'Susumu, aren't you leaving?' Yuuko asked after he saw that he was looking at he is sister a bit too much. 'Of course not' Susumu smiled, 'you need all the help you can get, right Kana?'
'Yes…' Kana said and trailed off a little. He sent her a sharp look, '…of course, brother' she bobbed her head up and down like a lizard that fell from a great height. Yuuko gave Susumu a sceptical look and he just shrugged. Lifting her skirt Kana went back up the steps, her back got straighter and straighter till she disappeared into the house, Susumu again smiled.
They were given guest rooms next to each other because he insisted he had to be close to discuss things with his sister and Yuuko couldn't refuse. That night in the dining room he got to see Kaoru, she might have been flustered when she saw them earlier but he could see none of it now. Kana picked the seat opposite Kaoru's but he looked at her and she smiled, leaving the seat for him. On Kaoru's, left sat her younger sister, Kohana and her fiancé while Yuuko sat to her right. Kohana was the first to speak to him, 'Susumu-san, you're here. Did you hear about my engagement?' she asked in a somewhat hopeful tone that her fiancé did not detect.
'I came here for your brother, Kohana-chan' he replied and watched in amusement as her eyes watered as if she was about to cry a river but to his disappointment, she held it in. It was fascinating at times to act like his rude older brother, he thought but Kaoru seemed to disagree, she glared at him from across the table.
Gently he trapped her left foot between his legs and the tips of her ears turned a faint red, he didn't have to look at Yuuko to know he was scowling at him disapprovingly. 'Yuuko, aren't your parents joining us for dinner?' he asked when after the maids had set the table the older Kanekos were still nowhere to be seen.
'They have a business to attend to' Yuuko replied seemingly preoccupied with trying to pick up his boiled eggs with chopsticks. Kaoru leaned close and scooped it up in her spoon for him, he mouth a "thank you" and took it.
'Why are you here?' Kaoru asked once the maids had cleared the table and left, she was still trying to free her foot without toppling the table. Susumu smiled, he is always smiling, she thought irritably. 'Didn't you hear me the first time? I came for your brother' he said and from the corner of her eyes she could see the tension Kohana has been carrying all this while leaving her body and her fiancé was completely unaware. What an insensitive young man, she disapproved inwardly. 'And of course, for you Kaoru dear' he added his eyes blazing with passion.
Yuuko choked on his egg, Kohana was once again tense and covertly sent her an accusing look. An awkward silence prevailed over the table with Kana blissfully unperturbed. Ah… she had forgotten Kohana had a crush on —which of the brothers did she like again? She waved the thought away as soon as it came and Susumu released her foot. She looked out the window and saw it had gotten quite dark, it was going to be a moonless night. This was her cue to leave she thought and stood up, she walked briskly out of the dining room before anyone thought to delay her.