Zodiac Signs: Thirteen

0. Mamoru Interlude I

It was early in the morning. My parents had already gone to work so it was my older sister and I who were sitting in the kitchen having breakfast.

I had enjoyed eggs and cheese toast accompanied by a glass of orange juice. The ratio of my plate in proportion to my weight was satisfactory. The assortment was done by me so nothing had felt out of place as I ate.

My sister, Maeko, didn't have a glass of orange juice to enjoy like I had. She had instead opted to enjoy a cup of coffee as she ate. Her breakfast was the same as mine but it was not placed as neatly. My eyes started to itch from gazing at her plate so I focussed on mine. Maeko remained quiet as she ate her breakfast.

What you might see wrong with this scenario wass the fact that there were no smart phones or any forms of media present. Maeko was entirely immersed in eating and ignored any external factors.

I once asked her why she does it and she answered to me that she wants be "aware of what she's eating so that she can feel full".

I tried it once but the vague explanation never hit home with me.

In other words, she's a lot weirder than me. And to add insult to injury, she's a second year university student.

I, on the other hand, do not remove my attention from my plate for a much simpler reason.

My phone was charging upstairs.

"What's up?" My train of thought derails and crashed into a river killing hundreds of people. The cause was Maeko's voice.

"W-what?" I asked. My voice had quivered when I spoke and my hands had stopped moving. My facial expression might even looked surprised right now. That is how shocking this was to me.

It's very unusual for her to suddenly break her concentration from her meal to strike up a conversation with me.

"Let me elaborate the question then," she said then flexed her fingers. "What's upsetting my little brother so much? Did something happen yesterday?"

She then rested her chin on those fingers that were interlocked now to provide support.

"... You can tell...?" I asked.

"It can't be seen on your expression but your demeanour says it all. My skills in observation are god-tier, mortal."

As I've said before, she's really weird. And to add insult to injury she was an elite, second year at the university she attended.

"Speaking of observation, where are your glasses?" I asked.

"I'm wearing contacts today. Also, don't try to change the subject, Shiruge."

"Hey, don't just casually reveal to the readers what my real name is!"

"Oh ho ho~ Does that mean I had the privilege of doing so? As expected of the real main character!" She said and almost struck a pose. I say almost because she was halfway out of her chair but then managed to restrain herself and sat down.

Also, you can't be the main character sis. This is an extra chapter...

"No one wants to see a POV done by you," I said to throw a casual insult.

"And why is that?" Her left eyebrow twitched and her smile was crooked.

Damage from insult: 100 percent!

I got 100 percent! Are you proud of me Isamu?

"It's better that you don't know, Maeko," I said. This time I switched to being polite again, because I did not want to tell my sister that her thoughts would most likely terrify anyone reading this.