{ Best read in dark mode but it's ur choice !

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"Wakey wakey, it's time for schoo—," the alarm blared, cutting through the silence. Without a second thought, she slammed her hand onto the phone, shutting off the intrusive sound. The alarm’s echo still lingered in the empty, plain room, vibrating in the stillness.

"Ugh, why did I even set that alarm sound in the first place?" she groaned, dragging herself out of bed and heading for the bathroom to perform wudhu for Subuh prayer.

After completing her wudhu, she grabbed her prayer mat and began her prayer, her movements quiet and focused.

Once finished, she neatly folded the prayer mat and placed it back where it belonged, before grabbing her towel to head for the shower.

She stepped into the bathroom with her left foot first—because it’s sunnah—and didn’t forget to recite a dua before entering. Now, having followed the proper steps, she entered the bathroom slowly.

The water was cold, which made sense since it was only 6 a.m. After brushing her teeth thoroughly, she took her shower, the cold water refreshing her still-sleepy body.

When she finished showering, she sat in front of the mirror to dry her damp hair. She twisted the strands gently, using the hairdryer to speed up the process. After about eight minutes, her hair was dry enough for her to tie it into a low bun. She put on her small scarf and then her hijab, trying a new style today, using a few pins to secure it.

"Hmm... does it look good on me though? Maybe we’ll find out later," she shrugged off her doubts, grabbing her backpack and heading toward the kitchen.

As she descended the stairs, a delicious aroma wafted up to meet her, filling her with curiosity. Masya Allah, what is that smell? It’s so good! she thought excitedly, hurrying down.

But to her surprise, when she reached the kitchen, only her brother was there—her mom was nowhere to be found.

Her brother, hearing her footsteps, quickly turned around to face her.

"..."

She stared into his dark brown eyes. The silence between them was... deafening.

This is so awkward after what happened yesterday, she thought. With a sigh, she took a step back, about to leave the kitchen. But then, a few moments later, she returned, making herself a toast with her favorite jam.

She tried to ignore him, but it felt ridiculous. Now that he was done eating, he stood up, putting his dish in the sink.

"Please wash the dishes, I’m late now," he said, glancing at her with a teasing smile.

She narrowed her eyes at him, knowing exactly what he was doing—he was still teasing her about yesterday.

Unable to hold back her frustration any longer, she exploded, "Ugh! What in the sweet heavens, Kaito?!"

He burst out laughing, tears welling up in his eyes from how hard he was laughing.

"Hahahaha! You look so stupid! Alright, alright, I’ll wash my own dishes, jeez!" he said between giggles, putting his bag down on the sofa and heading into the kitchen.

He turned back to her with that infuriating, innocent smile while doing the dishes. God, that stupid smile. How much I want to punch him right now.

"You know you look ridiculous, right? Stop," she said, her annoyance clear. But, as usual, it only made him smile more.

"Hm? What? Isn’t smiling a sunnah? I’m just smiling. No need to get mad, sis," he teased, the use of "sis" only making her blood boil more.

After a few moments, she finished her toast, grabbed her things, and was about to head out for school when she heard loud voices outside her house.

"...Kaito!" The shout was unmistakable.

Her heart skipped a beat. She perked up, immediately on guard. Wait... is this some kind of prank? Or is he actually in trouble?

"Are you sure this is the right address?" a voice came with unsure tone.

"I’m pretty sure. He gave this himself," came another voice, with no sign of concern.

She couldn’t see their faces clearly from where she stood, but one boy had black and yellow-ish hair, wearing a red jacket and matching red pants. There was another person in the same outfit, too.

But who were they?

As she thought about it, she recalled her brother wearing the exact same jacket just the other day. Wait... could it be?! Her curiosity piqued, she leaned closer to the window, straining to see the name on the back of the jacket.

And there it was. Yes, just as I thought.

▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄⩨͢ ࿓᪶ ະ ˖ Note💌
Can you guess what team is it? I think it's pretty obvious lol
Happy new years to all of you <3
Mwah mwah sending a lot of love💕

End of chapter 9

" Expectation"