Prologue:Disturbed
Another normal day.
Csepel stood in the middle of the living room with a broom in hand, sweeping the floor like he always did. The dust didn't particularly bother him, but he liked the repetitive motion—the calm rhythm of brushing things neatly away. It was a small kind of peace.
The sun poured through the windows of their Japanese-style house, and a faint breeze carried in the scent of spring. The wood creaked beneath his slippers as he moved across the room, swiping small debris into the dustpan with practiced ease.
"Mm." He exhaled softly, satisfied with his work.
Twelve years had passed since he'd moved to Japan.
Csepel had grown used to the language, the customs, even the taste of natto—though that had taken more time than anything else. From the outside, you might think he was born here. His dark brown hair and light green eyes said otherwise, but he carried himself with the quiet diligence of someone raised on rice and modesty.
But he hadn't always lived like this.
Twelve years ago, he was just another child at a Hungarian orphanage. He didn't expect much back then. He liked books, often sitting in the far corner of the reading room, nose-deep in fairy tales and fantasy novels. He helped out with the chores, guided the younger kids when they cried, and rarely made noise. He wasn't unhappy—but he wasn't exactly noticed either.
So when a pair of Japanese visitors walked into the orphanage, Csepel didn't even lift his head for long. Just a glance. A second.
He'd already decided—no one would pick him.
And yet... they did.
The next thing he knew, he was stepping off a plane in a strange new country, learning to eat with chopsticks and calling strangers his parents.
And, somewhere along the way, he gained a sister.
Komari.
If life were a manga, Komari would be the popular, bubbly younger sister character who lights up the room. Chestnut hair that curled softly down to her waist, big amber eyes, a voice just a bit too high when she was excited—and she was always excited.
About what?
Csepel. Always Csepel.
Their parents were always working, so it had always been just the two of them at home. At first, he thought she was just being friendly—maybe a little too affectionate—but over the years, her obsession had only grown worse.
Or maybe "intense" was the better word.
That particular intensity made itself known as a voice echoed from down the hallway.
"Nii-san! I dropped my soap! Come help your cute little sister in the bath!"
Csepel froze mid-sweep.
He pinched the bridge of his nose.
Again.
It was always like this. Every. Single. Time.
"No," he replied flatly, not bothering to raise his voice. She'd hear him.
"But I can't reach it without standing up and flashing everything! Isn't that dangerous?" she added, as if this was a serious emergency.
"I believe in your survival instincts," he muttered.
He returned to sweeping, pretending that he hadn't heard the sound of wet feet padding out from the bathroom.
"Csepeeel~"
Komari's voice was sweet and mischievous—and far, far too close.
He turned his head slightly, eyes narrowing.
There she stood in the hallway, wrapped in a towel that barely reached mid-thigh, hair dripping, skin still glistening with warm bathwater. She posed like it was nothing, hip cocked and arm raised behind her head.
"You're going to catch a cold," he said, trying not to look.
"Then warm me up?" she teased, taking a step forward.
"Go dry off."
"You always say that. But what if I faint and hit my head on the floor? Then what?"
"Then I'll call an ambulance."
"Ouch." Komari pouted. "You're so mean sometimes, Nii-san."
She marched up to him anyway and held out a towel. "Dry my hair?"
Csepel sighed but took it. "Yeah, yeah. Sit down."
She beamed and plopped down on the couch in front of him, cross-legged and unbothered by the state of her towel. He draped the cloth over her head and began gently drying her hair with practiced hands. He'd done this before—too many times.
"Ne, Nii-san," she began, voice muffled through the towel. "If I asked for a kiss as a reward, what would you say?"
His hands stopped.
"Never mind," he said immediately.
"Eh?" She pulled the towel down to peek at him. "I was just joking~! So serious…"
He said nothing, quietly resuming the drying process.
Komari smirked, her cheeks just a bit pinker than before. "You're too easy to tease."
"You're too hard to live with."
"Aw, you say the cutest things."
Csepel just pressed the towel a little more firmly against her head.
In truth, she was exhausting. And relentless. And far too comfortable flaunting her affection in ways that made his daily life feel like walking a tightrope of sanity.
Still, he played along. Just enough to keep her at arm's length.
There was one problem, however—one she didn't know.
They weren't actually siblings.
Komari didn't know he was adopted. Their parents never told her, and Csepel hadn't corrected the misunderstanding. To her, they were blood. Real family.
And yet...
She still acted the way she did. That strange devotion, the constant teasing, the jealousy whenever he so much as talked to another girl. She hated it when anyone got close. Not even their family cat was safe from her wrath if it got too much of his attention.
But despite all that, somewhere buried under the chaos, Csepel felt something like guilt.
He hadn't told her. Hadn't cleared the line between fact and fantasy. Maybe because a part of him feared it'd only make things worse. If she knew they weren't related...
Would she stop?
Or would she start really trying?
He didn't want to find out.
"Done," he said, fluffing the last bit of her hair with the towel.
Komari let out a content sigh and leaned back into his chest, hair damp but warm.
"Thank you, Nii-san," she murmured. "You're always so nice to me."
"I'm only nice when it's unavoidable."
"Liar," she said, smiling.
Csepel didn't respond. He just watched the sunlight dance across the floor again, the broom forgotten at his side.
Outside the house, the world continued spinning quietly. School was starting again next week. The cherry blossoms had just begun to bloom. For anyone else, it might've been an ordinary life.
But for Csepel, even a peaceful day could be hijacked by a single sentence from his bath-obsessed not-really-sister.
Just another normal day.
And he had a feeling it wouldn't stay that way for long.
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To be continued…
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