Chapter 2: Misunderstanding
"Hi Hanamichi!" Miyagi greeted him when Hanamichi stepped into the fast- food restaurant.
"Hi!" Hanamichi smiled weakly. Miyagi and Mitsui walked up to him, slinging their hands over his shoulders.
"You okay, big boy?" Mitsui looked at him with worry written all over his face. Hanamichi nodded. Ayako walked over to them. The three players looked at her as she stood in front of them and took in a deep breathe.
"You want to say something, Ayako?" Mitsui looked at her. Ayako nodded and looked at Hanamichi. Hanamichi gulped.
"I'm ready for the news, Ayako sempai." Hanamichi said quietly, sensing that the news have something to do with him. Ayako nodded sympathetically. "I did not want to tell you. But I don't think it's fair not to let you know." Ayako began. Hanamichi nodded again. Ayako took another deep breathe.
"Rukawa is coming back next week, with his fiancée." Hanamichi closed his eyes.
"How did you know, Ayako?" Miyagi asked.
"Sendoh told me." Hanamichi nodded. Sendoh was Rukawa's close friend. A childhood playmate. He knew everything.
"Alright guys! Do you want to sit down?" Akagi's voice interrupted their train of thoughts. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The week passed quickly. The day that Hanamichi had dreaded finally came. They were in the fast-food restaurant when Mitsui nudged Miyagi who gasped and signaled to Ayako. She stared wide-eyed, causing everyone, including Hanamichi to look in her direction.
.And they saw the one person which would be the last person they wanted to see at that very moment.
"Rukawa?"
"And who's that with him?"
"His fiancée, I think." Miyagi mumbled, looking at Hanamichi from time to time. Hanamichi was quiet and refused to look at Rukawa.
They saw Rukawa guiding the young girl who was with him to an empty table. Then he noticed them. He changed his direction and walked towards them instead. The young girl followed, puzzled.
Rukawa stopped in front of Hanamichi.
"Where are you going, Kae-" The girl stopped in the middle of her sentence when she saw the group of people in front of her. She beamed.
"Hi! My name is Tsuki!" The girl smiled and put out her hand. Everyone look at her and after a while, Ayako put out her hand and shook the girl's.
"Hana, can we talk?" Rukawa looked at Hanamichi. Hanamichi stood up without a word and walked to an empty table. Rukawa signaled for Tsuki to stay put at where she is. Tsuki nodded. Rukawa went over to join Hanamichi.
Tsuki turned back to the table and noticed everyone looking at her accusingly. She began to fidget uncomfortably.
"Hey! Why are you staring at me like that? Did I offend you in some way?" Tsuki frowned. Everyone immediately looked away. Ayako sighed.
"Gomen ne! For their impoliteness." Ayako apologized. "Have a seat, Tsuki- san!"
Tsuki sat down and Ayako took her seat in front of her. She looked at the young girl in front of her.
"How long have you known Rukawa?" Ayako asked, taking a drink.
"Ever since I was born." Tsuki started playing with her necklace. Everyone's attention went back to her.
"I see. And he lives near you?"
"Lives near me? He lives with me! Until we moved to America six years ago. He stay put. He refused to move. He says he like his life in Kanagawa. I would have stayed also if not for the fact that my parents have enrolled me in school in America." Everyone almost choke at the answer.
"He stays with you?" Tsuki looked at them weirdly and nodded.
"Which means you share the same house, the same room, everything?"
"The same house, yes. The same room, no."
"And.You two are engaged?" Ayako asked hesitantly. Tsuki frowned.
"Engaged? In what?" Tsuki asked, getting confused by the minute.
"Anou. How is Rukawa related to you?" Kogure tried to phrase the question in another way.
"He? He didn't tell you? Hmm. And I thought you knew." Tsuki frowned. Everyone prepared themselves for the answer. Some started praying quietly.
"Kaede. Is. My." Ayako gulped, preparing for the worst.
". Brother." Everyone's head jerked up.
"Nani?!" Everyone crowded around her.
"Say that again?" Ayako could hardly believe what she has just heard.
"Kaede is my onii-chan!" Tsuki said. 'God! Nii-chan sure has some weird friends.' Tsuki was getting uncomfortable with each passing minute. Just then, her saving star entered the restaurant.
"Akira-kun!" Tsuki waved. Sendoh smiled and walked over to them.
"Ah. I see you've got yourself acquainted with Kaede's friends." Sendoh smiled.
"Anou. Tsuki-san, can we ask you something?" Ayako asked. Sendoh and Tsuki looked at her.
"The news reported some time back that your brother is getting married. Is it true?" Ayako looked at her uncertainly. Tsuki nodded. Everyone looked at her expectantly. Tsuki sighed.
"When onii-chan was back in America for about two years, otou-san found out about his relationship with another guy back here in Kanagawa through the phone calls and emails. He was determined to break them up. And so, he banned him from any form of communication with the guy and tried match- making him with one of his shareholder's daughter. The girl, of course, was excited to be married to a rich man's son. And what's more, a good-looking one. But nii-chan simply refuses to get married. He quarreled with otou- san. And in anger, otou-san revealed to the press that onii-chan is getting married."
"And what happen?"
"Well. I tried to intervene. But otou-san refused to listen. In the end, I have to get our uncle to talk to him. He's one tough nut to crack." Tsuki sighed.
"And?"
"It was only after much persuasion that he finally drop the idea of match- making the two of them. Thank God, uncle doted on us enough to intervene. Or else nii-chan would be stuck with someone he loathes for the rest of his life." Tsuki smiled.
Meanwhile, at the other table
"How have you been?"
"Good! I'm rather well-off without you around even." Hanamichi said spitefully. Rukawa was taken aback.
"Hana?"
"Don't call me that. You don't have a right!" Hanamichi looked at Rukawa, anger and hurt evident in his eyes.
Rukawa looked at him strangely. There was a long silence.
"What happened, Hana?"
Hanamichi remained silent. Rukawa tried to talk to him. But Hanamichi simply refused to listen.
"Tell me what's going on?"
"Ask yourself, Rukawa Kaede!" Hanamichi said and standing up, he walk out of the restaurant, leaving Rukawa sitting at his seat, exasperated.
The team was talking to Sendoh and Tsuki when Hanamichi stormed out of the restaurant. Everyone got a shock. They looked at Rukawa, still in his seat.
"The misunderstanding here is cleared. But it seems the one over there is not." Miyagi said quietly. Tsuki frowned as her brother walked up to her, looking down.
"Kaede?" Sendoh looked at Rukawa, worriedly. He had never seen Rukawa looking like that ever before.
"What happened, nii-chan?"
"I wish I knew." Rukawa sighed. As if knowing what was going on, Tsuki patted her brother on his back.
"I think it's because of the rumor, nii-chan." Tsuki said quietly. Rukawa looked at her, understanding coming to him.
"Help me take care of Tsuki, Akira!" With that, Rukawa ran off. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hi Hanamichi!" Miyagi greeted him when Hanamichi stepped into the fast- food restaurant.
"Hi!" Hanamichi smiled weakly. Miyagi and Mitsui walked up to him, slinging their hands over his shoulders.
"You okay, big boy?" Mitsui looked at him with worry written all over his face. Hanamichi nodded. Ayako walked over to them. The three players looked at her as she stood in front of them and took in a deep breathe.
"You want to say something, Ayako?" Mitsui looked at her. Ayako nodded and looked at Hanamichi. Hanamichi gulped.
"I'm ready for the news, Ayako sempai." Hanamichi said quietly, sensing that the news have something to do with him. Ayako nodded sympathetically. "I did not want to tell you. But I don't think it's fair not to let you know." Ayako began. Hanamichi nodded again. Ayako took another deep breathe.
"Rukawa is coming back next week, with his fiancée." Hanamichi closed his eyes.
"How did you know, Ayako?" Miyagi asked.
"Sendoh told me." Hanamichi nodded. Sendoh was Rukawa's close friend. A childhood playmate. He knew everything.
"Alright guys! Do you want to sit down?" Akagi's voice interrupted their train of thoughts. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The week passed quickly. The day that Hanamichi had dreaded finally came. They were in the fast-food restaurant when Mitsui nudged Miyagi who gasped and signaled to Ayako. She stared wide-eyed, causing everyone, including Hanamichi to look in her direction.
.And they saw the one person which would be the last person they wanted to see at that very moment.
"Rukawa?"
"And who's that with him?"
"His fiancée, I think." Miyagi mumbled, looking at Hanamichi from time to time. Hanamichi was quiet and refused to look at Rukawa.
They saw Rukawa guiding the young girl who was with him to an empty table. Then he noticed them. He changed his direction and walked towards them instead. The young girl followed, puzzled.
Rukawa stopped in front of Hanamichi.
"Where are you going, Kae-" The girl stopped in the middle of her sentence when she saw the group of people in front of her. She beamed.
"Hi! My name is Tsuki!" The girl smiled and put out her hand. Everyone look at her and after a while, Ayako put out her hand and shook the girl's.
"Hana, can we talk?" Rukawa looked at Hanamichi. Hanamichi stood up without a word and walked to an empty table. Rukawa signaled for Tsuki to stay put at where she is. Tsuki nodded. Rukawa went over to join Hanamichi.
Tsuki turned back to the table and noticed everyone looking at her accusingly. She began to fidget uncomfortably.
"Hey! Why are you staring at me like that? Did I offend you in some way?" Tsuki frowned. Everyone immediately looked away. Ayako sighed.
"Gomen ne! For their impoliteness." Ayako apologized. "Have a seat, Tsuki- san!"
Tsuki sat down and Ayako took her seat in front of her. She looked at the young girl in front of her.
"How long have you known Rukawa?" Ayako asked, taking a drink.
"Ever since I was born." Tsuki started playing with her necklace. Everyone's attention went back to her.
"I see. And he lives near you?"
"Lives near me? He lives with me! Until we moved to America six years ago. He stay put. He refused to move. He says he like his life in Kanagawa. I would have stayed also if not for the fact that my parents have enrolled me in school in America." Everyone almost choke at the answer.
"He stays with you?" Tsuki looked at them weirdly and nodded.
"Which means you share the same house, the same room, everything?"
"The same house, yes. The same room, no."
"And.You two are engaged?" Ayako asked hesitantly. Tsuki frowned.
"Engaged? In what?" Tsuki asked, getting confused by the minute.
"Anou. How is Rukawa related to you?" Kogure tried to phrase the question in another way.
"He? He didn't tell you? Hmm. And I thought you knew." Tsuki frowned. Everyone prepared themselves for the answer. Some started praying quietly.
"Kaede. Is. My." Ayako gulped, preparing for the worst.
". Brother." Everyone's head jerked up.
"Nani?!" Everyone crowded around her.
"Say that again?" Ayako could hardly believe what she has just heard.
"Kaede is my onii-chan!" Tsuki said. 'God! Nii-chan sure has some weird friends.' Tsuki was getting uncomfortable with each passing minute. Just then, her saving star entered the restaurant.
"Akira-kun!" Tsuki waved. Sendoh smiled and walked over to them.
"Ah. I see you've got yourself acquainted with Kaede's friends." Sendoh smiled.
"Anou. Tsuki-san, can we ask you something?" Ayako asked. Sendoh and Tsuki looked at her.
"The news reported some time back that your brother is getting married. Is it true?" Ayako looked at her uncertainly. Tsuki nodded. Everyone looked at her expectantly. Tsuki sighed.
"When onii-chan was back in America for about two years, otou-san found out about his relationship with another guy back here in Kanagawa through the phone calls and emails. He was determined to break them up. And so, he banned him from any form of communication with the guy and tried match- making him with one of his shareholder's daughter. The girl, of course, was excited to be married to a rich man's son. And what's more, a good-looking one. But nii-chan simply refuses to get married. He quarreled with otou- san. And in anger, otou-san revealed to the press that onii-chan is getting married."
"And what happen?"
"Well. I tried to intervene. But otou-san refused to listen. In the end, I have to get our uncle to talk to him. He's one tough nut to crack." Tsuki sighed.
"And?"
"It was only after much persuasion that he finally drop the idea of match- making the two of them. Thank God, uncle doted on us enough to intervene. Or else nii-chan would be stuck with someone he loathes for the rest of his life." Tsuki smiled.
Meanwhile, at the other table
"How have you been?"
"Good! I'm rather well-off without you around even." Hanamichi said spitefully. Rukawa was taken aback.
"Hana?"
"Don't call me that. You don't have a right!" Hanamichi looked at Rukawa, anger and hurt evident in his eyes.
Rukawa looked at him strangely. There was a long silence.
"What happened, Hana?"
Hanamichi remained silent. Rukawa tried to talk to him. But Hanamichi simply refused to listen.
"Tell me what's going on?"
"Ask yourself, Rukawa Kaede!" Hanamichi said and standing up, he walk out of the restaurant, leaving Rukawa sitting at his seat, exasperated.
The team was talking to Sendoh and Tsuki when Hanamichi stormed out of the restaurant. Everyone got a shock. They looked at Rukawa, still in his seat.
"The misunderstanding here is cleared. But it seems the one over there is not." Miyagi said quietly. Tsuki frowned as her brother walked up to her, looking down.
"Kaede?" Sendoh looked at Rukawa, worriedly. He had never seen Rukawa looking like that ever before.
"What happened, nii-chan?"
"I wish I knew." Rukawa sighed. As if knowing what was going on, Tsuki patted her brother on his back.
"I think it's because of the rumor, nii-chan." Tsuki said quietly. Rukawa looked at her, understanding coming to him.
"Help me take care of Tsuki, Akira!" With that, Rukawa ran off. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~