Dangers of a Saint || Ryeji

45

Ryujin couldn't remember anybody telling her how to be a sister. Nobody taught her what she was supposed to do under circumstances wherein her title was challenged and questioned, which was why it surprised her how good it felt the first time she broke somebody else's bone for Jinni after seeing her cry, because she knew she did the right thing. The display of brutality was less appealing but what made it gratifying was the thought of being able to avenge her sibling. She was later on reprimanded for the savage behavior as she was reported to her father about it but not once did guilt surface in her chest as it was filled with pride. To Ryujin, it was her way of protecting her younger sister. They had to know that she wouldn't hesitate bringing people down if her siblings were at stake. She cared for them that much.

Although she couldn't say the same thing for the eldest, Ryujin definitely inherited a similar protectiveness and fondness towards the youngest Saint Laurent.

For someone who wasn't around when Minato was growing up, Ryujin was slightly taken aback by the unexpected intensity of warmth she felt as she watched him open her present for him. It was the last gift to be opened as it was the largest, and Ryujin felt pride in that as well.

"Are you sure that's not dangerous?" Marcel asked in the midst of the gift-opening, his arms crossed as he looked at her.

Ryujin pretended not to be irked by this, as if he saw her reckless enough to not care about Minato's safety. "Hardly."

"The box is almost bigger than him. I'd rather not spoil him with materialistic things."

"Marcel, it's Christmas," Katsumi said, hooking her arm around his. "Look how happy he is that he got the biggest gift."

"I'm only trying to—"

"Whoa!" Minato said happily, gaping back at them. "Mom, it's a telescope! I've always wanted one of these models."

Katsumi and Jinni headed over to the youngest with a big smile on both of their faces. Minato's introverted side certainly had an end, which was more to Ryujin's relief, although she still felt hesitant coming close to him.

"It's a Celestron Astro Fi 102," Minato continued, examining the telescope with restrained enthusiasm. "This one's amateur-friendly. I can study everything about it in a day."

Ryujin caught Jinni's eyes looking at her pointedly, as if almost wanting to scream at her to head over to them. Subtly gulping, she did as she was expected to do and reluctantly made her way towards the Christmas tree, ignoring the gaze from her father and brother that followed her.

"Do you need assistance with that?" Ryujin asked, offering the youngest a smile.

Minato couldn't help but return the gesture, although a lot more bashful, nodding his head. "I'm not sure the tutorials I'll get online will be helpful enough."

"It's not yet too late," Ryujin said, swallowing down her fear as she felt more at ease now that she finally exchanged words with him. "Do you want to assemble it tonight?"

Minato's head bobbed up and down almost immediately, receiving a round of laughter from them before he turned to his mother. "Can we let her stay the night? We have multiple guest rooms available, right?"

Katsumi transferred her gaze from his pleading ones to Ryujin's uncertain orbs, silently scrutinizing  them. "Only if she wants to."

Ryujin initially didn't have the intention of staying past the gift giving part of the night, much less sleeping over, but with the desperation in Minato's voice along with the expectant look he was giving her, it was a great challenge to decline the offer.

She found herself nodding, keeping herself from thinking how the rest of her family would react and grinned at the youngest. "I would love to."

Ryujin already planned on going back to Vancouver the day after tomorrow but a debate already started in her mind. The second she stepped in the house, she received the minimal—if not nothing—indication that Minato had no interest towards her. She was expecting the worst but after seeing the youngest's reaction to her present, she reasoned that his behavior was most likely due to how he was brought up. She experienced the same thing firsthand, having to attend multiple lavish gatherings filled with people she barely knew, barely cared about them, forced to socialize as she was burdened with the obligation of making connections to well-known families for the future of her own. It was just another curse for being a Saint Laurent and Minato was not an exemption. Jinni warned her about his dismissive behavior, and she easily grasped that.