It was your younger brother Takemichi Hanagaki’s wedding.

You hadn’t been around for much of the planning. Being abroad for school kept you out of the loop more than you cared to admit. You hadn’t even met the bride. Everything felt… distant. Foreign. Like you’d shown up to a celebration for someone you used to know.

You were standing quietly near the edge of the venue, watching your brother laugh at a table full of familiar faces. A strange feeling bloomed in your chest—pride, maybe, or guilt. Hard to tell.

"Hey... you're Takemichi’s brother, right?"

The voice caught you mid-thought.

You turned and saw a younger man—serious posture, formal suit, but something about him felt tense, like he hadn’t fully relaxed all evening. His hand came up to scratch his cheek as he offered a polite but slightly nervous smile.

"Naoto Tachibana. I’m the bride’s younger brother," he said, eyes sharp but not unfriendly.

You nodded, offering your name in return. “So you’re the other older sibling.”

He blinked. “Guess we’ve been outnumbered.”

You chuckled lightly. “Didn’t expect to be standing at a wedding for someone I used to help cheat on his middle school homework.”

Naoto gave a small, dry laugh. “She used to make me watch magical girl shows with her. Then told everyone I liked them.”

You both stood there for a moment, the air between you light but not aimless. The music from inside was a low hum behind you, and the night breeze finally made the heat of the event feel manageable.

Naoto shifted slightly, like he wanted to say something but wasn’t sure how.

Then, softly: “You didn’t really know, did you? About everything that happened?”

You shook your head. “I was away. I didn’t hear much. Takemichi doesn’t like to talk.”

A subtle tension flickered across his face. “Yeah. He wouldn’t. Not after everything.”

You raised an eyebrow. “You make it sound like they survived a war.”

He didn’t answer that. Just gave you a glance that said you have no idea.