Nemui Fujioka's Story

It was a long drive to Sakura Square, seeing as it was rather secluded compared to Nemui and Kurumi's previous home. The two girls were both rather silent and kept to themselves as the car moved along the busy street. She had never actually laid eyes on Sakura Square, but she knew where it was located. They were getting close, and she tried to keep her mind off of that fact. Nemui was doing everything in her power to keep her anxiety at bay as she sat in the back of the fancy limousine, but she could only postpone her emotions for so long. Inside of the car, the short haired sister was propped against one of back doors, sitting sideways in her seat as she read yet another romance manga. This one was titled Moe Kare, and it was about a young girl named Hikaru Wakamiya who had her first kiss stolen by a perverted princely looking young man only to later on run into a guy who looks just like him, but is a completely different person entirely. Her heart was pounding as her eyes scanned the pages, a light blush sweeping over her features as she went. Reading Romance Manga was Nemui's guilty pleasure, which she normally kept hidden under lock and key, but she was open about it with Kurumi and their mother. Ever since they were children, Kurumi was always there for her, even though it wasn't always in a positive light. She really appreciated having a sister, so she tried to remind herself that having brothers couldn't be so different. Guys were always nicer to girls, right? Not to mention they would legally become family next week. They would have to get along for the sake of their parents, or so Nemui told herself. She obviously never watched the movie; Cheaper by the dozen.

Nemui wasn't alone on this trip, actually, but the car was quiet enough that she almost thought otherwise. Nemui spot in the car was only about a foot away from her older sister Kurumi. The older sister had long, light blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Everything about Kurumi was vibrant and girly. She was beautiful. Nemui was incredibly jealous, but she knew that she shouldn't be. This was her sister she was letting her inner green eyed monster envy! Kurumi was technically all that she had left, seeing as their mother was barely around. She missed three of Kurumi's birthdays, two Christmases, and two of Nemui's birthdays straight in a row. was technically facing Kurumi, so clearly Nemui neglected to wear a seat belt. It was a bad habit, one her sister often scolded her for. Nemui had respect for her sister, despite the rumors around school that Shiori wasn't very smart, Nemui knew otherwise. Shiori used to be incredibly intelligent, just like her, she just gave up, mostly. Though Kurumi would always study for her tests at Nemui's request, the older sister often refused to even attempt the homework she was given.

Sure, Kurumi wasn't that book smart anymore, but her knowledge lied elsewhere. Just because Kurumi made bad grades now, it didn't make her an imbecile. Being a knowledge enthusiast, Nemui felt she had the right to judge her sister's intelligence. She knew that Kurumi's knowledge was about family and hard work. Nemui was jealous of her sister because she was not only beautiful, but she was also extraordinary when it came to helping others. Nemui knew that Kurumi would make a wonderful Psychiatrist if she put her kind to it, once she got past the Medicine and Chemistry classes, of course.

Nemui's caramel orbs shifted directly to her sister for the first time during the hour long drive, a worried expression overwhelming Nemui's facial features as she gazed upon her sibling. Kurumi had been far too quiet, and the extended silence was beginning to make Nemui worry about her. She flipped to the next page of her manga, smiling a bit as she tried to start up conversation to clear the awkward air, "Are you excited about moving, Onee-chan? You haven't said anything since we left home.. It's okay to be nervous, right?" She spoke up in a soft tone, chewing on her bottom lip as she read the next page of her manga. While she waited for a response, Nemui looked to her sister inquisitively, only glancing down at the contents of her manga every now and then. Sure, Nemui was dying to know what would happened to Wakamiya Hikaru in this chapter, but she knew the story could wait if it meant she needed to console her sister. They'd drove the entire ride in silence and it was starting to bother her more than it would if she had rode along with anyone else. She was now reminded about how nervous that she was as well. Two new brothers she had never met? She didn't even know what her new Step-father's name was, nor were they given the names of their two new brothers-to-be! It was extremely overwhelming, and not to mention it would be the first time she'd ever shared a residence with boys. Though she quickly reprimanded herself for doubting them. They aren't just boys, they are going to be my brothers, so how dangerous could it really be? The dilemma that caused Nemui to feel truly distressed was the fact that regardless of whether or not they got along, the four of them would be tied together by their parent's marriage. She tried to reassure herself that it would all turn out fine, because it wasn't like the boys would behave recklessly, they weren't allowed to treat Nemui and Kurumi like other boys would anymore. They were going to be family, so they all four had to suck it up, but life wasn't that simple and clean. It was easier said on paper than in actual practice. On the bright side, her mother did give her one hint. One of the boys had been in her class. In fact, according to her mother, he was in her class every year since they'd been enrolled in school. Curiosity got the best of her, and she couldn't help but wonder if they ever spoke to each other before. Though as soon as the thought came, she dismissed it. She was practically a nobody to all of her classmates, but the only difference between her and an actual nobody was that nobodies didn't get bullied. Unfortunately she existed enough to experience that service. As long as he wasn't one of her tormentors, she was certain she'd survive this new living arrangement.

"I think this might be a good thing. We always wanted a brother, now we are getting two of them. Lucky us, right?" She smiled in a timid manner, glancing out the window. Then her eyes widened. Nemui quickly removed her glasses, sitting them down in her lap before bookmarking her page in Moe Kare. She closed the book, hoping to return to it once she was settled in her new home. She saw the top of the building before removing her glasses, they were very close to arrival. It was time to put her contacts in, before her new brothers saw her glasses. The last thing she wanted to happen was her new brothers to notice she was blind as a bat. She shuffled through the deep pockets of her coat before pulling out a small white box. She unclasped the container, placing each onto her eyes carefully. She hated the process, it was uncomfortable and made her eyes water.. but what if they decided to pick on her for her glasses too? Brothers weren't always nice.. at least from what she'd read in manga.

"Are you worried about that huge exam coming up?" Nemui did her best to keep track of Kurumi's exams, almost religiously, all in order to help her older sister properly prepare. Kurumi aided her so much everywhere else, she felt incredibly in debt to her sister. So once Nemui was old enough to realize her sister's bad habit of not doing her homework, she started helping her ace exams to keep her from getting kicked out of school. It was the least Nemui could do in return for all the years of protection. "You know I'll help you crunch. Orange juice, apples, we'll stay up all night if we have to. There's no way you'll get bad marks with our studying ritual." She replied sweetly, smiling after she'd arranged her contacts. Sakura Square was closing in on them now. It was a matter of seconds before they'd reach their new home and meet their new family for the first time, officially speaking. I wonder if they will like us..? She thought timidly, shifting her position in the seat back to the standard way, staring ahead at the road. She shuffled around in the seat nervously, definitely irritating the driver since her feet kept tapping against the base of his seat.

I added details and removed details to make this more like the new and improved Kurumi. From now on, all of my posts will be entirely different seeing as Kurumi is different than Shiori due to her illness in this RP. Just letting people who were in the previous RPs know it's got some differences to my post in the past RP.

Kurumi sat facing the front of the limousine, seat belt on, and a bored expression on her face as they continued on their journey to their new residence. She was going to miss their apartment, a lot. They would never have the same amount of privacy again, and that was disappointing enough on it's own.

Kurumi had her pet cat Ryouta sitting freely in her lap, purring away and that slightly brightened her foul mood. He was an extremely obese cat who barely understood how to play, so most of his time was spent napping or laying in Kurumi's lap. The cat was very lazy, so she didn't feel the need for a pet carrier. He wouldn't run far if he escaped. She was kind of curious about whether or not she would have to fight with her new 'brothers' about keeping Ryouta in the house.

To be completely honest, Kurumi wasn't even enthusiastic about having brothers, living with two boys would only prove to be a hassle. She would have to constantly be on defense, constantly on the qui vive. Normally she only had to keep on her toes during school, doing her best to look out for Nemui, especially after the younger sibling almost died, but now she'd have to be alert at home too? She released an exasperated sigh, dreading their impending arrival. I really wish we could just stay on the road forever, I don't want to stop.. I don't want more family.. Though she wasn't going to take out her frustration on the boys, it wasn't their fault that her mother felt the need to get married, again. All of her anger was aimed towards her mother.

She finally caved, pulling out her phone and dialing quickly in a moment of weakness. She needed to hear her mother's voice, needed to vent on someone.. She let out a short breath as she waited through the rings, honestly the real reason she called her mother was reassurance. She wanted her mother to be happy, but sometimes she just needed to be reminded when she had to suck it up and step up as the older sibling. She was only sixteen years old, she wasn't perfect. She still had selfish desires, she was still just a teenage girl at the end of the day. She was vulnerable just like anyone else. She just didn't show it often, because she couldn't afford to appear weak when she had to look after Nemui. Finally, she got her mother's voice mail, so she just chose to hang up. Her mother would call back later, and if her mother wouldn't pick up, Kurumi wouldn't leave her a message either.

Her mind immediately turned to the school exams coming up, she had a lot of studying to do.. Thankfully she could study and keep track of her sister, but for some reason, she remained skeptical. Living this way, it seemed too easy. Families never merged as harmoniously as television portrayed, she had a bad feeling about this move, and she wished that she decided to continue living in her previous home with Nemui. Though it was a little late, Sakura Square was closing in on them, it was almost like every inch the car crept closer to their new home she began to slowly suffocate that much more. She knew she was breathing, she could feel her chest moving, but yet, she continued to feel breathless. It was paradoxical, she couldn't find another way to explain it, yet it didn't stop her from feeling it all the same.

"Are you excited about moving, Onee-chan? You haven't said anything since we left home.. It's okay to be nervous, right?"

"A little. I'm just kind of nervous, don't worry about it, Nemu-chii." She lied, throwing a warm smile in her sister's direction. Kurumi put her phone down, not even realizing she'd kept her phone to her ear all this time until she nearly dropped the device. She was more nervous than she realized.. Nemui didn't seem to notice it, so she didn't scold herself for it too much. On the bright side, Kurumi noticed that Nemui seemed just as nervous as she was, but seemed to have a far more positive outlook on their upcoming experience. Kurumi knew that she had to keep herself together, she was the older sister after all, but it was difficult considering her illness was flaring up again, and she's have to keep an eye out for Nemui.

"I think this might be a good thing. We always wanted a brother, now we are getting two of them. Lucky us, right? Are you worried about that huge exam coming up?"

"Lucky? Yeah, maybe..." She replied, forcing a laugh for the younger girl's sake. She loved that about Nemui, despite what she'd been through, the girl still tried to see the best in people.. Ever since middle school, Kurumi was stuck in a rut, secretly of course. Nemui never would stop pestering if she knew that Kurumi was upset. Ever since that boy, Kurumi had always assumed that boys were out to hurt her. She hasn't given any of them a real chance since then, "I guess I'm thinking about our new family.. Trying to guess who they are and what they're like.. T-test?! I-I forgot." She grinned in a childish manner, a little embarrassed but also a little amused by the fact she'd neglected to study.

"You know I'll help you crunch. Orange juice, apples, we'll stay up all night if we have to. There's no way you'll get bad marks with our studying ritual."

This brought a genuine smile to Kurumi's face. Tonight would be difficult, she could already feel the pain setting in her legs, and she would be up pretty late to crunch with her sister. She'd have to work extra hard if she wanted to make sure that her disease remained hidden from her sister. Nemui wasn't always this altruistic, but Kurumi found it heartwarming to hear that she wasn't the only one ready to pull their weight. It was their arrangement since they were younger, a promise between the sisters really. Although Kurumi originally never expected anything in return for protecting Nemui, the younger girl matured rather fast after the death of their father. She was jealous of this, seeing as she was supposed to be the mature and responsible one. Responsible? That could define Nemui and Kurumi, but when it came to maturity, well, Kurumi drew the short straw. At least she could blame it on being blonde, right?



The limousine drive pulled into Sakura Square rather quickly, after the gate opened up for the limo to enter. With every inch the car drew closer, Kurumi felt her whole body tense up. She wasn't as prepared as she had previously thought. She began adjusting her clothes, tugging here, and pulling there. When she looked up, she was amazed. In the yard, beside of the driveway was several cherry blossom trees, but she shouldn't have been so surprised, it was probably the reason that this place was named Sakura Square. There were more pink trees in the yard than she cared to count, And the sight of them was breathtakingly beautiful. The driver brought the car to a halt, stepping out and opened the door for her and Nemui, more than happy to be rid of the girls. Kurumi hesitantly unbuckled, sliding out and was on her feet for the first time in about an hour. Her legs were so stiff and tender, so she stretched out for a second, smiling at the trees, "Finally! We're here, come on Nemui.. We should probably ring the door bell.. Let's get our bags." She suddenly felt very excited, but she also felt uneasy due to the ominous feeling in the pit of her stomach that still remained. She paid the driver and he returned to his seat, retrieving Kurumi's correct change.

We need to get settled in... They had school in the morning after all, and the sooner they could crash in their rooms, the better. The driver returned and plopped a few bills into Kurumi's hands before he opened the trunk for the girls.

Kurumi removed the two bags from inside, handing Nemui her own bag. Kurumi's bag was light blue and very girly, but Nemui's was plain and tan in color. The bags were complete opposites, but Nemui's was heavier due to the manga inside along with a few days worth of clothes and her school books. Kurumi's bag was much lighter due to only having a few days worth of clothes, her wallet, laptop, necessary school books and headphones.

"Hurry up, Ne-chii! They probably didn't hear us pulling in. I want to unpack and pass out.. Screw studying.." She whined a bit, in a tired tone. She truly was exhausted, considering her body was beginning to ache all over, but that was becoming natural to her these days. It came with the illness at times, but more often than not, Kurumi felt perfectly fine. Most days were normal, but some were really bad..

---

---

╔╗

---

---

Today was the day, isn't it?

Yukito finally woke up from his slumber. Actually, this was the first time in a long while since he had a complete cycle of sleep. His manager was able to give him a day off. He had requested it beforehand since the father of the household had dropped the bomb about the remarrying tidbit which had a package deal of two step-sisters. The said girls would be arriving today. He stood from his bed and stretched his limbs. He was still in pajamas, a rather loose one giving glimpses of the body hidden within. Taking a deep breath, he released a rather annoyed sigh.

He didn't mind the idea of his father dating and all. It was just a hobby, but the knowledge that another woman beside his mother would take the place as the Kitomura matriarch and be given the title as their mother even if they were not related at all. It irritates him which was reflected on his face, cracking the mask he always has on. His eyes of sunset orange sharpened mirroring his anger about it. "Stupid father..." He muttered remembering the discussion they had the other day. What was the use of discussing it when it was already decided and they had no choice in the matter, it was really annoying.

Anyway, he needed to prepare to welcome these sisters. He was certain that his older brother won't be that welcoming. It would be his part and since he is the entertainer, he could think of it as another role he needed to do for everyday. Just like that, he did his morning rituals even if it was not morning anymore. After a while, he was donned in his usual clothes and he has a rather fashionable sense. It was one of his well-liked traits by his fans. It just comes naturally for him and not something he takes with extra effort unlike others. He reached for his phone and could see a lot of messages from various people. There were also missed calls from his manager. Well, he silenced his phone earlier to enjoy his sleep. He would check them later as he placed it inside his pants' pocket. It is his day-off.

He exited his room and went downstairs. Everything was arranged already even the rooms for the girls. He had it done yesterday, so all he had to do for now was fine-tune the meals to be served for dinner. Cooking is not his forte since he is more of a pastry chef, but he was not that bad either. At the living room, he could see the traces of his older brother. The guy must be laying on the couch muttering how horrible this day could be. Well, they have the same thinking on that area. He then heard noises coming from the kitchen. It must be his brother gorging himself with the newly bought strawberries he got. It was not that odd if both of them liked the fruit. Their mother's favorite was also strawberries.

Entering the kitchen, he was welcomed by the sight of Kurou half-naked with a bowl of strawberries. There was no doubt in his mind that any girls or even boys would drool or faint at the view. They would also be surprised seeing him like this. However, it was a different case for Yukito. "Ku-nii, might I remind you we have guests coming." He noted with his rather trademarked devilish smile. His arms crossed over his chest as he leaned at the door frame. He let his words and presence sunk in first, before going towards Kurou. "And don't hog these all by yourself." After saying that, he grabbed some strawberries from the bowl and ate them with delight. "I would have you get them next time." Then, he walked towards the refrigerator and looked at the ingredients.

"Do you have any request for dinner?" Yukito asked him without glancing at his older brother. Ever since their mother had passed away, most of the household duties had been given to him without much bias. Kurou was able to handle a few, but something changed within them since that day. He was not as open with it unlike his older brother who let the whole world see. So, he took most of the responsibility as their father is one called as absentee. Although, there had been a few lapses on him since he has been busy with his career nowadays. "Hmmm...?" Something took his attention as he looked outside the kitchen window and saw a car getting out of the gates. "There they are." He announced as he turned around to look at Kurou.

"Try to get in a good impression by getting a shirt on." He closed the refrigerator and then looked at Kurou with a small smile. "We wouldn't want the poor girls to get nosebleeds now." He playfully winked at Kurou before going towards the main doors. It was time to play his part in this charade he would like to call play house. He opened the doors and was privy to the vision of two girls, one with long blonde hair and another with short hair. They were an interesting pair that much he could say and most of it because, they were going to be his sisters. "Hello there, you must be the Fujioka sisters." His voice reflected an approachable query as he stood before them with a friendly presence, not something one would expect from a famous pop star. "I'm Kitomura Yukito. You can call me whatever you like. I won't mind at all." This was followed by a kind smile, not an ounce of misplaced intention seen, even if in his head there were certainly bad things there.

"I hope the ride was comfortable. Here, let me take care of your bags for you two." Without another word, he immediately took hold of the girls' bags. He didn't let them get a word out from his offer. It was only right to do so in his understanding, this was known as common courtesy. There was no doubt that Yukito was a man even if he was considered a boy through his age. His built and his strength is well-reflected in how he carried the bags with ease. "Come on inside, you two must be tired. My aniki is inside, we've been expecting you." He then led them inside the house with a bright smile on his face. "Ku-nii! They're here!" He announced loudly as he looked at the girls again after closing the doors. "Let's all get along, okay?"

Just like that, the game as he would like to call it begins.

Nemui was a bit surprised when Kurumi finally showed signs of being nervous. She rarely witnessed her sister behaving this way, so she began to fidget as well. The driver was likely fed up with the girls by now, because he quickly opened the door and his facial expression practically bled with irritation. Although when Nemui stepped out of the car, her eyes widened. The house and the yard were both beautiful. The pink cherry blossoms were beautiful, and it calmed her to a certain extent. Unlike Kurumi, Nemui did not stretch. She didn't need to, seeing as her fidgeting and squirming is what had the driver in such a foul mood.

"Finally! We're here, come on Nemui.. We should probably ring the door bell.. Let's get our bags."

"O-of course." Nemui quickly nodded, following her sister to the back of the limousine. Her sister paid the driver, and the two made their way towards the trunk. Nemui could feel her heart pounding faster and faster as she grew closer to meeting her new to-be siblings. Will they like me? Will I just be like a wall decoration in their eyes? What if they are creepy perverts? She was so nervous that she barely noticed when the limo driver popped the trunk open. Thankfully, her sister was more aware and removed their bags before Nemui came across as a spaz or special education..

Nemui accepted her heavy bag, but despite the weight, and her small stature, Nemui held the bag fairly well. She was used to carrying heavy books at her job at the comic book store. The stacks of manga added up, and she had to be able to carry them to stock the shelves. She was a lot stronger than she looked, she was just also quite clumsy. Nemui didn't even note the differences in their bag preferences, because plain and simple was fairly typical in the younger sister's lifestyle. Nemui wore baggy clothes and plain colors, even her school uniform was loose and engulfed her. The oversized clothing hid any possibility of a figure that the girl might have had.

"Hurry up, Ne-chii! They probably didn't hear us pulling in. I want to unpack and pass out.. Screw studying.."

"E-Eh!?" Nemui's eyes widened a bit at her sister's decision. This would be the first time in several years that Kurumi wouldn't study with Nemui before a test, and to be honest the younger sister was concerned, "Y-y-you could fail if we don't study!" She retorted, trying to talk some sense into the older sister. Nemui now felt like a nervous wreck, freaking out about the test and meeting her new siblings. Kurumi's decision released all of Nemui's pent up anxieties.

"Hello there, you must be the Fujioka sisters."

Nemui recognized the boy to be Yukito Kitomura, she didn't need an introduction. Her mother was right, they'd been in the same class for ten consecutive years. What their mother forgot to mention was, moving in with their new siblings would be the ultimate act of suicide!! His fan club at school would annihilate her for this, if his overall fanbase didn't get to her first. Not only was Yukito popular at school, but he was a very well renown pop idol to top it off. Immediately Nemui felt she would faint from the stress, but she forced her knees to lock in place. She didn't want to make a bad first impression, because like it or not, they would be family soon. Just the thought seemed far too surreal. He came across as approachable and extroverted, but just knowing how much her bullying would increase was enough to intimidate her in his current lack of an intimidating quality's stead.

"I'm Kitomura Yukito. You can call me whatever you like. I won't mind at all."

Nemui wasn't sure what to say, so for a while she remained quiet. She let her sister introduce herself first, then Nemui followed suit, "I-I am F-Fujioka, Nemui..." She managed to stutter out, keeping a fearful and timid demeanor.

"I hope the ride was comfortable. Here, let me take care of your bags for you two."

Nemui's eyes widened as a blush crossed her cheeks and she quickly closed the gap that was between herself and Kurumi. T-too close!! She was halfway hidden behind the elder sibling, clinging to her sister's arm for moral support. She didn't mean to be rude, but she also didn't expect Yukito to suddenly approach her. Of course he was simply retrieving her bag, but she was skeptical about getting physically close to celebrity. If she was seen by anyone from school, she'd surely be murdered on the spot, "A-a-arigato... K-kitomura-San..." Nemui responded, chewing on her bottom lip. She was like a small child hiding behind their mother, except she was currently peeking at Yukito, halfway hidden behind Kurumi.

"Come on inside, you two must be tired. My aniki is inside, we've been expecting you."

Kurumi seemed to fit that description, so Nemui nodded her head in agreement, despite feeling rather alert and ready to organize her room. She didn't say anything about it though, considering she'd have plenty of time to arrange things to her liking later on.

"Ku-nii! They're here!"

Ku-nii? They have nicknames for each other too? There was at least one similarity this early in the game, and it brought a small smile across her light pink lips. Nemui pulled a piece of chocolate pocky out of a box that she kept in her jacket's deep left pocket. She gently nibbled on the chocolate coated biscuit stick, following behind Yukito once Kurumi started moving.

"Let's all get along, okay?"

Get along? She had nothing against him.. That wouldn't be that hard, the only obstacle was the girls that chose to make her life a living hell at school. They were incredibly possessive of Yukito, and would be enraged when they realized that Nemui now got to live with him, every day while sharing no blood relation to him whatsoever.

Kurou Kitomura

---

---

"Ku-nii, might I remind you we have guests coming."

Kurou was just minding his own business, eating delicious strawberries when all of the sudden, this punk-ass, idol-ass, brother-looking-ass guy came out of nowhere and interrupted such an important time of his life.

The older sibling was holding a strawberry just above his mouth as Yukito had arrived and took it upon himself to remind Kurou that they would be met with company soon. Kurou gave an unintelligible noise in response, before dropping the fruit down his gullet and taking a moment to appreciate the taste before turning to face his brother, who had the audacity to chastise him and then steal some of the precious fruit. The way things were headed, it was very likely that Kurou would have to dispatch his own sibling if he wanted to keep them all to himself. Fortunately, however, he did not care much for the idea of getting arrested, and murder without being caught would probably require lots of extra effort involved to accomplish, which was definitely against Kurou's nature. People should note that Kurou doesn't just like strawberries.

"Do you have any request for dinner?"

As his younger brother asked this, Kurou had set the bowl of strawberries down on the nearest available surface and had started towards his room. He took a moment to think about what he wanted, but then realized he didn't particularly care what he ate for dinner at the moment. "Something simple sounds good, as I'm sure they'll want to be able to eat quick." Dinner's gunna be awkward regardless, Kurou thought to himself, but refrained from saying aloud. He managed to catch the last couple of comments made by Yukito before disappearing into his room to search for a shirt he could wear.

"Lets see..." the older Kitomura brother took a second to gaze around his room. If one were very observant, they would notice that there was probably more clothes on the floor of his room than in the drawers and closet, and that his bed hadn't look liked it was ever made in the last few years. While some might find this as "messy" or "dirty", he found it "organized", in his own way. He always threw pants on one side of his bed, shirts on another, and underwear at the bottom. Oddly, he found a particular shirt he wanted to wear rather quick despite the horrible state of the room. A plain white tshirt sat atop the small mound made of tops he owned. He picked it up and immediately donned it, feeling a bit restricted, as he disliked being shirted unless it was absolutely necessary.

At least it looked good on him.

He wasted no time heading outside to meet up with his brother and his new "sisters". Whether or not it was intended as genuine, Yukito seemed to be greeting the two girls with a smile and chivalry, which was more than you could ask Kurou for. Honestly, he was much more inclined to just see what they looked like, say "hello", and then disappear back into the house without bothering with them very much. That was ideal, and Kurou had of course predicted that there was a distinct possibility this plan would not go off without a hitch. However.... the way in which he was denied a swift greeting and exit was... well, unexpected to say the least. That was because he caught sight of a really beautiful but unwelcomed face. One that belonged to none other than his 'ex', Kurumi.

About three things one could be absolutely positive. First, Kurou was visibly stunned. Second, there was a part of him - and he wasn't sure just how potent that part may be - that realized the truth. And third, he was unconditionally and irrevocably in denial about the situation.

"....what are they doing here?" he asked his brother, ignoring the girls for the moment. His tone, of course, indicated he was irritated and certainly not happy at all. Ice cold was a good way to put it. At this point, he did not care for first impressions, because he already personally knew one of them, and the other was of no consequence. Plus, they weren't his new sisters anyways. That was impossible! His father must have made a mistake or something, and it wasn't like the man paid attention to anything anyways, so there was definitely some sort of weird mix-up happening.

They were not his sisters.

Please, tell me she's here to confess and this is just her friend or something!

He did not want her to confess in actuality, but it was a much better alternative than facing the truth of this really, really awkward situation. His sight was locked on his brother for a moment, but soon turned to the other sisters, namely the one he was more familiar with. Not a single word was spoken. He just... stared at her, as if he wasn't sure what she was. Perhaps she was a ghost, or a hallucination?

If only.

"Y-y-you could fail if we don't study!"

"Well I am barely passing my classes now, so what does it matter?" Kurumi muttered, feeling more exhausted just for arguing with her sister. She could tell that her decision was causing her younger sister a great deal of stress, when it wasn't even related to Nemui at all in the first place. She didn't understand why Nemui cared about her grades when she could worry about her own instead, "I want to hang out with our brothers.. I'll study with one of them. You should get to know them too." She lied, though for good reason. She didn't want to worry her sister about a disease that no one could cure. Kurumi was taking medicine, and that was the best she could do... The rest she just had to deal with unless she wanted to undergo risky surgeries.

"Hello there, you must be the Fujioka sisters. I'm Kitomura Yukito. You can call me whatever you like. I won't mind at all."

The voice was warm and inviting, causing a big smile to form on Kurumi's lips, "Hai, I'm Fujioka, Kurumi! It's nice to meet you, Yukito-San." She announced, waving to the owner of the voice. She couldn't tell if he was the younger or the older brother, but he was definitely a familiar face... She just couldn't place where she knew this boy's face from. Kurumi began wracking her brain for his name, but nothing came to mind. He was never in her class, but his face was one she saw quite often..

"I-I am F-Fujioka, Nemui..."

She realized her sister was quite nervous, and despite always trying to break Nemui from stuttering so much, the younger girl seemed to do it regardless. Kurumi felt like giving up as far as eradicating Nemui's timidness went. Kurumi was fully convinced that Nemui would become a nun, because she'd never be brave enough to date, get married, or lose her virginity, at least not as she was now. She felt bad for the younger girl, but she was also glad that she was like this. She didn't worry about her sister as much, considering that Nemui was such a good girl.

"I hope the ride was comfortable. Here, let me take care of your bags for you two."

Kurumi was a bit surprised, but released her bag with relatively no struggle. If he wanted to carry it, she would let him. Her limbs felt like egg shells at this point, so it was a relief to have the weight literally lifted off of her shoulders. Nemui wasn't do enthusiastic about it, and quickly retreated behind Kurumi. This caused the blonde haired sibling to laugh, but she allowed Nemui to remain behind her for moral comfort, "Arigato~!" She exclaimed, blinking quite a few times at the feat. She knew what was inside of Nemui's bag, and despite having considerably less in her own, she was still impressed by Yukito's strength, "Sugoi~! Our brother is so strong! Ne, Ne-chii?"

"A-a-arigato... K-kitomura-San..."

Well, at least she thanked him. Kurumi thought to herself regarding Nemui and her nervous reply to Yukito. Kurumi had several appearance insecurities, but unlike Nemui, she was skilled at hiding her self doubt.

"Come on inside, you two must be tired. My aniki is inside, we've been expecting you."

"Expecting us? Lucky.. We just found out yesterday.. We didn't know what to expect." She responded. Though it was just like their mother to wait until the last minute. She was curious, wondering just how long the boys knew about the engagement and their new living arrangements.

"Ku-nii! They're here!"

Well, at least they would get to meet both brothers at once, right? Kurumi was beginning to feel a little more optimistic about their new living arrangements. If the elder brother was as nice as the younger brother, Kurumi felt that the move wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Let's all get along, okay?"

"Of course! We look forward to living with you, Yukito-San~!" She chimed out, in an almost sing-song fashion. Kurumi was definitely the bolder sibling and portrayed herself to be a very energetic and outgoing girl. Sure, this was her most of the time, but she currently felt anything but energetic. Her joints and muscles ached and she just yearned to lay down. She could practically hear her new bed calling her name, "Oh.. I have a cat.. Is that alright? He's here somewhere.. He's too lazy to run too far off." She asked as she followed behind Yukito. She noticed that Nemui was cloning to her like a small child attempting to glue themselves to their mother's skirt. She kept walking behind the younger Kitomura sibling until the trio was intercepted by Kurou at the front door.

"....What are they doing here?"

Kurumi was just as surprised to see Kurou as he was to see her. She had come a long way since the last time that Kurou saw her. (PICTURE LINK HERE!!) She hadn't seen him in a while, barely recognizing him, mostly because she went out of her way to make sure that they were in different classes... She was half tempted to gawk at him the same way he was gawking at her, but that would do nothing to help this family. The physical pain that was setting in was bad enough, she really didn't want to accept that this moment was really happening... but she had to do something to fix the situation. Unlike Kurou, Kurumi snapped out of her shock in time to pretend that she didn't know him, "Expecting us? Doesn't seem like it." She sighed, rolling her eyes pretending his rudeness is what startled her. This was just her luck. What part of her really believed that her life was going to get better? She honestly had herself deluded for a second, for a single moment she actually thought that perhaps she would like this new family... Now, she knew that this family was doomed. Kurou was a boy she asked to pretend to date her back in sixth grade and it was so complicated. He was technically her first boyfriend, but no one else knew it but the two of them. Their false relationship ended abruptly and Kurumi felt bitter about it ever since, and apparently so did Kurou. His expression and behavior spoke volumes.

Don't look at him.. Relax.. Keep a straight face. You can do this, for Mama. Do it for Mama. You've only kissed him one time as kids and it was just a peck.. It was so long ago, he's practically a stranger, so it isn't a complete lie.. Mentally justifying her lie helped her compose herself within a few seconds and she was ready to tell her first lie to her new little brother.

"Who is this, Yukito-San? Your older brother?" She inquired in an innocent tone, a bright smile on her face as she pretended to not recognize Kurou. She blinked a few times, looking Kurou over as if she'd never met him before, keeping a fairly good poker face, but perhaps that was because she didn't know Yukito well enough to feel guilty about lying to him? She knew that her fib could cause an argument between Her and Kurou, either now or possibly even later... but this seemed to be the best line of action for both of their sakes. She wasn't going to deal with explaining it to their siblings and parents... and she'd deny everything if he tried. The wedding was this weekend, and she wasn't going to stress her mother. She was determined to make this work if it killed her.... Even if she wasn't quite over Kurou romantically and her lying angered him.

Kurumi removed her attention from Kurou and placed it back on Yukito, tapping her chin a few times with her left index finger as a light bulb practically lit up above her head, "Yukito-San... Not to change the subject, but are you also the successful Pop Idol Ichigo Fuwa-sama?!" And She asked in a curious tone, tilting her head as she looked at him. The resemblance was phenomenal.. She knew because she had several of Ichigo Fuwa's CD's and two posters. She was completely awe struck. Perhaps Kurou would stop looking at her like she'd killed his dog if she pretended that nothing ever happened? Although it was hard to not call him by first name. That was something she'd gotten used to in the past, and the habit was hard to break now.

---

---

╔╗

---

---

This was rather quaint isn't it? Fujioka Kurumi, the bold one while Fujioka Nemui, the timid one. They were a standard act. It wasn't that unfamiliar. Many had stated that siblings most of the times are opposite of each other. It also applies to him and his older brother. They had different ways of tackling certain matters and he would not elaborate on that much. That wasn't the topic here really. Anyways, he did offer a smile when Kurumi stated that he was strong. The blonde girl seemed to dictate the flow of the conversation since Nemui was literally a deer in headlights.

"It's nothing like that, but thanks." He humbly answered in regards to his strength. Of course, this was but a ruse as inwardly he was thinking of ways to get back at them in his little devilish ways. After all, a devil never reveals himself no matter what as they say. There was then commentary that they were left in the dark about the whole remarrying, living here and having them as brothers. Somehow, he can't help but think that his father and their mother are two peas in a pod. "Is that so? Our father just told us about this the other day before he left for a business trip." He stated with a friendly yet irritating accent to imply empathy in regard to their sudden situation. He even ended it with a sigh but, his eyes were smiling as he looked at the two girls, nothing was out of the ordinary about him.

The atmosphere was for the most part welcoming, but there was one dent to that. Kurumi said that she has a cat. If it was only him, he wouldn't mind at all as long as she would be responsible in taking care of it. If not, he can't assure her that nothing bad will happen to her feline friend, but this was beside him. "A cat?" He had a thoughtful look and continued with a gentle yet factual tone. "I don't know. We don't keep them because my aniki is---" But before he could finish, he heard footsteps coming at the front. That must be Kurou and what he expected was a hello from the older boy. But what cut him off was that very apprehensive question instead.

To say, he was surprised is right, but it would be more fitting to say that he's intrigued. His brother was the kind of man who easily shows negative emotions. He knew that Kurou wasn't agreeable to having girls stay here even more so being family with them. But, the level of coldness wasn't applicable to that kind of distaste. That's why he knew there was something deeper to this as he quirked an eyebrow at this behavior, but inwardly, a devilish smirk was present. "The game just got more interesting." He even heaved a sigh and answered his brother who was still obviously in a state of rude disbelief. "They're the Fujioka sisters who'll be our sisters once the wedding is done."

He then looked at Kurumi who subtly directed words in relation to his older brother's tactless expression. But, he couldn't be fooled easily. Something was up with that tone of hers and his brother's action was enough for him to see it as a fact. "Ah, it might just slipped his mind, he did sleep late, because he did help me prepare your rooms and all. So, don't be too hard on him? Okay?" He ended it with an apologetic tone and a small smile relating his intention to have his older brother's words be forgotten. He flawlessly crafted a story out of nothing to cover for Kurou. It's a necessary trade for him after all. It seemed to work as Kurumi instead asked who Kurou is. "A vixen isn't she..." Yukito played along as he would dig into certain matters at his own pace later. "Yeah, he's my aniki. Kitomura, Kurou." He introduced his brother with a warm smile before turning to look at Kurou.

"This is Kurumi-san and Nemui-san." He pointed to the respective girls as he called out their names for Kurou. His attention then transferred to Kurumi who asked if he was Ichigo Fuwa. That was his stage name. It's better to use it one to avoid a piling of paparazzi at the front doors. He didn't want to them to dirty the yard with their blood if they chanced upon on Kurou's ridiculous bad mood, but he would admit, he is tempted to do that for the fun. "Hmm..." He tilted his head to the side with a thoughtful look on his face. "Let's see..." He then without much warning leaned towards Kurumi and whispered into her ear. The closeness of his lips to her ear was but a hairbreadth. "Yes, I am, but keep it a secret okay?" His breath had such an alluring warmth as it was done in a very gentle manner, before he pulled away and gave her a playful wink, implicating that he was just lightly messing with her or just having plain fun while telling the truth. It could be taken in many ways, but that's how Yukito is.

"Anyway, why don't you two girls get settled in first?" He approached Kurou as he is not terrified of his older brother at all, even if the guy gets murderous. He never backed down. "Ku-nii, why don't you show them to their rooms? I have to prepare dinner." He stated with a bright smile much like that of an angel. His smile was literally blinding as sparkles around Yukito. He then handed Kurou the two bags while creating a smooth motion to be able to isolate themselves without being heard or be seen by the two girls. "You could handle that much, can't you?" His tone was much colder than his brother and his eyes sharpened with such danger as his orange eyes reflected Kurou. After all, it just wasn't Kurou who changed. He then moved away as if that interaction never happened. "You'll be in safe hands with Ku-nii." He stated proudly without a hint of doubt.

"So, go ahead and settle yourselves. I'll call you when dinner is done." Yukito announced with his gentle yet cheery tone as he waved them later and went to the kitchen to make something up. His actions implied that nothing is wrong or he wanted to make sure everything goes smoothly, but really, he couldn't wait for another blow-up or even a slip-up. It's just that he has a very impeccable mask on that no one really sees his truest intentions. He was having a grand time, pulling on certain strings.

"A cat?"

"I-It was our father's cat before he.." Nemui immediately trailed off, unable to talk about it. Her gaze turned away so she could conceal the sad look in her eyes. If she kept talking about her father, she'd likely break down and cry. She still missed her father, and she kept her distance from Ryouta, afraid to get close to animals, especially cats. Ever since her bullies killed the little kitten she had taken care of in Junior High, she steered clear from all animals for their own safety, "K-Kurumi-chan would keep h-him in her room at all times.. She did back home, because I hate animals." She attempted to aid her sister, hoping it would be enough to let the older girl keep her precious animal that reminded both of them of their deceased father.

"I don't know. We don't keep them because my aniki is---"

She was curious about what Yukito was going to say, but he was interrupted by the presence of an older looking boy. She assumed this was the older brother, seeing as Yukito mentioned one. She never knew that Yukito had an older brother until now, and could see a slight resemblance between the two.

"....What are they doing here?"

Something about the way that the older brother responded was definitely strange and didn't add up right. He gazed upon Kurumi as if she were possessed by a demon or as though she had been infected with the plague. This caused Nemui to tilt her head in confusion. Suddenly she felt more anxious than ever. Did no one tell the older boy? He didn't seem to be 'expecting' anyone considering his response.

"They're the Fujioka sisters who'll be our sisters once the wedding is done."

Would this get messy? She didn't want this to be the family's first official argument.. Somehow she felt that Kurou knew Kurumi, but she wasn't sure how. For some reason his gaze was different when he looked at Kurumi compared to when his eyes fell on Nemui herself. This situation is odd.. What is going on...? Nemui asked herself mentally, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together, but she was drawing blanks.. Kurumi never mentioned knowing this boy before.

"Expecting us? Doesn't seem like it."

"K-Kuru-chii!" Nemui called out in a tone of warning, tugging on her sister's jacket sleeve in attempt to silence her before she made matters worse. Her sister was being equally rude, and Nemui preferred to avoid this confrontation if it was at all possible. She didn't want the family's first encounter to be permanently tarnished, but somehow she felt that she was completely helpless when it came to the issue at hand. Nemui's golden eyes shifted to each person as she nervously chewed on a second piece of chocolate pocky, this time holding the stick in her hand as she anxiously nibbled.

"Ah, it might just slipped his mind, he did sleep late, because he did help me prepare your rooms and all. So, don't be too hard on him? Okay?"

"A-Arigato..." Nemui managed to stutter out, but her eyes were wide in a combination of shock and horror. If they went through her belongings to set up their bedrooms, that meant that one or both of the boys located her extensive collection of shoujo manga. This situation is getting very bad... she was beginning to panic, so she switched her attention to looking over both of her new brothers, this time taking in the finer details. Yukito's casual outfit brought a light blush to her cheeks, admiring his fashion sense for a moment. The older brother's clothes were casual, but he also was a force to be reckoned with. I wonder what our step-father looks like.. Both of our new brothers are attractive, not that something like that matters anymore... But I bet that the father is aesthetically pleasing as well.. They're so lucky.. Suddenly she felt like a chicken amongst a flock of swans. Kurumi, Yukito, and Kurou were all three gorgeous in their own right.. Nemui retreated into baggy clothing because she felt inferior to Kurumi and other girls, but now she felt like not even a trash bag could conceal her subpar physical appearance.

"Who is this, Yukito-San? Your older brother?"

So she doesn't know him..? This is confusing..Nemui frowned as she tried to mentally decipher the problem, letting out an audible sigh as she grew frustrated with herself. She couldn't place her finger on it, but there was definitely something that either Kurou or Kurumi wasn't telling them, and curiosity already began to eat Nemui alive. Though she couldn't doubt her older sister, especially since she seemed so sincere and friendly when she presented her questions about the older brother's identity.

"Yeah, he's my aniki. Kitomura, Kurou. This is Kurumi-san and Nemui-san."

"I-It's nice to meet you, Kitomura-San. We apologize for intruding." Nemui stated with a very formal Japanese bow. She then returned to an upright position, avoiding eye contact with either of the brothers. She was still standing further away than Kurumi, seeing as she was the more timid sister. She didn't want to be surprised by an invasion of her personal space again, so she felt distance was a must.

"Yukito-San... Not to change the subject, but are you also the successful Pop Idol Ichigo Fuwa-sama?!"

Nemui blinked a bit, remembering that her sister did own quite a few of Yukito's posters. She never told the other girl that she knew 'Ichigo Fuwa' because her older sister would have definitely asked to be 'introduced'.. There was no way that could have ever happened, because Nemui didn't know Yukito well enough to do something as bold as that, they were simply classmates until today, nothing more. She never spoke to him once in school, not even to say good morning. She was far too shy to talk to Yukito, and she didn't want to get harsher treatment from her tormentors either.

"Hmm..."

A perplexed look adorned Nemui's features as Yukito seemed to be pondering on the question. Did he suddenly forget who he was? Even Nemui was aware of his occupation, everyone in their class and even quite a few of the girls outside of it were aware.

"Let's see..."

Nemui almost twitched as he toyed with her sister's interest. Was he having fun or something? Building up Kurumi's anticipation? She was almost to the point of admitting it for him, but was too surprised to do anything as Yukito leaned in very close to the older sister.

Nemui visibly freaked out, because it appeared he was leaning in for a kiss from her line of view, although it later became obvious that he was simply whispering. She placed one hand on her chest, attempting to calm her frantic heartbeat. She felt as though she'd almost had a heart attack. The last thing they needed was for one of the siblings to kiss another mere days before the wedding.. That would cause a lot of confusion and unnecessary drama for everyone.. Yukito winked to Kurumi, so Nemui relaxed a bit more. A joke?Well, a little humor never hurt anyone, right? She wasn't sure how true her assumption was, but it was easier to get through the day if she convinced herself that everything would turn out fine.

"Anyway, why don't you two girls get settled in first?"

Nemui felt a sense of relief as he mentioned going to their rooms. This would give Kurou and Kurumi a much needed recess. Perhaps the awkwardness would work itself out? A girl could dream, couldn't she?

"Ku-nii, why don't you show them to their rooms? I have to prepare dinner."

W-what!? Alone with these two?!She wasn't sure if she could referee if Kurou and Kurumi started again.. Either way, she didn't seem to have a choice. Yukito had other responsibilities.. Yukito apparently whispered something to his brother in secret, but Nemui wasn't too concerned by it. They were brothers, perhaps it was something between dudes?

"You'll be in safe hands with Ku-nii."

Nemui wasn't as confident, considering there was definitely an ominous air between Kurumi and Kurou, but she didn't have a say in the matter. She let out another sigh, walking ahead of Kurou because someone would need to open the bedroom doors for him. Both of his hands contained the last two bags of their remaining luggage after all.

"So, go ahead and settle yourselves. I'll call you when dinner is done."

Nemui went up the stairs, noticing five bedrooms and a bathroom. Thankfully all of the bedroom doors had the occupant's name laminated on them. As you come up the stairs, Kurumi's bedroom door was on the main left, and the second door on the left wall was Nemui's. To the immediate right, directly across the hall from Kurumi's bedroom was Kurou's and beside of his was Yukito's. Their parent's room was on the other side of Yukito's bedroom and the bathroom was next to Nemui's bedroom. She opened the door to Kurumi's room and admired the dark blue walls before opening her own. Nemui's room was a pale shade of pink and to her horror, her room was set up. She nearly screamed, but that would look insane, wouldn't it? She'd save it for her pillow, in private. She had to it this short if she wished to hide her mortification.

"I'll take my bag from here.. I.. I have a few things to do before dinner.." To be honest she just needed a bit of scream therapy into her pillow, but she also just made the excuse to escape the awkwardness. She was sure that nothing TOO bad would happen if she left Kurumi and Kurou alone together, "T-Thank you for carrying my bag, Kitomura-San.." She stuttered in a soft, gentle tone as she retrieved it from him. She timidly entered her bedroom, shutting and locking the door behind her before she made a direct sprint for her new bed and let her lungs screech into the fabric of her nearest pillowcase. Which one saw?! Do they both know!? How embarrassing!!

Kurou Kitomura

---

---

When he had finally snapped out of the shocked state he was in, Kurou had immediately regretted even showing interest in the older sister at all. Why? Because his brother would know that something weird had happened between the two, and that could only ever be a bad thing. The man was a sly devil in an angel's clothing, and Kurou was privy to this information, so the outcome could only be horrible for Kurou. Well, at the very least it looked like Kurumi had enough composure to come up with some form of plan, even if it did bother him for her to act like he and she had never met before.

Odd. Usually he wouldn't even care. But when she did it... it pissed him off.

His facial features did not seem to change much. From a surprised and apprehensive frown to just a scowl did not seem to be much of a difference when shown on him. He just sorta looked... somewhat less pissed. Though later his new siblings would come to know this as his default facial expression when dealing with most people. After that, he did something no pessimist would typically while remaining in-character, which is to hope. In this case, he 'hoped' that his brother had just considered that prior outburst as typical behavior of Kurou's and not noticed any underlying cause to it. Yeah, he had to have thought it just normal, right? Kurou mentally started a stopwatch in his head that was to cease the exact moment when his hopes were crushed, as they were without fail for quite some time now. Perhaps that is why he was allowed to have these hopes: because they would always be crushed and cause him to be more and more pessimistic as he aged.

Kurou was snapped out of his insignificant thoughts by a formal introduction by his brother of the the two sisters and by that. That referred to his brother's oddly delicious stagename, the one most people who knew him from anything other than school, knew him as. If someone were perhaps paying close attention at the time, his scowl seemed to harden just a bit when he realized that it was Kurumi saying this. Even her too.... ?, he mentally cursed. Though he should have expected this. Any girl her age would know him, after all he had become a huge hit recently, and just that very fact was something that pissed Kurou off as well, for some reason. He would not, however, ever admit that it was because he was a bit jealous. At least not to himself.

The older brother had been quiet all this time, his face being the only real means of knowing that he was even paying attention. There was not much to say. Well, there was actually a lot he could say, but if he said any of it here, well, there would certainly be a lot of drama and unpleasantness involved. He'd prefer to wait, if possible. If at all. So he did. Despite the fact that it appeared as though he was probably ready to just take his leave with a "I've grown bored of this conversation" and a wave, he stayed in place while his brother said "Yes, I am said Idol" in a very dramatic manner considering. But that was common of him, wasn't it? Kurou was the only one who got to see what was beneath that exterior, and it was not something he felt grateful for, most of the time.

"Ku-nii, why don't you show them to their rooms? I have to prepare dinner." Yukito asked of him while approaching Kurou is a swift, but precise manner. The words his younger brother said next, of course, caused him to stop the timer in his head at just under two minutes. "You could handle that much, can't you?". Kurou took the bags without so much as a physical indication that he'd even heard, but he did. He could almost feel the ice behind each syllable, and he didn't miss the look his brother shot him either. That being said, someone who was perpetually in a state of 'ice' could certainly deal with what Yukito could deal out. Kurou glanced upwards, towards his new imoutos.

"That's fine, I guess." he said to Yukito without turning his gaze back to his younger brother. In the very next instant, he began to turn towards the house and motioned with a hand for the two to follow him inside. However, it seemed the shier of the two had been considerate enough to open the door for him. This kind act of hers had made him realize that he had two sisters, not just that one he had dated at one point. There was definitely something wrong with that. Not just the fact he'd more or less been shrugging off the little one's existence (he believed her name was Nemo or something), but that he'd been dealt a blow this huge by Kurumi's appearance, when he'd felt little romantic attachment to her last time they'd met. Why now? If one could throw out a guess, perhaps it was because she signified his change from one Kurou to another. Shortly after they parted ways was when he lost interest in keeping up a public mask of cheerfulness. It would make sense that seeing her return would remind him of how "foolish" he had used to be.

But Kurou did not know that himself. He just knew he didn't like this situation at all. His instincts were correct that he would not be enjoying today, unfortunately for him.

There was no "thank you" as Kurou entered his home. Given how he looked, one probably should not be surprised. He meant no disrespect towards Nemo in particular, as those two words hadn't been muttered in quite some time. Instead, he stepped into the house and beelined straight towards the bedrooms without delay. He didn't feel like carrying bags any longer than he had to. In fact, being responsible for these two was more than he wanted to begin with. Yet, even then Nemo was more enthusiastic about getting herself to her room than Kurou was, as she managed to scale the stairs in their entirety before Kurou even reached the halfway mark, Kurumi presumably behind him. She must really want to read that shoujo manga, he figured. When he reached the peak of the stairs, he noticed Nemo'd already found her own room, marked by her nameplate that read.....

"Nemui"

....Well, she'd still be Nemo to him.

"I'll take my bag from here.. I.. I have a few things to do before dinner.." his new imouto declared. Kurou again assumed she really wanted to read manga or something, and extended her bag out to her as she reached for it. Expectedly, she thanked him with a small voice and retreated into her room once she'd gotten her bag, leaving Kurou and Kurumi by themselves.

He did the most reasonable thing in this situation.

Kurou suddenly realized how awkward this was. He kept his gaze from meeting Kurumi's as he then walked up to her door and opened it, walking inside. He inspected her room without reserve, or perhaps to keep himself from actually looking at her. He noticed that it was much "girlier" than his room, or at least that's how he could explain it. It wasn't even that "girly", it was just clean, which was foreign to the young man. Enough time eventually passed with an awkward silence that Kurou decide he was going to have to break it. He just wasn't... really that good at it. At least, his typical reaction in these situations would be to grumble and ignore the person, but that wasn't really possible here, was it?

"Kurumi? Kurumi....? Kurumi-san.....?" he repeated just barely audible enough for her. He did not seem to be calling her, he was just repeating the word over and over again as though he wasn't sure what he was supposed to call her now. And he wasn't. It felt... odd to just call her by name. That's what he was supposed to do now, right? For as long as he could remember, he'd referred to Yukito simply as "Yuki", so he couldn't remember exactly how things worked in this regard. "...we went from that to you soon becoming a Kitomura. How odd." was all he could eventually open with, not even bothering to look at her.

Hopefully his charms weren't too much for her to handle.

As he spoke, he noticed his eyes beginning to irritate him. They started feeling itchy. Strange. They only did that when he was exposed to cats.

Nemui changed clothes after she calmed down, putting Moe Kare on her bed, bookmark sticking out to hold her spot. Somewhere along the lines of her time alone, she ended up deciding that she would spend a little time getting to know the neighborhood. She wanted to be familiar with the block, because she would be walking it at night and she didn't want to get lost. Japan was scary enough at night when she knew where she was going. She tugged at her jacket and put her headphones around her neck. She tiptoed past Kurumi's room and managed to avoid being seen due to the awkwardness between Kurou and Kurumi. She wondered what was going on with those two, but she chalked it up to an awkward apology. She finally made it to the front door, slipping on her low top black converse before sliding stealthily out the door. She quietly shut it behind her and made a dead sprint for the main gate. She made it out, seeing as their mother sent beepers to her and Kurumi in the mail. The house stood out among the rest, but none of the homes in the area were anything but beautiful. She went to the right of Sakura Square, stopping on the sidewalk in front of the first house. She didn't even realize that they had any immediate neighbors.

If she were a more sociable person, she probably would have walked over to introduce herself.. but Nemui was not that forward. She wasn't good when it came to talking to other people, and she didn't want to make a fool out of herself. What if the neighbors weren't friendly? Suddenly Nemui wished that she didn't come outside, because she caught sight of a few of her bullies from school. They were headed her way, and Nemui acted without thinking her plan through. Out of pure fear, Nemui bolted across the neighbor's grass and hid behind a large bush. The girls didn't see her yet, so if she was careful, they wouldn't notice her. Sure she was wearing bright yellow and blue, but those girls weren't paying attention to small details, at least none that weren't in their line of vision.

She hunkered down just to be safe, putting her hands over her head. She looked like she was practicing for a tornado drill at school, but to be honest she was just terrified. Her bullies were known to get fairly cruel and unusual, so she ran whenever she could avoid them. She nearly died twice because of the boys and girls that picked on her. Her heart stopped as the girls passed, laughing and blushing as they passed Sakura Square. Apparently they knew where Yukito lived, which only made her more frightened about being seen coming and going from her new home. She hoped that the neighbors wouldn't realize that she was using their shrubs for camouflage, but anything was better than being caught by those girls. Once she felt that they were gone, Nemui rose from her hiding spot and dusted off her clothes. She knew that she was trespassing, but she chose her hiding spot out of survival instinct. She didn't have Kurumi to back her up and there were at least five girls. She never would have been able to stand up for herself, but she also couldn't ask Kurou or Yukito for help. She'd only get bullied more if she let them fight her battles. She was on her own at times like this, and it was scary as hell. She got a few leaves in her hair and she began brushing her fingers through her short light brown locks trying to remove them. She got most of them out, but there was a stubborn one in the back that she couldn't see. She decided to tiptoe across the lawn, hoping that she would be able to escape the neighbor's yard before she was caught by them or anyone else.

She couldn't help but wonder what Yukito was cooking, worried that Kurumi wouldn't eat. Her sister was very picky, and most foods didn't qualify. She ate, but Nemui was worried that the older Fujioka girl would slowly escalate from diets to full blown anorexia. She couldn't watch another family member get sick, so she hoped that her brothers would be kind. If they said anything to make Kurumi self conscious about her weight, they'd probably meet the angry side of Nemui, and due to her intelligence, that was a fairly formidable side to the typically harmless girl. She only grew a pair whenever she needed to stand up for someone else, and Kurumi always would get upset with Nemui because of it. Her sister often accused Nemui of not caring enough about herself or feeling like she didn't deserve to be treated better... To be honest, Nemui didn't have an ounce of self confidence. She couldn't defend herself, because she couldn't find a good quality about herself that was worth defending.

She almost snuck completely out of the yard, but tripped over a sprinkler. She let out a light shriek as she collided with the ground, but was thankfully unharmed. She did however probably catch the attention of the landowner. Could anyone say busted? At least she wasn't loud enough to be heard by those at Sakura Square.. Perhaps if she explained herself the neighbors wouldn't be mad about her being on their property without permission?

---

---

╔╗

---

---

Now on his own, Yukito was smirking with such cruel intention. He was truly certain that his little crumbs of mischief were now taking its roots, like, preparing the rooms of the girls. It would be easier for him to just have the rooms cleaned, colored and left the girls' things in the boxes, but he did like having a bit of an ace and adding to his delight of knowing that those girls were embarrassed with the knowledge that either him or even his brother handled their things especially the one, they didn’t want to be known. He did saw the collection of mangas and posters of him. It was rather adorable and intriguing tools for him to use when the time comes. That's why he arranged their things for them. Kurou actually didn't do anything to help in that matter other than having him carry the boxes to the rooms and that was already a hurdle for the older Kitomura to do, not an issue of strength really, but of willingness. Well, it was definitely not wrong in his book to make fun of the people around him whether they are family or not. It was just one of his ways to vent out his frustrations even if he knew it was a bad thing.

His mother would probably scold him, but she wasn't here anymore isn't it? That's why that absentee father of his was going to marry someone else. "This is so stupid..." His eyes narrowed in aggravation and the mixture of sadness. His current expression was far different from what he had shown those dimwitted girls earlier and his older brother most of the times. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. After that, he was wearing again his mask and just decided to do what he does best, lie...

He opened the fridge and took out the ingredients he would need to make dinner. Kurou wanted something simple and from the off-handed comment by Kurumi, she wanted salad. "Yuck!" He inwardly grimaced. He hates vegetables, but not that he would stop anyone eating it or not used it in cooking. It's just that he doesn't eat it, but accepts that they are needed to spice up certain meals. It's not like he has much of a choice. He would just have to whip out a dinner that all of them could eat together. He took the apron (strawberry-printed) hanging at the nearby rack and wore it. He then pulled up his sleeves and began his preparation. If any of his fans or other people would see him, they wouldn’t expect from the energetic and seemingly carefree pop idol to know how to work his way in a kitchen.

That's why many would be impressed and the girls would be in a daze, because he just doesn't appear efficient, he appears very handsome and cute with his current get-up along with his very focused expression. "Oh, that's right. I should check my messages." He remembered as he put aside the things needs to be cut as he took out his phone. Then, he placed it at the nearby counter and pressed the play button. After that, he continued with his cooking as he listened. They were mostly reminders of his schedule for the rest of the week and confirmations of interviews and guesting. They were a bit cramped as he did take a day-off and classes were about to start. It's a good thing that his manager, Haruko was a miracle worker in organizing his schedule, but he wouldn't admit that to her anytime soon. He was still having fun teasing her about being a horrendous task manager.

Then, there was one message which took his full attention. It was one coming from the Kitomura patriarch, his father. Yukito stopped dicing the vegetables and looked at where he placed his phone. "Hey Yu, I'm just checking in. Did the girls arrive already? Make them feel welcome, alright? I know it's been hard, but we can have a complete family again. Take care of Kurou, I know it should be the opposite. Anyway, I'll see you all soon." It was done. Yukito's expression was incredibly hard to read. His eyes of orange which was commonly bright lacked any luster. It was like looking at the eyes of a dead person. His lips were curved downward picturing a frown. He went towards his phone and instantly deleted his father's message and kept his phone. "Family, huh..." He muttered in a very cold and stark way as if not understanding that word's meaning and concept. It was inaudible to anyone but him.

He closed his eyes again and released a rather heavy sigh. "I better finish here, can't have them wait for dinner too long." He was back to his cheery self as a smile was now plastered on his face whether this was an act or not, only Yukito really knows. After a while, he was done with dinner. He cleaned up the kitchen and then set up the table at the dining room. When he was done, he removed his apron, returning it to its rack and tidied himself up. He stretched his arms and his neck for good measure before going towards to the intercom installed at the kitchen entrance. It was connected to various rooms of the house. This was a large house after all. It wouldn't be wise to simply shout what you wanted and hoped someone was nearby to hear or wasn't deaf.

Yukito pressed a few buttons allowing him to patch through the bedrooms. "Hey guys, dinner is ready. Come on down, okay?" His voice echoed through the rooms as he spoke in a friendly manner and ended it at that. He went towards the table and looked at the food laid out there. It was actually simple. He prepared Unagi don. It was grilled eel covered with sweet caramel-like sauce on top of freshly cooked rice. It does look simple but, the he did the grilling and the sauce was made from scratch by Yukito. His mother always emphasized that in cooking, one must do everything by hand. It makes the meal more delicious and healthy. He also prepared some warm tea to accompany the meal. He also made a bowl of fresh green vegetable salad with some mixed fruits, like berries (minus strawberries) which he both cut and chopped for easier eating. He still had free time so, he also made some taiyaki on the sides. He baked them with assorted fillings like strawberry, sweet red bean paste, chocolate, and cheese with some of the fillings he did on his own like the strawberry and sweet red bean.

It made him wonder if this was enough. Anyway, he did his part. Then, there was a slight smirk on his lips. He had a feeling dinner would be entertaining at the very least. This will be fun...

---

---

"Trespasser."

The boy's word hit her like an arrow in the chest. She knew that this was definitely considered trespassing, but she had a good reason! She enjoyed living and she didn't want to die today! Was that so wrong?

"Are you hurt?"

Nemui immediately shook her head. She was glad that she didn't get hurt, because she didn't want to explain it when she got home, but also because that would have meant she more than likely broke something. The boy was definitely a bit underdressed considering that the sh was setting. He had to be cold, yet he still stood there and asked if she was alright, "I'm okay.. Gomenasai!" She replied in a sincere tone, definitely embarrassed by the fact that he caught her trespassing in his yard. What were the chances that their neighbor would have a son around her age!? This was getting ridiculous, almost like a shoujo manga! The boy's appearance was not as intimidating as Kurou's or Yukito's, but the ebony haired guy was still above average when it came to aesthetics. Nemui didn't stare for long, well aware that when it came to physical appearance, she was in the negatives. She was as nerdy and felt as unattractive as it gets, well, without the help of acne or deformities.

"What are you doing here?"

With a blush, Nemui accepted his aid. After he helped her up, she dusted off her clothes and turned her gaze elsewhere on Sakura Square, "W-We're n-neighbors.." She began, hoping he wouldn't use this information to get her in trouble. The last thing she wanted on her first day was a complaint from the neighbors, "I came out to look around and saw a few girls from my Junior High... I hid to avoid them." She responded, tilting her head at him. She realized that he was definitely cold, but she forgot her scarf.

She realized that she never gave her name, so she quickly bowed respectfully, "F-Fujioka, Nemui.. I-I am going to be a freshman at the nearby academy. I apologize for trespassing in your yard. I-It'll never happen again." She stated in a sincere and apologetic tone. She then sneezed, despite being the one in the jacket. Someone was definitely talking about her then, she just didn't know who. Nemui was a bit superstitious about small myths, but nothing like Kurumi. The older Fujioka couldn't get through a scary movie without crying at least once. Nemui hoped that the boy would let her off the hook, but she wasn't too confident. She didn't blame him if he was alarmed or angry, but judging by his demeanor, he didn't seem to be much of either. In fact, the guy seemed fairly understanding, which is probably why she was so honest with a perfect stranger. She felt stupid for pouring out her baggage, but she couldn't take it back now.. Way to go Nemui! You're being pathetic again! This is why people bully you all the time! She mentally scolded herself. She knew that it did no good to tell others, in fact that made things worse.

---

---

╔╗

---

---

He turned around to see that the first one down the stairs was his older brother. There was a moment of silence from his end as he assessed Kurou's demeanor. Yukito tilted his head to the side slightly to emphasize that he was thinking about something. "Ku-nii." He called out to his brother as he remembered the message of their father in full detail. Sometimes, he hates that everything he hears are perfectly preserved in his memory. "Thanks." He simply stated. It referred to his older brother's attempt of at least doing his best to be accommodating. There was no point mentioning to Kurou about their father's message. He knew well that his older brother resents the man very much.

"Oh, Kurumi-san." His eyes shifted from his brother to the blonde-haired girl. The girl joined them as well, but where was the other one. Speaking of which, that girl seems familiar to him. He wasn't able to mention it earlier. He just wasn't sure where exactly. Well, he could get to it later, but before he could answer where the other girl is, Kurumi beat him to it. "No, she didn't. I also didn't hear her go out." He answered while noticing something strange of Kurumi. She was avoiding to look at Kurou which was suggested by her body gesture, so something did happen. He inwardly smirked about this while glancing at Kurou. "Kurumi-san, why don't you try calling her?" He suggested as she should have the number of her sister while keeping the observation to himself.

"While you're doing that, I'll take a look around outside. Ku-nii text me if she answers." Yukito offered as he grabbed hold of jacket that was hanging at the coat rack and the gate beeper by the entrance. He wore it while looking at the two with a smile that was considered friendly, but inside he was having a mischievous thought. "Behave yourselves while, I'm out okay?" He gave them a playful wink and stepped outside. There was no need for him to wait for their replies. It seemed that leaving those two alone tend to cause certain moments, as they feed more wood to fire. Anyway, he went towards the courtyard as the sakura blossoms littered the ground. It was a beautiful sight. His mother had designed this actually. She fell in love with these trees when she came to Japan, so she wanted one at their house.

He walked through the gates as he opened it and then began to wonder which direction he should go first. It was night so, there were less people out on the streets. This was rather quiet neighborhood really, but this was enhanced more by the chill in the air. There was still some traces of the winter cold even if it was spring. "Let's go here." He finally chose a direction as he walked through the streets. It didn't take a while before he noticed an odd scene and the focus of his search. "Nemui-san?" He called out to the girl who seemed to be apologizing suggested by her actions to a black-haired boy. He could only guess it was about something since she was literally inside the yard of another house. "Excuse me. I'll barge in. I'm Kitomura, Yukito. Did she cause you any trouble?" He entered the yard and looked at the boy. He had never seen him before around this area, but it's not like he roamed the neighborhood.

The boy seemed to be roughly around their age group which he judged by appearance alone. Yukito stood beside Nemui and offered him a gentle smile before looking at the other boy. "I'd like you to forgive her. She didn't mean any harm. I'll take full responsibility. She lives with us at the Sakura Square." Apparently, they're neighbors. That's when he remembered. This is the Suzuki residence. His mother would often visit her when she was still alive. "This might be a bit forward, but are you related to Mari-baachan?" When the boy answered or not, he spoke again in politeness. "Well, if it's not too much, please say hi for Mari-baachan from me. I would like to do it personally, but..." He glanced at Nemui. "I have to get her back. Someone's worried about her." He then returned his attention to the boy again. "We'll see you around then. Sorry for the intrusion and thank you. Have a good night."

His eyes of orange were on Nemui once more. "Shall we go, Nemui-san?" He then lead the way back to Sakura Square. "I won't ask what happened and this is probably shouldn't be my business, but girls shouldn't be out at night especially if no one knows. There is not much of a crime here, but we could never know." He told her with concern reflected in his eyes, but of course, he is a very effective actor, whether this was true or not, only he knows. That's when he changed the subject. as he remembered something that he should ask her. There was nothing wrong in his question in his opinion. "Nemui-san, I don't want to sound rude or anything." He glanced at her as he stopped before the main entrance of the house. His hand was at the door knob ready to open the door. "But, do I know you from somewhere?" He leaned forward as his face was now close to hers, but there was still a gap between them, but if anyone had seen them, they would think that they were going to kiss.

"I feel terrible forgetting someone cute as you." He then pulled away as he now had an embarrassed look on his face and this was not really hard for him to do. "Anyways, dinner is ready. I hope you'd like it."

---

---

"Suzuki, Ren."

"O-Ohayo, gozaimasu. It's a pleasure to meet you, Suzuki-San." Nemui replied with a polite and formal bow to respond to his own. It wasn't often that she talked to boys, so Nemui couldn't help but be more than a little skittish.

"It's fine. You should get going. You might catch a cold."

"H-Hai... I didn't mean to stay out this long.. G-Gomenasai.. You seem cold too..." Nemui shifted her eyes to Ren again, and the fact that his hands were pocketed again. She felt bad that he was getting cold on her account..

"Nemui-san?"

"K-Kitomura-San?" Nemui's voice grew questioning, and she tilted her head at him. What is he doing here..? Immediately it triggered in her mind, he was here because she had taken longer than she'd thought. Dinner was ready, and she was holding everything up, wasn't she? Now she was really embarrassed, she never meant to cause a delay to the dinner plans.

"Excuse me. I'll barge in. I'm Kitomura, Yukito. Did she cause you any trouble?"


"E-Eh..?! I-I didn't do anything really.." She immediately responded, waving her hands side to side in a dismissive fashion. She didn't break anything, just a bit of trespassing.. The situation was defused and everything, definitely nothing to see here.. yet Yukito kind of made her feel like a delinquent all of a sudden when he put it like that.


"Not really."

The words brought a small smile to the shy girl's lips. She couldn't help but feel glad that he admitted to not being bothered by her, thus proving her innocence. She kind of thought that she was irritating him, but apparently she wasn't.

"I'd like you to forgive her. She didn't mean any harm. I'll take full responsibility. She lives with us at the Sakura Square."

He's playing Judge, Jury and Parol Officer.. Nemui twitched for a moment, sweat dropping as he excused her and tried to take responsibility. For what, she wasn't sure.. Though she looked up and rubbed the back of her neck. She noticed the smile on Yukito's face, wondering what he believed that she truly did. It wasn't like she skipped through the flower bed and used the daisies for target practice.

"No need for taking responsibility. It's all settled now anyway."

"A-Arigato, Kitomura-San, but as Suzuki-San said, everything is fine n-now.." She managed to stutter out, gazing over to Sakura Square awkwardly. She began to wonder what her new brother thought of her, and it made her nervous. Would he tell Kurumi and Kurou? Would it get blown out of proportion?

"This might be a bit forward, but are you related to Mari-baachan?"

Eh? Now he's striking up conversation? Nemui shifted her balance back and forth, fiddling with the headset around her neck as the two boys conversed.

"Yeah, she's my grandmother."

Oh.. He's talking about the owner of this house? I'm glad I met the boy instead of the older woman.. She might have not been as understanding.. Nemui thought to herself, chewing on the inside of her cheek. Her stomach silently rumbled, and she knew it would soon let out an embarrassing growl if they did t get a move on.

"Well, if it's not too much, please say hi for Mari-baachan from me. I would like to do it personally, but... I have to get her back. Someone's worried about her."

"Gomenasai." She stated in a guilty manner, not wanting to get in between Yukito and anyone else. She could walk home alone if he really wanted to, but Nemui also took into account that it could have just been an excuse to leave sooner, so she remained quiet.

"Okay, I'll tell her."

Nemui looked between the two boys. They were getting along well enough, but she was a bit jealous of them. They conversed so freely, as if it was as simple as breathing. She wished she could be more like them when it came to that aspect.

"We'll see you around then. Sorry for the intrusion and thank you. Have a good night."

Despite overcompensating for the situation, Nemui realized that Yukito really was fairly skilled at apologizing. Who did he spend so much time apologizing for? Did he learn to get himself or someone else out of trouble? She wasn't sure, but she definitely didn't plan to forget this tidbit of information. Just who are you, Yukito Kitomura?

"Good night."

"Oyasumi Nasai, Suzuki-San. Gomenasai." She apologized again, just for good measure. She didn't want to earn a bad reputation with her neighbors over once incident, so she definitely wanted to make it clear that she was apologetic about using his yard as a panic room.

"Shall we go, Nemui-san?"

"Hai." Nemui followed Yukito back, lagging behind him a few steps, just in case any of her classmates were watching. She didn't want to be seen getting too casual with him, just in case there were any of his fan girls spying. She remained quiet, and wouldn't have said anything the entire walk if he hadn't sparked up a conversation. She couldn't ignore him, that would be beyond rude..

"I won't ask what happened and this is probably shouldn't be my business, but girls shouldn't be out at night especially if no one knows. There is not much of a crime here, but we could never know."

"I-I'm out at night all the time.. We're both kind of used to it." Nemui admitted as she followed him back to Sakura Square. She knew she should probably elaborate, considering that leaving her confession as it was made the two sound a bit scandalous, "W-What I mean is.. Kuru-chii works as.." Her words came to an abrupt halt as she realized her sister wouldn't want the two to know that she spent some of her free time working as a cosplay cafe maid. She laughed a bit awkwardly and immediately continued, hoping he wouldn't ask, "Well... that's her business.. but, I work at a bookstore part time.." She wasn't sure how to respond to the concern that she saw in his eyes, seeing as this was a whole new experience for her. She never had to deal with others worrying about her before, and to be honest, she wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel about it. It was just awkward, sure it was sweet, but it didn't mask the awkwardness between them.

"Nemui-san, I don't want to sound rude or anything."

"Eh..?" She looked to Yukito in a questioning manner, her golden eyes blinking in curiosity as she stood there patiently waiting for him to get to his point. What did he have to say that would be rude? Did she do something to anger him?

"But, do I know you from somewhere?"

Nemui froze as she realized that Yukito was leaning in towards her, her eyes widening a bit at his closed in on her. She knew that this situation looked bad, from any angle, so she had to act fast. There were always paparazzi idly waiting to snap a compromising picture of Ichigo Fuwa. Nemui slightly nodded her head to respond to his question, "W-we were in the same class a c-couple of times..." She had to force the words out, remnants of the chocolate pocky that she'd ate earlier still lingering on her breath.

"I feel terrible forgetting someone cute as you."

She was glad that he pulled away before she had to put space between them, and she bit her bottom lip gently, "T-There is no need!" She quickly assured him, shaking her head quickly. She didn't understand why he felt bad, especially since they never even spoke to each other until today. She averted her eyes for a moment, trying to get her emotions in check, "W-we've never even said hello at school, I don't blame you. Y-you don't have to say stuff like that." She totally dodged the compliment, but she wasn't unaffected by being deemed as 'cute'. However, Nemui didn't believe that she was attractive in any form or fashion, nor did she believe that Yukito actually thought of her as 'cute'. He probably said it to make me feel better...

"Anyways, dinner is ready. I hope you'd like it."

She wasn't sure why he looked embarrassed, but she didn't ask either. She was embarrassed enough on her own, in more ways than one, and it wasn't just because of Yukito. She really didn't like getting caught by the neighbor.. He wasn't a super model, or an idol like Yukito, but she still found Ren to be a more approachable type of attractive.

Once inside of the house she came to the living room and board respectfully to Kurumi and Kurou, "I-I'm so sorry for holding up dinner..." Nemui apologized in a very sincere and slightly humiliated tone of voice. She did not rise from her Japanese style bow for nearly an entire minute, "S-Shall we eat now? I-I really look forward to trying Kitomura-san's cooking... Plus Kuru-chii and Kitomura-Senpai have a big test tomorrow.." She announced, quite possibly throwing them both under the bus.

---

---

╔╗


|| Current Location ✦ Studio 9 |||| [ Theme ✦ [Fly On The Wall ] ||

---

---

Yukito raised an eyebrow about Nemui mentioning about working part-time. It seemed both sisters do it. He wasn't opposed to it at all. That was their business and he wasn't going to stop them, but he did notice that stop in regards to Kurumi's work. There's a story to that. He would get to than in another time. For now, he was a bit disappointed. It's just that he already had his mind set that his brother would have companions to hang around the house and to have him gain a sense of responsibility towards the girls would be a fun thing to watch. There goes his source of entertainment, but he could do something about it to make it still worth the fun. He could also suggest to his brother to work part-time too. His thoughts made him inwardly smirked while his mask still perfectly intact. "I see, I'll give you and Kurumi-san keys for the gate and the house then." He noted casually. "If it wouldn't be too much, would you tell me what time do you and Kurumi-san get off from work?" His question came out as normal as day without a hint of anything. "I just want to have a baseline so, I wouldn't worry about you girls too much." He ended it with a smile and a playful wink.

Another point of interest for him was the affirmation of his suspicion. That's why Nemui looked familiar to him. They are classmates. He missed her probably because she was a wallflower. It fits her current appearance which he wouldn't tell her right now. There are other times where he could use those descriptions. "Classmates, if that's the case. Would you like to go to school together tomorrow?" His words came out of his lips as if they were the most common thing to say in this situation. It's like he's unaware of the implication of him being seen together with a girl or maybe he just didn't care, but that was one-sided. He might not, but the other party might care a lot. "We're going to be siblings by the end of this week. I've always wanted to walk with a pretty sister by my side." Usually, there should be a wink at the end, but he simply had a warm smile on his face and then entered the house without another word about it.

"We're back! Did you two behave while we're out?" He announced as he found Kurou and Kurumi at the living room. His orange eyes locked on to the two, but nothing was revealed about his current interests or intentions. He was just being playful and cheerful as he had been depicted so far. "Don't worry about it too much, Nemui-san." He stated while looking at Nemui's very formal bow. "It was no trouble at all." He noted with an airy smile before walking on ahead of her. "Let's have dinner before it gets too cold." But Nemui's words about a test, did earn his attention for a bit. He wasn't that worried about Kurou's grades academically. The guy was good with it. There's a bit of a decline, but that was understandable with what's going on in their lives. Anyways, Kurou was in no danger as much as he could tell. Their mother had always taught them to have a good education, so it kinda stuck on them. "Is that so? Well, I guess it's best for Kurumi-san and Ku-nii to get to bed early then." He noted as he took his seat and waited for everyone else to do the same. "Go ahead and dig in!"

Truth be told, it had been a while since he had cooked for anyone. This past vacation, he was busy with work that he often called Kurou to ask for deliveries or make his own meals. They barely ate together nowadays since he began his pop idol career. He wasn't pleased about the whole remarrying idea and being family with such dimwitted girls who shouldn't be here in the first place, but he was thankful for them for one thing. He was able to cook for his brother and have dinner with him along with the added spice. May be, this wouldn't be that bad as his brother was probably brooding about. Still, he couldn't blame Kurou for hating the arrangements. For now, he was enjoying the thoughts of having new toys to play with. He would make great effort to always play with them. "Itadakimasu!" He announced as he grabbed his chopsticks and began his meal along with the others. Well, food seemed to taste a bit better than before.

---

On another area, someone was having a rather lonesome dinner. This was none other than Shin. It wasn't that lonely. He had been used to it for a long time. He had just returned from his grocery shopping and was now lounged at his couch while watching some movie with aliens and predators. He just popped in the first DVD he found and just rolled with it. He was living on his own at an apartment he rented through his earnings as a model. He didn't want to depend on that man who was mandated as his father. He grabbed a few chips from the snack he was holding and then looked at the nearby wall clock. It was too slow for his comfort. He wanted it to be morning already. The idea made him smirk. Who would have thought he would be so excited to go to school? He never pegged himself to be. He stood from his seat, turned off the movie, and then decided to take a shower.

Once inside, he removed his shirt and noticed a very pale red mark around his stomach. That's right. He bumped into that girl. It didn't do much damage and his clothes are going to be sent to the dry cleaner's. The girl was flustered by his action, but that was normal. It made him smile, just a small one. It's meaning only known to him and then he ended that encounter with that. He had no idea that tomorrow was going to be more than he bargained for. But as of now, he placed his phone at the sink as he played some songs installed on it. The song playing was actually Yukito's as he stepped on to the shower and just relaxed. Tomorrow was going to be a great day, that's what he assumed. If only, he would know.

Kurou Kitomura
Tactical Espionage Action

---

---

Kurou was just minding his own business when all the sudden some.... wait, I really need to find new material. This is getting old, isn't it?

Originally, the television had a rerun of Kurou's favorite show on and despite being quite Famished, it proved to be a satisfactory distraction. The show, titled "Unliving Book", was a deep and suspenseful thriller about a highschool student with the power to kill whomever he wished by merely writing a name in a book. He is confronted by the greatest detective in the world and it only gets better from there. However, his pleasure was short-lived. As if owning the place she had just moved into this very day, Kurumi took it upon herself to insult the show he'd watched many times over, without even batting an eye. Was she aware of what she'd just said!?

"If you're going to be a couch potato, at least put something good on the T.V... Or, you can surrender the remote..."

B-but it's one of the highest-ranked anime of all time.... ! How dare she!

Kurou inhaled deeply, looking at her as if she'd insulted him. In his eyes, she did. What she said could never be taken back, no matter how much she wished for it to be.

"What'll it be? Shall we wage war or can we come to a peaceful compromise? We can switch it to a music channel when dinner starts."

"I don't care." he said, tossing the remote to Kurumi. It wasn't hard to tell he was lying, but if it wasn't going to be Unliving Book, then the statement was actually partially true. "Watch whatever." That said, he figured that she'd put some weird reality TV show on. Most girls liked that nowadays, right? Kurou was one of those guys who kinda filtered out a lot of the talk girls did, even on dates. That was probably why he couldn't hold a girlfriend for more than a couple weeks at a time.

No matter what it was that Kurumi had put on the television, Kurou simply watched it with lifeless eyes. His stomach had been calling to him for quite some time now. It hurt. Despair overtook the Kitomura as he questioned whether or not he would die right here.

Hungry......

"Eh?"

Oh, she's talking.

"-e totally has noticed we've been weird. How can we get him off our backs?"

It almost sounded like she suspected that he knew a reliable way to do such. He did know his brother, sure, but the best plan Kurou had at the moment wasn't that great if you were bad at acting (which Kurou was). Sighing a turning his gaze from the TV to his new sibling, he told her the best plan conceivable in this scenario.

"Nothing happened, remember? If there's nothing for him to get out of it, he'll get bored eventually.... probably. Just remember not to---" Kurou was cut off before he got the chance to finish his sentence by the sound of the door opening. It almost even seemed like he was going to say something important.

"I-I'm so sorry for holding up dinner..."

Kurou had jumped up immediately upon hearing the door open and by the time Nemui had muttered those words, he was already near the table. "You'd better not do it again." he snapped. Fortunately, Kurou was more interested in eating than being angry at Nemo, so he found his seat and sat down immediately. His "Immunity to Yuki's Teasing" buff was still very much active. Whether or not it was because he didn't actually hear the tease or because he was much more interested in the food before him was anybody's guess.

The only thing respectable about Kurou's table manners was the "Itadakimasu" before almost literally lunging at his food to devour every piece in sight. He honestly ate as though he hadn't seen food for the past two weeks. Kurou had probably noticed he wasn't the most beautiful person in the room during this period of time, but he also had little care for what people thought about him either. He just really wanted to eat. And also leave the table, but eating came first. So, it went without saying that Kurou finished the food race in first place. Unsurprisingly so considering him being the only participant of the race. But the most surprising thing of all is that despite his animal-like consumption of the food, he was perfectly clean after a few rubs of a napkin on his face.

"Bed does sound good." Kurou suddenly said as if continuing the expired conversation before presumably heading off towards his bedroom. Little did his siblings know, this was all a stealthy act to not have to clean the table.

"I don't care."

"... I won't even go there." Kurumi replied back with a sigh, and a shake of her head. He definitely wasn't the Kurou that she remembered, and it was still taking a while to get used to it. She caught the remote, but it nearly slipped through her fingers as she received a jolt of pain from her finger tips all the way up her arm. She closed her eyes for a moment to collect herself, to avoid a pained expression from making it's way onto her features. She opened them a little bit later, switching the movie to Scream, the TV show. She liked horror movies, never romance. Chick flicks always reminded her of what she didn't have, and despite the nightmares that would surely come with watching a horror based TV show, it was better than watching a romance movie with her ex, she hated them on their own, but that would be a million times worse.

"Watch whatever."

"Depressing." She stated amongst a sigh followed with a frown as she looked over to Kurou. Was he always like this, or was it because of her? Would he be like this from now on? She decided to attempt making amends, seeing as Yukito did request that they behave, but mostly because the victory was too easy? "I was only half serious." She stated, tossing the remote back to Kurou, not making eye contact with him as she continued on, "I don't understand that show you were watching, so I got bored of it." She explained, leaning back against the couch, but remained only on the arm of the couch so the two of them remained at a distance and did not touch at all. She began rubbing her upper arm absentmindedly, the same arm that nearly dropped the remote earlier, "You can change it back. I just wanted to see if this show was worth watching to be honest. My mother recommended it." Part of her felt a bit guilty for demanding the remote, seeing as Kurou didn't seem to see the lightheartedness behind it, and another part of her wished that Yukito and Nemui would interrupt, to make the awkwardness in the room dissipate.

"Nothing happened, remember?"

Kurumi nodded her head when he said that bit, the words stinging again. It stung when she said them, but somehow when he repeated them it managed to sting a bit more, "I know that, he just has a knack for making it more awkward than it should be." She confessed, but a lot more relaxed now, perhaps because she was tired, but she blamed it on the pain that shot through her arm. It was hard to fully focus on anything now when her arm was searing with pain, even her Kurou and Yukito problem fell as a close second on her priorities.

"If there's nothing for him to get out of it, he'll get bored eventually.... probably. Just remember not to---"

Kurumi was listening to his advice when her earlier prayers were answered, yet now she was angry. She wanted to hear Kurou's advice, but he couldn't give it now that Yukito and Nemui returned. She'd have to figure it out on her own, or lie. Either way, she was determined to keep it a secret from Yukito, "Thanks for the advice, Kitomura-San." Kurumi replied with a smile to Kurou, not daring to call him or Yukito by first name until this all blew over.

"We're back! Did you two behave while we're out?"

"Why wouldn't we?" Kurumi tilted her head in an innocent and oblivious manner, even batting her eyelashes in confusion for good measure. It was a little easier now, seeing as Kurou's sour mood was getting on her nerves. She wasn't as embarrassed anymore, because he didn't seem to have a lot in common with the Kurou she had such strong feelings for, aside from similar physical features, but even those changed. He looked older and was taller, but little else seemed to change about him.

"I-I'm so sorry for holding up dinner..."

"Ne-chan, you could have been.." At first Kurumi's voice was concerned sharp as she spoke to the younger girl, but toward the end it cracked a little. She was definitely upset, but she wasn't sure if it was more about Nemui wandering off or Kurou. Kurumi shook her head, letting her worries float off into the wind, because there were more pressing matters at hand.

"Never mind. You're safe, so let's just eat, okay?" Kurumi responded to her sister in a relieved tone, but didn't get the chance to say anymore, too startled and angered by Kurou's next words to say much of anything pleasant.

"You'd better not do it again."

Kurumi immediately shot a warning glare at Kurou, doing next to nothing to be discreet. She wanted him to know she wouldn't put up with his snarky attitude towards her innocent and timid sister. She wouldn't start trouble for no reason, nor would she expose their past, but being rude to Nemui in front of Kurumi was comparable to taunting a momma bear's cub. She wouldn't sit by and twiddle her thumbs, whether she currently felt weaker than an empty egg shell or not. Do that again, and you'll wake up with baby pink hair tomorrow... or none at all if I'm feeling particularly vicious today.. Kurumi thought to herself in a harsh manner, paying close attention to the moments to come.

"It was no trouble at all."

"Thank you for understanding, Kitomura-kun." Kurumi responded with a grateful expression, smiling to him, then at Nemui. She was glad at least one of the brothers wasn't being a total asshole to her little sister. Nemui was bullied enough at school, she wouldn't allow it to happen here too. Home was meant to be a sanctuary after all.

"Is that so? Well, I guess it's best for Kurumi-san and Ku-nii to get to bed early then."

"I'm going to go shortly after dinner so that I can get a little studying in on my own." She wasn't much for studying, so to Nemui this was obviously a lie. She was confident that her sister would not call her out on her choice, at least not in front of the Kitomura brothers. Honestly she just wanted to call it a night.

"Itadakimasu." Kurumi stated, her words forced and almost too synthetically sweet to utter. She was definitely faking it, still very ticked off that Kurou snapped at her sister as if he had the right. As far as she was currently concerned, she'd never accept him as a friend, so she'd never consider him family, especially if he couldn't tame that horrible personality he kept expressing. She almost wondered how she ever fell in love with such a vile person, but remembered that he was a far different person back then, and mourned the boy she knew. The Kurou that she knew was already dead, she did not know this person at all, so she suddenly didn't feel so much like a liar anymore. Perhaps this was the mindset she'd needed all along to get Yukito off of her back?

Kurumi remained otherwise silent and put a decent sized portion of salad on her plate, and nothing else. She'd chalk it up as being a vegetarian, but honestly she simply was terrified of gaining weight, and wished to eat as few preservatives as possible. She missed hamburgers, chicken, the works, but she had an image to uphold as school, seeing as she was the most popular girl there. Her altruistic behavior and ballet skills definitely did a lot to boost her popularity, she was the complete opposite of the mean girls that typically held her position in school.

It was hard not to notice Kurou's savage methods of eating, but she ignored him to the best of her ability, "Thank you, Kitomura-San. You really worked hard." Kurumi complimented with a very kind smile. A lot of the boys from school would describe her current smile as a gift from the angels. Kurumi never understood why they had a habit of over exaggerating, but she did find it a bit charming at times.

"Bed does sound good."

Kurumi put her plate and glass away quietly, bowing to Yukito and Nemui, "Excuse me, I am turning in early tonight. Goodnight Ne-chan, Kitomura-kun." She didn't feel awkward about leaving shortly after Kurou, mostly because she planned to long before he mentioned it. She left Yukito and Nemui to their dinner, making her ascent up the stairs, refusing to let her eyes wander in the direction of Kurou's bedroom. She went straight to her own, shutting the door behind her and changed into this {LINK HERE}.

"Ne-chan, you could have been.."

Nemui nodded her head, fully aware of what could have happened to her. She'd watched far enough Law and Order and CSI: Miami to know what happened to girls who weren't careful. Her eyes shifted from her sister in shame, "I know Kuru-chii... Gomenasai.." Her voice was soft, as if she were about to cry. Honestly she could have, but she didn't want to embarrass herself in front of her brothers twice in the same day. She withheld her tears to the best of her ability, gripping the oversized sleeves of her light blue jacket.

"Never mind. You're safe, so let's just eat, okay?"

Nemui nodded her head, closing her eyes as she delivered a kind smile to her sister, glad that she seemed to understand. Kurumi always understood, regardless of her mistake, and it made Nemui feel more than lucky to have her as an older sister. She couldn't imagine life without someone as kind as Kurumi as her sibling, but suddenly, she didn't have to imagine...

"You'd better not do it again."

Nemui blinked a bit in shock, tilting her head a bit. She wasn't sure if she had imagined it, but Kurou was far less kind about it. She finally realized that it wasn't her imagination when her eyes flickered to Kurumi, who was gazing at Kurou viciously. Nemui chewed the inside of her cheek, but decided to ignore Kurou. There was no point in engaging if he would respond harshly. This was definitely not the family she envisioned the past few nights, and she couldn't help but feel disappointed. Grumpy pants (Kurou).. Kuru-chii... and My death warrant (Yukito).. What kind of joke is this..? Was I a horrible person in my past life? She followed her sister and went to sit down, but was startled by Yukito's voice.

"It was no trouble at all."

Nemui couldn't conceal the small smile that formed on her lips when Yukito was reassuring that it wasn't a big deal. It was ironic that the brother who was nice to her would also be the brother that got her slaughtered tomorrow at school. This scenario came across as very rom-com to her, so much so that she almost wanted to laugh, just almost. To get a move on with dinner, Nemui sat beside of her sister at the table and waited for someone to start things off. She didn't look up, but Kurumi definitely seemed to be in a slightly better mood after Yukito's comment, so Nemui felt a little more confident in the group than she had been before, perhaps dinner wouldn't be a complete disaster?

"Is that so? Well, I guess it's best for Kurumi-san and Ku-nii to get to bed early then."

Nemui nodded in response to Yukito's question, but also to agree that their older siblings needed a bit more rest than they did. She let her gaze shift to Kurumi to gauge her reaction, but to her relief, Kurumi didn't seem angry with her for blabbing it out. She didn't even bother to look over to Kurou, not really appreciating that she was already getting harsh remarks at home. He didn't know her, and he was definitely not her boss. He wasn't her step brother yet, and even when he was, he would have to earn respect from her, she wouldn't simply hand it out freely. If anything, he lost a decent portion of her respect for his rudeness earlier.

"I'm going to go shortly after dinner so that I can get a little studying in on my own."

Nemui knew that Kurumi was lying, but she couldn't say otherwise in front of Yukito or Kurou. If she were to, both of the boys would know that Nemui was insinuating that Kurumi was a lying. Nemui refused to do make her sister out to be a liar.. even if Kurumi's grade depended on it, she wouldn't stain her older sister's reputation. Kurumi had to have a good reason to lie to every point blank, didn't she? Nemui hoped so, she also hoped that this wasn't some sort of bad influence from being around the brothers.

"Itadakimasu."

"I-Itadakimasu..." Nemui's tone was definitely more genuine and organic, and she did her best to pretend that Kurumi's version wasn't a bit.. overdone. She let out a soft sigh, closing her eyes before putting food on her plate. She grabbed a small portion of everything, gingerly eating with her chopsticks. She noticed Kurou's eating habits, and crinkled her nose before she could reprimand herself.

"Thank you, Kitomura-San. You really worked hard."

"I-I agree... It was very good..." Nemui complimented, but she did not make eye contact, she instead ended up staring down at her plate awkwardly, so she decided to finish off what little was left on her plate. She didn't want to be so awkward, but ever since her father died, her entire life was Topsy-Turvy.

"Bed does sound good."

Nemui said nothing, assuming that he just didn't want to clean his corner of the table which he'd somehow turned into a pigsty over the course of one dinner. She was utterly disgusted. There was no way in hell Nemui was going to clean after that slob, no one could pay her enough. She hated being this negative, but so far he wasn't making a very good impression, especially after how he acted when he was first introduced to them. He was rude to Kurumi earlier that day, and now he was rude to Nemui just before dinner? She couldn't help but feel that her thoughts were justified.

"Excuse me, I am turning in early tonight. Goodnight Ne-chan, Kitomura-kun."

Nemui grabbed up all of the dishes aside from Yukito's and began washing them, "I'll get the dishes, and you get the table then, Kitomura-san?" Nemui inquired, looking over her shoulder for a moment as she awaited his response. She couldn't let all of the work fall onto Yukito, especially where he had cooked dinner for everyone.

---

---

---

---

Nemui sat in class with the girl's school uniform on (Boy's is also in the pic), and waited for class to begin. She left extremely early, so she would have an excuse to not walk to school with Yukito or Kurou. She didn't want to add to any of the bullying she would surely already experience this year. She tapped her fingers on the desk, reading a random page out of her history book as she waited. The classroom was completely empty, but considering how early she'd come in, that wasn't out of the ordinary. This is ridiculous... My life has come to dodging my new family like landmines every morning...

---

---

Himeko fell asleep shortly after her soak the night before. She woke up rather early for school the next morning to the sound of her mother screeching in horror. Himeko jolted out of bed, falling flat on her face in her rush. She pushed herself onto her feet and rushed to the laundry room, her bare feet loudly tapping against the wooden floor as she ran. However when she made it to the source of her mother's scream, she immediately found herself disappointed, All that over a barrage of soap bubbles? She really woke up this early for this? She felt that this was at least a level two crisis like a huge spider or a rogue bee had come in the house. This was a total let down and more than a little irritating. Himeko let out an annoyed growl and snatched the box of detergent from her mother, "Let me do this. It's been so long that you've forgotten how much to use this. Just cook breakfast, alright mom?" Himeko responded, trying to not be as harsh as she wanted to be at this hour. She knew her mother was doing her best, but it was far too early to deal with teaching her mother how to be a proficient housewife again.

Once Himeko tamed the washing machine, she entered the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee, cautiously taking a sip. She closed her eyes with a satisfied smile, glad that her mother got this much right. Himeko took her seat, staring at the perpetually empty spot that was once occupied by her older brother Ren Katsukawa. Her mood immediately plummeted as she thought about her dead brother. She still had so many questions, there was so much about his death that was left unanswered and it drove her mad not knowing why her brother died. She forced herself to take another drink of her coffee before sitting her cup down. Himeko's eyes returned to her brother's empty chair, and she thought about how much she missed him. I'm a Freshmen now, Ren.. This is where you walk in and tell me you're going to kick a lot of asses today if any boys flirt with me like you always did.. Why did you leave me alone..? She thought to herself, as if Ren would step out of his old room. She was still a bit in denial at times, but it was reasonable. She was only fourteen after all. How was she supposed to respond to her older brother's death? Himeko was on the brink of tears, but her mother glanced over just in time and chimed in, "Tell me more about that boy from yesterday, Hime-chan~" She felt her daughter's mood shift and she knew that bringing the boy that Himeko bumped into up would surely get Ren off of Himeko's mind at least for a little while.

Himeko blinked a few times as she registered her mother's question, her cheeks immediately burning a dark red. Himeko scooped up her coffee cup, taking a big gulp to buy herself some time. Why is she bringing up that guy again!? Himeko asked herself, completely humiliated and successfully distracted. She was kind of using her coffee like men did in those Twix commercials. She needed a chance to level her head, but how was she supposed to? Her mother was constantly blowing everything out of proportion, especially since Himeko swore off 'love'. Now her mother was a bit of a fanatic about teasing her when it came to boys.

"I told you I don't know who he was!" She desperately snapped after swallowing her last gulp of coffee. Now she had no excuse for further silence and had to face her mother's vocal attacks head on. She was practically begging the eggs to finish cooking so breakfast could start, but she was not that lucky, "People bump into strangers all the time. I doubt I'll ever see that weirdo ever again." her mother finally placed her plate in front of her and Himeko ate as quickly as possible without being slobbish. Himeko washed her plate and was out the door before her mother could say anything else. She even had to tap her shoes on mid-run because she didn't even stop to lace her shoes.

The walk to the train felt like it took forever, but once she was on board she relaxed and took a seat. Thankfully she woke up so early that it was relatively empty. She received a few perverted stares and she glared a bit at the creepy old men. Just because I am in a school uniform doesn't mean that it gives them the right to be blatantly disrespectful! She mentally hissed, clenching her fist a bit, but she couldn't help but smile. She was home, and was going to be in class with kids she went to school with in seventh grade, but with a fresh start. No one would likely remember her, but she was certain she would still remember everyone else.

She got off at her stop and ran the rest of the way to school, because they sky was turning a dark shade of grey. She did NOT want to be caught in the rain. Yesterday was bad enough, she didn't want to repeat the occasion and show up to her first day of school soaking wet. She could hear the roar of the thunder, threatening to send a downpour upon her and Himeko picked up her pace, Hajime Academy in sight. Thankfully she made it into the building before the rain started. She went to the Principal's office and retrieved her school schedule, passing a foreign looking girl in the hall. Himeko went to her assigned classroom, noticing only an ebony haired male and a short haired girl, "Ohayo."

Himeko stole the main back seat next to the windows, the black haired boy in the seat in front of her, and the short haired girl was beside of her. She didn't speak, but she simply smiled to the duo who seemed to be mid conversation. She didn't want to interrupt, that would be a nightmare of a first..no...first-second impression? She wasn't sure how to put it, but she didn't want to ruin whatever impression she was about to make.

---

---

╔╗

---

---

This time the alarm did its job and brought Yukito back to the real world, but he stayed in bed for a few seconds while staring at the ceiling of his room with a disturbing empty eyes. He closed his eyes briefly and muttered in a rather bored tone. "School..., huh..." He then finally got up and prepared his morning rituals. It was still a bit early and he assumed the his brother and the new residents of the house were still sleeping. He had no idea that the girls were already gone. That's right, it's not just him and Kurou. He exited his room with his clothes and toiletries in tow. It seemed that no one was in as he entered and did his every morning hygiene. He was soon done and returned to his room to pick up his things for school. He did offer to walk in the mornings with that Nemui girl, but she never did give a definitive answer.

There goes his fun...

Anyways, he needed to prepare breakfast and took a look at his cellphone. There were a lot of messages and missed calls again, most were from his manager. She was a busybody as always, he scrolled down through the messages as he went towards the kitchen, now donning his school uniform for the first time as a high-schooler. "Work,,, work... work... oh... wedding... that's right." He looked at the nearby calendar hanging at the wall. It was tomorrow. His father sent him a message to have him arrange everything for the girls and his brother, there was also the request of him to sing for the reception. He released an annoyed sigh as he also clicked his tongue. "Tch... a hassle." He scratched the back of his head to show his frustration of the situation and then he took a deep breath. He must keep his mask on after all.

It was only at that point, he answered the messages and was no longer in the mood to make breakfast. He went to refrigerator and found a box of cereal and a breakfast meal which could be made through microwave. "This would do." He then made a note saying that breakfast is in the ref and placed it on the kitchen counter which could easily be seen by anyone. He just grabbed a few strawberries and munched on them as he exited the house. He didn't bother to check if anyone was up. He wanted some time to his own before he goes to school because once he's there, well, he would have to entertain full-time. Once he was at front, he hailed a cab, using public transportation won't be good for him. He actually did that and he got an earful from the agency and Haruko. He was literally mobbed by fans. Haruko offered to give him a ride, but he declined and chose this alternative.

He couldn't wait to be an adult and have his own car to drive.

The drive to school was quiet as he looked out the window, enjoying the scenery in his own way. He did notice though that the driver was looking at him through the rear-view mirror. "Something wrong?" He queried while finally meeting the cab driver's gaze. The older man was a bit flustered for being caught and managed to answer nervously. "Ah! N---Nothing's wrong... I---It's just that you're that famous Ichigo Fuwa, right?" Oh, the guy recognizes him? He gave the older man a bright smile. "Keep it a secret mister, okay?" The driver nodded in full agreement and finally got to the point. "Of course! My daughter is a huge fan of yours! So..., could I have your autograph?" Typical. He gave an energetic nod. "Sure, no problem at all." He was soon done with it at the exact moment they arrived at the school gates. "Here you go and my payment. Say hi for me to your daughter and thank you for supporting me." The driver was very pleased. "Absolutely!" He exited the cab and was instantly welcomed by amorous, envious, and curious eyes of the student body. There was even some excited squeals and chatter in the background.

His mask already intact as he welcomed the girls who immediately circled around him with a cheerful smile. "Good morning, Yukito-kun!" He answered them with such cordial and friendly manner. "Good morning, everyone! How's your vacation?" There were various answers and a lively conversation started around him. The guys also approached him, they were his classmates last year in middle-school, though he hadn't spend much of his time in classes, because of his current career. As expected, he was the center of attention. It was that point the clouds were getting darker and the rumbles of thunder echoed. He looked up and said, "We should go inside, we wouldn't want to get soak at the first day of classes." Everyone agreed with him as they enter the school building and began changing his shoes when a question perked his interest. "Yukito-kun, you know the model EDGE, right?" He looked at the one who asked.

"Yeah, we worked together and have the same agency." The girl asked was extremely happy at his answer. She was probably a fan of that guy. "Then... do you know if he really has a girlfriend? The news said he has one!" Then, he was shown the newspaper article as he looked at the incriminating picture and the article attached to it. There was silence around him as they waited for his answer, the confirmation. He couldn't help but smirk inwardly. This was something nice to play with him. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I could confirm or deny anything. We don't usually talk about private things, but if this is true, shouldn't you be happy for him?" The girl seemed to be taken down by a peg by his commentary which was done with a gentle smile.

After that, he continued on his way to the hallways. There were still a lot of people around him, engaging him conversation, but it soon stopped when they seemed to be interested in what was in front of him. He followed their gaze and saw the guy he being asked about. This day was certainly not boring. "Good morning, Leech-kun. I did hear you'd be attending school. This is a surprise." His voice was cheerful and friendly, but somehow there was a tension between the two. Shin seemed to finally regain his senses and answered back. "Yeah... Good morning." He approached Yukito within a few paces. It wasn't hard with his long legs and then placed his face near Yukito's ear. "It's Shi-Shi, remember?" The mere gesture and the closeness between the two made those around them blush and squeal in excitement. Yukito was unfazed as he looked at Shin, not minding the closeness between their faces. "You should be more mindful of your actions, I wouldn't want your lover to get a wrong impression." His smile didn't show anything dark, nor he's demeanor. But his words were enough to put Shin into a state of surprise as the older male took a step back. "That's not---"

Shin wasn't able to continue as Yukito cut him off. "Congratulations! Well, time to go to class. We can't be late now. Leech-kun." There was a sing-song tone ending to that as Yukito went on his way. Shin's appearance was surprising to him, but he would deal with that later. He went to his classroom and found familiar faces there. One was Nemui, so she was already here? Then, the neighbor guy. They seemed to be talking, but he was never the kind to find awkwardness in interrupting. "Good morning, Nemui-san," He started and then looked at Ren. "Good morning to you too, I didn't get your name last night. But, isn't this a coincidence, we're classmates." His expression than changed into something thoughtful. "Oh, Nemui-san. I forgot to give you this." He gave her the gate and house keys. He knew well what it meant doing this in front of many and he's going to enjoy it. "I did say I'll give you one, right?" His smile was very pleasant and good-natured as if what he's doing is completely right, but his intentions were not at all perfectly covered with that mask of his.

Then, the rain fell.

"Hey."

Nemui's eyes shifted from the history book to the owner of the voice, finding it slightly familiar. Her golden orbs found the source to be none other than the boy from the night before. Suzuki, Ren...? That was his name, wasn't it? Nemui scrambled, not wanting to make his impression of her any worse than she already had, "H-Hello." Nemui responded with a nervous smile, raising her hand to give a slight wave. It was a bit awkward for her to talk to him like this, considering that the room was relatively empty, but it was gradually filling up, but for Nemui, just talking to a boy was relatively new to her. She found it a bit exhausting, finding it difficult to remain calm when talking to the opposite gender. Most of the time she was a wall decoration and went unnoticed by girls and boys alike, it was only her bullies that seemed to have her on their radar up until recently. Is it because I ditched those glasses? Nemui couldn't help but wonder, because she had never received this much attention until recently.

"Fujioka, Nemui-san, right?"

"H-Hai... You're Suzuki, Ren, correct?" She responded with a nod, verifying that she'd gotten his name right as well. It was better to be corrected now rather than later after all. She didn't want to make a bigger fool of herself than she had to. She noticed when the girls she was hiding from the day before entered the class together, her eyes shifting nervously as she grew a bit panicked.

"Ohayō."

"...O-Ohayō.." Nemui responded in a delicate tone of voice, biting the her lower lip. She hoped that the girls would just take their seats and overlook her this year, but she wasn't exceedingly hopeful. She wondered if she was still wearing a smile on her face, and if so, was it believable? She was so distracted by her tormentors that she wasn't certain what expression she was currently displaying. She hoped that she wasn't making a strange face, so she quickly shook her thoughts, running a hand through the back of her hair with a silent laugh, "I-I didn't know that we would be in the same class..." Nemui added, but sweat-dropped a bit afterwards. The words sounded better in her head, and now that she heard them out loud she realized just how badly she had been grasping for straws. A light blush crossed her cheeks as she realized this wasn't going very well. She wasn't very accustomed to talking to boys, aside from her work as a cashier. Even so, her job didn't involve a lot of people skills, considering that the boys who bought comics were typically socially inept as well.

"Ohayo."

A very beautiful and friendly looking girl approached and greeted them, taking the seat next to Nemui, much to the wallflower's surprise. She's...so beautiful. Then Nemui heard the whispers about the long haired beauty. Apparently she was dating a famous model!? Nemui's eyes shifted to the girl again, now wondering if the girl was a model as well. The girl could pass for one, because she was everything that Nemui wished she could be, "...O-Ohayō gozaimasu.." Nemui responded to the girl with a smile nearly as nervous as the one she had presented to Ren. Nemui was not the best when it came to socializing with either gender, obviously.

"Good morning, Nemui-san,"

Nemui's skin immediately crawled as she heard a very familiar voice. Did he SERIOUSLY just address her on a first name basis in PUBLIC? She wanted to sink into her seat, crawl into a crack in the tile floor and die. Was Yukito some kind of an extreme sadist or was he truly oblivious to the torment he was unleashing on her by associating with her in front of his fans? She couldn't ignore him, because that would only anger his mob even more, "O-Ohayo gozaimasu, K-Kitomura-san.." She responded as if she'd seen a ghost, almost not finding the courage to say the words at all. Her blush was not present, in fact her face was mostly a mix of mortification and astonishment as she spoke to the idol. She somewhat lost herself in thought as Yukito turned his attention to Ren, and she felt her fingers gripping her history book, which definitely wasn't a sufficient stress ball. I'm dead. He just served my death warrant and threw me to the coyotes..

"Oh, Nemui-san. I forgot to give you this."

As soon as the keys landed in her hand, Nemui practically jumped out of her skin. Did he REALLY just give her the house keys? Her mother sent her a copy in the mail... She couldn't explain, nor could she give them back, because either way his fans were definitely going to scalp her for this. Their minds definitely had to be going somewhere far dirtier than the reality of the situation, and it was more than likely going to make her life a living hell, "A-Arigato... Kitomura-san" she responded in a quiet tone, literally sinking in her seat under the intense glares she received from all around the room.

"I did say I'll give you one, right?"

"H-Hai..." She responded, chewing on her lower lip now as she panicked. She'd never seen the fangirls this angry before, and she felt a nervous pit forming in her stomach. Living with Yukito was going to give her ulcers at this rate. She could have sworn that she heard the girls sharpening their pencils into wooden stakes against their desks, but she did her best to brush it off as her overactive imagination or as comic relief. She was too smart to fall for her own reassurances, but it was worth a shot. The amount of fear and stress alone was enough to make her hair turn white. Every bone in her body wished that her sister would come in the room and save her from this situation. At least Yukito didn't touch her or anything... Perhaps the girls would understand if Nemui told them the truth now that Yukito forced her to cross the point of no return?

"Everyone, take your seats! I am about to begin roll call. Anyone not in a seat by the time I call their name will receive two evenings of detention with the principal." The stern old man that taught their class began. He called roll, then he began class as scheduled, but thankfully the old man's hearing wasn't as good as he'd have everyone believe, so talking commenced shortly after he turned his back to begin the lecture.

They're going to kill me..

Himeko heard the rumors as well, right after she greeted the two students she chose to sit near. She blinked a bit as a few of the girls stared her down, holding the same exact magazines as they pointed and glared. Her expression was baffled, that is until one hyperactive and brave girl (Image here) approached, holding the article up so that Himeko could read it. Himeko blinked in shock as she read the contents, her eyes widening like dinner plates as she read the outrageous lies written. She didn't even know the guy's name, she surely wasn't dating him! What is with that horrible near kiss picture!? A dark blush engulfed Himeko's face as she got a good look at what it would look like if the two of them actually were about to kiss. The two made a believable couple, but that only enraged Himeko even more! The brave brunette girl gave Himeko another moment before she asked her initial question, "Is that you with the model EDGE?! Do you really know him? Are you two seeing each other?! Did you two kiss?! Is he a good kisser? He's an amazing kisser, right?"

"I don't know him. We are not dating, we never will date, and never have. I've NEVER kissed him and NEVER will. Do I make myself clear?" Himeko asked in an irritated tone as she crossed her arms. She spoke in a articulate manner, loud enough for the class to hear, but not so loud that she would come across as shady. She didn't want anyone to think that she had something to hide after all. If she ever saw that guy again, she'd give him a good piece of her mind. He totally set her up to boost up his own publicity! Or so she believed, "I just spilled my coffee because we bumped into each other. I didn't even know he was a model. I don't care about snobby rich guys...or any guys for that matter. Don't feed the media, it's full of crap." She stated loud enough for anyone in the class to hear. She wanted to squash this lie as soon as possible. Of course she'd never be able to get rid of it entirely, seeing as apparently the whole world now had a copy.. but she did wish to exorcise it from her educational environment. After she made her point clear, she realized that there was another conversation going on. From the looks of it, the guy was giving the girl a hard time, making her nervous and the girl even slithered down in her chair! Didn't the guy know how to read body language at all? Himeko would admit she was pretty dense, but this was a whole new level of oblivious.

"I did say I'll give you one, right?"

"H-Hai..."

She had seen quite enough, Nemui's distress was beginning to physically pain Himeko, and she had to say something. Before she could think it through, Himeko had already stood and slammed one hand down on Nemui's desk, the other pointing a finger directly at Yukito, "Oi! Can't you tell that you're making her uncomfortable? Cut it out." Himeko snapped at Yukito in a strong tone. She wasn't nervous or timid like Nemui, in fact she was full of confidence and did not realize the severity of her actions. Himeko was completely unaware of who Yukito was, nor did she realize that she'd just placed a large target on her back for yelling at him so rudely. She had eyes that functioned at 20/20, so she could obviously tell that he was extremely attractive, but as far as she was concerned that didn't give him an excuse to make the timid girl a nervous wreck. Himeko put a reassuring hand on Nemui's shoulder, still glaring at Yukito with hatred in her eyes, "Anyone who decides that it's okay to mess with her, has to go through me from now on." Himeko spat with a serious expression on her face as she stuck up for the quiet girl. She hated bullies, especially after her last experience at this school. She couldn't just watch as this girl was fed to the wolves. The look of hatred in Himeko's eyes wasn't necessarily for Yukito, but for men in particular.

Little did she know, there was some irony to this encounter. Himeko might have given this a second thought if she had known that she was shouting at the younger brother of the boy who turned her down, Kurou Kitomura. Kurou's denial of her confession made her the school laughing stock just a few years prior, and she meant to keep a relatively casual profile, yet here she was, sticking her neck out like her older brother would have done. This isn't really like me... This is more like how he was....

"Everyone, take your seats! I am about to begin roll call. Anyone not in a seat by the time I call their name will receive two evenings of detention with the principal."

"C-Crap. We'll finish this later. I'm Katsukawa, Himeko by the way." Himeko stated in a rushed manner and shot a warm smile to Nemui, her expression the exact opposite of the one she had when speaking to Yukito. She quickly returned to her seat, right next to Nemui and behind Ren before roll call began, having no intention of getting in trouble on her first day. Sure, Himeko was definitely biased when it came to gender, but she had good reason to be. She didn't have a whole lot of luck with men, casually or romantically speaking. She was turned down by Kurou and was bullied for an entire year until she moved schools, Her brother died, and now there was a scandal flying around about her and that guy who seemed a little too concerned about whether or not the coffee burn would scar her hand.

When the teacher began his lecture, she leaned over a bit to whisper to the shy girl, hoping to apologize, "Gomen.. I hope I didn't make things worse for you.. I got carried away.." She added with a sheepish grin. She knew that most would have been scared off by her intensity, especially since she was an outsider to the situation, but she had to give it a shot. She didn't have any friends here, and somehow she felt she lost a lot of possible friends by going off on that arrogant pretty boy. She didn't regret it though, in fact, she hoped that she helped the other girl, if only a little, "How about the two of us start over, okay?"