Change...
Chapter 8: Differences
By: Alea
"What made you decide to come?"
Yuri's words slipped through his ears at that moment. He didn't want to answer. It's not like he had to. He moved towards the window and looked outside ignoring his sister's words. She hadn't expected an answer from him, he was always like this when they were young. What would change him now? She moved towards her side of the window and sighed. She turned to her brother then back to the window. She was glad he came, at least he was here.
"Chiharu." He mumbled his head hung down and then turned to his suprised sister. "I missed her. I'm here for her birthday.. Only. Nothin else.."
Yuri kept quiet and slightly nodded. He looked away again probaby upset or plainly annoyed that he had to have said something, especially to someone he didn't quite like much. He sighed, she sighed. Yuri set her eyes on him, she had wondered what had happened to her brother. Why was he such.. such a, she couldn't even express it in words. But he was such a wreck. She started to giggle as she remembered John at such a young age bouncing off from chair to chair to the bed as their mother shouted for him to get down. She remembered how Chiharu looked wide eyed and cheered for him. And for herself, she had just smiled, she was.. different.
John looked at his sister, she'd become stronger, successful, yet, strange. Well, she never did talk much in the first place. He tried to think of what Chiharu would say in such a position. She would jump up and down in the seat all happy with her family. She wouldn't care if they didn't chat with one another or if they hated her. What she loved the most was her family. John forced a smile and moved closer to Yuri as he looked down. Chiharu was a special child since birth. Him being a year old and Yuri being two when she had been born. Their father had told them that Chiharu was a miracle. "Ke..John.." Yuri tried to look in his eyes. He was never good at that. She put an arm around him. He seemed shaky, trembling slightly like he did when he was scared 9 years ago. "John.." "I'm sorry." He leaned into his sister. Her hands assuring, as he began to notice, what he had become.
He realized only now, several years later, that he had made a mistake leaving. He had made a mistake that caused his entire life to go down hill. Looking at his sister, for the first time in years, he could not believe she was such a sucess. That was just because he wasn't one. Looking in his reflection, everyday, he never seemed to care. He clutched his fists, he shouldn'tve done what he had. His past, his life was the worst.
"I'm a disgrace...."
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He knew what the time was, how late he was to greet her with his lovely present. He glanced at his watch and closed his eyes remembering the first time he saw her. The way she strutted around with a smile plastered upon her lips and no one could ever take it away from her. She was a beautiful angel that stepped into his world yet left him for someone else. Sometimes you couldn't get everything you want, that's life. He shut the door of his dorm and walked out making sure he locked the door when he did. A couple of greetings here and there before he walked out into the open. The steps leading down to the street towards her place. He tried to smile with her image in mind. Yet, what kept bothering him was the young girl he had met that same day. She seemed quite like Chiharu, so bright and full of things to say.
"Watch it." Wincing, a man brushed Mitsui's shoulder.
"Oh... uh..Sorrryy."
All of this is starting to catch up with him. That the truth was starting to spill. Ignoring the truth didn't seem to help him. If he only realized that his love for her wasn't enough.. No..he loved her but, loving someone too much wasn't the problem. The problem was him, and was time. He gripped the present tightly, staring at her name. Each letter representing something.. something, it didn't click. Nothing did, he was lost in thought once again. Thinking just of her. A round object suddenly rolled in front of his feet. Looking down, he picked it up. A basketball, no name, no nothing. It's orange color, so faded showing the effort this person gives. A lot of time spent into it. Into basketball.
"Hey."
Mitsui looked towards the right, a tall figure, about his height and seemed about his age stood there. Soaked, and tired. Passing the ball, Mitsui walked forward to see his face. Blond, tall, and pure white. His eyes, hair, and face structure gave it all away.
"Foreign?"
"Yeah." He took the ball and walked into the alley having Mitsui follow him. "Local?"
"Yeah."
There was a long silence as they leaned against a brick wall in the alley. Mitsui watched him bouncing the ball back and forth from the wall, to him, the wall, to him. He didn't realize it, but that was all he wanted, just then. To forget about Chiharu and the conflicts with Rukawa and everything they had for eachother. All he needed, was basketball. Soothing as it was, he walked up to the guy and simply faced him, for no apparent reason.
"Don't look at me.." He said. "I'm worthless."
Mitsui averted him eyes to the floor, "You've got problems, .. same as I."
"I'd rather call it issues." He muttered as he caught the ball one last time before placing it beside him.
"The word problems makes it ten times more worse than it is.."
Mitsui nodded, calmly as he walked passed him, and was ready to leave.
"Going?" The guy asked. "If you are.. Send this to my sister."
Mitsui walked back, taking a crushed piece of paper in his hands. He took one glance at the guy, and then back to the crumpled paper. Something made him want to read it.
"Sister?" Mitsui put the paper in his pocket. "You want me to take you to her. I know Japan as if it was written on the back of my hand."
Mitsui so the guy cringe, he saw how his face became unaware of the situation and that the guy was simply not sure in what to say. How could he not? If he came this far in searching, why not take the chance?
"No." He spat. "That's why I'm trying hard not to look for her."
Confused, Mitsui looked at the guy, and sighed. "The name's Mitsui.."
"Tsukamoto, Keiichi but I'd rather be called John, cause I'm adopted.." He replied facing away from
Mitsui. "It's the same, everyone's just so friendly.."
Mitsui took the ball from beside him. When all of a sudden, Tsukamoto clicked in him.
"Wait.. Did you say, Tsukamoto? and you had a sister?"
He nodded. "Actually, I have two sisters."
Mitsui shook his head. What was he thinking? There were many people with the name Tsukamoto. It's not such a great deal with this one being Tsukamoto too. What bothered Mitsui so much, was the hair color and him not being a local.
"I know this is just out of the blue, and I trust you wouldn't know her, but.." Mitsui shoved his hands in his pockets, just maybe he could be the brother of Chiharu. "Are you related to Tsukamoto, Chiharu?"
There was shock covering John's face. His eyes wide and he gaped open. There were sudden thoughts of people reading other's minds. Maybe, just maybe, this Mitsui guy could. John took the ball and kept bouncing it endlessly. He didn't want to say, yes or no. He didn't want to face his sister, or Yuriko.
"Um..." John stammered looking at the ball. "Y---y-yess."
Mitsui stood still, he wished for this chance and it did come true. Luck was definately on his side today.
"You.. You're going to her party, are you?"
John looked at Mitsui with a worried expression as he bounce the ball twice the speed. "I ran off."
Mitsui stole the ball and walked forward, motioning him to join as well. "Ran, off?"
John walked faste beside Mitsui and nodded. "Yeah.. She was the only one who ever liked me as a brother, me being all adopted and shit. My parents just acted all messed up around me. When they died, I decided not to have contact with her, or anyone. Since today was her birthday, being seventeen and all.. I came to see her again. I met up with my other sister, Yuriko.. and we were on our way to see Chiharu. When all of a sudden, I jumped out of the car and ran into this alley. I grabbed this ball, in my bag to keep me company while raoming the streets of Kanagawa. I can't face her, and I don't seem to want to either."
Mitsui kept walking with John, hands in his pockets as he listened carefully.
"You were scared."
"No, I had doubts."
Mitsui nodded as the came to walk in silence along the path towards Chiharu's building. Mitsui didn't say anything to Keiichi--John, and didn't want to tell Chiharu's brother how much he loved his sister. It just seemed wrong, and not the right time. Mitsui looked at John for a second, John was filled with uneasiness and he showed it at the way he was fiddling with his fingers. Little did John know, Mitsui was taking him to see Chiharu.
*^*^*^*^*^*^
It was white, with pure non creased sides. She turned it over looking at the neat handwriting, Sendoh. He had come by. She felt herself lose it, she wanted to scream and she would've. When suddenly a figure, a shadow, stood on the other side of the door.
There was a bang on the door as she opened it quickly. The whole room struck with silence at the loud clamping of the wooden stance. Rukawa looked up watching Chiharu look under the door suspiciously. Ryota was quite shocked by the banging that he actually hugged Ayako out of instinct as Haruko did with Sakuragi.
"Careful," Rukawa stood up and walked beside Chiharu. He was quite intimidated about the banging and wanted him to be right beside her if it was anything wrong.
Chiharu nodded as she twisted the knob to reveal a beautiful young lady standing there with bags on her back. She was breathing heavily, slipping her long raven hair behind her ears.
"Yuri--Yurik--YURIKO!"
Chiharu embraced her sister tightly, dropping and forgetting about the card placed in her hands. She took Rukawa and introduced him to her sister.
"No.. no.." Yuriko breathed heavily. "You.. You must ... John is here.. He ran."
Chiharu felt shocked, the words 'John, here, and ran,' was all that could really send her crazy. "John? Is he missing?"
The room was still silent, and then there were whispers about her siblings. And this John. Kaede looked lost in her words.
'John?' Kaede thought to himself. 'A missing guy.. with Chiharu all worked up... John..'
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Chapter 8: Differences
By: Alea
"What made you decide to come?"
Yuri's words slipped through his ears at that moment. He didn't want to answer. It's not like he had to. He moved towards the window and looked outside ignoring his sister's words. She hadn't expected an answer from him, he was always like this when they were young. What would change him now? She moved towards her side of the window and sighed. She turned to her brother then back to the window. She was glad he came, at least he was here.
"Chiharu." He mumbled his head hung down and then turned to his suprised sister. "I missed her. I'm here for her birthday.. Only. Nothin else.."
Yuri kept quiet and slightly nodded. He looked away again probaby upset or plainly annoyed that he had to have said something, especially to someone he didn't quite like much. He sighed, she sighed. Yuri set her eyes on him, she had wondered what had happened to her brother. Why was he such.. such a, she couldn't even express it in words. But he was such a wreck. She started to giggle as she remembered John at such a young age bouncing off from chair to chair to the bed as their mother shouted for him to get down. She remembered how Chiharu looked wide eyed and cheered for him. And for herself, she had just smiled, she was.. different.
John looked at his sister, she'd become stronger, successful, yet, strange. Well, she never did talk much in the first place. He tried to think of what Chiharu would say in such a position. She would jump up and down in the seat all happy with her family. She wouldn't care if they didn't chat with one another or if they hated her. What she loved the most was her family. John forced a smile and moved closer to Yuri as he looked down. Chiharu was a special child since birth. Him being a year old and Yuri being two when she had been born. Their father had told them that Chiharu was a miracle. "Ke..John.." Yuri tried to look in his eyes. He was never good at that. She put an arm around him. He seemed shaky, trembling slightly like he did when he was scared 9 years ago. "John.." "I'm sorry." He leaned into his sister. Her hands assuring, as he began to notice, what he had become.
He realized only now, several years later, that he had made a mistake leaving. He had made a mistake that caused his entire life to go down hill. Looking at his sister, for the first time in years, he could not believe she was such a sucess. That was just because he wasn't one. Looking in his reflection, everyday, he never seemed to care. He clutched his fists, he shouldn'tve done what he had. His past, his life was the worst.
"I'm a disgrace...."
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
He knew what the time was, how late he was to greet her with his lovely present. He glanced at his watch and closed his eyes remembering the first time he saw her. The way she strutted around with a smile plastered upon her lips and no one could ever take it away from her. She was a beautiful angel that stepped into his world yet left him for someone else. Sometimes you couldn't get everything you want, that's life. He shut the door of his dorm and walked out making sure he locked the door when he did. A couple of greetings here and there before he walked out into the open. The steps leading down to the street towards her place. He tried to smile with her image in mind. Yet, what kept bothering him was the young girl he had met that same day. She seemed quite like Chiharu, so bright and full of things to say.
"Watch it." Wincing, a man brushed Mitsui's shoulder.
"Oh... uh..Sorrryy."
All of this is starting to catch up with him. That the truth was starting to spill. Ignoring the truth didn't seem to help him. If he only realized that his love for her wasn't enough.. No..he loved her but, loving someone too much wasn't the problem. The problem was him, and was time. He gripped the present tightly, staring at her name. Each letter representing something.. something, it didn't click. Nothing did, he was lost in thought once again. Thinking just of her. A round object suddenly rolled in front of his feet. Looking down, he picked it up. A basketball, no name, no nothing. It's orange color, so faded showing the effort this person gives. A lot of time spent into it. Into basketball.
"Hey."
Mitsui looked towards the right, a tall figure, about his height and seemed about his age stood there. Soaked, and tired. Passing the ball, Mitsui walked forward to see his face. Blond, tall, and pure white. His eyes, hair, and face structure gave it all away.
"Foreign?"
"Yeah." He took the ball and walked into the alley having Mitsui follow him. "Local?"
"Yeah."
There was a long silence as they leaned against a brick wall in the alley. Mitsui watched him bouncing the ball back and forth from the wall, to him, the wall, to him. He didn't realize it, but that was all he wanted, just then. To forget about Chiharu and the conflicts with Rukawa and everything they had for eachother. All he needed, was basketball. Soothing as it was, he walked up to the guy and simply faced him, for no apparent reason.
"Don't look at me.." He said. "I'm worthless."
Mitsui averted him eyes to the floor, "You've got problems, .. same as I."
"I'd rather call it issues." He muttered as he caught the ball one last time before placing it beside him.
"The word problems makes it ten times more worse than it is.."
Mitsui nodded, calmly as he walked passed him, and was ready to leave.
"Going?" The guy asked. "If you are.. Send this to my sister."
Mitsui walked back, taking a crushed piece of paper in his hands. He took one glance at the guy, and then back to the crumpled paper. Something made him want to read it.
"Sister?" Mitsui put the paper in his pocket. "You want me to take you to her. I know Japan as if it was written on the back of my hand."
Mitsui so the guy cringe, he saw how his face became unaware of the situation and that the guy was simply not sure in what to say. How could he not? If he came this far in searching, why not take the chance?
"No." He spat. "That's why I'm trying hard not to look for her."
Confused, Mitsui looked at the guy, and sighed. "The name's Mitsui.."
"Tsukamoto, Keiichi but I'd rather be called John, cause I'm adopted.." He replied facing away from
Mitsui. "It's the same, everyone's just so friendly.."
Mitsui took the ball from beside him. When all of a sudden, Tsukamoto clicked in him.
"Wait.. Did you say, Tsukamoto? and you had a sister?"
He nodded. "Actually, I have two sisters."
Mitsui shook his head. What was he thinking? There were many people with the name Tsukamoto. It's not such a great deal with this one being Tsukamoto too. What bothered Mitsui so much, was the hair color and him not being a local.
"I know this is just out of the blue, and I trust you wouldn't know her, but.." Mitsui shoved his hands in his pockets, just maybe he could be the brother of Chiharu. "Are you related to Tsukamoto, Chiharu?"
There was shock covering John's face. His eyes wide and he gaped open. There were sudden thoughts of people reading other's minds. Maybe, just maybe, this Mitsui guy could. John took the ball and kept bouncing it endlessly. He didn't want to say, yes or no. He didn't want to face his sister, or Yuriko.
"Um..." John stammered looking at the ball. "Y---y-yess."
Mitsui stood still, he wished for this chance and it did come true. Luck was definately on his side today.
"You.. You're going to her party, are you?"
John looked at Mitsui with a worried expression as he bounce the ball twice the speed. "I ran off."
Mitsui stole the ball and walked forward, motioning him to join as well. "Ran, off?"
John walked faste beside Mitsui and nodded. "Yeah.. She was the only one who ever liked me as a brother, me being all adopted and shit. My parents just acted all messed up around me. When they died, I decided not to have contact with her, or anyone. Since today was her birthday, being seventeen and all.. I came to see her again. I met up with my other sister, Yuriko.. and we were on our way to see Chiharu. When all of a sudden, I jumped out of the car and ran into this alley. I grabbed this ball, in my bag to keep me company while raoming the streets of Kanagawa. I can't face her, and I don't seem to want to either."
Mitsui kept walking with John, hands in his pockets as he listened carefully.
"You were scared."
"No, I had doubts."
Mitsui nodded as the came to walk in silence along the path towards Chiharu's building. Mitsui didn't say anything to Keiichi--John, and didn't want to tell Chiharu's brother how much he loved his sister. It just seemed wrong, and not the right time. Mitsui looked at John for a second, John was filled with uneasiness and he showed it at the way he was fiddling with his fingers. Little did John know, Mitsui was taking him to see Chiharu.
*^*^*^*^*^*^
It was white, with pure non creased sides. She turned it over looking at the neat handwriting, Sendoh. He had come by. She felt herself lose it, she wanted to scream and she would've. When suddenly a figure, a shadow, stood on the other side of the door.
There was a bang on the door as she opened it quickly. The whole room struck with silence at the loud clamping of the wooden stance. Rukawa looked up watching Chiharu look under the door suspiciously. Ryota was quite shocked by the banging that he actually hugged Ayako out of instinct as Haruko did with Sakuragi.
"Careful," Rukawa stood up and walked beside Chiharu. He was quite intimidated about the banging and wanted him to be right beside her if it was anything wrong.
Chiharu nodded as she twisted the knob to reveal a beautiful young lady standing there with bags on her back. She was breathing heavily, slipping her long raven hair behind her ears.
"Yuri--Yurik--YURIKO!"
Chiharu embraced her sister tightly, dropping and forgetting about the card placed in her hands. She took Rukawa and introduced him to her sister.
"No.. no.." Yuriko breathed heavily. "You.. You must ... John is here.. He ran."
Chiharu felt shocked, the words 'John, here, and ran,' was all that could really send her crazy. "John? Is he missing?"
The room was still silent, and then there were whispers about her siblings. And this John. Kaede looked lost in her words.
'John?' Kaede thought to himself. 'A missing guy.. with Chiharu all worked up... John..'
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