Stumbling Over Love | ✓

Chapter 58 (Part 1)

_Chapter 58-1~ Never Let Go_

"Don't 'welcome back' me!" my older brother bellowed, his booming voice practically shaking the entire house. In only a couple seconds, he had stomped towards me and yanked me off the couch, protectively standing in front of me with a glower aimed towards a stricken Satoru. "Why was this orange-haired delinquent all over you like that?"

My face was consumed with a new wave of colour. "H-he was not!"

"Yeah, right! It was even as dark as night in here!" my brother demanded, gesturing towards the light switch. "You're lucky I flew in today or else you two would've been making babies by the time Mom and Dad came home!"

"M-Masumi-nii— th-that's not...! It was just a kiss!" I hissed, embarrassed beyond compared.

"Kissing leads to a whole lot of things that shall not be named nor done on the couch of our household!"

"None of that was being done!" I said, grasping his arm and tugging it back. "You're over exaggerating!"

Masumi turned my way, incredulity masking upon his features. "Over— I am stating this as it is! Especially since... oh jeez, Reina, why are you dressed so revealing like that? No wonder that guy couldn't resist touching your fragile body!"

Automatically, I dropped my head to see my blue tank top and pyjama pants. I looked at my brother incredulously but he already had his face implanted into his hands. Prying his hands away, once more, Masumi had swerved Satoru's way, a murderous glower fixed in place.

"Who the heck are you, anyway?" he demanded. "Man up and confess your sinful thoughts about my sister or face hell!"

When both Masumi and my eyes shifted his way Satoru who was sitting as still as a board on the couch, sweatdropping, hesitantly picked up his head. His eyeballs darted left and right in clear panic. "U-um, I-I—"

I slipped past Masumi and stood in front of his field of vision. Well, tried to; he still had to rotate his head down. Regardless, my brother wasn't that tall of a person. "Leave Satoru alone!"

Masumi's frown deepened, a contrast to his charming smile that typically brought the most out of his olive-toned skin. "Satoru better not be his first name," he warned. He suddenly blanched. "Unless... Unless—holy shit." It seemed to hit him like a brick as his neck jerked towards me. "Holy shitting birds. Reina, is he your—"

I nodded vigorously, planting my feet firmly on the ground. "He's my—"

"My little sister does not have a boyfriend!" Masumi shouted before I could finish. He frenziedly removed his fedora and ran his fingers through his curly dark almond hair—a shade he'd received from Dad. Tucking his black shades into the collar of his t-shirt, bringing out the silver necklace he wore, my brother's burning eyes met mine. "No," he finalized with a firm head shake. "Not my little sister."

Satoru's complexion had lost all colour, but I didn't really blame him as to why. My brother was never this hostile against people he first met.

Gritting my teeth, I maintained my unfaltering poise against my brother's scowl. Still, how come I didn't anticipate this? My brother's overprotectiveness... All throughout our childhood he'd never let any boy approach me once—even if we were playing a simple game like kick the can. I'd always thought it was a tad hypocritical considering his womanizer ways, but as I kid I didn't really care much since I deemed boys to have cooties. And by the time I'd started gaining an interest in guys Masumi was already out of the house and a high school graduate.