Chapter 27: Confusing Funeral
AUNT CASS
She woke up early so she could prepare a special breakfast for Hiro. It was his birthday after all. She carefully sneaked downstairs to avoid waking the boy that was on the garage, probably, still asleep. She walked to the door that lead to the garage, carefully opened it but the boy was nowhere to be seen. So she hurriedly went upstairs again and slowly peeked through the boy's room. With a heavy sigh, she went downstairs again calmer, now that she knew that the boy was snoring under the sheets of his bed. She normally wakes up late on Sundays but after yesterday's revelations, she decided that making a special treat to her 'son' would be the best choice.
She went to the counter and grabbed her phone. She took out a paper from the right pocket of her pants that had several phone numbers printed on it. She started dialing one by one each of the phones that Hiro wrote earlier that week.
"Hello!" She said carefully, she had never spoke personally with either of the team
Good Morning!
"Fred right?" The voice sounded so different through the phone that she doubted Hiro got the correct phone written.
Yes… who am I speaking with?
"Freddy!" sigh. "It's me… Aunt Cass!" She was relieved… this was more difficult than it sounded.
Hey! What happened? The voice of the young man sounded worried. She never talked with them through the phone, guessing… something really bad happened.
"OOOH Don't worry sweetie! Nothing bad has happened here. Today is Hiro's birthday! And I was wondering if you could come over to prepare something for that knucklehead!"
Sure! I'll be there in a moment!
"Okay see you in…" Fred hung up. She kept staring at the phone with a smile. Fred was always excited when it came to do something with his friends. The woman just sighed.
"One down… Three to go." She muttered to herself and started dialing another number.
Hello! This one was a cheery voice, definitely HL
"Good morning… With Aiko Miyazaki?" The voice was undoubtedly HL but she still was cautious.
Yes I am… Who am I speaking with?
"Hi sweetie! It's me, Aunt Cass! Sorry if I scared you! I was wondering… As today is Hiro's birthday, would you be able to tag along and help me do something before he wakes up?" She was trying hard to catch her breath.
Are you serious? Of course I'm going to be there! YAAAAAY!
HL scream made Aunt Cass pull away from the phone for a couple of seconds.
Hoy es el cumpleaños de Hiro!
"Honey…" She was trying her best to calm the blond girl but it was futile. When HL is excited, no one is able to stop her.
Y no le he comprado nada!
"Honey…" The woman raised her voice to get the attention of the girl.
Y ahora que voy a hacer?
"AIKO MIYAZAKI!" Aunt Cass almost yelled, but she tried to hold it, mostly because Hiro was still sleeping.
Si…? Ooh… I mean… yes…?
"Remember that I don't understand Spanish sweetie!" Aunt Cass had that motherly tone again. HL was so cheery that it always brought a smile to the older woman.
I'm so sorry… I guess I was too excited.
"Don't worry… See you later then!" She still needed to call two more members of the team.
Count on it! HL hung up.
Two down… two to go! Aunt Cass raised her phone again and started dialing.
Hello?
The voice that patched through the microphone was luckily recognizable.
"WASABI! Good morning sweetie! How are you?" Aunt Cass said happily through the phone.
Aunt Cass? Hey… Good morning! I'm great… is there something wrong?
"No…no no no, not at all. Today is Hiro's birthday… and I was wondering if you are able to come over like… right now! So we can prepare something to that knucklehead." Aunt Cass said with a rather lower voice. Wasabi giggled at the happiness radiating from the brown haired woman.
Of course I will. I'll be there in a moment.
"Thank you sweetie! Hurry up! I want to do this before the boy wakes up. It is still too early but we have to be fast." Aunt Cass had a determined voice, like if she was ready for battle.
Don't worry…! I'll be there in a moment. Wasabi hung up the call.
Ok… Last One. Aunt Cass, like some kind of weird repetition, she raised the phone again and started dialing.
Good morning! The voice came out with a slight rudeness to it, but that is just how Leiko is.
"Good morning Leiko! It's Aunt Cass." The woman enjoyed talking with her daughter but it was kind of frustrating how tomboyish the girl could be.
Hi Aunt Cass! The voice drastically changed to a more emotional state. Is there something wrong?
"Why does everybody keep asking what happened?" She was a little annoyed now.
To be honest...? This is the first time I receive a call from you. I would assume something happened, to you or Hiro. The matter-of-fact tone on Gogo's voice made Aunt Cass reconsider the team question. It was indeed true; this was definitely the first time she personally called each of them.
"Don't worry honey, nothing happened… Today is Hiro's birthday and I was wondering if you could come along to prepare something to that boy." Her smile returned to her face and patiently waited for the purple streaked girl's answer.
I'm sorry Aunt Cass but I need to work on my college project. I'm afraid that I'm falling behind on some classes.
"Oooh I see… Don't worry… Studies always go first! Good luck with your project… Although I believe you don't need it. You are just too good at it." Aunt Cass tried to encourage her daughter.
Thank you Auntie! Have a nice day!
"You too sweetie!" Aunt Cass hanged up. It was unfortunate but it was more important her college studies.
It was fortunate for the older woman that most of Hiro's friends lived nearby. She went to the kitchen and started the preparation of a cake and some cookies. Merely 20 minutes later, the bell of the front door echoed through the whole store. She took off her apron and rushed to the entrance.
"Hey there! Glad to have you here guys! So…" Aunt Cass motioned to the trio to come closer.
"Honey Lemon…" The woman raised her head and glanced at the half Japanese-Latina girl with a gleeful smile.
"I need your help in the kitchen… I'm halfway through the cake and breakfast."
"Guys, I need you to help in decoration!" The two boys looked at each other with confused looks.
"Aaaaammm… excuse me Aunt Cass, but actually, Wasabi is better in the kitchen than me." HL exclaimed taking a look at Wasabi. The brown haired man blushed at the statement and started fidgeting with his fingers.
"Really…?" Aunt Cass turned her head towards Wasabi and stared at the man. "But I've never seen you cook anything!" The woman was surprised by the news. (AN: And I guess you too! I took that fact from the comic. In the BH6 comics wasabi was a chef. Obviously there is no need to mention that he is good in martial arts.)
"I'm sorry, but I only cook when I'm in my apartment." Wasabi said with embarrassment flooding his face.
"Well then… Honey Lemon, in that case, could you please help Fred with the decoration?" Aunt Cass changed HL tasks.
"Of course I will…" Both, Fred and HL looked at each other and slightly blushed. Aunt Cass noticed the strange exchange between the two of them and giggled, which brought the whole team back to reality.
"Where is Gogo?" Wasabi asked trying to lift the awkward moment.
"I called her but she told me that she was behind on some works for college and that all the time was needed to finish the project. Unfortunately, she will not be here with us…" All of them lowered their heads but they understood what meant college for the speed junkie, so nobody complained about it.
"Let's go… let's go! We don't have the whole morning… although, that boy could sleep the whole day." Everybody laughed and Aunt Cass comments of the boy.
They all parted from the mini circle they formed and started doing their tasks. Surprisingly enough, Wasabi worked skillfully at the kitchen. With an amazing speed he prepared the scrambled eggs and prepared the French toasts.
"Wooow… You are indeed good at it!" Aunt Cass was genuinely impressed by the man's skill. Wasabi only blushed at her comment.
"You know… if you someday need a job, you could come here and work as a chef…" She got closer to the boy and patted his shoulder. "… A couple of extra hands are always welcome here." Wasabi was really flattered by the reviews of his persona.
"Thank you Aunt Cass but, even though I did learn how to cook. I only like to cook for my friends and family..." Wasabi saw the disappointed look on Aunt Cass face. "…but if you need help I will gladly work for you whenever I can… okay?" Wasabi gave thumbs up to Aunt Cass and both smiled.
"I'm almost done here…" Wasabi continued the conversation. "…Why don't you go ahead and take a look at what those two have done so far." Aunt Cass gave a relief sigh, took off her apron and walked out of the kitchen. The room was beautifully adorned with balloons rolling on the floor and a huge banner hanging from the ceiling with a yellow happy birthday nut something caught her eyes. Even though Fred and HL were on opposite sides, they were staring at each other with a clear blush on their cheeks.
"Love is in the air!" Aunt Cass sang with a rather loud voice, snapping both of them back to the world. Both of their faces turned literally into tomatoes while they tried to hide their burning faces. Aunt Cass giggled at both of them but suddenly, steps could be heard on the second floor.
"Oh gosh… Quick… Close all the blinds." With a swift movement the three of them ran to the windows and lowered the blinds of the store.
"Oh god… I can't see a thing!" HL was trying to get to the center of the store but she kept crashing through the chairs.
"For the mother of megazord… Could somebody turn on the lights at least? I don't have night…
Ouch/aaargh
Aunt Cass reached for the lights but the scene was far more pleasant. HL and Fred bumped into each other, causing HL to fall on Fred chest. Both were blushing furiously and Aunt Cass just stared at them with a huge smile. Wasabi promptly walked out of the kitchen and stood shocked at the scene.
Click.
A white light flashed through the whole room, snapping the two lovers back to the world… again.
"Dude… Are you serious?" Fred turned his head and stared at Wasabi.
"Oooh… No one is going to save you from this…" Wasabi was cut off by the blondie. She turned her head and with a death stare she menaced the man that was holding his phone. Wasabi gulped and quickly erased the picture of the 'couple'.
"Okay okay… I erased the picture! Please… don't freeze me to Fred's room for a week!" Wasabi said with a scared voice.
"I can't promise that!" HL answered with a smile on her face… He was soo doomed. Suddenly, the steps could be heard coming from the stairs that led to the ground floor.
"Quick…" Aunt Cass turned off the lights. A shadow could be seen coming from the stairs and it peeked up through the entrance that was separating the dining room and a little living room.
Why is it so dark? Hiro started touching the wall looking for the switch to turn on the lights, but was beaten by Aunt Cass. The lights turned on blinding the poor boy for a couple of seconds.
"HAPPY BIRTH…" All of them screamed at the same time but Hiro's face turned the atmosphere upside down. The boy was still dressed on his pajamas and was walking like a zombie. His eyes were red and puffy, bags were under his eyes, and he suddenly felt like an older version of Hiro.
"Honey… Are you okay?" The first to step up was Aunt Cass, while the other three already knew what was happening with the boy.
"Today is Akage's burial..." Hiro's voice was raspy and monotone.
Hiro had an emotionless face, and you couldn't tell if he was angry or happy.
"…And I would like to go." Hiro said while staring at the floor.
"Hiro… You…" Fred stepped forward but HL stopped him. The comic lover turned around to look at the blond girl but she also had the same look.
"Don't worry Hiro… I'll go with you!" HL said stepping forwards and embracing the kid. She knew very well how it feels to lose the person you loved.
"All of us will go with you…" She turned around and launched a death stare at the two boys. They were bad at feelings but their friend needed help.
"Okay then…" Aunt Cass said placing a silver plate over the marble counter. "…We'll meet here again in two hours… but first, you kids are going to take your breakfast. They all agreed to the plan, took their seats and started eating the food that was carefully prepared by Wasabi and Aunt Cass.
As previously accorded, the whole team was back in the store dressed up for the funeral. Fred, of course, came with Heathcliff and his limousine. All of them accepted to ride the limo to the San Fransokyo cemetery. As expected, the car was screaming luxury. Leather couches were on the right side of the automobile forming a half moon. In the center you could find a mini bar but instead of alcoholic beverages there was a large amount of different types of sodas and the cabinets were filled with candies and comics.
"Are you serious?" Wasabi asked after seeing the contents of the drawers.
"What? Don't tell me that you hate gummy bears." Fred said with his arms crossed over his chest raising a brow at Wasabi. All of them started laughing at Fred except Hiro, of course, no one expected to find a limousine stockpiled with candies and sodas.
(AN: I beg your pardon everybody but this was a rather difficult part to write… mostly because of the feels but also because San Fransokyo is like a weird mix between the U.S. and Japan but with more advanced technology. I hope my imagination and my words are able to take you into the city.
HIRO
Hiro leaned against the soft leather couch and drifted off while looking through the window. It was a lovely Sunday morning. The streets were busy with people walking trying to enjoy the time with their families. The city decided to shine on all its glory that morning. The colors were vivid and people had smiles on their faces. Rows and rows of houses were passed until the car was stopped by a red light.
Hiro kept looking through the window and on the other side of the street was a couple. They were standing, looking at each other but the man looked like Hiro and the girl was Akage. The girl was caressing the boy's cheek while he stroked the gleaming red hair. They were about to kiss when a trolley obstructed the sight of the scene. He glared at the trolley but when he raised his head, another couple was sitting on the last seat with a window facing his side. The man was handing the brown haired girl a beautiful yellow rose, both were blushing when the trolley moved again. Hiro looked at the same spot where the couple was about to kiss but no one was there. Nobody noticed them; they were just hallucinations of his mind desires.
Soon, the landscape slowly started to change from a more rusty Japanese aspect to a more modern sight. The traditional houses were replaced by huge buildings that were covered in blue windows. Promotional banners were all over the place announcing some cologne or a new fancy creation. Some places were more crowded than others but that was just added to the fact of Sundays.
The car stopped again because of another red light. Right above them was the railroad and as in cue, the bullet train passed through bringing a loud roar that instantly muted every other sound. Time slowed on Hiro's head. Right in front of him a couple was walking along the sidewalk eating ice-cream. The man, a tall blond man with blue eyes was hugging the girl.
The girl, a rather short Asian girl with short black hair and brown eyes was enjoying the embrace. The couple stopped two cars in front of them and prepared to cross the street but unfortunately the light turned green. The couple just stood there not bothering about what just happened. Hiro blinked several times trying to see if this was another hallucination. The girl looked like Gogo but a relief was felt all through his body when he realized that he mistook his friend.
The road towards the cemetery park was long, and now, the landscape changed again. The city was left behind and now they were surrounded by a forest. Hiro kept looking through the window with teary eyes. The road was under an arc created by the trees, it made a notion that the street was a long green hallway. Once they arrived to the end of the hall it could be seen a huge, white stone arc and under it a black gate beautifully sculpted. That's when Hiro came back to reality. He still kept looking through the glass but decided to eavesdrop the conversation of his companions.
By the way… where is Gogo? Wasabi asked.
She said that she needed to work on her college project because she was falling behind. Aunt Cass answered.
Are you serious? She… Falling behind? That's so not her. Fred was clearly amused by the fact that one of the most applied students was falling behind.
Finally… we are here. HL exclaimed with a voice void of emotion.
"Hiro… Honey…!" Aunt Cass started to shake the boy. Hiro was aware that they arrived but he was having difficulties to move. "It's time!" Hiro turned around and the door was opened by Heathcliff.
