Again, thank y'all for the wonderful and kind reviews! I cannot wait to get further into the story and for you to get to know my sweet cinnamon roll Vivi more! Keep it up, people.

Disclaimer: I do not own Brother's Conflict or any of its characters.

~Crimrose

Chapter Six

Room

It feels like both a blessing and a curse to have someone I know as a member of my new family. I'm comfortable around Yuusuke Asahina, since we go to the same school and are even in the same class this year. He's friends with Sasakura-kun, who often associates with Maho-chan and I, resulting in us being something of a foursome that each lunch together sometimes. Something I know in an unfamiliar environment is comforting, and I know that being in the same class gives us no shortage of things to talk about. On the other hand, he looks like he'd rather be anywhere else than in this room with his brothers and I. I don't feel too awkward about this; more of a mixed sense of relief and dread, as he's one of the only people who knows I have something of anger management issues. But it must be an altogether different story for him.

"What are you doing here?" He asks, his voice stuttering and deep mahogany eyes wide. I'm shrugging before I can even answer verbally, which probably isn't the best response, but Kaname-san cuts in before I can say anything.

"Hinata?" His voice is laced with confusion. "Ahh, little sis' maiden name." Maiden name? I'm not even married. I glance at him, then quickly away again when I'm met with a smirk.

Tsubaki-san is suddenly very invested in our conversation. "What's going on?" He asks, returning to stand beside me, violet eyes glittering with mischief. "Do you two know each other?"

"Know each other?" Wataru echoes, head tilted to the side curiously.

"Not so much know each other," Yuusuke-kun grumbles, rubbing the side of his head as if it hurts, crimson hair coming away mussed. "We are in the same class…"

"Classmates?" Iori-san repeats, his brow wrinkles. Wataru mimics him this time, looking sincerely entertained, and Masaomi-san pulls him away lightly by the shoulder, basically telling him to sit back and watch the drama unfold. Traitor.

"Well, aren't you lucky!" Tsubaki-san is suspiciously chipper, I notice, as his hand clamps down on my shoulder without Juli clinging to it, warm and heavy. "Starting today your cute classmate is going to be your sister! Ain't that just precious?"

Yuusuke-kun blanches. His face is a stark white against the vibrant red of his hair, and my eyes are drawn to the small braids on the lower side of his head that he does all the time, one of the first things I'd noticed about him. "What? I haven't heard a word about this!"

"Oh, really? Sorry, I must have forgotten to tell you!" His expression is completely unrepentant, and Azusa-san just rolls his eyes as he mutters something not meant for Wataru's young ears under his breath.

"Tsubaki," Ukyo-san says harshly, and I can't help but notice how much of a big brother he sounds like. "It was your responsibility to let Yuusuke know, cretin."

"Tsuba-nii!" Yuusuke-kun practically growls, his brows slashed down and mouth turned into a deep frown. "You didn't tell me on purpose!" I'm wondering if I should tune out of this conversation, since it has become less about my presence here and more of a small fight. He looks to me, his face red with anger, and I resist the urge to flinch. No one has looked at me with such hostility before – wait, that's a lie, it actually happens pretty often. I'm just not used to it coming from someone I think of as a friend, which I hope won't be impacted at all by this. I'm actually happy I'll get to see him more now; even though our classmates thought of him as scary, which could be from the hair color and the way it flares out in every direction like a ball of flame, just a single conversation with him is enough to realize that he's a nice and earnest guy.

"I'm not alright with this," he hisses, and I frown thoughtfully. "You're my classmate, not my sister." I don't see why I can't be both; this situation isn't that uncommon, with divorced parents around the same age remarrying. It's a typical drama set-up pretty often on television.

Nonetheless, I feel the need to say something to appease him; I don't want to start off my new family with someone already angry with me. "I'm sorry," I tell him, and I can see the tense set of his shoulders ease up a bit. "It's a bother, isn't it? I know I can't help it much, but I'll try to keep out of your way…"

"No," he cuts in immediately, and I feel Tsubaki-san perk up beside me for some reason. "It's not a bother, necessarily, but…"

"You're angry, aren't you?" I say, confused. "It's okay to be, I'm not upset. I just want to know why."

"It's not that I'm angry either!" The immediate need he feels to clear up misunderstandings is what's so earnest about him, a straightforward quality I like in a person. Even though this seems off to a rocky start I get the feeling we'll get along better from now on. "I just… ugh, for Chrissake, just don't tell anyone at school we're siblings, okay? I don't want them to know."

I can understand where he's coming from; he probably doesn't want people talking nonsense about it, so I nod and say, "I can do that." He storms off basically immediately after, back to the elevator to retreat to his room, no doubt. I feel guilty for essentially chasing him from the room, but what else can I do? I suppose I'll try to talk to him about it later, see if we can work something out that will make dealing with this a bit easier on him. Suddenly having someone you're familiar with and not at the same time turn up as a member of your family must be disconcerting. I feel for him in that, since I also feel distinctly threatened as a new member of such a nice family with the knowledge he has about me.

It's not like I expect him to go blabbing about my deepest, darkest secrets to his brothers; I know for certain he's just not that kind of person. One of the first things I knew about him is that he has a strong sense of what's right and wrong, and won't hesitate to involve himself in potentially dangerous situations. Which is how he ended up being privy to a snap of my temper, accompanied by a literal snap of a classmate's elbow on my part, and I'm nervous that he may think a monster's running around in his house, a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. My violent streak is something I'd wanted to nullify in high school, and that incident had basically vetoed that decision.

Masaomi-san heaves a sigh, his eyes trained on the elevator doors as they slide shut with a click of finality. "Sorry about that. Yuusuke's always been a bit… rambunctious."

"That's just his personality," says Kaname-san with a shrug, and I can't help but notice he's gradually shimmying his way closer to me. "Don't let him get you down. As a way to clear out this gloomy ol' mood - " I have no idea what he's talking about, since everyone still seems quite chipper, " – how about you try calling me 'big brother'?"

"Hell naw," is all I hear Juli whisper, and I can feel him practically vibrating with rage on my shoulder.

"I don't know about that…" I say, because it's true. I can barely even think of Miwa-san as my mother yet, let alone these people I have just met as my brothers. I know it's true, and it's going to be officially in writing in a matter of months, but mentally I'm just not keeping up the pace with reality. Plus, he doesn't ask for 'onii-san' or even something more casual like they call each other, such as Masa-nii or Kyo-nii, but 'onii-chan'. That seems a bit too girly for me, and judging from the sparkles lighting up Tsubaki-san's eyes, also a bit too… I don't want to say kinky, because that is by no means what I mean, but it's the only word I can think of at the moment and it only serves to make me more adverse to saying it.

"Don't be shy," he says, closing in on me as well. "I want in on this action too!"

"Tsubaki's always been crazy over the 'little sister' characters," Azusa-san says, expressionless. "This is like a dream come true to him."

I look at him with wild eyes and an insane squirrel practically retching on my shoulder. "No pressure or anything." He turns from blank-faced to amused just like that, rubbing a hand down his jaw to hide his smile.

"She's going to say it to me first," Kaname-san cuts in, and while his tone is completely serious it's obvious from the look on his face that he's enjoying this way too much. "C'mon, lil' sis, show the love."

I've never felt so awkward and put on the spot in my life. Getting urged to take a shot was less pressure than this, as they are staring at me with such expectant eyes and I can barely even tell whether or not they're kidding. The eldest two are just looking at me with something resembling pity or sympathy, Subaru-san is outright disgusted, while Iori-san looks politely disinterested. Wataru, of course, is by Tsubaki-san's side looking at me with the same hope-filled eyes.

"Don't you say it," Juli spits right in my ear. "Don't you dare." I want to tell him it's no big deal, that it's definitely not as embarrassing as I'm making it out to be, but I know from experiences in my childhood that turning and striking up a conversation with a squirrel is not typically perceived as normal, sane behaviour. I'm at a loss, but in the end decide I'd rather they just stop staring at me like that, so I go the safe route – saying it to Azusa-san. The word is odd in my mouth, one I've obviously never had to use before, and I stumble through it a bit at the beginning. He looks mildly surprised to hear me call him that, but plays it off easily after a brief silence – which I'm grateful for.

"Don't push yourself to follow their moronic ideas," he says calmly. "You don't have to listen to them, okay?" I press my lips together and nod, trying to keep from laughing, because he'd just undermined them in such a blasé way that even Juli was quietly pleased. Tsubaki-san, not so much, as he immediately starts clinging to his twin and throwing off his center of gravity.

"I'm sorry about all this," Ukyo-san sighs. "I wanted everything to be relaxing when you got here, but I guess that's too much to ask."

"Know what's not too much to ask?" Tsubaki-san cuts in, his voice coming out garbled from the way Azusa-san was shoving him away by pushing his cheek. "Get used to calling us 'onii-chan', okay? We're family now!"

"Tsuba-chan's exactly correct," Kaname-san chimes in. "We're family now so we expect you to act as such around us. Don't feel the need to be reserved, yeah?"

"That's literally what I just said, Kana-nii."

"Maybe so, but I said it much more eloquently." He lifts up a hand languidly to gesture to me, his long tented sleeve flowing back to reveal a very toned arm. "Look how happy she looks. You really wear your heart on your sleeve, little sister."

"I don't think that's a bad thing," I say, embarrassed now. "I am happy to be here. I've never had so many people I could call my family before…"

Seeing that they had all stopped their individual conversations to listen in, I stop myself before I start rambling and just laugh nervously a bit. Kaname-san places a hand on my head, a gesture of comfort I think, and smiles down at me softly; probably the first genuine smile I'd seen him wear since I'd met him. "It's a good thing," he says, the look in his eyes warm. "A very good thing." I smile up at him in response, since I can't think of how to respond after just saying something heavy like that. One thing I know I won't grow accustomed to any time soon is all their gazes trained on me at once while I'm talking, politely giving me their attention. I never liked to be the center of attention, and now it seems like it has the potential to happen a lot in this household. I cross my arms, as if I can cage in some of the security I want to feel in an environment where I feel so exposed all of a sudden.

"Onee-chan, will you come play with me?" Wataru asks, skipping to stand in front of me. "I have lots of toys in my room! Even a giant bunny!"

"Let her get settled in a bit first," Masaomi-san says, placing a hand both on his head and my shoulder. I wonder if head pats are a common gesture in this family, since I've seen and experienced it a number of times in the minutes I've been here.

"Allow me to show you to your room," Ukyo-san offers, which I gratefully accept. One of the easiest ways to get used to living here, I believe, is to create a space for myself. Fitting all of my old furniture and whatnots into my new room here will be like combining the past and future together, making it much easier to cope. It's nice to know that I'll always have somewhere to retreat to if I feel things getting a little too crazy; I've never been good around tons of people at once, which is why I always stick with Maho-chan at parties and don't really mingle.

"I wanna see lil' sis' room!" Tsubaki-san cries, and is thankfully caught by the scruff of his neck by his twin, looking to be at the end of his seemingly infinite patience.

"Really, Tsubaki," Azusa-san sighs. "Save it for another time."

"We'll see you in a bit," Kaname-san says with a wave in my direction as Ukyo-san begins leading me back up the loft stairs to get to the elevator. Once we get to the steel double-doors he presses the triangular button facing downwards, and it arrives in a matter of seconds. It's slightly uncomfortable to look back down on the rest of them in the loft and to see them all staring with smiles on their faces as the doors slide close, and I'm worried that the moment these doors close they'll breathe a sigh of relief that they don't have to pretend to like me anymore. While that fear is very real for me, I know that I shouldn't assume they're the kind of people that would do such a thing. Juli nuzzles closer to my neck, sensing my faint distress, and Ukyo-san immediately huffs out a breath and turns to me to apologize again.

"It's only your first day here, so I told them to keep their antics to a minimum," he growls, pushing his glasses up his nose again. "Clearly that meant nothing – I didn't want you to be scared away immediately." He looks at me with a humbled smile and drawn eyebrows, and I realize that he was honestly worried that I wouldn't like this arrangement at all and just make off. He doesn't know me at all yet, so I can understand why he may think that, and decide that I'll do what I can to ease his worries.

"I wasn't scared," I tell him honestly, the smile on my face completely genuine. "It's just different – a good kind of different. I've never had so much energy in one household before."

"It's exasperating," he sighs, crossing his arms over his chest. "Though I suppose you'll come to learn that soon enough." I laugh at that, since I figure it's probably true and I can't hide my excitement at the prospect. In no time we reach the fourth floor and the doors slide open to introduce a quaint hallway, paned windows lining the walls at regular intervals and letting sunlight splash onto the glossy wooden floors. It has an odd shape to it, straight horizontally then curving downwards left and right, similar to a horseshoe. Tall doors are spaced evenly along the wall in front of us, each a deep burgundy colour. The only sort of decorations are a few framed photos lining the wall, depicting family trips or school events. I smile when I see them, thinking of how I was the only one in pictures around my old house, and I hope I can make fond memories like that with them that can be captured forever within a frame.

Ukyo-san steps out of the elevator and leads me down the hallway only a few steps to the last door on the left side. "This is your room," he says, cracking the door open by turning the knob. "Azusa is your neighbour, and Tsubaki, Kaname, Masaomi-niisan, and myself share this floor as well. Don't hesitate to come get us for anything – even if you feel it's minor." He's looking at me pointedly, his eyes speculating a response, so I just nod severely to reflect that yes, I understand and will take that into consideration (though knowing me I'll most likely be too awkward to do so). He steps inside my room and makes way to gesture for me to follow, which I do after bowing respectfully.

I'm shocked – pleasantly – to see everything put together. I thought I'd have to set up my furniture and whatnot by myself, but save for a few boxes stacked in a corner, my room is in complete order. It's smaller than my old one, which is by no means a bad thing, it just makes the space more intimate. The walls are an extremely pale mint green, which works since all my furniture is white except for a few accents. My bed is made up with my white sheets and duvet, the throw pillows artfully tossed on top with my blanket a colourful slash on the bottom, kept in the corner of the room to leave access to the balcony – another pleasant surprise. My small television and game consoles are all assembled on top of the white entertainment unit. There's a door off to the left from the entrance, presumably a closet, as well as my desk and chair to the other side beside the television.

"We left your clothes and decorations for you to put away yourself," Ukyo-san clears his throat. "Didn't want to be too intrusive. Sorry if we messed up your vision - "

"No," I interject immediately, aware it's rude but wanting to clear up any misunderstandings. "No, this is awesome. I honestly wasn't expecting you to do any of this," I add, gesturing to the whole room. "Thank you so much."

"It's important to be comfortable," he points out, smiling fondly as he stands rod straight in the doorway. "I'll leave you to it for now. We were thinking of just getting take-out tonight – do you have any preferences?"

I laugh because I identify with Kirby in the sense that he sucks up anything in sight. "No, not at all. I'm okay with anything, thank you."

"Alright then." He bows briefly to me, so formal I get a bit embarrassed, and says he'll send someone up later to fetch me. He leaves me with a quiet click of the door shutting, muted by the sound of my blood rushing in my ears from my heart racing. Familiar pieces of furniture in a different place was really surreal, and I had no idea where to start. Honestly, I just wanted to sit down and take a moment to process everything, but the rational part of me shoved that idea aside and led me to set my carry-on down and start tearing into the boxes to get everything put away.

Juli takes a soaring leap from my shoulder to land on my bed, resting on the pink knit throw as he usually does. He looks like he belongs, yet at the same time like he doesn't. "That was incredibly stressful," he spits as I begin by setting my stationary on my desk. "They're more aggressive than I thought."

"They were just being nice, I'm sure," I say as I swipe on my phone briefly to begin playing some music from its small speakers. I hope the walls aren't too thin that they'd mind, and I'm sure that they'd tell me if they did – it's no trouble to just turn down some music, after all. Lana's husky voice begins streaming from it, and while my English is mediocre at best I know enough to understand that it's a melancholy song, bringing me down from my "new experience high".

"Too nice," he growls, and I look over with a snort to notice him tapping his foot impatiently, his arms crossed in a gesture similar to Ukyo-san's. "And you need to be more on-guard – don't just let them touch you so easily!"

I'm a bit frustrated with him at this point, since I honestly see no harm in a bit of familiar physical contact. Most of the framed photos I have – some with Maho-chan, some at my jujutsu studio – have somebody with their arm thrown around me or something like that. I actually hesitate when putting some of them out – what if one of my new brothers (aside from Yusuke-kun, since he's experienced it first hand) comes in to see pictures of me with a faint flush of alcohol in my cheeks, and don't approve? I shake it off with a physical shake of my head; underage drinking is the norm now, and it's not like I go on benders every night. So I shrug to myself and carry on, humming along with the song.

"I don't really care if you hate it," Juli says, more to himself than me. "I'm going to protect you no matter what – that's my job."

"Yes," I say, rubbing him tenderly on the head with my pointer finger. He relaxes into my touch and the tense set of his body eases a bit. "Thank you for being so worried; I know it's because you care about me."

That settles him into a peaceful silence as I move about my new room, my stockinged feet sliding across the floor. There's a tenseness within my chest, one that makes it feel as if it could burst at any moment, and I realize it's because I'm happy. This is my place now, a place with a family that's so full of life and entertainment. I can't wait to tell Maho-chan about them tomorrow at school; I just know she's going to be ecstatic. Then I remember that Yusuke-kun doesn't want anyone to know, and I heave a sigh. I'd have to talk to him sooner rather than later to see what I could do to make this easier for him.

The song changes to something more uppity as I continue yanking stuff out from boxes, and I come across my trophy, something I hadn't seen in years. I consider displaying it, then decide against it. While I am undoubtedly proud of myself for winning the middle school jujutsu championship, it's not something I necessarily want to boast about. So I place it safely within the closet, which has built in shelves lining the wall. There isn't that much left to go, since it was mostly clothes that had to be folded and knick-knacks, so I'm left wondering if I should change out of my uniform – that would be the polite thing to do. But at the same time that leaves the dilemma of what I should wear, of what would make the best impression. This is incredibly troublesome, as I've never cared so much about what people thought about me before. I can't wear sleeveless shirts, not just yet. So I opt to pull on some white-washed jean capris and a long-sleeved burgundy shirt, made out a thin material so I won't die of heat.

My heart's racing again as I think about going back down to all my new brothers, a nervous-excitement that makes me feel a bit sick to my stomach. I glance briefly in my tabletop mirror, and decide to dust a bit of powder on my face to get rid of the shininess. I considered just reapplying my concealer, but I'd remembered how Kaname-san had referred to my freckles as adorable and decided that I agree enough that I don't want to cover them up. After that's done I turn around to see Juli scowling at me, at least as much as a squirrel can, and just shrug. Clearly he's unhappy that I'm trying to at least look different for the "beasts" downstairs, but who dislikes being called cute? With a smile to myself I set to unpack the rest of the little things, sitting cross-legged on the floor with my hair finally let down. It flows in front of my face, glittering near-silver in the sunlight coming from the balcony doors, the humidity making my natural curls border on clownish frizz.

It's when I'm arranging the games on the entertainment unit that I hear a knock at my door. That shocks me enough, since it's so out of the ordinary, that the game clatters to the floor from my hand and Juli's on his haunches, hissing. "Come in," I call at the same time as I wave at him to settle down and relax – which he obviously does not.

I think it will be too awkward to turn and completely stare at the door as I watch whoever it is come in, so I remain turned towards the task in front of me. I hear the door open with a click and my heart is set into a frenzy, then confident footsteps striding towards me. "Wow," says a cheerful voice as something warm lands on my head. I tilt my head up slightly to see Tsubaki-san standing there, his hand on my head again, an impressed expression on his face. "You sure got through this stuff quickly! I came here to offer my help, but it looks like you don't even need it!"

I laugh at that. "I'm a bit of a neat-freak. I appreciate it, though." I wonder when he's going to move his hand. While yes, I don't mind physical contact, I'm experienced enough to know how prolonged, gentle touches are often misinterpreted. It's obvious from the ballistic growling in the room that someone does mind, and I don't think it's my brother.

"That's what brothers are for." He plonks down beside me, crossing his legs like mine, and beaming in my face. What a nice smile he – and all his brothers, for that matter – have. It's so entirely genuine and friendly, something hard to find in people nowadays. "Your hair's gorgeous," he tells me, picking up a piece of it delicately in his hand. I'm unused to such compliments so I wind up flushing a bit against my will. "One of our brothers is a hair-dresser, you know. I'm sure he'd love to get his hands on this."

"That's awesome," I say honestly. "I'd love to have someone else deal with it once in a while." My gaze travels to his head, his hair pure, titanium white but his eyebrows dark and near-black. "That's not your natural colour?"

He shakes his head, finally releasing me, and I try not to let him see me sag with relief. "Nah, my hair's black like Azusa's. I just like experimenting, is all. It's also easier for fans to differentiate us like this, you know?"

"I guess so," I agree, bending back over my games. "It must be hard being pretty famous, huh?" I have no idea what I'm saying, so I'm fully aware I'm babbling. "Though I imagine it must be fun, as well." I'm about to ask him some specific works he and Azusa-san have done, to see if I'm familiar with any, when he pokes the back of my neck and I nearly smack his hand away on reflex. I guess my hair split in the middle to reveal it, and I'm blushing again, this time from mortification.

"What's - " he begins, but he gets cut off by another knock. When I beckon them in it's none other than his twin, looking mighty unimpressed with his current position.

"Tsubaki," Azusa-san says in a voice carrying so much authority I get chills, and I see Tsubaki-san flinch in my peripheral vision. "I told you not to bother her."

"We were just talking!" He cries, then he turns to face me with a pleading look. "Right? Weren't we?"

"Well, yes…"

He's grabbed by the scruff of his neck and a laugh bursts out of me at the look on his face. "I'm sorry," Azusa-san says with a roll of his eyes. "Don't be afraid to tell him he's bothering you, otherwise he won't get it."

"I'm right here," his brother groans, his voice hitching from his collar being pulled against his neck.
"Which you shouldn't be." Azusa-san yanks him up and places a hand on his back to shove him towards the door, and looks back at me with a kind smile as Tsubaki-san grumbles. "I'm glad you seem like you're settling in alright. We'll see you at dinner, okay?"

"Okay," I say with a wide grin. "Thank you."

He leaves with a respectful nod that knocks his glasses slightly askew, then he escorts his whining twin out with a few harsh words of his own. I heave a sigh of relief once the door clicks shut again. No need for Tsubaki-san to know he'd been touching a dragon's whiskers just yet.

"Jesus," Juli spits, and that's when I notice he's sitting right in front of me, his fur spiked in irritation. "How can someone be so oblivious that he doesn't know he's bugging you? You could see it on your face!"

"To be fair," I say, rubbing the dragon's head tenderly, "I wasn't facing him."

"Vivi." I've never heard him sound so exasperated, and while it's a bit unnecessary, I can't deny I'm amused. "You have a hard time saying no, and while that's fine, you can't be afraid to say that you don't like something - " There's another knock, and his jaw drops. "He just doesn't know when to give up! I cannot believe - "

This time I get up and answer it myself, nearly slipping and landing flat on my face from my socks on the smooth wood floor. It's Iori-kun this time, smiling gracefully with his perfectly coifed slate hair falling in his eyes. "Hello again," he says, his voice soothing even the trembling Juli. "I hope I'm not disturbing you."

"Of course not," I say, smiling in turn. "I've just finished unpacking. What's up?"

"Well, I was thinking I could show you around," he says, sounding so sure and confident that I'm actually a bit jealous – I'm quite sure my voice had been cracking like a pubescent boy's. "The neighbourhood, I mean. It will probably be handy to know where all the convenience and book stores are right away so you're not looking around later." He shifts his weight to his right side, so graceful and swift I barely notice. "We can be back in time for dinner."

"That would be great," I answer merrily, flattered he'd been thinking to do something like that. "That's a huge help, thank you." He moves aside so that I can exit my new room and shut off the light and close the door behind me, Juli clinging to my shoulder with a vengeance.

"It's no trouble," he laughs, amused by my formality. I tie up my hair back into a bun as we head to the elevator, and I'm a bit unnerved (not in a bad way) when I find him watching me. He really does look like a prince, with soft eyes and an easy smile. "I can't even imagine how you must be feeling if this is a bit strange for us – we're gaining one new family member when you're gaining thirteen."

I roll my eyes with a smirk. "It's gonna take some getting used to, I think, but I'm looking forward to living here." I smile directly at him and am met with one in kind. "I definitely don't think it's bad by any means."

"I'm glad," he says, his voice dripping with honesty. "I'm sure we'd hate it if we made you uncomfortable, albeit unintentionally. Speaking of, if you ever need help with studying or anything, you can always come to me. I'm happy to help."

"That's nice of you," I reply as we reach the first floor, and I have to squint against the reddening evening light as the doors slide open. "I'll probably take you up on that. Keep in mind that I'm here to help, as well. You can rely on me as your sister from now on, any time." It seemed so natural to me that they should, since they have constantly said that's what family does, but it seems I took Iori-kun by surprise, judging from his widened eyes. But he quickly eases back into his regal smile.

"Of course," he murmurs, seeming genuinely pleased. We slip out of our slippers and into our shoes at the entrance, and I have to unceremoniously bend over the get the back over my heel. "Are you ready to go?"

As I return to a standing position, I have to let out a stretch, lifting my arms high above my head towards the warm sun, soaking it in like a growing plant trying to orient its roots. "As I'll ever be," I say, glad to earn a slight snicker. The two of us walk out of the captivating building together, and I feel so much lighter on my feet than I had on my way here that I can't believe only a few hours or so have passed.

This isn't some kind of trial, or an obstacle in my life I have to overcome. It's a wonderful opportunity to finally be able to call some kind people family, and while I'm thrilled to be getting a very courteous tour from Iori-kun, I honestly cannot wait to be seated at the dinner table with so many people, something I've never had the privilege of doing before.

Even if Juli's hissing is like a constant stream of static interference in my ear.