Nothing Special

Christmas?

You kept your grip hard on Tsumiki's hand as she was continuously distracted by every store and product she could see in the mall. Satoru had the easier task of walking along with Megumi - who refused to hold his hand. You both knew that he wouldn't wander, so it wasn't something you pushed Megumi to do.

"Who's on our nice list?" Satoru asked you as you looked through your phone.

"Shoko and Kento definitely," you could say, without needing to read off the list.

"Really?" Tsumiki asked. "I thought she was naughty this year."

You gasped, looking over at Satoru. "You told them?!"

"What?" Megumi asked.

Satoru looked down at Megumi. "If you listened to me talk, ever, you would know!"

"That's not the issue here?"

"Never mind," you huffed, shaking your head. "I ordered Shoko nicotine patches and some expensive skin care she was browsing through online, so we don't have to worry about her. For Nanami, I was planning on getting him some nice clothes from this brand he likes."

"There's a new bakery store near here, I heard they've got some good stuff," Satoru chimed in.

"I've got that covered, I'm probably taking him on New Years Eve or something."

"And leaving us ?" Satoru gasped dramatically.

"I have an assignment scheduled that day with him," you said, rolling your eyes. "Once I'm done all that, I'll come straight home." You pat Tsumiki's head - a gesture she appreciated much more than Satoru's hair ruffling after all her effort into her cute ponytail.

"Do you get your family presents?" Tsumiki asked.

"Some of them," you nodded. "I'm probably gonna get Naoji something"-

"That bastard?" Satoru asked, eyebrows furrowing. "No way! If Shoko is on our naughty list, he's on our extremely naughty list!"

"He's my brother and a temporary teacher," you reminded him. "I usually don't get him anything but because I've seen him this year, I'll get him some basic gift."

"Your brother is your teacher, too?" Tsumiki asked. "Is he old enough?"

"He was actually born before Megumi's dad," you said. "Nearing forty in a couple of years, I think. Some of my brothers and I've got big age differences and Naoji is the oldest."

"How much older than you?" Megumi asked, tilting his head.

"Uh, about twenty years, I'm pretty sure?"

Tsumiki's jaw dropped. "That's like double my age!"

"No," Megumi corrected her.

"That's like double Megumi's age!"

"No."

"That's like double both of our ages combined!"

"No"-

"Give her a break," Satoru said, pulling Megumi ahead before Tsumiki could yell at him.

Tsumiki let out a deep breath before smiling up at you. "Who else? You've still got six other brothers, right?"

"Naohito, I'll get him some wine." At Tsumiki's curious look, you further elaborated. "He's the second oldest, 15 years older than me. He's pretty tolerable, compared to my other brothers, but that's because he was never around much."