"Onii-san!" Kasey beamed at his brother as soon as he gets inside the car.
"Why?" he asked innocently as the driver of the car he rented started to driving away from her friends who are now in dazed.
"You didn't let me finish what I want to say to my friends, they might misunderstand us."
"Oh?~ why do you think that they would misunderstand us? … Oh, I get it! Your crush was there, am I right?" Kei asked while grinning.
"Tell me, who's your crush among those six young boys? No, among the four," he added as he leaned closer to her to tease her more. "You already mentioned before that two of them already have a girlfriend. And if I am right, those two young ladies were the girlfriends. So, who is the man who manages to get the attention of my dear little sister, huh?" he continued while messing with her hair.
"Onii-san!" Kasey hissed at him as she brushed his hands away from her hair. "Yes, those two are the girlfriends of the two out of those six guys you saw earlier."
"But!" she exclaimed, glaring at her brother. "I don't have a crush on anyone, okay? I don't have time for that, so stop assuming things." she protested strongly.
A bright and wide smile escaped from his lips as he saw the new and different side of his sister. The side which he wished to saw once again, and after a long time, he was now able to see new and different expressions and emotions of her sister.
"Okay, okay. If you say so." he surrendered. "By the way, do you want to grab some snacks before we head home?" he asked as he wrapped his arms over Kasey's shoulder. "I'm hungry."
"No need, we have enough food at home. Besides, I'm sure that Lolo was already at home." she declined coldly when she realizes something. "Wait! Does Lolo know that you're here? Is he aware? And what about your work? Aren't you busy?" she asked continuously without giving his brother a chance to answer.
Kei heaved a sigh at her sister's questions.
"I know, you're thinking that I might run away or took a sudden vacation because I want to. You're wrong my dear sister, because … finally! I got a week of vacation from a hectic schedule." he assured her. "I also need a break from time to time from dancing, acting, and singing, plus the modeling and tv show guestings," he added.
"And since I don't have any scheduled tv guesting nor recordings to do, I thought that I will finally have my time for our restaurants. But, uncle and aunt told me that I should take this time to visit you and Lolo. And that's the story." he explained. "And for your questions, if Lolo knew that I arrived, maybe yes maybe not. Or maybe aunt and uncle already informed Lolo about my arrival."
"Don't tell me he came straight to my school from the airport?" Kasey whispered to herself as she stares at her brother who looks so drained.
"Hmm?" he mumbled.
"It's nothing," Kasey answered smiling widely. "I just remembered that I still have some home works to do."
"Ha?!, but it's weekend tomorrow, and you're still going to study? Can't you just hang out with me tomorrow?" he pleaded like a puppy begging for his owner's love and attention.
"I can't promise that onii-san. Just a reminder, in case you forgot. I'm already at my senior year in high school, which means, I need to prepare and choose the path I would like to walk on in the future."
And just like her expectation, their grandfather scolded her brother nonstop for not noticing nor informing him about his sudden vacation.
~
The next morning Kasey woke up late because of her dearest brother who never let her sleep unless he got finish telling her what happens to him for the past months since she left Japan. And just like her prediction, she would be able to go to sleep when he got finished, but her wish to sleep and end the day has long gone to a faraway land because he never stops nagging her until she told him the full details of what happened to her for the past months.
"Ohayou dear sister!" Kei greeted as he enters the dining hall, yawning.
"It's already noon onii-san." she corrected him while chewing the bread.
"By the way, my dearest sister, want to have a date with me?"
"No!" Kasey immediately declined as she leaves him there, pouting like a kid.
As much as she wants to hang out with her brother, she still chooses her studies over her brother, but as the saying goes, if there's a will there's a way.
"Can't you smile a little bit, Kasey? You're frowning for the whole day." Kei complained to her as he stops from his pace to face her. "Here have some ice cream! You look like an old lady already."
"How can't I look like an old lady when I felt like my age was increasing because of you? Huh!" Kasey answered back, still frowning as she remembered how her supposed to be time for studying turned out to this.
Kasey was about to start reviewing her notes when her brother entered her room without her permission just to drag her out of her room. And then here she is, forced to come along with him.
"We are walking around this mall for a while now and you, you're acting like a kid. You're not even wearing any disguise." she scolded him. "What if someone recognizes you? You're already an international artist onii-san. You're also an international model and brand endorser, so you better protect your image to avoid any false issues or rumors." she continued.
She knew that she's being unreasonably mean to her brother. But, what should she do? her brother was an international celebrity and here he is roaming at the mall and acting like a child without wearing any disguise.
... 'Didn't he know how to protect his image at all? Kasey questioned herself.'
"Have you forgotten what happened before when we go out just like this? You're not wearing any disguise back then. Also, can't you notice that almost everyone here is looking at us?" she added worriedly. "What if they recognize you? New rumors will spread again like a wildfire."
"Can you calm down a bit, dear sister?" Kei asked her calmly. "I'm sorry if I made you worry." he then apologizes as he saw how strong his sister's stare at him was.
"Alright, I will wear my disguise now, so don't be mad at me, okay?" he added with a faint smile before he starts putting on his disguise. "Let's just go and watch a movie." and then again, he drags Kasey towards the cinema.
For the whole day the next day, Kasey and her brother choose to stay at home and spend their day together, they played a different type of board games and even online games, they watched movies, they spend the whole weekend together because the next week her brother will return to Japan to work, that's why they spend their time together because for sure, they will miss each other once Kei returns to Japan.
Monday came before their eyes just like a blink of an eye, Kei accompanies and sent his sister to school, just like he does when she was still in grade school. And just what Kasey expected from her brother, a lot of girls notice him and got their attention when he steps out of the car and walked with her towards the main gate. It's a good thing that he wore his sunglasses, in that way her schoolmates who knew her brother won't be able to recognize him, he's an artist/model after all.
"Give me your bag, I'll walk with you until you reached your classroom?" Kei suggested to her.
"No need onii-san." she strongly disagrees. "You can go home now, onii-san. I'll see you at home later after school. So, shoo~" Kasey shoo away him like a stray puppy.
"But-"
"Someone might recognize you, so, shoo~" she continued as she pushed and turn him in the opposite direction.
"Okay, fine. I'll go home now. But, I'll fetch you later after your class." he said while pouting.
"Fine. You'll fetch me later after class. So, please onii-san, you should go back home now. shoo shoo~" she continued shoving him away as she let out a year's worth of sigh because she was aware that she won't even win in this kind of argument with him, and for her, declining her brother's suggestion will only lead them to a further nonsense argument.
"Good morning Kasey!" Cherry greeted as she jumps behind her, which startled and scared her to death.
"Good morning," she replied in a low tone as she felt her energy got drained from the way Cherry greeted her.
"Tell us, who was that guy with you last Saturday?" Cheery asked curiously as she sits next to her and wrapped her arms around her, ready to listen to her answer.
"He was the same person who fetches you last Friday and the one who send you today, right?" It's Denise this time, but unlike Cherry who looks like she was ready to hear the gossips, Denise was calm as if she was not that interested.
"Is he your boyfriend?" Cherry said confidently. "You look so sweet from afar when we accidentally saw you last Saturday with him. You look cute together." Cherry added with fascination in her eyes as if she just saw her favorite love team in front of her.
"Is he?" Denise asked as she leans on the backrest of the chair behind her.
Kasey didn't expect her friends to saw her having a date with her brother, and as always they misinterpret their relationship. Every time they hang out and have their brother-sister date, people would always misinterpret them as a couple rather than being siblings. Though she understands why, her brother and she doesn't look alike that much at all, since her brother got his features mostly from their mother while she got hers from her father.
And looking at her situation right now, it looks like she will need to explain everything to them, and it will be a long one.
"That's my older brother." Kasey simply answered.
"Eh?! your brother." they both exclaimed that gained attention from everyone in their class.
Kasey thought that they will stop asking questions when they found out that Kei is her brother, but they didn't. They still asked more questions, like, why he's here, is it possible for them to meet him, and sorts of questions regarding her brother that Cherry and Denise almost ignore their boyfriend who was silently watching them.
And while answering their questions, Kasey unintentionally noticed that Nice seems to be in a bad mood. He was frowning, but, that's not that new to her, since he has that same expression almost every day. But for today Nice seems different in her perspective and she doesn't know why she was bothered by it. Especially, whenever she takes a glance at him her heart will start beating so fast, and she could feel her cheeks burning, a good thing that their classmates didn't notice it, even the two ladies in front of her. Kasey was slowly getting annoyed at herself and on how she unconsciously notice him and his presence, she slowly can't understand her own emotions anymore.
"Kasey!" Kei exclaimed his sister's name, as soon as he saw his sister with her friends near the school gate.
"Onii-san!" Kasey exclaimed as she dashes towards him. "Where's your sunglasses, wear them now!" she instructed him firmly as she reached him.
"I forgot it at home," he answered while grinning. "Hello ladies." he greeted as he waves his hands towards Cherry and Denise who were silently watching him and Kasey.
"Let's go home now, onii-san, you're attracting way too much attention now, what if someone recognizes you and posts it online? Morimoto-san, your manager will scold the both of us big time, for sure!"
Kei just stares at his sister who was now frowning at him.
"Fine" he answered as he surrendered. "But, aren't you gonna introduce me to your friends?" he added as he averts his eyes from his sister towards her friends.
"Okay, let me introduce to you my friends, Denise and Cherry"
"Oh!, so they were the one you're talking about, Hi!, I'm Kei, Kasey's older brother, nice to meet you two, and by the way thanks for being kind to her," he said as he shakes hands with them.
"Nice to meet you too." they both greeted as they stare at him boldly.
Kasey also introduces the boys to her brother and after the introduction and small talks they immediately go home, in fear that someone would recognize him, aside from the attention they are gaining from the other students who were passing by.
~
"Kasey, I'm going back to Japan this Monday," Kei informed her as he sat beside his sister who is busy doing her home works.
"You're going home already?" Kasey asked worriedly as she turns to face her brother, holding his arm like a kid who was afraid to be left alone.
Kei smiled faintly as he saw her sister's reaction about him leaving her.
"That's why I want us to spend our weekend on a beach resort, one of my friends owns a private resort in Batangas." he continued while he gently caresses her hair as Kasey return her attention to the math equation she needs to solve.
"And since that resort was not that far from here, we can spend our weekend over there. You can invite your friends too." he finished while he was silently watching his sister solve and answer her home works.
Kasey heaved a sigh before she averts her gaze back to him.
"Okay onii-san, if you say so." she agreed with a wide smile on her face.
She knew that her brother was worried about her well-being and he wanted to create a lot of good memories for her, and she doesn't want to disappoint him. Kasey wants her brother to smile just like how much he wants her to smile.
"I'll inform Cherry and Denise, later."
"Wait!"
"Why?" Kasey asked with furrowed eyebrows. "You're shouting all of a sudden when I am already here beside you," she complained.
"Sorry." he apologized. "Why are you inviting only Cherry and Denise? When I said your friends, what I mean was including the boys."
"Ha?!" Kasey exclaimed, disagreeing with her brother's idea.
... 'No way! Onii-san knew that I can't stand being with a guy aside from our family members. Maybe, yes, I can get along with them since they were my seatmates but it was not like what he thinks, I'm still far from how I should be.'
.... 'Onii-san, you don't know how much of an effort I was putting on every day. It's not that easy, everyday was like a battlefield for me, it was like I am on a stage where people are watching me and ready to judge how I will do on that day.'
"You heard me right, my dear sister," Kei said grinning.
No way~ Kasey sigh in her mind.
"Fine, I'll tell Cherry to inform them too," Kasey answered flatly as she lazily grabs her phone to inform Cherry and Denise.