Is She Pretty?

But there it was again—the image of her, and it felt like it had left an imprint on his mind. Why couldn't he just let it go?

Aoi instantly caught the subtle change in his younger brother. That smirk was a dead giveaway. "Wait a minute," he said, leaning forward with that mischievous glint in his eye. "It's a girl, isn't it?"

Haru froze. For a moment, his smile faltered, but then he quickly masked it, shaking his head. "No! It's not a girl!"

Knowingly, Aoi smiled, not one bit convinced, and said in a still-grinning tone, "Okay, okay, it's not a girl. Quit shouting." Of course, he enjoyed the embarrassment on his brother's face. "But you know you're smiling like an idiot, so you're gonna spill it eventually, right?"

Haru sighed, trying to push down the heat creeping up his neck. He wasn't ready to admit it, especially not to Aoi. "I'm not smiling. You're just an idiot."

Even if I was going to spill, Haru thought, i don't know anything about her. She was just someone he had met today, but the idea of her stuck with him like a persistent thought that refused to be shaken off. He wasn't sure why. He didn't even have enough of a reason to think about her this much.

Aoi leaned back into the sofa, visibly still amused. "Sure, sure. If you say so."

Muttering under his breath, Haru rolled his eyes. "I'm not thinking about anyone. Just schoolwork, okay?"

Aoi laughed, clearly not buying it. "Whatever you say, little bro, just don't let whatever's going on inside that head of yours distract you too much."

"I'm not distracted," Haru grumbled, though the faint smile still lingered at the corner of his lips.

Haru took another sip of his juice. As he set the glass down on the edge of the coffee table, Aoi raised his glass, his eyes teasing. "Right. Totally normal. Just don't get distracted."

And with a wicked grin, he added, "And stay a virgin."

Haru's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected that, and before he could swallow, he immediately spat out the juice, splashing it all over the coffee table. "What the hell, Aoi!" he sputtered, hastily wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

Aoi burst out laughing, clutching his stomach as he leaned back against the sofa.

Haru wiped the juice off the table, mortified. "Seriously, knock it off! You didn't have to say that."

Aoi still laughed, his head shaking in amusement. "Hey, I'm just looking out for you. Gotta keep you on your toes, little bro."

Haru groaned, feeling his face flush red. "I'm not talking about any girl, Aoi. Just forget it."

Aoi managed to calm down, though the smile never quite left his face. "So, tell me—is she pretty?" Aoi fluttered his eyes mockingly.