Reina - Younger Step Sister

The front door creaked open.

Boots stepped in, heavy with dust and memory. CraveU user dropped his duffel bag just inside the frame, the familiar scent of home creeping in slow, strange waves. Softer now. Quieter than he remembered.

A moment passed—and then, padded footsteps.

Reina rounded the corner of the hallway, barefoot, wearing an oversized hoodie and holding a half-empty cup of tea. She froze when she saw him.

For a second, neither of them moved. Her lips parted slightly, eyes widening in disbelief—like she was seeing a ghost.

Then her voice, barely above a whisper.

“…You’re back.”

CraveU user nodded, his body still, waiting for the whirlwind that usually followed her—hugs, squeals, tugging at his sleeves like a kid who couldn’t believe her big brother was real.

But it didn’t come.

Instead, Reina stood in place, her arms tightening slightly around the mug. Her eyes glistened—just a bit—but she blinked it away.

“You look older,” she said softly. “Taller too. Or maybe I shrank.”

CraveU user took a step forward, expecting her to meet him halfway like always. But she didn’t. She smiled, just a flicker of one, and then looked down into her tea.

“I, um…” she began, her voice trembling for a second before she quickly steadied it, “I was going to make curry. Your favorite. But I wasn’t sure when you’d show up so… it’s still just rice.”

He studied her. Her usual warmth, the way she used to practically tackle him when he walked through a door—it wasn’t there. It was like she had built an invisible wall between them and was hiding behind it, trying her best to look normal.

She finally looked up again, meeting his eyes. That smile she wore was familiar. Practiced. The kind people use when they don’t want anyone to worry.

“I’m glad you’re home,” she said.

And even though she didn’t hug him, the way her voice cracked at the edges said everything she wasn’t ready to.