Where They Went [Brothers Conflict]

A new family?

The moment the car stopped, I imminently unbuckled and practically threw myself out of the car, swinging my arms in a circle before holding them up above my head as I took in the scene before me. "FREEEEEDOOMMMMM!" I cried victoriously, fist pumping the air as Masaomi and Wataru climbed out of the car. With a grin, Wataru ran up to join me in my hollering as the elder of the two boys simply rolled his eyes and chuckled at our foolishness. Once he had turned his back, I stuck my tongue out at him over my shoulder before quickly facing forward again. 'Suit yourself!"

He then proceeded to escort me through the gates and as he began to walk ahead of me towards the door, he suddenly stopped and looked behind him to see I was no longer following. I had stopped just in front of the gates on the side of the 'house', and my strangely colored eyes had widened in awe. "This is..." My head suddenly shot up as I threw him a wary look. "Are you people rich or something?!"

The doctor chuckled at my reaction, to which an irk mark appeared on my forehead. "You could say that." He said modestly, and now it was my turn to roll my eyes.

Suddenly, I was taken by surprise as I felt a slight tugging on my skirt, and looked down to see Wataru looking up at me with those darn puppy eyes of his. "Oneechan, let's go inside, okay?" He said and I nodded, although I wasn't exactly very happy to be going back inside when I'd just gotten back my freedom. I was a bit claustrophobic, you could say, and didn't like being cooped up inside or in cramped places. This is why I always hated car trips, and preferred wasting my time away outside.

"-and I have a really big bunny in my room, would you like to see?" This caught my attention.

"A bunny, you say?" I inquired, raising one eye brow higher than the other as he nodded eagerly.

"Yep! It's really big and fluffy, you'll love it!" He assured me as I felt a smile tugging at my lips.

"Well, then, I guess I'll just have to go a pay him a visit then, won't I?"

"Yay!~" Wataru cheered, as Masaomi smiled gently at the sight of the two of us.

"Come on then, this way," Said the forgotten male, speaking up and interrupting Wataru's victory dance. I nodded and Wataru reached up to take my hand in his, which I gladly accepted.

As the three of us walked through the door, however, I was almost imminently pulled away from the strawberry haired boy as my best friend tackled me into a hug. "Oh, Ari-chan, I'm so glad you're better!" Ema cheered, sobbing into my shoulder dramatically. "I was sure you were going to die!" I patted her head and giggled quietly at how cute she looked in that state, holding on to me desperately, and whispering reassuringly into her ear, "Shh, shh, it's okay now, I'm here," while she cried.

"Yeah! Don't worry me like that!" An all-too-familiar voice scolded as the fluffy gray squirrel suddenly appeared on Ema's shoulder. I groaned in response, earning some more chastisement from his part. "Oi! I'm talking to you, Ari! Do you have any idea how badly Chii and I were worrying about you? That's it! Apologize to her this instant! And to me, I- Chi! Chi? Chi! Chi!" And like that, I could no longer understand him. This is how it always been, with Juli. Sometimes I could hear him, but as I grew less and less interested in what he had to say, his voice faded out into what anyone else would hear.

The annoying chatter of some nutty squirrel, that's what.

"Hmm? Oh, who is this?" A sinfully smooth voice spoke up, and I had to turn my head at an awkward angle to see where it came from. There, on the stairs, was a man with blonde hair wearing a...

"Why are you wearing a dress?" I asked curiously, genuinely confused. However, the man still took offense and he made a face at me as if he were pained- disappointed, rather than upset. 'What, is he trying to guilt me, or something?'