Chapter Five

Always remember to lock up your house at night when you live alone!

It is already dinner time at the Zaizen household. The whole family is seated around the dinner table together with Yume, who was invited to supper the previous night.

"So, Kazuyoshi-kun, from what place did you come from?" Haruna, the mother of Hikaru, asks Yume while she is handing out rice bowls to the members.

"Uhh... I came from England. I came here to finish middle school and go through high school until college," replies Yume. "Ah! Thank you," she politely says when Haruna offers her a bowl.

"Where are your parents then? I heard from Araki that you live alone." After distributing rice bowls to the members, Haruna takes her seat.

"Eh?! But you're only in middle school!" Kimiko exclaims. She sits beside Araki, her husband. "Is it really alright that you live alone?"

Yume nods. "I'm living just fine."

"But, a child like you shouldn't be left alone," says Kimiko.

"Mommy!" Riku, who is sitting beside Kimiko, keeps tugging his mother's shirt. "I want to eat chicken!" He points to his bowl. "I don't want this!"

Kimiko turns to her son. "Rii-kun, we don't have chicken tonight. There's only fish. Don't be picky."

Riku pouts and continues to protest. "Chicken! I want chicken!"

Araki glares at young Riku. "Rii-kun, don't be so spoiled now," he lectures. "Either you eat that or you go to bed early… without dinner."

The young boy frowns. His eyes start to get teary from staring at his father.

"Calm down there, Kimiko-chan, Araki-kun." Akio, the head of the Zaizen household, chuckles. He turns to Hikaru. "Hikaru, why don't you talk to him?"

Hikaru sighs and turns to Riku. "Rii-kun, eat."

Riku nods and wipes his eyes. He takes hold of his chopsticks and begins to eat from his rice bowl. Akio chortles at the sudden change of heart by the young boy. "As expected of HIkaru! Rii-kun listens obediently to his uncle." He turns to Riku. "Isn't that right, Rii-kun?"

"Anyway, going back to the discussion…" Akio says, "A young man like Kazuyoshi here will manage just fine. A lad becomes a man by learning to live in the real world by himself." Again, he laughs proudly.

"Darling," Haruna calls to her husband. "Kazuyoshi-kun is still a minor and nobody is there to look after him." She turns to Yume. "Just what do you think will happen if you get into an accident, Kazuyoshi-kun?

"Uhmm..." Yume just smiles, not knowing how to answer.

"Don't you have someone, a relative, who'll come watch over you?"

"Oh. Uhh… Mama said she'll have someone to come to the house."

"Kazuyoshi-kun, why are you not with your parents?" Araki asks.

"Mama is really busy with work. She's a real workaholic. And soon she has to fly to France for a design job," replies Yume.

"Design?"

"Yes. She's a fashion designer. Basically, clothing firms and even modelling companies hire her to buy the line of clothing she designs."

Kimiko's eyes sparkle and her smile becomes wider. "Really?! Since your mother is a fashion designer then maybe… Kazuyoshi-kun could-"

"KI-MI-KO," Araki calls to his wife in a chiding manner. "That's rude to Kazuyoshi-kun. He's a guy. You shouldn't assume that Kazuyoshi-kun is interested in the fashion world just because his mother is in the industry." He glances at Yume. "Isn't that right, Kazuyoshi-kun?"

Yume nods in agreement. "That's right. I prefer not to interfere with Mama's job. She doesn't like being interrupted."

"How 'bout your father, then?" Haruna asks Yume.

"My parents are divorced long ago, so I rarely see him. But, Papa-"

"That's terrible!" exclaims Haruna.

"Not really." Yume chuckles nervously. "Papa visits me once in a while. And he promised to visit me here soon anyway, so..."

"Nee, nee, Nii-san," Riku suddenly interrupts, turning to Hikaru. "What's a divorce?"

Kimiko turns to her son and says, "That is grown-up stuff, Rii-kun. I know you won't quite understand, but..."

"It's when parents separate from marriage," Hikaru flatly replies.

Riku looks at his uncle with confusion. "Eh? But why?!"

"Because they're not interested at each other. Now, finish your dinner."

"Yes!" Riku continues to eat with speed.

Haruna coughs. "Hikaru, that's so straightforward to tell to a child." Hikaru does not answer anymore and goes back to his food.

Araki watches Riku. "Rii-kun! Slow down or you might choke." He then turns to look at his brother who has been silent for a while. "Hikaru, you've been talking less the whole time. Is something the matter?"

"Nothing really," Hikaru replies dismissively.

"Oh, right!" Haruna glances at her son then turns to Yume. "Kazuyoshi-kun, you go to the same school as our Hikaru. Why don't you two sometime walk to school together?"

Yume takes a glance at Hikaru who gives her a violent glare. In return, she gets frightened as if she had wronged him. Yume immediately shifts her attention away from him and let her eyes wander anywhere but him. "I-It's fine. I-I-I'm okay even if I w-walk to school alone."

Hikaru sighs and breaks his glare at the poor girl. "Okaa-san, I don't walk to school. I always take the bus."

"Doesn't matter whether you walk or take the bus to go to school," Haruna reprimands. "I'm saying you should go to school together. You go and be friends. After all, you are neighbors and you both attend the same school."

"I-It's fine. For my first whole week, I've been walking on my own."

Haruna looks at Yume with pity. "Poor Kazuyoshi-kun. Do you always do things on your own and alone? That's so sad."

"Darling, let him be," Akio interrupts her. "There are times that men should do things on their own. Kazuyoshi-kun is on that path."

"That's right, Okaa-san. It's normal for boys to do things alone especially at Kazuyoshi-kun's age." Araki jokingly winks at Yume. "… if you know what I mean." He turns to his brother. "You, too, Hikaru."

Kimiko looks at her husband with disgust. "Stop that, Araki. You're making everyone uncomfortable." Then, she turns to Yume. "Kazuyoshi-kun, if you feel lonely, you may come to us. We're always open to talk to you."

"Yes, of course. Thanks for the concern." Yume gives a slight bow.


The dark silent sky is lit by the twinkling stars. Sounds of crickets are distantly heard outside. Alleys are absent of people. It is the peaceful night time.

"Things are shaping up to be pretty odd. Little deaths in musical beds, so it seems I'm someone I've never met..."

After a full supper and a few minutes of conversation with the neighbor, Yume prances and strides around the living room while holding a bottle of lotion. She has just finished taking a shower. The phone is playing songs in a loudspeaker while she sings along the tunes.

"… You will only hear these elegant crimes. Fall on your ears like criminal dimes. They spill unfound from a pretty mouth…"

She sways, spins and turns.

"… Everybody gets there, and everybody gets their- and everybody gets their way…"

Dancing around the room, it seems her troubles have disappeared.

"… I never said I missed her when everybody kissed her. Now I'm the only one to blame…"

But he has been watching her as he stands against the wall.

"… Things have changed for me~ and that's okay..."

"Y'know, you could get robbed if you keep it this way," he cuts her off.

She immediately stops singing and looks at the door. Zaizen Hikaru is standing against the wall with a mocking smirk on his face. Her face immediately turns red and drops the bottle of lotion unconsciously.

"Y-You! What are you doing here?!" Yume points a finger at him. "How did you get in?!"

"You left the gate, dumbass." He gets off the wall and walks towards. Zaizen hands her a phone he reached from his pocket. "You left this."

She takes it. "Thank you very much."

"Never mind that." As she looks at his face, Zaizen smirks. "You... what should I call you…? Kazuyoshi-senpai?"

Yume gulps and takes a step back. "W-What is it?"

"You seem pretty wild a while ago. Now I understand why you like doing things alone."

"D-Don't say that. It's embarrassing."

"That's not what I saw a while ago."

"I-I would appreciate it if you would stop, Z-Zaizen-san," she mutters.

"Whatever," he dismisses. Zaizen glares at her for a moment. "As I thought. You... you're not really a guy, are you?"

"W-What are you talking about?" Yume chuckles nervously as her eyes wanders to his serious face. Her anxious smile eventually dies down, seeing that the taller man did not react at all. With a sigh of defeat, she looks at the ground and mumbles, "Damn, you got me."

He raises a brow.

"I'm a girl. I just love crossdressing so much," Yume mumbles softly. She looks at Zaizen.

"So, is it fun? Making a fool out of people."

"I-It's not like that! I-"

"You're very deceiving, aren't you?" His eyes narrow, staring at her. "You may have fooled other people but you can never fool my eyes."

She frowns. "Why are you even taking this too personally? It's not like we've known each other for too long."

"I simply dislike you. That's all there is to it."

"But I haven't even done anything to you."

"Okaa-san told me to look after you at school. It's so annoying." Zaizen again gives him the glare. "You're so annoying."

"You could have just said 'no.' I can manage by myself."

"Do you think I could say 'no' if I already knew you're a woman?" A smirk reappears on his lips. "I wonder. How would people around you react if they were to learn that you are after all a girl?" he teases.

"You... Don't you dare."

He takes a phone out from his pockets and opens it. "I heard that you and Ishida-senpai are quite close. Seatmates, right? Just what would he think if-"

"Oi! Stop that!" She attempts to snatch the phone off his hands. However, Zaizen raises his hand higher than the shorter girl's height. "Give that to me! Don't you tell Ishida-san about this!"

"Are you a criminal of some sort? Why be so eager to keep this a secret?"

She jumps in an attempt to reach for the phone. "No, I'm not!"

He puts his palm on Yume's face and pushes her away. "Calm down, Senpai. I won't tell anyone. Just give me a name."

"Eh?" Yume stops attacking him. "What for?"

"There's a different real name, right? I bet there is."

"I-It's a secret! And it's none of your business!"

He glances at his phone. "Is that so? I wonder…"

"Don't do that! You shouldn't go telling people's secrets to others."

"Your name, then."

Yume stares at the ground. "K-Ku-Kurumizawa Yu-Yume," she mumbles.

"That's a nice name." Zaizen shoves his phone to his phone. His speaking returns to its 'I'm-bored' tone. "Starting tomorrow, I'll be checking up on you around this time. And we'll be going to school together."

"Well, whatever. I don't care anymore," she mutters.

"I have club activities, so we can't really go home together." He walks towards the door. "Oh, right. From now on, you'll be telling me whenever you decide to leave the house, got it?"

"Hey, aren't you taking this too far? It was cool earlier, but now you're starting to sound plain creepy."

Zaizen smirks. "Oh, did I creep you out? Should I tell Shiraishi-senpai, too?"

"Tch. Just get out!" She shouts irritably, pointing to the door.

Zaizen chuckles as he turns the knob of the door. "Okaa-san asks for another supper soon." He takes a step outside.

Yume sighs. "Tomorrow, I will..." she mutters. He pauses and glances at her. "... go to Tokyo early in the morning to visit a friend."

"Approved. Be home before ten."

"Are you my mom?! Why are you talking like that?!"

Zaizen ignores her and takes his leaves.

She approaches the window to watch him until he disappears. With a sigh, she says to herself, "I really did forget to close the gate."

~ End Chapter ~

A/N: New chapter, YAAAYYY! So, my university life has begun once again, and it's quite frustrating. Why can't I live my life in my own way? LOL Anyways, please leave a review. Riku is so cute, but his uncle is sooo creepy as hell. Next week will be another chapter release. Please look forward to it. Happy weekends, everybody!