What a life

Here's where it begins

I, Aya Kato, am a lone orphan. I have no siblings at all and thanks to the plane crash over the Pacific Ocean, I never will have the chance. I am sixteen years of age and attend Mika Academy. Due to the misfortune of becoming an orphan, I have to stay in a hotel until I get the opportunity of having a home.

My alarm clock wakes me up on Monday. The first day back at school since Christmas... I throw on my uniform and take the elevator down to the ground floor, where I then take my usual route to school. The day is going normal so far. I pass the gates after walking to school alone, open my locker and neatly stack up my folders in there and head to my class: Class B. Just before I enter, however, my day takes a turn. An older man approaches me and fiddled with his glasses before saying:
"Aya Kato, correct?" And after that, I nod with a frown slowly forming on my face.
"I need you to follow me."

I follow the strange man down a series of corridors and halls until we reach the councillors office, where we both take a seat.
"I am Mr. Yamato from social services and I understand you utterly refuse to take refuge in an orphanage?" He guesses, clicking his pen and glancing down at the sheet of paper in front of him.
"Yes, I don't want to go to an orphanage. That's insane! I just want to live like a normal person!" I reply angrily. Social services have always been on my butt about going to an orphanage but I completely hate the idea. They always treat you like you're special in there but in reality, they're inflating your ego.
"Well, it's not good for you to live in a hotel your whole life so you're going to be living with the Takagawa family." I almost stand out of rage. They can't just place me in with a random family! The thought of a family does strike my fancy, though.
"N-no!" I say, attempting to put up a fight but the social worker doesn't take it.
"I didn't ask you I ordered you. Your luggage has been dropped off. After school you must go to this address, your new home."

Home... I didn't think I'd have one of those since mum and dad died. It's only been three years but nonetheless... I pick up my bag and exit the room, returning to my class.
"What was that about?" My best friend Georgia asks. I shrug, tucking a lock of my shirt frizzy brown hair behind my ear.
"I-it's nothing." I say. The whole day felt like a year but eventually, the last bell rings. After collecting my stuff from the locker, I take out the note from my pocket.

154 Rima Avenue, Takagawa house

I know where Rima Avenue is so I begin to walk.

Another thing about me is besides Georgia, I don't really like to socialise so the thought of being placed in a house with total strangers and being forced to live with them sends shivers down my spine. I finally take a turn onto Rima Avenue and walk up the streets.
"152...153...154!" I stop outside an apartment complex, frowning in confusion. Which apartment do they live in? I notice cardboard boxes with all my luggage in them at the gate and three or so boys carrying them in. One just so happens to notice me watching.
"Aya?" He calls out, running over to me.
"H-hello." I greet, not knowing what to do. The boy himself was handsome indeed but that's not what makes me so shy. I never really have love on my mind. It's always been about grades and fun, I guess.
"Welcome to your new home!" He welcomes me with such a warming smile but the other boys continue to load the boxes into the house.
"Excuse me but where I my manners! I'm Takumi Takagawa. You'll be living here with me and my eight brothers, right?"

Have I just hit a stone wall or did I actually hear that?

"E-e-eight brothers? There are parents here, r-right?" I stutter in disbelief.
"Nope but that just makes it more fun!" Takumi looks about my age with blonde hair and violet eyes. As stated before, very handsome. Obviously seeing my hesitation, Takumi takes my wrist and leads me into the house, where about five other boys are.
"I thought you said there were eight of you?" I say, looking at them all lined up as if they were meeting the head of our school.
"The other three are at work." Takumi explains. I nod and wave, awkwardly smiling and my mind racing for things to say.
"Well...hi...I'm Aya your new roomie, I guess." I greet, feeling myself flush a hue of pink. One boy laughs.
"It seems we have a shy one, huh? Well, sweetheart, I'm Ryo, the same age and year as you." The ginger one says. Despite being brothers, these boys look hardly like each other which confuses me extremely.

I thought siblings looked alike but then again I wouldn't know.

"Yes, that's Ryo and this is Hikaru, Ryo's twin." Takumi then informs me. Only the twins look alike so far. Takumi points to a dark haired boy who looks also the same age as me, maybe.
"This is Kyoya, the smarter one." Kyoya gives a smile and small wave, which I return. We go through all of them.
Satoshi, younger than me by a year with platinum blond hair and last but not least, Koji, the youngest (age 10 with blonde hair and blue eyes).
"Where are the other three then?" I ask. If I remember rightly, Takumi said he had eight brothers and him and there's only six of them here...
"Oh it's a shame. You won't really be seeing Subaru or Aito around here much and Naoki is currently at work. He should be home soon." Kyoya informs me. I nod in understanding and a strange silence settles in.

Living in a house with nine boys?

I wish I could say it would be a piece of cake...