"Wake up you lazy bone! It's time to head for the academy and leave this house!" A voice whispered in Tenji's ear.
He mumbled something in his sleep and slapped the disturbance away. His alarm had not been set off yet so it could only mean it wasn't anywhere near the time to wake up–and he was going to make good use of it.
A gasp could be heard and what came next was totally unexpected.
Tenji was having such a fantastic dream that he wished the morning could be prolonged so he could sleep in.
All that crumbled when he felt a dip at his side which forced his eyes open as he felt a bounce made. There was only one person who could make such a dangerous move.
"Aki, no!!!" He yelled in horror as he saw his younger sister take one last bounce and come crashing on him on purpose.
The wooden legs of his bed gave way to the extra body weight and pressure caused by the crash.
Tenji stayed in his position, his hair in a disheveled mess and the bed cloth over his shoulder. He could see some movements under the cloth and could only imagine the person beneath it.
"Arghhh!!!" He let out a yell in pain when he felt Aki bite him on the thigh.
Kicking and pushing away from the thrashed bed, he pulled off the cloth and quickly got up.
"Are you some sort of animal?!" He barked as cross-popping veins made their way to the side of his head.
He knew his sister was mischievous, but this wasn't the kind of wake-up call he needed to start his day.
Aki pulled down the cloth as she took in the fresh air and her blue eyes immediately latched onto him.
Tenji flinched at her glare, he didn't understand why he was affected by it.
Aki pushed back her silver hair, she scoffed and jumped out and folded her arms like she had done nothing wrong.
Dropping to her knees on some of the broken wood with some boring into her knees, she began to wail like a child, calling out for their parent's attention.
"What?!" Tenji exclaimed in shock when their mother barged into his room.
"Aki dearest..." A woman calls out, rushing in towards her upon sighting the injury.
She had her silver hair parted in the middle with bangs that reached her chin and straight long hair that reached her waist. This was Tenji's mother–Izumi Hisato.
She brushed back Aki's hair and pushed the rest so she could have a look at the damage.
Aki whimpered and had her hands cleaning crocodile tears.
Tenji's mouth was gaped open at the display. He only knew one thing that would come next as he watched his mother turn in his direction.
"How could you make such a mess, destroy your bed and push your sister so she hurt her perfect fair skin?!" She snapped.
'Push? Destroy my bed? I did what now?!!!' Tenji felt his blood boil with rage when he caught sight of Aki giving him a devilish smirk for a moment.
"Mom..." He called out, hoping to appeal to reasoning, she was looking at all of this wrongly.
She shook her head and turned straight back at Aki and carefully removed all the wood that had stuck into her skin. Her light brown eyes glowed as she placed her palm over Aki's knee to heal it.
When she was done, she turned her attention back to Tenji, "just because your sister was born without magic doesn't mean you have to bully her!"
"I never bullied her," Tenji countered immediately. "That little witch is framing me to look bad, she was the one who had destroyed my bed. Heck! Why would I destroy my bed?! It makes no fucking sense!!"
After those words left his lips, he realized he had dug his grave when he heard her gasp and her brows furrowed.
"Is that how you teach the students back in the academy?! Such obscene language!" She spat in disdain.
Even though she had diverted from the original point of the whole discussion, he couldn't spare being angry and so he made a move to leave.
'It's best I make use of the spare time to prepare for the academy. I'm done with a fair share of crazy here!' He reasoned on the better idea.
"You would be going nowhere young man!" His mother protested behind him and immediately created a barrier on the door before he could reach the handle.
'This is my room, why did things suddenly turn into a mess so early in the morning?'
Tenji could easily deactivate the barrier but was hesitant, he could feel someone else was approaching and so he took few steps back.
"My word! Your grandfather had spoiled you! If he was still alive, I wonder what you would have–"
"That's enough Izumi!" A deep voice countered and broke through the barrier while opening the door.
It was her husband–their father. He had silver, bust-length hair neatly coiffed in a ponytail with a gold band, that was angled on his shoulder and fell freely. Bangs over a chiseled, stern face. Blue eyes set concealed within their sockets and a faint vertical scar on his left eye.
There was no mistaking the striking resemblance Tenji had to his father–Haru Hisato.
"You should be ashamed of yourself, he provides for the family after my dismissal from the war front and my little income I make with the little job I was able to lay my hands on, and you dare speak ill of my late father?!" He raged at his wife, pushing Tenji protectively behind him.
Izumi cowered in fear and guilt, she had been so blinded in her effort to side with Aki that she had not realized the sensitive topic she had stomped on.
Storming away so he could cool off, Izumi rushed in pursuit of him to give an apology.
This left Tenji and Aki in his room once again.
They shot death glares at one another before she blew a raspberry and ran out of the room, "make sure everything is clean and arranged, big brother!"
He could see her knee-length hair flying as she ran. For a second he wished he could chop off her prized length and see how she fares after that.
Riiiiinnng!
Tenji shot a glare at the alarm clock. Making it levitate, he crushed it in rage. "Stupid alarm!"
Stomping his feet, he pulled on his towel hanging on the door of his wardrobe and made his way to the bathroom.
*****
In Erīto academy,
Tenji had just stepped in through the automatic doors when all attention was drawn to him–yet again.
He internally facepalmed at the stares he got as he walked to his first class for the day.
"Tenji!" A teacher squealed in delight, interlocking her arms with his.
'Are you asking for a death sentence?! Do you know what I've been through in the hands of your kind?!' Tenji raged but tried to calm his inner demon before it was let loose.
"Back... Off!" He spoke through clenched teeth, trying his best not to resort to a transfer of aggression.
When she realized he was seething off a deadly aura, she immediately let go in shock, trails of sweat suddenly formed.
Her eyes stared at the ground for a long time, thinking and rethinking what she had felt.
"Is there any issue here?!" Maiyu's voice cut in as she stared at the two.
*****
A/N
I would really appreciate your comments and support of this novel with your power stones. Your active comments would motivate me to write more chapters.
¶ Have you ever had an annoying sibling that feels like a bad itch?