"Yo, what's up, guys! Before we dive in, lemme introduce myself real quick. Name's Krishna—yeah, that Krishna—the most ridiculously good-looking guy of this century! Hah! Okay, okay, maybe I'm overselling it a little... but hey, if I don't hype myself up, who will?"
"Anyway, lemme tell you a little something about my life. From the outside, I probably seem like your typical, run-of-the-mill teenager. But trust me, there's a whole lot more going on under the hood. Stuff no one really sees. Weird stuff."
"See, I've been flying solo pretty much since I was a kid. Lost both my parents when I was just a runt. I don't even remember their faces all that well—just bits and pieces, like broken snapshots that pop up in my dreams sometimes. And the older I get, the fuzzier they become. Sucks, right?"
"But life keeps rolling whether you're ready or not. I grew up with a million questions stuck in my head. Who were my parents, really? Why do I always feel... different? And the big one—why does it feel like something's missing? Like there's this hole in my life I can't ever seem to fill. Every now and then, I get these flashes—like echoes of a childhood I barely remember..."
~~~
Flashback
Rain poured down hard on the city of Zyphoria, drenching the streets, turning them into shallow rivers. Thunder cracked across the sky, flashes of lightning reflecting off the glass windows of tall buildings.
At Permata Bangsa Kindergarten, the bell rang loud and clear—signaling the end of the school day. Kids lined up neatly, though some of them could barely stay still, eager to go home. Outside, parents were already waiting, holding big umbrellas, ready to pick up their little ones.
"Alright, everyone, line up nicely! No pushing, okay?" the teacher reminded them gently.
The kids followed with bright smiles, giggling here and there, excited to see their parents again.
But in the corner of the classroom, a boy stood quietly by the window. Krishna. He pressed his palm against the glass, now fogged up with condensation, his eyes searching for someone out there.
But all he saw… wasn't real.
Through the heavy rain, he caught sight of a woman standing there. Faint. Blurry. But Krishna knew her—more than anyone else. Her long hair blowing in the wind. That warm smile that always made him feel safe.
His eyes widened, breath catching in his throat. The cold rain outside seemed to seep through the glass, straight into his bones. But the chill in his chest was even colder. Was this… longing? Or just an illusion?
"M-Mom?" his voice trembled, barely a whisper.
His heart sank. He knew it wasn't possible. She was gone. She had been for a long time. But why… why did she look so clear now?
Suddenly, a small hand tapped his shoulder.
"Krishna?"
He jolted, snapping back to reality. He blinked and turned around, his heart still racing.
Standing in front of him was Lira, fidgeting with her fingers, looking unsure.
"…What?" Krishna grinned wide, smudging the fog on the window with his finger like a bored little kid.
Lira stepped closer and held out her hand.
In her palm… was a star-shaped keychain.
"This…" she said softly. "It's yours, right?"
Krishna stared at the star for a second, then his grin got even wider.
"OOOHH!!" He grabbed it and held it up like it was some kind of treasure. "I thought I lost this forever!!"
Lira let out a small sigh. "You dropped it when you were… playing superhero, remember?"
Krishna shot her a cheeky grin. "Whoa, Lira remembers! Are you a fan of me or something?"
Lira's cheeks turned a little red. "N-No!!"
Krishna kept grinning, clearly enjoying himself. "Yeah you are. Admit it. You're totally a fan, right? Right? Riiight?"
Lira glared at him, arms crossed. "No! I just wanted to give this back!"
Krishna stared at her for a moment… then suddenly leaned in a little, eyes narrowing mischievously.
"You're scaredy-cat," he whispered.
Lira's eyes went wide. "Wha—NO, I'M NOT!"
Krishna burst out laughing, that loud, annoying kid laugh that made you want to smack him.
"HAHAHA! LIAR! YOU ARE A SCAREDY-CAT!"
Lira's face was bright red now, and she huffed. "I AM NOT, YOU JERK!"
Krishna gave her a smug look. "Oh yeah? Then why were you scared of that dog yesterday? It was a chihuahua! So tiny! Such a baby~"
Lira pouted, cheeks puffed out. "I don't like dogs! They… they bark too much!"
Krishna flapped his hands like a bird. "Ooooh! Scared of barking! Lira's such a baby~"
Lira smacked his arm lightly. "UGH! Krishna, you're the worst!"
Krishna kept laughing. But after a moment, he glanced at her… and his grin softened just a little.
He looked down at the star keychain in his hand… then slowly held it out to her.
Lira blinked in confusion. "Huh? I just gave it back to you."
Krishna smirked. "Just take it."
Lira tilted her head. "Why?"
Krishna put his hands on his hips, striking a heroic pose.
"Because… you're the first person I ever saved!"
Lira stared at him for a few seconds… then a small smile tugged at her lips.
"…Really? For me?"
Krishna grinned wide. "YEP! But you gotta give it back once I become a real superhero, okay?"
Lira giggled softly, closing her fingers around the star.
"…Okay. Thanks, Krishna."
From across the room, they heard Lira's mom calling.
"Come on, sweetie! Time to go home!"
Lira turned toward the door, then looked back at Krishna one last time.
Her smile was bigger this time. Brighter.
"Krishna, I'm going home now! Bye!"
Krishna waved lazily. "Byeee, scaredy-cat~"
"IHHHH!!" Lira puffed her cheeks and ran off.
Krishna chuckled to himself, then plopped down in his seat again.
He stared out the window, that small smile still lingering on his face.
The rain was starting to lighten up.
And somehow… Krishna's heart felt a little warmer.
When all the other kids had already left with their parents, Krishna was still sitting quietly at his desk. His gaze was empty, staring out the window, watching the raindrops fall onto the schoolyard.
The teacher, who was still tidying up some books on her desk, glanced over at Krishna and sighed softly. With gentle steps, she walked toward the little boy, who seemed completely lost in his own thoughts.
"What's wrong, sweetheart? Where's the one who's supposed to pick you up?" she asked, softly patting Krishna's head.
Krishna didn't answer. His little hand was clenched tight on the table, like he was holding something back inside his chest.
The teacher crouched down so their faces were level. "Do you want me to walk you home?" she asked again, her tone full of concern.
Krishna swallowed hard. The rain outside was pouring even harder now, making the whole place feel even quieter.
Before Krishna could say anything, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed in the hallway. A man appeared in the doorway, slightly out of breath.
"Excuse me, Ma'am." His voice was deep, but with a bit of that trying-to-sound-cool vibe.
Krishna turned his head, and his eyes instantly lit up when he recognized the man.
"UNCLEEEE!!" he shouted, bouncing up and down on his chair.
Takashima grinned wide. "Yup, that's me!"
The teacher smiled at the sight. "Oh, you're Krishna's father?"
Takashima raised an eyebrow, smirking in his usual laid-back way. "Hoo~ If I were his dad, I'd be too young, Ma'am… But I wouldn't mind being your husband—"
The teacher cleared her throat loudly. "Ahem."
Takashima chuckled. "Hehe, sorry. Reflex."
Krishna just stared at them, completely clueless about what was going on.
The teacher let out a long breath but kept smiling. "Alright then, I'll be heading out. Take care of him, Sir."
Takashima was still smirking like an idiot. "Take care on your way home, Miss Teacher~ Don't miss me too much, okay?"
The teacher shot him a sharp glare before walking away.
After the teacher left, Takashima squatted down in front of Krishna, that guilty-yet-mischievous smile still stuck on his face.
"Sorry, kid. I'm a little late picking you up."
Krishna didn't seem to care about his excuse. His eyes were already sparkling.
"Uncle! I'm hungry! I want fried rice with two eggs!"
Takashima burst out laughing. "YEAH, OKAY! And here I thought you missed me!"
Krishna pouted. "I do miss you! But I'm hungry first!"
Takashima sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Alright then. Guess who's waiting outside?"
Krishna's eyes went wide. Without a second thought, he jumped off his chair and bolted out of the classroom.
"KRISHHH!!!"
Outside, a boy was leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets. When he saw Krishna running, he grinned.
"Yo, what's up, man," Krish said casually.
Krishna hopped in place, excited. "Krish! Let's play! I'm super good now!"
Krish crossed his arms over his chest. "Pfft! Lies! I'm the good one!"
"No, me!"
"Liar!"
"Nooo!!"
Suddenly—WHAM!—Krish pulled Krishna into a rough hug, nearly knocking his little brother over.
"Whoaaa!" Krishna yelped.
Krish laughed. "Hahaha! Fine, fine, you win!"
Krishna pouted again. "Not like that! I am good for real!"
Krish just grinned wider and gave Krishna's hair a wild ruffle.
Krishna freaked out, smacking Krish's stomach with his tiny fists.
"Hahaha!"
They both laughed together, like there wasn't a care in the world.
Meanwhile, Takashima ran his hand down his face, staring up at the sky.
"Dear God… am I really stuck raising these two maniacs until they're grown?"
Before heading home, Krishna suddenly ran out to the middle of the wet schoolyard. Instead of finding shelter, the little brat started splashing in puddles, kicking water everywhere.
He giggled to himself, then tilted his head back, closing his eyes to feel the raindrops hitting his face.
"KRISH!!!"
Krish, who was busy kicking a rock across the pavement, turned. "Huh? What?"
Krishna threw his arms up high.
"First one home WINS! Loser… is a LOSER!"
Krish's eyes lit up. "WHAT?! No way! I'm older!"
"But I'm faster!" Krishna grinned wide. "If you're good—CATCH ME!!"
And without waiting, Krishna took off running as fast as he could.
"HEYYY!!!" Krish shouted, pissed. "YOU LITTLE CHEATER!!!"
He bolted after Krishna, splashing water right back in his brother's face on purpose.
Takashima stood at the edge of the yard, rubbing his forehead again.
"…Oh my God. These kids."
He looked up at the sky like he was searching for divine answers.
"Morning chaos. Afternoon chaos. NIGHT chaos. And now they're running around in the rain?!"
He took a deep breath, mumbling to himself.
"I swear… your dad would never approve of you two turning into delinquents like this…"
But what was the point of complaining?
This was his life now—stuck babysitting two kids who acted like they were in a battle shounen anime.
In the end, with a long, resigned sigh, Takashima grabbed Krishna's forgotten backpack and strolled slowly after them.
Krishna and Krish kept running. Laughing. Shouting.
They were just two kids. Oblivious to everything else.
And Takashima?
Totally done.
~~~
"I'm not gonna say life's fair. But if you still have family, treasure them before it's too late. Not everyone's as lucky as you are. Me? I'm just thankful for my guardian angel—Uncle Takashima. Without him… I don't even wanna know where I'd end up."
"Oh, and one more thing… I have a twin brother. His name's Krish. But honestly? Sometimes I doubt we're even related.
Every time I look at his face, it's like some stranger just barged into my life and never left. Uncle Takashima says we were born an hour apart. An hour! Like that makes a difference! I'm supposed to 'respect' my big bro just 'cause of that? What is this—feudalism?!"
"And yeah, Krish is the full package: smart, popular, teacher's favorite. But to me? Meh. Mr. Cool, Mr. Handsome, and worst of all—Mr. Hero!"
"Oh! Speaking of important people… there's someone else I wanna introduce. A girl. Her name's Srada. And if you're wondering, 'Krishna, is she your girlfriend?' My answer? Haha… well, you tell me.One thing's for sure: she's totally my type! Pretty, caring, funny. She's the kind of girl who makes you feel—uhh, I dunno how to explain it."
Srada, who had been listening the whole time, immediately snapped, "Whoa, confident much?! Sorry to break it to you, folks—he's not my boyfriend! He's just some delusional brat with way too many dreams!!"
Krishna froze. "B-but you said—"
"SHUT IT, WILL YOU?!" Srada barked before he could finish.
Krishna could only grin like an idiot.
Meanwhile, Hamada—who'd been listening from the sidelines—laughed his ass off. "Alright, alright, enough fighting! Remember why we're here! To greet our handsome and beautiful friends out there, right?" Hamada said, trying to play the wise guy.
Krishna smirked, then shot Srada a teasing look.
"You heard him… Princess~"he winked.
"MY NAME ISN'T PRINCESS, YOU IDIOT!!!
UGH, I'M OUTTA HERE!" Srada pouted and stormed off.
Hamada shook his head. "See? That's on you. Can't you go one day without pissing her off?"
Krishna burst out laughing. "What can I say, bro? She did say it herself!"
"HEY, I HEARD THAT!!" Srada yelled from a distance.
"OH CRAP!" Krishna flinched.
Then he turned back toward the screen.
"Okay, that's enough of an intro from me! No idea why my life's getting broadcasted like this— I never signed up to be the MC! But whatever… If you wanna see what other disasters happen next, stay tuned. Don't chicken out, or you'll regret missing this chaos."
He pointed straight at the camera, eyes narrowing with a knowing look.
A smug grin tugged at his lips, like he knew something you didn't.
"Just wait and see," he said casually.
The screen slowly faded to black.
A cliffhanger? Sure. But don't worry, We're still good… right? 😜
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