I woke up a little late this morning. Though I was still in time for breakfast. As soon as I got up, I just noticed a bathroom in my room. The bathroom was fairly small, only a sink and a toilet. Already there was a wrapped toothbrush and some toothpaste on the sink, so I brushed my teeth. (Wow, Hideo must be wealthy, right? I mean, the apartment is big so it must be expensive.)
I go down the stairs and greet Hideo and Akihiro good morning. Hideo replies with an energetic "Ohaiyo" but Akihiro doesn't even look at me. He just goes on eating his miso soup.
Hideo: Akihiro, say good morning.
Akihiro: morning.
Mori: Morning!
Hideo: did something happen last night?
Akihiro&Mori: No.
Hideo: Ah...
I sit down and start to eat when I glance at Akihiro's uniform.
Mori: Wow! That looks expensive!
Akihiro: ...
Hideo: He goes to private school.
Mori: Private school?
Akihiro: We live fairly close to it. It's just down the street one right turn, two left turns, one more right turn and you'll pass by it.
Mori: I've never seen a Private school before.
Hideo: Oh yes, Mori. I received a present from Ms. Sasaki. She said it was for the new cute girl. She asked me how old you were but I couldn't answer that.
Mori: Oh... Thank you Hideo.
Akihiro: So how old are you?
Hideo: Akihiro!
Mori: ...sixteen...
Akihiro: ...!
Hideo: ...!
Mori: I'm... Sixteen...
Akihiro: ...
An uncomfortable silence drafted through the room. The birds chirping felt louder and more suddle. Hideo and Akihiro's stare burned through me as I was looking down. The silence broke with Hideo's laughter.
Hideo: Ahahaha! Well, another mystery solved! And look Akihiro, you have a younger sister!
Akihiro: Only by one year...
Hideo: Hahaha! Mori, you have an older brother!
Mori: Y-yes... I do...
Hideo: Make sure you guys treat each other well.
Akihiro: And if I don't?
Hideo: Oh Akihiro... Get going, I bet a girl is just waiting to walk you to school.
Akihiro: I bet several are.
Hideo: Ahahaha! So popular with the ladies.
Mori: Hm? Akihiro is a-
Akihiro: Yes! And I wish they would stop!
Mori: Oh... Hahaha...
Hideo: Girls always knock on the front door asking for him. Ah, youth.
Mori: ehehe...!
Akihiro: Stop father, you're embarrassing me!
Hideo: Sorry, you are lovable.
Mori: Agreed!
Akihiro: Grh! I'm getting outta here!
Akihiro storms out blushing and closes the door behind him loudly. I watch him from the window.
Mori: Bye brother! Have a nice day at school!
Akihiro: I don't know her!
I wave goodbye and return to the conversation with Hideo.
Hideo: I'm off to work, if there is anything you need there is a small cell phone on the counter. Ms. Sasaki's gift is on the counter as well. Take care.
Hideo leaves with a smile and I am left alone in this spacious house. I decide to open the gift Ms. Sasaki had left me in my room. Heck, I was curious what was in there. I went towards the gift. It was two boxes, one wide and flat and one that looked like a shoebox, tied together with ribbon which wasn't too heavy to carry. I carried it up to my room and untied the ribbon. I decided to open the flat, wide one first. It was a little white dress, black tights, a white bow for you head and a black bow for your neck. On it was a note:
"Hello, and welcome to the apartment! Have you gotten along well with the Ito family? They really are two precious people, especially that Akihiro boy. Anyway, I hope you have a wonderful stay. And maybe Hideo will take you as his own. Who knows? And don't thank me, this was the least I could do."
-Sasaki, Sakura
What a thoughtful gift! These are really cute clothes! I open the little shoebox and white Mary Jane shoes were in there along with thigh high black socks. I decided to take another shower and change. I put on the dress with the tights. The dress was a little short but still fine. I go down to to kitchen and still see everyone left their dirty dishes on the table. I decided to clean the kitchen. If I'm gonna stay here I'll need to be useful.
After washing all the dishes and wiping down the table, I see a bento box. I walked over to it, confused and discovered there was a label.
"Ito, Akihiro"
Wait! This is Akihiro's lunch! I have to get it to him! Where was the school again!? I raced outside towards the school and tried to remember where it was.
I got lost a couple times. I met a lot of people from stores and introduced myself countless times. It took awhile but I found the school. It looked like the next class would start. Hopefully lunch didn't pass already! I ran inside and asked people.
Mori: Hah... Ha... Hah...
Student: Uhm... May I help you?
Mori: B-bento... Aki-... Bento...
Student: um... Wait, you're not even part of this school! Wait here I'll go get the president!
Mori: huh...?
A while of waiting and me recovering my energy when the same student comes back with a new person. He was pale as well, he had blue eyes and glasses. His hair was very long, up to the bottom of his... bottom. It was a middle brown, like milk chocolate. I guess he was the president. Not even anywhere close to me when he suddenly stopped. It was scary, I thought everyone would call the police and alarms would sound off warning everyone that a foreigner is intruding their school. But it took me a while to notice this was a different kind of stop. Like, a surprised happy stop. He started to run towards me. In the blink of an eye he hugged me. Wow, he's fast! But... Why did he hug me?!
President: Key!? What are you doing here!? How come you didn't tell me!?
Mori: Key...?!
President: Key? I thought you hated dresses?
Mori: Who's Key?!
President: You're Key! Silly!
Mori: What!? Wait... What!?
President: you speak Japanese so well too!
Mori: Hold on!
He let go of me and his expression saddened.
President: Is it because I couldn't let you see me in pictures?
Mori: ...
President: I'm YukiTeru! Yuki! Remember!?
Mori: ...
Yuki: You're pen pal! Or... Wait...
I stepped back, bowed and introduced myself. I told him that I have amnesia and have no knowledge of coming to Japan at all.
Yuki: I see... Amnesia...
Yuki's expression saddened even more.
Mori: Key... You knew me?
Yuki: Of course we... Talked a lot over the internet. What a small chance we would meet. Especially like this.
Mori: So my name was Key?
Yuki: Yup, but that wasn't your full name. To be honest, I forgot your first name, but it was beautiful.
Mori: Well, I'm here to bring Akihiro his bento.
Yuki: Just in time, lunch just started.
Yuki leads me to one of the classrooms and I saw Akihiro's uncomfortable face with his arms around his stomach and tons of girls surrounding him, shoving food in his face. Poor Akihiro...
Mori: Akihiro! I have your lunch.
Akihiro: Mori?! What are you doing here?
Mori: Wh- ... What part of "I have your lunch" do you not understand?
Akihiro: Gimme!
Akihiro stands up and quickly snatches the bento right out of my hands. He sits down, opens it and eats it. Yuki giggles and turns to me.
Yuki: Let's eat somewhere private.
Mori: But I don't have a lunch...
Yuki: You can eat some of mine.
We both sit down somewhere in the courtyard. The courtyard was massive. It was littered with all kinds of high school students. Yet, we sit somewhere far from them.
Yuki: Do you really not remember me, Key- I mean, Mori?
Mori: ... No. I wish I could... But, I can't.
Yuki: ... Sigh... Wait! I have my phone! I can log onto Inpenpals!
Mori: Inpenpals?
Yuki: That was the website we communicated through.
Mori: Inpenpals... Sounds... Familiar...
Yuki: Yeah, you can read our current messages! Maybe you'll remember everything!
Mori: Okay! Gotta try it at least!
Yuki logged on and clicked on a profile that said "Key" on it.
Yuki: This is your profile! Look familiar?
Mori: no... Wait is that you?
Yuki: Yes, this is me.
Mori: Why is your profile picture a picture of a spongebob opening?
Yuki: Eheheh... So you don't remember?
Mori: ...Unfortunately.
Yuki: It's okay, we can still look at messages.
Mori: Okay...
Yuki clicked a little red bar that said messages. He clicked on my name and dialogue came up. He started all the way from the beginning. Key had sent the first message.
Yuki: See? You sent a message about music theory.
Mori: Ah...
Yuki: I replied while I was cleaning.
Mori: you were cleaning?
Yuki: Oh yes! I am a Butler. Remember?
Mori: A... Butler.
Yuki: Oh and this is my favorite.
We read message after message together laughing and smiling. Yuki suddenly put his phone to sleep and turned to me.
Mori: weren't there a thousand more messages?
Yuki: Yes, but, do you remember?
Mori: ...
Yuki: ...?
Mori: ... I'm sorry... I don't remember...
Yuki: sigh...
Akihiro: Hey Mori!
Akihiro walked towards me and Yuki with a friend by him and stopped in front of me.
Friend: Hi Aki's sister.
Akihiro: ... This is Rui.
Rui: Nice to meet you.
Mori: Nice to meet you too. I'm Mori.
Rui: Mori is a nice name.
Mori: Thank you, and so is Rui.
Rui: So would you... Uhhh... Like... Uhh... To...
Akihiro: After school would you like to come and eat with us?
Mori: Okay, sounds like fun!
Rui: Great see you there!
Akihiro: See ya.
Akihiro and Rui both walked away. Rui seemed very happy.
Rui: I totally nailed it dude!
Akihiro: sigh...
Rui: I didn't even know you have a sister this hot!
Akihiro: I agree with everything, except for the hot part...
Rui: Oh come on! Even someone like you knows how hot she is. Too bad you can't touch her, because that would be incest.
Akihiro: You're so damned disgusting! You know that? Why would I even touch her?!
Rui: Haha! I sense that you would like to.
Akihiro: Shut up! Piss brain!
Rui: Fine, but thanks for the favor.
Akihiro: If you don't pull one move on her, you're asking her out by yourself.
Rui: What! Oh fine... I'm sure I could make it to 2nd base very easily.
Akihiro: Ugh... Gross! Go ahead but don't tell me!
Rui: Haha! She's got big boobs too!
Akihiro: I said spare me the details!
Yuki sat silently and I sensed a negative aura coming form him.
Mori: Y-Yuki...
Yuki: Yeah?
Mori: Were we really good friends?
Yuki: ... Best...
Mori: Huh?
Yuki: Best friends...
The school bell rang. Yuki got up and told me to go home, for class was starting. But then he turned around and told me something, something that would translate a lot of my physical appearance.
Yuki: Mori... You're not American, nor Japanese. You're Hispanic...
Mori: What!?... Wait!
Yuki had disappeared within the high schoolers eager to get to class. That hit me hard and I didn't know why. But it made me remember something. Something extremely important, and something I would cherish, forever.