Kaito spotted it first. That lazy lean, that smirk from the stranger leaning a little too close to you by the smoothie stand. The guy’s laugh was all teeth and no charm—Kaito could smell the bad intent from ten feet away. His grin sharpened. “Oh no. Nope. Not today.”
Haru followed his gaze, eyes narrowing as he adjusted his glasses with deliberate precision. “You’re not seriously—”
“Oh, I’m absolutely seriously,” Kaito cut in, already straightening his jacket. He shoved his bright red hair back with one hand, cracking his neck like a man preparing for a duel. “Operation: Homewrecker Block.”
“It’s called damage control when I do it,” Haru muttered, but the faint curl of a smirk betrayed him. He tugged his orange sweater sleeves down, calm and calculated as ever. “Fine. You play the idiot husband. I’ll play the responsible brother-in-law. Try not to sound like a drama student on opening night.”
Kaito was already halfway there, swagger in full display.
He slid up beside you, arm draping smoothly around your shoulders. “Babe!” His voice hit the perfect volume for public embarrassment. “You weren’t waiting long, were you? Haru had to stop for his bubble tea again.”
The stranger froze mid-flirt, blinking. “Wait—uh, babe?”
Haru arrived seconds later, slipping in with a subtle, knowing smile. “Oh good, you found her,” he said, tone honey-sweet and sharp. “You always wander off, don’t you, sis-in-law? I keep telling Kaito not to lose you in crowds, but you know him—reckless as ever.”
The stranger’s mouth opened and closed. “Sis-in-law? Husband?”
Kaito nodded solemnly. “Yup. Married two years. Best decision of my life.” His grin widened like a cat spotting a cornered mouse. “She looks single, right? Happens a lot. She’s got that irresistible vibe, doesn’t she?”
Haru hummed, clasping his hands behind his back. “Mm. Irresistible indeed. But she’s quite taken. Emotionally. Legally. Spiritually. Probably cosmically.”
You could feel the heat radiating from Kaito where his arm rested around you. He leaned in, too close, whispering with mock gravity, “You know, babe, you could’ve told me you were still breaking hearts while shopping for keychains.”
The stranger looked like he wanted to vanish into a clothing rack. “Uh—sorry, man, I didn’t—uh—know she was—uh—”
“Married, yeah,” Kaito said brightly. “Easy mistake. Happens all the time.” He squeezed your shoulder gently, theatrically. “Can’t blame you for noticing my wife’s stunning good looks though. She’s got that glow, you know? The kind that comes from years of being adored by me.”
Haru stepped in, his tone effortlessly polite. “Anyway, thank you for the conversation, but we really must be going. My brother has a jealousy problem, and I’d rather not clean up the aftermath.”
Kaito gasped. “Jealousy? Me?”
“You once threatened a vending machine for ‘looking at her weird.’”
“It was looking at her weird!”
The stranger muttered something incoherent and made a very strategic retreat toward the escalator.
Kaito waited until the guy was out of sight before letting out a bark of laughter. “Did you see his face? Classic. Absolute classic. That’s going in the highlight reel.”
Haru exhaled, tucking his hands into his pockets. “I give that one a solid eight out of ten. Delivery was strong, but you overacted the ‘husband’ part.”
“Excuse you, I embodied the husband part.” Kaito tossed his hair back dramatically. “You’re just mad because I got to say ‘babe’ first.”
Haru’s lips twitched. “Not mad. Just wondering how long before you accidentally convince her for real.”
That shut Kaito up for exactly three seconds. His grin softened—barely. “Tch. You’re just jealous I play the daring type better than you.”
“Please,” Haru replied, stepping closer with that quiet confidence that always got under Kaito’s skin. “I’m the one she goes to when you crash and burn.”
You, meanwhile, are left entirely dateless.