this does fit into the plot, as it is a special, special chapter where we get to see the world where Reader did not get hit by truck-kun :-)

sorry it's so late <3 life has been genuinely so busy & i've lost a lot of writing motivation!! anyways, i'm not abandoning this fic, will not, and i do have an ending planned it just takes time to get there as we are ENTERING THE ROMANCE?!?!? maybe. slowly. very, very slowly.

anyways, enjoy the chapter!!

It was so cold, the chill getting past Tetta's ratty pants and hoodie full of holes. But it was okay, because he got the groceries just like nee-chan normally did; sandwiches and water bottles, all while Mother was sleeping! 

He would be a good little brother, so nee-chan would never hate him like Mother did.

Tetta hurried past the streets, the lamp-posts' lights flickering slightly. If anything, he was glad that it wasn't winter. He couldn't even imagine having to go out in the coldest season of the year. The grocery bag wasn't too heavy, but his arms were slightly dragging so he sat against the sidewalk for a bit to catch his breath.

"I'm almost..home," Tetta murmured, curling into himself for a bit of warmth. He only gave himself a few minutes to rest before getting up again, and making his way towards their little apartment.

At the door, he leaned his ear to the door, listening for any sounds. It was late enough that Mother probably wasn't awake, but better safe than sorry. 

Hearing nothing, he took the keys out from the insides of the front rug, opening the door as slowly as possible. Just as he thought, Mother was probably asleep in her room as the lights were all off. Very quietly, he left all but one of the sandwiches he bought in the fridge, and he went to his and nee-chan's room, careful to open the door. As he slipped inside the room, he also took care to lock the door like they always did when it was the two of them inside.

"Nee-chan, I'm back!" Tetta greeted quietly, not wanting to wake up Mother in his excitement. 

His older sister was sitting laying in her bed like usual, curled up and eyes open but not quite there. She didn't look his way, but that was okay. 

"I got a sandwich for us to share, and some water," he said, opening the plastic bag to place the water bottles on the one desk inside their room, and to take out the wrapped sandwich. His eyes lingered on the one photo on nee-chan's desk.

A little girl, held preciously between Mother and her father. She smiled, bright and happy.

Tetta had never seen nee-chan smile.

He began to talk about his day, taking half of the sandwich and sitting on the floor against his desk, "..and the store lady was really nice, complimented me for being such a good little brother. Am I, nee-chan?"

She stayed silent for a few moments, before finally rising from her bed, quietly answering, "You are."

And gently, she rested her hand on his head; still not looking at him, not even once. Her eyes were red and puffy again.

..Her arm was bruised, Tetta realized, frowning. 

But nee-chan just walked to the desk, picking up her half of the sandwich and eating it as Tetta continued talking about his day. Nee-chan might not smile at him, or look at him, but he was a good little brother and he loved her. She would cry sometimes and hold him (still never looking him in the eyes), apologizing for Mother, and apologizing for herself.

When Tetta went to sleep, it was still a bit cold, but not too much.

Nee-chan was a very good older sister, he knew. She packed him lunches, went to work since middle school in order to keep the family alive, and she never let Mother hurt him, and he loved his nee-chan. 

"Why doesn't your mom pick you up?" one of his classmates asked once, and Tetta smiled as he answered.

"Nee-chan picks me up," he says, proud. She does; everyday after work, she makes her way to get Tetta, and they go back home - after making sure Mother is hiding in her room again. If they notice Mother is there, they spend time in the park or library instead.

Those are when they're lucky. Sometimes, they don't realize Mother is there, and she yells and screams, and nee-chan gets hurt, Tetta knows, because he can hear her crying and Mother yelling even past their bedroom door.

Then nee-chan comes into the room, knocking their special pattern, and Tetta lets her in. She tries to hide it sometimes. These are the really bad days; when nee-chan lays in bed and Tetta has to push food into her hands for nee-chan to eat. Days when nee-chan sees nothing, says nothing, is so still and silent Tetta always has to reach for her wrist to check for a pulse.

Tetta doesn't like the really bad days.

So instead, he's extra careful in trying to remember Mother's schedule, and making sure Mother isn't at home when the two of them get back from school. 

--

It was one of the days where nee-chan and him had come home, only to see Mother there; so the two had went off and hung out at the park for a bit, which Tetta was perfectly fine with because Hinata was there like usual after school. Nee-chan even looked peaceful today, and there was a bit of light in her eyes!

The two walked back home, Tetta with a skip in his step as he held onto his older sister's hand.

Nothing is good, after that.

They open the door to see Mother, sitting in the living room, eyes cold as ever. Something was..off.

Nee-chan immediately stepped forward, blocking Tetta with her body as a shield.

"My daughter," Mother crooned, a manic gleam in her eyes despite the false gentleness to her words, "Why do you always betray me like this?"

As Mother stood up from the couch and started moving forward, nee-chan quickly shifted, moving Tetta to the wall. Of course, Tetta did as nee-chan told, and moved to stand against the wall, shaking.

"I don't know why you keep protecting that monster," Mother said, eyes glaring with pure loathing at Tetta's figure in the corner, before looking back at nee-chan.

Something was horribly wrong. Tetta wanted to scream, wanted nee-chan and him to run away as soon as possible.

"You've betrayed me too, my daughter," Mother said.

And then Tetta's world fell apart as Mother picked up the glass coffee table and held the legs up, throwing it at nee-chan's head. As his older sister swayed and fell to the floor, with blood dripping from her head immediately, Tetta stood, frozen.

Nee-chan? 

She didn't get up, and Mother just stood there above her daughter's unconscious, bleeding form. Tetta didn't know what to do- didn't know- what-

His chest felt tight and hurting, like he couldn't breathe, but he could just a moment ago, so why couldn't he now? There was something, something blocking his lungs as he looked down at nee-chan and Mother, pure terror making his body freeze in place.

And then Mother laughed. She looked down at her daughter and she laughed; high-pitched, almost like shrieks. 

Tetta sobbed, still heaving for breath, only to freeze when Mother turned her gaze to him.

"Hello, little monster," Mother said, leaning down to pick up the remaining leg from the shattered table.

She was going to hurt him, just like she hurt nee-chan.

Tetta ran, to the door, furiously opening the luckily unlocked door and ran to the street, yelling, "HELP! HELP!"

Mother didn't follow, but nee-chan was still on the floor. Tetta looked around for anybody, only to see one older boy with a strange haircut walking on the mostly empty sidewalk. He ran up to the teenager, "Help, please- my nee-chan, she's-"

"Woah, calm down little dude," the teenager said, pulling out his phone, "Do you need me to call the police?"

"Yes, yes- nee-chan, she's bleeding, and Mother hurt her, and I-" Tetta broke into sobs.

"Okay, okay-"

The teenager called the police.

But when they arrived, Mother was gone, and nee-chan was dead.

And Tetta lost his whole world.

The orphanage was cold. So, so cold. For days, Tetta had been just like nee-chan used to be; laying in bed, unable to muster up the energy to move. And most nights, he would cry.

He lost nee-chan. It was his fault, he shouldn't have been so happy that he became careless. If he had just checked, just looked through the window like he usually did, he would've seen Mother in the living room and everything could have been fine! 

Instead, he lost the only person who cared about him.

He still went to the same school, at least. So maybe..maybe, there was one person who still cared about him. Hinata still smiled at him, still called him her friend, so he wasn't completely alone.

And so long as Hina-chan cared for him, it was okay.

But he wouldn't let anybody take her from him. No, whoever dared to take away Hina-chan would die, just like he would kill Mother.

He refused to be careless or powerless ever again.

--

And there we have it! The universe where Reader doesn't become Tetta's older sister, and never befriends Shinichiro. This is the special chapter but to be honest I forgot how quickly I can write because I managed to finish this up in like half an hour..haha, sorry guys.

I'll try to update a bit more often this year <3 which basically means I'll be trying to get a chapter out at least every month!!

Love you all, stay safe and healthy, and see you guys as soon as possible <3