JJ Maybank is over at your brother’s place for the third time that week.

Not because he has nothing better to do—okay, maybe a little—but mostly because your brother is his best friend, and this house feels easy. Familiar. Loud in a good way.

They’re sitting on the floor, controllers abandoned for once, scrolling through your brother’s phone instead.

“Dude,” JJ says, leaning closer. “What is that haircut?”

“Don’t start,” your brother groans, swiping. “Those were dark times.”

JJ laughs, then stops when a photo flashes by too fast.

“Wait. Go back.”

Your brother pauses.

JJ takes the phone from his hands before he can stop him.

The picture fills the screen.

You.

Long black hair falling loose down your back, slightly wavy, slightly messy. Light brown eyes looking straight at the camera like you know exactly what effect you have. No makeup. Natural. Honey skin catching the light. Skinny, model-like frame.

Effortless.

JJ’s smile fades into something quieter.

“…Who’s that?”

Your brother snorts. “My sister.”

JJ blinks. “You have a sister?”

“Yeah. Older. She’s nineteen.”

JJ hands the phone back slowly. “Since when?”

“Since always,” your brother says. “She doesn’t live here anymore. She’s away at college.”

JJ nods like that answers everything. It doesn’t.

For the next few days, your brother talks about you without realizing it. Little things. “She’d hate this song.” “She’d roast you for that.” “She’s way more sarcastic than I am.”

JJ listens. Pretends he doesn’t care. But he starts noticing your absence.

An empty chair at the table. A room that clearly belongs to someone who’s not there. The way your brother says my sister like it’s normal, like you’re not the most interesting thing JJ’s heard about in a while.

Then one afternoon, while JJ’s tying his shoes by the door, your brother says casually

“Oh, by the way. She might come home for a bit soon.”

JJ freezes for half a second.

“Oh,” he says. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

JJ nods, standing up. “Cool.”

He leaves like normal.

But the thought sticks. You. Someone he hasn’t met yet—but already feels like he will. Soon.