Author's Note: Hello, Youjin fans! The wait is over!
This chapter is the side story one with Youjin's step sisters, but multiple POV's. And believe it or not, it's the LONGEST chapter I've ever written!!!
PS: Enjoy reading this side story chapter, readers!
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Hana Kinoshita's POV
I, Hana Kinoshita, had siblings: My twin sister name Sakura and an older brother name Youjin. But Youjin wasn't my biological brother, he was my step brother that our mothers weren't the same. For some reason, I called him 'nii-nii' instead of 'onii-chan' like typical younger sisters do.
As for my twin sister Sakura, we only looked different, especially our hair. My hair was short while hers was long. That was the only thing that set us apart physically, except, of course, our hair colors were still the same, as identical twins.
In everything else, we were almost identical. If Sakura liked something, I would end up liking it too. And if I like something, she would, too. That's why we always got along ever since we were babies.
*
Sakura Kinoshita's POV
I, Sakura Kinoshita, had siblings: My twin sister name Hana and an older brother name Youjin. Like most sisters, I called him 'onii-chan', even he wasn't my biological brother, but my step brother. Unlike me, Hana preferred to call him 'nii-nii'. Probably because our voices sounded identical and that helped him tell us apart when we called him.
As identical twins, my twin sister Hana and I shared almost everything: Our hobbies, secrets and even our feelings. And sometimes, that included the same feelings we both had for our step brother Youjin.
*
Narrator's POV
Hana and Sakura became the step sisters of Youjin when he was one year old. His father, Kousuke Kinoshita, remarried the twins' mother, Yuna Kinoshita, who had divorced her previous husband when the twins were about six months old after discovering he had cheated on her and was unfit to take care of them.
When Kousuke and Yuna married, they promised to raised their children together as one family, despite Kousuke's busy work schedule.
Years later, Youjin learned that Yuna, who had raised him, wasn't his biological mother. At first, he was upset, then eventually accepted it. As for Hana and Sakura, they were also shocked to learn about their real father's betrayal and realized that their step father, Kousuke, was far better parent than the one they had lost.
Of course, Youjin and the twins Hana and Sakura saw each other as true siblings, despite not being blood-related. As the eldest sibling, Youjin always took his role seriously and loved his step sisters deeply.
"Onii-chan!" Sakura called out.
"Nii-nii!" Hana followed.
"Hana! Sakura!" He replied, smiling as he run to hug both of those girls.
From a distance, their parents watched them with warm smiles.
"I'm so glad they get along so well, Kousuke." Yuna said, tears welling in her eyes.
"I know, Yuna. I'm grateful that my son accepts you as his mother." Kousuke nodded and embraced her.
When Hana and Sakura entered elementary school, Youjin introduced his friend to them.
"Hi, girls! I'm Yurika Nonaka." Nonaka-san, Youjin's childhood friend, greeted with a cheerful smile. "Youjin told me so much about you two."
The twins, however, couldn't help but felt a twinge of nervousness and a little jealousy.
"Ah, h-hi! I'm Hana." Hana said shyly, waving her hand.
"H-Hello, Yurika-chan. I'm Sakura." Sakura added, forcing a small smile.
"Hana, Sakura, Yurika-chan." Youjin looked at the three girls. "Let's play at the park!"
"Yay!" The twins cheered together.
"And we'll eat ice cream after." Nonaka-san added with a smile.
"Ice cream!" They exclaimed happily.
That day, the twins made their first real friend, who was close to their beloved brother.
As the years passed, Nonaka-san continued to spend time with the twins and Youjin. Even as they all moved up to middle school, their bond remained strong.
One afternoon after school, Youjin called his family for his announcement.
"Otou-san, Okaa-san, Hana, Sakura, I have something to tell you. But please don't be mad." He said nervously while rubbing his arm.
His family exchanged puzzled looks.
"What's wrong, onii-chan?" Sakura asked, feeling worried.
Youjin took a deep breath.
"Yurika-chan and I are dating!"
That news from him made the room fall silent, then erupted in surprise from his family.
"Son, congratulations!" His father Kousuke said, hugging him proudly.
Youjin blinked, clearly not expecting such a warm response from them. He thought they would scold him for dating too early, especially for the middle school students like him and Nonaka-san. But instead, they accepted it wholeheartedly.
"But Youjin, which of you confessed first?" His step mother Yuna asked gently.
"It was Yurika-chan, okaa-san." He replied with a smile. "I didn't know she had feelings for me for so long. But I felt the same, so we're dating now."
Hana looked at him, forcing a small laugh.
"So… does it mean Yurika-chan will be our sister one day, nii-nii?"
"Of course, Hana, if Yurika-chan and I get married." Youjin nodded, smiling.
"Youjin!" His father exclaimed. "It's too early to talk about marriage, you know!"
"Hehe! Sorry, otou-san." Youjin giggled.
"But still, I'm happy for you, my son."
"Thanks, otou-san."
"Congratulations, nii-nii/onii-chan!" The twins said in unison, hugging him tightly.
"Aww, thank you, girls." Youjin hugged them back.
"Well, then, let's celebrate for Youjin's relationship, everyone. I'll make a special dinner for all of us."
"We'll help, okaa-san!" The twins replied eagerly.
Before heading upstairs, Youjin added with a grin.
"I almost forgot, guys. Yurika-chan and I are going on our first date tomorrow. So I'll be getting ready in my room. I'll be back here later!"
"All right. Got it, Youjin." His father said.
Little did Youjin know, the twins Hana and Sakura felt a sting of jealousy toward Nonaka-san, the girl who captured their step brother's heart. However, they might accept his relationship, but deep inside, they couldn't help remembering the innocent wish they once shared: When the twins were little, both of them had dreamed of marrying Youjin someday. But now, their dream slipped away. As for Youjin, Hana and Sakura were nothing more than beloved little sisters.
The next evening, Hana and Sakura heard the front door open.
"I'm home!"
It was Youjin.
The twins gasped in excitement.
"It's onii-chan!" Sakura said exclaimed.
"He's back!" Hana cheered.
Then they ran toward the entrance and greeted him together.
"Welcome back, onii-chan/nii-nii!"
"I'm back, Hana, Sakura!" He smiled.
He took off his shoes and walked into the living room.
"Welcome back, Youjin." Yuna greeted him. "How was your date with Yurika?"
Then Youjin grinned happily at his step mother and sisters.
"It was the best date I've ever had, okaa-san!" He said. "In fact, Yurika and I finally had our first kiss."
They gasped in surprise.
"Aww!" The twins sighed dreamily.
"Ah, to be young!" His step mother smirked.
"Okaa-san, you're embarrassing me!" Youjin blushed, turning away.
"Sorry, Youjin." She giggled. "Still, I'm happy for you. Your first date went well."
"Thanks, okaa-san." He nodded. "I'll go to my room. Call me when dinner is ready."
"All right, I will."
Hana and Sakura felt reassured that Nonaka-san was truly someone he could trust.
However, everything changed just a week later.
After school, the twins supposed to walk home with Youjin as usual, but he was nowhere to be found. After searching for him around the school and giving up, they decided to go home on their own.
"We're home!" Hana and Sakura called out.
"Oh, welcome back, girls!" Their mother greeted warmly.
"Okaa-san, have you seen nii-nii?" Hana asked with a concerned look.
"Onii-chan and we were supposed to walk home together." Sakura added.
But their mother looked puzzled.
"Didn't he tell you? He came home earlier. He looked tired, it seems."
The twins signed in relief.
"I see. I thought he was with Yurika-chan." Sakura said.
Speaking of Nonaka-san, Youjin's family was unaware that something terrible had happened to him: He had been betrayed by both his girlfriend Nonaka-san and his best friend Haruka Kutake.
For Youjin, he believed Nonaka-san had cheated on him with his own best friend. But the truth was it had all started as a cruel prank that went horribly wrong.
Later that night, the family, except for Kousuke, who was working late, sat down for dinner. But one seat was empty, which was for Youjin.
"I'll go call him." Yuna said, standing up.
She walked to Youjin's room and knocked on the door gently.
"Youjin, dinner is ready."
But there was no answer from him.
"Youjin?"
She knocked again, but louder this time.
"Youjin, are you all right?!"
Still no response inside his room.
"I'm coming in."
The door was unlocked that Youjin had forgotten to lock it. When his step mother opened it, she found him lying on his bed, asleep. His breathing was low and steady, but he snored.
But when Yuna stepped closer to sleeping Youjin, she noticed something that made her pause: The tears ran down the sides of his face.
'He must have a nightmare.' She thought, sighing softly and wiping the tears from his cheeks.
She had no choice, but to let him sleep and left the room.
However, Youjin wasn't asleep. He only pretended to be.
As soon as the door closed, he sobbed silently and buried his face into his pillow. He regretted not wiping his tears before his step mother came in.
Youjin wanted to tell his family about Nonaka-san's betrayal, but he couldn't bring himself to speak. The pain was too heavy for him.
The following weekend, Youjin stayed home. He no longer went out with his former girlfriend, but his family, especially his step sisters grew concerned.
"Nii-nii, aren't you going out with Yurika-chan today?" Hana asked.
Youjin forced a calm smile and tried to hide his sadness.
"Yurika told me she's busy today with her parents today, Hana." He said.
Of course, it was a lie. But he wasn't ready to tell his family the truth. Not yet.
"What about tomorrow, onii-chan?" Sakura asked.
He shook his head.
"She said she'll be busy again tomorrow, Sakura."
Another lie he had made.
"I see." Sakura nodded with a hint of sadness.
Neither Hana nor Sakura noticed the pain hidden behind their step brother's smile.
Despite his heartbreak, Youjin had already gathered proof of Nonaka-san's betrayal. He had evidence!
Speaking of evidence, Youjin had a secret: He had owned a few miniature drones that he purchased them before dating Nonaka-san. Those drones were small enough to go unnoticed. He had used them as his personal diary, recording moments of his daily like, like a private vlog.
Those drones quietly captured everything for him: His walks to school, his times with friends and family, even his first date with Nonaka-san. It was his way of preserving memories. But now, those same recording had become painful evidence.
Nonaka-san had betrayed his trust. And his own best friend Kutake-san had joined her that cruel act.
As for Youjin, he didn't want to expose them immediately. He hoped Nonaka-san would come forward on her own, to confess and apologize. Not only to him, but also to his family as well. But she never came to his house.
And soon, things at school would only get worse for those twins.
On Monday, after school, Hana and Sakura returned home, wearing troubled expressions.
Their mother immediately noticed.
"Hana, Sakura, what happened?" She asked, concerned.
Then the twins exchanged uneasy glances before Hana finally spoke.
"Okaa-san, we didn't know nii-nii was hiding something from us."
Yuna frowned, still confused.
"What do you mean?"
"Onii-chan cheated on Yurika-chan, okaa-san!" Sakura said angrily, clenching her fists.
Then mother's eyes widened in shock.
"Huh? What did you say?!"
"His classmates told us, okaa-san!" Sakura continued, her voice trembling. "They said Yurika-chan told them that onii-chan flirted with other girls during his date with her!"
"Yeah, nii-nii lied to us!" Hana added. "He said it was the best date ever, but it was all fake!"
Hearing the devastated news from Yuna's daughters, she froze and her hand pressed against her chest. The words pierced her like knived and reminded her of the man who was her previous husband that once betrayed her long ago.
"I can't believe this!" She whispered, closing her eyes in disbelief.
"We're sorry, okaa-san!" The twins cried, hugging her tightly.
She shook her head, trying to steady her emotions.
"It's not your fault, girls. But I'll make sure to teach him a lesson."
"But where is he now, okaa-san?" Sakura asked.
"He's not here yet, Sakura."
"I see." Hana nodded. "We'll go to our room then, okaa-san."
The twins went upstairs, leaving their mother alone in the living room with anger, hurt and confusion.
Later, Youjin finally came home. His steps were slow, his face pale and worn.
"I'm home." He greeted quietly.
He was about to go upstairs when a sharp voice cut through the air.
"Youjin Kinoshita!"
Youjin froze and turned around. His step mother stood there, arms crossed and her expression cold and furious.
"Why didn't you tell us?!" She demanded.
He wanted to speak, but no sound came out. His body stiffened in fear and realized immediately that his step sisters had told her.
"You cheated on Yurika-chan! Youjin, how could you?"
Youjin tried to tell the truth that it was false accusation.
"Okaa-san, I didn't do–"
"No dinner for you tonight." She interrupted him angrily. "You understand?"
Her words hit him like a slap. His heart ached, his throat tightened, but he couldn't fight back.
"Y-Yes." He murmured, bowing down before walking upstairs.
Each step felt heavier than the last.
Youjin couldn't believe how quickly everything had turned against him. The girl name Yurika Nonaka-san he loved hadn't just betrayed him, she also falsely accused him. And now everyone, even his family, believed her lies.
Nonaka-san and his own friend Kutake-san had claimed their actions were just a prank, but it had gone too far beyond that. But now, it was destroying Youjin's life.
As Youjin was in the hallway before entering his room, he heard faint voices behind.
"Stupid onii-chan!" Sakura's voice spat.
"Womanizer!" Hana hissed.
The words from his step sisters stabbed into his chest. His eyes filled with tears as he quietly entered his room and shut the door behind them.
False accusation spread so easily for him. No one even needed proof, but they just believe the loudest voice.
The next day, Hana and Sakura spotted Nonaka-san in the hallway at school.
"Yurika-chan! Yurika-chan!" They called, running toward her.
Then they hugged her and their eyes full of guilt and concern.
"Yurika-chan! I'm so sorry about what happened." Hana sniffled.
"Me too, I didn't know onii-chan would cheat on you. That jerk!" Sakura added angrily.
Nonaka-san froze, her eyes widened in disbelief. She hadn't expect Youjin's own family to believe her false story.
"N-No, Hana-chan, Sakura-chan. That was mis–"
"We told our mother, Yurika-chan." Sakura cut her off.
"Yeah, she scolded nii-nii for what he did to you, Yurika-chan." Hana added.
"B-But, girls–"
"We're sorry!" They cried and hugged Nonaka-san again.
She tried to tell Youjin's step sisters the truth. But seeing how sincerely they believe the lie, she gave up.
After school, when Hana and sakura returned home, they met Youjin at the entrance. The air between them was suffocating. Neither of them spoke. Youjin didn't even look at them. The twins, who believed Nonaka-san's false story, avoided his gaze and whispered bitterly under their breath whenever they crossed paths.
During dinner that evening, the atmosphere was painfully awkward. Even though Youjin and his family, except his father who was still at late work, said 'itadakimasu' together, he could feel the distance. His step mother and sisters didn't glance his way. His biological father was already aware of what had happened to his son and Nonaka-san's relationship that made him angry, but didn't scold him in person.
Youjin ate in silence, the clinking chopsticks the only sound that filled the room.
At every meal, his step mother and the twins would talk and laugh with each other, pretending he wasn't there.
He sat quietly, enduring it.
'I wish Nonaka-san would tell everyone the truth. Or else…' Youjin thought angrily, clenching his fists beneath the table.
He could have shown his family the recordings from his hidden drones, the proof of his innocence. But he still wanted to believe that Nonaka-san would admit her lies and apologize.
Until then, Youjin endured everything: His loneliness, his family's hatred and the pain of betrayal alone. But even as he tried to stay patient, the emotional scars he received from her refused to fade.
Years later, life seemed to return to normal, except for Youjin.
He still couldn't move on from the past and continued waiting for Nonaka-san's confession. Yet, his former childhood friend remained too frightened to tell everyone the truth about what really happened between them.
Youjin's step twin sisters, Hana and Sakura, still called him 'nii-nii' and 'onii-chan' and spent their time with him occasionally as long as the topic of the past never came up.
As Youjin became a second-year high school student, his step sisters had entered their first year.
One day, the twins discovered that he had made a new friend. The name was Naomi Susami, who was the third-year high school student, Student Council President and the School Idol that was admired by nearly everyone at high school, including Hana and Sakura.
The twins thought their step brother had finally moved on from Nonaka-san. Still, they feared that he might hurt Susami-san eventually.
"Look at onii-chan, Hana." Sakura whisphered, watching from afar as Youjin and Susami-san talked together. "He and Naomi-sama always hang out."
"I know, right!" Hana crossed her arms. "Nii-nii easily moved on from poor Yurika-chan. He doesn't talk to her anymore. He really hurt her feelings, Sakura."
"Forget that, Hana. I just hope he doesn't hurt Naomi-sama next."
"Yeah, me too. Still, we must protect Naomi-sama from harm at all costs."
The twins still had no idea about the truth that Nonaka-san had falsely accused Youjin. And Youjin himself never showed anyone the evidence, not even his step sisters. He was still waiting for the right time and place to confront his former girlfriend expose the truth.
But things were about to get worse than ever.
One noon, just before the lunch break ended, Hana and Sakura overheard whispers spread among the students.
"Did you hear? Someone assaulted Naomi-sama?"
"My friend said she saw her face all bruised."
"But who would hurt Naomi-sama?"
The rumors made the twins freeze in fear, until they heard the name that followed.
"I think it was Youjin Kinoshita!"
Their hearts dropped. Their step brother's name, was being accused.
But the truth was far different.
Earlier that day, Youjin had received a confession from Susami-san, who admitted she had feelings for him. When he gently rejected her, haunted by the trauma left by Nonaka-san's false accusation, Susami-san lost control. In her despair, she began hitting herself and then accused him of assault.
For Susami-san, that false accusation she made was out of revenge for being rejected by him for herself. And he ended up getting suspended by Shinohara-sensei, the high school principal, and forced to leave the school early.
Back to Hana and Sakura, they were shocked when they heard the rumor that their step brother assaulted Susami-san. Without hesitation, they exchanged glances and nodded to each other. Instead of asking other students for details, they went straight to the principal's office.
"Excuse me, Shinohara-sensei." Sakura knocked on the door.
"May we come in?" Hana asked politely.
After few moments, a voice replied from inside the office.
"Yes, come in."
The twins nodded and said 'Excuse us!' together before stepping into the principal's office. Inside, they found Shinohara-sensei along behind the desk.
"Good afternoon, Shinohara-sensei!" Hana and Sakura greeted the principal in unison.
"Good afternoon." Shinohara-sensei greeted back, her expression shifting into serious one.
The principal already knew who those two girls were: Youjin's step sister. She also knew they were likely unaware what had just happened.
"Let me guess, you two." Shinohara-sensei said calmly. "Both of you heard the rumor about your brother and Naomi Susami-san."
The twins froze in surprise. The principal's guess was correct, and now they needed to know if the rumor was true.
"T-That's right, sensei." Hana stammered.
"Please don't tell us our brother really assaulted Susami-san, sensei." Sakura added with fear in her voice.
The twins usually called Susami-san 'Naomi-sama', but when speaking with teachers, they used 'Susami-san' to sound formal and respectful.
Shinohara-sensei sighed deeply and shook her head.
"I'm sorry, Hana-san and Sakura-san. But the rumor is true. Your brother assaulted the Student Council President."
Her words made the twins gasp in disbelief.
Shinohara-sensei sometimes called some students' first names with honorifics, in case the students in front of her had the same last name, just like Hana and Sakura, for less confusion.
"In fact, one of my staff brought both Youjin-san and Susami-san here earlier." The principal continued. "And I've already suspended Youjin-san for two weeks for assaulting the Student Council President. So…"
She stood up from her chair and bowed slightly.
"…I am sorry."
The twins here confused by her apology.
"No, no. We're so sorry for the trouble, sensei." Hana said, waving her hand swiftly.
"Yeah, we just never thought that our brother would do something like that." Sakura added. "But, uh, where is he now?"
"Youjin-san left the school a while ago, of course." Shinohara-sensei replied.
"I see." Sakura nodded.
Just then, the bell rang as the lunch break was over.
"All right. You two should return to your classroom."
The twins nodded.
"Thank you for telling us, sensei." Hana and Sakura said together before bowing and leaving the office.
Once outside, Sakura gritted her teeth.
"Can you believe it, Hana?!"
"Ugh! Nii-nii did it again." Hana groaned in frustration. "He hurt another girl!"
"Yeah! That jerk! At least he's suspended."
"I'm sure he didn't tell okaa-san. He came home early, remember?"
"Then we'll tell her ourselves, Hana. Let's make sure she knows what onii-chan did to Naomi-sama."
"You're right."
The rumor about Youjin assaulting Susami-san spread like wildfire. Everyone at school believed it and anger quickly grew against him. Some students even remember the old story that Youjin had cheated on Nonaka-san which was the false accusation that most still believed.
Since Susami-san was admired by nearly the entire student body, many students vowed to 'avenge' her. They whispered plans to beat Youjin up once he returned from suspension.
Later that afternoon, the twin sisters returned home, ready to tell their mother what they had heard.
"Welcome back, Hana, Sakura." She greeted, then noticing her twin daughters' troubled faces. "What's wrong, you two?"
"Okaa-san, is onii-chan here?" Sakura asked.
"Yes, he's in his room. But I wonder what happened since he came home earlier than usual."
"But did he say something to you?" Hana asked.
"He said he didn't feel well." Their mother replied.
The twins exchange knowing looks. Their suspicion was right. Youjin hadn't told their mother what had happened at school.
"Actually, okaa-san." Hana began nervously. "Nii-nii is suspended."
Their mother's eyes widened in surprise.
"Huh? Suspended?! What happened?"
"Onii-chan assaulted the Student Council President, okaa-san!" Sakura blurted out.
"What?!" Their mother shouted in disbelief.
"He assaulted Naomi-sama, okaa-san!" The twins said together.
"He hurt another girl." Hana added.
"Yeah, just like he hurt Yurika-chan before." Sakura said bitterly.
Their mother's shock quickly turned into fury. She couldn't believe that her step son had harmed another girl, or so she thought. Fueled by anger, she stormed toward Youjin's room and pounded on the door.
"Youjin! Youjin! Get out of your room right now!" She yelled.
Moments later, Youjin opened the door slowly with fear in his eyes. Before he could speak, his step mother grabbed his arm and dragged him to the living room.
Just as he expected, his step sisters had already told their mother everything.
"You assaulted the Student Council President?" She demanded. "Your sisters told me."
Then Youjin looked at Hana and Sakura who glared at him.
"I heard what happened, onii-chan."
"I can't believe you assaulted a girl like Naomi-sama. I thought you two were friends, nii-nii."
Youjin clenched his fists. He had already captured the real evidence with one of his drones. The footage of Susami-san hurting herself after he rejected her. But he wanted his family to believe him first without showing evidence.
"Guys, believe me." He raised his hands to defend himself. "She just hurt herself after I rejected her. I didn't assault her at all. I didn't have the time to date her. She lied about me attacking her. Please believe me."
Just like before with Nonaka-san's false accusation, no one believed him.
"As if I believe you." Sakura rolled her eyes.
"You're an enemy of women now!" Hana scoffed at him.
"First, you betrayed your childhood friend, and now you assaulted the Student Council President?" Their mother sighed in disappointment. "No dinner for you tonight, Youjin. Do you understand?"
Without a word, Youjin turned away and went back to his room.
History had repeated itself. His own family once again chose to believe the lies of others over the truth he tried to tell.
Although Youjin already had the evidence, he decided not to show it yet. Instead, he waited patiently that he wanted both Nonaka-san and Susami-san, who betrayed him, to confess to his family themselves.
During Youjin's suspension, many students gather around Susami-san, showering her with gifts and words of sympathy. Even Hana and Sakura joined them.
"Naomi-sama!" Sakura cried, hugging her. "We're so sorry about our brother attacking you!"
Susami-san remained silent for a moment that she didn't realize that the twins before her were the younger sisters of her former crush.
"Yeah, we never thought our brother could be such a criminal to assault a girl like you!" Hana added, joining the hug.
"We're really sorry, Naomi-sama!" The twins said in unison, pressing their faces against the Student Council President's chests.
Then Susami-san finally returned the gesture, wrapping her arms around them and gently patting their heads.
"It's all right, girls." She smiled at them gently. "Your brother will apologize to me soon, so don't worry."
After calming down, the twins went back to their classroom. But throughout the school, the whispers about Youjin continued. Almost everyone was furious, their anger making their blood boil as they spoke of punishing his themselves for Susami's sake.
At home, Youjin's family completely ignored him, as if he was invisible to them. His step mother never called him for meals, neither breakfast, lunch, nor dinner. Acting like he didn't exist in his own home, Youjin was forced to eat outside and visit the public bathhouse whenever he felt unclean.
It was Saturday, but Youjin's suspension still wasn't over. His father was at work, even on the weekend, while his step mother was out shopping.
Inside the house, the twins sat silently in the living room, bored out of their minds.
"Hana, do you still hate onii-chan?" Sakura broke the silence.
"Yeah. I still hate him. I wish he was kicked out from our house, Sakura." Hana replied.
"Me too. I wish that too."
"I can't believe he ruined Yurika-chan and Naomi-sama's lives."
"He is such a cheater, womanizer and abuser!"
"Sakura, any ideas to make our parents kick him out? I have a plan, by the way."
The twins genuinely wished their own step brother was disappeared.
"Yes, but are you thinking what I'm thinking, Hana?"
"My plan is false accusation on nii-nii by molestation. Is that what you think?"
"Yes!"
But neither of them realized their idea mirrored exactly what Nonaka-san and Susami-san had once done to Youjin.
"But who do you think will be the 'victim' for molestation, Sakura?"
"How about okaa-san?"
"Okaa-san? Well, let's just say… he molested her in her sleep."
"That's it! That's exactly what I think, Hana."
"Okay. Then we'll tell her or otou-san soon, Sakura."
The twins' plan was clear: To drive their step brother out of the house through false accusation, just as his former friend Susami-san and former girlfriend Nonaka-san had done before. However, they eventually changed their plan.
Unbeknownst to them, their entire conversation was being secretly recorded by one of Youjin's drones which was hidden in the living room.
Days passed, specifically it was Friday. It was finally the last day of Youjin's suspension.
As the afternoon class ended, the students began to pack their things, preparing to leave. But the PA System suddenly crackled to life with the principal's voice.
"Attention, students! Please stay in your classrooms. Your respective homeroom teachers will arrive shortly with an important announcement."
The students exchanged puzzled glances.
"I repeat! Please stay in your classrooms. Your respective homeroom teachers will arrive shortly with an important announcement."
They had no choice, but to follow Shinohara-sensei's order.
"Except for the Student Council Officers, you may leave for your duties. Thank you!"
Minutes later, Hana and Sakura's homeroom teacher entered the room, holding a stack of small folded papers.
"Good afternoon, everyone. Shinohara-sensei has instructed all homeroom teachers to distribute these papers to you. Any volunteers to help me?"
The class fell silent until Hana and Sakura quietly raised their hands.
"All right. Hana Kinoshita and Sakura Kinoshita. Please come here."
The twins obeyed and accepted the stack of papers.
"Please give one to each of your classmates." The teacher told the twins, then looking at the rest of her students. "And everyone, do not open it until I say so."
Once every student had a paper, the twins returned to their seats.
"Students, as you all know…" The homeroom teacher said with a serious tone. "…the Student Council President Naomi Susami was assaulted by Hana and Sakura Kinoshita's brother Youjin Kinoshita, a second-year student."
Mentioning that incident immediately darkened the room. The students' expressions twisted with anger, including the twins'.
"But tell me." She asked, scanning the class. "Are you still angry at him?"
"Yes!" The students shouted in chorus.
"What about you two?" She turned to the twins.
"Of course, we are, sensei!" Sakura snapped.
"Yeah! We hate what our brother did to Naomi-sama, sensei!" Hana added fiercely.
The teacher nodded.
"Now, then. Shinohara-sensei made an order for all of you, so please look at your papers. But do not read out loud."
The students unfolded them and their eyes widened in shock.
STUDENTS, YOUJIN KINOSHITA WILL RETURN FROM SUSPENSION ON MONDAY. I ORDER ALL OF YOU TO BEAT YOUJIN KINOSHITA UP AFTER CLASS AS HIS ADDITIONAL PUNISHMENT FOR ASSAULTING NAOMI SUSAMI, THE STUDENT COUNCIL PRESIDENT. BUT PLEASE, DON'T TELL NAOMI SUSAMI. THANK YOU! —SHINOHARA-SENSEI
The wicked smiles spread across the classroom. Even Hana and Sakura's lips curled into sinister grins. None of them expected this, but it was exactly what they had wished for.
The principal Shinohara-sensei herself had ordered it, a secret and violent punishment for the sake of their beloved school idol.
Inside Hana and Sakura's classroom, excited whispers spread among the students like wildfire.
"This is gonna be fun!"
"We'll teach him a lesson!"
"He deserves to be punished!"
"Justice for Naomi-sama!"
"I can't wait to beat that a**hole up!"
Their voices carried a disturbing mix of thrill and righteousness. The homeroom teacher simply watched in silence, showing neither disapproval nor pity. She didn't care what would happen to Youjin, only that the principal's order would be carried out.
"All right, everyone. You may go now." The homeroom teacher finally said.
As everyone left the classroom, Hana and Sakura whispered to each other.
"Sakura, are you sure we really have to beat nii-nii up?" Hana asked.
"Of course, Hana!" Sakura replied with a 'duh' tone. "It's the principal's order. Besides, onii-chan deserves more punishment for what he did to Naomi-sama."
"You're right. As long as we don't tell our parents… or him."
"By the way, I've changed my mind about our plan, Hana."
"Huh?"
"I'll tell you later at home."
That evening, in the twins' room, their secret discussion continued.
"Sakura, what's your new plan to kick nii-nii out?" Hana asked.
Sakura's lips curled into a malicious smile.
"If otou-san will come home, we'll accuse onii-chan of molesting us instead of okaa-san."
Hana's eyes widened.
"But how?!"
"Easy! I thought if otou-san was still awake in the evening, we would pretend to take a bath together. Then we would scream, make it sound real and tell him that onii-chan molested us."
Hana's expression turned from shock to excitement.
"Then otou-san would finally have enough and kick nii-nii out? That's great idea, Sakura!"
The twins exchanged satisfied grins. Their plan was now more personal and far crueler. But would it actually work?
A few days later, it was Monday. The day of Youjin's suspension officially ended. And the same day his additional punishment that he was unaware of.
From the moment entered the school gates, the cold glares followed him. No one spoke to him. No one approached him. They didn't have to, because their eyes said everything.
Youjin could feel the hate in every step he took. It reminded him of middle school, the betrayal by his former girlfriend Nonaka-san and his former best friend Kutake-san.
History repeated itself, thanks to Susami-san, for Youjin himself, who used her power and popularity to turn the entire school against him.
After the school, the severe punishment began.
In Hana and Sakura's classroom, the twins and their classmates could hear the chaos from down the hall: The dull thuds of impact, the rage, and the laughter. The sound of someone being cornered.
"I'm so excited for this." Sakura whispered, her voice trembling in excitement.
"Me too! Beat our a**hole brother up!" Hana replied.
Minutes later, the classroom door burst open.
Youjin was shoved inside, stumbling to the floor as several students pushed him from behind.
He was covered in bruises, his uniform dirty. He lifted his head weakly, only to find himself surrounded by even more hostile faces.
"H-Hana-chan… Sakura-chan…" Youjin stuttered in fear. "P-P-Please… save me."
Hana and Sakura only stared down at him in disgust. Then they exchanged a look and nodded. Hana punched him first on the face that caused the blood to trickle from his nose. Sakura followed, punching his face like her twin sister did. That even made him bleed more from his nose. Then their classmates joined in to beat Youjin more.
When it was finally over, everyone inside the school watched from the window as some students dragged him out of the school and tossed him near the gate.
The laughter from them across the entire school.
"That was fun!" Hana giggled.
"Justice is served for Naomi-sama!" Sakura declared proudly.
"Yeah!" Their classmates shouted together, raising their fists in the air.
When the day ended, the students left with triumphant smiles, pleased with their own cruelty, thanks to the principal's order.
Back home, Hana and Sakura greeted their mother cheerfully. But their faces were innocent as ever.
"Welcome back, girls!" Their mother said.
The twins smiled and acted like normal.
"Is onii-chan here?" Sakura asked her.
"Yes, but something is wrong with him. I tried to ask him, but he didn't answer."
For a brief moment, the twins froze. But quickly forced nervous laughs.
"I'm sure it was nothing. Maybe nii-nii finally learned the lesson, okaa-san." Hana said.
"She's right, okaa-san. Anyway, today was the best day ever at school." Sakura added cheerfully.
Their mother nodded, seemingly relieved.
"All right, if you girls say so. Oh, and your father will be coming home tomorrow."
That news made the twins surprised.
"Really? That's great, okaa-san!" Hana said excitedly.
"Awesome! We miss otou-san so much!" Sakura added.
As soon as their mother turned away, the twins looked at each other and their smiles twisted into something darker. Both of them remembered their plan. Tomorrow would be their next move.
The next day, after class, the Hana and Sakura came home and found their step father in the living room.
"Welcome back, Hana, Sakura!" Their father greeted them.
"Otou-san! We missed you!" The twins cried in unison and hugged him.
"I missed you too, girls." He smiled. "Your mother's making a delicious dinner now."
"Yay! Can't wait." Sakura cheered.
"By the way, otou-san." Hana asked. "Is nii-nii already here?"
Their step father's face grew serious.
"Yes, Hana." He replied. "I heard what happened. I never thought Youjin would hurt another girl like before."
"I know, right! Onii-chan is such a bad brother." Sakura scoffed.
"But if Youjin will hurt either of you, I'll punish him!" His voice hardened.
The twins exchanged satisfied looks. Their plan, they thought, would finally have an ally in him.
Later that night, their parents were in their bedroom and the house was quiet. The girls prepared for the next phase of their scheme. They wrapped in towels and waited in the bathroom.
"Are you ready, Sakura?" Hana whispered.
"Let's do this, Hana." Sakura replied.
Then they executed their plan.
"EEEEEEEEEK!"
"NOOOOOOOO!"
In their parents' room, they heard their daughters' screams.
"What was that?" Yuna said in surprise.
"I'll check them out." Kousuke replied, barreling down the stairs and pounding on the bathroom door.
"Girls, what is going on?" He demanded.
"It's onii-chan…" Sakura replied in a trembling.
"He molested us, otou-san!" Hana screamed.
Their step father's face went white with fury.
"WHAT?! WHERE IS HE?"
"I think he's in his room now, otou-san." Hana told him.
"That bastard!" He clenched his fist.
Without another word, Kousuke stormed up the stairs and pounded on Youjin's door.
"Youjin! Youjin! Open the door right now!"
Moments later, Youjin opened the door, still drowsy and stunned, his father punched him in the face. He toppled backward, reeling from the blow.
Youjin was surprised for what just happened.
"Ugh!" He groaned in pain. "What was that for?!"
"You! How dare you?" His father scolded.
"Eh? What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb with me. You molested your sisters in the bathroom, didn't you?!"
It was his step sisters' plan to falsely accuse him of molestation. Not to mention Hana and Sakura, who looked scared, hid behind their father, but they were just acts.
"What?! I was asleep since afternoon, otou-san." He said truthfully, struggling to stand up. "You woke me up when you knocked on the door. I didn't even go to the bathroom a while ago, otou-san."
Hours ago, when Youjin returned home, he was surprised when his father returned. Youjin didn't join his family for the dinner and went to sleep immediately after returning home due to the stress from the recent events.
But Kousuke would not listen to his own biological son. The stories from Nonaka-san and Susami-san had piled up in his head. And now his step daughters' that he believed recently.
"SHUT UP!" Kousuke punched his son again, this time to his stomach. "Who said you could call me 'father'? You're no longer my son, Youjin-san!"
Hearing his last sentence made Youjin's eyes widened in shock.
"It's all your fault for losing your own mother. Your real mother! My first wife! Uuugh! You killed her, you bastard!" He retorted in rage uncontrollably.
His father's outrage shattered his heart. Youjin never thought his father would turn that grief and blame toward him, especially his biological mother's death during childbirth that accused Youjin of being the cause.
"Tomorrow, get out of this house. Do you understand? You are no longer part of this family."
Youjin had no choice, but to accept.
"Y-Yes." He nodded fearfully with tears.
His father retreated to his room. His step mother, Yuna, stood silent. Hana and Sakura, who had been hiding nearby with fear, now slipped from behind their father and smirked at one another.
"Tch! Such a scumbag." Yuna scoffed before walking away.
Hana and Sakura smiled wickedly at their step brother and high-fived each other.
"We did it, Sakura."
"I know!"
Little did Youjin's family know, that false accusation was captured by one of his drones.
The twins ran and celebrated in their room, delight and relief bubbling up at their success.
"Finally! We can live in peace without him in this house, Sakura!" Hana said cheerfully.
"That's right! I'm glad our plan worked, Hana." Sakura smiled mischievously.
"But, Sakura. Do you think he will come to school tomorrow?"
"Maybe, or maybe not. But with or without him at school, we'll tell everyone that he molested us."
"And they will beat him up for us, just like all of us did for Naomi-sama!"
"Exactly, Hana. That's also the new plan. He will taste his own medicine for us, Naomi-sama and Yurika-chan."
The next day, the twins woke up early.
"Good morning, Sakura." Hana greeted with a yawn.
"Good morning, Hana." Sakura greeted back.
"Hey, do you think Youjin-san already left?"
The twins no longer called their step brother 'onii-chan' and 'nii-nii' like usual since they saw him as a criminal. Out of habit and politeness, they only referred to him by his first name with an honorific.
"Wanna find out?"
Hana nodded. They left the room and headed toward Youjin's.
Before entering, they knocked softly. There was no answer inside his room. They exchanged a quick glance, then slowly turned the door knob and pushed the door open.
"Youjin-san, it's time to leave–" The twins said in unison, but froze mid-sentence.
The room was empty. Every piece of his belongings was gone.
On the walls, countless papers were plastered everywhere, filled with messaged scrawled in bold, angry handwriting.
"NONAKA-SAN IS A LIAR!"
"SUSAMI-SAN IS A LIAR!"
"HANA-SAN AND SAKURA-SAN ARE LIARS!"
"WOMEN ARE LIARS!"
"I HATE WOMEN FOR FALSELY ACCUSING ME!"
"I NEVER COMITTED THE CRIMES AT ALL!"
"ALL OF YOU HAVE NO PROOF THAT I COMITTED THE CRIMES!"
"WITNESSES MAKE LIES!"
"WHERE IS THE JUSTICE?!"
"I AM THE TRUE VICTIM OF THIS ENTIRE MESS!"
"I WILL MAKE ALL OF YOU REGRET!"
"I WILL MAKE ALL OF YOU PAY FOR RUINING MY LIFE!"
"I NEVER TRUST ALL OF PEOPLE I LOVED ANYMORE!"
"GOODBYE!!!"
The twins stood frozen and their faces pale. The words felt like they were screaming from the walls themselves.
"Uh, Sakura. We falsely accused him, but do you think Yurika-chan and Naomi-sama also did?" Hana whispered shakily.
But her twin sister frowned, forcing herself to stay calm.
"No way! I don't believe they accused him. Besides, Yurika-chan had a witness. It was Youjin-san's best friend. And Naomi-sama had one too. It was a teacher, remember?"
"But one of his notes says 'Witnesses make lies'."
Sakura shook her head and placed a hand on Hana's shoulder.
"Hana, please! It doesn't matter what Youjin-san wrote. He's a criminal, okay? More importantly, he's gone now. We can finally live in peace with our parents."
Hana exhaled.
"You're right. Youjin-san is a criminal… and enemy of women."
Sakura nodded in agreement.
"Anyway, let's tear these down before our parents see them, Hana."
And so, the twins began ripping every paper off the wall, tearing away Youjin's final words until not a trace remained. They didn't care about his pain or truth. To them, he was no longer family, but just a stranger and a disgrace.
Later that day, during break time at school, Hana and Sakura went to Youjin's classroom to ask his classmates if he was at school.
"Your brother is absent. Why?" One of them answered.
"I thought you two went here with him together." Another said, confused.
As expected, Youjin wasn't in the school. Then the twins exchanged glances and put their next plan into action.
"Actually, everyone." Hana began, lowering her eyes. "Our brother molested us at home last night."
That reason caught everyone inside Youjin's classroom off guard.
"EEEEEEEEEEEHHH?!" The class erupted in shock.
"My sister is right, guys. Youjin-san did it to us. But our father caught him." Sakura said in a trembling voice.
Of course, they were obviously lies that spread instantly. Just like Nonaka-san's and Susami-san's false accusations before, the twins' story was swallowed whole without question.
"Everyone, if Youjin-san ever comes to school again, please beat him up for us." Hana bowed to them.
"Yeah, just like all of us did for Naomi-sama. So please…" Sakura added, also bowing to them. "…beat Youjin up for us."
Youjin's classmates looked at each other and gave his step sisters the wicked smiles.
"All right. We'll do it."
"Yeah. Let's teach him another lesson."
The twins smiled back and thank them. As they walked away, they could hear Youjin's classmates gossiping behind them.
"I can't believe it!"
"I know, right! First Naomi-sama, and now his own sisters?!"
"Guys, I heard he was dating his childhood friend before in middle school, but then cheated on her."
"You're right! I think her name is Nonaka-san."
"So that's four girls he victimized? Disgusting!"
"Ugh! Kinoshita-kun is the worst!"
"We'll beat him to a pulp if he comes here again."
"Yeah, but if we see him on the street, we'll attack him!"
Hearing those words from Youjin's classmates made Hana and Sakura smile to themselves.
The next day, the twins checked Youjin's classroom again.
"He's not here again." His classmate told his step sisters.
"We didn't see him outside either." Another added in disappointment.
Hana and Sakura looked puzzled.
Another day passed, Youjin didn't show up at school once again.
His twin sister felt strange.
And another day, specifically it was Friday, Youjin still didn't show up that frustration began to crept in.
"Ugh! Why isn't he showing up? I want to see him get beaten up!" Hana groaned.
"Maybe he knows what's coming and decided to run away?" Sakura shrugged.
"Let's give up for today, Sakura."
"Yeah, let's go home."
That weekend, the twins enjoyed their time with their parents. They laughed, ate, and lived as if nothing had happened. None of them mentioned Youjin again.
But deep inside, Hana and Sakura began to feel something uneasy. A quiet, creeping guilt that neither of them dared to speak of.
A few days passed, the twins began to notice something strange. Their step brother, Youjin, still hadn't returned to school since being thrown out of the house.
During lunch break, Hana and Sakura sat together in their classroom, eating quietly. Only few classmates lingered nearby, minding their own business.
"Ugh! Where the hell is Youjin-san?!" Hana growled in frustration.
"Yeah! It's been two weeks already!" Sakura crossed her arms, annoyed.
After a short silence, Hana sighed.
"You know what? I'll admit it, Sakura."
"Huh? Admit what?"
"I… feel guilty. Maybe we shouldn't have made otou-san kick him out."
Then Sakura froze, trembled in fear. The guilt Hana felt was the same one quietly gnawing at her.
"I feel guilty too, Hana."
Her confession startled her twin.
"You do?"
Sakura nodded.
"We shouldn't have made that false accusation against onii-chan."
Then she gasped, covering her mouth as she realized she called her step brother 'onii-chan' instead of 'Youjin-san'.
"Me too, Sakura. Nii-nii left because of us… all of us."
Hana didn't react when she mentioned 'nii-nii' instead of 'Youjin-san'.
"But still, onii-chan cheated on Yurika-chan and assaulted Naomi-sama, Hana."
"You're right. But he said they falsely accused him. What if… what if he really didn't do it?"
Before Sakura could answer, a familiar voice echoed from the doorway.
"Sakura-chan! Hana-chan!"
The twins turned and saw Yurika Nonaka-san who stood up with a nervous expression. But she wasn't alone. Beside her was the Student Council President and the School Idol, Naomi Susami-san herself.
"Yurika-chan? Naomi-sama?" Hana and Sakura called in unison.
Both Nonaka-san and Susami-san looked somber, their faces pale with guilt.
"We… need to talk." Susami-san said quietly, rubbing her arm nervously.
*
Meanwhile, somewhere far from the school, Youjin had found a new place to live: An old, nearly abandoned apartment building. Only two people resided there, Youjin himself and the landlady name Hayashi-san.
He and the landlady got along. She was kind, soft-spoken and most importantly, the only person who believed his story.
Hayashi-san listened to everything: His past, his friend's and family's betrayal, the students' cruelty and the lies that destroyed his life.
Yet despite her kindness, Youjin couldn't bring himself to fully trust her. Something about her eyes, felt too curious, too knowing. Even so, he stayed. And as the days passed, his quiet sorrow began to turn into cold determination.
He had spent years collecting evidence, the hidden recordings since he and his former girlfriend were dating, that could expose the truth.
Now, for the first time, Youjin finally saw it clearly. The girls who betrayed him, Nonka-san, Susami-san, Hana-san and Sakura-san, had all stay silent out of fear.
They never confessed the truth to everyone, never faced their guilt, and never revealed the lies that started everything.
But Youjin would not stay silent any longer. He was done being the victim. The time for justice, and revenge, was drawing near.
-----
Author's Note: There you have it! The longest chapter I've ever written.
It's confirmed that the principal Shinohara-sensei was responsible for beating Youjin up when he returned to school from suspension. Overall, his punishment wasn't one, not two, BUT THREE TIMES he had ever faced!
After this side story chapter, Youjin's POV chapter will return by the first chapter of Volume 3 (also 22nd chapter). But trust me, you will enjoy Youjin's new life… with *AHEM*someone*AHEM*else*AHEM*!
However, before I will publish the Volume 3, I will make the extra chapter which is "Questions and Answers PART 2" for the Volume 2 Special Chapter.
And finally, I will make another Side Story Chapters after Volume 3, specifically during Youjin's disappearance, during Youjin's revenge and after revenge with multiple POVs. SO STAY TUNED!