Himeko Katsukawa's Story

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"That and I can't be full yet, because I need to eat dinner with my obaa-chan. But, really thanks."

Nemui shook her head, a smile on her face as she responded to Ren, "I-It's alright. It's nice to hear that you care so much about your Obaa-san." She was being genuine, trying to remember the last time she'd seen her grandparents. Three of them were dead, but she still had one living grandmother, on her father's side. This reminded her that she should go visit them, before she lost her chance forever. She wanted to spend as much time as possible with her grandmother now, even if she was suffering from dementia.


"Kitomura-kun and Kitomura-san are fond of strawberries. Is it because your parents are the same?"

She wasn't aware of the landmine that Aina had stepped on, but Nemui felt her gut wrenching as it was brought up. She took a big bite of her own slice of cake, trying to distract herself from the conversation as much as possible. Her father was dead, so any time that 'parents' were mentioned she always felt her chest tighten in agony. She still wasn't entirely over the loss of her father and something told her that she never would be. He was such an amazing man, she doubted that anyone would be able to replace him. She never wanted anyone to be able to. She gladly clung to his memory, even if it hurt.

"And to answer your question, our mother is an avid fan of strawberries and would manage to incorporate it into our meals."

Nemui smiled bitterly, vaguely remembering how her father would often sacrifice the cherry on his desserts because he knew that Nemui enjoyed eating them. This often made Kurumi jealous when they were children, but Nemui understood the reaction. Their father did have a bad habit of making it obvious that Nemui was his favorite, it was one of his few vices. He didn't do it purposely, but the entire family knew. Nemui didn't realize it until it was far too late, but she had over chewed on the piece she'd taken, finally swallowing it.

"She sounds to be a lovely and fun person."

Nemui gripped her fork, instinctively taking another bite. It kept her from speaking, which was definitely something she certainly did NOT need to do. Anything she had to say in this mood would be much too harsh and irreversible. She chewed slowly this time, trying to make this piece last longer than the one before it. Suddenly she wasn't so enthusiastic. She wanted to go upstairs and forget this evening, but she suddenly had a new obligation.

"Yes, she was."

"It's time to get your sticks."

She was glad that Shin interrupted the conversation, but Nemui did not liven up compared to Himeko, Kurumi and the others. She was still feeling moody, and she still was thinking about her father. A change of subject would not immediately remedy the horrible wrenching she felt in her torso. She hated how phony everyone else was being. She clenched her free hand into a tight fist, letting out a silent sigh of annoyance. She was no longer in the proper spirits for this game.

"He's right, some of you haven't gotten yours yet. Let us continue the game."

Seeing as quitting was no longer an option, Nemui chose a stick from Himeko's hand without giving it much thought. She was beginning to think that she might be lucky, like Aina, but she didn't want to become too optimistic. She learnt from her father that when one became too cocky it was usually when a stroke of bad luck would arise for that person. She let out a soft sigh, shivering a bit. At first she thought it was simply her nerves, but Nemui brushed her arms with her palms and realized she was truly freezing. The living room was abnormally cold this evening, because usually she didn't have to worry about the clothes that she decided to wear.

"I'm King this round.."

She was a bit relieved when her sister drew the King stick, hoping that this round would be a little more tame. Perhaps a fate her sister chose wouldn't be so bad? Nemui chewed her bottom lip before taking a bite of the cake she'd prepared, opting for one piece with less strawberries. She didn't want to fight her brothers over something they seemed to love immensely. She understood, because she only took up cooking because there was no one else in the home that knew how, but also because her father would often complain about how much he loved a home-cooked meal. Her mother often refused to cook, which made Nemui sad after their father died, because his request wasn't too difficult. In fact, she rather loved cooking, but that might have been because it reminded her of her father.

"The King orders that number five has to listen to ALL orders given by three for an entire week. No exceptions. Who's numbers five and three?"

Nemui checked her stick as she took a bite out of the strawberry on top of her cake, letting go of her fork immediately as she saw her number was five. The fork thankfully didn't drop, but instead stuck out of her mouth, still connected to her strawberry. She sat frozen for a moment, but took the fork out slowly and swallowed hard, "I-I'm number five." She announced in a timid manner, revealing her stick. She only hoped that the person 'in charge' of her would go easy on her. Nemui's golden eyes shifted around the room in attempt to gauge everyone else's expressions. She half hoped that someone forgot to draw stick number three or that it had been misplaced so that there could be a redraw. She did not want to be someone's slave for an entire week. She had a job and she also had to study, she didn't have time for anyone's selfish whims. Not to mention she had to finish her manga! She couldn't wait to find out which boy the main heroine would choose and she was not about to let anyone keep her from that discovery.

Nemui closed her eyes for a moment, letting a sigh out. For once, she kind of wanted to punch Kurumi. An answer hadn't come yet, so Nemui decided to speak her hope aloud, although she withheld hopefulness from her tone, "Maybe number three got dropped somewhere?" she announced in an innocent and concerned tone. She was faking the concern of course, and began twirling her short hair around her finger, to hide her nervousness. She was practically praying that it would be the case. Besides, what if the person who was in charge decided to be a pervert? Kurumi had clearly stated 'no exceptions'... that had her very worried. There were certain things that Nemui just simply wasn't comfortable doing...

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█ ♪It was brief but Yukito knew that his brother was probably in one of those moods again, perpetually in it until further notice. It was also the same for him. The topic of their mother will always be a delicate subject for them. It was a wound that has not even scabbed yet and from his point of view will never do so. He does make a good cover up that it was never seen on him. He was simply a boy moving on with his life. He wasn't offended by what that exotic girl had asked. It was thoughtless, but it was without malice. It is amazing though that the most innocent things hurt the most. Just like that, he continued to eat his strawberry cake.

"I guess another round it is." He picked out his stick and looked at the number with a simple nod. There was nothing else to do at that point. He was not the King though, that was too bad, he still had a lot of idea that he would want to try on the others. Well, he could always have another means of doing that without the need for this game. That thought made him inwardly smirked while keeping his ever proper and amiable mask completely in placed. In truth, everything has changed inside of him, like his older brother, he was not that silly kid that their mother would need to cuddle anymore.

It was at that point when Kurumi revealed that she was the King this time around. What would be her pleasure then? It was simple master and servant relationship for an entire week. Somehow, he knew that Kurumi had soften. She might have felt awful after the two orders or maybe about the topic of death. He wasn't as ignorant as they were. Did they really think he did not do any background checking on them when his good-for-nothing father announced that he will remarry to a woman with kids of her own. He knew much what happened to their father, but it doesn't factor in that he would say they're kindred spirits. It was far from that.

He then recalled his number in inner pleasure. What they might think as a simple thing and probably Nemui's wishful thinking were never a possibility. Things were always in his favor and what could he say. It was probably the way of the universe of making his life completely awry with that splatter of blood. "I apologize, Nemui-san, but," He then showed his numbered stick which showed the number... "I am number three." He offered an apologetic smile. It was crystal perfect, there was not even an error in the execution of that expression of his.

In truth, he was going to have a lot of fun with her. He was going to enjoy Nemui for a whole week without fail and unlike his brother who the primary example of a seething caveman. He was not. "I guess, I will be in your hands, Nemui-san. Oh. it's the other way around right?" He lowered his plate on the nearby table as he was finished eating his part and gave a kind smile towards to an entity that he has to interpret as a sister. Really, what has the world come to? He would never know. "Do not worry, I will take care of you."

That is indeed an assuring statement of his, but Yukito never meant any part of it as anything positive. He will show her or appropriately them, that this will never be a family. Never, because they never are.

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♥█Aina wanted at this moment to crawl in some hole and disappear. She knew that her fellow white-haired senior did his best to diffuse the situation, but the damage had been done. The earlier tensed atmosphere because of the ridiculous orders changed into another kind with a somber note. She also noticed that Kitomura, the older one changed from his rather cheery and childlike moment into that of a pensive and frustrated scowl. This was clearly her fault and she should have not entertained her curiosity from the beginning. She bit her lower lip in a show of her own regret even if the younger Kitomura seemed unaffected. It was not the same for everyone in the room after all.

They lost a mother. She would not be a hypocrite and say that she knew how they were feeling. Yes, they have a similar experience but the emotions they had at that moment are only theirs alone. As for her, she could never ever forget it. That was the last thing she had been allowed to remember. Every morning, waking up to that horrifying scene and experiencing all of it for the first time always. Always, coming to the terms of her current reality and moved on. It was... She wouldn't want anyone to be burdened with that.

She looked at the stick she had picked. It was not the number that had been spoken by the new King who was her fellow classmate, Fujioka... Ah, that is right, they were now family with Kitomura. They were trying to move on, don't they? That was good, it was compared to her that will always be stuck and left behind. She was never allowed to move on, it must have been the price to pay for her to survive. She really should have died back then. She shook her head and inwardly slapped herself. If she doesn't stop negatively, it would be a bad thing for her grandfather. Right now, she can't leave him. He was the only family she has left.

She focused herself on other things like the order which was that number five would follow all number three's orders for the entire week, no exceptions. That was not something new or was it completely harsh, but that depends on the person involved again. She doesn't think it would be a terrible thing especially, if the pair are both girls. The boys also seemed to hold an air of decency and won't overused that authority, but then again, she has her doubts about the younger Kitomura who seemed to have a myriad of ideas. Anyway, it was soon revealed that it would be the wonderful baker and the younger Kitomura. He seemed to be nice and even saying that he will take care of her. She must be wrong. This was not a bad round at all.

Her eyes lingered towards Len for a bit who seemed completely at ease and said something about him having to eat dinner with his grandmother. He had always been considerate of other people. She couldn't help but smile ever so small. He was still the sweet Len she knew, just all grown up which meant that she could not drag him to her problems. She can't do that to him. She then looked at the older Kitomura who seemed to be closed off once more. A lot different when she offered that cake slice. She didn't want to down the mood again by speaking outloud. She was near to him as she leaned a bit forward, for his ears only. She would also apologize to the younger Kitomura when she has the chance. "Sorry, Kitomura-san for my thoughtless words. I really am." Her voice has a melancholic gentle with her sincerity and empathy that she had a similar experience, of course, it was very subtle and not used as an excuse.

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█ ☠The atmosphere never returned. Shin knew it was by a long shot, but this was supposed to be a night of fun and bonding right? Then again, it started with threats and such. There was nothing fun about it. He looked at Yukito who seemed to be perfectly calm and rather unaffected. He knew that not to be true at all. Losing a parent... It was something one could never get over with, specifically, a loved one. No one could get over that and it shouldn't be a bad thing if one doesn't as well. He released a soft sigh, before looking towards the other Kitomura, the older one.

Shin doesn't know him personally, but he could tell that the guy was not in the best of moods, not the same as before. He couldn't really blame Aina for it as well, because the girl was ignorant about the entire situation. The damage has been done as he looked at the number of his stick and then to revelation that Kurumi was the King of this round. It would be a good thing that in this turn, he wouldn't be involved in any of the orders and if it was not a long stretch, his current chained partner as well. They already had to go through much and the weekend to survive this chained situation of theirs.

It seemed his wish was granted this much as the next participants of the order was not them but was Yukito and Nemui. Well, that was not good. It was a given that the order could be harmless, playful, but nothing grand in its scale. That would work if Yukito was not involved, but that was not the case at all. Nemui would have a hellish time for sure. He could already see it and he couldn't help but curse the younger girl's luck. He could restrict Yukito's machinations if he is present and such, but he can't be there always, especially when the two are officially by law are siblings. They have more time together than anyone.

"I guess that rounds it up." He cast a glance towards Yukito who did not even turned his way. The pop idol does really know how to handle himself isn't it? It was also probably the reason why he knew that Yukito loathed him to a degree, because even without needing to speak, he could tell... what the younger male wanted. But, that was not because he was a mind reader or anything. It was because, he had always been looking at him. He will always watch over him and because of that, he learned a lot of things about him.

"Next round then." He noted as he wanted the flow of the game to be a continuous one. If something gets on going, it could alleviate the somber tone of Aina's questioning had brought. It was also a way of a distraction if possible. This may be insensitive or anything, but this was reality, no one wanted to talk about losing someone they cared for, because that would open up a lot of wounds, even his.

He lost his mother too, not in the way the Kitomura boys did, but to a villain that pride itself in giving a slow and agonizing death. He watched someone so beautiful slowly wilted before his eyes and he couldn't even do a thing about it. He couldn't protect her or avenge her. The world is unfair. It always has been. He stopped his thoughts at that.

"Who's next?" He asked as he handed out his stick to start the next round.

"That and I can't be full yet, because I need to eat dinner with my obaa-chan. But, really thanks."

"Sounds about like one of my home's traditions. That's really nice.", Himeko thought about it, deciding that 'mother' was going to be a taboo word, at least for the day. Though it definitely made her think about dinner. She closed her eyes to keep them from relaying her mood to the others as she thought about her own mother. She always ate dinner with her mother, every single day since her brother Ren was murdered, but she realized she would have to cancel this time. She had her story set up, she just had to make sure that she was away from the rest of the group when she made the phone call. Everyone drew their sticks, and Himeko looked to her own. She certainly hoped she would not become victim of the game any more tonight, she wasn't sure she'd be able to take much more of her 'bad luck'.

"I'm King this round.."

Himeko was definitely worried, seeing as Kurumi proved herself to be far more sadistic than Nemui. Kurumi was the one to bring up black mail, and was one of two people in this room that she absolutely wished to see burning in hell right about now. Sure, she wasn't exactly fond of Kurou, but he was not on the list. While she did blame him for her brother's death, she blamed herself even more. She simply had to keep him at a distance so that others would not recognize her. She did not want to be a social outcast again, she doubted she would survive another year of torment from his fangirls. I don't think my parents could even afford to replace another window.. This is no longer a matter of my own perseverance..

"The King orders that number five has to listen to ALL orders given by three for an entire week. No exceptions. Who's numbers five and three?"

Himeko thought about the order, and realized how horrible it could be if it were left in the wrong hands. There were several in the group that she considered to be 'tame' enough for this to be a safe order. However, there were two in the group, the current King excluded, that she honestly did not ever wish to have that kind of power, ever.

"I-I'm number five."

She noticed that Nemui seemed to be very surprised, then Nemui's words explained everything. Nemui was one of the subjects, namely the one who would be taking orders for an entire week. She had to admit, now that she was no longer the subject of this game's cruelty, it was actually a bit fun. Despite what she had said about not wanting revenge against Nemui, Himeko couldn't deny that this seemed like some sort of divine justice, or at the very least an act of karma. Squash the thought. Nemui's a nice girl that made a mistake. That's all.

"Maybe number three got dropped somewhere?"

"...Perhaps...? No one has number three?" Himeko hesitated to respond, realizing that Nemui's hopes were highly unlikely but she asked around anyhow, looking to each person in the group, but the one she was handcuffed to was the last person she gave a glance. She honestly had been avoiding making eye contact, because she really couldn't accept that she'd be practically conjoined to his hip for the entirety of forty-eight hours. There would be plenty of embarrassing moments within that time frame. She'd never survive it. She'd surely die of embarrassment before the cuffs were removed, Himeko was almost certain of that.

"I apologize, Nemui-san, but, I am number three. I guess, I will be in your hands, Nemui-san. Oh. it's the other way around right? Do not worry, I will take care of you."

Himeko immediately felt a shiver run down her spine. For the most part, Yukito seemed to be an innocent boy, but the air about him screamed otherwise. Just being in his presence put a nervous knot in Himeko's stomach. She sincerely felt bad for Nemui, taking back her thoughts of karma and divine justice. This was far too harsh of a punishment for what she'd done to Himeko, and even Himeko admitted that. If it were her, she'd have committed suicide then and there. There was no way she'd let a guy like that have that much power over her. The kind smile on Yukito's face was beautifully eerie. It was then that Himeko decided she would avoid that devil in disguise as much as possible, because she felt that he brought a whole new meaning to the definition of 'pure evil'. Of course she had no proof, but simply breathing became difficult around the youngest Kitomura, and Himeko learnt a long time ago to go with her gut instinct.

"I guess that rounds it up. Next round then. Who's next?"

She couldn't help but feel a little relieved when Shin broke the current sinister air that clouded the room. She did not wish to witness what was in store for Nemui, in fact, although selfish, she did not wish to know anything of the hell that the innocent girl would surely endure. "Etto.. Suzuki-san hasn't passed out the sticks yet. As long as everyone gets a turn it doesn't matter what order we go in, right?" She knew that traditionally it would be Yukito's turn, but if no one was going to argue, she would prefer that someone else passed them out. Besides, she really didn't want to say Kitomura or Yukito at the moment. After all, Himeko was not particularly fond of either one of the Kitomura brothers. Himeko looked to the handcuff around her wrist, suddenly seeing jewelry in an entirely new and unfavorable light. She always would covet jewelry at the mall, but suddenly all she wanted to see was absolutely nothing on her wrist. How did it turn out like this.. Why does it always happen to me? Himeko shifted in her seat, getting comfortable as she possibly could, given the circumstances. Tonight would be a long one, after all.

Kurou Kitomura
Kurou Kitomura: Probably the one people should be looking out for!

||Thought Color = c2150f||||Speech Color = d6a91c||

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"I apologize, Nemui-san, but, I am number three."

Kurou did not necessarily feel very sorry for Nemo's situation. She agreed to the terms of the game when she decided she was going to play, and starting the game off with a bang like she did only meant things were going to get worse by each turn. In this world, it was "Kill" or "Be killed". Inevitable that she was a victim of unfortunate circumstance, nothing more and nothing less. Besides, maybe seeing his "sister" humiliated a bit would be fun in its own way, so long as Yuki kept a leash on himself. He had never been in a situation like Nemo was experiencing, so Kurou wasn't exactly sure what his younger brother was going to do, he just knew that, just like him, Yuki wasn't very accepting of his newest "family", even if his smile said otherwise.

Well, as long as he doesn't mentally scar her, I guess it'll all work out in the end.

"I guess that rounds it up. Next round then. Who's next?"

Shrugging in disinterest, the elder Kitomura lazily dragged his eyes across his fellow players. He could tell that there was nobody in the room who was envious of Nemo's position. Katsukawa especially did not seem to like the idea of it happening, even to someone who had previously condemned her to lose her mouth's purity. In fact, she seemed fairly tense before Shen broke the silence that had swept over the room; almost as if she had simply watched a friend be dragged away, never to be seen again, and felt guilty about it. Well, if this was how people were going to react to Yuki being in power, then his victims probably wouldn't be too happy when they learned just what was in store for them, come his turn. This thought had, fortunately, caused Kurou to completely forget that he was upset about thinking about his mother. He was much too busy imagining how much fun he was going to have. Oddly, he found himself smirking. Man, he was prone to mood swings recently, wasn't he? He would probably blame this on the cake.

Oh well.

"I'll pass the sticks out if we're going to sit around, wasting time otherwise." Kurou had intentionally discarded his smirk once more, though he was still just as excited. That being said, he didn't want to appear as though he was a child or anything, so he had made an excuse of being annoyed because they were taking too long. Actually, that too, was genuine but only due to the fact he really wanted to take up the throne. The quicker they got to playing, the quicker it would eventually come to feature him as the king. And who in their right mind would not want to be led by someone as benevolent and sweet as he? Sure the rest of the room would relish in such an opportunity! So, he should probably ensure that those few lucky beings would have quite the time. Fortunately for them, he already had quite the order for them planned out, he was just pondering a few important things about it.

Hmm.... I wonder, are you allowed to wish for more wishes, in this case? I supposed we'll see.

"I-I'm number five. Maybe number three got dropped somewhere?"

Kurumi's heart stopped when she heard Nemui speak up. It was just as she had feared. Her sister was a victim of the order, and worst of all, she was the person who would have to be an unidentified person's slave. She immediately sent Nemui an apologetic look, but then giggled a bit. Deep down Kurumi couldn't help but feel that this was an act of Karma against her younger sister for sticking her nose where it didn't belong. She knew that it made her a horrible sister, but part of her was glad that Nemui would not be pestering her tonight. I'm going to hell.. She thought to herself, with a playful smile on her face. To others, she appeared psyched that her sister was the victim, but on the inside she was more worried about her eternal soul than her sister's seven day fate.

"...Perhaps...? No one has number three?"

She was relieved that someone was as hopelessly optimistic as her younger sister, but Kurumi knew that it was not the case. Everyone had a stick in their hands, so like it or not, someone was going to be ordering Nemui around for an entire week. Kurumi leaned back on the couch, curling up more comfortably on the arm of the couch, sitting a bit higher up than everyone else in the room. She began twirling her blonde hair around her finger, the pain in her legs dying down somewhat, though she knew it would be back before day's end. So far she had been lucky, but Kurumi knew her luck would soon run out. After condemning her sister to a week of hell, she knew that her fate would be much worse.

"I apologize, Nemui-san, but, I am number three. I guess, I will be in your hands, Nemui-san. Oh. it's the other way around right? Do not worry, I will take care of you."

Kurumi could have died right on the spot. Her entire body grew icy, and she wanted to disappear. She could not believe that she had subjected her sister to do their own stepbrother's bidding. Yukito thus far had been nothing more than an accommodating younger brother, but he seemed to have a sadistic streak in him as well, seeing as the camera in the closet had been his idea, then the entire handcuffs ordeal. She couldn't help but mentally picture Nemui, Yukito and bondage in the same image. She immediately shivered, mentally screaming at the top of her lungs. She did NOT want to imagine that happening, especially under the same roof! AHHHH!!! No, No, NO!! Kurumi was unaware of it, but she was twirling her hair much faster now, subtly giving away how nervous she was becoming.

"I guess that rounds it up. Next round then. Who's next?"

She owed Shin BIG, she'd have to buy him a three tier cake or something, pr whatever else it was that he liked. Getting attention off of her order was the one thing that Kurumi wanted more than anything right now, "Yukito-san, Kurou-san, Malik-san, or Suzuki-san, in any order can draw sticks next I suppose so long as everyone gets a turn." She responded, seeing as she was the one who chose the party's activities. There was nothing really planned after the game, but it was already growing quite late as things stood. After the game most of the group would be expected to make their way home anyhow. Speaking of going home, she figured she would have to lie for Himeko... all weekend. She knew that Nemui wasn't a convincing liar, so it was left up to her to protect the other girl's reputation.

"Etto.. Suzuki-san hasn't passed out the sticks yet. As long as everyone gets a turn it doesn't matter what order we go in, right?"

"That's fine with me, so long as it's okay with everyone else." Kurumi replied with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders. She covered her hands with her blue hoodie, her fingers growing quite cold. For some reason the room felt like an ice box. She knew it wasn't her clothes, seeing as she'd wore less than this to sleep in and had no problems about a chill. Was the thermostat set on a lower setting or something or was it simply colder outside and a draft was making it's way in, "Is anyone else cold? I mean, I'm wearing a hoodie but my fingers are freezing."[/b] thankfully her hoodie sleeves were a little too long, so she was able to cover her fingers rather nicely with the soft, royal blue material.

"I'll pass the sticks out if we're going to sit around, wasting time otherwise."

"...That works too..." Kurumi replied after everyone passed them to her former ex and current stepbrother. She hesitantly reach towards him and withdrew a stick from Kurou's hand, looking to the number before placing it face down in her lap. So I'm number six..? Alright.. six, six, six.. Don't forget it. After she was certain she'd memorized her number, Kurumi shoved both of her hands back into her hoodie with a slight shiver. She wasn't faking the cold thing, her fingers and legs were practically freezing off! She didn't notice her legs were that cold, seeing as they were currently numb, which she considered to be heaven compared to the pain she usually felt. Although she could barely move them, which really wasn't very beneficial in the event of a crisis. If there was a fire she doubted she would be able to stand, considering she felt like her legs had be carved from a ton of lead at the moment. She was almost certain that she would fall to the floor if she attempted to stand, hence the reason she leaned towards Kurou, despite the stretch instead of getting up to retrieve her own Popsicle stick, "Everyone get your sticks from Kurou-san before it starts to snow in here." She joked with a genuine laugh, sticking her tongue out playfully.

Izaya stared out the window with solemn look on his face as his mother drove him towards the next house, yes, house. Izaya stopped looking for 'home' a long time ago, because it was a fruitless effort. This was not the first time that he had experienced a move, in fact, he was quite accustomed to moving. As he grew older, Izaya learnt to never fully unpack, because that always meant he was becoming too attached to the newest house. The sun had went down, so it was growing quite late. He wished to just go to his room and unwind, but he was riding towards his destination with a purpose. There was a family illness, and he had to take up the responsibility his cousin had been taking care of so that his cousin could return home. Everything about this situation was troublesome as far as Izaya saw it, but it wasn't like he could refuse. He could never say 'no' to his mother or grandmother, no matter how much he really wanted to sometimes.

House number seven.. I wonder how long we'll be here.. Izaya thought to himself with a moody sigh. He crossed his arms, shifting in the back seat uncomfortably. He hated riding in cars, they were always built too small for his build, especially the back seats. He wanted nothing more than to hop out and stretch his legs, even if it meant jumping out of a moving vehicle, but then he'd end up worrying his mother, and he couldn't do something that irresponsible. His mother had it rough anyhow, he did not wish to cause her any further stress. His father had done enough to cause his mother pain, he would do anything in his power to make her life easier, because he did not wish to grow up to be the same kind of man his father was.

Finally the car pulled in to his grandmother's cozy little house, next door to a rather extravagant one, well, at least from what he could see. He couldn't make an accurate evaluation, what with the huge stone fence surrounding the property. Once the car came to a halt, Izaya stepped out of the car, brushing his fingers through his black hair with a sigh of relief. The cool night's breeze felt far better than he could have anticipated, and being able to freely stretch his limbs was just as wonderful. Once he felt his mood shift, he silently gathered up the luggage and moved it into the house where his Grandmother was weeping. He wasn't sure how to deal with the situation, so he was glad that his mother went to comfort her. Izaya found a spot to place the luggage and rubbed the back of his neck.

He wanted to get away from the crying women, so he came up with a solid excuse to leave, "I'll go fetch Ren.." He muttered under his breath, his deep voice barely noticeable under the wailing, but somehow his mother managed and gave him a swift nod. With recognition and permission, Izaya made his way out the door, not hesitating to head out to find his cousin, but stopped at the door when he heard his grandmother's voice calling out to him.

"Z-Zay... -sniff- ...Lottie is next door...-sniff- at Sakura Square.." She informed the dark haired male, and all Izaya could manage was a grateful smile and reassuring nod. He closed the door behind him, making his way across the lawn. He stared up at the fence, then sighed a bit. Getting permission would be tedious, so he decided to go with the fun method. He took a few steps back before lunging at the bars of the gate, hoisting himself up. It stretched his arm muscles which had been long overdue for a workout after that treacherous car ride, and he dropped down on the other side, brushing his hands off on his jacket, seeing as it was much darker than his red pants. He approached the front door, knocking calmly, "Ooooi, Ren. Emergency." He called in casually. His cousin sprang up, considering Izaya never made surprise visits.

Izaya and his mother only showed up for weddings or funerals, so his sudden appearance here definitely meant something. When Ren opened the door, Izaya was leaning against the brick wall of the house in a nonchalant manner. He had a serious look on his face, despite his calm demeanor, "Your dad's really sick, so you're heading home tonight. I'm here to tap in on your responsibilities. Go home and pack up.." His eyes peered in, noticing several cute girls among the room. It appeared they were playing a game somewhat like Truth or Dare, but he wasn't certain what this game was exactly. He watched Ren leave, rustling up his own hair. He was mentally exhausted, but he supposed this couldn't be avoided. Life never took sick days, so he had to keep up with his responsibilities, no matter how much he despised them. Once he was certain that Ren was gone, Izaya tilted his head at everyone inside of Sakura Sqaure. He supposed that he might as well introduce himself, seeing as they'd be neighbors until his mother decided it was time to move again, however long that would be. He raised a hand and waved very informally, "Yo, I'm Shuuhei, Izaya. I'm Ren's cousin. I'll be your neighbor from now on."

Now that he had properly introduced himself, he felt awkward just standing in a stranger's doorway, so he decided to close up the conversation if there was nothing else left to discuss, "He didn't leave anything here did he? If not, I suppose I'll be going... I apologize for interrupting your night. I hope you all have a great night..." his eyes landed on the two with handcuffs on, a light blush crossing his cheeks, clearing his throat to compose himself before continuing, "With whatever it is you're doing.. He ended his statement, not certain that he wanted to know what this game was after all, it would surely lead to embarrassment he did not wish to reveal to those around him. There was a clear reason that Izaya avoided games like this, and that was because it was his greatest weakness. He couldn't shut off his perverted mind when it came to games like this, and he did not enjoy indulging in that side of himself. He did not wish to behave like his irresponsible father. He certainly hated disrespecting women in such a manner, hence why he otherwise behaved like a proper gentleman. His every day behavior was a penance of sorts for his perverted tendencies.

"I apologize, Nemui-san, but,"

She knew it, a miscount would have simply been too perfect to ever be true. She recognized the owner of the voice well, she did not even have to glance over to know who had drawn the other number. She refused to look up as he held up the proof, because looking at the number would make it seem far more real, and at the moment she was in a state of denial. If she didn't actually see the evidence, she could delude herself for a little while longer. As a wise man once said, ignorance is bliss. She finally understood the meaning of that quote.

"I am number three."

She remained quiet, only nodding her head as she realized her fate had been sealed. However, no matter how many times thought about it, she still couldn't entirely compute that she would have to follow every order given to her by Yukito without exception. A shiver ran up her spine, but she wasn't sure why, aside from occasional teasing, he had not treated her very bad thus far... He's my brother, what's the worst he can come up with? Errands? Chores? As she thought it over more in depth, she regained a bit of confidence, able to return her gaze to the group, a weak smile crossing her lips for a moment, then disappeared just as quickly.

"I guess, I will be in your hands, Nemui-san. Oh. it's the other way around right?"

She cringed a bit, hating the fact that she was quite literally someone else's plaything for an entire week. She wasn't sure what that would entail, but regardless of the commands she did not like the idea of someone else having that much power over her. She quietly sighed, then put on a smile for the group, "A-Arigato." She responded with a nervous laugh. Her smile was not perfect, but she was well versed in pretending that everything was okay, so she knew it would fool most, including her own sister. Kurumi hardly had a clue about the more recent bullying Nemui endured, except for the cases where there were physical marks left behind.

"Do not worry, I will take care of you."

She tensed up, closing her eyes for a moment as a sense of dread washed over her petite frame. She opened her eyes shortly after, reminding herself that regardless of how she felt, the game had to continue, and others were waiting. She opened her mouth to speak, but someone else had beaten her to it. Her golden brown eyes shifted towards the source, Shin.

"I guess that rounds it up. Next round then. Who's next?"

Nemui would have said Yukito's name, but she wasn't sure how to address him other than by first name or Fuwa, and she doubted many in the group would understand who 'Fuwa' would be, seeing as everyone knew him by either Yukito, or 'The Younger Kitomura brother'. She was in a jam, and once again, she was saved, but this time it was Himeko instead of Shin that spoke up.

[color=navy]"Etto.. Suzuki-san hasn't passed out the sticks yet. As long as everyone gets a turn it doesn't matter what order we go in, right?"

"That's fine with me, so long as it's okay with everyone else."

She was glad that everyone seemed keen on playing the game, because she was not looking forward to Yukito's first command, but she had to admit she couldn't wait until his last, because then it would truly be over. No one seemed to care about the order that they were going in anymore as far as passing out sticks were concerned, so Nemui just shrugged her shoulders, "I-I don't mind either way..."

"Is anyone else cold? I mean, I'm wearing a hoodie but my fingers are freezing."

Numui sheepishly raised her hand. She was wearing a short sleeved shirt, so she could easily fetch a hoodie, "I-I can bring hoodies down for any of the girls that are cold.. Malik-senpai? Katsukawa-san? D-D-Do you want a blanket, Kuru-chii?" She asked with a bit of concern in her voice. She had heard that Kurumi had been caught in the rain the other day, so she couldn't help but wonder if her sister had caught a cold. She knew it could have been simple chills, but ever since illness took her father, Nemui had been on edge about her loved ones getting sick, no matter how minor. Nemui looked around to see if any of the girls in the room were cold besides herself and her sister.

"I'll pass the sticks out if we're going to sit around, wasting time otherwise."

Nemui sweat-dropped as Kurou's voice brought her back to the previous matter, feeling like she was always in the eldest Kitomura's way. He seemed very impatient compared to his younger brother and so far she felt as though she only managed to make a bad impression towards Kurou. She bit her bottom lip as she began to mentally scold herself for getting lost in idle chit-chat. Nemui truly wanted to make this entire 'family' thing work, even if no one else involved aside from their parents was willing to try... so getting on her older brother's bad side wasn't really helping. She couldn't shake the feeling that he disliked her, but she wasn't sure why, other than she'd held up dinner the night before.

"...That works too..."

Nemui quietly passed her stick to Kurou, waiting for all the others to do so as well, watching everyone turn in their numbers. Immediately anxiety struck the short haired girl, wondering if there was anything else left in store for her. She truly hoped that there wasn't, but she didn't want to let her guard down too early either. Once Kurumi reach over and retrieved her stick, Nemui let out a silent sigh to calm her own nerves, psyching herself up so that she'd be able to muster up the courage to draw a straw from the boy's hand.

"Everyone get your sticks from Kurou-san before it starts to snow in here."

Nemui walked over and plucked a stick from Kurou's hand, quickly returning to her spot to look at her number. Eight. She was going to be number eight this time around. She put the stick in her lap, wondering when she would be able to get a hoodie, because honestly she felt like her arms would break off at any moment from the chill in the air.

"Ooooi, Ren. Emergency."

Just before Ren could draw a stick there was a knock accompanied by a voice. She was immediately startled, a slightly worried expression on her face, "D-Didn't we lock the gates? How simple is it to get to us?" She asked in a curious tone. Now that she knew others could reach the house so easily, she wasn't going to sleep nearly as well as she had the nights before in her new home. After this she would have nightmares for sure, and be paranoid about reality's horrors. Plenty of rich families were robbed, especially ones without security guards.

"Your dad's really sick, so you're heading home tonight. I'm here to tap in on your responsibilities. Go home and pack up.."

She was immediately horrified to know that a member of the group was having intense family issues, but she totally envied Ren... he was getting a free pass to leave before being mentally scarred by this game. She honestly wished she could go in his place. She however knew what it felt like to lose a father, so she knew he wasn't really all that lucky. She sincerely hoped his father was doing better than her own had been when he fell ill. Poor Suzuki-kun...

"Yo, I'm Shuuhei, Izaya. I'm Ren's cousin. I'll be your neighbor from now on."

Nemui's eyes immediately shifted to Shin, Yukito, then Kurou. She knew it was cliche, and she often scoffed when girls did it in manga, but she suddenly found herself looking to those three for comfort. There was no way that the girls could take on someone as tall as that guy on their own... plus he seemed fairly muscular. She was immediately terrified by this stranger, especially since everything about his appearance screamed 'delinquent'. She would have hid behind one of the guys, but she was currently wedged between Kurumi and Himeko. Kurumi was to her right, sitting on the arm of the couch, while Himeko was to her left, with Shin on the other side of Himeko.

"He didn't leave anything here did he? If not, I suppose I'll be going... I apologize for interrupting your night. I hope you all have a great night... With whatever it is you're doing.."

Although it was incredibly rude, Nemui had to admit she was glad to hear the stranger say he was going to leave, but with the new information that he'd be their neighbor, she was incredibly frightened. This boy's appearance frightened her, no matter how casual and friendly he seemed to act in front of everyone else. There was something about him that gave her the creeps. W-Why does he scare me so much...? I... I'm trembling.. she could feel her entire body trembling against her will, and she attempted to tense her body to hide it, hoping that no one noticed the more gentle tremors of her body. If they did, she'd pass it off as being cold, because that wouldn't be a complete lie.

Kurou Kitomura
Kurou Kitomura: "Neighbor most likely to threaten you into a game you don't want to play" running champ, 2015.

||Thought Color = c2150f||||Speech Color = d6a91c||

---

Kurou felt his master plan had a very high chance of succeeding, and so was confident as the number of sticks he held began to disappear one by one. If he could snare at least one of his "siblings" in his web, then his plan will have been executed just about perfectly, and because of how he was going to word his command as king one it was his turn, he was sure to have quite a bit of fun with this. Again, he was very excited and could not wait until he could order a few people around.

But that would probably have to wait.

"Ooooi, Ren. Emergency."

An unfamiliar voice called out to one of his potential victims and, despite the message, it didn't actually seem that serious. It was delivered in a very nonchalant tone, but regardless, Ren had reacted with an urgency Kurou wasn't expected. Do they have some form of telepathy or something? the elder brother mused jokingly, before realizing that he should normally be worried about something else in this situation.

Wait, how the fuck did he just get in? Are our gates really that crappy? And who does this guy think he is?

"Your dad's really sick, so you're heading home tonight. I'm here to tap in on your responsibilities. Go home and pack up..."

If it was enough to warrant someone trespassing onto another's territory just to inform him, then that wasn't likely to be a normal illness, or so Kurou suspected. Hopefully. Because it was either that the illness was fairly serious or that the people Ren knew were very good at overreacting, which was something Kurou didn't particularly care for. He was willing to assume it was the former, judging by how fast Ren was reacting.

"Sayonara." Kurou said as Ren suddenly disappeared, before turning his eyes to the intruder, whom had yet to introduce himself.

Were things going to have to get violent? Honestly, Kurou had hoped not. Fighting was effort, and if something escalated, the game was certain to be called off before he had had his fun! That was not allowed.

"Yo, I'm Shuuhei, Izaya. I'm Ren's cousin. I'll be your neighbor from now on."

His cousin? Neighbor? I guess I should be more surprised by this, but considering my own situation....

"He didn't leave anything here did he? If not, I suppose I'll be going... I apologize for interrupting your night. I hope you all have a great night... With whatever it is you're doing.." This Izaya fellow seemed just about to do that. But would that even be fun? No, it probably wouldn't. They would lose a member of the team and that would mean one less victim for Kurou to potentially abuse!

Kurou gave a quick look around the room, noticing how tense it was. The man, as far as he could tell, obviously meant no harm, but that didn't change the fact of what he had just done. Nemo particularly, seemed very threatened by the young man. It would be a pain if she suddenly started to freak out or faint, perhaps he should get this man out of here? Well, that would be the nice thing to do. Unfortunately for her, Kurou was not known for being a very nice guy.

"Actually, I think you should stay, neighbor." Kurou suggested, knowing full-well that the stranger probably wasn't very welcome here right now. Not like he cared. This guy wasn't about to ruin Kurou's fun. In fact, it might make things even more interesting if this guy joined in. "Here" Kurou stood up and extended his arm towards the young man, presenting his hand with the sticks in them. "Come over and take one. King gives orders and his subjects listen. It's a very simple, entertaining game. Not much of a price to pay, considering the alternative for trespassing, don't you think?" there was a smile on Kurou's face, as one might've expected from a friendly neighbor, but the actual meaning behind it was anything but. To Kurou, this man was just going to be a replacement victim for the one that had escaped, poor man.

---

---

Nonchalantly calm, Yukito picked a stick. It seems he didn't get a chance to be the king once more for this round. That was disappointing, but he didn't mind sharing the spotlight in certain situations. It was bound to get interesting hearing the orders escalating either obviously or with subtly. Anyway, he would not mind being an onlooker or being commandeered, as long as it's going to be entertaining. His eyes looked at the number and it was 2. All right, he'll keep that in mind and see who has the honors of being King.

But before anything else, an unfamiliar voice piped in from outside the door. The one being addressed was Ren and it was an emergency. He looked at Ren who immediately went to the door. That was not surprising really, but he was rather at odds as to how easy for other people to enter the grounds of the house. That is a bit troubling thought, the security of the house had always been a priority ever since he entered the entertainment industry. Even the address of his house is kept private, it was for safety purposes for the media and fans alike. That only meant he would need to readjust certain measures here and there, otherwise he kept quiet for now. "It's a good thing we have something to improve on, Nemui-san." He looked at Nemui and smiled kindly. "Don't worry." He stood from his seat and gently placed a hand on her head. Something very akin of a comforting gesture, patting her head. He then gently took back his hand and then faced the direction where Ren and the newcomer were.

Then, there was the news. "Suzuki-san, be strong and until we see each other again." His voice delivered a depth sense of sincerity and his eyes firmly landed on Ren's figure who managed to look back at him, giving a nod which was free of interpretation, but he would guess it was both of gratitude and goodbye. Then, Ren was gone, just like that. And, here comes the stranger who introduced himself as the cousin, Izaya Shuuhei. He has nothing against the guy, even on how he looks, though it doesn't seemed to be the same with Nemui. He caught her trembling from the corner of his eyes. She was scared of Izaya and made him terribly curious. He could use this very well.

That's why it was a good thing his brother piped in when Izaya decided that he would leave. Kurou invited the newest addition to the group and somehow, he knew for a fact that his older brother has something up. The only time his brother would do anything was out of convenience or out of his own self-interests. If he would take a guess, it would be probably because of the stick Kurou got. There was a great chance that his brother is the King. If that's the case, this might get a bit way out of hand. Then again, it was already so from the very beginning. "Well, if you won't mind or you're not busy, Shuuhei-san. Why don't you join us like my brother suggested? More fun the merrier. The name is Kitomura, Yukito." He introduced himself in his perfectly friendly position. "Welcome to the neighborhood and welcome to our house, Sakura Square."

He then gestured for Izaya to take any place to seat among the vacant ones. "Though, I would ask kindly the next time to just use the intercom at the gates if you need anything from us instead of climbing or jumping over it. You might get hurt in the process." He stated returning to his seat with his ever carefree smile, as if nothing is really wrong. "So, I guess introductions are in order, isn't it?" His eyes then looked at the others which served as the cue.

---

It seemed that everyone was once more focused on the game. It also looked that Kurou was also feeling better and that made her smile lightly. That was a good thing to see as she really had no idea what Kurou was really thinking about at the moment or what devastating effects the older Kitomura had planned for. That's why when the sticks were offered she also took one. She got number 4. "Thank you." She then waited patiently for another round to begin, hopefully the next King would give another order that would be simple and won't be rather... uhm... she wasn't sure what the right word to use, sexual? It was a little bit too much for her to handle at this point.

Then, there was an unfamiliar voice coming from the front door. She was not fearful instead, rather concerned and curious, because it involved Len. Her eyes landed on him as he stood up and opened the door. The words of the wonderful baker about locked gates was left out of her comprehension for now. Her focus was on Len. It was also clear on her face that that she was very worried especially when the stranger finally presented himself to them by the opened door. Then said, that Len's father was sick and he would need to go now.

He was going to go... He was going to leave... Those words repeated in her head, as she then bit her lower lip. She understood his situation. Family is important, but she couldn't help but feel sad. It's true that she told him before to forget the promise, that is what she read and did, but she would hold on to that, because it was for the best. Their situation would have never worked out especially now with her condition. She would just hurt him, but perhaps, the reason why she was feeling such sadness was probably because of what she said to him when they finally met again.

She averted her eyes for a bit and saw the younger Kitomura comforting the younger Fujioka sister... oh that's right his younger sister now. She only looked again when a few parting words had been given to Len by Kurou's little brother. She saw Len looked back and gave a small nod. She also felt his eyes on her. At that point, she stood up from her seat and followed Len who left without saying another word to anyone else. She did not even noticed the new person who was at the door. All she cared for right now was to catch up with him before leaving. "Len!" She shouted after him and he entertained her by stopping and looking back at her. "I am really happy to have met you again, and I'm sorry for what I said before..."

She then gave him a smile, a heartfelt one. "I'll pray for your father's safety and yours as well." She then took a step back before taking a deep breath. "Let's meet again, okay?" Ren smiled at him, the same smile back then. She couldn't help but blushed at that memory before Ren turned his back and left for good. She watched him disappear from her sight before she returned back at the house while doing so, she felt a bittersweet feeling. She never felt this before... no perhaps she did... she was left behind. She was now at the front door and was taken out of her own musings when she saw Kurou and his brother inviting the one who called out on Ren.

Aina wasn't against the invitation. She shook her feelings for now, but she would be writing it down for sure in her journal. She didn't want to forget it... saying goodbye to an important person. "Uhm, hello. My name is Aina Malik. Good evening, if you are not in a hurry, please enjoy the evening with us. I know that Kitomura-san and Kitomura-kun would not invite you if they didn't want to." Once again, she offered that smile of hers.

---

It didn't take long as the others got their sticks and he took what was left. Shin got the number 7, apparently. Though, he is rather worried about Yukito's new sister being under the pop star's commandment. He would not declare that he knows Yukito more than anyone else, but he would like to think that he knows the younger boy especially with intentions. He could only hope that Yukito would not vent frustrations on the girl or if possible, there would be a situation that could diffuse that. If not... just good luck.

His eyes then traveled towards Kurumi who said that she felt cold. Was it? He wasn't sure as he feels fine. That was when he looked at Himeko to just make sure if she was feeling cold as well. "Are you feeling cold as well, Katsukawa-san?" He asked and he believed to be right, after all, she would be inevitably bound to him for the rest of the weekend. He didn't want to make things more uncomfortable as it has been already now. At the very least, he would provide her comfort in the things that he could do. In any case, if it was indeed cold, he would perhaps ask for something warm to drink for both girls and everyone else if they want to.

It seemed that Nemui had offered blankets for the girls. That was a good thought. "Perhaps, something hot to drink as well. I'll help." He stated and was about to stand from his seat when an unknown voice was heard. His eyes went to the front door where, Ren as he has been called went for it in such urgency. Well, the word Emergency would do that. Yet, there was another worry that Nemui voiced out. It was about the security of the house. That goes without saying as a stranger to anyone of them was able to get into the grounds easily. He took noticed how Yukito handled that and also the snippets of dialogue that Ren's father was sick and must go.

That reminded him of the past... a much further past... He looked down as those eyes of his were covered by his bangs as his consciousness traveled way back in time. How he would always rush to the hospital so, he could stay with her. How hard he prayed and asked for help so that she would not be taken away. In the end, she was gone. That's why he wished that would not be the same scenario for Ren. He was only startled in his thoughts when a rustle near him was made. It was done by Aina who stood without a word and exited through the door. That made him wonder as to what happened.

At that point, the stranger introduced himself as Ren's cousin and so on. Yukito's brother invited the guy over. He would like to believe that it was out of the goodness of the heart, but knowing that Kurou was the infamous pop star's brother. There was a possibility they share similar interests. This was also prompted by Yukito and Shin simply decided to keep quiet about his own opinion since this is the house of the Kitomuras not his. Though, he wondered if that was for the best, because from what he could see, Nemui was rather uncomfortable.

"It's fine." He stated as he looked at Nemui before returning his attention to the Kitomura Brothers and the new guest. Though he wondered about Aina who had just left. Does she know Ren? As if on cue, the girl appeared. She was likely the same, but he couldn't help but sense something different about her, a sadness more pronounced. Well, she introduced herself and Yukito did imply for them to do the same. "Ogawa, Shin." He stated while raising his free hand without the cuffs before lowering it to his side again. Somehow, this new guy reminds him of something... and it was not pleasant memory, but he wasn't going to judge for he knew better.

Himeko retrieved a stick from Kurou, deciding the order did not particularly matter in the end so long as they got the game over with. She gazed at her number before placing the stick face down on her lap. Everyone seemed to be less nervous as the game continued, that is, except for the females in the group. She shot Nemui a reassuring smile, then one to Aina as well. She didn't know either of them very well, but she knew what they were currently feeling more than anyone. She had been at the blunt end of this game's cruelty already. So far Kurumi hadn't had it so bad, nor had Aina, but she knew that couldn't last forever. She doubted the devil would allow that.

"Are you feeling cold as well, Katsukawa-san?"

Himeko immediately blushed, although it was only a light one. Why on Earth was he asking her that? I'm not your responsibility or anything! She shouted in her mind, feeling embarrassed that he was attempting to tend to her. Himeko shook her head a little quicker than was normally seen as polite, biting her bottom lip as she spoke up, "N-Not really. My fleece sweater is warm and my leggings are fairly thick. Thanks anyway." She responded in a low mumble, still rather shaken by his question. In other circumstances, she would have handled herself, but anywhere she decided to go Shin would also have to tag along.

"Perhaps, something hot to drink as well. I'll help."

Himeko would have protested, but they were both interrupted by a voice outside. She was kind of glad for that, seeing as she would have had to follow Shin along to make the drinks, which would mean time alone in the kitchen, and that would be nothing less than EXTREMELY awkward. Thank God... She thought to herself with a silent sigh of relief, believing that this was divine intervention.

"Ooooi, Ren. Emergency."

However, Himeko's eyes immediately shifted to Ren when she heard the word 'Emergency'. The boy who shared her deceased brother's given name apparently had to leave, and it wasn't long before worry managed to engulf Himeko's prior positive expression. She knew what 'emergencies' this late meant. She'd gotten a knock at the door, but it was far more formal, seeing as it was police instead of a civilian. She watched as Ren went to the door, noting the stiffness of Ren's motions. He was definitely shaken by the stranger's presence. She immediately felt a sense of dread, hoping this was less serious than it seemed.

"D-Didn't we lock the gates? How simple is it to get to us?"

"I'm sure at least one of these guys are stronger than they look. If not, there are enough girls here to take on one guy." Himeko responded to Nemui, reaching over and squeezing her hand. She let go immediately however, because she did not want Nemui to find out the truth. Himeko's words were far braver than she truly was. In fact, Himeko was just as scared as Nemui, if not more. She was shaking as well, but tightened her grip around her skirt, hoping that Shin could not feel it from the other end of the handcuffs. The last thing she wanted was pity from him or anyone else in the room. She wanted to be seen as strong, even if it was little more than playing pretend.

"It's a good thing we have something to improve on, Nemui-san. Don't worry."

Himeko was honestly surprised by the devil's ability to be a decent human being towards Nemui, perhaps the first time she'd seen him treat her like an actual sibling. She had a bias against Yukito however, seeing as he had been tormenting a girl the first time she had met him, much like his terrible older brother had done to her, except Kurou had never been so nice, he did not even treat her like a girl. She could remember exactly how he had turned her down in front of the entire school, like it was just yesterday. Kurou did not even accepting her love letter, hell, he didn't even open it. She had not even been considered for a moment, as if there was no possibility that he could ever return her feelings for him. She had been immediately shut down, and to be honest she was still somewhat shaken by the cruelty he had displayed that day, even to this day. I'm not sure if he's genuine, but at least his words were kind.

"Your dad's really sick, so you're heading home tonight. I'm here to tap in on your responsibilities. Go home and pack up.."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. It wasn't as bad as she thought, but that could change at any minute. She fell silent, thinking about her brother, remembering how she'd felt when she found out that he had died. Sadness suddenly consumed her, but she refused to let herself cry in front of everyone. She wasn't going to give anyone that privilege, not until she knew that they deserved it. Though when Ren left, her eyes lifted, noticing that Aina had disappeared as well, but also that the boy who delivered the bad news was rather awkward and had a bad boy appearance, much like her older brother had. She immediately smiled, feeling a certain level of fondness towards him, even though he was ultimately a stranger and a male. Because he looked somewhat like her brother, she immediately felt more friendly towards him than the other boys currently in the room.

"Yo, I'm Shuuhei, Izaya. I'm Ren's cousin. I'll be your neighbor from now on.He didn't leave anything here did he? If not, I suppose I'll be going... I apologize for interrupting your night. I hope you all have a great night... With whatever it is you're doing."

"Actually, I think you should stay, neighbor. Here. Come over and take one. King gives orders and his subjects listen. It's a very simple, entertaining game. Not much of a price to pay, considering the alternative for trespassing, don't you think?"

"Oi! It's not nice to threaten people, Kitomura!" Himeko scolded, frowning at Kurou. She knew that this was his house, but what would he possibly do? If they kicked her out for being 'snappy' then she would be blessed by being able to go home early. Honestly they wanted her here for the game more than she wished to remain at Sakura Square, so she was relatively confident that her attitude would go unchecked. She knew that it would look odd that she stood up for an absolute stranger, especially seeing as she treated the other three boys and all of her other male classmates rather bitterly.

"Though, I would ask kindly the next time to just use the intercom at the gates if you need anything from us instead of climbing or jumping over it. You might get hurt in the process."

Himeko took note as Yukito mentioned their intercom. She knew that several wealthy families had intercoms and even cameras to protect their privacy and themselves in general, but she hadn't noticed their system upon arriving, but perhaps that's because Nemui had picked her up? She didn't even know where to begin looking or how to even use such a device, so she was glad she had very little incentive to return to Sakura Square after tonight. Besides, this wasn't the kind of crowd that Himeko wanted to get tangled up in, especially seeing as Yukito and Kurou were among the group. Yukito not Kurou seemed to be bothered by the stranger, so Himeko brushed aside her own nervousness as well. If they felt there was nothing to fear, then she doubted it was worth panicking over.

"So, I guess introductions are in order, isn't it?"

"I am Katsukawa, Himeko. It's a pleasure to meet you, Shuuhei-San. May your uncle have good health and long life." Himeko greeted him in a far kinder manner than she had ever addressed Shin, Yukito, or Kurou. She was obviously not as warmhearted towards Izaya as she was towards other females, but she was being pleasant, which was more than could be said about her icy behaviors towards the other three remaining men. She stood and bowed respectfully, before sitting down next to Shin again. She began toying with the cuff around her wrist, then sighed to herself.

"Uhm, hello. My name is Aina Malik. Good evening, if you are not in a hurry, please enjoy the evening with us. I know that Kitomura-san and Kitomura-kun would not invite you if they didn't want to."

Himeko smiled a bit as Aina offered a much warmer welcome to the newcomer than she could have, and Himeko's attention shifted to Nemui, giving her a reassuring smile. She knew that the smaller girl was frightened by Izaya's 'bad boy' appearance, but as far as she could tell the boy was as harmless as anyone else in the room, arguably less than some, if she had to be frank about it. To avoid Nemui having to introduce herself, seeing as she still looked mortified, Himeko spoke up again, "Who's the King this round?" she asked, feigning excitement, though she honestly felt a sense of dread with each round. However, if it took the limelight off of a damsel in distress, she would gladly fake whatever emotion necessary.

"Yo, I'm Shuuhei, Izaya. I'm Ren's cousin. I'll be your neighbor from now on.He didn't leave anything here did he? If not, I suppose I'll be going... I apologize for interrupting your night. I hope you all have a great night... With whatever it is you're doing."

Kurumi's eyes took in the newcomer, not even noticing that Ren had left. She had completely forgotten about Ren as the 'bad boy' calling himself Shuuhei, Izaya, walked in. He seemed to be about to leave, which she definitely would have protested to, but she was beat to the punch by the least likely person, but she was grateful that he did. She definitely wished to get to know this Izaya person better, and it was especially intriguing when he mentioned being their neighbor.

"Actually, I think you should stay, neighbor. Here. Come over and take one. King gives orders and his subjects listen. It's a very simple, entertaining game. Not much of a price to pay, considering the alternative for trespassing, don't you think?"

"Are you good at Math, Shuuhei-san? I could use a tutor and it'd be so convenient~" Kurumi shamelessly chimed in a flirtatious tone. She owed Kurou one for his 'strawberry' incident with Aina in class the day before. Whether this actually bugged him as much as him and Aina sharing food had bugged her, she was unsure, but it was worth a shot. She was half sincere anyhow, she truly did need a tutor if she wished to escape Nemui's wrath after the test she had bombed on the first day back to school, "Could I come over sometime?"

"Oi! It's not nice to threaten people, Kitomura!"

Ouch. She told you. Kurumi giggled a bit, but managed to compose herself before too much attention was drawn to herself. She couldn't deny that she found it refreshing that someone had enough backbone to call Kurou out, even if Kurumi had made her own threats at the beginning of the game. She understood that she deserved to have similar treatment at times, but no one had said anything, so she decided to enjoy Kurou being reprimanded while it lasted.

"Though, I would ask kindly the next time to just use the intercom at the gates if you need anything from us instead of climbing or jumping over it. You might get hurt in the process."

As Kurumi thought about the gate and the stone walls, she was immediately impressed that the new guy had managed to get through, she tilted her head, tapping her cheek as she made an inquiry, "Did you really climb over all on your own?" She asked, noting that the gate was nearly twelve feet tall. She knew that her tone came across a bit flirty, but she didn't mind. After all, she was single, so she did not have anyone to answer to. Besides, Kurou agreed with her that there had been nothing between them, so what did it matter if she decided to mingle? Perhaps blatantly in his face wasn't the best choice, but since they lived together, what other option did she have?

"So, I guess introductions are in order, isn't it?"

Kurumi stretched, allowing someone else to go first. She did not want to seem too eager after all. This gave her a moment to examine Izaya, noticing his eyes were both two-toned. They were a shade of orange towards the bottom, but a dark hue of purple towards the uppermost part of his eyes. They were definitely unique, even captivating if one wished to be bold.

"I am Katsukawa, Himeko. It's a pleasure to meet you, Shuuhei-San. May your uncle have good health and long life."

She noticed that Himeko seemed to be a bit fonder of this boy than the others, not that she could blame her for having a bit of a grudge against Kurou, but she wasn't sure what Yukito had done to earn her rage, well, aside from all the teasing he'd done when she had to kiss Shin. Speaking of Shin, she also understood why she wasn't exactly willing to show him kindness, especially after the headlines Kurumi had seen. That had to sting. From what she could tell, Shin was a relatively good guy who ended up in a lot of misunderstandings, she felt bad for him honestly. He must have been a terrible person in his previous life to deserve this kind of Karma. Kurumi thought to herself, allowing her azure eyes to shift to the silver haired male for just a moment, stealing a glance of the model before looking away. She did not wish to get caught, because the last thing she wanted was for someone to start another rumor about him. She felt that the model deserved a moment's peace, especially since he would have to evade swarms of paparazzi on his way home. Suddenly she remembered that she had not introduced herself, her eyes landing on the tall, dark, and handsome newcomer, "I am Kitomura, Kurumi.. it's a pleasure to meet you, Shuuhei-san." She greeted with a sugar-sweet expression on her face, even standing up to shake his hand before returning to her seat, glad that her once numb legs had decided to cooperate with her.

"Uhm, hello. My name is Aina Malik. Good evening, if you are not in a hurry, please enjoy the evening with us. I know that Kitomura-san and Kitomura-kun would not invite you if they didn't want to."

She wanted to add that this was likely a trap, but if this Shuuhei guy walked into the lion's den, it wasn't any of her business. She would let her new brothers eat him alive if it meant they would be distracted from Nemui and herself. Sure, she felt a little bad allowing the guy to sign his death warrant, but it was better him than one of her own. She would choose Nemui over anyone else whenever given the choice. It was a no-brainer. Sorry that I'm not sorry.

"Who's the King this round?"

The tone that Himeko used seemed a little generic, so it didn't take Kurumi very long to realize what the other girl was doing. She decided to go along, also noting her little sister's anxieties, "Not it. Too bad~" Kurumi responded with a sigh, though she only had herself to blame. She had completely wasted her own turn, so she felt a bit of envy towards those who had yet to give an order. She hated to find out who the next King was, but at least if it was someone who already went that meant there would be a redraw for a new King so that everyone would get a turn before the night was over.

"I'll be right back, I'll get some blankets." She called out to the others, rushing to the stairs. She had a few of her own, so she didn't have to look around the house for the spot that the Kitomura's stored theirs. She hated living in a house where she felt like an outsider. Despite her age, Kurumi used the rail of the stairs, her hand clasped tightly around it as she made her ascent. Most girls her age would have simply ran up them, herself included, but her legs were not agreeing with her today. She was incredibly frightened that they might fail her in front of everyone. She eventually made it up the stairs with minimal incident, but her legs did buckle once. She hoped that no one actually watched her take her leave.. because unless they did, she was confident it went unnoticed. She didn't actually stumble or fall, but her legs did show physical weakness. She opened the door of her room, walking inside without bothering to shut the door behind her. She would be leaving the room with the blankets within minutes, so she saw no need to.

"It's a good thing we have something to improve on, Nemui-san."

Nemui had to admit she was surprised by the smile and words of assurance from her newest pop star of a sibling. He did seem to enjoy making her life more difficult, or perhaps he was simply unaware of what he was doing, either way she had not anticipated receiving comfort from her classmate and stepbrother. She nodded slowly, but she would have preferred impregnable security over 'needs improvement' any day. Perhaps the fact that she was abused by her bullies quite frequently made her feel more vulnerable than everyone else in the room? Nemui wasn't sure why no one else seemed to be as alarmed as she was, but she felt this was something to be taken seriously.

"Don't worry."

Unsure of what was about to happen, Nemui closed one eye as the idol closed the touch barrier. A pout formed on her lips as he gave her the 'pat the puppy on the head' treatment. She knew for a fact that she was older than him by a few months, slightly irritated by this gesture, but also feeling slightly safer somehow. When Yukito removed his hand and turned away, it finally clicked in Nemui's head, a blush forming on her cheeks. He's not a character from the manga... He only THINKS he's that cool.. She refused to believe that Yukito was anything like the boys she swooned over in her beloved manga pages. To admit that he had similarities would be to admit that she admired traits that her brother had, and that would ruin everything. She refused to cross that line, "....Arigato.." she stated hesitantly, only loud enough for Yukito, Kurumi, and perhaps Himeko to overhear.

"Actually, I think you should stay, neighbor. Here. Come over and take one. King gives orders and his subjects listen. It's a very simple, entertaining game. Not much of a price to pay, considering the alternative for trespassing, don't you think?"

Just when she thought the newcomer would leave, Nemui felt herself glaring at the back of Kurou's head for a moment, only for a moment! She then turned to Kurumi for a response, but immediately felt isolated as she noticed the figurative hearts in her sister's eyes. She let out a quiet sigh, shaking her head a bit. Everyone was taking this too lightly as far as Nemui was concerned. If he starts killing everyone, I am leaving you all for dead since no one ever listens to me. She thought to herself bitterly.

"Are you good at Math, Shuuhei-san? I could use a tutor and it'd be so convenient~ Could I come over sometime?"

When she thought it couldn't get any worse, Nemui was left wandering what on earth did her sister thought she was doing. Nemui was nearly nauseated by her sister's lack of shame, especially for flirting with a stranger who held the appearance of a delinquent. She was beginning to question her sister's taste in men, but shrugged it off. If Kurumi wanted to place herself in dangerous situations then there was nothing that Nemui could honestly do to stop her. She just hoped that her sister was smarter than she was pretending to be at the moment.

"Though, I would ask kindly the next time to just use the intercom at the gates if you need anything from us instead of climbing or jumping over it. You might get hurt in the process."

Or get stabbed... Nemui thought to herself. Had he done this on a day when Nemui was home alone, she surely would not have hesitated to stab Shuuhei in a mixture of fear, and fight or flight instinct. Nemui began twirling her slightly wavy locks of blondish brunette hair around her finger. She couldn't relax now that there was a stranger in the room, no matter how much her mind told her to try.

"Did you really climb over all on your own?"

It was painfully obvious that her sister was flirting with the newcomer and she bit the inside of her cheek. She wasn't sure what her sister was playing at, but she obviously was trying to get on someone's nerves. If she was trying to make Nemui angry, it surely was working. She was starting to wonder why Kurumi was born first, because Nemui felt she was always taking on the role of the responsible sibling. Just throw yourself on the floor and tattoo that you're single on your forehead... Nemui thought to herself as she rolled her eyes at her sister's display.

"So, I guess introductions are in order, isn't it?"

"It's fine. Ogawa, Shin."

Nemui smiled faintly at Shin for the reassurance, nodding in confirmation. She did not wish to say more about the matter, seeing as the intruder was now a part of the game that everyone was playing. Nemui decided that she would introduce herself last, seeing as she was in no rush to talk to this stranger.

"Who's the King this round?"

"Not it. Too bad~ I'll be right back, I'll get some blankets."

"I'm Fu-... Kitomura, Nemui." She announced after her sister left, turning her gaze to one of the windows. She felt like a complete outsider in this house when her sister was not by her side. Nemui finally released her hair from the fast paced twirling that she had forced it to endure, before looking over to Himeko. The girl had done a lot to make her feel better the past few days, Nemui knew that she'd have to find some way to repay her fellow freshman's kindness, "I'm not the King either.." She hoped the game would simply continue, because the sooner the game was over, the sooner this stranger would remove himself from their home.

Besides, Nemui had lost a lot of study hours and it would take a significant amount of time to make those up. If she started tomorrow, it would only take about a week, granted she got the chance to go to bed early enough tonight.

"Are you good at Math, Shuuhei-san? I could use a tutor and it'd be so convenient~"

Perhaps much to the chagrin of Kurumi, Kitomura Kurou was a very mature man who held absolutely no feelings for her other than the negative ones associated with her becoming his sibling. So, of course, her attempts to rile some form of reaction from him were in total vain.

Except not because most of that was untrue.

"Could I come over sometime?"

The elder Kitomura's default, unhappy expression hid the irritation he felt just hearing her blatantly obvious flirting. He couldn't tell if some part of him was simply jealous, for some weird reason, or if he was just annoyed at hearing that kind of stuff in general. He'd like to believe it was the latter, and so chose to respond to it as such by doing what any mature male of his age would do in that position and remained quiet and pretended to not have any interest in it, because he certainly did not. Definitely. Well, possibly.... maybe...

"Oi! It's not nice to threaten people, Kitomura!"

While most others seemed busy giving out introductions or perhaps cowering in fear (which was the normal thing to do when random people broke into the premises, Kurou would admit), Katsukawa managed to use this as an opportunity to scold Kurou, for whatever reason. This was a blessing in disguise since it allowed him to ignore Kurumi. But what was so bad about what he did? Sure, he was taking advantage of the situation so as not to lose a potential victim in the game they were playing, but was that really so bad to do when this man decided to hop into their house without an invitation? Kurou thought that this was a very nice thing considering he could have easily just called the cops or beat this guy up or raise a weapon to him.

"It's not nice to break into homes either." he shot back, ignoring a giggle from Kurumi and narrowing his eyes at Katsukawa for a moment. Kurou was still upset about her identity, or rather, the fact he hadn't figured it out yet. Right now, she was just a source of irritation, not just because she seemed to be down Kurou's throat at any chance, but also because he was getting frustrated trying to think about where he remembered that name from. It didn't help that Kurumi was going heart-eyed over the new guy.

By the time Aina had finished her introduction, Kurou had realized he never gave his name to the man he had nearly forced to participate in this game. Normally, when people broke into homes it wasn't frowned upon to not give out names, but in this very special case, Kurou would have to make an exception. Besides, he would be seeing a lot more of this guy in the future, given that he was moving in next to him and his brother. Oh, and sisters. When the rest had seemingly finished their introduction, Kurou went ahead and gave his. "I'm the elder brother, Kitomura Kurou. Good meeting you, I guess. Just take my brother's advice and use the intercom next time." Kurou didn't seem particularly interested in giving it all of his heart, but he figured that introduction was all that was needed. Besides, who complains about introductions anyways?

"I'll be right back, I'll get some blankets." Kurumi announced, heading for the stairs. It would be nice to not have her fawning over the new guy for at least a minute or two, or so Kurou thought as he took the last remaining stick and looked at it. It would seem that this turn, Lady Luck was smiling. Kurou couldn't help but grin just a bit.

Now this was going to be fun! He knew that if she had smiled upon him once, Lady Luck would do so again this round. She had to! But it would only be worth it if he could get Kurumi as a temporary slave. Yes, this plan relied on that for the maximum amount of entertainment, anybody else was just an unfortunate victim of collateral damage. Kurou stood up from his spot on the ground. "I'll give you guys some time to prepare yourselves for my reign, but numbers 6, 2, and 3 will be treating me as though I was the king for the next couple of weeks" he stated with a cruel grin, as if he was a torturer who enjoyed their job, presenting his stick to the group before continuing. "Well, I'll go fetch our missing player. Don't make it too obvious if she's a victim or not when I get back~" so saying, Kurou Kitomura decided to head up the stairs to make sure Kurumi hadn't snuck out the window or something akin to that. Of course, he didn't actually expect her to go to such lengths to leave the game when she didn't even know who the king was yet. Besides, where would she go? This was supposed to be her home now. Not that Kurou necessarily liked that, but it's simply how things turned out. Maybe she was going to write something in her diary about the new guy? Yeah, something seemed odd when she was crawling up the steps. She was probably so excited about meeting this guy that she just couldn't wait. Hell if he knew. He wasn't completely oblivious, but it is not like he could solve the riddles of a girl's mind just by looking at them, mostly. Maybe she really did have a giant crush on Shoe.

"Well, she'll have to ignore that for a bit if things go my way. Heheheh."

As Kurou reached the next floor, he shook his head. Am I becoming a villain? His turn might not end as well as he would hope, and he was even starting to creep himself out.

"Oi, Kurumi, what's taking so long?" he called out, noticing the open door. "How many blankets do you need? We're waiting." the elder brother stood at the entrance to her room as he finished that sentence.

Kurumi began retrieving blankets from her bedroom closet, picking out the ones that weren't embarrassing. Many were plain colors like purple or blue, but one or two had a delicate and feminine touch to them. Her favorite one was the black and pale pink blanket, with cherry blossoms depicted on the fabric. Once she got around five different blankets, Kurumi went to her dresser and opened her prescription bottle and shook a single pill into her hand. She didn't like to medicate often, but she couldn't lose herself in front of everyone. The potential side effects were worth keeping the secret of her illness. She could feel the weakness and pain in her legs, and she gazed out her bedroom window for a moment after returning the bottle to the inside of her dresser. She thought back to a time when she never had to worry about her illness, but found herself shocked as she heard an all too familiar voice behind her. Kurumi spun on her heel to face Kurou, stumbling back for a moment. She brought her hand to her face as if in shock, but that was only to discreetly take her medication without alerting Kurou that she was doing anything of the sort. She was unsure about how long he had been there at her doorway, but she hoped that it had not been very long. How do we always end up alone!?

"Kurumi, what's taking so long? How many blankets do you need? We're waiting."

Little did she know, he had just arrived right before she had turned around. She immediately placed one hand on her hip, frowning at him, "I was gathering them for the group, and I have a lot of them. Girls get cold easy. Sue me." She responded in a defensive manner, sticking her tongue out at him. She wanted to tell him to stop addressing her so familiarly, but she knew I would only do more harm than good unless he slipped up in front of Yukito or their other classmates. Since this was growing more and more awkward by the second, Kurumi scooped up the blankets, even though five of them were a rather bulky load for her to carry. Though as she approached him, she stopped once she was right next to him in the doorway, "Is there a reason you always show up at my bedroom door? Why would I try to escape my own game? I'm not the person that I once was, but seeing as you did come, does that mean you were the king this round?." she inquired with what seemed to be genuine curiosity. Honestly she felt awkward standing this close to Kurou, but thankfully only her heartbeat was irregular.

She finally stepped past him, turning to look back at him as she met the top of the stairs, "I'm done, so close the door on your way out of my doorway, okay? Do your worst, I can handle anything you try to throw at me." She responded in a defiant tone, unsure if she was actually one of his victim, but she was fairly sure he wouldn't have came after her unless that was the case... Unless.... Did I actually make him jealous? Kurumi proceeded in making her slow descent back into the living room. She refused to let Kurou help her carry the blankets. She did not want to give Yukito any reason to believe that there was anything sweet between her and Kurou. As she returned to the group she asked Nemui which numbers were called out. She immediately recounted the numbers for her older sister, and much to Kurumi's annoyance, she was one of Kurou's victims. She let out a sigh, but placed the blankets on the table after clearing off the silverware. She rested the cherry blossom blanket on her perch, right on top of the couch's right armrest. She took the dishes to the kitchen and returned with an impatient expression on her face, "Oi, someone tell me what his order was so we can get on with the game.." She then reclaimed her spot, perched higher up than anyone else in the room. She wrapped up in her blanket, finally warm for the first time since the game began.

Her attention then shifted to Izaya, tilting her head curiously, "Are you cold Shuuhei-San? Help yourself to a blanket. I recommend the purple one. It's super warm~!" She inquired before pointing to the purple blanket on the coffee table. She turned her attention to everyone else, gathering up the sticks and handing them to Yukito. She just wanted to get this show on the road. It was getting quite late and she was looking forward to some well earned sleep. She'd spent enough time faking smiles, and was forced to give up the last legal thing that claimed her as her father's daughter. She no longer even had his last name, which was taking a larger toll on her than she had anticipated. To be honest she just wanted to be left alone with her thoughts, which could only happen if the game came to a close. Kurumi combed through her blonde locks as she waited for everyone else to draw a straw first. She decided she would choose last, seeing as her luck had finally chose to run out. Whatever Kurou had in store for her, Kurumi was determined to rise to the occasion. She couldn't let him win, especially after how he ended their fake relationship. She had to prove that she was over him, to herself, and to him. However, she also had to prove that she was no longer the shy and introverted girl whose heart shattered into a million pieces the day he'd called things off without rhyme or reason.

I'm not going to let him get in my head, not this time. I know what kind of guy he is now, and I won't be fooled twice... I can't afford to feel that way again, so this is my chance to prove there is nothing left. Kurumi's dark blue doe eyes scanned the room, waiting for everyone to hurry up and draw a straw from Yukito.

"Actually, I think you should stay, neighbor. Here. Come over and take one. King gives orders and his subjects listen. It's a very simple, entertaining game. Not much of a price to pay, considering the alternative for trespassing, don't you think?"

"I suppose you present a compelling argument." Izaya replied, rubbing the back of his neck. He did not take well to threats, but he was clearly in the wrong at the moment, so he would gladly shrug it off this time around. The last thing he needed was a police escort home, again.. He didn't want to put his family through that, especially considering their family's current crisis. Normally he should have been home, but he really did not look forward to comforting his mother and grandmother, so he decided the two could sufficiently console each other in his absence.

"Are you good at Math, Shuuhei-san? I could use a tutor and it'd be so convenient~ Could I come over sometime?"

It was not a conventional question, but he felt that answering the girl would do little harm. His grandmother often preached neighborly vibes, so he figured it would earn him some brownie points with her if he played nice with the neighbor's children, "I'm not terrible at the subject, I suppose I could lend a tip or two... My grandmother would surely be ecstatic. She always wanted a granddaughter after all, but she's only got me and Ren." He smiled as warmly as he could at the girl, simply being polite. He was blissfully unaware of the blonde girl's obvious flirtations, but he did find her to be quite charming and definitely noticed how hot that she was. Honestly, he might have declined her offer had she been less attractive.

"Oi! It's not nice to threaten people, Kitomura!"

A lot of the group seemed to find the girl's scolding to be amusing, and Izaya couldn't help but smile as she defended him, a complete stranger. He would surely remember the girl's altruism, however, he noticed that she was equally as beautiful as the blonde. In fact, each girl in the room was exceptionally cute in her own individual way. He began to wonder how so many cute girls were in the same room as someone like him and began to truly appreciate having moved here. This was pure heaven for a guy like Izaya, though he would never be disrespectful or bold enough to comment that aloud.

"It's not nice to break into homes either."

"He does have a point.. Although since I did no damage to the property, I assume the proper term would be trespassing.. I do appreciate your kindness however, Miss." Izaya commented, a smirk forming on his lips. He had meant to smile, but he was too busy recalling how he'd gotten in this situation. He could hear his mother's reaction if she ever found out about this. She constantly compared him to Ren, which immediately caused Izaya to tune her out entirely. He hated being compared to other men, because he was his own person and nothing would ever change him. He would always stay true to himself, because originality was all he had besides his word.

"Well, if you won't mind or you're not busy, Shuuhei-san. Why don't you join us like my brother suggested? More fun the merrier. The name is Kitomura, Yukito. Welcome to the neighborhood and welcome to our house, Sakura Square. Though, I would ask kindly the next time to just use the intercom at the gates if you need anything from us instead of climbing or jumping over it. You might get hurt in the process."

"I'm highly allergic to handcuffs, so count me in, I guess.." Izaya lightly jested, although if that were true, he would have been dead several times by now. He had heard their last name before many times, but he had never actually seen either of the Kitomura sons. He nodded his head as Yukito introduced himself, and smiled sheepishly as his method of entering the grounds was once again brought front and center, "I'll make sure to remember that." He replied, hoping that it was the last he would hear of his unorthodox methods.

"Did you really climb over all on your own?"

The girl seemed very fascinated, but he did not wish to brag so he simply nodded briefly, averting his eyes to the clock on the wall. The minutes ticked by agonizing slow, but thankfully the topic had been changed before he felt too awkward. He had to dance on a fine line between making conversation and bragging, else he might anger the brothers into changing their minds about that phone call to the local police.

"So, I guess introductions are in order, isn't it?"

Izaya rubbed the back of his neck, feeling awkward now that he was in the spotlight. He knew that this would be necessary if he was to ever join the game properly. He nodded a bit, waiting for someone to speak up and break the silence. Whenever that silence did break, he gazed over at the owner of the voice with a surprised expression.

"Uhm, hello. My name is Aina Malik. Good evening, if you are not in a hurry, please enjoy the evening with us. I know that Kitomura-san and Kitomura-kun would not invite you if they didn't want to."

"I.. know who you are.. I was visiting Ren's house when you met him. Though... I will admit, this is the first time we've officially met." Izaya responded in an awkward tone, averting his gaze. He was quite astounded to see her again. He almost kicked himself for not recognizing her at first, but once he got a clear look at her, he realized that it was Ren's long lost childhood sweetheart. He did not spend a lot of time with her like his cousin during her visit, but he did see her playing with Ren once or twice before her departure. She had grown up quite nicely, an exotic beauty among the otherwise fair skinned populace, "Your assurance is appreciated, I assure you, Malik-Senpai."

"Ogawa, Shin."

Waving casually with only his index and middle fingers the dark haired male responded to the handcuffed male's introduction, "Nice to meet you, I'm sure." Izaya replied to the other male not showing the same charisma as he had with the ladies, but being friendly all the same. The ivory haired male sitting down was rather tall from what he could tell, and had a certain air about him. He was familiar to him somehow, but he was not sure what it was about this guy that made him feel like he knew him. Perhaps he just had that kind of presence? Izaya was almost certain that he had never met this guy before in his entire life.

"I am Katsukawa, Himeko. It's a pleasure to meet you, Shuuhei-San. May your uncle have good health and long life."

"Your condolences are invaluable, Katsukawa-san." He smiled weakly at the mention of his uncle, a constant reminder of his own mother's fragile health. He did not wish to linger on the matter if it could be avoided, but he knew that people were fixated on death nearly as much as they feared it. He decided to let it go, considering the one to ruin his mood was one of the several cute girls in the room. He couldn't hold a grudge against someone he found attractive, at least not for very long. He was nothing more than a softy underneath that bad boy appearance whenever girls were involved.

"I'm the elder brother, Kitomura Kurou. Good meeting you, I guess. Just take my brother's advice and use the intercom next time."

It was growing quite obvious that the older brother of this house was definitely not the social butterfly of the group, but that was something Izaya could understand on a certain level. Although he attempted to be friendly and charming, he most of the time came across as awkward and too laid back for most situations. "I really am sorry about that, I couldn't find it in the dark and simply lost my patience given the dire situation. I've been told impatience is a curse. I suppose I'll have to work on that." He chuckled as a charming smile crossed his lips. Izaya closing his eyes to avoid catching the reactions to his words. He couldn't really take this very seriously, in fact, he rarely took anything seriously until the handcuffs were slapped against his wrists.

"I am Kitomura, Kurumi.. it's a pleasure to meet you, Shuuhei-san."

He was slightly taken by surprise as she stated her last name. As far as she had been aware, the Kitomura siblings did not have sisters. He could have been mistaken, but he couldn't conceal his confused expression, "It's a pleasure, Kurumi-San. He replied, seeing as he couldn't call all of the Kitomura's in the room Kitomura-san.

"I'm Fu-... Kitomura, Nemui. I'm not the King either.."

He had zoned out for some time, but a soft voice brought him back in reality as she introduced herself. His two-toned eyes scanned the timid girl, who was teeming with shy adorableness. He could tell that he was making her uncomfortable, so he smiled as warmly as possible, "I apologize if my intrusion has frightened you. That was not my intention. Gomenasai, Nemui-san Izaya felt incredibly guilty for spooking the girl, blinking when the other sister returned with several blankets and passed all of the sticks to Yukito. He had missed Kurou announcing who was his targets, so he was of no help to her as she inquired about the room.

"Are you cold Shuuhei-San? Help yourself to a blanket. I recommend the purple one. It's super warm~!"

Izaya took an empty spot on the floor between Shin's spot on the couch and whomever was sitting across from Shin on the couch parallel to the one that Kurumi, Nemui, Kurumi, and Shin resided on. He looked to the blanket, then leaned forward to claim the dark purple blanket, wrapping it around himself. It was far colder outside than he had realized, and was definitely thankful for the chance to warm up, "So we just take a stick?" He inquired, reaching and taking a straw from Yukito's hand, looking at the number before sitting back down. He wasn't sure what to do now, but he figured that he shouldn't simply announce his number. He waited to see what everyone else did before saying anything. He did not wish to make a fool of himself yet again.

---

---

---

---

It's a good thing that everything finally settled down and the game continued on. The interlude they had was entertaining. There were a lot of things to observe and to gauge. He liked that as Yukito is the kind of person that learns from people. He knows more about people by watching them than actually experiencing the whole social interaction with anyone. Now, there are a new player, interesting interactions, and a bit of foreplay to lay the works, so to speak.

In any case, most are now aware that the King is his older brother. That was boring even the commandment, having those who picked 6, 3, and 2 treat him like a King. He seemed to be caught in that order and he wasn't really that worried about it, because believe it or not. His brother was the kindest one between them. That's something he would openly admit and might not make sense to anyone at first, but when masks are undone, they would see that it's an inevitable truth. And because any orders would be completely boring, well, he could make a few edits to that at his own methods.

It didn't take long for Kurumi who returned from getting some blankets followed by his brother who went and followed her. That's when Izaya, Ren's replacement, settled down and grabbed a number, while basically asking what they were doing. He doesn't mind explaining really, and he does have a responsibility as a host and all that jazz. "Basically, we're playing the Ōsama Game, my brother got the King Stick and has made an order, that 6, 2, and 3 would be treating him as a King even if he did say for a couple of weeks." Yukito paused for a minute and then glanced at his older brother who was probably rejoicing inwardly of winning.

"It would be just for two weeks maximum." He returned his attention to Izaya with a smile and then finally showed his number. "Once the King and order is declared, you can reveal your number so everyone will know who should do the order and it seems I would be one of my brother's lackeys." The number he drew was two which made him the recipient of the order, but he seemed unbothered by it actually. He wasn't even considering the consequences of being ordered around while giving a pause so the other two would reveal themselves, before he spoke again. "I guess that does it for this round." He left his stick on the table at the middle to allow another to gather it up.

"I guess we'll have another one, we can't stop now, since we have a new player." Yukito glanced at Izaya and then to the others with friendly smile that was certainly nothing behind or ulterior motives. He was perfect in hiding his true feelings and intentions that one would even wonder if he even himself know what his true self is. "I wonder who would would be our next King." Just like that, he was completely at ease when he heard his phone vibrate inside his pants' pocket. Ah that's right, he put it on silent mode earlier.

He took a moment to look who would be calling this late and the expression on his face altered from that of carefree fun, into that of delicate concern. "Excuse me." He stood from his seat and went towards the direction of the kitchen where he answered his phone. "Hey!" He soon disappeared inside not to be heard by the others for a while.

---

The response of Ren's cousin surprised her. Aina blinked her eyes a few times that it was rather adorable and reminiscent of those drawn characters in a TV show. "Eh? You know me?" Being told of that, she couldn't help but try to locate anything that could affirm that connection inside her memories of those younger days, the only ones that will remain with her. He did say that this was their first time officially meeting but, there must be a trace that would lead her to a conclusion that she had seen him before.

She felt it would be unfair for him to remember her while she didn't even have that inkling of recalling, forgotten. She just didn't like that feeling even if this was only how she sees things and not necessarily what Ren's cousin is truly feeling. "I see." She managed to answer when he further expounded that he saw her playing with Ren. That triggered something inside of her that... bitter-sweetness emotion, but also that familiarity.

Then, it came before her, like a flash of light. She was there, her younger self at the garden playing with a little Ren happily and then, she felt someone watching. She followed her intuition and found a boy, and she smiled at him wanting to have him play with them, but he left without another word. That was all it is... the memory she has of him. "You are that boy back then." Realization clearly flashed across her face and that smile of hers brightened. "It is wonderful to see you again." Like they say, goodbyes would always open doors for reunions.

After that, she went back to her seat and quietly passed her time. That was fine with her as her head was still full a lot of things. She was still thinking about Ren and what she should do at this point. Yes, she was to continue living and she should be firmed on the decision of not making that childhood promise true. She cannot have anyone suffer because of her permanent condition. Everyone deserves a life far better than to be with her in this broken state of hers.

While in the process of thinking, she did manage to hear that the King is Kurou and his order as well. She took a moment to look at her number. She wasn't included in it and in her honest opinion, she really didn't think being ordered around by Kurou would be a terrible thing. To Aina, he was a kind person and her friend, so he couldn't harm a fly even if that wasn't really the truth. Her belief only got stronger when Yukito seemed not bothered about it being one of those who would follow Kurou, so she really wasn't worried about the others. This was a safe round.

Yukito then announced the beginning of a new round. She then released a deep breath that she didn't knew she was holding in and decided that she needed to use the restroom. "Excuse me." She directed her question to the girls, specifically the ones now living here. "May I use your restroom?" When her question was answered with permission and directions. She excused herself once more and left. When she was done, there she saw Yukito looking quite hard at his phone. She worried and so she spoke. "Kitomura-kun?" She called out to him and when he looked at her. Somehow, she felt that she should have just kept her mouth shut and left as Yukito smiled at her.

---

Well, everything seemed to calm down a bit. Ren leaving was unexpected, but they got someone else in return. It's not like he's thinking the guy is a replacement or anything, because after all no one can be a stand-in for another person, but Shin is a bit curious as Aina seemed to have a connection with Ren's side of the family as she seemingly ran after the guy and now the newcomer was saying that he knew Aina way before. It wasn't really his place to care, but just curious of what's going on.

Anyway, he stilled his thoughts about that and focused on the game where Kurou declared himself as the King and gave out the orders before going upstairs following Kurumi. He looked at his number and he was out of this round. That was a good thing. He already had his share of orders that had become quite troublesome and would follow him to the entire weekend glancing at the cuff binding him to Himeko. He only hoped there would be no work for him or if it does, he could get out of it. There was no way he would take her with him unless he has a death wish of paparazzi and that would also be a bigger problem on Himeko. He doesn't want to drag the girl into anything else.

He then glanced at Yukito who was explaining some things to Izaya, the new guy. It also appeared that Yukito was one of his older brother's servant for two weeks apparently. He really doesn't know much about Kurou personally and he wasn't really interested, but from the looks of it. Yukito is clearly not concerned, whether that was a good thing or not. He was leaning to the latter as the one he knew well enough is the famous pop star. Yukito always have something up his sleeves and that was never to be underestimated.

After a while, a new announcement of another round has been done. He wasn't complaining and all, but it would be great if they hurried it up a bit. It was getting late and he does have an additional person to worry about on the living and sleeping arrangements for the weekend. Then, Yukito excused himself. There seemed to be call. It made him wonder who it could be. It could be the manager, but this late? the father? but, it's the honeymoon... the last one he could up was her. That was not a good idea at all. It was a fact that Yukito is in a sour mood as of late because of that news and this was going to add another batch of oil in an already raging fire.

He only wished that it wasn't her at all. He wanted to follow, but that would be a nuisance and obviously Yukito wanted to have some privacy. He'll respect that. He just occupied himself by looking at the others, Aina excused herself for a bit and he then saw that Kurumi now has a blanket along with Izaya wrapped with one. "I hope you don't mind me taking some. Thanks." He addressed his words to Kurumi before handing it to Nemui and then Himeko. "Here." They were cold, aren't they? They would need it. One would wonder that the rumors about him, might be a misunderstanding because of his gentleman gestures.

After that, it was at that point, he noticed Aina returned, but not alone. Yukito was also with her. There was nothing odd about that, but he knew something was up. Aina seemed worried and was fidgety. Yukito looked normal, but Shin knew. Something happened.

"I'll give you guys some time to prepare yourselves for my reign, but numbers 6, 2, and 3 will be treating me as though I was the king for the next couple of weeks."

Two weeks?! ...He can't be serious... Himeko could have committed suicide then and there. She was actually glad that she was chained to Shin now, because that meant Kurou couldn't force her to come over here for the entire weekend. She would only have to deal with Kurou for twelve days. That couldn't be too bad right? What could be done in that amount of time? Himeko held up her stick in defeat. This by far was her least favorite order, and the handcuff idea had been pretty dreadful.

"Well, I'll go fetch our missing player. Don't make it too obvious if she's a victim or not when I get back~"

This blows.. Himeko thought to herself, running her fingers through her hair slowly. She was really beginning to believe that she should not gamble. It's like the entire universe was trying to annihilate her in one night. Seeing as she didn't LIVE with him she felt she'd have the upper hand, seeing as she'd only see him at school, and even then not very much if she was careful. How horrible of a person was I in my previous life? How did I earn so much bad Karma? She thought to herself with a solemn expression on her face. The next two weeks of her life would make her more paranoid when walking the streets than she had ever been in her entire life.

"Here."

Himeko wasn't actually cold, but she knew that Nemui was. She kept silent about her own warmth for the short haired Kitomura sister. She was dressed to handle cold nights, but the blanket did put her mind at ease. It was a symbol of security of nothing else, "Arigato, Ogawa-Senpai." It was easier to accept his kindness when it wasn't solely aimed towards her. Himeko shifted to look at the group, taking a stick before Yukito left the room. Seeing as he was supposed to hand them out, she figured everyone would just pick one up off of the coffee table, considering all of the numbers were face down.

That's when she noticed Aina, and that she seemed to be highly uncomfortable. Although she wasn't sure of her opinion on the other girl, Himeko felt somewhat protective of all females. She stood firmly by the belief that women should stick together, so she instinctively stood without even realizing it, "Malik-Senpai, are you alright?" She asked with concern, her eyes shifting to Yukito before narrowing in suspicion. The girl had been alright when she had left the group, so she was almost certain that he was to blame. Her suspicious gaze soon became a sharp glare, but there was little she could do about it unless Aina confessed what seemed to be bothering her. She couldn't attack him on conjecture alone. Well, she could, but she didn't want to leave in a set of police grade handcuffs. Himeko slowly sat down, though it was obvious that she wasn't happy about the new situation, "It was your turn to hand out the sticks." She did not bother to address Yukito by his name, sure that her unrelenting hawkish gaze gave enough indication as to who she was referring to. Himeko got under the blanket again with Nemui, keeping up the facade that she was also freezing. She didn't want to stand out from the other girls at all, because standing out would make others curious about her. She couldn't afford anyone remembering who she was. Her attitude towards men, especially Kitomura men, made her suspicious enough. Most girls their age fawned over the two boys, yet here she was, a complete stranger (or so everyone believes) hating their guts as if they'd pissed in her cheerios. She knew it didn't make sense, but she did still dislike them, not that she didn't dislike all men. Her experience with Kurou was enough to make her swear off dumb crushes and she'd given up on romance all together. Her attempt at romance was what brought Ren to the town where he was killed, so it was definitely difficult to try again. His death was the last nail in the coffin. Himeko was certain she would die a virgin, and she was completely fine with that. Protecting her heart and other women was her only goal in life aside from a career in photography, "So, next round. Yeah?" Himeko quirked a brow, impatience in her voice as she ushered for either people to choose a stick or Yukito to hand them out randomly. She didn't care how, she just wanted to get this show on the road. Perhaps if they kept the game spinning, Kurou would lose focus on his right to order herself, Kurumi, and Yukito around, at least for the night.

She then received a phone call, and brought her index finger to her lips. She read the name on her outdated iPhone, and mentally panicked, Oh no! It's my mom! She hesitated for a moment before sighing, deciding she would just tell the others about her situation. If they wanted her to remain at the party, they would comply with her conditions, "Shhh. My mom will come get me if she hears boys in the room." She informed everyone before answering the phone. Her mom began asking how she was doing, if Nemui and Kurumi were nice girls, and when they would be spending the night at her house. She didn't feel like answering such embarrassing questions, so she decided to cut the conversation as short as possible, "Heeeeey Momm.. I'll bring Nemui by after school on Monday. She has work all weekend. " She was glad that she paid attention to her talk with the short haired girl on the way here, because she did not wish to come across to her mother that she was grasping for straws. Thankfully she had at least one truth to supply her mother with. Now that she'd supplied her mother with at least one answer, Himeko faked a yawn and decided to end the call, "Night mom, I'm exhausted. We're laying down as I speak. Kurumi's about to turn out the lights. Love you!" She then hung up before her mother could stall or even get another word in at all for that matter.

Being the lazy, uncaring being that he was, Kurou had never put any active effort into being quiet as he approached Kurumi's door, so he was confused when it appeared he had startled her. Was she lost in thought about what blankets she wanted to grab, or maybe about that boy again so much that she didn't hear him approaching? Err, why did it matter if she was thinking of that guy? It didn't pertain to Kurou, no it did not. No at all! If he kept thinking about that kind of stuff, someone might mistake him for a jealous ex or something!

"I was gathering them for the group, and I have a lot of them. Girls get cold easy. Sue me." she replied defensively, sticking her tongue out at him. She was managing to do a very good job today at irritating Kurou, but she also snapped Kurou out of some unpleasant thoughts.

"Moving around quickly also warms people up, too." was how he decided to respond, crossing his arms and leaning against the frame of the door. He looked as though he could be spending his time doing something else and being happier doing so, in an attempt to once more get her to hurry up. And luckily, perhaps finally listening to his pestering, Kurumi quickly grabbed some blankets and made her way towards him. The blankets didn't seem particularly easy to carry simply by the bulk of them, so Kurumi looked a bit silly walking with them. When she approached the door and, by extension, him, he moved himself to give her space to pass through but she had stopped to speak to him.

"Is there a reason you always show up at my bedroom door?" she asked in what to him was out of the blue. This question actually managed to surprise Kurou, simply because he was now thinking how he repeatedly appeared there. That could be taken the wrong way, were somebody like, say, his brother were to take notice. He would have to be careful in the future.

"N-No, there's no particular reason." he claimed, almost as defensively as she was a minute ago minus the stuck out tongue but with the addition of a stutter that he pretended didn't happen immediately after. He wasn't sure why he answered like that to begin with. "You just take so long all the time, is all. One would think you were a tortoise in your past life."

Kurumi either didn't seem to notice his stutter or care, but either case was fine with him and so she continued with another question. "Why would I try to escape my own game? I'm not the person that I once was, but seeing as you did come, does that mean you were the king this round?."

"That's right. You have changed. I guess I shouldn't bother myself with worrying then, about you backing out, that is. And you're right, I'm definitely the King this round." He seemed proud saying this, as if he really was royalty because of a game. In contrast to Kurumi who was feeling weird being so close to Kurou, Kurou now was thinking it was only natural a potential servant of his for the next couple of weeks would be standing near him. Arrogance prevented Kurou from feeling awkward at the moment.

Kurumi finally decided to head downstairs, never once asking for help aside from closing her door, which she couldn't do without challenging Kurou. He had begun to shut the door before she even asked, so he wasn't too far behind her in descending the steps and regrouping with the rest. I'll have two weeks to order her around. Well, that is unless I manage to break her will and secure a secret from her. What kind of secrets could she be hiding that I don't know, I wonder?

Kurou returned to his spot within the group, gathering that he was now the King of his brother, Yukito, Katsukawa, and of course, Kurumi. This was... well, actually a very lucky round for him! He got the two he wanted most, and also his brother. There wasn't actually much he could think about making his brother do, truthfully, that would actually irritate the guy. Plus, even if he did figure something, Kurou might actually have to worry about retaliation at a later time. Truth be told, that could even be scary to him, his brother was much more inventive than he was, after all.

Oh well, Kurumi and Katsukawa would have to take the brunt of his imagination, which was fine by him. Like his brother, Kurou departed with his stick in the middle of the table and waited for the next round to begin. He would have fun with his victims after everybody else had had their turn.

"You are that boy back then."

The shock on Izaya's face that Aina remembered him left unfiltered. He honestly did not expect her to, seeing as he had never interrupted or even introduced himself to her back then, "I've never been that fun, but I am sorry for being so rude back then." Izaya rubbed his temples as he also thought back to those days. He was awkward now, but he was exponentially worse as a young boy. He didn't approach Ren and Aina back then because he couldn't interact with girls his own age, but it wasn't like anyone knew that, at least not anyone currently residing in this room.

"It is wonderful to see you again."

"The pleasure is all mine, I'll finally get to know more about you, well, other than what Ren disclosed as children." Izaya smiled, his smile was slightly shy, but held an awkward sense of confidence as well. He beat to his own drum, which both enabled and hindered Izaya all at the same time. While he was comfortable with his own company, being excluded for being 'odd' was quite taxing on his long term condition. He hated that everyone was comfortable conforming to social norms, but he also hated being excluded because he refused to be like everyone else.

He didn't pay a lot of attention to what was going on in the room, but he did notice when Aina excused herself, noticing that Yukito had stepped out as well only after the fact. He accepted that the guy was busy, but he was curious to know what the number he had drawn meant for his future. He understood drawing a number did not bode well for the others in the room, so he found himself engulfed by anxiety. Due to his social nonconformity, anxiety was something he was quite accustomed to, but somehow in this house it managed to magnify by tenfold. He simply had to know what was in store for him. Coming here had been a horrible mistake that he would surely pay for in due time, that he was sure of.

He ran a hand nervously through his hair, scooping up the purple blanket that Kurumi had vocally offered him. He draped in across his lap, trying to focus on the warmth instead of his relentless thought process. However as if on cue, Aina entered the room with a perturbed expression on her face. He had to immediately block out every instinct that urged him to rush to her, because that would only cause more problems, but he did shift from where he sat, offering her the spot next to him. It wasn't much, but at least next to him he could offer her some form of security, for now. He hated seeing girls in a state of distress. He had to remind himself that he was not her knight in shining armor. He was a normal guy with normal impulses, yet he simply could not bear the expression on her face. Perhaps I'm just looking out for Ren's girl? Yeah , that must be it.. I mean he is dad could be dying, someone has to watch out for her while he's away... Izaya refused to believe that his motives were because Aina was an attractive girl, a girl he had come across in his childhood.

"So, I have an elderly grandmother next door that needs my assistance. I'd like to move things along if it doesn't bother anyone else?" Izaya quirked a brow, letting his lightly tanned fingers run through his unruly brunet-ebony locks. It was becoming obvious that Izaya was losing patience, but it was simply displaced anxiety in the end, but he couldn't let that be discovered, by anyone. As far as his mother knew, Izaya's medications were working, "Can everyone make sure they've retrieved a stick from the table so someone can give an order?" his tone was exhausted, coming across as somewhat bored actually, but it was the exact opposite. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, in fact, he could practically hear his own heartbeat. All he could do was hope that someone in the room was at least half as frustrated by this slow pace as he was. Of course he knew there was little that could be done with a group of this size, but slight increase of pace would be much appreciated. He also wanted to get Aina alone after this and ask her what had her so wound up. He doubted she would say a word in front of the others, but he hoped that his connection to her childhood sweetheart would earn him some trust, especially now that she seemed to remember him. He wanted to know if it was one of the brothers that seemed hell bent on forcing him to play this game with sugar coated threats and eerie smiles.