Rise found herself tossing and turning in bed. Despite the open windows letting in a bit of cool air into the room, the heat was pounding pretty hard, and the house lacked proper air conditioning. Aside from the windows, the most anyone got were bedside fans. Eventually, Rise couldn't take it anymore and decided to get out of bed. She looked at the time on her phone, which displayed two-thirty a.m. Here she was, about to get married to the love of her life in less than twelve hours, and she couldn't go back to sleep. The odds of her showing up at the ceremony with bags under her eyes seemed to be growing with every huff of annoyance as she kept running out of sheep to count. Rise sat up and found herself looking around the room she was staying in; it was Tetsuya's old bedroom. The number of hours she had spent in this room as a kid were unfathomable. She remembered the two of them drawing, coloring, playing board games, doing homework, listening to music, watching movies, playing with/teasing baby Akira all in good fun, of course. It seemed like forever ago now. Rise got up and headed for the door.
*BUMP*
"Ow… mother-" She tried to keep quiet after accidentally stubbing her toe on the dresser by the bedroom door. She hissed in pain and exhaled deeply. "Agh… ow…"
The room was dark, and Rise forgot how close the bed was to the dresser. Hoping that she had not woken her aunt, whose bedroom was right next door to where she was staying, Rise decided to go downstairs to the kitchen and get a glass of water. It solved her heat issue (mostly), but not her sleep issue. Not feeling particularly exhausted, she decided to go and sit in the living room for a bit. A plus in its favor was that it was the coolest out of all the rooms temperature-wise. She wasn't about to turn on the TV and risk waking everybody up. Instead, Rise found herself going over to one of the bookshelves and scanning through what was on it. She ended up pulling out an old Kurusu family photo album. She took it over to the recliner that sat near an open window and began flipping through it. The first photograph she came across was of her Aunt Kairi and her Uncle Minoru cuddled up on the couch with the caption:
**December 31st, 1993 — Kurusu Home**
On New Year's Eve 1994, Minoru Kurusu and Kairi Ono rang in the new year with a kiss.
They were in the living room, dancing to The Carpenter's "We've Only Just Begun," as the ball dropped and the new year began. They had been officially dating for about a year and a half, at this point, but had been close friends for almost seven years now. Hiroki was entirely supportive of their relationship. Even though, after taking more care of Kairi in almost seven years than her actual parents had in her entire life, he saw her more like a foster daughter. Now that she and Minoru were officially (and finally, in Hiroki's eyes) a couple, the old man looked forward to calling Kairi his daughter-in-law. With that said, he never expected that she would legally become his daughter before then. Then again, there were a lot of things the three of them didn't expect that the upcoming year had in store for them.
"Ooh, I didn't know you could dance so well, cowboy," Kairi giggled.
"Hey, I'm full of surprises," Minoru said in a cocky but charming manner. Afterward, they sat on the couch, Minoru's arm wrapped around Kairi, and they chatted, neither of them wanting to go to sleep despite it now being past midnight. A while later, the front door opened and in-walked Hiroki. He had been invited to a party by one of the wealthier families in Inaba. He didn't really want to go, but he thought it'd be nice to give Minoru and Kairi some time alone. Plus, as a respected member of the community, it was nice to keep up appearances. Besides, tonight's party would prove fortunate in more ways than one in the long run.
"Hello?" he called out. As he removed his parka and boots, he began coughing.
"Living room!" Minoru yelled back. Hiroki walked in and took a seat in the recliner, still coughing. "You okay, Dad?"
"Yeah, I think I just caught a bug," Hiroki nodded and cleared his throat. "Well, don't you guys look comfy, hehe." Minoru and Kairi blushed. "Actually, wait right there; don't move." Hiroki got up and grabbed his camera from the office. "You guys mind?" he asked, holding up the camera.
"Not at all!" Kairi happily obliged. "Oh, hold on…" she said before removing her glasses. "Okay, now I'm ready."
"Just make sure you get my good side," Minoru said, still acting cocky.
"Minoru, you're my son. Take it from me, you don't have a good side," Hiroki said as he tried to get the camera in focus. Kairi laughed.
"Oh, then make sure you get her good side, huh?" Minoru joked; Kairi slapped his chest. "Ow!" he chuckled.
"Smile!" The camera flashed, capturing the two young lovers together on the couch in each other's arms, happy as can be. Hiroki put the camera down on a shelf before heading back to the recliner. "Anyway, what are you guys doing still up?"
"Just talking and listening to music," Kairi answered. "How was the party?"
*Bzzt* Hiroki blew a raspberry and gave a thumbs down. "Boring. I left before the ball even dropped." Minoru looked at the time and saw that it was almost one-thirty a.m.
"Why are you home so late then?" he asked his father.
"What are you, my mother?" Hiroki joked; everyone chuckled. "Before I left, I got a commission." Minoru's ears perked up. He had been working with his father often for a couple of years now. As he did, he became a lot more familiar with the people in Inaba.
"Oh? Who from? Is it someone we know?" he asked. Hiroki shook his head.
"No, they're from Fuefuki. I ran into this couple and, apparently, someone had recommended me to them. Really nice people, the guy was a cop, and… ah, I can't remember what the woman said she did for a living…" he scratched his head. "Well, anyway, their three-year-old daughter needs a new bed after she broke it by jumping up and down on it."
"Jeez, the bed must've been dirt cheap for a three-year-old of all people to break it," Kairi commented.
"Heh, tell me about it," Hiroki responded.
"When do they need it by?" she asked. Kairi also had helped out a bit at Hiroki's shop, helping Hiroki and Minoru build things occasionally, though not as often.
"They said the sooner, the better. I told them I'd have it ready over by tomorrow evening." Minoru and Kairi both scoffed.
"Tomorrow!?" Minoru yelled out.
"Easy there, Minoru. I went to the shop when I didn't see the night getting any more entertaining and got started on it. I'd hate to ask this of you during your time off, Minoru, but do you think you could come down tomorrow and-" Before Hiroki could finish asking, Minoru stopped him.
"Yeah, Dad, of course. Don't worry about it."
"Great! Oh, you're welcome to come help as well, Kairi," Hiroki said.
"I'd love to…" Kairi began before looking down. "…but I should probably go home tomorrow. Gotta make my weekly visit, so my parents don't completely forget about me, you know, hehe?" she forcefully chuckled.
"…right. I understand," Hiroki softly spoke.
"Hmph…" Minoru muttered indignantly.
Kairi's parents were still ignorant of her. They paid her no mind, yet she still went home to keep up appearances like Hiroki at the New Year's party. She felt like a deadbeat dad visiting their kid so that they wouldn't forget them. In this case, however, the kid couldn't care less about their dad visiting, and that's how Kairi's parents felt about her. She went home, cleaned around the house, made food for them, even did their laundry, anything to try and get them to show a bit of love to her. At this point, she felt more like their housekeeper than their daughter. She fell into a routine of going home, trying and talk to them; they wouldn't say much, giving up, doing some chores around the house, and then going back to the Kurusus after a few days. That was the cycle for the past couple of years or so. Kairi never even got so much as a "thank you," from her parents. All three could feel there was an uncomfortable silence in the air.
"It's late. You two should get some sleep, huh?" he suggested, glancing at the clock.
"That's a good idea," Kairi softly spoke as she got up off the couch. "Aren't you coming, Minoru?" she asked, noticing he hadn't moved.
"I'll be up in a minute; you can use the bathroom first," Minoru smiled. It was forced, but he bit his lip as not to show his anger. Kairi nodded, walked out of the living room and went upstairs. Hiroki looked over at his son and saw he was focused on something.
"Yen for your thoughts?" Hiroki asked.
"Can we talk outside?"
"Sure, I could use a smoke, anyway. Put on a jacket, though. It's cold out and I don't want you to catch whatever I'm getting." Hiroki and Minoru both put on their parkas and headed outside, standing on a cobblestone platform, by the front door. Hiroki reached into his pocket and pulled out his pack of cigarettes before lighting one and taking a few drags. He and Minoru stood side by side, looking up at the stars in the winter night-sky. "All right, spill it. What's on your mind, kid?"
"Nothing you don't already know about," Minoru replied.
"The Onos?" Minoru nodded. "Yeah, had a feeling…" Hiroki took another drag.
"I mean, Kairi's happy with us. Why don't they see that?"
"They can't see it because they have their head up their ass," Hiroki chuckled.
"I'm serious. What's their problem? They don't give a shit about her, so fuck them!" Minoru got heated and raised his voice.
"Minoru! Keep your voice down!"
"…sorry. I didn't mean to yell." Minoru had his head in his hands. Hiroki went over and wrapped his arm around him.
"Look, Minoru, I get how you feel. Kairi doesn't deserve to be neglected like that, and I wish I knew why her parents were the way they were." Minoru was silent for a moment before he spoke again.
"Did you really mean it, what you said?" Hiroki thought for a moment.
"What, you mean about asking to adopt her?"
"…yeah. Were you serious about that?"
"The Onos are stubborn; it would be a large pain in the ass. I doubt they want to give up control of her."
"But, if you could, would you?" Minoru asked. Hiroki drew on his cigarette, blowing smoke out into the air before answering.
"If I could, I would do it in a heartbeat. Hell, I already kind of consider her my daughter," he said before he started coughing again. Minoru took the cigarette out of his father's hand and stomped on it, putting it out. "Hey, what do you think you're doing?"
"Didn't you say you were gonna quit?"
"Didn't you say you were gonna make the top ten in exams?" Hiroki retorted.
"…don't change the subject," Minoru awkwardly said. They both laughed some more.
"Anyway, about Kairi, I wouldn't worry about her parents too much. They may suck… erm, don't tell her I said that," Hiroki chuckled before continuing, "but it could be a lot worse. For now, all we can do is be there for her when she needs us." Hiroki put a hand on his son's shoulder. "You wouldn't leave her hanging, would you?" Minoru shook his head.
"Of course not. I'd never leave her. I love her, and I'll follow her wherever she goes."
"All right, Sting…" Hiroki chuckled.
"Oh, shut up, you know what I mean," Minoru rolled his eyes and smiled.
"Yeah, that's what I thought," he said as he hugged Minoru. "I'm proud of you, son." He let him go and poked him in the chest. "And watch your tongue, okay? I let those cuss words slide 'cause you were pissed off and because it's the new year. You get one per year, got it?"
"Yeah, I got it," Minoru chuckled. Unbeknownst to them, Kairi had been eavesdropping from the stairs. She couldn't help but smile as she shed a small tear.
"Now, get to bed. We got a job to do tomorrow," she heard Hiroki say. She quickly ran upstairs to the bathroom as Minoru and Hiroki re-entered the house. Thankfully, the floor being entirely carpeted meant they didn't hear her running away. A while later, Minoru came out of the bathroom and went into his room, only to find Kairi sitting cross-legged on his bed.
"Hi, Minoru," she said with a smile.
"Hiya," he smiled back. "Not that I'm complaining or anything, but what are you doing in here, Kai?"
"…I-I uh…" she looked away for a moment. "I was wondering if I could sleep in here tonight… with you?"
"Is everything okay?"
"O-Oh yeah… everything's okay. I-It's just… I don't to be alone tonight."
"I get it."
Kairi looked back at him. "So, is that okay with you?"
"Absolutely," he nodded; they both got into bed together and fell asleep in each other's arms.
"Never leave," she whispered.
"Never. I promise," he whispered back.
The next day, Hiroki offered to drive Kairi back to her parent's house. She usually walked home, but, since it was on the way to his shop, he figured why not. Hiroki drove as Kairi sat in Minoru's lap in the passenger seat. They dropped her off at her parent's house. As she exited the car, Minoru noticed her parents were watching from their window. As an act of rebellion, or perhaps just out of spite, Minoru caught up with Kairi before she reached the front door, spun her around, and French-kissed her right then and there. After the kiss, Kairi noticed her parents scoffing as they disappeared from the window. She wasn't happy with what Minoru did and scolded him. Though, before she went inside, she did shoot him a mischievous smile and a wink. Hiroki wasn't too pleased when Minoru got back in the car.
"Nice going, Romeo," Hiroki said sarcastically as they drove off.
"What? I'm just showing them my appreciation for her," Minoru grinned as they kept driving. "It's more affection than they've ever shown her."
"Minoru, they already don't like us, and you're not making things easier…"
"Not like they care anyway…"
"Of course, they do! She's still their daughter… there's probably a part of them that still cares a little bit." Minoru stared out the window. "Besides, no matter what, you never ever make out with your girlfriend in front of her parents. That's kind of a faux pas in dating, especially at your age."
"…right…" Minoru looked back at his father. "Are you speaking from experience?"
"No, it's just common sense…"
"…"
"…okay, fine, maybe I am," he reluctantly admitted. Minoru chuckled. "Oh, shut up," Hiroki grinned, shaking his head. "Seriously, though, don't ever do that again."
"Fine…"
At the shop, they built the bed together quickly and efficiently. Hiroki called up the woman of the family and asked if they could deliver it. She happily accepted. Hiroki had to borrow a pick-up truck from a friend to get it to the family, but it was no trouble. They made the drive to the other town, unloaded the bed, and expertly moved it in the room where the woman desired. The husband wasn't home, so it was just the woman and her daughter.
"Thank you so much for getting it to us so soon!" the woman said to them.
"Ah, no worries. It was no trouble at all," Hiroki said. As they were talking, Minoru felt a tug on his sleeve. He looked down to see a silver-haired little girl who looked around three years old, wearing panda pajamas, looking up at him.
"Hi, there. What's your name?" he chuckled. The woman went over and picked her daughter up.
"Ooof, you're getting big, sweetie, haha. Are you going to say, 'thank you' to these nice men for building you a bed?"
"…F-fank yu…" the little girl said. Minoru stuck his tongue out at her, which caused her to giggle profusely.
"Can I offer you two anything to drink before you leave?" the woman asked.
"No, that's all right. We should get going, but thank you, though," Hiroki replied while Minoru kept making goofy faces to the little girl who kept giggling. The woman checked the time.
"Oh my, it is getting late. I have to get this little one fed, or she'll throw a tantrum, haha."
"Same thing happens when this guy doesn't eat," Hiroki said, rubbing Minoru's head. The woman laughed.
"Oh, ha-ha," Minoru playfully grumbled. "Anyway, it was a pleasure to meet you, Mrs…?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself to you, young man," the woman blushed. "My name is Niijima, Yuri Niijima," she said before pivoting her head toward her daughter. "And this giggling little bundle of joy, right here, is Sae."
"Hi, Sae!" Minoru waved. Yuri took Sae's hand and made her wave.
"Can you say 'hello,' Sae?" Yuri asked her daughter.
"H-Hewwo…" Sae said before giggling again.
"Aww, that's a good girl," Yuri smiled, rubbed her nose against Sae's and kissed her forehead before putting her back down on the floor and turning her attention back toward Hiroki and Minoru. "Well, anyway, thank you both again," she reached in her back pocket and pulled out their payment before handing it to Hiroki. "Also, take this. It's my card. If you need anything, let me know."
"Will do. Thank you, as well, Niijima-san," Hiroki bowed once more.
"Have a good night. Bye, Sae!" he waved. Sae giggled and flailed her arms in the air as her way of saying goodbye. Back in the borrowed pick-up, Hiroki smiled, proud of another job well done, while Minoru wasn't beaming as much.
"They were nice, weren't they?" Hiroki said.
"Mm-hm," Minoru unenthusiastically replied. Hiroki looked over.
"You okay, buddy?"
"Yeah, it's just…"
"Hmm?"
"Niijima-san loves her daughter… it made me think about Kairi's parents."
"Ah, I get what you're saying."
"Why don't they love her like that?"
"I wish I could tell you, Minoru. Every time I see them, they're like robots, completely emotionless, hehe," Hiroki chuckled before continuing. "In fact, when you kissed Kairi in front of them this morning, it was the first time I ever saw them looking angry."
"Yeah, so?"
"I didn't think they could get angry, hahaha," Hiroki laughed. Minoru eventually broke down and laughed as well.
Meanwhile, there were fewer laughs to be had at the Ono household. Kairi was in a heated argument with her parents over the kiss they had witnessed. Kairi, however, didn't feel guilty about anything. She sat across from her parents with her arms and legs crossed, and her head held high. Perhaps, Minoru's rebelliousness from earlier had rubbed off on her.
"How long have you been dating that boy!?" Kairi's father shouted.
"About a year and a half," Kairi answered honestly and unflinchingly.
"And we're only finding out about this now!?" her mother interjected.
"You never asked," Kairi shrugged. "Come to think of it, you never ask me about anything. If you want to know what I'm up to, you can just ask, you know? It's not like I have anything to hide." Kairi sounded confident but came off as cocky to the vexation of her parents.
"Watch your tone, Kairi! You're still our daughter. You're still under our control!" the mother angrily said.
"Oh, so you do know my name. Good to know."
"All right! That's enough! Get out of our sight!" her father yelled.
"Gladly. Oh, and happy New Year, by the way~!" she shot them a fake smile, got up and walked away.
As Kairi entered her room, which they thankfully hadn't touched in any way, she smirked at the thought that they never prohibited her from going out once more. It quickly faded and was, instead, replaced with guilt. Did her happiness make them angry? They were never a happy couple themselves, not even before she was born, according to Maki. She didn't know, but while she was mad at them and partially resented them, she still couldn't fully hate them. Kairi was never the type to hate anybody. For all their faults, they were still her parents. Kairi wanted to hear a friendly voice, so she picked up the landline phone in her room that she had gotten after Maki had moved out. Figuring the Kurusus were still busy, she decided to dial up her sister. She had to wish her and her new brother-in-law a happy New Year after all. Maki had married her longtime boyfriend, Shinsuke Kujikawa, in November. After letting it ring four times, the phone picked up.
"Hello?"
"Kujikawa-san? Hello, this is Kairi."
"Oh, hi, Kairi-chan. Happy New Year!"
"Happy New Year to you as well! Is Maki there by chance?"
"Sure, one second…" Kairi patiently waited. "Here, she is. Have a nice evening, Kairi-chan!"
"You as well, Kujikawa-san!"
"Hello?" Maki answered.
"Hey, Sis! Happy New Year!"
"Kai! It's so good to hear your voice!"
"So, how's the honeymoon?"
"Oh, it's great! Shinsuke's wonderful. You know, his mother is planning on moving to Inaba and taking over that tofu shop downtown?"
"Really? Why?" Kairi raised an eyebrow.
"I dunno. She says she needs something to keep her busy."
"Some people collect stamps or build origami," Kairi chuckled.
"Right, and some people get into the tofu business, haha." The sisters shared a laugh. "I think she just wants to be closer to us since we're not going back to Osaka."
"Makes sense."
"But enough about me. Tell me about you. How's Minoru-kun doing?"
"He's great! We spent New Year's Eve together while Hiroki-san was out."
"O-Oh… did you two…erm…"
"…wha-OH! God! Maki, no! We just had dinner together, listened to music, and talked."
"Oh, okay. Good."
Kairi deviously smirked. "…but we did sleep together."
"WHAT THE FUCK!?" After some yelling from Maki and some laughing from Kairi, the latter managed to calm the former and explain that nothing of the sort happened. Kairi also told Maki about Minoru's kiss in front of their parents. "Oh boy… well, I gotta hand it to him, the kid's got major balls, that's for sure. How'd Mom and Dad take it?"
"How do you think?"
"You got in trouble?"
"Kinda, but they didn't punish me or anything."
"Lucky you, I was grounded for two weeks when Dad saw me kiss Shinsuke once."
"Apparently, I'm not even worth the effort to punish."
"Hey, hey, don't go there, Kai. Deep down, they love you. I'm sure they do." Kairi thought for a moment.
"Well, today was the first time they actually scolded me since I can remember. Maybe I should provoke them more often," she joked.
"Oh, don't tell me you're gonna go through a rebellious phase, putting on flannel shirts and listening to sad music like Nirvana or something."
"Flannel shirts? No… and Nirvana isn't 'sad' music, for your information."
"Huh?"
"Minoru and I really like them. They rock. What can I say?"
"Tch… I swear, Kai, between your taste in movies, music, and the fact that you speak near-fluent English, you're the most American non-American I know, haha."
"Uh, is that supposed to be a compliment…?"
"It is. Take it or leave it, haha."
"Thank you…? Hahaha. I get my music tastes from Minoru. I just translate the songs for him, hahaha."
"Look, I'm really sorry, but I gotta go. Seriously, though, don't worry about what Mom and Dad think. Do whatever makes you happy, but be smart about it too."
"I will. Thanks, Maki."
"Anytime, Kai. I'll call you once we get back home."
"No hurry. Love you, Sis!"
"Love you too, 'night!"
**July 20th, 1994 — Last Day Of School**
At the tone of the final bell of the day, Minoru and Kairi walked out of Yasogami High School together with their heads held high, as they were ready to begin their summer break, having both scored highly on their final exams.
"See? I told you could make the top ten, cowboy!" Kairi said, hugging Minoru's side.
"Hehe, it's all thanks to you. I'm good with most subjects, but I would've tanked English without your help, Kai." He gave her a quick kiss on her forehead. "Good news is, we've got nothing to worry about for tonight."
"You know, I'm sure your dad would've still let us go to the lake even if you hadn't made the top ten," She chuckled.
"But he wouldn't have let me borrow the car, and it's not like we can carry all of our stuff on just our bikes."
"Hmm, good point."
"Besides, this way, I won't get an earful," Minoru joked; Kairi nudged him.
"C'mon, Minoru. He wouldn't do that. I don't think I've ever heard him yell, at least not at you."
"Either way, I'm glad I did as well as I did. I couldn't stop thinking about tonight all of last week."
"I know, me neither. I can't wait!" They walked back to the Kurusu home, hand in hand.
Meanwhile, Hiroki was sitting in his office, staring at a letter he had received in the mail, earlier in the day. It was from the hospital. He had gone in for an MRI after his cough kept getting worse throughout the year. It was just as he had feared. At age fifty-four, years of smoking had finally caught up to him. Stage 3 NSCLC. In other words, lung cancer. Hiroki sighed as he reread the letter for the umpteenth time. It said that the cancer had been developing for years at this point, but that with treatment, there was still a chance at recovery, albeit a small one. He was hopeful that he could pull through, but he was scared about telling Minoru and Kairi. Just then, he heard the front door open.
"We're home!" he heard Minoru announce. He hastily put the letter away and went out to greet them.
"Hey, guys! So, go ahead, hit me with it," Hiroki said, wanting to hear Minoru's exam results.
"Top ten!" Minoru yelled out; Hiroki looked to Kairi for confirmation.
"I can attest to that," she smirked.
"All right! That's my boy!" Hiroki exclaimed and high-fived his son before turning to Kairi. "Thanks for helping him out with English, Kairi."
"Oh, please, it was nothing!" she smiled before her tone turned more serious. "Now, the question is, are you going to hold up your end of the deal?" she asked, standing with her arm crossed yet still smiling.
"Haha, a promise is a promise. Your stuff is already loaded up in the car." Hiroki's tone then also turned serious, but his was less playful than Kairi's. "Just remember to drive extremely carefully, okay, Minoru? You and I could get in real deep trouble if somebody finds out you're driving without a license."
"Don't worry, Dad. I'll drive slow, and besides, we'll be mostly driving on back roads," he said in a relaxed tone.
"Minoru! I'm not kidding!" Hiroki snapped. Minoru and Kairi looked at each other then back at him. "Sorry. I trust you guys. Just…" Hiroki sighed. "Please be careful."
"We will, Hiroki-san. Don't worry. You taught him very well," Kairi spoke softly. Minoru could tell something was up.
"Everything all right, Dad?"
"Yeah. Everything's fine. I've just been a little under the weather today, don't worry about it." Neither Minoru nor Kairi bought it, but decided not to press further. Hiroki cleared his throat. "So, when are you guys leaving?"
"In a little bit. We're gonna chill for a minute, get something to eat, and get changed…"
"Well, don't wait too long. You want to make the most of your summer break, don't you?"
Minoru tested the air by cracking a joke. "It sounds like you want us out of here as soon as possible."
"Haha, right," Hiroki chuckled as he went and wrapped his arms around both of them, "I'm getting really sick of you two," he joked. Hiroki knew he had to tell them soon, but it better to let them enjoy themselves for a bit before breaking the news.
Around four-thirty in the afternoon, Minoru and Kairi got in the Suzuki Jimny. This was the first time both were in it by themselves, with Kairi alone in the passenger's seat and Minoru at the wheel. Hiroki had been giving Minoru driving lessons for the last few months. Even though he was only seventeen and wouldn't be allowed to get an actual license until a year later, Hiroki figured why not get a head start? To his surprise, Minoru was a natural. So much so that Minoru asked his father if he could borrow the car so he and Kairi could go up to the lake after school was done. Hiroki was extremely hesitant. True, they were in a small town, but it would still be bad for both of them if Minoru were caught driving without a license. After a few weeks of begging and helping around the house and shop, Hiroki relented on the condition that Minoru reached the top ten in his exams. Hiroki waved goodbye to them as they drove away. Once they were gone, against his better judgment, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his pack of cigarettes. Except, it wasn't a pack of cigarettes. It was something he meant to give Minoru before he left.
"Damn it; I knew I forgot something…" Hiroki cursed at himself.
The 4×4 was loaded up with camping equipment, food, a boombox, and about a dozen mixtapes Minoru and Kairi had made. Minoru drove along back roads, slowly and carefully, as Kairi sang along to songs from their mixtapes.
"Call Me" — Blondie:
(Oooh, he speaks the languages of love)
(Oooh, amore, chiamami, chiamami)
(Oooh, appelle-moi mon cheri, appelle-moi)
"Jeez, Kai, how many languages do you know?" Minoru laughed.
"Pretty soon, I'll know more than two," she chuckled.
"Think you can teach me some more?" he asked; Kairi's response matched the lyrics of the song.
(Anytime, anyplace, anywhere, any day, any way)
"Hehe, I don't know what you said, but I'll assume it was a 'yes,'" Minoru chucked.
"99 Luftballons" — Nena:
"You know what this song is really about?" Kairi asked.
"Kai, it's in German. I barely know English, haha."
"Well, according to the English version…" Kairi smirked and told him.
"…are you serious!?" Kairi nodded. "Wow, that's dark…" Minoru awkwardly chuckled.
"Tell me about it…"
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" — Nirvana:
"Ha-hahaha…"
"What's so funny?" Minoru asked.
"Haha, something Maki said once about Nirvana. She told me that it was 'sad' music. I don't get it how this can be sad. It's so full of energy!"
"Uh, you do know that Kurt Cobain, erm…"
"…oh, right…" Suddenly, she wasn't laughing as much.
"Like…it happened this year…like three months—"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it… Maybe Maki had a point…"
"Go Your Own Way" — Fleetwood Mac:
"This song is about a breakup; now THAT, I'm sure of. The whole album is Fleetwood Mac in meltdown mode," Minoru insisted.
"Yeah… so? What's your freaking point?" Kairi crossed her arms and shot him a look.
"Just saying… I get the song?"
"Are you saying you and I are in meltdown mode?"
"Wha-No! O-Of course not!"
"Then JUST SHUT UP and enjoy the song!" she yelled with a smile.
As they got closer to the lake, Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run" was playing. Kairi was a big fan of The Boss; she saw him as the musician equivalent of one of the cowboys she idolized, like Eastwood or John Wayne. She sang along in near-perfect English, while Minoru tried his best but only really got the title. There are a lot of words in that song; it's hard to keep up. By the time the song was over, they had arrived. Minoru got out the tent while Kairi got out the food. They set up shop on a soft grassy spot right near a riverbed. They still had plenty of daylight left, so they decided to go swimming. They had changed in their swimsuits before leaving the house. They stripped off their shirts, shorts, and shoes and jumped in. That is to say, Minoru jumped in while Kairi stood by and waited for him to come back to the surface.
"Oh, wow! That's cold!"
"Had a feeling, haha. Thanks for testing the water for me!" Kairi smiled.
*SPLASH*
"HEY!" she exclaimed as Minoru splashed her.
"Yeah, cold, isn't it?" he smirked. "This is why I like to just sit and read!"
"Oh, you wanna read? Well, read my lips, cowboy! I'm going to kick your ass!" she laughed.
"Oh yeah? Well then hop on in, Calamity Jane! I dare you!"
Kairi jumped in the river after Minoru. The two had a water fight for a while before both threw up their white flags and resorted to kissing out their differences. After expelling all their energy in the river, they got ready for the evening. Kairi set up the tent while Minoru went and gathered firewood nearby and built a fire. They prepared and enjoyed some Yakiniku for dinner and made smores for dessert. Hiroki was tremendous at barbecuing and passed on his secrets to Minoru and Kairi. As a result, they ate like kings and queens as the sun went down and the stars came out. Kairi sat by the fire, staring up at the stars as the boombox was still going strong, while Minoru sat across from her and sketched her.
"I wonder if this is what Blondie got to fall asleep to every night?" Kairi pondered.
"Huh? The band?" Minoru looked up from his sketch pad, confused.
"No, silly!" Kairi chuckled. "Clint Eastwood, the man with no name. You know, from those western movies?"
"Oh, right. Well, who knows? He probably found an inn or a bed some nights?"
"Don't break my illusion, cowboy," Kairi chuckled.
"Sorry…" Minoru went back to sketching. "So, I thought about what you said the other day…"
"Really?" Kairi looked at him.
"Don't move."
"Sorry!" she quickly snapped her head back, looking up at the stars. "You were saying?"
"I thought about what you asked me," Minoru said, still sketching, "about you going to college in California and me joining you."
"Uh-huh…?" Kairi was intrigued, but a bit worried.
"I want to do it…" He said, trailing off.
"…but you won't? Is that it?"
"You didn't let me finish. I thought about it a lot. Honestly, I'm scared to leave home and leave everything behind…" Kairi looked down. She thought back to New Year's when she overheard Minoru and Hiroki talking. Maybe he didn't mean what he said. She was worried he'd turn out like her parents and just forget about her if she left. "But," he continued. Kairi looked back toward him. He was still sketching. "I promised that I would never leave you, and my father taught me to always keep my promises. So, I've decided that, wherever you end up going, I'll go with you."
"You will?" she beamed. He finally looked up from his sketch pad, looked at her, and smiled.
"I will. Because I love you, Kairi." Kairi was so happy. She was always happy with Minoru, but this time, it felt more special. Minoru glanced back at his sketch pad, then back at her. "I'm done; you wanna come and see?" She nodded, got up, and walked over to him. He had sketched her in a wild west attire, cowboy hat, poncho, boots, and all, even adding twin revolvers for more flare.
"I love it so much!" she said, holding him. "And I love you too, Minoru."
She leaned in and kissed him. Minoru put his sketch pad down and held her in his arms. They spent a long time kissing on the ground before, without speaking any words, they moved to the tent where their passionate kissing evolved into something more. They shed their clothes and made love for the very first time. Minoru and Kairi didn't plan for this to happen, but they couldn't help it. Neither of them felt guilty nor worried about the consequences. They were too wrapped up in their feelings for one another to consider what they were doing. They didn't care. They loved each other, and on this night, they cemented that love. Someday, they didn't know when, they were gonna get to that place where they really wanted to go, and they would walk in the sun. But, till then, tramps like them, they were born to run.
However, as they were about to find out, there would be consequences.
**August 31st, 1994 — Last Day Of Summer Break**
Hiroki kept himself busy, both working on projects and secretly getting treated for his cancer. He kept it to himself for the entirety of summer break, not wanting to hinder on Minoru and Kairi's fun. By the end of August, as school was about to start back up again, he felt that it was finally time to tell them. One morning, Hiroki sat both of them down in the living room for a talk. Minoru and Kairi were worried that he would have the "talk" with them, which, unbeknownst to him, he was a little late for. Instead, however, it was something else, something worse. He told them about his cancer diagnosis. Minoru and Kairi were speechless. After Hiroki explained everything, Kairi was so shocked she had to rush to the bathroom. Hiroki and Minoru could hear her throwing up. They didn't think the news would have this much of an effect on her, but, then again, she and Hiroki were very close. She saw him as the father figure she never had, so it would make sense that she would take this news horribly.
If only that had been the only bad news Minoru and Kairi received that week.
A few days later, still relatively early in the morning, Hiroki received a call from Yasogami High School while at his shop. Hiroki was listed as the emergency contact in case her parents were unable to come to retrieve her, which they never did. Apparently, Kairi was feeling sick and had thrown up in the middle of the classroom. He closed the shop and went to pick her up before taking her to the doctor's office. Hiroki waited outside while the doctor asked Kairi the usual questions.
"How long have you been feeling sick?"
"For the past few days."
"When have you been throwing up?"
"In the mornings."
"Have you been hungrier than usual?"
"Yes…" Kairi's distress kept growing as the doctor's questions kept coming.
"When was your last period?"
"…uhm…"
"Are you sexually active?"
"…" Her lack of answers served as confirmation enough. Afterward, one blood test validated the doctor's suspicions and Kairi's fears. She was six weeks pregnant.
She didn't know how Hiroki or Minoru would react, but what worried her the most was her parents' reaction. The doctor explained the situation to Hiroki, who couldn't help but hang his head and let out a long sigh. The drive back to the house was painfully tense. Hiroki didn't say a word, and Kairi was terrified.
After the final bell of the day, Minoru went to Kairi's class, but found it empty. He went to the entrance, expecting to find her there, but didn't. After waiting for about a minute, he found one of her classmates walking out.
"Excuse me, Ryotaro?" Minoru caught the attention of Ryotaro Dojima, who was walking alongside his younger sister, Asuka.
"Oh, hey, Minoru, looking for Kairi?" Dojima asked.
"Yeah, have you seen her?"
"She school left earlier this morning."
"W-What? Why?" Minoru raised an eyebrow.
"She threw up in the middle of the classroom. The teacher called for someone to pick her up."
"Crap, that doesn't sound good…" Minoru muttered to himself. "Thanks for letting me know!" he yelled as he worriedly ran back to his house, walked through the front door, and into the living room to find her sitting on the couch, nervously twiddling her thumbs, looking down at her feet, and his father sitting in his recliner. He did not look happy.
"Well, it's about time you got here," Hiroki grumbled. His bitter tone did nothing to faze Minoru, who was entirely focused on Kairi's well-being. He approached her.
"Kairi, are you all right?" Kairi looked up at him. "I heard-"
*SMACK*
"OW!" As soon as Minoru was close enough, Kairi slapped him hard. "What was that for?" he asked as he had his hand on his cheek.
"You're lucky she's stopping there, pal. If I were her, I'd be jamming my foot up your ass right about now," Hiroki commented.
"What? Why? What's going on?" Hiroki got up and handed him the result of the blood test the doctor had taken earlier.
"That's what's going on." Hiroki folded his arms. As Minoru read the piece of paper his father had handed him, he went from confused to petrified as his eyes grew wider, and his jaw opened more and more.
"Oh… fuck."
"Hey, I told you, you only get one of those a year," Hiroki rubbed his son's head. Minoru felt horrible.
"Kairi, I-I'm so sorry, I…" he tried apologizing, but Kairi was having none of it. She got up and went upstairs without saying a word or looking him in the eye. The sound of her bedroom door slamming could be heard all the way in Tokyo. Hiroki sighed.
"Let me guess, the camping trip?" Minoru silently nodded; Hiroki sighed again. "I knew I should've had the talk with you two sooner. Christ, I should've had it as soon as you started dating. But not only that, I expected you to be smarter about this, Minoru." The kid didn't say anything; he stood still, like time had frozen around him. "Oh well, what's done is done. You two need to decide what you're going to do next, but not right now. Let her cool off for a bit. It might take a while, though, so I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you," he said calmly.
"You don't sound too mad," Minoru noted.
"Oh, I'm very mad, Minoru. Furious even," Hiroki said, also calmly. "This is just me keeping my cool, but I've got half a mind to lock you in your room and ground you for life."
"Kairi did say you're not one to yell."
"You want me to yell at you? Because I will," Hiroki threatened.
"N-No, I-I mean…"
"Relax…" Hiroki sighed. "I'm not gonna yell, what the hell good would that do, anyway? Look, why don't you just go to your room for a bit? And don't bother Kairi for a while, huh?" Minoru nodded and went upstairs. He knew it was pointless to try and talk to Kairi right now, so he instead went to his room and sat on his bed. He knew he was jumping the gun right now; he would have to do a lot more thinking and talking with Kairi, but there was, nonetheless, one thought repeating in his mind over and over again.
"I'm going to be a father…"
Later on, the dinner table was painfully quiet. Kairi sat across from Minoru, rather than next to him as she usually did, and Hiroki became the go-between guy.
"Kairi, could you pass me the pepper, please?" Minoru asked. Kairi didn't say anything, let alone look at him. She kept eating her dinner like she hadn't heard a thing. Minoru leaned over to his father. "Can you get me the pepper?" Hiroki sighed.
"Kai, pepper, please?"
"Sure, here you go." Kairi handed Hiroki the pepper as casually as could be, who then handed it to his son. "Hiroki-san, would you please pass me the soy sauce?"
"Here!" Minoru quickly reached for the soy sauce that was further from him than Hiroki and passed it to her. "Here's the soy sauce," he softly smiled.
"Thank you," she said, but not to Minoru, to Hiroki. She kept ignoring the boy across from her like he didn't exist. Minoru's smile faded, and he dejectedly kept eating his food. About ten agonizingly long minutes later, Kairi finished her meal, brought her dishes to the kitchen, and went back up to her room without another word. Hiroki and Minoru looked at each other.
"What? I told you it would take a while for her to come around. Don't tell me you were seriously expecting her to be okay after just a few hours." Hiroki shrugged. "I hope you're proud of yourself."
"Not really, I feel like I lost that one," Minoru said as he batted at one of his rice balls with his chopsticks.
"Minoru, this is serious!"
"I know it is!"
"DO YOU!? BECAUSE I DON'T THINK YOU DO!" There was the yell Minoru was expecting. He should have known it would come out, sooner or later. The soon-to-be-father dispiritedly put his face down on the table. Hiroki sighed. "Hey, look at me." Minoru raised his head and looked his father in the eye. "She might be mad at you now, and for a while, but that girl still loves you, do you understand?"
"It doesn't feel like it."
"Well, a monkey wrench just got thrown into her whole life. Can you blame her?"
"I guess not," Minoru propped his head up on the table with his arm and looked elsewhere, "especially since I'm the one who threw it. Either that, or I am the monkey wrench."
"Hey, don't blame yourself. If anything, she's also responsible for not using protection either, and I'm at fault for not educating either of you on safe-sex. But what good is assigning going to do? Nothing, that's what."
"I know, but… I'm just absolutely racked with guilt." Minoru tugged at his hair.
"It'll pass, don't worry. My point is, she still loves you, okay? Trust me on this. Remember what I said on New Year's? All we can do is be there for her when she needs us. And, come this Sunday, I have a feeling she's going to need us more than ever."
"Why this Sunday?" Minoru raised an eyebrow.
"Because I'm going to take her to parents' and explain the situation to them," Hiroki said before taking a drink. Minoru went pale.
"Oh, boy…"
"Heh, yeah, that pretty much sums it up," Hiroki rubbed the back of his head before coughing into his napkin. Minoru noticed red stains on it.
"I-Is that…?"
"Nah, it's just spit. The doctors told me that dark-red spit is normal among lung cancer patients, don't worry about it." Hiroki put the napkin down. "Anyway, where were we?"
"Kairi's parents."
"Right…" Hiroki nodded.
"Do you think I should go too?"
"Definitely not. No offense, buddy, but I have a feeling that if you go, you're going to make things worse."
"How could I possibly make things worse?"
"Minoru, I know you feel guilty, but, please, don't fight me on this." Minoru wanted to but, instead, gave up.
Hiroki was right; it did indeed take a while for Kairi to come around. To Minoru, it felt like an eternity, as Kairi didn't speak a single word to him for the next few days. Those days were painfully tense as she stayed home from school for the rest of the week. Minoru helpfully brought back her homework and tried his best to cheer her up, but she ignored him entirely, and only spoke to Hiroki. During that time, both she and Minoru did a lot of thinking on their own about the future.
On Sunday, Kairi was faced with a complicated task. She was breaking the news to her parents. Hiroki accompanied her while Minoru stayed behind. Hiroki and Kairi sat opposite her parents, in the dining room, and told them. To say they were furious would be an understatement. There was yelling, insults hurled at her, Minoru, and Hiroki, none of which she really retained in her memory save for the last thing they said to her.
"From this moment on, you are no longer our daughter."
They walked out of the room, leaving Hiroki and Kairi alone. On the ride back, she broke down in the car and couldn't stop crying the entire drive back. This was the first time she had cried since she first found out she was pregnant. As soon as they got back to the Kurusu house, she ran straight upstairs to her room and shut the door. Hiroki knew it was time. He went into his office and started going through his drawers. After some digging, he pulled out a business card he had been given earlier in the year and dialed the number displayed.
[Yuri Niijima — Family Attorney]
Meanwhile, Minoru came out of his room and gently knocked on Kairi's door.
"Kairi? Are you okay?" he softly asked; all he could hear were her sobs. "I'm coming in, all right?" There was still no direct response. He gently opened the door and entered her room. She was lying face down on her bed and weeping into her pillow. He sat down on the edge of her bed and tried to think of something to say. Kairi stopped crying for a brief moment as she sat up next to him. "Listen, Kairi, I know you probably hate me right now, and I don't blame you, but-OOF…" Minoru was interrupted by her grabbing onto him and holding him tight.
"M-M-M-Minoru…" she sobbed into his shoulder, barely able to speak a word without stuttering. Minoru simply held her close as she cried her heart out.
"It's okay. It's okay," he said, trying to comfort her. After a while, she felt calm enough to talk and explained to him what her parents had told her. Minoru was angry, but didn't let it show.
"D-Did they ever love me, Minoru?" Kairi asked as she kept holding on to him.
"I want to believe they did, but to be honest, I don't know."
"I don't think they did… they just threw me away like a piece of garbage."
"They don't know that they've lost the best person they could have as a daughter."
"Maki was always better; I'm just a loser…"
"Don't say that; that's not true."
"Why not!?" she snapped.
"Because I know you. They don't. I know you better than they do, and I can tell you right now, Kairi Ono, you are not a loser. You're the best person I know, and I don't deserve to have you as a friend, let alone be with you as more than that."
"Thanks…" Kairi felt better after hearing that. "And I don't hate you, for the record. I could never hate you, Minoru," he softly smiled, feeling relieved. "But I'm still mad at you" she added.
"Like I said, I don't blame you." The room was silent for a bit. Kairi looked down and put one hand on her stomach.
"So… what are we going to do?" Kairi asked.
"Well, what do you want to do?"
"To be honest, I don't know yet."
"Do you want to… you know… get rid of it?"
"Absolutely not!" she adamantly said.
"Okay, so you want to keep it, then?"
"…I didn't say that, either."
"Right…" Minoru was silent for a bit.
"What about you? What do you want to do?" she asked him.
"Honestly? I want to keep it."
"You do?" Kairi went wide-eyed.
"Mm-hm," Minoru nodded. "I've done a lot of thinking and, to be honest with you, I want to try and make it work. I mean, this is OUR kid, Kai."
"Minoru, I don't know if I'm ready to be a mom…" she looked away. "I don't know what I want to do."
"Well, you don't have to decide right now. But just so you know, whatever you decide to do, one thing's for sure."
"What's that?" Kairi turned back to him. He took her hand in his.
"I'm reiterating my promise I made to you on New Year's Eve. I'm never leaving you." Kairi softly smiled for the first time in a week. She may have been mad at the idiot in front of her, but she knew deep down that she was crazy about him. To his surprise, she leaned in and kissed him.
"I love you," she said, smiling.
"I love you too," he smiled back.
"Don't think this means you're off the hook, though," Kairi poked him in the chest.
"Hehe, yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm in the doghouse for life," he joked.
"God…"
"What is it?"
"I'm starving… I've never felt this hungry before, ha-haha…" she softly chuckled.
"How about if I get you some ice cream? Will I be off the hook then?" Minoru wondered with a wink.
"Hmm…" she sat and thought for a second. "We'll see."
"That means 'no,' but I'll take it anyway," he said as he got up and went to fetch her the ice cream.
"I really do love him," she thought and chuckled.
A transition period soon began, as Hiroki moved all of Kairi's things out of her room at her parents' house and into her room at his home. A month later, legal discussions were finalized. Hiroki Kurusu sat with Yuri Niijima across from the Onos in a courtroom. The Onos didn't put up much of a fight; they looked like they wanted out of their as soon as possible. The judge made it official, and Kairi Ono was emancipated from her parents. Yuri saw to it that Hiroki was able to adopt Kairi, right away. He was worried him having cancer would affect the court's decision, but thankfully, Yuri was such a good attorney that it was no issue. A week later, Kairi visited her parents for the last time. They once again told her how disappointed they were, but she felt nothing but contempt for them. Their words didn't mean anything to her. Now that Hiroki was officially her legal guardian, and as one last middle finger to her parents, she told them that she was dropping the Ono name.
She was now and would forever be Kairi Kurusu.
That was the last time she saw or heard from her parents. They moved back to Osaka not long after, not wanting to be anywhere near the Kurusu name. Maki supported her sister as best as she could, even resisting the urge to kick Minoru's ass for knocking up her little sister. It wasn't long before Maki told Kairi that she was expecting a child of her own as well. Hiroki had Kairi and Minoru pulled from school and homeschooled them himself. He would spend nights studying and preparing coursework for them to still graduate on time without being held back. All the while, he was running a business, building things, battling cancer, and taking care of two teens full-time. Hiroki really was a trooper.
Months went by, and Kairi still wasn't sure what she wanted to do. She knew she wanted to still go to college in California to study screenwriting. It was her dream, after all. With that said, she knew it wouldn't be right to leave her new baby alone, and she couldn't bring him or her with her to America. Minoru, meanwhile, spent his free time building a crib for his future son or daughter. He was doing everything he could to prepare himself for fatherhood. At that point, Kairi felt like her hands were tied. She reluctantly decided that she would keep the baby, but thoughts lingered in the back of her mind. Would she be a good enough mom at her age? Would Minoru be a good enough father? Yes, that she was sure of. It was herself that she was worried about. She was worried about turning out like her parents. That fear actually kept her up most nights, always lingering in the back of her mind.
Then, the day finally came.
**April 10th, 1995 — Kurusu Home**
Early in the afternoon, Minoru was drawing at his desk while Kairi was reading a book, lying down in the bed that she and Minoru now shared every night as her room was transformed into a nursery. Minoru had given Kairi one of his Arsène Lupin books for her to try out.
"How are you liking the book so far?"
"I like it," Kairi responded, "but there's something I don't quite get it."
"Oh? And what would that be?"
"How can you root for Arsène? He's the bad guy."
"He's not a bad guy, he's an anti-hero. He's like Dirty Harry or The Man with No Name."
"Watch it, cowboy. Don't you dare speak ill of Clint in front of me," Kairi snarled at him.
"I'm not! I'm not!" Minoru put his hands up and chuckled. "But trust me on this. Arsène's only a bad guy because he operates outside the law. He's a good guy."
"He's also a thief," Kairi clarified.
"Hey, I didn't say he was a Saint, either." The two shared a chuckle. "Besides, the rivalry that he has with Sherlock Hol-"
"Minoru, shut up!" Kairi exclaimed; Minoru turned around and saw her holding her stomach.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
"Either I just wet the bed, or…"
"Or!?" Minoru went pale. Kairi looked him dead in the eyes.
"…I think it's time."
"Shit… DAD!?"
"Y-You swore, hehe…" she chuckled despite freaking out in her mind.
"How are you joking right now!?"
Hiroki and Minoru rushed Kairi to the hospital. She was in labor for six hours, and it was quite painful, but, in the end, it was all worth it. Her desire to go to college and her fears about being a good parent all evaporated when, at age seventeen, Kairi Kurusu gave birth to a healthy baby boy. When she saw her newborn son, she felt a new kind of love she had never felt before, not even for Minoru. Kairi saw this little angel, who had light brown hair and green eyes just like hers, and she knew. She would love and protect him, no matter what. She and Minoru weren't going to be like her parents. They were going to be the best parents possible.
"What should we name him?" Minoru asked, sitting by her hospital bed, holding his new baby boy in his arms.
"Hmm… I don't know, but he's perfect," Kairi said as she stroked her newborn's already developed hair.
"I agree, but personally, I don't think, 'Perfect' is a good first name." Kairi glared at him, but both smiled at each other. "I mean, I can already tell; he's your spitting image, so why don't you pick? Just not Blondie or Clint, please?" Kairi chuckled; she was exhausted, but her mind was still working overtime, trying to think of the perfect name for her son.
"I was thinking… Tetsuya."
"Tetsuya Kurusu, hmm?" Minoru thought for a moment. "I love it." Kairi turned to Minoru.
"And I love you." Minoru handed sleeping baby Tetsuya back to Kairi, and she stared at him for what seemed like forever, beaming with joy. She had been through a lot in the past nine months, between the stress, the worries, and her parents disowning her. In the end, was it all worth it? Saying it wasn't would have been a gigantic lie. Sometimes, people get lucky. Kairi sure felt like she had.
"Guys?" Hiroki called the attention of the new parents and held up his camera. "Smile!"
Rise melancholically smiled at the last photograph of the album which depicted Minoru, Kairi, and baby Tetsuya in the hospital on the day he was born. She let drop a tear onto the laminated picture, thinking about how much she missed Tetsuya. As she closed the album, she was surprised by a clicking sound and the top light turning on. She looked towards the doorway and saw Kairi standing there.
"Oh! Obasan! You surprised me," she said.
"Sorry, Rise, didn't mean to startle you."
"What's up?"
"I'm up, haha," Kairi chuckled. "I heard a noise from your room," she said as she took a seat on the couch.
"Oh, yeah, sorry about that. I got up to get some water and I stubbed my toe on the dresser."
"Oooh, ouch…" Kairi winced. "Are you okay?" Rise nodded. "Good, so what are you still doing up, shouldn't you be getting your beauty sleep before tomorrow?" she chuckled. "You're not getting cold feet, are you?"
"What? No, no, of course not! I was just having trouble sleeping because of the heat."
"Ah, you too, huh?" Kairi noticed the photo album Rise was holding. "Hm, it's been a while since I've gone through that one." She pointed, and Rise looked down at the album. "Say, check the book cover at the end." Rise did a she asked and pulled out a folded piece of paper.
"What is it?" Rise asked as she walked over to the couch and sat next to her aunt and handed the piece of paper to her.
"If I remember correctly… yep, just as I thought," Kairi said as she unfolded the paper. It was the sketch that Minoru had drawn of her at the lake.
"Is that you, Obasan? Wow, you look awesome!" Rise exclaimed.
"Your Ojisan drew that for me a long time ago. You know how much I love cowboys and westerns, don't you?" Rise nodded. Kairi looked at the drawing and couldn't help but feel sad.
"O-Obasan?" Rise put her hand on Kairi's shoulder.
"I-I'm all right…" Kairi assured her. "You should get some rest. You have a big day tomorrow," she patted her on the back. Rise got up and hugged Kairi.
"Good night, Obasan."
"Good night, Rise." Kairi put the sketch back in the book cover and put the album back on the shelf. Shedding a few more small tears now that her niece was gone. What Kairi realized was that life knew two mysteries: not getting what you want and getting what you don't want. Kairi Kurusu just wanted her and her family to be happy, but between her parents cutting her off, losing loved ones too soon, and watching as her relationship with her only living son crumbled to pieces while he did the same from the inside, she learned that there are no happy endings. Nobody was going to ride off into the sunset, proudly waving their ten-gallon hat in the air like John Wayne at the end of "True Grit." It was just a stupid movie, after all; nothing like that ever happens in the real world.
As Rise went back to the room she was sleeping in, she accidentally knocked over a lamp.
"Damn it!" she loudly whispered as she flicked on the top light.
Thankfully, the lamp didn't break. Thank God for carpeted floors. As she retrieved the light from off the ground, she noticed Tetsuya's CD collection was still there on a bookshelf. She scanned through it and pulled out Guns N' Roses' second album, "G N' R Lies." It wasn't their best album (nor was it particularly good, depending on who you ask), but it did have one standout track, an acoustic ballad called, "Patience." It was a song Tetsuya loved, and Rise remembered singing it while Akira played guitar when they were younger.
Then Rise got an idea. One, unbeknownst to her, she would come to regret.