I said to both Natsumi and Naomi, "Shall we go inside? It's getting late." Natsumi's face flushed slightly as she replied, "Right, let's go inside." Naomi teased us, her bright eyes sparkling, "You two are adorable!" I chuckled, feeling a mix of embarrassment and amusement.
"How do you even know about that stuff, Naomi?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.
Naomi grinned mischievously. "I have my ways, Onii-chan!"
I sighed, shaking my head, and entered the house with Naomi. As we stepped inside, Natsumi whispered to herself, "He looks more like a girl due to his long hair." She blushed at her own thought and quickly followed us in.
After changing into comfortable clothes – a white shirt and ash-gray pajamas – I lay on my bed, lost in thought. My phone rested beside me, but I didn't bother turning it on.
Just as I began to drift off, a knock on the door broke the silence. "Come in," I said, knowing it was Naomi.
The door creaked open, and Naomi's cheerful voice filled the room. "Dinner is ready, Onii-chan!"
"I'm coming," I replied, swinging my legs over the side of the bed.
As I stood up, Naomi's gaze fell upon my bare feet. "You're not wearing slippers?" she asked, concern etched on her face.
"I'll be fine," I reassured her with a smile.
Naomi nodded and closed the door behind her. I followed, the aroma of dinner drawing me to the dining table.
As I entered the kitchen, the aroma of Tonkatsu Bento filled the air. My dad, still wearing his business attire, smiled warmly beside my stepmother. I took a seat next to him, noticing the perfectly arranged dinner before me.
"Thanks for bringing Naomi home, Hayato," my stepmother said, her eyes filled with gratitude.
"No problem," I replied, taking a bite of the crispy Tonkatsu.
My stepmother continued, "I'm always busy, so I don't get to pick her up from school. You're a lifesaver."
Naomi chimed in, "Onii-chan, it was so much fun! Rin and I played together."
I just replied "I did promise her I would spend time with her."
My stepmother's face lit up. "That's so kind of you, Hayato. You kept your promise."
My dad, tapping my back, said, "You're a great big brother, aren't you?"
I recalled Naomi's words and turned to my stepmother. "Actually, I was thinking... since Naomi has school tomorrow, I'd like to pick her up every day."
Naomi's face brightened, and my stepmother's expression softened. "Don't stress yourself, Hayato."
"I won't," I assured. "I just don't want her to feel lonely walking alone. We're family, after all."
My stepmother smiled. "That's sweet of you."
My dad's eyes sparkled. "You're really taking to this big brother role, aren't you?"
Just then, my stepmother chuckled. "Tomorrow is the weekend, Hayato. Today is Friday."
My face flushed with embarrassment. "Really? My bad."
My dad dropped a bombshell, "Which means Hayato will spend more time with his stepsisters."
The room fell silent, with Natsumi and Erika exchanging shocked glances. Naomi, however, squealed, "Yaaay! I can't wait!"
Erika broke the silence, "Dad, what do you mean?"
My stepmother's eyes locked onto my dad's. "Taro, what's going on?"
My dad's grin grew wider. " I'm trying to say that Tomorrow Hayato is going to have to spend the weekend with his Step-sisters. "
The room erupted into chaos, with Erika protesting, "But Dad, I had plans!"
Naomi, still bouncing with excitement, chimed in, "Onii-chan, it'll be fun! We can play together!"
I exchanged a hesitant glance with Erika, who shrugged and whispered, "Guess we're stuck together now."
My dad's enthusiastic tone caught me off guard. "Wouldn't it be fun, Hayato?"
I forced a cheerful reply, "I guess so." But inwardly, I reeled from the unexpected bombshell.
As I continued eating my Tonkatsu Bento, Erika and Natsumi simultaneously rose from their seats, retreating to their room. Naomi, still bubbling with excitement, skipped to hers, repeating, "I can't wait for tomorrow!"
The room fell silent, leaving me alone with my stepmother. This familiar scenario, identical to yesterday's, felt suffocating.
My stepmother broke the silence, her voice gentle. "Hayato, I know you might have plans for tomorrow, but can you bear with us and spend time with your stepsisters, especially Naomi?"
I hesitated, feeling cornered. "No worries. I don't have any plans tomorrow."
My stepmother's knowing smile hinted she saw through my facade. "Don't mind your dad. He always talks out of the blue."
In my mind, I echoed her sentiment: Tell me about it. It was remarkable how quickly my stepmother had grasped my dad's eccentricities or his unique personality or style.
I accelerated or speed up my eating pace, eager to escape to my room and lose myself in thought. My stepmother cautioned, "Take your time eating, you might get choked."
I sighed, finishing my meal. "Dinner really is delicious."
My stepmother's eyes crinkled at the corners. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. You know, Hayato, I appreciate how patient you've been with your dad's... announcements."
Her words caught me off guard. "You think I'm patient?"
She nodded. "Yes, and understanding. That means a lot to me, and to your dad, even if he doesn't show it."
Her kind words softened my frustration, and for a moment, I felt seen.
As I trudged up the stairs, exhaustion weighed me down. My room, the first on the left, beckoned. But before I could reach it, a sweet voice pierced the silence.
"Hayato Yamamura! Hey Hayato Yamamura!"
I spun around, ready to defend myself, and growled, "Who's there?"
A gentle hand grasped mine, pulling me toward a room I shouldn't enter. I stumbled, disoriented, and found myself on top of Erika, her bed creaking beneath us.
Erika's face flushed as she struggled to free herself. "Get off me, pervert!"
"I'm not a pervert!" I protested, scrambling to my feet. "Someone pushed me here!"
Erika's eyes sparkled with amusement. "You're really strong. I couldn't even budge."
I replied casually "Simply because I'm stronger than you. And were you the one who brought me here."
She replied, her words shot me "I did dummy."
I shot back, "You brought me here, making you the pervert, not me."
Erika's cheeks deepened in color. "Shut up, Natsumi will hear us."
Realization dawned on me – I was in Erika's room, the second on the left, adjacent to mine. So which makes the next room beside this room is Natsumi room the third room on the left.
"Why did you bring me here?" I asked, curiosity replacing annoyance.
Erika's expression softened. "Tomorrow, let's just spend the weekend together, for Mom and Dad's sake. I know you might not want to, but please."
I raised an eyebrow. "That's all you wanted to say?"
"Yeah..." Erika's voice trailed off.
"We could've talked outside your room. Bringing me here feels... weird."
Erika's eyes flashed. "I called you, but you didn't listen!"
I waved my hand dismissively. "Oh, sorry. I didn't know it was you."
Erika's voice dropped to a whisper. "I wanted to talk to you alone. That's why I called you."
My defenses crumbled at her words. Maybe this weekend wouldn't be so bad.
"Fine. I'll spend the weekend with you guys."
Erika's face lit up with a warm smile. "Thanks, Hayato."
I stepped out of Erika's room, her warm smile still etched in my mind. As I entered my own room, I let out a sigh of relief. Finally, some solitude.
I untied my hair, letting it cascade down my back like a dark waterfall. Exhaustion consumed me, and I collapsed onto my bed, still clutching the hair tie.
"Tomorrow, huh... going to be a big day, I'm sure," I whispered to myself, staring at the ceiling.
My thoughts drifted to the weekend getaway, and a nagging doubt crept in. "Now that I think of it, it seems I'm going to be the only boy."
I chuckled wryly. "Well, that's just great. Me, surrounded by girls... what could possibly go wrong?"
My mind raced with worst-case scenarios, but I couldn't shake off the feeling that this weekend might hold unexpected surprises.
"I just don't even know what's going to happen," I admitted aloud, my voice barely above a whisper.
As I lay there, my thoughts began to unravel. What did Erika mean by "spend the weekend together"? Would Natsumi and Naomi be joining us? And what about my dad and stepmom? What were their expectations?
The questions swirled in my head like a vortex, making my eyelids grow heavy.
"Guess I'll find out tomorrow," I muttered, surrendering to sleep.