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“So you understand Nii-chan’s appeal! Wanna join the fan club?!”
“That’s why I want your brother. I’ll make him my brother,” claimed Omi, resting a hand on Juza’s shoulder.
“Yay! We’re all brothers here!”
Omi, not paying any mind to Kumon, turned towards the adjacent couch, “I’m thinking of applying for a name change for Juza. Right, Tsuzuru?”
“Juza was so excited about having a brother who can make him sweets every day,” replied Tsuzuru, glancing up from the newspaper in his hand.
“That’s real funny, guys,” Kumon chuckled nervously.
Omi and Tsuzuru looked into Kumon’s eyes with expressions he couldn’t discern. He was in distress about the strange situation. They had been saying similar things for the past few days. He always thought they were joking but their eyes didn’t seem to be smiling at that moment.
“Nii-chan! I- uh- Do you wanna watch a baseball match with me tomorrow?! Pretty please?” Kumon blurted as an attempt to change the topic and get his brother’s attention.
“You can’t call him Nii-chan anymore,” said Tsuzuru with a frown.
“E-eh?”
“Juza will be calling me Nii-chan instead,” Omi smiled at Kumon.
After more staring and awkward silence, Kumon hurriedly spoke up, “Nii-chan, that’s enough joking, yeah? Cut it out, you guys!”
But his Nii-chan was busy with the macaroons on his plate, munching and admiring the aesthetic of them.
“Nii-chan.. I-it’s not true, is it?”
“Tell him, Juza,” said the smiling angel-like man who now seemed only like a villain to Kumon. There is no way Nii-chan is going to agree to this, he confidently reassured himself.
Omi smiled with his teeth at Juza. What is that? Some kind of code between future brothers?! Please, someone tell him it’s not true!
“Uhh.. whatever Omi-san said”
“B-but, you’re MY Nii-chan! Hyodo Juza!!”
“Fushimi Juza sounds nice too, huh?”
“It does, Omi-san. How about I tag along with you guys to apply for the name change tomorrow?” Tsuzuru chimed in.
“Nii-chan loves me! He’s not gonna stop being my brother!” the anguished boy shouted, a nervous smile not leaving his face.
“Oh, I can lend my brother to you sometimes. Juza loves my sweets. Finally, I can make him sweets every day both in the dorms and at home.”
They must be joking.. Right? Why is Nii-chan not saying anything? Are those macarons THAT good?! He knew it, he should’ve learnt how to bake when his mom offered to teach him that one time. But it might not be too late.
“NO! I’m gonna learn how to make sweets too!”
“You sure you can do it? Omi-san has been doing it for a long time, you know. His sweets are unbeatable. You should give up, Kumon,” the writer leaned his chin on his palm, looking at Kumon with a smirk.
He looked at Juza for help, but his dear brother’s attention was on his plate of sweets and the TV.
Kumon had no idea what to say, but his body did. Tears trickled down his face, his eyes getting clouded by the tears as he looked at his brother’s face. He bent down, hurriedly covering his teary face with his palms. He can’t cry in front of his Nii-chan, especially if he wants what Omi was suggesting. He wished he was a better brother, stronger, smarter and more of an equal to him, rather than being a child who needed to be taken care of. He never wanted to give his brother to anyone, but if that makes Nii-chan happy, then he would have to accept it.
“I-If Nii-chan w-wants,” he sniffled, rubbing his eyes, “y-you can-”
“Okay that’s enough pranking”
Kumon felt his brother’s arms wrap around him. He burst into tears at the warmth and attention he finally received and hugged him back, clenching at the back of his jacket and crying into his shoulder.
“Uh oh.. I think we took it too far,” said a baffled Tsuzuru after a few moments of Kumon sobbing.
“K-Kumon, I’m sorry. It was a joke. I didn’t think you’d take it so seriously,” Omi brought his hand forward to pet Kumon on his head, only to be pushed away by him.
“Sorry, we didn’t mean to make you cry.”
“You guys are so mean,” he tried to shout as intelligibly as he could through the sniffles that escaped, “I won’t talk to you two!!” he finally completed his sentence, still clinging to his brother.
“I’m sorry.. I want to talk to Kumon though. I’ll make whatever you like this week for dinner. How about we make up, hm?”
Juza ruffled the crying boy’s hair, “hey, it was just a joke. I’m not going anywhere without you.”
Kumon detached his face from his brother’s shirt to peek at Omi. “You promise you won’t tease me again?”
“I promise.”
After some glaring and sniffing, Kumon finally let out his usual bright and cheery smile, with his tear-stained face. “Yay! Nii-chan is Hyodo Juza forever, okay?!”
“But what if he gets married and has to-” Tsuzuru received a pinch on his cheeks before he could finish his sentence. He looked down to find Muku looking up at him, frowning. When did he appear?
“If you make him cry again, I won’t forgive you.”
Tsuzuru had never seen such a threatening look on Muku before, and he doesn’t think anyone else has. Who would’ve thought that Muku was the scariest big brother?