Ranma's Child

by Blissful Archangel

Ryuku Saotome's life is plagued with abandonment and dark rumors. Throughout his childhood, he lacked inspiration and had eventually gave up on the family arts. That all changed when he met a young girl on a cold winter's day. From there, his life was flung into disorderly chaos - crazy martial artists, ancient magic, and Amazonian tribes crash into the redhead's life.

48. Ch 38: Karma's a Bitch: Part 1

Chapter 38: Karma's a Bitch: Part 1

Once he landed onto the grass, Takumi picked up his backpack and broke out into a sprint. Stars scattered above in the dark night sky. The moon casted a glow down onto the streets as if it was a guiding light for him to follow. Running in the middle of the night felt freeing to the middle schooler. He should've ran away from home a long time ago.

His stomach growled. Before Takumi left, he had grabbed a few snacks. Small bags of trail mix, an assortment of dried meats, and a few granola bars. For now, he could stave off eating until he found a decent spot to lay low for the night.

Takumi's mind drifted to the thought of what his mother must've done for dinner. The plate she had set out for him would've been filled with a sizable portion. She would've watched him eat with a pleased expression. Takumi never said anything yet Ukyo still perked up with a grin. The steady thump of his footsteps hitting the pavement faltered. He supposed he could've eaten first before he slipped out. But if he had done that, his family would've wanted to talk. There was nothing to discuss. His parents made it clear that they'd always pick Ryou over him.

The longer Takumi was out and about, the more his bewilderment increased. He couldn't find anywhere to go. Nerima should've had more than a handful of decent places.

He looked around his surroundings.

When had he gone off the streets and wandered onto someone's property? Stiffness settled into Takumi's shoulders. He recognized the open window from the house beside him. Blue curtains with prints of puppies swayed along with the gentle night's breeze. As he glanced along the fencing, he saw a noticeable spot on the bottom of one of the planks. Months ago, his father had mentioned he'd have that hole fixed. A small plot, which contained the beginnings of a garden, was next to a tree that bore fruit in the spring.

Takumi pressed his lips together and formed a tight line. He shifted his backpack on his back.

Somehow, he had returned to home.

Why didn't I notice anything earlier? He shook his head. Who cares? I'm not staying around anyway.

As he left, he'd pay extra close attention to everything around him.

But Takumi had run into the same problem. He had no idea how long he had been running but he couldn't find a decent spot anywhere. Then, out of nowhere, he had wound up in someone's backyard. As he wandered around, a tenseness returned to his body, which seemed to increase with every step he took. There's no way that this is my backyard. Takumi staggered forward as his foot snagged onto something on the ground. He whirled around to see what had tripped him. An exposed ugly tree root. Takumi glared at the offending root only to pale as he recognized the tree. In the tree's trunk was a barrage of faded slash marks. Marks that he had made himself.

He pushed away from the tree and looked all around him. Takumi withheld a curse when he saw his bedroom window. He was in his own backyard. To make things worse, he had circled around the perimeter of the place for who knew how long. His footprints had been overlapped with his own over and over again. Doing such an idiotic thing like that was what his father or his brother would do.

The darkness had to be the culprit behind this. Even someone with perfect eye sight wouldn't be able to maneuver themselves in the dark. If he had done this in the broad daylight, things would've turned out different.

But something like this wasn't going to prevent Takumi from leaving. Failing his first and second attempt just meant that the third time would be a success. After all, the third time was the charm.

When Takumi reached the front yard, the door burst open with a mighty bang. His parents stepped out deep in conversation. They had heavy backpacks along with additional equipment and bags.

Ukyo adjusted her cap, zipped her jacket all the way up to the collar, and pointed forward with a spatula. "All right, boys! Let's get goin'!"

The last one out was Ryou. With a handle of a flashlight in his mouth, Ryou struggled to put on his backpack. The umbrella strapped on top of his gear fell off. As he tried to catch it, the flashlight's blaring light landed onto Takumi. Ryou's lips parted, the tool dropped, and he flailed about to catch it as well. "Takumi, you're back!" he shone the light back onto his brother.

"Takumi?" Ukyo's face brightened. "You are back!" she dropped her backpack along with her other belongings to rush over to him.

Ryoga and Ryou did the same and surrounded Takumi.

"You were gone for almost forty-five minutes!" Ukyo yanked Takumi into a tight embrace. The back of Ukyo's spatula connected with the back of his skull. "We would've left sooner but someone," she narrowed her eyes onto Ryoga. "Insisted that we make sure we had everythin' first," she gazed upon her son with a relieved smile. "Thank goodness you came back on your own!"

"Is that supposed to make me happy?" Takumi glared at a missing patch of grass. "You and father suddenly care about me enough that you were 'planning' to look for me?" he scoffed and eased himself away from his mother but she refused to let him go.

"And where do you think you're going, young man?" Ukyo's smile sharpened around the edges.

"I'm going to my room," Takumi stated. "It's getting late and it's a school night."

"I wasn't the one who went and decided to run away, sweetie," Ukyo informed him, her tone saccharine sweet.

"I'm home now. So it doesn't matter what I did, now does it?" Takumi said.

"But now that you're home," Ryoga joined in with a tentative smile. "We want to talk to you for a little bit, Takumi."

"And then we can all go to bed after that," Ryou added.

"You heard 'em. We're goin' to have a nice family talk," Ukyo said. "We would've already gotten it done during dinner but someone decided not to show up. He thought that jumpin' out the window with his backpack," she used her spatula to give a harsh yank to Takumi's backpack. "And runnin' away was a smart thing to do. Couldn't imagine why he thought that'd be a good idea."

"That's not my problem," Takumi shrugged. "Like I said, it's late and past my bed time. Isn't it also a work night for you, mother?"

"How sweet of you to look out for your ma, sug," Ukyo tittered while she ruffled up Takumi's hair. "Whether you like it or not, we're goin' to talk about this. You can't drop a bombshell on everyone and except us to forget about it all willy nilly. That's not how it works with us! Am I right boys?"

"You're right, mom," Ryou agreed. "We'll talk about it once we're well-rested."

"Hibikis have to talk things through," Ryoga placed his hand onto Takumi's shoulder. "We want to know what's troubling you."

Takumi managed to slip away from his mother while he brushed Ryoga's hand away. "I have no idea what any of you are talking about."

"That's okay if you don't remember," Ukyo smirked. "We definitely remember so we'll be more than happy to remind you later. Ain't that sweet of us?"

"Whatever," Takumi rolled his eyes.

Ryou picked up Ukyo's gear from the grass. "I'll get these back inside." He nodded at Takumi. Then, he bounded past him, snatched the umbrella off the front step, and went back into the house. "Goodnight everyone! See you tomorrow morning!"

"Thanks for doing that! Goodnight, sug!" Ukyo called after Ryou.

Ryoga held onto Takumi's backpack. "I can take this inside for you, Takumi. Let your dad take care of this while you head on to bed!"

Takumi prepared to decline his father's 'helpful' offer and took a step back.

A rip sounded as the straps to Takumi's backpack was torn apart. He could only watch as his bag flopped down. The damage was worse than he thought. Everything inside had spilled out onto the ground. A gaping hole stood out in the backpack's newfound design. Takumi blinked up at his father. "Why did you do that?"

Ryoga rubbed at the back of his head. "Whoops! I, uh, I can fix that for you," he grinned with a goofy laugh. "And I'll get this cleaned up for you, too. Just leave it to me!"

Ukyo broke out into a fit of laughter. "Good doin', jackass!" she gave Ryoga a playful smack to his back. "Don't worry, Takumi, your dad and I got this. Go get some sleep." she crouched down and began to pick up Takumi's things. Ukyo's laughs subsided as she spotted something among the pile.

It was a tiny picture frame. One that barely fit in the palm of someone's hand.

Takumi's eyes widened. When did I put that in there? He snatched the frame back from his mother. "Goodnight."

As he stomped up the stairs, he looked down at the frame in his hands. The photograph inside it had seen better days as it was faded and crinkled. His mother had, no doubt, seen what was inside it. The photo of the Hibikis, with a much younger Takumi and Ryou, all smiling together. He should've tossed it out.

"Goodnight Takumi! We love you!" Ukyo shouted after him.

X

When it was time for lunch, Ryou was one of the first few students out of the classroom. He didn't make it very far before Ryuku blocked his way. Ryou was quick to go around him but Ryuku was faster and prevented him from walking by. When he managed to slip away, Ryou darted down the hallway without meeting anyone's gaze.

"You can't keep avoiding me forever, Ryou!"

Ryou quickened his strides down the hall.

As Ryuku cut off Ryou again, the taller boy prepared to move around him. "You're acting like such a kid about this," Ryuku heaved a sigh and lowered his shoulders. The exhale ruffled up his bangs somewhat. "I thought you were the mature one here."

"Mature? You want to talk about mature, Saotome?" With fists at his sides, Ryou ground his teeth together in a tight press. The harsh pressure in his jaw felt as though his teeth might shatter. Ryuku's expression did nothing to soothe his nerves. All he could see was that rotten double staring at him. That very same double who accepted a fight from his little brother. What did that idiot think he was going to achieve by beating up a middle schooler? Other than look like a total bully.

"You doing okay over there?" Ryuku waved his hand in front of Ryou's face. "You look like you're about to blow up."

"You better call off your guard dog right now, Ryuku!" Ryou demanded, his teeth bared. "I get that you don't like Takumi. You have a good reason for that but that doesn't give you the right to have your little minion beat him up!"

"Minion? Guard dog?" Ryuku's eyebrows knitted together. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb. Like you didn't sic that asshole after my little brother?"

"I didn't do anything to that brat," Ryuku frowned. "He's not even a blip in my radar."

Ryou barked out a laugh. "Like I believe that," he narrowed his eyes onto the redhead. "You're a real piece of work, Saotome. I can't believe you'd stoop so low as to have that thing beat up Takumi."

"Wait a minute. Are you talking about Gashu?" Ryuku lowered his voice and glanced around in caution. "Because if you are, I have zero involvement with whatever he did. All I wanted to do was talk and make things right between us again. That's all. This whole 'I'm not your best friend anymore' thing doesn't suit us. So, can we sort this out or what, Hibiki?" Ryuku gave Ryou a hopeful smile.

"I've said everything that I had to say," Ryou turned away to miss the way Ryuku's face fell. He had to stand his ground. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have another appointment that I need to go to."

"Seriously? Another one?"

"Unlike you, I like to keep a consistent schedule."

"How consistent can your schedule be? You get lost practically every other day."

Ryou sent the other boy a heated glare. "I haven't gotten lost since I came back to school."

"I bet you already got lost on your way home more than once," Ryuku snorted.

In truth, Ryou had gotten lost no more than three times within the last few days. "That's not the point," he spoke over Ryuku's boastful laugh. "I still made it to school and to my house!" Ryou jabbed him a few times in the chest. "You're just mad that this proves that I don't need your help anymore."

Ryuku stared down at Ryou's finger. "I'm not mad. You're the one getting worked up over this stupid thing," his lips twisted into a scowl as he shoved at the lost boy's arm. "But since you're doing so great on your own then I won't bother helping you."

"Good! That's how things should've been in the first place!"

Ryuku's scowl deepened. "You could've told me that instead of being such a jerk about it."

"Like you ever tell me anything?" Ryou shot back at him. "What's wrong? Don't like having a taste of your own medicine?"

"Go ahead and keep your secrets then. It's not like I want to know any of them!" Ryuku refused to back down from their glaring match. "I swear, you act like such a girl over dumb things like this."

"I didn't realize that honesty was such a terrible thing to want between friends."

"Friends?" Ryuku snorted. "I thought we weren't friends anymore."

"We aren't!" Ryou reaffirmed.

"Good! Let's keep it that way then!"

"I will!"

"And I will, too!"

The final nail made it into the coffin. That was the end of their discussion. Now was the perfect time to storm off in opposite directions. He couldn't keep Kazuko waiting. But Ryou froze when he saw someone coming toward them. Behind Ryuku, Lotion was heading straight for the two boys.

The determined expression Lotion wore told Ryou more than enough of her intentions. She was coming for them and they wouldn't be able to escape. But Lotion wasn't alone. The amazon had her arms linked together with Ayano's. The other girl struggled to keep up with Lotion's pace as she held onto a pink tote bag.

"I didn't know that Lotion and Makanai knew each other," Ryou blurted out.

The heat behind Ryuku's glare faded. "Uh, yeah, they're friends now or whatever," His frowned drooped. "That was random."

When Lotion noticed Ryou's eyes on her, she waved at him and flashed him a dazzling smile.

Warmth flooded Ryou's cheeks as he looked back at Ryuku. He supposed the decent thing to do was tell Ryuku what was about to happen. Even if they were no longer friends, he couldn't leave him to his fate unaware. "Makanai's heading this way."

"Nice try, Hibiki," Ryuku folded his arms over his chest. "I'm not falling for that again."

"I'm not trying to trick you," Ryou said. "Look behind you."

"Nope," Ryuku said unimpressed. "You can't fool me twice."

"Fine, don't believe me," Ryou shrugged. "But don't say that I didn't warn you."

Lotion jumped behind Ryuku and announced. "I finally found you boys! This time you're not getting away from me," she looked to Ayano. "I can't tell you how many times they've ditched me, Ayano. Isn't that the meanest thing you've ever heard?"

A mixture of emotions flitted over Ryuku's face ranging from shock to frustration. He risked a glance behind him and then whirled back forward. "What the hell, Hibiki? Why didn't you warn me?" he mouthed out to Ryou.

Ryou rolled his eyes. "You only have yourself to blame."

"Hello, Hibiki," Ayano greeted. After a beat, she added in a soft tone. "Saotome."

"Hello, Makanai," Ryou returned the greeting with a nervous smile.

"Now we can all finally have lunch together!" Lotion cheered. "Food always tastes better when you have company."

Ryuku grimaced. "Actually, I -"

"I know you're not busy Ryu," Lotion grabbed onto Ryuku's arm as if she expected him to flee at any second. "Do you have another appointment today, Ryou?"

Ryou chuckled uneasily. "Uh, I -"

"Oh no, Ryou!" Lotion whined while she hopped up and down. She tried and failed to get Ryuku to join her. "We haven't had a chance to do anything since you came back to school. I really wanted us to all be together when I first started coming to Furinkan. Can't you make an exception for today? Pretty please?" she gazed up at Ryou with doe eyes.

Ryou opened and closed his mouth. How could anyone say no to Lotion? "I'm, uh, pretty sure I can make it to lunch today."

"Yay! This is going to be the best lunch ever. I know it!" Lotion dragged Ryuku alongside her while she linked her other arm with Ayano's. "Okay, everyone, let's get going!"

Ryou couldn't shake off the jealousy that built through him. Seeing Lotion and Ryuku together like that would give anyone the wrong idea. The student body had already assumed they were a couple and here they were clinging onto each other. Did they want to make the rumors worse? Then again, their behavior didn't seem to matter to either of them. They were off in their own little world. The only difference this time was that Ryuku had the audacity to drag poor Ayano along with them. Anyone could see that she was uncomfortable. After all, who would want to be a third wheel to such a jerk?

With a sigh, Ryou took out his phone and began to fall behind the others. Guilt replaced his jealousy from the thought of Kazuko waiting for him. Yet again, he had gotten another strike for being a horrible tutor. What kind of person abandoned their responsibilities to have lunch with friends? Ryou sent her a thorough apologetic message.

He received a reply within seconds. we can mak up the leson nxt tim! naori's ben bugin me bout havin lunch togthr so this kinda wrks out. thx 4 lttin me no hibki! se ya at the nxt leson.

Relived from Kazuko's response, Ryou pocketed his phone, already in better spirits. He looked over to the others but all he could see before him was an empty hallway. I couldn't have been on my phone longer than a few minutes. How could I have gotten lost so fast?

The bigger question was: why wasn't anyone looking out for him?

Ryuku could've said something. One of his unfunny comments would've sufficed but he didn't even have the courtesy to do that.

Ryou combed his fingers through his hair. Would I look like an idiot if I told Nakamura that there was another change of plans? There was a high chance that someone would come back for him. If he didn't move, he'd be found sooner.

"Hibiki?"

"Ryu -" He spun around. In his haste, he almost bit his tongue. "Makanai?" he stammered.

"I saw that you were starting to fall behind us," Ayano said. "I told Lotion and Saotome that I'd go back and get you. They went on ahead to the lunch spot."

So much for everyone getting together for a 'nice' lunch. "You didn't have to do that, Makanai," Ryou mumbled. "I would've caught up to everyone else eventually."

"It's okay. I don't mind," Ayano said. "Shall we get going?"

"Uh, right," Ryou nodded.

As they walked together, Ryou realized that this was the first time he had been alone with Ayano. An awkwardness settled over the two teens. Starting conversations with girls was never one of Ryou's strong suits. He struggled to come up with an ice breaker. Aside from her name, Ryou knew nothing about Ayano. How did this girl know Ryuku in the first place? Once again, this was another piece of information that Ryuku had no intention of telling him.

To Ryou's surprise, Ayano turned to him and asked. "How is your arm doing, Hibiki?"

"It's doing a lot better. Thanks for asking," a small bit of confidence relaxed Ryou as he hadn't stuttered. "I see that you're doing better, too. But I guess your arm and ankle got better while I was gone."

"I'm feeling much better now," Ayano said.

"Getting hurt is the worst, isn't it?" Ryou refrained from smacking his forehead. What kind of question is that? I'm such an idiot.

"It's not the best feeling."

"It's... not."

The awkward atmosphere returned.

Ryou held back a frustrated groan. Why is this so difficult? "So, when did you. How did you," he fiddled with a loose button on his jacket. "I hope you don't mind me asking but how do you and Ryuku know each other?"

"Saotome never told you?"

When does he ever tell me anything? "No, he didn't."

Ayano chewed at her lower lip. "It's not a very interesting or exciting story," she said. "I'd say it's almost embarrassing but I... guess I can tell you what happened."

Without further ado, Ayano began to tell the story of her first meeting with Ryuku. It was on a snowy evening. One that involved broken groceries, scraped kneecaps, and a piggyback ride to Dr. Tofu's Clinic. The story was ordinary from start to finish. Although, Ryou wasn't sure what exactly he had been expecting to hear. Maybe some sort of reasoning to explain Ryuku's standoffish behavior towards the girl.

In return for Ayano's story, Ryou told her how he and Ryuku knew each other. As he spoke, Ayano hung onto each one of Ryou's words. Her intent gaze caused Ryou's flustered state to return. He couldn't meet her eyes. The story wasn't an extraordinary tale in any shape or form. Yet Ayano looked upon him with such wonderment. It was as if she was being told a grand adventure one would have to see to believe.

"You and Saotome are childhood friends?" Ayano asked.

"We've been pretty much inseparable for as long as I can remember," Ryou chuckled bashfully. "He's almost like my bro -" he caught himself. "Yeah, we're childhood friends."

"That sounds nice," Ayano stared down at the floor as she walked. "To have such a long-lasting friendship like that. That's something to cherish."

Ryou grimaced. "It has its moments."

As their conversations continued, they realized that they shared various things in common. They had a penchant for studying and had an interest to join the Honors Club in the future. The possibility of joining the student council was another appealing aspect for them. But the biggest shocker of them all was that they both had recently became tutors. What were the chances of that happening? Another coincidence was that their students were older than them. Kazuko being a second year and Ayano's student being a third year respectively.

"Actually, I think he used to attend Furinkan," Ayano mused. She tapped her index finger against her chin. "Until he transferred to Hisen."

Ryou's eyebrows shot up his forehead and his jaw dropped. "Hisen? The All-Boys Charter School?" Even with Furinkan's less-than-stellar reputation, Hisen was at the bottom of the barrel! Why would Makanai be involved with anyone from that school? "Uh, how did you - why are you - who are you teaching exactly?" He doubted he'd know who it was. Ryou could count the number of Hisen students he knew on one hand. The chances of Ayano tutoring either of them were slim to none.

"His name is Ich -"

"Would you cut that out?!"

The sudden outburst forced Ryou and Ayano out of their conversation. Neither of them had realized that they had arrived to the lunch spot. Ryuku and Lotion sat together in front of a tree. They had yet to notice their arrival, far too absorbed with their bickering. Lotion tried to feed Ryuku a bite from her bento. When Ryuku batted Lotion's hand away, it was then that they saw they were no longer alone.

Lotion kept her chopsticks near Ryuku's face. A piece of fried shrimp tempura was on his cheek. "Look, Ryu! It's Ryou and Ayano!" Lotion's smile spread from ear to ear. "I'm so glad that you both made it back to us. I was beginning to get worried that we lost you, Ryou."

Ryou tossed his bag down and settled onto the grass. "Thanks to Makanai's help, we made it back."

Ryuku scoffed. "Thought you didn't need anyone's help."

"Did you say something, Ryu?" Lotion pressed the shrimp against Ryuku's mouth.

"Nothing," Ryuku mumbled, his voice muffled.

"It was no problem, Hibiki," Ayano took a seat, adjacent from Ryou, and put her tote bag down. "I enjoyed being able to talk with you." she sent a friendly smile at Ryou and pulled out a bento.

Ryou's face felt as if it was lit aflame. Flustered, he fumbled with his bag to search for his own lunch. "I, uh, I feel the same way. About talking to you, too. Makanai."

"What'd you guys talk about?" Lotion asked in excitement.

Ryuku rested his back onto the tree. He swiped his sleeve across his cheek and chin to wipe crumbs off. "Surprised you could even find your voice to talk to someone. Much less a girl at that."

Ryou glared at the redhead while he dug around in his bag. "We talked about school and... other things."

Ryuku raised his eyebrow. "You talked about school at school?" he snorted. "Gee, talk about excit -"

"There we go! Eat up, Ryu!" Lotion crammed the shrimp into Ryuku's mouth.

A gag escaped the redhead as he choked and grabbed at his jacket.

Lotion picked up a pink thermos cup. "Oh, Ryu, how many times do I have to tell you to chew your food?" she held the cup up to Ryuku's lips. "Here. It's oolong tea! I kept it nice and warm for you."

Ryuku gulped down the tea and heaved out a gasp. Even as he coughed, he glared at the amazon and wheezed out. "Don't do that again! Are you trying to kill me?" his eyes flickered over to Ayano, who looked at him in concern, before he turned away. "Stop bothering me, Lotion."

"I know you don't actually mean that, Ryu!" Lotion scooted closer to Ryuku and poked him in the side. "Are you okay? Your face looks awfully red!"

"Would you leave me alone?" Ryuku said.

"Not until you finished your lunch! Have another piece of shrimp." Lotion insisted.

Ryou couldn't bear to look at them any longer. Instead, he should be finding his missing lunch. Every morning, his mother placed bento boxes out on the counter for her sons to take. Ryou could've sworn he had grabbed his right after he had his breakfast. Unless, he had somehow forgotten it? He had taken a few moments to help guide his father out of their pantry closet. If lunch wasn't in his bag, it couldn't be anywhere else. He'd have to forgo lunch for today. If he needed to, he could grab a quick snack from the vending machines later.

"You don't have your lunch, Hibiki?" Ayano asked.

Ryou couldn't meet Ayano's eyes. "Looks like I forgot to bring it with me," his cheeks burned from embarrassment.

"I have some extra food if you'd like some?"

"You don't have to do that," Ryou stared down at his lap.

"Our leftovers have been piling up lately and I'd hate for the food to go to waste. Even Togo and his friends couldn't finish everything," to prove her point, Ayano took out containers from her bag. "If you want something sweet, I have pastries, too."

Ryou's stomach unleashed a growl. He tried to silence it by pressing his palm over his abdomen.

Ayano set the containers down in a line. "Pick whichever one you like."

The box Ryou chose had a good variety of foods. Fried rice, pork katsu, fried eggs, and steamed vegetables. Everything smelled delicious. He swallowed before he took his first bite. Before he knew it, he had scarfed down more than half of the meal. "Wow. This is really good, Makanai," Ryou huffed out a quiet laugh. "Not that... I was expecting it to be bad or anything. Because it's not. Bad, I mean." he let out another nervous chuckle.

"Feel free to eat as much as you want," Ayano gestured to the other containers. "I have more than plenty."

Ryou picked up another one and didn't hesitate to dig in. As he ate, he chatted with Ayano between bites, intrigued about her cooking. At times, Lotion joined them but her main focus was on feeding Ryuku. It wasn't until Ryou had annihilated four containers along with a few pastries that he felt a pair of eyes on him. Chewing on a strawberry Danish, Ryou looked around him and saw Ryuku staring him down with a heated glare.

Ryuku was the first to turn away.

What's he in a crummy mood for? He's getting personally fed by Lotion. Ryou looked over the empty boxes strewn before him. "I guess I was more hungry than I thought." he ate the last bit of his pastry.

"Then, I'm glad that you were able to eat! Would you like another one?" Ayano picked up another Danish. This one had bright yellow filling. "It's lemon! I did my best to not make it too tart."

Ryou accepted the pastry and met Ryuku's stone-cold glare. "Thanks, Makanai," he raised the pastry up in a mock toast and took a huge bite. "Mm! This is good. It's not too tart at all." he bit back a laugh from the affronted expression coming from his former friend. Ryuku didn't have to say anything for Ryou to sense his irritation. But Ryou couldn't figure out what he was getting worked up over.

Finally, Ryuku ended his silence. "Hibiki, I have a question for you," he bristled. "Why don't you shove -"

Lotion shoved a large dumpling into Ryuku's mouth. "Here you go!"

Whatever Ryuku's retort was going to say was long forgotten. As his face turned red, Ryuku flopped onto the grass and grasped at his chest.

"S-Saotome?" Ayano sputtered out, her eyes wide and lower lip pulled between her teeth.

"Don't worry, he'll be okay! He has to learn how to take smaller bites somehow, right?" Lotion assured the other girl with a wave. "Now, Ayano, I heard something about pastries. Do you have anymore to share with me?"

Ayano nodded although her gaze lingered onto Ryuku. "Of course!"

Ryou shook his head as he heard Ryuku's coughs. He brought it on himself.

X

Today, Ayano's schedule was clear. She and Togo could finally walk home together. As class let out, Ayano's first instinct was to gather her things in a hurry. If she didn't move fast, she wouldn't make it on time for the lesson. Ayano let out a deep sigh. Tension eased away. She didn't need to rush anywhere.

Ayano thought back to lunch earlier. When Lotion had invited her to lunch, Ayano was on edge. She hadn't been sure of what to expect when they met up with the boys. Aside from a few bumps in the road, everything had turned out to be okay. Being around Lotion was always a joy. The girl's natural positive energy was refreshing to be around. Ayano had managed to bond with Ryou. She had even found out that they had a few common interests.

Ayano had made some leeway with them both. Yet she seemed to be moving further away from Ryuku. But that was meant to happen. They were never friends.

But she still needed to talk to Ryuku. All she needed was a few minutes. Then, she could brush off the discomfort she felt whenever she saw Ryuku and Lotion together. At lunch today, the 'couple' had gotten cozy with one another. Though, they expressed themselves in strange ways. After Lotion tried to feed Ryuku for the third time, the redhead took to feeding himself. Meanwhile, Lotion rested her head on his shoulder.

Lotion was beautiful and had a charming personality. She knew how to cook and kept Ryuku well fed. After all, she knew all his favorites. She was the complete package. That's the type of girl that Saotome likes.

As she chewed at her lip, Ayano grabbed onto her skirt while her stomach twisted. Her knuckles turned a ghost white. I'm the complete opposite. No wonder Saotome didn't want me around. She squeezed her eyes shut. Lotion confirmed that they were friends. She shouldn't be thinking of Lotion in a negative light. Nor should she do the same to Ryuku.

"Are you ready to go?"

Ayano opened her eyes and released her grip on her skirt. She closed her bag and got to her feet. "I'm ready, Togo." she smiled lightly at her boyfriend.

As they left, Ayano put her negative thoughts behind her in the classroom. She wouldn't let anything ruin her time spent with Togo. Everything that was weighing her down would be solved once she had that last talk with Ryuku. Accepting closure wouldn't be a problem then.

"Isn't this nice?" Togo hummed. "Not having to rush anywhere. Being able to take it easy and hear yourself think."

"It is nice," Ayano agreed.

"I could tell all those lessons were starting to get to you," Togo nudged their shoulders together. "Stress can get to anyone after awhile. Even with the most patient people."

Ayano giggled. "Then, it's a good thing that I won't be feeling very stressed today."

"Because you'll be with me?" Togo teased.

She tucked her hair behind her ear, her eyes on her feet, and murmured shyly. "Of course."

At the shoe lockers, a crowd of students gathered within the vicinity. School had let out around fifteen minutes ago. Seeing so many students loitering around, near the school entrance, was a strange sight to see. Everyone's focus appeared to be on something outside. Little by little, students started to leave. Those that stayed chose to chat among themselves in hushed whispers.

"Wonder what that's about?" Togo mused.

"I'm not sure," Ayano looked over the students. "It doesn't look like Gosunkugi's involved with anything. I don't see him anywhere."

"With a crowd like this, you'd think Gosunkugi would be here front and center," Togo swung his bag over his shoulder. "Well, we better change shoes and get going."

"You're right."

Ayano headed over to her shoe locker and switched out her indoor shoes. Behind her, she could hear the whispers intensify. She could've sworn she picked up certain words like: creepy, weirdos, and freaks. She met up with Togo at his locker. The pensive expression he wore concerned Ayano. "What is it, Togo?"

Togo shut his locker with his hip. "I saw a couple of my friends and asked around," he adjusted the back of his shoe before he tapped the tip of it onto the floor. "Sounds like there's something going on outside."

"I'm sure it has nothing to do with us," Ayano reasoned. "Are you ready to go?"

"Of course, babe," Togo chuckled. "We've been stuck here at school long enough. We could both use a change in scenery."

They weaved their way through the crowd and walked through the doors. As soon as the doors closed, the chitter-chatter ceased and Ayano breathed in the fresh air. She looked over to the main gates ahead of them. There, standing in the middle of the school gates, were what caused everyone's panic. Anyone could see them from a mile away. Two cloaked figures stood side by side. The taller of the pair stood in place while the shorter leaned against the gate for support.

Students rushed past them to go through the gates. Others forgoed that option and decided to climb over the fence.

"Those two must be what the big deal is," Togo said. "Wonder who they're waiting for? Do you think they could be with a gang? Maybe the yazuka?" with a shake of his head, he clicked his tongue. "Man, our school has such a weird thing with attracting some real freaks. Those two definitely take the cake though."

Why are Imagawa and Topo at Furinkan? Despite her confusion, Ayano couldn't help but chime in on one of Togo's remarks. "I don't think they're freaks. They might not be able to help the way they look," her eyes were on Topo. Today's weather forecast was especially sunny which couldn't be good for Topo's condition. She hoped he was well hydrated.

Togo raised his eyebrow. "It's kinda hard not to judge them when they look like that, babe. They look like they're getting ready to jump someone," he descended down Furinkan's entrance steps while Ayano did the same. "But it doesn't matter who they are or why they're here. We can find another way to leave. That way, we won't have to deal with them at all."

Ayano poked her index fingers together. "I think we'll be fine if we used the gates."

Togo pursed his lips as he glanced over at the gates. "You might be right but it never hurts to be careful," he said. "Stay close to me."

"We'll be fine, Togo," Ayano walked on ahead of her boyfriend. "I have a feeling that they're pretty much harmless."

Togo fell into step next to her. "Are you sure about that?"

"Positive."

As they approached the cloaked figures, Hidetora was the first to notice them. "Makanai, we've decided to take your advice and waited at Furinkan's gates. It appears that I was mistaken and that we haven't drawn any unwanted attention," he nodded at a student who struggled to pull himself over the fence. The student paled, dropped to the ground, and fled. Unphased, Hidetora's gaze shifted onto Togo. "Kuroyasha, it's nice to see you again."

"It's Ozaki," Togo squinted his eyes at Hidetora. "Have we met each other before?"

"Neither of you had the chance to be properly introduced," Ayano held her hand out to Hidetora. "Togo, this is Hidetora Imagawa," she gestured over to Topo. "And over there is Topo!" she sent the smaller cloaked figure a warm smile. "They're both good friends with Ichiro."

"Funny how things seem to keep going back to Sugiyama lately," Togo muttered under his breath. His focus remained on Hidetora before he pointed at him. "You were that guy Sugiyama was with at the festival. The one with the fish grilling booth, right?"

"Fish and vegetables," Hidetora tossed part of his cloak over his shoulder. His wooden sword, secured in place by his sheath, was at his hip. "But, yes, that was me."

"Topo couldn't be at the festival since he was busy," Ayano said.

"Topo!" Topo said.

"That's a bummer. Uh, well, it's nice to meet you, lil guy," Togo offered his hand out to Topo who tilted his head and stared at it. Chuckling awkwardly, Togo put his proffered hand onto his hip. "So, why are you two here, anyway?" he seemed to be looking over Hidetora's school uniform. "Hisen's pretty far from Furinkan. There's gotta be a reason why you came all the way here. It couldn't be to come say 'hi' to my girlfriend."

Hidetora's straw drooped as he frowned. "Ichiro informed me that you were expecting our arrival Makanai."

"I haven't heard anything about that," Ayano's eyebrows furrowed. "We weren't supposed to meet today."

"Ichiro told us the opposite. Shall I show you?" Hidetora took out a gray rectangular brick.

Ayano blinked at the object and tried to make sense of what she was looking at. Hidetora tapped at what appeared to be a keypad. It was a cell phone! One of those pre-historic models that her father might've owned back in the day.

"What are you doing?" Togo asked.

"I am pulling up my voice mail," Hidetora replied. "That is the best way to leave me a message. I cannot receive messages otherwise."

"That's okay. We don't have to hear anything, Imagawa. It's Ayano's day off. Tell Sugiyama he can -" he glanced at Ayano and then cleared his throat. "He's going to have to reschedule."

A shrill screech that resembled an ambulance's siren made Ayano jump.

"Ah, it's Ichiro," Hidetora put his phone to his ear. "Yes, hello?" his straw bobbed as he pursed his lips. "It appears that you were mistaken. Makanai does not wish to tutor you today. You are going to have to reschedule," as he listened to Ichiro, Hidetora chewed at his straw and his eyebrows pinched together. "I understand. Ichiro would like to speak to you, Makanai." he held his phone out to Ayano.

"Does he?" Ayano reached out to accept the brick. What could Ichiro have to say?

But Togo took the phone before Ayano could get it. "Sugiyama? This is Ozaki. I'm afraid you can't speak to Ayano right now because it's her day off. Goodbye," he blinked down at the rectangular shaped block. "How do you hang this thing up?"

Hidetora pointed to a button. "That terminates the call."

"Thanks," Togo tossed the phone back to its owner. "Here you go."

Hidetora caught the brick and tucked it away somewhere underneath his cloak. "I apologize for the inconvenience, Makanai. That was never our intention," he bowed his head to Togo. "Asakim."

Topo lowered his head down. "Topo!"

"For the last time it's Ozaki," Togo mumbled. "But don't sweat it. You guys don't look like you want to cause any trouble," he slung his schoolbag over his shoulder. "Maybe you could tell Sugiyama to cool it with the extra lessons? Ayano's been getting pretty stressed out."

Hidetora's head jerked upward which caused his hat to become lopsided. "We wouldn't want Makanai to be overworked. I can bring up the issue to Ichiro if you like." he touched the top of his hat to adjust it.

"That's all right," Ayano interjected. "There's no need to do that, Imagawa. I'm happy to give Ichiro the help he needs."

"You should bring it up to him," Togo insisted.

"Topo!" Topo added.

"I suppose so, Topo," Hidetora nodded. "We'll have a group discussion."

"I'm sorry that you both came all the way out here for nothing," Ayano said.

"It's not a problem. Whether it's by feet or another vehicle of movement, Topo and I are accustomed to long travels," Hidetora shifted his cloak to cover his entire body. "For now, we must return to Ichiro. We were meant to practice tonight but it appears his schedule is free now," he tipped his hat at Ayano and Togo and then turned to his companion. "Let us go, Topo. I need to tune my shamisen at once."

"Goodbye! Topo!"

As the duo started to leave, Ayano called out to them while she dug into her tote bag. "Wait a minute! Please, take these with you!" she presented them with a stack of containers along with some desserts. "Enjoy them with Ichiro."

Hidetora accepted the food. "We will take good care of this, Makanai." he turned around and walked away.

"Topo!" Topo hobbled after the taller boy.

As they strolled down the street, coughs echoed as Topo stumbled behind Hidetora.

With a heavy heart, Ayano watched them leave. "Maybe I should've -"

"You didn't have to do anything, babe. This was all one big misunderstanding but we've got it all resolved now!" Togo wrapped his arm around Ayano's shoulders. "Though I gotta say that Sugiyama's friends are a little weird. Well, more than weird."

Ayano leaned against Togo. She took a moment to appreciate being close to him like this. "They're a little odd but I've enjoyed being in their company."

"They're a little bit of strange company," Togo chuckled. "Hey, I've got an idea. Why don't we stop by somewhere?"

"Did you have a place in mind?"

"There's this little café I have a feeling you'll like," Togo told her. "They have all sorts of cute desserts that girls go nuts over."

"Do you enjoy their desserts, too?"

"Well, I think they're pretty good," Togo admitted, chuckling.

Ayano held onto Togo's jacket sleeve. "That does sound kind of nice."

"Then it's settled," Togo squeezed Ayano's shoulder. "We'll have ourselves a nice little date. We've been overdue for one with just the two of us."

Ayano's lips lifted up into a delighted smile. She could already feel the weight of her guilt lift off her shoulders. "It's a date."

X

Yellow caution tape surrounded the construction site. Along with the tape were orange cones, warning signs, and steel barricades. The final touch was the barbed wire fence which acted as an extra barrier. It appeared that only authorized personnel could enter the property. The over-the-top security only made Takumi scoff and roll his eyes. As if any of those safety measure put in place could keep him from stepping onto the site. Not that it mattered. Anything which had any sort of value had been destroyed by his own hands. If he gave them a few days, they could build a new structure which he could then obliterate. For now, he'd have to find another place.

The time spent at the arcade was, as Takumi expected, pointless and boring. Games could only keep the middle schooler entertained for so long. Beat 'em up games were nowhere near as exhilarating as experiencing the real thing. Plus, it didn't cost him a single yen. When Takumi ran out of arcade coins, he was out the door and back on the streets.

He didn't have a clue where he was. Takumi paid close attention to his steps, turns, and took note of any notable landmarks around him. No way was he going to wind up in his own yard again and not realize it.

Out of nowhere, something whizzed past Takumi.

Takumi checked to see what had flown by him.

A gymnastic club had pierced the concrete.

Before he had a chance to react, a buzzing noise sounded in the air. Projectiles flew in Takumi's direction. Takumi jumped out of the way. The clubs formed a straight line as they struck the pavement. Takumi bent down to snatch the club closest to him. Painted in green blocky letters was: "Property of St. Heberke High School's Gymnastics Club" on the club's handle. Takumi looked over to where the objects were coming from. Another wave of projectiles were coming at him at a harsh speed. This time, the items were hoops, medicine balls, bows, a javelin, and a tanuki statue.

Takumi dodged everything with ease. For the last object, he propelled himself up into the air and landed on top of the statue. The middle schooler used the extra height to scout the vicinity. But that didn't stop the hidden attacker from their throwing spree. Takumi ducked to avoid a spiked medicine ball. He grabbed a handful of clubs which sailed over his head and then hopped off of the tanuki. While he stayed in the air, Takumi hurled the clubs back the way they came from.

He landed on top of a wall border and waited.

An outburst came in the sound of a high-pitched shriek which echoed within the area.

Sounds like they're close. Takumi darted along the wall. Soon enough, he came across where his attacker had been hiding. As he expected, there was the annoying gymnast, pinned to the wall by her own clubs. Her dark cloak was fanned out and held in place by the clubs. She resembled a bat who had failed to take flight.

Takumi snickered. The girl looked pathetic. He smothered away the rest of his laughter. "Why are you bothering me?" he demanded.

The gymnast's eyes broadened in a comedic manner. She kicked her legs out, stomped her feet onto the wall, and let out a frustrated snarl. Despite her struggles, Katana never dropped the glare she gave Takumi. "How bold of you to assume that I'm the one bothering you. Clearly, this is the opposite! Are you not the one accosting me at the moment?" Katana squeezed her hands into fists.

"You're the one who started throwing things."

"And then you attacked me!"

"You attacked me first," Takumi stated as if he were speaking to a child. "I was defending myself from the crap you were throwing at me."

"Who cares about such trivial things like who started things first?!" Katana fumed. She slumped back against the wall, pinched her mouth together, and then exhaled. "Tell me," she started. "What's your connection to that fraud?"

"My connection to the moron?" he snorted. "That's easy. I hate his guts."

"As if that makes you special?" Katana countered. "Everyone despises him."

"Like I care about what everyone else thinks?" Takumi remarked. "I'm going to be the one to beat that moron to the ground until he can barely -" he paused and, after a beat, snapped his fingers. "I'll make it so he can't stand up anymore. He'll regret ever messing with me."

Katana pursed her lips. "I see," she skimmed Takumi over. The gymnast started from his head to his toes before her gaze settled onto his face.

"Don't look at me like that," Takumi sneered in disgust.

"You come across as somewhat competent," Katana stated. "I believe that it's in our best interests that we form an alliance."

"Form an alliance?" he scrunched his nose up. "With you?"

"Doesn't that sound like a brilliant idea?" The sheer amount of smugness that radiated from Katana made Takumi want to gag. "I'm a valuable asset to have. Really, you should be honored that a mannerless brute such as yourself received such a generous offer," she smirked. "I wouldn't treat such a thing so lightly if I were you."

"You do bring up a few good points," Takumi held onto his chin and tapped his finger to his cheek.

"Of course, I do," Katana said. "My ideas come from a mind of a genius."

"Then you can take those 'genius' ideas of yours and shove it," Takumi informed the gymnast. "I'm not interested."

Katana's features twisted into an annoyed expression. "How could you not be interested?"

"I don't even know who you are."

"We have a mutual dislike towards that foul besmircher. What else is there to know?"

"Why would I join up with someone like that?" Takumi countered. "Plus, if we formed an alliance that means I'd have to be around you willingly. I already don't like the sound of that. You're annoying and also pretty stupid. Most of all you're a weakling," he counted off his insults with his fingers until his middle finger remained up. "I'm not a team player. So, if anything, you'd only end up dragging me down."

Katana targeted a glare onto the middle schooler. "Yet you allowed yourself to be surrounded by those barbaric soccer players? Nay, I saw it all myself with my own two eyes. That you saved them from those ruffians. You acted as if you were some sort of hero!" she clenched her jaw and hissed through her teeth. "Are you telling me that their company is preferable to my own? I assure you that I am much more valuable than they'll ever be!"

Takumi's shoulders tensed but he forced them downward. How the hell did she know about that? "Gross. Are you stalking me or something?" he asked stiffly. "You better shut your mouth because you have no idea what you're talking about. I didn't save anyone, got it? Don't act like you know a single thing about me."

"How dare you! Don't suggest that I, Katana Saotome, would ever stalk a lowly peasant."

"I turned down your stupid suggestion," Takumi said. "Get over it."

"You have no idea what you're turning down, you utter fool! Anyone would die to be in your place."

"Someone thinks highly of themselves," Takumi started to walk off. "You look pretty comfortable where you are. Don't let me keep you from hanging around."

"Wait! You can't leave," Katana shouted after him. "Wait one moment, you cur!"

Takumi glared over his shoulder at the girl. "I'm not helping you down."

Katana kicked her legs out. "What is your name?" she demanded.

"Don't worry about who I am," Takumi said. "It's not like we're going to see each other again anytime soon. I'll make sure of that."

"The least you could do is tell me who you are!"

Takumi rolled his eyes. This dumb girl never knew when to shut her mouth. Common sense told him to give her a fake name but Takumi didn't have anything to hide. There wasn't anything to worry about from this freakish girl. Despite being a total nutcase, she was pretty much harmless. "It's Takumi Hibiki."

Once again, Katana's eyes widened, and grew almost as big as saucers. "Hibiki?" she repeated. "Are you, perhaps, related to Ryou Hibiki? That foul temptress' boyfriend who seduced my poor cousin Kaida and caused my dear cousin Yuzuna such misery?"

What the hell is she talking about now? "I told you my name. I'm not going to tell you anything else."

"You'll rue the day you ever dared to mess with The Black Rose of St. Hebereke, Katana Saotome!" she bellowed at the top of her lungs. "Mark my words, Takumi Hibiki!"

"Yeah, whatever, keep telling yourself that," Takumi snorted. "And don't say my name. It sounds horrible when you say it."

Even as Takumi walked away, he could still hear Katana's shrill shouts trailing after him. That gymnast was such a pain in the ass. She was almost as bad as the soccer team which was not an impressive feat.

Takumi stared off into the sky where the sun was beginning to set. The calm blueness had been overtaken by an orange hue. Now was the appropriate time to start heading home. The middle schooler squinted from the harsh colors coming from above. He used his hand as a visor, blocking out the scenery, while he walked through the current street.

From a distance, a person came toward him from the opposite direction.

Takumi's steps slowed down as they approached closer and closer. Normally, he wouldn't care to look at a random stranger. But this wasn't someone random and they were anything but a stranger.

In fact, they were the very last person Takumi wanted to be around.

"Hiya, brat!" the moron greeted. It wasn't long before he let out an upbeat laugh and a large grin appeared. Was he always this annoyingly optimistic? "I was hopin' to run into you again. When you challenged me, you didn't say where the fight was going to be. You always gotta mention the time, date, and location!" Ryuku jerked his thumb to his chest. "Take it from someone whose had his fair share of challenges!" his shoulders shook as he laughed. "Or from someone who could've had a lot of challenges since I suck at fightin' and all."

Takumi gritted his teeth together but turned his head away from Ryuku. To have the moron, of all people, call him out on such a small but crucial detail was embarrassing. "I didn't forget anything," he muttered. "We'll meet up at the park near my house. The one with the dog park." he faced Ryuku and narrowed his eyes onto him. "You better not mention the location to anyone else. Nobody's going to be interfering with our fight."

"As if I'd let anyone butt in on a man-to-man fight," Ryuku propped his hand onto his hip. "This fight is between you and me. I'm lookin' forward to it!"

"I'm looking forward to it, too," Takumi shoved past Ryuku. Their shoulders connected hard enough for the redhead to fall back a step. "Especially when I'll be seeing you lose."

Ryuku righted himself. "That's the kinda stuff I wanna hear. See ya at the fight, brat!" he whooped and threw his fists up into the air. "Hope you don't get lost! You sure you don't need someone to give ya some help?"

The moron's insult stopped Takumi dead in his tracks. "Don't confuse me with my idiot brother," he bristled. "I don't need any help."

"Gee, you don't hafta let your pride get in the way," Ryuku said. "I could stop by your house and pick you up. Heck, we'll be able to save time that way!"

Takumi spun around and stomped over to the redhead. "What are you trying to accomplish by insulting me like this? Are you trying to rile me up?"

"I'm tryin' to be helpful," Ryuku touched over his nape, as if searching for something there, and then adjusted his beanie. "Wouldn't wantcha to get lost on the way to our fight. That'd suck 'cause then I'd have to find you."

"I'm not going to get lost!"

Ryuku snorted out a laugh. "Wanna know what happens every time I've heard that from a Hibiki?" he grinned. "It ain't hard to figure it out but he got lost! Ain't nothin' wrong with askin' for some help. How can you fight me if you're all the way in, I dunno, Hokkaido or somethin'? Heck what if you ended up in China?" he clutched at his stomach as he broke out into a deep fit of laughter. Ryuku straightened up and swiped his thumb over his eye. "Actually, that'd be pretty funny. Err, I mean, it'd be a darn shame if that happened."

"Stop insulting me!" Takumi barked out. "We're not fighting right now. So stop trying whatever it is that you're trying to do!"

"I'm not tryin' to pick a fight right now," Ryuku stated matter-of-fact. "I'm bein' considerate to my opponent's... shortcomings."

Rage consumed Takumi but he wouldn't let Ryuku's attempts to egg him on affect him. But he needed to release some of his frustration somehow. He punched a hole into the nearest wall. "You know the date, time, and location," the wall crumbled into pieces as he brought back his fist. "I'll see you at the fight." he walked away from the moron without looking back at him.

"See ya, brat!" Ryuku shouted. "Don't say I didn't warn you if you do end up gettin' lost though! Which, you know, will happen 'cause that's what you Hibikis do!"

His joyous laughter made Takumi stomp down onto the ground. With every step forward, cracks formed underneath his shoes. The moron could have his lame insults and petty jabs. After the fight, the moron wouldn't be able to do any of those things anymore.

He'd make sure of that.

X

Giddiness wrapped around Ayano like a blanket. The café date with Togo had been lovely. Like Togo had said, the desserts not only looked pleasing to the eye but also tasted decadent. After Togo walked Ayano home, she sent him off with her leftovers and desserts for him to give to his father. Pleased from a wonderful day, Ayano headed for her room to change and get settled in. Then, she set out to get started on her chores. There weren't many tasks on the agenda for today. The bookcase in the main room needed a good dusting and then the books re-organized. The floor in the downstairs bathroom had to be mopped. A trip to the grocery store was coming up soon. She needed to check through the fridge and pantry to find out what food to re-stock up on.

Ayano finished the last of her chores within two and a half hours. Since she was already in the kitchen, Ayano got started on dinner. Humming a tune, she checked a pot on the stove and then went over to a cutting board laid out on the counter. She chopped up a piece of meat into bite-sized chunks.

Earlier, her father had called and told Ayano that he'd be home for dinner.

Naori was up in her bedroom. When Ayano dropped off a tray of tea and snacks, Naori gave her clear instructions not to disturb her. Her sister had schoolwork, a project for student council, and a crucial paper due for the Honors Club. With so much on Naori's plate, Ayano assured her that she wouldn't ruin her concentration.

For tonight's dinner, Ayano wanted to go the extra mile to celebrate her family's hard work. She finished making some of her family member's favorite side dishes. Naori enjoyed a refreshing bean sprout salad. Her father preferred a cold glass noodle dish. For dessert, Ayano had a matcha strawberry cheesecake in the fridge for Naori. Her father didn't have much of a sweet tooth. But he always accepted a generous slice of Ayano's sponge cake with sour cream frosting.

Ayano wiped her hands off on her apron while she looked over the kitchen. The majority of dinner was almost finished. All she had to do was finish up the two main dishes. For tonight, she could bring out a nicer set of dishware to place on the table.

The gentle tone of the door bell ran throughout the household.

"I'll get it!" Ayano hurried out of the kitchen.

But her sister had already gotten to the front door.

Ayano hadn't heard Naori leave her room. Her confusion increased when she saw Naori's state of dress. Her sister wore a long black dress, dark brown pantyhose, and had a black purse. Why is she dressed like that? Is Naori going somewhere?

"Grandpa Norio," Naori shifted and added in a monotone. "And Sugiyama. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Ayano joined her sister at the door to see their guests herself.

Ichiro wore a button-down indigo shirt, black dress pants, and dress shoes. His hair was without any hair products and instead brushed in a neat manner. His bangs swept across his forehead. He had a slim box wrapped in white wrapping paper and tied with a red ribbon under his arm. Ichiro nodded at Ayano and rolled his eyes at Naori before he looked to his grandfather.

Norio's usual attire was one well-suited for an experienced business tycoon. For tonight, his fine-pressed suit was dark gray and complemented with a black silk tie. A bright shine came from his dark brown loafers.

"It is Grandpa Norio and Ichiro!" Ayano tugged on a strap on her apron. Compared to everyone else, she felt rather underdressed in her modest attire. "What brings you two here tonight?"

"I hope we aren't intruding," Norio removed his sunglasses and smiled politely at the girls.

"Not at all," Ayano assured Norio. "Both of you are welcome here any time!"

"But it is still polite to mention something first," Naori said. "Otherwise, you'll keep making daddy mad," she smirked in amusement. "Luckily, he's not home right now."

"Our visit won't take long. Your father will be none the wiser," Norio folded the arms on his sunglasses and tucked them away into his jacket. "I simply wanted to give my thanks to Ayano. Thanks to you, Ichiro's work ethic has significantly improved."

"I can't take credit for everything, Grandpa Norio," Ayano blushed from the praise. "Ichiro's been working so hard, too."

"I know how difficult my grandson can be. He has a track record of twenty-five tutors to prove it," Norio rested his hand onto Ichiro's shoulder. "Ichiro, you've been awfully quiet. Don't you have anything to say to your tutor?"

Ichiro bowed at a ninety degree angle. "I'm grateful to be under your guidance, Ayano."

"That's not necessary. Please stand up, Ichiro, you don't have to do that!" Ayano told the older boy.

Naori hid her laughter behind her hand. "I think it's great that Sugiyama knows how to show some manners, Grandpa Norio. Shows that chivalry isn't dead," she held onto her purse with both hands and smiled at their guests. "Well, this was lovely but I should get going."

"Of course, don't let us keep you," Norio stepped out of the way to allow Naori to pass by. "I assumed from your attire that you had somewhere important to be."

"Oh? This old thing?" Naori smoothed out her dress and smiled up at Norio. "It's a small engagement for student council. We'll be taking about the most boring things."

Norio chuckled. "Isn't that how all meetings go?"

"You would know that the best, Grandpa Norio," Naori let out a small laugh.

"You're leaving Naori?" Ayano worried her lip. "What about dinner?"

Naori arched her eyebrow at Ayano. "The student council had everything planned in advanced. How bad would I look as secretary if I cancelled out of the blue?"

"Okay, we get it already," Ichiro snorted. "Go leave for your stupid dinner meeting."

Norio cupped his hand around his ear and leaned toward Ichiro. "What was that, Ichiro?"

Ichiro shrugged and glanced off to the side. "Enjoy your night, Makanai."

"Thanks, Sugiyama, I will," Naori replied with a mocking chuckle.

Ayano fumbled with the hem of her apron. "I understand, Naori. I'll save a plate for you."

Naori bid goodbye to everyone and walked out the door.

Dinner's not going to be the same without Naori. Ayano chewed at her bottom lip in thought. When she looked over at her guests, she perked up as an idea came to her. "I know this was supposed to be a short visit but would you two like to stay for dinner?"

Norio's eyes crinkled as he smiled. "We'd be delighted, Ayano."

Ichiro bowed. "Thanks for the invitation."

"It's not a problem, Ichiro. Would you please stand up?" she invited them into the main room. "Go ahead and make yourselves comfortable. Dinner shouldn't be too long now," she waited for Norio and Ichiro to make their way over to the seating area. "Would either of you like any refreshments?"

"How kind of you to offer," Norio said. "Do you need any additional assistance?"

Ayano brightened as her smile widened. "Having some extra help is always welcomed."

Norio clapped Ichiro on the back. "I'm sure Ichiro would be more than happy to help you out."

"Huh?" Ichiro gawked at Norio. "What are you -"

"Ichiro's an excellent helper," Norio stated.

Ichiro's shoulders dropped. "I guess I could help out," he grumbled with a shrug.

"Thank you, Ichiro, I appreciate it," Ayano said. "What about you, Grandpa Norio? Are you going to help, too?"

Norio walked over to the couch and sat down onto the armrest. "You wouldn't want an old man like me to get in the way. I'd only slow you both down. You two can go on ahead without me."

"You look wonderful for your age, Grandpa Norio!" Ayano reassured the business man. "And you wouldn't get in the way. You're so helpful and attentive in the kitchen," she put her hand around her mouth to whisper. "And don't tell father but you're an even better helper than him!"

"You have a good head on your shoulders," Norio laughed with a pleased grin. "I appreciate your kind words but I'm going to have to sit out on this one. My morning, afternoon, and evening meetings took a lot out of me."

"Please do rest then," Ayano walked backwards to the kitchen and pressed her clasped hands to her chest. "Are you sure you don't need anything while you wait?"

"I can wait until dinner," Norio waved them off. "Why don't you two kids run along now?"

Ichiro trailed after Ayano and muttered. "Let's get going already."

When they reached the kitchen, Ayano handed Ichiro an apron which was one her father often wore. "Here you go."

Ichiro fumbled with his box. "Actually," he tossed it back and forth between his hands. "It's a little overdue of an apology but," he shoved the box at Ayano with his head turned away from her. "This is for you."

Ayano placed the apron onto the counter. She unwrapped the paper and ribbon from the box and took a look inside. It was a serving dish decorated with pink and white flowers.

"This is so... beautiful," Ayano touched over the center of the dish.

She lifted the plate out to take a closer look. As she turned it over, the price sticker caught Ayano's eye and she almost dropped the plate.

"This costs so much," Ayano gasped. "I don't think I can accept this."

Ichiro ripped off the sticker. "I told Hidetora to take that off before he wrapped it up," he scowled. "Who cares how much it costs? Money is never an issue. Besides, I bought that for you," Ichiro's frown pressed out into a thin line as he shifted his weight from foot to foot. "You were pretty upset when I broke that plate and I felt... crappy about it. The least you could do is accept this from me."

Ayano considered the plate and returned it to the box. "Thank you, Ichiro."

He picked up the apron and put it on. "Hidetora and Topo picked out some stupid looking ones. I didn't even know they made plates with fish and vegetables on them," his hands fumbled as he struggled to tie a knot to secure the apron. "Iknew I picked the right one since I know what you like best, Ayano."

"Let me help you with that," Ayano moved behind Ichiro, picked up the apron's straps, and tied a knot.

"I should, um, apologize for the misunderstanding today, too," Ichiro mumbled. "I should've asked you first. If you'd be okay with having another lesson. When I sent Hidetora and Topo over, I assumed you'd be okay with it. I wasn't trying to stress you out or anything. I just wanted to see yo - to get some help on a few things."

Ayano circled around Ichiro and straightened out the front of the garment. She huffed when she spotted a new stain. Oh no, what did father drop on this? I wonder if I can still get it out. She inspected the damage, unware of how Ichiro's posture stiffened and his face colored from their close proximity. I'll have to wash this later. "That's all right. We figured it out and everything ended up being okay," she smiled at Ichiro.

"I won't make that kind of mistake again," Ichiro said. "That way, I won't have to hear Ozukuma's stupid voice on the phone ever again. Talk about a pain in the ass."

Ayano blinked. "What was that?"

"I said 'I also want to thank you for the food,'" Ichiro quipped. "It was delicious."

"Imagawa and Topo gave you some of the food I gave them?"

Ichiro scoffed. "Nah, I took all the food from them," he answered. "I figured you meant to give me all that, anyway. Topo makes a pretty good pack mule, right? He kept the food nice and warm for me."

"Eh?" Ayano faced the counter. There Ichiro goes again with his odd jokes. She was positive the three Hisen boys gathered together at a table and ate the food she had provided for them. Maybe one day she'd be able to understand Ichiro's peculiar sense of humor. "Well, I'm glad that you liked it. I hope you enjoy tonight's dinner as well."

"I'm sure it'll be amazing," Ichiro grinned.

Ayano checked on the food cooking on the stovetop. The two main entrées didn't need much longer.

The duties Ayano gave Ichiro were simple. The boy stared at everything before him as if he was in a room with foreign objects. When Ichiro noticed Ayano's eyes on him, he blurted out that he had no experience in the kitchen. In fact, he never set food in that area of the house at all. Seasoned chefs or the waitstaff prepared every meal at the Sugiyama mansion.

"I don't know what gramps was talking about before," Ichiro dropped his head down, the tips of his ears were a dark red. "I have no idea what I'm doing."

Ayano walked over to Ichiro. His head lifted up when she gently took hold of his biceps. "It's all right, Ichiro," she said. "The fact that you wanted to help is more than enough."

"Actually," Ichiro started. "I didn't want to help. I mean, I didn't want to mess up dinner."

Together, Ayano showed him basic knife cutting skills, how to boil water, and how to heat up a pan. It was a decent start for any beginner but the tension seemed to leave Ichiro as he got into the flow of things. It wasn't long before dinner was finally ready.

At the sink, Ayano had finished washing the dishes and helped Ichiro dry and put things away.

"See? That wasn't so bad," Ayano accepted a pot from Ichiro and placed it back in its proper spot. "Being in the kitchen can be fun."

"I guess it could've been worse," Ichiro said. "But I didn't like cutting onions." he sniffled.

"I don't think anyone does," she chuckled and dried her hands off on a small towel. "Why don't you set up the table next? While you do that, I'll tell Grandpa Norio that dinner is ready." Ayano showed Ichiro where the tableware and cloth napkins were and went over to the main room.

"What the hell are you doin' here?!"

Hearing her father's outburst caused Ayano to trip over her own feet. She rushed down the hallway and found Tetsuo and Norio engaged in a staring showdown. Her father pinned Norio down with a glare. Norio's demeanor was neutral and he had on a simple smile.

"Father, I thought I heard you!" Ayano swooped in to act as a placeholder between the two men. "Welcome home!"

Tetsuo didn't look away from the man before him. "Ayano, why is that there?" he pointed at Norio.

"You really know how to make me feel welcomed here in your home, Tetsuo," Norio motioned to the room with a grand sweeping gesture. "It's almost as if I've gained a second family. Don't you agree?"

"Hell no!" Tetsuo spat. "Get off my couch and I'll gladly welcome you to the door."

Ayano tugged at Tetsuo's shirt until she garnered her father's attention. "Grandpa Norio is staying for dinner," she said. "And so is Ichiro."

Tetsuo dragged his hand over his face. "That dumb kid is here, too?" he slumped forward and removed his shoes. As he stepped out of the entry way, he looked back to his daughter with a tired sigh. "I just wanted to have a nice dinner with my girls. Didn't realize that was asking for too much nowadays," he shot Norio another dirty look. "At least you and Naori will be good company. That'll keep me sane."

Ayano's smile strained. "Naori isn't home. She had plans with the student council."

Tetsuo's face fell. "What the hell did I come home to? One of my worst nightmares?"

"You came home right on time for dinner!" she brought Tetsuo over to the hallway. "Why don't you put your things away, father? Dinner will be waiting for you at the table."

"At least that's somethin' to look forward to," he muttered with a half smile.

When everyone took their seats, Ayano beamed in happiness from how dinner turned out. From the food to the intricate dishware, everything was perfect. At first, Ichiro hadn't set the table right but his mistakes were minor and an easy fix.

Ayano handed her father a small bowl filled with glass noodles. "Here you go, father."

Ever since Tetsuo had sat down, his gaze never strayed from his plate. "Thanks." he accepted the bowl with a small nod.

"Everything turned out wonderfully, Ayano. I imagine Ichiro proved to be excellent help in the kitchen," Norio said.

"He was!" Ayano nodded. "He did such a good job."

Tetsuo scoffed. "Bet he didn't even know how to do anything. Rich brats hardly do."

Ichiro scrunched his nose up and opened his mouth.

"That's not true, father," Ayano cut in. "Ichiro was very helpful!"

A flush crept up Ichiro's neck and he dropped his gaze back to his food. "Thanks. I tried."

Norio's smile widened as he looked over the two teens. "Your daughter has been an excellent influence on my grandson. I believe that he's shaping up to becoming a fine young man."

Tetsuo shoveled noodles into his mouth. "That's great," he snorted. Bits of noodles went past his lips as he did so. "Your idiot grandson is a terrible influence on my daughter."

"Father, please have some manners," Ayano sighed.

Unlike her father, Ichiro had excellent table manners. His posture was impeccable with his elbows nowhere near the table and his back straight. Even the way he held his chopsticks was in a poised manner. "Your cooking is amazing, Ayano," he dabbed at the corners of his mouth with his napkin. "You'd make a wonderful wife."

One of Ayano's chopsticks clattered onto the table. The compliments to her cooking was something Ayano was familiar with. But she had no idea how to interpret the rest of Ichiro's statement. She picked up her chopstick. "Um, thank you, Ichiro." she jumped in her seat from a harsh slam.

Her father had banged his hand down onto the table. "Sugiyama, how nice of you to stay for dinner," he sent Ichiro a chilling stare. "But it looks like it's time for you to leave. Door's right there. Don't forget to bring your old fart with you."

"I was being honest, Mr. Makanai," Ichiro said. "I meant every word I said. I never joke around when it comes to your daughter."

"I don't care if you meant it," Tetsuo muttered stiffly.

"I'm sure Ayano would make any young man proud to have her as his wife," Norio finished the last of his rice and set his bowl down. "You know, if Ichiro and Ayano got together, then we'd be an actual family," he pointed out through a chuckle. "Then, I technically would be Ayano's grandfather. Wouldn't that be something, Tetsuo?"

"Don't be silly, Grandpa Norio," Ayano giggled behind her hand.

"That isn't funny. You better drop that shit right now, Norio. You and your idiot grandson," Tetsuo stabbed at his plate with his chopsticks. "My daughter isn't gonna be anyone's wife. That goes for both of my girls," he drummed his fingers against the table, his lips tight together, and then muttered. "Besides, Ayano already has a... boyfriend."

Ayano winced as Ichiro scraped a serving spoon against a platter.

"My, they grow up so fast, don't they?" Norio placed his chopsticks down onto the lip of his bowl. "Do you approve of him, Tetsuo?"

Tetsuo clucked his tongue. "He's not terrible but -"

"I sensed some hesitation there. So, there might be a chance then?" Norio chimed in, his smirk spread out into a grin. Chuckling, he patted at one of Tetsuo's clenched fists. "Relax, Tetsuo, it's all in good fun. Won't you humor an old man?"

"But you're not funny," Tetsuo gritted out.

"I beg to differ. Fei and my daughter, Kimiko, have always been fond of my sense of humor, but that's neither here nor there," Norio steepled his fingers together. As if a switch had turned on, Norio's demeanor had shifted into one that was calm and collected. His gaze settled down onto Ayano. No trace of his usual friendliness or amicableness remained.

Ayano sank down in her seat. "Grandpa Norio?" she squeaked.

"The one month trial for tutoring Ichiro is almost up," Norio began. "I've come here to address our contract. Would you like to extend our agreement, Ayano?"

Tetsuo guffawed. "Ayano isn't -"

"Yes, I would, Grandpa Norio! I'd love to!" Ayano answered.

"Excellent," Norio smiled. "We'll extend the contract to another month and see how things go from there."

"Glad I'll still be able to call you my tutor, Ayano," Ichiro grinned.

"Ayano, why would you agree to that?" Tetsuo slammed his fists against the table. "We wouldn't have had to see them again if you said 'no!'"

"Tutoring Ichiro has been a wonderful experience father," Ayano said. "Why wouldn't I agree with Grandpa Norio's proposal?"

"Because you have better things to do?" Tetsuo said.

"Don't worry, Tetsuo, I haven't forgotten about Ayano's payment," Norio said.

"Payment?" Ayano blinked. "That's not necessary, Grandpa Norio. I didn't do any of this expecting money in return."

"You agreed to take on the position of Ichiro's tutor. It's only fair that you receive payment for your services," Norio took out an envelope and slid it across the table to Ayano. "Thank you for your excellent work."

Ayano felt all eyes on her as she stared down at the envelope. Uneasy, she opened it and peeked inside it. The sheer amount of money inside almost made Ayano faint. In her entire fifteen years of life, she had never held onto this much money. "I don't think I can accept this," she stuttered, feeling light headed. "Isn't this a little too much?"

"It's more than fair," Norio waved away her concerns. "I've also taken into account Ichiro's supplemental lessons he requested from you. Time spent traveling to his house and extra time spent at home for lesson planning and study aids. Let me know if I might've missed anything else and I'll gladly compensate you, Ayano."

Tetsuo leaned over to look into the envelope. "Don't worry, Ayano," if her father had intended to whisper, he had failed in doing so as his voice increased in volume. "Your old man will throw that envelope out along with our 'wonderful guests' who've already overstayed their welcome," he made a face. "They think they can come in here and brag about their shitty money. Old fart couldn't even use a check. Has to rub his wealth in our faces by givin' you a wad of cash? What a jerk."

Ayano frowned and closed the envelope. "Father, you don't mean that."

"I meant every word of it," Tetsuo affirmed.

"Then, you won't be getting any dessert tonight," Ayano said. "And I made one of your favorites, too!"

Tetsuo scowled at his plate. "That's fine. My belt's been a little tighter around the waist. You're doin' me a favor," he sputtered as Ayano took away his dishes and utensils. "Hey, I'm not finished yet!"

"That's too bad," Ayano said. "I thought I should get started on cleaning up."

"That's fine with me," Tetsuo slumped back in his chair and folded his arms. "Now those two can get out of my house."

Ayano rose up to her feet. "They can't leave yet," she said. "They haven't had their dessert." she walked off for the kitchen before Tetsuo could further protest.

Ichiro picked up a few plates and bowls. "Wait up, Ayano, I'll come help you!" he chased after her.

Behind her, Ayano could hear her father growl. "I don't want to hear anything from you, Norio!" she sighed from the accompanying slam which followed after Tetsuo's outburst. Maybe I'll bring a slice of cake out for father, too.

Something collided to the floor with a shatter.

"Nothing broke!" Tetsuo shouted.

Ayano's shoulders dropped as she let out another sigh. Or maybe not.