Author's Note: Finally after a week, here's the next chapter. Please read and enjoy.


Chapter 3: Evil Brothers

It is a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon, a perfect time to go outside and to spend time hanging around with friends. But not for our self-proclaimed tensai, this is not a "so glorious" day for him since he has to accompany his two younger brothers in the zoo.

"Ne, onii-chan, hurry up, I want to see the zebra being fed.", Marui's youngest brother yelled at him enthusiastically while running towards the zebra place.

Marui just follow his brother on the zebra's place in a slow phase. Actually he doesn't care at all even if his brother won't see the hungry zebras. All he wanted is to make the time past quickly so that his misery of babysitting will end up. He is thinking on how fun it will be if he is with Kirihara and Niou who are now at the newly opened arcade.

"Ok, the zebras are now full, you have seen them being fed, so let's go home.", Marui told his two brothers.

"No way!", his siblings shouted and ran away from him.

"Ok fine you win, but don't run to fast, you might get hurt!", he shouted back as he chase the two mischievous boys.

Too bad, his middle sibling tripped on a rock. Marui immediately run towards his injured brother and examine his brother's knee.

"Didn't I told you to be careful?", he asked in a stern voice.

"I'm sorry onii-chan.", his brother replied sobbing.

"Come on don't cry. It's just a scratch. Men should not cry over such simple injury.", Marui encouraged his brother.

"But it's bleeding.", his youngest brother emphasized.

Sigh. Marui run out of reason. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and tied it around his brothers knee.

"There you go.", he said as he pat his brother's head.

But afterwards his brother run again and told him that they want to play hide and seek. His two younger brothers split their way making Marui looks so hopeless of chasing them, until he gives up.

"Those kids….", the red hair tensai murmured while still panting for his breath.

Suddenly his attention was caught by someone familiar, Eri-kaichou sitting on a bench talking with someone over her phone. At first he hesitate to see the girl because of his previous bad dream about her but then he is so curious on whom Little Miss Perfect is dating.

"Eh? You can't come. But I'm already here at the zoo.", Eri complained.

"I'm really sorry Eri but I have to attend an urgent meeting.", the person on the other line replied.

"How about the flamingos, I thought you desperately wanted to see that, especially the vermillion one." , Eri tries to convince.

"May be next time, promise I'll go with you. I'm really sorry that I persuade you to accompany me today, and then I'm the one who does not appear. I'll hang-up now, bye."

"Wait!", Eri yelled at the phone but the person on the other line already hang-up.

"So your date will not make it today, is that so, Eri-kaichou?", Marui speak up as he walks toward Eri and sit beside her.

"Excuse me? Don't your parents teach you not to eavesdrop on somebody's conversation?", Eri asked sarcastically.

"Unfortunately I'm not listening when they lecture me about that.", the red hair replied and he opened a bubble gum and start to chew it.

"How rude.", Eri commented while looking at the self-proclaimed tensai who is starting to blow a big bubble.

"I never thought that kaichou can still manage to go out for a date in spite of her very busy schedule.", Marui said.

"It's not your problem sugar freak and I'm not dating anyone. The one on the phone a while ago is my friend. She pleaded me to go with her in this place to see flamingos that's all!", Eri shouted at Marui.

"Oh, is that so. But please don't shout, you are creating a scene kaichou.", Marui replied in a calm voice while looking impassively at the people around that is looking at them.

Eri realized what she has done. Now, people around are looking at her and Marui. And based on their stare, you can read only two words on their face, and it spells like this: "LOVE QUARREL"

While in the state of blushing, Eri still managed to scold the people around. "What are you looking at! A romantic teenage story!"

Because of that, people around go back to their own business and not dare to take even a glance back. On the other hand, Marui is shocked. Actually in his mind, he is thinking that Eri would just run away from him just like a typical girl will do due to embarrassment.

"Hmmm… kaichou is so scary.", he replied.

"I'm not scary, you are nobody to me so why would I let them think that we are dating?", she said getting up from sitting.

"Oh, is that so.", Marui replied. "Hey, kaichou where are you going?", he asked.

When suddenly splashes of soda welcome Eri.

"What the…", Eri's words are interrupted.

Marui's eyes grow big on what he sees. His two younger brothers accidentally splash their can of soda on Eri's face and dress while they are playing.

"Uh-oh….", his two brothers said in sync.

"You, two!", Marui scold and pulled his two brothers away from Eri.

Eri just remain froze on where she stand. She didn't expect that prank. She get a tissue pack from her small bag and wipe her sticky face.

"I'm sorry for my brothers' rudeness.", the red hair tensai face Eri as he hold his two brothers' head bowing as well as he does.

"Unforgivable.", Eri replied and walked away.

The boys followed her and try to apologize.

"Forgive us onee-san, we didn't mean to drench you in soda.", Marui's youngest brother pleaded.

"He is saying the truth onee-san, we are really sorry.", the other one said.

Eri stopped walking and look at the boys. "Are you still going to follow me inside the rest room?"

The boys blinked and look at each other. Yes, they are in front of the ladies rest room.

Inside the rest room, Eri wash her face but still not decided whether if she will changed her soaked clothes or not. Her only option is to remain in her sticky soda soaked clothes or to wear the disastrous pink Lolita outfit that is inside her bag.

She just get the pink Lolita outfit a while ago from the tailor. Since the tailor shop is quite near the zoo, she volunteered to get that outfit to be used in their literature drama project.

"This is insanity.", she tell herself as she step out of the rest room.

Outside are the ever patient boys who are waiting for her.

"Onee-san, you looks so feminine.", said by Marui's middle sibling.

"Baka, what do you think of her, of course she is a girl.", the youngest one said.

Marui just watched his brother quarrel while looking at Eri.

"What are you looking at?", Eri asked.

"Obviously your otaku outfit.", Marui replied.

"This is all your fault red hair sugar freak!", Eri blamed.

"Yeah, I admit it, it's so troublesome to have brothers like them.", Marui replied.

"I know, why don't we invite onee-san on for an ice cream.", Marui's youngest brother suggested.

"Yes, I think we should treat her ice cream, right onii-chan?", the other one said.

"But-", Marui is trying to object.

"Please.", his two brothers pleaded doing puppy eyes.

"Whatever. But you must convince her first.", Marui replied and look at Eri.

The two little boys started to convince Eri. And for the sake of getting rid of them, she accepts their invitation with a promise that they will stop apologizing.

"You look so kind to your siblings.", Eri commented as he walked with Marui towards the ice cream parlor.

"Not really. Being the eldest is so troublesome. By the way kaichou, why don't you get too upset of what my brothers do", he replied.

"I never experienced being drenched in soda before. I do not have any siblings to do such prank on me, you know.", she stated.

"I see.", Marui replied.

At the ice cream parlor, Marui's brothers treat Eri so nicely. They pulled a chair for her, give her a menu and let her order what she likes while Marui stand near the ice cream display waiting for his siblings to order.

"So troublesome.", the tensai say under his breath as he pulled some paper bills from his wallet.

Actually, he is saving his money to buy chocolates and bubble gums before the tennis camp since it will be held in the mountains and there is no near convenient store at the location. But now, he is wasting his money in the most expensive ice cream parlor inside the zoo due to his manly pride. He doesn't like Eri to comment that he only treats her cheap ice cream at the zoo park. Damn his brothers for making him pay for their own mess.

"Wow, onee-san you surely know how to order ice cream. Can I have the cherry on top of it?", Marui's youngest brother ask.

"Baka, it's so impolite to her for that. Here I will give you mine.", Marui replied and scoop the cherry from his ice cream.

"Onee-san, what flavor is that?", the other ask Eri.

"The green one is called pistachio, while the white one is vanilla.", she replied.

"Wow, you know a lot about ice cream onee-san.", Marui sarcastically commented.

"Of course I know many things about ice cream because I always eat ice cream whenever I would like to cool down myself and so not to kill those annoying people who caused me angry.", Eri said making a fake smile.

"Ow… that's too bad.", Marui replied.

After the ice cream break, Eri bid goodbye to the boys, but the two mischievous young siblings started to cling on Eri's hands.

"Ne, onee-san, it will be boring if you leave us with our onii-chan. Could you accompany us to the flamingos?", the youngest one asked.

Eri looked at him and give a nod.

"Hay… I thought she will disagree… I really want to go home.", Marui said to himself following his brothers and Eri.

"So beautiful….", Eri commented on the flock of light pink flamingo.

"Yes, it looks like you're one of them.", Marui said passively.

"Huh? What do you mean.", Eri is wondering what does Marui mean.

"I say you look like one of them, look at your dress, it has the same color as the flamingos.", he replied. "Kaichou, I overheard that you are looking for the vermillion flamingo right?"

"Why have you seen it?", Eri asked.

"Yes, over there.", Marui said as he pointed a vermillion flamingo at the far side of the pond.

Eri immediately go to the vermillion flamingo and start admiring its beauty which is being illuminated by the ray of sunset.

After some moment, Eri told Marui's younger brothers that she is so sorry but she has to go home since its getting dark.

"That is so much onee-san, but can we ask you a last question?", Marui's younger brother ask.

"What is it?", Eri asked.

"Could we know what is your name?"

"Masaharu Eri.", she said and leave.

"Bye Masaharu onee-san.", they shouted as Eri walked away.

When Eri is gone on their sight, Marui fetched his brothers by their collar.

"Now, the two of you will pay for all the trouble you have caused me."

"I think not.", his middle sibling said with an evil grin.

"And why not?", Marui asked.

"Because we had this.", his youngest brother replied showing a picture of Marui and Eri talking to each other as if they are dating.

"Why, you! Give it back to me!", he said as he chased his brother who is waiving the digital camera.

"So onii-chan thinks everything that happened is just purely an accident. I'm so sorry for Masaharu onee-san, that we also make her as our victim.", his brother tell him.

At their house, Marui continue to plead to his brother not to show the picture to anyone. He explains that Eri will kill her if the picture will be replicated especially if it reaches Renji or Niou's knowledge.

Poor Marui, he gave all his money to his two brothers in exchange for the picture.


Author's Note: So how does it goes? Please review.