I heard the beautiful sound of the piano playing in the living room.

Mom?

"MOM!" I said that a bit loud, and I was shocked when I heard myself say those words.

Just as I thought, there was no one there. I'm hearing things again.

I'm the only one living in this house right now. A sixteen year old girl, living all alone in a house, that wouldn't be so hard now, right? Only if I didn't have to do a lot of cooking, it wouldn't be so hard. And doing the laundry too and all the chores. Yes, it is rather hard to live all by yourself.

I don't have time to make breakfast. I overslept. I forgot to set the alarm last night. I just have to buy food on my way to school.

As I left the house, I sighed. How I wished my mother have told me about her disease a little early. And why didn't she cure it? She has the money, and I know her body can still do chemotherapy, even if it's going to be a lot, but why didn't she?

I just knew about her sickness just a little while now, when I got the living room and found her there unconscious. I rushed her to the hospital — all by myself though, since it's only the two of us in the house, there's no one there to actually help us.

When I got to the hospital, the doctor wouldn't to tell me about my mother's disease, but I was just so persistent that he gave up and told me about it. She's suffering from lung cancer, and it's on stage four. I'm like, "No, you must've mistaken my mom for someone else. She's perfectly fit! She doesn't have that kind of disease, right doctor?"

But the doctor only shook his head and said, "Maybe you should ask your mother," and then left.

My mom confirmed it when I asked her, and said sorry to me a thousand times. She said when she knew it, it was too late to fight the cancer. Maybe it was because of her smoking? She does smoke a lot — especially when she's young. But still, it pains me to see my mother suffer. She fought the disease for a month. She grew weak and very thin — that all happened within a month. She suffered through a lot of pain. And as her daughter, of course I don't want to see that. It's much harder for me too. My mother has been my life for these sixteen years. She's my closest bestfriend and at the same time, she's been a very good mother to me. She's my whole world. That's why it's like my life was taken away from me when the monitor in the emergency room went to a straight line, knowing that her heart in not beating anymore, knowing that there's no life in that person any longer, knowing that my mother is . . . dead.

It's been two weeks since her death, and pretty much, I can go on with my life quietly. But sometimes, I would find myself dreaming about her and when I woke up from that dream, I always have tears in my eyes.

"OH!" someone riding on a skateboard just dashed in front of me. I thought it was a bike. I thought I was going to hit by it or something like that! It was too fast!

"Hey! You! Can't you go a little slower? People are walking here you know!" Those lines came out of my mouth unexpectedly. I wasn't usually like that. Maybe I was just shocked that something very fast dashed in front of me.

"Oops. Sorry," the skateboarder said.

I was taken aback for a moment. I couldn't say a thing. The boy with the skateboard was … cute. His messy silver hair and sparkling blue eyes, his lean body and poise is perfect. He's just too cute. But I wonder though, his hands are inside his pockets. Isn't he feeling uncomfortable with that while riding on a skateboard? But I think it's pretty cool.

I felt my face burn. What was that? Cute? Cool? Since when was I aware of those words?

The boy with the skateboard stopped and just stood there at the sidewalk, somehow waiting if I'm still going to reply.

"Whatever," I quietly answered and turned my back on him. I resumed my walk to school. I seriously didn't know what to answer him. But this shouldn't be new. These past few days, I've noticed that I've been rude to anyone since my mom passed away.

When I was in school, the whole day seem to be going on forever. As I was sitting there, listening to the teacher, nothing is penetrating in my head. The whole afternoon was a drag. I just wanted to go home. But when I'm at home, I feel so lonely. I'm all alone. It feels like I wanted to go outside and refresh myself.

"I'm home," I said as I entered the house.

Nothing.

Oh yeah. I'm still not used to it. It's because everytime I came home from school, my mom would be in the living room, playing the piano, singing, or sometimes she would be in the kitchen preparing food for me. She's always here, waiting for me, welcoming me.

I turned the lights on. It was pretty dark inside the house.

As I put my bag down the sofa, I could hear the faint sound of piano playing from the second floor of the house.

Mom?

The piano was played beautifully. Although I can poorly hear it, the sound is beautiful. I followed the sound of the piano, and it brought me in front of my mother's bedroom. My mom owns a grand piano. After her death, I moved it there — with a help of course — since no one's going to play it anymore. But before, it was in the living room.

Could it be? My mom is in there?

I slowly opened the door.

"Welcome home."

Mom?!

?!

That is . . . "Y-You!? Wha— How — ?" I said, very surprised. I think my eyes are going to bulge out of my eyelids. It was the silver-haired boy this morning. The one with the skateboard. Why is he here? How did he get here? What is he doing inside my house?! And he's inside my mother's bedroom for crying out loud!

"You seem surprise. Why is that?" even though he's talking, he's not distracted by it. His fingers are still playing, changing notes after notes after notes.

"H-How can I not be surprise? You're inside my house!" I'm shouting now. This is alarming! What if he's a burglar? Or a criminal? Or a very hardcore killer? "What are you doing here?"

He stopped playing the piano, ignoring what I said. "You're Y/n?" he calmly asked. He put the fallboard back in place, covering the keys of the piano.

"Uhhh, y-yeah. .. H-How did you know about tha —"

In one second, he's in front of me. He leaned close to my face. Then he smiled. "Oh. I'm Killua. It's nice to meet someone like Y/n-chan."

For a second, I thought my heart stopped beating. And when it started beating again, it was racing. I don't know what happened there, in that moment. I'm so confused. What was that feeling?

He straightened his posture and looked at the bedroom door as it opened.

"You shouldn't be scaring people like that, Killua."

A tall guy entered the room. He looked just like the one in front of me. Messy silver hair and blue eyes — it's sparkling too — the shape of the face, and even how they stood are similar. Their height isn't in much different. Skateboard-boy is almost as tall as this one.

Actually, if you look closer, Killua-kun and this guy look like they're twins or something, only that Killua looks younger — well he really is younger in all aspects. It's like you can predict Killua-kun's physical appearance in the future — it's going to be similar with this guy — I keep calling him 'this guy' because I don't know his name yet. I wonder what could be his name is. But they really do look alike! They're brothers! They should be!

The bedroom door suddenly slammed open.

"Y/N!?" an old guy in a suit with a brief case entered the room this time, and his face looks just like the photos I've seen in the album my mom have.

Could it be?

"F-Father?"

"WAAAAAHHH! YOU REMEMBERED?! You remember me?"

"Er, a-actually, a-ahm . . ." I stammered to find the right words.

He dropped his brief case to the floor and rushed in front of me. He held both sides of my shoulders and shook me rather hard.

"Y/n! Look at how big you are! You're a woman! A woman! How could this be? I'm not with you when you grew this beautiful —"

" — You call that beautiful? —" Killua-kun cut in.

" — And such lady! A lady! A beautiful young lady! Oh! How many boys did you bring to this house? I bet you already have lots of boyfriends! This is amazing! You're like a sunflower that blooms —"

"We get your idea, Dad. Now stop. Look at her. You're scaring her," the guy that looks like Killua-kun said, laughing.

"Oh, right, right." He let go of my shoulder. The expression in his face changed. It's somehow business-like.

"But this is family matter!" His expression changed again, similar to just like a moment ago, when he was shaking my shoulders. Like that kind of expression.

"It's painful that Shizuko died. I'm sorry. We were informed late about her death. It is painful," he said, a tear dropped from his left eye — only the left eye. He quickly wiped it. "But still, we are family. I'm very sorry that we arrived here late too. Letting you live alone, oh! It must have been hard for you. I'm truly sorry. But that won't happen again, for I, your father, will never leave your side ever again."

"B-But you —"

"Nonsense!" he stopped me before I could even finish my sentence. "I will work hard, and make it up to you, my one and only daughter! This is a father's promise to his longed child! We should not be apart from each other again! This is a promise that your father — that's me — will not break!"

So this is my father? How come he's like this? I never knew my mom could fall in love with this kind of guy. He's just a weirdo. I bet these two guys with him are weirdoes too like him too.

I couldn't stop myself. I laughed quietly. I covered my mouth with my hands to stop myself. Mom, is this guy really my dad?

"Eh? Why are you laughing, Y/n?" the old man suddenly ask.

I composed myself. "S-So you're my father?"

"Yes!" he answered with such enthusiasm. "Even though Shizuko and I are divorced, I still have responsibility for my daughter," he smiled warmly at me, then hugged me tightly. "It's been a long time, Y/n."

He backed away a little and held my arms. "You've grown a beautiful young lady."

That made my cheeks red. I wonder if they noticed. I hope they didn't.

That coming from my father, the one that I never thought of since I was a child . . . Wow, it's such a warm feeling. My chest doesn't feel heavy. It's light. Lighter than I ever thought.

"I almost forgot," he took a step back and pulled Killua-kun and the other one to both of his sides. "These two are my son," he said smiling. "They're your brothers. We'll be living here from now on," he said those again with such enthusiasm. What kind of person is this? Does he ever run out of energy?

But my chest seems painful. Is it because of what he said? Killua-kun is my brother? I kind of expected about that already the moment the old man entered the room. I already have that feeling. But when he said it, it's like his words pierced through my chest straight to my heart.

What am I thinking?

I shook my head to dismiss that idea. I can't have feelings for Killua-kun. He's my brother! My father told me that just now, okay? I shouldn't have any feelings for him!

What feelings?

I'm really confused right now. It's Killua. This is all Killua's fault. In the entire sixteen years of my existence, no one — especially a boy — has been that close to my face! He's ruining me!

Oh maybe that's why my heart stopped beating for a second there. Because he was so close to me. Yeah, maybe that's it. I don't have any feelings for him. He's my brother.

"This is Daichi," he said, referring to the taller one that looks like Killua-kun. "He's the eldest. He's nineteen years old. And this is Killua. He's the youngest. He's fifteen," he said that again with such enthusiasm.

Oh! He's my little brother! That means . . . I'm older than Killua? By one year? That would be nice, having a little brother.

It turned silent. I should say something.

"It's nice to finally meet you all, Daichi-san, Killua-kun, Father," I said smiling. This occurrence, I don't know why, but it made me feel warm. Somehow, it feels like I belong to this family. It was two weeks that I don't have anyone here in this house. It's depressing and lonesome. But now, these people, claiming to be my family, it just feels so light to the extent that all of the pain have gone away. My heavy chest from my mother's passing, it's still grieving. But right now, it's making me feel at ease to be with these people. I want to know more about them. I want to know how they've been in the past twelve years that my mother and my father haven't been in touch. I want to be with them and treat them as family.

I went to sleep that night lighthearted. When I wake up in the morning, I felt a heavy something on my crotch. And wait, also on my stomach. Is there something lying on top my body? I slowly opened my eyes and . . .

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!"

In the dining table . . .

"I think my left ear is turning deaf," Killua said while eating with his mouth full.

"It's your fault, you idiot."

"I thought your room was my room."

"Right. And you didn't notice me there?"

He didn't answer me.

I woke up with arms wrapped around my belly and a leg on my crotch. Killua slept beside me! It scared the heck out of me that I shrieked so loud that made father and Oniisan — I call Daichi-san 'Oniisan' now — came rushing to my room.

I went to school that day and again, the whole morning, nothing the teacher said penetrated in my head.

Ughh. I'm such an idiot.

When lunch came . . .

"Oh, I forgot the bento dad made for me," I whispered as I searched inside my bag and found no lunchbox in there.

This is all Killua's fault! If he didn't distracted me so much —

"Look! Look!"

Everyone — especially girls — from my class buzzed noisily and they keep on peeking on the door. I think even on the other class are making loud noises in the corridor. Jeez. They're so annoying.

"Waaiii, so cute!"

"I know! He's perfect!"

"Is he a transferee?"

"Maybe we should ask him?"

"Yes! And let's ask for his name!"

"Maybe his number, too!"

"Yes, yes!"

What is wrong with my classmates? Too much enthusiasm in lunch break. Do these people even get hungry? They should eat first before going all flirty with someone! Seriously, people in this generation — exclude me, I'm old-fashioned — the world is doomed! Doomed!

But I don't care about that now. My stomach is grumbling. I fell to my desk. "Wahh. . . So hungry. Gotta buy myself some food."

"Y/n-san, someone's looking for you," one of my classmates said to me.

I looked at her uninterested. "No, no. Tell them I'm at the cafeteria," I said, dismissing her while searching for my wallet inside my bag.

No. Way. I can't find my wallet. Seriously? Did I left it at home, too?

"Really really stupid," I said to myself. How am I going to eat with this? I don't have anything with me right now.

"Neechan," that voice. Of course it's him. But I need to be sure.

Killua?

I turned quickly to face the speaker. It's Killua! He's holding something in his hands. It's covered in a cloth — Wahh! He brought the bento! I'm saved!

"Killua-kun!" I happily said, rushing to him and hugging him. That moment, I was really hungry — because I didn't get to eat much breakfast because of the incident with Killua — and now I feel saved because he brought the bento for me. "Give me that!" I snatched it from his hands and sprinted out of the classroom. I left him there, girls gathering around him, wanting to have a conversation with him.

"Hah. Now we're even," but I really don't care about anything. I'm really hungry. I'll just face the consequences of my actions later.

Consequences like . . . my classmates will be asking me about Killua-kun later, I'm sure about that. And Killua-kun might be angry because I left him there without even a 'Thank you" since he bothered to bring the bento for me, and the worse is that everyone thinks he's this perfect that they wanted to have a have at him and I left him there.

I went to the rooftop and ate the whole thing there. After I finished, I rested my back on the wall.

I'm full. I don't think I can get up because my stomach is so full.

"What are you, a pig?" I looked from where the voice came from.

Killua!

I didn't notice him standing there by the door. Was he there the whole time? While I'm eating? I know I ate like a pig! I can't help it! I was so hungry that I really don't care about anything. That would be so embarrassing if he'd witnessed it.

"H-How long have you been there?"

"Don't worry, I didn't see how much of a pig Neesan ate," he said. He walked towards me and picked the bento.

Phew.

But he called me pig.

"You're annoying, Killua-kun. Really."

He ignored what I said. "I think you're still hungry. You should've eaten this lunchbox too," he said. He wrapped the lunchbox in a cloth and turned his back on me.

"Hey! I'm your Oneesan! O-NEE-SAN! Maybe you should show some respect to me more!" I demanded. I'm not pissed that much. I'm just irritated that he keeps on saying things to me like this. And he called me a pig! For a girl, that is very offending! I'm not that fat! — Well, maybe I have fats all over my body but still! He could have shown even little respect for me you know.

He ignored me again and started walking towards the door.

"Hey! I'm still talking to you!" I can't get up to follow him. I can't move. My stomach is really full.

He didn't even look back, but he raised his right hand, indicating he's leaving. After that, he closed the door behind him.

"Why you … "

After that, I went back to my classroom, only to be swarmed by my classmates — they're annoying, let me tell you that. They're asking a lot of questions. And it's all about Killua.

"Is he really your Otouto?"

"Since when did you have a younger brother, Y/n?"

"How come he's so handsome?"

"You don't look alike at all!"

"Are you sure you're siblings?"

"Maybe you're adopted, Y/n."

"How can we get closer to Killua-kun?"

"Can we get at least his e-mail from you?"

"His contact number will be good, too."

"Give us more information about Killua-kun!"

"Give us your address, Y/n!"

"Yeah! So that we can visit Killua-kun."

"GIVE US KILLUA-KUN!"

". . . .. Killua-kun. . .."

"Killua-kun . .."

". .Killua- kun . .."

That whole afternoon, I thought I was going to die. They just won't stop asking me stupid questions! They're so loud and annoying! What is good about Killua, anyway? It's just his physical appearance! If they get to know his attitude I'm sure they'll be turned off. By the way that kid behaves. I wonder if he even has any friends.

I sighed. I think my school life is more disturbed than it will ever be.