---

The calming ambience of the crashing rain along with the high relative humidity in our home make me feel so cozy and sleepy.

Ugh, I'll just sleep.

My muscle starts to relax; my brain shuts the senses; and my diminishing consciousness is now focusing on a daydream.

I like daydreaming. I always do it in fact. I am the type who can't just let my mind rest. I always wanted to engage my brain to something.

It's working 24/7. Fumu.

But sometimes, there's just really nothing. In that case, either consciously or subconsciously, my brain starts into daydream.

The dream is anything. I like dreams because it allows me to live a potential life I could have. It allows me to experience something I can't and won't have in real life.

I am not actually focusing on details. It's all left to my subconscious. All I need is to ‘ask’ a question and my subconscious mind will ‘answer’ it and a whole universe will be formed inside my head.

For example, ‘What would happen if I tickle ma'am Iris while she's teaching?’ fufufufufu.

My mind will then show the most probable scenario using the information I have.

It's answering the question: How would ma'am Iris respond to this kind of stimuli?

“Kuya, your bath is ready~!”

My mind was about to show the scene but Crystal woke me up.

Fuu~

Well whatever. I can still know it consciously anyway. Or fufufufu, I could just try it in reality tomorrow.

I stand up and walk towards the bathroom. I pass by mom wearing a floral apron while stirring the contents in the pot.

“That smells good mom. What are you cooking?”

“Hehe~ It's ‘tinola’ baby. I~ rarely cook for the two of you so I wi~ll of course do my best dish. Besides, you were just soaked earlier and need to eat something warm.”

“I see. Thanks mom. I'm looking forward to it.”

“Hehehe, really? Then hurry up because we~ will eat after you're done.”

I undresses myself in the bathroom. After throwing it to the laundry, I test the water because I think Crystal might mess with me again.

But there's nothing wrong so I dip myself into it.

*Splash*

“Fuu~”

That felt nice. The warm water is just right making me feel cozy bringing back my drowsiness.

Fuu~ I'll just sleep and continue my dream.

“Mmmm~ Hello kuya Mark~”

But I was awoken by the same voice.

“What are you doing?”

“What? Take a bath with you of course. Let's wash each other's body.”

“Fumufumu. Is that an order or a request?”

“An order.”

“Oh hell is that so? No. Leave me alone my cute li'l sis.”

“Why do you refuse me?”

“Because we can't do something immoral. We're siblings by blood.”

“Chichichi... When did you become bounded by morality kuya Mark? And it's precisely because we're siblings that we can take a bath together. Remember that we always do it back then?”

“That was when we were still young. We're adolescents now.”

“I just lived for 14 years kuya Mark. With my long lifespan, I'm still young.”

What made you so sure you'll live that long? Besides, the current lifespan of human beings is short my li'l sis.

Crystal comes to me then she rubs my thighs gently.

“So what? We're still siblings. And nothing is actually wrong with it.”

She whispers into my ear with quite the seductive tone.

“Unless you get excited with me being like this~”

Her warm breath passing through the walls of my ears is bringing a tingling sensation to my brain.

While I am getting shivers, Crystal tries to get in the tub but I subconsciously push her away.

“!!”

Oh, I pushed her quite strongly and now she's falling backward.

*Thud!*

“Agh~”

F-Fufufu~

Ugh... This hurts.

As soon as I saw Crystal falling backwards, I immediately took an action.

I wrapped my left arm around her head to protect it while using my right arm to support the two of us. The impact of the fall transferred from my palm, to my elbow, and to my shoulder. I felt like my cartilage just creaked.

“mMmhNg~”

Crystal has a flushed face and she's moaning softly.

“Did you get hurt? I'm sorry.”

“Un... K-kuya Mark... My... My..”

“‘My’ what?”

“Hnngg~”

I look down and well... I'm pressing my knee on her crotch. Now that I'm aware, I feel a squishy small bean-like texture against my skin.

Oh my lovely sweet and holy bloody hell.

I pull my leg away immediately.

“Fufufufufu, that was my bad. I didn't do it on purpose.”

“Heh? Really kuya Mark??? Didn't you do it on purpose? To take advantage of me? I didn't know that my beloved kuya Mark is a pervert.”

Uwaahh~

She's back to that annoying attitude of hers. She was just seriously all like, ‘Un... Uh... Kuya...’ literally few seconds ago.

“What's with you? You're clearly the one who caused all of these.”

“Eh? I-It was painful you know. Sniff sniff. I was hurt.. You hurt me kuya.... You're so mean... kuya Mark. You almost killed me you know but you actually blamed me for it... Sniff.. sniff...”

What the... She's crying.

Want an Oscar award my li'l sis?

“Don't exaggerate. I said I'm sorry okay?”

“Sniff.... I don't believe you...”

“Oh hell. What do you want?”

“Chichichi~ Carry me like a princess then dip in the bath tub with me.”

You two-face bitch...

“I refuse.”

I tried to stand up but Crystal pulls my neck shoving my forehead into her neck.

What's with her florid scent? Her skin smells cozy and gentle to my nasal.

“Kuya Mark, I'll scream. What do you think mommy will think if she saw us like this?”

The kitchen and the bathroom is separated by only one concrete wall so mom will surely hear her shrill scream. And if she does, I think mom's trust in me will decrease.

“Alright Crystal. You win.”

I squat down and pick her up horizontally. She remains motionless being uncooperative so carrying her feels so heavy.

So I joke at her.

“I think you need to go on a diet.”

*Smack!*

“Kaah~!”

Crystal finger stabbed my diaphragm area so I kneel and roughly gasp for breath.

May I puke...?

Agggh....

“Kuya Mark. I didn't quite hear you so please repeat what you just said.”

“Fu-fufufufu... I... I said you're so light I can carry three hundred of you.”

*Smack!*

She hits me again.

“W-Why...?”

I-I-I wanna puke....!

“Am I malnourished?”

“Gagh.... No, you're perfect li'l sis.”

“Really~? Hehehe, thank you kuya. You're not lying to me right?”

“N-No...”

I can barely breathe so I need to be careful with my words. Why don't I just drop her?

Uh, I hope I could without harmful consequences.

“You mean that I'm beautiful right?”

“Yes of course.”

“Does it mean you prefer me over your girlfriend?”

Huh?

“N—”

She clenches her fist. It looks like she'll punch me this time.

Wait, I can't still breathe properly. Do you want to kill me li'l sis?

But Eli-chan is gentler so...

“No. I prefer Eli-cha—”

*SMACK!*

“Well well. Why did you blocked?”

“I still can't respire properly after all.”

I blocked her punch with my palm.

She squints her eyes.

*Swish~*

She withdraws her left hand then instantaneously chops my neck.

I lean to the back to dodge.

She's currently lying down on my arms and knees yet she's carelessly attacking me.

Crystal kicks my temple but I grab her legs with my free left hand.

However, she next chops me with her right hand.

I lower my right arm which is currently holding her neck and head so her chop went short.

“Alright calm down. Let's not fight.”

“Chichichi. Your reflexex are still as sensitive and fast as usual my dear kuya~”

“And you're really violent and aggressive my beloved li'l sis.”

“Chichichi. Now hurry up and let's dip into the tub. It might get cold you know.”

“Well well then let's not do it anym—”

*Smack!*

“Agh.”

She punched my abdomen this time.

Ugh... LET ME PUKE!!!

“Kuya, stop slacking off and get moving.”

“Y-You're such a demon...”

“Chichichi~”

I struggle to get up then I and Crystal soak ourselves in the bath tub.

“Kuya, please untie my hair.”

“Okay.”

“Kuya, pull me in closer.”

You must be joking. Your back and my chest are only few centimeters away so any closer would be bad.

“No, that's—”

“Heh? Heh? Why?”

“Well you know why.”

She giggles then pushes herself to me— and now congratulations, we're touching.

“Mmm... It's not hard as I thought it would be.”

“What did you expect?”

I want to create a distance but I'm already at the edge of the bath tub. And I instead made it worse.

“Heh, stop squirming kuya. I can feel your big thing poking me down there.”

Hey!

“But would it be bigger if I do this?”

“Huh? What??? Ah!—”

She's squeezing it.

“Crystal my beloved li'l sis. What are you doing? Stop it okay. We're family friendly here!”

“What a joke. It's impossible to keep this story a ‘family friendly’ kuya Mark. Your life is too dark and horrible after all.”

“Wait what the hell that supposed to mean?”

In any case, if she keep squeezing it, my jun-jun will wake up regardless of my strong will.

“Eh? Hey! Stop fidgeting!”

“Oh mmmm... It gotten a little bigger hehe~”

“Shut up. It's a natural physiological reaction.”

“Heh~”

“Anyway, get your back off me.”

“Alright.”

Eh? That's easier than I expected. I thought she'll ask for another unreasonable request. But, looks like she still know her limits.

She stands up all of sudden and so her porcelain round butt cheeks are blocking the light from meeting my face. And I can see ‘it’ from this angle.

She looks back behind her and giggles

“Chichichichi... Pervert~”

“It's your bloody fault.”

I take that back. She's not really easy to deal with.

She smiles mischievously while squinting eyes. Crystal turns her body around but I impressively shut my eyes by light speed. I see nothing but darkness.

But why do I feel a squishy and warm weight pressing on my lap which is very very very FUCKING close to my just calming junior.

Two arms wrap themselves around my neck.

“Kuya Mark, open your eyes.”

“I refuse.”

“Oh really? You might never be able to use it anymore in that case.”

I am not threatened but I don't want a fight to break out so I open my eyes obediently.

What face me are two plump, round, and soft looking things.

“How is it? Big right?”

I tilt my head thinking and comparing Crystal's to mom.

“No.”

She pulls my head to shove it into her chest. This soft things are killing me. I can't breathe.

“Did you compare me to mommy? Of course I'll lose. Mommy is H cup while I'm only a C cup. But I'm pretty big in my age range.”

I tap her back because I'm choking.

“Am I big?”

“I-Ish bwig... Ish bwig!”

She let me go and so I can finally breathe.

“Fuu~”

“Good.”

“Oh hell. Can you just tell me what you came here for?”

Surely she didn't come here just to tease me like this. What a cruel little sister playing with me this way.

“Well... Why'd you come home late? I was worried you know.”

Really now? How many times have you said ‘worry’ to me today?

“Oh, I got myself into a fight.”

“A fight with whom?”

“Some random delinquent.”

“Is that why you have a band aid on your left forearm?”

Now that she mentioned it, I feel a burning sensation from my arm.

“Uh no. I didn't do anything. It's caused by Eli-chan.”

“Your pathetic girlfriend? Chichichi... What? Did you got into a fight with her? You should just break up with her kuya Mark.”

“No. We didn't fight. According to her, she bit me because it's a ‘mark of possession’.”

“Hmmmmmmm..”

“Hmm?”

“...........”

“...........”

What?

We are currently staring at each other's eyes without blinking.

Suddenly, she bites onto my right arm. It's not that deep but it's still bleeding a little.

“Hiss~”

I inhale sharply.

“Fuu~ Why did you bite me?”

“It's a mark. You're mine now kuya Mark.”

“Now I'm owned by two people? Oh hell.”

“No. You're mine alone kuya Mark.”

“Uh-huh.”

Agh. It stings.

“That aside, you said you didn't do anything, then who fought for you?”

“It was Al, Rose, and Eli-chan.”

“What? Al...? Oh your dear friend that stole your crush from you while you were sick~?”

You're a demon incarnate aren't you?

“Yes.”

“Well well, that's strange. Why'd you still meet up with him? Haven't you been avoiding him for years?”

“Let me get something straight here, I wasn't avoiding him. And I wasn't the one who initiated the contact, it was him. Apparently, Mae-chan asked for him for it.”

“What? She came back?”

She frowns.

“Yeah. She transferred into our class.”

“........”

“........”

“Pfft— chichichichi~”

She's laughing while clutching her stomach.

This demon...

“Fuu~ How does it feel kuya Mark? I mean, what to do you feel seeing your beloved woman in someone else's arm? And most importantly, that ‘someone else’ is your dear friend chichichichi?”

“Too bad. I don't love Mae-chan anymore so your taunt isn't gonna work. It's been a long time Crystal. The red feelings had faded to gray already.”

“Heh... Alright then.”

“Ba~by Mark, please hurry~ I'm done cooking~”

“Uh~ Sadly we can't break a societal taboo tonight my beloved kuya.”

“Never will we.”

She gets off the tub taking a towel from the cabinet to wrap it around her body.

“I don't think so kuya Mark~ We'll do it for sure... in the near future chichichi.”

She walks out of the bathroom leaving such scary words for me to imagine.

“Make sure mom don't see you.”

I glance at the door then to my jun-jun.

Oh hell. She loves to tease me in a rather dangerous way isn't she?

I exhale.

Fuu~

I started cleaning myself.

—At the dining table.

“It's great mom.”

“Yay. I'm glad you liked it baby~”

What we're eating is chicken soup dish called ‘Tinola’. Every culture has its own version of chicken soup. In the Philippines, we call it Tinola .

Tinola is a Filipino soup usually served as an appetizer or a main entrée with white rice.

Traditionally, this dish is cooked with chicken or fish, wedges of green papaya, and leaves of the siling labuyo chili pepper in broth flavored with ginger, onions and fish sauce.

Its rich broth is made savory by the sautéed goodness of garlic, onions, papaya, chicken meat, ginger, and patis or fish sauce giving it a bold, distinctive soothing taste that is very pinoy.

And I like mom's version of this dish. It's a little salty and sour. The amount of pear squash and papaya in it are ample as well. Mom still really know my taste.

This vegetables are burning my tongue though. It absorbs the hot soup and maintains its heat inside of it so even if you blow the surface of the vegetable cool, it's hot inside.

Nevermind that. I ran out of chicken skin so I stare at mom's bowl.

“What is it baby?”

“I want your chicken skin mom.”

“Of course hehe~ You~ can take it~”

I stretch my hand to fork the chicken skin. But when I am about to withdraw my hand back, my mom grabs my arm.

“What ha~ppened to this~?”

She's asking about the bite mark Crystal made.

“It was Crys—”

I was about to speak but she kicked my shin under the table.

I feel a very sharp pain in my shin bone running through my leg. And with that kick, my knee jerked and I kick the table accidentally.

*Bam!*

Mom looks at me then to Crystal. She then pout her lips.

“Crystal, you did this sweetie~?”

“Um.. well, we were just playing around.”

“Really~? Is it true Mark?”

Crystal is glaring at me.

“She's lying mom. She bit me because she was jealous of Eli-chan.”

“Ehh~? Sweetie! That's adorable but you shouldn't harm your brother.”

“Well, I'm sorry mommy but ‘Eli-chan’ also bit kuya.”

“What? Hey baby, is it true~?”

You bitch... Fuu~

“Uh yes mom.”

“Why? Why~ are you letting yourself be hurt? Even if she is yo~ur girlfriend, that doesn't give her the right to harm you~ I~ never ever even raised an arm on you before yet she~ dares. No! Hurry and call her. I want to talk.”

“Eh? No need mom. It wasn't that serious. She was just play biting.”

“‘Play biting’ really? Mommy! Check out his other arm. The bit mark was pretty serious. They probably got into a fight and went physical.”

Mom grabs my other arm abruptly and then pulls off the band aid from it.

Regardless, that was fast I was late to react.

“Ah! ‘Play biting’~? This is a se~rious wound! Hurry up and call her~!’

“We didn't figh—”

“Hurry!”

Crystal sticks out her tongue at me while giggling silently.

I exhale then I take my phone from my pocket. I want to unlock it but mom snatches it from me.

“What's your password?”

“One hun—”

“One hundred eleven zero four!”

“How did you even know that?”

Crystal just chuckle at my question.

Oh hell, I'll change the pin code later.

“Ke~ep eating while I talk to her.”

Mom walks away and I just sit back on my seat.

“Chichichichi~ It's fine kuya Mark. Here I'll give you my chicken skin.”

She offers me a chicken skin and I eat it while staring at her.

“Fumu, it's really delicious.”