2024 Tropes & Fandoms - Square: Regular - Trope: Fake Dating

Author's Note: As I have mentioned before, I know that there are a lot of red flags when it comes to this otome-based anime. However, despite all that, I have to admit that Yusuke was one of the few brothers that I actually quite liked.

After all, he was the only one who had fallen for the girl before she became his stepsister, there was no uncomfortably large age gap between them, and he was not pushy, aggressive, or inconsiderate with her the way so many of his brothers were.

Therefore, I decided to give him a little bit of hope for the future.


The Hero's Reward

"Oh, Yusuke! Thank goodness you're here!"

The young man who stood at the back of the line in the college cafeteria heard the very familiar...but oddly urgent...voice of his stepsister - right before he felt her slim form press close into his side.

"Oi!" he exclaimed in his usual gruff tone...which sounded even rougher than normal when combined with the surprise from both her presence and the unexpected feel of her body against his...as he turned to face her.

After all, even though they were both in their first year at Meiji University, they had different classes. Therefore, they usually did not get to meet up much on campus...at least not until late in the afternoon when it was time for them to go home to the Sunrise Residence together.

Plus, they definitely did not touch casually if Yusuke could possibly help it. That was because, on one hand, he tried hard to give her space and not be as pervy as some of his brothers had been. However, on the other, he was not sure if he had enough self-control to truly handle an up-close and personal situation like the gentleman he really wanted to be for her.

That was very important, too - especially since Ema had made it clear to all of the Asahina brothers that she was not interested in dating...or anything else that entailed...at the current time.

In fact, she just wanted to be a family.

Yusuke cared enough about her that he really wanted to honor that wish for her, too...even if it did not match his own.

After all, she was the only girl he had ever fallen for...and that was even before she became his stepsister when his mother had surprised them all when she married Ema's father just two years earlier. Now, however, they had grown much closer than they ever were before as just fellow classmates...especially since they had also come to college together...and he wanted to keep it like that.

Therefore, he was always careful to have at least some physical distance from her so he would not be tempted to give into his feelings and accidentally mess things up between them in any way.

At the current moment, however, her physical closeness was more concerning than stimulating to him and even his tough voice softened immediately when he saw that Ema was trembling. It was obvious that something had upset her greatly.

"What's wrong? What happened?" he asked in a much gentler tone than the one he normally used with everyone else as he also guided her out of the line in order to give them some privacy.

Ema clasped his forearm and buried her face in his shoulder...another clear sign that something was not as it should be. "There's this guy..." she started to say in a muffled tone against his shirt, but Yusuke had already heard enough to understand the problem.

"What?" His tone was low and angry. "Is some jerk messing with you? Do you need me to take care of it?"

"N...no. Y...yes? I don't know!" Ema hesitantly admitted as she finally raised her head to look at her stepbrother with a hint of tears in her eyes. "I tried to handle it myself. I really did. I even told him that I wasn't interested, so there wouldn't be any misunderstandings this time. I don't think he believed me, though, because he just won't listen."

"Who's the twisted bastard?" Yusuke ground the question out between teeth that had automatically clenched in anger at the sight of her uneasiness as he also worried about what else the man might have done. "Did he touch you or do anything weird to you?"

He actually growled at the idea. If he did, I'll kill him!

He kept that thought to himself, though, so he would not scare Ema further.

However, Yusuke could not help but to worry about it, anyway. Not only were most of his brothers still clamoring for her attention...which must have been that other misunderstanding she just mentioned...but, now there was also somebody else bothering the sweet girl of his dreams. What was even worse than that, however, was the fact that she obviously did not want that kind of attention from him, either. Otherwise, she would not be so upset!

"He's an upperclassman in my department," Ema explained softly, but she finally seemed more collected than before, even though she continued to stand close and hold on to his arm.

Yusuke did not mind the contact at all. In fact, the proud thought that he could actually comfort her with his presence helped to calm him a bit, in return. Therefore, he was able to listen to her without storming off half-cocked to confront the culprit when he did not know what had happened...or even the guy's identity, yet.

"I met him at orientation," Ema continued to explain. "I only spoke to him once then, but now he won't leave me alone. He hasn't done anything like that, yet, but he does seem to keep following me wherever I go. In fact, he was right behind me just now when I came in here to get away from him. I'm so glad that I was lucky enough to find you here, instead, Yusuke!"

At her words, which pleased him as much as they also pissed him off, Yusuke looked up sharply and closely surveyed everyone in their vicinity. Sure enough, a tall and obnoxiously good-looking fellow with bleached hair and broad shoulders stood in the doorway and scowled at the sight of him with Ema.

Even though his first instinct was to plant a fist deep into the stalker's face, sudden inspiration came to Yusuke, instead. Therefore, he made a point to meet the guy's eyes before he purposely put his arm around the girl in question and drew her even closer to him.

"Just play along," he whispered close to her ear.

After all, Yusuke knew what it would look like, and he really wanted the other man to get the wrong idea about their current relationship. He wanted to make it seem as if Ema was already taken...that she was happy with someone else...so the guy would hopefully back down of his own free will without a fuss. That would probably be the easiest solution for her in the long run.

Hell! Yusuke did not even really blame the dude for falling for the girl after only one conversation. After all, he knew that was exactly what had happened to both him and most of his brothers, as well. Ema was just that special! Nevertheless, he did find fault with the man's dogged persistence when it obviously bothered her so much that she was actually shaking in fear after being repeatedly followed by him.

The perv might not have crossed the line, yet, but he still needed to to be stopped before he did.

Therefore, as the other guy continued to glare at him, Yusuke took the opportunity to size up the competition in case his first non-violent plan did not work out the way he hoped it would.

Sure, he might be bigger and older than me, the younger man...with an attitude as spiky as his vibrant red hair...rationalized, but I still think I can take him with my fists if it comes to that.

After all, he had many years of experience with getting into all kinds of physical altercations with his brothers...most of whom had been bigger and older than him at the time, as well - especially since he was the eleventh brother out of thirteen! Plus, he knew that if all else failed...if he found that he just could not handle the creep by himself for whatever reason...then the older, taller, more muscular, and extremely athletic Suburu was just a short distance away on the same campus and would definitely come running at top speed if he knew it was to protect their precious Ema.

Yusuke really did not think his brother's assistance would be necessary, though...nor did he want it. He wanted to help Ema himself. Nevertheless, it was still with extreme confidence in the fact that he would succeed, in one way or the other, that Yusuke...all while keeping his eyes on the upperclassman in question...also wrapped his other arm around Ema, drew her even closer, and...as the icing on the cake...placed a gentle, but proprietary kiss on the top of her soft hair, as well.

The girl in his arms made a little sound of surprise at such an unexpected show of affection, but she did not break away from it...or from him. In fact, she seemed to realize what was happening...and why. Consequently, she relaxed enough to lean against him and rest her head back on his shoulder. She even placed her hand on his chest.

All of a sudden, Yusuke's heart threatened to beat right out of said chest at the exact kind of close contact that he had always wanted to have with the girl he had loved ever since they had met years ago at their high school entrance ceremony...long before she had joined their family as his stepsister. Still, he really appreciated that their purposely misleading romantic display also served as a small outlet for the very real feelings that he usually tried to keep hidden and did not allow himself to put on display...just in case it would bother her. He was also grateful that she played along so well because her apparently easy acceptance of such an embrace helped to prove the point he wanted to make in a completely unmistakable way to anyone who was watching them.

Don't even think about it! She's mine! We're together! We're happy!

Consequently, for any onlookers, it would leave no doubt about the type of relationship between the two people involved...even if it was really only a bunch of wistful hopes and dreams for one of the main parties concerned.

Nevertheless, Ema's unwanted admirer did not need to know that it was not real.

At any rate, Yusuke was able to see the exact moment when his own defeat became clear to the other guy, too. In fact, he almost felt sorry for the dude when he saw the young man abruptly turn away from them with slumped shoulders and obvious disappointment stamped across his features as he made his way back through the cafeteria door and out to the quad beyond.

Yusuke was glad that he had left of his own accord, though. Since it would have been for Ema's peace of mind...and he already had a reputation for being a bit of a hothead, anyway...he knew without a doubt he would not have hesitated to fight the other guy if needed. However, he was still grateful that it had not come down to that extreme. In fact, he knew that Ema would not like to be involved in something like that.

After all, she had always hated it when the Asahina brothers had fought over her among themselves.

Still, if Yusuke continued to hold the adorably embarrassed Ema in his arms for a little bit longer than was strictly necessary after the other man's retreat, he told himself that it was just to be certain that the message had been sent to all of the other possibly twisted wolves-in-sheep's-clothing that might have been sniffing around her, as well. As it was, however, he finally forced himself to let go of her after just a few more minutes...even if it was with the greatest reluctance.

"He's gone now," he informed her then as his arms dropped uselessly down by his sides after having held her in such a wonderful way for an all-too-brief time. "I don't think you'll have any more trouble with him. Just let me know if you do, though, and I'll handle it...and him...in a more physical way next time, so he'll be sure to remember to stay away for good." He paused and rubbed his knuckles in an almost subconscious kind of way before he quickly continued. "That goes for anybody else who messes with you, too, okay?"

Ema responded to his reassurance with such a bright smile...despite her embarrassment...that it made the whole ordeal worthwhile for him. However, he found that he liked it even better when she leaned up in order to kiss his cheek in gratitude.

"My hero," she murmured appreciatively. "Thank you so much!"

"Don't worry about it," he replied in his usual rough tone again that was belied by the increasing color in his face as he also tried to wrestle his suddenly wayward emotions back under control - even as he savored the memory of the feeling of her soft and warm lips on his skin. "For you, I'll take on any punk...any time...any place!"

It was the truth, too! After all...fighting aside...if pretending to be her boyfriend was what it took to keep her out of the clutches of any other shifty bastards who might try to claim her for their own against her wishes, then he would definitely do it as many times as he needed to...and as often as she wanted him to...no matter how painful it might be to not actually have that type of relationship with her in real life.

However, Yusuke was just optimistic enough to realize that if it happened often enough...perhaps...when she finally decided that she was ready to start dating...maybe she would remember how well he already fit into that role for her and would, therefore, choose him over everyone else.

After all, the hero usually gets the girl, right? he mused hopefully before he shook himself out of that brief fantasy. A guy can only dream.

Those hopes and dreams, however, actually seemed to be a little more attainable at the current moment than they had ever been in the past when Ema smiled sweetly at him again and offered to treat him to lunch to show her gratitude – especially since they were already in the cafeteria.

This day just keeps getting better and better! Yusuke enthused with a mental fist pump as he also agreed aloud to the plan with a suddenly eager grin that lit up his whole face.

In truth, being able to share a meal alone with his favorite girl without having any of his annoying brothers also present at the table was already a reward fit for a hero!

In fact, the rewards just kept coming when Ema took his arm again...and even leaned against his side affectionately and chatted happily with him...while they waited in line for their food. In fact, it seemed as if the day's adventure had served to lower both the emotional and physical barriers between them that had been created way back at the very beginning when some of his brothers had made her feel too uncomfortable with their unwanted attention.

She closed herself a bit off from everybody then...including me. However, perhaps pretending to be together just now made that kind of relationship with me seem more real...more possible...for her, too! Yusuke could not help but to hope.

Nevertheless, even though he was thrilled beyond belief at the idea and such a turn of events, he decided right then and there that he would not push for more...not until she was ready...if she ever was. After all, he did not want to betray the trust that she currently showed in him because he knew that...even if she decided that she did not want to be with him like that...he would still always be willing to be her hero whenever she needed him and that keeping her safe and happy would be reward enough.

However, until then, Yusuke would not give up the hope that he would eventually be her choice.

Therefore, Yusuke...even though he was not usually the most patient of people...found that he was more than willing to wait for it all...for her...no matter how long it took!

After all, he knew that her love...and a future together...if that was what she really wanted herself, as well...would be the ultimate reward for him.