Chapter Seven: Unpleasant incident

Hello, I am back. I hadn't updated because I am busy studying… anyway, let's continue.

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It's raining so hard the next day. Shohoku's classes were suspended earlier, and Kaede's simply bored, staying on his enormously large room. He can't keep himself busy, though he has his own indoor basketball court located somewhere at their mansion. He knows he has something to do, unfortunately, he can barely remember.

"Is this the effect of being a good student for a day?" he asked himself. "I wanted to do something."

Then his thoughts returned to the happenings yesterday.

That girl named Erin.

Yes, he finally remembered. He was planning to go to her house, making use of the bio-data, which was unintentionally delivered to Shohoku high. What he wants is to meet her, and to return to her the form.

Another Kaede spoke sarcastically in his mind, Why do you want to help her anyway? What's so special?

He simply shrugged to himself. "I don't know,"

Anyway, as I was saying, I do not need to go there. Moreover, it's raining hard!

"But---"he replied, "a large part of me wants to."

He grabbed his raincoat. Then he returned to his study table, and his eyes slowly meandered on the bio data. Then his sight turned to the large mirror beside him (vanity mirror? Just kidding,) and he suddenly decided to change his clothes.

Are you sure, you'll go out? His 'conscience' spoke up once more.

"Yeah. I told you." He murmured. "Bug me later."

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"Haruko?"

"Yeah?"

"What's the matter with you?" Takenori Akagi asked, walking towards his little sister. "You seem different. Is something bothering you?"

"It's nothing to worry about, brother." She answered as she smiled.

"It's something to do with yesterday." Akagi sat down in the seat in front of Haruko. "You don't have to deny it."

"It is obvious then," Haruko said.

"Why won't it be? You did not talk afterwards." He answered her. "I'm so sorry for doing that to you. I shouldn't have done it. I knew that you like him either. I'm really sorry for trying to---"

"It's no big deal, brother. I also knew from the start that he does not like me."

"Then why didn't you just--"

She shook her head lightly. "I'm alright. At least I had some time with a super rookie!"

Akagi smiled, "That's a positive look at it. I'm happy about that." He said, getting off his seat. "I need to do something, excuse me."

"Okay." She answered.

"My brother really cares about how I feel; now I do not feel the pain." Haruko thought. "I wonder if Rukawa-kun had thought of that… maybe,"

Her sight turned to the window, and to the dark skies. "I think he did thought of it."

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"I'm going out." Kaede said, pointing to the gate. "Please open,"

"But your parents strictly told us to let you out because---" the butler tried to explain, but the Kaede's eyebrows began to intersect. "Well, where are you going, young master Kaede?"

"Uh… somewhere," he muttered.

His butler gave him a peculiar look. "You're not the type of person who goes out on this cold rainy day…"

"I've changed,"

"Really?" he exclaimed. "I've heard of it too… and it might be good… right?"

He nodded. "Please let me go?"

Their butler sighed. "Okay, okay. You really know I can't stand not to grant what you want,"

He smiled. "Thanks!" then he abruptly left, wearing the hood of his raincoat. Their butler looked at him admiringly,

"He is starting to return to his real self…" he said, "It's like I see in him once more the little Kaede I look after many years ago…"

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"Oh, wow!" Erin exclaimed, jumping up and down. "Yay! Finally, I'll see him again!"

"Don't get too excited, I think I was wrong to break the surprise!" Grandma chuckled. "Ren might get angry with me… It won't be too long. He's returning now."

"I cannot wait to see Ren again." Erin's face turned red.

"I saw that!" Grandma teased her. "I know that my grandson misses you too."

Ren Akiyama is Grandma's only son. He is Erin's childhood friend (and sweetheart), and they've been together in Kanagawa since they were preschool kids. He is the same age as Erin, only 2 months older. His grandma loves him so much, and when he was a boy, he usually stayed by her side, together with little Erin. Since both their parents were so busy that time, the only place where they stay is at the house of his grandma. Erin's big sister Mako, who is about 10 years older than Erin is, seldom goes with them because she says she's too old to play with them.

When Erin and Ren were 10 years old, they have to separate ways already. Ren is going with his parents to stay at America, and because of that, Erin made Ren promise her that he will return someday and will never leave her. It was a childish promise, but since he's returning, Erin knew it was something good.

"It won't be too long, Ren." Erin thought. "We'll finally see each other again."

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Kaede is already at the bus stop. When he looked at the pocket of this raincoat, he saw his I-pod on it. He quickly turned it on, and listened to music, of course. Suddenly, he saw a black cat crossing the street. He tried his best to get its attention to come to him. He walked closer to it, then he saw an approaching van.

"Hey, look out, kitty!"

He instinctively snatched the cat to save it, but…

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"Yes, this is Mrs. Akiyama," grandma answered the phone. It was the police. "What do you need?"

"Ma'am, please don't be shocked. The plane where Mr. Ren Akiyama is crashed yesterday. He's in a terrible condition… and he's here at Kanagawa general hospital right now. According to his ID, you are his sole relative here at Kanagawa."

She could not reply to person calling. It might be a joke, but…

"Oh God!" Erin cried. "Grandma! Grandma!"

Grandma glanced at Erin's direction. Erin stands in front of the TV set, and she is too shocked to move. It was really there, on the news, that the plane from USA crashed several minutes ago, and it was already covered by the media.

Grandma dropped the phone, and then she shook her head…

"…Ren…"

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"Oh my god, is he going to be alright?" a man asked while running after the nurses going to the ER. "Answer me!"

"We will do everything about this," a doctor said.

"Oh my god… oh my god!" the man was getting more nervous. He was a bit drunk that afternoon, and he hadn't noticed the raven-haired guy who crossed the street.

His identity wasn't known yet, and upon saving a black cat… unfortunately was hit by the van. It was quite stupid for him to do such a thing which caused this. The man who hit him remained in a nervous condition as the police came to him.

"He has no ID. We only got this bio-data and this I-pod."

The man looked at them. "I'm liable for this."

"Let's go." The police said that they should investigate, using the folded bio-data located on his coat. They plan to call the phone number written there, and…

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THE NEXT DAY:

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"Erin!" Grandma cried. "open the door!"

Erin remained in her room after knowing the incident. She cannot accept the fact: the reality that the person she's waiting for is currently in danger.

"God, what might happen to him?" she thought as tears flowed in her eyes. "Please do not let something bad happen…"

Ren's grandma still kept herself calm, and she's getting ready to go to the hospital. Suddenly, their phone rang.

"Hello, is this the house of Miss Erin Machino?"

"This is her guardian right now, what do you need?"

"Ma'am, this is the police. We need her to come right now here at Kanagawa General Hospital."

"Why?" she was surprised. That hospital is where Ren and the other plane survivors were brought. "is it about my grandson?"

"If she can't come, you can come along ma'am. We just need you to identify a person."

"Alright."

Though confused, Ren's grandma went to the hospital. And she wanted to know Ren's condition right now…

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