Daisuke rushed from one place to the other. The Kyoto City Candy Shop was very busy this morning. The shop was very popular around Japan. They even took in orders from other towns. It was a few weeks before Valentine's Day, and everyone was rushing early to get the best candies from the shop. "Ah, I need a break!" he complained as he wrapped up his ninetieth gift. "This place is slammed when it's February! At least I get paid for overtime at work."
"Daisuke, we need four large heart-shaped boxes of our finest assorted chocolates, all with no nuts and cherries!" the manager said.
Daisuke ran over to the place where they kept their chocolates. "It's like a fast food restaurant!" He quickly placed the chocolates into four large boxes, and ran back to the manager. "Four large heart-shaped boxes of our finest assorted chocolates!"
"Thank you Daisuke! You're doing a wonderful job!" the manager said.
"Why does he need four boxes?" Daisuke whispered.
"Oh that man, he's giving one to his wife for Valentine's Day, one for his wife for their anniversary, one for his mother's birthday, and one for his sister who's in the hospital." She explained.
"Oh wow, I hope he has a nice time!" Daisuke laughed.
"Yeah." She chuckled and turned to the man. "That'll be 5000 yen, please." The phone began to ring.
"Daisuke, will you get the phone, please?" Akiko asked.
"Yeah, sure I will!" Daisuke ran to the phone and answered it. "Thank you for calling the Kyoto City Candy Shop, how may I help you?"
"Daisuke?" It was Emiko.
Daisuke removed the phone from his ear and placed his hand over the speaker. "I-it's my mom, Akiko!"
Akiko ran over. She was a red head like Daisuke with bright green eyes. She was a good friend of his, like Riku and Risa. She knows about Daisuke's problem with his mother. "Here let me take the phone! Um hello, ma'am, how may I help you?"
"Where is the young man that was on the other line?" she asked.
"Erm…he's not here right now, he was called by the manager."
"What was his name?"
"Uh...D-Daisuki!"
"Excuse me?"
"N-no his name's Daisuki!"
"Daisuki who?"
"Er…Daisuki Niwaka!"
"What an odd name, I could of sworn he sounded like my son, Daisuke." Emiko explained.
"Erm…n-nope no Daisuke here!"
"Alright, well I would like to place an order."
Akiko took out a pad and pen. "Yes ma'am?"
"I would like a nice gift for my father's birthday. All of your finest assorted chocolates."
Akiko wrote the order down on her pad. "And would you like that shipped or will you come pick it up?"
"Oh, have it shipped please."
"Your address, please?" Emiko told Akiko her address. "Ah, thank you, ma'am!" Emiko hung up.
"That was close!" Daisuke exclaimed.
"Yeah, but at least your secret's safe." Akiko smiled.
Daisuke rested against a wall. "Ah, I'm so tired; I've been running around for four hours straight!"
"Well that's how it is when Valentine's Day, Daisuke." Akiko said.
"Yeah I know." Daisuke sighed.
The manager walked over to Akiko and Daisuke. "You two have worked hard, I appreciate it. Why don't you two take a little break?"
"Are you sure, ma'am, it's pretty packed." Daisuke said.
"Yes I'm sure, we have enough people. You two take a break." She said.
"Ok, thank you ma'am." Akiko said. "Come on, Daisuke, let's get something to eat."
"Yeah, ok." Daisuke stood up straight. Akiko and Daisuke left the store to eat lunch.
The phone rang at the shop. "Hello, thank you for calling the Kyoto Candy Shop, how may I help you?" The manager answered.
"Hello, I called to place an order a while ago, I'd like to cancel the delivery, I'm coming to Kyoto for my father's birthday so I'll just pick it up." It was Emiko again.
"Um yes ma'am, may I ask for you're name?" the manager asked.
"Emiko Niwa."
"Ah yes we have an order for you. We'll cancel you're delivery and leave it here for you when you get here."
"Thank you, goodbye."
"Ah goodbye, ma'am, good doing service with you." Emiko hung up.
"So how are you and Satoshi doing, Daisuke?" Akiko asked at a restaurant.
"We're doing fine. Satoshi works at a Police Station and we both go to school, so we're doing fine." Daisuke explained.
"That's good. You guys look so cute together!" Akiko giggled.
"Yeah a lot of people say that." Daisuke said.
Akiko took a bite out of her sandwich. "So do you guys plan on going back home to your families?"
"Ah, I don't know, if we decide to we will."
"Don't you miss them?"
"Yeah, but when I found out that my mom kicked my dad out of the house because he accepted Satoshi and I being together, I was so upset. I can't forgive her for that."
"I'm sorry, Daisuke."
"No that's ok; it's not your fault."
It was about seven o'clock when Daisuke got home. Satoshi had prepared dinner for them. "You look exhausted, Daisuke." Satoshi said giving Daisuke a kiss on the lips.
Daisuke smiled. "Yeah, Valentine's Day is coming up, so we're busy, but I get paid overtime."
"Heh, don't overexert yourself, Daisuke."
"I'll be fine, Satoshi, don't worry."
"Alright, well dinner's on the table."
"Ok," Daisuke followed Satoshi into the kitchen and sat at the table. They both ate quietly. "Satoshi?"
"Mmm?"
"Um, I almost got caught today."
"What do you mean?"
"Well you know how we get orders from other cities in Japan right?"
"Mmm hmm."
"Well, my mother called to order, I answered and she said my name. Then my friend, Akiko, took the phone and made up a lie about who it was."
"That was close, Daisuke. She might come and drag you out of this house if she found out."
Daisuke nodded and took another bite out of his food. It was silent again. "Satoshi?"
"Yes?"
"Do you ever think about going back home?"
"Do you want to?"
"No, it's not that, it's just do you ever think about going home?"
"I do, sometimes, but I like it here, we get letters from your dad and from Krad too, so when I think about that, I feel fine."
"That's good."
The next day Daisuke was running around again, filling out orders. Akiko ran into the back. "Daisuke," she whispered harshly. "It's your mom; she's here to pick up her order!"
"What? Oh no!"
"Here you go ma'am all of our finest assorted chocolates." The manager said. "That'll be 10,000 yen."
Emiko handed over the money, "excuse me."
"Yes?"
"Do you; by any chance have a Daisuke Niwa working here?"
"Hmm? Why…" Akiko came running out.
"Manager we have a problem in the back!"
"Oh um, excuse me, ma'am."
Akiko pulled the manager back to the back where Daisuke was. "Ma'am I ask that you don't tell her that I work here, that's my mother, Emiko, she is the reason I'm living here alone with Satoshi. You see, she does not like that fact that Satoshi and I love each other. She in fact forbids me to ever coming back to the house unless I broke up with Satoshi. She even kicked my father out of the house for supporting us." Daisuke explained.
"Daisuke's name is Daisuki Niwaka so use that name instead of Daisuke when she's here." Akiko added.
"Alright," the manager walked out of the room.
"Here," Akiko handed Daisuke a brown wig and brown contact lenses. "She'll probably want to see you, so look different."
"Erm, ok," Daisuke put the wig on and the contacts in.
"Hmm, you look weird in straight brown hair."
"That's because you know me with spiked flaming red hair."
"Daisuki, a customer wants to speak with you." The manager called out.
Daisuke looked at Akiko and walked out to the front. "Y-yes ma'am." His voice was a little quieter and higher pitched than usual.
Emiko looked a little disappointed, "Oh I just wanted to see something, you sounded so much like my son over the phone, I was…I was just hoping that you might be him."
"I'm sorry, ma'am."
"No it's alright. Well I better go, thank you." She bowed and left.
"She looked hurt, Daisuke." The manager said.
"She doesn't know how much she's hurt me, somehow, she deserves it." Daisuke frowned.
It was late, Daisuke yawned as he walked up the stairs to his room. The door was open and all was quiet. Daisuke walked slowly into the apartment room. "Daisuke…" it was Satoshi.
"Satoshi, are you alright?" Daisuke ran over to him.
"Hello, Daisuke," it was Emiko. She and Daiki were sitting on the couch.
"M-mom," Daisuke exclaimed.
"I knew you lived here when I heard your voice on the phone, I've come to take you home."
"How did you find my apartment?"
"I followed Mr. Hikari here," she pointed at Satoshi.
Daisuke looked at Satoshi and then back at Emiko. "I'm not going with you, mom."
Emiko stood up. "Oh yes you are," she took hold of Daisuke's arm, starting to take him outside the room.
"No," Daisuke screamed, pulling away from her. Satoshi had joined in and was pulling on Daisuke's free arm. Satoshi yanked hard and they went down to the floor. Daisuke stood up angrily.
"I'm not going with you, and that's final!"
Emiko stood up. "You will do as you're told, Daisuke!" she took hold of Daisuke's arm again.
"Let go!" Daisuke brought his free hand up and slapped Emiko across the face. All was silent. Daiki and Satoshi just stared and Daisuke was beginning to cry. "You miss your chance, mom! I know all about what you did! You told dad that you were not going to accept me back into the house until I broke up with Satoshi, and on top of that, you kicked him out of the house because he accepted Satoshi and me! I hate you! I never want to go back!" tears were streaming down his face now.
"Daisuke…" Satoshi wrapped his arms around Daisuke, who began sobbing. Satoshi looked angrily up at Emiko. "Leave, leave now before you hurt anyone else!"
Emiko glared at Satoshi. Daisuke turned his head towards her, glaring back. Daiki stood up and took hold of Emiko's arm. "Let's go, dear." At that, Emiko and Daiki left, never coming back to see Daisuke again.