As I continued eating my Chicken Teriyaki, Natsumi excused herself. "I'm done, Mom. I'm going to my room." She left her bowl on the table and walked away.
Erika followed suit. "I'm done too, Mom. Goodnight, Hayato." She smiled and headed to her room.
My dad finished eating and pushed his chair back. "Well, I'm off to bed too. Goodnight, everyone." He smiled at me, and I sensed he was intentionally leaving me alone with my stepmother and siblings.
Naomi, the little ball of energy, declared, "I'm done eating!" She looked up at me with sparkling eyes. "Big brother, can I stay with you a little longer?"
My stepmother intervened. "Naomi, it's getting late. Time for bed."
Naomi pouted. "Why do I have to sleep early? I'm the youngest!"
I stepped in, feeling a surge of responsibility. "Naomi, you need rest. Tomorrow we can spend all day together, okay?"
Naomi's face lit up. "Really, big brother? You're so smart!" She hugged my leg before turning to her mom. "Mommy, I'm going to sleep. Goodnight!" She skipped to her room, jumping with excitement.
The kitchen fell silent, leaving me alone with my stepmother. The air was thick with tension. I focused on finishing my meal, avoiding eye contact.
My stepmother broke the silence. "You're great with Naomi, Hayato. Thank you."
I shrugged, feeling uncomfortable. "It's no problem. I just want her to be happy."
She smiled warmly. "You're going to make an amazing big brother."
As I finished eating, I stood up to wash the dishes. My stepmother stopped me. "No, let me do that. You rest."
I insisted, wanting to show respect. "No, you just arrived. Let me."
She chuckled, her eyes sparkling. "Don't worry, Hayato. I've got this."
As she took the bowls from me, our hands touched, and I caught a whiff of her sweet perfume. My heart skipped a beat.
"Alright then," I conceded, feeling a flutter in my chest.
As I walked to my room, my stepmother followed, her voice barely above a whisper. "He's such a good boy..."
I closed my door, feeling a mix of emotions. I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling. What did I just get myself into?
I lay flat on my bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. My mind swirled with thoughts, and I whispered to myself, "What's even happening? What's going on? I just had to stay with them because of Dad, and I wanted to see him happy."
As my thoughts wandered further, I pondered, "Now that I think of it, all of my sisters have Nanakura as their surname. What shall I do?" I paused, considering the implications.
Suddenly, an idea struck me. "What if I call them by their given names instead of their surnames? Like how I called Naomi by her name?" I whispered, testing the thought.
I tossed and turned, weighing the pros and cons. "I guess that would work," I concluded, a sense of resolve settling in.
Just then, I heard a gentle knock on my door. "Hayato, are you awake?" It was Naomi, her voice soft and curious.
"Yeah, I'm awake," I replied, sitting up.
Naomi entered, carrying a tray with a steaming cup of tea. "Mom asked me to bring this to you. She thought you might be thirsty."
I smiled, touched by the gesture. "Thanks, Naomi. That's really sweet of you."
Naomi smiled back, setting the tray down. "So, Hayato, can I ask you something?"
"Go ahead," I said, intrigued.
"Do you mind if I call you Onii-chan?" Naomi asked, her eyes sparkling.
My heart warmed at the affectionate term. "Of course not, Naomi. I'd like that."
Naomi beamed. "Yay! I'll go tell Erika and Natsumi!"
As Naomi skipped out, I heard Erika's voice from the hallway. "Hey, Hayato, can we talk?"
I nodded. "Come in, Erika."
Erika entered, looking thoughtful. "Hayato, I wanted to apologize if I came across as rude earlier. I'm still getting used to having a stepbrother."
I waved my hand. "No need to apologize, Erika. We're all adjusting."
Erika replied, "Great to hear then. I was worried I might have made things awkward."
"I appreciate your concern, Erika," I said. "We'll figure things out together."
Erika smiled and left, closing the door behind her.
As I settled back into bed, I wondered, "Now everything is settled out, huh?" But my mind lingered on Natsumi. "She's still quiet around me. Does she not want me here?"
I slept peacefully until morning, feeling refreshed and ready for the new day. After changing into my school uniform, I tied my hair and grabbed my tie from the top of my futon tansu.
A futon tansu is a traditional Japanese storage cabinet, typically used to store bedding, clothing, and personal items.
As I walked out of my room, I expected to see my stepmother and stepsisters, who had arrived yesterday. In the kitchen, Naomi greeted me with a cheerful "Good morning, Onii-chan!"
I turned to her, smiling. "Morning, Naomi."
Naomi and Erika were both wearing their school uniforms, and my dad joined us, saying, "Go ahead and have a seat."
My stepmother served us breakfast - a steaming bowl of Tamagoyaki (Japanese-style rolled omelette) with steamed rice and miso soup.
"Eat well, Hayato," she said, concern etched on her face.
"I will, don't worry," I replied.
As we ate, I complimented her cooking. "This is awesome! You're an amazing cook."
Naomi finished eating and rushed to her room. Erika left for school, and my dad headed to work.
I returned to my room to put on my shoes. As I was dressing, I heard Naomi saying to her mom, "I don't want to go to school."
Her mom asked, "Why don't you want to go to school, Naomi?"
I walked into the living room, and Naomi's face lit up. "You're here! I want to go with Onii-chan."
I hesitated. "Why me? I don't know your school."
Naomi's eyes sparkled. "I know the way! I'll show you directions."
Remembering my promise to spend time with her, I agreed. "I guess I have no choice then. Let's go to school."
My stepmother intervened. "But won't you be late for school?"
"I'll be fine," I said.
Naomi's mom or My Stepmother relented. "Well then, I guess I have to agree. Bye, and be careful."
As we walked through Tokyo's bustling streets, Naomi chatted excitedly. "I'm so happy we're going to school together, Onii-chan!"
I smiled, enjoying her company. "I'm happy too, Naomi."
As I strolled alongside Naomi to her school, the Tokyo morning sun casting a warm glow over Shibuya's bustling streets, I decided to inquire about my step-sisters.
"Ummm... Naomi?" I asked, breaking the comfortable silence.
Naomi turned, her bright eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Yes, Onii-chan? Do you want to ask me something?"
I smiled, feeling a sense of ease with my younger step-sister. "This might sound weird, but may I know your age and your sisters' ages too?"
Naomi's face lit up with a happy grin. "Of course, Onii-chan! I'm 12 years old."
"Really?" I replied, feigning surprise. "I thought you were 11."
Naomi chuckled, her ponytail bouncing with the motion. "Why would you think I'm 11?"
I teased, "It's because you're so beautiful and mature for your age. I just thought you were 11."
Naomi's cheeks flushed crimson, and she quickly looked away, her thoughts racing: "He called me beautiful... Am I that beautiful? Oh my, why do I feel happy?"
She composed herself, her voice steady. "Let's keep going, Onii-chan."
I nudged her playfully. "Continue with what you were saying."
Naomi cleared her throat. "Right now, Erika is 17 years old."
My eyes widened. "Whoa, I thought she was my age, but she's a year older."
As we turned left onto Shibuya Ichiban-gai and continued straight on Sakura-gaoka Street, Naomi said, "And Natsumi... she's 20 years old."
I stopped in my tracks. "Wait, 20? That's surprisingly somehow old."
Naomi giggled. "What's wrong, Onii-chan?"
I shook my head, thinking, "It makes sense, considering her maturity and figure."
Then I suddenlyremembered something and wondered "Now that I think about it, I'm curious - she must be in college, but I didn't notice her wearing her school uniform this morning. Does she not want to go to school?"
We approached Naomi's school, and she exclaimed, "Welcome to Shibuya Municipal Junior High School!"
Naomi's voice was laced with excitement. "Onii-chan, can you pick me up after school today?"
"I thought Mom was handling that," I said.
Naomi's face fell, but she quickly recovered. "No, she won't. You have to, Onii-chan."
I couldn't resist her pleading eyes. With a sigh, I relented. "Okay, I'll pick you up."
As she entered the school gates, she waved goodbye. "Bye, Onii-chan!"
I waved back, smiling. "Bye, Naomi! Have a great day!"
Rushing to my own school, I was running late. I sprinted upstairs to my classroom.
As I burst into my classroom, out of breath from sprinting upstairs, I was relieved to find our teacher, Ms. Yui Nakamura, nowhere in sight.
"Am I really in luck today?" I thought, grinning.
Akira Matsumoto caught my attention. "Look who's coming to school late," he said with a smirk.
Shinji Hiroto, seated beside him, chimed in, "I know, right? You're really pushing your luck, Hayato."
I ignored their teasing, hesitant to share my secret. Having step-sisters was still new to me, and I wasn't ready to discuss it with my classmates.
As I slid into my seat, shedding my backpack, Kaito Takahashi turned to me with curiosity. "You're late, what happened?"
I hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. "I guess I overslept," I said, trying to sound nonchalant.
Takahashi raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you oversleep? You're always the early bird."
I forced a laugh, trying to play it cool. "I know, right? Maybe I'm changing."
Takahashi chuckled. "Well, at least you made it. But next time, don't oversleep, or you'll miss the fun."
Matsumoto and Hiroto snickered in the background, but I tuned them out.
Just then, the classroom door swung open, and Ms. Nakamura walked in. "Good morning, class. Today we'll be discussing Japanese Literature, specifically the Meiji period. Please open your textbooks to page 127."
The lesson began, and I focused on the day ahead, my mind occasionally drifting to my step-sisters.
I pulled out my notebook and began taking notes, engaging with the lesson.