Mizuki POV
I have a normal family. Or so I thought. But I have someone who I really don't know.
He is a boy about 2 years older than me. Lives in the same house and eats at the same table with us.
But I have never seem him smile or talk.
He never spoke to me. Occasionally I would see him talking to dad.
He is special. He has no limbs. No arms to grab on and no legs to walk on.
He always sat on a wheelchair and my dad would take care of him.
I have never seen him talking to my mom though.
It intrigued me. Who is that guy?
Is he my family or some relative?
I asked mom when I was twelve.
"Mom who is that boy who lives with us?"
"Why do you ask that?"
"As long as I can remember, I have seen him. But I don't know who he is."
"You don't need to know. He is no one. Your dad is just pitying him."
Mom totally changed the subject. She never gave me a straight answer.
But it increased my curiosity. So I asked dad one day.
"He…..is my big brother?"
I was shocked.
My dad told me that he is my brother.
The world tilted. I never thought that he would be my brother. But then, why is he acting like a total stranger?
"Have you noticed the scar on his forehead?" Dad asked me.
I have noticed. He has a big scar on his forehead.
"That's something your mom did to him."
"What.?" I was shocked. Mom did something like that.
"Your mother truly hates him. Even though you are siblings." Dad showed a painful face.
He really was hurt.
I was a little too surprised. But since then I have become a little more observant of my brother.
I watched his every move.
And on his 18th birthday, dad gave him fake limbs.
He could stand and grab things.
He was happy. Also, it is said that he is a genius.
Now I am interested in what he does always cooped up in his room.
And one day he said that he wanted to leave.
He already has a new house and dad approved.
He had graduated from university when he should be a freshman.
But he never talked about it.
And it was also my fault.
Whenever I went to talk, I just ended up glaring at him.
I always wanted to talk to him but I only made it worse.
I am currently sitting at the bunny's with my friends.
They also know that he is my brother.
Natsumi pointed at a table and said,
"Hey, isn't that your brother?"
I look at the table to see a man. Black hair which covers his forehead and a dead look in his eyes.
And he has a crutch leaning on the sofa.
That's my brother. But he wasn't alone. He had someone else.
A girl. Of my age and I knew her.
Yamato Nadeshiko. Not just the title, she is one.
Perfect looks and a body which matches her. But why is she with my brother?
She hasn't been to school for a month. But she hasn't dropped out either.
While I was thinking of all this my friends were making a ruckus.
"Is he on a date?" Said Mari.
What? My brother on a date...moreover with a girl like her.
Is she deceiving him? I think of all the possibilities but when I noticed he was looking at me.
With a weird look on hid face like he wasn't expecting me.
What does that mean? Am I interrupting?
My friends grin at me and tell me to go to him.
I am reluctant but I go to him.
He has a hard to describe expression.
"Oh Mizuki, I was about to go there." He said.
"Hello Mizuki." Nadeshiko greeted me.
I am amazed how brazenly he can greet his sister with another woman with him.
"What are you doing here? And moreover, with a person like this?"
I say this really harshly. Akatsuki showed a sad expression.
"What do you mean? We are on a date, aren't we?" Nadeshiko said glancing at Akatsuki.
He also tried to affirm it. But his tone gave it away.
He didn't sound confident.
That's when his phone rang.
He left to take the call. With his crutch.
I sigh and look at Nadeshiko. I ask her,
"Why are you around that man?"
"Why you say? He is my employer so we are on a date." I say.
"Employer? You are working for him."
"Yes. He gave me a job."
"What kind of job?"
I was baffled. He knows her and moreover he employed her.
My brain is going haywire.
"He said that I just have to take care of him."
She said that.
What? He would ask a woman he has never met before to take care of him but he wouldn't ask me.
I get angry at him. But this woman is also flaunting.
Why do you look like a damsel in distress? Were you saved from a danger?
Are you really that easy of a girl?
I curse her repeatedly.
Unconsciously I had said idiot.
I said that out loud.
To which Nadeshiko reacted.
"Mizuki, you are way too much of a stalwart, you know?"
My friend Mari said that to me.
Maybe I am stalling. I can just normally talk to him.
But I cannot. Whenever he is in front of me, I am so hopeless that I want to hide in a hole.
"What do you….mean?" I try to say that. But I stuttered.
I am pretty flustered.
"I mean you just want to talk to him like normal,right?" Akano said.
"That's true but..." I try to say something again.
But I see Akatsuki approaching so I stop and compose myself.
"I gotta go." He said.
"What about our date?"
"We can continue later. Work called. Got some trouble. I have to go and fix the mistakes." He said with a tired look.
He must be working hard. But what does he do?
I was thinking all this when he took a card out and gave it to Nadeshiko.
He said that it's his key.
What? Does that mean he allowed her in his house? Moreover a key.
I am really freaking out here. I have a brother. I knew about it only when I turned 10.
From then, I have tried to talk to him. But it didn't go well. And this woman only met him yesterday and already made into his house.
After that my friends asked her questions but I didn't say anything.
After eating, when she asked for the check, they said that the bill has been paid.
My brother paid for all of us.
And he even said that we can put it on his tab.
Isn't that way too amazing? But how does he have so much money?
When Nadeshiko was leaving I asked for his address.
Nadeshiko gave it to me. I was surprised that she gave it easily but I keep that in mind.
So he lives in such a fancy building.
Now I really wanna know.
After Nadeshiko left, my friends bombard me with questions.
"Mizuki, isn't your position in danger?" (Mari)
"No. Why would it be?"
"I mean, a beautiful woman is by his side. Directly working. Isn't that the perfect chance?" (Mari)
"No."
I deny it and try to act calm but I am freaking out as well.
"Anyway, who is your brother? He is so casual like you would think he is loaded with money." (Natsumi)
"I don't know." I seriously don't know anything about my brother.
I decided to leave and be on our way.
Those three live in the opposite direction from me. So we parted ways there.
I walk through the alley. It's a shortcut.
But I hear a rambling. I take a look and it's my brother.
Is he drunk? Didn't he leave for work?
When I was thinking of that a guy came.
He picked him up.
"Akatsuki, wake up." He lightly slapped him.
"Ahhhh....Moron. You've come." He says.
"Dude, I am getting married and you are drunk."
"I mean it's a bachelors party. Enjoy for you are about to be enslaved." My brother said to the man.
"Anyway, were you looking at the fight?"
"Yes. I love those fights. Couples fighting with each other."
"You are evil."
"I mean, the problem isn't mine so it's enjoyable."
"What if it becomes yours?"
"No way in hell. I need a girl first and I have to be popular. I am neither of those. So cut it out."
My brother strongly denied.
But he doesn't seem that drunk.
"Anyway, you are my best man."
"Yeah. More like your father. I might just cry from happiness."
"What? Don't do that?"
"You really don't deserve your wife."
"Isn't it you who set us up?"
"I may have. But that's also your decision."
"I see. Anyway let's drop you home."
"Thanks. Also can you cook. I am hungry."
"Yeah yeah. Enjoy. From tomorrow you're going to eat homemade meals of Nadeshiko-chan right?"
"Yeah. Makes me a bit excited. I should visit her mother as well."
Saying those things, they walk away.
That exchange was weird. My brother is acting weird and in a way I have never seen before.
He really is weird. At home, he is all quiet. But now he is making such a ruckus.
Thinking those things, I go home. But he said that from tomorrow, Nadeshiko is going to cook for him.
I have to do something fast or my brother might get taken away.