"Zomi, you got a lot of problems today."
---
Kiko just got home in time before they were supposed to meet their parents at the restaurant they'd had a reservation.
Nozomi and Yuken are at home and prepping for the night. It was almost eight in the evening, and they were supposed to be there by nine.
"How's your date?" Nozomi questioned as her twin entered their shared bedroom. Kiko flopped down on her bed and let out a satisfied sigh.
"It was fun," Kiko said and smiled. The younger twin looked at her with a soft smile on her face and continued to look for an outfit.
"I see, that's a relief," Nozomi said.
"What do you mean?" Kiko asked and sat up on her bed as she looked at her sister rummaging through her closet.
"Fujio texted me last night. He asked me what places you usually go to have fun," the younger twin turned to her sister and shrugged. She throws a dark green shirt dress on her bed. "I suggested a few places."
"You suggested going to an arcade?"
"No," Nozomi frowned and shook her head. "Maybe he also asked somebody else."
"Oh, that makes sense," Kiko muttered as she started looking for an outfit to wear for tonight.
"Wait, you guys went to an arcade?" Nozomi questioned. "That seems fun."
"Yeah, it was!" the older twin replied with a grin.
The younger Odajima smiled as she stared at her sister who was humming while looking for clothes. She is glad that Kiko is looking happier than ever despite what happened a few months back with Erika, with her incident, and tackling the past once again.
She was glad that Fujio made her happy.
-
The twins came out of the room after half an hour of preparing. They walked to their living room and saw their older brother flopped down on the sofa with his eyes closed. He's already wearing a black buttoned shirt and cream-colored pants.
"Onii-chan," Nozomi called as she lightly tapped him on his shoulders. The male groaned and opened his eyes to see the twins looking at him with gentle smiles on their faces.
"You brats took too long," Yuken grumbled as he stood up. The twins rolled their eyes at the same time.
"Well, sorry about that," Kiko sarcastically said as the siblings walked out of their home.
Yuken called for a cab and they hopped in. It was a mere ten-minute ride and they had already reached the restaurant.
The siblings went inside and looked at their surroundings. Yuken moved towards the hostess who smiled politely at him.
"We have a reservation," he simply said.
"May I know the name, sir?" the hostess asked.
"Odajima Nori," Yuken replied his father's name.
The hostess smiled and ushered the siblings to follow her inside. She led them to an empty room.
As the hostess left, the trio sat down on the zabuton. Nozomi and Kiko sat down beside each other while Yuken sat down across from them.
"When will Mom and Dad come?" Kiko questioned.
"They said they are on their way," Yuken replied. Nozomi sighed and leaned her back on the seat.
"I'm starving," she whispered causing Kiko to look at her with a smirk.
"Lucky me, I ate earlier," the older twin muttered as she recalled her date with Fujio.
Nozomi groaned, "And I'm a bit sleepy."
"Zomi, you got a lot of problems today," Kiko told her while laughing.
Yuken glanced at his siblings and sighed.
"You guys want to order?" he asked causing the two girls to look at him.
"No, let's just wait for them," Nozomi refused.
"You said you're hungry."
"I'll be fine," the youngest assured. "Just carry me when I fainted."
Yuken was about to reply but Nozomi cut him off with a laugh. "I'm just kidding. But I promise I'm fine."
The siblings waited a few more minutes until the door slid open revealing their parents. Their father sat down at the head of the table. Odajima Yuriko smiled fondly at her children and sat down beside her husband.
"We can order now, right?" Kiko asked as their parents settled into their seats.
"Yes, we can," Nori replied to his daughter.
The twins were the first ones to decide what they are going to eat. Nozomi grumbled as Yuken took longer to choose, causing him to look at her with a scowl on his face. He finally decided before Nozomi can punch him due to her being hungry.
"I can't believe you two are already seventeen," Yuriko said with a pout as she looked fondly at her children.
"It will only be a year until you turned an adult," their father added.
"Well, have you planned on what college are you going to?" Yuriko asked. "Especially you, Yuken."
The siblings glanced at each other while thinking the same thing. Here come the questions about their future.
They can't decide which path they will take.
"I'm still choosing," Yuken simply replied. Their parents then glanced at the twins who went stiff with their gazes.
"I don't know yet," Nozomi answered causing her siblings to look at her in shock due to her honesty. "I can't decide. At least, not yet."
"Oh, don't worry about it. I'm sure any college university will take you because you're very smart," their mother said with a laugh.
That's not what she meant. That's not what they meant.
The siblings, although they didn't really talk about it, have the same thing on their minds.
They are not sure whether they will continue their studies in college or not.
Their mom doesn't notice any of their occasional glances with each other. However, it didn't go unnoticed by Odajima Nori as he looked at his children in curiosity.
Before he can ask anything, their food came and the family completely forgot about the conversation.
They ate in silence for half an hour until they waited for the twins' birthday cake.
"Even though you two are older now, doesn't mean you can be outside until late at night. It's dangerous," Yuriko reminded them when the other day, the siblings went to a convenience store at 2 am in the morning.
"Yes, we know that," Kiko quietly said.
"I've heard a lot of street fights between children your age. You three don't get any ideas and involve yourselves with them. Especially those Oyo students, was it?" Yuriko told them and that caused Kiko and Nozomi to look at their mother in shock.
"You mean Oya?" Kiko asked trying to confirm what their mother had said.
"Yes! Those students," she replied.
Before anyone can say anything, the birthday cake arrived. Their parents and their brother sang happy birthday to them (Yuken was just grumbling the song under his breath).
Nozomi immediately blew the fire to the candles causing Kiko to look at her with her mouth agape. While their parents and Yuken looked at her with furrowed eyebrows.
"I have to tell you something," Nozomi began as she looked at their parents.
Kiko widened her eyes and glanced at her brother who seemed unnaturally shocked by Nozomi's actions.
"What is it?" the father asked.
Nozomi let out a sigh before speaking. "I'm dating someone."
Nori looked at his daughter with a frown while Yuriko caught her breath in her throat as she looked at the youngest with widened eyes.
"What?" Yuriko gasped.
Kiko covered her face with her hands as she internally groaned. If that's her mother's reaction to Nozomi's dating, what will be her reaction to her dating someone?
"I'm dating someone," Nozomi repeated but this time a bit slowly as if she was trying to pin the words on her mother's mind.
"Who is it?" Nori asked calmly. He's not affected by his daughter dating someone as if it was a natural thing. Although, if one of them gets hurt by some guy, he will raise hell.
"He's almost the same age as us," Nozomi said as she crossed her arms over her chest. She looked at the older woman as if she were challenging her.
Yuken and Kiko just watched the conversation unfold. They are internally cheering for Nozomi's frankness. They both know that when Oya High was mentioned earlier, Nozomi was irritated. Kiko was also a bit annoyed by her mother's words and impression of the students of the infamous school but Nozomi beat her into calling out their mom.
"Is he a student? From Shutoku High?" Yuriko curiously asked not knowing what was coming for her.
"Yes," Nozomi smiled at her mother. "He's a student at Oya High."
Yuriko froze and looked at her daughter who is smiling innocently. Nori sighed and readied himself to calm his wife.
"A student from Oya High?!" Yuriko raised her voice as she glared at Nozomi. "Are you out of your mind?!"
Nozomi calmly sighed as if the older woman was not mad at her. She must have taken that from her father.
"No, I'm not out of my mind, mom."
"Then why would you date someone from that school?!"
"They are not bad people, Mom," Kiko butted in the argument causing their mother to look at her. The older twin gulped in nervousness as she met her mother's angry glare.
"You, too?" Yuriko pointed to her. "Are you dating someone from that school, too?"
Kiko looked at Nozomi who just shrugged as if saying 'screw it' and then to Yuken who is looking at her with a raised brow.
"Yes," Kiko muttered.
"You are?!" Yuriko exclaimed as she looked at her daughters.
"Dear, calm down," their father calmly said as he lay his hand on his wife's shoulder.
"How can I calm down?! Our daughters are dating delinquents!"
"Mom," Nozomi called, and the said woman turned to her. "They're not bad as you assumed them to be. Your son is even a delinquent like them."
Yuken glared daggers at the youngest for throwing him under the bus.
"You're dead," Yuken growled.
"I don't care," Nozomi rolled her eyes at him.
"This is...!" Yuriko rubbed her temples as she tried to process all the information she got tonight. Her husband is rubbing circles on her back to calm her down.
"Yuriko, you can't get mad over this," Nori reminded the woman.
"But--"
"Honey," the man looked at his wife.
Yuriko nodded and pouted a bit causing the siblings to glance at each other. The older woman crossed her arms over her chest and sighed.
"I supposed I can't. I was just really surprised," she said as she already calmed down. "Gosh, you three are really our children. No doubt about that."
"Eh?" the siblings questioned. Their parents looked at each other and nodded.
The mother fished out her wallet inside her bag and opened it. She took a small old photo and showed it to her children.
"Whoa, look at that hair," Kiko said. It was a photo of a man with a punch perm while holding a baseball bat and leaning it to his shoulder.
"Who's this?" Yuken asked.
"That's your dad," Yuriko replied causing the siblings to look at their father in shock.
Nozomi chuckled. "Now we know where we got it, huh?"
--
zabuton - the cushion where they placed on the ground to sit
Hey, guys. So exam week is still ongoing for me. Thought I can write, but unfortunately, I couldn't. :<
I guess we'll have a longggg hiatus after Iris is over. Which is, btw. Only one chapter left!
I'll miss writing this.
My new H&L ff is still in the works, as well as my Prince of Legend ff. I hope I can publish it soon, but I'm too busy with school.
Have a good day/night, everyone! <3