Yumi Of Death

I opened the door, exhausted and still wobbling from the nightmarish cemetery trip.

"Hi, *****," my brother greeted me with a cheeky grin.

Wait—what? That's my name! WHAHAHA, bet you didn't see that coming. Oh, did I mention? That's my older brother, Kaito.

"How was your *date*?" he teased with a sly smirk.

"WHAT DATE?!" I hissed, practically tackling him to the floor and clamping my hand over his mouth. "Shut up! Shut up! Oh my god, shut up!"

"Mom said "Oh dear, my god!" (In shock)

I froze. "Huh?! MOM HEARD?! WHAT?!"

"Relax," Kaito snickered, pointing at the TV.

A news reporter's voice filled the room. *"We interrupt this program to bring you breaking news. A massive fire has engulfed the 12th floor of Twin Lake Tower. So far, 68 people have been reported dead. The fire continues to spread, and fire departments are on high alert."*

The screen cut to footage of the burning building, black smoke billowing into the night sky like a demon's breath. I stared at it, my exhaustion giving way to a cold pit of unease in my stomach.

"Damn," Kaito muttered. "That's intense."

I didn't answer. My legs carried me upstairs without much thought.

---

In my room, I peeled off my grimy clothes, cleaned myself up, and collapsed onto my bed. My body was aching, my mind a whirlpool of exhaustion and confusion.

Then, out of nowhere, my phone buzzed on my nightstand.

"Huh?" I muttered, picking it up. A message? I hadn't gotten one of those in ages.

It was from *Yumi*.

"How the hell did she get my number?!" I whispered to myself, my heart doing a flip-flop in my chest.

The message read: *Good night, Kaito-kun Mwuah Mwuah.*

My brain short-circuited. My face burned hotter than the fire on TV.

"Oh no. No no no no!" My hands were moving on their own, possessed by some unseen force. Before I could stop myself, I'd already typed and sent a reply: *Good night, Yumi-chan Mwuah Mwuah Mwuah.*

"Mwuah three times?! THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME?!"

I flung my phone across the bed, burying my face in my hands. The shame, the sheer cringe, was suffocating. My phone buzzed again.

She'd *hearted* it.

Kill me now.

But then... I felt something strange. It wasn't regret or embarrassment anymore—it was... happiness?

The thought made me cringe even more, but I couldn't help it. I smiled.

As I lay there, my eyelids growing heavier, I thought about everything that had happened today. Yumi, the cemetery, her being my neighbor, her sending me a message... Wasn't this all happening too fast?

"Ugh... whatever," I mumbled, pulling the blanket over my head. "Good night."