“UNO!”

  Julian spped his final card down on the table, grinning like a kid who just conquered the world. The colorful spread of skipped turns and draw twos scattered around him was a battlefield, and he stood victorious.

  “Again?” Charlotte groaned with exaggerated disbelief, flopping back against the couch. “That’s your third win in a row.”

  “Maybe you guys just suck,” Julian said, fshing a smug smile, arms crossed triumphantly. “Or maybe”—he wiggled his eyebrows—“I'm just a natural.”

  Sophia snorted, flicking a red card into the discard pile as she shuffled for the next round. “You’re too confident for someone who just pyed a Wild on a red stack.”

  Julian blinked. “It was a power move.”

  Leo chuckled from his armchair, sipping a cup of tea. “A power move, huh?”

  Veronica sat beside him, legs tucked under a soft bnket, watching the interaction with amusement in her eyes. “The soft evening light spilled through the curtains, casting a cozy hue across the living room, turning the zy UNO game into something golden.”

  Charlotte leaned in with a grin, elbows on the table. “Alright, hotshot. If you’re so good, let’s up the stakes next round.”

  “Like what?” Julian asked, raising a brow.

  “Loser has to make breakfast.”

  He ughed. “Then I hope you two like burnt toast and emotional damage.”

  His sisters giggled, sharing a gnce over his head that only siblings could interpret. He was clearly enjoying himself—cheeks a little pink from the teasing, eyes shining with energy they hadn’t seen in him for a long time. Neither of them had the heart to crush his winning streak. Not after everything.

  Sophia smirked, slipping a green skip onto the pile. “We’ll see, champ.”

  A few more pyful rounds passed with Julian confidently narrating his every move like a seasoned gambler. Just as he tossed another reverse card with fir, Charlotte piped up between turns, casually tossing her card down.

  “So… when are you gonna start posting music on your little channel again?”

  Julian blinked, his grin faltering for just a second.

  “Charlotte,” Leo said sharply, his voice still gentle but firm. “He just got out of the hospital.”

  “I’m just asking!” she huffed, holding her hands up in surrender.

  Veronica turned toward Julian with a curious expression. “But… it is a good question. You haven’t talked about it at all since coming home.”

  Julian’s smile faded into something more thoughtful as he stared at the pile of cards in front of him. “Honestly… I didn’t even know I had a channel.”

  Charlotte blinked. “Wait, really?”

  “I remember the music part. Kinda. I know I liked making songs in my room, but… I don’t remember what kind of stuff I posted.”

  There was a pause, not heavy, but quiet. Then Veronica reached across the table and squeezed his hand.

  “Well, whenever you feel ready… I’d love to hear it.”

  Julian smiled again, softer this time. “Yeah. Me too.”

  The evening passed in a blur of quiet ughter and clinking utensils. Dinner had been simple, homemade, and surprisingly normal—just good food and the occasional teasing thrown across the table.

  Later that night, Julian found himself alone in his room for the first time.

  It was… neat.

  Suspiciously neat.

  The room smelled faintly of vender and fabric softener. His bed was perfectly made with soft pastel sheets tucked so tightly he could probably bounce a coin off them. A small mountain of plushies—soft animals, little stars with smiley faces, even a singing banana—rested neatly near the pillows. Julian stared for a second.

  “…Huh.”

  He stepped in slowly, eyes drifting across the space. Two guitars stood carefully in the corner, both in polished condition. One acoustic, one electric. A soft blue strap hung from the side of one, and a sticker on the body read “Sing with heart.”

  Across the room sat a clean, minimalistic desk with a full PC setup. The monitor glowed faintly in standby mode. A high-quality microphone stood on a rotating arm, positioned perfectly for singing. Nearby, a pair of headphones hung off a hook, and a sound interface glimmered with little colored lights.

  Julian rubbed the back of his neck. “Okay, either I was way more put together than I thought… or someone’s been cleaning up after me like I’m a hamster.”

  He sat on the edge of the bed, almost expecting it to squeak under him. It didn’t. His gaze wandered over the plushies again, and he couldn’t help but snort softly. “Really, past me? This many?”

  Still smiling faintly, Julian pulled out his phone. He was starting to get used to it, though some of the apps still felt like something out of a sci-fi movie. His fingers clumsily swiped around until he tapped into one that looked suspiciously like Instagram—but with a star logo instead.

  “Huh… StarGram?”

  The app opened, and he blinked in surprise when it logged him in automatically. His profile stared back at him—his username was just @Julesings, and the bio read: “just a guy who sings stuff ??”

  10.2k followers.

  Julian blinked again. “Wait… what?”

  He scrolled down.

  All the posts were short videos or clips of him singing—sometimes with the guitars, sometimes acapel. No talking, no selfies. Just music.

  Out of curiosity, he tapped on the most recent video. It started to py: a soft, acoustic melody with lyrics about “falling stars” and “holding someone’s light.” His voice—clearly his—sounded sweet and gentle, but the lyrics…

  Julian winced. “God, did I really write that? That’s… that’s cheesy.”

  He tapped on another song. This one was more upbeat, something about “your smile being better than caffeine.” His face scrunched up again.

  “Ugh. I sound like a walking cupcake.”

  Deciding to torture himself further, he scrolled down and clicked View All Comments under one of the posts.

  @CherryXx: HIS VOICE IS SO CUTE I’M SCREAMINGGG@LunaBeats: bet he’s as adorable irl ????@StarryMelon: if this guy doesn’t have a girlfriend I’m starting a riot@HarmonyGirl44: I want to bottle up his voice and keep it in my pocket@EchoBunny: THIS IS WHAT HEAVEN SOUNDS LIKEEEE@YuiChanArts: do you think he’s as pretty as he sounds?

  Julian’s jaw dropped slightly. “What the hell…?”

  He stared at the screen, then looked over at his bed—at the plushies, the guitars, the vender-scented room.

  “…What kind of world did I wake up in?”

  The question still echoed in Julian’s mind as steam filled the bathroom. He leaned against the tiled wall, hot water pouring over his shoulders, and let out a soft hum. The gentle melody bounced around the shower like a familiar lulby.

  “This feels amazing…” he mumbled to himself, tilting his head back under the stream. “Way better than those rushed showers at the hospital…”

  Back there, he had to be in and out quickly, always under watchful eyes. But here, at home, there was no pressure. Just warmth. Just comfort. He hadn’t realized how much he missed this—the simple pleasure of standing under hot water with nothing on his mind.

  Eventually, he shut the water off with a satisfied sigh and stepped out, toweling himself dry. He wrapped the towel around his waist and ran another through his damp hair. His reflection looked back at him—lighter, less pale than before, with a spark returning to his eyes.

  He pushed open the bathroom door and headed toward his room.

  “Julian?!”

  He stopped mid-step.

  Charlotte stood in the hallway, eyes wide like a deer in headlights. Her gaze didn’t meet his face.

  She was staring… directly at his chest.

  A beat passed. Then—

  “Drip.”

  A small trickle of blood slid from her nose.

  Julian blinked. “Are you… are you seriously getting a nosebleed?”

  “C-Cover your chest!” she squeaked, hand cmped over her nose, but her eyes… didn’t move.

  Julian pulled his towel up a bit higher, raising an eyebrow as he let out a breathy ugh.

  “Perv~ert,” he teased, giggling as Charlotte scrambled to look away.

  Charlotte let out a dramatic gasp, still shielding her face. “I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to! I wasn’t trying to look!”

  He watched her fil and couldn’t help but smile. “I’m joking, I’m joking.” He waved it off. “Rex.”

  She peeked through her fingers. “You are?!”

  Julian nodded. “Yeah. Geez. I didn’t expect you to actually freak out.” He chuckled, walking past her.

  Charlotte let out a dramatic sigh of relief, then pyfully swatted his shoulder. “You’re the worst.”

  Julian paused at his door, brows furrowed faintly.Yep. Everything really is flipped upside down.

  He smiled to himself, a quiet chuckle escaping.

  But the moment was kind of funny. And kind of nice, too.

  cuzzies