You carried the new set of new clothes as Ryuuichi hung the clothes, You placed them down on the ground before you noticed Kotaro was wandering around the bushes.
"Kotaro, you can follow the ants if you want, but don't leave the grounds by yourself." Ryuuichi told him as he followed the trail of the ants. You went to help him as Ryuuichi hung the socks. "Nii-chan. Nee-chan." You both looked down at Kotaro because he was tugging you both.
"What is it, Kotaro?" You asked him before he pulled both of your pants as you were confused.
"Kotaro! We can't walk when you pull me and (N/N) like that! We'll follow you, we promise." Kotaro kept tugging until he stopped and pointed. "Did you find a cat or--"
You raised your face to see the black-haired little boy stuck on the hedge. He gasped as he was found. "Nezu-kun?" Ryuuichi breathed out the name.
"Mousie." Kotaro said, pointing.
You bent down to take a closer look at him as you said. "I guess not... But it sure looks like him." You then saw him struggling, trying to get himself out of the hedges.
"Hey... Are you trapped there? Don't worry. We'll pull you out now. Give us your hands." You and Ryuuichi reached hands to him as he stared at them. "And if you need something here, we'll gladly hear you out."
"N-No way!" He hit Ryuuichi's hand, making him groan as his hand reddened. Kotaro looked at his brother's hand in shock and stunned, you gently grabbed his hand to check the bruise.
"I don't have anything to say to you, and I'm not going home. So I'm fine staying here! Leave me alone!" The boy yelled as you startled slightly.
"Hit... Nii-chan..."
Ryuuichi noticed him as he patted his head. "Kotaro, please. It's not the end of the world." Ryuuichi told Kotaro as he went pale. "It didn't hurt at all."
You looked at the boy who turned away from you guys. "But he really does look just like him... Are you Nezu-kun's brother or something?" You asked, smiling softly.
He nodded slightly, making you smile widely. "I see! Nice to meet you."
"You know my brother, Chukichi?" He asked.
"Yeah, we go to the same school." You remembered that depressed face very well.
"Did something happen at home? You said earlier that you didn't need to come out..." Ryuuichi asked. He kept silent, you sighed as you stood up. "If you don't want to talk, we can't make you. (N/N) and I am gonna keep doing our laundry over there." Ryuuichi said as you both turned around. "If you want to come out, just call me or (N/N)."
"Onii-chan, Onee-chan, you're so rich that you live in a house like this, but you do your own laundry?"
Ryuuichi's eyes widened as he said with his back turned. "Um, I guess the chairwoman is rich, yeah, but we're basically just freeloaders here..."
You chuckled lightly before you said next. "And anyway, even rich people do laundry, like us."
"Anyway... Kotaro, you wait here." Kotaro nodded, Ryuuichi then walked back to the laundry but he stopped walking as he noticed you didn't follow him.
"I'll wait here to watch over him." Ryuuichi nodded before he walked out.
"I should probably call Nezu-kun." He picked up the phone and searched for the name but it didn't match.
"I don't have his number, though..." He then searched for the other one to call.
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You kept looking between Kotaro and the boy who told you that his name was Nezu Kichi. He gasped as he placed his hand on Kotaro's head. "H-Hey, you... Onee-chan, Run away, quick!" You frowned one brow slightly, failing to know the hands that came beside you.
"Darn it... Hurry!" Kichi went pale as you turned to the side and shocked as Tomoya appeared out of nowhere. He was squeezing Kotaro's cheeks with fondness.
"Hello there, Kotaro-kun. You're looking plump and cu... so cute today." He smiled with a nosebleed before he stood up before he tackled you into a tight hug. "(Y/N)-chan! It's nice to meet you again! We haven't met since Valentine's Day, how are you?" He asked as he was still hugging you. You smiled sheepishly before you noticed Ryuuichi.
Ryuuichi looked at the scene before Inomata also saw it. "Hey, cut that out! Take your hands off her right now, or I'll call the police!"
"It's okay, Inomata-san." You told her sheepishly.
"Th-This isn't exactly police-worthy..."
"Oh, sorry." Tomoya apologized. "I just miss her, that's all. I haven't met her for so long, I bet you want to meet her as well."
Inomata had a tick mark on her head as she scolded him. "Don't act like we're the same!"
"Yagi-kun, have a tissue." Ryuuichi handed him a tissue as he noticed the blood from his nose.
"Thanks, Kashima." Tomoya said as he then curled the tissue to fill his nose.
"Anyway, I didn't know you two were close." Inomata said.
"I knew Yagi-kun's number, so I called him, hoping I could get Nezu-kun's number."
"But I never thought you'd come here with him!" You exclaimed with closed eyes to Inomata.
She turned to you and shouted. "I would never be close to someone like him!"
You flinched at her, Tomoya laughed lightly before he explained. "I happened to run into her on the way, so I invited her. Since I know Inomata-san loves little kids, just like I do."
"I told you, I'm not like you!" Inomata yelled.
"That said, I do love little kids! Something wrong with that?!" You saw Ryuuichi smile slightly at her.
"I'm glad Inomata-san has a friend."
His thought was cut off as Inomata turned to him. "What were you thinking, calling a person like this to your house?" She lifted her finger at him. "Just so we're clear, that's the only reason I'm here!"
"Oh, I see. You were worried about us... Well, Nezu-kun seems to be at work, so Yagi-kun said he'd come instead."
"Work? But our school forbids taking part-time jobs." You tilted your head as you listened to the conversation.
"He got permission." You all turned to Tomoya as he told you guys. "The job is to earn money for his family. He comes from a family of eight, with lots of brothers."
"Still, he always manages to be #2 in his year. I wonder when he has time to study..."
Inomata's words made Kichi proudly talk about his brother. "Chuikichi-niichan does his housework and his job and studies hard to earn his scholarship! He's really cool!"
"That really is impressive." Ryuuichi said.
Tomoya turned to Inomata as he said to her. "But Inomata-san, you're also amazing being at the top of the class."
Inomata scolded him and looked down at him. "Shut up! Studying is all I do. Of course, I succeed at it!"
Ryuuichi picked Kotaro up in his arms. "I think it's pretty impressive, myself..."
"After all, I don't work, and I don't have any friends to hang out with!"
You held your hands to your chin as your face went pale. "So, I'm not your friend?" Inomata noticed it as she stuttered, didn't know what to do.
"Anyway... Are you Suekichi? Or Kichi?" Tomoya said.
"You're in second grade, right? But you're still so little and cute..."
"Kichi! And I'm in third grade!"
Tomoya placed his hand on his hair as he ruffled his hair. "After all, Chukichi never lets me get close!" You uncomfortably looked at them.
"Darn it... It's not fair! Why'd you call a guy like this when I can't move?!"
"S-Sorry..." Ryuuichi timidly replied as you rubbed the back of your head nervously.
"Don't touch me! Nii-chan, Onee-chan!" As you were gonna tell him to stop, Inomata's face turned darkened before she quietly ordered him.
"That's quite enough."
"Don't touch me!"
"You..." Tomoya looked up as he stopped ruffling.
"And you, too!" Inomata then paid attention to Kichi as he raised his face to her. "You claim you won't go home, but what's your reason for that?" Kichi looked down to the ground, avoiding her gaze. "Somethings so silly you won't talk about it? It's true that your big brother is amazing. It's incredible that he does all that, and he's still #2 at our school. Yet you're here, baring into other people's properties and running away from home?"
"I-Inomata-san..." Ryuuichi and you mumbled as she was too harsh to Kichi.
"How spoiled do you have to be to run away from home and make trouble for everyone?"
You gasped as he was weeping. Inoamta looked in shock as if she didn't mean it. "Hey..."
You kneeled to his height as you tried to comfort him. "I just thought... if I'd been born into a family like this... I-I might get to have video games... so I just wanted to peek in!"
"Video games? You ran away from home because someone wouldn't buy you a game?" Inomata exclaimed. You turned to her as you shushed quietly.
"Inomata-san, wait just a minute." Ryuuichi said to her. "I'm sure Kichi-kun has a reason he really wants that game."
Kichi raised his face, revealing one eye. You patted his head, but suddenly he grabbed your arm and hugged it as he sobbed quietly.
"That's right! Kids have their own things that are important to them!" Suddenly, the other boy who looked like Kichi burst out of the bushes. You all looked confused about him.
"Suekichi..."
"Another one..." Inomata mumbled.
Suekichi noticed Tomoya before he scolded him. "It's that weird pervert. You didn't do anything to Kichi, did you?"
"I just tousled his hair, that's all." He replied.
"You jerk! I'm telling my brother about you!"
You raised your hand to calm him down. "So you are Suekichi, right?"
He turned to you as he saw Kichi hugging your arm. "What are you doing to him?! Get off!" You were startled as you were gonna pull your arm but Kichi gripped it tightly.
"Onee-chan didn't do anything to me, Suekichi."
Suekichi looked up at you before he told the others. "Maybe games don't matter much to adults, but Kichi's the only kid in his class who doesn't have that one!" Kichi looked down as Suekichi continued. "He's been patient about it all this time. But then Kichi's best friend wouldn't shut up about how he just had to get it. Even though he knows we're poor! He's such a huge jerk!"
"Y-Yu-kun isn't a jerk." Kichi stuttered. "He's always inviting me everywhere. I... I love my family... I just hate being poor!"
"Kichi..." Suekichi looked at his brother as he confessed his feelings.
"I see. Boy, that takes me back." Tomoya said as he chuckled lightly.
"H-Hey! How can you be laughing at a time like this?" Inomata said in disbelief. "Even I have a better sense of the social graces than that!"
"Well, when we were in elementary school, there was a game that everyone was into."
"I w-wouldn't know."
"Chukichi was about the only one who didn't have that game."
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~Flashback~
Yagi glanced at Chukichi before he let him borrow his video game. "Chu-kun, you can borrow mine."
"And what do you think he said then?"
"I don't care. If I want it, I'll make it myself." Chukichi said. "I don't want it right now."
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"M-Make it?" You and Ryuuichi stuttered as all of your eyes except Tomoya's widened in surprise.
"Amazing, huh?"
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"The game? The system, too?" Yagi said with shock.
"Yes." Chukichi replied, nodding.
"Can you make one right away?"
"I dunno. After I learn how to make it, I'll need to get the parts, so it might take a few years."
"Once you make it, can I play it?" Yagi asked him with excitement.
He turned away from him. "Well... I won't make it unless I decide I want it. I know no one will buy stuff for me, so I made up my mind that when I want something, I'll make it myself."
"It had a huge impact on someone like me, a kid who just had things bought whenever I wanted them."
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~Back to the present~
"That was the first time I ever thought someone else was really cool."
Your eyes sparkled brightly with the backstory. "He's so cool, I wonder if Takeshi-niichan thought like this back then." You landed your finger on your lips as you were thinking.
"Who is he, Onee-chan?" Kichi asked as he heard you mumbling.
You turned to him before rubbing the back of your head in shyness. "He was my big brother. I'm the youngest in my family."
"And where is he?"
You blinked two times before you smiled and sad frown. "He died in a plane crash not so long ago."
They both looked down in guilt. "I'm sorry, Onee-chan."
You shook your hands quickly as you sweatdropped. "It's okay! I don't mind that. But seeing you boys, remind me of myself back then." You scratched your cheek as you glanced another way.
They both raised their faces as they wanna heard your story. "He's the diligent brother like yours. He worked hard to study and take care of me. He's the role model for me ever since."
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~Flashback~
You walked past Takeshi's bedroom and saw he was noting the biology for the final exam. You went to the kitchen to give them the snack and a glass of water for him.
When you went to Takeshi's room, you saw he was napping on the table with his head in his arms. You took a look closer and noticed that he was drooling too.
You giggled slightly before you glanced at the note that he took. It was neatly written but made it easy to understand. You placed the tray down on the table before going to pick up the blanket and covered it around his shoulders.
You then cleared the table and arranged it well as you then went back to your room and reviewed the math by yourself, not wanting to disturb him.
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~Back to the present~
"That makes my nii-chan so special to me. Your brother is special in another way."
"I can't make games." Kichi mumbled as he loosened his grip on your arm.
"Right. But I think part of what makes your big brother so cool is that he comes from a household where nothing is bought for him. So it's not all bad, is it?" Tomoya said.
Kichi remembered the time when his brother was done with all the house chores, taking care of them and studying at the same time. "Chukichi-niichan is cool. He's cool because he works so hard at everything."
Kichi wiped the tears from his eyes before stretching his arms. "Onii-chan, Onee-chan, I'm ready to come out. Pull me."
You smiled before you told Ryuuichi. to pull Kichi out while you went to Suekichi. Ryuuichi grabbed both of his arms and pulled him out. "Heave-ho!" Ryuuichi pulled him but they both fell to the ground, Kichi's face bumped into his stomach.
He stood up as Ryu checked on him. "You okay? Does it hurt anywhere?"
"I-I'm fine..." Kichi replied as Kotaro patted him on his legs. "Thanks."
Inomata approached him before they all turned to see you pulling Suekichi out with the help of Tomoya.
"Why did I have to have you pull me out?!" Suekichi grabbed each of his arms as you grabbed the left.
"Upsy-daisy!"
You quickly wrapped your arms under his armpits and put him down. "Thank you, Onee-chan."
Kichi went to his brother and they held hands. "Suekichi, let's go home." They both stopped in front of you and Inomata as they said to Inomata first. "Onee-chan, I'm gonna study how to make video games, like Nii-chan!"
Her cheeks reddened before she stuttered, saying. "Y-You can't make video games just by studying them."
"And Onee-chan," They then turned to you as you tilted your head slightly. "I'll always remember that my brother is special and no one will replace my brother."
You smiled widely before you bent down to pat their heads. Your phone suddenly buzzed in the pocket of your pants. You picked up the phone and the screen showed Chukichi on it. Ryuuichi watched the screen before he asked you. "How did you get Nezu-kun's number?"
You then smacked your forehead softly as you forgot that you had his number all along. You then answered his call. "Hello, Nezu-kun? Is there something you need?"
"(L/N)-san, Is my brother inside your house?" You turned to Suekichi and Kichi before you replied.
"Yes, he is. And Suekichi's with him. And where are you, do you want me to send them home?" Ryuuichi watched you with slight jealousy as he pouted with one brow frowned.
"I'm in front of your house right now." After he said, the bell in front of the house rang, gaining everyone's attention.
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"Nezu-kun!" You called out as Chukichi carried the white bag and two boxes.
"I'm sorry my brother made trouble for you today, Kashima, (L/N)-san. I know it isn't much, but please take it." He gave the box to Ryuuichi before giving another one to you. "For you too, (L/N)-san."
"Hey, it was no problem." Ryuuichi said before he asked with hesitation. "Are you sure about this?"
"Yes." He replied as you looked at the box and asked him.
"And why for me, too?"
"They seem to have taken to you." The twins were clinging to your sides behind.
"N-Nii-chan, I'm sorry for worrying you." You looked down at Kichi as you patted his head.
"It's okay, as long as you learned something. Anyway, here. It's the game you wanted." He gave the white bag to him, his eyes sparkled as he received it.
"D-Did you make it?" Suekichi asked.
Chukichi's eyes widened slightly before he glared at Tomoya with the shadow covering his eyes. "Tomoya, what did you tell them?"
"I just related some old stories."
Chukichi sighed before he told his Kichi. "I didn't make it. I promised to take over shifts for a guy at my job, and he sold it to me cheap. Suekichi told me the situation and Dad gave me the money." Kichi turned to Suekichi as he rubbed his nose and giggled. "When we get home, you'd better say you're sorry and thank him."
"Are you sure I can have it? I mean, you..." Kichi asked.
"It's fine. I don't know what this idiot Tomoya's been telling you, but..." He went and kicked Tomoya's ankle, making him wince. "Half of what I said back then was bluffing." He then ruffled Kichi's hair. "Take that and go have fun with your friends."
Kichi smiled happily before he went to you and hugged your waist and Suekichi joined him. You placed your hands on their backs and patted them softly. "My brother is the best!" You chuckled before they went back to Chukichi.
"Seems my brothers have taken like on you." He approached you before he knocked your forehead with his knuckle, making you pout and rubbing your forehead. "Next time, remember to use my phone number every time, okay?" You smiled sheepishly and nodded.
"So, Chukichi, you really did want to play the game with m--"
Chukichi cut him off. "In exchange, you need to take over some of my chores at home. And let Suekichi and the others borrow it, okay?"
"Okay!" Kichi, Ryuuichi, Inomata, and you replied as you all watched them before you spoke up.
"I'm glad it worked out."
"Manju." Kotaro read the letter on the box.
You turned to Inomata and admired her. "Inomata-san, I appreciate what you did, too."
She blushed as she turned to you and Ryuuichi. "I-I didn't do anything!" You laughed lightly, Ryuuichi glanced at you as he smiled at you.
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You sipped the tea Saikawa poured for you and Ryuuichi while Kotaro was eating the snack. "Earlier today, I saw two rear ends growing from the hedge in front of the mansion."
You choked the tea, Ryuuichi quickly dropped the cup down before he patted your back.
"It was a truly mysterious sight."