Chapter 2 - Your Scent
Mirai lay down in the sofa, waiting for her eldest brother named Kazuya to finish cooking. He was the one responsible for cooking. His skills are of a professional. Well, for Mirai it was; she considered it as a 'Mother's Cooking'.
"I'm home" said Masuda who just came home from work.
"Welcome Home onii-chan!!!" she welcomed him energetically "I have something to tell you!!" she added. Mirai and Masuda was close, he knew all of Mirai's secrets, including those that Ryosuke didn't know.
"What is it?" He replied
"We have a new classmate and her name is Kawashima Umika!" she said with a big smile on her face
"So?" he replied
"She's so pretty, and my heart beats so fast whenever I approach or talk to her. I think she belongs to the ELITE class of girls" Mirai said while putting her hands in her chest.
His older brother's eyes widened "EEEEHHH??!" he shouted "You get nervous when you talk with her?" he asked, and Mirai nodded.
"Are you sure?" he asked again, he didn't want his ONLY sister to like someone who has the same gender with her.
"Of course I am, it almost looked as if she sparkled, for me she's the epitome of being a perfect girl! She's too perfect!!" she replied, “I want to become someone like her” she thought but didn’t say it.
That moment, her older brother misunderstood, Masuda thought that Mirai swung the other way around, not a girl but a guy. He didn't want to inform her. He didn't want his precious little sissy to become manly; things would definitely go wrong if that happened.
"Oh I see, you must want to become like her I guess" he said. He wanted to shift to another subject "Mirai, you know Riisa right?" he asked, just for the sake of changing the subject.
"Yeah, Riisa onee-san, don't tell me you like her?!" She said with a booming voice, she wanted to tease him since it was RARE for him to like someone.
"Eeeh?! You're wrong, I just like her fashion sense, it's just too, COOL! I saw her earlier wearing a colorful neon-colored jacket. I want to have that too!" he said.
Mirai was shocked, she saw that Neon-colored Jacket and thought that was to embarrassing to wear, she knew that her brother had a 'UNIQUE' taste when it comes to fashion, but she was not expecting him to like that awfully bright jacket that was owned by Riisa.
"Onii-chan?! Seriously?" she asked with her brows got almost connected
"Yeah, next time ask her where she bought that jacket okay?" He replied then went to his room to change.
Not long after Masuda went inside his room, someone knocked, & Mirai opened it.
"Ryo-chan? What’s up?” Mirai asked
“Mi-chan, Ayame onee-san wanted to share this cake with you. She baked too much cake” Ryosuke answered then made his way to the kitchen “Kazu nii-san, Ayame nee-chan wanted to share this cake, where should I place this?” he asked Kazuya
“Just put it at the tab---” Kazuya wasn’t able to finish what he was about to say since Taisuke came running from his room.
“A-Ayame? She baked this?!” he asked with in an awfully bright manner, he has been courting Ayame for 2 years yet he has not received an answer and is still waiting for her to answer.
“Yeah, Nee-chan baked this” Ryosuke replied. Taisuke’s eyes brightened while Ryosuke enjoyed seeing Taisuke’s expression while looking at the cake.
“Ah, Ryo-chan, I have something to tell you” Mirai said then grabbed Ryosuke’s arms and dragged him to her room. As expected, Mirai’s room was a mess. It looked as if a tornado passed by.
“Mi-chan! I just cleaned your room the day before yesterday you know~” Ryosuke whined
“Ryo-chan, just let it be. I want to ask you something” She said
“What is it?” he replied at the same time picking up Mirai’s things to arrange it.
“Did you make the Mathematics assignment already? You know, the one that will be check tommorow?” asked Mirai
“Yeah, I already did it. Let me guess you didn’t answer the assignment, am I right?” he asked.
“How did you know Ryo-chan? You will help me right?” She asked
“I will help you, but can you at least clean your room?” Ryosuke replied
He looked pissed; not because of the messy room Mirai had or the undone mathematics assignment but because of what happened earlier. The image of Mirai with Umika keeps on flashing in his mind.
Somehow, seeing Mirai with Umika makes his blood boil. “Call me selfish but I want Mirai’s attention” he thought.
“Ne, Mi-chan what do you think of the new transfer student?” He asked, still arranging Mirai’s things
“I think she’s an admirable girl” Mirai replied. Ryosuke felt a pang of pain, at times like these, he should be happy for Mirai. It’s the first time she admired someone. It should not disturb him since they are both female. He then stared at his bestfriend then sighed. He could not bring himself to hurt Mirai, for him, she was the first person who accepted him as he is. She was the only person that didn’t bully him because of his strange hobby even before he declared that he was a gay. For him, Mirai is like gold in a mine, you have to search for it in order to have it.
“Where’s your assignment?” he asked in a calm manner. She searched for her mathematics book that was hidden under the pile of shirts “Here! Thank you so much Ryo-chan!” she said then smiled
“I wonder how on earth did you find this math book in this pile of messy things” he asked
After that, Ryosuke taught Mirai how to solve the equations. He then cleaned Mirai’s room.
When Ryosuke went home, he was troubled, he didn’t want to become a selfish friend but he couldn’t help it.
Ayame noticed this so she asked “Ryo-chan what’s wrong?”
“Onee-chan, am I a selfish friend?” he asked
“No, why did you say that?” his sister replied
“Earlier this morning, we had a transfer student, and Mi-chan wanted to be her friend. Mi-chan keeps on asking random questions about her. I don’t want Mi-chan to be interested with others, I wanted for myself. I wanted to snatch back the attention that Mi-chan is giving to the girl” he said without looking straight at his sister’s face
“You call that selfish?” She replied putting Ryosuke’s head on her shoulders trying to comfort him.
“That’s not selfish, you just care for her. I know she’s your first friend, but don’t think that her attention for you will be lessened. Do you think a certain transferee can beat more than 10-years worth of friendship in a day? I don’t think so” she added then smiled gently at his brother.
Ryosuke’s face lightened up, he was enlightened with his sister’s words. “Thank you onee-chan” replied then hugged Ayame back.
The next day, Ryosuke felt better. He was no longer thinking that Mirai liked Umika, he believed that he was too stupid to even think about it.
During breaktime, he chatted with Umika more and he agreed with Mirai, Umika is a great girl. When they went back to their classroom their teacher made an announcement.
“I have an announcement to make” their teacher said “There’s an upcoming contest next week” she added
“What is it about ma’am?” one of his classmates asked
“It’s about cooking, so now, I want you to pair with someone. We will be cooking; all the ingredients are already prepared. The pair that will have the most delicious dish will have to participate the competition. The pair that will be chosen will have plus points, now change and we will start cooking. I’ll give you 15 minutes to change” their teacher said then went out of the classroom.
Mirai was about to ask Umika to be her partner but Chinen was already her partner, well, many of the boys wanted her as a partner. It was not surprising since she was pretty. Good thing she still has Ryosuke to have as a partner. Ryosuke is really good at cooking; it was one of his special skills. His sister, Ayame taught him a lot of things specially at cooking. Unlike Mirai who only knows how to eat since Kazuya does all the cooking.
“Ryo-chan, I will be your partner okay?” she asked
“Sure!” Ryosuke said the smiled, he felt really happy since she asked him to be her partner. His heart was fluttering, as if it was flying. He couldn’t express into words the happiness he was feeling right this very moment. He felt like he has won over Umika.
They then started to cook, as expected, Ryosuke was good, he looked like a professional. They divided the work into two, Mirai was the one who prepares the ingredients (slicing and stuffs) while Ryosuke will be the one to cook. Both of them worked with harmony, they looked like a couple happily making a meal for their kid.
“Ryo-chan, how do I cut this? This way or this way?” she asked Ryosuke
“I think you should cut it like this” He replied, showing to Mirai how to slice the piece of meat. He put his hands on Mirai’s, and then slowly showed her how to cut.
Mirai blushed, Ryosuke was at her back with his hands on hers. She could smell his strawberry scented perfume that made her heart race. She knew that Ryosuke swung the other way around, judging from his perfume. Guys don’t use strawberry for a perfume right? But she can’t help it, after all, her Ryo-chan is still a guy.
For the first time in her eighteen years of existence did she feel her heart racing. Though she was always with Ryosuke, this is the first time she saw him as a man.
“I see, Ryo-chan thanks!” she said trying to hide the blush that she was having by facing away from him
“No problem. This is my forte” he said then winked.
She then thought “How come he’s not so gay anymore?” then continued on cutting the ingredients.