Programmed Lives - First Stage
Chapter Fourteen
After a brief silence during which James looked at Ryosuke studying him carefully, he said to Akiko:
'Wow Aki, when did this happen? Because last time I spoke to you, you didn't even mention having a boyfriend, let alone having been proposed marriage.'
'I know, I'm sorry, is just that, it's been quite sudden and I haven't had the time to tell you yet,' she explained.
'I just proposed to her,' Ryosuke added, not wanting to be excluded from the conversation.
'Ah, I see. That's why you still haven't got a ring,' James commented making Akiko cover her left hand with the right one, 'and tell me, what does your father think of all of this?' he asked.
'Ryosuke is the son of one of his friends,' she explained and that made him take another look at Ryosuke.
'I understand now, so this is all your father's doing,' he commented, his voice full of disapproval.
'At first yes, but now I'm happy about it. You don't need to worry,' she assured him.
'Can't do that, I'm afraid I'll always be worried about you my dear baby sister,' he said patting her shoulder affectionately.
'What brings you to Japan, James?' Ryosuke said trying to change the subject of the conversation.
'A conference, the organisation I work for needed someone to go to Tokyo and, knowing that Aki was here I volunteered for it.'
'You must need to get some rest then, we'll better take you to the hotel,' she said.
'You want to get rid of me already? I just arrived!' James complained with mock offence.
'No, is just that…' she said biting her lower lip.
'I know, you probably need to go and celebrate your engagement in private,' James said making Akiko's cheeks turn a very deep shade of red, 'don't worry, I understand. But tomorrow night you're all mine. Can't wait for you to show me what a Japanese nightclub looks like.'
'That can easily be arranged,' she said, this time smiling.
'Your fiancé is welcome to join us, of course,' he said bowing his head towards Ryosuke.
'We can go to the place my brother usually goes,' Ryosuke suggested.
'Sure, wherever you want, I'm not fussy as long as the music is good,' he said and then he said repressing a yawn, 'Aki, I think you're right, I could do with a long shower and eight hours of sleep somewhere where I can stretch my legs properly.'
They were heading towards the car when James put a hand on Ryosuke's shoulder as to make him fall back and, whispering so Akiko would not be able to hear them, he said:
'Ryosuke, you look like a decent enough chap to me but, I consider Akiko a sister, she was there for me when no one was, not even my family. This may sound like a cliché but, if you hurt her in anyway, I'll beat the crap out of you first and ask questions later, understood?'
'Loud and clear,' Ryosuke replied refusing to be intimidated by a guy who indeed looked like he could deliver what he had just said.
'Good, then I think we'll be good friends,' James said passing his arm around Ryosuke's shoulders making him feel a tad uncomfortable.
Akiko, realising the two men had left her alone, turned round and said:
'James, don't start with him too. Ryosuke, I'm sorry, he likes teasing people like that…'
James removed his arm from Ryosuke's shoulders and complained:
'You're not fun Aki,' then he walked towards her leaving Ryosuke behind.
Ryosuke was only too happy when they left James at his hotel in Tokyo, not before arranging to meet up to go clubbing the following night.
When they arrived at the Arakawa's house, Akiko's father had not arrived yet. All the better, Akiko thought, this way they wouldn't have to explain the reason why they had taken the Diamante all the way to Narita and back.
'When do you think we should tell the parents?' he said as he opened the door of his FC.
'I don't know, the sooner the better I think,' she replied.
'Alright, what about tomorrow night before we go clubbing?' he suggested.
'Fine by me, why don't you all come for dinner here? This way we'll only have to make the announcement once,' she proposed.
'Good idea. Seven?'
'Seven,' she agreed.
'Okay. See you tomorrow then,' he said and then, just before climbing into his car, he kissed briefly on the lips.
She simply nodded and, as he pulled towards the lane, he saw her waving him goodbye.
I'm an engaged man now, Ryosuke thought as he made his way back to Takasaki. If anyone had told him that in less than two weeks he'd go from being a free agent to be a soon-to-be-married man he would have laughed at the very idea.
He only hoped this wasn't all a horrible mistake.
Not much later, Keisuke heard a knock on his door.
'Keisuke, are you there?' he heard Ryosuke ask.
This had to be one of these things that had something to do with some bizarre planet alignment: his brother asking to be let in his room twice in a row, whatever next? Snow in the middle of August?
'Come in Aniki,' he said and his brother opened the door, again ignoring the general chaos, and tried to find an empty chair for him to seat down. Not a good sign, Keisuke thought.
'I need to tell you something,' Ryosuke stating the very obvious to Keisuke. The younger Takahashi chose not to point that out.
'What is it?' he asked bracing himself for whatever was to come.
'I've asked Akiko to marry me,' Ryosuke said with a very steady voice.
Keisuke jumped off his bed to stand up to Ryosuke.
'I knew it! I just knew it!' he shouted while pointing his finger accusingly at his brother, 'what happened to 'I have a plan, Keisuke', 'Don't worry, everything will be fine Keisuke'? What happened to that?'
'And I'd like you to come and live with us when we'll get married,' Ryosuke added, completely ignoring the display of anger from his younger brother.
'You what?' Keisuke asked, his anger giving quickly way to the biggest astonishment possible.
'I want you to live with us, if you want,' Ryosuke repeated patiently.
'Why?' Keisuke asked, still too stunned to form coherent sentences.
'Because I don't feel like leaving you here at this stage of your formation as a professional racer,' Ryosuke explained.
'What does that girl think of all of this?' Keisuke finally managed to ask, putting the maximum amount of contempt in the words 'that girl'.
'This is Akiko's idea, I just happen to agree with her,' Ryosuke explained making Keisuke's jaw fall leaving him open-mouthed, 'so, do you want to come and live with us or not?' Ryosuke insisted.
'Won't I be on the way? I don't want to be a third wheel,' Keisuke asked after having regained the ability to speak once again.
'No, Akiko thinks we could make a small apartment within the house so you have your privacy,' Ryosuke explained.
'I don't know what to say,' Keisuke said. This girl was either too good to be true or else she had some secret agenda. This made Keisuke feel very edgy about the whole thing.
'Well, mull it over and let us know. We'll announce it tomorrow night at the Arakawa's where we're all invited for dinner, if you want to join us that is,' Ryosuke said and, getting up, he said, 'ah, Keisuke, do you have the address of that nightclub you usually go?'
'Of course, why?'
'Akiko's best friend has just arrived to Japan and wants to go clubbing tomorrow night after dinner.'
'Ah, I see. Can I come with you?' Keisuke said thinking that this would be a good chance to speak to Akiko so he would find out what on earth that girl was planning.
'Sure. Actually, I'd feel better if you're there,' Ryosuke thought thinking of the not-so-friendly way in which James had spoken to him earlier.
'Great,' Keisuke said.
'Good night Keisuke,' Ryosuke said smiling so cheerfully that Keisuke couldn't help but to think that maybe his brother was truly happy about the whole thing.
Feeling extremely confused by this latest turn on the events, Keisuke threw himself back on his bed and started thinking.
His beloved Aniki was about to get married. He just couldn't believe it.
Then, as if something had clicked into place, he had one of his brilliant ideas.
'Of course! I'll need a second opinion,' he said aloud while looking for his mobile phone.
After finding it underneath a pile of clothes, he selected a number from his contacts list.
'Hello?' a sleepy voice replied at the other end.
'Oops, sorry, where you sleeping?' he asked looking at his watch.
'Yeah, it's one o'clock in the morning Keisuke.'
'I'm sorry Kyoko is just that I really needed to speak to you,' he said.
'Okay, I'm awake now, what can I do for you?' Kyoko's voice replied sounding extremely happy to hear that her darling needed to speak to her.
'Aniki has just told me he's getting married,' he said.
'What?' Kyoko shouted and, from what he could hear, she had jumped out of her bed too.
'Yeah, I know, shocking, huh?'
'Yes! Is that Akiko girl?' she asked.
'Yeah. tomorrow they'll be announcing it to our parents and then we're going clubbing to celebrate. The thing is that according to Aniki, Akiko wants me to move in with them whenever they get married. I'm very happy to be able to leave this house with him but, I can't help thinking that she's got some sort of weird plan in her mind…'
'Why would she do that?' Kyoko said trying to be careful so her scepticism wouldn't be very obvious.
'I don't know, the thing is, I'd like for you to meet her, talk to her and then tell me what you think. You know, among women you understand things about each other that we men can't see…'
'You're asking me to go out tomorrow with you?' she asked, just to make sure she had understood the concept.
'Well, if you're not busy. I really need your opinion on this,' he explained.
'Sure. Just tell me when and where,' she said, this time not bothering to hide how very happy she was.
'Do you know the club Down Beat in Maebashi?' he asked.
'Yes, it's a pretty famous one,' she replied.
'Okay, let's meet there at around 11 o'clock, okay?'
'Sure,' she said.
'Thanks Kyoko, I really appreciate this,' he said.
'No problem,' Kyoko replied, Keisuke didn't realise this but the poor Kyoko was actually making a titanic effort trying to remain as steady and coherent as possible but, if Keisuke could have seen her at that moment, he would have seen Kyoko standing up, holding her phone with a very shaky hand and covering her neck with the other one while trying to remember how to breathe.
'Good night Kyoko,' he said and, as he hung up the phone, he could have sworn he had heard Kyoko's scream of sheer joy.
For some unknown reason, that made him smile.
To be continued…
