Ren Suzuki's Story

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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"Trespasser."

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

"Are you hurt?"

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

"What are you doing here?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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"Suzuki, Ren."

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

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

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

"Nemui-san?"

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

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


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


"Not really."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Yeah, she's my grandmother."

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

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

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

"Okay, I'll tell her."

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

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

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

"Good night."

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

"Shall we go, Nemui-san?"

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

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

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

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

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

"But, do I know you from somewhere?"

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

"I feel terrible forgetting someone cute as you."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"You'd better not do it again."

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

"It was no trouble at all."

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

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

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

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

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

"Itadakimasu."

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

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

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

"Bed does sound good."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There goes his fun...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Then, the rain fell.

"Hey."

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

"Fujioka, Nemui-san, right?"

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

"Ohayō."

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

"Ohayo."

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

"Good morning, Nemui-san,"

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

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

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

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

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

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

They're going to kill me..

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

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

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

"H-Hai..."

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

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

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

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

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

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So, the guy's name is Ren. From what Yukito could tell, the guy is not that much into talking. Ren only speaks in words that can be counted by fingers which he finds entertaining really. He doesn't see much of a problem from that, but most people would see it as him being socially awkward or arrogant. "It's a nice coincidence to meet you here Suzuki-san." He said while listening to what Ren said about Mari-baachan saying hi. It made him smile as the girls present swooned at the sight. He remembered the elderly female neighbor. She was a nice lady and his... mother got along with her very much. He left those thoughts aside for now as he didn't allow his sudden wave of nostalgia to spill through outwardly "Oh... thanks for delivering the message. I hope you don't mind me dropping by to see her."

His attention was briefly taken by a girl speaking loudly with such fervent denial. His eyes of orange landed on her. She was quite pretty. He had never seen her before, probably a new student, but, it's like he had seen her before. It seemed that this year, there were a lot of newcomers which included that of Ren and of course, the Leech which he had met at the halls. In any case, the girl was speaking about never kissing or dating someone. His eyes drifted to a nearby reading material held by one of his nearby classmates. "So, that's her. No wonder, she's familiar." This is the girl being linked to the Leech. This school year appeared to be an exciting one. Her words were something he would like for the Leech to her. It made him wonder what that guy's reaction or rather both of their reactions when they meet again. It was highly likely to happen they do attend the same school.

But, he has other fun things to do. That's why he focused his attention on Nemui who appeared to be clearly bothered by his rather friendly approach. She did say that they had been classmates before, but he hardly noticed her. Of course, he was well-aware of that. He simply wanted to have fun with her for a bit at her own expense. That was then he heard someone interrupting the conversation between him and Nemui. It was the same girl who was earlier stating her clear rejection of being linked to the Leech. But this time, he was the main subject of her words. It wasn't that hard to guess. The students around them were all shocked about the manner how he was being treated. It was a common reaction really, no one had after all spoken to him like that before.

From what he could gather, this girl was telling her off and everyone else was expecting him to get angry or something. His expression was that of astounded surprise as the girl glared at him with spite and went ahead to declare that she's Nemui's protector. It ended at that and then Ren asked if he was alright. That was the trigger which made him finally snapped into action. He... LAUGHED. It was ridiculously cheery which reflected pure humor. It was so bright and unrestricted making him childlike and innocent. The students around them blinked their eyes as they didn't expect that from Yukito, but the girls couldn't help but be very delighted by such a carefree laugh. Others were taking pictures and videos, while some apparently got dizzy.

He managed to settle himself while wiping a tear from the corner of his eyes implicating he was laughing himself to tears. "So-- sorry..." He continued to giggle while covering his mouth a bit. "Okay... sorry about that." He was finally able to gather himself with a smile on his face. He was clearly not angry from the looks of it. "You're an interesting girl. I've never laughed that hard for a long time. I like you." He stated with an innocent and heartfelt smile, but when it comes to him, it really doesn't mean as simple as that. He the looked at Nemui. "This is a good thing isn't it Nemui-san?" He then looked back at the paranoia girl. Yeah, he would be calling her that from now on. "Please take good care of my onee-san, then. It's good to see her having such a nice friend." His words seemed to echo inside the room as his smile remained without faltering and his words without a hint of doubt. There was a moment of stillness and eerie silence. Everyone else was truly shocked by that revelation of his and then there was a collective 'WHAT!!?' If it was possible for the entire classroom it would have.

Everyone would have started to ask questions if the teacher had not arrived indicating that class was about to start. Through it all, Yukito was completely unperturbed as if what he had said was the most common fact in the entire world. He was about to go to his seat but before doing so, he looked at the paranoia girl. "Thanks for the advice and laugh." He was about to go but stopped as he reached for something on the paranoia girl's hair. "It seemed you have this on your hair." He dropped a piece of cherry petal on her desk before leaving her alone. He passed by Nemui's chair and took the seat right beside her. Once he was situated there, he looked at Nemui and mentioned something he was supposed to a while ago before the paranoia girl interrupted him. "Nemui-san, just call me by my name. We're going to be family, right?" After that, he looked at front as the teacher stated that there were two new students.

It was apparently Ren and the paranoia girl. He knew for a fact that what he had done will start many occurrences for the two girl. Though, it was very very very hard to see if his actions were intentional as his mask was perfection, but as he said before, he'll be enjoying this year with his new toy.

"Same here. It's good that I know someone already."

"I-I'll do my best to be of help... My sister might be more useful though. Her name is Fujioka, Kurumi." Nemui replied with a nervous smile, doing her best to hold conversation, but it was difficult for a girl like her. This was her first time holding a conversation with a guy, so she couldn't help but feel that she was making a fool of herself. Though Yukito barged in on the conversation, and before she knew it, the girl from earlier broke into the conversation between Yukito and herself.

"Oi! Can't you tell that you're making her uncomfortable? Cut it out."

She would be lying if she didn't admit that she was grateful.. but it did make her a bit sad that Yukito was being scolded. He was just being friendly, even if it was causing the other girls to glare daggers into the back of her skull as a result. The girls were now glaring at the new girl, making Nemui feel even more guilty. She wasn't in a lot of danger anymore, but now the other girl would be. She didn't want to see anything happen to such a nice girl.. No one ever stood up for her like that before.. even if it was only against Yukito, Nemui nearly cried from being overwhelmed with gratitude.

"Anyone who decides that it's okay to mess with her, has to go through me from now on."

This caused Nemui's eyes to shift between her bullies, Yukito, and the new girl. Did this girl really know what she was signing herself up for? She was making a lot of Freshman class enemies on her first day, was she aware? Nemui couldn't help but wonder if the other girl was aware of Yukito's celebrity status. Nemui bit the inside of her cheek, sweatdropping a bit before addressing Himeko directly, "A-Arigato.. but.." (No one hears this.)

"You alright over there?"

Her tone before his words had been so soft that no one really heard her, and by the time Ren was done speaking, Yukito had begun laughing. It wasn't really the reaction that she had expected, but she was glad that the situation didn't escalate into a full-on fight between Himeko and his fans, well, at least not yet. The day was far from over and she was confident that the fans would retaliate against her and the other girl.

"So-- sorry...You're an interesting girl. I've never laughed that hard for a long time. I like you. This is a good thing isn't it Nemui-san? Please take good care of my onee-san, then. It's good to see her having such a nice friend."

Did he just announce our to-be sibling status to everyone.. or did I imagine it..? Nemui asked herself, blinking with a vacant expression. It wasn't until everyone in the room began freaking out that Nemui realized that it actually happened. Well, at least the girls would realize she stood no romantic chance with Yukito, right? Dating her own stepbrother would just be weird, complicated, and not to mention confusing. There was no way something like that would ever happen, Nemui was absolutely certain that they wouldd never get romantically involved, they were far too different.... She was far too plain and ugly for a guy like that, not to mention her mother was marrying his father. Even if they had more chemistry, it was too late now.

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

"C-Crap. We'll finish this later. I'm Katsukawa, Himeko by the way."

"I-I'm Fujioka, N-Nemui.. It's very nice to meet you Katsukawa-chan.." She responded to Himeko, but wasn't certain if the girl heard her or not. She knew that it was a possibility, seeing as she wasn't a very loud person. Her father used to tell her to speak up all the time, but the habit worsened after his death. There wasn't a lot for her to celebrate or get excited about anymore, and how could she speak up and be confident when the only person in the world that made her feel beautiful was already dead? Her confidence died with him, and despite her best efforts to revive it, she was never able to reclaim her self-confidence.

"Gomen.. I hope I didn't make things worse for you.. I got carried away.. How about the two of us start over, okay?"

Nemui nodded with a blink of her eyes as the girl leaned over to whisper to her, a small smile on her face as the girl asked for a do-over. She understood what that was like, Nemui constantly wished that she had the ability to turn back time.. She didn't see why she felt the need to ask for one, in fact, Nemui admired Himeko even more now that she stood up for her in front of the entire class.

"Nemui-san, just call me by my name. We're going to be family, right?"

Nemui jumped out of her skin when she realized that Yukito chose the seat next to her, which meant that they would be seatmates for at least the rest of their first term. That would make everything much more complicated, and she let out an inaudible sigh. Her face erupted into a blush when he told her to call him by first name, something that she definitely was incapable of doing, "I-I couldn't possibly d-do that, K-Kitomura-san.." She replied, staring at the front of the room taking notes from the teacher's that was written on the board. She could feel the heat emitting from her cheeks, but despite her efforts, she couldn't banish the red tint from her features. She hoped that he would just lose track of the subject. T-That would be too embarrassing... She only addressed Kurumi by first name, not even other girls in her class.. How would she ever be able to call out to Yukito as Yukito?!

"We have two new students, one a transfer and another a returnee attending today. Would you two introduce yourselves up front."

She knew who the two students were, as did most of the class. Well, she just found out that the long haired girl was named Himeko, but she did know both of their names now. She waited for them to begin their introductions, because something told her that the girl's would be very interesting...

"Ohayō. I'm Suzuki, Ren from Nagoya. I look forward to the school year with you all."

Ren bowed politely, and it brought a small giggle from Nemui, a smile on her lips afterward. He was so polite and conservative compared to her brothers, it was like a breath of fresh air being around him. He was... very normal, and that was definitely a good thing compared to the craziness that surrounded her daily. Suzuki-kun reminds me of a nap under spring sunlight on fresh cut grass..

"You alright over there?"

Himeko sweatdropped a bit at this. The dark haired boy was seriously asking if the other guy was alright? Did he not notice how nervous that boy was making the short haired girl? It was painful to watch, and Himeko couldn't just ignore her as if it wasn't happening at all. She hated boys that manipulated and used others for their own entertainment more than she hated guys in general. Guys like this blond were the worst, at least in her opinion. If he had made the girl cry, she probably would have punched him for being so mean. She waited for his response, but when the other guy asked him if he was okay, the blond boy burst into laughter, which only angered Himeko even more. She felt the vein in her fist pulsing, and her entire body was clouded by an aura of pure hatred. She looked so evil, that some of the girls swore her strands of hair were snakes, much like Medusa.

"So-- sorry...Okay... sorry about that."

Himeko crossed her arms with a fed up expression as he spoke, her stern expression obviously not amused by his reaction. If anything, she was holding back the urge to serve a right hook to his left cheek, "If you were actually sorry, you wouldn't laugh." She muttered back in a quieter tone. She didn't want to receive detention, but everything about this guy made a fight seem a lot more worth it than she knew it would be. Hitting him would only make her feel better for a moment, so she took a long, calming breath. This was something that her brother would have done, this wasn't exactly something she was used to doing, but she couldn't back down now. She had a feeling that her vow to protect the quiet girl would be tested, quite often judging by the blond male's popularity. She still couldn't believe the sheer amount of glares and shocked expressions that she received when she told him off. Just who was this guy, and why did everyone treat him like God?

"You're an interesting girl. I've never laughed that hard for a long time. I like you."

"The feeling isn't mutual." She practically hissed in return, her eyes not losing their fiery expression for even a moment. She was still fired up, and her adrenaline wasn't going anywhere any time soon. Why did he say that he liked her? Was he trying to play games with her head too? Himeko closed her eyes for a moment, a smirk forming on her lips. Won't work on me, pretty boy. She thought with a smug expression before opening her eyes again, slightly less enraged than before, but there was a twinkle of amusement in her eyes now.

"This is a good thing isn't it Nemui-san? Please take good care of my onee-san, then. It's good to see her having such a nice friend."

"O...nee-san...?" She asked in a completely dumbfounded tone, tilting her head slowly as she processed the blond's words. For once, her expression matched his fan club's, well, sort of. Her expression was shocked, but not for the same reason. She couldn't understand why the girl would be so nervous around her own brother. Did he have a sister complex..? Her eyes widened even more at that thought, and she immediately shivered. What kind of creepy brother is he!? She thought in pure disgust. Seeing as she left so many years ago, she didn't remember Yukito or Nemui. She didn't realize that they weren't blood related.

"Thanks for the advice and laugh."

Himeko's eyes widened a bit as he reach towards her. It instantly put her in defensive mode knowing he was about to touch her. Himeko quickly raised her hand to swat his away from her, but he already spoke up when the back of her hand met his.

"It seemed you have this on your hair."

She blinked down at the cherry blossom, then turned her head to watch the boy take his seat, on the opposite side of Nemui. The quiet girl was sandwiched in between the two of them apparently. She smiled to the girl, but glared at Yukito and returned her attention to the front.

"We have two new students, one a transfer and another a returnee attending today. Would you two introduce yourselves up front."

Himeko visibly flinched as the teacher said 'returnee'. The students were immediately curious as the teacher mentioned new students and they looked around to locate the fresh meat. They were worse than a school of shark. She rubbed the back of her neck and nodded to the teacher, "Hai..." She muttered before standing from her seat, pushing her chair in afterwards before continuing up to the front. She made it up to the front at almost the same time as the boy who asked if that rude guy was alright. She immediately scowled, but turned her attention to girls instead. Her expression softened and her change of focus made her come across as far more approachable than she had before.

"Ohayō. I'm Suzuki, Ren from Nagoya. I look forward to the school year with you all."

As soon as the boy said his name, Himeko's head whipped in his direction at almost lightening speed. Her eyes landed on him with a look of astonishment on her features. His name was Ren, the name of her dead brother. It was strange, but she found it to be creepy more than anything else. What were the odds that the only other new kid in her class would have the same given name as her brother that was murdered? She almost couldn't believe her ears. When the teacher signaled that it was her turn, Himeko pushed her thoughts about Ren aside.

She wore her warmest smile and addressed the entire room, even though she was only concerned with befriending the female students, "Ohayo gozaimasu! I am Katsukawa, Himeko!" She was so friendly in her introduction that the boys who were once cowering from her verbal assault of Yukito were now leaning forward in their seats with looks of admiration, as if she'd never been scary at all.

At the sight of her smile, several of the boys gazed upon her lovingly, many with hearts in their eyes. One boy was even brave enough to ask if she had a boyfriend, and another who missed her addressing that she wasn't dating the model EDGE even asked if she was seeing the model. She immediately sighed at the barrage of questions, slapping one hand over her face in a cocktail of irritation and disappointment.This was not how she pictured her first day to begin. She shook her head and decided to address everything all at once so it would finally blow over. She wasn't sure how much longer she'd be able to humor these stupid rumors and idiotic questions.

"I'm not dating anyone, but I'm not interested in boys so please never ask to be my boyfriend, okay~" she announced to the class in a sing-song tone. Her words were not flirtatious or seductive, but they were said in a hyperactive and friendly manner. There was oddly no pretense in her voice, so she was one hundred percent genuine as she spoke. She honestly didn't care about falling in love, and despite noticing aesthetics, she absolutely refused to ever let the 'lovey-dovey' scene consume her. She hated chick flicks, and she would always get her mother to call her in sick for school whenever Valentine's Day rolled around. Himeko was an enemy of love. She gave a wink to the class before returning to her seat with a skip in her step. She was definitely strange, but that's a conversation for another time. Then there was a loud crack of thunder, causing her attention to shift to the window beside of her. Wow..it's really pouring down..

---

---

Well, Yukito had initially thought that school would be as boring as he had remembered before. That was not the case at all. He was instead welcomed on his first day by many events that at their own stood out to be an opportunity for him to have his delectable time playing with. There was the fact of having the chance to toy with his so-called stepsisters, and then there was the Leech, now, this paranoia girl who reminded him of a certain individual. This year was starting to be a salad of many chaotic opportunities for him.

His thoughts stopped for a while as he watched the two new additions introduced themselves. In order for him to perfectly unnerve his prey, he was naturally perceptive and keenly observant.

That's why he noticed that look which the paranoia girl had given Ren. What could be the meaning behind that? It seemed to be triggered by what the neighbor boy had said which has only three important points as far as he's concerned. The name, the place, and the meaning of Ren's casual greeting, among those factors something struck a chord on that girl. Another fine point, he would use to his advantage in the near future. At the moment, his attention shifted to Nemui who also seemed to be affected by Ren's introduction. This one was not of surprise, but of pleasantness. She giggled and had a smile on her lips. He elegantly tilted his head and placed his elbow on his desk while his chin was delicately placed at the back of his hand. The mere movement was without doubt dazzling as some of the girls were overly delighted by that sight.

As for him, he was inwardly seething on how to rip that smile of hers apart. Yes, he was rather diabolical and cruel isn't it? But much like how his brother outwardly changed, he did so inwardly, it was more perfect for his sadistic tendencies. She was simply unlucky for allowing her mother to marry his father. This is what they must call an unfortunate coincidence. "Hmm... I feel a bit envious." He muttered enough for Nemui to hear. His eyes never left her profile. "Do you like Suzuki-san?" He asked in a manner that did not betray any emotions. It was but a friendly question of course. "Well, if you need advice on such matters. I'd be happy to help." He added with a hint of cheerfulness and then proceeded to look at the front for the teacher began the roll call. Ah that's right, there was something else to be said.

"Just call me Yukito-san if it's alright. After all, I do call you Nemui-san. Plus if my brother and I are at the same place and you call out to any of us like that, also if my father is present. It would be confusing, right?" He ended it with a kind smile and then responded to the teacher's call who had called the name of the Paranoia girl first, and then his. "Kitomura, Yukito." He looked at the teacher and then gave a friendly smile. "Here, sensei." and, it continued on. He didn't strike another conversation with Nemui after that as he focused on the lessons. It was not every day that he would be able to attend. He does have a busy schedule for next week as his manager had shown him. That's why moments he could get to spend in school was important, but that was not the case for Ren who seemed to have the knack of being a comedian.

The guy had obviously stated the most common used excuses that even if it was the truth would not be judge as that. The result, detention. He couldn't help but laughed inwardly at that. The guy was fine on his book as far as he is concerned, more than that; Nemui seemed to like the guy, although not on the romantic level for now. It would be useful for him to have the guy nearby. "Daidouji-sensei." The teacher looked at Yukito. "What is it Kitomura-kun?" He smiled kindly at the teacher and spoke his piece. "I would like you to reconsider giving Suzuki-san, a detention. This is the first day of school. Why not give him a second chance? I'd take responsibility for it, next time." The teacher looked at him with surprise and then considered what has been said. He soon caved in by sighing. "If you're willing to go that far… Suzuki-san." He looked at Ren. "You better be thankful for Kitomura-kun's intervention. Detention lifted."

That went well as Yukito aired his gratitude for it of course. "Thanks, Daidouji-sensei." At the same time, that was another plus point for him as his classmates looked at him in a more adoring light than before. For him, he was making his move one step at a time.

---

Shin's actions were for the most part by instinct than because of other intentions that people might think. He simply disliked the idea of a girl being taken advantaged of especially when he's around and can do something about. It was some of the morals his mother raised him with and he kept it with him as much as possible. It was in a way of a memento, right? At the same time, he wasn't bothered by the possible rumors that could start because of this. It wasn’t true anyway. He was also used to it since he is part of the entertainment industry.

On the other hand, his eyes roamed a bit towards the new girl Aina who seemed to be offering assistance to a boy who was also wet. His eyes narrowed a bit, not because of any negativity, more like the guy resembles that of Yukito, and some features.

Could it be possible that they’re relatives? That’s right he did hear that Yukito's older brother studies here as well. Could this be him? If that was so, then-- But his thoughts did not continue on that path as he heard a voice beside him, his eyes of pale blue, almost like lavender looked at the girl named Fujioka, Kurumi as she introduced herself and said her thanks.

It was clear to him that she was blushing. He had been around women to know how they react, but he didn't see this as a bad thing. He also didn't make anything big out of it. She was already trying her best to speak her gratitude to him, by the looks of it. Somehow, her reaction reminded him of that girl from last night. That's right, that simple interaction has now become a bane of his existence this morning. Oh well... "Don't worry about it." He spoke in a smooth yet thick baritone voice. There were no underlying intentions identifiable behind his words. He was simply imparting what he believed is logical and right. "I don’t want you to get sick and you’re not a piece of meat." His eyes then returned at front, hoping that lunch would come. That way, he could see his light again. It was he's only reason coming here anyway.

---

Aina was smiling with the purest intentions towards her seatmate who soon took her towel. She was truly happy for that as he made quick work of drying himself. It was a good thing that he was really doing his best in that. It seemed he didn’t also want to get a cold. She was of course completely oblivious to his charms that actually most girls find very attractive. It was probably due to the fact; she knew that love and such things would be impossible for someone like her. It will just cause further heartbreak on both sides. That's why there was not a sparkle of interest within her.

Her towel was soon returned to her as he said his thanks. She took back the towel and noticed how he looked away afterwards. She wondered if there was something wrong, but he appeared to be fine. "You're welcome... Uhmm"

That's right she forgot to get his name. It was rude of her. She has no idea who he is exactly, but that was given to her soon enough. Her eyes widen a bit and then had the brightest smile at this very moment. "Of course, Kitomura-san!" She was happy at his response even if most would found it crass and rough. For her, it seemed that she had made a friend. She did, didn't she? It was a good thing as they were going to be seatmates now. She quickly turned to her journal and began writing down on it. She wouldn't want to forget this. It was clear that she was happy with what happen.

She finished writing what happened and then she folded her towel and placed it back inside her bag. She was glad that the wisdom of her mother helped her made a friend quickly. She completely has a different perception at the moment, but that’s simply how she is. She glanced at him and noticed something else. “Oh, Kitomura-san, you have something on your face.” She pointed out as she tilted her head and adorably peeked at her face. She wasn’t thinking anything behind her actions. It was simply normal for her.