He was there, on the second floor of the apartment building. I could see him from the parking lot, leaning over the metal railing of the walkway. I found it strange, but since I couldn't see his face clearly, I kept my mouth shut. It wasn't until I climbed the stairs—which let out a weary, anxious creak with every step—and reached his level that he finally looked up.
It was Kosuke, my younger brother. The moment he recognized me, a grin broke across his face. He grabbed his bag from the floor and stood up.
"Oh, dear Brother mine!" he called out, his voice thick with theatrical mockery. "How gracious of thee to grace us with thy presence!"
I gave him my most exhausted look. "What the hell are you doing out here? Just go inside."
"I forgot my key. I thought Dad would be home, but he's out. Then I figured you'd be back, but you're even later than me. Honestly, what is going on with this family?"
"How should I know? Move, I'm opening the door."
I half-pushed him out of the way and slid my spare key into the lock. It was then that Tachyon—who had been hovering behind me, watching the exchange—finally caught Kosuke's eye.
"Huh? Uh... who's this?"
Tachyon didn't offer a word. She simply stared at him in silence, her analytical gaze fixed on his face. Feeling a mix of embarrassment and annoyance at having to explain, I answered for her, my tone coming out a bit blunt.
"This is Tachyon. She's the girl I'm in charge of. You've probably seen her on TV."
I turned the key and pushed the door open.
"I knew it! I knew it!" Kosuke chirped. "I thought she looked familiar. She's a celebrity! Man, I should get an autograph. I definitely need an autograph!"
"I'll have her sign whatever you want later, and I'll even throw mine in for free. For now, just leave her be. You're putting her on edge." I nudged him toward the threshold. "Move it, college boy. You first."
"I don't really need yours, Keiichi," Kosuke muttered, though he obeyed and stepped inside. "Is Dad working today?" he asked, struggling a bit to kick off his sneakers.
"...I haven't heard anything," I replied.
The entryway was narrow, and we were bottlenecked at the door. I didn't say anything; I just stood there, using my physical presence to pressure him into moving along. Kosuke, seemingly oblivious, finished neatly arranging his shoes and wandered further into the house.
"Don't step on my sneakers," he called back. "They're brand new."
"Tachyon, you're next," I said.
Just then, the sound of tires crunching on gravel echoed from the road. A blue car pulled into the parking lot.
"That's Dad," I muttered. Tachyon turned back to look toward the lot. "Get inside, quick," I urged.
From the back of the house, I heard Kosuke call out, "Dad? Is that you?" I didn't feel like shouting back, so I stayed silent. Curious, Kosuke came back to the entryway, nudging past Tachyon to peer out at the car.
"Yep, Dad's home."