I was still seething and my face flushing hot from embarrassment when Mason sat down on the futon beside me.
"You okay?" he asked.
I nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine," I said as I lift the back of my hand to my lips.
Mason caught my wrist. "What are you doing?"
"Cleaning away the lipstick," I said.
He looked troubled for a moment. He said, "You'll…dirty the expensive kimono."
Shit! He was right. I might accidentally rub my lips against the kimono and stupid Isaac would be pissed with me.
"Tissue," I said, looking around the room for signs of one. But of course, there was none.
I scrambled up, but Mason caught me again and asked, "Where are you going?"
"To the bathroom to clean my face and take off this kimono," I said.
"Before that, can we talk?" he asked.
I guessed he wanted to calm me down, which was so Mason, the peacemaker of the family.
I obediently sat. "Okay."
He chuckled. "That's our Haru." He ruffled my hair, his hand warm on my head.
"So you're upset with Isaac?"
I nodded. "I wasn't before, but now I am. I was going along with him, thinking it'd be over and done with in five minutes, but that stupid guy just has to go and want to show this"—I pointed to myself—"to everyone. Does he have any idea how embarrassing this is? Like I'm a guy and wearing this is…"
"But you do know Isaac likes playing dress up, right?" Mason asked.
I nodded. "Yes, I know that."
"And that it makes him happy when he gets the chance, which he rarely does because he doesn't want us to find out about his fetish."
I flicked my gaze to Mason. What was this gorgeous stepbrother of mine on about? Was it just me or was he making me felt like I was the one in the wrong?
"Mason?" I said, staring at him. "Are you guilt-tripping me?"
He chuckled. "Like I'd do that to you." He stroked my cheek with the back of his hand gently, which caused this warm, pleasant sensation to rush through me.
"You're just adorable. But seriously, why not go along with Isaac once in a while? It'll make him happy. Right now, he's pissing himself in fear that you'll never be his little brother again. You know how sensitive he is and you know how much he loves you as a brother. When we were young, he always told everyone how much he wanted a younger brother, and when you came along, he was very happy and kept bragging about you to everyone."
I sighed. Fuck, it was either I was way too soft or that Mason was bloody good at swaying my opinion.
He continued, "I bet he just wants to take a few pictures of you, correct?"
I nodded.
"Then why not indulge him occasionally?"
I guess Mason was right. As his bro, I should indulge Isaac occasionally.
"Okay."
Mason ruffled my hair again. "Good boy."
With a hot face, I followed Mason out the door and then toward the living room. There, I stepped forward and said, "Isaac?"
Isaac was sitting on the tatami mat with the others, and he looked damn depressed.
I said, "Do you still want to take pictures of me in this?"
He brightened up immediately. "Really, Haru?"
I nodded.
"Yay!" He threw the cards in his hands in the air and rushed over to me. With his arms around me tight, he said, "I'm so sorry, okay, Haru? Please let me sleep in the room with you tonight."
I smiled. "Of course."
It was then I heard sucking of breaths and I turned my attention to everyone else. I had been avoiding looking at them simply because I was fucking embarrassed about wearing the kimono. Now that I finally did, I realized that they, Aiden included, were looking at me way too intensely, like they were mesmerized or something. Weird.
Isaac said, "I'll get my phone and then we can take photos, okay?" Then he was gone.
I was just turning on my heel to head back into the bedroom when Reo said, "I never thought I'd see the day when my little brother was turned into a little sister. Mom is probably smiling in her grave."
"What are you on about, Reo? I haven't turned into your little sister. I'm just wearing a kimono."
"Well, you do look like one," he said.
"Like what?" I asked.
"The Shrine Maiden," he said as he got up from his post and came to me. Standing right in front of me, he continued softly, "I'm actually quite worried for your welfare, Haru." He flicked his gaze to the side, to where Aiden, Noah, and Mason were sitting still looking at me. More quietly, he said, "I'm afraid our stepbrothers will go crazy over you, what with how you're looking now."
Did he just say stepbrothers? As in plural? What was he talking about? Our stepbrothers going crazy over me? Seriously. Reo must be joking around to get at me again.
He raised his smartphone and then… Snap, snap, snap.
I widened my eyes. I knew it. He was saying that to get me confused so he could take the opportunity to take photos of me to taunt me later.
"You didn't?"
Reo chuckled. "Relax. It's for Mom. I'll be showing her this the next time we visit our parents' graves."
Isaac returned and said, "I got it, my smartphone. Let's get started."
I was hoping it was a five-minute thing, and with the photos being taken in the bedroom, but it ended up being in the living room, with not just Isaac present, but the others as well.
Strangely enough, Aiden was very quiet as he sat there, watching me. Noah and Mason as well. While Isaac was busy taking photos of me, Connor took the opportunity to snap some, too. When he saw me staring at him sharply, he said, "I won't show them to anyone, Haru. If anyone sees, I'll just tell them it's a pretty Japanese girl I met back in Japan."
Isaac turned to Connor and ordered, "Delete those, Connor. You're not allowed to take pictures of my cute Haru. Only I have that honor."