Rimnerel: I guess I've been neglecting everyone with updates. I've been trying to write chapter 9 and 10 of this story, while trying to figure out where I'm taking this story. I think I've finally figured out what I want to do with this one, as well as my other stories. Let's not mention that I've had a lot of workload as of late, that when I come home, I don't feel like working on any fics...that and I've been a bit lazy, but forget that, I've given you all something to read now. Enjoy and hopefully I won't take that long to post the next chapter.
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Chapter6
"Hey, Kenny, I got to wondering, it's been about two weeks since you've had dinner with Mr. Hiwatari, right? I want to know, what do you have planned next? What now?" Tyson inquired as he turned the corner of the circle he and Kenny were jogging around. Sweat trickled down into his eyes, off his sweaty brow as he flung droplets from his drooping bangs. The two boys were in the middle of gym class running a nearly two mile course, or as Tyson sometimes put it "as long as it took for them to go into cardiac arrest".
"What do you mean what now?" Kenny said between breaths of air.
"Well…are you going out on a real date sooner or later? Don't you want more than just a friendship out of him," Tyson said.
"Well, I can't afford to rush anything. He thinks of me as friend right now, so I will just bid my time and see what happens over the course of time," Kenny panted.
"Seriously…I need to stop, I'm going to burst," Tyson moaned.
"You and me both," Kenny nodded exhaustedly, rounding another corner of the track field that their gym teacher, Mr. Parker would bring them out on each day for their warm up jogs. That said teacher was watching the fifteen students in his class carefully, making sure that no one stopped or walk when they were supposed to be running. "It's like we're running more than we should."
"We are," Tyson huffed. "We've already done twenty something laps. He's in one of his moods today, again. Guess it's that time of the month once more." Kenny would have chuckled towards his best friend's comment, but he needed every little bit of breath being squeezed from his lungs.
"I want to hear less talking, and see more running," the red headed gym coach shouted at the two as they were coming around towards where the bleachers were.
"Sorry sir, but we're not talking, we're gulping in air to run more," Tyson shouted back with a wide grin on his face. "It just looked like talking."
"Kinomiya, Shinoda, come here, the rest of you head to the showers," Mr. Parker said loudly. Many of the students groaned with relief, glad that the torture session was finally over and dragged themselves towards the school. When all the students were gone, the gym coach pointed for the two to sit, which neither complained, their legs feeling like bowls of Jell-O. The man's blue eyes shifted between the two exhausted boys staring up at him. "What did you two think you were doing?"
"Running?" Tyson said.
"Don't be smart asses," Mr. Parker warned.
"I didn't say a word," Kenny protested.
"Besides, he's the smart ass, I'm just a follower," Tyson commented. Neither boy expected their teacher to turn almost the exact same red as his hair. Cold blue eyes flashed over each boy. "Um…Mr. Parker…that's not a healthy color to be turning..."
"Both of you ten more laps around the track and then report to my office once you've taken a shower," the man barked.
"What did we do?" Kenny demanded, getting up from the ground. "Or rather correction, what did I do to have to run with him? And besides, we weren't the only ones talking on the field. Why are we being punished?"
"Did I ask you what you thought, Mr. Shinoda?" Mr. Parker said. "Just because you're a top A student that does not mean you're entitled to getting your way with me. I'm not like all the other teachers in this school."
"Understood, but what justification are you going on to hand out punishment when half of the class should have been convicted in the same manner?" Kenny stated. "If I didn't know any better, there's a bias present which allows you to focus upon only myself and Tyson, isn't there, Mr. Parker? That's why you're being so authoritarian with us."
"Kenny, most times you know that I don't mind you speaking up and all…but…" Tyson started, watching the color of their teacher's face darken with anger. "He's really pissed off and I can't be a witness to murder if his blood pressure keeps skyrocketing towards a heart attack or stroke."
"Well, I'm not the one that's raising his blood pressure," Kenny replied, crossing his arms over his chest and continuing to calmly stare at the red head glaring down at him with fury coloring his blue eyes near that of a navy and black-blue.
"You're questioning my authority in this situation, Shinoda," Mr. Parker stated.
"I'm questioning your authority because you have decided to abuse the power you have been given. By questioning the authority that has been placed in your hands over your students that you seem to think are mindless enough to avoid your anger by staying silent, I find myself an answer to what it is about me which irks you so much. Perhaps before you glare at me with rage like you're currently doing, you can sit down with me and we can have a civil conversation over these issues that linger in the air. That's what adults do, right?" Kenny replied.
"You've done it now," Tyson groaned.
"Both of you to the shower, then to my office both of you," Mr. Parker snapped.
"Way to go Kenny," Tyson muttered, getting up off the ground of the track field to brush off his sweat soaked shorts. Pushing his friend towards the school, Tyson only shook his head, knowing that nothing good was going to come out of this. He only hoped that by the time they finished taking their showers, their coach will have calmed down enough to reason Kenny's remarks as curiosity instead of insult. Then again, when Kenny got in moods like this, which were hardly ever, it was never simple to get him out this funk.
"Is it my fault that he's being such an asshole about this?" Kenny said, allowing his friend to push him inside the school when they reached the doors. "It's not right to try to make us run ten extra laps while more than half the class were doing the same thing as us, not to mention you were the one that made the comment, so why am I getting in trouble for it?"
"Because you don't know when to keep your mouth shut, genius," Tyson remarked. "He would have let us go with ten more laps, now we're going to get detention and likely miss the lunch period for it. You know, I need to eat or I'm going to die."
"You're impossible," Kenny said.
"No, my dear friend, you are impossible," Tyson sighed as they entered the boys' locker room which was a few lockers down from the side entrance of the building they just passed through. The sound of showers could be heard running, the sounds of talking muffled under the hissing of the showers turned on full blast. "Now let's take a shower before he decides to send us to detention smelling like—"
"Someone's sweaty ass?" Kenny helped his friend out.
"Exactly," Tyson agreed. The two teens went to their gym lockers, taking off their locks once the combination was disengaged. Pulling out towels, the two teens went ahead and stripped, tossing their sweaty gym clothes in the back of their lockers and grabbing their bathing material before going to the showers where a bunch of boys were standing around talking, a few having already showered. Two of those boys turned to stare at the newcomers with curious stares.
"Well, look who finally decides to join us," said a boy with dark hair pulled back into a ponytail, his dark eyes focused on Tyson who scowled. "Hey, what's that look for?"
"Do you really think I want to talk to you right now, Carlos?" Tyson said, going to one of the empty shower stalls, and turning on the water. The dark haired teen followed the bluenette, leaning against the wall of the stall Tyson was occupying. The scowl on Tyson's face set more, ignoring the teen at his stall. If there was one person in that entire school that Tyson could not get along with for any reasons whatsoever, Carlos Macchio had to be that one kid whose nerves grated Tyson's patience to zero.
It wasn't bad enough that Carlos had the nerve to strut around school as if he was god's gift to every woman that passed his sight, but he had more than once stolen the attention of girls that he knew Tyson liked. They had once tried to be friends, until Tyson told Carlos a secret about a certain girl, only to have Carlos go back and tell the girl what was said. Then that said girl came back to Tyson, slapping him before saying never to come near her again. That was the last day Tyson allowed Carlos to hang out with him.
"Oh come on Tyson, we're friends aren't we?" Carlos said.
"No, we aren't," Tyson retorted. "Friends don't let friends get smacked by girls they like because one of those friends has too big a mouth to know when to shut the fuck up about things."
"Hey, sorry that it leaked out, I didn't know," Carlos shrugged.
"It leaked my ass, someone told me that they were standing right there when you told her yourself," Tyson said evenly. "Your apologies mean nothing when you don't really mean them. It might have worked on other people, but I'm not that dumb as you obviously think."
"Oh come on Tyson that was like last year, I've changed" Carlos persuaded. "I mean, it's not like I'm going to tell anyone what Coach Parker said to you and Kenny."
"I'm sure you have changed, but I'd rather not take that chance," Tyson stated.
"Fine, I'll ask Kenny then," Carlos said, turning away from Tyson to walk over to the stall Kenny was at, but finding a guy with short purple hair already over at the stall trying to pry information out of the brunette. Carlos smiled, or rather smirked, knowing that if anyone could find out anything, it was Stewart Algrant, Carlos's best friend since they were in junior high together. "Find out anything Stewart?"
The purple haired teen with the mole under his left eye shook his head. "Being as stubborn as his friend, but from the looks of it, that has to mean that they got in trouble. I mean, did you see the way Coach Parker sort of turned red out there."
"Sort of, he could have lit up the track field with his stare," Carlos joked. "I can see Tyson getting in trouble, but Kenny, what did you do to get on the coach's bad side? Now that I think about it, as of late, he's been getting all pissy for no reason." Kenny didn't say anything, lathering up his sponge before soaping himself.
"Kenny's not going to say a word and neither am I," Tyson grinned stepping under the spray of the shower to rinse off the soap. "If there's anyone who doesn't like people being in their business more than me that would be Kenny. You aren't going to get anything out of him, so you might as well give it up."
"If you would excuse me," Kenny said, breaking his silence after he was finished showering. The brunette then picked up his towel from off the stall door while wrapping it around his nude body once turning off the shower. Kenny stepped out of the stall, walking back to the lockers to dry off and change into dry clothes. Right now he didn't have time to deal with Carlos or his annoying tag along, there were more important things that needed to be done.
"Hey Kenny, wait up," Tyson said, grabbing his towel, and heading after his friend. "Hey, I hope you haven't let those two get to you, they talk a lot yeah, but you can easily ignore them."
"It's not them," Kenny said in a hushed tone. "I got to thinking about it. About why Mr. Parker is being so biased."
"You think you know? What's up?" Tyson said, toweling himself off while heading back to his locker. Glancing back towards the shower, he didn't see Carlos or Stewart trying to eavesdrop in on the conversation. Feeling only so safe speaking out loud about the discussion, Tyson grabbed his clean clothes, seating himself on the locker bench beside his best friend.
"Mr. Hiwatari," Kenny said. "He mentioned Mr. Parker's attraction towards him, and likely a disinterest with our gym coach has been believed to be cause by a certain brunette we both know. I think it doesn't have anything to do with talk, he's just looking for a reason to terrorize me, but I'm not going to let him."
"So you mean that Coach Parker is jealous of you?" Tyson blinked.
"That's what I think. It has to be the only reason why he's being such an asshole," Kenny replied.
"Dude…that's just like, really sad if Coach Parker is really jealous of you. Besides there's nothing going on between you and Mr. Hiwatari, even if you're like in love with him and all. What's even sadder about this is he's older than you and acting like he's in middle school."
"Yes, I guess it is sad," Kenny nodded. "I guess we should go ahead and go to Mr. Parker's office before he comes stomping in here and dragging us out, making a huge scene."
"I do agree," Tyson said with a smile.
"I gave you innocence, I gave you hope. Gave health, and genius, and an ample scope. Return you me guilt, lethargy, despair?" Kai finished the rest of the sentence from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem The Suicide's Argument to get up from where he sat on the surface of his table to walk over to the door and open it. Kai looked down at the teen standing in the hallway under his arm was his English book and notepad. Raising a brow, Kai stepped to the side to allow his student's admission into the classroom. "And may I question why you're thirty minutes late to my class, Mr. Kinomiya, lunch ended a fair time ago."
"Sorry Mr. Hiwatari, you can blame Coach Parker for sending me to detention hall for the past hour and a half," Tyson said, walking over to his seat and sitting down in the chair. "He was in a raging mood today and I think a few words were said that shouldn't have been heard."
"You should learn to keep your mouth shut then, Mr. Kinomiya, or you could avoid such incidents as the one that occurred today. We're on page three seventy-eight," Kai said, going to sit back at his seat on the desk top. His crimson eyes flickered over the empty desk next to Tyson's. No one seemed to notice, except for Tyson, and figured his teacher wasn't about to ask in front of the class unless Tyson mentioned it.
"Well Mr. Hiwatari, I'm not the one who you should be telling that information to," Tyson said. "I only made Coach Parker angry it was my absent friend who pissed him the hell off."
"Language in my class Mr. Kinomiya," Kai frowned.
"Excuse my language sir, but under the circumstances, I would have to comment that pissed off is the only word that fits Mr. Parker's mood at the present time," Tyson commented, seeing the light in his teacher's eyes change from light to a darker tone, understanding exactly what was being said, before the previous shade of color returned to his eyes.
"Regardless of how appropriate the word is, refrain from using it in my classroom Mr. Kinomiya. Now turn to the page number and follow along in your book," Kai instructed, lowering his gaze back to the book in his left hand.
"Yes sir," Tyson nodded.
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"Kenny, I can't believe what we were told," Kenny's father said, looking down at the young man sitting at the kitchen table refusing to make eye contact with him. Kenny's mother stood in the doorway, a pen in her hand, but her eyes remained glued to the boy in the chair. Her son…who was too mature to be suspended from school for being disrespectful to a teacher, or so she and her husband thought until they received a call from the school saying their son was suspended for the next two weeks for his disrespect of a school official, and whether or not they could come pick him up from school.
At first, both thought it was some sort of mistake; Kenny never had problems getting along in school with anyone and knew how to avoid such confrontations. There was no way their son would do something as reckless, or immature as what the school was claiming. When they went, hoping to get a better explanation for the call to the house, they found Kenny waiting in the Vice Principal's office with the teacher Kenny had received the suspension from. Sitting down with the gym coach, they gave their most heart felt apologies, before escorting Kenny to the car and heading back home, the whole family in silence, until now once they were behind closed doors.
"Do you have anything to say for yourself? We should have made you apologized to that teacher for such discourteous behavior. What were you thinking? We taught you better than that," Kenny's father said disbelievingly.
"I wouldn't have done it," Kenny said quietly.
"What…?" Kenny's mother stared at her child. "What did you just say to your father?"
"I said I wouldn't have done it," Kenny repeated, lifting his eyes to the man standing in front of him, a twin pair of his blue-violet eyes meeting his. "There was no way you could have compelled me to speak words of apology to a man who had me suspended for bias reasons."
"Biased?" Kenny's father stated.
"Yes biased, he singled me and Tyson out of nearly twenty-five students who were talking on the track field while running nearly thirty laps. The only reason he wanted to give me detention was that I refused to be submissive to his authoritarian orders," Kenny declared. "I only inquired of him why he was singling us out, and he was tempered due to my questions."
"Were you suppose to be running instead of talking to Tyson?" his mother question, her arms crossed over one another as her stance shifted weight to lean against the kitchen entrance arch.
"He mentioned no rules we could not talk while running," Kenny replied.
"You shouldn't have been talking in the first place," Kenny's father commented. "If you were doing as you were told you would have never gotten into trouble, young man. And from what we were told, it was not biased when he decided to suspend you for being disrespectful. Sometimes we forget you're still just a child and can not see that what adults do are for the best to teach you right from wrong."
"That's not the case at all," Kenny voiced. "He doesn't like me. He just wasn't showing it while everyone was there."
"And why doesn't he like you?" Kenny's father lifted an eyebrow with a quizzical gaze. "If you give me enough reason with evidence, then I shall believe you and will take this case back to the school and have it sorted out." Kenny would have opened his mouth to explain, but under the circumstance for which he was suspended from school, he didn't think that it would be so easy to clarify this giant mess it already was, without causing more damage than good.
Because he didn't think his parents would understand the terms that he had already given up on dating a member of the opposite sex, getting married, and having children—though how supportive they were for him to do whatever he liked or wanted to achieve in life—he kept his mouth shut. The last thing he wanted on top of suspension was to hear his father and mother's disappointment, or better yet resentment of his sexual preferences.
The only people who really knew about his little secret was of course Tyson who figured it out by seventh grade that his best friend had a crush on Tyson's older brother Hiro, for a period of time. And because Kenny had eventually broke down confessing his homosexuality to Tyson at a sleepover due to a game of truth and dare. Besides Tyson, Rei seemed to know, but kept quiet over the issue until Kenny was ready to speak up about it, thankfully enough Max was still oblivious towards it. Kenny might not have heard the end of it if the blonde discovered. And of course Mr. Hiwatari knew, much thanks to Tyson's intervention. Other than that, no one else knew the truth and believed the brunette only to be shy.
"I'm still waiting on an answer Kenneth," his father said, tapping his foot against the linoleum floor. "Or is it proper to assume there isn't one?"
"There's one," Kenny assured. "I just can't tell you."
"Then that means there's no explanation to clarify your reasoning," his father said. "You've really disappointed us Kenny we thought you would have been more sensible about something like this by now."
"I am sensible," Kenny argued. "I tried to be reasonable with the man, but he was the one that went off the handle."
"Don't speak to your father in that tone," his mother said, a frown settling between her brows. "What has gotten into you?"
"There's nothing wrong with me," Kenny said, standing up from his chair. "I have my reasons for questioning him, but I can't tell you. Just trust me, please."
"How can we trust you, if you aren't giving us something to go on to make a bond of trust work between the three of us. You've never kept secrets from us before, so why now?" his mother stated. "If you are honest with us, we won't hesitate to listen to your side of things and have this straighten out immediately. You know that's how we've always been."
"I know mother…" Kenny sighed. "But it's different now. I'm older, and I have more things going on than when I was a child. My life has just recently become more difficult to explain or even sit down with you and talk about."
"And there's nothing we can do to persuade you to change your mind and consider placing your trust in us again?" his father spoke. Kenny only shook his head, dropping his father's gaze to look at the kitchen floor. "Then I suppose we will have no choice to ground you until further notice."
"Yes father…" Kenny said quietly, walking out the kitchen. Not meeting his mother's eyes when he left the room, he headed up the stairs, listening to his parents talk over his behavior and whether they were really losing him to whatever he was going through. Heading down the hall to his room once making it up the stairs, Kenny had no problem concocting in his mind that their conversation would soon lead to drug and alcohol usage while they were away, or if the wrong people were beginning to influence Kenny into something he knew better of. He didn't want his parents to think they needed to keep twenty-four hour watch on his activities while they were around. Nor invest in a babysitter while they were away, but what could he really do? There was no way he could just come out and say he was gay.
As complex as things were now, telling the two most important people in his life that trusted and treated him like an adult, who expected him to get a good job, find someone to love, and start a family—he couldn't dash some dreams they were likely having about his future. He was an only child, he had priorities to fulfill. Opening the door to his room, Kenny shuffled inside, shutting and locking the door before shuffling towards the bed and falling face first onto it. Turning his face towards the wall, Kenny tried to squeeze his eyes shut, stopping the burning tears which still managed to leak from behind his eyelids.
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Kai walked into Michael's office, briskly making his way towards the desk, making a seat of the edge of the oak table. Looking down at the red head who stared up at him with a curious stare, Kai placed a hand on the desk, leaning forward to level out his line of vision with Michael's. "Is there something you want to tell me, Kai?" Michael smiled, his eyes roaming lazily over Kai's features before his gaze locked with the crimson eyes.
"I want to inquire why you had my student suspended from school today," Kai replied quietly, keeping his voice neutral of all emotion. "I found out from Mr. Kinomiya who you sent to detention that his friend was suspended on account of you."
The smile on Michael's face dropped immediately, replaced by a scowl at mention of the boy who had dared come between him and Kai. "Yes, I suspended him, and I had no problem doing it either. Your student as you called him was disrespectful and problematic. He would have continued doing so if I had not taken action."
"Disrespectful and problematic…?" Kai quirked a brow at the description Michael just gave him of the brunette. "That's definitely a new one on me. By chance, did you say something to cause that disrespectful and problematic behavior in Kenny?"
"Are you trying to say that I did something to provoke in?" Michael stated.
"Indeed I am," Kai nodded. "He doesn't act problematic or disrespectful. I'm assuming something might have been said or done to trigger it."
"I did nothing of the sort," Michael protested.
"Are you sure?" Kai said.
"How can you trust that kid so much?" Michael argued, getting up from his chair. "He's not as composed as you think he is. He has a smart mouth while he's just trying to get on your sweet side. I'm telling you, Kai, you should be careful about him. He's nothing but trouble waiting to happen."
"Or so you think so," Kai voiced, standing up from his seat on the desk. "I just want you to know that I've already talked with both the Mr. Dickenson and Mr. Balcov over the issue and they have dropped the suspension from the school records, so Kenny will be coming back to school tomorrow."
"What?"
"I just came by to let you know that, and to find out the real reason why you had him suspended, which I think I have found, and to let you know about the decision that was made. I should be going now Mr. Parker, have a nice evening." Before Michael had a chance to say a word, Kai was already to the door, walking out and closing the door behind him. Waiting in the hallway were two men. One was a short stocky man wearing a pair of glasses on his nose. The other man was taller, even more so than Kai, with combed back dark purple hair. He looked much younger than the shorter man he was standing beside. Kai nodded towards the two men, making his way over to them. "Mr. Dickenson, Mr. Balcov, I hope that gives you enough incentive to credit what I have said to you beforehand."
The taller man with purple hair, who was the Vice Principal, gave the words some consideration, studying Kai while thinking. Finally, after a long pause, he spoke up. "His intentions fall upon the lines you gave as an example, but I do have a question for you, Mr. Hiwatari."
"Why am I so interested in seeing the boy reinstated?" Kai said, a smile curling his lips upwards in seeing him catch the vice principal off guard with his directness. "That young man, I have grown to know him well, and I think that it is unfair to allow Mr. Parker's bias of who I talk with to go unjustified. Mr. Parker thinks I am involved with my student in a romantic sense."
"And are you?" the Vice Principal interrogated.
"I know my job, Mr. Balcov," Kai stated seriously. "I would never think to do something like that. The only feelings I have for that young man is respect and admiration for the knowledge he is fond of. We have many great conversations over Shakespeare and politics. It's quite rare these days with the way kids are."
"It truly is," Mr. Dickenson smiled in agreement. "I think I understand your reasoning behind this, Kai. You don't want to be bored for the next two weeks without someone to stimulate your brain with interest. Am I right?"
"Mr. Dickenson," Mr. Balcov started until the Principal waved off the rest of the sentence with his hand.
"It's perfectly fine, Boris. I believe that Kai's intentions are good in this case," Mr. Dickenson smiled. "There's no need for you to be so suspicious."
"If you say so, sir," Mr. Balcov remarked, not quite believing that was the only reason Kai had gone into so much trouble in having his student reinstated. But since there was no evidence to prove otherwise, he would allow it.
"I appreciate you both listening to the case and coming to the right decision," Kai said. "I suppose when I get home, I will have to call his parents and explain the situation to them. I can imagine they are quite upset with the boy and this will come as a relief to them. I will see you and Mr. Balcov in the morning, Mr. Dickenson." Kai left the two men's company, heading out the building to the faculty parking lot to his car. Pulling out his car keys, Kai unlocked the car and climbed into his car, before pulling out and heading in the direction of Kenny's house. It would probably be better if he spoke to Kenny's parents personally and explained what was going on. That and he wanted to check up on the boy.
In a matter of ten minutes, Kai was pulling up to the curb in front of Kenny's house. Cutting off the car engine and pulling the key from the ignition, Kai stepped out of the car, strolling up to the house and ringing the doorbell. Waiting a few minutes, the door was opened by a man maybe two or three inches shorter than Kai with black hair, a pair of blue-violet eyes looked up at him with curiosity. "May I help you?"
"You must be Kenny's father," Kai said. "It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Shinoda. I'm Kenny's English teacher, Mr. Hiwatari."
"Oh, come in," Kenny's father said, ushering the young man into the house. "Honey, Kenny's English teacher, Mr. Hiwatari, has stopped by." A woman in her late forties with the same brown which made up Kenny's hair walked out from the kitchen. Brown eyes studied him with before a smile crossed her lips.
"I'm Kenny's mother, it's a pleasure to meet you," the woman said.
"Thank you very much," Kai said politely. "I'm sorry that I have to make this a brief visit, I just stopped by to talk to you about today."
"Oh, don't tell me that he's offended you too?" Kenny's mother said. "His bad habits are starting to persist. I would like to give you my deepest apologies if he has done something irreparable. We will have a talk to him when he wakes up from his nap."
"No, no that's not what I came by to speak with you about," Kai shook his head. "I just wanted to tell you that everything has been straightened out. There was a talk between Kenny's teachers and the Vice Principal and Principal, and it was decided that the teacher who suspended your son had a bias against him, and there was really no reason that your son needed such a drastic punishment. So he is allowed to come back to school tomorrow."
"Really?" Kenny's mother sighed relieved that Kenny wasn't turning out to be a delinquent. "That's such a relief to know. Thank you so much for coming to tell us that. We feared that he was getting into trouble and was heading down a wrongful path."
"I can assure you that he's in no way a problem. He's quite a brilliant and diligent student. I enjoy having him in my class," Kai smiled. "You have nothing to worry about at all."
"Thank you so much Mr. Hiwatari," Kenny's mother bowed slightly to the young man. "You know, it would be a pleasure to have you over for dinner one day. I'm not much of a cook, but I'm an excellent hostess."
"I think I will take you up on that offer one day," Kai said, reaching into his back pocket to pull out a small white card. Stretching out his hand towards the woman, he watched as she took it then looked down at it. "That has my home phone number and my cell phone number. Could you tell your son to get in contact with me tonight so I can go over with him today's lesson?"
"Of course," the woman nodded. "So what are you teaching them currently?"
"We're taking time out to analyze one of my favorite poet's during the Romantic period, Samuel Taylor Coleridge," Kai smiled, seeing the light in Kenny's father's eyes brighten at mention of the poet's name.
"I think I could get along with you very well," Kenny's father laughed. "Now you will have to accept my wife's offer to come over for dinner."
"I promise that I will take you up on the offer soon, it's been quite a while since I've had anyone cook for me, instead of me cooking for my housemates. But I should be getting home now. I still have many papers to grade from a test my World Literature class took yesterday," Kai replied.
"Oh, of course, and as soon as Kenny gets up, we will make sure he calls you," Kenny's father said, escorting Kai to the front door. "Now don't forget about our offer for dinner."
"I promise I won't," Kai assured. "Thank you for your time, and I will let Kenny know when you should be expecting me for dinner." Walking back down to his car, Kai got in on the driver's side of the car, placing the key back into the ignition. Cranking the car up, he took it out of park and shifted the car into drive, his destination was his home.
