Nyanko da! (ft Natsume): A Brothers Conflict Fanfic

Chapter 59: Friend-ly

Natsume hands me the other end of a sheet, gesturing for me to help him. I do so without question, given that he's still going out of his way to help. We make the bed and put a couple of pillows down. I recognize the comforter that they let me use when I stayed here.

The room itself hasn't changed. Since no one lives here normally it's not like they have personal belongings they need to move in and out. It brings back memories of staying up late writing essays before going downstairs for a midnight snack with Ema. I used to wonder if that was what living in the university dorms was like. If I could afford it I might have chosen that option instead.

Though I probably wouldn't have met Natsume-san in that case.

When we finish making the bed Natsume takes a seat at the desk. He angles the chair so he's facing the door, not me directly.

"How is Shin-kun?" he asks.

I shift my feet. "He's doing fine. Tsubaki-san and Azusa-san are showing him their anime downstairs. I didn't want to interrupt."

"I see." Natsume frowns, but he seems relieved. Maybe he's glad that it's Shin who's got his older brothers' attention right now rather than him.

Must be rough having so many brothers. Meanwhile, I'm struggling with just the one.

My hands fidget at my stomach. "They like the same anime," I say. "I never knew Shin was that into the behind-the-scenes things."

"Tsubaki and Azusa can be helpful when they want to be." Natsume crosses his arms.

"They did help a little bit that time." For as much as Tsubaki is over the top, I can't deny that he's good at diffusing tension. Even if his bright personality overwhelms me.

"Shin-kun was shy around them at first, but when he found out they were voice actors for one of his favourite anime he relaxed a little."

I take a breath, then go on to ask about about the bigger issue at hand.

"So... ano..." My hands shake some more. "What happened? I mean, what happened when you found Shin? I hope he wasn't rude to you or anything." I swallow, praying that I won't have to apologize for any more of my brother's transgressions. Yes, I understand that he's going through something, but that doesn't excuse any poor behaviour. Besides, I'd rather not make any bad impressions on the Asahina family whom I already owe so much to.

Natsume's frown stiffens and he leans forward a little. "Nothing really happened. I found him outside a convenience store. He didn't have any money, so I bought him a drink and then brought him here. I hope that's okay. I just figured he'd be more open to staying with my family rather than at my place." He clears his throat. "You've also been here before, so I thought it would be more comfortable for you as well."

The thought he put into it makes me all the more glad that it was Natsume who was with us earlier today. He's closer to the idea of what I imagined a responsible adult to be. No wonder Shin felt more comfortable coming back with him than me.

"So he didn't say anything weird to you?" I press.

"'Weird'?" Natsume shakes his head. "He'd calmed down by then. If anything, I don't think he knew what to do next."

Shin had no phone, no money, and no idea about where to go next. He could have tried to go back home on the train, but that would mean going back to our parents. It would mean facing what he said to our mother, and he's clearly not ready for that. Alternatively, he could have tried to find us again, but Shin didn't know his way around Tokyo. There was no way he could've found me unless I was looking for him.