Life In The Spotlight

Chapter 21 (Present)

"Let's see," said Sora. "I can't decide which wedding dress I want. They are all so beautiful."

"Why do you get a new dress and I don't?" complained Kirika.

"Sweetie, your sister is getting married," said her mother. "Your pink dress is perfect for being a flower girl."

Sora was wedding shopping, and the bride-to-be was panicking about the flowers, decorations, and now her dress. She wanted her wedding dress to be perfect.

Shu tried to calm down his older sister. "Relax, Sora. The wedding is still two months away. You don't have to decide everything now."

"But what if something goes wrong? What if a bridesmaid gets sick? What if there isn't enough food? What if a bird poops on my head?"

"The possibility of that is highly unlikely," said Shu. "You're getting married in a hotel."

"Easy for you to say," grumbled Sora. "You are not getting married. Wait until your wedding."

"I'm not going to get married," said Shu. "I gave up on love, remember?"

"Then why were you blushing when you asked Rose to Prom?" asked Kirika.

Sora suddenly forgot about her wedding. "You asked Rose to your Prom?"

Shu turned the same colour as his eyes. "Yes... But as a friend."

"Fibber! You love her," said Kirika. "I saw you and Valt talking about you having a crush on her."

"What?" asked Sora and their parents.

"You spied on me and eavesdropped on our conversation?" asked Shu. "It was supposed to be private!"

Kirika ignored Shu and sang a silly song. "You love her, you love her, you really really love her! You're going to get married, and I will be a flower girl!"

"Not happening," said Shu. He put a hand over Kirika's mouth. "And control yourself. We are in public."

"Er... Shu?" asked Sora. "Is that your fan club?"

Shu gasped as he saw at least five girls standing outside the glass window with their phones recording them. They had definitely heard Kirika's song, even if their conversation hadn't been heard.

Shu turned a shade whiter (if that was possible). "Oh no. I have been exposed."

"Maybe Rose will hear about it and... mmmm." Sora had put her hand over Kirika's mouth.

"That's enough, sis," said Sora. "You have already acted out enough."

Shu looked terrified out of his wits. "I want to go home," he said.

Shu's father ended up taking Shu and Kirika home. Shu because he wanted to go home, and Kirika because she had been grounded for acting out.

Kirika complained the whole way. "So not fair. I wanted a new dress."

"If you had been good, then you might have gotten one," said Mr Kurenai. "As for now, you are in big trouble. Shu, make sure she stays in her room and does her homework."

"Yes Dad," said Shu.

Kirika looked angry. "You are so mean, Daddy," she said.

"Kirika, don't talk like that," said Shu. He avoided looking at social media in fear of what he might see there.

Kirika threw a huge temper tantrum when she and Shu were dropped off at home. "I want to go out! I don't want to do homework!"

"Kirika, stop it," said Shu. "If you are a good girl, maybe Mom and Dad will lift your punishment. Screaming will only land you into trouble."

"I hate Mommy and Daddy!"

"Don't say that," said Shu. "You don't actually hate them. You're just angry."

"Yes I do!"

"Stop it!"

Kirika stopped screaming and looked at her brother in surprise. Shu had never shouted at her before.

"Don't you know how lucky we are to have loving parents? My character is a completely neglected child who basically raised himself. There are children in this world who have parents that abuse them."

"I... I didn't know," said Kirika.

"Kirika, you can't just yell that you hate someone just because they upset you. Friends get mad at each other sometimes. But they don't go yelling things like that."

Kirika said, "Didn't you say that to Valt once in episode 14 of the first season? That you didn't want to be friends?"

"That was scripted."

"Why did your character say that?"

Shu went quiet. "I don't know, okay?"

Kirika looked at her brother sadly. "Do you hate me now?"

"What? No," said Shu.

"But you hated Seina after she... She..."

Shu hugged Kirika. "That was different. She wanted to hurt me. Kirika, no matter what, I will always love you and you will always be my baby sister."

Kirika hugged Shu back. "I love you too," she said. "And I'm sorry for embarrassing you."