It was the persistent chill creeping through the gaps in his bedding that finally roused Kosuke. When he glanced to his side, he expected to see his brother huddled miserably against the cold; instead, he was stunned to find Keiichi fast asleep beside his student.
A flicker of envy brushed against Kosuke's heart. They looked warm, nestled together like that, and the sight made him ache for his own girlfriend. They had started dating at the end of this past summer—Natsuki Imada, a girl with a charming ponytail whom he affectionately called "Nacchan." He'd hoped to spend the New Year with her in Tokyo, wandering through amusement parks and neon-lit streets, but Nacchan preferred to stay with her family. Disappointed but understanding, Kosuke had emailed his father to say he'd be coming home after all. His father had seemed thrilled, so it wasn't a total loss.
With a mischievous glint in his eye, Kosuke gave his brother's forehead a light flick. He then slipped through the sliding doors into the room where his father was sleeping. The morning was bitter. Kosuke headed for the restroom first, his footsteps echoing loudly in the silence of the sleeping house.
Afterward, he cracked open the front door to peer outside. Snow had fallen through the night, but it hadn't accumulated into the thick blanket he'd hoped for. The world was still swathed in the grey-blue of pre-dawn. He let out a disparaging huff of air and slid the door shut. Behind him, the white sliding door to the main room creaked open, and his father peered out cautiously. Seeing it was only Kosuke, Kensuke let out a long breath of relief.
"Oh... it's just you."
"Sorry for the jump-scare," Kosuke muttered sheepishly. They stood in silence for a moment before Kosuke added, "Snow didn't really stick."
"Better that way," his father replied. "Fewer accidents. Besides, now that I know Ms. Agnes eats like a horse, I need to go out and buy more groceries. Also, the Maedas and your grandparents said they're coming over this year."
"On New Year's Day?"
"Yeah. We're going for the first shrine visit of the year... though I wonder if Ms. Agnes will be alright with the crowd."
"Keiichi will handle her. He's already 'handling' her, if you know what I mean," Kosuke said, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "They were sleeping in the same bed. Are you sure they aren't dating?"
"What? What are you talking about?"
"Come look."
Kosuke led him back to the side room, gently sliding the door open just a crack. Both men peered inside.
"Look at that," Kosuke whispered. "They're practically hugging."
"Well, I'll be... You really think they aren't together?"
"I don't know. I can't see Keiichi actually making a move on a student, though."
"True... Maybe they're just that close?"
Kosuke smirked. "Or maybe Keiichi crawled into her bed like a creep."
"That's a problem," Kensuke whispered back, his face darkening in mock-seriousness. "That's a criminal case waiting to happen."
"Bad news. Should we... eliminate the evidence?" Kosuke grinned.
"Eliminate what?"
"Keiichi. If we kill him now, the problem goes away."
"Good point," his father agreed with a sharp, wicked grin.
The two of them shared a low, "mu-ha-ha" villainous chuckle before both breaking into stifled fits of laughter.
"Well," Kensuke whispered, wiping a tear from his eye, "it'll work out. If those two actually hit it off, it means my deadbeat son finally found someone willing to take him off my hands."
"Too true," Kosuke agreed, both of them grinning like fools.
Thirty minutes later, blissfully unaware of the plot against his life, Tachyon woke up to the unfamiliar morning light.