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“Hey, ‘Suki, what’s wrong?” Izuko asked. “You’ve been down ever since ya got home!”
“Hm? Oh, something’s been bothering me…”
“Tell me, maybe I can help.” My cousin put down his hentai manga and sat next to me.
“Well…wait, are you sick? You actually wanna help me?”
“Sorry for being concerned…” He stood up. I grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back down.
“Fine…I’ll tell you.”
“So, what’s going on?”
I told him about what had happened with the masked man we had run into earlier today.
Izuko stiffened. “Kaze…” he whispered.
“Who’s Kaze?”
“I…I have to go…”he said nervously.
“What’s going on? What am I missing? Who the Hell is Kaze?”
Izuko stood up. “Don’t worry about it,” he said. “Maybe I’ll tell you another time.
“’Ko! Tell me right now!”
He sighed. “Alright, but lets wait for ‘bro, okay?”
“Fine…” I glanced at Akaru, in his wolf form, and sighed.
A few minutes later, Izumo came in. I grabbed his arm, pushed him down on the couch, and sat on his lap. He looked confused and was blushing slightly. “C-cousin, what’s going on…?” he asked.
I looked at Izuko. “He’s here, now tell me. Who’s Kaze?”
Izumo glared at his brother. “You didn’t…please tell me you didn’t tell her…”
“I swear, I had nothing to do with it,” Izuko said, a bit nervous. “He kind of showed himself to her.”
Izumo sighed. “It is time she knew though…” He held my hips and turned me to face him. “Kaze-sama is your older brother…”
“B-brother? I never had a brother…” I said, confused.
Izuko shook his head and sat next to his brother. “Do you remember when your house was burnt down when you were about four?”
I nodded. “Yeah…”
“Kaze was the one who did it…he was only nine at the time, just a year older than us. He was much stronger than he appeared to be though…”
“I’m a bit confused now…”
“Kaze-sama was the one that killed your parents,” Izumo said. “He hadn’t realized when you had just come home when he set it on fire…he realized it when you hadn’t shown up for a while and tried to go back in for you. He couldn’t find you since you had somehow gotten out…” Izumo paused and sighed. “He thought you had died…but he came to us anyway, to help him search for you, Cousin. After a few years of searching, your brother disappeared. We couldn’t find him.”
“So…he’s the one that killed my parents?”
“Yes,” Izumo said. “I’m sorry.”
“I’ll kill him…” I muttered.
“That’s a bit harsh, ‘Suki…” Izuko said.
I stood up. “I’m going to bed…”
“’Night,” the twins said in unison.
X X X
I felt someone hit me with a pillow. “Get up!” Kuma said. “We’re gonna be late!”
I heard Akaru scold him. “Mistress, please get up,” he said softly. “We need to leave soon.”
I groaned and sat up. “Fine, fine,” I said sleepily.
Akaru smiled. “We’ll leave you alone to get ready, Mistress.” Kuma was about to object but Akaru dragged him out of the room.
X X X
I sat alone at lunch again, listening to my music. The white-tiger-boy, Kane, joined me again. “Here again?” he asked, smiling a little.
“Obviously,” I growled. “Why don’t you go somewhere else?”
“Because this is my spot. You stole it.”
“First come, first serve.”
Kane sighed. “You’re a stubborn girl, aren’t you?”
“No s**t, idiot.”
“Heh…you’re weird. I like that.”
“Ew. You’re annoying. Go die.”
“Sorry, I refuse. I have my reasons for living, Kit.”
“Ugh, I hate people like you.”
“Kitsuki, we’re about to start!” Neko said, coming over. “Baka’s gonna go first, c’mon.” She looked at Kane. “Who’s he, nya?”
“Kane,” he said, smiling. He took Neko’s hand and kissed it, making her blush. “And you?”
“N-Neko…”
“Courtesy, my a**…” I muttered, standing up. “C’mon, Neko.”
“Okay.” We both joined the others to give out gifts.
“Can I go already?” Baka whined.
“Everyone’s here now, go ahead,” Alef said, getting annoyed.
“Yay!” Baka handed a small cat plushie to Rin. “Happy Valentine’s Day!”
“Thanks…” Rin said. “Okay, my turn!” She took a small bag of candy from her pocket and gave it to Kuma. “There ya go!”
“Thanks, Rin,” the bear-boy said, smiling. He gave Neko a small box. “For you.”
She opened it and pulled out a silver chain with a simple cross pendant on it. “Aw, I love it! Thanks, Kuma!” She hugged him. Akaru looked jealous. Neko giggled. “Its my turn.” She took something from her bag and went to Akaru. Leaning closer to him, she put her arms around his neck. She stood there for a few seconds before moving away. Akaru was wearing a simple, black dog collar now. “It’s perfect! He looks so cute, nya!”
Akaru blushed. “Th-thanks, Neko-chan…”
Neko smiled and hugged him tightly. “Sure!”
Akaru smiled. “My turn.” He handed Tori a small bag.
“Ah, thanks,” she said, pulling a teddy bear from it. “Guess it’s my turn.” She gave Kira a heart-shaped pillow. “It’s all I could afford, Sis.”
“Aw, that’s fine,” Kira said. “My turn!” She gave Azuru a box of chocolates.
“Gee, thanks,” Azuru said sarcastically. “Guess I gotta go now.” She hit Baka on the head. “Happy Valentine’s Day, idiot. That’s your gift.”
“Kit and Yamazaru are the only ones left,” Neko said. “They must have gotten each other…”
I sighed and threw Yamazaru a monkey plushie. “There.”
Yamazaru smiled nervously. “I kinda forgot all about the event…”
Rin giggled. “You know the rules, Yama-kun. You gotta take Kit on a date now.”
“I know, I know…”
I sighed.
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