'Written promise'

Under the deep night sky, Koki faced the unusually heavy body on the sofa and laboriously pushed it away slowly until Obito collapsed weakly onto the soft sofa.

But when Obito turned around, his eyes were full of innocent grievance.

"Go to sleep!" Koki glared at him, Koki eyes flashing with determination, and commanded firmly.

He had discovered that the more stern Obito was with a drunk man, the more obedient he became.

"Okay, don't be so fierce." Obito's voice held a hint of pleading as he obediently nodded and tried to struggle to his feet.

"Wait a minute." A sly Koki's eyes as she called out to Obito, looking at him with a mischievous grin as she seemed to be lost in thought.

"W-What's wrong?" Although Obito looked confused, he obediently stopped what he was doing, sat blankly on the sofa, and focused his gaze on Koki.

"Obito-nii, you won't go back on your promise to me, will you?" Koki asked, her words tinged with amusement.

"No." Obito shook his head firmly, his eyes full of sincerity.

"What should I do if you change your mind tomorrow?" Koki pressed.

"What should we do?" Obito repeated Koki's question blankly.

"Then we need a contract, a promise that won't be easily broken." A wicked smile curled at the corner of Koki's lips.

"Yes!" Obito thought everything Koki said was right.

"Okay, wait here for a moment, I'll go get something." After saying that, Koki ran out like a rabbit escaping, afraid that Obito would change his mind at any moment.

Under the dim yellow light of the living room, Koki stood in front of the sofa, pen in one hand and paper in the other, her smile bright but her tone leaving no room for argument as she spoke to Obito, "Write!"

Obito was intimidated by Koki's imposing presence. He huddled in a corner of the sofa, looking like a wronged little wife.

"Write what?" Obito looked up, his eyes gleaming with a hazy light.

"Of course I'll write down what you promised me today..." Koki said halfway through, then realized that Obito, being a drunkard, probably couldn't write anything substantial, so he decisively stopped talking, picked up a pen, and started writing on the table himself.

It turns out that Nozomi was worried that Obito would forget his promise from the night before, and that he would turn his back on her and deny everything when he woke up the next day. How could that be? She wanted to gossip about it!

So, on a whim, he found paper and pen in the study, thinking Obito write a 'letter of commitment'. But since Obito couldn't write it, he decided to write it himself and have him sign it.

That way, even if Obito changes his mind the next day, Koki will have his evidence! Hahahaha.

Obito watched Koki inexplicably laughed at the table, and he couldn't help but shrink back, feeling a chill run down his spine.

"Alright, Obito-nii, all you need to do now is write your name here." Koki said, handing Obito the completed pledge and pen.

Obito took the paper and pen, looked at the contents of the paper, pondered for a moment, and then picked up the pen to carefully write his name. Although his handwriting was somewhat messy, each character showed great care.

When Obito finished writing the last character of her name, he put down his pen and looked up at Koki intently.

Under Koki's gaze, Obito's clear and focused eyes seemed to reveal a state of lucidity, which made Koki's heart tremble and feel a pang of guilt. For some reason, when he looked at Obito's eyes, for a moment he felt that Obito was actually lucid and knew everything.

Koki awkwardly took the paper, turned his head away to avoid Obito's gaze, and dared not meet his eyes again.

"Alright, weren't you going back to sleep? Let's go." Obito stood up, gently extending his hand to Koki, lightly taking his hand, and said, "Lead the way."

"Okay, let's go." The warmth and strength from Obito's palm made Koki feel at ease, and he didn't try to pull away.

Their hands were clasped tightly together, as if their hearts were bound together. Their gazes met, and Obito's heart skipped a beat, his face turning bright red.

"Let's go," Obito, pulling Koki along as they strode forward.

"Huh? We've gone the wrong way, Obito-nii." Koki watched Obito walk in another direction. What's going on? Koki looked at Obito curiously. He wasn't swaying like before.

"Huh?" Obito stopped awkwardly, turned around and looked at Koki with a confused expression, as if asking, "Where am I? Who am I?"

"Okay, it's still the familiar Obito-nii, "Koki sighed helplessly, took Obito's hand, and led him in the right direction. Obito obediently followed Koki.

Upon arriving at the room, a series of familiar actions unfolded: Obito was settled on the bed, tucked in, his face wiped, and he was whispered goodnight. The two cuddled together affectionately for a while before Koki was finally able to leave.

Leaning against the wall outside Obito's room, Koki finally breathed a sigh of relief. Reflecting on tonight's experience, it was truly terrifying, and he really didn't want to go through it again.

Clearly, I must keep a close watch on these people from now on and absolutely forbid them from coming into contact with alcohol again!

However, now that she could finally return to her beloved younger brother with peace of mind, Koki returned to her room with a joyful heart.

Natsuhi nights seem to be shrouded in a layer of heat, gentle and invisible. It tightly wraps the heat, making the air so stuffy that it is almost suffocating. The last rays of the sunset have disappeared into the night, leaving behind a deep, inky sky, like a black velvet blanket covering everything.

On this sweltering night, people yearn for a gentle breeze, longing to escape the oppressive heat. Yet, the long summer night seems endless, making one feel the infinite extension of time and the unbearable torment. All they can do is wait quietly in this heatwave, hoping for the dawn's light and the coolness of the morning.

Itachi, on such a night, woke up from a nightmare, his forehead covered with fine beads of sweat. In his drowsy state, he had somehow kicked off the blanket beside him, leaving him uncovered.

Usually, on nights like this, when he had nightmares, Koki would be by his side, comforting him with a gentle embrace, holding him close and soothing him. Tonight, he instinctively reached out to his side, hoping for his brother's comfort, but only found emptiness.

Itachi suddenly snapped awake and sat up.

His breathing was rapid and erratic as he tried to calm his fear and anxiety. He turned on the room light, looked around, and found that he was all alone in the room.

My brother isn't here—that familiar warmth, that comforting embrace, are all gone.

Why? His brother promised to always be by his side, so why isn't he here tonight?

He recalled that dream, a dream filled with fear and pain, in which he lost all his loved ones and was left alone to wander in a desolate and dark world.

That feeling of helplessness and despair, like a dark cloud, lingered in his heart, difficult to dispel, and impossible for him to escape.

Itachi clenched his fists, trying to banish the fear from his heart.

He told himself it was just a dream, an illusion, and he shouldn't let it bother him.

However, his heart was still pounding, as if reminding him of the horror and reality of that dream.