1.2
Well then, after getting up and then going back to sleep just to get up again one hour later, we went to have our breakfast. The food was, of course, made by the great master chef, me (lol).
Only the two of us were sitting at the table.
Then, I believe we should begin some late introductions. My name is Kanade Aki, 21 years old, currently studying at a Law college in XXXXXX country. And the little girl sitting at the other side of the table is my little sister, Tsubaki Aki (yes, her name rhymes, and having known my mother I'd say it was on purpose), a 14 years old sometimes-not-so-cute child. Well, we actually have composed names, so I haven't given our full names yet… However, since we`re just getting to know each other, let`s keep things simple so you won`t forget our names. Simple right? Two people, with only two names (for now), me: Kanade Aki; and my sister: Tsubaki Aki.
About the reason why only the both of us are here... Something like five years ago, our parents died in a car crash… And without anyone to take us in, and because of our sex and age difference, we were going to be sent to different orphanages. Thankfully (?), the government works in a seriously slow pace, and I hired a good lawyer.
Not to complicate too much, some legal stuff happened. Since we had a good enough heritage, we were able to keep on living together at our parents house. It was all smooth sailing from there. Of course, except that I had to get a job (more recently I got an internship at a law firm), and take care of the house chores, and take care of taxes, and her clothes and school and…
Well, it`s all in the past now, and currently we are being able to enjoy quite a peaceful life.
Since she is very smart (really, sometimes I wonder whether she's actually a genius or if it's me that is just too doting…), she should be able to get a full-scholarship too.
(Hehe, if everything goes well, I could even wait for her to land a good job to take care of us both… Ahh, what a dream it would be to quit college and my job and just live the sweet life of a parasite… I mean, at least I would a little for my part, I would take care of the house chores and live very frugally in the basement or something, so it wouldn't be that hard to take care of me…) Wait… Did this last part also go in the book…? It wasn't supposed to! C-can we redact it or something!? What, no!?
C-Caham! Tehee! It was just a joke guys! I only thought that because I saw a character with a similar dream in a different series! No way I would want something like that, I was just trolling, haha! Oregai---nai!
I mean… It's just an idea, you know… Of course, only if there was an opportunity---
"… chan! Onii-chan!!! Earth to brother! Stop spacing out! Did you even listen to anything I've just said?"
"Wha---!? Of course I've always thought of you with my utmost care, Tsubaki! I would never-ever make a plan to leech out of your work!!! (provisional)"
"Huh? Sometimes I have no idea what you're talking about, Onii-chan… Anyways, just remember to bring me a nice cake when you come back."
Oh? What? Did she think I forgot what day today is?
Well, I was already planning on doing that. But when she puts it like that… It's too cheeky, it makes me want to tease her a little---! Caham! I mean, as her big brother, I gotta teach her how to properly ask something from others in order for her to learn how to live in the real world!
And it's not like I want revenge for what happened earlier today or anything--- Ok, it is exactly that! Vengeance is mine!
And so I put on my best mob enemy B face and voice.
"Bwahaha!!! So you want something from me, oh my lil'sis? And you think this is the proper way to ask someone for a favor?"
How was that? Even I got a little intimidated by myself. Fuhahaha!!!
She closes her eyes, takes a hand to her forehead and shakes her head. She must be thinking of an answer. After a while, she finally looks back at me.
"Oh... It really is so... How rude of me... What I meant to say was 'Oh my dear, honorable brother, if it does not trouble you so, I would like to humbly request a cake for my birthday, tonight...' Otherwise, I might end up stumbling at some improper magazines in your room and traumatizing myself, FOREVER. Indignant, I would even look at the history in your computer. It could or not happen that I would also run around the neighborhood and your college, screaming the results for anyone to hear."
How naive my lil'sis!!! Did you think that answering in a more polite way would help you? Even if you correct it now, not even the fact it is your birthday could fix your previous lack of politeness!
…Is what I would like to say, but wasn't the end of her sentence a little odd…? I think… She might be blackmailing me??? Is she blackmailing me, huh!? The one who is going to end up traumatized here is me!
Ahh… I have failed in my duty of properly educating her…
No, wait. During life, specially once you go out into the world, learning how to read the mood and use it to your advantage is really important. So it must be a good thing that she already has this much practice since early on…
… But using it in order to overkill your brother's whole social life is going a little too far, isn't it? Isn't it???
I see… Even at wars, there are some rules that must never be broken. But since she is the one who decided that anything goes, then I must also respond in kind…
There is no other choice then, I must counterattack. It's time to bring up my invincible trump, the ender of all discussions.
...
"So, which flavor did you say you wanted, again?"
Raise the white flag. Beg for forgiveness.
…
Shame on me!!! How was I able to lose before even fighting? I was completely defeated by her expectant eyes!!! She already knew how the discussion was going to end after saying her part! How can a person make an expression cuter that that of a puppy, while thinking of a flavor for the cake???
Maybe I'm spoiling her too much!? But I can't tank this!
"Hehe, chocolate, with lots of strawberries!!!"
She said while doing a V with her fingers, in a common victory pose.
Ugh...
I must learn better warfare tactics...
At least she began her birthday in a happy mood… I wonder if she`ll be happy once she finds her gift placed over her pillow… It`s a silver necklace with a blue jewel, which mom had originally received as a first gift from dad. I think Tsubaki is already old enough to take good care of it…
It's a little lonely to know she's already this grown up…
...
After breakfast, we said goodbye and went our separate ways to school and college.
…
…
…
Now, let's think about what happened in my dream. There, 'it' said something different from the other times. "Soon"… Of course, I might not be as smart as my little sister, but even I can see such an obvious flag when it is raised right in front of me.
That said, despite of what you might have thought of me so far, I did still have some common sense left.
So, instead of assuming I would actually be sent on an adventure by forces beyond my comprehension; I obviously just passed it out as something created by my sub-consciousness.
And as such, I spent my day normally, first going to classes and then to my job.
…
At the end of the day, after passing by the cake shop, I was making my way back home when I saw that the subway was not working. They didn't say the reason, but it was odd that all of the lines stopped working right at rush hour, no buses either.
Whatever. I'm late enough as it is.
The problem is, my crappy phone operator had to lose signal and I obviously wouldn't go into public wi-fi to use my credit card and get a ride in an app. I can't even remember the last time I saw a Taxi either, so today wasn't any different…
I could have asked a favor from someone I know--- Except… There isn't anyone I know…
There is, of course, a last ace.
Walking back home…
"Fukou da!"
…
It took a LOT. OF. TIME.
It's way past dinner already, but I'm almost home.
Through the gate, I can see that the lights are lit, meaning Tsubaki was already home. We live close to her school, so she is used to walking to and from there. But it's reassuring to see she made it safely, since my phone is basically dead...
I'm so freaking late, and couldn't even send her a message…
Her birthday is almost over, and I think it mustn't have been a good one… I did ask her if she didn't want to hang out with her friends, but she said she'd rather come back home quickly, since it was almost time for her exams.
In my opinion, I don`t think there`s any need to be so serious about some middle school tests… Sometimes I think she`s just too well put-together for her age… Though I`m glad she knows how to set her own self-policies for studying.
Changing the subject, it`s time for my triumphal entrance. I`ll bring in the cake, give her a huge hug and be thanked as her favourite brother, who saved her birthday, hehe. Wait, should I even be happy to be her favourite brother if I`m the only one… ? *sniff* Also, maybe leave the hug for after bath…
C-Caham! Either way, it was a whole Odyssey to come back home. My legs already turned to jelly one hour ago. And who knows how many times didn't I get tempted to rest and eat a slice of the cake… But I didn't give up, and the cake remains intact (except for some of the frosting on the borders).
Some nice thanks and a peaceful dinner can't hurt, right?
…
As I tiredly open the door---
-Sorry, I'm late--- Eeeh?!
HUUUUHHH!!!???
My living room was nowhere to be seen; instead, a huge room decorated with incredible ornaments and a gorgeous throne was in my sight. Inside it, there were dozens of people looking at me...
WTF is going on??? Did I just mistake my own house!?
Or rather, is it even possible for such a huge place to be in my neighborhood without me noticing!? Am I some kind of idiot that managed to invade someone else's house by accident!!!???
Everything happened in less than a second. I could feel the blood draining from my face, as I simply said:
"I'm sorry for the intrusion."
After saying that, I quickly closed the door and started backing away as fast as I could.
Ok, let's never talk about this again. EVER.
Haha, what kind of idiot manages to go into someone else's house just like that? Not me, nope. No way.
Yup, let's head home.
"Wha---!!!"
As I was starting to leave, I noticed that my neighborhood was nowhere to be seen. In it's place there was a big corridor with many soldiers stationed close to the walls, wearing metal armors and staring daggers at me…
Without knowing what to think, I stood still with my mouth agape. I kept looking at the soldiers as they were staring back at me...
Without understanding what the hell was going on, I could only believe that this would be a long night...