Chapter 4: Unexpectedly, Yukinoshita gains a Rival and an Ally
Yukinoshita and Aoki's Mexican standoff lasts for another 5 seconds before Yukinoshita swiftly moves and Aoki follows her with his aim, Yukinoshita grabs a bowl, fills it with Miso and in one swift and smooth motion, places it in the table in front of Sora.
Aoki saw Yukinoshita's placement of the the bowl and to his disappointment, she did it right.
But not wanting to take defeat, Aoki points the water gun at Yukinoshita and says. "That's a fluke, try again."
Confident, Yukinoshita did it again flawlessly.
Irritated, Aoki asks Yukinoshita to do it again and so she did again and again until all the seats have Miso, fish, and rice.
Its no mere fluke and Aoki hates it, he can't believe that something he practiced and perfected in a long time was done effortlessly by a stranger in a really short time.
"AOKI IS UTTERLY DEFEATED!" Screams Akagami liking the defeat of his brother.
Aoki suddenly drops the water gun. "SHUT UP!" and runs away to which Yukinoshita quickly follows. Akagami quickly grabbed his old water gun from the ground and smiles but then his happy face fades when he saw his siblings look at him with disapproval. "Did I got too far?" he asks to which he got nods of agreement for an answer. "I'm gonna quietly eat my breakfast and reflect on my actions." he said as he hunched down and dragged himself to the table.
Sora who's been waiting for breakfast is approached by Kizuna. "What?" he asks.
Kizuna crossed her arms and in a commanding tone, she said. "Go talk to Aoki." to which Sora initially disagrees but after a short time of thinking, stands up and then looked at Kizuna who is looking at him with a smile "If you put anything in my food, you'll never see every fashion magazines you have ever again."
Still smiling, Kizuna responds. "I have outgrown doing that to you besides, Aoki only listens to you and Papa and Papa's not here."
"I really hate the instances where you are right." says Sora before following Aoki.
Though the 7 of them siblings are different from each other, they are binded by their love for their father, so when they are scared, embarrassed, or sad, they only had one place to go, it's their father's bed so Sora immediately ran to their bedroom and saw Yukinoshita sitting on the ground, leaning on the locked door to their bedroom.
With a look of despair, Yukinoshita talks to herself. "I've done it now... I made one of Hikigaya-kun's kid hate me... What if he tattles this to his father? This could ruin my chances... I know... Money, I can bribe him."
"You cannot bribe Aoki and besides, Aoki knows he is at fault here, he won't tell Father." says Sora.
After seeing Sora, Yukinoshita immediately stood up, composed herself and then replies to Sora. "Oh really?" and then releases a sigh of relief.
"He locked the door huh..." says Sora. "Wait here, I know where the key is." before leaving Yukinoshita. He returned with a key, Yukinoshita gave way to Sora as he opens the door.
Click!
Sora turned to Yukinoshita. "Please wait here, we don't like it when strangers enter our room." Sora then got an embarrassed look, he looked away from Yukinoshita as if he was second guessing and then looks back at the older woman. "This confrontation might result in a fistfight, I'm sure I will lose so if I cried for help, I'll give you an exception to enter our room, please come to my aid when that happens." says Sora before entering the room.
Sora has entered their room. No surprise, Aoki is in their father's bed, hugging his knees.
Sora walked toward their father's bed and also sat on it. He looked at his brother with no sympathy. "What's happening on you back there?" he asked.
No response...
"You're usually not that immature, but then you suddenly lashes out on probably the most competent babysitter we ever had." Sora continues talking.
Still no response...
With a disappointed tone, Sora says "What would Father feel if he sees you like this?"
Finally, a response.
Aoki immediately pushes Sora, causing the blue haired kid to fall out of the bed to the floor.
Expecting a full blown fistfight, Sora quickly recovers from his fall and raised both of his fists, ready to throw hands.
But the fistfight he is expecting never came. "You wouldn't understand, Mr. I can do anything." says Aoki in a mocking tone before grabbing his father's pillow, throwing it at Sora at full force. Sora who lacks motor skills failed to evade the pillow, taking it full force on his face which stunned him.
Aoki immediately ran to Sora's back, grabbed him by the waist, carried him and then threw him outside the room!
"I'm not going to school today!" says Aoki before taking the key that is still in the doorknob and then closing the door again.
Sora slowly recovers from the ground. Seeing what happened, Yukinoshita immediately helps Sora. "That was fast... How am I supposed to help you if it's over in an instant?" says Yukinoshita to which Sora responds by saying "Yeah, I must update my Aoki countermeasures. Always look out for projectiles."
Finally on his feet, Sora looked at the locked door again. "He's a lost cause." he said before looking at Yukinoshita. "Let's go back to the dining room."
But Yukinoshita refuses. "You go, I think I can still do something about him."
Sora looked at Yukinoshita, then at the locked door, and then back to Yukinoshita. "Suite your self." says Sora before leaving and disappearing through the hallway.
Yukinoshita then leaned her back to the door. "SIGH" Yukinoshita let out a loud audible sigh. "It's really hard being just number 2 huh?" she then closed her eyes, an image of her older sister appeared in her mind. "After all, the difference between being number 1 and number 2 is not just 1."
Thud!
On the other side of the door, Aoki also leans his back on the door. "Uhh... I'm sorry for what I did back there... That's really immature of me."
"You are a kid, the right time for you to be immature is now." says Yukinoshita.
After some pause, Aoki answers. "Okay."
... Silence...
To break the silence, Yukinoshita talks. "You know... I have a big sister, she's so good at everything, everyone she knows only has praises for her, that's why I look up to her very much... That's why I hate her too but not so much."
From the other side of the door, Aoki answers. "Sounds a lot like someone I know."
Yukinoshita continues. "My sister if described in simple words is colorful, too colorful, to the point the it scares me that she'll-" "Completely overshadow me." Aoki finishes Yukinoshita's sentence for her.
"Hehe, you kids really are too mature for your age." responds Yukinoshita.
"Side effects of an abnormal childhood." Aoki quickly remarks.
Now it's Aoki's turn to lead the conversation. "Back at the orphanage, whenever there's someone looking to adopt, I was their initial choice... Until they started to see the other choices. I am easily overshadowed by other kids who can draw, can sing, can dance, who look cute, who acts cute... I'm just too plain so I was not chosen, that's when I started to think that I should be good at something."
A mental image of the people who kept comparing her to her sister appeared on Yukinoshita's mind.
"Then BAM! Things happened and I am now adopted by Otou-san, along with the 6 other misfits of the orphanage, I have to be good at something or they'll overshadow me! Then, I discovered that I am really good at household chores and housekeeping. Finally, something only I can do, something that'll make me different." Yukinoshita can sense the happiness in the kid's voice even though there's a door between them.
"Then I ruined it all for you when I appeared and stole your role right? That's why you got angry." says Yukinoshita.
"Y-yes." Aoki embarrassingly agrees.
"But you've got to understand, it's not my intention to take away your role from you, it is a job given to me by your father, I cannot be lax and let the kid I'm supposed to be taking care of, do the work for me." Yukinoshita's voice suddenly became stern.
But Aoki's not discouraged! Without warning, he immediately opens the door separating him and Yukinoshita, and since Yukinoshita is leaning on the door, she fell on her back to the floor!
"Ouch." says Yukinoshita.
While looking down on Yukinoshita, Aoki pointed down at the older woman laying down the floor. "I won't let you take my role! But you're welcome to try!"
Unbeknownst to the two, a certain blue haired kid, with blue eyes, and blue framed glasses is eavesdropping at their conversation hiding at the hallway.
"Yep, I like her." Sora says to himself before leaving for real this time.
Back at the dining room...
Irida, and Kizuna, has already finished eating and has gone to take a bath.
Midori who just finished cleaning Momoi, and Momoi who is slightly crying because rubbing off the ink off her skin hurts has just started eating, with them is Akagami who is about to eat a second serving of breakfast.
Akagami is looking upset at Midori.
"Why did you removed her skin drawings?" Akagami asked like a dissaponted father.
"Why? Are you really asking that?" Midori answers like an offended mother.
"Yummy!" Momoi as always, lives in the bliss of ignorance.
Akagami closed his left fist, raised it and then slams the table like a drunkard husband raring for domestic violence. "It could have been fun!" Akagami says.
Midori glared at Akagami, like a defiant wife who had enough of her husband. "It's always fun this fun that for you! Take things seriously!" Midori says.
Still ignoring the afternoon soap opera like scene that's happening around her, Momoi decided to chow down on the fish in her plate. "Ohh! It's yummy too! I wonder if the fishes know they are yummy."
This train of thought caused Momoi's few braincells to an overdrive. "Fishes eat other fishes! They know they are yummy!"
And now, her braincell are working overtime...
"Humans don't eat other humans, does that mean we are not yummy?" Momoi asked herself.
And finally, her braincells have retired for the day.
"I've got to taste myself!" she announced before biting her arm!
Both Akagami and Midori were surprised.
"Don't Momoi!" pleads Midori.
"Bite harder!" cheers Akagami.
Momoi bites harder until she stops. "Biting myself really hurts." she complains before looking at Akagami.
"What are staring for?" Akagami nervously asked.
Like a rabid dog, Momoi pounced over the table, fortunately evading all the food on it and landed on Akagami. Both fell on the ground where Akagami is under Momoi. Momoi immediately tries to bite Akagami's arm but all of her attempts failed because of Akagami's superior physical capabilities.
While parrying Momoi's mouth, Akagami screams. "HEY! HELP ME MIDORI!"
Midori got out of her chair, walked towards her siblings, sat down near them, and looked Akagami in the eyes with a sadistic glee. "Why? That would ruin my fun."
"AND YOU WONDER WHY YOU ONLY HAVE ONE FRIEND AT SCHOOL!?" screams Akagami at Midori while parrying Momoi's bite.
Then, Akagami grabbed Momoi's face and pushed it towards Midori.
Chomp!
"GHAAAAAAA!" Midori screams in pain as Momoi's teeth sink in on her right arm.
Sora enters the dining room and looked at the troublesome situation his siblings are in. He face-palmed in disappointment and said in a commanding tone. "Cease this stupidity at once."
Midori pinched Momoi's nose, causing her to gasp for air through her mouth, letting go of Midori's arm.
Momoi complains. "Humans, don't taste as good as fishes."
"It's because it wasn't cooked." states Akagami.
"Don't give her ideas!" said Midori as she cares her arm that's been bitten.
Sora sat on the table and started eating his breakfast. "Not so fun fact: They said that humans tastes like a bitter pork when cooked." he said.
"Really? So that's why humans don't eat other humans, we don't taste good!" says Momoi.
"Nah, if I am cooked, I'll probably taste good." says Akagami while flexing his muscle. "Just look at the quality of my meat!"
Midori returns to her seat to finish her food. "You're finished eating right? Go away." she said to Akagami.
"I'm going for a 3rd serving." responds Akagami before going to his seat.
Aoki arrives at the dining room. Sora looked at him and he stares back.
"So? Have you changed your mind? Going to school now?" says Sora.
"Yeah." says Aoki before sitting next to Sora.
"Not even a sorry." says Sora before taking a bite of his food.
"Sorry not sorry." says Aoki.
Then, Aoki noticed, there are no breakfast on his side of the table! He looked around and saw Akagami, theres another empty plate near him.
Akagami noticed Aoki looking intensely at him. "What?" he asked.
"Why is there no plates at my side while there are 2 plates at yours?" asks Aoki not so nicely.
Akagami quickly averted his gaze from Aoki.
Aoki points at the plate Akagami is eating on. "Is that what I think it is?"
"No, it's not what you think it is." Akagami quickly denies before taking another portion of the food.
"That is what I think it is!" Aoki stood up.
Akagami quickly retreated away from the table. "Ok, ok! That's yours! You can take it back, I only had 2 bite out of it anyways!"
Aoki took his food and looked at Akagami. "Be careful sleeping before me Akagami... Something might happen to you."
"Hehe... I'm not worried." says Akagami before going away for a bath. He is extremely worried by the way.
Midori and Momoi also finished eating seconds after Akagami left, leaving only Sora and Aoki alone... Until Yukinoshita arrives and joins them in the table and served herself some of the breakfast she made.
"Ha! What took you so long rival? Once I finish eating, I'll be cleaning all the dishes and leave you nothing to do!" says Aoki before evidently increasing the speed of his eating.
Also confused, Sora asks. "Yes, our room is not that far from here. What took you so long?"
Embarrassed, Yukinoshita looked away. "I unexpectedly had an involuntarily detour."
Shocked, Sora couldn't help it but ask. "You got lost? Inside a house? One turn to the right is all you have to do to get back here from there!"
Yukinoshita immediately got defensive and said. "I didn't get lost, like I said, it's an unexpected involuntarily detour, if I got lost, I won't be here."
"Hahahahahaha!" Sora then started laughing.
Aoki stopped eating to chime in the conversation and says to Sora while pointing his chopsticks at him. " You know, you can't laugh at her right? There are a lot of times you got lost because you're so immersed in your train of thoughts that you don't even know where you are walking into." before going back to eat.
Sora immediately stopped laughing and looked at Aoki. "What happened in the past stays in the past."
Aoki finishes his food, immediately stood up with all of the eating utensils and dishes he used in hand. "I'm finished!" then looks at Yukinoshita. "You better finish that up or you won't have anything left to do!" before running to their kitchen.
Sora watches as his brother leaves. "Looks like he's back to normal." then looks at Yukinoshita. "Thanks to you."
Yukinoshita sips some miso from her bowl, smiled at Sora and said. "You're welcome."
"To thank you properly, I'll help you." offers Sora.
Confused, Yukinoshita asks. "Help me with what?"
"Earlier, when Aoki locked himself in our bedroom, you talked about making Aoki mad could ruin your chances, but chances at what? I think I could help you there."
"Oh, you heared that huh..." says Yukinoshita. "I could use his help to my advantage." thought Yukinoshita. "Are you sure you want to help me? There's a chance you might not like it." she continues.
Sora crossed his arms. "I'm the one who'll decide if I'll like it or not."
"I want to rekindle to relationship I lost with your father." says Yukinoshita.
"And that lost relationship is?" asks Sora.
"Husband and wife." states Yukinoshita.
Sora gave Yukinoshita a judging look. "What can you bring to the table?" Sora asks.
"This household clearly needs another adult, I can be that one." states Yukinoshita to which Sora quickly agrees on by rapid nodding.
"I can financially support this household." states Yukinoshita.
"And?" Sora asks for more.
Yukinoshita states one more thing she could do. "I can enforce peace and order amongst you siblings."
"Even though your answers are satisfactory, they seem to focused on us as a whole. What can you do specifically for Father?" asks Sora.
Without skipping a beat, Yukinoshita answers. "First of all, I'll become an even better fanof his novels than I was before. Then, I'll make him an organized meal plans so that he could still drink his beloved MAXX as much as possible and still avoid diabetes. After that, I can also provide him insightful advices on almost every aspect of his life. I'll also give him chocolates at Valentine's Day. And finally, unlike before, I'll be more involved with him whenever I can."
"As long as you don't ask for anything absurd at Mother's Day, I think you're the one." at this point, Sora couldn't really ask for more.
"I don't really care on what you give me as long as it's panda or cat related." says Yukinoshita.
"You are the one!" the usually calm Sora is now overly ecstatic.
"It won't be easy, your father is the kind of man who leaves the past behind him. Your father has already moved on from me." says the worried Yukinoshita.
Brimming with confidence, Sora crossed his arms and says. "Worry not, future Mother, Father has stated on multiple occasions that he had moved on from Pretty Cure but his figurine collection says otherwise."
"Future Mother? Don't be so certain, I'm not the only one aiming for your father." says Yukinoshita.
"Then, I'll simply help you crush the competition." confidently states Sora before returning to his breakfast.
Yukinoshita let out a small laugh out of amusement and said. "I can't believe I'm conspiring with a kid." before continuing her breakfast.
"Well, this kid is about to help you get you laid." casually says Sora.
Yukinoshita dropped her chopsticks and looked at Sora with her mouth wide open. Sora just said something so out of his her perceived character of him that she is so shocked. "Where did you learn that kind of talking?" she asked.
"American action movies." answers Sora.
"If I ever got to be your mother, I'll make sure you'll only watch Pan-San movies until high school." says Yukinoshita menacingly.
Not want his usual exposure of maximum testosterone, Sora states his complaints. "If you do that my approval rate towards you will go down by 20%."
"Ok, you can watch some but with adult supervision." compromises Yukinoshita.
"Deal." agrees Sora.
Both satisfied, the two continued eating their breakfast.
TIMESKIP:
After finishing their breakfast, taking their baths, and dressing for school, the siblings are now lined up in front of their main door ready to go to their school.
Sora started walking back and forth in front of his siblings. "Again, we are about to venture outside, and just like what Father has always thought us, we must always go TOGETHER which sounds really easy to adhere to if not for you Akagami, Momoi, and Irida."
Sora's words earned a reaction from the mentioned siblings.
"Why me?" asks Momoi.
"The fact that you don't know why concerns me the most." says Sora.
"I'm just talking to those kids, I didn't know they were going to get violent." says Irida.
"You've got to stop annoying every kid you dislike and manipulate them to fight each other." says Sora.
"Those kids had it coming! Suddenly ambush us!" says Akagami while shadow boxing.
"And you, they didn't ambushed you, they accidentally bumped to you in a crossroads!" says Sora.
Sora looked at Aoki. "Were both jumping on Akagami if he gets wild." he said to which Aoki delightfully agreed.
Sora then looked at Kizuna. "I'm leaving Momoi to you." to which Kizuna answers. "Ok, ok.
And finally, Sora looks at Midori. "Do you still have that thick book?" Sora asks to Midori to which she answers "Yes."
Sora smiles and says. "You have my full permission to knock out Irida with that book if she starts brewing trouble."
"Ok." Midori agrees.
"What about my permission?" Irida disagrees.
With everything set, Sora walked to the door. He was about to open the door when Yukinoshita suddenly appears and asked. "Where do think you are going?"
"To the school where else?" Kizuna answers with her usual sassy tone.
"I know that, but without an adult accompanying you? I was just about to finish cleaning the kitchen, you just need to wait for me." states Yukinoshita.
The siblings looked at each other in amusement then looked Yukinoshita.
"Thanks for worrying Rival, but the school is just near and we're already 2nd graders, we can go to school alone now." says Aoki.
"Well, I don't see why not. Thank you for accompanying us." says Sora before winking at Yukinoshita. Yukinoshita winks back.
"Did you two just winked at each other?" asks Irida as she noticed Sora and Yukinoshita's brief interaction.
"Nope, you are just imagining things. Anyways, let's go." says Sora before opening the door.
Little did Sora know that bringing Yukinoshita along might do more bad than good.
CHAPTER END-