Chapter Text
"Checkmate."
"Augh! I lost for the 3rd time now!" You exclaimed. The youngest Yamada wore a smirk of victory, in which he deserved.
"Heh, the odds of your loss were completely see-through, from the moment you first moved your pawn."
It was quite the Saturday for you to begin it with meeting the youngest Yamada brother. This whole routine started one day when you visited their household to surprise your boyfriend.
Turns out the surprise came to you, seeing that Saburo opened the door instead and informed you that 2 of his brothers were gone for the day. You offered your company to him, even if he profusely declined. You promised him you won't be too annoying and asked him what kind of activities he was into, until he suggested that you both play chess. Of course, anything to please the young boy, you always thought.
Afterwards, it became a routine for you to visit their house. Most days when Ichiro was gone and Saburo was left alone, he asks you to play chess with him. Sometimes you would visit their house just to play with Saburo. It didn't matter whoever greeted you, even Jiro who was about to leave and meet up with his friend (which you think is a code for collecting information).
For you, it was a way of bonding with your boyfriend's baby brothers and frankly, you wanted to get to know them too. Plus, you've seen how overprotective his baby brothers were to him. Ichiro told you that they were thrilled that you and him were a couple now, but you've yet to learn that it was a one-sided thought.
Saburo seemed to be having fun with you at least-- if tormenting your every move in chess and commenting on how fashionable your taste was in the most sarcastic way is his definition of fun (you made sure to dress cute for Ichiro's brothers too).
It was a unique sight, but a lovely one at that. Ichiro is lucky to have brothers like them.
"Oi, what are you staring off at? Did your IQ diminish while playing or something?"
Yes, this is how you and Saburo Yamada bond. He prefers to call it a waste of his time, but it's a start.
"O-Oi..." You mumbled. "I'm just...analyzing why I lost.."
"Idiot," Saburo huffed in disappointment. "You left your Queen unchecked and unprotected, that's why. The simplest of problems can be solved with the simplest solutions..."
"Oh come on! I'm still a beginner." You scratched your head in annoyance. "You even taught me how to play and I'm still getting the hang of it..."
Saburo looked bored, which was a bad sign.
"That's not an excuse for you to ignore our prior commitment when one loses," he then smirks with evil intent. "I feel like this game is destined for me to lose on purpose..." you sighed, leaning back on the sofa seat, with your butt on the floor mat.
"A deal is a deal, ______-san."
"...Not until you call me ________-nee," you probed.
"Not until you win against me," he chuckled evilly.
Why do I have to beg just to get this kid to call me big sister?!
You didn't reply, but tched instead. Saburo was a tough boy to soften up. But with what he and his brothers had went through, it was understandable for him to not easily trust people who enter his life.
"So what's your end of the bargain?"
Since you lost (like always), Saburo said that the loser gets to do anything the winner asks them to do. You took the bait, but you were so caught up with the fishing line that you just realized that you were trapped.
"Make me lunch," he snapped his fingers. This was his 3rd food request. How can this kid eat so much and store all those carbs in that thin body of his?
"Y'know, I don't hate making food for you, but all you’ve been asking for is food related. Don't you have anything else to ask me?" You pleaded to the kid, whose IQ was higher than yours.
"Let me think about it first..."
"Alright, what's your bet?" You asked the munchkin. Saburo hummed for a while, before checking his surroundings. Luckily, Ichiro was busy with a job while Jiro went out to play some soccer with his friends, he thought.
"Before that, I just want you to answer this question first," Saburo's face contorted into a devilish smile. This ought to be good, you hoped.
"Is Ichi-nii good?"
You blinked. It wasn't a tough question to answer. Still, you paused for a moment to answer.
"Honestly, Ichiro has been so good to me. He's so gentle and kind to me all the time that I can't help but fall in love with him more…” your face shied away from the kid, talking about his sweet brother. “Everything he does…I know it’s laced with love. H-He would always tell me how much he L-L…L-Loves me…I haven’t said that back to him, cause it’s so embarrassing for me yet. He did say it was fine with it and he’ll wait patiently for me…”you murmur the last part, glancing at Saburo, who still had an eye brow quirked.
“in short!…He's the best boyfriend I've ever had. Well...he's my first boyfriend so..." You blushed as you mentioned the last part.
Even as you answered truthfully, with all your emotions pouring along your heart, Saburo made a disgruntled face. As if he was dissatisfied with your answer.
"Not that, I already know that. You'd always gush about how much you like Ichi-nii" he shook his head. "I mean, is he really good~" he trailed the question further, emphasizing the last 2 words.
After a few moments, it only took you now to understand his original question. "Oh! No! Don't- don't go there! I know you're a smart kid and all, but these things are personal, Saburo!"
You blushed and scolded him. You were still the adult there but you didn't want to disappoint him without any answer either.
"M-Me... and Ichiro are still quite new with our relationship. I mean, it's been a few months already... I'm not that kind of person to rush things. And I know he's not rushing anything either. So, I wanna take the time to actually know him better and... understand him, how he became who he is now, like... how he's such a good brother to you guys." You patted Saburo's head, despite him being taller than you.
The two of you lounging in the sofa was enough height to pat him for it. Saburo smiled a little and huffed at you, hiding his flushed face.
"So basically, you two didn't do it yet. Good answer. Ichi-nii should be preserved until marriage." He crossed his arms and nodded.
That was his intention from the beginning?!
"Although, Ichi-nii seems so much of a good guy. He doesn't get mad at us often, apart from when me and that Jiro fight." You giggle a bit when Saburo talks bad about his other older brother, when on the inside you know how much he cares for him.
"Honestly, Ichiro and I never fought before. Sure, we would have some kind of miscommunication, but there wasn't a time that he got extremely mad at me. Even when I accidentally broke one of his previous anime figures..."
Remembering the memory, Ichiro didn't show any signs of grief.He only asked if you cut yourself from the broken pieces. You couldn't stop apologizing for a week. You even attempted to buy the said figurine you broke but it was a limited edition, which made it harder for you to purchase. Saburo did remember that scene, because when he witnessed it, the first thing he did was to search online for a new one. He indeed found one in less than 5 minutes, which he purchased on that day and got delivered the next day.
"Then... why don't we bet on it?"
"Huh? What exactly are we betting on?" You blinked
"If you can make Ichi-nii mad at you, like super mad that he will scold you for it, you win." He smirked.
"What?! Are you crazy?! I could never do that!" You didn't want to see Ichiro get mad at you. Ever. Not even a single time. His smiling expression is the only face you would ever want to see him wear. "Aren't you even a little curious how he gets angry?" He pokes your shoulder and leans closer, teasing you more.
"You know, kids should respect their onee and onii-san. It's wrong to manipulate others like that Saburo." You scolded, and it surprisingly worked on the kid. You should use that more often.
"Now you're starting to sound like Ichi-nii..." He puffed out, crossing his arms and turning away from you.
You rolled your eyes, "Saburo, I'm not doing it, okay? Why would I want to see my boyfriend mad, on purpose? I'm sorry but no." You firmly said, crossing your arms. Saburo looked unaffected, he got out his tablet and scrolled up and down with the thing before showing you the screen. Your eyes widened, grabbing the tablet but Saburo was too fast.
"Where did you get that?! How'd you know I was-"
"I can always show this picture of you to Ichi-nii..." He mischievously said, wiggling his finger on the air, near the button.
It was a picture of you snuggling a pillow- a body pillow of Ichiro, your boyfriend.
"I can explain!" You blushed. There was a huge sale on Buster Bros merch and one of them was a life size body pillow of your boyfriend. You were sure no one saw you buying it, you even wore a mask! So how the heck did Saburo get this picture of you in your living room apartment hugging your beloved body pillow of Ichiro?
"The first time I visited your place, I've planted some cameras around your apartment. Mainly to keep an eye on you, but I usually use it to see if you're doing anything fishy, or if you ever plan to cheat on him or-"
"Stop! Stop! Stop! Why would you- I can't -don't-! I mean! Why?!" You sobbed, words weren't forming properly right now. You were caught red handed. "Whining about it won't change the fact that I have this and can show Ichi-nii this photo of you.."
"No! Please! Ichiro must never know I bought a pillow of him. It's embarrassing! Even if I'm his girlfriend!" You pleaded with the child. The look in his eyes were filled with wickedness.
"Ehhh... is that why you never let any of us visit your bedroom the last time we visited?"
Saburo was accurately right. Even before you officially met them, you were a huge fan of Buster Bros. You admired Ichiro the most. It was one of your secret desires to meet him, like any other fan out there. But to actually become his girlfriend was a dream come true for you in the end. You never told the Yamada brothers how much of an otaku you are for them. You could only tell them that you knew how famous they were in Ikebukuro and you liked their catchy songs.
You weren't ready to tell them that you bought their figurines, rap battle posters of their performances, and especially not the body pillow of Ichiro. EVER. It was a relief that Saburo only saw the pillow, not your entire bedroom.
"So... will you do it?" He smirked as he lifts up a hand for you to shake. You were still a little hesitant in making deals with him-ever again actually. But you couldn't risk that Saburo can just easily show his brother the photo anytime and anywhere. You knew you only had one choice.
"Alright, but if I win, you should remove the cameras in my living room... and other private places-and! You should call me onee-san" You shook the little gremlin's hand, agreeing to his little game.
"You can start Monday next week. But if you lose, you know what will happen." He smirked and shook your hand back.
How the hell did this kid talk you into something so heinous?!
***
"Nii-chan, ________-nee is here!"
Jiro yelled from the entrance, alerting his older brother.
"Good evening, nee-san!" You engulfed the boy with a warm hug as a welcome.
"Good evening Jiro-kun. Are your brothers home?" You inquired. He simply nodded and invited you to sit in the living room.
"Nii-chan is still taking a bath. He should be out in a few minutes." He said before plopping himself to the sofa and you sat down beside him.
Now was the time to get a good look at Jiro. He was wearing a plain black shirt with his cap missing from his head. It was a new sight for you that you couldn't stop looking at him.
It's every Buster Bros fan to be in your position right now.
Jiro is handsome for a teenager in his youth. It was no question where he got his looks from- ahem, your boyfriend, ahem. One can admire his looks just by staring at his face; those heterochromatic eyes that modeled his uniqueness to the world, his naturally disheveled hair that could make girls quiver, and his moving lips that showcases his talent.
Jiro must've noticed that you weren't listening to him. He quirked his brow and gave you a funny look.
"Oi! Are you even listening to me, nee-san?!" He grumbled. At least he called you politely unlike Saburo.
"Agh! I'm sorry, Jiro-kun. I completely fogged out. I got lost in... looking at you." You admitted to the young boy. It was his turn to blush, seeing that he was stuck with staring at you too.
"W-What are you talking about? Isn't Nii-chan your boyfriend already?!" He childishly hid half his face behind one hand.
"I mean, I thought I was staring at him. It turns out... I was looking at his baby bro." You smiled, making Jiro scoot further away from you on the couch.
"What I mean is-! You look like Ichiro, you know? I can see him in both you and Saburo." You giggled, realizing how it must have seemed wrong to your boyfriend's young brother.
"Stupid! That's why we are Buster Bros! We are each other and we stick together. How can we become Buster Bros if we weren't really brothers in the first place? It wouldn't make sense." He tched at your imbecilities. He must think that you're dumb now.
"Ehehehe... J-Just always remember I'm BB's number one fan!" You cheered. Clearing the awkward tension should give you more openings to talk to Jiro. "So... what anime are we watching tonight?" "Anything that nii-chan wants, of course." Jiro scoffed. It was kind of sad that you felt Jiro wouldn't break down his walls to you, even for a brief moment.
"Ooh~ Hopefully a romance anime. So that me and Ichiro can cuddle with each other in the sofa~" You clapped excitedly as you dreamed of cuddling with your tired and freshly showered boyfriend in the couch while watching romance anime.
"Ugh, it would be better to watch the anime than seeing you both cuddle." Jiro said with slightly red ears and cheeks.
"Aww... Jiro-kun! You'll find a lucky girl one day, I know it!" You pinched his pink cheeks, teasing him.
He slapped your hands away before you could say anything else.
"Can you quit hogging Nii-chan for yourself?! I barely even have time to spend with him." He exclaimed.
The situation just started to become worse.
"He's always busy with jobs and the only time I get to hang out with him is through work. I want to relax with him too! But because of you, he gives up special time for you.... Just for you." He whined (more like growled) at you. "Do you know that he would decline a job offer, but I would volunteer to fill Nii-chan in just so he can go on a date with you?!"
Your stomach fluttered in the most difficult times. How does Ichiro do that even when he's not here?
"Saburo can help nii-chan even when he's at home, I'm outside getting info around town for him, but it seems that I get less of the attention for my efforts!"That was the moment you had a minor reflection.
It's upsetting. It disturbed you a little. You were scared to embrace a small possibility- that Saburo and Jiro can be the reason why you wouldn't have a peaceful relationship with Ichiro.
You were still not accepted, as it was an obvious fact, by the 2 younger brothers of your boyfriend. You don't know how to feel about it. Jiro and Saburo were tough judges to impress. They really love their big brother and don't want anything bad to happen to him. You could understand why they had to become the big guns of your relationship with Ichiro.
Growing up without parents is extremely hard and it took a toll on them, but being with their big brother was enough for them. They saw him as a hero, someone already perfect in their eyes.
You didn't want to destroy what they had. Instead, you would love to be part of what they have as brothers. Only, as the romantic partner of their beloved hero.
You thought that these younger brothers were becoming hostile to you for taking their brother away from them. You wouldn't want to force his brothers into anything they didn't want. They can call you names and say hurtful things to you, but you wouldn't leave without a fight.
"Jiro-kun... I'm sorry if I always am the subject of your brother's free time. However, it would also mean that you have plenty of time to spend with other people you care about, like your friends. Saburo always told me that you like to play soccer with your friends..." You try to lighten his mood, not wanting Ichiro to barge in the room and seeing his baby bro distressed because of you.
"You don't understand!" Jiro snapped at you. It was really frightening you with how things are right now.
"I'm always... left behind. Saburo can do things quickly with his computer and other nerdy stuff. He can help Nii-chan get the job done without my help. I just want to be spoiled sometimes..."
Jiro almost shed a tear there and then. It was tough for your heart to be mad at him. Completely impossible. Who could be mad at a boy like him?
Moving closer to him, you reached out to him for a hug. You smoothed his back with circles and he hugged you back, tighter than ever, releasing a deeply repressed breath that he had been holding. You pretended that you didn't feel something wet and warm trickle down your back.
"Maybe... it would be okay if Nii-chan can't spoil you... but Nee-san can?" You asked gently. You didn't want Jiro to get mad at you any longer. If he wanted you to give Ichiro some time for him to hang out with his big bro, you would willfully give it.
Jiro sniffed, "I... I..."
"Hey, did I hear _______'s voice just now?"
Crap. Ichiro's done with his bath.
"I-Ichiro..!" You quickly wiped Jiro's tears and smiled at your boyfriend, as if nothing happened. He had a towel around his neck, dressed up in a plain white shirt and black sweatpants. Damn, I’m so lucky to have him as my boyfriend.
"Honestly, who comes in at this hour?"
"It's nice to see you too, Saburo-kun." You forced a smile at the kid.
Ichiro wrapped an arm around your waist, pulling you towards his body close and sniffed your forehead.
"Mmm... you smell good." He whispered. "You always do."
"You smell good, dummy. Jiro said you just took a bath" You hugged him back and took in the smell his fresh-out-of-the-bath scent.
"You look good too. No, you always look beautiful. It's a must for me to witness your beauty everyday." He murmured and then pecked your forehead.
You blushed at his words. "Someone's being a charmer. Did something good happen today?" You asked curiously. He stared at you for a while before answering. "The only good thing that happened to me today, and everyday, is when you come by to see me." He smiled at you, making your heart beat faster.
"What's gotten into you today, Ichi?" You shyly push him away as he giggled.
"I just missed you so much." He rested his face on the top of your head, sniffing and enjoying your warmth.
"If only I can smell you all day..." He sighed and wrapped his arm tighter around your waist.
"It would be a nuisance, Ichi. But since you're so handsome, I'll make an exception." You cup his cheek before the two of you burst out loud laughing.
"I'll get some snacks..." Jiro muttered before leaving the room.
"So what are we watching for tonight, Ichi-nii?" Saburo interjected.
"Oh yeah, we can continue that romance anime we wanted to finish," Ichiro said. "Right, darling?"
Here comes the butterflies again.
You suddenly locked eyes with Saburo in the background, remembering your stupid bet with the kid. You sighed and sheepishly smiled.
"Yeah sure, if you guys are up for it. I already finished watching it though." You said.
Saburo opened the TV, switched to Netflix, and then looked at you before scrolling on his iPad that's connected to the TV. "Wait- you finished the anime? Without me?" Your boyfriend gave you a disheartened look.
"How... could you?!" He childishly played and rips his hands off your waist, pretending to cry in silence.
"I was so excited to watch it and you were too busy all the time!"
"But I thought you wanted to watch it with me? Now I don't have to finish it with you..." He pouted sadly. It was already bad that Saburo blackmailed you to make his brother mad, but seeing his face right now in exchange is a picture-perfect memory you want to save.
"We can always watch it again together..." You rub circles in his hands with your thumb.
"No, it's not the same..." He whined, still pouting. "You won't feel what I feel when we watch it together... 'Cause you already know what's going to happen!" He moaned some more before resting his head on your shoulder, contemplating on how to feel about it.
You sometimes forget how childish Ichiro can be. But you love him for it.
"Are you mad? You wondered. You didn't want to go to extreme lengths to just make him scream furiously at you, so maybe subtle things like these should make him at least a little disappointed in you.
"No... just sad."
You can hear your heart breaking with what's about to happen next.
"W-Well... the heroine did die from her illness in the end."
"What?! She did?! You just spoiled the entire series!" He raised his arms up to emphasize his emotions.
"I'm sorry, Ichi... Forgive me?" You pulled out your secret weapon: the puppy dog eyes. It always worked on him.
He groaned and pulled you in for a hug. "You're lucky I love you." He said as he rubbed your back.
"I-Ichi! Don't just say that out loud..." You shyly punched him in the chest.
"Well you did spoil the anime for me, so I guess now we're even." He grinned like a child.
You looked at Saburo but he only shook his head as a no. Seriously, that wasn't enough for him? That kid is ruthless.
"Now we can watch a new series together! How about that skate anime? It sounds cool..." You were quite impressed with how much resolve and patience he has for you.
"Let me search it up." Saburo scrolled the screen, searching for his brother's request.
While waiting, Ichiro pulled you over to the couch and nuzzled his face on your neck, tickling you in the process. He was aware of that, but you knew he was teasing you.
"O-Oi... it tickles, you butt! Your brothers are here, y'know?" You whisper-yelled at your hyperactive boyfriend.
"Oh, it's fine. Not like we're doing something inappropriate. I just missed you so much today." He smiled, rubbing his hand on your waist as he breathed in and out smoothly.
"You already said that..."
"And I'll never get tired of telling you that unless I see you every day." He cheekily kissed your neck, your soft spot, earning a small whimper from your lips.
Butterflies, stop lingering inside my stomach, you thought.
"Can I play it now?" Saburo asked, much louder than normal.
"Sure, Saburo. Thanks." Ichiro said before coming back to cuddling with you. Saburo took the solo sofa chair for himself.
Jiro came back with 3 big bowls of popcorn. He discreetly wiped his eyes as he looked at you, but you didn't know what he was feeling.
It was surprising to say that Jiro decided to sit next to you. As the anime went on, he slowly leaned his head on your shoulders.
You were almost reaching them, you just need to break down Saburo's walls too.