Ken returned home later that afternoon and was surprised to see another pair of shoes at the door. At first he was confused, but then his face morphed into one of adulation.
Without another word, he kicked off his shoes and dropped his bag before running inside. He saw 3 figures sat at the table, his mother, father and a baby-faced teen with wide shoulders.
“Daichi!”
“Hey big bro” Daichi replied, a cheeky grin appearing on his face as he got up from the table. He’d purposefully kept his visit a secret from Ken, hoping to surprise him.
Without another word, Ken was about to embrace his best friend, however he was stopped by the outstretched arm of Daichi.
“Man you stink, go shower first.” He stated, holding his nose with some exaggeration.
However, Ken wasn’t having any of that.
‘I’ll show you how much I’ve improved.’
Without a word, he pushed forward and wrapped his long arms around the teen, using all of his strength to wrestle him. Having been taken off guard, Daichi was instantly put into a disadvantageous position.
He felt the damp uniform of Ken now flush up against his face, making his nose and eyes sting in response from the smell.
“D-Damn it!”
Daichi exploded forth with a crazy burst of strength that almost sent Ken flying into the opposite wall. It was only thanks to his long limbs that he was able to withstand the onslaught.
Ken could feel his brother struggling and felt his grip begin to loosen little by little. He instinctively knew that he was about to be on the receiving end of some punishment once Daichi got loose.
‘Ah crap.’
Unbenknownst to Ken, Daichi had turned into somewhat of a neat freak since he’d been away from the house. He was often feared by his dorm mates for how aggressive he could be when things were left untidy.
Perhaps it was because he was forced to maintain the house when he was living with his mother, but he could not stand squalor or germs for that matter.
Of course none of this had shown while he was living at home, mainly because Yuki was so good at maintaining the house. She often performed spring cleans, getting busy with the duster.
Ken felt his grip suddenly break, releasing the bucking bull that he was restraining. Without wasting a moment, Daichi lowered his head and charged at Ken, tackling him onto the ground and creating a thud.
Yuki was about to step in, however Chris motioned for her to let them continue. He had a bright smile on his face, clearly enjoying the sibling rivalry going on in that moment.
“HA Ah, no… stop, STOP!” Ken was suddenly assaulted by a round of tickling while his brother sat on top of him. No matter how he tried to move, the figure on top of him felt as if he weighed a ton.
Just as he was about to cry out in defeat, he heard the deep and amused tone of his father from the kitchen.
“Alright you two, that’s enough.”
Daichi got one last jab in with his fist, punching Ken in the abs before he stood up. His hair was disheveled and his face red, but he still held out a hand to his brother on the ground.
He was actually impressed with his brothers strength. It had taken him all his might to break out of the vice grip from Ken, and when he punched him earlier he felt as if he’d punched a brick wall.
Ken on the other hand was feeling gloomy. Despite increasing his attributes all this time, he still lost to his little brother.
‘I can’t let him plonk his fat ass on me next time.’ Ken thought, sending a dubious look Daichi’s way.
He still accepted the hand and was promptly pulled up. Before he could let go, Daichi pulled him into a tight embrace and patted him on the back a few times.
“I missed you big bro.” His words were soft, yet Ken could hear the sincerity in his tone.
His expression softened as he reciprocated the gesture. “Missed you too buddy.”
Yuki felt her eyes moisten as she watched the scene, her bottom lip quivering uncontrollably. Before the waterworks came, she quickly turned around and focused her attention onto the stove.
“Hehe, I thought we could have a family dinner before Nationals start at the end of this week.” Chris said.
He was actually happier than Yuki that his two boys were both home in this moment. He was carrying a lot of guilt for missing out on a lot of important moments for the two.
Chris had already resolved to watch the boys play on the biggest stage for High School Baseball.
At the mention of Nationals, the two boys stepped back and looked towards their father.
“Thanks Dad.”
Chris got up from his chair and moved forward to hug his two boys, only for his nose to twitch in agony.
“Ah damn Kenny, you stink. And now so do you Daichi.” He held his nose, feeling the earlier moment of familial closeness dissipate.
At these words, both Daichi and Ken looked at each other a faint grin appearing on their lips. The two nodded before springing into action.
With Daichi taking the left flank, Ken took the right side. With perfect synchronization, they managed to latch onto their father and hug him tightly, sharing the delicious scent of old sweat and cheap deodorant.
“H-Hey you two!”
Not expecting such a sudden attack, Chris called out in surprise. However he was laughing heartily in the next moment.
A few moments later, he motioned to his sons and gestured towards Yuki who still had her back turned to them. With a sneaking motion, he inched closer towards her, intending to strike.
“Don’t. You. Dare.”
Suddenly the atmosphere seemed to thicken, as if a powerful being had descended onto the mortal plain. All three men felt as if a gargantuan weight was assaulting their bodies, keeping them in place.