Afternote: Another one! I originally thought about moving on to other stories but I couldn't bring myself to abandon this series easily. A few folks wanted me to continue so here's the second addition to Around the Lakeside. It took me a month to write this thing and it's twice as long as The May Flower Blooms. In MS Office 2004, it's 39 pages long. This takes place a week after Aoi and Kyle got together. Hopefully the sequel doesn't disappoint. Anyways, enjoy!
Nagisano: ~Around The Lakeside~
Chapter 2: Waves of Blue and Pink
It was finally the month of June, and summer was in full swing. Everything was going on like normal; except for having to wear a face mask pretty much everywhere. Beaches, water parks, pools, and the Marina were all crowded. And to top it off, it was African hot.
Kyle had been out of high school for a few months now and still had no idea what he wanted to do in life. He worked at a junkyard to keep his mind off things for a while. But, after this summer he would have to decide what he wanted to do. The more he thought about it, the more stress built up.
It had been a week since Kyle introduced Aoi and Satomi to his family and it went better than expected. Kyle's family instantly loved both of the sisters. Other than Satomi, nobody knew that Aoi stayed the night with Kyle. He and Aoi woke up at 4 that morning and Kyle drove her back to where she was staying with Satomi. Aoi and Satomi's dad had a friend in Georgia, Stefani that offered to let the girls stay for a while.
It was later in the afternoon and Kyle was on his laptop, looking for trade schools to apply for. While he was scrolling through the endless lists, his phone rang. Seeing that it was Aoi calling him, he picked up after the second ring.
"Hey Aoi!"
"Hey sweetie~! Are you busy today?"
"I was looking for schools to apply to but I'm still in square one. I don't have work today either. Why asking?"
"I was wondering if you wanted to go on a swimming trip. Stefani told me that there is a place where we can go swimming in the lake."
"Sure, that sounds fun! Is Satomi coming as well?"
"No she isn't. She said she would join us later because she had something to do."
"I hate to leave her out but I guess we can call today our first date~!"
"Hehe we can. If you could, come pick me up please. Stefani needed to use her car today."
"Sure thing, see you soon beautiful~!"
"You too honey~!"
Kyle ends the call and smiles. The thought of a swimming trip with his girlfriend made him very happy. He closed his laptop and threw on some swimming trunks and a shirt. He never really cared about his appearance, which is why he looked like he was always wearing the same thing. But now that he was with Aoi, he started to feel a little self-conscious. After looking in the mirror and making sure he looked halfway alright, he grabbed a towel, sunscreen, and a few other things and headed to Stefani's house.
As he drove, he felt very happy and excited. It had been a long time since he had been on a date with a girl. At the same time, he was a little nervous on the inside. He knew the drive wouldn't be long judging by the time displayed on the radio GPS.
Once the GPS showed that Kyle had arrived, he found himself in a driveway that led to a big house. It had an upstairs and a basement. Better yet, it actually was only about 10 minutes from his grandma's house. After parking his car, he got out and made his way to the front door and rang the bell. After a few minutes, Aoi greeted him. She was wearing a red tank top shirt with white spaghetti straps, jean shorts, red hair ribbons, and some tan sandals. She had a bright smile as she walked toward her boyfriend.
"Hi Kyle~!" Aoi said happily, giving him a squeeze.
"Hey Aoi, it seems that someone missed me a lot!" Kyle said while giggling and hugging her back.
"Of course, I missed my Kyle!" Aoi replied smiling.
"Oh by the way, where is Satomi and Stefani?" Kyle asked looking in the driveway, noticing the Integra wasn't there.
"Oh, Stefani had an errand to run and Satomi wanted to go with her," Aoi replied to him.
"That's understandable. Wanna head to the lake then?"
"Sure! I've waited all morning anticipating our first date!" Aoi said excitedly.
'You're too sweet," Kyle replied, blushing.
Aoi grabbed her beach bag and put it in the trunk of Kyle's car and they got in to head to the beach. Kyle started the car and pulled out of the driveway. Shifting into first gear, he set out to the lakeside.
When the trees disappeared and the sights could be seen, Aoi rolled her window down and looked out with a smile on her face.
The drive wasn't long by any means, but Aoi enjoyed it and that was enough to make Kyle happy.
Upon arriving, Kyle and Aoi grab their things and find a place to set them down. It was sandy where the swimming area was, so it was like a beach in a way. They found a small table and sat down there. After setting their stuff down, they decided to go swimming.
"It's stripping time, ladies and gentlemen!" Kyle said as he pulled his shirt off and tossed it onto the table.
Aoi laughed hearing this. "Oh my gosh you're too much!" she said between laughter.
"Hey I try not to be boring!" Kyle said smiling.
After Aoi was able to calm her laughter, she pulled her tank top and shorts off, revealing her mint green bikini she had on underneath. Upon doing so, she noticed Kyle was wide eyed.
"What? Did you think I didn't have a swim suit on underneath?" Aoi said, grinning smugly at her boyfriend.
"Pfffftt nah, I was just thinking that swim suit looks nice on you," Kyle said nervously.
Aoi grinned even more. "Thanks babe, but…" she came closer to Kyle and whispered in his ear. "You'll get to see more of me later on, but you have to wait," she said while giggling.
At this point, Kyle's face was tomato red and he didn't know what to say.
"We can put that aside, as for now, let's go swimming! There aren't many people in the water!" Aoi said happily.
"Sure, but I'm gonna put some sunscreen on first." Kyle replied.
"Good idea," Aoi said while reaching into her beach bag and pulling out her sunscreen.
They both had spray on sunscreen. Putting it on was not very cumbersome until you had to put it on your back. And to make it even better, Aoi was also putting on tanning oil. It would require assistance for putting it on her back. Kyle would find that out very soon.
"Hey, would you mind spraying some on my back?" Aoi asked after spraying herself down.
"I don't mind at all!" Kyle replied, while being handed the sunscreen. After spraying the sunscreen on her back, Aoi hands Kyle another bottle. Kyle takes it and looks at it.
"You wouldn't mind putting some on my back, would you sweetie?"
"O-Of course not!" Kyle said nervously.
He put some of the tanning oil in his hands and started rubbing it onto his girlfriend's back. He started at her shoulders and slowly worked his way down.
"Mmmm that feels nice. You have experience, don't you?" said a satisfied Aoi.
"I used to do this for Mia so I guess that's where I got my experience from," Kyle said back, sounding less nervous.
"That explains it. Anyways, please continue~!"
So Kyle continued to rub the tanning oil onto Aoi's back until it was completely covered. She had already put it on the rest of her body, so the two headed toward the lake to take a swim.
The water wasn't very cold so it was comfortable to swim in. But the two came to chill and enjoy each other's company. After relaxing in the water for a while, Kyle had a random question pop into his mind.
"Hey Aoi, what happened to you being lady like?"
Aoi looked at him after taking in what she heard. "It's a long story honestly."
"Well I have all day if you're willing to tell it." Kyle said to her.
Aoi cleared her throat and started telling her story. "In a nutshell, I saw this movie a while back about a lady and a man on a cruise boat. They were in love. The guy poured her some wine and they had a date on the boat."
After listening, Kyle finally spoke. "So you longed for the heroine of that movie?"
"Yeah, but I don't think being lady like is the answer. Having someone that is special to me fulfills it for me," Aoi said, blushing ever so slightly.
Kyle wraps Aoi in a hug. "That means so much to me, I promise I'll do everything I can to make you happy."
Aoi smiled as she is wrapped up in Kyle's arms. This was the happiest she had felt during her first few weeks in Georgia. She had finally found someone that understood her and wanted to make her happy.
"This is nice, can we stay like this for a little longer?" Aoi asked, looking up at Kyle.
"Of course, but let's not show too much PDA because it would suck if we got kicked out."
"That's true," Aoi giggled.
"Yeah, please don't show PDA. That would suck for all of us," said a familiar voice not far from them.
Aoi and Kyle both darted their eyes to where the voice came from to see none other than Satomi. Not to mention, there were 3 other girls with her.
"Satomi, how long were you watching us!?" Aoi exclaimed with her face all flushed up.
"Whoa! Ao-chan has a boyfriend!" a girl with pink hair said, sounding surprised. She was wearing a blue bikini with yellow sandals and she was blushing upon the sight she saw.
"N-Natsuo, what are you doing here!?" Aoi gasped.
"Oh my, it seems that our Aoi is all grown up now~!" A tall girl with long midnight blue hair in a ponytail cooed at the couple. She was wearing a blue one-piece swimsuit that looked as if it came from a school. She had a dazed facial expression.
"Mimori too!?" Aoi exclaimed.
A short, turquoise haired girl wearing a yellow bikini perked up from behind Mimori with her mouth wide open when she saw the couple in the water.
"And Chika!? Wait… Satomi, you planned this didn't you?" Aoi exclaimed to her purple haired sister.
"Sister is surprised," Satomi said while grinning.
"Damn it Satomi, I'm gonna kick your ass once I get out of this lake!" The blonde exclaimed, trying to sound menacing.
"Ahaha sorry, we were going to come join you. But seeing this adorable moment, we just had to watch." Mimori said while giggling.
"Jeez you guys suck. Anyways, I am assuming you guys are also here because of Corona." Aoi said.
Yep we are! Now introduce us to your boyfriend!" Chika said with enthusiasm.
So after Aoi and Kyle got out of the water, she introduced him to the other girls.
"Nice to meet you all!" Kyle said to the girls that had arrived not long ago.
"You seem like a good boy, take care of our Aoi~!" Mimori said to him sweetly.
"Of course I will." Kyle told her.
"I never thought I would see Aoi dating someone." Chika blurted out surprisingly.
"Shut up Chika! I'm not that boyish" Aoi said to her, followed by punching her shoulder, but not enough to screw her up.
"Owwww Aoi is meannnn." Chika said following her shoulder being punched.
Natsuo giggled then leaned towards Aoi and whispered to her, "Kyle seems such a gentleman!"
"He really is." Aoi whispered back to the pink haired girl.
"Hehe, you got really lucky. I hope you two last." Natsuo told Aoi lovingly.
"Yeah yeah. Speaking of which, where is Satoshi?" Aoi asked, looking around and noticing he wasn't anywhere to be found.
"He is still in the city. I have no clue if he is coming. And yes, we are still together." Natsuo said to her.
"Well that's good." Aoi replied to her.
"I wish he were here. Seeing you and Kyle together makes me miss him." Natsuo said to Aoi, noticeably frowning.
"So what are we talking about me?" Kyle said putting his arm around Aoi, giving her a teasing grin.
"Eh Kyle? Were you listening this whole time?" Aoi stuttered.
"Haha not really. I just heard my name and figured I'd see what's up!" Kyle said to them, grinning.
"I was just telling Ao-chan about how seeing you and her together made me miss Satoshi." Natsuo replied.
"Is he your boyfriend?" Kyle asked her.
'Yes, you remind me of him. Both of you are such gentlemen!" Natsuo told him.
"From what Chika and Mimori told me about him, he seems like a chill guy."
"Yeah, he is. Except for when he would hit my noggin." Chika piped into the conversation.
"And that was because you talk like a machine gun." Aoi retorted to Chika.
"Destruction 100. They gotcha there, Chika!" Kyle laughed
"Uwaaaah" Chika exclaimed, clearly defeated.
"By the way girls, why don't we go swimming since you all have bathing suits on!" Kyle said excitedly.
"Sure!" all the girls said together.
"I brought a beach ball, let's play!" Natsuo called out to everyone.
So everyone hopped in the lake and started a game of hot potato.
The girls and Kyle were all hitting the ball to each other and having a great time. Kyle had met new friends and his worries now seemed far away. This was the most fun he had in a while considering he didn't have many friends until now.
After an hour of playing in the lake, everyone decided to take a rest. Everyone sat at the table that was originally chosen by Kyle and Aoi. Soon after, a conversation started between the girls about where everyone would sleep at Stefani's house.
"There are two rooms upstairs as well as two couches. How about tonight sister and I sleep on the couches. Natsuo, Mimori, and Chika, you three decide where you want to sleep and with who." Satomi suggested.
"I guess that makes sense since we had the bedroom for a week. Stefani was cleaning the other bedroom out and this can be the only reason why." Aoi added in.
"Sure that works!" Chika said, nodding in approval.
"Right, then it's settled!" Mimori agreed.
"Yep!" Natsuo agreed as well.
"Now that sleeping arrangements are out of the way, what are you girls' plans for this summer?" Kyle asked them.
'I miss working at the sea house, so I think I may get a job at the Marina restaurant Stefani told us about." Natsuo replied to Kyle.
"What's a sea house?" Kyle asked.
"It's a restaurant on the beach, kinda like the Marina." Aoi replied to him.
"That actually sounds fun!" Kyle replied.
"Yeah, so I'm going to see if I can work at the Marina." Natsuo said, smiling.
"Interesting.." Aoi said, pondering something.
"What's on your mind?" Kyle asked her.
"It's nothing. Hey, ya'll, why don't we all head to Stefani's house. She will have dinner ready soon." Aoi said to everyone.
Everyone seemed to agree with Aoi
They all had been there since the afternoon and the sky was a shade of amber. So they all packed up their things and loaded them into the Integra. Aoi had decided to ride back with Kyle since the Integra was only a four-seater.
"If you want to, Stefani said she welcomes you for dinner tonight. We are having a grill out. There will be hamburgers and hot dogs." Aoi said, looking at her boyfriend. She really wanted him to come.
"Sure, I can help her cook as well if needed," Kyle said to Aoi.
"You can cook?" Aoi asked, surprised.
"Sure I can!" Kyle replied to her
"I'll be looking forward to your cooking then. But don't disappoint me, sweetie~!" Aoi said grinning teasingly.
After they loaded up. The girls piled into the Integra except for Aoi. She walked over to Kyle's RX-7. Seeing her boyfriend holding the door open for her made her smile.
"I guess Natsuo was right when she called you a gentleman," Aoi said happily.
Kyle smiled at Aoi and got in his car after Aoi got in.
After hearing that Satomi had already started the Integra, Kyle put the key into the ignition of his RX-7 and turned it over. After starting it, they all set out to Stefani's house.
While they were all heading to Stefani's house, Aoi looked over and Kyle had a nervous facial expression.
"Hey, are you nervous?" Aoi asked.
"A little, yeah." Kyle replied.
"Well don't be, Stefani is a nice lady. I've already told her all about you" Aoi smiled at him, slipping her hand into his.
"I know sweetheart, it's just my first time going to a girl's parents house." Kyle said, still nervous.
"Awww. Stefani isn't my mom but it feels like she is. That's how nice she is," Aoi said, thinking about the sweet little lady.
"How did you meet her? You live in Japan, right?" Kyle asked.
Aoi's expression stiffened. "It's a long story, but I know you will be willing to listen." She then cleared her throat and began her story.
"My dad told me that he met Stefani back in the late 1990's, right before I was born. She was on a vacation. My dad and mom were relaxing on the beach together and she came to them and asked where a nice sea house was. My dad told her that there was a decent one where Natsuo's sea house is now. Then Stefani and my mom struck up a conversation. They became instant friends. After her first vacation, Stefani came back many more times. But unlike her first time, she stayed with my family. From what my dad tells me, it sounded like a really great time. But as we all know, all good things must come to an end." Aoi said softly after finishing her story.
"What do you mean?" Kyle asked, surprised by her final statement after the story.
"Shortly after Satomi was born, my mom left us. My dad and I didn't know where she went. We both hoped she would turn up. She never did though. Dad fell into a deep depression. It affected everything he did. Even he couldn't fish as good as before. When Stefani came to visit us a month after mom left, he broke down crying after explaining that mom had left. She felt sympathy for him so she stayed a while and took care of Satomi and I when he was in counseling. This went on for a couple of months. Stefani still had a job back in America, but she came to Okinawa every vacation week she got from work."
After Aoi finished her story, Kyle noticed she was on the verge of tears. He held her hand tight and whispered to her.
"Aoi, I'm really sorry that happened. I know it was hard because I can relate. But it's in the past. At least you still have Stefani to care for you."
"Thanks Kyle, I just needed to get all of that off of my chest." Aoi whispered to him, softly squeezing his hand.
Soon, the two pulled up along with Satomi at Stefani's house. After parking the car and turning it off, the couple hopped out as well as the rest of the girls in Stefani's Integra. After they walked to the house, Stefani opened the front door. This was Kyle's first time seeing her. She was a short little lady with long teal hair and teal eyes.
"Welcome back ya'll. Aoi, I see you brought Kyle with you!"
"Yes I did, I told him you welcomed him for dinner tonight!" Aoi said happily.
"Welcome Kyle, Aoi has told me all about you. It's nice to see you again!" Stefani said, hugging the boy.
"Thanks Mrs. Stefani. Wait, you know me?" Kyle said while hugging Stefani back.
"Of course I do, you and Aoi hung out when ya'll were younger. Plus, your dad was very kind," Stefani smiled.
"You know my dad too?" Kyle asked, eyes widening.
"Of course, I'll tell you more later at dinner though," Stefani replied
"Sounds good, Mrs. Stefani," Kyle said.
"Oh please, no need to be so formal. Just call me 'Stefani,'" Stefani smiled at him.
"Okay I will, Stefani," he said nervously.
"I hope you all are hungry. The burgers and hot dogs are almost done!" Stefani said to everyone afterwards.
"I am super hungry!" Chika said while smiling.
"Well ya'll come to the backyard. We can set up the table there!" Stefani said to everyone.
Everyone replied with a high spirited "Okay!" and headed to the backyard. Upon stepping outside, the scent of grilled food filled everyone's noses.
"Well If it's almost done, I guess I don't need to help cook. Maybe next time, Aoi."
"Well dang," Aoi said.
"I think Kyle has been rubbing off on you, you sound more like a southern girl now." Natsuo said, giggling.
"Sister is now a country girl," Satomi replied to Natsuo while grinning.
"Nah. Aoi isn't a country girl… yet." Kyle said to the two, winking.
"Honey bun, I love you but do you wanna get punched today?" Aoi asked, giving Kyle a smug grin.
"Sure, I wanna see how strong you are." Kyle said, grinning back at Aoi.
"Now now, y'all can wrestle after dinner. The food is ready!" Stefani said to the two.
"Yay! I'm hungry!" Chika said happily.
"Chika I swear you are always hungry," Mimori said giggling.
"How many hot dogs could you eat?" Stefani asked. She was curious after hearing Mimori's joking comment.
"Yes," Chika replied.
"Excuse me?" Stefani tilted her head in confusion.
"If I were the only one here, I'd take your entire stock!" Chika said to the blue haired lady.
"Goodness child! Well don't worry, there is plenty for everyone," Stefani said, rubbing Chika's head.
"Hehe Stefani, you're gonna mess up my hair!" Chika giggled.
"Sorry Chika. Anyway, I'll go grab some napkins, sauces, and drinks. What does everyone want?" Stefani asked.
"I'll take strawberry soda if you have any," Natsuo replied.
"Lemonade please!" Aoi chimed in.
"Blueberry soda for me please!" Mimori added.
"I'd like watermelon juice!" Chika said happily.
"Tea please" Satomi said.
"I'd like green apple soda please," Kyle finished the list.
"Okay. I should have all of that. Just give me a few minutes~!" Stefani said happily to the group as she began to head inside. As she did, Mimori called out to her.
"Let me give you a hand, That's a lot to carry."
"Thank you dear. You can get the sauces and napkins and I'll get everyone's drinks. The rest of ya'll can fix your plates now," Stefani smiled sweetly at Mimori
As the two disappeared into the house, everyone else began to fix their plates. Natsuo got a hamburger, Aoi got a hotdog and a hamburger, Chika got two hot dogs, Satomi got a hamburger, and Kyle got two hamburgers. After they sat down, Mimori and Stefani came back outside with. After sitting the drinks, sauces, and napkins on the table, they fixed their plates and sat down the rest of the group. Once everyone was seated. Stefani said prayed for the food and everyone began to eat.
While everyone ate, they talked about a lot of things. Natsuo talked about how she wanted to work at the marina, Aoi talked about Kyle, Chika talked about food, Mimori talked about the memories made in Japan, Satomi talked about fish, and Kyle talked about his workplace.
"A working man, much like your dad," Stefani smiled, sipping her wine.
"Speaking of which, how do you know my dad?" Kyle asked Stefani.
"I met your dad many years ago when he came to the flower shop I work at. He was looking for flowers for your mother. After the first time, he came many more times to get flowers for your mother. He was such a gentleman."
"He was a good man," Kyle said, smiling at the thought of his dad.
"Indeed, I pity your mom for leaving him though." Stefani said, clearly salty at the though of Kyle's mother.
"Just like in the manga I read," Satomi said quietly.
"What manga are you reading?" Natsuo asked.
"The one about the street racers. It's quite enjoyable," Satomi replied.
"I didn't know you were into racing," Mimori said, surprised.
"I just enjoy the story," Satomi replied.
"I guess that makes sense," Mimori said.
As everyone finished eating, the girls and Kyle all helped Stefani clean everything up and went inside. After cleaning, Mimori, Natsuo, Aoi, and Kyle decided to play cards. Chika and Satomi decided to watch anime.
"What game are we going to play?" Mimori asked.
"How about a game of nines?" Kyle replied.
"How do you play that?" Natsuo asked
"Well let's let the cards up first," Kyle replied.
He then proceeded to shuffled the cards and distribute everyone nine cards each. While doing so, he taught everyone the rules of the game. After a bit, they began to play, Kyle won the first match, Aoi won the two following matches, and Mimori won the next two matches.
"Uwwwaaa I can't win," Natsuo cried.
Hey it's okay, practice makes perfect." Kyle said.
"I'll try, Kyle," the pink haired girl replied.
"Good anyways, I should head back to my grandma's house. I told her I would be back this evening." Kyle said
"Aw man, I was hoping you could stay longer," Aoi said, sounding disappointed.
"It's okay Aoi. We can always hang out tomorrow after I get off work," Kyle replied.
"That sounds wonderful," the blonde replied.
"Are you heading out, Kyle?" Natsuo asked.
"I am, I've enjoyed meeting you all. I hope we can hang out more this summer," Kyle said to everyone.
"Me too!" Chika replied happily.
"Same here, you're fun to be with," Natsuo replied.
"Likewise to you!" Mimori replied.
"Hope to see you soon," Satomi added quietly.
"Before you head out Kyle, is that your dad's car?" Stefani asked.
"Yes it is, it's the one thing I got from him before he passed." Kyle replied.
"He passed away!?" Stefani exclaimed.
"Yeah he did, about half a decade ago," Kyle said.
"Wow. I never heard. I'm really sorry sweetie." Stefani said, walking over to Kyle and giving him a hug.
"It's okay Stefani, no need to go social worker on me though. I've seen enough of those."
"I know but remember that you're like a son to me," Stefani replied, patting Kyle's back.
"Thanks Stefani. I gotta head home now though. I don't want to worry my grandma," Kyle said, sounding troubled.
"Okay sweetie, come over any time you want," Stefani smiled.
"I'll walk you out babe," Aoi comes up to him.
"Thanks beautiful," Kyle said, holding Aoi's hand.
As the two walked outside, Kyle stopped in his tracks. Aoi noticed him looking at his golden RX-7 in front of him. She squeezed his hand.
"I heard your conversation with Stefani. It's a special car, isn't it?" Aoi asked, looking at her boyfriend.
"It is very special. My dad touched practically every part of it. Even if it stops running, I will never get rid of it. That's why I leaned about cars. It was so I could keep this one running." Kyle said, putting his hand on the hood.
"This car is kind of cute, like you. What kind is it?" Aoi asked, also putting a hand on the hood beside Kyle's hand.
"It's a RX-7," Kyle replied.
"I see, well I can't wait to ride in it again." Aoi said.
"Same here. See you tomorrow, love," Kyle said, giving Aoi a passionate kiss before getting into his car.
When Kyle got in, he watched as Aoi went inside.
"Aoi called you cute, how about that," Kyle said, rubbing the dash of his car.
After putting his seatbelt on, Kyle put the key into the ignition and turned it over. But after a few seconds, he noticed something. He turned the key over once more but the outcome was the same. As many times as he turned the key, the starter cranked but the engine wouldn't start. Even turning the switch off and letting the car sit for a minute didn't help. Kyle opened the hood and glanced at the engine. Everything looked normal so he tried starting it again. This time, he saw a bit of smoke coming out of the engine bay. At this point, he began to panic. He felt his blood pressure drop. His breaths become shallow. One of the things he had dreaded ever since he started driving finally become real. His beloved RX-7 was dead. He cut the switch off and leaned his face onto the top of the steering wheel.
"I'm sorry d-dad. I c-couldn't keep your c-car alive," he said while beginning to cry. He tried starting the car again only to hear the same cranking sound of the started. This made him cry even more.
Please lord, help me; I don't know what to do. Help me handle this like my dad would.
After a few minutes, the sound of a door opening could be heard in the distance. Aoi walked outside.
"Kyle, I thought you had to leave. Also, why is the hood open?" Aoi said after opening the door on the RX-7. She then noticed Kyle was crying.
"What's wro- Oh my god!" Aoi noticed the hood up on the car as well as a varnish like smell. Just as she noticed this, she spotted a set of teardrop shaped taillights heading away from Stefani's house at a high speed.
"The car is dead, Aoi,"
"I can tell, there's a terrible smell coming from the hood," Aoi replied, covering her nose.
Upon hearing this, Kyle got out of the car and turned his got his phone out of his pocket. He turned the flashlight on and looked under the hood. When he smelled the awful smell, he backed up and closed the hood.
"It has bad fuel. I could have sworn I filled up at a Shell station."
Kyle then hugged Aoi and started sobbing. Aoi knew the car was special to him because it was his dad's car. She hugged Kyle back and rubbed her hands on his back.
"Cry it all out, sweetheart. It's okay," Aoi whispered to Kyle who was crying into her chest.
Meanwhile in the house, Stefani noticed Aoi had been outside for a while. She decided to go outside and make sure everything was okay. As she got to the front door, her cell phone began to ring. After digging her phone out of the pocket of her dress, she saw it was Kyle's grandma calling. Stefani answered it instantly.
"Maria! It has been a while, how are you?"
"Hi Stefani, I'm good. And you?"
"I'm good as well, so what's up?"
"Kyle said he was going to return before dark but it's almost dark and he's not here. He told me he was eating dinner at your house with Aoi and the girls. Is he still there?"
"He is, however I think something is wrong with his car." Stefani said, looking out the window. Outside, Stefani could see Aoi embracing Kyle while he was crying.
"I knew this day would come. That car has over 200 thousand miles on the clock but he just wouldn't get rid of it."
"I can understand that as it was his dad's car."
"That's true, but still. Anyways, if you're okay with it, he can stay at your house tonight. Just make sure he can get to work on time tomorrow."
"Alright, I can do that. I'll ask Aoi to give him a ride."
"Good, I'll keep in touch and we can meet up soon. Good night Stefani!"
"Good night Maria!"
After the call had ended, Stefani went outside to see the couple standing in front of the car holding hands. Stefani wrapped her arms around Kyle, hugging him from behind.
"It was a special car, wasn't it?"
"It was, Stefani. But as of right now, that's the least of my worries. I'm just not sure how I'll get to work tomorrow," Kyle said, running his hand through his hair. Stefani and Aoi could clearly see was stressed and upset.
"Kyle, I told you that you are like a child of mine. I'm willing to help you. And you know your beautiful girlfriend is just as willing as I am," Stefani smiled, putting an arm around Aoi.
"Right!" Aoi said proudly. She knew Kyle needed a helping hand. Aoi was going to make sure she could be the best girlfriend she could be.
"Thank you, Stefani and Aoi, from the bottom of my heart." Kyle then hugged the two. They all hugged each other for a minute.
"By the way, Stefani, you have a big garage. Why aren't you parking your car in there?" Kyle asked out of the blue.
Stefani softly laughed. "That story is for another time sweetie. Why don't you go inside and get a shower. I'll ask Satomi to drive to your grandma's house to get some clothes for you."
As if on cue, Satomi came outside.
"Everything okay?" she asked.
"Yes honey, Kyle's car just wont start. He is staying the night with us. If you would, drive to his grandma's house and get some clothes for him," Stefani smiled.
"Sure, I'll be quick," Satomi replied
"Just take your time and drive safe. Call me if anything happens," Stefani then handed Satomi the key to her Integra.
Kyle went in the house with Stefani and Aoi and waited in the living room downstairs for the other girls to finish up in the shower. As he did, he pulled his phone out to see a missed call from his grandma. It was late so he sent her a text to let her know he was okay. His grandma didn't reply so Kyle assumed she was asleep. Turning his phone off, and laid down on the couch. He closed his eyes for a short rest, thinking about what he was going to do about the now dead RX-7. He had some money saved, but not quite enough to buy a new engine. Needless to say, his 'short rest' turned into falling asleep.
After a while, Aoi had finished up in the shower. She came out of the bathroom with her pajamas on. Upon doing so, she noticed her sister had returned.
"Kyle is asleep downstairs on the couch. Wake him up, sister." Satomi said, handing Aoi a duffel bag. Satomi then told the other three girls that Kyle was staying the night. That led to having to alter the sleeping arrangements. It was decided that Satomi would sleep with Natsuo, leaving a couch open for Kyle.
When Aoi walked downstairs, Kyle was indeed asleep. She kneeled down in front of the couch. She softly grabbed Kyle's shoulder and lightly shook him. "Hey, wake up!"
Kyle stirred for a minute but opened his eyes shortly after being shaken.
"Oh good grief I dozed off."
"It was an eventful day so I don't blame you," The blonde replied.
"You're finished in the shower, right?" Kyle asked.
"No I'm totally gonna take an hour-long shower," Aoi jokingly told him.
"Oh my goodness. Well, I'll be off then." Kyle then walked upstairs to take a shower. He knew he would likely be trying to figure out how to work the shower for a while.
Meanwhile in the small lounging area upstairs. Aoi was telling he other girls about how Kyle's car wouldn't start.
'Oh my, that is sad. If mom gave me something like that I would never get rid of it." Natsuo frowned, feeling for Kyle.
"I hope he gets it fixed!" Chika added
"Same here. Anyways, I'm spent for the day. I'm going to hit the hay. See you all in the morning." Mimori said sweetly.
"Same here, Good night everyone." Chika yawned.
"Good night guys," Natsuo said sweetly
"Night," Satomi replied.
"Good night. I'll wait for Kyle to finish in the shower," Aoi said.
"Okay, don't forget to give him a good night kiss~!" Mimori cooed.
Aoi's face went bright red as the other four girls laughed.
Shortly after the other girls had gone to bed, Kyle made his way out of the shower while wearing the clothes he had worn that day.
"Feeling better?" Aoi asked.
"Yeah, a little bit. I just need some rest. Thanks for being so caring babe," Kyle replied, kissing Aoi on the forehead.
"You need it right now sweetie," Aoi blushed after being kissed on the forehead.
"Anyways, let me change real quick and I'm going to sleep. I have a long day at work tomorrow," Kyle then grabbed some gym shorts from his bag and went to the bathroom and changed. When he returned, he put his old clothes in his bag and hopped onto the couch and pulled the cover over him. He quickly set an alarm on his cell phone for 8am so he could get to work on time.
"Thanks for fixing my place to sleep. Good night, love," Kyle softly whispered to his girlfriend as she turned the light off.
"Good night sweet pea," Aoi whispered back.
Kyle fell asleep within minutes and Aoi had noticed this. She got up and tip toed over to the couch that Kyle was sleeping on.
He must be so exhausted. We had a really active and eventful day. But, he does look pretty handsome sleeping. Good night, Kyle. Sleep well, my love.
Aoi then pecked Kyle on the lips and went back to the couch across from him. Shortly after, she joined the others in the realm of sleep.
Xxx
After a few hours of waiting, Stefani saw all of the lights were finally out upstairs. She then walked quietly to the garage, flipping the light on as she went in. She walked past a car under a tarp and over to a wooden crate that was about the size of a long desk. Stefani took the top off of the crate off and put it aside. Upon peering inside and looking over the contents that were there, she smiled.
"Don't worry Kyle, your dad always has and always will watch over you. But for now, let me help you."