"Onii-chan!"
The voice slashed violently through the heavy silence of the dark kitchen.
Pure, blind panic exploded inside Zenjiro's chest. His heart hammered rapidly against his ribs. He snapped completely out of his dark trance. He moved purely on raw survival instinct. He reached out and grabbed the bunched white cotton of Clara's shirt. He yanked the thin fabric down fast. He covered her fully exposed skin just a fraction of a second before footsteps reached the kitchen doorway.
He threw himself backward. His hips hit the hard wooden floorboards with a loud, dull thud. He snatched the almost-empty can of cheap beer from the floor, the same can he opened a while ago. He brought the cold aluminum rim directly to his lips and tipped his head back. He swallowed the bitter liquid in one final gulp. The strong alcohol burned his dry throat like fire.
Liora stepped into the kitchen.
The dim orange light from the distant streetlamp poured through the frosted glass of the back door. It caught the sharp edge of her face. She wore her dark high school uniform. Her blonde hair was a messy, tangled bird's nest around her shoulders. She rubbed her right eye with the back of her hand.
She stopped walking and looked down at him sitting on the hard floor. She looked at the empty green glass bottles scattered randomly across the wood. Then she saw Clara slumped heavily against the base of the lower wooden cabinets.
"What is going on, Onii-chan?" Liora asked. Her voice was thick with sleep and heavy confusion. "Why is Mom sitting there on the floor? And why are you drinking a can of beer?"
Zenjiro lowered the aluminum can. He forced his rapid breathing to slow down. He built a thick, solid wall of complete neutrality over his facial features.
"I woke up to get a glass of cold water," Zenjiro lied smoothly. His voice sounded perfectly flat and calm. "I found her here. She fell completely asleep drinking heavy alcohol. I saw an unopened can resting near her leg. I got curious. I have never drank a beer before. I just wanted to know why other people drink this kind of beverage."
He looked at the empty silver can in his hand. He wiped his mouth with his wrist.
"It is so incredibly bitter, though," he added.
Liora did not argue and did not question his sudden presence in the kitchen. She looked past him at her unconscious mother. Her blue eyes turned dark and incredibly sad.
"The last time I saw Mom drinking alcohol like this was the exact moment my biological father left us," Liora said quietly. "She locked herself in the kitchen for two full days. She just sat on the floor and cried. That phone call this morning must have opened a closed wound."
Zenjiro let out a slow, quiet breath. Pure relief washed entirely over his tense shoulders. The lie worked perfectly. She bought his excuse without a single second thought.
"I will have to carry her back to her room," Zenjiro said. He placed the empty can carefully on the floorboards. "She will catch a terrible cold if she stays down here."
Liora nodded slowly. "Okay."
He stood up. The heavy dose of alcohol in his bloodstream made the room spin slightly. He braced his legs and stepped close to Clara. He slid his hands firmly beneath her underarms. He pulled her dead weight straight upward. He twisted his body and hauled her completely onto his back.
He walked out of the kitchen. His bare feet slapped heavily against the hallway floorboards. Liora stayed behind in the dark room.
Clara's body was completely limp against him. Her arms hung loose over his shoulders. The physical contact was there. He felt the intense, heavy warmth of her skin burning right through his thin gray shirt. He felt the soft, heavy weight of her breasts pressing firmly against his upper back with every single step he took. The steady friction drove a fresh spike of heat straight down into his stomach. He gritted his teeth and kept walking.
He carried her into the master bedroom. His father was fast asleep on the far side of the large mattress. Soichi snored loudly in the dark. Zenjiro lowered Clara gently onto the empty side of the bed. He pulled the thick blue blanket high over her shoulders. He stepped back and silently left the room.
He walked back down the dark hallway. He returned to the kitchen.
He stopped in the doorway. Liora was still there.
She stood right beside the narrow wooden island. She held a dark green can in her right hand. It was a fresh, unopened beer she had found resting on the floor. She popped the metal tab. It hissed loudly in the quiet space.
She lifted the can and took a long drink.
The dim orange glow from the streetlamp hit the left side of her face. It caught the silver metal of the can and made the aluminum shine.
Zenjiro just stared at her.
In the heavy darkness of the room, his perception completely shifted. She was an eighteen-year-old high school student. She was not a little girl in a dirty yellow dress anymore.
Liora was an incredibly attractive lady. He never noticed it before. He never allowed himself to think about her physical appearance before because he strictly categorized her as his annoying, clingy little sister.
But the truth was standing right there in the orange light. She was actually pretty. She was easily on the exact same level as Asuka.
She was still wearing her dark high school uniform from earlier that afternoon. The heavy pleated skirt stopped high above her bare knees. The tight white blouse hugged her ribs. The school uniform made her physical shape even more obvious to his clouded, alcohol-soaked mind.
Liora swallowed the beer. She lowered the can. She grimaced fiercely and stuck her tongue out.
"It is bitter," she complained.
"Why did you drink it?" Zenjiro asked.
"I got curious too," Liora replied.
She lifted the can again. She drank the very last drop of the liquid. She slammed the empty aluminum hard onto the wooden table.
She turned and walked straight toward him. She closed the short distance between them in three fast steps. She didn't hesitate. She threw her arms around him in a tight, heavy hug.