Chapter 7


The two flew apart, Ryuichi grabbing for his briefs and jeans. Tatsuha was also trying to dress frantically. "She's inside the house," the boy whispered. "How do we explain you?"

"We don't," Ryuichi retorted, throwing on his coat and grabbing his hat. "If it were just Tohma, I'd stay. But you're Mika's baby brother and she'd kill me." With that, the singer raised the window and swung his legs out, landing in a bush.

"Ryuichi, I have to be back in Kyoto on Monday!" Tatsuha cried after him in anguish. But the singer was already running down the sidewalk.

In that second, a thump landed on the bedroom door. The lock popped open, obviously unable to resist the trick of someone who knew it well. Tatsuha 'acked,' and leapt over to shut the window. He was wearing only his jeans. "WELL, EXCUSE ME," said the teenager in his most acid tones, glaring.

Mika stepped in and saw her half-naked brother. The bush outside was still twitching from Ryuichi's plunge. "You didn't have to shove your girlfriend out the window. You could have asked her to stay for dinner," Mika said.

Too surprised to reply for a moment, Tatsuha retrieved his shirt and buttoned it up. "What are you talking about? You just woke me from a nap."

"Uh-huh, with your shirt off, and the window open on a winter day. Weren't you bitching about the cold earlier? Come and help me with the bags." She left the room, grinning archly.

Tatsuha stared out the window after Ryuichi.

Now what?


Dinner that night was awful for Tatsuha.

"Tatsuha had a girl in his bedroom a little earlier," Mika said to her husband, "and he threw her out the window when I came in. He did use protection, though. I found the rubber while poking through the trash in his bedroom."

Shut up shut up shut up shut up.

"Good," replied Tohma. "At least he won't be paying child support while he's still a legal minor himself."

You fucker, shut up or I'll kill you.

"Mika, are you sure it was a girl? He's being awfully quiet about it."

Mika stared intently at the teenager. "You're right. He is being very quiet. But if it were a boy, he'd be bragging about that, too."

"Did you really want that much soy sauce with your rice?" Tohma asked.

Tatsuha looked down. He'd poured half the bottle into his rice bowl and the grains were swimming.

"But if it wasn't a girl and it wasn't a boy, what's left?" Mika queried. "Animals?"

"Will you two knock it off!" Tatsuha finally shouted.

"Is this my brother? He's being modest? He must have a fever." She leaned over to feel his forehead. "His temperature's okay. I don't understand this."

Tohma gave Tatsuha a sideways look. "Maybe he's in love."

Tatsuha reddened. "Hey! Leave me alone." I wish I'd stayed at Eiri's. Neither he nor Shuichi would have given me this crap.

"All right," Mika conceded. Tohma, however, was studying him intently.


That evening, Tohma entered the guest bedroom while Tatsuha was playing a CD over the room's stereo system.

"What is this awful music you're playing?" Seguchi huffed in a reproving, middle-aged way.

Tatsuha, who had been trying (without success) to concentrate on a history assignment instead of Ryuichi, blinked at his brother-in-law. With profound relish, he replied, "It's Nittle Grasper's first album."

Tohma stood still for a long moment, listening. Then he colored. "It's the instrumental, isn't it?"

"Uh-huh," the teenager replied maliciously.

"Gah! I think I even wrote this piece." Seguchi shook his head. "It's been over a decade since I've heard it. Oh, well."

"Did you have something you needed to talk about?" Tatsuha prompted. He was thoroughly enjoying this. Payback for all that crap over dinner.

"Yes. K just called and said he'd like to talk to you."

"Me?"

"Yes. He wants you to stop by his apartment tomorrow morning." Tohma narrowed his eyes. "What have you been up to?"

"Nothing!" Tatsuha protested. He honestly couldn't think why the American would need to see him. And at K's apartment? That was strange. Why couldn't the American just drop by here?


Continued in chapter 8.