Well here it is, the next chapter. Once again I would like to offer my thanks to Fear Silencer. I know that I originally started with Onezerozero's help and there was a time where I would not have trusted anyone else to proofread this for me, but I'm glad that I came across you after his disappearance. So thanks man, you've done an amazing job of helping me keep this story afloat.
Now I want to do something I usually don't do, I want to ask you all to leave a review. Normally I don't ask for reviews because I write for my own enjoyment. But if there's one thing I've learned over writing this story over the last couple of years it's that every time I saw that I had a review alert my day was made. Even if it was a short one I was always happy to hear my the voice of my readers. As a writer I love receiving feedback, I want to know what you liked about my story or what you didn't like.
Anyway enough of this long AN, let's get on with the story. Please enjoy.
Life at the Shinozaki's
Chapter fourteen:
Gray eyes narrowed as Kishinuma Yoshiki glared down at the list that his sister had given him, as regrettably another address had just been crossed out. "Still nothing good." Running a hand through his hair he breathed out a sigh. "I don't know why I'm having so much trouble finding a place." The blonde muttered under his breath, allowing some of his frustration at his inability to find a decent home show.
Having heard his mutterings Ayumi and Miki both turned to look at the blonde. Gray and blue eyes softened in sympathy at his current predicament. "It'll be okay, Onii-chan. We'll find something." His younger sister was the first to speak up. Miki hoped that her words were cheerful enough to uplift her brother's current mood. She didn't like seeing that downtrodden expression on his face.
At hearing his sister speak Yoshiki glanced over to her, as Ayumi nodded in tandem with Miki's words. "Miki-chan's right, Kishinuma-kun. We just need to keep on trying." The dark haired girl encouraged, echoing the younger girl's cheer.
The blonde sighed again before looking at Ayumi. "We've been saying that for five weeks now. And still nothing has turned up." Really he wanted to be like them and keep optimistic. However after over a month of aggressively searching only to have nothing to show for it, it wasn't easy to keep his irritation in check. He was especially regretting not accepting some of those less than adequate listings he had looked at weeks prior.
"Today's the last day I'll be able to spend a lot of time looking." He informed the two. "Exams start tomorrow, with tests and having to work in the evenings I'm not going to have time to look. By next weekend I've got to be out of your house, Shinozaki." The blonde finished unloading his frustrations to the twin tailed girl.
Her expression becoming crestfallen Ayumi met her friend's gaze with a pained one of her own. "I'm sorry, Kishinuma-kun." Not having anything better to say she shifted her eyes away.
The blonde, upon seeing her sad face, sobered up as he came to the realization that he was being stupid. He was annoyed at himself for his inability to find a home, it wasn't right to let his sister and friend take the brunt of his foul mood. "No," Shoulders slouching he apologized. "I'm sorry Shinozaki." He felt it to be in bad taste that he had acted like that in front of Ayumi and his sister. "You guys are trying to help me and I'm just standing here complaining." He looked away from them, shame apparent on his face.
Ayumi glanced back at him with a soft look, not taking his less than stellar mood personally. "It's okay, we understand." Miki nodded in agreement.
Yoshiki rubbed the back of his head as another sigh slipped out. "Well, we got one more listing left for today. Maybe this'll be the lucky last one?" He said with a shrug, not even allowing himself to believe for a second that this would be the one.
As it turned out the final listing of the day also ended up being a dead end as well. The three teenagers decided it was time to head back for the day, still no closer to finding Yoshiki a new home.
The blonde's earlier discouragement remained, but he wasn't about to lay down and give up. "I might have some time after school on Wednesday." Since the start of his stay at Ayumi's house Yoshiki hadn't worked on Wednesdays. So that would be his best bet at a last chance to find something.
Miki nodded, not letting herself be deterred in the slightest. "Right. Then I'll keep my eyes open this time for sure." She told him, a fire in her eyes.
"Bye, Ayumi-san, Onii-chan!" The younger girl called out as she left.
Once Miki left their sight Yoshiki released a sigh he had been holding onto. "Man..." He scratched the back of his head.
Ayumi spared him a glance as they started walking in the direction of her house. "It'll be okay, Kishinuma-kun." She kept trying to reassure him.
Despite feeling down Yoshiki appreciated her effort at cheering him up. "I hope so..." He offered her a strained smile.
His weak response gave her the impression that he was close to giving up. Ayumi didn't like seeing her friend like this, entering class-rep mode she fixed him with a frown before lightly scolding him. "Come on, Kishinuma-kun. You and I know that's not the right attitude to have." If you don't believe you can then you won't, the words went unspoken.
Yoshiki looked away, understanding what she was trying to convey, and nodded. "I know...I know it's not right to think like this, but it's not easy. After five weeks of painstakingly searching with no results." The blonde ran a hand through his hair again. "Too rundown, too expensive, not enough amenities, horrible potential roommates." He listed off just some of the things that had kept him from renting. Just thinking about his lackluster results made him depressed. Suddenly he felt a delicate hand on his shoulder, causing him to stop walking.
Turning to he saw Ayumi with a serious expression on her face. "Kishinuma-kun, on top of searching for a new place to live you've been working, keeping up with school, and even helping around the house. I'm sure if I ask my parents they wouldn't mind extending your stay." The dark haired girl assured him. "Okaa-san loves having you around. And Otou-san doesn't dislike you either." Even after Yoshiki forced the two of them to have their little talk Ayato still didn't dislike him. If anything it seemed that his unspoken respect for the blonde had notably increased.
"Shinozaki..." He looked at her with awe.
Ayumi smiled up at him, silently encouraging him to keep pushing forward. "So don't worry, Kishinuma-kun. If you can't find anything we'll beg my parents not to throw you on the street." She told him cheerfully, making the blonde want to smile. "It'll all work out, you'll see." The twin tailed girl promised him, wholeheartedly believing so.
Yoshiki stared at her for a moment before nodding. While he still wasn't entirely sure he did feel better, he could always count on Ayumi to lift his spirits. 'I don't know how you do it, Shinozaki. But thanks.' Even when he didn't believe in himself she would do so for him. "Thanks, Shinozaki." He told her out loud before starting to walk again. Ayumi watched the blonde for a second before smiling and moving to catch up.
Monday morning started off as any other day. Yoshiki and Ayumi arrived in the kitchen to the sight of Asuka preparing a delicious breakfast and Ayato was seated at the table with his face in his newspaper. The two teens silently took their seats across from the older man who made a hum of acknowledgement at their presence.
Turning from her current task Asuka smiled softly at the two teens. "Good morning, you two." The brown eyed woman greeted them happily. "I hope you guys are hungry, I made breakfast extra special today." She told them before returning her attention to the stove.
Ayato looked over at them from his newspaper and cleared his throat. "Kishinuma," He addressed the blonde who whipped his gaze from Asuka over to Ayumi's father. "I wanted to let you know that Asuka and I discussed what we talked about last night..."
Yoshiki's eyes became slightly wary as he recalled Ayumi's request to her parents. At the dinner table the dark haired girl had made good on her promise of asking to extend his stay until he found a suitable residence. While Asuka had nearly jumped up to voice her acceptance, Ayato had asked the teens to allow them to discuss it at length.
Ayato looked over at his wife's form knowing that there hadn't really been much to discuss as far as she was concern. His wife had been more than happy to extend Yoshiki's stay, and he didn't have too many reservations against letting the blonde stay for a bit longer. "Asuka and I have decided to let you stay here a little longer, until you manage to find a place." He informed the blonde of their decision.
While he would have preferred for the blonde to already have his own place and be out of his house, Ayato could not claim to want to send him to the streets. Yoshiki had been trying really hard and he appreciated the young man's efforts. As long as he continued being a respectful house guest Ayato would have no problems.
Yoshiki looked at Ayumi's father with surprised appreciation. The previous night he and Ayumi had asked her parents if they would allow him to stay a little longer if he didn't find a place in time. While Asuka was obviously on board Ayumi's father had of course required some time to think about it. Thankfully, after sleeping on the issue, the middle aged man's response had been favorable.
Offering a look of gratitude he nodded. "Th-thank you sir," He managed gratefully. "I-I'm sorry that it's taking me so long to find a new place." He felt some of his lingering frustration from the previous day appear. Mentally shaking his head he tried to ignore it. "I swear I will not be here much longer." He stopped as Ayato held his hand up.
"It's fine, Kishinuma. Asuka and I know you've been trying your best." His words were accompanied by a tired sigh. "We've seen you leave here nearly every weekend to go and search. On top of that we know that your hard at work with school and your job. Not to mention that you've helped around the house when asked to, having you here these last few weeks hasn't been much trouble. Just remember to pay what you owe at the end of this week, and there won't be any problems."
Yoshiki nodded again. "Of course, Shinozaki-san. Thank you again." He said, utterly relieved that he wouldn't be being thrown out at the end of the week. Now he'd be able to concentrate a little more on exams, though he'd still be going out Wednesday evening before work to go look.
"Good, after your summer vacation starts you'll have more time to look. So hopefully with the extra time you'll have some more luck with finding a place." Ayato said before returning his gaze to his paper only to be disturbed by a light tap on his shoulder.
"Ayato, paper." Ayumi's mother reminded her husband as she began setting the first plate down on the table. The dark haired man exhaled an exasperated sigh but complied, closing his paper and placing it on the floor.
After cleaning off their plates Asuka shooed the two teenagers out of the kitchen before they could even offer to do the dishes. "Go get ready you two. You'll need all the energy you can get for exams today." Her kind voice followed them out of the room.
Once they had all of their things in order the pair left the house and began the fairly short trek to school. It's a nice warm morning, Yoshiki mused as he walked alongside the object of his affections. Today had already started on a positive note. He wouldn't be getting kicked out at the end of the week, he had a wonderful breakfast, and he was walking alongside Shinozaki Ayumi. He was so lost in thought that he didn't hear the girl next to him was speaking until she poked his shoulder. "Huh?" He looked at her and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, Shinozaki. I was lost in thought."
Ayumi's frown disappeared the moment she saw that his attention was on her. "Good luck today, Kishinuma-kun. I wanted to tell you that I think you're going to do really well on exams." She told him with cheerful encouragement. Ayumi's confidence in his ability to pass his exams was in no way unfounded, in the last six weeks she had watched the steady improvement in his grades. 'Kishinuma-kun will score well.' She was certain.
The bleached haired teen felt his heart flutter at her inspiring words. "Thanks, Shinozaki." He returned her cheerful smile with a small smirk. "It's because you spent so much time helping me," Even if his improvement in class was due to him applying himself he knew that it would in no way be possible without the girl next to him. "I'll do my best this week." He wouldn't let her down.
Ayumi beamed at his appreciation. "I might have helped you, but you were always capable. All you needed was just someone to push you at the right moment."
Yoshiki nodded, unable to disagree with her statement. "Yeah...Yeah I did." He replied before turning his attention forward.
They arrived at school a few minutes earlier than usual, early enough that they were able to beat Naomi and Seiko to the shoe lockers. After changing their shoes the pair headed to class 2-9, and upon entering they saw that many of their classmates had yet to arrive. The only members of their friends who were there were Mayu and Sakutaro. The former of whom was going over some last minute studying with the dark haired boy's help.
Upon noticing Ayumi and Yoshiki, Mayu perked up and waved the duo over. "Hey, Shinozaki-san and Kishinuma-kun. Good morning." She greeted them cheerfully.
"Good morning, Suzumoto-san."
"Morning."
Yoshiki and Ayumi greeted them at the same time as they approached the pair. Sakutaro offered them a brief greeting before returning his attention back to Mayu. Unfortunately with the arrival of their friends Mayu was no longer as focused on her last minute cramming.
"So, are you guys ready for this?" The brown haired girl inquired.
Ayumi nodded, confident that she would score near the top of their class, alongside Sakutaro. "I'm ready to get it over with." The blonde teen of their group uttered, prompting Mayu to nod in agreement.
"Me too. Studying with Shige-nii has been fun and all," The sweet girl admitted with a small smile and pink cheeks. "but the closer summer gets the harder it is to focus." She admitted sheepishly.
Sakutaro sighed, giving up on the idea of helping Mayu prepare. 'Exams are already here, too much last minute cramming might do more harm than good.' He conceded as he joined in the conversation. "As much as I don't mind taking tests I am looking forward to the break as well." He admitted.
Just then the classroom door slid open and more students started entering, notably Shinohara Seiko, Nakashima Naomi, and Mochida Satoshi. The latter two were red faced and holding hands. Seiko was in the midst of teasing them when she noticed the other members of their group of friends. "Hey guys, the gang's all here." She called out before heading over to them with the other two in tow.
Ayumi looked over at the happy new couple, ever since they officially started dating she hadn't exchanged very many words with them. The first time she saw them together as a couple it had stung a little, mostly due to her lingering crush, but now seeing them together didn't bother her nearly as much as it used to. If anything she was genuinely happy that her friends were happy together. She greeted them with a warm smile that only the class-rep of 2-9 could create.
"Good morning." Ayumi said before putting her hands on her hips and entering class-rep mode. "I hope you've all studied these last few weeks. Exams are important." She reminded them, prompting the group to collectively nod.
"Of course, Class-rep." Naomi spoke up. "The study guide you made came in real handy." She thanked the short statured girl with an appreciative smile. The rest of the group also offered their own thanks for Ayumi's efforts.
"This test will be a cake walk." Seiko, her chest puffed out, exclaimed confidently.
Naomi fixed her best friend with a grin. "What's the atomic number for sodium?" She quizzed her.
Seiko grinned in response. "That's an easy one, eleven." She proudly claimed.
Sakutaro pushed his glasses up his nose before adding in his own question. "What about for Samarium?" His question caused Seiko to hesitate as she tried to remember what that one was.
"Ummm..." Seiko scratched her chin as she took a minute to think before snapping her fingers. "I know, sixty-two. Oh I'm good." Her Cheshire grin in place she did a little victory dance as Naomi rolled her eyes.
Not long after that their homeroom teacher entered the room and everyone took their seats as the bell rang. The roll was called, tests were passed out, and exams had finally begun.
"Oh man, that final test was harder than I thought it would be." Satoshi claimed as the final bell rang. Leaning back in his seat he stretched his arms.
Yoshiki nodded in agreement as he massaged his sore hand. During that last test he had been gripping his pencil a little too tightly that it had caused his hand to cramp. "It was hard, but I think I did okay." He told the brunette with some confidence. 'At least better than I would have thought I could do.' Having studied with Ayumi was really paying off.
While taking their tests he had actually felt assured of himself when answering. He glanced over at the dark haired girl who was happily chatting away with Mayu. He smiled lightly. "You're staring." Satoshi's voice cut in.
The blonde flinched slightly and sent a weak glare to the brunette who chuckled. "I don't know what you're talking about." Yoshiki, grabbing his bag, told him before making for the door.
Seeing that the tables had turned for once Satoshi smirked lightly before breaking into a light jog to catch up with his best friend. "Hey, I know what it's like to pine from afar." He claimed while matching his friend's stride. "Though if Naomi hadn't told me I would have never guessed you liked Shinozaki. She's something else if she managed to catch your attention." The brunette's words, while teasing, did seem genuine.
The blonde didn't even have it in him to be annoyed at Satoshi. Shoving his hands into his pockets he sighed. "Yeah, yeah." Yoshiki uttered, confirming to Satoshi where his affections were directed.
Satoshi looked surprised for a moment before his smile returned. "Wow, Yoshiki I didn't think you'd actually admit it so easily. You really like her don't you?" Yoshiki had never really talked about his feelings ever, so this was an interesting development.
Yoshiki looked embarrassed at telling Satoshi all of this but nodded nonetheless. He may have wanted his feelings for Ayumi to remain a secret but he was no means ashamed of them. "Of course I do. If it weren't for her I wouldn't even be here right now." Satoshi had no idea just how much Yoshiki owed Ayumi, if it wasn't for her they wouldn't even be friends right now.
Not being privy to interactions Ayumi and Yoshiki had shared before becoming friends, Satoshi had no idea what Yoshiki was referring to. Though he could glean from Yoshiki's words alone that whatever had transpired between them beforehand had played a big role into shaping him into the person he was today. "Well I'm glad. I hope you'll eventually find the courage to confess. Shinozaki would be lucky to have a guy like you." Satoshi told him encouragingly.
The blonde frowned but accepted the compliment. "Thanks..." He said, appreciating Satoshi's kind words. A part of him wanted to entertain the idea that Ayumi would one day reciprocate his feelings, but he still held no illusions. The fact that Ayumi and he had become as close as they had was more than enough for him, he felt like asking for more, especially right now, would be asking for too much.
Tuesday passed by with little fanfare. The students of Kisaragi spent another fine day testing and stressing on whether or not they'd do well on their exams. Wednesday however was when things changed. The morning started out much differently than any other morning Yoshiki had spent at Ayumi's.
Coming out of his temporary room Yoshiki was slightly surprised to see Ayumi, still clad in her pajamas, also exiting her bedroom. "Ah, Shinozaki." He called out as she closed her door. "Good morning." He greeted the short statured girl.
Ayumi turned to him with a tired yet pleasant smile, she still looked a little sleepy but greeted him as cheerfully as possible. "Good morning, Kishinuma-kun." She said while stifling a yawn. The two teens made their way to the kitchen to join her parents for breakfast.
The smell coming from the kitchen was tantalizing. "Are you sure you don't need any help?" Asuka's voice was heard.
Yoshiki found himself straining his ears as another quiet yet vaguely familiar voice responded. "Not at all, Okaa-san. Sit down and relax, it's been far too long since I've last made a meal."
Yoshiki glanced over at Ayumi, ready to question if she knew who the very feminine voice belonged to, only to see her looking fully awake. "Onee-chan." The blue haired girl muttered happily before quickly making for the kitchen. "Onee-chan!" Yoshiki heard her happily call out as he followed her into the kitchen.
Ayato and his wife were both seated at the table, the latter of whom was flipping through his paper as expected. Yoshiki's gaze turned to the owner of the familiar voice, standing at the stove, currently being held in a tight hug by Ayumi, was a brown haired woman wearing a yellow blouse and jeans. Her dark brown hair was long and from her profile she appeared to have a very kind air to her. Shinozaki Hinoe had returned.
Hinoe chuckled at her little sister's affections, patting her head with one hand. "I've missed you too, Ayumi-chan." She told the sixteen year old. "Now go sit down while I finish breakfast or you won't have enough time to get ready."
Ayumi nodded, releasing her sister, and following her instructions. Hinoe looked over at the blonde who was standing in the entrance, watching the entire exchange. Yoshiki had never seen Ayumi so excited, it was kind of cute to see how close she was to her big sister. So lost in his thoughts he almost didn't hear the young woman addressing him.
"It's very nice to finally meet you in person, Kishinuma-kun." The brown haired woman greeted, her tone warm and full of kindness.
Breaking out of his thoughts Yoshiki met her warm eyes and offered an awkward smile. This was Ayumi's older sister, the one who she held such admiration for, the one whose room he had been occupying for the last five, nearly six weeks. Nodding he stepped forward. "It's nice to meet you in person, Hinoe-san." He greeted, trying to be polite.
Hinoe smiled mischievously at him. "You know, my offer to call me Onee-san still stands." She teased, causing both Yoshiki's and Ayumi's faces to heat up ever so slightly.
Yoshiki gulped and held his hands up. "Th-that's quite alright. Thank you though." The blonde said, thankfully with minimal stuttering, before taking his seat next to Ayumi.
Looking over at her older sister Ayumi started speaking. "It's so nice to finally see you again, but I thought you weren't coming back until Friday." She mentioned, curious as to what could cause her sister's early return.
"My group finished up sooner than expected. I felt that there was no real reason to linger, so I took an early flight back." Hinoe explained as she finished the meal and started setting the table. Asuka nudged her husband with a quiet whisper, telling him to put the paper down.
Yoshiki felt his mouth watering at the heavenly scent around him, the meal was a very simple one. Grilled fish, natto, pickled daikon, and rice. It was simple, but delicious easily as good as Asuka's. 'Guess I can figure who taught Shinozaki's sister how to cook.' Hinoe, seated between Ayumi and Asuka, smiled at everyone happily eating her meal.
"Ah, I've missed your cooking, Onee-chan." Ayumi said as her sister stood up and began gathering the dirty dishes.
Hinoe's expression became thankful at her younger sister's praise before turning on the sink. "I'm happy you enjoyed it, Ayumi-chan. It had been awhile since I last cooked, so I was afraid that I had gotten a little rusty." The brown haired woman was clearly glad that her skills in the culinary department were still appreciated.
"Hinoe," Ayato spoke up suddenly. "You said that you had something to discuss with us after breakfast." He reminded her.
His eldest daughter looked at her father before nodding. "Yes I do. But I think it can wait until Ayumi-chan and Kishinuma-kun can get themselves a little more presentable. They'll want to hear this too." She informed her father who frowned but nodded nonetheless.
Ayumi stared at her sister oddly but didn't question, deciding that she would find out soon enough. The two teens headed back to their respective rooms to prepare for the day. Yoshiki vaguely wondered if he should ask Hinoe if she wanted him to get his stuff out of her room now that she was back, but decided not to worry about that right this second.
Once dressed and ready for the day the two teens entered the living room, seeing the rest of the Shinozaki family waiting for them. Hinoe smiled at everyone being present before taking a deep breath and gently clasping her hands together. "Okaa-san, Otou-san." She started out. "I've decided that it's time I move out."
The room was silent as the four other occupants stared at her, surprised by this announcement. Neither Ayato or Asuka looked distressed by this, though they did wonder where this seemingly out of the blue decision had come from. "May I ask why?" Ayato voiced his question.
As if prepared for this Hinoe explaining her decision. "Well I'm nearly thirty years old, I feel that it's time I get out on my own. All birds need to leave the nest eventually." She explained in her gentle tone.
Ayato nodded, finding her reasoning to be very sound. "You're an adult and we can't tell you what to do. If you wish to no longer live in this house we hope you will continue to be successful." Her father told her, supporting her decision.
Ayumi pouted, sad that she would no longer be under the same roof as her big sister. Even though she had started the slow process of bettering her relationship with her parents, Ayumi didn't feel that she would ever be as close to them like she was to her sister. 'Hopefully when I graduate Nee-chan will let me move in with her...'
"So why did we all need to hear this?" A somewhat confused Yoshiki questioned. During Hinoe's speech he couldn't help but wonder what he was doing here in the middle of this. This was something that was obviously for the Shinozaki family.
Hinoe's smile turned into a grin as she glanced at the blonde. "Well, Kishinuma-kun this does kind of affect you. You see," She turned to face him fully. "I already have a nice apartment lined up and I can afford it on my own. But it is somewhat spacious, there's an unoccupied room that I have no use for. I wouldn't mind having a roommate. Interested?" She asked as the blonde stared at her, gray eyes wide in surprise.
Asuka's expression brightened up as Ayato's frown turned into a light scowl. Ayumi, pout still in place, looked at her sister in shock before glancing at her blonde friend. She was unable to completely ignore the slight flare of jealousy she felt for Yoshiki being offered the chance to live with her sister. 'Why does he get to live with her while I'm still stuck here!?' She bemoaned in her mind.
Yoshiki, however, was speechless. In the whole time he had spent here he did not once ever fathom the idea of Ayumi's older sister asking him to become her roommate. It was so out of left field for him that he needed time to process. After a long pause he finally rediscovered his voice. "Wow, um thank you Hinoe-san." He said lamely.
The young woman smiled, not too bothered by his lack of reaction. "I'm going to sign the papers later today. If you're interested then you can come with me after you get out of school." She offered.
The blonde nodded dumbly. "Ye-yeah. I'll uh think about it." His thoughts were swirling around, still trying to process that Ayumi's sister had just asked him to become her roommate. What made her decide this course of action? Would Hinoe really be okay with him as a roommate? What should he do? Logically he knew that he should take her offer, this was his best bet to get his own place. He didn't know why he was so hesitant on it.
He heard a huff from beside him, turning he looked at Ayumi's current expression conveyed her displeasure. 'What does Shinozaki think about this?' The blonde swallowed thickly as he realized his hesitation. He wanted Ayumi's opinion on this, whether she thought him living with her sister was okay or not. 'Idiot...' He chided himself. He knew that he should just accept and be done with it, but he couldn't help but want to talk to Ayumi about this.
Ayumi glanced at the blonde next to her, mildly annoyed with his weak response. 'What's there to think about?!' She uttered in thought. If it were her being offered the chance to move out and live with her sister she'd jump at it, sadly she'd probably still be living with her parents until she finished university.
Hinoe smiled, not at all put out by Yoshiki's reluctance. "Of course, Kishinuma-kun. Take all the time you need." She told the blonde youth before standing up and returning to the kitchen to finish cleaning up.
Ayato sighed after his eldest daughter left the room before looking at Yoshiki with a mildly exasperated look. If it were anyone else he'd probably be more annoyed at the prospect of a boy living alone with his daughter. But he knew Yoshiki, and while the blonde was a bit rough around the edges he was a good kid and would treat Hinoe with due respect. Still as a father he couldn't help but be slightly put out at the fact that one of his daughters would be living alone with a man.
Asuka smiled warmly, very much happy after hearing Hinoe's proposal. "Isn't this wonderful, Kishinuma-kun? You finally found a place." She said as though it were already set in stone that Yoshiki would be living with her eldest daughter.
Yoshiki rubbed the back of his head, averting his gaze. "Yeah..." The blonde awkwardly said.
Thinking nothing of his weak reply Asuka stood up and went into the kitchen to help Hinoe finish cleaning up. Her husband sent the blonde a stern look before standing up and heading to his room to make sure he had everything before going to work.
Yoshiki sighed and closed his eyes before leaning back in the sofa. "Haaa..." He breathed out. Even if he was hesitant at the possibility of living with another Shinozaki he had a lot to think about.
"Kishinuma-kun," Ayumi's slightly clipped tone jerked him out of his thoughts. "We should really get going." Yoshiki opened his eyes and looked at her, a quick glance at the clock revealed that she was right. Nodding he stood up and followed her out of the living room.
A quick visit to their respective rooms to retrieve their bags and they found each other at the front door. Slipping on their shoes they called out their departure and headed off to school.
Shoving a hand in his pocket Yoshiki looked at the girl walking beside him curiously. She seemed annoyed about something, was she angry that Hinoe had asked him to move in with her? She had seemed a little upset when Hinoe made the big announcement. Steeling his nerves he asked her about it. "Hey Shinozaki?"
At the blonde calling her name Ayumi raised an eyebrow at him. "What?" She asked when he didn't instantly speak.
"Is...Is everything okay? You seem angry." He pointed out.
Ayumi knitted her eyebrows together at his statement before shaking her head. "I'm not angry." She told him simply. Ayumi wasn't angry, she was a little envious of Hinoe offering Yoshiki the chance to live with her. Truthfully she was a tad annoyed that he hadn't immediately jumped at her offer, it really was the perfect opportunity. Frowning she told him as such.
"I'm more annoyed than anything. Onee-chan offered you a great deal and you just brushed it off." She scolded with a chiding look.
Yoshiki lips made a fine line. "I didn't mean to brush her off, I guess I was just surprised." The blonde explained. "It almost felt like it was too good to be true." He admitted, looking off to the side.
Ayumi paused as she recalled hearing him say something similar when they had looked at an apartment. 'If something's too good to be true then it probably is.' What had she told him in response. "You...You can't think that every time good fortunate presents itself to you that it's something awful in disguise." Her lips curved into a small smile as she reiterated her previously stated words.
Recognition flashed in his gray eyes as he looked at her pretty face. He stared at her for a moment before chuckling under his breath. "It's a good thing I have you around to remind me, Shinozaki." The blue haired girl nodded up at him. "After school I'll tell Hinoe-san that I'm taking her offer and that I'm grateful for it."
Ayumi nodded approvingly. While she was still a little envious of the blonde she was overjoyed that he would finally have a home. He wouldn't ever have to worry about ending up on the streets or letting his school work decline. Things were really looking up.
It was another full day of testing, Ayumi and Yoshiki both were in very good spirits. Satoshi noticed this, when he asked the blonde what was up all he said was; "I finally found a place." And when Satoshi tried to pry for details Yoshiki just left it at that, claiming that he would tell him more at another date. It's not like the blonde would be able to hide living with Ayumi's sister forever, but for now he'd keep quiet about it. At least until everything was finalized.
Upon returning to the Shinozaki residence Yoshiki sought out Hinoe. It was pretty easy to find her, considering when he and Ayumi announced their return someone actually answered back. "Welcome home." Hinoe's kind voice had emitted from the living room.
Seeing her seated on the sofa with a cup of tea in hand Yoshiki approached her. "I've thought about it a lot, and if your offer still stands I'll gladly accept it." He told her without prelude.
Hinoe met his words with a warm smile. "I'm happy to hear that, Kishinuma-kun. In a few minutes we can leave to go sign the paper work." She offered before taking a sip of her tea.
Yoshiki smiled gratefully before nodding. "Thank you, Hinoe-san. I'm sorry for my lack of a response earlier..." He said while awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess I was just surprised. But I want you to know that I really do appreciate this."
Hinoe chuckled at the blonde's insistence. "It's okay, Kishinuma-kun. I did kind of spring it on everyone, I wasn't mad." Yoshiki looked happy to hear that. "We'll leave in a few minutes." She told him before turning the TV off and heading into the kitchen.
Yoshiki opened the door to his temporary room before entering. 'Won't be staying here much longer.' He thought with a light smile as he dropped his school bag in the corner. Sitting on the bed he crossed his arms behind his head and laid down. Staring up at the ceiling he breathed a sigh of relief, hopefully soon he'd have his own place and wouldn't have to inconvenience Ayumi's family anymore.
"That reminds me, I'll need to give Shinozaki-san the money I owe him..." Ayumi's father had told him that he would need to pay 15,000 yen for his time spent here. And Yoshiki did consider himself a man of his word.
*Vibrate, vibrate, vibrate*
Yoshiki reached into his pocket to retrieve his phone. Flipping it open his eyes scanned the new text message from his sister, asking how his last bout of apartment hunting went. Smirking he mentally pictured his little sister's response at the news he was about to deliver.
{I did find something. Shinozaki's older sister came back today, and she's getting an apartment. She asked me to be her roommate. We're going to go sign papers in a little bit.}
Pressing send Yoshiki kept his phone in hand as he waited for a response. He didn't have to wait long as a few seconds later his phone was vibrating again.
{That's awesome, Onii-chan. I'm so happy to hear that you finally found a place.}
Just as he finished reading the text, oddly devoid of his sister's usual brand of ribbing, his phone vibrated again notifying him of a new message.
{So, going to be living with your future sister-in-law, huh? ;)}
'There it is...' Yoshiki felt his left eye twitch slightly at Miki's teasing message before drafting a short one of his own.
{Shut up}
{Haha}
A few minutes later Hinoe was knocking on his door, Yoshiki kind of found that funny considering this was technically still her room. Opening the door he saw her and Ayumi, the latter still dressed in school uniform, waiting for him. Ayumi had elected to tag along, curious as to what sort of place her sister had picked out, plus she wanted to spend as much time with Hinoe as possible since she wouldn't be living with her sister anymore.
"After we sign the papers we'll be able to move in right away." Hinoe explained as they left the house.
Yoshiki nodded along as he and Ayumi followed her. "I see. How much is rent?" He asked, figuring that he probably should have asked that some time sooner.
"Rent is 40,000 Yen a month. Though we'll be splitting the bills right down the middle."
'So 20,000 yen a month?' That actually didn't sound bad at all. It'd be a tad bit more than what he had been paying at his old place. But he was pretty certain that the apartment that Hinoe had lined up was much nicer than his previous residence. "Before we sign the lease, think I can take a look at the place?" He asked, feeling that he should take the chance to see where he would be living before actually agreeing to pay for it.
Hinoe nodded, having no problem with his request. "I don't think the building manager will have a problem. I told her that I would be getting a roommate, and she knows that you haven't seen the place yet. So I'm sure you'll be allowed to look before officially agreeing." Silence befell the three as they continued walking.
Yoshiki noticed that the route was on the way to school, which would be good considering that would mean this new apartment would be closer to his work place and school than Ayumi's house had been.
"Ahh...Onee-chan it's going to be so weird not having you living at home anymore." Ayumi commented wistfully.
Hinoe glanced back at her sister with a small smile, finding Ayumi expression to be endearing. Despite being ready to move out of her parents house she would miss living with her little sister. "It'll be okay, Ayumi-chan. You know that you'll be more than welcomed to visit anytime you want." She said pulling a smile out of the younger girl. "I'm sure Kishinuma-kun wouldn't mind you visiting, right?" The brown haired woman gave the blonde a knowing look, causing his face to heat up slightly.
"Ye-yeah. No problem at all." The blonde said scratching the side of his head and not looking at Ayumi, who was beaming at the prospect of being able to visit her sister.
The older Shinozaki smiled at the two teens. They were such a nice pair. She very much approved of the blonde for her sister. "Ah, Kishinuma-kun I have a feeling you and I will get along well. Ayumi-chan has told me a lot about you, you know? I feel like I already know so much about you." Hinoe inwardly laughed at Ayumi being the one to blush now.
Looking at anywhere except at the blonde Ayumi pouted, feeling embarrassed. 'It's kind of hard not to talk to Onee-chan about Kishinuma-kun.' She defended in her head. 'He's only been staying under the same roof as me for the last month and a half.' Plus a lot of stuff had gone on between them that she felt had required her sister's valuable advice.
Meanwhile Yoshiki was surprised to hear that Ayumi had talked to her sister often about him. "Mostly bad things I assume?" He asked jokingly.
Hinoe chuckled. "Not at all. Apparently you're a true friend, Ayumi-chan knows just how lucky she is to have you around. And I agree. I'm happy my little sister has someone like you to watch out for her." She said, finding much enjoyment from the flustered looks of the two teens.
Blood rushing to her face Ayumi couldn't help but wish to disappear. "Geeze Nee-chan..." Ayumi complained in embarrassment. While she was honestly thankful for Yoshiki's friendship, hearing her sister tell him about it like this made it hard to meet his gaze.
Yoshiki silently cursed the butterflies that appeared in his stomach at Hinoe's words. It took him a moment to calm his beating heart, but when he did he noticed that Ayumi also seemed pretty mortified. Offering a small smiled he nodded at her before turning to look at Hinoe. "Well I'm glad she and I are friends too. Without her I don't know where I'd be now." He said, showing his appreciation for the girl beside him.
Despite her embarrassment Ayumi couldn't ignore the warmth she felt from Yoshiki's words.
When they arrived at the apartment they met with the building manager who offered to show Yoshiki the apartment. If she was surprised at a seventeen year old boy being the intended roommate for Hinoe she didn't show it. Yoshiki was surprised to find that the apartment had a working elevator, he wouldn't have to climb a flight of stairs everyday.
Their apartment was on the second floor and came fully furnished. There was a couch in the living room with a simple kotatsu table and a lamp in the corner. There was a display for a television, but no TV yet. In the kitchen there was a small square table with four chairs, a fridge, and a gas stove. Yoshiki doubted he'd be using the stove as his prowess in the kitchen was nonexistent.
'I'll have to buy a microwave...'
Going back into the living room they went into a hallway that had three doors. The first door on the right led into a bedroom. There was a futon in the room that was currently laid out. On one side was a small dresser and next to it was a night stand. Yoshiki noticed a door adjacent to the door they had come in from, he presumed that it was a closet.
The next room across the hall was very much the same, minus the dresser and night stand. "This will be my room. I'll have to have my furniture from home moved here this weekend." Hinoe had explained.
And the room next to what would be Yoshiki's was a bathroom that had shower/tub combination. A porcelain toilet that was right next to the sink, and a rack for towels. There was a door on the far side of the bathroom that led into another smaller room where the washer and dryer were located.
The building manager led the three back into the living room. "So, what do you think?" She asked the blonde.
Yoshiki's gray eyes glanced around the apartment again. It was pretty spacious, and the rent, while a little more than what he had been paying, was worth it. Nodding he smiled. "I like it, I want to live here." He told the building manager who shared a smile with Hinoe. The four went back down to her office to fill out the paperwork, a few hours later they were leaving the building heads held high. Tomorrow Yoshiki and Hinoe would be returning.
Upon returning Yoshiki slipped off his shoes and headed into the living room. Gray eyes peered for the patriarch of the Shinozaki family. Catching sight of Ayato sitting on the couch, from the kitchen Asuka offered him a warm smile, the blonde walked over to the older man. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a check for 15,000 yen and presented it to Ayumi's father.
"Here."
Ayato looked up, not having heard the blonde enter the room, and turned his gaze to the offered slip of paper. "Thank you, Kishinuma." He said before accepting the money.
Yoshiki nodded before bowing slightly, showing his appreciation for the Shinozaki's hospitality. "Thank you for letting me stay here as long as you have, Shinozaki-san. You and your family have done a lot for me, so thanks."
Ayato looked at the blonde before nodding again. "You've been a good houseguest. This was no trouble at all." He told the blonde simply.
Yoshiki nodded, seeing that the conversation was over, before leaving the kitchen to retreat to the room he had been staying in for the last month and a half. 'I'd best start packing.' Tomorrow after school he would return here for the last time to take his stuff to his and Hinoe's new apartment.
Hinoe watched the blonde as he left to go talk to her father. A small smile on her lips she prepared to go to the kitchen to see if her mom needed help with dinner, only to be stopped by a small hand on her wrist. Looking back she saw Ayumi looking up at her with somber eyes. "What is it, Ayumi-chan?" She asked, wondering what could have made her sister look so serious.
"Onee-chan...I need to talk to you about something."
A few minutes later the two sisters were seated in her room. Hinoe on Ayumi's bed and the twin tailed girl on her computer chair. The twin tailed girl was looking down at her lap, trying to gain the courage to have this conversation.
Hinoe remained sitting quietly, waiting potentially for her little sister. They had been sitting her for roughly five minutes as Ayumi kept trying to think of a way to start this conversation. 'What is this about?' She wondered worriedly for her little sister. What was bothering her so much that she was having trouble bringing it up?
Taking a deep breath Ayumi looked up and hesitantly spoke. "There's something that I've never told anyone, not even you. Until recently...I-." Cutting herself off mid-sentence, finding it difficult to talk about this. 'Why is this still so hard?' She huffed before looking back at the ground. She had already talked to her parents about this, and had even found out that she had been wrong all this time.
Hinoe stood up and walked over to her little sister. Placing a comforting hand on her shoulder she watched as Ayumi's eyes shot up to hers. "Ayumi-chan, whatever it is I'm sure it'll be okay. You can talk to me, whenever you're ready." She told her in a soothing tone.
Ayumi's lips made a thin line before she nodded. Taking another deep breath she tried again. "When I was eleven I heard something that made me think Otou-san was cheating on Okaa-san. For the longest time I kept it to myself..." The dark haired girl paused before continuing. "During the fight I had with Kishinuma-kun a little while back I told him that he was as untrustworthy as Otou-san."
Hinoe watched her little sister, her usually relaxed expression giving way to surprise. Over the last five, nearly six years, she had absolutely no idea that this had happened. When Ayumi first started distancing herself from their parents she had tried to be there for her little sister, but the younger girl hadn't even felt okay with sharing this with her. To have shouldered this burden for years, it made Hinoe's heart cry out for her little sister.
Instinctually reaching forward she enveloped her little sister in a hug, cutting the twin tailed girl's story short. Ayumi's expression contorted into surprise before relaxing. Closing her eyes Ayumi wrapped her arms around her big sister and returned the hug.
"Ayumi-chan, why did you never tell me this?" Hinoe, rubbing her sister's back, asked.
Ayumi pursed her lips, feeling small. She was glad that Hinoe couldn't see her sad expression "I...I didn't want to cause trouble." She admitted in a small voice. "I was afraid that our family would be broken and that you and Okaa-san would be hurt."
"Oh Ayumi-chan." Hinoe held her sister even closer
Ayumi shook her head before gently breaking out of the hug. "No, I'm okay now Nee-chan." She honestly told her sister. And she really meant it. "After Kishinuma-kun made me talk to Otou-san about this, well things are better. I know the truth now."
Hinoe raised an eyebrow at that. "You told Kishinuma-kun about this?" To say that she was surprised was an understatement. Though it was a pleasant surprise, it made her happy that Ayumi had a friend her age that she could confide in.
Ayumi's cheeks tinted ever so slightly. "Not in so many words. I didn't tell him nearly as much as I just told you, all I told him was that something I found out about Otou-san years ago made it hard to trust him. That's all..." She trailed off.
Hinoe smiled gently at her little sister. "Until tonight that's more than you had told me. You trust Kishinuma-kun. I'm happy to know that you had such a good friend with you while I was away."
Ayumi looked away. "He's more reliable than I thought he was..." She admitted as she recalled after they made up, him telling her that he had actually kept his promise. Ayumi felt her face heat up as she recalled the time she had been sick, when Yoshiki had tended to her and his hand had been on her cheek. 'It had been so warm...' The blue haired girl sent a weak glare at her sister's knowing smile before returning Hinoe's smile with a small one of her own.
The moment was broken up by a knock on the door. The two sisters looked up at the door. "Shinozaki, dinner's ready." Yoshiki's voice called out.
Hinoe smiled at her younger sister who stood up to open the door. Yoshiki lead the two sisters into the kitchen to sit down for his last evening meal there.
After school the next day the two teenagers returned to the Shinozaki residence. Ayumi was kind enough to lend Yoshiki the duffle bag he had used when he had salvaged his belongings from his old apartment. "I'll return it this weekend when I come with Hinoe-san to help move her furniture." He promised her as he started packing up.
Ayumi nodded from where she stood. "Do you need any help?" She asked, prompting the blonde to shake his head.
"Nah, I don't have a whole lot." He reminded her. Really all he had was his clothes, a PSP, school supplies, a couple of CDs, and some photos. He had sold most of the old computer parts, keeping only the hard drive that he wouldn't be able to use until he bought a new computer.
Ayumi nodded before walking further into the room. "It'll be kind of weird with you gone." She admitted before sitting on the bed. While she was happy to see him get his own place, it had been kind of nice cohabiting under the same roof. She had gotten so use to seeing him so often, the fact that they wouldn't be sharing a roof seemed almost alien.
Yoshiki looked up from where he was folding his clothes. "Really?" He said somewhat stupefied by her admission. "I figured you'd be ecstatic to get me out of your hair." He joked before placing more of his clothes into the duffle bag.
Ayumi's twin tails swayed as she shook her head. "Well I won't lie and say that it was all smooth sailing with you here, but it wasn't bad. For the most part." She added that last bit as thought it were an afterthought.
Yoshiki smiled at her honest words. "I'm glad I was here. I really appreciate all you and your family have done for me." He hoped that he would still see her outside of school after this. 'It was nice seeing Shinozaki nearly every day.'
Ayumi returned his smile. She sat in comfortable silence as the blonde finished packing up the rest of his belongings. Once he was done, slinging the backpack over his shoulder and carrying the duffle bag with his off hand, Ayumi followed him out of the room. Meeting Hinoe in the hallway the younger sister gave her a hug and said that she would miss her before turning to Yoshiki.
"I know you know how to behave, so you better keep those manners around with Onee-chan." Hands on her hips she mock scolded before smiling. "Later, Kishinuma-kun."
Yoshiki nodded. "See you tomorrow."
The walk to the apartment was pleasant, the two new roommates talked sparingly, but the silence wasn't uncomfortable.
Hinoe pulled out her key when they arrived at the correct door. "I'll need to get you a key made as well." Hinoe told her roommate. "If you're hungry I think I'll start on dinner."
Yoshiki nodded as he followed her in the unit, closing the door behind him with his foot. "That sounds great, thanks Hinoe-san." He said before going to the hallway that lead to his room
Going into his room he dropped his bags off. He'd unpack his things tomorrow. 'I think I'm going to like it here.' He thought to himself as he heard the sounds of pots rustling in the kitchen.
Friday morning Yoshiki woke up to the smell of breakfast being prepared. For a second he almost thought he was still at Ayumi's house. 'I can still hear Shinozaki's voice...' He thought to himself, half asleep, as the voice that sounded like hers said something about school being in an hour.
Sitting up from his futon he wiped the sleep away from his eyes. Leaving his room he made for the kitchen to join Hinoe for breakfast only to halt in surprise at the figure of a blue haired girl. She was dressed neatly in her Kisaragi uniform, her hair in it's trademark twin tails, and a cheery expression. Yoshiki gulped as he started to wake up fully.
As if sensing his presence in the kitchen Ayumi turned to see Yoshiki, obviously having just woken up. Her lips turn into a small smile as she greeted him. "Good morning, Kishinuma-kun." The blue haired girl said before turning back to her older sister to continue their conversation, something about the upcoming summer break.
Yoshiki smiled warmly at her before going over and sitting next to her. 'I think I'm going to like it here...' He reiterated to himself.
Breakfast, a shower, and a little over thirty minutes later he and Ayumi were leaving the apartment complex. "Have a good last day," Hinoe's words followed them out the door.
Yoshiki glanced at Ayumi as they started walking to school, a comfortable silence wrapping around them. 'More quiet moments like this. That's all I want.' And it's what he would get.
I bet you all are surprised to see that this is the last chapter. But fret not there is still the epilogue, hopefully I'll be able to get it out quickly. I hope you all enjoyed this. Today is actually my birthday so if you guys could leave a review as a birthday present that would be wonderful. Regardless thank you for reading, I know that I said that I write for my own enjoyment but it does make me happy to know that people can gleam some enjoyment from my writing.