Licking

I paced the house.

What if Kaname-san wanted mom’s picture removed? What if Akame was some kind of intolerable spoiled brat? And what if we absolutely could not get along? Wouldn’t my life become a living hell?

Okay, Yuuya, you have to calm down! You’re the host here! You’re going to be a big brother!

I adjusted my glasses. First impressions are important, so I needed to get my shit together and calm down, for my future peace and wellbeing.

Calm, my ass!!! How could I remain calm?

I could hear dad’s car approaching the house. It stopped at the usual spot, then multiple footsteps approached the door. I checked my appearance and the house’s tidiness again. Perfect. I’d make a good first impression!

“Yuuya, come over here!” Dad shouted from across the door.

“Yeah, I’m coming—-whoa?!”

I tripped on something. Probably my own foot.

Looking up, I saw dad gazing down at me. I pushed myself up and offered our guests a wry smile. The first person I saw was a beautiful woman with light brown hair tied up in a loose bun. Her clothes were from one of those fashion brands in Tokyo. Behind her was a little girl with waist-length black hair and reddish brown eyes. Her tiny fingers tugged on the woman’s skirt.

So this little girl is Yakou Akame.

Her mother spoke up first.

“Hello, I’m Yakou Kaname. Pleased to meet you, Yuuya-kun.” She offered me a sweet smile, and I bowed.

“Pleased to meet you.”

So she’d be my new mother… She was the complete opposite of mom.

“Akame, come here. Introduce yourself.” She lightly pushed her daughter towards me. The little girl in a blue seal hoody stood there with trembling legs.

“Y-y-y-y-akou A-a-a-akame…”

Dad pushed me down so that I bent down to her level.

“Uh…hi. I’m Yuuya. Nice to meet you.”

“Nii-nii.”

“Huh?”

She sucked on her finger.

“Nii-nii.”

Are you kidding me?! Is she going to call me with that cutesy way of address?!

“Uh…anyway, it’s nice to meet you, Akame…chan.”

What’s with the awkwardness? And what the heck was that ‘Nii-nii’ thing? Am I her super sweet and doting big brother already?

She stuck out her tongue and licked my face.

“Nii-nii is tasty…”

I never thought I would faint from something like that, but I almost did.