Itsuko Hinata (23)

Aki Hinata (21)

Mio Hinata (19)

Kikue Hinata (15)

Itsuko POV

How could I let her talk me into moving into this complex? It's not like Dad wouldn't have funded an apartment for me if I'd asked. Sighing, it was obvious why. He should be spending that money on his new wife, not his twenty-three-year-old daughter. My jobs paid well enough. There was surely an apartment that I could afford. But how can I justify spending that kind of money when there is a free option right in front of me?

Annoyed by the bouncing little nineteen-year-old beside me, I smacked her on the head. "Quit! You're being obnoxious." She had been talking about this all night. Neither of us slept, having to pack up all our belongings on short notice.

Mio rubbed her head and frowned. "Way to be downer, Itsuko! This is totally exciting!" She was practically drooling. "Besides, we're going to be living together." She sighed dreamily and clapped her hands together.

"Like you're actually going to talk to him. He'll find you creepy if you keep it up. I mean, you are cute being under 5 feet tall, but that fangirl shit isn't going to win you any points." If anything, it'll make him not want anything to do with her. Unless he's a freak, and likes that kind of thing. In that case, I'll have to kick his ass.

She stuck her nose up and went ahead of me. "I am not being creepy! It's not weird to be fan of a voice actor!" Pressing the elevator button far too many times, she shifted on her feet, the nerves already getting to her. Mio could talk a big game, but whenever she came to face to face with her idols, she'd freeze or run away without a single word.

Following her into the elevator, I checked my messages to see which floor was the main one and hit the corresponding number. "Don't be mad at me, Mio. I think you just need to keep your expectations down. He's now your step-brother. No more late-night moaning about him, perv." I teased. There had been one or more occasions that I'd caught her doing god knows what while imaging one of her idols being the one doing it to her. Luckily, no one else had caught on to her nature.

Mio turned completely red and smacked her hand against my arm. "Don't say things like that, Itsu! What if someone heard you?"

"You should be asking yourself that question when you choose to do that. It's even more relevant now that we're living with more people. Keep that in mind." I patted her head as the elevator dinged and the doors slid open.

Voices floated up from down below. There are so many of them. It'll be hard to remember all the names. That had been something I'd never been good at. Mio had grown quiet and kept in pace with me until we reached the stairs. On cue, all eyes turned on us and she practically hid behind me. Scanning the room, it seemed she had nothing to fear. Tilting my head back and meeting her gaze, I shook my head.

"Welcome, you must be Ema's sisters," one of the boys greeted us. He must be one of the older ones. Tall. Friendly. He approached us with a big smile. "My name is Masaomi Asahina, and I am the eldest brother."

I bowed slightly, not taking my eyes off him. "I'm also the oldest, Itsuko Hinata. And this is Mio, the third of our bunch."

"And a lovely bunch you are," the blonde one said, taking my hand and bringing it up to his lips. "Kaname Asahina, it's such a pleasure to be family with a gorgeous woman like you." His smile held more than a friendly gesture. Lust. For a monk, he sure seemed eager to make me swoon over him.

Pulling my hand away, I narrowed my eyes. "Try your sweet talk on someone else. As far as I am concerned, we're roommates who happen to have parents that married. Nothing more. You aren't my family." My words halted when Mio grabbed my arm.

"Easy, Itsu," she whispered, giving me a concerned look. Clearing her throat, Mio waved her arm. "It's nice to meet you. We're super exhausted from moving so suddenly, so excuse her, okay?" For her to apologize meant I'd gone overboard.

Masaomi still smiled, not bothered by my outburst. "It's quite alright. Ema has also had a rough day." His words made us share a look. She's not okay? "But she's fine. Just resting. If you'd like, I can show you to your rooms?"

Nodding my head, I couldn't bring myself to say anything. That was uncalled for, on both our parts. He shouldn't be so pushy with a girl he just met. That pisses me off. He acted entitled. He touched me without my permission. But… saying those things was also not okay. Even if I believe them to be true. Dad and I had a big argument about the subject. Everyone wants to shove this family down my throat, too. Isn't it enough to accept my so-called sisters?

"Itsuko, this will be your room on the third floor. Mio, I believe we've set you up on the fourth. I apologize for not being able to room all of you on the same floor. It would be hard to rearrange this late." Masaomi let us into Itsuko's room that had been filled with her boxes. "Ema is on the fourth floor, in case you wanted to find her. Mio, if you'll come with me."

She shot me a desperate look, afraid of who she might run into. But as mad as I was on the inside, I shook my head, opening the first box to unpack. She wouldn't tell him. That would be admitting that she couldn't handle living with her idol. Pressing my hands against my face, I took a deep breath. "Get a grip, Itsuko. Calm down."

Alone in the room, I took my time unpacking. There was an endless stack of boxes. Clothes. Books. Movies. Bedding. Decorations. So much to do and all I wanted was to sleep. The bed looked comfy, too comfy. So, I decided to stack some boxes on top to keep myself away. Those I would deal with last. Pushing my sleeves up, I tried to focus on the task at hand. Just unpack these boxes, and make it as homey as possible.

It didn't last long before my stomach growled for food, and my whole body felt heavy. Sighing again, I left my room to go out to the store. The front doors slid open and two boys almost ran into me. One I instantly recognized, Tsubaki. He's the one Mio is so obsessed with. She'd drug me along with her on more than one occasion for an autograph, which I had to ask for. She chickened out. The other one must the twin that is always with him.

"Oh hey, you must be one of Ema's sisters. It's so nice to meet you," Tsubaki said, moving in to hug me.

Ducking under his arm, I stuffed my hands into my coat pocket. "Yeah, and I'm going out." It felt colder than it should have. Maybe we'll have an early winter here. Pulling my phone from my pocket, the directions to the nearest convenient store had already been located. My stomach growled again, louder this time.

"I can drive you, if you'd like. It's a good walk to that store, and the temperature is dropping quickly," the other one said, seemingly less threatening than his smirking brother. What Mio sees in him, I couldn't puzzle out. Sure, they're both attractive but not so much that they should be obsessed over. Besides, they're voice actors. It's not like she sees his face all the time.

The cold nipping at my skin made me give in. Settling into the passenger side seat, the dark-haired twin started the car and put it in drive. He didn't force the conversation, letting me brood from my seat. Staring out the window and watching the street go by, my anger began to subside. It almost felt comfortable in the car, but my situation still needed to be resolved. It wouldn't be good for me to live with all these boys. Who knows what I'll say if I drink too much or get angry again. Dad had given the name of a therapist in town who would give me a discount, but no part of me wanted to tell my problems to a stranger that didn't care about me. I could deal with my own issues alone. Like I'd always done.