[A/N: Chapter Soundtrack, [Ellie Goulding - Still Falling For You]
It's another Saturday afternoon, and I'm still wondering about our living situation...
Yes, my little sister, and I both, live together in a small apartment in Meguro Ward. It's not the nicest area, but it's where we call home.
Having only two people living in one house... It can be a little lonely at times, but I do enjoy the quiet life we have.
After mom's departure, Aria cried for days. She wanted to call the police, but why go looking for someone who didn't want to be found? At least, that's what I told her.
Eventually, she came to terms with it and we were forced to find a way to survive on our own.
I must admit, at first, we had to use some... less-than-honest methods to get by, but I don't like to go into too much detail about those.
One night, Aria came to me with a plan. She suggested we find a wealthy benefactor to take us in.
She figured if the person laid eyes on her, they would be blown away by her stunning looks and adopt us immediately, as if we were in some kind of drama.
That was a laughable thought. On television, merely looking at a person's beauty was enough to immediately win their heart.
Unfortunately... real life is not a drama, and that notion is a pipedream.
As I'm not a fool, and I know the implications if such a thing were to really happen. I quickly shut down her delusions.
Luckily, now, we get a check from the government every month, which isn't much but it's enough to live with.
Then, we were offered a scholarship to one of the best schools in the country.
The school was able to pay for our tuition through a scholarship program, which made it easier to pay for our daily expenses.
And I work part-time as a tutor for younger students in the morning, every weekend. They're a pain in the neck, but I suppose the money is decent...
I don't really talk much to people, especially at school, but whenever they do ask, I make up a story about how I have some super rich uncle who takes care of us.
It's not true, but it seems to work.
Our facade seems strong enough, so I guess people just assume we're being well taken care of too.
Despite the scholarship and monthly stipends, it did not cover all of our expenses...
I often find myself thinking of ways to make Aria's life more comfortable... He exhaled deeply.
But it's difficult since I don't have much money saved up.
He paused his musings as a rodent scuttled by the poorly lit corridor, dragging a little pack of chips...
Where in the hell did it get that? I swear, the rats in this place are living in more luxury than we are. Hmm... somethings missing... where's my faithful stray...?
He turned, looking around the kitchen for any sign of the feline.
...Well, I suppose it's gone now, probably sunbathing somewhere else.
Sighing, he poured the hot water into the cups and waited for the noodles to cook.
After a few minutes, he retrieved both cups and made his way to the living room.
The living room was fairly simple. Aside from the couch there was a coffee table, a television on top of it, a bookshelf and a few potted plants in the corner.
The floor was also carpeted in a deep blue rug, and the only adornment was a single family photo on the wall.
No windows could be seen in the apartment, but natural light did enter through a sliding glass door that opened up to a small balcony.
He felt everything in there looked like second-hand goods, but somehow, it still had a homey feel to it.
Dressed in her everyday house wear - an oversized blue hoodie, and shorts, Aria was sat on the couch with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, scrolling endlessly past channels.
"The bodies discovered at the murder scene..."
"Unsolved mysteries of Science: What is the mysterious force preventing attempts to travel beyond the strato..."
"As the war enters its third year, it remains to be seen whether the proposed marriage will be..."
"...A huge influx of people have claimed to have witnessed what appears to be a large..."
Noticing his footsteps as he approached, Aria greedily grabbed a cup from his hand.
"Took you long enough."
He sat down next to her, while she took a moment to adjust herself, then started slurping up her noodles with gusto.
Watching her for a moment, Aybel took in her expressions and movements, observing her like a scientist would to a new specimen.
Suddenly, as if self conscious of his gaze, she looked up at him with wide, hungry eyes.
"Mwhatt?"
"Nothing..."
She's a fascinating girl, that's for sure.
After downing the noodles, she looked back at her brother with a satisfied expression.
"Ah, I needed that. Thanks, I was starving."
"Yeah, I could tell..."
Aria suddenly shifted her position on the couch, curling up next to him and pressing against his side.
Staring blankly at the television, she started: "Hey, bro... can I ask you something?"
Looking down at her cautiously, Aybel asked: "What is it?"
"Got a girl yet?"
"..."
Staring at her with a blank expression, all the gears turned in his mind.
In all honesty, he didn't really expect her question to be something like this.
"...You know... for a second there, I thought you were really going to ask me a serious question."
"Wha? But it is serious. I don't want you to die a virgin."
"..."
"I'm sorry, was that a joke?"
Ignoring his confusion she added: "Besides, I want to be a godfather."
"Don't you mean aunt?"
"I know what I said. So answer already."
She looked up at him expectantly.
He blinked a few times, then let out a slow breath as he reflected:
In hindsight, though, maybe I should have expected this. She's a bit... odd, after all.
"Very well. No, I don't."
"Hmm..." Aria sat up, cocking her head to the side as if sizing him up.
"I guess your height would deduct points with most girls. Meh, I still think it's alright. Aside from that you'd make a great boyfriend."
"I'm not interested in that."
Staring at him for a second, Aria was blank in how to respond to his suddenness. "That's - that's pretty direct." She managed.
Then she laughed a little, reaching over to mess with Aybel's hair.
"Fine, fine, I get it." She grinned and rested her head back on his shoulder once more. "On the other hand... it's okay if you like guys though, I won't judge."
"You're really trying your hardest to piss me off, aren't you?"
"No?" Aria sat upright in defense. "You said you didn't have a girlfriend yet right? And it's hard to tell what you like. So, I dunno..." She shrugged a little.
"I'm guessing you swing the other way... what with all your effeminate features and all."
"I mean, have you seen the thickness of your lashes? You look like a freaking doll." She bursted into a fit of giggles, letting herself lean against his shoulder yet again.
But suddenly her laughter was interrupted as her attention, and his, were both drawn to the woman relaying the news on the television.
"There are reports a 13 year old girl was abducted by a man in his 30s. He was last seen walking into the woods and hasn't been heard from since. No clues as to his whereabouts have been found."
The news anchor quickly cut to a picture of the missing blonde girl.
"Yes that is the photo of the girl that was abducted. The local police are-"
"Stranger danger huh..." Aria interrupted, eyes expressionlessly glued to the TV.
Aybel glanced at her as she continued: "I hate people... I don't know how someone can just be taken without anyone noticing. I don't even think anyone cares."
She's right...
Perhaps people do notice. However, what reason would a person have to care for someone they don't know?
In fact, many people don't care if you live or die... and as someone who doesn't care much about others, doesn't that make me one of them?
Even so, while it's understandable and I do agree, Aria thinking this way seems... a little too negative to my liking...
"...I don't think that's entirely true. I'm sure many people are out there looking for the girl. I'm sure her family must be worried sick too..."
"Breaking News! Police are still on the lookout at the moment for the suspect responsible for the abduction of a young child. The identity of the suspect has been revealed as someone close to the child - her own blood father. Details of the incident are still being investigated. More updates will come as the case continues to unfold, stay tuned."
"Hmm... well, I suppose I take that back. It seems people can't help but do horrible things to others..."
Sometimes even to those they claim to love. Aybel thought, painfully aware of his own past.
"Yeah..." Aria spoke up in agreement, her eyes darting to the floor. "I guess it doesn't really matter who you are. We can never really 100% trust anyone. After all, mom never cared about us..."
Squeezing on the blanket tightly, she began: "Sometimes, I'm afraid-"
"You don't have to worry about that with me, though..."
Aria looked up at her brother, her expression becoming more cheerful.
"Pfft. Are you kidding?" She nudged his side with a sharp elbow.
"You're as reliable as a dead battery." Aria burst into laughter at her own comment.
"You can be pretty darn dense sometimes, you know? What happened to the brother who was always paying attention to me?" She asked, still laughing.
"Now, if there was something wrong with me, I bet you'd be too busy to notice anything. You're always in your own little bubble. Eh," she shrugged, nuzzling into his shoulder. "We can always rely on ourselves, anyway..."
Aybel sat there in silence, feeling stunned by Aria's cruelty.
Wow...
Just wow...
I wasn't expecting that response. Why would she say something like that? I don't believe she feels that way, though. She's probably baiting me into some kind of trap... but I'll bite.
"I don't think you can rely on yourself all the time. Besides... you don't think we have that level of trust...?"
Adjusting herself from his side, with her big doe-like eyes, she stared at him seriously this time.
"You do...?"
"Well, if you think of me as unreliable, I assure you that I would never fail to notice something was wrong with you. I may prefer my own space, but I am not that oblivious."
"R-really?" She teased.
"How sure are you? What if I didn't say anything and just kept it hidden? Would you notice? What would you do if suddenly I wasn't there?"
"I am quite sure... if you simply 'disappeared', I guarantee that I would notice that something was wrong. And I would go searching for you, of course. I may not know where all this is coming from but, I will always have your best interests at heart."
"Aha!" She smiled triumphantly.
"So you do think we have that level of trust. Well, I'll test that theory then..."
Suddenly, she dove off the couch scampering up the bookshelf, clumsily knocking out its contents.
CRASHHH! TINKLE-TINKLE-TINK!
A priceless, glass earth globe shattered on the floor.
Aybel sighed.
Now at the top, arms spread wide, Aria exclaimed: "Catch me!"
Figures... Knowing that she was going to ask him to catch her, Aybel didn't hesitate to act.
She dove into his arms in a hug, silently wrapping her arms around his neck.
"...I knew you'd catch me..." She smiled.
Letting her down, he gently tapped her forehead.
"Ow!"
"Don't try that again, or I might not be as forgiving next time."
"Tch." Rubbing her forehead, Aria frowned.
"It was just a small prank."
Then she pouted, crossing her arms as she looked away. "I want you to catch me again..."
Before he knew it, she leaped over the furniture, running straight for the front door, flung it open, and sprinted out of the apartment.
"..."
For a moment, he stood there, unsure what to do, knowing that it's impossible to catch up with her, until:
"I've got plenty of room on the roof to jump off!"
To Be Continued...