Chapter 1 - Riko, we won't leave you
The Lost Prince
Ryosuke quietly sneak into the house, hoping he can slip into the bedroom without waking his elder brother and his younger sister who share the room.
Ryosuke POV
"Niichan!"
"Shhhhh!" I cupped and pulled her into the kitchen.
I heaved a sigh of relief when I hear no sounds coming from the bedroom.
"what happened to your lips Niichan! it's bruises! you got punched again?"
"it's nothing. don't worry"
"how can I not worry? I don't understand why you must work in that place"
"it pays well"
"but Niichan said he can afford our life expenses and told us not the fuss"
"no. I think Niichan is having a hard time too. performing on the streets in the day and nightclubs at night. I think I need to do my part too. anyways, don't worry Riko. you just concentrate on your studies."
"you need to study too. if you don't do well in school again, Yu Niichan will kill you"
"he won't" I smirked
"hmm, maybe I should find a job too since it's the holiday... maybe the nearby maid cafe.."
I pulled her ear.
"itai!"
"if you dare work in that place, I'll kill you... I don't want my sister to work in that place"
"ah see, I don't want my brother to work in that kind of place to get hurt everyday too"
"I'll be fine." I ruffled her hair and smiled.
she reached out for the medicated oil and applied it on my bruise lips.
"those buffed guys hit you again? who won?"
"me" I smiled.
"ah Itai! can you be gentler?!"
"that's not the making of a winner. your endurance is weak!" she mocked.
"Baka" I rebutted.
quietly we sneaked back into the bedroom. My dear sister cuddled beside me and a warm fuzzy feeling of kinship strikes me everytime she does that.
"oyasumi Ryosuke nii" she mouthed.
"oyasumi" I wrapped her in my arms.
the 3 of us, Yamada Yu,my dependable Niichan,
Yamada Riko my lovely sweet younger sister and I, slept beside each other every night and count our blessings as the days go by - for being together as a family, protecting and loving each other.
Yamada Riko my lovely sweet younger sister and I, slept beside each other every night and count our blessings as the days go by - for being together as a family, protecting and loving each other.
...
next morning
"hoi! where are you two going?! you haven't had your breakfast"
Riko and I stood at the door with our back facing Yu.
I eyed Riko and mouthed "damn, I can't let him see me with the bruises"
"serve you right"
"Baka, help me"
"hoi, what's with the silence?" Yu shouted again.
"erm... I am meeting my friend. I'm running late" I said, still facing my back at him.
"Riko?"
"I~ er... I'll see Niichan out"
"really?" Yu doesn't seem to buy in to our stories. he walks towards us.
"ah Niichan, you're really late!" she opened the door and pushed me out.
"See you, Ryo nii!!!!" she shut the door immediately.
I giggled. that's my sister! she's capable of anything.
beep. I looked at my phone...
"Ryo nii,
you owe me a big favor.
anyway, I wonder how you're gonna work at the butler cafe today with your bruise like this. the girls won't like it. Haha!
look in your bag.
Good luck,
love,
your prettiest and smartest sister"
ah omg I almost forgot. how to conceal this bruise.
I dug my bag and found a concealer.
"arigatou Riko~" I smiled as I thought to myself.
at times I really wanna give up these jobs... it's horrible having to always smile and treat those lustful girls nicely... once in a while, I feel so disgusted with myself, it seemed like I'm selling my body to those girls (figuratively of course... I didn't sleep with any of them)...
and at night... working for the fighter's club where each group sends their 'warriors' to fight it out and the winner will get cash rewards...this is extremely painful and tedious! but the rewards are really generous. I usually win, cause I'm born a fighter... kidding.
the fact is... I'm not talented like Yu Niichan
, I'm not good at studying like Riko
... this is the only thing I could do for my dear family. I see my brother always tiring himself for us, he sings to the point that sore throat is a weekly affair for him. it pains me to see everyone working so hard but I'm just a useless bum who is good for nothing. therefore I told myself to at least lighten my brother's financial load and take care of Riko.
, I'm not good at studying like Riko... this is the only thing I could do for my dear family. I see my brother always tiring himself for us, he sings to the point that sore throat is a weekly affair for him. it pains me to see everyone working so hard but I'm just a useless bum who is good for nothing. therefore I told myself to at least lighten my brother's financial load and take care of Riko.
I told Yu that The pay comes from my tuition job and he actually believes. he's not that smart after all. I mean seriously, my grades in school and he actually believes that I tuition kids. whatever it is, is he ever finds out, I'm dead.
today was rather smooth... there weren't much girls at the cafe today and the fighters today weren't that superb so I didn't get a single hit.
as I return home, I saw Yu standing outside the house door, looking troubled.
"Niichan~"
"finally, you're back"
"lets go in then, I'm famished!" but before I turned the door knob, he stopped me.
"Ryo, you know tomorrow is our parents' death anniversary right"
"of course, I'll not oversleep for tomb visiting tomorrow. don't worry"
"that's not what I meant. I wanted to say..."
he seemed distress.
"I can't go tomorrow. I have a stage performance tomorrow and I can't back out"
finally, I understood his worries.
"and you're worried about Riko"
"yes, Ryo. we have always gone together as 3 people and even then, we barely settled her fear and uneasiness. I don't wanna tense her up by telling her I'm not going so..."
I interrupted him.
"I'll take care of her tomorrow... I'll do my best, along with your share, to help her overcome her fears... so don't worry, Niichan" I smiled to him.
"arigatou, Ryo! I can count on you right"
"of course. I won't let anything happen to Riko" I see him heave a sigh of relief.
"sometimes, I rather I was the one who witness the bloody murder instead of Riko, so she won't be tortured by these painful memories" Yu said
"me too, Niichan." I put my arms over his shoulder.
before I could open the door, the door swings open.
"omg! Ryosuke and Yu!" the 3 girls screamed excitedly.
Niichan and I are startled.
"Konnichiwa.." we both said, though my voice is alot softer and weaker than Yu's. I doubted myself as a butler since I shouldn't even feel tense with girls around me.
"Niichan!" Riko appeared behind her friends.
"have your friends eaten dinner?" Yu asked.
"yes we have" they replied... one of them kept looking into my eyes, while I avoided by staring elsewhere.
"it's getting late... do you need me to you girls home?" I asked... yea, that's the butler spirit! but why did I say that?! I am so hungry and tired. please say no.
"we would love to have you us home...." ops, I asked for it when I hear the girl who has been staring at me reply.
"Gina, you have a direct bus from here that stops right outside your house. you don't need Ryosuke to send you back."
"it's okay, I can" ahhh why did I say that!
I saw my sis exchanging glances with her friends.
"haha we should get going now. bye Yu-chan! bye Ryosuke-chan!!!" my sis hurried them, after which she stomped her way into the house.
"not bad Ryosuke" Yu teased.
"nande?"
"your way of making friends with girls is amazing"
"I wasn't trying to hit on them, Niichan" I defended.
I got startled when Riko slams the bowl of rice in front of me. I looked at her, puzzled by her sudden anger, but she avoided my eyes.
Baka, why is she throwing tantrums at me. I'm too tired to bother about this. I gobbled up my food in a nick of time and left the table before Riko and Yu finished their food.
"that's fast... I think he's really tired today" I heard Yu mumbled to Riko. I turned and look at them, but Riko avoided my eyes again.
whatever childish reasons for being mad at me, I don't care for now. I'm too tired.
I fell asleep immediately after I washed up... I didn't even greet the rest goodnight.
in the middle of the night, a pair of cold hands shook my arms gently.
"Niichan~~ wake up, Niichan"
it's Riko? she's crying?
I opened my heavy eyelids which refused to open up and I was right, Riko's face is wet with her tears and sweat and she's shaking.
I quickly sat up close to her and cupped her face...
"bad dreams again? come here" I pulled her into my embrace to calm her down.
"Niichan, I saw mum and dad, they~" she muffled her words and her grip around my body tightened. I know she's in fear.
"shhh~ it's okay. I'm here for you. Yu is here too"
"Niichan~ don't leave me alone"
"I won't." I ran my hands down her hair.
I grabbed her hands and brought her to the kitchen.
"let me make you a cup of hot milk filled with niichan's love okay! it's one and only!"
she smiled and wiped her tears off her face.
I was concentrating on making the drink when she said "you won't make this for Gina right"
"Gina? who~ ahhh you mean your friend..." I finally understood why she was throwing tantrums at me.
"er, if she wants, I can always make it" I continued making the drink.
"Baka!" she hit me on the back.
"Itai!"
she turned her back on me.
"silly, of course this drink is exclusively for you. I said it's one and only" I patted her head and I turned back to continue my task.
"Niichan, You and Yu nii won't leave me even if you guys found someone else in your life right" that explains why she's so possessive over me and Yu.
"here... enjoy the drink. I'll make this drink for my dearest sister whenever you need it and I won't leave you even if there's another girl in my life and I'm 100% sure Yu nii will say the same."
"yeah I will not leave you" Yu came out.
"Niichan!" she put the cup down and threw herself at Yu.
she looked at Yu and I and said "arigatou"
we all smiled. she smiled.
I felt relieved.
it's a rough night for you. and we will be here when you need us.
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