Soichi chapter 9

"Alright, Amber are you ready to do this?" Kazuto asks.

"Yeah. Just let me try to walk." I stand up and almost immediately fall to the ground. Luckily Yusuke was there to catch me. His strong arms wrap around my shoulders and back as I scream in pain.

"Be careful! You're going to hurt yourself even more! Just try not to use that leg okay?" he smiles at me and helps me stand back up.

"I don't think I will be able to make it to the doctors' office. Do you think you could call him and see if he can make a home visit? Or I can call Nazuna and see if she can come and get me." I tell Kazuto.

"Sure thing. Yusuke, try to get her to the couch while I get some ice for her okay?" he addresses Yusuke.

"Okay. Should I carry you or can you walk?"

I roll my eyes slightly "What do you think? Did I not just fall standing up?"

"Right." He lifts me up in his arms and lays me down on the couch and elevates my swollen ankle. I take off my high tops and put ice on my ankle and wait for the doctor to come.

The grey British-made couch is so soft and comfortable. Yusuke heads off to his classes and Kazuto brings me a glass of water and covers me up with a blanket just as the doctor knocks on our front door. After about ten minutes of examining and bandaging, the doctor calls his assistant and they take me to the hospital and I get X-Rays done. Sure enough, there is a small break in my ankle that should heal in about three to four weeks. I am given a pair of crutches and a medical boot. Kazuto helps me get in the house and then he leaves about four o'clock to get groceries. I go to the park, despite my injury, I refuse to be cooped up in a house all day.

On my way home I see Soichi arguing with somebody on the phone. As soon as he sees me he hangs up the phone.

"Oh. It's you again." He says to me. He's putting on an act because we are in public. "You're late today."

"Um yeah. It's not like I just broke my ankle last night or anything." I say sarcastically.

"I figured as much, seeing how you have crutches and all."

"I was just at the park. I refuse to stay cooped up in that house for the next three to four weeks unless it's to go to class."

"Three to four weeks?" he asks in a shocked tone.

"Yeah. It was just a minor fracture but I hate this damn boot. It's really irritating."

"Well, you could just take it off and try not to set your foot down."

"I could but Kazuto will probably get upset because I'm not following doctors' orders or something like that."

"True."

He asks me why I decided to pursue the design career and I told him that it was because I loved drawing and when I was in high school I made posters with my friends and kept on designing all types of things after that. Including skateboards and I designed the concrete ramps and stuff in the skate park with spray paint. When we get back, Bunta has already taken my place in making dinner even though I said I would be fine just chopping tomatoes or something but Kazuto insisted I rest. At dinner I tell everyone about how I wanted to conduct an experiment about how guys treat girls depending on how they act and dress and that I wanted to show everyone that not all girls are all nail polish and Satoru Tanaka. They were all amazed by my statement and Chihiro had the same expression in his face as this morning when he saw my leather jacket. After dinner, I go to my room to study and think back over Chihiro's playing this afternoon. I decided to take a trip to the cafeteria because they had some Warabi-mochi and he was playing in the next room over. I decide to head down to the studio because I haven't seen it yet.

As I get close to the studio, I hear a melody being played on the piano. I step into the studio and smell oil paints. Yusuke must be here. I look around the room and see him with a paintbrush in his hand as he studies a blank canvas. I continue to scope out the room and realize Sho is sculpting some sort of bird and off in a corner, Soichi is sitting in front of a computer. Bunta is also in the studio next to Soichi toying with his camera.

"Hey, Amber's here!" Sho says excitedly.

"Wow, you guys… Sho are you sculpting an eagle?"

He nods at me. "Yep. Why don't you come study here sometime?"

"I should… It would be easier on my ankle." I stand there nervously and Yusuke catches my eye. I give him a little nod and he grins at me. Wow… everyone is doing what they love in here. Chihiro looks at me and then goes back to playing the piano. Soichi and Bunta are deep into their work and don't even look up. Yusuke walk up to me and starts to talk.

"Whatcha doing Am?" he asks me. I told everyone at dinner that I prefer to be called Am instead of Amber.

"I was just looking around." I reply lost in amazement.

"There is a courtyard over there through those doors. You should go check it out sometime too. It's really nice."

"I will. But this place…"

"What?" he asks in wonder.

"This place is amazing. And I thought the living room was big… I don't even know what to say."

He laughs. "Yeah. I think we all were surprised when we first saw it too."

Just then, Sho walks over and joins our conversation. "Yusuke, are you hitting on Amber again? C'mon."

"What's the matter Sho? You jealous?" he smirks at him.

"N-no… I'm n-not…. Jealous… I just…"

"Don't stutter Sho, just keep it cool." As Yusuke chuckles, there is a big bang that echoes across the entire studio. I turn my head to the point the noise came from and see Soichi standing up.

"This isn't a place for your stupid chatting you know! In case you haven't noticed, people are trying to study here."

Yusuke smiles calmly at Soichi' sudden outburst. "Sorry but we were just showing Amber around. Just cut us some slack. She's new here."

He screws up his face in anger. "I'm trying to become a first-rate architect. Unlike you guys I…"

"That's enough! Everyone is working hard, not just you!" at my angry retort, everyone falls silent. The only sound is Chihiro's piano playing.

"I was right. She does have an attitude." I glare at Yusuke and he puts his hands up in defeat.

"Soichi… everybody is working hard here. Chihiro is practicing piano, Yusuke spends hours at the easel…" Sho looks straight at Soichi. "And I'm sculpting. It's not much but I'm working on it!"

Soichi narrows his eyes and Yusuke butts in and breaks the tension. "C'mon Sho, don't get all worked up too."

Sho apologizes to Yusuke.

"It's cool, right Soh?" but Soichi stays silent. The door opens to the studio and a man I've never seen before walks in. Who is that?

-To Be Continued-