Last Chapter:
-"October 21." I whispered the date. This day meant that 4 years had passed, 4 years since we've last met, 4 years since we've left the digital world. -Kouji
- Four years already and I still can't forget. The dreams haunted me only on this day. -Kouichi
I had stopped hoping that I would meet them again ages ago. All I have now is the memories we had together. -Takuya
I kissed every face on the photo, except for myself, that is. "I miss you all. Thank you for being the first best friends I ever had."-Junpei
I searched my bag frankly, finding at last a photo. On mine, I had signed my name: 'Izumi'.-Izumi
Chapter 2: Everyone's Life (Part 1)
Kouji
My father was sitting straight in front of me. He was rarely at home, and when he is, it usually means trouble. Mother was on the couch beside him, a nervous look on her face.
"Why did you choose to go to Jiyuugaoka High in your application form? Without my permission?" So this is why our whole family had to ditch breakfast. Just because of the papers father held in his hands.
"I have the right to choose, father." What can he do now anyway?
"You will go to a school that is suitable for your status." It was an order. Usually I'd listen, but now-
"No way!" I don't want to go to a school that has all those rich, stuck up kids.
"Who do you think your talking to, young man?" Father threw the papers at my face "This is for your own good!"
"If you think for my own good you'll let we choose my own life!" I've had enough of him deciding everything for me.
"We're different from before, Kouji, and the life we live now doesn't allow you to choose anything." Sure, different. Just cause we have a little bit more money.
"Then I rather go back to the life we had before!" I wanted to shout.
"You've got a reason you want to go to that school, isn't it?" Busted!
"No." Yeah, cause Kouichi's there.
I think I said that a bit too fast, since father was watching me suspiciously.
"Kouji, go to your room will you, I'll talk to your father." Mother decided that it was time for her to interfere.
"You stop there, young man-" Father started shouting as I walked away, but mother quickly calmed him down.
The instant I was in my room, I locked the door and grabbed my handphone, pressing several numbers.
"Hey, what's the matter?" Kouichi's voice could be heard at the other side of the phone.
"Just angry, and mad, and going to kill somebody soon. Other than that, I'm fine."
"What happened, Kouji?"
"I just got in a fight with that-that-" I was finding something to say other than the word 'father'. "-stubborn old man!" that was lame.
"You mean father?" It's his too, so I can't blame him for saying the word I didn't want to say. "What is it about now?"
"School."
"Maybe you should just listen to him." Kouichi's starting again. He's always so soft.
"Can I go over to your place later?" I quickly changed the subject. "For lunch?"
"Sure, I'll be home at 1, but mum's off the whole day." Kouichi must be doing his part-time job now.
"Ok. See you later, bye." Someone was knocking on the door.
I closed the phone, just in time to see mother coming in, with a maid behind her, carrying a tray of food-guess that's my breakfast.
"Hi, mother, how's father?" I ask half-heartedly, as if I care about the old man.
"I managed to talk him in to letting you go to that school, but, he's not very happy with it." Mother beckoned for the maid to put the tray on the table.
"Just tell him that the daughter of his friend, what was her name again-Asaki Kiyui or something-is going to that school too. He'll be thrilled." He's always hoping we'll get together anyway.
"I think I will." Mother had a finger by her lips while savoring my words. "Eat your breakfast, Kouji, before it gets cold." She exited the room after saying so.
I watched her back. Even if she wasn't my real mum, she still was the best mum a child could ever ask for. Every time I got in to trouble with father, she was always the one to back me up.
Shaking the thoughts away, I quickly ate my breakfast, while preparing to go to mum's house.
--
Kouichi
"Can I go over to your place later? For lunch?" My little brother was always an expert at changing the subject.
"Sure, I'll be home at 1, but mum's off the whole day." I was still doing my part-time job, and I still had an hour more to go.
Kouji hung up very fast, probably because someone was with him. We both decided that his family would not know about me, but I hate having to hide from father.
"Kouichi, take this to table 23." A tray was in front of me, full with ice drinks.
"Sure." I'll talk to Kouji later.
When I got home, Kouji was already there, sitting at the table with mum.
"You're late, onii-san." I smiled. I like the sound of him calling me 'onii-san', but he only does when he feels like it.
"Sorry, job delays." I sat down and admired my lunch.
I noticed that there was a plate of roasted chicken on the table. "Where did the chicken come from?" I don't remember buying that last time I did the groceries.
"I bought it on the way here." Kouji picked up a piece of the chicken's meat with his chopsticks and put it in my plate. "It smelled too good for me to resist."
I stared at the chicken meat in my plate; mum and I couldn't afford to eat this everyday. I hate to admit it, but we're poor, and Kouji's so damn rich. His one-week pocket money is more than what I get for working a month.
I ate quietly, while mum and Kouji talked about something.
"Mum," I heard Kouji said, giving her a wad of cash. That's what I hate the most, having to take money from my little brother to survive. I don't know how he talked mum into taking it, but she did, and he gives her the money twice a month.
He says its half his allowance, but to me it seems much more than that, probably third halves of it. But we have to rely on it until mum and I can manage to get more money.
"Thanks, Kouji." Mum didn't look very comfortable either. If the money could help her sickness, I'll take the money no matter where or whom it came from.
I hate being poor.
"Kouichi, father let me go to that school already. Now we can be in the same school." I smiled at hearing this.
No matter how jealous I am of him, he's still my brother, and he means the world to me.
--
Takuya
"Hey man, wanna go bowling?" I felt my face change color at the sound of that voice, coming from the other side of the phone.
"I told you I've got nothing to do with you all anymore!" I shouted at the phone.
"Hey, you weren't serious when you said that, are you? The top seat is still yours in our gang. Come on man, ditch that little brother of yours." I was already imagining of 100 ways of how to kill this guy.
"GO TO HELL! Do you want me to beat you up! Stop bothering me! When I said I'm leaving the gang I meant it!" I slammed the phone on to the floor as someone opened the door.
"Um-lunch is-is rea-ready." Shinya shivered as he talked to me. I could see sacredness and hatred in his eyes. Just like that day…
"Go away." I tried to say something nice, but I guess that's the most civil thing that my mind could think of. He scattered off in a rush, as if he couldn't stand being in the same room with me any longer.
If only that incident hadn't happened…I'd still have my brother back…
Arthor Note: Sorry if i made Kouji's dad bad, but that's something for the following chapters. And just what happened to Takuya to make his brother so scare of him? Full explanation in next chapter.
Thanks for reading! Review please
