A/N: for the one person who left me a review, I appreciate it. It's mainly what keeps me motivated to write this story, and revise earlier chapters to make it read better.
Someone drew a picture of a culinary student Shinjiro with short hair and was so strange to see him with short hair. It looked really good though.
27
15 August 2009
Yosuke looked around Iwatodai with a surprised expression on his face. He had assumed it would be a bit more rural than it was. His mother had her lips pursed and gave him a sharp look. Right, he could sightsee before the festival on the following day. Maybe he could get one of his cousin's friends to show him around. He kept an eye on their surroundings as he followed his mother's brisk walk to the hospital. People were milling about, though he noticed a few people sitting on benches acting as if the world was ending. They were barely moving, and didn't even respond when someone tried to get their attention. He didn't know what the hell was going on. A few people in the city had been like that as well. He ignored the strange occurrence as they walked into the hospital. The cool air of the hospital was a pleasant change compared to the growing humidity.
"We're here to see Hanamura Rosemary," Naomi informed the receptionist, "I'm her Aunt Hanamura Naomi."
"She's in the recovery ward, room one twelve," The Receptionist informed her in a pleasant tone, "we've been asked to inform her visitors to please be a bit gentle with her, she's still recovering."
"What happened?" Yosuke asked.
"One of the old weapons buildings was being investigated by the Kirijo group," She replied, using the fabricated story that had been told to her, "Hanamura-san was with the heiress to help take stock of what needed to be removed, a canister of gas fell and broke open. She was the closest to it."
Naomi thought it was the biggest pile of tosh she had ever heard. She kept her mouth closed and gave the woman a kind smile before walking away. She was going to get the information from her niece. The girl couldn't lie to her to save her life. She found the ward and the room and opened the door. She narrowed her eyes at the sight of a boy a year older than Rosemary. He had been talking to her in a quiet voice about a cooking show and had narrowed his eyes the moment she opened the door. His body was tensed in preparation for a fight as he fell silent.
"Shinjiro." Rosemary quietly said as she sent him a fond look before turning to her aunt, "Hello, Aunt Naomi."
"You have five minutes to explain yourself," Naomi informed her, and Yosuke tensed up at her tone, "I agreed to send you here because I was under the impression that you wouldn't end up in the hospital."
"Aunt Naomi, I have my respect for you, but please remember that this was my idea," Rosemary said, her voice leaving no room for argument, "I won't be shamed into leaving."
"I wasn't…" Naomi trailed off as she realized that was exactly what she was about to do.
She had been angry at the situation. She looked at her niece and noticed that the boy next to her was holding her hand. No wonder she refused to even think about leaving. He was the one that her mother had seen in her visions, the one that she controlled her granddaughter's life for. He was supposedly good for her, but she worried about her future. He looked like a delinquent, but there had to be something to him that Rosemary liked. He narrowed his eyes as if he knew she was judging him.
"Can you relax?" Rosemary asked in English, her voice testy.
"Sorry, I was worried," Naomi said, replying in English, "can you blame me?"
"…No, sorry," Rosemary apologized.
Shinjiro squeezed her hand and gave her a look as though he knew that she had just apologized. She felt her ears burn in embarrassment as Yosuke raised his brows repeatedly in a teasing manner. Shinjiro was not amused by that as his own ears warmed up, he refused to release her hand. She shifted her hand and intertwined their fingers. That didn't help cool him down, damn it.
"Can we have a family meeting?" Naomi asked as she sat down in a nearby chair.
"He also needs to speak with you," Rosemary answered with a blank expression, "besides, I would like him here."
"That's fine," Naomi sighed, she knew it was a fight she wouldn't win, "He's Aragaki Shinjiro?"
"I am," Shinjiro grumbled in annoyance at the woman.
Her aunt was a nice person, but the woman had been up for a few days worrying about her niece. She was at her wits end. She thought that her niece would be safe here in Iwatodai, the crime rate was low for god's sake. She also lived in the dorms with a boxing champion and was being taught how to box. She had friends for once in her life, yet she still ended up in the hospital. She sent her niece a look and noticed that Shinjiro was watching her through the corner of his eye.
"Your mother tried to take back control over you," Naomi informed her, "she wasn't able to, but she got close."
"I'll refrain from ending up in the hospital," Rosemary said in a dry tone.
"Good," Naomi and Shinjiro said in unison.
Rosemary looked at them for a few seconds and sighed as she was given more information about her mother's movements and the push from her father for her to be put under a marriage contract. Shinjiro took over at that point and informed her aunt that he'd be willing to sign one just to keep her parent's far away from her. She brought a hand up and rubbed at her temples. She was still tired, but she was trying to stay awake. If she could stay awake, then she would be given the okay to go to the festival the following day. She wanted to go with Shinjiro, but Ken had asked for her time first. It wasn't like Shinjiro wasn't going to join them, he had been hovering since she was put in the hospital. She felt a bit smothered, but his thoughts informed her that he was aware of his hovering and was trying to stop, but he was worried. Her heart had stopped, and she couldn't fault him for worrying. No wonder the doctors seemed to be closely watching her.
"Hey, May-Chan do you know anyone that could show me around the city?" Yosuke asked his cousin.
"I think Yukari would be the best person to ask, but if she does please take Koro-Chan with you," She answered, "I would walk him if I could."
"Koro-Chan's a dog, right?" He questioned and she nodded, "Because this might've gotten weird if he wasn't."
"You just made it weird," Shinjiro pointed out.
He scared Yosuke. He had a rough look to him, but if his cousin liked him then he had to be an all-right guy. He looked down at their conjoined hands and noticed how gentle the slouched teen was with her. He thought it was a good match. Then again, he trusted her judgment. He looked away and towards the window.
"Is it always humid here?" He asked.
"Yes." Shinjiro confirmed.
The air was awkward, and he felt Rosemary fidget. Her palms were growing warm due to her discomfort, but he had to give her credit. It wasn't showing on her face. He brushed his thumb against the back of her hand. He'd have to leave soon. Ken visited her after lunch, and he wasn't about to have the kid angry at her.
"It's time for her IV to be removed," Her doctor said as she walked in.
"Right," Shinjiro muttered.
Naomi stood up with Yosuke and they were the first two out. Shinjiro was stopped by Rosemary giving him an apologetic smile. What the hell was she sorry for? He frowned at her and she sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck.
"Happy belated birthday," She quietly said.
Oh, right. His birthday had been a few days ago. He gave her a slight nod and she tilted her head in thought. He didn't really celebrate his birthday, but the sentiment was sweet. She flushed a bright pink when her doctor shooed him from the room. The older woman gave a huff before setting about removing the needles from her skin. Rosemary winced as one was pulled from her chest and another the back of her hand.
"Are you excited for the festival?" Her doctor asked.
"A little," She answered, "I've never really been to one before."
"You'll have fun," the doctor said with a slight smile, "it looks like you already have a date."
Rosemary gave her a small smile, but it was a bit strained. She was going with her ward, her little brother. Shinjiro was going just to keep an eye on them. He wasn't the biggest fan of large crowds and neither was she. She just wanted to see the fireworks. She was told to lay back and did so as her vitals were checked. Her blood work was showing that the toxins were out of her system, she just needed to rebuild her strength. She was a bit worried about waking around in zori. Those sandals were difficult for her to walk in due to not being used to them, she was glad they weren't getas.
Ken came and visited her with a potted plant, and she smiled at that. He had brought her white hyacinths. Prayers for someone, huh. It was sweet of him, but she wondered if he knew that bringing someone a potted plant in the hospital was considered bad luck. Still, he knew her well enough to know that she'd rather have a potted plant that a cut flower. She listened to him as he patiently told her about his day. He had been practicing soccer most of the day and had roped Akihiko and Junpei into joining him. She gave a soft chuckle as he regaled her of Junpei's tragic fall. The teen had slipped and fell on one of the balls. He was all right, just bruised. Koromaru tried to help him back up by yanking on his arm and she smiled at that.
"Ah, Koro-Chan seems to like Mochi," Ken told her, and she had to process that information.
"He likes my cat?" She asked in surprise.
"Sometimes we can find the two of them napping next to the foyer sofa," He explained with a tiny smile, "it's really cute."
"Thank you for looking after her," She said, and Ken seemed to swell a bit with pride before deflating with a frown.
"Aragaki-San seems to spend a lot of time with them," He said, and she gave him a thoughtful look, "I don't know what to think of him."
That part was muttered, and she could tell by his thoughts that she wasn't supposed to hear it. He knew that they liked each other, honestly the way Shinjiro had acted when she was first admitted to the hospital wasn't very discreet. He wasn't happy about it, and he wasn't going to give his approval. He thought she could do better than the man who had killed his mother. She felt guilt pooling up in her stomach at those thoughts. She was in love with the man who accidentally killed Ken's mother. Her mind came to a complete stop.
Love? Did she love Shinjiro? Seven months was a short time to call in love with someone. Then again, she only knew what she felt, and she didn't know what love really felt like. Sure, she knew familial love, but romantic was different. She'd have to do some information gathering to know for sure. She wouldn't ask her Aunt. Naomi wasn't the biggest fan of Shinjiro due to her exhausted state. She blamed him for her resolve to stay. He wasn't the only reason.
She watched as Ken searched his pockets for something. Everyone in SEES was her reason for staying. She wanted to protect them with everything she had. She loved her Aunts family dearly but SEES was her family. They shared a bond that was unbreakable. She felt Themis speak up in her mind.
"You shared a link with them, a bond that once completed will be unbreakable." Themis informed her before returning to her constant whispering.
Rosemary couldn't help but wonder if her persona was quietly talking to the ones around her. She knew that shadows were the personification of a human consciousness. The ones that made that clear were those named after mythological characters. They took on a form that was warped and twisted by the rise of media and its influence on human creativity. She could ponder what made a shadow become a persona, but that would be too deep for her current state. She was too tired to think about persona and shadows.
"Are you going to wear a yukata tomorrow?" Ken asked her.
"Yeah." She confirmed as she lifted a hand and motioned towards a small bag on a nearby chair, "Fuuka brought it over so I can get changed here before heading out."
"Do you have to return?" He mumbled.
"Only for checkups," She said.
He hummed at that and she looked out the window. She'd rather be outside enjoying the nice weather than stuck inside. Being confined to a bed wasn't fun. She gave an inward sigh and gave Ken her full attention again. He was nervous about school and she could tell. She too was nervous. She bit the inside of her cheek. She didn't know what the future was going to hold, that wasn't one of her abilities.
Shinjiro looked at the woman in front of him before looking at the paper in his hands. A marriage contract, that title bothered him a bit. It felt like he was being sold a person. He wasn't going to regret offering his help to Rosemary, she was his girlfriend. She was one of his priorities. Still, the contract made things seem set in stone. He honestly couldn't see himself marrying due to his… condition. He believed he wasn't meant long for the world, but if he somehow survived another year. He'd marry her without a second thought. He could picture that. A traditional Shinto wedding with their friends in attendance. He put a stop to those thoughts before they could go any further. It was better to not even fantasize about things that couldn't be.
"The contract says that you can marry when she turns eighteen or when she finally finishes her schooling," Naomi informed the man, his eyes thoughtful as he continued to read through the contract, "an heir is required within a year of marriage or upon the completion of her schooling."
"The fuck kind of rule is that?" Shinjiro asked with a frown, "No wonder she hates these."
"And her father found a man with enough money to push a marriage contract through the court system faster than usual," She countered, and he glowered at her.
The idea of a child bothered him. He wasn't sure he'd be a good father. Sure, he could cook but showing affection was difficult for him. Besides what would they even look like? With her hair and his eyes, they'd look like little Minatos. That was a terrifying possibility. He thought hard on that little tidbit. If they ended up with his hair and her eyes, they would be pretty normal, but his hair and eyes would make mini-hims. He was giving it too much thought. Shit. He narrowed his eyes.
"Are you aware that you signed it already?" Naomi asked him.
Shit. Well, looks like he was stuck. He hadn't meant to sign it yet. He had wanted to read the rest of it. He didn't know what other conditions were there. He skimmed through them and his cheeks warmed up in embarrassment. There were some parts about issues conceiving children. He quickly read through the rest of it before handing it over to the older woman. He had about five years to come to terms with the prospect of having a child. Wait. He was acting as though he even had five years. It was an impossibility that he would.
"Why would you help my niece?" Naomi quietly asked a slight frown on her face, "Not that it's not appreciated."
"…I care about her," He admitted.
He knew why. He didn't have to explain himself to the older woman. He liked her niece because she was sweet and cared about other people. She was stubborn to a fault and damn him that he found that attractive sometimes. Sometimes it annoyed him when it got her hurt. Her recent expedition to the hospital was one of those times. He left the older woman and slowly made his way back to the dorm; he had a lot to think about.
He sat in the foyer watching Koromaru carrying Mochi around on his back. Rosemary's cat was fucking weird. Ken returned and spared him a thoughtful look. He didn't have to be a mind reader to know that the kid didn't trust him. There was a valid reason for that. He looked away from Ken and back to Koromaru and Mochi. Great, Koromaru decided to take a nap with the cat. He wanted to send the Shiba a look but couldn't help but enjoy the sight of the snoozing pets.
16 August 2009
Rosemary smoothed down the front of her yukata with a slight frown. The obi had been difficult to tie on her own, but she was sure she had gotten it right. She had her tabi and zori on and was trying to get used to the unfamiliar clothing. She had her hair up with the silver pins that had been rolled up in the yukata and let some of it fall into her face to frame it. She felt…feminine and oddly pretty. She left the hospital with a strange gait before it slowly smoothed itself out. The yukata was tight around her legs and that was what tripped her up a bit.
"May!" She blinked when Yukari called out her name.
"Yukari?" She asked and she froze when she was pulled into a hug.
"It's good to see you walking around again," Yukari quietly told her, "I visited you once when you were asleep…granted I wasn't the only one there."
"Was Ken with you?" She asked and Yukari gave her a strange look.
"Not that day, Aragaki-Senpai stayed with you most of the time you were unconscious," Yukari supplied, "he even helped us out with exploring Tartarus while you were down."
"Oh, are we up higher now?" She asked as they began to walk towards the shrine.
"Yeah, but it took us a bit longer to get through the floors," Yukari explained, and it showed on her face how tired she still was, "he also got into an argument with Akihiko-senpai."
"I thought that they might," She muttered, she then let out a sigh before sending the shorter girl an apologetic smile.
She wasn't there to keep them safe, and she felt guilty about that. Yukari smiled at her an linked their arms. She was wearing her kimono; they wore clashing colors. Red and Blue. Rosemary questioned Yukari's choice in heavy silk over the light cotton of a yukata, but decided it didn't matter. They met up with everyone at the shrine and the others were surprised at the sight of the blue haired girl. Only Ken really knew that there was a possibility of her getting out to enjoy the festival. She was looking at the paper lamps that were strung up and she could smell the food that was cooking.
"Hey," Akihiko greeted, and she blinked when she noticed that Yosuke was hanging around them, "your cousin is pretty interesting."
"That's a word for him," Yukari muttered, "he's easily excitable."
"That's Yosuke, but he's a good kid," Rosemary said.
They broke off into groups, the girls in one with Akihiko joining them. Ken, Rosemary, and Yosuke made up the other one. Rosemary was surprised that she didn't see Shinjiro in the area, then again he might've decided against going. She felt sad at that, but understood if he did. The crowd's thoughts were starting to get loud as they walked through the festival. They had a good hour until the fireworks went off. Yosuke and Ken were going from game to game and she gave a tiny smile at the sight.
She was pulled into a game of wanage and she looked at the rings in her hands with a slight frown. She didn't know which prize to try and get. Five rings were three hundred yen so she wouldn't be too upset if she messed up all her attempts. She saw a jack frost figurine that was attached to a pyro frost and she decided to try and get it. She missed the first three times, much to Yosuke's amusement and she narrowed her eyes slightly.
She missed the fourth one as well. She knew why people enjoyed doing this, the payoff for winning a prize was enough. It brought enough of a dopamine rush that people wanted it, but the anger that came with losing was enough to push people away. She tossed the last ring with that thought in mind and blinked as it looped around the figurine. She was handed it by the person running the stall and looked down at it.
"Are you having fun?" Yosuke asked her.
"Yes, though I don't really understand the popularity of these games," She quietly admitted, "I don't think I'm the right type for them."
"That's because you aren't used to them," He grinned up at her as he got Ken's attention and led the kid to a game with water balloons.
She stood off to the side away from them. She brought a hand up to her temples and felt the surge of thoughts grow in volume, both amount and sound. People were excited and their thoughts were reflecting that. She tensed when she heard her mother's thoughts. She thought she was done with her mother, but apparently the older woman wasn't done with her. She shifted her attention towards Susan's thoughts and focused on them.
'That freak sure chose one hell of a time to leave that hospital. That boy with the silver hair snubbed me when I asked him about her. That brat needs to learn to respect his betters.' Susan's thoughts were familiar to her.
Susan had thought such things when Rosemary was still under her control. She looked down at the figurine in her hand and she couldn't help but steel her nerves. A festival like this was a safe place to be. Her mother wouldn't be able to find her without someone's help and if she got violent she could make a scene. Susan's ability didn't work on large groups of people. Until she met the person face to face she couldn't charm them.
Akihiko was aware of her abilities and as such wasn't susceptible to them. No one from SEES would be susceptible to them. She was relieved to know that. If Susan had been able to charm them then she would be back under her control. No one would be the wiser if it had happened that way.
"Hey, are you okay?" Ken asked and she jumped in surprise.
She hadn't known that he was there. She gave him a small smile as her heart raced painfully in her chest. She was supposed to be taking it easy. A thought came to her and she was going to use it to get the focus off her health. She didn't want Ken to worry.
"I'm all right," She told him, "what food do you suggest?"
"Ah, you should try to Takoyaki," He answered with a smile.
He grabbed onto her hand and pulled her to the stand. He paid for one order of it and began to search for a place to sit when he got it. Yosuke watched the exchange with a smile. It was nice to see his cousin being happy. She got to be an older sister again and his smile fell at that. She had been so distant once her siblings passed. He remembered being asked to watch her when she first got out of the hospital the first time. She couldn't even look at anyone, she had been cold even to him. She seemed a bit impressed by the Takoyaki and had a tiny smile on her face.
"It didn't take long for her to eat something, did it?" His mother's voice scared him, and he let out a yell of surprise.
He sent his mother a look and she gave him a smile that was just like his cousins. The soft smile that brought him comfort. He was a bit surprised to see Shinjiro standing behind her. He was hunched over with his hands shoved into his pockets, a surly look on his face. He was eyeing the crowd around him with dislike. Huh, he didn't like crowds.
Shinjiro had planned to go to the festival, but he had run into Naomi. He had been talked into showing the older woman to the different restaurants. He blamed it on her kind disposition. She had gotten some sleep and she had apologized to him for her reaction to him.
He looked through the crowd and noticed Ken first. He was talking to Rosemary as they stood near a small trash can to throw away the trash from their food. He hadn't expected her to wear a yukata and his cheeks grew warm. She was pretty. Her head tilted up and she looked over her shoulder at him, her cheeks a pale pink and a soft smile on her face. He looked away as his embarrassment grew. His throat was dry, and he felt oddly nervous.
"Why don't you and Ken-chan show me around the festival?" Naomi asked Yosuke, her smile a bit mischievous, "Give your cousin some time to catch her breath."
Ken knew what she was doing and looked up at Rosemary. Shinjiro sent her a quick thought to let her know it was all right. He'd talk to her after the festival, there were a few things they needed to talk about. There was some information that he wasn't sure she knew. He watched as Ken pointed towards a game and she tilted her head in thought. Her aunt and cousin quietly took their leave to find a place to watch the fireworks from.
"I don't think I could beat it," She quietly said with an apologetic smile, "but I can try."
Shateki, a rifle game. It used a cork instead of compressed air. She knew about the game with the compressed air due to some time spent in America, but she'd never played it or seen it with her own eyes. The people who had told her about it hadn't been lying, their thoughts had been consistent. She picked up the rifle and held it awkwardly. Ken felt bad at her obvious discomfort with the rifle and watched as she tried a couple of times to knock down the shiba plush for him. It reminded him of Koromaru. She rubbed the back of her neck and gave him an apologetic look before blinking when the fake rifle was gently removed from her hand.
Shinjiro had more luck with the game then she did. Ken looked down at the plush in his hands with a slight frown. He didn't know what to make of the man who had killed his mother. He had been expecting someone without any morals, but he wasn't like that. Sure, he was surly and unapproachable but he treated him and Rosemary with kindness. He knew that he hadn't left her side when she was in the hospital recovering, and even now was making sure she didn't collapse on them. He looked at Rosemary and noted that she seemed happy with the Pyrojack in her arms. The figure she had won was still in her hands. She really liked the Jack mascots, finding them adorable. He knew they were persona's and he couldn't help but wonder if he should join her and Fuuka's brainstorming sessions as they tried to figure out the dark hour.
"Shit," Her quiet curse got his attention and he felt a hand out on his shoulder.
"Oh there you are!" Susan Pinefield said as she walked up to her daughter, a man in his mid twenties following her, "I was just looking for you."
"I thought I asked you to cease and desist, Susan," Rosemary said and Ken immediately tensed as the atmosphere grew heavy.
Shinjiro was eyeing the man up, trying to figure out the significance of him. The man had sandy colored hair that was short and stylish. It slightly covered his blue eyes. Eyes that had yet to leave his girlfriends figure as she squared off with Susan. He wouldn't interfere unless she wanted him to or it got physical. He gathered she was grateful for that.
"You did, but that was before you landed yourself in the hospital you clumsy child," Susan continued in a faux kind voice that made Shinjiro's skin crawl, "I thought you might want to meet your husband to be."
Naomi had warned him about this, and said not to worry. The paper work had been faxed to Rosemary's lawyer and was being processed. Rosemary seemed to hear that thought and calmly looked at her mother before turning to the man. She didn't seem impressed by him. In fact, she leveled him with an icy look.
"Whatever she promised you is a lie, you are aware of that, yes?" Rosemary asked in English, "My mother has lied to several benefactors before."
"I am aware of that," The man said in English his accent cultured and posh compared to Rosemary's, "I was also informed that you quite the prize, someone that could tell me what my competition is thinking."
"How would I possibly be able to do that?" She asked with a confused frown, "I have no clue what you're on about."
'I think you do.' He thought to her and she kept her expression from changing.
She ignored his thoughts completely and focused on Shinjiro's. He was starting to get uneasy about the situation and wanted to get her and Ken out of it. He wasn't impressed by her parents choice either and pointed that out explicitly in his comments about the man. She felt her body warming at some of the implications of what Susan wanted her to do with the man when she heard her thoughts.
"Are…Is there something you want to say?" She asked, confusion lacing her voice.
Shinjiro watched as Susan's face twisted in rage. Whatever her daughter was doing was making the older woman furious. He kept a smirk off his face at that. He was proud of her for standing up for herself. He watched as she gently moved Ken behind her, it was done discreetly and with purpose. She didn't trust her not to physically lash out and not hurt Ken. She'd already been to the hospital enough times for his liking, he'd be damned if she went back.
"Ah, so you are a liar," The man said as he turned to Susan with a slight frown on his face, "Mrs. Pinefield lying about such things is unbecoming of you."
"She's a littler liar, always has been," Susan hissed before turning up her charm on the man, "she's doing this to place doubt in your mind."
Ken felt his stomach twist at the sight. He didn't like Susan one bit. She felt fake, her personality and her looks. He looked to Rosemary and tried to see where there were any attributes from her. There were none. She didn't look anything like her, she looked more like her Aunt if he was being honest. Susan Pinefield had sharp features set against a Japanese face, though the blonde hair dyed brown and blue eyes detracted from them. Her skin was a pale olive tone, a stark difference from her daughter milky skin.
"Susan, please leave," Rosemary sighed, "I'm trying to enjoy the festival with people that matter to me."
He mattered to her. Ken kept his gaze on Rosemary and thought about that. He mattered to her and that meant a lot. He could tell that she'd rather use the word love, but didn't want Susan to know the extent of how much she cared. He spared a quick glance towards Shinjiro and saw that the older boy had figured it out as well.
"I apologize for taking up your time, miss," the man apologized surprising Rosemary, "I wasn't aware that your mother was this unhinged."
"It's quite fine, not many do," She said with a soft sigh, "how her lawyer got her out of prison is beyond me."
"It is beyond my understanding as well," He agreed before gaining a thoughtful expression, "perhaps when you take control of the company on your eighteenth birthday, you might find a joint project agreeable between our companies."
"I will think on it, though my grandparents asked me to tear the company down and sell it upon receiving it," she admitted, "I might do something else."
He gave her a stiff nod, shot her mother a glare, before walking off. He genuinely smiled at a few old ladies who giggled behind their hands. Rosemary seemed stunned, his mind hadn't shown that part of his personality only the part that was monetarily driven. It was nice to see there was more to him, but she wasn't interested. She had a good guy already, he was a little grumpy but he had a heart of gold. He'd also blush if he knew that she had just thought that.
"How dare you ruin that match!" Susan angrily hissed at her.
"How dare you try to control my life?" Rosemary countered as she narrowed her eyes, "I couldn't give a toss about the stupid company."
"You should just do as you're told." Susan continued.
"I don't think I will." She said as she shook her head before turning to face Shinjiro, "Let's go find a place to watch the fireworks."
"Oh, I know a place," Ken piped up, "c'mon."
He grabbed her hand and began to lead the way. A glare from Shinjiro stopped Susan from following. She tried turning her charm on him but got a disgusted glare in return. He shuddered slightly as he slowly followed her daughter and the boy to the spot. She wanted to stamp her foot in frustration. When the hell did her daughter get an even stronger backbone? She may have stood up to her in Tokyo, but there was still fear in her eyes. Oh, it was still there but it was growing slower each time they met. Was it those boys? She needed more information.
She needed it fast to regain control and keep her husband happy. He promised her a grandchild to take care of, one to keep away from its freak of a mother before an accident found her.
"She…" Rosemary had tensed and her eyes were wide in shock.
"May?" Ken asked and that shook her from her shock.
"Don't worry about it," She said with a smile, "what's this spot like?"
"It's where my mother and I would watch them from," He explained, "Not many people know about it."
It was near a small man made river near the small woods. It over looked the festival area and gave them a good view of the sky. Shinjiro stood off to the side before Rosemary discreetly motioned for him to move in closer. His expression turned into a slight smile as he did so, though it quickly fell into one of guilt. The lights to the festival dimmed as the first firework was sent up. Ken became distracted by them as a smile appeared on his face.
Rosemary had one on her's as well though there was extreme fatigue starting to set in. Her body was nearing its limit. She brought a hand up to her chest and Shinjiro stiffened. She gave him a smile to show she was all right. He'd have to walk back to the dorms slowly. Ken picked up on the pace of others around him with ease and adjusted accordingly. The fireworks ended and they headed back to the shrine. It was easier walking down the small hill then going up, though Rosemary had a grip on Shinjiro for balance. Her zori weren't the best shoes to walk downhill in. Well, it was mainly because she was unused to them.
"Thank you, Shinji." She quietly thanked him as they reached the base of the hill.
"It's not a problem," He muttered as he narrowed his eyes up at the moon, "I wonder what time it is. I don't really have a watch to check with anymore."
"Oh, did you lose it?" She asked him.
"Yeah…somewhere." He admitted and he looked to the side like he didn't really care.
He did, it had been given to him by someone he cared about. She made sure to memorize what it looked like and keep an eye out for it. Hopefully, she could ask Fuuka how to fix it if it ended up being broken. She could easily clean it and polish it, but fixing it was beyond her current capabilities. She did understand basic programming code, she learned that to decipher some of the thoughts she got out of Aigis.
The walk to the dorm was quiet and Shinjiro looked between the two. Both looked exhausted, but for different reasons. Rosemary looked up at him and gave him a sleepy smile. He looked away and cursed how cute it was. She was always doing cute shit like that without even realizing it. They made it back to the dorm before anyone else and Ken sleepily walked up to his room after giving Rosemary a hug. She seemed a bit confused by his actions and frowned a bit.
"Did your grandparents never give you a good night hug?" Shinjiro questioned as he went into the kitchen to make them something to drink.
"Not really," She admitted, "as loved as my grandfather made me feel, he wasn't a hugger."
"Where the hell do you get that trait from?" He muttered as he waited for the kettle to start whistling, he could handle any criticism she gave him when it came to his tea.
"Am…am I hugger?" She asked him with an innocent expression, "I didn't know that."
He nodded and they fell into a comfortable silence. He'd have their conversation in the foyer, but he didn't want someone else to walk in on it. It was either her room or his. He felt nervous about having a girl in his room.
"Your room would be better, mine has a camera in it," She grumbled as the kettle began to whistle.
He went to get the whistling kettle off the stove burner and frowned at that information. He filled two mugs up with the boiling water before grabbing two bags of herbal tea. He wasn't going to give her something with a lot of caffeine. The smell of lavender wafted through the air and Rosemary gave a smile as he handed her a mug. He sighed and motioned for her to follow him.
His room was empty and he noted that she seemed a little surprised by it before shrugging. She didn't care if his room was empty, he was there. She inwardly grimaced at such thoughts. She was such a sap. He awkwardly told her to sit anywhere and grew a bit nervous when she sat down on the foot of his bed. He didn't show it as he informed her of his meeting with her aunt the previous day. She had frozen at the fact that she would have to have a child due to the nature of such contracts.
"Oh god, I'd be a horrible mother," she muttered as she nursed her cup of tea in her hands.
"Can't be any worse than your mother," He pointed out, "channel your grandfather."
She cracked a smile at that, it was fond. She really loved her grandfather. It was sweet that she cherished those memories. She took a sip of her tea and gave him a nod. Ah, so he passed the Brit test.
"The Brit test," She muttered into her cup before taking another sip, "that's funny."
Shinjiro was quiet as they drank their tea and thought about what came next. He knew that the progression of their relationship was going to be strange. It would be fast in some areas while being slow in others. He scratched the back of his head in thought. He removed his beanie and completely ran a hand through his thick hair. He kept his fringe trimmed to keep it from getting in his eyes, so he had ended up with a mullet of sorts. Heh, maybe he'd get it cut one day. A lot of…he almost believed for a second that he'd make it to culinary school.
"I think you'd own a five star restaurant," Rosemary told him, "you already make a damn good tea."
"…thanks," He muttered as he decided to sit down on his bed.
She sipped her tea again and he moved to sit behind her. She blinked when he put his arms around her waist. Her back was flush against his chest and her heart was starting to race. She took a few calming breaths. His chin rested on her shoulder as he quietly thought. He was comfortable, mainly due to the fact that she was warm.
"You've got me confused, y'know that?" He asked her and she shivered as his warm breath hit her ear.
"I'm…sorry?" She apologized, confused if it was a bad thing or not.
"Idiot…" he said in a fond tone.
She gave a tiny smile at that and closed her eyes for a few seconds. Her body was tense, she knew that. It was an automatic response to someone touching her. But, she slowly relaxed in his hold. He lightly smelt of cologne, or an aftershave she didn't know. She couldn't put a finger on what it was exactly, and she didn't want to ask. The mystery was nice.
They stayed like that for an hour before she headed to her room to apologize to her cat. He sat on his bed with a thoughtful expression on his face. He could still smell flowers. She did have quite a few plants in her room, plus the new one that Ken got her. Perhaps that was the reason why? For whatever reason he enjoyed it.