Chapter 1

"Tadaima!" That genki, loud voice greeted. Moriko felt her hair being tussled up, and she shot an annoyed look at Kusano Hironori, her oni-chan. Kusano continued his way to his own drawer, humming a tune to himself.

"Oni-chan!" Moriko shouted. "You desperately need to buck up. How am I going to see my sister-in-law if you continue like that?!" She pointed out.

"Daijoubu yo, I won't be as bad to my girlfriend!" Kusano answered, chucking his stuff inside the drawer.

"Hidoi yo!" Moriko answered in a frustrated tone, storming out of the room. Even though the two siblings argued almost every other day, Moriko still loved her brother very much. In the family, Moriko felt the closest with Kusano, and also Yuki*, one her her imouto. (*A/N: I don't know Kusano's sisters' names. Yuki is a made-up name.) The sibligns were split into rooms quite oddly. There were four rooms: one was reserved for oka-san and otou-san, the other for one-san, another for the two younger imouto, and the last for Kusano and Moriko. Otou-san had thought it inappropriate for Moriko to share a room with her oni-chan, but oka-san had managed to convince him that it was alright.

From this room always came the most noise whenever both occupiers were inside. Kusano talked non-stop, and Moriko complained non-stop. Occasionally, the dwellers in the next rooms would pop their head out and call for silence. But silence in the house never reigned longer than a minute, as long as there two siblings were home.

But Kusano had been a yasashii oni-chan. He often played with his sisters when they were young, and Moriko remembered till now, very clearly, what living in the same room with Kusano had brought her -- a wonderful time with him. Moriko hated storms, and when there was a storm at night, Moriko would be too afraid to sleep. When she was younger, she had crept over to oni-chan's bed, tugging at Kusano's sleeve. Kusano had woken, asking if she was scared. He had let her sleep beside him then. And it became a habit for Moriko, even though Kusano teased her about it.

Moriko walked right into someone once she stormed out. "Sumimasen! Ah, it's Tegoshi-kun." Moriko apologised, then realised it was one of Kusano's bandmates.

"You're speaking the obvious, ne, Mori-chan?" Kusano asked on purpose.

"It's Ri-chan, Nori nii-chan!"

"And it's Hiro nii-chan, Ri-chan!"

Tegoshi laughed at their argument. "Ne, you two never stop bickering. If you two can stop bickering for once, I think that would be a miracle." Tegoshi commented.

"He started it!" Moriko protested,

"Did not, you chose to react to it!" Kusano rebutted.

"Hey, don't expect me to be silent about it!" Moriko had said 'be silent' in English.

And on that note, Kusano deliberately sanf the first line of one of their songs, 'I.ZA.NA.I.ZU.KI.'. ('Get away, tsuki youni kakurete be silent...')

"It's not funny." Moriko pointed out. "I'm not going to continue this pointless argument anymore." She walked off.

"Ne, Kusano, you're always purposely pitching an argument against your imouto, and I'm referring specifically to Moriko-chan. Not afraid she'd be angry?" Tegoshi asked.

"Ah it's just for fun, and she won't really get angry. Plus, her reaction is cute. The only imouto who will rebutt me like this is Ri-chan." Kusano answered, plopping down on his bed.

Moriko was still pouting as she made her way to the living room, but froze in shock at the six rowdy people in the living room. This was the first time Kusano had invited the whole group home, and there were many faces Moriko had not seen in person before. She quickly retreated, shyness creeping over her due to the unprepared-for arrival of so many guests.

"Ah, Moriko-chan?"

Moriko stopped in her steps unwillingly. It had been Koyama who had called her. Deciding it was rude to ignore them, she swiftly turned round, introducing quickly, "Hai, Moriko desu, sixteen this year, a year younger than Hiro nii-chan, and I have something to attend to now. Thank you for coming today!" Right after that, before anyone could say anything, she sped down the corridor, only to collide into Kusano. What detestable timing. She was caught in between.

Kusano, noticing that she had wanted to escape, now pushed her towards the group, grinning. "This is my little imouto! Kawaii na~"

"Demo she is just as noisy as you ne, Kusano. We heard you two from upstairs. Like brother, like sister." Ryo commented, and Moriko instantly felt annoyed. She was sensitive, and easily hot-tempered, and if it weren't for being nice to the guests, she would have shot back at Ryo immediately. She glared at Ryo, although the other members did not notice, but Ryo could sense it as though Moriko was announcing a war with him. He wasn't going to just give in to a lady, especially one as seemingly fierce as Moriko.

"I'm going back into my room." Moriko announced later, and broke her gaze from Ryo, storming down the corridor deliberately to prove his point of her being loud.

"That's not very nice, to say something like that to her on first meeting!" Uchi commented. "Your sharp tongue as usual." He sighed.

"I'm sorry but I really can't help it. Demo ne, you two were really loud." Ryo replied, leaning back on the sofa, and Kusano laughed and agreed.

"Ah but her temper makes her cute too!" Koyama commented. "I don't mind her being my imouto."

"That's because you two would talk a lot, and she wouldn't quarrel with you like when she does when she is with Kusano." Ryo reasoned.

"I think Ri-chan is not going to take this lying down... Believe me." Kusano whispered to Tegoshi.

"Ano, I don't have to believe you. Because... I already believe it myself. Her war declaration on Nishikido-kun." Tegoshi answered back. Kusano snorted.