Chapter 33

It was a beautiful and glorious Saturday. I could not wait!

I checked my phone as I rushed down the street. 11:52. I still had time.

I passed the school, and saw a redhead in casual street clothes and a super short skirt with shades on walking next to a random school boy toward the track area.

It looked almost like...

(Keicchan?), I mutter to myself.

The redhead looks back, and notices me standing at the school gate.

Tomboy-kun smiles and puts an index finger to his lips in a shushing gesture, as if what he was about to do to the poor sap accompanying him was a secret I was privy to.

I nodded my head, clearly busy with other matters myself, and continued on.

11:57. I made it just in time to see Tomboy-kun standing outside his door with his arms crossed, blowing some hair from his wig hanging in front of his face.

"You're late.", he says as I open the old gate.

"It's only 11:57.", I say to him.

"Don't you know that you're supposed to be 10 minutes early? Never keep a lady waiting!", he shouts.

I put my hands out in defense.

"Gomen, gomen.", I say, a large bead of sweat hanging down my face in embarrassment.

"Although, you DID come before noon like I said, though. Still, you could use some pointers.", he replies.

"*ahem*.", a certain short gruff man clears his throat in the doorway as we talk outside.

"So, where ya headed, hotshot?", Tsundere-kun's father asks me.

"I was planning to see if he wanted to play at the arcade with me.", I say to him.

"*tsk* Have fun with that. Little bastard is number one over there, beat all my high scores from years ago.", he scoffs, envious of his son's skills.

I chuckle nervously at his aggressive disposition. (Guess that runs in the family.), I think to myself.

"Where's Hana-chan?", Tsundere-kun asks his dad.

"Asleep. Thank fuck. She kept bothering the patrons of the restaurant all night with questions. 'Where are you from?', 'Are you Korean?', 'Have you seen a live eel?'. Stupid ones, too.", he says.

"That's good to hear. You know, she really doesn't need to be in the restaurant during open hours.", Tsundere-kun says.

"WASHOOO!"

A sneeze reverberates through the walls of the house, almost as loud as Tsundere-kun.

A window on the second floor opens up. It's the imouto. A violent sneeze for such a little girl.

I guess that also runs in the family.

Hana peeks out of it, and is looking down at us in the yard below, sleepily rubbing her eyes while a long string of mucus is hanging from her nose.

"Daddy, oniichan, are you two talking about me again?", she says.

She then looks at me.

"Oh, you're here again.", she says with an angry scowl on her face.

Tsundere-kun's dad facepalms, muttering "Chikusho." under his breath.

"C-Clean your nose!", Tsundere-kun shouts at his little sister.

"Hmph!", she pouts at him, closing the window.

"I think it's best you two go before she has time to put two and two together and chase you. Stay safe, and don't get into trouble.", the dad says.

I bow my head, and we walk off.

While wiping her nose, Hana figured out why I was there.

Face beet red with anger, she rushed outside.

"Where are they? WHERE ARE THEY!? No one dates Oniichan, but me!", the little sister shouts.

"They left, now get back inside, you little weirdo.", the dad retorts.

She looks up at him, and pouts.

"Come on. It's time for lunch.", he says.

"Kay...", she says, looking back outside the door with a sad look on her face as the door closes behind them.