Chapter one: Hot days + work no good
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to the Mega Man or Rockman series!
OMG! I'm ACTUALLY WRITING ROMANCE! But it's humor... I can deal with that!
Note: Hinoken Mr. Match, Madoi Maddy, Saloma Sal. I wil put a glossary at the end of the chapter in case you don't know Japanese terms such as One-san or Oka-san. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The sun was beating down on people as they walked to work, the humidity was throught the roof! It was a horrible day indeed... Up three stories and through a window, that is where they live. It's a small appartment with two bedrooms. And worst of all... THERE IS NO AIR-CONDITIONING!
"Ugh... Can barely move..." griped a red-haired man.
"Hinoken, I thought you were okay with extreem heat..." stated a pink-haired women.
"I'm okay with heat but NOT humidity!" Hinoken said in an undramatic voice. "What about you, Madoi?"
"I like the heat! It's a good reason to be wearing a bikini! I just love my voluptuous body!" Madoi bragged.
"That's nice..." Hinoken ignored her. "What time is it? It's morning and it's already ninety-five degrees... Ugh..." Hinoken then looked at his watch. "IT'S ALMOST NINE!"
"So?"
"WE HAVE TO GO TO WORK!" Hinoken then started to get dressed for work, Madoi did the same. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hinoken and Madoi worked at their very own sporting goods shop called Matches and Maddness (M and M). The shop had four isles, two check-out points and only two workers (Hinoken and Madoi). The dress-code was a red or pink shirt and a green apron.
RING RING
That was the sound of the door when it opens (it has a bell that makes a noise when someone enters). Hinoken and Madoi quickly went to go greet the customers.
"Welcome to-" Hinoken was interrupted by a blonde-haired, blue-eyed teen-aged girl.
"Where do you keep your tennis rackets?" asked the girl.
"Hachiko, I told you to wait for me!" Saloma came in right behind the girl.
"Oh, sorry..." replied Hachiko.
"We keep our tennis rackets in isle two, along with baseball bats, ping-pong paddles and Hockey sticks!" the girl ran off in that direction. "It certainly has been a long time, hasn't Saloma?"
"Finally playing it straight, Hinoken?" Saloma couldn't resist a moment like that.
"By the way, cute girl, your sister?"
"No, silly! My daughter!"
"DAUGHTER! That would make you... What, at least thirty?" asked Madoi.
"Not quite, I'm thirty-two!" Hinoken and Madoi had a shocked look on their faces. "Surprised that lil' ol' me is in her thirties?"
"S-she's older than me, yet she looks younger... Than me..." Madoi cowered in the corner in the fetal position. It seemed as if there was a raincloud hovering above Madoi. "My day- no- my life! Has been ruined!" Madoi sobbed.
"I got the rackets, Oka-san!" Hachiko came back with two seventy-five dollar rackets.
"Are you planning to play out in this heat?"
"No, Hinoken, we're members of that swim and tennis club, where the tennis courts are in a cool room where there's air-conditioning. And after we're done, we'll go swimming!" Saloma was putting fuel on the fire.
"How can you afford this! You own a flower and tea shop!"
"My dear Hinoken, my flowers and plants are imported and RARE! Not to mention they're very popular! And my tea is the finest green tea imported from China! And my shop is the ONLY place to get them without having to pay shipping and handling!" now Saloma was REALLY putting fuel on the fire. "Oh, not to mention we also serve lunch!"
"You don't say..." Hinoken's vein showed up on his upper temple. "Paper or plastic?"
"Paper, please!" Saloma then payed for the rackets and Hinoken put them in the sack. "You guys should come for lunch sometime!" Saloma and Hachiko then left.
"How can this be? She's thirty-two, yet she looks nineteen! I'm twenty-nine and look twenty-five! How does she do it! I buy all the stuff that makes you look young!" Madoi continued to sob.
"Maybe it's because she eats all-natural stuff all the time..." Hinoken was certainly NOT making Madoi feel better.
"Maybe we should eat lunch there everyday! And then I'll look younger! Then ALL the store clerks ask for my ID every time I buy beer! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"I'm not sure that'd work, Madoi..."
"That settles it! We're going to lunch there!"
"Oi..."
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"Dammit, Madoi! Why are you making ME go! I don't wanna look younger!" Hinoken protested.
"To be around me, you have to look younger than you are. How old are you, anyway?" Madoi pulled Hinoken by the arm.
"Thirty-three."
"I knew it! Okay, we're gonna make you look twenty-nine!" Madoi continued to pull Hinoken.
"But I don't wanna!" Hinoken whined.
"I don't care! You'll thank me later!" Madoi then pulled him out the door.
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"Hello, Madoi and Hinoken! What would you guys like to eat?" asked Saloma.
"Two of your finest, all-natural dishes!"
"Coming right up! Hachiko, cover any other customers, okay?"
"Okay, Oka-san!"
"I can't believe you made me come..." Hinoken was NOT happy. "You're like my mother!"
"You're mother... She can't be THAT bad, if she's like me and all!"
"My family owns a Ryotei establishment, so we're 'high-class'... I was the oldest son and there were no daughters, so I was next in line for the Ryotei. My mother always refered to me as "young master Kenichi". She always said my name means "one sword" and that I should be proud of it, but I never liked the name. Anyway... She would make me do tea ceremonies..." Hinoken couldn't finnish what he was about to say, because Madoi had started to laugh.
"Tea ceremonies? You? I can't imagine that!" Madoi continued to laugh. "Heh... Go on."
"Not only that! She made me attend Omiai after Omiai! And she played the part of the Nakodo! I couldn't even get a date in high school! She would make my date go through hell before she decided whether or not they were good enough for me! I haven't dated since the first one!"
"I wish my parents were that protective of me..." Madoi looked down with a sad face.
"Why would you want that?"
"My parents disowned me..." Madoi looked as if she were about to cry. "And it's all because of... Her..."
"Because of who?" Hinoken asked with concern.
"I don't really want to talk about it..."
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Hinoken and Madoi finnished their lunch and payed the bill. They started to walk back to their shop, when suddenly...
"Kenichi! Onii-san!" A younger red-haired man came running from behind Hinoken and Madoi. "I've found you!"
"Uh-oh... This is not good!" Hinoken felt the urge to start running.
"Why?"
"I didn't finnish my story... In the end, at age sixteen, I ran away from home. They've been trying to find me ever since!"
"Who's this guy?"
"My younger brother, Hiroshi..." Hinoken was about to take Madoi by the hand and run when his brother caught him by the shoulder. "Oh crap!"
"Onii-san! Oka-san and I have looked over seventeen years for you! And we find out you own a small shop! What a disgrace! Working like a servant! Everyone is worried about you. We all love you! So, please, won't you--"
"GO AWAY!" Hinoken yelled loud and clear. "And don't ever come back again!"
Hiroshi had a shocked look on his face, he never expected his brother to say something like that! Hinoken then started to walk away, leaving his brother speechless and in shock. Madoi couldn't understand what had happened, so she just followed Hinoken, asking no questions.
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Hinoken and Madoi got ready to go to a public swimming pool. Madoi was already in her bathing suit, so she waited for Hinoken. Madoi still was thinking about what had happened a few days before, Hinoken yelling at his brother...
Knock Knock
Someone was knocking at the door! Madoi didn't know who it could be, but she went to open it anyway.
She slowly unlocked the door. Then slowly opened to reveal...
To be continued...
Glossary:
Oka-san- Mother or Mom
Omiai- A marriage meeting
Nakodo- Matchmaker
Onii-san- Older brother