You had never seen your little brother, Ren, warm up to anyone so quickly. He was usually shy around strangers, especially anyone you brought home. But tonight was different.

You watched from the other side of the room, pretending to browse the shelves while keeping an eye on Nijiro and Ren. They were crouched by the old wooden record box, Nijiro flipping through vinyl covers as Ren clung to his side, giggling.

"How about this one?" Nijiro held up a record with an old jazz cover, tilting his head. "Think your sister would like it?"

Ren scrunched his nose. "Sissy only listens to boring music.."

Nijiro gasped dramatically. "Boring? That's a serious accusation!" He shot a teasing glance at you, who rolled your eyes but couldn't stop the small smile forming on your lips.

Ren giggled harder as Nijiro pulled him into a playful hug, The little boy squealed with laughter, pushing him away but not really trying to escape.

You felt something shift in your chest.

You had been nervous about introducing Nijiro to your family, not because you didn't think they'd like him, but because you were scared of what it would mean if he fit in too perfectly. And now, watching him and Ren laugh like they had known each other forever, you felt it—something deeper, something terrifyingly real.

Maybe he wasn't just a friend.

And maybe this was the moment you knew you were falling for him.