Okay, this chapter was one of the first to be edited as of 2/16/13 due to the story deviating from the title and description. For new and old readers, I hope you enjoy this series! (As a note, only a few things have been changed in this chapter, so things being down-played, and a few grammatical errors being fixed. There's no reason for me to simply limit my editing to the story plot, after all. MG.

I don't own my little sister can't be this cute.

An Earlier Start

The first time Ayase Aragaki saw her best friend on the ground, with her brother standing over her, she was too shocked to do anything.

The second time... Not so much.

It was a normal hot, summer day, one of the first without school in fact, and as a sort of 'celebration', Kirino Kosaka invited her two close friends; Ayase Aragaki and Kanako Kurusu over to hang out with her. Again, she told her older brother to stay out of their get together, but he was still, somehow dragged into it.

Ayase and Kirino had been chatting audibly together, with Kanako being silent, having seen Kirino's older brother, Kyosuke Kodata again. She hadn't seen him in ages, and so, was surprised to see that he had grown muscle mass, as well as height.

It had started when Kyosuke's cousin, who was half American, had visited Japan and his family. The two bonded quickly, as Kyosuke's cousin also had a younger, loud sister. The cousin taught and schooled Kyosuke in the American game, 'basketball' many times, and even showed him a type of dance that he had learned, called breakdancing.

At this point, Kirino rarely called on him for 'life counseling', as she called it, and so naturally, he had gotten a bit bored. While his cousin was with the family in Japan, the two regularly played basketball and danced, as the cousin had actually brought a huge speaker with him from the states. Every time the two played basketball however, Kyosuke lost. Thus, he resolved to get better at basketball, as well as breakdancing.

However, the first time Kyosuke tried to learn something from his cousin, it was the turtle freeze. With the turtle freeze, a person presses their elbows into their stomach area, and uses their hands to hold themselves up on the ground. What the cousin forgot to mention however, was that this move was tough for someone that had never learned breakdancing, and didn't have the required muscle to pull it off.(1) Kyosuke nearly broke a bone trying to do the technique, and so when his cousin left, Kyosuke promised him the next time they met, he would both beat him at basketball, and be able to do moves that even his cousin couldn't do yet.

Which led up to the current point.

"Hey Kirino, can you call in your brother?" Kanako asked, surprising the two, as they hadn't thought Kanako would even spare a thought about Kyosuke. (2)

"Why?" Kirino asked, tilting her head a bit.

"I need to ask him something..." Kanako said slowly, putting her chin on her hand and staring at the doorway. Ayase and Kirino both looked at each other, before shrugging a bit.

"I'll call him then," Ayase said, standing and surprising Kirino.

"But-"

"I'll be okay Kirino. Be right back," she said, walking outside where Kyosuke was practicing.

Outside, Kyosuke was leaking with sweat as he tried some acrobatics mixed in with breakdancing footwork. Every once a while, he would trip up a bit, but immediately catch himself and continue. Finally, he breathed deeply, before jumping and twisting his legs up in mid-air, before swirling them and landing on the ground, hand to the ground and kneeling.

He then heard clapping, and immediately looked up towards the source of the sound.

"That was really nice, I take back what I said about you being normal looking," Ayase said to him, holding back a curse as what she just said could be counted as a compliment.

"What is it," Kyosuke said, irritated.(3) Common knowledge within the household was that Kyosuke became rather agitated and irritated when someone annoyed him while he practiced, even if it was something like 'Dinners ready!' or a compliment. He turned down the music from his personal speaker that his cousin had gotten sent to him from America.

Ayase looked at him, a bit surprised and annoyed that he didn't look happy at her compliment, and that he didn't say anything dopey or nice that he used to. It had only been a month, but with the intense training that he had gotten from his dad... Piled atop what he had been training with for the past few weeks...

He had a six pack, plain and simple. Also, his biceps, pecs, and practically every single part of his body was fine-tuned. His skin had grown darker, as the house wasn't large enough to practice, and he often practiced outside, shirt off. Like now.

His expression softened when he saw Ayase though, and smiled, waving and saying, "Hey Ayase-san, sorry but did Kirino not tell you? It's a bad idea to try to talk to me while practicing..."

Ayase smiled, knowing now that he wasn't being indifferent to her. Despite being a model, she was still a bit insecure sometimes, and so naturally, she used Kyosuke as a footstool. She was embarrassed at first, until she confronted some of her co-workers and they all had their footstools as well. Even Kirino used Kyosuke, as no matter what, he was always there, and always cared.

"Despite that, I didn't come down here and call you to be barked at. Kanako wants to talk to you," Ayase said, sniffing.

"Ah, I'm a bit busy right now..." Kyosuke said, picking up a nearby basketball and draining it into a hoop he set up atop the garage to prove his point.

"Oh so you can't take a small simple break from this to talk to your for once interested kohai's? Fine fine, I'll tell Kanako you couldn't make it," Ayase said, expecting Kyosuke to relent.

"Sure, tell her I said sorry, and sorry to you also, as you came down from the second floor for no reason," Kyosuke replied, uncaring. He once again began to prepare himself, turning up the music on the speaker he had brought. He shifted his weight slowly and did a one-two punch to the dummy that his dad had set up for him. Since he had begun to care for his physical appearance and well-being, his father had begun to teach him martial arts, and Kyosuke had gotten emerged into it as well, finding it fun and challenging, allowing his imaginative mind to use its wits and try to fight in a battle, as a spar could almost be called a chess battle of wits (A.N.: sorry, got a bit of a rant on that)

Ayase's eye twitched uncontrollably as Kyosuke began practicing kicks and punches, and actually pulling a small notepad from god knows where, titled 'martial arts theory' and writing some things down, muttering to himself.

"To throw a kick from a distance is like attempting to use a queen and bishop for a scholar's mate... Its like using the queen early, and potentially losing it, as if the other person catches the thrown kick, then you will be nearly immobilized. You will already be at a distance from them, and its hard to move with one foot captured. Naturally, you could kick with the other leg, but the thing is, if you miss, you will be on the ground most of the time, fetal. Thus, closing in and using ones fists is a much better use of limbs, although a kick while distracted..." Kyosuke muttered quickly, drawing a small model of a chess board and a figure kicking.

Ayase tapped on his shoulder, prompting Kyosuke to turn around. He met a smiling Ayase, who, although smiling, was radiating evil intent.

"Oh Onii-chan~. Lets go upstairs so you can meet Kanako again! Only I have to warn you, if you molest anyone in the room, I'll kill you," Ayase stated, all while smiling sweetly. Kyosuke started to have cold sweat, and quickly nodded, grabbing a nearby white t-shirt before following her up the stairs.

Upstairs, Kanako and Kirino had been talking.

"Grr, what's taking those two so long? I swear, if Aniki molested Ayase..." Kirino muttered.

"Would he really do something like that? He doesn't seem like that kinda person..." Kanako said, pursuing her lips. Kirino hesitated.

"No... But still, it's Ayase. And it's my brother. I just don't really trust him with her..."

Kanako nodded slowly. Then said, "I'm going to do something to test him, first, I need to know though, is he gay?"

"No..." Kirino said, nearly face-vaulting.

"Good, then this will work. Just don't interfere, I'll do the rest," Kanako said, a mischievous gleam in her eye. Just then, Ayase and Kyosuke walked in, Ayase walking in front of Kyosuke, who looked annoyed and a bit hesitant.

"Okay, so what do you want me for?" Kyosuke asked, looking straight at Kirino.

"Don't ask me, she's the one that called for you," Kirino said, pointing a thumb at Kanako.

"Okay, so, uhh..."

"Kanako."

"Kanako-san, why did you interrupt me from my training..." Kyosuke said, staring at the twin-pigtailed girl.

"Why, to help you of course," Kanako said, batting her eyelashes at Kyosuke. Ayase was about to say something, before she and Kirino locked eyes, sending an unspoken message. Ayase calmed down and sat down, as Kanako stood, beginning to circle Kyosuke, who was standing calmly, sticking his hands in the pockets of his basketball shorts.

"Help me how?" Kyosuke asked, undaunted.

"Well~... I know why you started to work out so much..." Kanako said, trailing a finger over his well muscled back. Kyosuke raised an eyebrow, a bit amused. His mind was going a hundred miles a minute, as it had become sharper from all the theorizing he had done with breakdancing and fighting alike.

"Oh really~" Kyosuke replied in a sugar-sweet voice that he somehow made despite having a deeper voice. He played along as Kanako circled him, eyes trailing her.

"Well about a year ago we met, correct?" Kanako said, oblivious to the fact that Kyosuke was playing her. Kirino and Ayase realized it, and tried to warn her, but she was oblivious to them as well.

"How can I forget," Kyosuke responded.

"Of course, that is the first day you met me after all."

"So it was."

"And I suppose the reason you work out so much is~"

"Please, do enlighten me."

"You were taken by my beauty and wanted to ensure that the next time we met that you could almost compare in looks?" Kanako finished, grinning slightly.

"Absolutely," Kyosuke began, a gleam in his eye as Kanako smiled triumphantly, "Not. I have no interest in a relationship right now, and with all due respect, I think I'm a bit old for you," Kyosuke said, startling Kanako. She promptly face-vaulted.

"Damn, I guess that proves it. Ayase, he's not hitting on you, or me for that matter, and we don't even have to ask about you, Kirino," Kanako said, downcast as she sat down again and the three faced Kyosuke.

"Can I go now?" Kyosuke asked, before catching Ayase's glare. He raised an eyebrow, before saying, "Nevermind, one of you doesn't want me to leave just yet for some reason.

Strangely enough, all three girls blushed simultaneously, making Kyosuke's hair nearly disappear in his hairline.

"I-I'm going to get some water," Kirino coughed out. She stood and started walking down the stairs. Kyosuke raised an eyebrow at the two remaining girls who couldn't even lock eyes with him.

Suddenly, as if to break the ice, the two girls began to talk about modeling and how going to Kyosuke's school would be, and other 'girl stuff'. Kyosuke stood slowly, sighing in annoyance as he slowly walked outside, eyes down.

"Damn it, why are girls so annoying sometimes? I'm starting to wonder what I saw in Ayase before sometimes..." Kyosuke muttered to himself, as he walked towards the stairs. Because he wasn't looking, he didn't see Kirino walking in the same direction, also lost in thought, and neither knew of the other til they crashed.

Kyosuke, in his thoughts, didn't see a small anime case on the ground that Kirino had left, and thus didn't notice it til he stepped on it, sending a shock through his leg. He fumbled a bit, trying to regain his balance, but with the surface of the case as smooth as it was, all it did was send him flying forwards. Luckily for him, his training with his father had paid off in a way, and so he landed as he should have, nearly in a push-up position. Unluckily, Kirino was under him, and there mouths were interlocked. The water all went flying, hitting Kirino's white shirt and making it see-through, as well as Kyosuke's shirt, making his see-through also.

Both their eyes shot wide open, and before Kyosuke could even try to get up, Kanako and Ayase peeked their heads out of Kirino's room, looking for the source of all the commotion. Ayase saw the two and immediately thought the worst. The last time, she could barely accept, and still hated Kyosuke for it. But this!? No.

After the last incident, Ayase had asked Kanako for some help learning a basic combination to knock someone out, as well as put quite a bit of pain on them. Kanako had asked why, but Ayase had simply saved that she wanted to learn to protect herself and others. In her book, Kirino was a person that she needed to protect.

Screaming defiantly, she sprinted towards Kyosuke and Kirino, before kicking Kyosuke in the stomach, as there was a small gap between the siblings. While Kyosuke got a small bit of air, he was breathless, and so as quickly as she could, Ayase elbowed Kyosuke as hard as she could in the back of the head, sending him flying down. Without ceremony, she dragged him off of Kirino, and helped her up, asking, "Are you okay? Why did he attack you? How did he attack you?"(4)

Kirino simply stared jaw slack at Kyosuke, who was on the ground and massaging his head, groaning about a headache. He leaned forward, still holding his head, and spitting out a bit of blood in the nearest cup. He growled a bit, turning to Kanako, who had turned pale.

"You taught her that?" he asked, his voice leaving no room for argument.

Kanako nodded, eyes full of fear as Kyosuke stood up slowly, making the three girls fully understanding of just how tall he was.

"That combination... You thought it was supposed to knock me out, yes?" he asked Kanako. His usually calm eyes were fiery and filled with rage, showing just how related he and Kirino were.

"Y-yes... I didn't think she'd use it for anything other than self defense though..." Kanako said meekly. Kyosuke's knees threatened to give out, and he turned to Kirino, who began to speak.

"O-oh my god, are you okay Aniki!?" she said, staring with her jaw open.

"Yeah, don't worry Kirino, I'll be fine," he said, his eyes passing Ayase as he swayed a bit. Ayase, who was now worried, as it was obvious that what he had done was on accident, said, "Are you sure?"

Kyosuke turned, eyes flaring again, saying, "I just got kicked hard in the ribs, making at least one of them cracked, then elbowed in the back of the head and hit the ground face first. That combination if any higher or lower, or any stronger, would've cracked my skull or shoved my windpipe and esophagus too forward and made me out of breath. That could've killed me. Do you fucking think I'm okay!?"

Ayase and the other two cowered back a bit, not used to him cursing at all, or even yelling really. He had to be really pissed, although who could blame him?

The girls all watched as Kyosuke walked unsteadily downstairs, and again as he walked up a minute later holding an ice pack and an orange soda. As he walked into his room, Ayase was about to say something before Kyosuke slammed the door shut, making her hesitate. A few seconds later, Kirino got a text, "Tell dad I need to cool off for a bit, and that I'll clean the dishes myself later if he helps with my things outside."

Kirino quickly replied, "I know you aren't okay, but how bad is it? And yes, I'll tell him."

Kirino waited for a while, before she got a response, "Headache. I feel like an imps been tap-dancing on my head already, and I haven't even gone to bed yet. I won't be able to go outside for a while, maybe a day or two at most. Don't worry about me, have fun with your friends. I need to get some sleep now, to rest."

Kyosuke sighed as he slowly eased himself into his bed and covered himself with his blankets, closing the blinds as well. His last though before he fell asleep was, "Damn it. I'm never going to forgive that girl again. She made me go a place I didn't want to and interrupted my training, has treated me badly ever since I've met her, just for covering for my sister. She thinks I'm a pervert, when I'm not, and so much more, yet I've forgiven her, and actually had a crush on her and thought her to be the cutest thing ever. But no more forgiving. Even Buddha can get angry if you punch him three times. She crossed the line this time. I'm never going to forgive her again.

: I actually have learned breakdancing, and can confirm that it is one of the hardest things to learn, depending on what about it you learn. Turtle freeze I've tried to teach to some other people on occasion, but only if they already are really fit, or if their muscles size correspond correctly to their body size maybe will they do it correctly.

In my story, the two haven't met since Kyosuke and Ayase got Kirino a present, so the added muscle mass is new.

This has happened to me before also, someone talking to me while I'm deep in practice for something. I'm normally patient but annoy me while I practice...

I saw on another fanfic that the body only uses 50% of its muscle power most of the time, as there are restraints otherwise you could hurt yourself, and that a person only uses a higher percentage when they're anxious, like a mother and her baby under a tree/car. Not sure if this is true, but the mother/baby is, so Imma go with it. Also, Kyosuke was trying to get up already, and Ayase caught him by surprise. He's a bit lighter to in my story, trading some of the weight from before for muscle.

Okay, so to make this clearer for those that have already read this story once, and simply are going through it again:

Kyosuke is a year younger, as is everyone else. The canon storyline took place a single year before the actual one, and so currently, Kyosuke is in his third year of the Japanese equivalent of high school, and the others are going into their first year for the Japanese version of high school. In canon, this is the summer before Kirino goes to America, and so you can expect the story-line to be mostly original from now on.

Also, Ayase isn't one of the main characters now, or at least, she isn't any more important than the other girls. Instead of her conflict with Kyosuke being really a focus of the story, it'll now be more of a finger that pulled the trigger in this story, setting all of the events in motion.

MG