Chapter 1: Getting Tipsy over Mail
Disclaimer: I do not own RK.
"Good game, Shinomori." Aoshi's teammate said as he patted him on his shoulder.
"Thanks, you too. You guys always here everyday?"
"Nope. We always play on Saturday mornings though. You should come. I'm assuming you live around here?
"Yup. I'll be there. I could use the exercise. Thanks, Akira."
"No problem, I'll see you then."
It was a good thing he decided to play. He hadn't sweated like this for a long time, and that's saying a lot. For some reason he woke up unusually early, which was weird because he was renowned for hating Monday mornings. He woke up around 5 a.m. Aoshi decided to go back to sleep, but he couldn't. Grabbing 2 bananas and his water bottle, he decided to go for jog or a game of basketball if there were people actually awake at this time of the day. And to his surprise there were quite a number of people. He quickly headed to the basketball court. He was greeted by a bunch of guys that were already warming up. He jogged towards them and asked if he could play. He was immediately scrutinized from head to toe. Judging by his height and his built, Akira, the guy who he approached gave Aoshi a quick nod and told him which team he was on.
Aoshi, not being that aggressive, just gave a few three-pointers here and there and rebounds every now and then. The game was pretty much relaxed but as soon as the last quarter began, everybody began to hustle. The opposing team then realized how good Aoshi was, so he was then assigned with a guard. The guard was a persistent one and knew how to do the job well. Aoshi's game was a bit messed up and he kept fouling the guard, but in the end Aoshi's team won.
Upon reaching his building, he checked if there was any mail. He began sorting through the cluster of envelopes. He reddened a bit as he sorted the mail because it was nothing but catalogs for ladies underwear. An important-looking envelope caught his eye though. His eyebrows furrowed as he read who the letter was from and who it was addressed to.
"A letter came in for you." Aoshi help up the envelope and handed it over to Kaoru who looked completely zoned out, having just woken up from bed. She stayed up pretty late the other night cramming her paper work for school.
"Huh?" She said as she squinted her eyes at Aoshi. "I need tea." She scratched her head groggily.
Aoshi ran his hand through his hair impatiently. He was itching to find out what Kaoru's results were. "Well, hurry up."
Last year Kaoru had applied to UJ for her master's degree. They were offering a scholarship on the program Kaoru wanted to take so since the application was free because UJ was a state university and seeing that she had nothing to lose, she gave it a shot. Applying may be a piece of cake but the test that came along with it was notoriously hard. Kaoru was surprised that a test was required. She then found out that the test was rumored to be harder than the educator's licensure exam. Aoshi had helped Kaoru prepare for that test. He became Kaoru's personal tutor or slave driver as Kaoru quaintly put it. The Shinomori siblings had invested blood, sweat, and tears for this application, so Aoshi's anticipation was understandable. But Kaoru didn't currently share Aoshi's enthusiasm, as the reality of the situation had not dawned upon her yet due to her half-dead-to-the-world state. At the moment, Kaoru was sipping her green tea slowly, much to Aoshi's consternation.
"It's a letter from the university. It's probably about the scholarship."
"What scholarship?"
"The one with the test."
"Huh?"
"The one I tutored you for." Aoshi said not bothering to hide the annoyance in his voice.
"Oh, that one." Kaoru's eyes darkened in remembrance. "Correction dear brother, the one you almost killed me with because of your inhumane way of tutoring. How can I forget?" Kaoru muttered. The present situation still hadn't dawned upon her.
"Just open the envelope." Aoshi ordered icily.
"You open it."
"No, you open it."
"No, you open it."
"Fine."
"Fine." A malevolent grin broke through Kaoru's face as she got the last say in the argument.
Giving Kaoru one last icy stare, Aoshi ripped the envelope open. A whole bunch of papers fell out of it. A small official-looking slip caught his eyes. He quickly ran through it. He wasn't saying anything. He wasn't even smiling or frowning or anything. But there was a certain shine to his eyes.
"What did it say?" Kaoru asked, her curiosity finally aroused.
"See it for yourself." Aoshi answered quietly handing her only the small piece of official-looking paper. Kaoru was quite unnerved by Aoshi's reaction. She found herself dreading what was written on the said letter. Feeling a bit nervous of what the letter contained, she accepted it as Aoshi handed it to her. After 3 seconds of silent reading, an ear-piercing scream sliced through the air.
It was followed by a loud banging of the door swinging open, revealing a very pissed-looking Megumi. Clad in her pajamas, green gunk spread all over her face and hair in curlers, she gave Aoshi and Kaoru very very nasty looks.
"As you're trying to turn us into stone, Medusa, I'd like you take a look at this." Kaoru grinned at her.
Megumi roughly grabbed the letter from her. After another 3 seconds of silent reading, another ear-piercing scream sliced through the air.
Jumping and dancing around like crazed monkeys ensued after.
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"To Kaoru!" Megumi crowed happily, raising a glass of champagne.
"To Kaoru." Aoshi agreed solemnly. For someone who already had quite a number of glasses of alcohol, he still seemed so serious. The trio had been thoroughly enjoying themselves, especially Kaoru.
"No, no, no!" Kaoru slurred happily. "To my beautiful cousin and dear brother! You two have literally pushed me to settle for nothing but excellence and have been with me all the way!"
"To the three of us!" Megumi cheered. "May the three of us continue to be the competitive, high-strung, smart-assed, over-achievers that we are!"
"Aa." Aoshi nodded, taking a long swig of champagne.
"Hiccup!" Kaoru giggled uncontrollably and stumbled on to the hard-wood floor, in which more giggles ensued. She gave a contented sigh, and sat up Indian-style. She looked around the apartment the three of them shared.
With its high ceilings, hardwood floors, airy atmosphere, and big space, the trio couldn't have asked for more. From what it looks like now, it was hard to believe that just 2 years ago, they'd been arguing over the rent, rooms, and furnishings.
Kaoru liked eye-blinding color.
Aoshi was a minimalist, the less stuff the better.
Megumi looked like a fabric rose nymph obsessed with shabby-chic.
One can just imagine the first few months of these three individuals living together - complete and utter chaos. Their fellow renters had reported them several times for the racket they caused – Megumi's shrill cries of protest, Aoshi's annoying and deliberate throwing of moving boxes, Kaoru roaring at Aoshi for leaving the toilet seat down, and so on. It came to the point that Mr. Shinomori, the Shinomori's dad and Megumi's uncle threatened to throw them out because he was always receiving complaints about the "tenants at 137" It was hard to believe that three of them came out of those first months without throttling each other.
Their space now was a happy marriage between their three preferences. Aoshi chose the clean-cut furnishings. Kaoru added color to the room with her varied selection of pillows, throws, and carpets. Megumi indulged on her shabby-chic fantasies through lots of candles, fabric roses, and Oriental antiques. Friends of the inhabitants were often asked if they hired an interior decorator to do their place. They'd respond with grins. Well, Aoshi didn't grin, but he did smirk.
And Aoshi knows now to always leave the seat up, sometimes.
The trio still has their little spats every now and then, but it's nothing a game of rock-paper-scissors can't solve.
They have much to be thankful for. They share a great apartment. All of them have respectable jobs- Aoshi as an art director at Bluestone Media, Megumi as a doctor at Genzai General Hospital, and Kaoru as a preschool and first-grade teacher at Rosewood Elementary. Life was good.
Kaoru looked up and whispered a prayer of thanks.
Thanks DD!