That night, back in his old room at the Kujo house, Alex lay in bed, unable to sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, Seiji Kubo's lifeless body tumbling down the stairs flashed before him.
I'm really not cut out to be the bad guy… Alex thought with a wry sigh.
But sleeplessness aside, he felt little guilt or regret over Kubo's death. The memories of his past life were still vivid, and he wasn't about to risk Reiko's safety by assuming Kubo's threats were empty.
After tossing and turning, Alex got up to use the bathroom. As he opened his bedroom door, he heard a noise from Reiko's room across the hall.
The day's events still fresh, his heart skipped a beat. Fearing Kubo had accomplices, he quickly turned the knob and pushed open her door.
The room was quiet, no intruders in sight. The noise was Reiko, thrashing in a nightmare. Her face was pale, sweat beading on her forehead as she mumbled, "Onii-chan! I'm so scared, Onii-chan…"
Alex flicked on the light and hurried to her side, gently shaking her awake.
Reiko's eyes fluttered open. Seeing Alex crouching by her bed, she choked back a sob and threw herself into his arms. "Onii-chan, I dreamed about what happened today…"
"It's okay, it's over," Alex said softly, holding her close.
It took several minutes for Reiko to calm down.
"Onii-chan, I'm scared to be alone…" she said shyly. "Can you stay with me?"
"I'll grab a chair," Alex said, starting to stand.
But Reiko grabbed his sleeve, her head lowered. "Onii-chan, the bed's plenty big. You can lie down too, like when we were kids."
"You know that was when we were kids," Alex said, flicking her forehead. "If we did that now, Uncle would kill me in the morning."
"Dad wouldn't!" Reiko protested, her cheeks flushing. "He and Mom always say I should marry you when I grow up…"
Her voice trailed off, and she buried her face in the blankets, embarrassed.
Alex seized the chance to stand, dragging a chair to her bedside. "Sleep. You've got school tomorrow, and it's late."
"Onii-chan, tell me a story," Reiko said, grabbing his hand and giving it a shake. "I can't sleep otherwise."
"Fine," Alex said, thinking for a moment. "Across the sea in China, there was once a scholar named Xu Xian…"
By the time he got to Xu Xian meeting Lady White at West Lake, Reiko was fast asleep.
Alex tucked her in, intending to leave, but noticed she was still clutching his hand. If he pulled away, he'd wake her.
Whatever. I can't sleep anyway.
With that, Alex settled by the bed, watching his sleeping cousin. Slowly, exhaustion took over, and he drifted off.
This time, Kubo didn't haunt his dreams.
The next morning, when neither Reiko nor Alex came downstairs, Kinna Kujo pushed open Reiko's door to call them for school. She paused, smiling at the sight: Reiko asleep in bed, Alex slumped in a chair, their hands still clasped.
"These kids…" Kinna nodded approvingly, starting to close the door. But the movement woke them.
Alex stretched, surprised at how well he'd slept despite the awkward position.
"Onii-chan, I'm gonna be late!" Reiko yelped, scrambling out of bed.
"Why not skip school today?" Kinna suggested. "I can call in sick for you both."
"No way!" Reiko shook her head. As a discipline committee member, she had to escort the first-graders to and from school. "It's too late to take leave now… Onii-chan, get out, I need to change!"
Kicked out of the room, Alex turned to Kinna. "Aunt Kinna, I'm heading to school too. After classes, I'll take Reiko to the izakaya."
"I'm not worried with Reiko in your care," Kinna said, her face glowing with a doting smile. She couldn't be happier seeing her daughter and nephew so close.
At Teitan High, Alex stepped into the school entrance and found Yukiko Fujimine waiting eagerly by the shoe lockers. "Something up?"
Yukiko dutifully placed his indoor shoes on the floor. "You coming back to the izakaya tonight?"
"Yeah," Alex said, puzzled. "Why?"
"When you're gone, that Glasses Girl bullies me," Yukiko whined, launching into a rant. "She even said she'd ask you to hand over your free maid so she could boss me around."
"I'm fine with that," Alex said with a shrug. "It's not my turn to manage things starting today anyway."
"Wrong answer!" Yukiko snapped, crossing her arms. "You're supposed to say, 'Only I get to bully you!' and then go get revenge for me!"
"Too many romance novels?" Alex teased. "Besides, knowing Eri, if she's picking on you, you probably started it."
"You weren't there yesterday!" Yukiko huffed. "I'm the head chef—it should've been my call. But that cashier waitress started ordering me around."
"Oh, I forgot to mention," Alex said, realizing what had been nagging him. "When I'm not around, Eri's in charge of the izakaya."
"Why?" Yukiko demanded, indignant.
"Because Eri's got a level head, and you're too much of a troublemaker," Alex said bluntly. "If I left you in charge last night, you'd have messed with her, right?"
"Heh…" Yukiko gave a sheepish laugh. Her main goal in trying to take over had been to get back at Eri.
"When you make that face, I know exactly what you're up to," Alex said, shaking his head. He swapped his shoes and headed for the classroom.
"Crude!" Yukiko muttered, stuffing his outdoor shoes into the locker. She hurried after him, curiosity piqued. "So, what happened with that little troublemaker Reiko last night? Enough to keep you from the izakaya?"
Alex gave a brief rundown of the previous day's events. "Oh, and starting today, Reiko's moving in with me."
"As long as the kid's not hurt, that's good…" Yukiko trailed off, then froze. "Wait, what? That little brat's moving to the izakaya?"
"Yup," Alex nodded. "Her parents get home too late. I don't feel safe leaving her alone."
"Ugh," Yukiko groaned, flashing back to last weekend when she'd been tied to a chair, Reiko and Eri gleefully doodling on her face with markers. "I can barely handle the big one, and now the little one's coming…"
(Chapter End)
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