All Rolled Into One: Confessions of a Mad House Husband (Chapters 5-9)
i'm very bad. keep forgetting to post the next chapters. no, i haven't abandoned this fic - yet. that's still to be decided (soon, i hope)...
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Chapter Five
"Good news everyone! Johnny-san has agreed to our request for a break! Starting tomorrow, we're officially on a two week break!!" Ohno came busting in with the good news.
Everyone started cheering and hollering in joy at the good news. Everyone, that is, except for the second youngest member of Arashi.
Nino sat hunched at the far end of the couch, away from the rest of Arashi. He didn't look up ever since he came in, instead playing with his gameboy until his fingers hurt.
Awkward silence from the boys greeted his ignorance of the good news. Jun and Aiba glanced at Nino before looking back at each other then to Sho. Sho just shook his head and gave them a "Let it go!" look but of course, they wouldn't.
"Hey Nino-kun, what's with the pink bump on your head?" Jun snickers, sitting across Nino while Aiba leans over the chair behind Jun.
Nino stared at a Aiba for a moment, his eyes narrowing, before grunting and turning back to his game.
"It's shaped like a shoeprint! Maybe someone hit him on the head with the end of a shoe. Maybe someone like a...girl?" Aiba giggles. "Did a girl reject you again, Nino-kun?" He jumps up and down, exclaiming loudly that Nino got rejected again.
Nino drops his gameboy beside him. He grabs the nearest pillow and tries to throw it at Aiba. Instead, it lands on Jun as Aiba ducks, laughing at him.
"For your information Aiba-chan, I was not rejected. The bump came when I hit my head against the door." He grumbles back onto the couch.
"Eh? You hit your head against the door? Why? What happened?" Sho comes over, a bottle of water in hand. He stands next to Aiba, tilting his head slightly to the left in curiosity.
Nino hunched a little further, cheeks slightly growing flushed. He didn't want to tell them that he'd been sneaking around his neighbour's house last night. If he did, Aiba would definitely keep pestering him about it. "Ah...I slipped and bumped my head against the door this morning."
"Ne, ne, you should be more careful, Nino-kun!" Aiba walked over to him and placed two fingers on the bump. "Does it hurt? Here, let me massage it!"
"Get away from me!" Nino jumped out of the couch as soon as Aiba's fingers found his forehead. He glared and slapped Aiba's hand away. "Just leave me alone, minna!" He grabbed his gameboy and walked out of the room.
"Don't forget to ask the make-up artist to cover that! We've got a photo shoot later!" Jun called out after him.
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Maybe it does need make-up, Nino thinks to himself as he stares back at the mirror. It's too noticeable! Damn it!
Stupid Nino-chan! Why didn't you see that the door was closed? His conscience scolds him.
Yeah, why didn't I? Oh, that's right - it was made of glass! Duh! Stupid conscience!
He sighs and leans back against the bathroom sink. He ran to the nearest rest room, trying to find a moment's peace. Just one minute and -
His cell phone rang, disrupting him from his thoughts.
"Eh? Mom?" He mutters as he identifies the caller. "Hello?"
"Ah! Kazu-chan? Glad I caught you! I think you better come home tonight. I've got some bad news..."
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Chapter Six
"Grandmother's come down with a fever." His mom tells him as soon as he sits down for dinner. "I've checked her in to the hospital because she's been complaining of some back aches as well. I'm going to go back later and see how she's doing."
"How long is she staying at the hospital?" Nino asks.
"Maybe six days, the doctor says. I hope it's nothing serious but I've requested for her to get a routine check-up, just in case." She stops for a moment before her voice becomes serious. "Ano...Since it looks like I might have to stay with her for awhile, I need to ask you for a favor. I know this is alot to ask but...I want you to watch over the Sanata siblings while I take care of grandmother."
Nino nearly choked on his barley tea when the words slipped out of his mother's mouth. "Hah? Come again?" He thinks, either he heard his mother wrong or he should never drink barley tea while his mother is talking. Apparently, it causes him to hear things he never wants to hear.
"Kazunari! Watch your mouth!" His mother scolds him. "I know you heard me so stop playing dumb. If you didn't, well, I'll repeat it again. I want you to go in my place and take care of the Sanata siblings." She repeats, this time slowly.
Nino just stares at her, dumbfounded. "But...why?"
"Look, I'm sorry for doing this to you but there's nobody left. I can't afford to hire a caregiver and Kumiko's really busy with her job right now, which leaves me to take care of grandmother." She sighs and rubs her cheek. "It's not going to be that hard. You just need to visit them every night, check up on them, and make sure that they're properly taking care of themselves and the house, just until grandmother gets better. Simple, isn't it? I'm sure even you could do that. Besides, it'll give you something to do instead of hanging around all day and playing video games for the next two weeks. Didn't the company give you a break?"
"Hey! How'd you...know that...??" Nino stares at her suspiciously. Uh, yeah, but what's in it for me? What do I get out of this?
"Oh, my dear Kazu-chan! Why is it that every time I ask you to do something for me, you always want something in return?" His mother exclaims. "I swear, sometimes, you're just like your father!"
Nino glared at her, silently cursing himself for (maybe) voicing out his thought. How did she know what I was thinking? And bringing my "father" into the conversation! Hmpf! I am not like my father!
"I really need your help. Please say you'll do this Kazu-chan! For me?" She places her hands over Nino's. "If not, then do it for grandmother! Please?"
He bit the corner of his lips, hesitating for a bit. It would mean a lot to grandmother if she knew you were helping out. And it would lessen your mother's burden if you did it. His conscience was talking to him again.
"Well...?" His mother pleaded with a look.
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Chapter Seven
What am I doing?? I must be crazy! Nino paced back and forth around the living room, trying to decide if he should go next door or not. After all, the siblings (well, mostly the two sisters anyway) made it clear they didn't need his help neither did he want to.
Maybe I'll just tell mom that they're fine. After all, it's not as if they're not old enough to take care of themselves. I'm sure they don't need anyone's help...
...or so he thought.
CRASH!!
Suddenly, he heard the sounds of objects breaking. He quickly went and opened the window to see what was happening when he smelled something burning. Uso! Quickly grabbing his coat and house keys, he ran out of the house, slamming the door in the process. He jumped over the gate and ran towards the backyard. Just what the heck are they doing there??
He slid the door and ran towards Taname, who was standing in front of the stove. He stared as she poked something on a saute pan. She then proceeded to pour water over it, which caused the pan to catch fire.
Rimei came out with Niichiro, coughing. "What's going on?"
Nino stepped forward and pushed Taname aside. "What are you doing??" He opened the sliding doors and the windows. "Everybody out!!"
Everybody ran out to the backyard. They all tumbled to the ground and watched as smoke came out of the house.
Note to self: never leave Taname alone in the kitchen - ever!
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After the smoke cleared, they all went back inside. Nino went around, surveying the surroundings. He saw the burnt food on the saute pan and groaned.
I can't believe I'm thinking this but...maybe they do need supervision.
He scratched his head, sighed and frowned. Well, they definitely can't stay here. "Pack your bags." He turns around and says to the siblings.
"Eh?" Rimei says.
"You can't stay here. You're staying at my house next door, at least until tomorrow. Come on! Let's go!!" He barked.
"No." Taname said, not moving. "I'm staying here."
"You'd rather suffocate and die in your sleep here, fine. But your brother can't stay here. He might get sick or something..."
"He's right Taname. We can't stay here. Besides, this is all your fault. What were you doing in the kitchen anyway?"
Taname blushed and held her head down. "Nothing.." She mumbled. She bit her lips, looking ashamed. "Fine! I'll go pack but I won't like it!"
After the kids packed and locked the house, they headed next door. Rimei and Taname took Kumiko's room while Nino gave Niichiro his room.
"Wait! Where are you gonna sleep?" Rimei asked.
"I'll sleep in my mother's room." He said absentmindedly, yawning. "Are you all okay now? Do you need anything else?"
"We're fine." Rimei gave him a bow. "Arigatou, Ninomiya-san."
Nino just grunted in response and dragged himself to his room. He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
10 minutes into the sleep, his cellphone started ringing. He turned and covered his face with a pillow. "Shut up!!"
When the phone continued ringing, he gave up and finally answered. "Yeah?"
"Nino?" It was his mom. "Just calling to see if you checked up on the kids. Everything okay?"
He couldn't even remember what he said but it must've been yes because his mother started singing praises into his ear. Even after she hung up, her voice still rang through Nino's ears, which made getting back to sleep difficult. Great...
He threw the pillow aside. He couldn't sleep now because something was bothering him.
He sighed and sat up. He knew that the Sanata siblings needed supervision, or at the very least somebody to help them. And getting a babysitter was out of the question. A babysitter couldn't possibly provide the guidance, care and discipline they needed, could he? Besides, he'd be breaking his promise to his mother if she found out.
Well, then, I guess there's no other choice but me...
He plopped back down onto the bed. But how...?
An idea suddenly slid into his mind. I know! He thinks as he snaps his fingers. He grabs his cellphone and dials the fifth number on his phone book.
"Hello? MatsuJun? Can I borrow your paintball gun?"
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Chapter Eight
"Hello? MatsuJun? Can I borrow your paintball gun?"
"Paintball gun? Nande??" MatsuJun shouted on the other end of the line.
"Are you sure about this?" Jun pulled the gun out of the plastic bag. He was about to give it to Nino but stopped halfway. His left eye narrowed into a slit. "Wait...what're you planning to do? You're not gonna do something stupid or drastic, are you?"
"No..." He responded, holding out his hands. He turned to his side, his lips curling up and wide. Well, not yet...
"Nino..." Jun's voice became rough. "You've got that Ni-no Arashi look in your eyes. What're you up to?"
He wiped the smile from his face. "Don't worry Jun! I'm just gonna play some paintball with some friends tomorrow."
Jun stared at him for a moment before moving. "Okay, but just remember - break it and you're paying for a new one."
"Yeah, yeah, I know." He grabbed the gun from Jun's hands. "You know, you worry too much..."
"Hey! I'm serious! And it better be for good use! You interrupted my date with a hot girl!"
"Oh, I'm so sorry! Did I wake you from your beauty sleep??" He smirked as his hand reached out, tugging at Jun's boxers, which were peeking out from his loose jeans. "Hot date - yeah, right! You were sleeping."
Jun slapped his hand away. "OI!! NO TOUCHING!!" He quickly took a step back, dusting himself off. "This is an Armani! Do you know how much this cost??"
"Whatever." Nino rolled his eyes. "I'll give this back to you when I'm done, okay?"
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Riiiinnng!! Riiiinnngg!!!
"Shut up..." Nino groaned, reaching out for his cellphone. The ringing continued until finally his hand found the answer button. "Hello?"
"WAKE UP, NINO-CHAN!!! WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP!!!" Aiba shouted happily into his ears.
"Are you drunk, you baka??" Nino yelled back. "What the hell?? Go away Masaki..." He buried his face under the pillow.
"I'm not drunk! And I'm just doing what you asked me to do! You sent me a text message last night to call you at this hour. Well, guess what?? It's 6 a.m. WAKE UP NINO-CHAN!!!"
Nino just grumbled and shut off his phone. Damn idiot! Wait till I wring his neck later...
The phone rang again. "Yeah?"
"You didn't go back to sleep again, did you?? You better wake up or I'll keep calling you!! WAKE UP KAZU-CHAN!!" A giggle escaped past his lips.
"Fine!! Just stop calling!" Nino pushed himself off the bed. He threw his phone onto the bed and started getting dressed.
Beep! Beep! There was a text message on his phone. "How are the kids? Are they okay? Update me, okay? And make sure they clean their rooms! Thanks, Kazu-chan! Glad I could count on you! :-* Mom"
Clean their rooms! *snorts* More like clean the house! He gave a small, sly smile. Don't worry, mom. I'll make sure they'll clean their rooms alright...
Where did I - ah! There it is! He grabs the paintball and water guns and the blowhorn from the floor. Time for plan A!
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Chapter Nine
He walks out the door and slowly peeks into Kumiko's room. When all coast is clear, he barges in, blowing the horn as loud as he could. "WAKE UP!!!"
Taname suddenly sits up while Rimei pulls up the covers over her head. When Nino didn't stop, Rimei grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it in his direction.
The pillow missed Nino. "Wake up!! Come on, get up , you busus!"
Taname glared at him and winced at the same time, her hands rubbing her head. "Fine! I'm getting up, so long as you just SHUT UP!!"
"How about your sister??" Nino went over the other side of the bed and leaned over Rimei. Next thing she knew, he pulled out a small radio and started playing "Sakura Sake" loudly.
"AAAAAAGGGGHHHHH!!!!" This made Rimei crawl out of the bed and cover her ears, screaming in pain. When the music stopped, she stood up and charged towards Nino, pointing a finger at him. "YOU!! YOU!! YOU - "
"Oh, get over it! You'll live." Nino shoved her finger away. He claps his hands. "I finally got you two awake. Good. Now that that's done, here." He handed them a broomstick each. Pulling out a paper from his pocket, he reads it over and whistles. "Woah!"
He shakes his head at the two girls. "I've already prepared breakfast downstairs. You guys better eat up and lots because we have a lot to do today. First off, we're going back to your house and clean it. As in, clean everything. Not just the kitchen from hell." His eyes wandered over to Taname. "This also includes cleaning your room, the kitchen, the living room, the bathroom - everything. So you better get moving and eating because we need to start soon. We've got a lot of cleaning to do and - "
"No."
Nino stopped talking when Taname interrupted him. He noticed both girls suddenly glaring at him. "Eh?"
Slight panic takes over Nino as both girls walk towards him, mad. Uh-oh...
"I said NO."
"You're joking, right?" Rimei started laughing at him.
"You woke us up just for this?? Baka!! If you want to clean the house so bad, why don't you do it then???"
"It's 7 a.m., for crying out loud!! No one wakes up this early on a saturday morning!!! I'm not going to waste my saturday cleaning the house!!"
"I'm going back to sleep!"
For a moment, Nino thought they were gonna push him and beat him up but the two just turned and went back to bed. He sighed. Plan A failed. Maybe it was time for Plan B.
Standing in front of the bed, he pulled away the blankets and started jumping up and down on it. This caused the two girls to crawl out of bed again. Seeing his chance, Nino pulls the paintball gun from behind him. "You guys better wake up or-or-or I'll shoot you!! I'm not kidding!!" He points the gun at the two of them, his head lowering and his face in a twisted scowl. "I'm dangerous!! And I even cooked you breakfast!! So you better do everything I say or else!!"
The two girls stood next to each other, slowly backing away from him and towards the door. Nino's crazy side has finally surfaced, though not very often and a crazy Nino is not something to mess with. Fortunately, the two girls decided the path of least resistance - that is, eat Nino's food and do what he says.
"I hate you." Taname stuck her tongue out at him before walking out.
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"Aiyoh!! This It's so hot in here!! I'm taking a break!" It was 11 am as Nino fanned himself and opened the glass doors. Grabbing a glass of water, he sat down on the couch, plopping his feet on the coffee table. "Ahhhh~"
Niichiro slept next to him. He watched as Rimei slid the books and magazines onto the bookshelves. Taname, meanwhile, was cleaning the dishes in the kitchen.
"Hey!!" Taname whacked Nino from behind. "Aren't you suppose to be helping us?? What're you doing lazing around?"
"I'm taking a break! Doing household chores is so tiring! I've been working for 3 hours now!! My feet are sore!!"
"3 hours! You've been doing nothing but walking around the house and giving us orders! And you've been taking a break every 30 minutes!" She shook her head and tugged his hair.
"Well, somebody's got to supervise you..." He rubbed his head as he turned back and drank his water.
==========
By the end of the weekend, the house was almost spotlessly clean. The scattered books and magazines were now lined up neatly on the shelves. Plates, drinking glasses and utensils lined the kitchen cabinets. Niichiro's toys weren't thrown across the floor but were piled high in a toy box. Even the bedrooms and restrooms were devoid of clothes and towels.
They all fell down the floor, too tired to even eat. As soon as Nino's head hit the couch, his eyes immediately went down.
Rimei looked over her shoulder. "Look at him, sleeping like a baby." She stuck her tongue out at Nino.
"Ne, he's asleep already?" Taname rolled her eyes. "Thank God!!"
"It worked, though!! I can't believe he went out just like that!! Just how many sleeping pills did you give him??"
"Never mind that!! What are we gonna do with him??" She pointed to the sleeping idol.
Both girls stood up and stood over the couch. "Are you...thinking what I'm thinking?" Taname nodded to Rimei.
The older girl's mouth curled up into a smile. They both looked at each other and nodded. After 15 minutes of scurrying in and around of the house, they finished painting Nino's sleeping face. Stepping back, they stared at him and admired their work.
"Go get the camera!" Taname whispered.
Rimei came back one minute later with the camera and started snapping, shot by shot. "Famous celebrity huh? Who's the idol now?"
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Chapter Five
"Good news everyone! Johnny-san has agreed to our request for a break! Starting tomorrow, we're officially on a two week break!!" Ohno came busting in with the good news.
Everyone started cheering and hollering in joy at the good news. Everyone, that is, except for the second youngest member of Arashi.
Nino sat hunched at the far end of the couch, away from the rest of Arashi. He didn't look up ever since he came in, instead playing with his gameboy until his fingers hurt.
Awkward silence from the boys greeted his ignorance of the good news. Jun and Aiba glanced at Nino before looking back at each other then to Sho. Sho just shook his head and gave them a "Let it go!" look but of course, they wouldn't.
"Hey Nino-kun, what's with the pink bump on your head?" Jun snickers, sitting across Nino while Aiba leans over the chair behind Jun.
Nino stared at a Aiba for a moment, his eyes narrowing, before grunting and turning back to his game.
"It's shaped like a shoeprint! Maybe someone hit him on the head with the end of a shoe. Maybe someone like a...girl?" Aiba giggles. "Did a girl reject you again, Nino-kun?" He jumps up and down, exclaiming loudly that Nino got rejected again.
Nino drops his gameboy beside him. He grabs the nearest pillow and tries to throw it at Aiba. Instead, it lands on Jun as Aiba ducks, laughing at him.
"For your information Aiba-chan, I was not rejected. The bump came when I hit my head against the door." He grumbles back onto the couch.
"Eh? You hit your head against the door? Why? What happened?" Sho comes over, a bottle of water in hand. He stands next to Aiba, tilting his head slightly to the left in curiosity.
Nino hunched a little further, cheeks slightly growing flushed. He didn't want to tell them that he'd been sneaking around his neighbour's house last night. If he did, Aiba would definitely keep pestering him about it. "Ah...I slipped and bumped my head against the door this morning."
"Ne, ne, you should be more careful, Nino-kun!" Aiba walked over to him and placed two fingers on the bump. "Does it hurt? Here, let me massage it!"
"Get away from me!" Nino jumped out of the couch as soon as Aiba's fingers found his forehead. He glared and slapped Aiba's hand away. "Just leave me alone, minna!" He grabbed his gameboy and walked out of the room.
"Don't forget to ask the make-up artist to cover that! We've got a photo shoot later!" Jun called out after him.
==========
Maybe it does need make-up, Nino thinks to himself as he stares back at the mirror. It's too noticeable! Damn it!
Stupid Nino-chan! Why didn't you see that the door was closed? His conscience scolds him.
Yeah, why didn't I? Oh, that's right - it was made of glass! Duh! Stupid conscience!
He sighs and leans back against the bathroom sink. He ran to the nearest rest room, trying to find a moment's peace. Just one minute and -
His cell phone rang, disrupting him from his thoughts.
"Eh? Mom?" He mutters as he identifies the caller. "Hello?"
"Ah! Kazu-chan? Glad I caught you! I think you better come home tonight. I've got some bad news..."
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Chapter Six
"Grandmother's come down with a fever." His mom tells him as soon as he sits down for dinner. "I've checked her in to the hospital because she's been complaining of some back aches as well. I'm going to go back later and see how she's doing."
"How long is she staying at the hospital?" Nino asks.
"Maybe six days, the doctor says. I hope it's nothing serious but I've requested for her to get a routine check-up, just in case." She stops for a moment before her voice becomes serious. "Ano...Since it looks like I might have to stay with her for awhile, I need to ask you for a favor. I know this is alot to ask but...I want you to watch over the Sanata siblings while I take care of grandmother."
Nino nearly choked on his barley tea when the words slipped out of his mother's mouth. "Hah? Come again?" He thinks, either he heard his mother wrong or he should never drink barley tea while his mother is talking. Apparently, it causes him to hear things he never wants to hear.
"Kazunari! Watch your mouth!" His mother scolds him. "I know you heard me so stop playing dumb. If you didn't, well, I'll repeat it again. I want you to go in my place and take care of the Sanata siblings." She repeats, this time slowly.
Nino just stares at her, dumbfounded. "But...why?"
"Look, I'm sorry for doing this to you but there's nobody left. I can't afford to hire a caregiver and Kumiko's really busy with her job right now, which leaves me to take care of grandmother." She sighs and rubs her cheek. "It's not going to be that hard. You just need to visit them every night, check up on them, and make sure that they're properly taking care of themselves and the house, just until grandmother gets better. Simple, isn't it? I'm sure even you could do that. Besides, it'll give you something to do instead of hanging around all day and playing video games for the next two weeks. Didn't the company give you a break?"
"Hey! How'd you...know that...??" Nino stares at her suspiciously. Uh, yeah, but what's in it for me? What do I get out of this?
"Oh, my dear Kazu-chan! Why is it that every time I ask you to do something for me, you always want something in return?" His mother exclaims. "I swear, sometimes, you're just like your father!"
Nino glared at her, silently cursing himself for (maybe) voicing out his thought. How did she know what I was thinking? And bringing my "father" into the conversation! Hmpf! I am not like my father!
"I really need your help. Please say you'll do this Kazu-chan! For me?" She places her hands over Nino's. "If not, then do it for grandmother! Please?"
He bit the corner of his lips, hesitating for a bit. It would mean a lot to grandmother if she knew you were helping out. And it would lessen your mother's burden if you did it. His conscience was talking to him again.
"Well...?" His mother pleaded with a look.
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Chapter Seven
What am I doing?? I must be crazy! Nino paced back and forth around the living room, trying to decide if he should go next door or not. After all, the siblings (well, mostly the two sisters anyway) made it clear they didn't need his help neither did he want to.
Maybe I'll just tell mom that they're fine. After all, it's not as if they're not old enough to take care of themselves. I'm sure they don't need anyone's help...
...or so he thought.
CRASH!!
Suddenly, he heard the sounds of objects breaking. He quickly went and opened the window to see what was happening when he smelled something burning. Uso! Quickly grabbing his coat and house keys, he ran out of the house, slamming the door in the process. He jumped over the gate and ran towards the backyard. Just what the heck are they doing there??
He slid the door and ran towards Taname, who was standing in front of the stove. He stared as she poked something on a saute pan. She then proceeded to pour water over it, which caused the pan to catch fire.
Rimei came out with Niichiro, coughing. "What's going on?"
Nino stepped forward and pushed Taname aside. "What are you doing??" He opened the sliding doors and the windows. "Everybody out!!"
Everybody ran out to the backyard. They all tumbled to the ground and watched as smoke came out of the house.
Note to self: never leave Taname alone in the kitchen - ever!
==========
After the smoke cleared, they all went back inside. Nino went around, surveying the surroundings. He saw the burnt food on the saute pan and groaned.
I can't believe I'm thinking this but...maybe they do need supervision.
He scratched his head, sighed and frowned. Well, they definitely can't stay here. "Pack your bags." He turns around and says to the siblings.
"Eh?" Rimei says.
"You can't stay here. You're staying at my house next door, at least until tomorrow. Come on! Let's go!!" He barked.
"No." Taname said, not moving. "I'm staying here."
"You'd rather suffocate and die in your sleep here, fine. But your brother can't stay here. He might get sick or something..."
"He's right Taname. We can't stay here. Besides, this is all your fault. What were you doing in the kitchen anyway?"
Taname blushed and held her head down. "Nothing.." She mumbled. She bit her lips, looking ashamed. "Fine! I'll go pack but I won't like it!"
After the kids packed and locked the house, they headed next door. Rimei and Taname took Kumiko's room while Nino gave Niichiro his room.
"Wait! Where are you gonna sleep?" Rimei asked.
"I'll sleep in my mother's room." He said absentmindedly, yawning. "Are you all okay now? Do you need anything else?"
"We're fine." Rimei gave him a bow. "Arigatou, Ninomiya-san."
Nino just grunted in response and dragged himself to his room. He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
10 minutes into the sleep, his cellphone started ringing. He turned and covered his face with a pillow. "Shut up!!"
When the phone continued ringing, he gave up and finally answered. "Yeah?"
"Nino?" It was his mom. "Just calling to see if you checked up on the kids. Everything okay?"
He couldn't even remember what he said but it must've been yes because his mother started singing praises into his ear. Even after she hung up, her voice still rang through Nino's ears, which made getting back to sleep difficult. Great...
He threw the pillow aside. He couldn't sleep now because something was bothering him.
He sighed and sat up. He knew that the Sanata siblings needed supervision, or at the very least somebody to help them. And getting a babysitter was out of the question. A babysitter couldn't possibly provide the guidance, care and discipline they needed, could he? Besides, he'd be breaking his promise to his mother if she found out.
Well, then, I guess there's no other choice but me...
He plopped back down onto the bed. But how...?
An idea suddenly slid into his mind. I know! He thinks as he snaps his fingers. He grabs his cellphone and dials the fifth number on his phone book.
"Hello? MatsuJun? Can I borrow your paintball gun?"
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Chapter Eight
"Hello? MatsuJun? Can I borrow your paintball gun?"
"Paintball gun? Nande??" MatsuJun shouted on the other end of the line.
"Are you sure about this?" Jun pulled the gun out of the plastic bag. He was about to give it to Nino but stopped halfway. His left eye narrowed into a slit. "Wait...what're you planning to do? You're not gonna do something stupid or drastic, are you?"
"No..." He responded, holding out his hands. He turned to his side, his lips curling up and wide. Well, not yet...
"Nino..." Jun's voice became rough. "You've got that Ni-no Arashi look in your eyes. What're you up to?"
He wiped the smile from his face. "Don't worry Jun! I'm just gonna play some paintball with some friends tomorrow."
Jun stared at him for a moment before moving. "Okay, but just remember - break it and you're paying for a new one."
"Yeah, yeah, I know." He grabbed the gun from Jun's hands. "You know, you worry too much..."
"Hey! I'm serious! And it better be for good use! You interrupted my date with a hot girl!"
"Oh, I'm so sorry! Did I wake you from your beauty sleep??" He smirked as his hand reached out, tugging at Jun's boxers, which were peeking out from his loose jeans. "Hot date - yeah, right! You were sleeping."
Jun slapped his hand away. "OI!! NO TOUCHING!!" He quickly took a step back, dusting himself off. "This is an Armani! Do you know how much this cost??"
"Whatever." Nino rolled his eyes. "I'll give this back to you when I'm done, okay?"
==========
Riiiinnng!! Riiiinnngg!!!
"Shut up..." Nino groaned, reaching out for his cellphone. The ringing continued until finally his hand found the answer button. "Hello?"
"WAKE UP, NINO-CHAN!!! WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP!!!" Aiba shouted happily into his ears.
"Are you drunk, you baka??" Nino yelled back. "What the hell?? Go away Masaki..." He buried his face under the pillow.
"I'm not drunk! And I'm just doing what you asked me to do! You sent me a text message last night to call you at this hour. Well, guess what?? It's 6 a.m. WAKE UP NINO-CHAN!!!"
Nino just grumbled and shut off his phone. Damn idiot! Wait till I wring his neck later...
The phone rang again. "Yeah?"
"You didn't go back to sleep again, did you?? You better wake up or I'll keep calling you!! WAKE UP KAZU-CHAN!!" A giggle escaped past his lips.
"Fine!! Just stop calling!" Nino pushed himself off the bed. He threw his phone onto the bed and started getting dressed.
Beep! Beep! There was a text message on his phone. "How are the kids? Are they okay? Update me, okay? And make sure they clean their rooms! Thanks, Kazu-chan! Glad I could count on you! :-* Mom"
Clean their rooms! *snorts* More like clean the house! He gave a small, sly smile. Don't worry, mom. I'll make sure they'll clean their rooms alright...
Where did I - ah! There it is! He grabs the paintball and water guns and the blowhorn from the floor. Time for plan A!
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Chapter Nine
He walks out the door and slowly peeks into Kumiko's room. When all coast is clear, he barges in, blowing the horn as loud as he could. "WAKE UP!!!"
Taname suddenly sits up while Rimei pulls up the covers over her head. When Nino didn't stop, Rimei grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it in his direction.
The pillow missed Nino. "Wake up!! Come on, get up , you busus!"
Taname glared at him and winced at the same time, her hands rubbing her head. "Fine! I'm getting up, so long as you just SHUT UP!!"
"How about your sister??" Nino went over the other side of the bed and leaned over Rimei. Next thing she knew, he pulled out a small radio and started playing "Sakura Sake" loudly.
"AAAAAAGGGGHHHHH!!!!" This made Rimei crawl out of the bed and cover her ears, screaming in pain. When the music stopped, she stood up and charged towards Nino, pointing a finger at him. "YOU!! YOU!! YOU - "
"Oh, get over it! You'll live." Nino shoved her finger away. He claps his hands. "I finally got you two awake. Good. Now that that's done, here." He handed them a broomstick each. Pulling out a paper from his pocket, he reads it over and whistles. "Woah!"
He shakes his head at the two girls. "I've already prepared breakfast downstairs. You guys better eat up and lots because we have a lot to do today. First off, we're going back to your house and clean it. As in, clean everything. Not just the kitchen from hell." His eyes wandered over to Taname. "This also includes cleaning your room, the kitchen, the living room, the bathroom - everything. So you better get moving and eating because we need to start soon. We've got a lot of cleaning to do and - "
"No."
Nino stopped talking when Taname interrupted him. He noticed both girls suddenly glaring at him. "Eh?"
Slight panic takes over Nino as both girls walk towards him, mad. Uh-oh...
"I said NO."
"You're joking, right?" Rimei started laughing at him.
"You woke us up just for this?? Baka!! If you want to clean the house so bad, why don't you do it then???"
"It's 7 a.m., for crying out loud!! No one wakes up this early on a saturday morning!!! I'm not going to waste my saturday cleaning the house!!"
"I'm going back to sleep!"
For a moment, Nino thought they were gonna push him and beat him up but the two just turned and went back to bed. He sighed. Plan A failed. Maybe it was time for Plan B.
Standing in front of the bed, he pulled away the blankets and started jumping up and down on it. This caused the two girls to crawl out of bed again. Seeing his chance, Nino pulls the paintball gun from behind him. "You guys better wake up or-or-or I'll shoot you!! I'm not kidding!!" He points the gun at the two of them, his head lowering and his face in a twisted scowl. "I'm dangerous!! And I even cooked you breakfast!! So you better do everything I say or else!!"
The two girls stood next to each other, slowly backing away from him and towards the door. Nino's crazy side has finally surfaced, though not very often and a crazy Nino is not something to mess with. Fortunately, the two girls decided the path of least resistance - that is, eat Nino's food and do what he says.
"I hate you." Taname stuck her tongue out at him before walking out.
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"Aiyoh!! This It's so hot in here!! I'm taking a break!" It was 11 am as Nino fanned himself and opened the glass doors. Grabbing a glass of water, he sat down on the couch, plopping his feet on the coffee table. "Ahhhh~"
Niichiro slept next to him. He watched as Rimei slid the books and magazines onto the bookshelves. Taname, meanwhile, was cleaning the dishes in the kitchen.
"Hey!!" Taname whacked Nino from behind. "Aren't you suppose to be helping us?? What're you doing lazing around?"
"I'm taking a break! Doing household chores is so tiring! I've been working for 3 hours now!! My feet are sore!!"
"3 hours! You've been doing nothing but walking around the house and giving us orders! And you've been taking a break every 30 minutes!" She shook her head and tugged his hair.
"Well, somebody's got to supervise you..." He rubbed his head as he turned back and drank his water.
==========
By the end of the weekend, the house was almost spotlessly clean. The scattered books and magazines were now lined up neatly on the shelves. Plates, drinking glasses and utensils lined the kitchen cabinets. Niichiro's toys weren't thrown across the floor but were piled high in a toy box. Even the bedrooms and restrooms were devoid of clothes and towels.
They all fell down the floor, too tired to even eat. As soon as Nino's head hit the couch, his eyes immediately went down.
Rimei looked over her shoulder. "Look at him, sleeping like a baby." She stuck her tongue out at Nino.
"Ne, he's asleep already?" Taname rolled her eyes. "Thank God!!"
"It worked, though!! I can't believe he went out just like that!! Just how many sleeping pills did you give him??"
"Never mind that!! What are we gonna do with him??" She pointed to the sleeping idol.
Both girls stood up and stood over the couch. "Are you...thinking what I'm thinking?" Taname nodded to Rimei.
The older girl's mouth curled up into a smile. They both looked at each other and nodded. After 15 minutes of scurrying in and around of the house, they finished painting Nino's sleeping face. Stepping back, they stared at him and admired their work.
"Go get the camera!" Taname whispered.
Rimei came back one minute later with the camera and started snapping, shot by shot. "Famous celebrity huh? Who's the idol now?"
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