Making the perfect first impression wasn‘t exactly my goal. But I was 17, I should be mature. Or at least something close to that.
So I did what I was supposed to. I dressed pretty in a white top with ruffles. I looked like someone‘s 5 year old child. Cute and innocent was the look I was going for - showing Eito that he married a woman who was capable of raising her daughter to be a fine young lady.
„You look lovely“, my Mum said when I came out of my room.
I had to admit she did look really happy. She seemed so relaxed and she wasn‘t even nervous that I was right about to meet him. Is that what love was? Did love make her feel comfortable in a situation like this? But I didn‘t get much time to think about the meaning of love in all this, because the door bell rang and with that my Mum jumped to run to the door.
She hugged the man named Eito, he hugged her back with a large smile on his face. He was a short Japanese man. He didn‘t look special and he didn‘t look rich if it wasn‘t for the little emblem on his perfectly ironed shirt.
„You must be Sydney“, he smiled at me. He seemed nice, I thought. I didn‘t want to admit it though.
He hugged me too which I didn‘t expect him to do. I grew up learning that Japanese parents don‘t show much affection. So having this stranger hugging me right away felt awkward. I didn‘t know I liked it or not.
And then I saw him as my Mum opened the door to let another guest in. She was smiling up at him, a 185 cm tall god.
„You‘ve got to be kidding me“, I said and blinked at him. First this morning, then at school and now he was here. He was the son of my Mum‘s new boyfriend? No, no, no, no.
„And just like that we meet again“, he said with a slight hint of playfulness inside of his voice. He looked exactly like the type of guy who could wrap any girl around his finger.
„You two already know each other?“, Eito asked and looked a little startled.
„Yeah, what a coincedence“, I said and glared at him. I didn‘t really have any reason to glare. Maybe it was just to defend myself and make him forget about the fact that I took his picture without his consent and ran away leaving him on the street with the honking cars. Not my best move.
„Where did you guys meet?“, my Mum asked.
Him and me were still quietly looking at each other. I didn‘t know what he was thinking. I didn‘t have the slightest idea, but I had to make it seem like I knew what I was up against.
„I thought you only arrived here a couple of hours ago“, Eito said a little confused and looked at his son who seemed to come after his mother. Not meaning to be rude, but Eito looked nothing like his son. Nothing.
I raised an eyebrow and wondered why that guy didn‘t reply already. And I was wondering why my Mum didn‘t count one and one together - she must‘ve known that he was a teacher at my school.
„He‘s a teacher at my school?“, I made it sound like a question. I saw how he flinched.
„Eito is a teacher at your school, yes“, my Mum confirmed what hasn‘t been my question.
I finally looked away from him and at my Mum.
„He was supposed to start today, but because we were stuck in Hawaii he will have his first day tomorrow. But don‘t worry he won‘t be bugging you a lot“, she explained and fixed my hair like only a mother would.
„So they are both teach...“, I furrowed. Though I couldn‘t finish my question because Eito‘s son was quicker and held his hand over my mouth.
„Why don‘t you show me your room before dinner?“, he pulled me away from our parents.
I freed myself from his grip and looked up at him angrily.
„My room is that way“, I spat and rushed off having him follow me and leaving our parents speechless at the front door.
We reached my room, I waited for him to enter and then closed the door behind him.
„So?“, I asked.
He turned around with an awkward smile on his lips. I could tell he didn‘t like I had just caught him in a lie.
„You are going to Edwin High?“, he asked.
I nodded.
„I didn‘t see you there“, he said.
„I saw you though“, I said and crossed my arms in front of my chest, leaning against my desk.
„How unconvenient“, he said and breathed in sharply.
„So I take it you are not really a teacher there?“
„Correct“, he replied.
„Care to explain?“, I asked.
„Not really“, he simply replied and looked around my room.
„You better do because otherwise I‘m gonna tell your Dad.“
He stopped walking around and turned in my direction.
„What do you want?“, he then asked. Good to know that he was afraid enough of his Dad that the ‚I will tell on you‘-card worked.
He was wearing a neat pair of suit pants, a black silk shirt and an expensive looking watch. I wished I could take a picture of that too. This outfit was even better than the navy suit he wore this morning.
„Another picture“, I said boldly.
„What kind of fetish is that?“, he rose an eyebrow.
I sighed: „It‘s not a fetish, it‘s reference.“
„Reference?“, he repeated.
I nodded and grabbed my phone.
„For my webtoon.“
I held the phone up in the air and tried to get a good angle. To my suprise he was going along with it.
„So if I let you take my picture, you will keep it a secret from my Dad?“, he wanted to confirm.
„Sure“, I said a little absent while trying to concentrate on the picture. „Can you look a little more arrogant?“, I asked.
„You got yourself a deal, Miss...?“, he said and reached his hand out.
„Sydney Tamashiro“, I said and grabbed his hand.
„Daichi Ohira“, he introduced himself. His name sounded like a forbidden candy that I suddenly had the urge to taste on my lips.
I shook that thought off and let go of his hand.
I waved him back so he would finally pose for the picture.
„Can I see it?“
„The picture?“, I asked.
„Your webtoon“, he said.
„Really?“, I wasn‘t used to people being interest in my drawings. Apart from Ellen of course. But Ellen was Ellen. I could probably draw a stick and she would tell be how beautiful and artsy it was. „But don‘t laugh“, I added and opened my laptop.
„Wait, you‘re telling me, you drew this?“, he went.
I nodded.
„That‘s actually pretty good.“
„Thank you.“
Another thing I wasn‘t used to was being complimented by others.
„You have to show me once you use me as reference.“
„You are interested in seeing that?“
Daichi nodded: „Sure.“
He seemed genuine. But I knew better than to trust a man. I didn‘t know him, I didn‘t know his intentions. So I needed to stay careful around him. I couldn‘t let my guard down.
It was hard not to stare at him. Don‘t get me wrong, I wasn‘t into him. I was simply fascinated by him. I‘ve never seen such a beautiful person other than on TV. He looked like a model, tall, slender yet muscular, perfect skin, perfect hair, his voice was calming and exciting at the same time, the look on his face was intense and yet seemed so innocent and pure. I was just full of ideas on how my character in my webtoon would be. So many storylines popped into my head.
„Sydney?“, my Mum brought me back to the table.
„Huh?“, I flinched.
„I was asking if we should go see the house tomorrow. Or is it too soon?“
„The house? Oh, sure, the house. No, we can look at it tomorrow“, I said without really knowing what was going on.
A smile flashed over Daichi‘s perfect face.
„You can choose your own room. I told Daichi he had to let you choose first“, Eito said proudly.
I wanted to appreciate that gesture. But I had a hard time doing so.
„Are teachers earning so much money?“, I heard myself ask. So much for appreciation.
Eito laughed awkwardly: „Well, the pay isn‘t bad.“
„Sydney!“, my Mum hissed.
I glanced at her and then back at Daichi who was pulling apart the fish my Mum had cooked.
„Here“, he said and put a large piece on my rice bowl. „I took the bones out.“
Did he want a price for that?
Something about the Ohira family seemed off. They were way too nice. What did they want from us. It obviously wasn‘t money. Organs maybe?
And there I saw my kidney being shipped to China. I‘d seen way too many movies about that.
„So what do you think of Daichi?“, my Mum suddenly asked.
I immediately choked on that piece of fish Daichi had given me.
„What?“, I caughed.
„I mean as your new brother? Is that something you can arrange yourself with?“
„Don‘t you think you could maybe ask me that when HE ISN‘T SITTING WITH US?“, I got unintentionally loud at the end of that sentence.
I quickly cleared my throat and concentrated on my rice bowl.
„I find we should all be open about this and communicate with respect. That‘s how Eito and Daichi are practicing it“, my Mum said.
„Don’t worry. You won‘t be seeing much of him anyways“, Eito said and smiled at me. „He will attend college soon.“
„About that, Dad“, Daichi said. He took a sip of water while he had full attention.
I wanted to be the water touching his lips - that would make a great sentence in my webtoon. Daichi was pure gold for my inspiration. I needed to write that down as soon as possible.
„I will kind of skip a year and start college next year.“
„You what?“, Eito went. The chill and calm Eito suddenly didn‘t seem so chill and calm anymore. They weren‘t perfect after all. But I still liked them around. At least until I finished my story.
Daichi reached for the water carafe while avoiding eye contact with his Dad. He then knocked it over which resulted in me taking an involuntary bath in cold water.
I clenched my teeth and fists and looked at Daichi, holding myself back not to yell at him.
„Oh gosh, I‘m so sorry“, Daichi jumped up from his chair.
„I‘ll get some towels“, my Mum ran into the kitchen.
„I‘ll go change“, I said still holding my rage back. He totally did that on purpose.
„I‘ll help her“, Daichi said and again followed me up to my room. Nobody seemed to have noticed that him helping me change didn‘t make any sense.
I pulled my wet shirt over my head and threw it onto the ground with a sigh.
„What are you doing?“, Daichi asked shocked.
„Changing my shirt? Because you spilled water all over it“, I asked back and turned around.
His gaze dropped from my face over my bare body.
„In front of me?“, he asked with something in his voice that sounded like discomfort.
„You‘re my brother. Plus, you followed me in here“, I shrugged my shoulders and turned around to get a fresh shirt from my closet.
Daichi slowly approached me.
„That means I can take my clothes off in front of you too?“, he asked while unbuttoning his black shirt.
I turned back at him just to see his perfectly shaped torso. I couldn‘t ask him to take a picture of THAT. So instead I needed to burn this image into my brain.
„Why would YOU take your shirt off?“, I heard myself ask, concentrating on his chocolate abs. What that too cliché? He was definitely a lunatic though. Our parents were just outside my room and he was doing...yeah what was he even doing?
He came even closer and pushed me backwards until I hit the closet door. A satisfied smirk captured his lips when he saw the confused look on my face. Daichi then grabbed me and pulled me over to the bed. I didn’t really know what was going on.
„You should be more careful“, he said. I was lying on my bed, plushies surrounding me and Daichi on top of me, his muscles flexed and the scent of his parfum slowly finding its way to my nose. God, he smelled so good.
„What are you doing?“, I asked without moving. Surprisingly having him on top of me wasn‘t the most uncomfortable position I could think of. Wait what? What the hell was I thinking?
„You can‘t take off your clothes so carelessy in front of guys“, he said.
I had a hard time focussing on his face when he wasn‘t wearing a shirt.
„Do you want to take a picture of this too?“, he asked with a smile.
He was teasing me. Snap, he totally caught me staring.
„Oh I‘ve seen chicken before. No need to take a picture“, I replied.
Daichi clenched his teeth.
His eyes were lingering over my body while he was holding my wrists, leaning over me.
„What are you doing?“, I asked him again. I felt how my brain wanted to shut down, how I just wanted to enjoy his forbidden closeness.
Daichi leaned in and whispered into my ear: „Guys might take it as an invitation when you undress in front of them.“
My body started to tingle and it was horrible how comfortable his skin felt on mine. This wasn‘t right at all. What was going on with me? I realized how my body had started to burn and for a short moment I had invisioned touching his skin, exploring his body.
Daichi‘s face came closer, I felt his breath on my cheek and I could see my own reflection in the depth of his eyes. He was beautiful, attractive, stunning.
He leaned in to, as what it seemed like, kiss me. Before his lips could touch mine, I pulled my leg up hitting him right, in the crotch. He whined in pain and I managed to push him off of me. He fell from the bed, landed on the floor with a loud rumble, holding his crotch, his eyes filled with tears of agony.
„Sydney, are you okay?“, my Mum asked in front of my door. She must‘ve heard the noise when Daichi fell to the ground and came looking for us. Took her quite a while to check on me, after all him and me had been in my room for at least 10 minutes.
I quickly grabbed Daichi‘s shirt as it was the closest thing nearby and pulled it over to cover my body.
„How long can it take to change a shirt?“, my Mum asked while opening the door, barging into my room. She first looked at Daichi on the floor and then looked at me with confusion and worry on her face.
„Why isn‘t Daichi wearing a shirt?“, she asked.
„Oh, that. He offered me to wear his shirt because I said I never wore actual silk before“, I lied. „Right, Daichi?“, I kicked him to get his approval.
„Yes, that is totally what happened“, he confirmed, the pain clearly audible in his voice.
„Then what is he going to wear now?“
I couldn‘t help myself but smirk when we were sitting back at the dinner table. Me wearing the expensive silk and Daichi wearing one of my band shirts from school - pink with a sparkly EH on the chest.
„It really compliments your skin tone“, I said.
„Didn‘t you have any other shirts that he could wear?“, my Mum asked me. She didn‘t seem too pleased.
„No, Mum. He is way to well built to fit into my clothes“, I said to make it believable. It was astonishing how easy it was to fool the old people. Daichi totally knew I was just playing around, saying whatever they needed to hear to not be mad at me.
„It‘s really fine“, Daichi said. „A handsome face can pull off anything.“
„See, Mum. He‘s fine.“
„I really hope you will get along now that Daichi is going to stay with us“, my Mum mentioned. She had a worried look on her face that I didn‘t understand. Moving into a new house with her and her new boyfriend, fiancé or husband or whatever he was, was bad enough. Did she really think some idiot step brother like Daichi would do any difference. I couldn‘t care less if he was going to be in college or staying in the same house with me. It was just one year left anyways and then I would be long gone for my dream university, far away from them. Well not really far actually, but you get the point.
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