A/N: Hi guys, sorry for the wait but this is a super long chapter, it's the longest of all the chapters in Nevermind rules so far and it's got a bunch of UmekiXHayato moments and some RenXKyona fluff for you. Alright I've got a few announcements to make here before we go on to the story. First would be the obvious, we hit 50 reviews! Whooo! ^.^ Thanks guys for all of your reviews and support and we're not even half way done with Nevermind rules yet! So as promised I'll be putting up the one-shot series for you and that will be probably in September. It's going to be called Measured by the moments and it's going to be a series of one-shots, of moments that were mentioned within Sukeban and Nevermind rules that were made into flashback. Some examples would be Hayato and Umeki's date that ended with them being arrested or the first time Ryu crashed his bike. If you guys have any things you want to see from either series just leave it in the comments and I shall put it on the list okay?
On another note I as of recent got a Tumblr account. There's nothing too set on my account but I'm probably going to be doing a lot of promoting of my fanfictions on this site. I'll also be putting up more in depth stuff about your favorite OCs of my Gokusen fanfics including profiles, their responses to any questions you may have for them and as many banners as I can possibly make. If you have a tumblr account please follow me, and I shall do the same for you Onegashimasu ^.^ and don't forget to pop into my formsprings and ask some questions
Wo-notice: She's gotten so mature hasn't she? ^.^ my Uki-chan is growing up!
PhoenixRage92: Yankumi is very influential :3 who wouldn't want to look all cool preaching like she does!
Amy Williams: Umeki has to be one of my favorite characters of all time; she kind of just breathes her life experiences out into everything she does and all she talks to. She has that kind of personality that makes you surprise when she does things but then you kind of expected her to do what she did. Even though she has to be an adult now she isn't afraid to show that hint of her old self but now in a big sister sort of way and not a 'I'm going to kick your teeth in' attitude. By far Umeki's one of my best creations so she much so that she deserves a chapter centered on her. Who knows! She may even get another story centered around her life ;3
Chapter 13: Why boys and girls don't get along
The afternoon sun felt good on the skin today. Well it did any other day but today, right now it was especially good and the grass felt so comfy and the silence the glorious silence. Kazama Ren sighed in content stretching his arms out and loosening stiff muscles before returning to his comfy position. He truly loved life right about now in this very moment. Why? Well...
"You're happy" a soft giggle came and a shadow loomed over the boy blocking out the warm sun. Ren opened his eyes and gazed up at the brown eyes of his adorable girlfriend. They were in Shirokin Park on this nice Sunday afternoon not really doing much, just lazing under the shaded trees and sun that peeked in between them. Where were the guys? Ren didn't know and frankly he didn't care, he spent enough time with the guys it was time to be alone with his girlfriend.
He had his head resting on her lap and she was currently leaning forward to look down at him, her red hued locks fell on either side of Ren's face creating a curtain and blocking out the rest of the world.
"Did something good happen today?" Oh those adorable curious eyes of hers, Ren chuckled lightly drawing a big smile from his cute girlfriend "well?" she giggled at him "are you going to tell me what's got you so happy or not?"
"I got to see you today" he knew the reaction he would get. The girls giggling stopped and her smile faltered, her eyes grew in size just a bit and like a bad sunburn her face went lobster red from the bridge of her nose all the way to her ears.
"Kazama no Baka" she muttered sitting back and swatting Ren's shoulder as she did. Ren chuckled not at all being hurt by her attack, Nana was so easy to fluster and so adorable to watch when bashful. Kazama no Baka, that was what she called him whenever he so playfully teased her like this but he didn't care, he was her fool.
"I can't be happy to see you anymore?" Ren questioned, he arched a brow at the girls as she gently ran a hand across his face brushing hair out of the way. "I haven't seen Nana-chan for a few days now" Nana hummed in response nodding her head as she did.
"Kaza-kun has been really busy lately." she pointed out tucking some her own hair behind her ear and looking up at the blue sky "and when you're not busy you're with the guys, it's no fair" her pink lips puckered in a little pout "I don't see you enough as it is" Ren frowned, he had been very busy lately with...well...things that was what today was for. A tone of sorrow was in Nana's voice when she spoke now "does this mean Kaza-kun is tired of me?" now that was uncalled for. Ren sat up immediately and turned so he faced his girlfriend. She was still pouting, though her face wasn't red in a blush anymore she looked away from Ren as if she were. She looked like a child who'd gotten caught with their hand in the cookie jar.
"Ne, Nana-chan" he addressed her and after a minute or two she looked at him from the corner of her eye, he grinned "remember what I told you when we were little?" the girl blinked confused but then cast her eyes upward as she tried to recall this promise.
"...Mm" she nodded after thinking about it, good she still remembered. Ren smiled leaned forward and held out his pinky to the girl.
"I swear to keep that promise" he told her, Nana looked down at his hand blankly for a while, Ren almost thought she wasn't going to accept but then she smiled and circled her pinky around his tightly.
"Mm!" she nodded again and Ren sighed in relief, the sorrow had left her face. Now that that was settled the Akadou boy laid back down on the comfy grass and let his head rest on Nana's lap again. His eyes felt heavy and a yawn came to him. He was tired.
"We'll go on a date sometime soon" he yawned as he felt himself slip into darkness "We'll have lost of...fun..." he never finished his sentence. When he didn't say anything for three minutes Kyona looked down at him with a smiled and a light giggle.
"You've been sleeping a lot lately too" she muttered to the boys sleeping form, again she brushed hair out of his face "...I wonder what's got you so busy this past week..."
Wow Umeki had never seen that shade of purple before on a person's face. It was like a royal purple...or maybe a deep indigo color. Umeki contemplated these colors as she stared at head teacher monkey face, as the last remains oh Uki-chan mentally called him, loomed over her desk like she was one of 3D and had just done something dishonorable to the school. She tapped her fingers rhythmically on her desk as she stared up at her superior...his mouth was moving...oh! Was he talking? Slowly, Umeki realized that she had been tuning the man out and focused back on his words.
"-that a member of our staff, a nurse no less, would go to Aoshiba and harm a student! That is-" and she was tuning him out again.
That's what the face and the looming was about? That stupid Aoshiba incident that happen a week ago? Wow that Takasugi kid was determined to get Umeki in trouble; he didn't know who he was messing with. Oh if Umeki could list the things adulthood has helped her get away with, getting away with harming a punk like that was as easy as blinking. The thought caused Umeki to smirk ever so slightly but monkey face caught it.
"Are you smirking?" his shrillness came to Umeki's hearing again "that proves it! You did do it! Matsushima-sensei how many times do I have to tell you-"
"I don't know where Aoshiba academy is" the woman's words came out so smoothly, so coolly, this was a cool customer here. She kept drumming on her desk but gazed up at her superior with that cocky smirk of hers. She was lying and Sawatari knew it. She had been a destructive girl back at Kurogin after all and Sawatari knew her ability to lie her way out of situations well.
"You're lying!" he boomed "I can see it on your face. You went to that school and hit that student!" Matsushima's smirk only grew when he accused her of this.
"...prove it" she taunted him. Damn this woman, her antics were one of the reasons for his stomach pains and stress! The way she tipped her head and stared at Sawatari with that look and a smirk that said she wasn't going admit it, that she was amused by how angry she was making him. Kazama Ren gave him this look a lot when he was in trouble. For all Sawatari knew Matsushima was secretly that older sister listed in the boys information, they were just so stubbornly alike in character!
"Matsushima" he snarled
"You don't have proof do you?" the woman teases on and her smirk turned into a grin "I wasn't at that school, I don't know what student you're talking about"
"I should be asking you for proof that you weren't at Aoshiba!" he remarked "you were supposed to be here at work when the incident happen but you weren't"
"Head teacher Sawatari!" Yamaguchi spoke up trying to defuse the situation but with a sharp stare from Sawatari she fell silent. Yamaguchi knew Matsushima had done it but with her honor code of always being on her student's side she wasn't going to rat the nurse out, but if Matsushima didn't have proof she was done for. Six other students confirmed seeing the event and pointed out Matsushima, feeling victory coming his way Sawatari looked to Matsushima again to find her grin had not left her.
"I was with my boyfriend"
"...Heh?" what did she just say? His victory! It was slipping away! Damn her and that cocky grin of hers!
"I was at home with my boyfriend" Matsushima repeated calmly "you see he hadn't been feeling very well that day so his boss sent him home but he just went back to work. They called me and I had to take him home and make sure he stayed there." she explained it so well, maybe she really had been...No, No! This was the former Kurogin 3D trouble maker! She was lying through her teeth! "I spent all day nursing him back to health"
"Ha!" Sawatari laughed "then why wouldn't you call in to work?" he got her!
"Would you like me to call him and verify my whereabouts?" and he lost her. Sawatari frowned as she moved a hand to the nearest phone "He should be on break right now..."
"...carry on" Sawatari turned away defeated. Matsushima chuckled getting out of her seat and leaving the office to do her job. She may have won this time but he'd get her eventually...one of these days, one of these days.
So while the head teacher sulked at his desk Umeki moved to 3D and went to more. The boys had been behaving very well these past few days and the relished in the praises Umeki had for them as she checked on a few cuts and bruises before she began packing her things to leave. She hadn't noticed the lingering eyes while she packed.
Ichi held the photo the woman had given him in his hands and the rest of the guys, save Ren for he was fast asleep at his desk, gazed at it curiously. They looked from the photo to the woman to the photo again.
"I don't know" Kura hummed shaking his head "I mean I see the similarities but Kango-shi almost killing a teacher?" the others reflected his doubt "I don't believe she could do that"
"It is her, I'm telling you" Ichi remarked nodding his head as he did "she told me herself"
"Matsushima Umeki disappeared after she graduated from high school three years ago" Jun pointed out still looking from the photo to his beloved nurse "I heard a rumor she's causing trouble in Ikebukuro now, leader of some gang or something" or at least that was the rumor, no one knew for sure where or what the girl had been doing for the past few years. She ducked out of the media attention shortly after she graduated and news of the teacher she had tried to kill went from a single act to a molesters club and became a scandal. Jun couldn't blame the woman for going into hiding; his old man had suggested they do the same for the reporters wouldn't leave his sister alone for months. "I don't see it" Jun stated shaking his head.
"There you have it" Honjo remarked "If Jun can't see it, it must not be true"
"Jun, what's Kango-shi-san's last name" Ichi questioned, Jun hesitated before answering.
"Matsushima"
"Matsushima is a common last name" Kami countered shaking his head too "That doesn't mean anything at all"
"If you guys really want to find out" Yamato stopped the arguments "why don't you ask Takeshi" the group grew silent at the suggestion. Slowly they turned their heads to look at a lone guy sitting at one of the front desk, he had his feet lazily on top of the surface and he was reading. He was always reading that guy.
His name was Kouno Takeshi but everyone liked to call him informant Kou, why? Because the silent guy collected and sold information for fun. Really, from what Yamato knew, Kou just gathered information just because he liked to. He liked to know things; little secrets, meaningless tips, people's backgrounds, even the local gossip if it was an existing source of information there was a high chance Informant Kou knew it. Normally he kept what he knew to himself but sometimes, if offered a satisfying amount of cash, he would sell some information even do some digging for people. He wasn't shady though, he did more or less have a code of secrecy to his information.
"Oi, Kou" Yamato beckoned while the others stared with silent curiosity for the fact that none of them had ever really heard the guy speak. At first it looked like Kou didn't hear Yamato but after a moment he slowly let the hand holding his book drop to his lap. He tipped his head back far enough to look back at the group with a bored look. Yamato motioned him over and slowly the male did so closing his book and setting it on his desk before making his way to the back where the group was.
"What can I do you for boss?" he dug his hands into his pockets as he spoke.
"Ichi, show him the picture" Yamato remarked and Ichi did just that "do you know her?"
"Oh course I do" Kou looked offended for a minute before he returned to his bored expression "that's Matsushima Umeki; she was arrested and almost charged with attempted murder three years ago. What about her?"
"Do you know what happen to her?" Yamato asked on, the guys watched and listened closely as the bored looking boy shrugged his shoulders slightly and looked away.
"She duck out of the media soon after the scandal broke out, went into hiding from what I hear but you knew that didn't ya boss?"
"See, I told you Ichi" Jun said once Kou answered "the rumors are probably true, she's probably wandering Ikebukuro now"
"You know more don't you?" Ichi didn't pay Jun any mind "we don't call you informant Kou because it has a nice ring to it" he had a point and the bored looking Kou gained a not so bored smirk as he looked at the boys from the corner of his eye.
"That's a rare bit of information" Kou commented "it's pretty pricey it's so rare"
"You're going to make us pay?" Kura bellowed slamming a fist onto his desk "are you nuts?" but Kou once again shrugged his shoulders.
"I do have code of secrecy" he replied smooth as glass "The woman's living a good life; I don't think she'd want that ruined just yet. If I'm going to go blabbing without her approval I'm going charge a lot for it."
"She apparently already told Ichi" Yamato pointed out and that made the smirking boy sigh.
"Then a good percent of my information's useless in price here" he said
"We just want confirmation" Yamato added
"Whatever you say boss, just ask the right question." was the reply he got so he went on.
"Where is she?" Yamato questioned, Kou grinned and looked over his shoulder...right at Supa Kango-shi-San.
"Closer than you think" Kou finally answered.
"...EEEEEEEHHH?"
The group's shouts were so loud they startled the woman who dropped a bundle of band aids she had been packing away. Quickly she whipped around looked about with a sense of alertness.
"What is it?" she asked wildly with a hand over her heart and the other clenching the podium in front of the room to keep herself from falling. "What is it? Is someone hurt?"
"No! No Kango-shi! We're fine!" Kura stammered shaking his head wildly like his friends. The woman stared at them curiously before nodding and continuing to pack her supplies. Kou returned to his seat soon after and the boys began muttering to themselves. The nurse finished up her packing and made her way down out of the class, when the front door closed shut they sighed loudly.
"I can't believe it" Jun muttered with wide eyes "Our super sexy nurse has been the Japans deadliest delinquent this whole time!"
Women were truly scary creatures…
"So patrols are starting up again huh?" Umeki said leaning against Yankumi's desk and running her fingers through her hair. She definitely remembered eliminate delinquency week, back at Aoikin it wasn't a week to miss. "Ah I miss the good old days, eliminate delinquency week was so much fun" from her work Yankumi looked up at her former student and grinned
"It was fun? How?"
"Well..." Umeki pulled up a chair and dropped down next to Yankumi with an excited giggle "back at Aoikin we called it the Delinquent Olympics" the nurse grinned from ear to ear "it was a competition between the girls in my old crew, we had a different game every day for that whole week. Torch lighting Monday, Sentaku Tuesday, wall vandal Wednesday, Table tower Thursday. Then we had the teacher patrol marathon Friday night and finally on Saturday we had matches in Aoshiba warehouse, Aye!" Yankumi curved a brow at the very girlie squeal that came from Umeki "it brings me back! I wish I could be eighteen just for this week and do those games again!"
"...torch lighting Monday?" Yankumi couldn't help but repeat "what did you do on torch lighting Monday?"
"It was all very official" the nurse cooed "we announced all the competitors, discussed the locations of each event, because we had to change it each time, and state all the rules"
"Ah" Yankumi nodded
"but it started in the morning when the champion class would sneak into the school, steal the principal's office chair and set it on fire on the roof" Umeki squealed happily again Yankumi nodded but when she stopped to think about what Umeki just said her eyes grew wide.
"Eh?" she practically screamed but Umeki smirked at her former teacher.
"I was always champ" she mused playfully and winked, god she missed the good old days.
"Yamaguchi-sensei!" the two women looked up as Yajima came stumbling into the staffroom "Yamaguchi-sensei, bad news!" the man stopped in front of the desk looking like he was in such a panic "o-o-outside! There a scary looking biker! 3D has done it again! Starting fights with Bikers!"
"Eh?" Yankumi shot out of her seat. After being told the situation Yankumi left the room to deal with this biker while the staff loomed in the windows watching. Umeki was the last to come to the window beside Ayukawa tugging at the blinds so she could see. There was someone on a bike out there by the gates. It was a big, sleek, black bike and the mere sight of it made Umeki purr. She often told people she didn't like bikes, that she was terrified of getting on one but if there was one weakness Umeki had it was Hayato's bike. He rode a black Honda 1000 Goldwing and boy could he go fast on that thing. It was bad enough he knew how to push Umeki's buttons off that thing but when she saw him on it in his leather jacket, that she often stole from him, and he revved the engine letting loose a lion like roar of a sound Umeki mewed like a kitten, this was something Hayato knew well. He often used his bike like kryptonite on his girlfriend and well... The point is due to her boyfriend's over abuse of her weakness Umeki could tell that this was the same bike and hence she couldn't help but think of her annoying boyfriend. She was still ignoring him for what had done a while back and they had yet to set up a date to get him off the cold shoulder list.
"How scary" Takano mused as she looked down at this biker. The rider had their helmet on and was sitting casually; they didn't look armed from here.
"I know!" Ayukawa squealed "I wonder what 3D did to piss that guy off. He might have a gun in that thing for all we know" Takano hummed her agreements "don't you think so Matsushima?"
"...that is a nice bike" of course Umeki wasn't paying attention, this is Umeki it's what she does best. The two females next to her looked at her in disbelief but she was too busy licking her lips and taking in as much of that Goldwing as she could. It was sleek and black and...oddly familiar... As a matter of fact that jacket looked familiar too! Umeki squinted her eyes and stared hard at this biker...that jacket...that leather jacket...she'd worn one like it just a couple of days ago...that had been Hayato's-..."Shimatta!" the woman cursed as she saw Yankumi appear and make her way to the biker. Without a work to her coworkers Umeki yanked off her nurse's coat and took off out of the room.
It was surprising to hear that a biker had come by themselves to settle beef with a student. Usually they came in a big band of them hollering and making noise to try and scare those within the school but this guy was quiet, the bike he sat on rumbled signaling that it was still on but that was it. He hardly seemed like a threat, he looked like he was either loitering or waiting for someone but as long as she was out here Yankumi was going to find out.
"Excuse me" she spoke up and the helmet wearing biker looked up at her. Even from where she stood she could see them go ridged before quickly looking in the other direction. Yankumi sighed taking a few more steps towards them "this is the property of the school" she informed them to which they tentatively nodded.
"I know" a muffle voice of a male replied "I'm waiting for someone" so he was here to fight someone. Yankumi stared at him hard.
"I don't know what they did to upset you but please don't take it to heart" Yankumi stopped right beside the bike "those boys don't know what they're doing, I'll give them a stern talking to so please leave"
"...Huh?" she couldn't see the riders face but his tone told Yankumi he didn't know what she was talking about. He shook his head either way "I'm not going anywhere" he told her "I'm waiting for someone"
"Then at least take your helmet off"
"...uh...no"
"Eh?" what was wrong with this guy "don't be a coward and hide your face behind a helmet! You're an adult! Face the sun god like a man!" Yankumi reached out to grab the helmet but rider quickly ducked his head away.
"Yankumi still talks such nonsense" he muttered probably louder then he thought because when Yankumi looked at him in disbelief and repeated her nickname he went ridged again. Now determined to discover who this biker was that knew her by her nickname the teacher reached up and yanked the black helmet off of their head though they yelled in protest. Who she saw startled her.
"Y...Yabuki!" Yankumi gaped staring wide eyed at the male like he did her. A silence came to the two until Yabuki yanked his helmet from Yankumi's arms and placed it on his lap cursing under his breath the whole time never meeting the woman's eyes "Yabuki it is you!" she mused looking him up and down, he'd joined a biker gang? "What are you doing here?...on that!"
"I told you I'm waiting for someone" the male snapped at her as if time never went by and he was his student at Kurogin again.
"Who are fighting from here?"
"...huh? Fighting? I'm not-"
"Yankumi!" the two turned away from one another and looked at the person hollering from a distance. Umeki was running clumsily towards them in her high heels, so much for running fast in heels, her face was flushed and she looked just as panicked as Yabuki did. She panted out a sigh as she arrive and stepped in between the two "Please go back inside I can handle this!"
"Eh but?"
"I'm not here to fight anyone" Yabuki barked before Umeki hissed a venomous 'shut up' to him. That was when Yankumi put it together; Yabuki was here to see Umeki...that means...
"Ume-chan" Yankumi gaped pointing at Yabuki "Yabuki...is he your boyfriend? The one you're marrying?" Yabuki went bug eyed and Umeki turned scarlet,
"Eh? Marrying?" he yelled shrilly
"Yankumi!" Umeki hissed out "just...just go! I've got this! Just go!" she pushed a startled Yankumi back to the school and beat a hasty retreat. Yankumi watched from a distance as the nurse threw a leg over the big black bike and ignore the look Yabuki gave her. They muttered to one another for a few minutes before Yabuki slipped his helmet back on and quickly sped off leaving the homeroom teacher still very stunned.
Umeki and Hayato were getting married?
"Where should we go tonight?" when the general shock of their nurse being who she was had settled, the boys changed their focus to what they were going to do after school today. Yamato had brought a magazine of the latest restaurants and hang out spots in the area and they were all looking at it.
"Oi, oi, oi, oi!" Jun pointed to one of them "let's go to this one!"
"That'll be no good..." ...that voice. The boys looked up and were startled to find their homeroom teacher sitting nearby. Jun jumped out of his seat and nearly toppled over, what was she doing here?
"Why are you here right now?" Yamato questioned staring at the woman with wide eyes like everyone else. Yankumi looked bewildered by his question.
"What are talking about?...that doesn't matter. Listen this week is 'Delinquency elimination week' and-" but of course she couldn't finish her words.
"Wait!" Kami shouted over her "How did you get in here?"
"How did I...?"
"Did you...use the back door?" Jun asked pointing to the back entry of the class. After a moment's thought Yankumi nod standing up slowly muttering that she did. She did? ARGH! The boys yelled in anger and anguish at this fact peaking their teacher's curiosity.
"What?" she questioned "what's wrong with the front door?" and as if her question had summoned them, someone slid open the door. The trap was sprung and in a cloud of white chalk the board eraser dropped from where it was once wedged and landed directly atop the head of a very pretty girl. Silence followed as everyone stared in awe at the not so pleased looking woman. "Ah…uh…Who are you?" Yankumi asked the question everyone wanted to know but the woman in her well fitting green dress simply waved her hand in front of her face trying to free herself of the chalk infested air and keep from breathing it in but eventually she did and so placed a hand in front of her mouth and coughed loudly. Man she really was pretty and brave too, the only two women who had the courage to come into the den of the infamous 3D was Yankumi and Kango-shi, but seriously what was she doing here? Who was she? Jun looked to the side of him as the desk beside him shifted and the woman's coughs appeared to wake Ren from the dead. He groggily raised his head from his desk and blinked his eyes sleepily before looking at the woman that had so rudely woken him from his deep slumber. Instead of looking with curiosity like the rest of the class was Ren stumbled out of his seat with wide eyes when he saw this woman.
"Aneki?" he yelled out startled. Wait…what did he just say?
"Aneki?" Jun yelled along with his classmates whipping his head from Ren to the woman standing in the doorway. She still looked very displease as she tried to shake chalk dust out of her hair.
"Does that mean you're Kazama's older sister?" Yankumi questioned and she, after a few more shakes of her hair, nodded her head. What? Since when did Ren have an older sister? A hot older sister no less? This calls for a message to Nana!
"Oh, Kaoruko-Nee is at the school?" Jun scuffed at what he was hearing, could on Kyona to not tell her older brother such important details like the fact that his classmate had a hot older sister. She didn't compare to Matsushima, the nurse would always hold Jun's heart, but that didn't mean she didn't place somewhere in the top four hot girls Jun's ever seen. If Jun didn't have a hint of lingering hatred for Ren he'd compliment the guy's gene pool, honestly.
"Any idea why she might be here?" Jun questioned as he trailed after his classmates while they hurried down the hall after Yankumi, Ren and his sister to the staff room. There was a pause on the other line for a few minutes.
"No, I really wouldn't know. Kaoruko-Nee is usually always working. The only time I ever really see her is sometimes whenever I go to Ren's house…" she replied
"Ah I see" Jun nodded slightly always working; she must be one busy woman-wait a minute. Jun pulled his phone away from his ear and stared at it like he was staring at his little sister n disbelief. Did he just hear her say what he thought he heard her say? "Wait a minute" he gripped his phone tight enough to hear the plastic groan in protest "You've been in Ren's house?…more than once?"
"Ah!" Jun could practically hear his sister wince from her end, she must not have intended to say that bit "…A-Anno Gomen, I think I hear Yuni calling me! I have to go! See you afterschool bye!" the younger girl spoke in a rapid, nervous speech.
"Wait a minute, Kyona don't you dare hang up on me-" she hung up, the male curse snapping his phone shut and joining his class at the door to the staffroom grumbling about how he was going to end that Kazama Ren's life one of these days.
"…She sure is pretty…" The united comment of his class drew Jun from the troubling thoughts of his little sister…alone…with Kazama…in his house. He shuddered at the very thought. Anyway he had to focus; he turned his eyes to the room as the older sister explained that she was a dentist assistant by day and a hostess by night. Less than a second later head teacher Monkey face was casually walking into the room. When he saw Ren he made a beeline for the table.
"Huh? Kazama? What are you doing here? Did you get into trouble again?" the man questioned before his eyes found Ren's sister and lit up like the sun "Sara-chan!" the woman rose from her seat happily.
"Goro-chan!" she chirped
"...Goro-chan?" Jun arches a brow at this and tried his best not to smirk and laugh. Was it just him or did that sound like the head teacher went to host clubs a lot? The man went ridged as he seems to obviously put two and two together.
"Sara-chan" he tried to whisper but it was no use, everyone could hear him "You're Kazama's older sister?"
"Hai" Sara-chan nodded "so you work at the school? Thank you for taking such good care of my brother" she bowed but 'Goro-chan', man Jun was going to have a field day with this one, looked around at everyone and began awkwardly scuttling away.
"Nm, it's not a problem. He is a cheerful and energetic young man" the man muttered gaining confused looks in his wake as he scuttled to the back of the room "take your time..." and Sara-chan did just that. She sat back down turning her focus to her brother before slamming an envelope onto the table.
"Ren" she said it towards him and the guys nearly shoved Jun into the room trying to get a look at what it was. It was money! "What is this about?" the older sister questioned.
"What were you doing in my room?" Ren snarled angrily reaching out and taking the money.
"Where did you get all this money?" Sara, or well Kaoruko as Nana had said, questioned her brother on "You've been coming home really late as of recent"
"I got it at my part time" Ren answered stiffly
"Part-time?"
"Students having jobs is forbidden!" Monkey face shot out of his seat and stormed over to the desk again, uh oh he's on the rampage...this wouldn't end well... Sara stood up immediately and bowed.
"I'm so sorry" she apologized and like a toy running out of battery the head teacher slowed down and almost instantly began backtracking.
"Don't worry" he muttered "each family has their own circumstances..." he walked away
"Goro-chan' is whipped by Ren sister" Jun remarked with a hint of amusement that Yamato mirror before they looked back to the scene at hand.
"I'm sorry" Sara apologized on "I promise I'll make him quit"
"Who going to quit?" the boy barked sending his sister a glare before leaning back leisurely in his chair "I'm going to make and save money so I can move out and live on my own"
"...huh?"
"I'm tired of living with my sister" Ren explained and Jun would have agreed, girls and their habits, and desire to have everything neat, and their nagging, and their time of the month, and their...lady produce... Sisters were just impossible to live with. Sometimes Jun could wait for the day he wouldn't have to live with his own sister anymore. However, the way Ren said that, the ice in his tone struck a bad cord with Jun and for a moment he could help but glare his sister boyfriend.
"Kazama!" and in comes head teacher guns blazing "don't say things like that to Sara-cha-...to your sister"
"Shut up" Ren snapped at the man who easily snapped back.
"Mind your language!"
"And what are you going to do..." Ren looked up at head teacher Monkey face and grinned devilishly at him "Goro-chan" he taunted.
"Kazama you..." and with heated glares the two were off in what would have been the fight of the year if it wasn't for the teachers getting in the way blocking Ren's path to the teacher but that didn't stop the boy from trying. He even managed to throw Yankumi to the table he once sat at. It looked like it was never going to end until-
SLAM!
Silence came to the room when Sara slammed her hand against the table loudly.
"Knock it off!" she snarled darkly at her brother "you live on your own? You can't take care of yourself, don't make me laugh!"
...
"Kowai..." Kura whispered into the silence.
"Sara-chan I didn't know you were like this..." Head teacher Monkey face muttered. Sara jumped realizing her outburst and quickly apologized for it. Jun turned away from the scene with a defeated look, she was so pretty... But that outburst... It was like she channeled Kyona for a moment.
Women truly were scary creatures.
Silence.
Among the cries of gulls and sounds of waves crashing against the shore before pulling back into the endless sea.
Silence.
Even as behind them cars drove by in all the distinct rumbles and horns. The occasional curse of an angry driver rung out along the streets.
Silence...Umeki hated silence. She hated this silence especially as it often paid this couple a visit as much as four times month. It was the calm before the storm, the infamous eye of the deadly tornado and Umeki for one knew that only destruction would follow. So rather than disturb the silence she hated so much she let it be just for a bit more. She leaned against the rail and stared out at the sea letting the sounds of the sea calm her bubbling nerves.
So here were the basics on what was going on: Umeki had, some time ago, made her boyfriend of three years promise her that should she come home drunk and...not of sound mind, or eager as he loved to put it, that he would give her some painkillers and send her to bed without taking advantage of her drunken state. As of a few weeks ago Umeki's dear boyfriend of three years broke that promise in what ended up being a very long night. When Umeki had found out the next morning that he did this she went into what teens online would call 'an all caps rage' and reminded the man just exactly why she was not to be crossed. Now, nearly three weeks later, both parties were still more or less angry with one another Umeki because of her boyfriend's lack of self control and Hayato because ...well Umeki threw a flowerpot at his head. The rage was left to fester for these few weeks and now came the climax. Umeki couldn't help but wonder what was going to break this time.
"Aren't you going to say anything?"
And so it begins.
Slowly Umeki turned around and leaned against the rail. Across from her Hayato leaned against his bike with arms crossed, the two stared each other dead in the eyes. The woman sighed.
"What am I supposed to say?" Umeki questioned
"How about 'I'm sorry I threw a flower pot at you' that's a good start" Hayato pointed out and it would have been easy to defuse the situation if she just apologized for raging at him like that. They could totally avoid a category five hurricane if she just apologized, but… this was Umeki and when it came to her things just weren't that easy.
"Hell no" she snapped at him "you deserved it" her boyfriend scowled at her and she scowled right back, if he thought he was going to win this one and get Umeki to apologize for justifiably kicking his ass for what he did he was dead wrong. "Why don't we start with your apology?"
"Huh?" Hayato frowned at her "What apology?"
"Come on in that adorable pouty voice of yours 'Uki-chan, I'm sorry I broke my promise and took advantage of you while you were drunk' it's so easy" Umeki cooed to Hayato but the as usual hot tempered male would not be swayed so easily like Umeki wouldn't be.
"Why should I?" he barked scuffing
"Because I was drunk!"
"You were eager…"
"Tch" Umeki sucked her teeth looking away from Hayato and around them and crossing her arms like he did. She didn't know why she even bothered to come out here to talk to this stubborn bastard. "You say I was so eager but maybe you just have no self control"
"Neither do you apparently" Hayato snorted looking away as well "You're the one who took off their blouse and threw it at me" Umeki rolled her eyes, he kept using that excuse like it really justified this whole problem. Seriously men really have no control over themselves; you don't see many women going nuts because their boyfriend took off their shirt and threw it at them! Highly agitated now Hayato began grumbling to himself "This is pointless" he stated "We're not going to get anywhere until you apologize"
"I'm not apologizing" Umeki glared at him and shook her head, she pushed off the rail and stormed towards the man and his bike "You made a promise to me that you wouldn't do that again and then you break it because I threw my blouse at you? Hayato that's bullshit"
"Well I can't help it if I find you hard to resist" Hayato reached out his hands finding Umeki's waist as he spoke in a low voice but Umeki wasn't going to sway to the voice of seduction he was trying to pull on her to make her apologize or at least forgive him. She immediately pushed his hands away.
"Don't touch me" she snarled at him taking a step back, Hayato went from smirking to glaring when she did this.
"Well what do you want me to do Umeki?" he questioned "I did say sorry a million times, I bought you flowers and your favorite chocolates! I even let the locking me out of the house thing slide!" Umeki rolled her eyes turning away from Hayato but he pulled her back and stared at her hard "You can't keep ignoring me like this"
"Then apologize" Umeki remarked, really that was all that she really wanted, for the rock head to own up to what he did and apologize for it. So far he'd said 'I'm sorry' but he never actually owned up to what he did, when she asked him to do that he would simply say 'can you blame me?' or 'you were eager' and that was what really made Umeki mad. Asking him over and over to apologize was just making him angry in return. He sighed shaking his head at Umeki's persistence.
"Why don't we just agree to disagree?" He suggested "Forgive and forget"
"I am not going to just 'Forgive and forget' Hayato!" Umeki tried not to shout pushing herself out of Hayato's hold again "I trusted you to think with your head! You know what I've come from! I don't like it when people try to take advantage of me and you broke your promise! Just apologize and this can be over!"
"I didn't take advantage of you" Hayato snapped back "You know I wouldn't do that!"
"Then why are we having this conversation?" Umeki questioned pressing her hands on her hips "Why have we been fighting for weeks?"
"You know what" Hayato stood up from leaning and sighed "I'm not having this conversation anymore" Umeki watched as he picked up his helmet and clambered onto his bike.
"Where are you going?"
"Away from you"
"And what about me? You're the one who picked me up from work and took me here"
"Umeki…" Hayato slipped his helmet on and raised the glass so he was still looking at her "That's really not my problem anymore, for all I care you can just walk home" She could walk home? Umeki stared at Hayato stunned as he briefly waved at before slamming the glass down and revving the engine of his bike.
"Hayato don't you dare" Umeki snarled as he looked ahead of him "You better not leave me here" He ignored her and revved his engine again "If you leave me here you better not come back to my house you jerk!" Again he ignored her and drove off. Furious, Umeki jogged after the bike as it picked up speed and in her blind rage she yanked off one of her heels and threw it at the retreating bike with a furious scream, of course compared to a bike that was speeding away a shoe was nothing, she missed. Umeki panted glaring at her boyfriend retreating bike, great…now she had to find where her shoe had landed. "You're such a jerk!" She screamed after him.
"Kaza-kun!" Kyona came bounding from the gates of her school with Yuni close behind her. A tired looking Ren smiled briefly as the red hued girl abandoned her bag just a few steps from him and circled him in a warm hug. "I heard from Jun today, what was Kaoruko-nee doing at the school?" Ren grimaced; something must have really bothered him when his sister went to Akadou today. Ren looked behind him at the guys briefly before turning his attention back to his oh so adorable girlfriend.
"It was nothing" he remarked
"You're lying" Kyona stated shaking her head "it's written all over your face" As if he'd be able to hide it Ren looked away from Kyona "Did you get into trouble again or something?" she questioned blinking curiously at Ren. He had been acting very strange lately, he was always busy and when they were together he often fell asleep being tired from whatever t was he had been doing.
"It's nothing" Ren repeated stepping back from Kyona's embrace and turning around "come on, it's Eliminate Delinquency week so we if we want to have any fun today we need do hurry" he called over his shoulder making his way towards his waiting friends and leaving Kyona to stare at his back in worry. Yuni stopped beside her with Kyona's school bag in her hands.
"What's Eliminate delinquency week?" her friend asked handing off the girl's bag to her.
"The teachers patrol the streets at night for any students hanging out after hours" Kyona explained briefly with a deep frown on her face. Yuni hummed her understanding casting a curious look.
"Are you okay?" she voice with concern.
"…Yuni… you have a boyfriend right?" Kyona looked to her friend ignoring the calls of the guys for her to hurry up. Yuni nodded, she had been seeing a guy for the past month or so from some elite high school across town "Do you ever get the feeling…that he's hiding something from you?"
"Guys are always hiding things from us" Yuni answered with a shrug of her shoulders but frowned as Kyona gained a downcast look "But usually" she added with a confident smile to her friend "we girls are so smart we can tell if it's something worth getting upset about. Usually they just don't want to worry us with their own problems"
"So…Kaza-kun just doesn't want me to worry about him?" Kyona asked innocently
"Kazama-kun is a really faithful guy Nana" Yuni smirked "If he could I'm sure he'd move heaven and earth to keep you happy. You snagged yourself a good one so don't fret over the little stuff ne?"
"Nana-chan! Come on!" Ichi yelled from the now slowly moving guys far ahead of the two girls "We're going to shoot some pool! I need my teammate!"
"…I guess you're right" a small smile tugged at Kyona's lips as Yuni nudged her gently with her elbow. "I'm just being silly"
"Go and hang out with the guys" Yuni gave her a light push "I'll see you tomorrow"
"You're not coming with us?" Kyona arched a brow at her friend "Running from the teachers can be pretty fun you know" but Yuni shook her head.
"I actually have an appointment out of town, if I don't leave now I won't make it in time" the amber haired girl replied with a light shrug "maybe next time" and with that the two friends parted ways for the day with Yuni going her own way and Kyona going hers.
As expected the group shot pool for a few hours until the sky went dark. That was when they had to start hoofing it because the teachers were on the patrol for them. As soon as they set foot out of their usual hang out spot Yajima, who worked at Akadou, spotted them and the chase began. Kyona was having a blast, she always did when this week came around it was always fun running from those stupid teachers. She was in the lead of the group darting around a corner and leaping over a row of trash bins like a track star.
"Guys hurry up! He's gonna catch us!" she called over her shoulder looking back at the guys as they tried to keep up.
"Nana-chan! Wait up!" Kura panted from the far back of the line; he was always taking up the back of the group when they ran like this. Ren was right behind her grinning that beautiful smile of his as he looked at her with amusement.
"You guys are too slow!" Kyona giggled getting ready to run out into one of the main streets but just as she was going to Ren reached out and quickly yanked her back.
"Take cover!" he called and before the girl could realize it the whole mass of them huddle against the nearest wall and watched with held breaths and Head teacher Sawatari and a few other male teachers went running after a mass of their own classmates in a collection of screams and yells.
They waited like this with held breaths for a long while before they all sighed in relief.
"Man that was close!" Kyona released the breath she had been holding and stepping out of her boyfriends grasp. The guys around her cheered at the fact that they hadn't gotten caught by the teachers and moved to go about their way again but Ren stopped and looked at his watch.
"Damn I've gotta go to work!" he told them hastily "I'll see you guys!"
"…work?" Kyona muttered watching the boy run off while his classmates yelled for him to do his best. Ren had a job? Since when?
"…speaking of" Yamato spoke up "I wonder what his job is…"
"Who knows…"
"Nana-chan do you know what Ren's job is?"
"…" the only girl of the group frowned deeply and shook her head "…I didn't even know he had a job…"
It was quiet…way too quiet.
That was what Yabuki Hayato thought as he slowly opened the door to Umeki's house and stepped inside. For a minute he thought she wasn't home, but the lights were on and as he stepped away from the door he was hit with warmth and the smell of deliciously cooked food entered his nose. She was cooking dinner; he could hear her in the kitchen. Man he really hoped she didn't hear him pulling up on his bike.
Hayato had to admit; he might have over reacted just a bit when he left his girlfriend at the beach to walk home which had probably taken her half the day to do in those heels of hers. It was a bad move on his part and he knew that but Hayato was a hot head like Umeki was and when he was really angry he just didn't think very clearly. He couldn't understand why he couldn't get his point across to his angry girlfriend. He knew what she had gone through, he remembered the moment that Nakamaru bastard was found guilty and sent away. The couple had been sitting together in the courtroom when the ruling was made and to Hayato's surprise the girl flat out burst into tears of relief and when they got home they just sat in the living room in silence. He'd offered to run her a bath that night but she had shaken her head and told him to stay with her they way they had been.
The memories of those grueling days that came during and after the trial were moments Hayato would never forget seeing Umeki go through. Nakamaru had devilishly shaped her life with not only the things he had done to her but the molesters club he was leader of that followed her after she left that school and Umeki had sworn never to be that victim again. Why would he ever let her go through that again! He wanted to tell her that but every time he did she didn't want to hear it, she was so hell bend on not being taken advantage of that she couldn't see that all Hayato was doing was showing his affection for her and then she wanted him to say that what he was doing was taking advantage of her and apologize for it? Hell no! He wasn't going to apologize for wanting to love her! It was just so damn infuriating that he couldn't help but have to walk away from her.
But still, he left the most dangerous woman he knew to take a long walk home. Not only was he a jerk, he was stupid.
She stood with her back turned to him turning a wooden spoon in a pot on the stove as if he wasn't standing in the kitchen doorway. He watched her while tugging his gloves off his hands, maybe she was so focused on cooking that she hadn't heard his bike pull in outside.
"You came back" Hayato winced at how calm she sounded. Guess she did hear him coming. In a small wave of brown hair Umeki looked over her shoulder at him. He watched her carefully; she looked far too calm for his comfort. It was like they hadn't fought to begin with. The woman turned her body slightly and raised a little saucer to her lips tasting what she had been cooking in the pot but her eyes never own looked away from him.
Well Yabuki, you got yourself into this mess it's time to face the wrath of your harpy like girlfriend.
"…" he hung his mouth open for a minute before words found him "…what'cha cooking? It smells good" Umeki's calm façade vanished, she narrowed her eyes at Hayato and with a speed only rage could probably give her Umeki threw the saucer like a ninja tosses a Chinese star right at his head. With a yelp Hayato ducked and watched the plate zoom over his head and smash into pieces against the wall opposite the doorway in the dining room. Okay he'd seen that one coming but still "Are you out of your mind?" Hayato commented looking back at Umeki with wide eyes.
"You have a lot of nerve setting foot in my house again" She leaned against the stove with nothing but death in her eyes as she stared at him.
"Don't you think you're over reacting just a little bit?" and he regretted saying that to her the second it came out. Umeki's eyes grew wide with rage and with a Harpy cry the woman grabbed onto the wooden spoon from the pot it was in and flung it with deadly accuracy, hot soup splattered in Hayato's face and the wooden object clunked against his forehead making him stumble back into the dining room "What the hell Umeki!"
"I told you not to come back into my house you little rat!" Umeki screeched, she pushed off the stove and moved from the kitchen to the dining room. Hayato stumbled backwards and into the dining room table glaring furiously at Umeki. Was she still bad at him? Why?…okay he knew why but serious? Throwing a plate at him?
"What are you so angry about?" he tried to say casually but ended up having to jump away as Umeki aimed to slug him and ended up punching the table. He ducked to the other side keeping the table between the two of them.
"What am I angry about?" Umeki repeated gripping the edges of the table in her rage "What am I angry about? You left me at a beach 55 miles from my house and told me to walk!"
"Oh so you're not angry about what we were talking about before?" Hayato asked hopefully "good" Umeki looked at him like he was nuts before she pushed off the table and reach for- oh hell "Uki-chan" Hayato warned her nervously "Uki-chan put down the-Umeki!"
"ARRRGH!" his fuming girlfriend screamed and Hayato had to dive under the table as a table chair hit the wall behind him and smashed to bits.
"What the hell is your problem!" Hayato yelled at her now as he stood back up.
"You're my problem!" Umeki yelled back "You've always been my problem! You're such an idiot! 'What'cha cooking? I smells good' that what you say to your girlfriend after you made her walk 55 miles? In heels? You must be out of your mind! I must be out of my mind for ever letting you in my house…in my bed"
"Are you still upset about that?" Hayato stared at Umeki from across the table with wide eyes "It was weeks ago! I said I was sorry! Get over it!"
"Never!"
SMASH!
And there goes another chair broken into bits. Hayato stood up after ducking under the table again. He was getting really tired of this throwing stuff at him.
"Would you knock it off!" he yelled at her looking back at the broken chairs behind him and then back at Umeki "you're going to wreck the place"
"No I won't" a smirk came to Umeki's lips as she shook her head "I'm going to end this faster than you do whenever I'm…eager" Hayato snarled at her, that was a low blow even for Umeki. She was pushing her luck tonight that was for damn sure.
"What did you say?" he questioned
"You heard me" Umeki barked backed
"I dare you to say that again" Hayato snarled at his girlfriend letting his pride get the better of him, the wicked grin she was giving him told Hayato she was. "Don't push me Umeki, you know how I get" oh she didn't just push when she answered him back this time, in her anger craze she shoved.
"I'll let you in on a little secret Hayato" She hissed at him "every time when you felt all high and mighty and manly after…guess what? I FAKED IT!" and that was it Hayato snapped.
"You're done!" he shouted
"Bring it!" she shouted back and together the two of them flipped the large rectangular table with a loud crash and lunged at one another. Yells and grunts echoed through the house as Hayato and Umeki fought just as hard as they had when they were eighteen only now they were older, stronger and a hell of a lot angrier with one another. Umeki could still pack a punch; if anything she was stronger than the last time they'd fought being a nurse hadn't slowed her down one bit. Hayato yelled out in pain when his back hit the steps leading upstairs and Umeki jumped him. "What's wrong Yabuki?" she snarled gripping his shirt "You're slowing down"
"Tch" Hayato wiped blood from his busted lip and gave his girlfriend a smirk "I'm going easy on you" he told her and got the result he want, it made her mad. Umeki's eyes burned with new found rage.
"Shut up you punk!" she growled yanking him up from the steps and to his feet "fight me like a man not that pathetic wimp I started dating three years ago!-AHH!" She screamed out when Hayato went for her long hair and pulled "Ow!" she screeched at him trying to pull her head back but Hayato wasn't going to let go, she was more or less immobilized when he did this "Let go!"
"Why?" Hayato taunted as they stumbled about the front area of the house between the living room and the dining room. The two locked eyes and Hayato couldn't help but smirk at his angry girlfriend "I thought you liked it when I pulled you hair"
"You sick bastard!" Umeki yelled and instead of trying to pull herself loose this time she pushed. The two of them stumbled back and into the living room yelling out in anger as they did. With a hard shove Hayato back hit the couch and he lost his grip on Umeki's hair before flipping backwards over the couch and onto the floor on the other side knocking the coffee over loudly when he hit the carpeted floor.
A soft calm settled in the room as both fighters stopped to catch their breaths. This gave them time to take in the damage they had cause in the little time they had spent fighting one another. The Kitchen was more or less left untouched, there was a bits of remains of things from the dining room that Umeki had thrown scatter on the floor but that was the existent. The dining room was trashed, the table had been flipped, and all the chairs were destroyed, anything that had been neatly hanging on the walls in that room had been ripped off and used at projectiles against one another. The area that leads to the front door was littered with broken picture frames and the coat rack now snapped in two. The living room, well… we'll see what happens to it. Hayato just hoped the TV was spared in the destruction. He took in his own damaged, he'd lost his leather jacket somewhere along the scuffle and his shirt was stretched and ripped in a number of different places and he was certain he wouldn't be wearing it again after tonight. His jeans were torn as well. He looked at Umeki, her hair was spread across her head wildly and just like Hayato her shirt was stretched out of whack, not that he was really complaining, the jeans she had probably changed into when she got come were ripped until the left one was missing material from the knee down and she was hobbling in her heels as one had broken somewhere between moving from the dining room to the steps.
"I really mess you up" Hayato snorted
"You should talk" Umeki snarled storming over to the couch and yanking up one of the cushions and chucking it at him. Not wanted to be assaulted anymore Hayato kicked the couch and made it flip. Umeki yelped loud when the large couch collided with her legs and she too flipped over the couch hitting the floor beside him with a grunt. "That was a cheap shot!" Umeki snarled gripping Hayato's shirt ready to punch him.
"Not as cheap as that couch" Hayato taunted "Honestly Uki-chan I would have thought you had the money to get a better one"
"You live here too" Umeki snapped back "you should buy some of the furniture if you don't like it so much"
"It's your house isn't it?"
"Yea but you stay here you mooch"
"Then I'll leave!"
"Fine, go!"
"You're cooking sucks anyway!"
"That's because I poison your plate!"
Still fuming the couple snarled at one another as they lay on the ground just throwing insults at one another like immature kids. Then something looked to dawn on Umeki and a silence fell between the two of them again. Hayato stared into his girlfriend's eyes until she cracked a smile and started giggling as she realized what Hayato was starting to; they were ridiculous.
"There is nothing funny…" Hayato chuckled out as Umeki relaxed her grip on his shirt "There's nothing funny about your horrible cooking" even as he said this he laughed watching Umeki roll onto her back and laugh with him. The tense air lifted with their laughter, the storm that had been drawing closer had finally pasted and just like that the fight was over. Hayato and Umeki stayed like that laughing at one another and point out how foolish the other looked with their ripped cloths and messy hair until their stomachs hurt from laughing so hard and all they could do is lay on the ground and grin at each other.
"…I…I'm sorry I threw a flower pot at your head" finally Umeki apologized
"It's alright" Hayato grinned "You were justified; I did break my promise knowing how you felt about that kind of stuff"
"Yea well" Umeki shrugged nonchalantly before scooting closer to him until her head was resting against the crook of his neck, her favorite spot to rest her head, "I was…eager" she purred making Hayato chuckle "Forgive and forget?"
"…" Hayato smiled brushing hair out of Umeki's face "Forgive and forget" he nodded and the two settled into one another just laying on the floor among the destruction of their fight. "Hey Uki-chan"
"Hm?"
"…What did Yankumi mean when she said we were planning to get married?" that had been a thought that had been bothering Hayato far in the back of his mind, was Umeki telling people they were planning to get married. Umeki sucked her teeth and then snorted.
"Yankumi and Aniki started jumping to conclusions the last time I ate with them" she answered with a roll of her eyes "I'd rather not talk about it"
"Hm" Hayato nodded; Marriage was really becoming a redundant subject wasn't it? "Say…" Hayato looked down at Umeki again changing the subject once again "….do you really fake it?"
"No" Umeki snorted and laughed out to Hayato's relief "Do you really think the couch is cheap?"
"No I actually like it" Hayato said truthfully "It's nice"
"That's good to know" Umeki hummed and began twisting the fabric that was Hayato's shirt between her fingers.
"…do you really poison my plate?"
"No, does my cooking really suck?"
"Never!" Speaking of cooking Hayato could hear a loud hissing sound coming from another room "speaking of…did you leave the stove on?" Umeki's smile dropped and she cursed scrambling back and too her feet.
"Shit!" she yelped "I left the pot on!" Hayato laughed lightly rolling onto his stomach and watching the woman stumble about in her broken shoes towards the kitchen. There was no other woman like Umeki that was for sure. He pushed himself up to his feet and limped, that's right limped, to the kitchen.
She stood with her back turned to him. With one of her heels broken she was trying to keep herself balanced between the broken shoe and the non-broken shoe. She was turning a smaller wooden spoon in the pot on the stove as if he wasn't standing in the kitchen doorway. Hayato watched her while pushing hair out of his face before stepping into the room and wrapping his arms around his girlfriend's tiny waist and burying his face in her hair taking in her scent, she smelled like lavender.
"I love you" he muttered into her hair and she hummed happily in response to him. She shut the stove off and ran her hands over his just enjoying the moment.
"Say it again" Hayato chuckled at her request
"I love you" he said again
"One more time" awe she was just too cute. Hayato pulled back and make Umeki turn around to face him, they looked into each other's eyes as he leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers brushing messy hair out of her face. "Just one more time" Umeki breathed.
"I love you Umeki"