Chapter 1: The Present

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep*

A high pitched alarm continued to resound throughout the room.

*Beep* *Beep* *Thud*

The rugged hand of a dark-haired teenager slammed the bedside table, missing its target.

A groan escaped from his lips as his hand continues its search for the source of the annoyance.

After a few attempts, the 17-year-old finally grabs the phone, immediately turning off the persistent alarm.

(Now I can sleep.)

The boy thought as he drifted back into his slumber.

Or so he would have, however-

「….ake....u....ka…」

A voice slowly brought him back to the world.

「I said, WAKE UP, BAKA ANIKI!!!(1)」

The boy opened his green eyes to see the figure of a 16-year old girl with long, black hair. This fair-skinned 'bishoujo'(2) with jet-black eyes was dressed in a scarlet red uniform, said uniform possessing a pocket which bore the crest of a majestic, golden phoenix.

「If you don't wake up, we'll be late for school.」

The girl spoke harshly to her older brother as she placed her hands on her hips.

And in response to her pushy attitude, the boy lazily ignored Mana's protests before crawling back under the covers.

「I'm tired. Just let me sleep, Mana.」

「If you don't wake up, then I'll drag you out of-!」

Before finishing her sentence, Mana had pulled on the sheet covers, revealing the clothless body of a 17-year-old.

Naturally, upon realising her brother’s state of undress, Mana's face flushed furiously, her cheeks becoming as red as her uniform before she rapidly stormed out of the room in embarrassment.

「P-p-put some clothes on!」

Seeing how she screamed thus during her retreat, the bishoujo was completely oblivious to the slight smirk that formed on the sleeping youth’s face.

Of course, this was no coincidence.

The boy's plan had worked, driving his non-blood related sister away from pestering him.

And so-

(Now I can sleep.)

Placing his head back on the pillow, the boy allowed himself to drift back to the land of dreams once more.

However, it was at this moment that Mana once again charged into the room, her eyes closed. She reached for her brother's ankles and, like the blankets, dragged him out of bed.

*Thump*

As expected, the boy's head crashed into the floor, causing a loud thud to resound through the room.

A thud loud enough to rouse the dead.

And seeing how the boy was now fully awake, it needn’t be said that he wasn’t apart of the afterlife just yet.

「Ow! What was that for?!?」

The boy complained, his ears ringing and his head pounding from the rude awakening.

Normally, if one were to experience such a dramatic fall, they would end up receiving concern and expressions of caution.

Yet, instead of earning sympathy, the boy was scorned.

「Hmph. It was your own fault!」

Mana turned her back towards her brother, heading out of the room for the 2nd time.

「Now hurry up and get dressed! We're going to be late!」

And so, this was the present that the boy now lived in.

A life that required him to wake up early in the morning and go to school with his little sister.

A life of hope and dreams.

A life of lies and deception.