Reiji teleported into the kitchen because he heard the two women and saw Chisana with her breakfast.
"You can have tea too, Reiji. I just have my tea." Chisana smiled back at him.
He poured himself a cup of tea and sat at the table. He wanted to make sure the blonde couldn't do anything to Chisana. Still, it riddled him on how the blonde fell out of bed early.
Yui ate her breakfast in silence and without making eye contact with any of them.
***
Arrived at school, Reiji saw his brother walk away and realized he missed earbuds. He knew it had to be the reason for his grumpy mood. Pondering on if his brother broke him, he dismissed it.
Wanting to find out who did it, Shu waited upstairs close to the broadcasting room and Chisana's homeroom. Only to remember Chisana had a MP3 player and that meant earbuds.
Chisana reached her homeroom with Laito when Shu signed for her to come. "I'll be right back."
"You have an MP3 player, right?" Shu asked her and waved for Laito to go inside.
Wait, you have yours but no earbuds. She picked up on it and opened her bag. "What happened? Did you break it by accident?' She gave her earbuds to him. "You can borrow them for tonight. Do you have another set?"
"I will tomorrow." He showed her a faint smile as a thank you.
"Are there some shops open during the lunch break? You could get some then. Otherwise, you could get up earlier to get a few..."
"You're coming with me. What time do you get up?" He interrupted her.
Surprised to hear him talk so much, she smiled. "I get up at four-thirty, but we have more time on Saturday. Keep it until then, I have another set."
"Thank you." He pulled her in a hug to say thank you. "Now get to class."
"We'll discuss the details later at home, okay." She pushed him inside. "If you come to me, you can bite me." She winked at him and left to go to her homeroom.
Laito picked up on their conversation about going shopping and looked sad with his head on his hand. "Making plans for the weekend?"
"Something happened to his earbuds, and he didn't do it." She took her books out of her bag. If he didn't do it then who did?
"Well, it wasn't me. Believe it or not but he is stronger than you think. Especially when you mess with his music, the MP3 player, or the earbuds." Laito thought about it. "But who would do such a thing? His music is something he protects in his room. Do you know where his bedroom is?"
She opened her book and notebook, ready for the first class. "I do know that but most of you find me when you're thirsty. But your room is your room, I have no reason to go there if you aren't there. I don't like it if someone would go through my stuff so why would I do it to someone?" Going to your bedroom is asking for trouble. In case of bad luck, I could catch a few of you still in bed or something. "Maybe one of your brothers?"
"No, Ayato-kun did once, and Shu unleashed hell on him for cutting the earbud cord." Laito never forgot how his brother retaliated. "Kanato-kun is always in his bedroom or with his doll collection. I'm not so stupid to mess with it either." He knew it didn't leave much left. Reiji wouldn't touch it either, which meant only one thing. "Don't worry, the culprit will be caught and punished." He eyed the teacher coming inside and turned his focus on the man.
***
I have to say I like it. Chisana enjoyed having a cup of coffee during the lunch break with Reiji, who enjoyed a cup of tea. "I don't know if you heard, but Shu asked me to join him on Saturday to get earbuds. I gave him my earbuds which he can borrow."
"I know it wasn't you, but who did?" Reiji knew his brother was grumpier than usual. He used the break with her and found it a perfect opportunity to stay informed.
Leaning with both elbows on the table, she sipped her coffee. "Laito ruled out the others. Ayato once cut the cord and got punished. Kanato rarely leaves his room or works on his dolls. You are mostly in your other room. Laito mentioned he wouldn't do such a thing either."
"I'll find out later. Can you keep up with the lessons? And turn in your homework on time." He knew her grades were good and no complaints. The same could not be said about the other one, and he had to punish her.
"Yes, I'm also getting used to being up all night. I still need the coffee to focus." She chuckled. "The classes aren't that difficult, or that the teacher is explaining math as a foreign language."
He hid his smile. "If you do encounter a problem..."
"I'll come to you. Thank you for the offer." She emptied her coffee and glanced at the time. "I need a book from the library and return these. I hope you don't mind."
"I need something from the storage, which is next to the library.' He joined her to the library, knowing they had enough time.
"Do we also have English books back home?" She waited at the door.
"We do. Does it matter what book it is?" He checked the time.
She pushed the door open. "Just keep it simple. Even if that means children's books. I can level the books up later."
"Perhaps young adult books are possible too. I know where to find them." He headed for the storage room for some stuff for his next science class.
She returned the books before looking for another book.
"You weren't talking about me, did you?" Yui saw the girl with Reiji. It annoyed her seeing them together. He never joined her during the break. "And enjoying a cup of tea with Reiji-san during the break?"
Chisana searched for the book she needed. "No, we talked about the lessons, homework, and..." She stopped herself. I don't have to explain anything to you.
Yui crossed her arms. "Oh, you were talking about me."
"Just because I talked with Reiji during the break doesn't mean it was about you." Chisana found the book she needed and checked it out. "There are other things to talk about. I have to get to class." I have some things in common with Reiji and Shu. She went back and headed for the ladies' room. The break is over soon.
Reiji heard the two talk and caught Yui on her way to class. "Why must you cause trouble everywhere you go? It doesn't matter, I want an answer from you. Did you take the earbuds?" He saw her eyes moving before she turned her head down, confirming his suspicion. The question remind if the girl put them elsewhere or if she cut them.
"Reiji-san," Yui avoided his eyes. "Shu-san's earbuds?"
"Get to class before you are late." He went in the other direction to his homeroom. There would be hell to pay for lying to him.
***
Chisana put earbuds in her ears and pressed play. Am I glad to have another pair. Playbacking with the music, she started tying and cleaning up her room. With her desk cleaned, she danced to the vanity table and then the fireplace mantle. When she wanted to go to her bedside table, she almost danced into a couple of arms. Reiji? Oh no, did he see me dancing? "Do I have to change the bed linen too?" She took one earbud out of her ear.
A playful smile showed in Reiji's eyes to catch her dancing, which made him wonder if she could dance. "The books you asked for." He handed them over to her while smelling the cleaning products and recognizd the smell of cleaning vinegar. "And no, that will be done every two weeks with the other beds."
He did see me dancing. She noticed an amusing look in his eyes. "Thank you." She put the books on her desk, stacked between the other books. "For the books and the bed linen."
"How often do you clean your room?" He wanted to know.
"I tidy it up before going to bed. Dusting is every couple of days, just like watering the plants, and I found the broom for the balcony," she told him. "I clean the bathroom twice a week." She looked around. "Do I have to do the vacuuming?"
"That is done when needed. Tidying and cleaning is enough." He did like to see her take care of her room.
She understood and nodded. "Only the small things then. Thanks again for the books. I'm sure you are busy too?"
"Have a nice night, Chisana." He teleported back to his room.
Thank you for not saying anything about my dancing. She continued with cleaning her night table and wanted to empty the drawer when she finds a set of earbuds. I never keep them here. Wait! Are these from Shu? He would know. She dropped onto her bed. Who would put them in my room? I'll find you later. I have to finish cleaning first. She looked at her alarm first. Just after three. When I go downstairs for breakfast it's just before five in the afternoon, and I don't return until we're back from school. Was she that early this afternoon to put this here to incriminate me? I need to talk to Shu and Reiji. She cleaned the rest quickly and turned her music off. Damn it, Shu sleeps anywhere. Even outside. I don't know if he's inside or in his bedroom. I'm just going to try. She walked to his bedroom and hoped for the best. "Shu? Are you in your room?"
"He hardly sleeps in his room," answered Ayato. "But run a bath, and he'll be there. He did that with Pancake."
If he's inside the house, he should hear me, right? "Shu? It's about your earbuds." She saw him teleporting in front of her right after the word earbuds. "In my room, please." She pulled him with her back to her room. "Reiji, you too."
Shu let her pull him into her room when he saw his brother. "Why him?"
"I found this while cleaning in the drawer of my bedside table. It's yours, right?" She showed him the earbuds.
"It was in your room?" Shu recognized them in the palm of her hand and took it back.
"Why in your room?" Reiji was stunned and thought of why she lied.
She knew it must be why Yui was out of bed. "That must be the reason she was so early out of bed. I leave my bedroom just before five to have breakfast in the kitchen, and I don't see my bedroom until we get back home from school. You both know that you came to my bathroom around fifteen to five."
Shu agreed. "That's true."
"I also have no reason to go to your bedrooms. The only door I knock on is your door and around a decent time." She turned to Reiji. "I have my own earbuds and a few spare. Why would I look for yours? I gave you my spare earbuds set that I keep in my bag." Punish the real culprit.
"She's right. I had tea with you in the kitchen because I thought that the other one would do something." Reiji remembered them talking in the kitchen.
"You can ask her why she put it here. I wouldn't do such a thing." She turned her head from one to the other. "I just want her to behave and talk to me. I'm sure you had your tea with us because you didn't want us to be alone in one room together."
"The thought did cross my mind," admitted Reiji.
Shu agreed. "Since it's my earbuds she stole, I'll punish her. Her intention was to incriminate you and most likely because of jealousy. Stick to the rules and be honest, and we won't punish you, Chisana."
"I will. Didn't I promise you something?" She looked at Shu with question marks in her eyes.
He remembered her promise for him to bite her. "I remember." He pulled her closer. "Don't you have something better to do than to watch me drink?"
"Thank you for informing me of his found earbuds. You know where to find me if you have a question." Reiji left the room.
Shu tilted her head and found the vein effortlessly and bit. Enjoying it, he told himself not to drink too much and quench his thirst on the other girl.
***
Shu found the blonde on the balcony and teleported her straight downstairs. "Why did you steal my earbuds and put them in Chisana's room?" Knowing she couldn't escape he eyed the torture devices. Only to show her the knife, which he picked up earlier.
"What? I didn't do that." Yui defended herself but flinched upon seeing the knife.
"Oh, so my earbuds magically went to Chisana's room? Are you that dense?" He pointed the knife at her clothes.
She didn't know where to look. "Maybe one of your brothers?"
"Ayato isn't stupid to do that a second time." He cut the shirt open but stopped on her belly. "And everyone heard what I did to him for that. No one would ever do that and that leaves you left. Apologize and beg, or I will cut you."
Yui couldn't comprehend it. Why would he cut her? Why not bite instead? Or drink enough to make her fall unconscious. "But it's true, I didn't do it. It must be Chisana, and she's blaming me for it."
Shu knew better because Chisana hardly leaves her room and never did he noticed her presence in any other bedroom. "Stop playing the victim when you did it." He felt his brother presence and knew he listened in.
Reiji knew he would punish the girl and stayed close. "You lied earlier at school and now you do it again?' He enjoyed the punishment given to the girl and had no interest on stopping his brother. "The fact that you go and steal something straight from his room and put it in Chisana's room. That must be the reason why you were so early out of bed this afternoon." Understanding the girl envied and hated Chisana because none of them showed her their darker side. "Don't keep her here for too long. I ain't making her food and bringing it here." He went back to his room.
✦✦✦
Yui eyed Chisana for a moment and thought of how Shu ruined her shirt. She didn't understood or why the girl sat between Reiji and Subaru. For a second, she thought the girl did it for protection.
Chisana felt eyes on her and her instinct told her who. Yui. I'm sure it's about last night. You shouldn't have stolen Shu's earbuds and placed them in my room. I know his brothers wouldn't do such a thing and that leaves you. Just because you want me to be punished or see their darker side. Don't be surprised if it backfires. She focused on her book. I'm supposed to study for a test. Otherwise, I could be reading my other book. Damn it, I want to know how it ends!
Reiji noticed it and eyed her from the corner of his eyes. The book in her hands proved to be a school book, and he concluded the girl studied for a test.
Subaru caught his brother looking at Chisana. Discreet, he glanced at the other one, hoping she wouldn't cause a scene. He knew the blonde tried to set up Chisana and failed.
Laito eyed the girl from under his fedora. The girl proved to be troublesome by stealing something from his brother's bedroom. What could her end goal be? What could she have in store for Chisana? He had no idea and promised himself to keep an eye on the girl.
***
Reiji waited for Yui to walk away. "I need to talk to you." Not everyone knew what transpired the other night. "Meet me on the roof terrace in five minutes." He walked away to get another cup of tea.
"Me too, or should I go to my homeroom?" Chisana caught up with Reiji and thought it would be about what happened last night.
"No, not you, you can go to your homeroom. Laito will be there soon too. The last thing I want is for anyone to miss class." Reiji smiled and went to the cafeteria. When he reached the roof terrace he saw Kanato appear with Ayato right behind him.
"Can you leave her alone, for once." Kanato reacted and annoyed at how his brother played with Yui.
Ayato shrugged. "Why?"
"Is this about last night?" Subaru leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.
"Did something happen?" Kanato realized he missed out on something.
Reiji eyed his brother, who seemsed asleep on the ground and against the wall. "Chisana was framed last night for so-called stealing his earbuds. She found them while cleaning."