"I am Asahi-kun's girlfriend."
Keiko confidently declared in front of Ando Yui as she has her hands intertwined around Asahi's.
"Ah, so you are THAT Keiko, huh. I have heard a lot about you."
With a grin, Ando faced Keiko with a harmless attitude. It seemed like she wanted to engage in a friendly conversation.
Keiko saw nothing wrong with that and chatted with her, whilst still clinging to Asahi. He did not mind it so Keiko did not separate from him.
"Oh? Who has been talking about me?" Keiko put on a question mark on her head.
"He is standing right next to you."
To Ando's response, Keiko darted her sight to the blushing Asahi and put on a smug face.
"Heeee~"
"W-What...?" Asahi felt embarrassed.
"So you have been talking about me?"
Part of Asahi wanted to blame Ando who created a bashful situation like this. But that changed instantly because of Keiko.
"I am so happy!"
The endearing atmosphere around her enveloped Asahi with such warmth that he couldn't handle it.
His heart beat faster and his eyes focused on only Keiko's smiling face, only to be bewitched by her beauty.
Her eyes sparkled with love and her ears were seen becoming red by Asahi. It only made him more entranced by Keiko's presence.
He was so glad that Keiko was his girlfriend.
"You are made for each other."
Ando added as she spectated a scenery that attracted both affection and attention.
Students passing by were now indeed clarifying some doubts they had.
And some that did not know about them were not that shocked. It was inevitable that a handsome guy like Asahi would get a beautiful girlfriend like Keiko.
They definitely are intimate by the way they behaved and react.
Now every freshman would be talking about their relationship. Rumours will spread to even those who don't know about their identity.
As a result, they would be at the centre of interests for gossiping and admiration.
Keiko thought that Ando wasn't so bad even though she was belligerent towards her.
'Isn't she nice?'
"Thank you, Ando-san." Keiko expressed her gratitude for stating the obvious.
"Why the 'thanks'? I only say what I see."
Ando encouraged their relationship which made Keiko see her in a different light.
She graduated from being a pest to being a supporter in Keiko's perspective. Asahi was also grateful to Ando for supporting so he was thankful in his mind.
Ando noticed Asahi's thin smile and could not resist the urge to stir a bit of discomfort amongst Keiko and Asahi.
She was his childhood friend and she always has that tendency to make Asahi feel embarrassed or uncomfortable sometimes.
In a way, she was similar to Yoichi. He also likes to tease Keiko and Ando likes to do it too with Asahi.
So she cooked a small plan to harass both of them, of course harmlessly.
"Asahi, now that you have a girlfriend, you won't forget me about me, right?"
The fact that Ando called Asahi without honorifics bugged Keiko but she still endured it since she is Asahi's childhood friend. It was understandable.
"What are you talking about? I will never forget you."
He had a serious tone which increased the credibility of what he said. Ando smiled and commenced her teasing.
"Even our moments in the bath together?"
"-?!"
Asahi was in full panic mode. Ando looked at him with a mocking grin and wanted to see what Keiko and Asahi would do.
It was funny seeing Asahi's reaction when he stuttered like he has been caught stealing diamonds.
"U-U-U-mm. Yui, w-w-w-what the hell are you b-b-b-b-b-blabbering!?"
"What? Did I tell a lie?" Ando further put Asahi into the pits of embarrassment.
"I mean....n-n-n-n-no but..."
Ando was satisfied with his amusing behaviour. Now she was happy with the result of Asahi, What about Keiko.....?
"-!?"
'Who.....' She was blatantly shocked by what was in front of her.
Confusion, fear, regret, exhaustion, weak.
Ando felt all of that in a matter of seconds. She could not hear Asahi's voice. It gradually became distorted and her sweats started to appear.
'Who is...this...?'
Words would not come out. It was as if she stood before a devil.
Keiko's lips curled downwards, not happy with the situation. Glowering stare that could penetrate Ando's body. The pressure was surreal.
"K-Keiko-chan. She is talking about when we're kids. We stopped doing it a long time. Don't take it the wrong way please! Yui likes to joke."
Asahi only saw Keiko's hair and cheek sideways. He was taller so he could not notice the kind of expression she was making.
"Is that so?"
That voice alone can make someone shiver. She veered to him and then...
"Kei.....ko?"
"You didn't tell me."
"....Huh.....?"
Suddenly, Asahi felt a weight on his other arm which made him jump with fear.
"AAAAH!!!"
That made Ando snap back from the frightful surrounding. What diverted Asahi and Ando from Keiko was none other than Yoichi.
"Asahi-kyun~~ What are you doing~~?"
"Oh....., it is just you."
Enraged, Yoichi raised his voice.
"What do you mean it is just me!"
Yoichi's grasp around Asahi's other hand became tighter as he said that. Well, he was not actually angry but upset that he was called 'just you'.
"Oi, get off him."
Ando recognized that voice and veered right back to Keiko, but.....that frightening expression was not there anymore.
She was the normal Keiko.
'Did I imagine this?'
As her trembling and sweats were both there, it was too real to be just an imagination.
"Why should I get off him?"
"He is mine." Keiko pulled Asahi near her side, making Asahi touch Keiko's breasts more.
With that, he completely forgot about that instance when Keiko was not herself. Instead, he was blushing yet again.
"No, he is mine!" Yoichi pulled Asahi closer.
"Are you gay?" Keiko pulled Asahi.
"I am. I was in love with Asahi-kyuun all this time." Yoichi pulled.
"Go find someone else! And don't call him like that!" She pulled.
"Asahi-kyuun~~" He pulled.
"I said don't call him that!" She pulled.
This went on back and forth for some time whilst Asahi was in the middle of this embarrassing comedy show.
"U-Um, you two.....stop it." Asahi's warning went unheard by the commotion.
Ando still reminisced about that moment. She could not shake it off her head. However, she cannot stay stiff around Keiko.
She wanted to divert her attention elsewhere and forget about Keiko. So she inquired about Yoichi.
"Who is this?"
Asahi was the one who answered Ando.
"He is Morita Yoichi. Keiko's twin brother."
"Is that so? I can kind of see the... resemblance."
"He may be an airhead but it is really fun to be with his company."
Asahi could even say that he would experience lively moments because of the happy go lucky Yoichi.
The moment Yoichi heard that Asahi told him he was an 'airhead', he pulled Asahi's face closer to him and scolded.
"What do you mean by 'airhead'? I get good grades academically!"
"Ah yes, but that's not what I meant."
"What do you mea- Ah? You didn't tell me that there was someone who you were with."
"T-That's my childhood friend. Ando Yui."
"OOH! You didn't tell me you had one."
"...Everyone at least have one."
Yoichi greeted Ando by waving his one hand while his other hand was fighting for the possession of Asahi against his sister.
"Hello! The name's Yoichi! Pleased to meet you Ando-chwan~!
"A-Ando-...chwan...?"
Ando was surprised by Yoichi's way of calling her. She grasped his personality by that and she deduced he was a guy that goes on his own pace.
Which is not a bad thing depending on how he acts.
"That's what I meant by 'airhead'." Asahi mumbled that only Keiko could hear it. She chuckled when he said that.
Ando was cool with it so she played along.
"Pleased to meet you too, Morita-kun."
"Ah, you can call me Yoichi and my sister Keiko. We would avoid any confusion by that."
"Ah..."Ando glanced suspiciously at Keiko who was wondering why Andi was staring at her like that. It was like nothing happened.
In the end, she complied with Yoichi's proposition, "I will."
Before Yoichi could say anything more to liven up the surroundings more, Ando decided to leave their group.
"Well, then I'll excuse myself. I need to get to my class."
"Ah, you are leaving already?" Keiko inquired.
Ando put on a fake smile and just wanted to get away from her, "I am afraid so. See you all later."
She waved them all off and walked in the opposite direction. The three of them stared at her back as it disappeared in the crowd of students.
"She is a good girl," Yoichi spoke.
"She likes to harass me. It is her habit so please let her off the hook." Asahi wryly smiled, which was aimed more at Keiko.
She replied, "But there have to be some limits. Don't forget that I am your girlfriend."
Keiko's pout exuded such cuteness that most teenagers would get overwhelmed. Naturally, it worked on Asahi.
"Okay, I will tell her."
"That's good." She smiled as a result.
But there is one thing that was still bugging Asahi.
"More importantly, you two....."
""Huh??"" Yoichi and Keiko veered to Asahi.
"Could you get off me?"
"No!!" Yoichi immediately refused.
"'You' should get off him, shitty Onii-chan!"
"No, both of you! Please!"
It took a while but the only reason why Asahi could get off their clutches was that they had to go on their respective seats.
From then on, it was a pretty normal first day at school.
Two class representatives were chosen in each class. What Yoichi found strange was that Kirika, their friend did not volunteer to be a class representative.
He thought that she would be that type of student but oh well, he learned that he should not judge someone's character early.
She said that she don't want to because she would have less time to invest in studying.
Yoichi and the others understood her intention and had no meaning to tell her otherwise.
Anyway, after school was over, Ren, Kirika, Asahi and the Morita Siblings went their own way.
All of them went their own different directions. Never would have they thought that none of them stay close even one of them.
Well, at least the Morita Siblings were able to go to their homes without being bored.
They chatted with each other. Well, Keiko still found Yoichi to be as irritating as ever. But at the back of her mind, her memories linger around that Ando.
Will she be an inconvenience to her relationship with Asahi?
Most of the time, Keiko was distracted by that girl. Until she arrived at their house.
"We are home, Oji-san!"
"Oh welcome home." Their uncle's voice resounded from the living room. He was watching T.V with his favourite show on.
Yoichi and Keiko went inside and their uncle noticed them.
"How was school?"
"It was fun, Oji-san," Keiko replied with a reassuring smile.
"Oh is that so?"
"Yes."
Yoichi looked at her who was smiling more than usual. An idea crossed his mind on who was the cause of that. So, he told his uncle.
"Oji-san. Listen to this. Do you know who we met? It was Keiko's b-!??!"
A swift hand blocked Yoichi's mouth, leaking only inaudible mumble through his mouth.
"A friend! J-Just a friend."
"Oh is that so? That's good."
"Hehehe..."
Keiko signalled Yoichi with her eyes to not divulge about her boyfriend, Asahi, to their uncle.
Yoichi had no choice but to listen to her. She then slowly removed her hand and waited for Yoichi.
Fortunately for her, he kept his promise.
She sighed with relief and went on with their usual routine.
Yoichi cooked dinner whilst Keiko took a bath. Once she finished, Yoichi went to take one and afterwards, all three of them had dinner.
"Haaa~ Today was fun...." Keiko was laying on her bed. She had a picture of Asahi and herself on her phone.
She stared at it then brought it closer to her heart.
"Asahi-kun..."
He was her first love. Her boyfriend. Her crush. Her everything.
Thinking about Asahi made her thirsty for water.
She exited her room and wanted to quench her thirst. The refrigerator was downstairs so she fetched some fresh water.
Before she could get down the stairs...., her wrist was grabbed forcefully.
"It hurts-!"
She turned around instinctively and saw an expressionless face staring into hers. Keiko instantly knew it was Yoichi.
"O-Onii-chan...?"
Behind his glasses, an icy glare focused only on the worried Keiko.
To her response, Yoichi increased his grip strength and squeezed Keiko's wrist.
"Kuk!- Onii-chan?"
She was concerned about him and about why he was in this state. Finally, she soon will get her answer as a cold voice took possession of Yoichi.
"Why the fuck were you making that kind of face?"