Turning a new leaf
Looking at Koji sama for some reason….makes me feel tingly all over and right now it's just the two us together side by side no distance between us.
What a moment!
If only …I could stop the flow of time….. I would like to be this close to you forever Koji sama.
Until….. Ouch!
Why did you head butt me for? Stop day dreaming! (I shouted)
How long are we going to keep clinging on this tree like a couple of Koalas in- heat? I asked
Shhhhhh… not too loud, Koujiro whispered.
They could still be close by. But my ass is beginning to feel numb, I replied (whispering)
Shhhhhh… someone's coming… Shhhhhh
You are… enjoying this, aren't you, Koujiro? tsk
Never mind….. He's in the dream world again. I said to myself
Hmmm (sniffing), you smell like a … Fresh honey dew melon, Koji sama. Hmmm….(sniffing again)
Enough sniffing!
Otherwise you might sniff me all the way through your nose. (Shivers) Yuck!
Who are those guys anyway? I asked
Hey! (Another head butt) Koujiro!
H..Hai! (Snapped back to the real world). Did you say something? He asked
Let's go down, it's getting dark already.
Sure thing!
After we came down….we started dusting off the excess dust and tree fragments that got stuck all over our hair and uniforms.
Hey! Enough dusting off my back side already! I shouted
With a naughty smile, he said. "You noticed".
Of course I noticed! You twit. Knocked him on his head
If we can't go back the same way, so we should keep heading on the opposite direction. I said to myself.
While walking, I asked Koujiro… Do you know any fast food or convenience store close by?
Yeah, he replied.
So I let him lead the way and followed quietly.
Until…. He stopped.
Opened the gate and gave me a signal to follow him.
And I did.
We walked right inside.
It's a modest two storey house with a charmingly well kept little garden.
Tadaima! (I'm home) He calls out as soon as he slide the door open.
Afterwards a woman's voice answered back "O kaeri nasai (welcome home), Kou kun."
Koujiro, Kou kun? I looked at him and smile… He bumps my shoulder with his shoulder and whispered, shut it.
As soon as we've taken our shoes off.
We walked in, heading towards the direction of that woman's voice earlier.
Okaasan, I brought a friend with me from school. Koujiro said
As soon as I saw her I bowed my head down earnestly and say, "Hajimemashite, Izumi, Koji te imas, yoroshiku onegai shimas".
She gently lifted up my chin and looked at me…..suddenly….
Pinch my cheeks with her fingers and said, Soooo… cute and so polite as well.
When I tried to catch Koujiro's attention…. Help..
He turned his sight away from me and started whistling.
While his Okaasan is crushing me to death with a bear hug, another girl came in and checked me out.
Great! As soon as she (the bear) let's go another one jumped in, what is this a tag team? I thought
I took a deep breath and faced (the enemy) the other girl, with my cheeks still reddish from the pinch earlier.
I extend my hand and said, Hi I'm Koji, It's a pleasure to meet you…. Miss…?
She kept on looking and then out of the blue she asked, "How old are you?"
What! I nearly fell over (out of shock!)
And then, she walked around sniffing my hair and behind my ears and said…
You smells like a honey dew melon, are you wearing a perfume?
I can hear Koujiro's chuckling in a distance… before he actually comes close and intervene.
Koji san this is my younger sister Haname.
Koujiro grabbed my hands and said, Okaasan... just call us when you're ready please.
Let's go to my room for a while, Koji san
In Koujiro's room…..
Hmm...this room is a little smaller than a normal room I thought, but neat and tidy.
Sorry about the commotion Koji sa….Before he could finish…..
I put my index finger across his lips, lean a little closer towards his face and said, in a soft calm voice.
Just Koji…. From now on… just call me Koji. Onegai (please)
Hai….Koujiro replied, (in a soft whisper tone) Ko..ji…..
Meanwhile…..
Mrs. Honjou has just finished setting up the table…There, she said.
She quickly climbed up the stairwell and knock on Koujiro's room.
Kou kun…..Koji kun…..lets have dinner together, please come down as soon as you're ready Ok.
Coming….. replied.
At that moment…..I was stunned.
What just happened back then…..? I asked myself
Did… I….. Almost kissed… Koujiro? (shiver) yikes!
It must have been because of all that bear hugging thing. I thought
Half way down the stairs, Koujiro called, come on koji dinner's waiting.
Yes…. Of course. I replied
While we were having dinner, Mrs. Honjou said, thank you Koji kun for letting Kou kun to stay in your dorm while finishing his project.
I looked at Koujiro, and then face Mrs. Honjou with a smile.
It's nothing to worry about… really. I replied
As soon as we finished eating dinner, I bowed towards Mrs. Honjou and said, thank you for the food it was delicious.
I'm glad you liked it Ko..ji kun. Mrs. Honjou replied with a smile.
Before everyone leaves the table I asked Mrs. Honjou ….
Honjou san, will you please let me help you tidy up….It's the least I can do after such a great meal. I said
Mrs. Honjou walked towards me and gave me another bear hug. While saying, please…. call me Okaasan.
Hai, Okaasan. I replied (can't breath..)
Oh! …. She said, before I forget...
She quickly went into the kitchen and when she came back….. She said, you need one of these…
It was a pink fluffy apron with a big ribbon at the back.
I was speechless and stunned at the same time.
But, before I could recover from the shock.
She quickly put it on me and said, My… my… maybe I should adopt you and give Haname away.
I heard that, Haname replied
While… Koujiro was laughing his heart out from a short distance.
Meanwhile…
Okaasan (Mrs. Honjou) and I was busy tidying up, she noticed some small fragments of wood chips on my shirt.
She picked it up and showed it to me.
Did you do some tree climbing on your way here, Koji kun? She asked
Mmmm…..yeah now that you mentioned it. I said
We were chased by stray dogs, all four of them, so…. before they could catch up with us…
We decided to climb up a tree and stay there until the dogs lost their interest and leave.
Hmmmm…..Good thinking! Mrs. Honjou commented
Actually it was all your son's helpful idea. I said
Anyway Koji kun, why don't you… Sleep over here for tonight, it's too late to go back to the school dorm and the dogs might still be there. She added
Yeah you can sleep in my room! Haname shouted
Ha..na..me! Koji is not a pet. Koujiro replied
Anyway after we finished all the tidying,
Mrs. Honjou said , well done!
It's almost bed time, If you like to freshen up there's another bathroom up stairs.
Yes, I will (I quickly responded) and thank you for your kind hospitality….Okaasan.
Come on Koji…. I'll show you where it is. Koujiro said
After a bath I put on one of Koujiro's extra pair of pajama, it was a little too long for my liking but I have no choice.
As soon as I entered the room, an extra futon was already prepared.
However as soon as Koujiro saw me wearing his extra long pajamas…..He started laughing.
It was so loud that the neighboring dogs started barking.
What a jerk! I thought
So I walked right in choose the futon close to the window where the full moons radiance shines through and tuck myself in.
After a while...
Koujiro finally stopped laughing…..peace at last. I thought….then fell quickly into a deep sleep.
Meanwhile….
Koujiro turned around facing my direction.
He crawled in slowly….closer…clo..ser, so close that he can almost feel my breath in his face.
Koji…. he whispered…..checking.
He's asleep already?
He must be really tired. (thinking out loud)
I have something to tell you…..Koji….
Please…listen…
Koji…..I never realized how good it is to be alive….until I met you.
Your innocence is you deadliest poison.
You are so kind and yet so cruel.
You are an angel and a demon with a child's face…..
Koji…..whispers….
ai shite imas yo(I love you).
[End]