The next morning, Souten and her family were sitting at the table. "Why wasn't it in the safe?" Hiten asked angrily.
"Uh...I took it out to look at it last night, and I was so tired I must've forgotten to put it up. Sorry bro." Souten said looking at the ceiling.
"...Fine...just make sure you don't do it again. You know how valuable it is, and if anything happened to it..." he trailed off, and even though he seemed calm, he was still angry.
"Okay, will do. Now, I gotta go or I'll be late for school, bye!" Hiten nodded, and Manten waved bye. She waved back and disappeared out the door with her books.
"Ok, I've got it." Shippo handed over an item. Souten kept walking. Then she saw a brown haired man talking to a shorter red haired boy, about her age, the boy was handing the man something. It was him...the robber.
The brown haired man handed him a few bills. "Here you little punk." He said tapping the kid in the jaw. Shippo saluted (2 fingers to the forehead and down), which was his was of saying thanks and bye. He then ran off. All of a sudden, he bumped into someone. The bills fell from his hand.
"Watch it!" She snapped.
He looked up. 'It's that girl from before!' Frightened, he jumped up and ran off, forgetting about the bills.
"Hey! Shippo!" She called after the boy. He kept running and turned down an alleyway. Souten picked up the bills and ran after him. "Shippo!" Shippo, having lived on them, knew the alleys like the back of his hand. He turned one way, and then took another alley, climbing up the fire escape. "Hey! Dude I just wanted to give you the cash back man you don't have to run from me!" She yelled up frustrated. That stopped him. He turned and looked down at her. "Come down. I'm not reporting you! I swear!" She said smiling. He hesitated, but then climbed quickly down. "Here." She said handing him the money. "My names Souten...."
"…Thanks…." He said taking the bills.
"You look starved." She said looking at the skinny boy. His clothes hung lose and ragged on him. Shippo looked down at the ground, feeling sort of ashamed.
"Don't be ashamed!" She exclaimed. She then tugged on the tan vest he was wearing, along with the dirty blue jeans and turquoise T-shirt. His hair was shaggy and dirty. "If you don't have anywhere to go...lets go get you a shower or something. At my school...."
"…School?"
"Yeah...come on...we can sneak through the back!" He cracked a smile. Sneaking around was what he did best. "Come on then!" She said taking his hand and dragging him to her school. They slunk around the back of the school and she opened the door to the boys' locker rooms.
She pulled him through the door and into the showers. She led him to the sink and stuck his head down in it and turned the water on medium-hot. She then grabbed some hand soap and scrubbed his hair. "Strip." She demanded. His face immediately turned red. But he turned around and quickly took his clothes off. She, also red in the face, took his clothes and walked to a separate stall.
'She's being so nice...' he thought.
He heard the sound of running water. "Get in a stall and shower Shippo!" He stepped inside one of the stalls and showered. He heard the water in the stall beside him turn off and Souten came out and went to the hand dryer in the corner and turned it on. Beginning to dry his clothes.
Shippo was done with his shower, but he decided to wait in the stall until she was done. "Umm...when you're done...could you just toss them over?" he asked hesitantly. She tossed him a towel instead.
"Here." She called. He dried himself off, then wrapped the towel around his waist. She tossed him his boxers, socks, and undershirt. He quickly put them on and waited for the rest of his clothes. She threw him his shoes [worn in old Chuck Taylor Converse] and shirt. He also pulled these on. "Okay, your pants are almost ready, here's your vest." She said handing him the vest. He happily put the vest on. It had been a gift from his father, and he didn't like to take it off often. After another minute or two she gave him his pants back. After he pulled them on she pulled him out of the school.
He again thanked her. "Don't you have to be in school?" he asked.
"I don't care about school. My brothers don't care if I'm not in school. Lets go, I'll buy you some food and new clothes." She offered pulling her wallet out of her pocket.
"I don't need new clothes though." he said, looking at himself. His clothes fit fine, so what need was there for more?
"Just so they don't get ruined is all I'm saying kid!" she said putting her hands up in a defeated posture.
"No, that's ok. Thanks though." his stomach growled. "But I'll gladly accept that offer for food!" he said grinning.
"You must not eat much...." She said wincing at the loudness of his stomach's demand for food.
"I eat what I can get." he said, shrugging.
"McDonalds, or Wendy's?" She asked thumbing through her wallet.
"McDonalds!" he exclaimed happily. "They have the best hamburgers!"
"Can you settle with sausage biscuit until lunch?" She asked. "Cause they don't serve hamburgers 'til after 10:30.…"
"Okay."
They walked to the nearest McDonalds and Souten walked to the counter. "I need...6 sausage biscuits, 6 hash browns, an order of pancakes, and 2 orange juices dude." She requested. The boy at the counter, about 21 looked at her.
"Shouldn't you be at school?" He asked.
"None of your concern Nobunaga." She snapped. [Any stupid people Nobunaga was in an episode called 'The Toad Who Would Be Prince']
"Okay...whatever." He said handing her the food. "Your total is $19.57." She handed him a twenty.
"Keep the change for my smart mouth." She said walking to Shippo. They found a booth table and she gave him half of all of the food and a drink and one and a half pancakes. "Here." He smiled gratefully and dug in, minding not to eat like an animal. It wouldn't be 'improper'. Souten ate just as fast as he did. She then paused to look up at him. "Hey...do you wanna go to the mall or something? The least I could do is get you a new pair of shoes. Those look like they're about to rip at the seams." She said kicking his foot gently.
He looked down. It was true; his shoes were pretty old. "I guess." He then took a few napkins and wrapped up the last of his food for later.
"I'll buy you some lunch too. You should keep that money for more food later…." She said pointing to the pocket the money he had was in.
"Not now though." He said sternly.
"Yeah, okay whatever come on...." She said wrapping the last of her own food in a napkin for later. They walked across the street to the mall and went to the nearest shoe store. Ten minutes later they emerged, against his will she had also bought him a few pairs of socks, a hat, and some shoe laces for his knew [blue] Converse.
Shippo was really happy. No one had ever been this nice to him since his dad had died. "Shippo, do you want like, a CD player and some CDs or something?" She asked him looking at the music shop.
He shook his head. "No, that's ok."
"Can I...get you some new underwear at least? One pair isn't healthy...."
Shippo grinned at this. "Don't worry, I've got more."
"Well, I insist on buying you more 'essentials' as my brothers girlfriend calls them, just so I'm sure your at least remotely clean. And maybe some soap and deodorant." She said elbowing him playfully.
"If you insist." Shippo made a little bow, indicating her to go first. She walked into a department store, and in ten minutes had gotten, three 10 packs of undershirts, 2, 5 packs of basic T-shirt's, 5 7 packs of boxers and a new pair of jeans. [Just because] After they were done shopping, Shippo noticed that it was getting kinda dark. It was time to meet him again. "…I have to go now." he told Souten.
"Can we hang out some other time maybe? If you meet me before school I'll bring you breakfast...." She offered.
"Okay…seeya Shippo!" She said waving and walking her way.
Shippo waved goodbye. 'I'll be late if I don't hurry!' he thought. It wasn't good to make him wait long. He took off down the alley.
Souten rushed home. Hiten and Manten would still be at work when she got home. But she really wanted to be home and have dinner cooked for her brothers. The normal routine. 'Because…everything is normal. Normal.' She told herself quietly.
"Uh...I took it out to look at it last night, and I was so tired I must've forgotten to put it up. Sorry bro." Souten said looking at the ceiling.
"...Fine...just make sure you don't do it again. You know how valuable it is, and if anything happened to it..." he trailed off, and even though he seemed calm, he was still angry.
"Okay, will do. Now, I gotta go or I'll be late for school, bye!" Hiten nodded, and Manten waved bye. She waved back and disappeared out the door with her books.
"Ok, I've got it." Shippo handed over an item. Souten kept walking. Then she saw a brown haired man talking to a shorter red haired boy, about her age, the boy was handing the man something. It was him...the robber.
The brown haired man handed him a few bills. "Here you little punk." He said tapping the kid in the jaw. Shippo saluted (2 fingers to the forehead and down), which was his was of saying thanks and bye. He then ran off. All of a sudden, he bumped into someone. The bills fell from his hand.
"Watch it!" She snapped.
He looked up. 'It's that girl from before!' Frightened, he jumped up and ran off, forgetting about the bills.
"Hey! Shippo!" She called after the boy. He kept running and turned down an alleyway. Souten picked up the bills and ran after him. "Shippo!" Shippo, having lived on them, knew the alleys like the back of his hand. He turned one way, and then took another alley, climbing up the fire escape. "Hey! Dude I just wanted to give you the cash back man you don't have to run from me!" She yelled up frustrated. That stopped him. He turned and looked down at her. "Come down. I'm not reporting you! I swear!" She said smiling. He hesitated, but then climbed quickly down. "Here." She said handing him the money. "My names Souten...."
"…Thanks…." He said taking the bills.
"You look starved." She said looking at the skinny boy. His clothes hung lose and ragged on him. Shippo looked down at the ground, feeling sort of ashamed.
"Don't be ashamed!" She exclaimed. She then tugged on the tan vest he was wearing, along with the dirty blue jeans and turquoise T-shirt. His hair was shaggy and dirty. "If you don't have anywhere to go...lets go get you a shower or something. At my school...."
"…School?"
"Yeah...come on...we can sneak through the back!" He cracked a smile. Sneaking around was what he did best. "Come on then!" She said taking his hand and dragging him to her school. They slunk around the back of the school and she opened the door to the boys' locker rooms.
She pulled him through the door and into the showers. She led him to the sink and stuck his head down in it and turned the water on medium-hot. She then grabbed some hand soap and scrubbed his hair. "Strip." She demanded. His face immediately turned red. But he turned around and quickly took his clothes off. She, also red in the face, took his clothes and walked to a separate stall.
'She's being so nice...' he thought.
He heard the sound of running water. "Get in a stall and shower Shippo!" He stepped inside one of the stalls and showered. He heard the water in the stall beside him turn off and Souten came out and went to the hand dryer in the corner and turned it on. Beginning to dry his clothes.
Shippo was done with his shower, but he decided to wait in the stall until she was done. "Umm...when you're done...could you just toss them over?" he asked hesitantly. She tossed him a towel instead.
"Here." She called. He dried himself off, then wrapped the towel around his waist. She tossed him his boxers, socks, and undershirt. He quickly put them on and waited for the rest of his clothes. She threw him his shoes [worn in old Chuck Taylor Converse] and shirt. He also pulled these on. "Okay, your pants are almost ready, here's your vest." She said handing him the vest. He happily put the vest on. It had been a gift from his father, and he didn't like to take it off often. After another minute or two she gave him his pants back. After he pulled them on she pulled him out of the school.
He again thanked her. "Don't you have to be in school?" he asked.
"I don't care about school. My brothers don't care if I'm not in school. Lets go, I'll buy you some food and new clothes." She offered pulling her wallet out of her pocket.
"I don't need new clothes though." he said, looking at himself. His clothes fit fine, so what need was there for more?
"Just so they don't get ruined is all I'm saying kid!" she said putting her hands up in a defeated posture.
"No, that's ok. Thanks though." his stomach growled. "But I'll gladly accept that offer for food!" he said grinning.
"You must not eat much...." She said wincing at the loudness of his stomach's demand for food.
"I eat what I can get." he said, shrugging.
"McDonalds, or Wendy's?" She asked thumbing through her wallet.
"McDonalds!" he exclaimed happily. "They have the best hamburgers!"
"Can you settle with sausage biscuit until lunch?" She asked. "Cause they don't serve hamburgers 'til after 10:30.…"
"Okay."
They walked to the nearest McDonalds and Souten walked to the counter. "I need...6 sausage biscuits, 6 hash browns, an order of pancakes, and 2 orange juices dude." She requested. The boy at the counter, about 21 looked at her.
"Shouldn't you be at school?" He asked.
"None of your concern Nobunaga." She snapped. [Any stupid people Nobunaga was in an episode called 'The Toad Who Would Be Prince']
"Okay...whatever." He said handing her the food. "Your total is $19.57." She handed him a twenty.
"Keep the change for my smart mouth." She said walking to Shippo. They found a booth table and she gave him half of all of the food and a drink and one and a half pancakes. "Here." He smiled gratefully and dug in, minding not to eat like an animal. It wouldn't be 'improper'. Souten ate just as fast as he did. She then paused to look up at him. "Hey...do you wanna go to the mall or something? The least I could do is get you a new pair of shoes. Those look like they're about to rip at the seams." She said kicking his foot gently.
He looked down. It was true; his shoes were pretty old. "I guess." He then took a few napkins and wrapped up the last of his food for later.
"I'll buy you some lunch too. You should keep that money for more food later…." She said pointing to the pocket the money he had was in.
"Not now though." He said sternly.
"Yeah, okay whatever come on...." She said wrapping the last of her own food in a napkin for later. They walked across the street to the mall and went to the nearest shoe store. Ten minutes later they emerged, against his will she had also bought him a few pairs of socks, a hat, and some shoe laces for his knew [blue] Converse.
Shippo was really happy. No one had ever been this nice to him since his dad had died. "Shippo, do you want like, a CD player and some CDs or something?" She asked him looking at the music shop.
He shook his head. "No, that's ok."
"Can I...get you some new underwear at least? One pair isn't healthy...."
Shippo grinned at this. "Don't worry, I've got more."
"Well, I insist on buying you more 'essentials' as my brothers girlfriend calls them, just so I'm sure your at least remotely clean. And maybe some soap and deodorant." She said elbowing him playfully.
"If you insist." Shippo made a little bow, indicating her to go first. She walked into a department store, and in ten minutes had gotten, three 10 packs of undershirts, 2, 5 packs of basic T-shirt's, 5 7 packs of boxers and a new pair of jeans. [Just because] After they were done shopping, Shippo noticed that it was getting kinda dark. It was time to meet him again. "…I have to go now." he told Souten.
"Can we hang out some other time maybe? If you meet me before school I'll bring you breakfast...." She offered.
"Okay…seeya Shippo!" She said waving and walking her way.
Shippo waved goodbye. 'I'll be late if I don't hurry!' he thought. It wasn't good to make him wait long. He took off down the alley.
Souten rushed home. Hiten and Manten would still be at work when she got home. But she really wanted to be home and have dinner cooked for her brothers. The normal routine. 'Because…everything is normal. Normal.' She told herself quietly.