„Sydney", Daichi said on top of the stairs.
I flinched: „God you scared me."
„Sorry", he said and scratched his head.
„I thought you left", I said and went up to where he was standing.
„I want to show you something", he went and started walking down the hallway that lead to a large balcony on the back of the house as well as the guest room that was located on the left side. He slipped inside the guest room and waited at the door for me to follow. I wasn't quite sure why he would take me there. I've seen the guest room before. It was a nice room, somewhat looking like a hotel room. There was a large bed with fluffy cushions on it, a huge mirror behind it covering the wall and making the rather small room look awfully spacious.
I saw Daichi in the reflection of the mirror. I was so focused on him that I only noticed the ladder that was let down from the ceiling when he pointed at it.
„What is this?", I asked. It was a dumb question. It was obviously a ladder leading to the attic of this house. A place I hadn't yet seen.
„I was exploring the house a little before our parents would be here. And I found this place."
With a hand gesture he told me to climb up the ladder. And so I did.
The attic was bigger than I expected and there was so much stuff here. There were book shelves filled with books, some boxes and old furniture crumbled up in one corner. It was dusty up here like the place hasn't been used in quite a while.
„What is all this?", I asked and carefully looked around.
„Looks like the old owners didn't take everything with them when they left", Daichi said. He seemed excited about his discovery.
„There are even old photo albums", he said and took a dusty brown album out of one of the boxes. He sat down on the floor and so I joined him, driven by curiosity.
The album was full of black and white pictures. People I've never seen, smiling into the camera. It was like holding a piece of history in our hands.
„Do you know who lived here before?", I asked him. I suddenly realized how close I was - our shoulders touching and his gaze made me forget what I had even asked. I was confused by how strong my feelings were. I've never been so overwhelmed by unknown emotions. I couldn't even describe what this feeling was, but something inside of me reacted to his presence. It did whenever he was around. The feeling had started when I saw him outside the house earlier with his friends. I forgot it was there once I got distracted with thinking of being alone in the house. But right now that feeling was back stronger than before. It was harder to endure the closer I was to him. But at the same time that feeling was already something I was addicted to. It made me feel alive in a weird and twisted way. If I were to draw a picture, it would be me on a warm summer day, covered in flowers and sunrays kissing my skin.
The clap of thunder made me flinch.
„Did you even hear what I said?", Daichi asked.
„Huh? What?", I went. Gosh, this was embarrassing.
He smiled at me, his beautiful face smiled at me and made the warm feeling inside of my body spread even further.
„I said that the house was empty after the previous owners got murdered here"
Slowly his words reached my mind and my eyes widened as I understood what he just said.
„WHAT?", I yelled and jumped up from the floor where we had been sitting.
Daichi started laughing.
„I was kidding", he said. "The house was just empty for a long time."
„So nobody died in here?", I wanted him to confirm. My heart was racing.
„I don't know that, I just know nobody got murdered."
„Don't pull jokes on me like that", I said.
Daichi got up from the floor grinning and went over to what seemed like a pile of blankets.
„Check this out", he said and waved me over.
He sat down on the blankets and leaned back, looking up to the ceiling. I followed his eyes and saw there was a window. Daichi crossed his arms behind his head, laying there in the dull light that came from a single bulb in the middle of the attic.
I went over next to him and copied his pose.
„Can I turn off the lights?", he asked.
„What?"
„Because you'll be able to see the stars much better", he went.
Without waiting for my reply he went over to the bulb. He looked at me again, seemingly checking if I was okay with him turning the light off and when I didn't stop him from it, the room was covered in darkness as he flipped the switch.
It was so dark inside now that it seemed to be brighter outside. I didn't even realize it had gotten so late. I wondered why my Mum hasn't even called me yet.
I took my phone out of my pocket to check.
„What's wrong?", Daichi asked.
„I'm just checking if my Mum called me." I forgot I put my phone on flight mode because I didn't want any disturbance.
As soon as I turned off the flight mode, a bunch of calls popped up on the screen.
„Were you fighting?", Daichi asked. He lay next to me on the blankets, starring into the night sky. There was too much rain to actually see the stars but it was nice anyways. I felt comfortable here.
„I'm just gonna call her real quick", I said and sat up.
„Sydney! Where are you? I tried to call you a million times...", my Mum yelled into the phone.
„I know I know. Mum, calm down. I'm fine. I'm at the house."
„The house?"
„The new house. Our new house", I said.
It was silent for a moment.
„Is he there too?", she asked.
Of course she would ask that. Of course I knew who she was talking about.
I looked to the side to meet Daichi's eyes that sparkled at me. I hesitated to answer. I was used to occasionally fight with my Mum. Usually it was about my grades, about school or something like that. We've never once fought because of ... a boy?
„No, he isn't here", I said with a sigh. „Nobody is here."
I held eye contact with Daichi and looked for something in his expression that would tell me what he thought. But there was nothing.
„What about school tomorrow, Sydney?", my Mum then continued. I wasn't sure she actually believed I was alone in this house. After all she knew about my situation... she had caused it so of course she knew I couldn't be alone. Though she had decided not to ask further questions and I was thankful for that.
„Just don't worry about that, okay?"
Our conversation ended and I felt releived that our fight seemed to have ended. We were both still mad at each other but we both had decided to just let it go - or so I hoped. I hoped me staying at the house wouldn't have any consequences. And I hoped my Mum would not mention Daichi anymore. I didn't want to think for a second that her concern about him was valid.
I took a deep breath and put my phone away. The room went back to black, the rain still pouring outside.
„Why did you lie?", I heard Daichi ask.
„Because I didn't want to make the situation any worse", I said in all honesty.
„Your Mum doesn't like me staying with you very much. It must be a shock to her that I don't go to Uni just yet."
„About that...", I went. I wasn't gonna bring up this topic but as he mentioned it...
Daichi made a face and sighed.
„It's basically what Kami had said. My Dad wants me to be a doctor and I don't."
„You actually got into a medical programm?", I asked. I was impressed because it meant he had to be smart. I caught myself judging him based on his looks again.
„I did and then I realized it's not what I want to do", he replied. He tugged his arms behind his head again and enjoyed the view. The rain had stopped and the sky slowly started to clear up, revealing the beautiful night sky in front of us.
„Then what do you want to do?", I asked quietly.
I heard how Daichi's head turned to look at me. I kept staring into the night although it was awfully hard to do so when knowing he was waiting for me to look back at him.
„I want to be a teacher I think."
I nodded. I was trying to picture him as a teacher and had to think about how whipped Ellen has been when Daichi had appeared as a teacher at our school.
„What about you?", he asked me.
That's when my head eventually turned and met his eyes again. It was determined that I would go after my Mum and become a lawyer. That was out of question. Nobody has ever asked about my opinion. It was set and that was pretty much final. He must know what that felt like.
„Can we not talk about that?", I asked instead of answering his question.
„Sure", he quickly said. „We should keep this place a secret from our parents."
„Don't you think they will find this eventually?", I rose my eyebrows.
Daichi shrugged his shoulders. „It would be great if they didn't", he added.
I nodded. It would be really nice to have this place for ourselves. Like a secret hideout. I liked the idea of this being our secret, although the excitement made me worry a little.
My alarm was ripping me out of my sleep. I must've fallen asleep last night. My back was aching from sleeping on the rather hard wooden floor with just a few blankets in between.
„Oh god, I have to get to school", I said. I didn't bring my uniform and it took me longer to get to school by bus from our new house - there was no time left.
Before I could get up, Daichi grabbed my wrist and pulled me back down. He was laying down, facing my direction and smiled at me.
„Why are you making such noise in the morning?", he went.
„Because I have to get to school", I said.
„I can take you. That way you'll make it in time."
„Are you sure?", I asked him.
Daichi nodded.
„We need to leave now though", I remarked.
So Daichi let go of my wrist and got up, offering me a hand to help. But I ignored it and got up myself.
A little while later I was in Daichi's car. The car he had taken the day I walked over that red street light. It didn't feel real that this had been our first encounter. And it's only been a few days since then.
„So how do you feel about us?", Daichi asked after a while of silence in the car. Just the radio was playing quietly in the background.
„What do you mean?", I asked back.
„I mean about us being...", he hesitated.
„Siblings?", I finished what I thought his sentence might be.
„Mhm", he went. He kept his eyes on the street and I took this chance to observe his side profile.
„I guess it's not that bad", I eventually said.
„What exactly?"
Even though he didn't look at me I shyly turned my head to face the window.
„Having you around", I said in all honesty. I saw his smile in the windows reflection.
„I didn't think you would say that", he replied.
Yea, I didn't think so either.
„I was a bit taken aback when my Mum suddenly introduced your Dad and well, you...At first I hated the thought of you taking away from me what's mine."
„What's that?"
„My Mum", I said quietly. „I have only her and whenever a man comes into her life everything gets so difficult. But this time it seems different", I sighed.
„You think so?"
„I am trying to see it rather as something I gained. Your Dad seems okay too - not like the type of guy who is toying around with women", I said.
Daichi nodded: „Yea he isn't really the womanizer type of guy."
„Unlike you that is?", I asked him bluntly.
I saw an amused smile playing in the corner of his mouth.
„As a rather good looking guy it is quite hard not to be a womanizer, you see."
„You're joking, right?", I asked him.
„You are quick to judge", he said.
„I am", I replied coldly. I knew I was.
The mood between us suddenly tensed. I didn't like it. I wanted it to go back to the comfortable feeling I had with him.
„At least you know.", he said.
I kept quiet after that. Maybe I was too sensitive. Maybe I had taken things too personal. But he could've at least cleared up if it was a joke or not. I didn't want my brother to be the sort of guy that I despised.
„You can let me out here", I said when we arrived the street near my school. "I'll walk the rest."
„Are you sure?"
„Your Dad might be there and I don't want him to see us because then my Mum will freak out again." On that note I knew how weird it was that his Das wasn't supposed to see us together. It didn't add up that we had to be a secret.
Daichi nodded while pulling over to let me get out of the car.
„Thanks for the ride", I said.
„Are you mad at me?", he asked.
I was. But I knew it was childish of me to judge him and furthermore get mad without even knowing him or his past.
„I really wish you would see me for the guy I am. Based on how I am treating you and not how I may have behaved in the past", he said.
I looked at him for a while without saying anything. I did not understand the meaning behind his words just yet.
I left without another word. I had to be quick to get to the gym to change into my sports wear since I didn't have my uniform. And I had to make sure no teacher saw me because it wasn't allowed to enter school grounds in regular clothing.
„What are you wearing?", Ellen asked me. „Don't even get me started...", I said when I took my books from my locker next to hers.
She looked at me, waiting for an explanation.
„Okay, here it goes...", I said. „...Your new homeroom teacher - that is my Mums new boyfriend. And the Mr. Ohira that you saw on Monday, that is his son."
„What?", Ellen basically yelled into the hallway.
„I'm sorry I didn't say anything earlier, I just got kinda overwhelmed by everything happening..."
„I need more details", Ellen demanded.
„My Mum has a new boyfriend with whom she apparently went on that Hawaii trip. They got their flight delayed and so instead of him, his son Daichi took his place as a teacher here on Monday. By now his Dad must've found out, but I don't know anything about that."
„Daichi?"
„Daichi Ohira - the guy from Monday."
Ellen's eyes sparkled.
„That means you know him?"
I sighed.
„Ellen, this isn't about him. Could I maybe finish my story here before the bell rings?"
Ellen then quickly nodded and made a serious face.
„So, as I was saying, the actual Mr. Ohira that you know since yesterday is my Mum's boyfriend that she introduced to me on Monday."
„Why am I hearing about this only now?", she asked.
Good call.
„I was still processing everything that happened. Him and his son came over for dinner on Monday and they announced that we would move in together into a new house. So we went to see the new house yesterday and me and my Mum were somehow fighting a lot."
„Why were you guys fighting? And wait...you are moving?" „Yea, we are moving this weekend already. But don't worry I won't be switching schools or anything. It's just a little farther away now."
„You are moving in with him?", Ellen asked quietly.
„He is sort of my brother now", I nodded.
„This may be early to ask but would you introduce me to him?"
I sighed yet again. I knew this was going to happen.
„Again it's about some guy?"
„Sorry", Ellen said and stared at the ground. „You still haven't explained your outfit yet."
„That's because you keep interrupting me asking about Daichi."
Ellen quickly looked up as I mentioned his name.
„I went to the house yesterday and stayed there after fighting with my Mum", I dropped on her.
Ellen's eyes went big: „You were there with him?"
I nodded.
„Was his Dad there too?", she wanted to know.
I shook my head. Now that I came to think about it, I was wondering were Eito had been. I thought they already moved up here.
„It was only us", it sounded like there was so much more behind this than it actually was.
We both stayed silent for a while. I wasn't sure what she was thinking.
„Is he nice?", she asked eventually. Somehow the mood had changed.
I nodded only, pretending now to organize the inside of my locker.
Where was that bell when I needed it?
