Successive

Chapter 114

The next morning, Hiro was reluctant to get up. Even when the sun poked in through the window and blinded him, he just rolled over and pulled the blanket over his head.

A blanket scented by Rinako, so Hiro was basking in crisp, tart apple scent.

Just a few more hours of sleep would do him some good. His siblings had other ideas.

Hiro smelled the sugary scent of marshmallow and without opening his eyes knew his brother was silently moving throughout the room.

Michio threw himself onto the bed, jostling Hiro awake. Similarly, Norika sat on the bed and shook his shoulder repeatedly.

Hiro groaned, "Let me sleep."

The bed dipped as Michio started jumping on it. He was energetic for the day.

Hiro reached up and punched his brother in the thigh, sending him falling and tumbling off the bed with a laugh.

"Hiro, you smell like smoke." Norika made a disgruntled face. "Dad and Pa are going to be mad."

Hiro mumbled into his pillow, "It's fine, Nori. I'll shower."

They're all playing their parts as the Bokuto siblings. Hiroki is the oldest who tolerates his younger siblings pestering him. If anything he sees it as a form of affection because they can banter back and forth and rarely fight. Michio is the troublemaker and Norika is the one who worries too much— and the one that gets babied since she's the youngest.

They'd fit into these parts of their sibling dynamic for as long as they can remember, and it most likely wouldn't change in the future.

Michio was back on the bed and shaking Hiro awake.

"What?! What?!" Hiro finally opened his eyes and put his hands in Michio's face to get back at him.

"Today is the day!" He exuberantly signed.

It took a second for Hiro's brain to catch up to what he was talking about. "Oh yeah."

"Aren't you excited?" Michio had to repeat himself after he got Hiro to open his eyes again.

"Yes," He yawned, "But the concert isn't for another 10 hours. Let me sleep."

Norika pursed her lips together, "Pa wants you downstairs for breakfast."

"Tell him I'll eat later."

"He's worried about you and Dad. Do you hate each other?"

Hiro pulled the blanket over his head, "I don't hate Dad, Nori. Now let me sleep."

Sniffling let Hiro know that Norika's mood had shifted. A scent didn't accompany her emotions like the rest of the family which was probably for the best because it would be pungent with strife at the moment.

"You don't need to be upset." Hiro opened his eyes and realized Michio had left the room, trailing a happy scent behind him. He reached out and pulled Norika down and wrapped her with the blanket Rin had scented. "Dad and I got into a fight but we'll be okay."

"But what if something bad happens before you can make up." She sniffled, tears rolling down her face.

Hiro was ill-prepared to deal with one of his sister's mood swings so early in the morning. "Nothing bad will happen. It's not something you need to overthink." He put a hand on her shoulder and laid his scent on thick.

His own scent lulled him back to sleep as it calmed Norika down.

The silent treatment Keiji had been giving Hiro was unsettling to Norika. She knew her Dad could be scary but she'd never felt the effects of Keiji's silent treatment before. She felt bad that Hiro had to.