Shiori Santioa (Iyazaki)'s Story

It was a long drive to Sakura Square, seeing as it was rather secluded compared to their own home. She never actually saw it in person before, but she knew of it. Nemui was doing everything in her power to keep her anxiety at bay as she sat in the back of the fancy limousine. She was propped against one of the doors, sitting sideways in her seat as she read yet another romance manga. This one was titled Moe Kare, and it was about a young girl named Hikaru Wakamiya who had her first kiss stolen by a perverted princely looking young man only to later on run into a guy who looks just like him, but is a completely different person entirely. Her heart was pounding as her eyes scanned the pages, a light blush sweeping over her features as she went. This was her guilty pleasure, which she normally kept hidden under lock and key, but she was open about it with Shiori and their mother. Ever since they were children, Shiori was always there for her, even though it wasn't always in a positive light.

Nemui wasn't alone on this trip, actually, she sat in the car only about a foot away from her older sister. She was technically facing Shiori, so clearly Nemui neglected to wear a seat belt. It was a bad habit, one her sister often scolded her for. Nemui had respect for her sister, despite the rumors around school that Shiori wasn't very smart, Nemui knew otherwise. Shiori used to be incredibly intelligent, just like her, she just gave up, mostly. Though Shiori would always study for her tests, Nemui's older sister often refused to even attempt the homework she was given.

Sure Shiori wasn't that book smart anymore, but her knowledge lied elsewhere. It didn't make her an imbecile, at least that was how Nemui saw it. Being a knowledge buff, Nemui felt she had the right to judge knowledge. Shiori's knowledge was family, hard work, and she was extraordinary when it came to helping others. As far as she was concerned, Nemui knew Shiori would make a wonderful Psychiatrist ..once she got past the Medicine and Chemistry classes.

Her golden orbs shifted and landed directly on her sister for the first time in the hour long drive, a worried expression on her face as she gazed upon her sibling. Shiori had been so quiet, she was beginning to worry about her. She flipped to the next page of her manga, sighing a bit, "Are you excited Onee-chan? You haven't said anything since we left home.." She spoke in a soft tone, looking at her sister inquisitively, only glancing down at the contents of her manga every now and then. Sure, Nemui was dying to know what would happened to Wakamiya Hikaru in this chapter, but she knew the story could wait. They'd drove the entire ride in silence and it was starting to bother her. Sure she was nervous, two new brothers she had never met? She didn't even know the lucky groom's name, or the names of her two new brothers-to-be! It was extremely overwhelming, and not to mention it would be the first time she'd ever shared a residence with boys. Though she quickly reprimanded herself. They aren't just boys, they are going to be my brothers, so how dangerous could it really be? The dilemma that caused Nemui to feel truly distressed was the fact that regardless of whether or not they got along, the four of them would be tied together by their parent's marriage. She tried to reassure herself that it would all turn out fine, because it wasn't like the boys would behave recklessly, they weren't allowed to be like other boys anymore. They were going to be family, so they had to suck it up, right? On the bright side, her mother did give her one hint. One of the boys had been in her class. In fact, according to her mother, he was in her class every year since they'd been enrolled in school. Curiosity got the best of her, and she couldn't help but wonder if they ever spoke to each other before. Though as soon as the thought came, she dismissed it. She was practically a nobody, the only difference was that nobodies didn't get bullied. Unfortunately she existed enough for that service. As long as he wasn't one of her tormentors, she was certain she'd survive this new living arrangement.

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

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

I added details and removed details to make this more like the new and improved Shiori. From now on, all of my posts will be entirely different seeing as Shiori is very different. Just letting you know it's got some differences to my post in the past RP.

Shiori sat facing the front of the limousine, seat belt on, and a bored expression on her face as they continued on their journey to her new residence. She was going to miss their apartment.. She had Ryouta in her lap, purring away and that slightly brightened her mood. He was an extremely obese cat who barely understood how to play. The cat was very lazy, so she didn't feel the need for a pet carrier. He wouldn't run far if he escaped. Honestly she 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.

She finally caved, pulling out her phone and dialing quickly. She needed to hear her mother's voice, plus she promised to call and tell her when they were almost to her fiance's property. 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 a teenage girl at the end of the day. She was vulnerable just like anyone else, she just didn't show it often, 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.

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 Onee-chan? You haven't said anything since we left home.."

"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. Shiori put her phone down, not even realizing she'd kept her phone to her ear all this time. She was more nervous than she realized.. Nemui didn't seem to notice it, so she didn't kick herself for it too much. Nemui seemed just as nervous as she was, but far more positive about the experience... Shiori knew that she had to keep herself together, she was the older sister after all.

"I think this might be a good thing. We always wanted a brother, now we have two. Lucky us, right? Or 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, Shiori was stuck in a rut. She always assumed that boys were out to hurt her, she didn't give any of them a chance, "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 Shiori's face, Nemui wasn't always as altruistic, but it was heartwarming to hear 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 Shiori never expected anything in return for protecting Nemui, the younger girl really matured early. She was jealous of this, seeing as she was supposed to be the mature and responsible one. Responsible? That could define Nemui and Shiori, but when it came to maturity, well, Shiori drew the short straw.



The driver pulled in, after the gate opened up for the limo to enter, and she felt her whole body tense up. She wasn't as prepared as she thought. She began adjusting her clothes, tugging here, pulling there. When she looked up, she was amazed. In the yard, beside the driveway was several cherry blossom trees, but she shouldn't have been so surprised, it was probably the reason it was called Sakura Square. There was more pink trees than she could count. It was breathtakingly beautiful. The driver brought the car to a halt, stepping out and opened the door for her and Nemui. She unbuckled, sliding out and was on her feet for the first time in about an hour. Her legs were stiff, so she stretched out, smiling at the trees, "Finally 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.

We need to get settled in... They had school in the morning after all. The driver opened the trunk, and Shiori removed the two bags from inside. Shiori'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. Shiori's was much lighter due to only having a few days worth of clothes, her wallet, laptop, school books and headphones.

(OOC: Sorry if no one likes the Garden House idea. I was improvising on my first post. Lol)

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

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"Good work today, Fuwa-san." This was the happy greeting of the photographer assigned to the popular pop idol, Ichigo Fuwa. It was not hard to capture magnificent photos as Fuwa is able to project at every angle and is never boring in his pictures. They were doing a cover shoot for his new album with its single reigning supreme at the Oricon chart. "Glad to be of service, Fujima-sensei! Just don't forget, what I said. Follow it and you'll be waking up with an aching bad tomorrow because of your wife in no time!" Fujima blushed because of what was implied and moreover receiving advice from someone who is 20 years his junior. "Are you really sure about that?" The popular idol had an all-knowing smirk across his lips. "Wanna try it? I'll show you." Fujima blushed more and believed that the joke was getting a bit too far. "Fuwa-san!" Seeing the reaction of Fujima, Ichigo can't help but laugh and then simply winked at his senior to ease the situation. "Just joking." Then, he popped a lollipop into his mouth and saw the one he calls the Leech .

"I would not mind taking that offer though." This was the greeting of the famous EDGE. The female staff who were already fawning over Ichigo Fuwa had another round of gawking at the sight of this handsome male model. On the other hand, the males could not help but be envious and looked at the pair of good-looking guys in admiration. As for Ichigo, he shrugged his shoulders while looking at EDGE who was leaning at the wall by the entrance. "Sorry, that offer does not extend to you, Leech." His voice still has the playfulness but, his eyes held a degree of annoyance. "It's Shi-Shi." EDGE reminded the pop idol with a casual air as he properly stood. "You better be here for work if not, I'll file a restraining order on you, Stalker-san." Ichigo was now in front of EDGE as he removed the lollipop from his mouth and pointed it at the much taller male.

"I am here for work." EDGE was doing a cover spread and a 4-page photo spread of COMME des GARÇONS' Spring Wear. Normally, he goes by the name Shin Ogawa. He was a newcomer to the fashion scene 2 years ago and in a short time, his name has now become a household one. Many products he had endorsed gained such fame and were always sold out. He had also walked the runaways and make sure it sizzles when he's on it. Actually, there had even been offers from international modelling agency which could expand his career on a global scale. This would be a great opportunity but, he has rejected it, stating that he has yet to gain a status that he is satisfied with in his own country, Japan. The true reason though? He didn't want to be in a place far away from his light who the public commonly knew as Ichigo Fuwa. But, he knows him more as Yukito Iyazaki. It is rather helpful that he is the son of the Talent Agency's President that the young Pop Icon is enlisted in. It allows him certain private information to be declassified while using his influence.

Shin reached out towards Yukito as he took a bite of the lollipop pointed at him. Yukito remained still and had a small pout on his lips as half of his sweet had been devoured. "I just dropped by. Thanks for the treat." Shin noted as he licked the corner of his lips and had that enigmatic smile. "That's sweet." Yukito sighed at this. "Girls hate boys who are forceful you know." He then simply returned his lollipop to his mouth. That scene alone was enough to describe the odd friendship the two have and also perfect for the people to let their imagination run wild about these two beautiful and handsome boys together. Shin nonchalantly looked around and saw the rather reddened faces of the girls which were accompanied by the guys as well. He returned his attention to the younger male and shrugged his shoulders with a seductive smile. "I don't know about that. They seemed to like it."

Yukito smiled radiantly as he always have at those words. "But only what I like matters anyway, isn't it?" He stated with a tone of complete confidence and satisfaction. Shin's smile faded and his eyes held a great deal of doubt, but whether that was about what Yukito said or something else entirely, it was never known. This was because Yukito did not wait for an answer as the younger boy spoke again. "Well, it's time for me to go, my keeper is finally here." He pointed out as he waved at the staff around them energetically. "Bye bye!" Then, he walked passed Shin who was about to grab hold of Yukito but stopped his gesture before it could even connect. Just like that, he watched Yukito leave out of his sight. That was when his phone rang. He answered it without even looking who it could be. "It's Shin." And the voice who answered back to him, it was enough for those eyes of his to narrow in dislike.

In regards to Yukito, he was greeted by his manager. "Good job, Ichigo-kun. Here." His iphone was presented to him as he took it. There were a few messages, but it was nothing he could care about at the moment. "So, where's my reward Haruko-chan?" He said with teasing with a slight tap of his lollipop to his lips. It was seductive, but there's a reason why he calls his manager, his keeper. "Try that again, when you're older, boy." He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly not dissuaded at the very least, as he retorted with his playful tone. "I wonder... if you can still handle me during that time, Haruko-bachan..." Haruko heard that and she knew about her talent's smart mouth, but she could never get used to it. She was about to tell him off but Ichigo or better yet Yukito was already ahead of her. "Hurry up Haruko-chan, my new toys are arriving back at the house." That's right, she forgot, he was quite bossy and has no respect as well, especially when he's technically the younger one between the two of them. But, this is her work and really, she does have a soft spot for him. "All right already! Coming!"

They were soon in the car with Haruko being the driver and Yukito as the passenger. "I'll have to remind you that you have a guesting at the Music Fair, then a rehearsal, and a music video shoot---" She was unable to continue as a lollipop was placed over her lips effectively silencing her due to surprise. The culprit, Yukito always present with that playful smirk of his as he spoke. "You talk too much Haruko-chan. It's probably why you're still single." He then removed the lollipop and licked it in a suggestive manner before looking through the window beside him. There was bit light red tinge across her cheek as she took a deep breath. She could already imagine what would happen when Yukito gets a bit older, a lot of girls will suffer heart attacks. But more importantly, she was a bit irritated about the comment of her being a single. Whose fault is that exactly? "Should I remind you who's responsible for having all my dates and boyfriends disappearing and obviously scared?"

Yukito simply looked at her from the corner of his eyes. "Probably because they found out about your taxidermy collection, Haruko-chan." Oh yes, he always has a way with his words which annoys her. "Listen here you--- She was silenced again with a slight beep from Yukito's phone and with him gesturing for silence with a finger. He was alerted with a notification that he should be home by this time. That is right he had promised his older brother, Narukei, that he would help out to prepare for their new companions at the house. A dark glint was present on his eyes. "Pick up the pace, Haruko-chan." She noticed that glint and instantly felt sorry for whatever or whoever was at the receiving end. She nodded and edged the gas pedal, but still within the speeding limit. They can't afford to get a ticket now, do they?

They soon arrived at what is more known as Sakura Square, her talent's house. "I'll see you tomorrow." Yukito didn't looked back and simply turned his back at her once he got out of the car while waving his hand. Haruko shook her head and simply sped off. Yukito on the other hand went towards the front doors. He could see a limousine, his brother, and two girls present. This was going to be fun in more ways than one. He approached the group and announced his presence without an ounce of shyness unlike his older brother. "Glad, I didn't miss the chance to welcome our guests." He said with a bright smile on his face. By now, he should be familiar to them. It was because he's a popular face on all media options, along with the fact he is in the list of hottest young stars. He then looked at the girls' luggage. "We can't have them carrying that when we're here don't we, Aniki?" He directed his words to Narukei as he grabbed hold of the nearest one to him which belonged to Nemui, not waiting for any response from the girls. "Come! Come! Let's all get along shall we?" he said as he entered the doors to the house where the four of them will be living together from now on, or at least attempt to.

The driver pulled in, after the gate opened up for the limo to enter, and she quickly put her contacts in, shoving her glasses into her jacket pocket. She marked the page in her manga and immediately unbuckled.. Shiori began adjusting her clothes, tugging here, pulling there and it caused Nemui to giggle a bit. Shiori wasn't lying when she said she was nervous after all... Nemui thought to herself, finding her older sister's behavior to be very cute.

When she gave herself a moment to appreciate her new home, Nemui was speechless. The yard of Sakura Square was enormous! Beside the driveway was several cherry blossom trees, but she shouldn't have been so surprised, the trees were probably the reason that the land was named Sakura Square. There was so many of the beautiful pink trees that she couldn't even count them all, at least not in one sitting. The driver brought the car to a halt, stepping out and opened the door for her and Shiori. The longer haired girl unbuckled, sliding out and was quickly on her feet for the first time in about an hour. Nemui stayed put as Shiori admired the scenery, and the short haired girl smiled. Her sister seemed a lot calmer in the presence of the cherry blossoms..

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

Nemui agreed, sliding across the seat to exit, but she was met by someone that was definitely not Shiori. After the tall blonde boy about their age approached, Nemui was taken by surprise. He seemed to be shy, yet he was more forward than she was by far. Nemui would not have been able to speak up first like he did. He was at least ten inches taller than her. He was like a tower. She rarely ever felt so small. Was it natural to be that tall?She blinked a bit, letting the tall male finish speaking. He was sort of blocking her exit anyhow.

"Ah, sorry ladies. I wasn't expecting you for at least 2 or 3 more hours. If I'm a mess forgive me. But anyways,"

He offered her his hand, and she knew it was an innocent gesture, but she really didn't like physically touching men. It was embarrassing and downright awkward. She hesitated for several moments before reaching out and accepting the outstretched hand. Once she was out of the car, she immediately released his hand, "T-Thank you." she also bowed in a flustered manner, a light pink tint on her cheeks as she interacted with Narukei. She never met him before, but he was a lot like the guy in her manga, then she remembered the book in her other hand, quickly tucking it inside of her jacket before Narukei could notice it. S-so close!! She thought to herself anxiously. No one knew of her guilty pleasure other than her mother and sister.

"I'm Narukei, if that helps."

"N-N-Nemui..." She responded in a shaky tone, her eyes shifting to Shiori for reassurance. Her sister was definitely her rock. Without Shiori, Nemui failed to thrive in social environments

"Yukito should be here soon, do forgive him for being a little late."

EH!?!? Y-Y-Y-Yukito!? Iyazaki?! She immediately had a very shocked expression on her face, but it was mostly horror that accompanied it. She was definitely not fangirling about the idea of living with the Pop Idol. To be honest she would ride back home immediately if they hadn't already given up their apartment..

"Glad, I didn't miss the chance to welcome our guests."

Nemui immediately felt a shiver run up her spine when Yukito's voice chimed into the conversation. So he wasn't joking, Yukito really did live here.. She wasn't sure if she was going to like it here. She was bullied enough, but she was in Yukito's class since Kindergarten, she knew what his fans did to girls that got too close to Yukito. She did NOT want to be here right now. If she could, she'd flee the scene cartoon style. Yukito was very confident in his introduction, unlike Narukei. He didn't even offer his name, assuming they already knew it, which they did....but still. His confidence was enough to make her feel awkward.

"We can't have them carrying that when we're here don't we, Aniki?"

Nemui's eyes widened as Yukito grabbed her luggage and she reach forward and opened her mouth to protest, but no words came out. She'd never spoken to Yukito before at school... she wasn't sure what to say now either. The short haired girl immediately dropped her outstretched hand, feeling a wave of defeat wash over her as Yukito proceeded towards the house. She was surprised that he was carrying her bags in the first place, seeing as she was a pop idol and she was simply the daughter of a famous name... I-if girls from school see this I am toast... None of his crazy fans can find out I live here.. Nemui thought to herself nervously, not letting herself think about the horrible things that would happen to her if anyone discovered this arrangement.

"Come! Come! Let's all get along shall we?"

Nemui followed behind Yukito, taking off her shoes at the door and looking around at the inside of the house, face amazed at it's beauty, "I-It's l-lovely.." Nemui practically whispered, seeing as her voice was rather quiet in the first place. However, being around Yukito made her even more timid than usual. eyes landing on the kitchen. She was a good cook, so she was definitely looking forward to making something nice for her new siblings.

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Keiko was new to town, because her grandmother's health was plummeting and she could not live alone any longer. She needed assistance that only Keiko could provide. No one else in the family was able or willing to sacrifice their time to take care of her, so here she found herself. She was a three hour drive away from home... and she had no friends here. She would be announced as a new student tomorrow and she was very nervous. Would anyone even accept her? She was laying on her porch contemplating her thoughts as she saw an unfamiliar vehicle pull into Sakura Square. She heard female voices, and quirked an eyebrow. Only men lived at Sakura Square....so this was definitely odd.. She went into the house, heading straight for her bedroom so she could sneak a peek. She barely opened the blinds so she could see out but not be noticed and there were two young girls about her age interacting with the eldest Iyazaki boy. They had luggage and everything.. Oh my god. She couldn't believe that two girls were moving in. Though she smiled a bit. She was glad that she wasn't the only new girl on the street. Perhaps she would make friends after all! She let go of the blinds, posting a Facebook status, tagging her location so her friends back home would realize where she was living now.

"Still in this new town, haven't run to my hometown yet... Miss everyone from back home.. =)" Her status read, and she flopped down on her bed, staring up at her ceiling. She was so...bored.

Great.. His house? Really? Shiori's mood was immediately ruined, but she gave no indication of it, keeping herself busy to conceal her foul mood. The blonde was a lot taller, but she recognized that face anywhere. What were the odds of her mother falling for this guy's father? She was definitely in a state of shock and pure disbelief. She wanted to kick the car in front of her, but she doubted that would make a good impression. She gritted her teeth and moved past the issue, but she was definitely going to end up blowing off some steam later.

"Ah, sorry ladies. I wasn't expecting you for at least 2 or 3 more hours. If I'm a mess forgive me. But anyways,"

Shiori was shocked to see Narukei. They used to go on pretend dates in sixth grade because he was helping her work up the confidence to ask out an eight grade boy at her own school and she honestly was freaking out. This was the first time that Shiori saw Narukei since he broke off their pretend arrangement. Somewhere along the lines she had fallen for him instead of Daisuke, but she wasn't sure if he knew that or not. She never actually confessed her real feelings, and now she was glad that she didn't. Her mother never knew of the arrangement between the two, nor did Nemui.. Shiori kept it a secret this entire time, but she felt she would have to fess up to her sister now. She wasn't going to keep secrets from her anymore, especially now that they were living under the same roof as the biggest secret of her entire life.

Shiori kept her eyes off of Narukei as he interacted with her sister. If she had to, she'd just pretend that he didn't exist at all. Nemui was a big girl and the shy younger girl would tell her if she needed to interfere... Besides, Nemui wasn't interested in romance, at least not in real life. She wasn't concerned or jealous of her sister in the slightest. In fact she simply removed their luggage and closed the trunk of the car, standing silently with a bored expression on her face. He was the one who cut her out of his life without so much as an explanation, so she'd respect that by keeping him out of her's entirely.

"T-Thank you."

She wasn't sure why, but despite knowing that Nemui was not attracted to real life romantic gestures, Shiori was growing a bit irritated with the current scene. She was almost equally angry at her sister in this moment, but she managed to shake off her rage before it became noticeable. She couldn't help feeling guilty afterwards. Ne didn't know.. Why am I getting mad at her for? I'm so stupid!!

"I'm Narukei, if that helps."

"N-N-Nemui..."

Shiori approached the two quietly, not speaking a word as they interacted. Nemui was trying to hide her manga, which Shiori understood.. Nemui was bullied enough, she didn't want to give others more reason, "Shiori." She stated, no real malice behind her words, but her tone of voice wasn't enthusiastic either.

"Yukito should be here soon, do forgive him for being a little late."

Yukito? Shiori thought with a bit of curiosity. Even though his brother went to her school, he was in a lower grade.. She never really spoke to him before. Yukito Iyazaki? Wait.. Isn't he the school idol and..? Oh my god! She immediately realized EXACTLY who Yukito was. She had a poster of this guy and a couple of his CDs..

"Glad, I didn't miss the chance to welcome our guests."

Shiori's mood perked up a bit when she noticed Yukito, turning to face him as he joined the trio, "I'm Shiori, it's nice to finally put a face to our new siblings." She chimed in a friendly manner. Perhaps the difference was because Yukito was an idol? No, Shiori knew the real reason she couldn't treat Narukei normally. Their "fake" dates weren't so fake for her and she never got to confess the truth.

"We can't have them carrying that when we're here don't we, Aniki?"

Eh? Really? I can carry my own things... Shiori thought a bit defensively about her possessions. She didn't want either one of them touching her stuff, but she was less inclined to let Narukei. Yukito grabbed Nemui's bag, and Shiori gripped to her's, shaking her head, "I'd rather carry it myself. Fragile stuff inside and whatnot..." She said to him, following behind Nemui and Yukito. She wasn't lying, her laptop was inside of the bag.. Though that wasn't her only reason. She didn't want him to be too nice.. She was just starting to get over him and suddenly here he was? It was going to take some adjusting to. I-I hope he just leaves it at that...

"Come! Come! Let's all get along shall we?"

Shiori took her shoes off, placing them next to Nemui's and let her gaze wander as silence broke out among the group. She was surprised by who broke the awkward moment.

"I-It's l-lovely.."

It was a whisper, but it got the conversation flowing again. Shiori smiled weakly and nodded, "I agree." She replied with a nod of her head, smiling to her younger sister. She had to come across as at least a little reassuring to Nemui. She was worried about the younger girl, but she couldn't help but wonder if she should be more concerned with herself. She seemed to be more emotionally fragile at the moment.. Shiori shuffled on her feet, feeling a little impatient about being escorted to her room. She wanted a moment away from everyone else to deal with the situation. She wanted a moment to react to this.. The living situation she would forced to endure.

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So, these are the girls that will be living here from now on. Actually, it had been quite some time since any girls had come here. The last one who ever did was the infamous 'runaway wife', specifically his mother Gabriela before she went and leave without a word. Seeing girls in the house brought that memory. Thinking about it, this irritates him, but as a master actor as he is, it did not even slip out of his demeanor. At the same time, that memory had been squashed rather quickly. Bad things were better off forgotten and erased. Life was far better that way, as Yukito wanted to believe.

His smile was perfect as it always is. "It had been a while since a feminine presence was around here. This would be a good thing. I could already feel the house warming up with you two around." He noted in a casual yet cheery tone as he heard the words of admiration from the girls about the house. Well, it was mostly due to his older brother's housekeeping that goes without saying. Narukei was well-versed in that sort of chores compared to him. That's why it was better to leave such things to his brother. He was still holding the luggage as he stopped at the middle of the foyer. Narukei was handing out the house keys and the beepers.

Logically, it was normal for these females to have keys since they're going to live here, but, he was inwardly resistant to the idea of them having such easy access to this place. Family? What was that really? It doesn't hold anything; it was just a word nothing deeper than that. But of course, these thoughts were hidden without a trace behind his amiable and lively demeanor. "It might sound that Aniki is setting a curfew. But, that's just to protect you two. Since both of you are such cuties." He added and then leaned a bit closer to the girls. His face was invading their private space with such clarity. His lips were beside their ears as he whispered his next words as he didn't want Narukei to hear. "But, I'm more flexible. We can't all be stiffs all the time. I'll bail you out when you get in trouble, okay?" He pulled away with that smile of his and a playful wink for good measures.

Soon enough, Narukei excused himself to the kitchen while leaving the job of being a tour guide to him. That was mostly expected. He was the entertainer in the family after all. "I guess we should get you two some rest before dinner. The journey must have tire you out." His eyes of uniquely-colored orange gazed at the luggage that was not being carried either by him or by his brother. There was also the odd perception that something was up about this elder one of the girls. He just haven't figure it out yet, but he will eventually. "Are you sure you don't want me to carry that? I'm very good with fragile things." He offered his other free hand and his eyes did not betray anything beyond that kind offer. "That's right I should properly introduce myself. The name is Iyazaki Yukito."

He then gave a princely bow complete with the aristocratic gesture. It fits him rather very well. And without doubt, he reached for the eldest girl's hand and gave the hand a fleeting kiss. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Shiori-chan." After saying that, he gently released the hand and held that of the younger one. He did the same thing. "I believe you're Nemui, correct? A pleasure as well." His eyes gazed at her as he pressed his lips on the back of her hand before releasing it with a rather princely smile. "I don't mind what you call me. I'm pretty much open to it." He then pulled away from the girls. It seemed he was not the kind to worry about physical interactions as much as other would be.

"Shall we begin the tour?" Yukito offered as he turned his back at them and lead the way. "As you can see, there is the living room and beyond that door is the kitchen." He pointed towards the said areas. "The dining room is there. There's also a washroom here." He then had a contemplative look before looking towards the girls. "It's better to look outside during the day, but there's a veranda and a sun room over there." He pointed at the said doors which lead to that. There was also a garden house but, that was mainly for Narukei personal space. Oh well... "There's also a garden house at the back, but you should get permission from Aniki to see it." He shrugged his shoulders and then gave them a playful wink. "I don't think that would be a problem though. You two are going to be family soon, correct?"

The tour continued to the second floor. "This floor is reserved for the bedrooms." Yukito pointed at the door at the end of the hall. "That's the bathroom which will now be shared by all of us. So, I guess you better lock the doors, okay?" There was a teasing smirk across his lips as he said that. He then pointed at the double doors. "That is the main bedroom where the parents would be staying in." Although, he wasn't sure if those adults will be there. His father was practically absent, so, it was mainly empty. "This one will be your room, Shiori-chan." He pointed to his left and then opened it. "It's right across Aniki's." He then walked towards the one beside it and opened it as well. "This one will be yours, Nemui-chan. You two sisters are just beside each other." He then pointed the room across Nemui's. "This would be mine. So if you both have problems or want a slumber party. You know where to get me, alright?"

"That's wraps the tour for now. You two should get some rest now." He then gave them a rather kind smile which makes it so that there was nothing behind his motives or anything else for that matter. "I'll see you both at dinner later, then. I'm not being biased, but Aniki is a good cook. So expect a good feast." Yukito then looked at Nemui as he determined this was his luggage since Shiori was holding hers. "I'll put this inside." He entered Nemui's room and placed the bag at the foot of the bed. This was not much of a hard burden. He was rather strong than what he looks like actually. "So, do you need anything else?" He asked as he stood in the middle of the room while looking at Nemui with a gentle smile on his face.

"I agree."

Nemui was a bit surprised that Shiori spoke up, especially since there was a bit of obvious tension between her and Narukei previously. The home was very beautifully and very well kept, especially since there was a lack of females prior to their arrival. She expected at least a little mess, yet the house was spotless. It was a very pleasant surprise, to be quite honest. At least there wouldn't be a lot of mess..

"It had been a while since a feminine presence was around here. This would be a good thing. I could already feel the house warming up with you two around."

Yukito's kind words brought a smile to Nemui's face and she nodded a bit. It was reassuring that the brother's were responding positively to their arrival, she was sure there would be at least a few bumps along the way, but so far everything was progressing smoothly... yes it was also awkward, but it was still going smooth.

"Oh right."

The short haired girl felt a chill run up her spine as Narukei reach over herself and Shiori, whom she doubted would be pleased by the gesture. Nemui however just stiffened up, lightly blushing and remained perfectly still. She was incredibly nervous, but when her eyes met his hand's destination, she realized there was a reason for his actions.

"Each of you have your own beeper for the gate and house keys."

How much did that cost? She realized that their father made a lot of money, just like their mother, but still... Nemui didn't like to spend extravagantly if she didn't have to. She felt it was a little much, but she understood that the beeper was the difference between making it into the house and sleeping on the streets. It was an important luxury item in the end. She accepted her set, sliding it into the inside pocket of her jacket, buttoning it closed. She immediately averted her eyes and put a few inches between herself and Narukei afterwards, "T-Thanks..." She stuttered, still a little flustered by the close proximity that retrieving the keys required. She was obviously not comfortable with close contact and was the more timid sibling. Her voice was still soft, and if there was any other noise she would not have been heard at all.

"Please be sure not to lose them. Oh and, if you may, please don't stay out past 8pm, unless you have Yu or me around."

Nemui didn't speak up, considering she had a job. She wasn't sure how far it would be from here, considering she never made the journey, but it was considerably closer than her previous residence. She could probably walk to and from work from this town. Perhaps she would be able to follow those guidelines? Maybe? She knew that Shiori would be breaking those rules often, the maid cafe` didn't even close until 9 P.M... I am a bit worried for her. Why would he ask that of us if it wasn't in our best interest? Nemui could feel her stomach churning in anxiety. Would Shiori be okay or should she tell someone?

"It might sound that Aniki is setting a curfew. But, that's just to protect you two. Since both of you are such cuties. But, I'm more flexible. We can't all be stiffs all the time. I'll bail you out when you get in trouble, okay?"

Oh.. So it's just him being worried? She should be okay then.. Nemui thought, nodding at Yukito, though she was also blushing. He was far closer to the two girls than Narukei had been earlier.. and he had a habit of being.. a little too flirtatious at school. Though she tried to remind herself that he wouldn't be so bold with them because he was their soon-to-be brother.

"I guess we should get you two some rest before dinner. The journey must have tire you out."

He practically repeated Narukei, but he was their tour guide apparently, so she paid a little more attention now that the gears were about to be set into motion. She was focused on getting unpacked and helping Shiori study to be brutally honest, but there were other pleasantries she had to endure first..

"Pardon me, I have to check on the oven. Have Yu show you around." He smiled at them and walked off.

He can cook? Nemui thought to herself, surprised once again. She never met a guy that could cook, but that wasn't something she could easily judge on. She didn't know a lot of guys her age to be quite honest. She spent most of her time to herself reading manga, studying, or selling comics at the comic book store. She wanted to say something in return to Narukei, but nothing came to mind...nothing that didn't sound stupid in her head at least..

"That's right I should properly introduce myself. The name is Iyazaki Yukito."

He kissed her sister's hand after telling her it was nice to meet her, and Nemui felt a wave of anxiety wash over her. She knew she was about to experience a similar gesture, and it would surely be awkward. She always found a way to wedge herself into an awkward situation.

"I believe you're Nemui, correct? A pleasure as well."

A dark red blush tinted her pale cheeks as Yukito kissed her hand. Why is he looking up at me like that? Nemui thought in a panicked manner. She wasn't sure how she should feel, but she knew she needed to respond soon or else she'd come across as mentally challenged, "...I-I... y-yes... It's nice to finally meet you as well..." Nemui managed to mumble in return. He was very nonchalant about being in closed quarters with them, which she found to be quite unnerving. He was in the same grade as Nemui, yet unlike Yukito, Nemui was completely incapable of keeping eye contact, let alone initiating bold physical interactions with another.

"I don't mind what you call me. I'm pretty much open to it."

Nemui nodded her head, biting her bottom lip. Something about this boy didn't sit right with her, she felt like she would need to stay completely alert... She adjusted the manga hidden inside of her jacket, smiling kindly, "I-I think I'm going to stick with Yukito-san.."

"Shall we begin the tour?"

She kept up the best she could while keeping her definition of comfortable distance, looking to Shiori to make sure that her sister was following as well. She didn't want to follow Yukito by herself, the mere thought of being alone with the youngest Iyazaki male was shiver inducing.

"As you can see, there is the living room and beyond that door is the kitchen."

Her eyes followed his direction, nodding her head. She'd gotten a peek at the kitchen earlier, so she was familiar with it's placement. She wasn't too concerned with this room, but the gesture was kind all the same.

"The dining room is there. There's also a washroom here."

Nemui burned the image of each room into her mind, determined to never find herself lost in her new home. It was be embarrassing to ask, and quite the hassle if she ended up walking in on someone.

"It's better to look outside during the day, but there's a veranda and a sun room over there."

Wow.. This place really is extravagant.. Nemui thought breathlessly, following behind Yukito in disbelief. She barely thought it was possible for so much to fit on the property, it was huge, but still, the sheer amount of rooms was unbelievable.

"There's also a garden house at the back, but you should get permission from Aniki to see it."

She really wanted to see it, but then he brought up the word 'permission'... She REALLY did not like asking for things, and permission would be necessary. She wouldn't want people intruding on her after all. She would avoid it... as much as she would enjoy seeing the flowers. The inspiration would do wonders, but she honestly was intimidated by these two boys.. she didn't imagine that her new brothers would be anything like the Iyazaki brothers. It would take a while before she truly felt like a true sibling to the boys, but she wouldn't admit that out loud, ever. She wanted to become a close family as soon as possible. She always wanted a brother as a child, but for some reason she felt like this experience was going to prove to be more than she bargained for.

"I don't think that would be a problem though. You two are going to be family soon, correct?"

Nemui nodded her head, smiling weakly. She knew that was true, but it still was hard to associate these boys as family. Yukito was a famous pop idol and Narukei was simply quite attractive. Both boys were exceptional, she didn't expect to have siblings that would both be aesthetically pleasing. This was going to be a very awkward arrangement. She followed silently up the stairs, lost in her own thoughts, not really paying attention.

"This floor is reserved for the bedrooms."

Finally her eyes lifted to Yukito.Nemui tilted her head, doing her best to listen without letting her thoughts interrupt. She had no choice but to force herself out of her current thoughts to pay attention. She would die on the spot if she walked into the wrong bedroom. Yukito pointed at the door at the end of the hall, and Nemui made a major point to burn it's location into her mind.

"That's the bathroom which will now be shared by all of us. So, I guess you better lock the doors, okay?"

Nemui's face flared up into a crimson blush the second she thought of someone walking in on her, or vice versa. The smirk on Yukito's face did nothing to reassure her either. D-Definitely better knock.. She thought to herself, turning her head so she could gaze down the stairs for a moment, mostly to conceal her embarrassment. Living with boys is going to be dangerous!!

"That is the main bedroom where the parents would be staying in."

She wasn't all that concerned with this bit of information anyhow, her mother rarely came home before, she doubted anything would change.. A marriage only added more faces to the family, nothing else would change....right?

"This one will be your room, Shiori-chan."

The first door to the left after coming up the stairs, got it. I don't want to accidentally go into Narukei's or Yukito's rooms.. That would be horrible.. Nemui thought to herself, feeling sick to her stomach just thinking about it. Explaining herself after making a mistake like that would be so painful and embarrassing, plus they'd most likely never let her live it down..

"It's right across Aniki's."

Shi-chan's room and Narukei-san's rooms are across from each other? She doesn't seem to like him very well... She immediately thought that this would be a bad choice, but she doubted that they would be allowed to switch. Nor did she feel Shiori would enjoy a pink room. Despite being more feminine, Shiori wasn't exactly fond of the color pink. Her older sister didn't hate it, but a pink bedroom would eventually drive her older sister nuts.

"This one will be yours, Nemui-chan. You two sisters are just beside each other. This would be mind. So if you both have problems or want a slumber party. You know where to get me, alright?"

S-Slumber party!? Not invited! She thought in a very embarrassed manner. There was no way she'd sleep in the same room as a guy, especially one as popular as Yukito. He'd dropped a couple flirtatious comments already, so she wasn't sure if he was going to take this 'family' arrangement very seriously and that alone was enough to make her feel a bit weary towards him. She nodded to prove she was listening, considering her name was called out, "T-Thanks..." though it was a little more than obvious that she was distracted.

"That's wraps the tour for now. You two should get some rest now. I'll see you both at dinner later, then. I'm not being biased, but Aniki is a good cook. So expect a good feast."

She was really looking forward to discovering if there was any truth to that claim. She would find out soon enough, but she was a little worried as far as Shiori was concerned. The older female sibling was a health maniac..

"I'll put this inside."

"T-thanks..." Nemui smiled kindly, although she had to admit she was nervous about the two of them being in the same room alone. She proceeded in after him, quickly tucking her manga away while his back was turned to her, placing her glasses on the computer desk in the room. The room was pale pink, a color she was rather fond of. Her mother probably passed along that bit of information to make her feel more at home.

"So, do you need anything else?"

Nemui blinked a bit, eyes darting around. Was there? She really didn't want him to help her stock her shelves, he'd notice all the manga and it wasn't a conversation she was exactly willing to have just yet, "N-nothing I can think of..." She trailed off, a more natural and warm smile crossing her features as she found it finally suitable to give proper gratitude, "T-Thank you for helping with the bag.. Yukito-san." Her voice was sincere, but still just as quiet as every other time she'd spoke to him before. She approached the bed, removing her school books from the bag, placing them further up on the bed, now standing between Yukito and the empty bookcase as she put her computer on the computer desk, "I-I just have light things to put away now, at least I-I think so..."

"Oh right."

Shiori felt her entire body tense up. The only person who could even possibly be standing behind her was Narukei. She hadn't been this close to him in a long time and even though their past was pretend for him, it stopped being pretend for her a long time ago. How was she supposed to pretend when she never got over it in the first place?

"Each of you have your own beeper for the gate and house keys."

She realized he was reaching over Nemui and herself to retrieve something that was in a fancy cabinet on the other side of them and immediately calmed down, at least a little. Her statue like stillness ended and her eyes landed on his hand just before he dangled the keys. Oh.. That makes sense.. She thought to herself, a little embarrassed but kept it from showing the best she could, "..Thanks.." She forced a weak smile to her face before turning her attention to Nemui. She kept her eyes on her sister half of the time since they arrived, making sure she was alright and not in distress.

"Please be sure not to lose them. Oh and, if you may, please don't stay out past 8pm, unless you have Yu or me around."

She swiped her keys from him, avoiding eye contact as she did. He was being playful and charismatic.. but she couldn't even manage common courtesy. She knew she was being rude, she just couldn't help it. Then he mentioned a curfew of all things. W-we're the same age!! You don't get to tell me when to come home!! D-don't.. pretend to care... Nemui wouldn't have a big problem with the time frame, considering the comic book store closed around 7:30 or 8:00 but the maid cafe didn't even close until 9:00 and Shiori wouldn't be getting home until around 10:00. There was no way in hell that Shiori would be able to abide by those rules and still manage to keep her job! Though she was the same age as Narukei so she didn't pay the rules much attention. She could tell he was serious, but her job always came right after caring for Nemui. She loved her job almost as much as she loved her sister, Nemui. She didn't reply to the comment about curfew, mostly because she knew that she would frequently break that rule, but also because it would involve direct conversation and eye contact.

"It might sound that Aniki is setting a curfew. But, that's just to protect you two. Since both of you are such cuties."

D-did he read my mind!? Shiori's eyes widened a little in shock, but tried her best to control her expressions. Then she let her eyes shift to Nemui. She understood it a bit, "Thanks." She replied, her smile a little less strained than those aimed toward Narukei. She was obviously exhausted, though she was far more fatigued than by a simple car ride. She was mentally exhausted as well.

"But, I'm more flexible. We can't all be stiffs all the time. I'll bail you out when you get in trouble, okay?"

When Yukito leaned in, Shiori felt her muscles tense up. Sure, he was leaning in towards Nemui as well, but he was a celebrity and was far closer than what was appropriate! She didn't know how to respond. Though she couldn't help but stare at Yukito after his secret whisper. Why would he do that for them? She was grateful, but also a bit wary. Her little brother gave off the air that he would be quite a handful.

The wink he sent the two sisters was only verification that her life would never be simple... Ever again.

"Perhaps we should get them to their rooms to freshen up and have dinner yeah?"

Dinner? Shiori didn't even feel a bit hungry, but she blamed that on her nerves. She looked between the boys wondering if Yu would agree with Narukei. She kind of wanted to escape to a room she could call her own.. She needed to collect her thoughts and have a moment to fully respond to the situation.

"Pardon me, I have to check on the oven. Have Yu show you around."

Her eyes shifted to Narukei touching Nemui, something he did without batting an eyelash. Was that all it was for him? Normality? He didn't even seem to remember me..That stung, a lot.. She wasn't used to boys forgetting about her.. It was definitely a shot to Shiori's ego.

"I'm sure it will be delicious." Shiori added before Narukei left the room, though she had to literally force the words out. She was sad, a little broken, well, maybe a lot broken, but she couldn't live in conflict forever. She'd do her best to avoid being bitter, but she couldn't help the pain in her chest. I can't believe that he forgot about me. I'm definitely hanging on to nothing, but I can't just let it go..

"I guess we should get you two some rest before dinner. The journey must have tire you out."

Yukito's words snapped Shiori back into reality and it was fairly noticeable, seeing as she jolted to life just as he spoke. Her eyes quickly shifted to him, in attempt to hide the fact that she was lost in her own thoughts. She noticed that he was currently staring in her direction and it made her feel immeasurably uneasy. Was he suspicious? Did she get dirt on her clothes? Did she have a breakout? Did she say something she didn't mean to out loud? She began mentally freaking out. She tediously assessed her actions from leaving the car to now and she was certain that her private thoughts had not been spoken... So what was Yukito looking at her bag for?

"Are you sure you don't want me to carry that? I'm very good with fragile things."

".. It wouldn't be very nice to refuse your brother then turn around and accept your assistance, ne? I appreciate the offer, but I'm a bit tougher than I look. I can carry it." She reassured Yukito with a kind smile. Then there was also the fact that she couldn't let a celebrity carry her luggage. She had posters of him and everything! That would be too embarrassing if he came into her room and noticed a rolled up poster of him inside one of the boxes.

"That's right I should properly introduce myself. The name is Iyazaki Yukito."

Shiori did however shake Yukito's hand, "Shiori Santioa.. Nice to meet you. I'm a huge fan of your music.. I thought it would be best to confess that straight away.." She responded with sincerity. Her voice held no embarrassment, but there was a twinkle of awe in her eyes. He was slightly mischievous, but Yukito was a lot like she'd expected so far. Gentlemanly and kind. She had no idea of his other traits, but how could she? He was a brilliant actor.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Shiori-chan."

A blush finally blazed across Shiori's cheeks as Yukito kissed her hand. The action was so unexpected and forward.. She didn't have a chance to compose herself for it. She immediately broke eye contact, looking to her sister, and finally back to Yukito. What was he playing at? Was he teasing her? Did he know she pretended to date his brother? Shiori was completely panicking.

"I believe you're Nemui, correct? A pleasure as well."

Her embarrassment subsided as he did the same with Nemui, a little skeptical about ever leaving these two alone, but she was sure that her sister would inform her if Yukito crossed the boundaries of family.

"I don't mind what you call me. I'm pretty much open to it."

Shiori had a feeling that Yukito would get himself and the two of them in a lot of trouble, especially if he chose to behave this way outside of the comfort of their own home. Paparazzi would love to get ahold of him behaving this way. Anything? Fine. She knew just what she would call Yukito, seeing as he was cocky and nonchalant, she would be too, "Otouto-san." Shiori smiled, seeing as Yukito was technically the youngest.. Even if Nemui was only a few months older than him.

"Shall we begin the tour?"

Shiori followed behind Yukito quietly, sighing to herself silently. She just wanted a moment or two alone to collect herself and a few minutes to rest. Was that too much to ask for?

"As you can see, there is the living room and beyond that door is the kitchen."

Shiori nodded her head, seeing as she wouldn't be spending a lot of time in the kitchen, so it wasn't really interesting or useful informationthen tilted her head. There wasn't a cabinet for movies.. Did this family not spend a lot of time together? Even Nemui and Shiori had a movie shelf.. Suddenly she felt her stomach ache and she blurted out her next words without thinking, "We should rent a movie tonight."

Then a few moments later, Shiori realized what she had said and let out a nervous laugh, "I mean.. Who knows when we will all four be free at the same time again? You know?" She followed along with the best part of the tour.

"The dining room is there. There's also a washroom here. It's better to look outside during the day, but there's a veranda and a sun room over there. There's also a garden house at the back, but you should get permission from Aniki to see it."

All the directions mixed together, until Yukito mentioned a garden house. She absolutely loved flowers.. She was definitely intrigued, until he mentioned asking for Narukei's permission. Did she really have to? She didn't feel like she could handle extended conversation with him.. Though she was certain that if the house was this gorgeous then the garden house had to be amazing as well. It just wasn't fair..

"I don't think that would be a problem though. You two are going to be family soon, correct?"

Family. That word definitely didn't sit with her right. She didn't see these two as her brothers.. She wanted to, but the connection just wasn't there. She hoped it would kick in soon.. It would definitely make living here a lot easier. She followed up the stairs, quietly looking to Nemui to make sure that her sister was not as nervous as she currently felt.

"This floor is reserved for the bedrooms."

Finally.. A moment to myself is in sight.. She thought, feeling a sudden wave of guilt wash over her as she yearned to escape the tour.

"That's the bathroom which will now be shared by all of us. So, I guess you better lock the doors, okay?"

"Locked. Got it." She wasn't quite sure that she caught the entire warning, but she caught bathroom and lock so she was pretty sure she got the main points. Just lock the door, right? Though Yukito's expression made her shiver. Something about it sent chills down her spine.

"That is the main bedroom where the parents would be staying in."

Parents.. It had been a long time since her mother was part of that plural word.. She wasn't sure if she was ready to call someone else her "Father", in fact her eyes softened as she stared at the door, shaking her head before her mind got carried away. She couldn't think of her dad right now, not here.

"This one will be your room, Shiori-chan."

First door on the left? Easy enough.. Shiori thought to herself, nodding her head to prove she was listening. Yukito opened the door and she noticed the pale blue walls. It was her favorite color.. At least her Mother remembered that much about her..

"It's right across Aniki's."

Shiori raised an eyebrow, then smiled weakly, "Thanks for showing me.. Actually.. I am going to head on in... I should get unpacked.." She offered one last smile to Yukito and Nemui before disappearing into her room. The door was quickly shut and locked before any response could have been given.

She dropped her bags which made a light thud against the floor, yet she paid it no mind. Her room was directly across from Narukei's.. Narukei... Who didn't even remember her.. Who was going to be her brother soon.. Sure he only PRETENDED to date her and it was at HER request.. but he didn't even seem to care.. and that hurt. A lot, actually. Shiori did her best to compose herself, but after playing strong in front of the others for so long, she couldn't glue herself back together just yet.

Letting out a soft sigh, the long haired sibling approached her bed shakily and let herself fall face down into it. In fact, she dozed off after what felt like hours of crying. She didn't even unpack a single thing, so she sort of lied... Oops?

"It's good that you can handle your own baggage, but..."

Nemui was relieved that he only grabbed the computer equipment. She didn't want anyone touching her boxes of books, because her manga stash was hidden inside of those boxes as well. Though she had tod admit she didn't expect Yukito to be so strong, with his career and all.. She was pleasantly surprised, but she was also a bit worried that he'd stick around to help and would discover her manga stash.

"If there's a man around, you might as well use him, right?"

"Yukito-san... I'm not the type of person who would shamelessly use someone else to make my life easier.. I-I do appreciate the help though. T-that would have taken me forever.." Nemui admitted, hoping he took no offense to her attempting to unpack on her own. He's a lot stronger than he looks... not that she'd admit that out loud.

"Plus what are brothers for, huh? Especially when their sisters are so cute."

"S-surely not to be used... Family means more than using people when it's convenient." Nemui responded, the mere thought of relying on her brothers all the time for heavy lifting made her stomach churn. It didn't feel right to abuse her position as their new sister or as a female in general, "A-arigato... I only intend to ask for favors when I must.." She admitted, averting her gaze. She didn't want her bullies at school to realize that she was closer to Yukito now than most of them ever would be.

"You like reading, that's nice."

"My father got me into it, the habit stuck..." She replied, not even noticing his gaze that shifted in her direction. She was focused on her father now. The only reason she remembered his voice was due to all of their old me videos, which she watched frequently.

"Hey..."

"Y-yeah?" Nemui answered nervously, something about the way Yukito was staring her made her skin crawl. Her better judgement told her to flee the room, but she knew that would come across as rude and didn't want to ruin her first impression toward her new family.

"Do I know you from somewhere?"

Nemui wanted to answer, but was taken by surprise when her new sibling practically cornered her in her own room. She wasn't sure if she should scream or tell him everything he wanted to know, but suddenly the answer to her worries became obvious. Her voice was failing her at the moment, so here she was stuck for the time being.

Nemui did her best to hold her breath discreetly. She ate chocolate pocky on the way here and didn't want to disclose that she had a sweet tooth to Yukito. Narukei was working so hard on dinner downstairs and she didn't want to come across as if she had already ate. Though eventually she had to breathe, and instead of delivering one large desparate huff for air, she caved and began breathing regularly, or at least as normal as she could in a situation like this, "Y-yeah..."

"Can you tell me, Nemui-chan?"

Immediately, Nemui's face was consumed with a blush. She didn't mean to catch the smell of his breath, but Yukito was too close for it to be avoided. She could have sworn she even caught a light trace of shampoo, or maybe it was cologne? Do fourteen year old boys wear cologne? Nemui pondered on the thought, unsure. She didn't wear perfume, but she definitely showered daily and wore deodorant, wearing perfume just seemed too... adult. She couldn't even find the words to speak while this close, something about his tone of voice sent shivers down her spine and and lodged a knot in her throat. T-too close.... I can barely think straight.. She knew she had to get herself out of this situation. She was growing dizzy from blushing so much.

"It would be my shame to forget such a cute face."

"We have been in the same class a couple of times.." Nemui stated, avoiding eye contact. She couldn't just admit that the two of them were in the same class since kindergarten.. The fact that she noticed would be creepy. Though Narukei rang the dinner bell and their conversation was interrupted. She had to admit that the dinner bell was a pleasant distraction. Nemui used it to her advantage and made her escape, slipping away from him by ducking under his arm and making a beeline for the door. She made it, much to her relief, looking back to Yukito with a weak and nervous smile, "S-see you at dinner, Yukito-san." She was flustered, still red in the face, but she scurried off before he decided to capture her again. She was saved by the bell and wouldn't let that go to waste. Though she was a bit worried about whether or not her escape would anger Yukito and cause things to escalate later. P-perhaps I should sleep in Shi-chan's room tonight.. She thought to herself as she knocked on Shiori's door. She didn't hear the door open, so she thought it would be best to try and stir her sister, "Dinner, come on Shi, we can't miss it."

After addressing her sister, Nemui continued down the hall and then she made her descent down stairs. She entered the kitchen,a light blush forming on her cheeks. Who is the girl in the kitchen with Narukei? She was pretty, normal, but still pretty, "I-Im sorry... D-did I interrupt something?"

Shiori woke to the sound of a bell, groaning softly as she rolled out of bed. She looked around at the unfamiliar room, then as her eyes adjusted she reminded herself that this was her new room at her new home. She was almost convinced that coming here was a horrible dream, but here she was, awake and back to reality.

She stood, digging through her boxes of belongings until she found a brush and she ran it through her hair speedily. She only paused as someone knocked on the door. She was tempted to ignore it, but was surprised when Nemui's voice chimed through.

"Dinner, come on Shi, we can't miss it."

Shiori sighed as her sister spoke to her from the other side of the door. Apparently it was time for dinner. So that's what the bell was for.. Shiori thought to herself, slightly dreading the event. Shiori shook her head and crinkled her nose at the thought of hearing that bell every day. The bell made an obnoxious sound, one she knew she would grow tired of in no time. We need something else to notify everyone... Wouldn't a text suffice? Oh yeah... We don't have each other's numbers.

Shiori changed clothes into a pink and white striped hoodie and jean shorts. She didn't have an makeup on, seeing as they went on a long trip and she just went to sleep, so she just brushed on some lip gloss and was on her way out of her room. Shioro carefully escaped her room so that anyone who might possibly be lingering in the halls wouldn't see she didn't unpack anything yet. She let out a sigh, preparing herself to see Narukei again and slowly made her way towards the kitchen. don't want to see him.. I'm scared..

She was so engulfed in her thoughts that she didn't even notice when she missed a step going down the stairs, falling down the remaining five steps. O-ow.. Nothing was broken, nor was she bleeding, but the fall was definitely embarrassing. She landed on her butt, but she did hit her head on the way down so she was rubbing it after she came to a halt on the floor, "I hate stairs... That hurt more than I thought it would.. At least I learnt my lesson on a small fall I guess.." Though it hurt, Shiori was thankful that Nemui and Narukei were in the kitchen and missed her stumble. If anyone saw that, it would have been really embarrassing. Nemui was the clumsy sister.. Shiori was in archery, her balance was everything to her. It was bad enough that the fall shook her confidence, she didn't need a witness to constantly remind her of the incident, I need to focus more on my surroundings and quit thinking about Narukei so much.. He definitely isn't thinking about me.. the realization was depressing, but she had to look on the bright side. She had an even better position, right? She was his sister, not a girlfriend he could cast away. Sisters were permanent additions to the family, so in reality she would be closer to him than she would have been if he acknowledged her feelings in the past. Whether he remembered her or not, she planned on being a good sister from now on, even if it hurt. No more rude behavior, Shiori. Time to be family.. I'll ask him to go rent a movie with me so I can apologize properly without anyone overhearing.

She finally stood up, still near the stairs though.She had new determination and made her way to the kitchen, "Sorry I'm late... Who's your friend Iyazaki-san?" She coated the hint of jealousy in her voice the best she could, forcing a smile as she looked to Nemui, then the other girl. Was this Narukei's girlfriend? A family member? Shiori's resolve was shaken. There goes her bright plan...

"I am Shiori Santioa, nice to meet you....?" She trailed off waiting for the brown haired girl to introduce herself.

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Oh, so they did meet before. Interesting, a classmate since the younger years. Yukito did not hide his amusement about her answer. He smiled at this in a rather carefree manner. "I see, it's nice to see you again then. What a coincidence, this is." He stated the latter part with a hint of mystery and wonder. His body position never changing or even alleviating one bit. Well, he had no intention to release his prey anytime soon. But, it seemed the dinner bell literally saved her from that as Nemui managed to use that as a good enough distraction to escape from him. She docked under his arm and scurried away like a mouse. Her mere actions were enough to make him chuckle lightly. It just makes him want to crush her more.

"Let the chase begin as they say." He softly murmured to himself with mirth after knowing that Nemui was out of range. That was then his phone vibrated signalling a text message. He took it out from his pocket and saw that the message was from Haruko. It seemed that there was another project for him to undertake. She will be sending him the details of it tomorrow. So, that also meant that he would be leaving school a bit early then. Well, that shouldn't be much of a problem, really. The school had already been informed about his possible schedules so, a compromise had been made. Actually, the agency had suggested for him to stop attending and just have himself, home-tutored. But, where was the fun in that? Anyway, he replied to the message with a simple okay. After that, he went downstairs to have dinner.

It had been a long time since he ate such a meal with anyone especially with his brother. Well, their family were never the close-knit one, especially with their kind of problems. It just made them drifted from each other rather than to solidify their relationships. But perhaps, he simply did not want to feel that kind of pain again. The answer, distance. Of course, he was completely being silly about it and quickly perished that thought before it could take root into other things. His hands were already full with gallivanting of his personal whims. He had no room for other sordid thoughts and things which will not do him any good.

Anyway, he would rather focus at the task at hand which was having dinner. And so, he went to the dining room which was adjacent to the kitchen. His eyes spotted a curious thing as his so-called new toys seemed taken aback by something, but as he approached further, it was a someone. This made him raise an eyebrow a bit and then a flash of interest within those orange-glazed eyes of his before it disappeared. Things just get interesting as time goes by. "I didn't know we have another guest, Aniki." He noted casually as he walked towards the newcomer and his brother. He was never the kind to bother himself whether he was being disruptive of a conversation or for the better word, privacy. He simply does what he wants. "Hi there, Yukito Iyazaki at your service."

He offered a polite yet carefree smile to the brown-haired girl who appeared to have dog with her in tow and a bloody leg for that matter. His eyes narrowed at that sight. "We should treat that." He stated as he looked to the nearest bathroom and went there. After a few seconds, he emerged carrying a small first-aid kit. It hadn't been used for awhile now as much as he could recall. Not like, he gets injured and all. His keeper of a manager and the agency always ensure that he is of sound mind and body. Although, he wasn't certain about Narukei, but his older brother was not clumsy now is he? Anyway, he pointed at a nearby stool at the counter. "Make her seat there, Aniki." He noted towards the older male with his casual tone. When it was done, he knelt to the floor in front of the brown-haired girl and opened the kit.

"What happened to you?" He asked as he began to dab a cotton with antiseptic on the wound while effectively cleaning the blood trail with a towel and some alcohol. He seemed to be good at what he does which might be surprising with his reputation and seemingly cheerful recklessness. "I suggest a bit of caution, it would be a sad thing to see such beautiful legs as yours with scars now." He said this with a very straight face as he lifted his eyes to look at her, a gesture to emphasize his point. Those eyes of his reflected care and a smile of kindness on his lips. Of course, he was playing on the role of a gentleman. After saying that, he focused on the wound and soon enough, he was done with it. "There you go." He announced as he applied a rather cute bandage with rabbit prints on it. To Narukei and Yukito, it should be obvious to who bought them. But of course, Yukito would not like to recall that person at the moment.

Then, he took a lollipop from his other pocket and gave it to the said girl. It was his trademarked strawberry treat "Here's your reward for being a good patient." Yukito noted with a jovial tone and then looked at his older brother. "She'll be joining us for dinner, right?" He was certain on that fact knowing Narukei to be the true gentleman between them. Then, he looked at Shiori and Nemui. "I have no problems with it. It has been long since we have dinner with this many people, don't we, Aniki?" That was actually true, since dinners between them consist of only one. "The more, the merrier. Oh, I forgot to mention. Shiori suggested we have a movie night. It's been quite a while since I stayed in the house. So, let's have one."

Yukito looked at Narukei with a child-like glee. With that expression, he seemed to appear much of his age, a boy, than an adult, that he seems to exude. "Of course, our new guest is invited too." All of these suggested by him with an innocent and carefree manner. But really, there was nothing innocent about his intentions especially, when he did take note that failure of coating from Shiori's voice. He picked up on it as perception was a tool for his kind of trade after all. And as of now, he wanted how much he could push on that. "So, shall we have dinner now?"

"Hasn't been ideal? Is she that bad or is it just a cold?"

"Well, if she gets any worse, her odds of surviving aren't that good.." Keiko replied in a soft tone, rubbing her forearm nervously. This topic made her uncomfortable, but she chose to view the situation optimistically, as always. She was half in denial and half of her truly believed she could bring her grandmother to a full recovery. She couldn't imagine life without her, despite her grandmother being quite elderly.

"Actually we have an Aid Kit, that might be better."

He let go of her, and Keiko nodded slightly. It was probably more hygienic, but she was not used to using proper protocol when it came to disinfecting her wounds, "A-Arigato..." She mumbled, rather sheepishly.

"Here use this and I'll get-"

Keiko tilted her head as he paused, completely oblivious to the awkward situation she was caught in the middle of. When she noticed the tiny short haired girl and then soon after a taller female entered, a bright smile came to Keiko's face, "I'm Keiko Misanami, sorry for the intrusion!" She replied in a friendly tone, laughing nervously after. She was entirely innocent to her and Narukei's position, completely composed and not embarrassed at all... She was able to face these girls without a care in the world, because she had never been in love. Keiko didn't understand the romantic and physical boundaries between men and women, aside from the ones that obviously led to procreation.

"This is Miss. Misanami, Keiko, that is."

He said Keiko's name at nearly the same time that she did, unknowingly making the situation more suspicious. Somehow Narukei seems nervous.. Why? she blamed herself and it caused a worried expression aimed toward Narukei from Keiko. Were one of those girls his girlfriend? She wasn't sure, but that wasn't uncommon. She was pretty ignorant when it came to couples and romantic interactions.

"I didn't know we have another guest, Aniki."

She immediately recognized the boy to be the celebrity brother. Other than the fact his named was Yukito, there wasn't much she knew about the younger Iyazaki, not that she knew a lot about Narukei either. Though she noticed something odd, Narukei's grip seemed to get tighter, or maybe she imagined it, but he was definitely behaving strangely.

"Hi there, Yukito Iyazaki at your service."

She didn't need the introduction, but it wasn't like he knew that. There was no way he recognized her. This boy was constantly surrounded by models and actresses. She was just a girl who visited her grandmother every summer and she just happened to live next door with her now. She was tomboyish and barely above ordinary when it came to looks, but Keiko was fine with that. She didn't want to appear 'cute' or 'attractive'. Her goal was to avoid having complicated relations with boys, she wanted to focus on baseball. She didn't want to let trivial matters such as 'love' get in the way, it would ruin everything, "Keiko Misanami, it's nice to meet ya."

"We should treat that."

Keiko nearly responded, but she had no argument. Her idea wasn't exactly hygienic, but that's because she wasn't the type of girl that cared. She got hurt a lot in baseball, if she cleaned every cut and scrape she'd never get to practice. She wasn't concerned with typical hygiene when it came to cuts. Did this family always do this?

"Let me know if Gran needs help, alright?"

Keiko's eyes widened rather noticeably in shock. She couldn't grasp why someone so rich would care about her grandmother. Keiko's grandmother was a humble woman, very kind, but she didn't expect her to be close enough to one of the Iyazaki boys to earn their charity. He didn't make eye contact anymore, and it caused Keiko to quirk her eyebrow, but she chose to let it go. Whatever his reasons were for being so weird all of a sudden, asking would only make things complicated and she wasn't look in for complicated.

"Make her seat there, Aniki."

Keiko was very surprised when Narukei lifted her up. She'd never been picked up by a boy before, and it was actually a lot more embarrassing than she'd expected. Calm down, Kei. It's nothing. She reminded herself, regaining a grip on her emotions. Then Yukito proceeded to begin treatment. Her eyes drifted over to the other girls, an apologetic look on her face. She didn't mean to hog the attention, she wasn't that kind of girl.. In fact she originally hoped to get in and out of here undetected, but to no avail.

"What happened to you?"

"Long story short?" Keiko asked with a kind of nervous laugh. She really hated mentioning that she originally snuck in, being dishonest wasn't something that she chose to be often, "Hopped the fence chasing after the dog, went to grab her and I fell.." Keiko explained it in a rather cut and dry manner. She didn't hiss when the alcohol made contact with her leg, but her eye did twitch from the stinging caused by the alcohol. Suddenly, she realized that she forgot to thank him. She was so focused on not overreacting, that she forgot common courtesy.

"I suggest a bit of caution, it would be a sad thing to see such beautiful legs as yours with scars now."

She laughed in a nonchalant manner, only affected by his words for a moment it seemed. "Scars are badges of honor in Baseball! That's what coach says at least... Well.. My old coach..." she stated in a proud manner. She seemed to have a lot of respect for the coach at her last school. As she realized she would have a new coach however, her tone grew softer and her eyes also saddened.

"There you go."

Her brown eyes met his, "Arigato, Iyazaki-san." She didn't use formalities with Narukei, but somehow she didn't feel right addressing Yukito without honorifics. Something about him made her feel she needed to keep her guard up, and she wasn't sure why. Then she tilted her head at the bandages. She bit her tongue however, refusing to let herself ask the question that was now bugging her. There was no way tat those belonged to these girls, nor would these boys intentionally buy them. Who did they belong to? She wasn't fond of them, bunnies and cutesy weren't exactly her interests. It was suffocatingly girly, but she hid her distaste with a grateful smile. She was in their debt, big time.

"Here's your reward for being a good patient."

A strawberry lollipop? I don't remember going to a medical clinic.. She accepted it, laughing a bit. This guy was very.. odd in her opinion, though she had to admit she liked strawberry candy. Not that she'd say it out loud. Ever.

"She'll be joining us for dinner, right?"

What is with these guys? They have high tech security, but invited a complete stranger into their home? They were a bit hypocritical to say the least. She now wondered why the gates existed at all.

"The more, the merrier. Oh, I forgot to mention. Shiori suggested we have a movie night. It's been quite a while since I stayed in the house. So, let's have one."

They are having a movie night? Good for them.. It made her miss her parents already, even though she just got here a few days ago. She smiled in a bittersweet fashion, glancing over to see how Narukei would respond, that is, until Yukito included her in on the family fun. Though something about Yukito's reaction gave her chills.

"Of course, our new guest is invited too."

"Actually, I'd have to decline. Miss. Misanami and I have other plans after dinner. There is someone I must see. So I might not be back until late, give or take."

"Yeah.. Sorry. Maybe next time.." She didn't like movies that much, but her real reason for playing along was that she felt awkward. This setting kept her on her toes. Yukito was a flirt, which she wanted no part of, guys like him interfered with her plans and were best kept far away, especially physically. She also not an odd vibe from the longer haired girl in the room, but Keiko wasn't sure what it was. She'd never experienced the look the girl was giving her right now. It was completely foreign and new, Keiko didn't recognize it, even though it was simple romantic jealousy.

"So, shall we have dinner now?"

Keiko nodded, wanting to get this over with. At the moment she just wanted to escape this unfamiliar world. This kitchen, this house, was far more extravagant than what she was used to. She felt uncomfortable being among members of the lucky one percent of society.

"You can sit next to my seat if you like."

Keiko nodded without thinking, seeing as she felt more comfortable around Narukei than the others. Sure, the other short haired girl seemed nice enough, but she didn't know her at all. The long haired girl didn't seem fond of her, and Yukito was all too quick to deliver inappropriate compliments, so she was figuratively clinging to Narukei. He was the only one who treated her normally, so she chose interaction wit him when the opportunity arrived. She took the seat he mentioned, staring down at the table. She hoped her grandmother wasn't worrying about her, she'd feel terrible for making her upset...

"This way no one will bump into her leg."

"Sorry for the trouble everyone... I really appreciate the hospitality.." Keiko gave each of the others a bright smile, although it was always the same tomboyish grin.

"This is Miss. Misanami, Keiko, that is."

Well, at least he wasn't addressing her by her first name, but that barely made the situation better, at least not to Shiori. She got to see the guy that she was not-quite-romantically-over touching another girl in the kitchen in what seemed to be a rather intimate fashion. She couldn't help but be consumed with jealousy. He didn't remember her, and now he was doing stuff like this out in the open? The girl seemed oblivious to the situation, only making matters worse. Shiori hated girls who used their innocence to get guys to like them.

"I didn't know we have another guest, Aniki."

Yukito was shortly behind them, no doubt listening in, but she decided to not comment any further. She had a feeling that she had the right to remain silent and anything she said could and would be used against her in this house. She continued to force a friendly expression on her face, regardless of how poorly convincing it came across as. She had to at least attempt to play nice, even though it was exhausting... and Shiori was doing everything in her power to ignore the fact that she wanted to take the nearest kitchen knife and stab this brown eyed bitch.

"Hi there, Yukito Iyazaki at your service."

Shiori entered the kitchen, not looking at the others and poured herself a glass of water. She took a quiet drink, eyes closed and obviously a little ticked off. Though who wouldn't have been in her shoes? She couldn't help it that she was still attracted to Narukei, even though the fact that they used to date was all fake. It was only to teach her how to act around the guy she was crushing on before, but how could she have known that she would end up falling for him instead? Though on the flip side, how was he supposed to know? She never confessed, so why did she blame him? She felt guilty, confused, angry and sad all at the same time, and it was more than a bit overwhelming.

She didn't fade back into reality until Narukei lifted Keiko bridal style, and she nearly choked on a mouthful of water. She silently composed herself, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand and sighed. She did not come down to dinner to watch Narukei flirt with another girl. This was getting ridiculous, though she had to admit the smell of the food was amazing... not that she could eat it, processed foods were marked off of Shiori's diet. But there was no harm in appreciating it from a distance, right? Too bad..

Yukito took over and began treating the attention whore's wound. The girl seemed surprised, but Shiori was certain that it was an innocent act. This girl was just fishing to gain more attention from the boys, and it was fairly irritating. Then this girl had the nerve to shoot such a pitiful look at her and Nemui? No one is falling for this crap, Keiko-San. Your act is cheap. Shiori thought to herself, biting the inside of her cheek to avoid rolling her eyes. This girl completely ruined Shiori's attempt to start over with this family, something told her she wouldn't like this girl, at all.

"What happened to you?"

Well apparently someone is still under the illusion that this girl wasn't purely out to seek attention. Shiori took a sip of water, and if looks could kill, Keiko would have definitely been very, very dead by now. Can I take my food upstairs? she twitched, definitely wanting to just skip to dinner and kicking Keiko out. Now? Please? No? Okay...

"Long story short? Hopped the fence chasing after the dog, went to grab her and I fell.."

Using a dog to attract guys? Damsel in distress routine? Why are these guys even humoring this? How low can she get? Did they truly believe Keiko or were they just suckers for any old sob story? She noticed that the dark haired girl flinched as the alcohol got into her wound and Shiori smiled a bit At least one thing about this girl is real.

"I suggest a bit of caution, it would be a sad thing to see such beautiful legs as yours with scars now."

Yep. Just suckers for the damsel in distress act. Shiori thought in a mixture of disappointment and disgust. She looked to Nemui, rolling her eyes at an angle only her sister could see. She then leaned in, "I don't feel very hungry anymore.." she whispered for her sister's ears only.

"Scars are badges of honor in Baseball! That's what coach says at least... Well.. My old coach..."

Shouting? Really? I hate this girl, she is so obnoxious!!! Shiori thought, now in mental agony. She wasn't sure that she could take this much longer. This girl was torture in living form.. Then her tone grew softer. Here comes the sob to the story. Are we supposed to ask about her coach? I'll pass.

"There you go."

Finally he was done fixing up her leg, now she could leave, right? For a moment, Shiori thought the day still had a chance. She didn't know just how wrong she was.

"Arigato, Iyazaki-san."

Everything about Keiko dug under Shiori's skin and simply rubbed her in every wrong way possible. If they were cats, she would have already shredded Keiko into pieces. She literally wanted to toss this stray outside where she belonged... Yet no one else seemed to agree.

"Here's your reward for being a good patient."

Who carries lollipops around like that? That's a bit creepy.. Shiori even twitched a little and grew pale. Just what kind of guys were the Iyazaki brothers? She shivered as a few ideas ran through her mind, trying not to judge either of them too harshly, even though they were fooled by this strange girl's pity party.

"She'll be joining us for dinner, right?"

Immediately her irritation was directed at Yukito. Why did he have to open his mouth? Perhaps she would have left if he'd stayed quiet! Now she'd stay and get cozy with him and Narukei when this day was actually meant to let the siblings get to know one another. She wanted to put her best foot forward, apologize for treating Narukei coldly, but something about this girl was fogging Shiori's better judgement. She didn't understand what she was feeling, but how could she? Jealousy was new to Shiori, seeing as she was very popular at school. She understood why she couldn't be with Narukei, but why did he have to show interest in a girl that didn't even put minimal effort in appearing feminine?! It was enraging and hurt at the same time. Maybe that's why it was so easy to pretend to date me and suddenly leave without warning.. I'm not his type after all, even before we became family.. she felt her chest beginning to tighten up, and it felt like a knot was forming in her throat, but she did her best to ignore it. She didn't even realize she was so close to crying.

"The more, the merrier. Oh, I forgot to mention. Shiori suggested we have a movie night. It's been quite a while since I stayed in the house. So, let's have one."

His voice broke her out of her destructive, plummeting thoughts. She was grateful, but also terrified. Was he on her team or purposely destroying her as payback for earlier? He couldn't have.. She was so careful to hide the malice in her tone earlier, how could Yukito have noticed something so faint? On the other hand, Shiori was kind of hoping to invite Narukei on her own terms, alone, after an apology, but this worked too.. Besides, there was no erasing Yukito's words anyway. She could feel her fingers trembling, so she shoved her free hand into her hoodie and took one last drink of water from the glass in her other hand.

"Of course, our new guest is invited too."

Shiori's eyes widened at this, and her gaze immediately fell on Narukei. What would he say? Would he decline? Would he go and just sit with Keiko? Would Keiko even want to attend?

"Actually, I'd have to decline. Miss. Misanami and I have other plans after dinner. There is someone I must see. So I might not be back until late, give or take."

Shiori's spiraling thoughts came to a halt when Narukei chose to ditch with Keiko. Suddenly her chest tightened, it was almost suffocatingly painful and she slowly put her empty glass in the sink. Suddenly she didn't feel so hungry anymore, honestly she felt like throwing up.

But the show had to go on, and she wouldn't ruin it for everyone else just because she was upset, so like in a theatre she decided to leave before she made things worse, "It's okay, we don't have to. No one does that anymore. It was just me trying to avoid studying." Shiori replied with a forced laugh, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Yeah.. Sorry. Maybe next time.."

Shiori grabbed an apple from the counter as she passed by and a bottle of water from the fridge as well. Then she froze in shock as she felt something wet on her cheeks.

W-why am I crying? I.. I don't want to.. I just want to.. I.. She lowered her head immediately. She knew she had to hurry as she addressed the group, or she'd be the next charity case. She kept her head low so her bangs would hide the tears that were beginning to fall down her face, and give her more time to speak. She had to compose herself, at least her voice.. She didn't want to cause a scene like Keiko.. She didn't want to come across as looking for pity, and she didn't want to cry in front of everyone.. She didn't want pity.. She wanted to stop feeling this way, whatever this was.

"So, shall we have dinner now?"

"Actually, I'm not very hungry.. " she muttered in a soft, relatively even tone. She was doing well so far, just a bit more, "Gomenasai, Narukei-San.. The food smells delicious... I just don't eat processed foods or meat."

Sure, she apologized and explained herself, but Shiori had to find a good excuse to skip dinner. She wracked her brain, but used a more natural and honest approach, "I haven't felt very well today, and Juniors have a huge test tomorrow.. I should study."

She immediately excused herself, but stopped with her back to the group, "G-Gomenasai.." Her voice finally cracked, and realizing that it was becoming too obvious, she scurried off. She made quick work of the stairs, actually breaking into a full on run as she made it upstairs. She immediately made a beeline for her room and locked the door.

As soon as she realized she was safe, her hands met her face and she wiped her eyes, attempting to calm her eyes which suddenly were responding like two open floodgates. Her tears kept falling, despite herself and she hated herself for it. She hated herself for not being able to handle dinner, with or without Keiko. I'm such a horrible person.. That girl was genuinely hurt and all I cared about was my own selfish jealousy..

She collapsed where she stood, now on her knees. She grabbed a pillow from one of her loaded luggage boxes and she buried her face inside of it. Get over him.. He likes that tomboy.. They're probably dating in secret or something.. Just let it go, Shiori! she mentally screamed at herself. The only person at fault here was her, and she wanted to die for being so selfish. He was her brother, or well, he would be soon.. Why did she feel the same as she did the day he left? Her ribs and stomach ached, but her chest ached even more. She felt like her entire torso was waging war against her in this exact moment. Liking someone, is it supposed to hurt this much? Why won't it just stop?

A lot happened, and as much as she hated to admit it, she kind of zoned out. Shiori definitely wasn't happy, but Nemui was completely clueless as to the real reason behind it.. Yukito and Narukei were fawning over Keiko, and this was all a bit crazy for their first dinner together.. She just couldn't help but mentally tune out everything going on. It was too much information to process and to be honest she just wanted this to be a harmonious dinner between four individuals that would be forced to live together for the rest of their high school careers.

"She'll be joining us for dinner, right?"

Isn't that a bit disrespectful? We're supposed to be getting to know each other.. I guess it doesn't matter, we'll have plenty of time to do that later, but still.. it obviously matters to Shiori-chan.. Nemui made a point to avoid making eye contact with the others, but she gave a small smile, "It's nice to meet you... Misanami-chan." She chimed, and although she didn't have a jealous hint buried in her voice, she did have an uneasy expression on her face. She was definitely worried, mainly about her sister. Sure, Shiori did have a tendency to overreact at times, but to a certain level, Nemui understood why she was upset. Though she knew neither of them had any choice in the matter. This home belonged to the Iyazaki family, and they were still Santioa's, legally speaking. They were outsiders, at least until the wedding.

"The more, the merrier. Oh, I forgot to mention. Shiori suggested we have a movie night. It's been quite a while since I stayed in the house. So, let's have one."

Nemui's eyes immediately widened. So that's why.. She was hoping to make up for her behavior earlier... I wouldn't want someone to overhear me apologizing either. No wonder she doesn't want Misanami-san here. Nemui thought to herself, realizing there was a lot more to her sister's reaction than she'd previously thought. Even though she was her sister, Nemui still had trouble understanding Shiori. There was a lot that Shiori kept secret, but she didn't blame her. It was human nature to keep some things private from everyone else.. besides, Nemui was never the type to pry in the first place. As far as she was concerned, if she needed to know, Shiori would eventually tell her.

"Of course, our new guest is invited too."

Was he intentionally trying to put Shiori in a difficult position or was he honestly clueless? Nemui wasn't quite certain which was the case, but she definitely knew Yukito was not a force to be reckoned with. The dinner bell was the only thing that saved her from his clutches earlier, and she blushed just thinking about what could have happened if she had been stuck there any longer. He was far too suggestive and impulsive with her, and she couldn't help but wonder how many other girls he treated that way, especially after he commented on Keiko's legs. How could he spout out compliments and flirtations so easily? Was love and romance simply a joke to him? She was glad she found this out early, because she definitely didn't want to make the mistake of falling for her own step-brother.

"Actually, I'd have to decline. Miss. Misanami and I have other plans after dinner. There is someone I must see. So I might not be back until late, give or take."

Nemui's eyes shot to Narukei, her face had shock plastered all over it. Did he not catch on that Shiori thought of an event to mend her rude behavior? W-wait.. Is Misanami-chan his girlfriend? A-After dinner plans!? Immediately her face burned a dark red as she only got images of adult behavior. What could they possibly have to do that late other than... Immediately she shook her head, trying to get her mind on something else. She had to find a distraction, to get the mental image of Keiko and Narukei doing inappropriate after dark activities out of her thoughts.

"It's okay, we don't have to. No one does that anymore. It was just me trying to avoid studying."

Shi-chan... Nemui's eyes watered a bit, noticing the hurt in her sister's tone. It was heartbreaking, seeing as she was the sensitive sister, not Shiori. Why was this happening? Wasn't this supposed to be a fun day? She just couldn't understand this situation at all.. She played this moment over and over in her head ever since she found out she'd have two brothers, and it didn't turn out like this at all, not even once. This was really becoming a depressing evening.

"Yeah.. Sorry. Maybe next time.."

Shiori retrieved an apple after Keiko agreed with Narukei, and they were both looking at each other in a weird way. When her eyes returned to Shiori, she noticed something was up, because Shiori's body went completely still for a moment. It was almost as if Shiori had seen a ghost... though her back was to the group at the moment, so Nemui wasn't sure what was going on yet. Though as soon as Shiori lowered her head, Nemui immediately knew. Shiori never once let Nemui see her cry, but she always let her hair hide her eyes whenever she couldn't hold back her tears. Although Nemui never actually saw the tears before, she knew this stance well. Their mother missed Shiori's birthday three years in a row, and Nemui got to see Shiori take this stance every time. I may not know everything about my sister, but I can tell when she is crying.. Though why the older girl was crying was a mystery. She knew it wasn't just over missing out on her chance to apologize or broken plans. There was something else going on here, Nemui just didn't know what.

"So, shall we have dinner now?"

"Actually, I'm not very hungry.. "

Her sister's tone was delicate, but very controlled. Judging by her voice alone, no one would ever be able to tell how upset she was, but Nemui knew better. She spent her whole life with her sister, and Shiori was an energetic girl, and never spoke this soft unless she was hurt. Just like with Mom... Who is Narukei-san to her? Did they know each other before now?

"Gomenasai, Narukei-San.. The food smells delicious... I just don't eat processed foods or meat. I haven't felt very well today, and Juniors have a huge test tomorrow.. I should study."

After complimenting Narukei's cooking, Shiori began to walk away, but came to a halt all of a sudden. Nemui turned to face her sister, mouth opening to say something, but she was interrupted by Shiori and didn't have time to say anything else. Nemui felt like crap, there was nothing she could do. She felt like a ghost trying to communicate to the living.

"G-Gomenasai.." Her voice finally cracked, and realizing that it was becoming too obvious, she scurried off.

There was the obvious hitch in her voice, now everyone would know that Shiori was upset, "S-shi-chan..! Wait..!" She called out, but dropped her head in defeat. Shiori was already upstairs by the time that she'd called out to her. Nemui looked to Keiko, then to the other two boys before taking a seat quietly at an open slot, sitting next to Keiko. She knew she couldn't console Shiori.. She didn't know what was even hurting her. She felt so helpless, "S-Shall we...? I have to help Shi-chan study before bed..." She stuttered in a timid tone, eyes turning to the stairs again, then back to the table.

This day is absolutely the worst..ever..

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How Yukito wanted to laugh so loudly at this moment. But, he didn't like the idea of explaining or making up a reason to entertain the probable questioning looks from them. So, he decided to keep it inside and that comes to him very easily. In any case, the new guest who identified herself as Misanami Keiko from his initial assessment is the sport-type girl, nothing profound in that. Yet, the thing that interests him most is the uneasiness in the air and that subtle reaction of his brother, Narukei and that of Shiori as well. He could already see the red flags being raised all around even more so, when Narukei declined the offer of a movie night. He of course, reacted, but not before taking his seat.

"Well, that's a bummer." Yukito sighed dejectedly. "I guess that's not surprising. We never bond." He said flatly and shrugged his shoulders in a nonchalant manner. The meaning of his words had such diverse ones, but boils to one thing. Is the relationship between the brothers not as close as one would generally assume? "Sorry about that Shiori." He glanced at the girl apologetically who followed up with an apology of her own that she could not eat dinner with them. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly, but it disappeared much like that of an illusion which no one would believe to be real or not.

Still, it did happen as he received an entertaining reaction which further his own formulated conclusions. If he was not a wonderful actor, a sly smile resembling that of a fox could have been seen adorning his lips. However, there was none of that. "Don't worry about it. We're going to be family so, a missed dinner is not a big deal. We have the rest of the days to get dinner with complete members, right?" His voice echoed with cheerfulness and gentle optimism. In this light, he was much like a hopeful, innocent and happy little brother, considering he is indeed the youngest among them. He appears so harmless, friendly, and approachable. "Good luck on your test tomorrow, Shiori-chan and if you need help with math or snacks, don't be shy to ask me or Aniki."

Of course, he was well-aware that Shiori was running away from whatever she may be feeling or not liking about the current situation. He gauged that from the girl's so-called subtleties which was also confirmed by Nemui's reaction. But, it doesn't mean he would reveal that he is aware. Why take the fun out, isn't it? Instead, he directed his eyes at Keiko. "Don't worry about it, Keiko-chan. Aniki seems to like you so, I'll be seeing you more probably." Whether there is nothing beyond those words or he is implying something else, it could be openly interpreted, but the answer could never be obtained from him. That's because all he has to offer is a carefree smile on his face. "Itadakimasu." He then proceeded in eating his meal. "Good cooking as always Aniki." He noted with an effortless smile as he take another bite and then glanced at Nemui. "Oh, we're going to the same school aren't we? Shall we all go together? I'm guessing we're at the same class too."

That's when he remembered something as he changed his attention to Keiko. "Oh yeah, Keiko-chan. Are you also attending Seitenshi Academy?" He queried it was the nearest one here at the same time known for its quality education and sports program. "It would be nice seeing you around there or even more so as a classmate." He took a breather by taking another bite of his meal and then speaking again. "Don't you think so, Nemui-chan?" He gave Nemui a side glance before happily continuing his meal and soon enough, he was done. Wiping his mouth with a table napkin, he looked at the other occupants of the table. "Gochisousama!" After saying that, he picked up his plate when his phone began to ring indicating it to be a call. The melody coming from his phone could be heard through the dining room, but his expression of a carefree one did not change.

He took out his phone and ended the call without bothering to answer it or even looking to see who was calling. There was no need as he already knew who it was based on the ringtone played by his phone. "Well, I'll be going on ahead. I bid you all good night and sweet dreams." Yukito then looked at his older brother. "Thanks for the meal, Aniki." He gave a grateful smile. "See you when I see you guys." Not an odd one to say to a newly acquainted person, but to his brother. It indicated one thing clearly about the two boys. Even if they're brothers, it's not like they are always together. But that would be understandable due to Yukito's current occupation, still somehow, there seemed to be more about it. He then a wave of hand as he went to the kitchens to put down his plate on the dishwasher. After that, he went to the Sun Room.

Once inside, he finally took a good look at his phone and when he was certain no one was around. His face reflected that of clear hateful dejection with the undertone of sadness which he does not want to acknowledge. "What does she want..." He muttered under his breath before turning off his phone. After doing so, he took a deep breath with his pristine mask put back into place. His eyes looked at the view of the semi-lighted landscape of the house. It was beautiful in its own character and design, but would be more lovely upon sunrise. In any case, he stretched his limbs and put that notorious mischievous smile of his. "I don't care anyway. I have other things to play with now." He ended that night with that note.

On another hand, this time the phone ringing was Narukei's. It was apparently a call from his step-mother and Yukito's mother, Gabriela. This was certainly a long-distance one and the only time she would call is in regards to the boys whom she had treated as both hers.

Naru slowly slid his hand over to Keiko's, only touching the side of her palm wit his index finger as he leaned slightly over towards her direction. "Sorry about this, but I'm not so sure I can really explain what's going on myself." If it wasn't obvious he was ignoring his brother's rambling and the awkward situation behind with Shi. Wasn't like he could fix things how they were, especially if he didn't know what he had done wrong in the first place.

Once Shi directed herself towards Naru, he simply sat straight up, like normal, placing one hand on his lap and the other rested on the table next to his plate. "Sorry to hear that Miss. Santioa. I'll make sure to go shopping for the right foods next time." This wasn't said in a rude way, in fact, it was said in a calm and soft tone. He didn't judge the situation, even though it bothered him a bit. He found it rude in more ways than one to reject meals that presented to you. Just be sure to get something later before you sleep. I rather no one starve because of their studies."

Ne called after her sister but decided to sit down at the table after a long hesitation. Just as he was about to say something to her, what his brother had said caught his attention. Likes Keiko? How did he get that idea? Was Naru not kind to nearly everyone in need of it? And the way he said it, almost sounded as if he were to eat her up instead of the meal before them. Not saying another word he just listened to the other speak as he himself ate quietly in the most proper way anyone could.

Once dinner was done, his brother did what he did best, leave. It was one thing Naru very use to it from him, if his brother didn't leave, he'd began to wonder why. He nodded in response and started to clean up and put away the foods that had gotten left over, putting a little of everything on a side dish for Gran.

"Oh Ne-chan. He turned to face her, holding a kitchen towel in his hand. He bowed at her softly. "I apologize if you are upset, even though I am not so sure myself the situation. If I had done something to upset Miss.Santioa, I hope she could tell me soon. Ah, but,..." He went to the fridge and grabbed a few things, sticking them in a bowl. It was a salad with hard boiled eggs stuffed to the side and a little tiny dish of the ranch in the middle to allow her to dip. "It's fresh still, but it's all we have left after I cooked. That is until I go shopping again. Would you mind having her at least snack on it." He winked in a playful way and pressed his index to his lips. "Just say it's from you. I doubt she'd eat it otherwise."

He handed her the bowl and chuckled a bit to himself. It sure was an awkwardly odd day. Suddenly his phone started to go off. "Do you mind if we head out now Miss. Misanami. I will walk you home and if you don't mind I'd like to check up on Gran." He said grabbing the plate of wrapped food while flipping his phone open to answer it. "Excuse me for a moment... Hello Gabby, it's been a while. Is everything alright?" His mood had become softer and his voice and changed as if he was talking to someone he highly respected, thought it wasn't fully that way.

Gabby and Naru's situation was a bit odd. She was his step mother, but never once had he called her mother. He'd always respected her and is grateful to her and all she had done, but he had also disliked her and was still upset with her, even though he had yet to show it or mentioned it to anyone. Her call though was most likely because Yu's birthday was coming up and she wanted to steal him away, but if he ignored her that meant he didn't want to be bothered with it. After all, she was Naru's last choice in calling for anything.