As much as I appreciated the presence of Kotori, since she did welcome me into the Itsuka household when I was first noticed by her parents whilst I was wandering about the city without knowledge of where the hell I was or what the hell I was doing, and because she'd been the closest thing I'd had to a best friend for the whole of my life in Japan, I didn't quite understand one thing.
Why the FUCK did she deem it necessary to start jumping around on my fucking bed at such an early hour in the bloody morning?!
"Gooooooood morning, Big Bro! Waaaaaaake up!" she giggled as I felt my bed moving from side to side, presumably due to Kotori doing an admittedly adorable dance as she stood over me laughing. I groaned, and threw the covers over my face.
"Jesus CHRIST, why?!" I growled, checking my watch. Seriously, Kotori?! "It's five in the fucking morning! Go back to sodding bed!" The response from my ludicrously red-haired sibling was another giggle, then the bouncing stopped. Finally, got a breather. The girl's too excit
"OW, JESUS FUCKING CHRIST, WHY?!" I yelled, recoiling forwards. Kotori's foot came slamming down onto my stomach. Literally every single particle of oxygen I had in my lungs just fucked off right then and there, leaving me gasping for breath. My sister simply giggled, then sat down to straddle my torso. She didn't really weigh much: My problem was that I was still reeling from her sudden attack. "F-Fucking hell, K-Ko-Kotori..." I whined, clutching my stomach.
In response, she just smiled. "Yes, my dearest brother?" I grit my teeth, and breathed in to get more air into my lungs. Then, slowly, I reached to the side of my bed for something I knew Kotori had a strange fear of. Taking a fearful glance at them, she let out a squeak, before running straight out of the room in a panic. Since I'd moved to Japan, I'd had my belongings from my original family in England moved over to the house I now exclusively shared with my sister. As such, my rather spacious bedroom was different to that of an average Japanese teen: My PC and TV were in the corner on my desk; I had a bookshelf filled with famous works and biographies of historical leaders; And next to my bed, since I had nowhere else to put them, was the large assortment of de-activated weapons, knives, swords, and militaria that I had gathered over the course of my previous life in the Land of Hope and Glory. A strange hobby for someone my age: At my age, most others were going out drinking, playing football, and hitting on girls to no end, with their collecting habits being phone numbers and chavvy clothing.
My collecting habits?
Military gear that was either unwanted or obsolete, guns that had been decommissioned or rendered an obsolete caliber, and the worried glances from those I mentioned it to.
It seemed so long ago, but...my parents were dead, my brother was missing, nobody could take me in, and they wanted to put me up for adoption, so I just ran. I hid in trucks, I snuck aboard boats, and somehow, after months, I ended up in Japan.
And that was when I met Mr. and Mrs. Isuka: My step-parents, and probably some of the nicest people I'd ever had the pleasure of knowing. Mr. Isuka used to walk past me every day as I sat in the street, waiting for...something. Then, one day, he stopped, and asked why I always sat on the side of the road. Since he was the first Japanese person I'd spoken to, I was surprised to find that for some inexplicable reason, everybody spoke perfect English. I explained my situation, and he left for about half an hour before returning with a blanket, and offered to take me to his house. The rest went from there: I stayed with them, eventually they got legal custody of me, and with that, all my belongings from back home came all the way to the Far East.
Though I will admit: Trying to get six or seven dozen different non-functional or obsolete rifles, pistols, shotguns machine guns, rocket launchers, grenades, helmets, gas masks, uniforms, knives, and swords through Japanese customs was a little bit more paperwork than Mr. Isuka would have liked. However, after I explained that they could prove to be valuable decorations and such like, they finally got given the go ahead.
So long story short, Kotori has a full length Scottish claymore in her room, right above the door, as well as an SS Officer's cap. It's fairly strange, but she doesn't seem to have a problem with the way the visitors we get gawp at them.
As I heard her panicked cries down the hall as she moved down the stairs at a rate of knots, I did feel like kind of a dick for threatening her with a sawed-off shotgun, even if it was non-functional. I decided it'd be a good idea to make it up to her.
Yeah, I know, she kicked me straight in the stomach with the force of a million accumulated Paul Walker crashes, but it was just impossible to stay mad at her for anything. She's just over a year younger than me, and even I find her adorable, but not in the creepy way I assume some of you are thinking.
Groaning to myself, I dropped the sawed-off back into the pile of weapons with a loud clatter, and sat up, scratching my head and looking down at myself. "Well, at least I didn't have a wet dream last night, or anything..." I muttered, before casting a glance at my abdomen. There was a huge red mark where my dearest sister had done a fucking swan dive Cloaker kick to my stomach, which looked like it was probably going to bruise. "Son of a bitch, that lass..." Begrudgingly, my body managed to force itself to its feet, so I trudged over to my computer and flicked it out of sleep mode. It hummed into life, and I checked the date in the bottom right corner.
April 10th
Ah, bugger. First day back at school. I cast a glance out the window, to be greeted by the sight of a golden sunrise. "At least the weather's not shit," I grunted. At this point, I decided to go and have a shower, so I grabbed my bottle of gun oil-scented body wash.
Yes, it did clean me up. It just made me smell of gun oil. Mixed with the chocolate-scented shampoo, people walking past would either be wondering if I just walked out of a garage, or if I'm Willy Wonka.
People always guess I just walked out of a garage.
They get nothing: they lose.
After a leisurely shower...
"Hey, sis," I said calmly as I walked through to the kitchen. She made a 'hmmph' noise, pouting and folding her arms. "I'll make breakfast, aye?" There was a pause as I stood in front of the fridge. Finally, I turned to look her in the eyes over my shoulder. "Aye? Breakfast?"
Kotori sighed. "Aye..." I grinned, and got to work on being shit at making food. As I cracked the eggs and poured the shells into the pan, I looked up at Kotori whilst I expertly put out a pan fire.
"You're still pissed off about the shotgun thing?" I asked. She nodded firmly, still frowning.
"Yeah."
"Well, here's some news for ya..."
"They're de-activated, I know," she huffed, resting her elbow on the table and using it to support her head. "You tell me every time you do that, and it still gets to me."
"And that's not all," I interjected, causing her to make a quiet 'huh?' and look at me. I smiled. "If I had one bullet and someone told me to kill you, I'd shoot them instead. You're my sister: The day I attack you is the day I stop loving you. And have I ever attacked you?" There. That brightened her up: She smiled, then jumped down from her chair to turn on the TV.
Of course.
The news was on.
"Another one?" I asked. Kotori just nodded from across the room.
As usual, she didn't hold back on the description. "Yup. Spacial Quake in Hiroshima. Place is a crater." I couldn't help but snigger.
"Wow, that's the second time in seventy years!" I laughed. Kotori turned back and glared at me.
"That's a pretty mean thing to say, Big Bro," she said flatly.
"You know you love it," I smirked, disposing of the radioactive mess I had just created using household foodstuff. After a moment, she shook her head, smiling.
"Never change," she sighed, before turning her attention back to the news. Whilst I made her some toast, since I'm literally the best at making toast and nobody can argue back, I heard a wrapper being opened, and the sound of Kotori putting something in her mouth. I paused.
"Hey, sis?" I began.
"Yeah?"
"Where do you get all those lollies from?" Now Kotori turned to look at me, and sure enough, there was a white lolly stick poking out of her mouth.
"Hmm? Whaddya mean?" she replied, an adorable, confused expression on her face.
"I just wondered where you get all of those lollipops from. You've never seemed to run out, after all these years."
"Oh...really?"
"Yeah, you don't. It's like every time I look at you, you've got a lolly in your mouth. I just wondered where they all come from."
"Is it important?"
"Nah, not really."
"Oh." She paused, and looked out the window for a few seconds. Then she shrugged. "OK, then." I simply shook my head slightly, and got to buttering her toast.
Fairly normal morning.
Later, once we'd headed out to school...
Since the local diner was at the T-junction where we normally parted ways to school, my younger sister turned away.
"I'll se you later, Big Bro!" she said cheerfully, skipping away down the route she normally took. Hold on, was she doing anything later? I raised my hand to my mouth.
"Oi, Kotori, you gonna be at home later?" I called after her. She paused, and placed her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes at me with a grin.
"Hmmm...I'll meet you outside the diner after school, so we can get something to eat?" she suggested. I shrugged.
"Fine by me, I don't bring lunch to school," I whistled, before waving her off. "Make sure you're here, alright?" As my adoptive sibling skipped away, I heard her calling back to me.
"Don't worry, Big Bro! I'll be here, even if there's a Spacial Quake!"
After a moment, Kotori was gone. I scratched the back of my head, and turned to leave towards school. "Fairly certain she fucking would be here if that happens..." I muttered. Just as I began to walk, I bumped into someone and being knocked straight onto my arse. "Ooh, shit, sorry, mate," I said quickly, dusting myself off slightly. However, after a familiar laugh rang through the air, I grinned. "Hiroto, you fantastic bastard, haven't seen you in ages!"
The lad in front of me was one I'd known for a considerable length of time. Since the start of attending Raizen High School, in fact, since I was transferred in by Mr. and Mrs. Itsuka halfway through first year, when every other student was around my age. Hiroto was the student who was told to guide me about the place so I got used to it: Turns out we had a lot in common. He was pretty much my best friend by the end of the first week, and we normally played video games together on weekends and holidays. Though the only frustration I had was that he was taller than me: The bloke was five foot eleven, and I was five foot ten.
"Jack! Long time, no see!" he laughed, extending a hand to help me up. I gratuitously accepted, getting to my feet and rubbing the toe-caps of my Magnum boots on the back of my school trousers. As far as the school was concerned, they were just large school shoes that my trouser legs concealed partially. But then again, they really just got the teachers annoyed when I spent two minutes undoing them and putting them on at the end of physical education, which, I might add, was not my favourite subject. Sure, people often said "You're not fat" or "You look strong", but I always figured they were lying to my neckbeard ass. "How've you been?" Hiroto asked. I stuck my hands in my pockets, and tilted my head from side to side slightly as we started walking to school.
"Pretty good, nothing much happened outside of what I mentioned over Skype," I replied. "You?"
"Same here. Say, did I tell you I got a girlfriend?"
"It's a dating sim, innit?"
"Yeah, how'd you guess?"
"Because nobody's got standards that low."
"Ah, shut up. Don't think you can say much, considering your level of interaction with the rest of the class."
"What're you saying? You saying I'm quiet?"
"Not particularly, but you just don't talk to people. You answer questions, but you don't...like, talk to people." I shrugged slightly.
"Well, fairly certain people're used to it by now. It's been about two or three years, ain't it?"
"Yeah, and you still sound like a posh English guy."
"Posh? Posh?" I retorted, looking at him, "What the fuck did you just sodding say about me, you bloody wanker? I'll have you know I graduated at the top of my class in an all-Boys' school, and I've performed over three hundred acts of fucking violence against other lads..." Hiroto threw his head back and loudly chortled.
"OK, OK, I get it, Jeez!" he chuckled. "Toughest guy on the estate, you made it clear." I jabbed a finger at him.
"You bloody well got that right," I said firmly, nodding. "Besides, we're not here for long, are we? This is just another one of those 'Welcome Back to Hell' days that lasts about two hours or something, right?" Hiroto nodded, and ran his hand over his hair.
"Right!" he replied. "And I'm fairly certain that everyone has to come along, so maybe this time we could try and change how everybody sees you."
"Ech." I frowned, and scratched my stubble. "I'm fine with my image as it is. Don't have many friends, don't particularly want many friends." The lad next to me frowned.
"Well, it's good to have friends around, y'know. Just in case you need backup for anything, or just want to talk to someone."
"And that's why I've got you." I grunted, putting my elbow behind my head and stretching. "I do something bad, and then you rush in and shoulder charge everybody so we can leave, and then I give you money or something. I dunno. Loose plan."
"I'm not always gonna be around, y'know? Besides, not like we're gonna have the same classes or anything. You took metalwork and design, I didn't."
"Bah. Might be in the same form, though."
"What's form? Isn't form just the English version of homeroom?"
"Aye, it is. Thought I'd told you that before."
"Nah, you didn't. But now I know." I was just about to drop a sick mixtape Transformers reference, but we'd arrived at the gates of Raizen High School. Since it was only our year doing the sign-in, the grounds were sparsely populated, with only a couple of students wandering towards their homerooms. As we entered the modern-looking building, I reached into my pocket and withdrew the letter I'd been given.
"Says here I'm in Miss Okamine's fo..." I paused. "...homeroom. You?" Hiroto pulled an expression of surprise?
"Really? Same."
"Called it." I said flatly as we headed upstairs.
As we went into the room and sat down, I felt like something was going to fuck up that day.
I couldn't be sure.
I just knew.
