Pride and Prejudice: Chapter 1
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- I -
The cool autumn wind blew his hair out of his eyes as Mitsui walked down the beach along the waterline, his bare feet sinking into the wet sand with the burden of his weight. He smiled ruefully as he reached up and pinched a lock and pulled it down. It came down till just below his eye level. He stopped, turned towards the sea and looked out towards the setting sun. A small wave laps his hand as he drew designs on the wet sand with his finger, before returning to the sea.
His hair had grown over the few months. Just a few months ago, he had cut it short – real short – just to show the world that the old Mitsui Hisashi – gangster and troublemaker – had truly repented and was ready to lead a new life. Of course, it took a very, very painful lesson – he automatically touched the fading scar on the left side on his chin – just to make him realize how much basketball truly meant to him.
Mitsui closed his eyes, fingering the scar and listened to the waves' crash against the sand bunks. There were faint sounds of children's joyful laughter and the tinkling of the ice cream man's bell in the background. Not paying them much heed, he let the chilly sea wind blow against him as he reminiscent of his past.
Flashbacks of the meaningless life he led over the last few years played before his eyes. Bloody fights with other gangs, racing his bike illegally, crashing the bike and end up in the hospital for a few weeks, drinking into a senseless heap in noisy, low-class night clubs and sleeping around with ugly whores. Mitsui grimaced at the memories – what a disgusting bastard he had been.
Then he remembered how he had charged into the basketball gym, with anger and revenge written all over his face. He had met his new teammates and a few old acquaintances. It was more than he could bear when Kogure started telling the others the truth and had hit him across.
And then that Gori had the gall to start slapping him in the gym. And the utter humiliation he felt when he was beaten hands down by a younger boy.
But he ended up repenting and sought forgiveness from his former mentor. And that was probably the best thing he had done in his misbegotten life so far.
- II -
Akane grinned broadly at the eager young faces in front of her as she showed them the boomerang she brought back from Australia. They kids oohed and ahhed over the piece of triangular wood painted with tribal paint. Their eyes were shining with excitement as they passed the boomerang reverently around – treating it as though it was some sacred object.
They were orphans – every single one of them – living in an orphanage a few miles away. Akane had read the advertisement posted by the orphanage administrators seeking volunteers to help out. Having some time on her hands since her school term hasn't started, she gladly volunteered her time. After all, she is an orphan as well, and they might as well look out for each other.
After working several weeks with the kids at the orphanage, she was very glad she volunteered. The kids there were sweet and obedient. There were a few trouble makers around – but they are good at heart. It was touching to see how they took care of each other, treating each other like siblings. Akane felt a slight ache in her heart as she watched how the elder children chased after the younger ones in a carefree manner.
She held weekly art and crafts classes at the orphanage – teaching them how to make simple things and to exercise their creativity. They were a trying lot – getting on her nerves all the time – but they usually knew when they went too far and stopped before she actually blew her top. The most mischievous of the lot was Ryu – a twelve year old boy with coffee colored hair and the greenest eyes possible. He was also the smartest and quickest of the lot – his twelve year old mind being to grasp things beyond comprehension of others his age.
And that same Ryu was boasting loudly with the boomerang in his hand. Akane watched – her horror growing with each passing second – as Ryu handled the heavy object inexpertly and starting to throw it towards the water as though he as pitching a baseball.
"NO!!!"
Her cry came a second too late. The boomerang had flown out of Ryu's hand and was heading towards the man crouched down in front of them. Akane automatically crossed her fingers, praying for a miracle, hoping that the boomerang will change its course…
But all she heard was the startled but angry male voice cursing loudly.
- III -
One minute he was peacefully regretting his sordid past, and the next thing he knew, something definitely heavy had hit his head from behind. It hit him so hard, that his teeth chattered and the sun before his eyes swam in and out of focus.
For a moment he thought it was retribution from heaven for his crime of wasting his youth.
Cursing loudly, he brought his hand back and gingerly touched his scalp. The slightest contact sent waves of pain shooting through his head. He cursed even louder as he turned to see what on earth had knocked him so hard. His gaze fell on the flat piece of triangular wood lying a feet from him in the sand.
Mitsui cursed as he picked up the boomerang with every intention of breaking it into pieces as he brought it near his bended knee.
"STOP!"
A strangled female cry caught his attention as he looked up. From the distance, he made out the form of a woman in a pair of baggy khakis and a blue stripped tee running towards him with dozen kids at her heels. He couldn't really make out her features for the sun was right behind her, a blend of fiery red and orange. She stopped right in front of him, doubling over and trying to catch her breath.
Mitsui's gaze traveled from her sandals up her long legs. He could tell that she was a generously proportioned woman from her legs – they were thick but not to the point fat and Mitsui was ready to bet that it was pure muscle. Her hip were wide and was what Mitsui's grandmother would describe as perfect for child bearing. Mitsui grinned; she must be, judging from the amount of kids she has.
Mitsui cleared her throat once woman's breathing started to even out. "Obaa-san (auntie)," he began in his best grown up voice, unsure of how to handle the situation.
The children had already caught up with their mother and had formed semi-circle around her – and they all burst into laughter before Mitsui could say another word. Mitsui looked at them in wild bewilderment before the eldest boy manage to stop laughing long enough to choke out, "Did you hear what he called Akane-nee? He called her Obaa-san!" He then turned and slapped the woman across the back, "See, I told you that you nag us too much! OBAA-SAN!" he added before bursting into laughter again.
"Yare yare," Akane muttered as she stood upright to face the victim of Ryu's playfulness.
Mitsui's jaw dropped when he caught a good look at the woman's face. She was not even in her early twenties. In fact, she looked like she was only eighteen! Her purplish black hair had been pulled back into a short pony tail but a few locks fell across her face, accentuating her high cheekbones and large green eyes. Her face was chubby and long with her pert nose and cherry lips, it made her look childish and adorable.
Especially when she was flushed up like that and her green eyes were glowing dangerously from anger.
Thoroughly disgruntled to be referred to as auntie by a man who looked even older than her, Akane gave the man a once over. Dressed in white shirt blue jeans that molded itself to every line of his long and muscular legs, the man carried himself with an air of confidence. Akane's gaze locked itself on his face – his complexion was lightly tanned and his features rugged with his dark hair billowing slightly in the wind. In fact, the only imperfection was that fading scar on his left chin.
He was still staring her when Akane gave him a frigid look of displeasure. "Sir," she barked, "Surely your thorough scrutiny is enough to verify that I'm not old nor honored enough to be given the honorific obaa-san!"
Mitsui could only gawk more at her audacity before gathering his wits. "Now, you see here," his voice hardening, "I am the injured party and you certainly have no right to come bustling right hear acting as though you're the victim!"
Akane glared at him before snatching the boomerang out of his hands. "All I saw was that you were on the verge of destroying private property," she retorted as she brandished the boomerang in his face. Mitsui took an uncertain step back to avoid getting his face stitched up again another time.
The children could only gape in excitement and admiration at the verbal exchange with a vocabulary that wasn't meant for anyone below the age of fifteen. The volume gradually increased, attracting other visitor's attention.
An elderly couple walked by them hand in hand in their direction. What the lady said certainly stunned the bickering couple into silence.
"Oh, Hideki, those two young people having a lovers tiff!" she said delightedly, earning only a grunt from her husband.
Mitsui and Akane immediately turned towards the elderly couple – horrified at her presumption.
'Now, you look here, mam," Akane started, "I certainly AM NOT acquainted with his horribly rude man who does not know the meaning of manners!"
"And I don't know this fat b*tch with a butt the size of China," Mitsui retorted equally as forcefully. He felt perverse pleasure at the well placed barb before a pang of guilt hit him in the gut as a pained expression crossed the girl's face as her hands automatically went behind her back.
"Now, now young man," the grey haired lady admonished. "There's no way to talk about your wife. After all, she gave you such a crowd of lovely children," she added belligerently as she gestured at the crowd of children around Akane. Her expression became slightly bewildered when the children collapsed onto the sand in helpless laughter.
"Wife!" Akane and Mitsui shouted in unison.
"See," the woman said cheerfully, you two are so in sync with each other. "You'll lead a happy life, you'll see."
"Mam," Akane said in a tone of utter finality. "This man is not my husband. And I'm sure he'll never be."
"Now, let's calm down," the elderly lady said airily as she patted Akane, totally oblivious to the incredulous expression pasted on the latter's face. "I'm sure he has done and said something that you find very hard to stomach. But these matters are best settled at home, you know," she emphasized meaningfully.
Her husband finally seemed to have found his tongue when he cleared his throat. "I'm afraid my wife has forgotten her medication this afternoon. She's senile. You know those little things that come with old age."
"Hideki!" his wife frowned. "I most certainly am not!"
"Yes, you are, my dear," the old man said in a firm but gentle tone as he steered her away from Mitsui and Akane. "Now, let us leave this two people in peace to settle their score. I'm sure it's just a minor problem," he winked at Mitsui as he walked away, but the wind carried his last words in their direction.
"That can be settled with a kiss."
Mitsui and Akane stared at the couple, now strolling down the beach as though nothing had happened. Occasionally, the wife would turn to her husband and said something that would make him smile. They were so obviously in love.
"A kiss!" Akane repeated, stunned.
"My wife," Mitsui choked at the word, "and my children…" he stole a glance at his verbal opponent.
Her dark head was bent, but he could see the edges of her lips quivering. He was almost certain that she was crying at the public humiliation when she threw back her head and roared with laughter!
Her laughter was in fact, so infectious; Mitsui couldn't suppress the tugging at his lips. Soon, they were laughing together like old friends. The children stared at them in astonishment. Just ten minutes ago, they had been going at it, hammer and tongs, and now they were laughing together like old friends.
"I'm sorry," Akane finally managed, once her laughter had subsided. "It was truly horrible of me. Please accept my apologies," she said politely as she bowed down.
"No," Mitsui said hastily. "I was in the wrong too. I shouldn't have called you auntie without being certain of your age first. I'm sorry," he apologized, bowing as well.
"No, the fault is mine."
"No, please, I'm truly sorry for putting you through all that,"
Akane caught his eye, and both of them began to laugh.
"Let's forget about all that, shall we? I'm Mitsui Hisashi. Please to meet you," Mitsui introduced himself as he extended his hand out.
Akane stared at it hesitantly for a moment before accepting it, "Katsura Akane. Please to meet you too."
Grown ups are so weird, Ryu thought as the duo sealed their friendship with a firm handshake,
TO BE CONTINUED…
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Ghostwriter
21.10.02
1.02 a.m.