Round 2 (Brothers Conflict)

Chapter 1 - Where It All Began

Suminako's POV

Ah...

I woke up, staring at the ceiling of my room, shrouded in darkness. It was the same darkness that lingered in my dream. That's right, it had always been this way in this entire life.

My name is Akayuki Suminako, and I'm 20 years old. Frankly, there isn't much about me worth mentioning. My life has been the very definition of emptiness, a long, quiet struggle, just to make it this far.

But for someone as ordinary as me, I guess I do have one talent: I write song lyrics for none other than the Asakura Fuuto, the infamous singer in the boy band Forttě. I was personally scouted by Asahina Miwa herself, the fashion designer. The Asahina Miwa.

Miwa-san had always been kind to me. I met her in high school, back when I was looking for a part-time job to earn a little allowance. Out of the blue, she approached me, introduced herself, and handed me her business card, saying that I had a look and figure that was exactly what she'd been looking for to model for her brand.

At first, I was hesitant. I wasn't confident in myself, and had never once considered modelling. But I figured, why not give it a shot? After all, what did I have to lose?

The job paid well, especially for part-time work. Although I could only work on the weekends, I managed to gain a little popularity, but I never fully rose in the industry. Still, Miwa-san always encouraged me to keep going. She was my support throughout the years and eventually, we grew close. Near the end of high school, I auditioned to become Asakura Fuuto's songwriter, something I never would have done if it weren't for her.

Whenever I felt down, I'd scribble lyrics into my little diary that I kept with me. One day, I accidentally left it at work, and Miwa-san discovered my little secret. She told me that I had an incredible gift for writing song lyrics and that my lyrics had moved her. She encouraged me to audition for Asakura Fuuto. At the time, I didn't know much about him nor his connection to Miwa-san, but out of respect for everything she had done for me, I decided to give it a try.

That was how I came to know Asahina Miwa and Asakura Fuuto. But what ultimately brought me to the Sunrise Residence was Miwa-san's kindness. For the record, I once had a family of my own, though my memories of them were vague. All I really remember is growing up in an orphanage and later being adopted.

My adoptive family never bothered to change my surname to theirs, and they weren't exactly kind to me as well. Miwa-san was aware of my situation, the bruises on my body told her more than I ever could. But as much as she wanted to help, she wasn't able to intervene.  My adoptive parents even went as far as filing a restraining order against her, accusing her of harassment and 'breaking the peace between the family'.

One day though, the bruises stopped coming. I found myself standing before my adoptive parents' lifeless bodies. Their car had collided with another, right outside of Miwa-san's office. I was informed by the authorities that they were officially dead. In that moment, I felt empty and numb, like a shell, barely even aware of the tears streaming down my cheeks.

After a few days, Miwa-san made the decision to offer me a permanent home at the Sunrise Residence, inviting me to live with her sons and only daughter. I was taken aback by her offer. Miwa-san had already done so much for me, I didn't have many options since I hardly had any savings, and it is also a fact that I already had nowhere else to go. My adoptive parents had left me buried under mountains of debt, and everything they owned was seized by the creditors.

So I took up the offer, I was left with no choice.

The fragments of my dream started drifting back, hazy at first, then slowly coming into focus.

"Akayuki Suminako, your next journey will be more challenging than all the others you've faced before," an old man said to me.

I found myself in a place filled with clouds, fountains, and... people. It felt... heavenly. Not quite like a place I should be in, but somehow it felt familiar to me, as if I once belonged there.

"Are you sure you want to take on this fate? This is one of the harshest fates compared to everything you've gone through so far. Just so you know, death would mean being completely cut off from that world. There is a real chance that you could die if you choose this path. Are you absolutely certain, that you wish to meet the Asahina brothers in this form of fate?" He asked with a grave voice.

Without hesitation, I nodded.

The old man looked at me with a mix of sadness and concern. A door appeared before us and opened. It felt like different from any other door I'd entered. Dark energy seeped out, and I could feel the heavy, ominous vibe it gave off. The old man wasn't exaggerating.

"いてきます(I'll be going now)。" I gave him a small smile, then turned my back to him and stepped through the door without looking back.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back in reality.

I'm hungry...

I glanced at my phone. It was already nearly 3 in the afternoon. I had a few missed calls from Fuuto-san, it's probably about discussing his next solo song.

"I never would have guessed that his real name was Asahina Fuuto..." I muttered, sighing as the thought of him crossed my mind. I was still taken back that he was one of Miwa-san's sons.

I never really liked Fuuto-san much. The charming idol his fans adored was far from the person I knew. To them, he was someone who loved and cherished each and every one of his fan. To me, he was one of the most arrogant person I've ever met.

In this five-story white walled mansion, my room is on the third floor. It used to be a spare room where I heard that Tsubaki-san occasionally uses it as he pleases, but as of now, it is my room. The first and second floors were rented out for strangers, but the third floor and above is where the Asahina family lives.

Barely a month has passed since I moved in, yet it was clear to me that most of the Asahina family didn't welcome my presence.

"Mom, why did you let a stranger stay with us?"

I overheard Tsubaki-san on the phone with Miwa-san one afternoon as I wandered into the garden.

"I seriously don't get it," he continued, frustration laced in his tone. "Why didn't you just let her live on the first or second floor? You know that the third floor and above are all for us."

At that time, I never knew that those words would struck me harder than I cared to admit.

"Family? What do you mean? She's just a stranger! How can we see her as family?"

Those words echoed in my mind, over and over. Even now, they lingered like a shadow I couldn't shake off.

I sighed, clutching my stomach. The dull ache had grown sharper, a reminder of how long it had been since I last ate.

"I should really get some food..." I muttered to myself, dragging myself to my feet.

Deciding to shower before heading out, I took the elevator up to the fifth floor. As the doors opened, I was greeted by Ema-san, who was sitting in front of the television, playing a zombie game with Wataru-chan.

"Ah, good afternoon, Suminako-san! Have you just woken up?" she asked, flashing me a warm smile.

I nodded silently, avoiding conversation, and headed towards the bathroom. Ema-san was one of the few people in the family who treated me kindly. As for Wataru-chan, I found him adorable, though most of the time he only spoke to me to ask about Ema-san.

After a quick shower, I changed into fresh clothes and stepped out into the blazing heat of the afternoon. The sun beat down relentlessly as I walked toward the ramen shop I usually went to. It was only ten minutes away, but every step felt heavier than the last.

Was it the heat making me dizzy? Or was it something else?

My stomach ached sharply, my vision blurred, and my steps faltered. It felt as though all the energy in my body was draining away, leaving me hollow.

I clutched my stomach, trying to steady myself, but the ground swayed beneath my feet.

The next thing I knew, I found myself being trapped in darkness again.