Disclaimer: I do not own any of OreImo's features such as the characters, stories, rights, etc. as they are the property of their respective owners.
Serene Days | Chapter 2: The Newcomer
Kirino:
The standard katsu don is one of my favorite dishes. Not only does the crispy exterior and the tender interior of the pork merge well, but it creates great harmony with the rice and soft omelet layer above it. My mother doesn't make it often, but if she did, it would signal a great meal.
This time around though, I found that my eating experience was rather mediocre. The taste of the pork, rice, and egg all blended into one generic taste rather than stand out individually. It must have been quite obvious that the way I was slowly eating my dinner wasn't usual.
"Kirino dear, are you alright? You usually are more enthusiastic when I make katsu don". My mother put cupped her hand on her chin while she gave me a quizzical look. My brother also took a perceptive glance at me as well to which I replied with hastily looking away. I look down at the floor, barely able to contain the embarrassment and intensity I had felt during my earlier 'activity' in my brother's room.
I still felt a pulsation on my chest and hand, while some lingering sweat remained on my forehead, it must've looked like I had a fever or went out for a tiring run. Perhaps that was what prevented me from enjoying the full katsu don experience, and I couldn't help it, what I've done back then was… unordinary.
"I'm fine" I squeaked out. I looked back up at my mother to confirm my statement and shoved another spoonful into my mouth.
After what seemed like hours, I finished a sufficient percentage of my meal and stumbled back up the stairs. After closing my door behind me I crouched right at the entrance of my room and leaned back against my door. Snap out of it Kirino! It's just… it's just… I suddenly found my hand rising steadily. It neared my chest, attempting to reenact the aforementioned scene. After noticing the trajectory, I quickly swung my hand back to my side. This isn't like me.
I hurriedly get up and plop myself on my desk chair. With swift hand motions, I quickly opened up my computer and into my folder of eroges. Alright! 'Shining Summer Sisters', help me out in this predicament! Before long, I had completely immersed myself in the world of twin sisters playing gleefully in a field of sunflowers.
The game did well in subduing my thoughts from the 'event' in the room next to mine, but I could tell that it didn't disappear. Some sort of mellow feeling still remained deep in my chest. The feeling was very hard to describe. There has never been a sensation so unknown to me before, and it annoyed and, for some reason, embarrassed the crap out of me.
Suddenly, I jolted up in my chair as I saw my door opening in the corner of my eye. It was my brother! Before he could fully open the door, I leaped across the room and shut it using my back and hands.
"Hey! What's the deal Kirino?" My brother's slightly irritated question rang out from the other side of the wooden door. It was reasonable to be a bit angry after having a door slammed shut on you, especially if it happened twice in the same day, however, I couldn't afford to let him see the state I was in.
"Don't enter without my permission baka!". I was surprised after shouting that. My usual aggressiveness was unusually lacking. With no doubts, I normally bark at my brother as if he were a mere pet, but today my ability to do that has been drained out of me.
"I knocked several times! You looked a bit sick during dinner so I was wondering if you were alright". There it was again, the caring and compassionate 'onii-chan'. Always looking after me, and as thanks, got a serving of door. I always seem to take my brother for granted. I was unforgiving and relentless when he did something stupid and unappreciative when he did something like this.
Usually, I'd just 'humph' it off and return to whatever I was doing, but today, an unfamiliar power within me ordered me to apologize. As if my body acted without my consent, I opened the door, revealing my heavily blushed face.
My brother was as surprised as I was as he stood back a bit, taking in the uncommon sight of his sister. "S-sorry for slamming the door on you like that". It was a weak and submissive stammer, highly unbefitting of my character.
Due to the unexpected scenario, an awkward silence broke out. I was just starting at my feet coming in contact with each other while my brother looked away, scratching the back of his head. After several seconds, I decided to yell out to break the discomfort. "Don't forget about tomorrow ok?".
And with that, I closed my door, more softly this time.
Kyousuke:
"A ~ KI ~ HA ~ BARA!". It was my sister's usual habit as she proclaimed her arrival. It reminded me of anime as there would always be certain scenarios that prompted a catchphrase from a character. If Kirino were to be in an anime, this would be that exact scenario and catchphrase.
As I got lost in thoughts of my daily life being animated, I felt a hard nudge on my shoulder as my sister ran past. "Hurry up you slowpoke!". I sighed and followed suit. We always left the house early as taught to us by our parents, thus there was no real pressure. It was just a matter of personality since Kirino never liked being one of the last people to turn up.
I smiled a bit though after seeing that she had returned back to her usual self. Her shy demeanor yesterday was an unusual sight to behold. Not that it was bad of course, but rather, I couldn't really cope with the change so suddenly.
As we reached our destination, Kirino emphatically blasted open the doors, prompting the ring of a chime. There, seated at our usual table was Kuroneko. She has consistently always arrived first during our meetings, of course in her standard frilled, black goth outfit, complementing her dark vibe as usual.
"Ara ara, a loud and boisterous entrance as usual". Kuroneko greeted Kirino with a taunting glare much to the latter's chagrin. It was unlike the simple "hello" she gave to me.
"Why you! Someone who has such poor taste doesn't get to judge how I walk into a café". Kirino retaliated by gesturing a fist in the air. I'm sure that steam would be rising out of her ears by now if it was a real reaction to anger. The first thing these two do when they see each other is fight… of course, what else did I expect?
After finally getting both of the ladies to sit down and calm themselves, our table received a familiar greeting from the direction of the café's entrance. It was Saori, in her usual otaku attire consisting of a marsh green and yellow striped shirt, tucked into jeans and accompanied the trademark swirly glasses.
In tow though, was a rather dainty male, significantly shorter than the accompanying Saori. He had short curly hair, it's blondness emphasized by the restaurant's lights above us. His diamond blue eyes shined in conjunction with his similarly blue, collared shirt underneath his formal-looking waistcoat. Everything about this person screamed 'foreigner'.
After rounds of intriguing stares from me, Kirino, and Kuroneko, the last two members of today's meet sat themselves down. I continued to look over at the new boy who was nervously fiddling with his fingers, akin to how Kirino acted on her very first meeting.
"Alright, everyone! This here is whiterabbit25! I brought him to our close circle instead of the full one since he's a bit shy. Please be nice to our newest member alright?" Saori turned her head to look at him, as some sort of cue for a self-introduction.
"Oh, um…, my real name is Kojima Naoki, uh… just Naoki is fine". Naoki's dialogue was the pure epitome of meekness. Never have I seen a fellow boy before that has emanated such mildness. "Hmm, you look about my age Naoki-kun, what school level are you in?" I glanced over in Kuroneko's direction as she posed the question to the newcomer. "Umm… I'm in my last year of middle school".
With that reserved reply, Kirino perked up. It seems as she has finally found someone her age with similar interests, albeit being a member of the opposite gender. Good for her. "Same here! What middle school do you go to?". The two middle schoolers then struck up a conversation. The more talkative Kirino dominated the talk as Naoki couldn't help but shyly answer her cluster of questions.
Then suddenly, something Naoki said piqued my interest. "Well, after graduating from middle school, I plan on going to Chiba Benten High school." I noticed that Kirino suddenly perked up as well as if I remember correctly, she planned to enroll in the same school as me.
I smiled warmly after learning about the important news. I wasn't sure if Kanako or Ayase would join the same school as Kirino after graduating middle school, but it's nice to know that Kirino already has a friend going into high school, especially one with the same otaku interests.
After Kirino had talked about how they would be going into the same school and my intervention to talk about the school from a third-year's perspective, Saori suddenly grabbed a spoon and hit her glass with it to gain our attention.
"This isn't a meet for school people! It's a meet to talk about anime! Manga! Eroge! Anything otaku should dominate the discussion please!". With a smirk, she turned to Naoki and posed another question. "So Naoki, you may have introduced yourself, but you haven't introduced why exactly you're here in this ring of otaku". Ring of otaku huh? Sounds sketchy. Is that really what I'm referred to as part of this unit?
"Ah um, I actually…". Before finishing his sentence, Naoki was rudely interrupted by my little sister. "Do you like Meruru? Say 'yes' so I can prove this edgy, goth loli that her taste is crap!". In response to Kirino's statement, Kuroneko turned around, seemingly angered but at the same time keeping it cool. "I'm sure Naoki-kun doesn't indulge in a show meant for toddlers, instead, I'm certain he prefers Maschera, a show for true adults"
After both ladies clashed at each other, they turned their attention to the resigned Naoki, glaring at him like they were pitching rival products that they immediately needed to sell. "Umm… I actually don't like either of those." With that soft reply, Kirino and Kuroneko froze. Yet another person who fails to comprehend their weird tastes I see.
"I actually prefer reading manga than watching anime, and as for the genre, I'm a big fan of romcoms! Have you ever heard of Little Lady of the Shrine?". Naoki was uncharacteristically sparkling as he talked about his favorite manga and genre, explaining any nook and cranny about romcoms and why they're so great.
I think that it's good that he's growing into the conversation more and more. He was so reserved and meek before, but now he's the center of attention, presenting away about his favorite books. Kirino and Kuroneko were also dumbfounded by his sudden burst of energy, but also because of the wasted chance that the newcomer could relate to their own favorites.
After explaining why character development is the most crucial aspect of romcom mangas, Naoki realized that he'd been talking for a straight 20 minutes. Realizing this, he sat back down on his chair softly and regained his meek demeanor. "Sorry, I-i talked too much again".
"No, no, no, that is not a problem at all!". Saori grabbed the blond's shoulders and grinned. "Outbursts, presentations, analyses, any form of conversation related to anime, manga or anything of the sort is welcome! So don't feel shy, you did well for your first offline meet!". I nodded in agreement. Despite not being an avid reader myself, it was interesting to hear about his passion.
After getting in some mouthfuls of food and sips of drinks, we decided to call an end to our offline meet and head out. Naoki retained his quiet self throughout the rest of the meet and left with Saori. Despite being shy as heck, it was easy to tell he enjoyed his time with an evident smile imprinted on his face as he left.
As for Kirino, she seemed very pleased as she sat on the train seats smiling away. "Had a good time?". I looked down at her, intending to take her attention off her phone for a few seconds which she noticed and replied. "Yup!". It was the most sincere 'yup' I had ever heard, brimming with cheerful joy. Damn! Is this was they call... moe?
After returning back to the house, I plopped down on my bed after changing into my 'home clothes'. I was deep in thought, something that I hadn't noticed before at the meet suddenly struck me like a bolt of lightning. Wait a second! If these middle schoolers are thinking of what high school they're gonna attend, I'm graduating very soon myself, aren't I?
The realization was shocking like static electricity. I was fully aware that the exams I took earlier were for Chiba university, but I didn't anticipate that the end of my school life would end so imminently. I quickly scrambled out of bed to check my calendar. March 11, Sunday huh? Let's see, the graduation ceremony is...in five days!? Oh crap, I'm not mentally ready at all!
I forced open my door and formula 1'd down the stairs and crashed into the living room with haste. Kirino was there on the couch watching Meruru, but after my grand entrance, she had to pause the show and glare at me. Wow, what's with the cold stare? She's looking at me as if I were an insect!
"What are you doing, panting like that. Have you finally lost your marbles?". Still sweating and looking at the ground, I stood up straight and mustered a shout. "I-i I'm graduating soon! Like, very soon!". Kirino retained her disgusted look at me for a few seconds before unpausing Meruru. "Yeah… I know, me too." I continued to look at her in disbelief. Despite the step from high school to university being a bigger deal than middle school to high school, I remember I was more excited when I was in her current situation. Must be a sign of the times.
Kirino:
Instead of watching my dear Meruru on the big screen, I instead decided to allocate my time to watch my brother attempting to waltz his way out of the living room like nothing had happened. Man, he must be flabbergasted huh? Seems like going to university is a big deal, not that I'd have to worry about it soon though.
In truth, I had been anticipating my brother's departure for a while. There was a strong possibility that he'd leave this household to go closer to university or something and that major changes would happen in his life. I was well aware of that change, and of course my own change as I enter high school.
It wasn't like I didn't really care, it's just that the thing about Ayase still concerns me and still occupies a great portion of my mind. I still don't know why I'm feeling this way, and despite me being myself at the meet and drowning myself in Meruru heaven, the feeling still lingers like the irritation of a mosquito bite.
Ahhhh, why did I give him the death glare? I didn't mean it I swear, it was just a short-tempered reaction to having to pause Meruru! I put Meruru on pause for the second time today and recollected my thoughts. It's not healthy to keep the thing about Ayase stored up forever, I have to let it go sooner or later! But why? Why is it so hard to ask him about it?
I stared at the spot where my brother was standing. The spot where he was having a frantic 'student-life crisis'. I need to consult him before he graduates. He'll probably be very busy after that, so I gotta do it now, I gotta do it… tonight!
After agreeing with my inner voice to consult him about Ayase's confession tonight, I continued to drown myself in Meruru to suppress the nagging worry. Luckily, Meruru is damn cute so it wasn't an issue at all as I forced visualizations of many Meruru fanfiction in my mind to drive out the foreign feeling.
This incredibly hard but rewarding technique seemed to work for me, and I utilized it throughout the rest of the day. I used it throughout dinner, my bath, and brushing my teeth. No one said anything about it either, but it probably looked like I was either concentrating really hard or daydreaming like a fool. Whatever image I had displayed to the outside world, it prompted a quick glare from my dad before he engrossed himself back into his newspaper.
I spent the rest of the night away on my computer, waiting until the prime time for life counseling. I chatted with Naoki-kun more on my computer as he was online at the time. His personality is very different online. In real life he's so meek and composed but online he's ferocious in getting me to read his all-time famous mangas, and of course, with the same passion, I try to get him to play my favorite eroges. Wait a second, isn't convincing a boy to play the same eroge I play kinda bizarre? Ah, it doesn't matter! He needs to learn what true greatness is like!
Wasting myself away in the online world of forums and eroge had worked, as before I knew it, my eyes were wrinkly and sore and my digital clock displayed '1 am'. Alright! No backing out Kirino! I brushed my eyes with my forearm before quietly exiting my room and entering my brother's.
The same ambiance was present. The sound of the air conditioning and his light snoring, I knew it all too well. The scene was on replay in my mind numerous times after the original occurrence, and it was creepy how similar the current situation is in comparison.
I quickly sneak up to the side of my brother's bed to see him in a similar position to that time. Laying on his back with his limbs stretched. His torso was somewhat exposed like last time. Before I realized it, my heart was beating once again, thumping as loudly as a drummer thumps his drums during a rock concert.
I started to feel the trickling of beads of sweat flowing down the side of my forehead. This scenario is too similar! What the hell? Get it together Kirino! Resisting the urge to take a quick look at his chest, I softly climbed onto his bed and placed my knees on the left and right of his body.
I gently lowered my rear on his stomach and gazed at his sleeping face. How uncouth, there was a string of drool emerging from his mouth. Suddenly, an urge popped up within me, and with an evil smile, I thought: I've got to clean that up don't I? Why don't I get that off for you...aniki?
With that thought, I gave my brother a satisfying slap on the cheek, sending the strand of saliva flying away. I watched as a wave of surprise crashed into the beach that was my brother's consciousness. His eyes opened in horror as he saw me seated comfortably on him. After the expression of shock, a look of familiarity was now reflected in his eyes. Despite not even speaking a single word, I could tell in the look of my brother's face that he already knew what was happening. For old times' sake though, I said it anyways.
"Life counseling! Now!". My brother didn't even move, flinch, or say anything. He simply looked up to me in response and sighed, acknowledging the start of yet another life counseling session, and possibly, one of the last.
AN: Recently I've been finding out that there are some weeks where I have more time than normal. I usually work on writing these chapters on weekdays only and that if I ever had the extra time, there might be a possibility that I could finish two chapters in a single week. I can't guarantee that happening though, but as for my original planned schedule, the weekly releases seem pretty feasible as of now. I hope you continue to enjoy reading Serene Days and come up with feedback for me to make it better! Stay tuned for Chapter 3 as it may or may not come out earlier than expected.