“Are you okay?” she asked, walking down the packed Tokyo sidewalk.
I huffed out a laugh before pulling out my phone, frowning to see there weren’t any missed messages. I’d hoped that at least Itsuki would have checked in to see what happened.
Trying not to focus on the fact that my best friend, or was it lover now, hadn't checked on me. I turned to my sister. “Toshi’s such an asshole most days. I don’t see what the problem is with having a little fun.”
Reiko giggled. “There’s nothing wrong with it. He’s got a stick up his ass about something. If he pulls shit like that again, just call me. I don’t understand the way he wants you to practice. I never have.”
None of us had. It all felt so robotic and plain.
Sure, our live performances were always amazing, but we’d always wondered how much better they could have been had we actually rehearsed everything. Winging it all the time could be chaotic. Sometimes it even threw off a song when someone wasn’t prepared for the other to approach them.
Now my mind was focused on Itsuki and the rest of the band. Had any of them stuck around to practice? Did they leave? How come nobody checked in with me?
“Otouto-chan?” Reiko asked.
I continued to stare at my phone screen instead of walking with her. I had to shake it off, but it was impossible not to focus on it. The questions kept circling over and over again.
As if sensing what I was thinking, Reiko placed her hand over my phone screen, forcing me to look her in the eye. “Just message someone. They’ll tell you what’s going on. There’s no reason to stress over it.”
Of course, that was the logical answer. It didn’t stop me from spiraling.
“Yeah, I could...” God, why was my heart slamming so hard against my rib cage as I typed out the simple words.
Me: What happened?
It took a few minutes, but the bouncing dots to show that Itsuki was responding made me relax just a little.
Itsu-chan: Ryosuke called it. Tatsuki and Riku took off. Ryo and I are at the corner bar.
The corner bar?
That had been my favorite place to go with Itsuki, and he was taking Ryosuke there? I closed my eyes against the onslaught of jealousy because it didn’t need to be there. He’d been very clear about what he wanted when it came to the two of us, and that meant that if I wanted a relationship with Itsuki, Ryosuke was part of that as well.
He didn’t seem all that bad, the little I’d gotten to know him, but he was still a stranger. He hadn’t been with us since day one.
“What did he say?”
I snapped my gaze to meet Reiko, who was still standing there patiently waiting. People on the street bumped past as they kept walking, if I had been in my sister’s shoes, I would have ditched me long ago, but she wasn’t as touch - averse as I was. Thecrowded streets were one of my least favorite parts of living in Tokyo.
“They left.” It was a shit answer from me, but how did I tell my sister that I ached to get to the one person who’d had my heart since the beginning and the person I was only just starting to tolerate. Oh, and that I’d had sex with both of them. At the same time.
Okay, yeah, there were some things we didn’t need to share.
She rolled her eyes. “And where did they go?”
I huffed, shoving my phone into my pocket. “Tatsu and Riku? Fuck knows, but it sounds like Itsuki and Ryosuke went to the corner bar.”
She nodded. “So why don’t you join them?”
That was the question of the century.
Because I hadn’t been outright asked to join them? But maybe it was implied that I would meet up with them. The longer I stood there and thought about it, Reiko grew irritated, shifting back and forth. As much as she cared, she eventually lost her patience.
“Just go, Otouto. The worst that happens is that they don’t want you there and ask you to leave. Since Itsuki is your best friend, I don’t think that’s what will happen.”
I nodded at her explanation, took a deep breath, and gave her a gentle hug.
Her smile was bright as we parted ways. My sister was my motherfucking rock, and I was beyond blessed to have her in our corner.
