Chapter 26: It's Time to Grow Up!
Ordinarily, Kitsune didn't mind when the Hinata residents used her tea room as a place to study. The problem was, with finals—especially when three of them were graduating this month—everyone going to school was surly, which led to tempers flaring and shouting.
Su had shown up determined to "help" the others. She stopped by each table, passing out bunches of bananas. "Come on, they might improve your brain power! I eat them all the time!"
"But you're a moron!" Kanako snarled.
"Knock it off!" Kitsune growled. "This time is for studying."
Even the normally sweet Mutsumi had stormed downstairs from her room to snarl at Sara for loudly bitching about Haruka.
"It's time to grow up or shut up, Sara!" Mutsumi snapped. "Right now, I don't care which as long as it's quiet!"
Slightly cowed, Sara defended herself. "We were happy with just the three of us," Sara grumbled. "Then she just has to have an accident and I'm just left out in the cold!"
Kitsune glared and gritted her teeth. While there wasn't anyone she'd wanted to have a child with at the moment, the fact that she didn't have the option did make Sara's words hurt.
"Then do something about it!" Mutsumi said coldly. "Just sitting here complaining isn't doing anything but annoying the rest of us."
"What else can I do? It's not like I can talk to Haruka about it!"
"And what is it you can't talk to Haruka about?"
"Weren't you paying attention? When Papa-san and Haruka have their baby, what's gonna happen to me?"
"Seems to me that is what you should be talking to her about. But if you can't, why not talk to the one person here who has gone through what you fear?"
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Thank you so much, Mutsumi… Naru thought wearily as she sat across from Sara. But she kept her annoyance off her face. Most of it was due to the discomfort of her own late pregnancy and she didn't want to take it out on others. "You know, Sara, that Haruka was just as surprised as you were."
"I know!" Sara snapped. Then she sighed. "I'm sorry. Just 'cause I'm mad doesn't mean I should dump on you. But what I learned about you and your stepmom makes me afraid it could be happening to us too."
"Maybe," Naru said, thinking about what she hoped that Sara would take from her own experience. "But my Stepmother had some issues that made her unable to handle two children and I don't think Haruka is showing signs of that."
"Okay," Sara said, reluctantly. "I guess that makes sense. But if they have a baby together, then doesn't that make the kid something special for them that I can't compete with?"
"Does it have to be a competition? Back when your dad left you with us, you really bonded with Haruka. It looked like a mother-daughter relationship to me."
"Yeah," Sara admitted, grudgingly. "I guess it felt like one too."
"I don't think Haruka stopped feeling that way. I mean, she told me first simply because I'm the only one here who's been pregnant and she wanted to know what to expect. But she also wanted my advice with how to approach you with the news. That means she thought your knowing was the highest priority."
"I… guess I never thought of it that way…" Sara said, hanging her head.
"It might be good to start," Naru replied gently.
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"At least it didn't happen during finals," Takane said gently, hoping he sounded reassuring.
"I guess that's something anyway," Shinobu murmured, somewhat muffled beneath the mask and the layer of blankets on her futon. She supposed Takane being in her room like this was a violation of their rule but the door was wide open, and Haruka was tending to her. Besides, with this cold, she sure as hell didn't feel temptation to do anything.
"If you need anything, don't hesitate to let me know…" Takane said with a concerned smile.
"That's so sweet," Shinobu said gratefully. "But I probably won't."
"Why is that?" Takane asked, wondering if he had offended her.
"Well, I don't want you to catch my cold, for one thing, silly!" Shinobu replied. "Besides, I feel kind of ugly right now…"
"That's not true!" Takane protested, loyally.
"That's right!" Su shouted, bursting into the room with a bunch of bananas. "Being ugly isn't contagious!"
"Su…" Haruka growled.
"So even though you're totally ugly, let us know and we'll be there for you!"
THWACK! went Haruka's harisen.
Shinobu burrowed under the covers and rolled away from Su with a groan.
"Come on, loverboy," Haruka firmly said to Takane while grabbing Su by the ear. "Let Shinobu get her beauty sleep for now."
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Sara sat on the rock watching the smoldering ruins of the annex, holding Kokeru's hand. This was partly done out of a hope of having him think of them and partly to keep his hands from other parts of her body. Idly, she wondered how here was anything here besides a pit of ash after all of Su's ordinance tests.
She frowned… and punched Kokeru in the head as his free hand swept too high up her chest.
"Knock it off, dork!" she growled. "That's why Haruka hates you!"
"Oh, Sara-chan," Kokeru said with a lewd chuckle. "Nobody comes up here."
"Everybody comes up here!" Sara snapped, punching him again. Sometimes I wonder why I hang out with this moron!
Sure enough, there was a sound of footprints, panting, and a muttered "slow down, dammit!" An excited Hachi emerged, dragging an exasperated Haruka. Her eyes met Sara's and Sara could see the older woman was torn over which would cause more harm: speaking to her or being silent.
Haruka pursed her lips and, deciding that more harm might be done by staying and risking that Sara might do something reckless out of defiance, than by her leaving, nodded and moved on.
"Okay, that was unexpected," Sara remarked.
"I get the feeling your Mom doesn't like me," Kokeru said, rubbing up against Sara.
Nobody here likes you! Sara thought, punching him facedown into the dirt again. "Oh?"
"My parents want to meet you though," Kokeru continued. "Maybe she could come along and it would give her a better opinion of me?"
Your parents would have to be saints, Sara thought. But still, the idea had merit.
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"Okay, people!" Kitsune called out. "Three o'clock! I have an appointment with the doctor. Ya don't hafta go home, but ya can't stay here!"
"You seem to be in a good mood," Motoko said. As she wouldn't be graduating until next year, she wasn't quite as stressed as some of the others.
Kitsune held up her arm with her cast on it. "Dr. Juse thinks my cast can come off this week. I hope she's right. I'm tired of this."
"Three months already…" Motoko mused. "Hard to believe."
It had been hard to believe in many ways. Three months ago, Kitsune had been hospitalized and subsequently arrested for a drunk driving wreck. Now—with the help of antabuse—she was much more emotionally stable and responsible.
"I hope things go well for you. Is Haruka driving you?" Obviously Naru couldn't and Keitaro wasn't here.
"Hmm?" Kitsune replied, looking surprised. "Oh, umm, no… I have a friend who's gonna drive me."
The other women in the tearoom perked up their ears with that.
"Oh ho," Motoko said, wondering if there was a chance for payback for all of her meddling.
"It ain't like that," Kitsune protested, somewhat flustered by the scrutiny. "Dae-Jeong and I have just enjoyed hanging out at his restaurant. So, he offered to drive me there and back."
"I see," Motoko relented. I bet it is serious for him, but she doesn't realize it yet. Well, in that case, I won't be the one to mess it up.
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"How are you feeling?" Mutsumi asked Haruka.
Haruka had been sitting in the kitchen… somewhat in disarray with Shinobu feeling sick.
"Like I signed on for more than I can handle," Haruka sighed. "I'm craving a cigarette, I'm getting acrimony from Sara, where Seta is is anybody's guess."
Mutsumi nodded sympathetically. "Ara, Ara, I had a few words with Sara myself. It's funny. Being the oldest of eight, my mother having another baby never seemed so strange. But here, the announcement of a pregnancy seems world ending."
Oh, I bet you were probably a big switch for your parents… Haruka thought wryly.
"Anyway," Mutsumi continued, "I get the feeling that Sara's more worried that she won't be needed if you have a baby. And babies do take up more time than people realize."
"Ah, Dammit! I really made a bad decision getting married. I can't care for Seta, so he needs to run off to get away from me! I can't take care of Sara, so she fights with me! What kind of life can I provide for this kid?"
"Plenty, if you get rid of your self-pity!" Mutsumi suddenly snapped. "You managed to keep this place running for years. You haven't changed…" her voice grew gentler. "You just can't hide the fact any longer from yourself that you do care."
"Heh," Haruka said in spite of herself. "Me, caring!" She wiped her eye, wondering why she was so emotional lately.
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Wouldn't it be funny if I overheard that? Sara thought, standing in the blind spot beside the entrance. She just wanted a snack, but now she had to think about things she never considered before.
Maybe it's time to grow up….
Author's Notes
I'll admit to shamelessly stealing from My Girlfriend is a T-Rex for Su's interjection in Takane/Shinobu's discussion.