:: notes
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I realized, upon re-reading, that it's really, really hard to follow the time in this fic. Gomen! Well, let's re-iterate. The first chapter starts at the beginning of the spring semester, that's in January or so (I'll make it like in America…). The second chapter is probably a few weeks later, and the third chapter takes place right after that.
I'll try to be better about it! So… onward… long chapter this time! To make up for the short one.
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Chapter 4 : Improper disquiet
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Taking into account both of their busy lives- it was no surprise that Hatori slowly fell off his regular martial arts lessons as the pressure of school increased, and Kazuma didn't nag after him. The teacher felt, anyway, that Hatori was more of an adult than a child, and should thus be able to make his own priorities.
Shigure and Ayame continued their martial arts lessons. They were poorer students than Hatori… and despite being ever-so-busy seniors, they had more time to spare.
Time enough to play- and plenty of play at that. Their loud and annoying voices interrupted Hatori often, but they were never before quite as annoying as they were on the way home on February 14th. Hatori had his head buried in a book, and was valiantly trying to ignore their voices. Finally, though, he could ignore them no longer.
"Gure-kun, Aya-kun, please shut up!"
"Eh?" Shigure looked up from his bags in surprise. "Why… Hatori-kun, you wouldn't happen to be jealous would you? After all, we're just quietly examining our nice Valentine's gifts!"
"The two of you never quietly do anything," muttered Hatori.
"Why, we can't help it, Tori-kun," said Ayame. "We're just so excited to have so much chocolate from our adoring girls and male fans!"
"Male fans?" Shigure and Hatori asked together.
Ayame raised his eyebrows. "Of course! Not counting the girls in our class, Fujita-kun from 4-D and Hiroshi-kun, who eats lunch with me on Wednesdays, gave me chocolate."
"Waii, Aya-kun is so lucky!" exclaimed Shigure. "I received chocolate from only females. My incredible boy-charms must not be working!"
Hatori listened to the two of them chatter on as he tried to be interested in the history of post-reconstruction Japan. He sidestepped a telephone pole and almost tripped over a manhole before putting away his book in frustration.
"The two of you just can't be serious about anything, can you? Not even affection?"
Shigure and Ayame looked at him blankly; turning to each other, they shared a long, deep look. At this, Hatori mentally braced himself for another idiotic comment. But instead, Shigure finally spoke quite solemnly.
"Tori-kun, we don't want to be serious," he said. "There's no point at all."
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All throughout the next week, Shigure seemed to be quite infatuated with one girl in Hatori's class who had, for Valentine's Day, given him nothing at all. Mayu-chan, as Shigure so affectionately called her, was a serious girl, pretty with a long blonde ponytail and sharp features.
She was very intelligent, as well- Shigure annoyed her immensely.
Hatori bluntly resisted Shigure's hints that he should help a "friend in need" and set him up with someone whose name Hatori knew only because she raised her hand in class so often. In fact, Hatori didn't see why Shigure wanted a girl at all- and he was tempted to ask him. But then, Shigure would wonder how he knew.
"Tori-kun is just mad because he didn't get any chocolate. Tori-kun, I bet you would get lots of chocolate if you were just a little friendlier. I bet you're not friendly at all in class! What can you expect?"
Hatori grimaced at the memory. What did Ayame know, anyway? It wasn't like he didn't try to be nice- he talked to his classmates when they had the group project, and he tried not to roll his eyes too often, when they said stupid things.
The kids just didn't like him. Nothing Hatori could do.
There was a rap on his door, and Shigure looked in on him sitting at his desk. "Hatori-kun, are you wallowing again?"
"What?"
"It's Friday, it's seven in the evening… you know what that means, Tori-kun!" Shigure winked.
"Shigure-kun, do you have to make the most innocent suggestion sound so perverted?"
"Perverted?" Shigure's eyes were wide. "Why, Hatori-kun, I was reminding you that it's time for us to be going over to the main house to babysit the kids. What did you think I meant?"
"I know what you meant," Hatori said darkly. "Hey… I'm driving this time."
Shigure followed him outside. "Hatori-kun, you don't have your license."
"Neither do you," said Hatori. "I look as old as you do, and I'm more careful, so we're less likely to get arrested and thrown in jail."
He endured Shigure's whine all the way to the main house, actually wishing that Ayame was there, just so he could have distracted Shigure. Ayame didn't come- he was nowhere to be found. That probably meant that Yuki-chan was going to be there.
A few times a month, the adult Sohmas with children dropped them off at the main house and relaxed together in the presence of the head of the family. Any teenagers unlucky enough to be in town at the time were drafted into babysitter duty.
"Kureno-kun never has to babysit," complained Shigure.
"He did last month," Hatori reminded him. "But Akito-san prefers having him around him."
It was no bad chore, though Shigure kept Hatori reminded about how much fun nightclub action they were missing with people their own age. Ayame had figured out the perfect strategy, all right- when in doubt, go to the gay bars.
Hatori eased the car to a stop. The way in front was blocked by laughing, running children who were absolutely not looking where they were going.
"Hatori-nii-san! Shigure-san!"
The children of the zodiac crowded around the boys as they made their way inside. Ritsu was carrying two toddlers in his arms- gratefully, he handed Kisa to Shigure. The teenagers noted with some relief that Ritsu was back in boy's clothes. They exclusively supervised the zodiac children, and kept them separate- in case of an accidental hug.
"Would you like to play a video game with me, Haru-chan?" Hatori asked politely.
The six-year-old boy stared at him blankly. When Hatori was beginning to wonder if he had heard, Haru finally said, "No. But I'd like to play them with Yuki and Momiji."
"Me too?" a quiet voice asked.
Haru scowled at the little girl. "I already played with you today, Rin."
"Now, Haru-chan, is that nice?" asked Hatori.
"Yes," the boy answered defiantly. He received a rap on the head, and looked up. "Oh, hi, Gure-niisan."
"You should be nice to Rin-chan," Shigure scolded. "How do you expect to ever get a girlfriend if you're only mean to girls?"
"I don't want a yucky girlfriend," said Haru, as he made a face. But he grudgingly handed a game controller to Rin.
Hatori sighed. It was pretty pointless for them to babysit together, because the kids would mostly listen to Shigure (and Ayame, if he was there). He suspected that after seeing him erase the memories of their playmates a few times, the kids wanted to get back at him however they could.
He picked up the two-year-olds, Kisa and Hiro. "You guys don't hate me yet," he told them ruefully.
"Knock-knock."
The children looked up as Kazuma poked his head through the doorway. "You all look like you're having fun."
"Kazuma-san!" Hatori said happily.
"Hello, Hatori-kun," said Kazuma. "I haven't seen you around for a while."
Hatori flushed, and shrugged to cover his embarrassment. "I haven't had time," he muttered.
"Oh, that's quite fine!" Kazuma told him. "Actually, I was here for another reason today…" he looked around the room. "Let's see! Yuki … Haru, Momiji-chan, come here."
"Eh? Kazuma-sensei?" the boys asked.
A little voice spoke up behind Kazuma. "I don't want to play with them. They don't like me."
"Now, come on, Kyo…" Kazuma turned. "This is Kyo Sohma. He's the protector of the cat spirit, and I've recently adopted him as my son."
Hatori blinked. Oh.
"Congratulations, Kazuma-san!" said Shigure. "I hope he's only half the savage that we were."
The other children warily examined the new orange-haired outsider, who glared at them defiantly. Quite suddenly, the room burst into chatter as the children returned to what they had been doing- and Haru, digging in his heels, had pulled Kyo into their video game.
"Hatori-kun, show me where the others are," Kazuma said loudly, leading Hatori out of the room.
Hatori stared. "You know where they always socialize."
"Yes," said Kazuma. "But I don't know why you suddenly looked so troubled when I told you all that I had adopted Kyo."
"No reason."
"Hatori-kun…"
"What? I told you, no reason."
"Except I suddenly decide to adopt this boy who've you've only heard of before, even though I've said, many times, that I don't want the round-the-clock responsibilities of children, and I have enough as it is just teaching them?"
"Don't put words in my mouth," snapped Hatori.
"He's the cat, Hatori-kun."
"I know! I'm not jealous or anything, ok? Kazuma-san."
"All right. I understand."
"I don't need any helping chances, unlike some people."
"Hatori-kun." Kazuma looked at him seriously, and pulled the boy towards him. Hatori made a small noise of protest, which the teacher ignored. "I had hoped that you would have become relaxed in your judgment by now."
"I can't do that."
"Oh… I see," said Kazuma. He pulled away and looked at Hatori. "Yes… I understand…"
"Good."
"You'll be fine, Hatori-kun," said Kazuma. "I'm expecting that from you- in fact, I'll be disappointed if you amount to less than what you want to be."
Hatori snorted. "Did you forget what Akito-san said to us?"
"No," said Kazuma. "I also remember the very revealing conversation that he had with me, when you weren't paying attention." He sighed. "Akito-san is the family head, and one day he will be a very wise albeit stern leader. But not yet."
"We're in his house and you're saying that out loud?" asked Hatori. "I… well, I mean, it's not like he has spies out, but still…"
"He's not omnipotent, Hatori-kun," said Kazuma. "He's a child. He's only nine."
To emphasize his point, he nodded into the room at Kagura, who for some reason seemed quite taken with Kyo (despite his violent howls about getting cooties). Hatori nodded to show he understood and Kazuma, pleased, wandered down the hallways towards the other adults.
But in all honestly, Hatori didn't feel quite sure he understood. Akito was different from other nine-year-olds. He was young, and he could be childish, but he wasn't a child.
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end chapter 4
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:: notes
I –think– you have to be in your twenties, and pay a few hundred dollars to get a driver's license. Not quite sure. And speaking of mistakes, I think I'll edit and re-upload ch. 2 and 3, if I have the time. They don't please me, and the format isn't consistent at all.
I admit I did that last ficpart so I could write about little Sohmas again. Sue me. At least I put Kyo in it, right? Also, I'm not quite positive if I got Kureno and Rin's ages right. Gomen again.