One week later I was sitting at my computer, writing in a haste. Earlier that morning I had an outburst of inspiration and I decided to grab hold of it. The hours past swiftly and by the time I looked at my watch it was already lunchtime.
As if he was timed, Kurosawa-san arrived at my door just when I was preparing to boil water for instant ramen.
“I knew I couldn’t leave you alone for one day.” Kurosawa-san rebuked me the moment he entered the kitchen and saw the package on the counter. “Were you planning on eating just that?” he turned to glare at me.
“Well, I was busy this morning and didn’t get a chance to go shopping, so I didn’t have anything else to eat. At least it’s food and so I won’t die of starvation.” I added bravely withstanding his heated gaze.
The disapproval in his eyes was so intense that I was beginning to feel like a child scolded by his elders.
“You might think that, but eating this kind of food so often might make you die of something else. Here, I bought ingredients so I’ll cook lunch for us.”
And thus, Kurosawa-san took hold of my kitchen. Under the combined gazes of Fukuharu and myself, he cooked a sumptuous meal. An hour later, when the food was placed neatly on the table, I looked astonished between the dishes of miso soup, tonkatsu, teriyaki chicken and yaki udon.
“Kurosawa-san, are you preparing for a cooking competition? Why so many dishes?” I asked, not knowing where to settle my eyes or what to try out first. Even Fukuharu was staring longingly at the delicious food.
“Don’t worry, Fukuharu. I didn’t forget about you. Here, come and try this.” Kurosawa-san called the cat over. He pulled a package of cat food from the grocery bag and poured it into Fukuhara’s food bowl. “There, now everyone is happy.” He concluded in satisfaction.
“You say that, but how are we going to finish all this? It’s too much food for just the two of us.”
“It’s alright. You can have the leftovers for dinner.” Kurosawa-san said with a smile, then continued gesturing towards the instant ramen package that had been thrown into a corner. “Otherwise, who knows what crappy food you’ll end up eating again.”
“In that case…” I began reluctantly. “Thank you for the food.”
To be honest it wasn’t the first time Kurosawa-san had cooked at my place, but this was by far the most lavish meal he’d made. Without realizing, the corners of my lips pulled upward in a smile. The feeling this food gave me was warm and comfortable. It was like being covered with a fluffy blanket and given a hot cup of tea after standing in a freezing place for a long time.
Perhaps Kurosawa-san noticed my strange expression because he suddenly stopped eating and looked at me earnestly. There was a small crease between his eyebrows and his eyes lingered on my face in worry.
“What’s wrong?”
“N-no, nothing’s wrong. The food is delicious, that’s all.”
“Ah, I’m happy to know that you like it. In fact, until I met Masato-sensei I had never cooked for anyone else. But I always wanted to try.”
Kurosawa-san finished his words, his face beaming with contentment. Seeing him like this, I felt a small tug inside my chest. It was small, like a tiny flutter of wings, but I decided to ignore it. Whatever that feeling was, it was best not to examine it further at the moment. Hence, instead of delving into it further, I decided to play it cool.
“Oh, so I was your test subject?” I teased, moving my eyes from Kurosawa-san’s attractive face to the food in front of me.
He tried to bicker with me further, but I mostly ignored him and focused on eating.
Halfway through the meal, Kurosawa-san’s phone rang. He glanced at the name and excused himself from the table, moving into the living room. When he looked at the caller ID, his expression had a subtle change. It could have been my imagination, but I thought I saw a soft glimmer in his eyes. Not only that, but his voice too sounded so much warmer while talking to that person.
I knew it wasn’t polite to eavesdrop on other people’s conversations, so I tried my best not to listen. But it was quite a difficult task since the kitchen and the living room consisted of a large open space.
Then, all of a sudden, I heard Kurosawa-san’s voice crying out in a panic.
“WHAT?! THE CENTRAL HOSPITAL?”
A second later I saw him grabbing his jacket and getting ready to fly out the door. The moment I heard his loud voice I was startled out of my thoughts, so when I saw him in such a hurry, I immediately got up and tried to stop him.
“Kurosawa-san, what happened?”
“Uhm, I’m sorry Masato-sensei. I need to go now. I’m sorry that we cannot finish our lunch together but…”
“Stop worrying about stupid things and tell me what’s going on?” I snapped at him, moving closer towards the door. “I heard you saying something about a hospital? Did something happen?”
“Uhm, yes. Amami… Amami-chan she…” He stopped and scratched the back of his head, his expression slightly distorted from the panic he was surely feeling inside.
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“Hold on!” I cried out, grabbing his elbow. “How are you planning on getting there?”
“Car… I… I have brought my car here so I’ll drive.”
It was a moment’s impulse, but seeing his rattled appearance there was no way I could leave him alone.
“Give me the keys, I’ll drive you there.” I said in what I hoped was a natural voice.
“No, there is no need to trouble you.”
“It’s alright. I have eaten enough for now, and a little break from my computer will do me good. Besides, allowing you to drive in this state of mind would be a disservice to the country and the people living here. What if you get into an accident?” I explained calmly.
“Ah, yes. I guess you’re right.” He scratched his head gaping at me in wonder.
“Of course, I’m right. Now give me the keys.” I demanded, smacking the back of his head lightly.
That pulled him out of his stupor. The next second he shoved the car keys into my hands and rushed outside. We got inside the car and hurried out of the parking lot. Since it was sometime around 2 p.m. there was a bit of traffic so the car moved rather slowly.
“Thank you very much, Masato-sensei!” Kurosawa-san said earnestly while we were waiting at a red light.
“You’re welcome. Since it is an emergency, I just wanted to help.”
He simply nodded at my words and remained silent throughout the rest of the drive.
The Central Hospital was located at a twenty-minute drive from my place, but due to the traffic it took us almost half an hour to get there. By the time the car was parked, Kurosawa-san’s complexion changed from white to red and back several times. I didn’t know what to say in order to calm his anxiousness, so I kept quiet.
When inside, Kurosawa-san went straight for the main desk to ask about the person he was searching for. Meanwhile, I kept a proper distance of a step or two, in order not to hinder him. After finding out the floor and room we were supposed to go to, I saw him taking a deep breath. It appeared that the fifth floor where we were directed to, was designated for people with broken bones and light sprains. At any rate, that meant Amami-chan wasn’t hurt too badly, or at least it wasn’t anything life-threatening.
While riding the elevator, I followed my instinct and placed a hand on Kurosawa-san’s shoulder. It was just my desire to offer him some form of comfort and support. But I didn’t expect him to reciprocate in an over-the-top manner.
The moment he felt my hand on his shoulder, Kurosawa-san turned around and hugged me, completely disregarding the stunned people who were riding the elevator together with us.
“Ku-Kurosawa-san! Kurosawa-san what the hell are you doing?! Let me go!” I growled at him, while trying to push him away.
“I just wanted to thank you, Masato-sensei.” I heard him mumbling over my head.
“Well, you’ve already thanked me back in the car. Is it really necessary to go this far?”
For the second time since I’ve known him, Kurosawa-san reminded me of a big, silly dog. The way he clung to me, hugging me tightly and saying thank you… Everything he did rendered me unable to respond properly. I wanted to push him away, but I suddenly lost the strength to do it. All I could do was raise my hand and pat his back gently. Then, I heard myself speak with an uncommon gentle tone.
“It’s alright. Everything is going to be alright.”
That’s when I heard it, a low buzzing coming from somewhere. Then, I thought I heard a voice but I couldn’t be sure. There was static noise covering the sound, making it impossible to discern anything. A second later, the sound disappeared as abruptly as it had appeared.
I was still confused by this odd occurrence, when the ding of the elevator came, signaling the fifth floor. Only then did Kurosawa-san finally release me. He was still worried, but at least he looked better than before. He went ahead searching for room 509, while I followed behind him. For some reason I was beginning to feel nervous. Who was this Amami-chan to Kurosawa-san? What was the relationship between them? What if I was getting in the way with my presence there?
During my inner struggle, we arrived in front of the door for room 509. Before I was able to open my mouth and say anything, the door was slid open and a woman rushed out to greet us.
“Rin, didn’t I tell you not to hurry?” she rebuked Kurosawa-san the moment she laid her eyes on him.
Instead of giving a proper reply, and before my very eyes, Kurosawa-san sprang forward and hugged the woman in a bearlike embrace. Both the woman and myself were rendered completely speechless by this unexpected behavior. Even though I had somewhat of an experience from the incident in the elevator, seeing Kurosawa-san hugging people left and right didn’t sit so well with me. I was beginning to feel rather uncomfortable so I decided to wait for a chance to take my leave from these two.
After a couple of seconds, Kurosawa-san was finally satisfied and decided to release Amami-chan.
“Honestly, Rin, you haven’t changed at all. You’re still a worrywart.” Amami-chan said, shaking her head. Even if the words sounded rebuking, her tone dripped with familiarity and warmth.
Seeing her expression softening and watching her pat Kurosawa-san’s head tenderly, made me feel a sudden twinge of sadness. My chest felt stifled and my throat went dry. What was this strange feeling of uneasiness? It kept happening more and more often and every time it did, it had something to do with Kurosawa-san.
“Amami-chan, why are you at the hospital?” Kurosawa-san’s voice suddenly reverberated in the hallway, bringing me back to my senses.
“Yumi-chan sprained her wrist at school today during P.E. Her teacher called and told me I should bring her to the hospital for a checkup just to be sure there is nothing serious.”
Then, I saw the woman called Amami-chan stepping away from the door and revealing a bed inside the room. On the bed laid a young girl, probably around 7 or 8 years old. She was still dressed in her school uniform, holding her bandaged hand on a pillow. Judging from the closed eyes and steady breathing it appeared she was asleep.
“So, it’s just that.” Kurosawa-san let out a drawn-out sigh. “Why didn’t you just say so?”
“I tried, but you started yelling your lungs out and then hung up before I could explain the situation to you.” Amami-chan snapped, folding her arms in front of her chest. “You’re always such a hothead.”
“Well… I heard you mention the hospital and I… I just… panicked I guess.” he replied, looking quite bashful. “So, is Yumi-chan alright?”
“Yes, she’s fine. It’s just a light sprain and it should heal in a couple of weeks. But since she’s hurt her right hand, it will be a bit difficult at school. The teacher allowed her a leave of absence during this time, but she refused, saying she wants to go to school.” Amami-chan stopped for a moment. “More importantly, there is something else I need to talk to you about, Rin.” She grabbed Kurosawa-san’s hands and squeezed them tightly.”
Ah there it was again, that stifling feeling inside my chest. Not wanting to stay there any longer, I mustered my courage and took a step forward.
“Uhm, excuse me.” I said, letting out a low cough. “Kurosawa-san, since you still have business to attend here, I’ll be going now.”
Suddenly hearing my voice made the both of them jump up in surprise. It was as if they didn’t even know I was there. I ignored the bitter emotion that rose in my mouth and took a deep breath, but before I was able to continue, Amami-chan released Kurosawa-san’s hands and grabbed mine instead. I looked stupidly at her slender fingers curling around my hands. I couldn’t help but wonder what exactly was going on?
But before I could figure anything out, a blasting voice rang inside my head.
Aaaaaah, such a good-looking person!
“Aah! Could it be that you are Masato-sensei?” Amami-chan cried out in excitement, her eyes suddenly sparkling.
I blinked a couple of times, trying to distinguish between Amami-chan’s real voice and her inner thoughts.
“Uhm… Yes. I am Masato Keita.” I uttered in astonishment. Why was this woman so happy to see me, enough to make her squeal like a fangirl inside her head? Her stare was so fixated on my face that I was beginning to feel under an X-RAY machine. In the meantime, her inner voice was blasting my brains off.
My gosh he is so dreamy! Look at his silky hair and those beautiful eyes! He looks just like a model. No wonder Rin can’t stop talking about him.
Eh?! Excuse me?! Who cannot stop talking about me?
Meanwhile, Amami-chan continued with her rant.
“I thought so! Rin has told me so much about you. I am so happy to finally be able to see you in person.” She spoke jovially. “Ah, excuse my rudeness. I forgot to present myself and I am sure this blockhead didn’t say a thing about me either, since all he thinks is about himself.” Amami-chan stopped to shoot Kurosawa-san a teasing look, before turning towards me again. “My name is Tsubaki Amami and I am this stupid radish’s older sister.”
Of course, he wouldn’t say anything about me, not even allowing me to meet you once. If it wasn’t for this urgent situation, who knows how long it would have taken me to see the famed Masato-sensei.
What and what?! Since when have I become such a person of interest for Amami-chan? And what’s that about a radish? No, wait, more importantly… sister? So Amami-chan is Kurosawa-san’s older sister? This was truly some astonishing information, since Kurosawa-san has never mentioned anything about his family before. Even during our casual chats, he never once mentioned any family member. Well, I didn’t ask either, nor did I mention mine so I guess it’s fine.
I glanced at Kurosawa-san from the corner of my eye and was quite surprised to notice him going slightly stiff. Only then did I realize that the moment Amami-chan began to speak to me, his body had become tense and his expression turned rigid. So, there was someone who could make the overflowing with vigor Kurosawa-san intimidated. I began liking Amami-chan instantly. If only she would stop looking at me like I was some sort of miraculous discovery.
“Nice to meet you, Tsubaki-san.” I finally managed to find my voice and politely bowed in greeting.
“What are you saying?! Tsubaki-san sounds like I am an old lady. Please call me Amami-chan, Keita-kun.”
Besides, we will become closer at some point so there is no need to stand on ceremony right now.
Eeeh?! What exactly is going on? Apparently, this sister of his can be even more overbearing than Kurosawa-san. Also, ignoring the polite form of addressing recent acquaintances and going straight for ‘chan’ and ‘kun’… isn’t that too big of a leap?
“Masato-sensei, you can call her however you feel comfortable with, ok? Just ignore her.” Kurosawa-san said hastily, trying to remove his sister’s hands, but he was instantly stopped by one of her sharp looks.
He probably saw my stiff expression and decided to come to my aid. I really appreciate it, Kurosawa-san. If only she wasn’t your sister, though. This makes ignoring her rather difficult.
“What do you mean to ignore me? You silly brat!” Amami-chan scolded Kurosawa-san, then turned her attention back on me. “Keita-kun, I am sorry for this person’s behavior. I hope he is not giving you a hard time.”
“No, not at all.” I panicked, glancing repeatedly at Kurosawa-san’s face. His cheeks were reddening at a fast pace. “He, I mean Kurosawa-san, is really good at his job and he is helping me a lot. I am quite a troublesome author so he is the one having a hard time.”
“Well, it was high time for someone to come along and give him a hard time.” Amami-chan snickered.
Though if it’s coming from you, I am sure he wouldn’t find it difficult no matter what you’d ask of him.
Haaah?! What’s with this woman and her inner tirade?
“Sis! Stop with the teasing.” Kurosawa-san finally couldn’t hold it together anymore and called out to her. “Didn’t you say you had something important to talk to me about?”
“Ah, yes. I almost forgot.”
Amami-chan pulled back her smile and released my hands. Finally, I could let out the breath I didn’t even realize I was holding until now. From now on there would be no more weird scenarios running through my mind.
“It’s about Yumi-chan.” She said quietly. “Rin, I need you to look after her for a few days. The company I work at has an important business event, but it’s held outside the city and it’s going to last for several days.”
“Sis, you know I am working during the day and I usually get home pretty late. Besides, my apartment is very far from her school. Yumi-chan is also injured right now.” Kurosawa-san said with a troubled expression. “What about Tsubaki-san?”
“Suzuki is on a business trip. He’ll be back in a few days. Please, Rin. I will drop her off at school tomorrow morning. You just have to pick her up in the afternoon, spend the nights with her, and drop her at school in the mornings. Suzuki will come and pick her up when he returns.”
“Alright, fine. I guess I will help since there is no other way. But you know I’m not that good with kids. What if we don’t get along?”
“Nonsense. She’s your niece. You’ll get along just fine. Just remember to give her a bath and make sure she doesn’t hurt her hand. Other than that, she is not a picky eater so she should be fine with whatever you feel like having for dinner. The school offers breakfast and a light lunch so that’s two meals less you have to worry about.”
“You sure know how to wrap everything up nicely. No wonder you are the sales department’s ace.” Kurosawa-san said, admitting defeat. “I’ll see what I can do during the afternoons. Perhaps I should call the company and tell them I need to leave earlier this week.”
That was the second time on that day when my impulsiveness took over my reason. Before I even realized what I was saying, I opened my mouth and offered my assistance to this pair of troubled siblings.
“Uhm, if it’s alright with you, Tsuba… I mean, Amami-chan, I can pick Yumi-chan from school and she can stay at my place until Kurosawa-san gets off work.”
The moment those words left my mouth I began to panic. Would they think I am being meddlesome? Or perhaps label me as a weirdo for interfering in a family situation? Why did I have to open my big mouth and say such stupid things?!
While my soul almost flew out of my body from worrying, Amami-chan looked more than delighted, while Kurosawa-san was merely surprised by my proposition.
“I don’t have anything against that, if it’s alright with Masato-sensei.” He said, staring at me intently.
What did that gaze mean? Was he upset? Was he annoyed? I just couldn’t figure it out. I tried to hide my frustrating thoughts by showing them a tactful smile.
“It’s alright. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have mentioned it.” I said noncommittally.
“Alright! Then it’s settled. I will let the school know and give them all the details. Thank you so much, Keita-kun. You’re a lifesaver.” Amami-chan said, trying to grab hold of my hands again.
The instant I saw the movement I panicked like a chicken about to be butchered. I didn’t want to hear that awful squealing again, nor the weird words this woman was spouting in her head. But to my surprise, Kurosawa-kun moved faster than me and blocked Amami-chan’s threatening hands.
“Sis, we really have to go now. We have left in the middle of an important meeting. And you know how novelists are. They… they can lose their inspiration if they spend too much time outside their sanctuary.”
An awkward silence fell between us. For the first time I didn’t have to use my ability to read thoughts in order to know exactly what Amami-chan was thinking, because judging from her expression… I was thinking the exact same thing. What was this blithering idiot saying?
Nevertheless, I had to thank him for saving me from his sister’s scary thoughts. I definitely have to remember to keep a safe distance from her next time we meet.
😂😂😂 his sister is amazing!!! and our MC is very blind! soooo cuuute! i’m healed!
Yep, and she also knows how to deal with that silly brother of hers 🤭
Thanks for your amazing feedback! Happy you’re enjoying the story so far!
❤
thanks for the chapter! <3
<333
Thank you! I hope to see the next chapter soon, it’s a lovely novel, i like it!
Thank you as well! I’m happy you like it ☺
That sister is amazing! Can’t wait to read more of her thoughts 🤣
Yes! She’s their biggest shipper after all 😂
ML has an interesting sister 😂
Thank you for the chapter~~! 💜💜💜
Mhm indeed he has 😂
💜💜💜
Hohoho so the sister is the wingman of this story… hmmmm nice.
Thank you, thank you 🤭 I wanted the girls to have a role as well, though it couldn’t be too much since it is a short story sighs
And here we have a supportive arm for our couple. And we have that, because it is based in Japan. If it were a Chinese novel, I bet the sister would be a problem.
And here we slowly see the MC falling even further for Rin-chan’s silly Husky.
Maybe the MC can’t hear his thoughts, because he rarely hides anything, or because he is in love with the MC, and love creates a mental block?
How can someone not fall for a silly Husky XD Keita’s barriers will be slowly trampled down by Rin-kun’s ‘puppy eyes’ technique 🤭
Hmm, both theories are valid I guess. But I personally went for the first one. Rintarou is the type of person who’s brain-to-mouth filter is faulty and he usually ends up blurting out whatever he is thinking or feeling 😂 Also, it might just mean that they were fated to find each other and be together
😌