Chapter 20: Harumasa Family

A day of peace finally arrived.

I was off from university. Off from work. But I wasn't off from responsibility. There was still a sacred task at home that couldn't be avoided—cleaning.

Oddly enough, these were the days I looked forward to most. I live in an apartment owned by my grandfather. Since our parents work overseas and rarely return, the three of us have made this place our stronghold.

Third floor. Room 205.

The sky was brilliant that day—a clean, cloudless blue. It felt like a reflection of my own mind, currently unburdened by the weight of the world. No campus drama. No club conflicts. No complex emotions. Just me, my sister, and my brother.

Harumasa Family.

My eldest sister, Hitomi, is twenty-four. Of the three of us, she’s the anchor. Her long black hair is usually tied in a low ponytail or left to fall neatly over her shoulders. Her eyes, a striking golden-yellow, possess a calm, unreadable depth.

Hitomi isn't one for idle chatter. When she speaks, it’s because something actually needs to be said. She doesn't dominate a room, nor does she pry into our business, but her mere presence brings a sense of order to the chaos. If our family foundation has never crumbled, it’s largely because of her. And I know it.

Parked in front of the TV in the living room was my younger brother, Shouta. Seventeen years old and currently navigating the treacherous waters of high school. One look at him and you’d know we were related; he has the same messy black hair and those signature golden-yellow eyes.

The difference lies in the gaze. His eyes are much brighter, much more honest. While I’m used to burying my thoughts, Shouta wears his heart on his sleeve. His joy is radiant; his disappointment is devastating. He might look like a typical teenager, but he has a certain courage to love things without hesitation—a quality I’ve always quietly envied.

The TV channel flickered. An idol concert. Lightsticks swayed like a neon ocean of light in the dark auditorium. Shouta sat on the floor, eyes glued to the screen, the volume a notch louder than necessary.

“Shouta, aren’t you going to sleep?” I asked, leaning against the doorframe. “You’re actually into that stuff?”

“So what? It’s called a hobby,” he shot back immediately.

On screen, amidst the pyrotechnics and the roar of the crowd, Kanon Hoshimiya stood with a smile that was almost too perfect. Her pink hair caught the stage lights, and her golden-yellow eyes sparkled as the camera zoomed in for a close-up.

“Is everyone ready?!” “WE’RE READY!”

She began to sing. Her voice was crystal clear, stable, and terrifyingly professional. The audience reached a fever pitch. Shouta cheered along from our living room as if he were standing in the middle of those thousands of people.

I leaned back on the sofa, watching with half-interest. An idol is an idol—trained to know exactly when to smile and where the camera is. But as the shot lingered on her face, a strange sensation prickled at the back of my neck. Something about her felt familiar. Not from a billboard or a magazine.

Maybe it’s just my imagination.

“Kanon-chan’s performance is incredible, isn't it?” Hitomi remarked, entering the room.

“Obviously! I can’t wait to watch it again!” Shouta exclaims.

“You... you should be focusing on your homework,” I reminded him.

“Shut up! I know that! But you can’t just skip Kanon-chan’s set!”

Hitomi and I shared a look of resignation. She offered a small, knowing smile. “Shouta-kun, what if I give you a reward for finishing your chores?”

“A reward? It’ll just be chocolate again. Pass.”

“Listen to me first. If you finish your tasks quickly and neatly, I’ll give you something you’d never expect. Something you’ll regret turning down.”

Shouta sat up straight. “Fine. What is it?”

“The reward is... you get to meet Kanon-chan in person.”

“SERIOUSLY?!”

“Yes. But only if the work is done perfectly.”

“That’s easy!” Shouta transformed into a blur of motion, powered by pure idol-fueled adrenaline.

A few minutes later— “Alright, Hitomi-nee! Everything is done! Do you have the Meet and Greet tickets?!”

Hitomi let out a soft laugh. “It’s much more than that. But both of you need to be ready to hear this.”

Now she had my attention too. “What are you talking about?”

Hitomi beckoned us closer. She paused for dramatic effect. “Actually... Kanon Hoshimiya is your distant relative.”

“...What?”

“Her real name is Harumasa Hoshimiya.”

Shouta and I nearly hit the floor at the same time. “WHAT?!”

Hitomi burst into laughter at our expressions. “And in a few days, she’ll be staying here with us while she’s filming nearby.”

Silence. I turned my head back to the TV. That face. Those golden-yellow eyes.

Familiar. Not because of her fame. Not because of the media. But because of the blood in our veins.

“Why are you only telling us this now?!” I yelled.

My intuition hadn't been wrong. There was a reason her presence didn't feel like a stranger's. But a new question haunted me: Why was a national idol moving into our cramped apartment?

And more importantly—why did I feel like her arrival wasn't just about filming? Behind that professional smile on the screen, I sensed she was carrying something heavy. Something that was about to change the life in Room 205 forever.