03 - Disastrous Day at Home

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♥ ♢ BATH-TIME  ♢♥ 

The promise of a hot bath was the only thing that propelled my exhausted body forward. I stripped off my clothes, the events of the day feeling like a heavy cloak I was finally shedding. The encounter with Touhei, the constant, low-level hum of anxiety about my family's fame—it all dissolved as I sank into the steaming water of the bathtub. With a deep sigh, I leaned my head back against the cool tile, letting the silence of the bathroom wash over me. Pure bliss.

The soft click of the door latch was barely audible, but it was enough to prick my ears. I didn't move, assuming it was just the house settling. Then came a faint, suppressed giggle.

My eyes snapped open.

Peeking around the edge of the door, her short purple hair framing a face alight with mischief, was Izuwa. A wicked, knowing smirk was plastered across her lips.

"Enjoying the view?" she whispered, her voice laced with amusement.

A hot flush, completely unrelated to the water temperature, crawled up my neck. My hands instinctively shot up to cover myself as best as I could. "Izuwa! What the hell are you doing?! Get out, you pervert!" I hissed, my voice a strangled whisper.

"Aww, come on, Onii-chan," she drawled, stepping fully into the bathroom and closing the door behind her. She leaned against the wall, crossing her arms. "No need to be so shy. We're family, aren't we?"

"That doesn't make this okay! HINA!" I shouted, hoping the oldest and most responsible member of the household could restore sanity. "HINA, GET YOUR SISTER!"

Footsteps hurried down the hall. "Izuwa! What are you doing in there? Get out right now! Stop bothering Takeshi-kun!" Hina's voice was sharp, but Izuwa just rolled her eyes, completely unfazed by the scolding.

Before Hina could even attempt to open the door, it was flung open again, but this time it was a different kind of chaos.

"Onii-chan, are you okay? I heard shouting!" Ayumi, still in her pajamas, rushed in with a worried expression. Her eyes darted from my flustered face to Izuwa's smug one. Then, her gaze landed on the invitingly large bathtub. A switch flipped behind her eyes, her worry melting into a sudden, brilliant idea.

"Whoa, looks fun!"

"Ayumi, wait, no—"

It was too late. With a gleeful shout, she launched herself forward, landing in the tub with a tremendous splash that sent a tidal wave of water cascading onto the floor. She surfaced, sputtering and laughing, her pajamas now soaked through and clinging to her. "Disastrous!" she giggled, grabbing my arm.

Between Izuwa’s evil laughter from the doorway and Ayumi clinging to me like a happy sea otter in the now-overflowing tub, I could only stare at the ceiling and wonder what cosmic sin I had committed to deserve this. Home sweet home, indeed.

 ♥ ♢ ♥

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 ♥ ♢ MORNING BREAKFAST  ♢♥ 

The next morning, I was adrift in a pleasant dream. Sunlight warmed my face, and a soft, fragrant weight was pressed against me. Some gorgeous model, probably. Yes, that felt right. My subconscious was finally giving me a break.

"Good morning, Onii-chan."

My eyes slowly fluttered open. The dream model had the face of my little sister. Ayumi was lying directly on top of me, her chin propped on her hands as she beamed down at me, her hair fanning out over my chest.

"What were you dreaming about?" she asked, her voice syrupy sweet. "About me?"

I stared at her for a deadpan moment. "Yes," I said sarcastically. "I was dreaming about throwing you in a river."

From the kitchen, Hina's voice cut through the morning calm. "Ayumi, can you wake up Izuwa too? She was gaming all night again last night!"

Ayumi giggled, not moving an inch. "Already tried to wake her up! Izuwa still continue her sleep!"

I let out a groan, the weight of her feeling ten times heavier now that I was fully awake. "Let me wake her up," I grumbled. "You, please get lost from my bed."

Instead of complying, she wrapped her arms around my neck in a tight hug. "No way! Don't wanna let you go!"

Wrestling myself free from her octopus-like grip took a considerable amount of effort. Finally escaping, I stomped towards Izuwa's room. I knocked—no, punched—her door. "Hey, wake up!"

Silence.

With a sigh, I twisted the knob and pushed the door open. Her room was a cave, blackout curtains blocking any hint of daylight. The only light came from the glowing screen of her multi-monitor gaming setup. And there, sprawled across her bed in a tangle of blankets, was Izuwa. She was wearing an oversized t-shirt and a pair of very short shorts, sleeping in a messy, limbs-askew posture that looked deeply uncomfortable. I felt a pang of wrongness staring, but quickly pushed it aside. The mission was to wake the beast.

"Hey, wake up!" I said, shaking her shoulder.

She groaned but didn't stir. I shook her again, a little harder this time.

In a flash of movement that was far too quick for someone who was supposedly deep asleep, she suddenly jumped up. Before I could react, her hand shot out and yanked the waistband of my pajama pants.

"Heyy! What are you doing?!" I yelped, stumbling back and clutching my pants to keep them from falling.

Izuwa was now sitting up, fully awake, a triumphant, devilish smirk on her face. "Hee hee hee, got you!"

This family was going to be the death of me.

Defeated and utterly drained before the day had even properly begun, I trudged downstairs to the kitchen. The scene was one of perfect domestic tranquility. The scent of freshly brewed coffee and miso soup filled the air. Hina stood at the stove, humming softly as she expertly flipped a piece of tamagoyaki. She glanced over her shoulder and gave me a gentle smile.

"Good morning, Takeshi-kun. Your coffee is ready."

I gratefully accepted the steaming mug she gestured to. The familiar bitterness was a grounding force. As I took a sip, I leaned against the counter, watching her move with an effortless grace that was just as captivating as any of her dance routines.

"Got any activities today?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

"Yes," she said, placing a perfectly rolled omelet onto a plate. "We have a rehearsal after this for tomorrow's show."

"A show? Where is it?"

Hina turned to face me, her expression turning a little more professional. "At Tokyo University. It's their Educational Day. There's a big outdoor event, and Mikuyi is doing the opening performance. There will be lots of people coming tomorrow."

My university. Of course. A massive, public event right on campus. The perfect place for my carefully constructed anonymous life to be blown to smithereens. "Wow, that's nice," I managed to say, the coffee suddenly tasting sour.

Just then, Ayumi bounced down the stairs, now fully dressed and radiating energy. She skipped into the kitchen and immediately latched onto my arm again. "Come on, Onii-chan! I want you to come and support us tomorrow!" she pleaded, looking up at me with wide, hopeful eyes.

I avoided her gaze, staring into my coffee cup as if it held the secrets to the universe. "I will see how," I replied, the noncommittal words tasting like ash in my mouth.

Hina placed the final plates on the table as Izuwa, looking smug and infuriatingly refreshed, sauntered into the room. Everyone gathered around for breakfast.