An Entertaining Brunch
Despite it being three in the morning, I had a difficult time falling asleep. Was it because of the beer? However, the day kept repeating in my head, from when Azusa saved me from the fall in my old workplace to his goodnight kiss. Even though he yelled at me, the good things made my heart warm. I couldn't help but think of him as I slowly drifted to sleep.
By the time I woke up, it was already noon. "Ugh... What a great day to start my Friday..." With grogginess lounging in my body, I got up and sauntered to my bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth.
I didn't expect anyone to be home at this time, so when I saw long orange hair, I had the expression of surprise.
"Hikaru-san? What are you doing here?"
Said man looked up from a book he was reading while on the red couch of the living room. With a smile, he greeted me. "Afternoon, Erin-chan. You look well rested."
I flinched. I really did overslept. I'm doing that a lot while on vacation... "Good afternoon, Hikaru-san." My eyes traveled around to see if any other brothers are here, and they weren't. "Are you here alone? Is anyone else home?"
"Ah, everybody is either at work or at school." He replied. "Do you have any plans today, little sister?"
I shrugged. "No. Not Really." Thinking about what to do, my stomach growled. My face flushed and I hurried to the kitchen. I opened the fridge to see if there was any food available.
"Want to go out to eat?" Hikaru asked, looking over to me. "It will be my treat."
I shot up and looked at him. "R-Really? Are you sure? I mean, I can pay for myself."
He put his hand up to stop me. "I can pay, no problem. Come on, get changed. I'll wait for you at the lobby."
When I went to my room, I wasn't too surprised to see a certain upset squirrel.
"Juli, nothing bad happened," I quickly said without waiting for a question. "Please don't baby me."
He groaned and I walked into my room. "Chuu! I want to protect you and Chii! I'm just afraid those wolves would do something to hurt you." He noticed I pulled out some clothes. "Are you going out?"
"Yeah, and you don't have to worry about me. Really." I signaled him to turn around while I changed into a green tank-top and dark brown pants. "If anything, you should be protecting Chii more than me." I brushed out the knots in my hair, fashioning it into a low ponytail. To brace myself for the fall cold, I pulled on a light beige knit cardigan and my black boots. I rubbed Juli's head and grabbed my side bag. "I'll see you later, Juli. Keep protecting my sister for me, okay?"
With a sigh, he complied. "Fine Chuu..."
Down at the lobby, I met up with the cross-dresser and went to his car.
"So? In the mood for anything?" He asked as he started the engine.
I thought for a bit. "Hmm... Takoyaki sounds good. Uh, if that's alright for you."
He chuckled. "Of course it is. I know a good place." He began driving, and I reclined in the passenger seat. "I hope my brothers aren't giving you any trouble."
I immediately thought about last night and how much fun I had with the twins. "No, they aren't." I smiled at him.
"Really?" He glanced at me from the corner of his eye.
Then, I remembered Kaname's kiss, and I tried to hide down the blush. However, my body didn't stop from shivering slightly. "Are you trying to insinuate something?" I pouted at him in order to hide my embarrassment.
"Haha! No, I'm just teasing." He giggled out. Playfully, I stuck my tongue out at him.
After a moment of silence, I spoke. "You're... An author, right Hikaru-san?"
"Correct. Under the pen name 'Asakawa Hikaru.'"
"What type of books do you write?"
"Ah, mainly noir. I'm currently working on a short series." When he replied, he let out a small sigh.
"Is it tough?" I wouldn't be surprised, when there are deadlines and what-not.
"Only when editors are breathing down your neck."
The place Hikaru took us to was a quaint restaurant that sold soup, noodles, and takoyaki. An interesting combination. We asked for a seat for two, and got our own booth. Both of us ordered half a dozen octopus balls, and tea. I got lichee black tea while he asked for green sencha tea.
"So, do you read a lot, Erin-chan?" Hikaru leaned forward with an arm on the table, his chin on his palm.
"Actually... I don't." I admitted with shame. "I am more of a watcher than a reader." I meekly sipped my tea. Telling someone who writes for a living that you don't read makes one feel guilty, or at least I did.
"Hmm, and why is that?" He laced his fingers together. "And don't worry. I'm not upset or anything."
I cleared my throat. "I enjoy having the story visualized for me... That, and you can say I'm a lazy son of a b."
"Oh, please. Everyone has their reasons." He fanned his hand with a small smile. Still, though, upon my request, he gave me a general synopsis of his various noir works, and they sounded kind of interesting. I didn't promise that I would read them, but I did hope that his novels will someday become movies.
Eventually, our takoyaki arrived, and I ate in glee. I've had a few back in the States, after searching for so long, but there's something satisfying with eating from the homeland.
"So, do you like America?"
I swallowed my food before replying. "Yeah, it's an interesting, busy place. I had to get used to a lot of things."
"Like?" Hikaru barely touched his food as he leaned in to listen.
"Like..." I had to pause and think, chewing on the toothpick. "Ah! I had to leave tips at restaurants, which I found weird... Also, the lines in convenient stores get pretty long. The cashiers there are pretty slow." I drink my tea as I thought of others. "Well, it's less sanitary in places like the subway and streets... Oh! There aren't a lot of vending machines, and if there are, they mainly sold soda or water. It was really different from the machines back home."
Hikaru nodded, 'hmm'ing. "Must've been quite a change. Were you able to adapt quickly?"
I was blowing some heat off the takoyaki when he asked. "Somehow. It's not hard, especially when you have an American friend."
"Speaking of, how did you two meet?"
"Who, Kris? We met in the Star Dream Stage in New York. We were in our final audition, and once the both of us passed, she's the one who reached out and spoke to me." I proceeded to tell him how the two of us mainly stayed in the California company, but we sometimes travel to the other two branches in New York and Florida.
When he began to eat, I talked about how I first wanted to become an acrobat and how much mess I made. I then gave him the full story of how I came to wear a band aid on my cheek, touching it occasionally. He told me stories of how he and his brothers were when they were younger. One of the most interesting stories was how Ukyo started off cooking, and how bad it was when he was still in high school. I couldn't help but laugh.
"How do you like your new, extended family?" He asked suddenly.
"You guys are great," replied with a grin. "At first, I actually worried for my little sister. When she said she started living with eleven brothers, and that we had thirteen, I was a bit scared. Especially since I didn't know any of you."
"Well, it was a drastic and unexpected change. It's no surprise you felt that way."
"Right?" I paused and poked the octopus ball. "But then I met you and your brothers. I saw that you all cared for her, and welcomed me with open arms, despite it being a somewhat late notice." My lips pulled to a smile. "I was afraid of leaving her two years ago, but I know she won't be alone now. Being in the Asahina family is very... Warm."
Hikaru smiled with me. "We still have our problems, though."
"And what family doesn't? Doesn't mean I will stop loving you all. However, if any of you do hurt my sweet sister, I might have to kill you." Giving my threat, I simply smiled. I knew they wouldn't intentionally hurt her, but I still decided to give my cold smile. My skin tickled and I let out a laugh when I saw my stepbrother flinch.
"You really do love your little sister, don't you."
"But of course!" I popped in the last takoyaki in my mouth.
"What about our brothers?" He asked, sipping his tea casually after. "Do you love any of them?"
"I love you all. Even if I only know you for a short time. But, how can I not?" I answered after swallowing the food.
I heard him giggle, and he shook his head. "That's not what I mean, imotou."
I tilted my head, and then narrowed my eyes. "You're not asking..."
With a sly smile, he clarified his question. "Do you love any of us as a man, not a brother."
A rasp escaped my throat, and if I was still eating, I would have been choking. "I, uh... Huh. How can I? They're... You're my brothers. Plus I've only known the thirteen of you for a few days." I frown. I'm not much in a believer of love at first sight. I prefer to know the person more before falling.
"Then... Who is your type?"
"H-Hikaru-san!"
He puts his hands up defensively.
There was a pause before I spoke. "It's hard to say..." I decide to say, to his surprise. But I looked away, feeling my cheeks heat up in embarrassment.
Once we were done with lunch, in which we had a little battle over the bill, I was rubbing my stomach, satisfied.
"Thank you for the meal, Hikaru-san."
"And thank you; I really enjoy having conversations with you," he mentioned with a kind smile. I thought we were going to return to the car, but we kept walking down the street, passing by cafés, fast foods, and small stores. Eventually, I found myself in a trinkets shop. It was a brightly lit shop with knitted plushies, ribbons, and various hair accessories. Without question, I looked around. 'Maybe I could find a cute phone chain for Kris.'
I was browsing through when my brother called me. "Erin, which one looks better?" He pulled up two hair pins. One had a small, cute bunny head, while the other had an orange and white cat.
"Hmm..." I wondered if this was for him. "The bunny." I pointed. That will look cute. Imagining him wearing such a thing made me giggle.
He shuffled around before holding up a red bow and a purple water lily hair pin. "What about these?"
I peered at them. "Umm... The bow. No wait, maybe the flower?" They both looked nice. If this was for him, then the flower would suit him better.
Before I could give him a final answer, he asked to choose between a blue flower pin and a pink one. I immediately chose the blue. A little after, he asked what my thought was on a pin that had an orange and green spotted cloth button on it.
"It's simple and cute." Curious, I look up at him. "Are these for you?"
He went wide eyed for a second before giggling in his feminine voice. "No, I'm just curious on a young girl's taste." He gave me a reassuring smile, but I couldn't help but be wary. He looked down and noticed that I'm holding keychains. "Those for you?"
I shook my head, looking back and holding the keychains up. "Trying to find one for my friend."
"Kris?"
With a smile, I replied. "Yup!"
Soon, he disappeared from beside me. It took a while for me to decide on a cute plush phone charm. It was a strawberry ice cream cone with a smile, adorable smiling face. With my own smile, I left the aisle and searched for the cross dresser.
"Hikaru-san," I called out when I spotted his orange hair, "sorry for taking so long. I have my gift. Did you find yours?"
"Yes, and you mustn't make a lady wait," he said jokingly. In reply, I winked and stuck my tongue out.
He already paid for... Whatever it was, and I paid for my gift and we left.
"Thank you, again, for the meal, Hikaru-san," I said, once we got situated in the car.
"Oh, don't mention it, imotou. Thank you for taking your time to go out with me," he replied, and we shared a smile.
The engine revved to life before he pulled out from the curb.
"So... Why do you wear women's clothes?" I asked after a few minutes of nothing but the radio. He looked really good in them, and if he's a tranny or gay, I would not judge. "If you don't mind me asking, that is."
"It's for my work," he replied with a smile.
I stared at him, my eyebrows creasing in confusion. "What do you mean? I don't get it."
"Well, as a noir novelist, my writing has criminals in them, and in order to correctly portray murderers, rapists, and the like, I visit them in prison of wherever they are. Since most are male, dressing up as a female helps get more information."
Truth be told, I got what he was going for, but I couldn't figure if that was smart, or crazy. But if it works, it works.
Seeing my contemplative reaction, he giggled. "Anyway, don't worry about it."
It was early evening by the time we got back to the residence. I didn't realize how long we stayed for lunch, or how long we were in that store. "Are you going back to your apartment, Hikaru-san?" I asked, considering he just stopped in front of the building instead of going to the parking lot.
"Sadly, yes. I collected valuable information today to help me from my writer's block, so I should type it all up before I forget it." He wore a tight-lipped, small smile.
I thought for a second. "Is your character suddenly living with thirteen males, or..." When he let out an airy laugh, I smiled. "Is she going to America for the first time?"
"Haha, possibly the latter."
"Possibly?" I repeated with an amused smile.
"Well, let's see how it's going to be typed up."
"Haha, okay. Need any help," I pointed to Sunshine Residence with my thumb. "You know where to find me."
"Of course, Erin-chan." We shared one more giggle before I decided it was time to leave.
"I had a lot of fun today, Hikaru-san." I unbuckled my seatbelt.
"As did I."
"Thank you, again, for the meal. If you ever come to California in America, I'll treat you." I said.
"I'll be sure to take you up on your offer." I started to open the door. "Hold on, Erin-chan."
Looking back at him in question, I saw that he was holding something in his hands. "Hikaru-san?" It was a hair pin with a big light blue star and a smaller, darker one beside it. My eyes stayed glued to it, following it as he reached over and pulled my bangs back. My left eye instinctively closed as I felt him pin the hair in place. 'Oh...' Slowly, I opened my eye. "Hika-"
"My beautiful sister shouldn't hide her face from others, especially from her family she holds dear." For the first time, Hikaru used his masculine voice. I didn't expect the difference, so my eyes widened in shock. "Maybe sometime, you can share the history of this." His thumb traced along my cheekbone. He held a charming smile, and I felt almost entranced as I nodded. The smile widened and he leaned closer, propping himself on the arm rest between us. "Aww, don't tell me you're falling for me." He jested with a smile, his voice feminine once again.
At his words I flinched and pouted. "You just caught me off guard, Hikaru-san!"
He let out a giggle and raised his hand to my head. "Run along now, imotou." He ruffled my hair. "If any of my brothers bring you trouble, call me."
I stuck my tongue out. "Don't count on it."
He gasped and out his hands over his heart.
"Hehe, see you later, Hikaru-san." Smiling sweetly, I exited his car. I watched as he drove away, waving with a smile.
For someone who writes for a living, Hikaru didn't say much about my scar and eye. Maybe he already knew? But the few words he did say warmed my heart, plus it gave me the confidence to keep my hair like this. I know Louis and Ema would be happy, along with Juli. A smile pulled at my lips as I turned towards the Residence.
'Haha, maybe I am falling in love.'
Author's Note
Well... Stuff happened, so this is late. Sorry about that, readers.
Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter with the beautiful/handsome novelist.
Note for those who haven't realized, Hikaru did a little test to see which brothers have a chance with Erin. Bunny-Masaomi, Cat-Natsume, Red Bow-Ukyo, Purple Lily Pin-Kaname, Blue Flower-Azusa, Pink Flower-Tsubaki, Spotted Button-Hikaru.
nvsimbolon: Hope that you enjoyed this chapter XD
ColdHeart1206: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it. ^^ And sorry, it's Hikaru instead of Fuuto. I'm trying to focus on the older brothers, since they're the ones I plan to pair Erin up with. Hope you're still fine with that.
NightlyRowenTree: Haha, yeah! Sex jokes are funny XD Glad you loved it.
animegoddess644: Haha, what DO voice actors do for hentai shit? XD What professionals have to do for their art... lol
cheshirecat1997123: I'm so sorry that this chapter is late. . I'm really happy that you love my story though o3o
Thank you for all your support, and I hope that you appreciate this chapter, and wait for the next one.
Please read and review, and I'll see all you lovelies in the next installment!