Kai was lying on his bed scrolling through his phone. This Sunday morning felt relaxed, sunlight slipping in through the gap in the slightly open curtain. He hadn’t showered yet, was still wearing a plain t-shirt and shorts, his hair all messy. After spending the whole day yesterday with Risa at Bayside Marketplace, today he just planned to laze around at home doing nothing.

BZZZ

A message came in from Kevin.

⌈Kai, you busy today? Wanna hang out with the guys at Wynwood. Play some pool then just chill.⌋

Kai read the message with a slight smile. Kevin, a classmate who often asked him to play basketball during gym class. They had gotten pretty close lately. Kevin was the type who was always energetic, quite funny, yeah he sure a guy that nice for people to be hang around with.

⌊Not much busy. What time?⌉

⌈Around ten. Just come to our usual spot.⌋

⌊’kay.⌉

Kai put his phone down and got up from the bed. He stretched his body for a moment, raising his arms above his head until he heard a small crack in his back. Then he walked over to his closet to change clothes. Plain black t-shirt, jeans, and a thin hoodie jacket. Casual enough for hanging out with guys. He looked at himself in the mirror briefly. Messy hair, but that was fine. Guys didn’t care about that stuff anyway.

After finishing changing, Kai went downstairs. In the living room, Risa was already sitting on the sofa watching TV. Her hair was still a bit messy, wearing an oversized shirt that was too big for her body. She looked cozy, hugging a pillow while half-watching some morning show. She turned her head when she heard her brother’s footsteps on the stairs.

"Eh? Where are you going?" asked Risa, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. "All dressed up like that for a Sunday."

Kai ruffled his sister’s hair briefly. "Gonna hang out with some boy friends. Kevin invited me to join the others."

Risa immediately pouted, pushing her lower lip out. "Boy friends? Really? Can I come along?"

"No. This is guy business. Anyway, you’d get bored just watching us play pool and talk about guy stuff."

"Hmph." Risa hugged the couch pillow tighter, sinking into it. "Fine. But don’t be long, okay? Come home by afternoon, got it?"

Kai smiled faintly. "Okay. If you go out, lock the door first. Don’t forget to take the keys."

"Yeah yeah, you’re so naggy. Just go already."

Kai waved before heading out of the house. The Miami morning air was still cool and fresh, not yet heavy with the afternoon heat. He walked to the nearest bus stop, put his hands in his jacket pockets, and waited. The bus came after about five minutes. He got on, tapped his card, and found a seat by the window.

The ride to Wynwood took around twenty minutes. He watched the city pass by a small cafes opening up, people jogging along the sidewalk, the usual Sunday slow pace.

Wynwood was a neighborhood famous for street art and young people’s hangout spots. Colorful murals covered almost every wall. As soon as he got off the bus, Kai spotted Kevin and three other guy friends standing in front of a small cafe they usually went to. One of them was carrying a basketball, spinning it on his finger. Another already had a pool cue in his hand, resting it on his shoulder.

"Hehehe! You finally made it," Kevin greeted, slapping Kai’s shoulder hard enough to make him stumble a little. "Let’s play some pool first. Loser buys drinks for everyone."

Kai nodded, rubbing his shoulder with a grin. "Okay. I’m in."

They walked into the pool hall located behind the cafe. The place was lively but not too crowded—just a few other groups scattered around the tables. Green felt surfaces under bright hanging lights. The sound of balls cracking against each other echoed off the walls. Kai took off his hoodie and tossed it onto a nearby chair. He grabbed a cue, chalked the tip, and got ready.

For someone who rarely played, he was pretty good. His aim was decent, his stroke smooth enough. But of course Kevin was the most dominant. Every time it was Kevin’s turn, he would sink two or three balls in a row, talking trash the whole time.

"Hahaha, you lost again, Kai!" one of their friends mocked, laughing loudly as Kai missed a tricky shot into the side pocket.

Kai just shook his head with a smile and chuckled. Feels good hanging with guys. No one pouts, no one gets jealous, no one suddenly grabs your arm and clings to you. It was simple. You play, you lose, you buy drinks. No hard feelings.

After several rounds of pool, they went back outside and sat in the outdoor area of the cafe. Metal chairs and wooden tables under a large umbrella. They ordered iced tea and just chatted about random things—video games they’d been playing, basketball scores, even some silly school gossip that made everyone laugh.

Kai laughed along when Kevin told a story about a girl who kept chasing after him at the basketball club, leaving notes in his gym bag. The whole group was cracking up. The atmosphere was truly relaxed. No pressure, no drama. Just guys being guys.

After talking for quite a while—maybe an hour or so—they decided to walk around Wynwood and check out the cool murals painted on the walls. Each block had something new. Bright colors, abstract shapes, giant faces staring down from the sides of buildings.

Kai walked a bit behind the group, holding his bottle of water, taking slow sips. His eyes wandered from mural to mural until they landed on a girl standing in front of one of the large pieces of art. From behind, her posture, her hair tied in a simple side ponytail, and the way she stood with her weight shifted to one hip... everything was too familiar.

That’s...

Kai furrowed his brow. He rubbed his eyes for a second, thinking maybe the morning sun was playing tricks on him. But the feeling in his chest said otherwise. His heart had already started beating a little faster without him knowing why.

"Guys, I’ll be up ahead for a bit," Kai said to the others, his voice calm but his feet already moving.

He walked closer to the girl. The nearer he got, the clearer everything became. Her height, the shape of her shoulders, even the small movements she made as she tilted her head to study the mural... every little detail looked just like "Mimi", his "little sister".

No. It can’t be.

He stopped a few steps behind her. For a moment he hesitated. What if it wasn’t her? What if he was just seeing things because he hadn’t gotten enough sleep? But then the girl shifted, and he caught a glimpse of her profile.

His breath caught.

Kai reached out and tapped the girl’s shoulder gently. Just a light touch with his fingers.

The girl turned around.

Her face... really looked exactly like Mimi’s. The same eyes, the same nose, even that signature confused expression she always made when she didn’t recognize someone right away. The small wrinkle between her eyebrows. The way her lips parted slightly before speaking.

"Mimi," Kai said without realizing it, his voice soft but clear. Almost a whisper.

The girl furrowed her brow deeper, her eyes full of question marks. "Huh? Who are you? Do we know each other?"

Kai stood frozen in place. His heart was pounding hard against his ribs. The sounds of the street—distant music, people talking, his friends laughing somewhere behind him—all seemed to fade away.

Is this... really her? Or just someone who looks exactly like her?

He couldn’t tell anymore. His mind was spinning.