Chapter 4
The ride back to 'home' was a quiet ride in a convertible everyone insisted on calling Seven. Once out of the hospital, Ken had run his hands over the chrome and beautiful paintjob of the Super Seven as the one called Yohji preened and talked about how fast it can go and the stuff it can do. Ken had spouted out some facts he didn't know he knew, basically telling the blond that what he had just said was quite impossible. Yohji had grabbed him into a hug, shouting, "You remember!!" quite dramatically.
But he didn't, really. Even the doctors had told him that he'd know certain facts and be able to do certain things, yet not know why or how he knew them. Ken stared out the windshield as Yohji drove him back to the flower shop and talked non-stop about how much he had missed his best friend and that he's glad he's back now and that Seven needed the tune up that Ken had always loved to give it every month. Ken let out a quiet sigh. he's not the same person this man was welcoming home. And he felt a bit guilty for it.
Yohji pulled up to the front of the shop and hopped out after turning off the engine. Ken got out slower and looked up at the sign. 'House Were Kittens Live.' Cute. He looked down and in through the window where the bright eyed blond was waving at him emphatically. He smiled lightly and waved back as Aya stepped out of the open door and glared at Yohji, "Move the car. You can't park there."
Yohji waved a nonchalant hand at him and draped the other arm over Ken's shoulders, "Later, later, Mr. Stick-up-the-ass. Come on, Ken, I'll show you your room." The taller man led Ken past the red head and into the shop. Aya gave Yohji another glare, then softened his gaze as he took in the brunette, "Welcome home, Ken." It was a quiet statement and gone as soon as those rigid lips closed again. Ken looked up into those amethyst eyes and something clicked..
He suddenly burst out laughing. Everyone stared at him.
He kept laughing as he spoke, "Yohji had a bucket of soap water! I was mopping but slipped and the mop smacked Aya in the face!" The rest was a blur to him, but he remembered that Aya had ended up soaked and had stomped up the steps to leave Ken and Yohji to close up the shop.
Omi snickered as Yohji and Ken roared in laughter. Aya miffed and turned away. He went into the back stockroom and closed the door, then leaned against it. The look of smashed hope on his face would have been enough to make even Yohji cry. When the brunette had looked up into his eyes, those sea-greens had widened in memory. How Aya had hoped it was about him and about the sweet.. But it wasn't. It was one of the few embarrassing moments that Aya had to live through with these people. He heard the laughter die down, then the last few snickers as Yohji brought Ken up the steps and to the apartments above the shop. He only came back out when he heard the tiny bell ring as the door opened and a customer came inside.
Meanwhile, Ken looked around the communal living room. Yohji had asked him if he could point out his favorite place to sit or maybe his favorite game on the rack beside the TV. Yohji watched intently as Ken moved to sit in the exact middle of the couch, then crooned in delight, "Exactly!!! See, you remember more than you thought, little man." Ken snickered then leaned forward to look at the games, "I only sat here because it has the best view of the TV and the window behind. Not to mention the entire room." He tapped at his lower lip as he thought about the games then took one out to read the back of it with a frown.
Yohji snapped the disk holder out of his hands, "Uh, uh. This one's no game. This one's mine." He held the DVD to his chest and all Ken could glimpse of the back of it was a pair of boobs. He rolled his eyes, "I see."
He looked back at the games again and pointed to another, "Then this one. Capcom vs. SMK. The original game, nonetheless. None of this sequel shit." Yohji nodded, "Very good. That's the one you whoop ass on against anyone, including Omi, the video game freak."
He motioned up the steps, "Now, your room awaits, sir!!" Ken smiled and stood up then moved up the stairs. Yohji followed behind, "Choose your own room for the chance to win five million yen!!" Ken snickered and 'accidentally' kicked a foot back into his knee. He chuckled as he heard the man mumble something about no consolation prize then stepped into the hallway and looked at the 5 doors presented to him. Yohji patiently waited for him to move.
Ken took a deep breath then moved down the hall, stopping at each door and feeling its 'vibe'. One in particular he felt good about and once he'd stopped at each door, he went back and opened that one. A bathroom looked back at him. He sighed and lowered his hand back to his side from the doorknob as sad eyes took in the meager decorations.
"Awww. come on, no worries. You couldn't have known and you can't remember everything at once. You were close at least." Yohji points down the hallway at the next door. Ken looked down that way then back into the bathroom, "Yeah. maybe."
Yohji draped an arm around his shoulders again and lead him to the bedroom. He opened the door and pushed him inside. Ken was suddenly surrounded by soccer paradise. There was an old beat up ball on his dresser with a few autographs on it, two or three more on the floor, a poster displaying the entire 1996 Argentina National Team, another with the 1999 USA Team, snippets from magazines of individual players from various teams, and plenty of soccer apparel all over the floor. Even the bed was covered in cotton sheets displaying little soccer balls and pennants with '#1' written on them.
Ken raised an eyebrow, "I like soccer."
Yohji snickered, "Understatement of the century, Kenken." He waved a hand at the interior decorating, "You were one of them at one time. A star goalie in J-League, the pre-professional league. You would have been selected the next year to go pro if Kase hadn't.. But that's a story for another time. Take a look around while I park Seven in the garage."
Ken nodded and sat on the bed as the man walked away. He looked around again and leaned over to read a newspaper article stapled to the wall. 'Star Goalie voted MVP of Japan - Coach beams with Pride'. This boy called Hidaka Ken was said to have the highest agility of all goalies in the nation and could stop any ball from entering the net he covered. High praises were written out in his name.
Ken frowned and looked around again, "Soccer. I was a goalie. But. I don't remember any rules of the game.."
The ride back to 'home' was a quiet ride in a convertible everyone insisted on calling Seven. Once out of the hospital, Ken had run his hands over the chrome and beautiful paintjob of the Super Seven as the one called Yohji preened and talked about how fast it can go and the stuff it can do. Ken had spouted out some facts he didn't know he knew, basically telling the blond that what he had just said was quite impossible. Yohji had grabbed him into a hug, shouting, "You remember!!" quite dramatically.
But he didn't, really. Even the doctors had told him that he'd know certain facts and be able to do certain things, yet not know why or how he knew them. Ken stared out the windshield as Yohji drove him back to the flower shop and talked non-stop about how much he had missed his best friend and that he's glad he's back now and that Seven needed the tune up that Ken had always loved to give it every month. Ken let out a quiet sigh. he's not the same person this man was welcoming home. And he felt a bit guilty for it.
Yohji pulled up to the front of the shop and hopped out after turning off the engine. Ken got out slower and looked up at the sign. 'House Were Kittens Live.' Cute. He looked down and in through the window where the bright eyed blond was waving at him emphatically. He smiled lightly and waved back as Aya stepped out of the open door and glared at Yohji, "Move the car. You can't park there."
Yohji waved a nonchalant hand at him and draped the other arm over Ken's shoulders, "Later, later, Mr. Stick-up-the-ass. Come on, Ken, I'll show you your room." The taller man led Ken past the red head and into the shop. Aya gave Yohji another glare, then softened his gaze as he took in the brunette, "Welcome home, Ken." It was a quiet statement and gone as soon as those rigid lips closed again. Ken looked up into those amethyst eyes and something clicked..
He suddenly burst out laughing. Everyone stared at him.
He kept laughing as he spoke, "Yohji had a bucket of soap water! I was mopping but slipped and the mop smacked Aya in the face!" The rest was a blur to him, but he remembered that Aya had ended up soaked and had stomped up the steps to leave Ken and Yohji to close up the shop.
Omi snickered as Yohji and Ken roared in laughter. Aya miffed and turned away. He went into the back stockroom and closed the door, then leaned against it. The look of smashed hope on his face would have been enough to make even Yohji cry. When the brunette had looked up into his eyes, those sea-greens had widened in memory. How Aya had hoped it was about him and about the sweet.. But it wasn't. It was one of the few embarrassing moments that Aya had to live through with these people. He heard the laughter die down, then the last few snickers as Yohji brought Ken up the steps and to the apartments above the shop. He only came back out when he heard the tiny bell ring as the door opened and a customer came inside.
Meanwhile, Ken looked around the communal living room. Yohji had asked him if he could point out his favorite place to sit or maybe his favorite game on the rack beside the TV. Yohji watched intently as Ken moved to sit in the exact middle of the couch, then crooned in delight, "Exactly!!! See, you remember more than you thought, little man." Ken snickered then leaned forward to look at the games, "I only sat here because it has the best view of the TV and the window behind. Not to mention the entire room." He tapped at his lower lip as he thought about the games then took one out to read the back of it with a frown.
Yohji snapped the disk holder out of his hands, "Uh, uh. This one's no game. This one's mine." He held the DVD to his chest and all Ken could glimpse of the back of it was a pair of boobs. He rolled his eyes, "I see."
He looked back at the games again and pointed to another, "Then this one. Capcom vs. SMK. The original game, nonetheless. None of this sequel shit." Yohji nodded, "Very good. That's the one you whoop ass on against anyone, including Omi, the video game freak."
He motioned up the steps, "Now, your room awaits, sir!!" Ken smiled and stood up then moved up the stairs. Yohji followed behind, "Choose your own room for the chance to win five million yen!!" Ken snickered and 'accidentally' kicked a foot back into his knee. He chuckled as he heard the man mumble something about no consolation prize then stepped into the hallway and looked at the 5 doors presented to him. Yohji patiently waited for him to move.
Ken took a deep breath then moved down the hall, stopping at each door and feeling its 'vibe'. One in particular he felt good about and once he'd stopped at each door, he went back and opened that one. A bathroom looked back at him. He sighed and lowered his hand back to his side from the doorknob as sad eyes took in the meager decorations.
"Awww. come on, no worries. You couldn't have known and you can't remember everything at once. You were close at least." Yohji points down the hallway at the next door. Ken looked down that way then back into the bathroom, "Yeah. maybe."
Yohji draped an arm around his shoulders again and lead him to the bedroom. He opened the door and pushed him inside. Ken was suddenly surrounded by soccer paradise. There was an old beat up ball on his dresser with a few autographs on it, two or three more on the floor, a poster displaying the entire 1996 Argentina National Team, another with the 1999 USA Team, snippets from magazines of individual players from various teams, and plenty of soccer apparel all over the floor. Even the bed was covered in cotton sheets displaying little soccer balls and pennants with '#1' written on them.
Ken raised an eyebrow, "I like soccer."
Yohji snickered, "Understatement of the century, Kenken." He waved a hand at the interior decorating, "You were one of them at one time. A star goalie in J-League, the pre-professional league. You would have been selected the next year to go pro if Kase hadn't.. But that's a story for another time. Take a look around while I park Seven in the garage."
Ken nodded and sat on the bed as the man walked away. He looked around again and leaned over to read a newspaper article stapled to the wall. 'Star Goalie voted MVP of Japan - Coach beams with Pride'. This boy called Hidaka Ken was said to have the highest agility of all goalies in the nation and could stop any ball from entering the net he covered. High praises were written out in his name.
Ken frowned and looked around again, "Soccer. I was a goalie. But. I don't remember any rules of the game.."
