hunted around the playground. Hide and seek. It was their most played game. It was the only one they all agreed to play.
Ritsu watched from below as Tsubomi jogged a lap around the playground looking for them. The sky was a bright orange. The footsteps sounded farther and farther away. Ritsu inched out of the tunnel and took a peek. Tsubomi had left. Just like that. She walked out and left the playground to go home. Ritsu was appalled. He crawled out of the tunnel and tapped Shigeo.
“Ritsu?” He asked. “What are you doing? She's gonna find us!”
“She left, Nii-san,” Ritsu said, annoyed.
“Really?” Shigeo asked, crawling out of the tunnel.
“Yep,” Ritsu said. “Right in the middle of the game.”
“Maybe she was tired,” Shigeo suggested. Ritsu frowned.
“Well, we still have some time before we go home,” Shigeo continued, smiling at Ritsu. “Wanna play something else?” Ritsu smiled and nodded.
He ran over to the faucet and turned on the water, laughing as it splashed him. Shigeo came over and Ritsu splashed him as well. The two splashed each other and laughed. Then, Shigeo floated some bubbles of water for him. Ritsu watched them with shiny eyes. He stuck his hand into the water.
“Woah!” He exclaimed. “It feels so neat!” He turned to Shigeo with a wide smile. “Do you think I'll be able to do this, too?”
“Mhm!” Shigeo said with a smile that mirrored Ritsu's.
“After all, you're my little brother!” Ritsu loved the idea of having his own powers one day. But for now, Shigeo's were enough for him. Ritsu splashed the floating water bubbles toward them and laughed. Shigeo laughed and dropped the bubbles of water. They fell to the ground with a splash. The two of them ran around the park, chasing each other. Shigeo ran out of breath fast, but Ritsu didn't mind.
They wandered over to the swings. Shigeo was content to simply sit on them, but not Ritsu. He swung as hard as he could, flying higher and higher. Stars started to twinkle as the orange faded to purple. The swing carried Ritsu up once again, and this time he let go. He flew through the air. He kept floating. Shigeo had been watching out for him.
“Ritsu!” He called out, laughing. “What are you doing?” Ritsu grinned and held his hands out. Shigeo took his hands and Ritsu pulled on them, as if he could use brute force to defy gravity. He couldn't, but Shigeo could.
The two floated around in the park as the stars glimmered above them. Ritsu liked to imagine he was right up there with them. It didn't matter what Tsubomi thought.
As long as they had each other, they would be happy.
***
Ritsu was stressed about exams. Shigeo knew this. He had just taken his last year and studying for them was a nightmare. Ritsu had been holed up in his room cramming. Shigeo sat in his own room, staring at the ceiling.
“Yo.” Shigeo turned and locked eyes with Dimple.
“Oh, hey, Dimple,” he said.
“Ritsu still hitting the books?” Dimple asked, floating next to him. “He's been at it all day.”
“Yeah,” Shigeo said. “He's working really hard.”
“A little too hard if ya ask me.” Shigeo thought about it. He stood up. “I'm gonna go bother Reigen,” Dimple said, floating toward the window. Shigeo nodded and waved. Dimple darted outside and disappeared. Shigeo walked over to Ritsu's room and knocked on the door.
“Ritsu?” He called. “Can I come in?”
“Sure.”
Shigeo opened the door and walked inside. Ritsu's desk was buried in textbooks and he looked about ready to drop. Shigeo sat on his bed.
“Get a lot of studying done?” He asked with a slight smile. Ritsu nodded without turning around. Shigeo hummed in acknowledgement. After a while, Ritsu leaned back in his chair and groaned.
“Need a break?” Shigeo asked with a smile. Ritsu nodded. Shigeo stood up. “Let's go for a walk.”
So they ended up outside going for a walk. The streetlights illuminated the path in front of them. The wind blew through, rustling the trees.
So much had happened in the past few years. It was a lot to look back on. They were starting to talk to each other again. Trust was hard to give, but they were working toward it.
Shigeo didn't know where they were going. It was fun to wander around. No one was talking, but it was a comfortable silence. They didn't need to say anything right now.
Somehow, they ended up back at the park. Back on the swingset. Ritsu swung idly. Shigeo watched him with a smile.
“Remember when we used to come here all the time?” He said, looking up at the stars.
“Yeah,” Ritsu said, his voice nostalgic. “Fun times.” Shigeo nodded.
The chirping of crickets sounded around them. The occasional car headlights crossed the bridge in the distance. Shigeo began to swing. He swung higher and higher. The wind blew his hair around. Laughter bubbled out of his lungs. Ritsu watched him with a quizzical look. Then, he grinned and started to swing. They swung high up, falling in and out of sync. Their laughs rang out in the night sky. Shigeo swung up toward the sky. He understood now why Ritsu used to love doing this. Then, he jumped off the swing. He went flying through the air and landed hard on the ground. Mulch dug into his skin.
“Nii-san!” Ritsu cried as Shigeo rolled over. He began to laugh. Ritsu laughed and jumped off the swing, landing next to him. They laid there together, staring up at the stars.
“Look,” Shigeo sat, pointing upward. “A shooting star. Make a wish!”
“I wish exams were over,” Ritsu said.
“If you say it out loud, it won't come true,” Shigeo laughed.
“How do you know?” Ritsu asked.
“I made a wish years ago and it came true,” Shigeo replied simply. “I can't tell it to you, though.”
“If it already came true, then there's nothing to worry about,” Ritsu laughed. He nudged Shigeo.
“Tell me!”
They laid there together for a while longer. More shooting stars passed by, but Shigeo didn't make any more wishes.
He already had everything he could ever want.