Chapter 11
After she's been dropped off at her house by Shizuru, Kai noticed an unfamiliar car at the parking spot that belonged to her and her mother's apartment. Shrugging it off as one of her mother's friends from the office, she continued to walk in to the apartment building.
"Mama?" she called out while taking off her shoes and walking in to find an empty living room.
"In the kitchen!"
Upon entering the kitchen, she found her mother by the table, bent over a ridiculous amount of papers and file holders filled with color schemes, fabric patterns, invitation samples and only God knows what else.
"Wow, you've got one hell of an operation going on here! Isn't Isao-san supposed to help you with your plans to take over the world and cover it with peach colored tablecloths and those taffeta horrors?" she asked pointing in the direction of a bridal magazine spread on the table showing two bridesmaids smiling like maniacs, dressed in sugar plum colored dresses.
Sachiko looked up shortly from the notes she was writing down on a small note pad. "Isao is very busy today. He and our real-estate agent are checking out a few apartments in Shibuya. Besides I have Aine-chan here to help me!"
As if on queue, the short chocolate haired woman walked in, cell phone in hand and a bright smile on her face. "Sachiko-san, I just talked to the florist my sister used at her wedding and I arranged a meeting on Tuesday, is that alright?" she said putting the little pink gadget aside, then realizing Kai was also present in the kitchen her smile, if possible, got wider. "Kai-chan! It's so nice to see you again! How are you?"
Kai acknowledged the woman with a small nod but never fully turned her attention away from her mother. "Wait, aren't you supposed to set a date before you get to the planning part?"
Sachiko giggled girlishly and attempted to cover her blushing face with one hand. "Well, Isao and I talked about this yesterday, and we decided that since neither of us is getting any younger there's really no point in wasting time. The wedding will be on the 25th of August!"
Slowly looking from her mother to the ever-beaming Aine, Kai searched for some clue that would tell her her mother was joking. None came.
"Two months? You've finally lost it haven't you? It's all that hairspray! I told you that stuff would fry your brain one day!" Kao exclaimed as she collapsed on one of the chairs.
The two older women laughed at Kai's words and the expression of total shock on her face.
"Mama, even I know it takes more than two months to plan a wedding! Are you planning to have it in some back yard and have all the guests walk around barefoot?!"
"Well of course not! Aine-chan here has been so sweet to volunteer to help us with all the planning and the preparations, it will be perfect!"
"And do you actually know what you're doing?" Kai turned to Aine, apprehension clear in her eyes as she scanned the girl from her head to her toes.
"Kai!" Sachiko cried out. "I'm so sorry Aine-chan! My daughter usually has more manners than she bothers to show." She added, throwing Kai a warning look.
"It's alright Sachiko-san, Kai-chan is clearly just concerned for your happiness." Aine assured her with a gentle smile. "I helped all my sisters plan their weddings, and a few of my friends too. You don't have to worry about this Kai-chan." She then added in a reassuring manner.
Giving the woman a last up-and-down look Kai sighed in defeat. "Alright, then I'll be in my room if you need me."
--
Kuwabara was holding an ice pack against his swollen left eye with an irked look on the part of his face that was visible. "Damn it Urameshi, remind me why we scheduled this training in the first place?"
"Oh c'mon, you ask this every time!" Yusuke impatiently said as he screwed the cap back on to the bottle of water.
"Well it's not like we're out of shape! We could do something fun for a change, like go to the arcade!" Kuwabara's voice picked up as he failed his arm around expressively, dropping the ice pack on the ground.
"Hn, if you weren't out of shape than you wouldn't need the ice pack." Hiei smirked at the tall man crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back against one of the poles supporting the roof of the veranda.
Not having anything smart to throw back at his teammate Kuwabara instead chose to shoot him a sharp look, which only made the other man's smirk grow wider. The steady sound of a ringing phone interrupted the stare down as both Kuwabara and Yusuke reached for their pockets before realizing the tune was not their ring tone. Raising curious eyes at Kurama who was seated a short distance away, they saw him pulling out the sleek source of the tune.
"Moshi-moshi. Ah, Aine, how are you?" was all they heard before he gracefully stood up and walked away to continue the conversation with some privacy.
"Great. How's your day with your friends going?" her delicate voice poured through the speakers to reach his sharp ears.
"Fine. Did you need something?" he said, glancing back at his friends who by now have lost all interest in him and were busy arguing over something.
"Well, actually…I was wondering if it would be alright if I cancelled our date today. I wanted to take Sachiko-san to a few places to help her decide on the caterer for her wedding." Aine's voice bubbled with excitement.
"Ah, no problem." So much for his plans for today. "I will call you tomorrow then." He said, intending to finish the conversation at that point and get back to his business.
"Actually…Tomorrow I'm taking her and Isao-san to see the ballroom my older sister used at her wedding. Rain-check?" she asked hopefully.
"Of course, call me when your schedule clears up then."
"Sure. Bye sweetie, love you!"
"Bye." Kurama pressed the end button without returning the words, as usually.
Walking back, he uncharacteristically plumped onto the ground by the wall near Hiei with what could only be described as a pout on his face.
"Something wrong man?" Kuwabara inquired, studying his friends face.
"No." Kurama pinched the bridge of his nose, irritation evident in his voice. "Your father's wedding must be very soon. Apparently, Aine is helping Sachiko-san plan it as we speak. What date did they set it to?" he quickly changed the subject and raised his eyes to look at Kuwabara's face. He raised an eyebrow at the shocked expression on it.
"What you were hoping not to invite us?" Yusuke feigned insult, putting his hand to his chest. "That hurts man, that hurt's right here." He tapped his fingers on his chest, where his heart would be.
"I didn't know they already picked a date." He muttered, explaining his reaction to the ever-curious fox whose expression, in turn, morphed into one of puzzlement.
"Ah."
The four members of the group fell silent, or in fact, three of them fell silent, as the fourth has never once opened his mouth throughout the whole conversation, not even to make a stab at his friend and the newly discovered information. The silence was broken once again, by the shrill ringing of a phone screaming out 'Highway to Hell' and Yusuke quickly answered the call following Kurama's example and taking a few paces away from his friends to answer the call only to return not even a minute later with a grin plastered all over his face.
"Turns out Keiko's ditching me to hang out with her preppy friends tonight. I say you beauty queens stop pouting and we go out and have ourselves a boys night out."
--
Honey colored locks cascaded in heavy curls down her back as emerald eyes scanned over the page of the book laying on the table. The girl looked up at the sound of rustling wings heading in her direction and moments later a messenger bird landed gracefully on the table and spoke to the girl in a very much human voice.
"Inagawa Kanaye-san, your sister has requested to inform you that all is ready and she is expecting your visit as planned."
Kanaye looked at the bird waiting for it to continue but after a few seconds, it became apparent that the short message was all it wanted to deliver.
"Thank you." She nodded with a bright smile and didn't even wait for the messenger to take off as she already ran out of the room, blowing out the candles and almost shutting the window on the birds tail with a flick of her wrist as she continued to run down the hall.
What's this? A new chapter?
Hope you're as exited as me kiddies!
x's & o's