Horror Night

[Dinner Time]

After a while, the food was ready, and Seiji served Yakimeshi for everyone.

The pleasant aroma filled the air.

"Itadakimasu!" Akemi exclaimed cheerfully, and they began eating.

As the girl was eating and glancing at her brother and his roommate, curiosity flickered in her eyes. "So, Seiji, how did you end up with a roommate?"

Seiji paused, thinking of the simplest explanation. "After my breakup with Aoi, I figured it might help to have someone around. Less quiet, you know."

Akemi nodded sympathetically. "Yeah, breakups can suck."

"It wasn't great," Seiji replied flatly, not really wanting to linger on the topic.

Akemi glanced at Hideaki, who was focused more on his food than on whatever was going around, at least from the looks of it.

"But why him?" she asked, her tone light but probing.

Seiji shrugged. "We crossed paths by chance. There wasn't any grand plan."

Akemi grinned, teasing. "Maybe it was destiny? Was it love at first sight?"

Seiji almost choked on his food, startled by the ridiculousness of the question. "What? No. That's absurd."

Hideaki glared at Akemi, clearly both confused and... annoyed. 'She... Seems to be more annoying than threatening...'  he observed her.

Seiji, regaining his composure, responded firmly. "We're not together. I don't even know where you got that idea."

"Hihihi!" Akemi laughed, clearly enjoying herself. "Relax! I'm just messing with you."

Seiji's expression didn't change. "Yeah 'messing', only that your 'messing' can annoy me a bit, and then it won't be so much to laughed at." He threatened her, but only to not end up with even more problems than he already had.

Akemi waved him off, still chuckling. "Okay, okay. No more teasing." then a playful smirk appeared on her face, "But are you sure there's nothing between you two?"

Seiji's patience was wearing thin. "No. There's nothing."

"Two guys living together..." Akemi teased, giggling. "I bet that you two are secretly kissing in your bedroom, nii-san!"

Hideaki almost choked himself with food at this comment.

"W-WHAT!? We—!? You—!!!"

Seiji just sighed.

"Akemi, for the last time. Just shut up about it. I don't care for this conversation, and I'm not going to repeat myself twice." his voice steady but cold.

He was glancing at Hideaki with concern. 'I can't afford for him to snap.'

"Drop it." He added annoyed.

Akemi, sensing the edge in her brother's tone, backed off. "Alright, alright! I'm done... So, what's the plan for the festival tomorrow?"

Seiji cleared his throat and began,

"Well, I thought we'd explore the stalls, enjoy the performances, and see the fireworks. And we have to keep an eye on-" he observed Hideaki who anxiously swallowed his food.

"On what?" Akemi interrupted, tilting her head.

Seiji hesitated, saying something different as he really had in mind "Uh... just... on the time and how to get back home. You know how the festival gets crowded."

"You already said about that nii-san." Akemi noticed.

Seiji exhaled sharply "I know, but I will repeat myself. This time." he said, his voice annoyed and firm.

The meal continued in silence, with Seiji clearing the table after they finished.

As Akemi went to grab her pajamas, Seiji's mind wandered at the mention of him and Hideaki being together.

'Why does she even come up with stuff like that? Ridiculous.'

Akemi soon reappeared with her sleepwear. "I'm going to change. No peeking!" she joked.

"Akemi, no one cares," Seiji muttered, more tired of her antics than anything else.

Suddenly, the bathroom door slammed.

"Don't slam the door!" Seiji snapped, the noise grating on his nerves.

A muffled "Sorry!" came from behind the door.

Seiji sighed, turning to Hideaki, who stood from the table. "She's such a irritating brat sometimes..."

"Is your sister a yaoi-fan?" Suddenly Hideaki asked.

"Dunno, but for sure she's annoying as hell..." Seiji replied, visibly frustrated.

Hideaki nodded, looking mildly amused. "Yeah, I see..."

Seiji exhaled sharply. "By the way, you have to be more calm down near her. She's not some big celebrity to get so stressed like you did when she's around."

Hideaki lowered his gaze, nervously rubbing his neck.
"Tch... You make it sound like it's easy to do!"

"I'm not saying it's easy, but you could at least try. With all your visible anxiety and nervousness she could see that there's something wrong with you, and when she'll ask deeper and you'll snap... Yeah, we both know that it wouldn't end well."

Hideaki bit his lip. He knew that what Seiji said was right. But he just couldn't force himself to be calm. Not around someone unfamiliar.

'I n-need to try... To relax... To just... be cool.'

He gulped, trying to gather his thoughts, and finally nodded quietly.

"O-okay... I'll... try..."

He lowered his head, mumbling almost under his breath:
"But I don't say it will work at first try..."

Seiji nodded "Good."

There was a moment of silence. Seiji watched him for a moment longer, leaning against the doorframe. Then, as if changing the subject, he asked in a neutral tone:

"Speaking of which. Do you have any siblings?" a hint of curiosity was in there.

Hideaki seemed caught off guard, but answered quietly, "Yeah... a younger sister. Suzuki."

"Same age as Akemi? 16?"

"Suzuki's 19. So... they're three years apart..?" Hideaki calculated aloud, his tone unsure.

"Exactly." Seiji nodded, processing the information. 'So he's got a younger sister as well.'

"M-maybe they'll meet one day." Hideaki pondered aloud.

"Maybe," Seiji stood up, glancing at his watch. "Alright. Let's get going to bed. It was a long day."

"Tch! Don't tell me what to do!" Hideaki yelled angered.

"For fuck's sake with your behavior... Then join me when you'll be ready."

***

After a while, Akemi emerged from the bathroom and noticed that Seiji was no longer in the living room. Only his roommate, Hideaki, remained.

She approached him. "Hey, what do you say about watching a horror movie?"

"A horror movie?" Hideaki asked, surprised by the sudden question.

"Yeah! I think it could be a lot of fun!"

'A lot of fun would be if I'd sliced up some people! Hehehe!' He thought, but then he snapped back and added "What type of horror?"

"I was thinking of the kind where there's a killer and a group of people getting picked off one by one."

As Hideaki heard description a stars of excitement ignited in his eyes. He smiled widely and nodded eagerly "Yes! A slasher! I like these! I'm just glad it's not one of those paranormal horrors..."

"You don't like those?"

"N-No... I-I mean... they... um... they're boring! Yes! Not my taste at all!" Hideaki stammered.

"Come on, you don't enjoy a little thrill from haunted houses and terrifying ghosts?"

"S-Stop it!" Hideaki covered his ears, visibly distressed. He hated anything with ghosts or the supernatural.

"Oh... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you..." Akemi apologized, noticing his discomfort.

"I'm not scared!" Hideaki quickly replied, a bit too defensive, trying to maintain his 'coolness'.

"Alright, alright, if you say so..." Akemi teased, though her tone became lighter to ease the tension. "So overall, you're good with watching horror. Okie Dokie! Now we just need to ask Seiji."

Just then, Seiji emerged from his room, looking as he was about to make his way towards the bathroom.

"Seiji, what do you think about watching a horror movie?" Akemi asked.

"Horror?" He asked, analyzing 'Hm.. I suppose we can have a little movie night before going to bed.' he nodded "Sure, I'm up for it. What kind?"

"Two words: murderer and violence!"

Seiji glanced at Hideaki. 'As if I don't live with that every day...'. He quickly responded, "Alright. Do you have a title in mind?"

"Yes! I even brought the CD!"

She pulled it from her suitcase.

"Alright, I'll set it up."

A few moments later, the three settled on the couch, with Akemi in the middle. Seiji dimmed the lights, making the room perfect for a movie night. As the opening credits rolled, the eerie soundtrack set the tone.

Akemi found herself drawn into the romantic subplots of the story, but the violence made her feel queasy. She'd look away during more brutal scenes, though the intensity kept her hooked.

Seiji, on the other hand, watched with calm detachment. He paid more attention to the plot and any inconsistencies that didn't sit right with him, analyzing them silently, and Hideaki been smiling the whole time as the main antagonist was slicing up his next victims.

As the scene with the murderer cutting off the victim's limbs played out on screen again, Seiji narrowed his eyes, watching the exaggerated gore with critical detachment.

"No, no... It shouldn't look like that," Seiji muttered. "They went way overboard with the blood. In reality, if you were to sever an artery, sure, you'd get some spurting, but this? It's just for shock value."

Akemi, who had been covering her eyes during the gruesome scene, peeked out at him. "Why do you even know that?"

"It's basic anatomy," Seiji said, unfazed. "If you're going to depict something like this, at least make it believable. But in these kinds of movies, it's never about accuracy. It's all about the spectacle - making sure the audience feels uncomfortable rather than thinking about what's really happening."

Akemi rolled her eyes, pulling her blanket tighter. "Leave it to you to turn a slasher film into a lesson in biology."

Hideaki's face darkened, his jaw clenched as Seiji explained the mechanics of blood loss in excruciating detail.

'Tch! Shut up! I know better how blood works! Hmpf!'

He snorted in his mind but had been staring at Seiji with growing irritation, clearly realizing that Seiji had a way more knowledge about stuff that he — Hideaki — should have known as a serial killer.

Seiji shrugged. "I just like things to make sense."

*CRACK*

"Besides, the killer in this movie is predictable. He's picking them off one by one, and none of them have any basic survival instincts."

*CRACK~*

"You'd think by now one of them would figure out how to fight back." Seiji continued, eyes still on the screen, completely unaware of Hideaki's building frustration.

*CRACK~~*

"or at least get the biology right-"

"FUUUCK!!! LET US WATCH A FUCKING MOVIE!!" Hideaki suddenly erupted, his voice raw with frustration, cutting Seiji off mid-sentence.

Akemi jumped, startled by Hideaki's sudden outburst, while Seiji calmly turned his head toward him, raising an eyebrow.

"You're seriously invested in this?" Seiji asked, genuinely surprised.

Hideaki glared at him, his fists trembling slightly. "YES. I enjoy it! So can you just shut up and let me watch it?"

Seiji, unfazed but slightly curious about Hideaki's intense reaction, raised an eyebrow. "Alright, alright. No more commentary," he said calmly. "But it is a bit... unexpected, you getting so into this kind of movie."

Noticing Hideaki's sharp, warning look and a muffled growling, mixed with gnashing of his teeth, Seiji quickly adjusted, not wanting to reveal anything to Akemi.

He gave a small shrug, playing it off casually.

"But alright, no need for another outburst. Enjoy your movie."

Akemi sighed, leaning into the couch. "It's a horror movie, Seiji. Just enjoy it for what it is."

Seiji glanced back at the screen, still analyzing. "Sure, if you don't mind ignoring all the glaring flaws."

---

The atmosphere took a more relaxed tone.
The tension that had filled the room slowly ebbed away, replaced by the quiet hum of the television and the faint rustle of the blanket as Akemi shifted on the couch.
Seiji leaned back, his expression unreadable, eyes still focused on the screen as if nothing had happened.

Hideaki, however, sat unnaturally still. His shoulders rose and fell with uneven breaths, his gaze fixed on the flashing images before him. The glow of the TV painted sharp shadows across his face, flickering between calm and something darker — something that twisted just beneath the surface.

Every scream, every sound of metal against flesh seemed to pull at the corners of his lips, his earlier anger melting into something else entirely — excitement.

And then, when the killer on screen swung his axe at the victims, a twisted grin spread across Hideaki's face.

"Ehehehehe!!!" He laughed almost maniacally, seeming to enjoy the violence a little too much.

Akemi noticed and couldn't hide her discomfort. "W-Why are you laughing? This isn't a comedy."

"It is for me! Ehehehe!" Hideaki cackled. "Look how they scream, 'No! Please!' and then-wham-gone in one hit! Hehehehe!" he said excitedly, clearly looking disturbingly engaged.

Akemi looked to her brother for support. "Is... is he normal?"

Seiji glanced at Hideaki, then shrugged.
'Not even close...' he answered in his head narrowly gazing at him with his cool toned eyes.

***

After the movie ended, Seiji turned the lights back on.

"Alright. At the end it somehow repaired the plot and logic a bit. Guess that it wasn't that bad after all."

"Except for those gross scenes," Akemi added with a grimace.

Seiji shrugged at her comment, "I suggest we head to bed now," he said, his tone firm.

"Aww... Can't we watch another one?" Akemi pouted.

"No. It's late, and I saw you looking away during half the movie." Seiji wasn't having any of it.

Akemi's face flushed. "I did not!"

Hideaki let out a loud yawn, still silently chuckling from the movie.

"You see?" Seiji gestured at him. "We're all tired. Time for bed."

"But Seijiii..." Akemi whined.

"No 'buts.' Go to bed." His tone left no room for negotiation.

Akemi huffed, crossing her arms. "I'm not a child anymore!"

"Maybe not, but you're still my sister. And tomorrow will be a long day," Seiji said, his voice softening but still firm.

"Ugh... Fine," she muttered, heading to her room.

---

Once inside Seiji's room, Seiji turned to Hideaki. "You'll sleep on the floor."

"No!" Hideaki shot back instantly.

"I don't have an extra mattress."

"I don't care, I'm not sleeping on the floor!"

Seiji sighed, his patience wearing thin. "I'm not giving up my bed."

"But I want something comfortable to sleep on!"

Seiji rubbed his temples. "Why is this always a problem with you?!"

Hideaki flinched almost imperceptibly, as if the words hit something buried deep inside him.

His eyes widened slightly, then narrowed, trying to mask the sting.

"Shut up! There's no problem with me!" he snapped, but the edge in his voice wavered — less like anger, more like defense cracking.

"Oh, it definitely is... But I'm too tired after today to argue with you about that any further." Seiji said and he let out a heavy exhale.

He gazed at the bed and pissed off Hideaki.

He sighed.

"Fine. Let me loose..." He said defeated "We'll share the bed. Two days."

Hideaki looked shocked. "Wait... W-what?? Are you... Are you serious about sharing the bed!?"

"Yes. We're both tired, and neither of us wants to sleep on the floor. So yes, we'll share. Deal with it." Seiji's tone was final.

Akemi, listening from the hallway, couldn't suppress a grin. 'I knew there was something more between them!' she thought to herself.

Seiji gestured to the bed. "You take the wall side. I'll sleep on the outside."

"Why?"

Seiji shrugged. "Personal preference." In truth, Seiji wanted a quick escape route if Hideaki by any way lost control overnight.

They both climbed into bed, backs facing each other. Then, they realized something awkward: their butts were touching.

"Oi, move your ass!" Hideaki snapped.

"You move. You're hogging the space."

"You're the one pushing against me!"

"It's my bed."

"And I don't want to touch your fat ass!"

"Who's calling who fat? You're the one eating everything!"

"Tch, not true!"

After a few more minutes of childish bickering, Seiji sighed, grabbed a pillow, and lightly whacked Hideaki with it. "Calm down."

"Hey, don't hit me with a pillow!" Hideaki growled, holding the pillow in his hands. He was ready to toss it at Seiji's face, but then he paused.

"So... soft," he whispered. He brought it to his face, and the warmth and comfort quickly made him drift off to sleep.

Seiji rolled his eyes. "Just sleep. It's only two days." He turned over, trying to get comfortable. "I hope you don't snore wh-"

*SNOORRREE...*

Seiji sighed again. 'Of course...'

---

In the meantime, Akemi was still spying on them. Hearing Hideaki's loud snoring, she sighed in disappointment.

"Oh, great... They're already asleep. I guess I'll never know if they were going to kiss or not. Ugh, darn it!"

She muttered to herself and was about to move away when suddenly, she saw Seiji standing right in front of her.

His expression wasn't pleased.

"What are you doing here?" Seiji asked, crossing his arms.

Akemi fumbled for an excuse. "Uh... I... I was just looking for my bobby pin! And, uh, I kinda stumbled into your room, hehe..."

Seiji sighed, his eyes narrowing. "Don't give me nonsense. Why were you spying?"

Akemi hesitated, "I-I didn't spy! Y-you must be seeing things!" then she gazed at annoyed face of her brother. She sighed in defeat. "Fine... I was spying on you two."

"Why?" His voice was steady, though a hint of frustration crept in.

"Because I think you two are together!" she blurted out.

Seiji's eyes narrowed further. "Akemi, I've told you this before. We're not, and we never will be. Stop with the made-up scenarios."

"But you act like you're a old married couple! It's hard to believe you aren't!"

"In what way?" he asked, then pointed out at sleeping Hideaki "You just met him. And you're already saying that me and him got some things going on between us? It's ridiculous. Believe it. He's just my roommate, nothing more." Seiji's tone was sharp, final.

Akemi's enthusiasm deflated. "Aaargh.... Alright, fine..." she grumbled.

"Go back to sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day." Seiji turned to leave.

"Yeah, yeah," she mumbled as she headed back to her makeshift bed, glancing over her shoulder.

Once she was on the couch, she covered herself with blanket and gazed on the ceiling

"I still think there's something between them, though..." she whispered to herself before yawning. "But I guess that he had right in one thing... Tomorrow's going to be exhausting..."

Meanwhile, Seiji returned to the bed, where Hideaki was deep in sleep, snoring loudly.

"Why didn't the police just record his snoring to track him down at night?" Seiji muttered, glancing at the sleeping form beside him. The noise was constant, grating. "It's as loud as an earthquake."

Seiji turned onto his side, feeling the mattress slightly dip under the weight of two people. He frowned, staring at the ceiling.

He tried to block out the sound with a pillow, but it was useless. Then turned and attempted to settle in, but seconds after he made himself comfortable, he felt a sudden kick from Hideaki.

'What the hell?'

Seeing Hideaki twitching and flailing in his sleep, Seiji one by one dodged the chaotic moves.

'Is he having a nightmare or something?'

But then, a particularly loud snore confirmed otherwise.

'Alright... He's just a noisy sleeper.' with a sigh, Seiji rubbed his temples in frustration. 'I would kill him... if it weren't for the fact that he's going to kill me.'

He sighed quietly, barely audible.

Then, glanced over his shoulder at the sleeping Hideaki, who had curled slightly into the pillow, completely unaware of Seiji's gaze at him.

He looked peaceful.

Strangely peaceful, for someone who had been panicking over arrival of the teenager hours ago.

Seiji turned back, staring into the darkness.

'It's only two days,' he repeated to himself.

Then, he heard a ruffled movement, probably Hideaki shifting his position in his sleep again.

Suddenly, Seiji felt an arm wrap around his neck. Startled, he tried to pull away.
"What the-?"

Hideaki, still asleep, had somehow rolled over and started hugging him, tight enough to feel like he was choking.

"Sh-shit!" Seiji struggled. Then he felt another hand of Hideaki but digging it's way under his side to embrace him.

"Does he want to hug me like I'm some big stuffed animal, or is he trying new ways of killing me??" Seiji questioned.

Then he felt how grab of the arm on his neck is tightening - dangerously tightening. And in a moment, he heard a faint moaning from behind as Hideaki was having some bad dream.

"Die..."
"No... Don't leave..."
"I wanna... to... hhhrrkk..."

Hideaki mumbled in his sleep, hugging Seiji tighter and tighter.

Eventually, Seiji pried himself free, gasping for breath.

"He almost choked me... in his sleep, no less. Great. Not only do I have to deal with a ticking time bomb when he's awake, now he's lethal in his sleep too."

Seiji sat on the edge of the bed, catching his breath, eyes narrowed.

His mind ran through possibilities - Hideaki's tendencies were clearly dangerous, even unconsciously.

"One more night like that and I'm sleeping with a taser." he muttered, brushing his neck.

Hideaki suddenly flinched, his body curling slightly. His face twisted into something almost pitiful and the expression now looked desperate, like a child abandoned in the dark.

Seiji quietly stood, crossing the room. Before taking any action, his eyes landed on the handcuffs.

"I don't like this... but I can't risk him end up killing me. Not when Akemi is here."

He carefully leaned over the sleeping man.

Hideaki twitched and murmured softly, but didn't wake.

Seiji smoothly slid the handcuffs onto his wrists, crossed in front of his body. Not too tight – enough to prevent him from wrapping around Seiji's neck, but not to cause pain.

"Practical," Seiji muttered to himself. "Not pleasant, but effective."

After securing the hands, he gently repositioned Hideaki to sleep on his side, face turned away from Seiji, with an extra pillow between them as a buffer. He laid a second blanket over him, covering from shoulders down.

Seiji exhaled deeply, clenching his jaw. "At least I know he won't hurt me."

For a moment he leaned back, arms crossed, staring into the dark room.

Still slightly rattled but hiding it beneath irritation.

His mind ran through every movement Hideaki could make, every possible scenario.

"What the hell is wrong with you...?" He muttered under his breath, before he drifted off to sleep himself.

***

In the morning, Hideaki was the first to wake up.

He blinked awake, stretching like a cat, when a strange, rigid sensation caught his attention. His eyes widened as he looked down at his wrists.

"...What the—?!" His heart skipped a beat. He tugged at his hands, trying to twist them, but the handcuffs held firm. Panic flickered across his face, his mind racing.

"Seiji...! Hey! Seiji!!" he hissed, nudging Seiji's shoulder. But to his surprise, Seiji didn't stir. In fact, the man's chest rose and fell steadily... accompanied by a surprisingly loud snore.

Hideaki's confusion quickly twisted into irritation that began to built up like a storm inside him.

"Ugh! He did this on purpose... that bastard! He's asleep, and I'm... stuck?!" Hideaki kicked at the blankets in annoyance, tugging at the cuffs with every ounce of strength he had.

He hissed through gritted teeth, "Tch... gotta... get... out..."

Hideaki sprang up on the bed, testing every possible method to escape the handcuffs.

First, he tried twisting his wrists, maneuvering them while lying on his back. His hands wouldn't budge an inch. "Tch... of course... Stupid Seiji. Predicts everything..." he snorted, clenching his jaw in frustration.

Next, he tried shifting his body, using his weight to pull his arms to the side. After a few tugs, he felt a brief loosening — his heart leapt.

"Ha! Maybe...?!" he whispered, grabbing the edge of the mattress. It seemed like his hands might slide out... almost.

But then his wrists locked again. Hideaki let out a loud, dramatic groan, flipping onto his stomach.

"No! No! No! Fuuuuck!!! why does this never work?!?"

Not giving up, he moved on to combining leg and body movements, attempting to leverage himself and twist the cuffs sideways — each attempt ending with his hands still trapped, and him tumbling across the bed like an angry cat.

Then he tried a clever trick with the bed and a pillow, sliding to the side so his wrists hit the mattress edge and might create some slack in the cuffs.

For a moment, he felt a tiny bit of give. His eyes lit up with hope.

"Yes! Finally!" he whispered, trying to slide his hands free.

But just as he was almost free, the handcuffs clicked again, locking him in the new position.

"FUUUUUUCKK!!!!!!!!!!"

Hideaki let out a dramatic groan, collapsing onto the mattress. He lay there for a few seconds, breathing heavily.

He felt powerless.

"Tch!" He hissed and clinged his fists. "I can't get them off! No matter what I try! FUCK! FUCKING SEIJI! I'M GONNA KILL HIM WHEN HE'LL WAKE UP!!"

Quietly, he slipped out of bed, careful not to disturb Seiji, who was still asleep, and all fured headed to the bathroom.

---

A little while later, Seiji stirred awake, rubbing his eyes as he scanned the room. Noticing Hideaki was gone, a brief flash of concern crossed his mind.

'Is he in the living room with Akemi...?'  he thought, quickly getting out of bed.

The idea of Hideaki confronting his sister worried him.

He swiftly made his way to the living room.

He found them. Both of them there, only that...

To his relief, he found them engaged in what appeared to be a normal, friendly conversation.

Seiji exhaled, feeling a slight tension lift.

Hideaki, seeing Seiji, froze for a moment, then suddenly thrust his cuffed hands forward.
"Unlock me!" he said, his voice a mix of desperation and relief.

Akemi noticed him.
"Oh, hey nii-san!" she greeted cheerfully.

"Morning, Akemi. Did you sleep well?" Seiji asked, keeping his tone neutral, completely ignoring Hideaki's demeand.

"Yeah! And you?" The girl replied.

Seiji walked over, his expression hardening slightly as his frustration resurfaced. "Not exactly. Someone kept me from sleeping," he said, casting a sharp glance at Hideaki who gazed at him with frustrated expression.

"Tch! Unlock me!" Hideaki repeated.

"You're lucky I'm even considering it..." Seiji said with his voice low.

He walked over to Hideaki, and unclasped the handcuffs with efficient precision, still keeping a cold, hard edge in his gaze.

Hideaki rubbed his wrists quickly, muttering something under his breath, clearly flustered.

Akemi tilted her head and asked innocently,

"Speaking about sleeping... Seiji what did you do to him last night? You two... having a... BDSM session or something? I mean... he was in handcuffs!"

Seiji, completely losing patience, snapped. Without thinking, he flicked Akemi on her forehead – a quick, sharp tap.

Akemi hissed through gritted teeth,

"Don't push me further, or you'll regret it." Seiji said firmly.

Akemi, rubbing her forehead, gave a guilty-yet-amused glance at Hideaki.
"Hehehe... okay, okay! I didn't mean anything! Promise!"

"And you," Seiji turned to Hideaki.

Hideaki blinked, looking puzzled. "Huh?"

"You snored so loudly that I couldn't sleep at all," Seiji replied, his voice tinged with annoyance. 'I'm not even mentioning your kicking and choking... Idiot.'

"I-I don't s-snore," Hideaki retorted, sounding embarrassed.

"You do. Trust me, I've got the sleepless night to prove it." Seiji sighed.
"But hey, at least one of us is well-rested. Must be nice, huh?" He added dryly "Oh, wait- wouldn't know. Thanks to you."

Akemi, amused by the exchange, chuckled softly. "Maybe you should buy some earplugs, nii-san."

"I'll seriously consider that," Seiji said glancing at Hideaki. "Because sleeping next to you is an exercise in patience."

"Tch! You snore too!" Hideaki added in defense, crossing his arms.

"Me? No way. You're the one doing it, not me," Seiji shot back.

"I know what I heard!" Hideaki huffed.

Seiji raised an eyebrow. "You sure that wasn't just your own snoring echoing back at you?"

Hideaki gasped dramatically. "What?! I t-told you, I don't snore!"

"You do."

"I don't!"

"You do."

"Grrr... well, at least mine isn't some creepy, weird, low rumbling noise!" Hideaki snapped, going angrily towards the couch.

Seiji scoffed. "If I snored, which I don't, at least mine wouldn't sound like a dying vacuum cleaner."

"Wh-?! YOU TAKE THAT BACK!" Hideaki yelled, grabbing one of the pillows and hurling it at him.

Seiji caught it effortlessly, unfazed. "Point proven."

"Arghh! You're the worst!" Hideaki grumbled, burying his face in sofa's second pillow.

Seiji smirked, his voice turning icily mocking.

"If I'm the worst, then I have no idea how you put up with me. Or rather, how I put up with you. Because believe me, living with you is like a dramatic novel."

His smirk widened as he shot Hideaki a pointed look.

"Tch, shut up!" Hideaki clenched his teeth in frustration and just hissed in response.

"Typical." Seiji shrugged, barely affected by the outburst. "But anyways, I don't have anymore time for this conversation. I need a coffee."

He moved toward the kitchen. His focus shifted to making coffee - something he desperately needed to start the day.

As Seiji took his first sip of the hot drink, his eyes beamed with content.

'Aaah... coffee... my medicine to start a day...' he blushed lightly, then glanced at Hideaki, who was now staring aggresively out the window, seemingly lost in thought.

"First step is to buy Hideaki a yukata," Seiji said, his mind already moving onto the day's tasks.

"Yeah! And then we get ready for the festival!" Akemi chimed in, her excitement obvious.

Seiji gave a small nod, taking another sip of his coffee. "That's the plan."

"I can't wait!" Akemi squealed with excitement.

A slight smile tugged at Seiji's lips as he felt a flicker of anticipation for the festival - something he hadn't looked forward to in years.

"It'll be... interesting," he said.