When the rooster (it's what a boy chicken is called) starts crowing, it's time for the whole family (except Kaika, she wakes up a little later to get to her tailor workshop near the center of the village) to wake up to tend to our farm. Which now includes me. I usually slept through when Mother kisses me good-morning, but I'm almost four. I'm almost becoming a man so I have to do my part for the family.

Hatsuga is already sitting up, bleary eyed and looking like a storm has blown through the room but only affecting him. Or just his hair. It's sticking out in weird ways that reminds me of the spiky part of a chestnut, except purplish-red instead of green. He's my older brother. My family is kinda big. He's the fourth child, then after him is me. I'm the fifth child of the family.

"Oh, are you helping out today Toru-chan?" Mother says when she realizes that I'm awake as she presses her lips against my forehead.

"I'm not Toru-chan anymore," I huff, the grumpiness from being woken up coming back again, "I'm almost four. I'm Toru now. To-ru." I say out the two parts of my name to get her to understand.

She ruffles my hair with her warm hand, "You'll always be my Toru-chan. Okay, get up before Moe-chan wakes up and starts to cry." Mother moves over to the small bundle of cloth, swaddled around a gurgling baby that isn't that much bigger than me. It's quite amazing once I think about it, it's not so long ago that I was once tiny like that.

"Noooooo." I say, lifting myself out of the bed and giving my mother a reluctant hug. I don't really want her to call me Toru-chan, it's embarrassing.

"What if I promise to teach you to write in the evening?" Mother says. Then in a sneaky way, "I'll even let you send a letter to Shibomu and Kizashi."

My eyes go round. The embarrassment immediately disappears from my mind, "Shibomu-nii? Kizashi-nii? Really? Yes, I'll be Toru-chan forever!"

Hatsuga gives me a (painful) noogie, sounding like he hasn't fully woken up yet. Maybe his head is still sleeping, even if his body is moving, "Shut up. It's too early for this."

"O-ouch! Stop it! It's always too early for anything for you," I say, trying to push him away but he's bigger and stronger than me. He just presses down on my head harder, messing up my hair even more. I can only hope it doesn't turn out like his, "Kaa-chan! Kaa-chan! Hatsuga-nii's bullying me!" I use my almost-crying voice. If everything else doesn't work, Mother to my rescue!

"You're such a tattle-tale! C'mere you!" Hatsuga wrestles me to the floor as he tries to cover my mouth with his hand. Looks like he's awake now, "Men don't cry for their kaa-san. No matter how much they want to."

I let out a loud gasp, "I am a man!" I push my palm against his chin to get him off me.

"Now, now boys." Mother says, cradling my youngest sister in her arms in a slow rocking motion, "I'm right here. You can't really say that when you're doing it in front of your kaa-chan you know?"

Hatsuga looks iffed for a quick second before releasing his hold on me.

"Haha! Hatsuga-nii, you are no match for-" I drop to a knee and make a triumphant pose with my arms, "Shinobi-man!"

Hatsuga looks at me. Then at the pose I'm making. He makes a face like when he's trying to eat green bell peppers. He hates green bell peppers, "You're embarrassing."

"A-ah! Toru-chan, don't be too loud. You'll wake Moe-chan u- Ah, too late." Mother strokes the baby's face to try to keep her from crying.

Instead of crying my youngest sister lets out a quiet, bubbling cough.