MFL: Chapter Two
Title: My Fair Lady
Chapter: Chapter Two: Adapting into the New Environment
Characters: Umika Kawashima, Daiki Arioka, Nishikido Ryo, Yamada Ryosuke
Genre: AU
Summary: Having agreed to the deal with the "criminal" Miyamoto Daiki (Is that even his real name?), Umika Kawashima steps on a world she didn't even know existed. How will our little lady adapt into her new 'family'?
Note:
* Random picture/banne made because I was uninspired and I barely have Daiki pictures.
* This is for all DaiUmi fans. There's like, less than ten of us, right.
Umika stared blankly at the ugly black shorts and the plain white shirt she was given. Won't she develop some kind of skin disease if she wears something like this? They're really... cheap. "I can wear my own clothes. I did bring my own." She complained, looking up at the smiling Daiki and the rather nervous Hana. "They are pretty normal, you know. I didn't bring a gown or anything like that. Daiki-san, I am not stupid."
That amused smile was playing on Daiki's face again. "You mean your branded clothes? It's okay to wear those, really. But if you're going to stick with me, I need you to start wearing these kind of clothes."
"Ugh..." She groaned, pouting a bit. "I want to wear my own clothes." Of course she knew she needed to do this, but it was infuriating how it is. Her branded clothes were her own kind of shield. They gave her confidence and she is given the illusion of being above other people. She needed that feeling. She can't accept being below these people. She needs to be better than them. "I do not wear these kinds of cheap clothes."
"Say that again when you've earned money for yourself." He simply said. "I know you can do a lot of things. You'll earn money soon enough. You've always been the pride of the Kawashi-"
"Stop calling me that. I am no longer a part of that family." She snapped, frowning. Just thinking of her father and the way he disregarded her feelings sends her off the edge. That family treated her well, that was true. But they were also the ones who refused to accept her whole capabilities just because of her gender. "I will wear this then. I do not have much choice, do I?"
Hana, sensing the dark aura coming from Umika, tried to interfere by taking out more clothes from her drawer. "I can offer you more choices, if you want."
"Hm" Umika shook her head. "All of it... They are the same anyway. I do not think I will like any of it."
"Umika-chan talks funny." Hana noted childishly, innocently, as she placed her clothes back in the drawer. "Your pops talk that way too?"
"Pops...?" Umika blinked in confusion.
To this, Daiki doubled over in laughter, clutching his stomach. "Hahaha... This is too amusing..."
"What are you laughing at?" Umika looked at him, upset by his sudden laughter.
"Don't laugh at her, Onii-chan!" Hana looked horrified as her brother laughed some more.
Umika wondered if she made the right decision in coming here.
...
"Deal"
His smile showed how happy he was at her agreement. "You will be a good partner." He glanced at the cashier's direction, catching Hana's attention. "Hana!" He called out. "Come here a second!"
She rushed towards him with an expectant expression. Perhaps she was waiting for some explanation.
"She's Umika Kawashima, my new job partner." Daiki motioned towards her with a small smile. "She'll be living with us starting tonight."
Umika's eyes widened. "Live with you?! I can surely-"
"Find a place on your own?" He finished for her. "I'm sure you can." He shrugged. "But for your father not to find you, staying with me is the best choice." Without waiting for her reply, he faced Hana and said "I'll explain everything to you later,"
Despite her want to protest, Umika realized that Daiki was more of an expert in this field (of running away and hiding). She was stubborn and strong-willed but she knew when to yield. "Okay." She sighed. To be able to survive in a new field, observation was an important skill. "Whatever you say, Daiki-san."
...
After Hana's shift, the three of them went to the apartment where the Miyamoto siblings were currently staying in. It was in a three floors apartment complex, a cheap and simple place. Their room had two bed rooms, one bathroom and a joint kitchen-dining area. They were at the first floor, beside the landlady's own place. Apparently, this whole place is owned by the "Boss" that Junta mentioned earlier. Everyone here has their own secrets.
Umika was curious, but she decided not to ask questions just yet. She has learned since childhood that observing for a longer period of time gives you an advantage over any situation.
"It is rather... nice" She muttered, looking around. "And... uh, neat."
Hana giggled. "It's okay to say it's small."
"Yes it is." Umika immediately answered, not afraid of being too harsh anymore. Well, since they accept it, then she could say anything she wants, right? "The size of my bathroom."
Daiki chuckled, looking at the two. "See Hiro- um, Hana," He suddenly stuttered, showing sudden confusion that was immediately concealed by a carefree smile. "Hana, this is interesting, right? This Lady sure would make things exciting from here on."
A frown appeared on Umika's face. "I am not here to amuse you."
"Says you." He shrugged, not taking notice of the deadly glare she aimed at him. "But I can be amused by whatever I want so you don't really have a choice." He moved forward, taking Umika's small bag on the process. He went straight to the bedroom on the left side. "This is Hana's room. She'll stay with me so you can use this room for yourself."
The young lady blinked in surprise before saying "I can share with Hana. I do not see anything wrong with that. Besides, I was ready to sleep on the cheapest motel if you did not take me in."
"Oh..." Daiki looked pleasantly surprised. "That's... wow. I didn't expect you to say that."
"Umi-chan is a good girl, ne Nii-chan?" Hana smiled happily at her brother. "Theeen! I'll room with Umi-chan so I can teach her a looot of things!" She faced Umika and bowed a bit. "Yoroshiku!"
"Uh..." Awkwardly staring at the younger girl, she did't know what to say. "The-then, I am indebted for this. Please treat me favorably!"
"So polite~" Hana's eyes were positively shining in admiration. "I thought you hated me, but you're really nice~"
"I-" Umika was not someone who easily 'liked' or 'disliked' people. She was neutral most of the time. That was how she was brought up, after all. But of course it was obvious that she had some problem with Hana earlier. "I am deeply sorry." She frowned a bit. "I have some... issues regarding women who cannot protect themselves."
Daiki nodded a bit and patted her on the head out of the blue. "And that's understandable." He said. "You're doing great for someone new. I guess that's the talent of an heiress."
"I was taught to adapt to difficult circumstances," She simply answered, a little bit annoyed at the fact that he touched her head. "I will arrange my things now."
...
"I did not bring my night gown." She stared at her clothes with a frown. She only had four blouses, three skirts and one dress. "Hmmm... Well then, I should just sleep like this." She shrugged and placed her clothes in the small cabinet Hana showed her.
"That won't do!" Hana, who was watching her from the doorway since earlier, walked to her side and opened a drawer full of clothes. She took out one oversize cotton shirt and black shorts. Grinning, she placed it in front of Umika and said "It's okay for you to wear this?"
Staring at the clothes, the prim and proper lady slowly nodded. "It is just for me to sleep in, so this is okay. This shirt... looks really comfortable."
For some reason, Hana's eyes sparkled with happiness as she watched Umika take the clothes and stand up to go to the bathroom. There was also something about her smile. Something that bothered Umika a bit.
...She soon found out why though.
As soon as she got out of the bathroom, Hana and Daiki were both sitting on the dinner table, looking like they were talking about something serious. Hana was the first one to look at her with that grin that made Umika feel slightly unsettled. "Onii-chan, look at how cute Umi-chan is~"
He looked up from sipping his coffee and stared at her, eyes widening a bit and a faint blush appearing on his cheeks. "Ah!" He almost spluttered his drink, obviously caught in surprise. For the next few seconds, the two girls looked at him (one grinning widely while the other looked on cluelessly) as he tried to recompose himself. When finally calm enough, he immediately hit Hana on the head (gently, of course). "Hana! Why did you-"
"Oh come on, Nii-chan. You know we barely have clothes here, I use your clothes as pajama anyway." Hana looked pretty proud of her work. "Isn't she just the cutest~"
Frowning a bit, Umika looked at the Miyamoto siblings with a questioning look. "This is Daiki's?"
Scratching his cheek in embarrassment, he nodded. He averted his eyes, trying to look at anything else but her. "I guess Hana's right. We barely have clothes here, since we just moved in and we didn't have much clothes to bring anyway. We were just planning to shop for clothes."
"Seems interesting." Umika said, her frown easing down as she felt calmer and less defensive. Daiki still had that suspicious blush, but she really did not care much about what he was feeling as of the moment. She really just wanted to rest after all this. She yawned, indicating how sleepy she was.
Hana stood up from her seat and latched her arms on Umika's right arm. "Let's sleep~" She grinned once again as she looked at her brother. "I'll sleep with Umi-chan now~ You should sleep too, Nii-chan. In that other room~"
Daiki looked either depressed or annoyed. Umika didn't really have time to figure out since Hana dragged her into their room already.
...
Umika went out of the bathroom wearing that white shirt and the shorts that Hana gave her. They had the same body type so Hana's clothes easily fit her.
The three agreed to go shopping for her clothes and for additional clothes for the siblings. They'll probably go get some groceries as well, since their family is a person bigger now. Hana was especially excited to see what kind of food Umika would want to get. She even wondered if she'd have to learn some gourmet cooking (in which case she could use the chance to convince Daiki to let her be an apprentice in a restaurant).
"I do not think it is necessary." Umika shrugged it off. "As I said yesterday, I want to adapt. I was taught to. Requesting unnecessary things would be a bother."
Hana frowned. "But you're family now. And as a member of the family, you should let yourself be spoiled!" She crossed her arms defiantly, pouting a bit.
The lady was confused, to say the least. Do people normally want to be bothered? Why would anyone want to be bothered? Is it not more efficient to just think of what is best for the financial situation of their household? That was what she grew up with, those ideas. "But..."
Probably sensing her discomfort, Daiki patted her on the back. "You don't have to think about Hana's comments." He said before facing his sister. "And Hana, stop forcing your beliefs on others. You know Umi-chan grew up differently from us."
Bowing a bit, Hana nodded and immediately apologized.
"Anyway," To lighten up the mood, Daiki tried diverting to another topic. "As you probably figured out already, we're using fake names. We should get one for you too."
"What are your real names?" Umika asked first before adressing the suggestion. "Is it not unfair that you know mine and I do not know yours?"
"Hmmm..." Hana seemed to be considering the idea.
"No can do." Daiki immediately shook his head. "Even though I let you in my house, you still don't trust me fully. And so I can't entrust you with such an important thing. Everyone here uses fake names. It's almost our real names by now." He explained seriously. Smiling a bit then, probably to ease the tension, he took out his phone and browsed through the messages. "For you to remember it easier, how about Umi? Miyamoto Umi?"
"Miyamoto... Umi?" She tried saying it out loud, rolling the syllables on her tongue. It sounded familiar, and easy to remember. After all, she was already being called Umi by Hana anyway. "Sounds fine to me." She nodded, satisfied.
Hana looked pretty serious though, as if she encountered a problem with that name. "If we give her Miyamoto as a surname, what's her relation to us? We need a solid back story."
"She's my wife" Daiki simply answered as if it was the most obvious reply.
"Wife?!" Even prim and proper Kawashima Umika could not help but shout in surprise. "Why can I not be some one else? A cousin, for instance."
He shook his head slightly and snickered. "Naive." He muttered. "It isn't that easy. If I tell everyone that you're my wife, no one would bother trying to court you. Umi-chan is pretty and is smart, so there will be guys who will come after you. It will be troublesome."
Umika nodded in understanding as Hana suppressed the urge to laugh her head off. "Sure you're not just trying to keep her to yourself~?" His sister asked teasingly.
Not losing a beat (and DEFINITELY not blushing, definitely not. Because seriously, he was too cool to blush about something false anyway), Daiki turned his back on the two. "Anyway. Have you gone to Tokushima?"
"Ah, yes. Father sent me there to check on the produce of the farmers." Umika nodded, remembering the province. She only talked to the head of the famers though, and barely interacted with anyone else.
Hana looked really surprised at this. "You're an heiress and you had to do that?!"
Finding nothing wrong about it, Umika nodded with a blank expression. "I was trained to talk to the employees when needed."
Chuckling, Daiki pinched Hana's cheeks and said "My little sister is so cute~" He laughed some more. "Umi-chan is an heiress. She has to know those things!" Facing Umika again, he continued his explanation. "Our story goes like this..."
...
..
.
Miyamoto Daiki was the son of a lowly farmer. They barely ate three times a day. Hana was still in High School and despite trying so hard, it was getting hard to survive studying and working at the farm at the same time. They were at such excruciating poverty.
And then she came. Iwamoto Umi. She was just a little older than Hana and younger than Daiki. Daughter of the owner of the largest supermarket, Umi was well off. She was studying at Hana's high school and was top of the class. Despite all this, she was just an ordinary girl who had troubles as well. Her mother died during her High School years and she faced depression. Not knowing what to do, she tried running away from home.
Daiki found her at the bus stop in the middle of the night, sleeping on the hard bench. "You'll get sick if you stay there. It's cold."
Umi was a stubborn girl though. She refused help. "I can handle myself."
And so Daiki stayed there beside her, quietly sitting beside her to give at least some warmth. When morning came, and Umi had fallen asleep on his shoulder, Hana saw them and brought hot soup.
That day was when Umi found out how nice it was to eat with a 'family'. Soon after though, Umi, refreshed and happy because of the Miyamoto siblings, decided to try studying at a University in Tokyo. She was smart enough and her family had money to support her. It was a perfect plan for her future.
But of course she was having doubts. She did not want to leave her friends behind.
"Don't worry about us. We'll visit you when we earn enough money." Daiki promised.
Tokyo was tough, and without Daiki's constant phone calls and letters, Umi would not have survived. Daiki was her much needed support.
Four years later, on her university graduation, Umi went down the stage holding her diploma. She just finished her speech for finishing as the top of her batch. As she was about to go back to her seat, a man wearing a formal suit stood in front of her. She stopped and looked at his face, his oh so familiar face. "Dai-chan..."
He gave her a bouquet and a box. Inside the box was a ring and a simple note. "Please let me support you forever."
She said yes.
.
..
...
"And so we got married and moved here." Daiki proudly puffed up his chest, feeling accomplished. "Isn't it a brilliant idea?"
"That was... extremely, and I mean REALLY EXTREMELY... cheesy." Hana started laughing her head off. "Onii-chan... Hahaha... I didn't know you were a romantic... Hahaha... Did you rip it off from a drama?!"
Umika simply shrugged. "I think it is good."
Frowning a bit, he muttered "I'm so under-appreciated."
Hana, still laughing, patted him on the back and encouraged him by saying "At least Umi-chan agreed! Now we have a strong back story. We can go to Riida now too!"
"Riida?" Umika should start listing down names. She's pretty sure today will be a hectic day.
"He makes fake IDs and certificates. We'll need an official ID and a certificate of your graduation from... what university?"
"I graduated from Toudai."
Hana's eyes immediately sparkled as her expression changed like those of a fangirl. "A toudai graduate! Here at our house! A part of our family~!" Hana held both of Umi's hands. "I'm pretty sure you're gonna be a good sister~ I like you better than Nii-chan already!"
"Oi! Don't go comparing us now!" Daiki frowned. "I could have graduated Toudai too if only-"
"Sshhh!" Hana's eyes widened. "Top secret stuff!"
Daiki sighed. "Let's just go shopping now. We'll introduce Umi to everyone later."
Umika wondered if this was really what 'family' would be like starting from now. How many secrets will they hide from each other? Will they ever fully trust one another?
...what just happened. Oh god I feel a monster fic coming.
For all those who read the first chapter, thank you o/ This fic is slow on updates but I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed it while writing. I'm growing soft spot for these three :3
Next chapter will have more characters, and we'll finally see what kinds of jobs Daiki does for his "Boss". And of course, Umika (or should I say Umi) gets pulled into the fun of the underground businesses. Let's see how our little lady will fare XD
oh and character list will come after Chapter 3, since we'll get to know everyone by then.
Chapter: Chapter Two: Adapting into the New Environment
Characters: Umika Kawashima, Daiki Arioka, Nishikido Ryo, Yamada Ryosuke
Genre: AU
Summary: Having agreed to the deal with the "criminal" Miyamoto Daiki (Is that even his real name?), Umika Kawashima steps on a world she didn't even know existed. How will our little lady adapt into her new 'family'?
Note:
* Random picture/banne made because I was uninspired and I barely have Daiki pictures.
* This is for all DaiUmi fans. There's like, less than ten of us, right.
Umika stared blankly at the ugly black shorts and the plain white shirt she was given. Won't she develop some kind of skin disease if she wears something like this? They're really... cheap. "I can wear my own clothes. I did bring my own." She complained, looking up at the smiling Daiki and the rather nervous Hana. "They are pretty normal, you know. I didn't bring a gown or anything like that. Daiki-san, I am not stupid."
That amused smile was playing on Daiki's face again. "You mean your branded clothes? It's okay to wear those, really. But if you're going to stick with me, I need you to start wearing these kind of clothes."
"Ugh..." She groaned, pouting a bit. "I want to wear my own clothes." Of course she knew she needed to do this, but it was infuriating how it is. Her branded clothes were her own kind of shield. They gave her confidence and she is given the illusion of being above other people. She needed that feeling. She can't accept being below these people. She needs to be better than them. "I do not wear these kinds of cheap clothes."
"Say that again when you've earned money for yourself." He simply said. "I know you can do a lot of things. You'll earn money soon enough. You've always been the pride of the Kawashi-"
"Stop calling me that. I am no longer a part of that family." She snapped, frowning. Just thinking of her father and the way he disregarded her feelings sends her off the edge. That family treated her well, that was true. But they were also the ones who refused to accept her whole capabilities just because of her gender. "I will wear this then. I do not have much choice, do I?"
Hana, sensing the dark aura coming from Umika, tried to interfere by taking out more clothes from her drawer. "I can offer you more choices, if you want."
"Hm" Umika shook her head. "All of it... They are the same anyway. I do not think I will like any of it."
"Umika-chan talks funny." Hana noted childishly, innocently, as she placed her clothes back in the drawer. "Your pops talk that way too?"
"Pops...?" Umika blinked in confusion.
To this, Daiki doubled over in laughter, clutching his stomach. "Hahaha... This is too amusing..."
"What are you laughing at?" Umika looked at him, upset by his sudden laughter.
"Don't laugh at her, Onii-chan!" Hana looked horrified as her brother laughed some more.
Umika wondered if she made the right decision in coming here.
...
"Deal"
His smile showed how happy he was at her agreement. "You will be a good partner." He glanced at the cashier's direction, catching Hana's attention. "Hana!" He called out. "Come here a second!"
She rushed towards him with an expectant expression. Perhaps she was waiting for some explanation.
"She's Umika Kawashima, my new job partner." Daiki motioned towards her with a small smile. "She'll be living with us starting tonight."
Umika's eyes widened. "Live with you?! I can surely-"
"Find a place on your own?" He finished for her. "I'm sure you can." He shrugged. "But for your father not to find you, staying with me is the best choice." Without waiting for her reply, he faced Hana and said "I'll explain everything to you later,"
Despite her want to protest, Umika realized that Daiki was more of an expert in this field (of running away and hiding). She was stubborn and strong-willed but she knew when to yield. "Okay." She sighed. To be able to survive in a new field, observation was an important skill. "Whatever you say, Daiki-san."
...
After Hana's shift, the three of them went to the apartment where the Miyamoto siblings were currently staying in. It was in a three floors apartment complex, a cheap and simple place. Their room had two bed rooms, one bathroom and a joint kitchen-dining area. They were at the first floor, beside the landlady's own place. Apparently, this whole place is owned by the "Boss" that Junta mentioned earlier. Everyone here has their own secrets.
Umika was curious, but she decided not to ask questions just yet. She has learned since childhood that observing for a longer period of time gives you an advantage over any situation.
"It is rather... nice" She muttered, looking around. "And... uh, neat."
Hana giggled. "It's okay to say it's small."
"Yes it is." Umika immediately answered, not afraid of being too harsh anymore. Well, since they accept it, then she could say anything she wants, right? "The size of my bathroom."
Daiki chuckled, looking at the two. "See Hiro- um, Hana," He suddenly stuttered, showing sudden confusion that was immediately concealed by a carefree smile. "Hana, this is interesting, right? This Lady sure would make things exciting from here on."
A frown appeared on Umika's face. "I am not here to amuse you."
"Says you." He shrugged, not taking notice of the deadly glare she aimed at him. "But I can be amused by whatever I want so you don't really have a choice." He moved forward, taking Umika's small bag on the process. He went straight to the bedroom on the left side. "This is Hana's room. She'll stay with me so you can use this room for yourself."
The young lady blinked in surprise before saying "I can share with Hana. I do not see anything wrong with that. Besides, I was ready to sleep on the cheapest motel if you did not take me in."
"Oh..." Daiki looked pleasantly surprised. "That's... wow. I didn't expect you to say that."
"Umi-chan is a good girl, ne Nii-chan?" Hana smiled happily at her brother. "Theeen! I'll room with Umi-chan so I can teach her a looot of things!" She faced Umika and bowed a bit. "Yoroshiku!"
"Uh..." Awkwardly staring at the younger girl, she did't know what to say. "The-then, I am indebted for this. Please treat me favorably!"
"So polite~" Hana's eyes were positively shining in admiration. "I thought you hated me, but you're really nice~"
"I-" Umika was not someone who easily 'liked' or 'disliked' people. She was neutral most of the time. That was how she was brought up, after all. But of course it was obvious that she had some problem with Hana earlier. "I am deeply sorry." She frowned a bit. "I have some... issues regarding women who cannot protect themselves."
Daiki nodded a bit and patted her on the head out of the blue. "And that's understandable." He said. "You're doing great for someone new. I guess that's the talent of an heiress."
"I was taught to adapt to difficult circumstances," She simply answered, a little bit annoyed at the fact that he touched her head. "I will arrange my things now."
...
"I did not bring my night gown." She stared at her clothes with a frown. She only had four blouses, three skirts and one dress. "Hmmm... Well then, I should just sleep like this." She shrugged and placed her clothes in the small cabinet Hana showed her.
"That won't do!" Hana, who was watching her from the doorway since earlier, walked to her side and opened a drawer full of clothes. She took out one oversize cotton shirt and black shorts. Grinning, she placed it in front of Umika and said "It's okay for you to wear this?"
Staring at the clothes, the prim and proper lady slowly nodded. "It is just for me to sleep in, so this is okay. This shirt... looks really comfortable."
For some reason, Hana's eyes sparkled with happiness as she watched Umika take the clothes and stand up to go to the bathroom. There was also something about her smile. Something that bothered Umika a bit.
...She soon found out why though.
As soon as she got out of the bathroom, Hana and Daiki were both sitting on the dinner table, looking like they were talking about something serious. Hana was the first one to look at her with that grin that made Umika feel slightly unsettled. "Onii-chan, look at how cute Umi-chan is~"
He looked up from sipping his coffee and stared at her, eyes widening a bit and a faint blush appearing on his cheeks. "Ah!" He almost spluttered his drink, obviously caught in surprise. For the next few seconds, the two girls looked at him (one grinning widely while the other looked on cluelessly) as he tried to recompose himself. When finally calm enough, he immediately hit Hana on the head (gently, of course). "Hana! Why did you-"
"Oh come on, Nii-chan. You know we barely have clothes here, I use your clothes as pajama anyway." Hana looked pretty proud of her work. "Isn't she just the cutest~"
Frowning a bit, Umika looked at the Miyamoto siblings with a questioning look. "This is Daiki's?"
Scratching his cheek in embarrassment, he nodded. He averted his eyes, trying to look at anything else but her. "I guess Hana's right. We barely have clothes here, since we just moved in and we didn't have much clothes to bring anyway. We were just planning to shop for clothes."
"Seems interesting." Umika said, her frown easing down as she felt calmer and less defensive. Daiki still had that suspicious blush, but she really did not care much about what he was feeling as of the moment. She really just wanted to rest after all this. She yawned, indicating how sleepy she was.
Hana stood up from her seat and latched her arms on Umika's right arm. "Let's sleep~" She grinned once again as she looked at her brother. "I'll sleep with Umi-chan now~ You should sleep too, Nii-chan. In that other room~"
Daiki looked either depressed or annoyed. Umika didn't really have time to figure out since Hana dragged her into their room already.
...
Umika went out of the bathroom wearing that white shirt and the shorts that Hana gave her. They had the same body type so Hana's clothes easily fit her.
The three agreed to go shopping for her clothes and for additional clothes for the siblings. They'll probably go get some groceries as well, since their family is a person bigger now. Hana was especially excited to see what kind of food Umika would want to get. She even wondered if she'd have to learn some gourmet cooking (in which case she could use the chance to convince Daiki to let her be an apprentice in a restaurant).
"I do not think it is necessary." Umika shrugged it off. "As I said yesterday, I want to adapt. I was taught to. Requesting unnecessary things would be a bother."
Hana frowned. "But you're family now. And as a member of the family, you should let yourself be spoiled!" She crossed her arms defiantly, pouting a bit.
The lady was confused, to say the least. Do people normally want to be bothered? Why would anyone want to be bothered? Is it not more efficient to just think of what is best for the financial situation of their household? That was what she grew up with, those ideas. "But..."
Probably sensing her discomfort, Daiki patted her on the back. "You don't have to think about Hana's comments." He said before facing his sister. "And Hana, stop forcing your beliefs on others. You know Umi-chan grew up differently from us."
Bowing a bit, Hana nodded and immediately apologized.
"Anyway," To lighten up the mood, Daiki tried diverting to another topic. "As you probably figured out already, we're using fake names. We should get one for you too."
"What are your real names?" Umika asked first before adressing the suggestion. "Is it not unfair that you know mine and I do not know yours?"
"Hmmm..." Hana seemed to be considering the idea.
"No can do." Daiki immediately shook his head. "Even though I let you in my house, you still don't trust me fully. And so I can't entrust you with such an important thing. Everyone here uses fake names. It's almost our real names by now." He explained seriously. Smiling a bit then, probably to ease the tension, he took out his phone and browsed through the messages. "For you to remember it easier, how about Umi? Miyamoto Umi?"
"Miyamoto... Umi?" She tried saying it out loud, rolling the syllables on her tongue. It sounded familiar, and easy to remember. After all, she was already being called Umi by Hana anyway. "Sounds fine to me." She nodded, satisfied.
Hana looked pretty serious though, as if she encountered a problem with that name. "If we give her Miyamoto as a surname, what's her relation to us? We need a solid back story."
"She's my wife" Daiki simply answered as if it was the most obvious reply.
"Wife?!" Even prim and proper Kawashima Umika could not help but shout in surprise. "Why can I not be some one else? A cousin, for instance."
He shook his head slightly and snickered. "Naive." He muttered. "It isn't that easy. If I tell everyone that you're my wife, no one would bother trying to court you. Umi-chan is pretty and is smart, so there will be guys who will come after you. It will be troublesome."
Umika nodded in understanding as Hana suppressed the urge to laugh her head off. "Sure you're not just trying to keep her to yourself~?" His sister asked teasingly.
Not losing a beat (and DEFINITELY not blushing, definitely not. Because seriously, he was too cool to blush about something false anyway), Daiki turned his back on the two. "Anyway. Have you gone to Tokushima?"
"Ah, yes. Father sent me there to check on the produce of the farmers." Umika nodded, remembering the province. She only talked to the head of the famers though, and barely interacted with anyone else.
Hana looked really surprised at this. "You're an heiress and you had to do that?!"
Finding nothing wrong about it, Umika nodded with a blank expression. "I was trained to talk to the employees when needed."
Chuckling, Daiki pinched Hana's cheeks and said "My little sister is so cute~" He laughed some more. "Umi-chan is an heiress. She has to know those things!" Facing Umika again, he continued his explanation. "Our story goes like this..."
...
..
.
Miyamoto Daiki was the son of a lowly farmer. They barely ate three times a day. Hana was still in High School and despite trying so hard, it was getting hard to survive studying and working at the farm at the same time. They were at such excruciating poverty.
And then she came. Iwamoto Umi. She was just a little older than Hana and younger than Daiki. Daughter of the owner of the largest supermarket, Umi was well off. She was studying at Hana's high school and was top of the class. Despite all this, she was just an ordinary girl who had troubles as well. Her mother died during her High School years and she faced depression. Not knowing what to do, she tried running away from home.
Daiki found her at the bus stop in the middle of the night, sleeping on the hard bench. "You'll get sick if you stay there. It's cold."
Umi was a stubborn girl though. She refused help. "I can handle myself."
And so Daiki stayed there beside her, quietly sitting beside her to give at least some warmth. When morning came, and Umi had fallen asleep on his shoulder, Hana saw them and brought hot soup.
That day was when Umi found out how nice it was to eat with a 'family'. Soon after though, Umi, refreshed and happy because of the Miyamoto siblings, decided to try studying at a University in Tokyo. She was smart enough and her family had money to support her. It was a perfect plan for her future.
But of course she was having doubts. She did not want to leave her friends behind.
"Don't worry about us. We'll visit you when we earn enough money." Daiki promised.
Tokyo was tough, and without Daiki's constant phone calls and letters, Umi would not have survived. Daiki was her much needed support.
Four years later, on her university graduation, Umi went down the stage holding her diploma. She just finished her speech for finishing as the top of her batch. As she was about to go back to her seat, a man wearing a formal suit stood in front of her. She stopped and looked at his face, his oh so familiar face. "Dai-chan..."
He gave her a bouquet and a box. Inside the box was a ring and a simple note. "Please let me support you forever."
She said yes.
.
..
...
"And so we got married and moved here." Daiki proudly puffed up his chest, feeling accomplished. "Isn't it a brilliant idea?"
"That was... extremely, and I mean REALLY EXTREMELY... cheesy." Hana started laughing her head off. "Onii-chan... Hahaha... I didn't know you were a romantic... Hahaha... Did you rip it off from a drama?!"
Umika simply shrugged. "I think it is good."
Frowning a bit, he muttered "I'm so under-appreciated."
Hana, still laughing, patted him on the back and encouraged him by saying "At least Umi-chan agreed! Now we have a strong back story. We can go to Riida now too!"
"Riida?" Umika should start listing down names. She's pretty sure today will be a hectic day.
"He makes fake IDs and certificates. We'll need an official ID and a certificate of your graduation from... what university?"
"I graduated from Toudai."
Hana's eyes immediately sparkled as her expression changed like those of a fangirl. "A toudai graduate! Here at our house! A part of our family~!" Hana held both of Umi's hands. "I'm pretty sure you're gonna be a good sister~ I like you better than Nii-chan already!"
"Oi! Don't go comparing us now!" Daiki frowned. "I could have graduated Toudai too if only-"
"Sshhh!" Hana's eyes widened. "Top secret stuff!"
Daiki sighed. "Let's just go shopping now. We'll introduce Umi to everyone later."
Umika wondered if this was really what 'family' would be like starting from now. How many secrets will they hide from each other? Will they ever fully trust one another?
...what just happened. Oh god I feel a monster fic coming.
For all those who read the first chapter, thank you o/ This fic is slow on updates but I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed it while writing. I'm growing soft spot for these three :3
Next chapter will have more characters, and we'll finally see what kinds of jobs Daiki does for his "Boss". And of course, Umika (or should I say Umi) gets pulled into the fun of the underground businesses. Let's see how our little lady will fare XD
oh and character list will come after Chapter 3, since we'll get to know everyone by then.