The morning sun sliced through the kitchen window, illuminating the tiny dust motes dancing in the air. For a brief, fleeting moment, it was peaceful. A perfect, tranquil scene.
Then the toaster popped.
"Onii-chan! My toast! It needs your special strawberry jam!"
The shriek came from my left, where my sister, Ayumi, was clinging to my arm like a designer limpet. It was her default position whenever we were in the same room. I swear, if I didn't have to cook, she'd probably try to fuse with me permanently.
"I'm busy with the eggs, Ayumi," I said, my voice flat. With my free hand, I expertly flipped an omelet in the pan. "The jam is in the fridge. You have hands."
"But it tastes better when you put it on for me!" she whined, burying her face in my shoulder. Her long, black hair, a mirror of my own, tickled my neck.
From across the table, Izuwa Manasaki sighed, her long blonde hair catching the light like a halo. She was trying, as always, to be the voice of reason in this madhouse. "Ayumi, Takeshi-kun is right. Let him cook. We don't want him to burn the food."
"Yeah, back off, Clingy-chan," Hina Ojori chimed in, not looking up from her phone. Her stylish purple hair was perfectly coiffed, even at seven in the morning. She was probably scrolling through the latest fashion drops from Harajuku. "Some of us are hungry."
Ayumi shot her a glare. "Who are you calling Clingy-chan, Fashion-Freak?!"
"Who else is currently attached to their brother like a piece of Velcro?" Hina shot back, a smirk playing on her lips.
This was my life. A few months ago, I'd somehow ended up living with my famous idol younger sister and two of her bandmates. My once quiet, orderly existence had been thrown into a blender set to high. But, weirdly enough, I'd gotten used to it. This chaotic morning routine was our new normal.
I slid the perfectly cooked omelets onto three plates and was about to serve them when my phone started vibrating on the counter. The caller ID read: 'Mom'.
I put the pan down and answered. "Morning, Mom."
"Takeshi, honey! How are you? Are you eating properly? Is Ayumi causing trouble?" Her voice was a whirlwind of maternal concern.
"I'm fine, I'm eating, and yes, Ayumi is Ayumi," I said, glancing at my sister who was now trying to steal a piece of bacon directly from the pan. I nudged her hand away with the spatula.
"That's my girl!" my mom laughed. "Listen, honey, I'm calling for a reason. Do you remember your Uncle Hajimate? My brother?"
I paused. "From Korea? Vaguely. It's been a long time." I remembered family gatherings when I was a kid. A loud, boisterous man who always gave me weird candy.
"Well, he and your aunt have a big work project transferring them to America for a few years. And they were wondering if you could do them a huge favor."
I had a bad feeling about this. A very, very bad feeling. "What favor?"
"You remember your cousins, right? Azuwa and Inoue?"
The names unlocked a dusty corner of my brain. Faint memories surfaced. Two girls. One with fiery red hair and a temper to match, who once tried to push me into a pond. The other with bright orange hair, who followed me around like a hyperactive puppy. They were a tornado in pigtails. I was nine when they moved away.
"Barely," I admitted.
"Well, they're moving to Japan! They're going to be attending your university, actually. Isn't that a fun coincidence?"
My bad feeling intensified, turning into a cold dread. "And the favor is...?"
"They need a place to stay, sweetie! Their parents thought it would be best if they stayed with family. And since you're right there, all responsible and with that big house..."
The silence in the kitchen was deafening. Ayumi, Hina, and Izuwa had all stopped bickering and were staring at me, their ears practically twitching.
"Mom," I started, trying to keep my voice steady. "This house isn't that big. And it's already... full."
"Oh, nonsense! It'll be a little sleepover party! It's all settled. They arrive tomorrow. Your uncle will send the flight details. Be a good cousin and take care of them! Love you, bye!"
She hung up before I could protest.
I slowly lowered the phone and placed it back on the counter. The smell of bacon filled the air, but my appetite was gone.
Three pairs of eyes were locked on me.
"What did she mean... 'take care of them'?" Izuwa asked cautiously.
Ayumi's grip on my arm tightened to a death grip. "Onii-chan? Who is coming to stay with us?" Her voice was dangerously sweet.
I took a deep breath, feeling a massive headache forming behind my eyes.
"My cousins," I said, bracing for the inevitable explosion. "Two of them. They're girls. And they're moving in. Tomorrow."
The storm had arrived.