¦Chapter 1¦
+++
In the park, a girl with vibrant (H/c) hair looked blankly towards the sky on top the bridge just over the little pond. Her mind was elsewhere as she watched the clouds pass by, the bread she was using to feed the ducks forgotten in her little daze.
"You seem out of it today," a voice snapped her out of her daze, taking the piece of break in her hands, feeding the ducks with it in her place.
"Nii-san," she addressed, "I don't know why, but I just feel out of it today."
"Maybe you're nervous about moving to a new city," he suggested.
"Maybe," she agreed. "I've spent the past 15 years in this place. It seems a bit sad to just move."
"Well, you can't do anything about that. Dad just got promoted so he's being relocated." Hiro sighed, crumbling the remaining bread before tossing it to the ducks. "Or so we're led to believe."
"'Led to believe'?" (Y/n) echoed her older brother's words. "Are you saying dad lied?"
"Well, no," Hiro immediately replied. "It's just—it's nothing really. It's nothing you need to worry about."
"Telling me not to worry only makes me worry more, Hiro-nii-san."
"We'll find out the truth soon enough," he told her. "So let's just wait and see what happens."
"By saying 'we', are you implying you don't even know what you're accusing mom and dad about?" She raised a brow, perplexed by her brother's actions.
"I know there's most likely another reason we're moving aside from dad's promotion," he shrugged, "but yeah, I guess you can say that."
"So, you know basically nothing?"
"Pretty much." He nodded. "It's just a gut feeling."
"Well, hopefully it isn't anything bad."
"Hopefully," he said, crumbling the rest of the bread into little bite sized pieces before violently throwing it at the ducks.
Not that the soft bread attack seemed to have done any damage to the ducks. Instead, they just swam towards the pieces of floating bread and ate it happily.
"Let's go get some coffee," (Y/n) suggested, "from the place just across the street."
"A farewell drink does sound good," he agreed and the two set off to the shop across the park.
"Of course, you're paying, nii-san."
"Hey!"
•••
(Y/n) settled in her new environment faster than she thought she would. She had to admit, moving didn't seem so bad now that she had adjusted.
Though if there was one thing she would complain about, it was her lack of items.
The boxes containing all her books, trinkets, things, and mementos was currently inside the moving truck that had yet to arrive. Heck, even her bed had yet to arrive so she was sleeping on the floor using a comforter as a make shift bed.
"Can the truck arrive already? I don't want to sleep on the floor any longer," she groaned, complaining to her friend who she was currently having a call with.
"You'll get through it," her friend on the other side of the phone encouraged. "That aside, have you read the book I gave you before you left?"
She snickered. "I can't, all my things including the books are in the moving van, remember?"
"Damn moving company, I hope they arrive soon." In light of this new revelation, her friend joined in (Y/n)'s woes.
"I guess that means we can't read books together anymore," she sighed, "though maybe that's a good thing. I don't think reading books under the moonlight was good for me."
"You take that back!" he gasped. "I thought the two of us had something there!"
"Yeah," she agreed, "something probably unhealthy."
"Well whatever," he sighed. "I'm thinking of making a book club, you in?"
"Don't you already have one?" (Y/n) questioned.
"Well yeah, but it's not like you can attend anymore so I plan to make a virtual book club."
"Aren't you sweet?" she cooed. "Did you miss me already?"
"You wish," though they were a long distance apart, she could still feel him rolling his eyes. "Anyway, I'll send you the link later."
"Sounds good."
Around the same time, a knock was heard from outside (Y/n)'s room. She muttered a quick "Come in" and the door opened, revealing her brother.
"It's dinnertime," he told her, slightly taken aback at how she was sprawled out on the floor like a lazy cat with a blanket over her. "The bed is a few steps away you know."
"That is not and never will be something I can call a real bed," she scoffed, bidding her friend on the phone goodbye before she stood up. "Now let's go, I want my dinner."
The two siblings were confused as to why their parents held a solemn look, instead of the usual casual atmosphere at dinner, on their faces as they waited for the two. The two silently joined them, wondering what was the reason as to why they looked so serious.
"You know both your mother and I love you both very much, right?" 10 minutes in and finally their father spoke.
"Yeah?" Both (Y/n) and Hiro replied as they studied their parents' facial expressions, waiting for them to continue.
"And nothing will ever change that," their mother piped in. "It's just that..."
Their mother didn't continue, biting her lip as she looked unsure of what to say. (Y/n) wasn't sure what they were trying to say but it really sounded like they were going to-
"Are you both getting divorced?" Hiro voiced out, finding the tense moment a bit unbearable.
"What? Of course not," their father immediately denied, looking at Hiro like he was some sort of alien. "Who gave you that idea?"
"Well, that was the direction you both seemed go to," (Y/n) defended her brother. "But if it isn't a divorce, then what is it?"
"Well we didn't really know how to tell you this but," their mother sighed. "You're getting another two siblings soon."
"Eh?! You're pregnant?!"
"Twins?!"
"Nope," their mother immediately denied. "I meant through adoption."
"Oh," the two calmed down, their parents taken aback by their reaction.
"You're not surprised?" their dad asked.
"Well, considering we thought you'd get a divorce, only to be followed by a pregnancy scare, adoption is rather calm," Hiro explained. "That being said, why are you adopting two kids?"
"Well, their parents passed away recently. Your mother and I plan to adopt them and take care of them until the older sister turns of legal age so she can get the money they left behind," their dad explained.
"So, you mean to say you're planning to steal their inheritance money?" Hiro said, taking another bite of his food. "That sounds fun to watch."
"I make enough money for the four of us," their dad immediately protested. "I have no need to steal money from children. Besides, what would you two be doing if I was planning to steal their money?"
"We'd watch you two from the sidelines get outsmarted by kids," (Y/n) answered.
"With popcorn and drinks," her older brother added.
"You two," their mother sighed, "I just hope you two can get along with the siblings."
"So, I just wanna know who's older than who with our new siblings."
"Well, the older sister is about a year or two older than Hiro and the younger brother should be around the same age as Hiro."
"Does this mean I'm fated to suffer being the youngest child forever?" (Y/n) was saddened. She always dreamed of a day where she could get a younger sibling she reigned authority over.
"Seems so," Hiro, who was unhelpful to this situation, patted her younger sister's back.
"Nii-san," she began, "I really hate you right now."
"Love you too, sis."