Kyoko walked into the school to check out the booths held inside the classrooms. The pamphlet she was handed at the entrance showed that several classrooms were doing themed cafes. They all served different foods and drinks. One specialized in coffee and teas while another served smoothies. She wanted to try the specialized teas and go to the cafe that served danishes.
Along the way, she passed by a haunted house that she couldn't resist trying. She giggled all the way through. It was fun watching the kids jump out at her. They had a lot of energy and were enjoying their school fair.
Before long, Kyoko found herself at the tea cafe. It was hosted by a freshman class. She sat at one of the tables and a student waiter came up to her. He was wearing a pirate outfit. An eye patch was covering his left eye and a fake cutlass at his hip completed the look. She was so distracted by what he was wearing she didn't pay attention to the student himself until he spoke.
"What are you doing here?" asked the young man. Kyoko looked up surprised by the tone of voice to stare into Max's eyes. She wasn't expecting Max to go to the same school as Mimori, but it made sense. It was the only school for this neighborhood.
"Hi Max," Kyoko said after her initial shock. "I was hoping to try some of the chamomile with honey tea." She told him calmly trying to ignore the steely look he gave her.
"Fine, I'll get you some. It'll be two dollars. You pay upfront," he told her while holding his hand out. Kyoko pulled out her wallet and gave him the change. He left as soon as she put the money in his hand. Kyoko took a deep breath to steady her nerves after the sudden confrontation. The boy was difficult to deal with.
She looked around at what the other students were wearing while she waited for her tea. They were all wearing some sort of pirate clothing. Some were having fun acting out a sword fight for the entertainment of the guests. One student was so into it that she was talking with a pirate accent.
Kyoko suddenly smelled chamomile and looked down to see her tea in front of her. She looked around and saw Max walking away. I didn't even notice him put it down, she thought as she picked up her cup to take a sip. It had a wonderful fragrance and the warmth felt soothing to the soul. She quietly enjoyed it while watching the kids interact with their boundless energy.
She finished her drink and left. Max never came back. Kyoko went to get her danish. The kids in the Sophomore danish cafe were all dressed up in ninja clothes. Their shurikens were painted, cut up cardboard. The students here were just as energetic pretending to have a battle throwing their shurikens back and forth. Kyoko couldn't help but laugh at their antics.
Her danish was sweet and delicious. She headed back outside to get food from the booths there. Only the outside booths cooked meats. Since they were outside, they could use a grill. The cafes inside could only sell prebaked items or things they could make with minor kitchen appliances like a blender or hot water maker. The chicken she had earlier was good. She was excited to find out what else there was.
Kyoko walked around trying different foods. It all made her drool. Sho was right, these kids could cook. Kyoko was having so much fun trying out different meats that she lost track of where she was. She suddenly found herself in an area that looked like a resupply center for the students. There were crates of bottled water and boxes full of other items. She was about to turn around and head back when voices from the other side of the boxes caught her attention.
"West, leave me alone! I already told you, I didn't take your Molly, and I don't know where it is." Kyoko heard the all too familiar voice of Max. Why do I keep finding him in these situations?
"I don't believe you," Kyoko heard from someone else. It sounded like the same boy who had cornered him before. Kyoko sighed and made sure she was hiding behind the boxes as she debated how to handle this situation. Should she intervene? Max didn't exactly like it when she did last time. "You will give it back to me," the other young man, West, said almost growling.
"I can't give back to you what I don't have, what I never had!" Max said elevating his voice.
"If you don't have it, then you'll just have to pay for it. You can just whore out your mother to get the cash. That's all she's good for anyways." Kyoko's mouth dropped as she heard West speak. People actually say those kinds of things?! She definitely could not let this kind of talk continue. She heard a loud smack as she stepped out of her hiding space to look at the two boys. Max had punched West. Unfortunately for Max, West was older and easily overpowered him. He had Max pinned to the ground and was about to hit him.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Kyoko yelled hoping to interrupt their momentum. She stood there looking down at them with her hands on her hips with the crossest looking face she could muster. Both boys looked up at her in shock. They clearly weren't expecting to be interrupted.
"Stay out of this!" West yelled at her. "I'm teaching my underclassman a lesson."
"With your fists?!" Kyoko retorted. "I don't think so. Get off of him," she demanded. West glared at her as he considered her words.
"Maybe I should teach you the lesson. This is the second time you've interrupted us," West said as he got off of Max while keeping his eyes on her the whole time.
Kyoko was shocked by his words but kept her face cross looking. Don't show fear. "And just what do you think you're going to do to me? I'm not a kid you can push around. I will turn you into your school principal for punishment if you try anything. I'm not someone you can intimidate," Kyoko said bluffing. She was totally intimidated, but she couldn't let him know. West was a tall and muscular kid. He could hurt her if he really wanted to.
West took a step forward as he contemplated her. "Leave her alone!" Max yelled from beside him. "She's just a stupid adult who has nothing to do with this. I'll get you your money if that'll get you to leave me alone," Max told him.
West turned to look at Max as he said, "Fine. I'll let it go this time." He looked back at Kyoko before adding, "But this is the last time. Interfere with my business again, and you won't be walking away. And you," he said looking back at Max. "We'll finish this later." He brushed past Kyoko as he walked by. Kyoko had to step back slightly to keep her balance after the contact. She watched him stalk off before looking back at Max. He was still watching West's back as he walked away.
Before Kyoko could find the words to talk to Max she felt dizzy and light-headed. She started to sway on her feet. She put her hand out trying to find something to steady herself on put was too far away from the boxes. She took a step in their direction but her strength gave out and the ground rushed up to meet her.
Except it didn't. Max caught her before she fell. "Are you okay?!" He asked sounding frightened. He helped her slowly sit on the ground leaning up against the boxes she had been reaching for and grabbed her a bottle of water from one of the crates. Kyoko gratefully took it and tried to open it to drink from it, but she was too weak. Max took it back and opened it before handing it back to her. Kyoko gratefully drank the cool water. She had been walking around for a few hours without drinking anything. She was probably dehydrated again. Then the stress from the confrontation with West was too much for her body to handle.
"Are you okay?" Max repeated after she had drank some.
"Yes, I'll be fine," she told him. "Thank you for the water. I'm just dehydrated I think. I've been on my feet for a while without drinking anything." She quickly finished the bottle he had given her and asked for another. She still felt weak.
"Are you sure?" Max asked as he got another bottle and opened it for her.
"Yes, with some rest and water I'll be fine. I just need to sit here for a bit. I'll be up again in no time." Kyoko told him reassuringly. At least, she hoped that's what would happen. She didn't fancy another visit to the ER. Jelly would kill her.
"Okay," Max said as he sat down opposite of her leaning against some crates.
"What are you doing?" Kyoko asked him. She couldn't fathom why he was sitting down as well.
"I can't leave you like this, especially after you stood up for me again," Max said looking away from her. She saw his cheeks turn slightly red as he spoke. Ah, so he is a good kid after all.
"Since we're going to be sitting here for a few minutes, mind telling me what's going on?" Kyoko didn't know if he would answer, but if she was going to go through this much trouble for the kid she would like to know why.
Max sat there with his head down not answering her.
Figures, Kyoko thought as she sighed and leaned her head back.
"He thinks I stole something from him. But I didn't take it!" Max exclaimed as he punched the ground. Kyoko looked at him surprised. He actually answered her.
"Why does he think you took it?" Kyoko prodded.
"His buddy told him he saw me do it. I don't know why he would say that." Max looked up at her with frustration in his eyes.
"If you didn't do it, but someone says they saw you do it, isn't that person the guilty party?" Kyoko asked him after drinking some more water. She was starting to feel full from the water. She would have to let what she already drank settle before she could drink more.
Max looked at her shocked. "You might be right," he said thoughtfully. "There's no other reason to say he saw me take it other than to make me into a scapegoat." Max sighed as he realized something. "Knowing that doesn't do me any good. I won't be able to convince him that his best friend stole from him instead of me. I'll still have to come up with the money," Max said leaning his head against the crates behind him.
"I guess you're right. He doesn't seem to be the type to believe you," Kyoko said. "What is this thing that he thinks you took? What is it worth exactly?" Kyoko asked. She was finally starting to feel some strength return. But only some, she was still rather weak.
"That…doesn't matter," Max mumbled avoiding her gaze.
Kyoko thought back to what she overheard before the boys started fighting. Max had said something about Molly. What's….wait! Kyoko looked at Max searching for an answer. He was still avoiding looking at her by drawing shapes in the dirt with his finger.
Molly was a street name for Ecstasy. These boys couldn't be wrapped up in drugs, could they? Kyoko wondered. Then she remembered what Haruki had told her. The school had a drug problem. It was very likely they were discussing the party drug.
"I heard you mention Molly," Kyoko said. Max flinched as she spoke. He looked at her cautiously. "Can't you just tell a teacher he's involved with drugs to get him off your back?"
Max sighed. "That will backfire. Sure, West will get in trouble. But the next day I would get caught with some myself. It's happened before. A student told on another dealer and they were found with planted Molly in their bag the next day," he told her.
"Wait, he's a dealer?" Kyoko asked surprised. She didn't realize students could be dealers.
"Yeah, one of the more involved ones," Max said.
"What if I told the school principal he was involved with drugs?" Kyoko asked pointing at herself.
"With what evidence?" Max asked her.
"Right," Kyoko said as she realized he was right. She couldn't go accusing a student of being a drug dealer without evidence.
"Besides, he associates you with me now. I'd still receive the payback," Max told her.
"So there's nothing you can do?" Kyoko asked him.
"I'll just have to get him the money somehow," Max said sighing.
"How much money do you need to pay him?" Kyoko asked.
"200 bucks," Max said rubbing his neck. Kyoko's mouth dropped for the second time as she heard the amount.
"Do you even have that kind of money?" She asked him. 200 dollars was not typical pocket change for high school students. Max was only a freshman. He wasn't old enough to have a part-time job.
"No, but I'll figure something out," he told her. Kyoko didn't know how he was supposed to come up with that kind of money. She doubted he could.
"Why don't you ask your parents for help?" She didn't expect his parents to fork over the money, but perhaps they could find a way to help get him out of this situation.
"Um, it's just my mom and me," Max told her. "She's no good at handling these kinds of things." He was avoiding her gaze again drawing in the dirt. Clearly, he didn't want her prying anymore into his mom.
"Could I have another water?" Kyoko asked changing the subject for him. She felt ready to drink some more. Her strength was returning slowly. Max got up and got another bottle.
"You're sure drinking a lot," he said as he handed her the pre-opened bottle.
"Yeah, I'm drinking a lot of water these days and have to be careful about getting dehydrated," she told him as she accepted the bottle from him.
"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked her questioningly. "I've never seen someone collapse from dehydration before," he said as he sat back down in his spot.
"Apparently, it's common for pregnant women," Kyoko said before thinking. As soon as the words were out of her mouth she regretted it. Her eyes went wide as she looked at Max to see if he caught her words. He was staring back at her mouth open.
"You're pregnant!? My God! What if West had attacked you?" He grabbed his head with both hands becoming frantic. Then he looked at her again, "You have to stop interfering! He could hurt you!" Max said admonishingly.
Yipes, now I'm being lectured by a teenager. "I'm fine. He didn't do anything to me," Kyoko said trying to reassure him.
"You are not fine!" Max exclaimed. "You are sitting on the ground after collapsing. What if I hadn't caught you? Is the baby okay?" He asked switching his thoughts and looking at her stomach.
"The baby is fine," Kyoko told him. I think. "I didn't pass out this time, and you're giving me plenty of water," Kyoko said trying to get him to calm down.
"This time!?" Max yelled getting partially to his feet. "You've passed out before?" He asked leaning towards her searching her face with his eyes.
Why do I keep saying things I shouldn't? "I didn't know I was pregnant at that time. But I do now and know what I need to do to take care of myself. I'm already feeling stronger," she stood up to prove her point. "See? I can stand now on my own."
Max stood as well and kept his gaze on her. "Are you sure you're okay?" He asked again.
"For the last time, I'm fine. But I will take another one of these bottles to carry with me," she said as she reached for one.
"Take two," Max said as he grabbed another and reached to put it in her purse for her. Kyoko was surprised by the action but let him do it. Men usually shied away from a woman's purse. But Max opened her purse and put the water in without hesitation. "I'll walk you back to the front yard where all the booths are," he told her.
"Thank you," she responded. "By the way, don't tell anyone I'm pregnant. It's still early on," Kyoko said shyly.
Max looked at her and nodded, "Of course, I won't tell anyone."
"You know, you're acting awfully friendly now. You were so hostile up until I got weak," she said teasingly.
"Oh, sorry about that," Max said looking down. "I just didn't want anyone involved. It wasn't your business. I don't like it when people meddle." He looked embarrassed as he scratched the back of his neck.
"Why is someone trying to help such a bad thing?" kyoko asked him.
"For starters, it's not like you can help," he said looking at her with his hand still on his neck. He brought it back down to his side as he continued, "and I didn't know you... I have a tendency to be rude when I first meet people." His cheeks turned slightly pink as he admitted his bad social skills.
Kyoko giggled at him. He looked cute at that moment, she couldn't help it. "Don't worry, the more people you meet the better you'll get at interacting with strangers." Kyoko took her phone out as they walked to check the time. It was almost one. "Max, could you show me where the stage is? I'm supposed to meet someone there," she said begrudgingly. She didn't want to meet up with Sho, but she agreed to it.
"Sure," Max said as they walked along.
Sorry about not posting last week. I didn't have anything written and decided to save what I wrote in the beginning of the week for today. This way I can prepare for next Friday with enough time. I would have continued to stay behind had I tried to post sooner. I should be able to stay on schedule for a few weeks but then things might get a bit crazy for me. We'll be moving sometime in January. If you ever want to know when the next update will be, feel free to drop in Discord. The invite link is in my profile.
I know everyone is anxious for Ren to return. I think he'll be back in 2-3 chapters. It depends on how long the next few scenes turn out to be.
Thanks for the correction on Ookami. Google translate failed me there.
Thanks for reading!
-Besma0003