Koi No Yokan (gojo x oc)

7. A Family Dinner

August 2005
Over one month later.

I pull back the threading from the orange, placing it in a pile with its peel. Then I spin the orange again, carefully observing for any leftover threads. Pull, pile. Pull, pile. When I split it apart, I scan the insides.

"Kaede-chan."

I look up. They're all staring at me. "What?"

"You've been peeling that orange for half an hour," Nanami says.

I hadn't realized I was being so meticulous. "My little sister hates the strings, so I usually take them off... Odd habit, I guess."

"Your sister's a picky eater?" Haibara asks.

"Like you wouldn't believe," I say, continuing to pull threads from the inside of the orange. "She doesn't like anything spicy or too salty. She hates eggs, cucumbers, onions, celery, cheese, mushrooms, tomatoes, most sauces. Oh, and she can't have fruit unless all the skin and seeds are removed."

"My sister is kind of similar," Haibara says, "Not that extreme, though. I think she can eat oranges with the strings."

"Lucky you."

"Ugh, thank God I don't have siblings," Mariko sets down her magazine to express. "I only have to worry about my mouth to feed."

"What if you have kids?" Haibara asks.

"They'll eat what I feed them."

"And if they don't like it?" I pose.

"They'll deal with it."

"I think you'll be more difficult than your picky kids, Mariko-chan," Haibara says. "Your future husband will have to have a lot of patience."

"I'm worth being patient for."

He smiles. "Right."

Pull, pile. "Do you have siblings, Nanami?"

"An older brother." He didn't seem to be very glad about it. "He's off in Manila, helping the Jujutsu there."

"Manila. How cool!" Mariko says. "I wonder if we'll ever get sent overseas."

"I want to be sent to Europe," Haibara says. "I've always wanted to go there."

"I doubt being sent overseas would be much of a vacation," Nanami says. "With all the curses and such."

No one has anything more to say after that, so Haibara redirects the conversation, "Kaede, don't you have a brother too?"

I nod. "Tomiji. He's ten years old."

"What's he like?"

"He's pretty sharp for his age." Pull, pile, pull. "He likes biking and playing outside, but he's also a little clumsy which isn't a great combination."

"He sounds cute," Mariko coos. "Why didn't he come with your sister to drop you off?"

"He gets a little nervous about leaving the estate."

"Is he scared of running into a curse?"

"I think he's scared in general."

The largest disruption possible interrupts our conversation. "Kaede-chaaaaaann!"

Satoru barges into the room, planting himself in the seat next to me. I put half the orange in his hand. "Pack your bags," he says.

"For what?"

Excitedly, he pops an orange slice into his mouth. "We were just approved for vacation time!"

"I thought there's an hour requirement to earn that."