Narita Airport was a sea of humanity. People from all over the world rushed past, dragging suitcases and shouting into phones. And in the middle of it all stood the four of us, a small island of impending doom.
"I still can't believe this is happening," Ayumi muttered for the tenth time, her arm looped through mine in a vise grip. She was wearing a cute pink dress, but her expression was thunderous. "Why do we have to be the welcome party? Shouldn't their parents have hired someone?"
"Because we're family," I said, my voice strained from repeating the same five words all morning. "And we're being nice."
Izuwa, standing on my other side, held up a brightly colored, hand-drawn sign that read 'Welcome Azuwa & Inoue!'. She had forced a smile onto her face, but her eyes screamed 'help me'.
Hina, meanwhile, was completely in her element. Dressed in a chic, all-black ensemble, she scanned the arrivals gate like a predator searching for prey. "Okay, so we're looking for a redhead and an orange-head. Hopefully, their airport fashion isn't a total disaster. It would be embarrassing to be seen with them if it is."
I checked my watch. 2:05 PM. Their flight had landed. "They could be out any minute now."
We watched as passengers from Seoul trickled out of the gate. Businessmen in suits, tourists with cameras, families with tired children. None of them fit the description.
Then, the atmosphere changed.
A low murmur started near the gate, quickly swelling into a roar. A series of bright flashes erupted, like a localized lightning storm. People were pushing forward, holding up their phones and screaming.
"What is going on?" Izuwa asked, standing on her toes to see over the crowd.
"Must be someone famous," Hina said, a professional interest in her voice. "A celebrity, maybe?"
The crowd parted slightly, and we saw them.
Two girls, flanked by four burly security guards, were striding through the airport like they owned the place. One had stunning, floor-length red hair tied in a high ponytail, and the other had energetic, short orange hair that bounced with every step. Both wore designer sunglasses and face masks, but it did little to hide their powerful aura. They were celebrities. No doubt about it.
"Wow," Hina breathed, her fashion-critic eyes wide with appreciation. "Their outfits are incredible. That's next season's collection."
My phone rang, vibrating violently in my pocket. I looked at the screen. 'Uncle Hajimate'. My stomach dropped.
"Hello?" I answered, my eyes still fixed on the chaotic scene unfolding before us.
"Takeshi! They landed! Did you find them?" my uncle's cheerful voice boomed through the phone.
"I think so," I said slowly. "There's... a huge commotion over here. Two girls, red and orange hair, surrounded by security and screaming fans."
There was a hearty laugh on the other end of the line. "Ha! Yep, that's them! That's my girls! You found them!"
The world seemed to slow down. The security guards, the flashing cameras, the screaming fans - it all clicked into place with a horrifying, deafening clang. My cousins weren't just my cousins.
At that exact moment, the two girls in the center of the storm stopped. The orange-haired one tapped the redhead on the shoulder and pointed directly at our small group. They both looked at the sign Izuwa was holding, then at me.
Slowly, they pulled down their masks.
The faces were older, more polished, and framed by ridiculously perfect hair, but they were unmistakably the same girls from my childhood memories.
Before I could process it, the orange-haired girl's face broke into a massive grin. "Takeshi-oppa!" she squealed, her voice cutting through the noise. She dodged a security guard and sprinted towards me, weaving through the stunned crowd.
"Inoue-?"
She launched herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck in a flying hug that nearly knocked me off my feet. "I missed you so much! You got so tall! And so handsome!"
Behind her, the redhead, Azuwa, walked over at a much slower, more composed pace. She stopped in front of me, avoiding my eyes and folding her arms. A faint blush dusted her cheeks.
"It's-it's been a while, Takeshi-nii," she said, her voice a cool, practiced mask that didn't quite hide her nervousness. "Don't get the wrong idea. I didn't want to come here. I only agreed because it's necessary for my studies."
The world tilted on its axis. My long-lost, chaotic cousins were famous K-Pop idols.
I looked to my left. Ayumi's face was pale with shock, her mouth slightly agape. To my right, Izuwa's welcoming smile had frozen and shattered, and the sign she was holding drooped towards the floor. Hina's jaw was on the ground, her fashion-loving mind completely blown.
The tornado had made landfall. And it was a hundred times bigger than I remembered.