Sunako came back home at three o'clock in the afternoon, tired and angry.
What a bad joke! She had spent the rest of the day looking for Takeshi-kun, unsuccessfully. It was all because of this moron. What if she was rejected? What did it change for him? It's not like a bright creature like him would be concerned with her. And even if he was, she couldn't care less. Bright creatures belonged to the bright world; it was in the order of things. It didn't concern her. Even so, she had summoned a lot of courage to confess, and he had spoiled everything.
She barely greeted her mother, and ran to her room, unaware of anything around her. She didn't even hear her mother talk to her. If she had, she would not have been so surprised a few minutes later.
Ah, lovely darkness! She loved her room, it suited her so well! It had started with a few things, a horror movie here, a skull there. Her mother had thought she had just had a gothic phase quite early – it had started when she was six years old – but it really became a real passion for her. She couldn't explain why because, even though her mother loved wild animals and sometimes enjoyed a horror movie with her, her father was afraid of scary things. So she had promised her mother she would never show her room to her father. Her mother had never tried to change her room, and influence her to the bright world, as Sunako herself called a world full of bright things. No, she had accepted her and her weird habits without any condition. Nevertheless, Sunako couldn't ignore the criticisms her mother had to suffer, even though she told her it was okay. She had promised herself she would make some efforts to hide it, but she enjoyed being at home, because she could be herself.
Sunako was about to pick a horror movie when something caught her eye. What was this anatomical figure? He was so… great! She had always dreamed of having one, but she couldn't just enter a store and ask for one. Strangely, this creature seemed to understand her plea and her annoyance, even though it didn't speak.
'Here is Hiroshi-kun, I hope you'll get along.'
Sunako jumped violently and turned swiftly. She thought she recognized the voice…
She screamed when she saw the bright creature. Was it a nightmare? And he was in her room! And bare-chested!
She pushed him violently out of her bedroom and slammed the door. She heard him yell something but didn't listen. What was happening here? She put her hand on her nose. Blood… How would she survive if even her sanctuary was invaded? She looked at the anatomical figure.
'Hiroshi-kun huh? It suits you well…'
A few hours ago
Kyouhei ran to the school and was there in less than 30 minutes. She had said the backyard, with the trash right? So why was there nothing? He asked the gardener who was working five feet from him.
'Oh, what a handsome man! The trash? Why do you want to know, they have been picked up five minutes ago!'
'Are you kidding me? Where did they go?'
The gardener indicated the place where the waste collection centre was. Kyouhei barely thanked the man and immediately looked for the place. He didn't know the town, and lost his way several times, but eventually, after an hour frantically looking everywhere, he found the site. Fortunately, the town wasn't so big. What he saw nevertheless smote him. Tons and tons of garbage, gathered in only three containers. How would he have the time to go through all of it before she came back from school? He sighed and rolled up his sleeves.
'Nakahara Sunako, you had better be grateful!' he murmured before going into the first container.
The doll must have been thrown away only a few minutes ago, how come so much garbage could have already been piled above it? He was sure Hiroshi-kun was in one of those containers, since the employee working there had told him he had missed the truck by five minutes. Various things were scattered in there, but still, no trace of the doll.
It happened the doll was hidden under a sofa. Kyouhei immediately retrieved it and stopped himself in time; he was so relieved to find he had almost hugged the doll.
'This girl has really a bad influence on you Kyouhei. Don't be as crazy as her.'
When he came back, it was already 12.30, but Sunako's mom didn't seem to be worried. In fact, she was lying on the sofa, playing with the fox.
'Oh you're back! I was wondering if you had been attacked.'
'Yeah, I had some… stuff to do.'
'Like searching the garbage?' she said, coming closer to him while holding her nose.
'You saw me?' he asked, embarrassed.
'No, but other people did. A gorgeous boy like you is sure to be noticed. Plus, you stink. Take a shower before eating. You can take your time, it's not ready.'
She didn't ask him why he had been doing it, and he didn't give explanations.
He took his shower and washed Hiroshi-kun a bit.
'Aah, I must really be crazy to have taken you. But still, I hope she'll accept you. If she doesn't, I don't know what I should do.'
To his great surprise, the lunch was delicious. He hadn't been expecting Sunako's mother to be a good cook, but apparently he was wrong. He complimented her, but she dismissed his compliment.
'I didn't cook this. In fact, I don't cook. I'm not good at it, and I don't like it anyway. Sunako is the cook. It's yesterday's leftovers. I just bring the food.'
'Wow, your daughter seems quite interesting.'
Sunako smiled, and again, he could feel how she loved her daughter.
'Yes, she is. But you'll see for yourself later.'
Yes, and he was really looking forward to it. He had put Hiroshi-kun in a strategic place, so that she couldn't miss, and had spent the afternoon in his room, hoping the time could fly. He was tempted to borrow one of Sunako's movies, but was afraid she would kill him if he did. Well, she had already tried for less than that. So he had just sat there, watching the minutes pass. After what seemed an eternity, finally, he heard her come back.
He stood and stuck his ear to the door. When he heard her open the door of her room, he quietly got out of his room and watched her discover the doll, her eyes sparkling.
'Yes,' he thought, 'she seems to acknowledge it.'
He introduced the doll to her, but sure enough, she kicked him out of the door.
'You violent woman, don't you know how to greet people!' he yelled through the door.
A few minutes later, the door opened again. Kyouhei, who had remained behind her door, instantly backed away. Maybe he would wait to make the next move; she didn't seem in a good mood. In fact, the last time he had seen her gaze at him like this, it was when he had kissed her, three months ago, to silence her violent invectives against him. And that day, he had owed his survival to Oba-chan's unannounced arrival. It was the first time he had been so happy to see her.
'Mom,' she yelled, running to the staircase, 'how could you let this bright creature enter the house?'
Kyouhei followed her silently, keeping a safe distance.
'That's what I was telling you, but you didn't listen,' replied her mom. 'He lives in your aunt's boarding house, but there are some problems for the moment, so he'll be staying for a fortnight.'
'And how I am to survive with him in the same house? You know I can't stand bright creatures.'
'Just ignore him. Kyouhei, what do you want to eat tonight?'
'Sunako's fried shrimps,' he replied without a second thought.
Both mother and daughter turned to him. Sunako? Since when was he so familiar with her? They didn't say anything about it though.
'Okay… Sunako, will you buy some shrimps?'
'Why would I have to cook for him?'
A look from her mother silenced her, and she unwillingly prepared to leave. Kyouhei followed her. If she couldn't stand his presence, he would get her used to him, no matter what it took.
'Stop following him,' she ordered when they were almost in front of the mall. She would have loved to avoid talking to him, but she didn't want people to see her with that bright creature.
'I'm not following you, I just want to see the supermarket. And I still wait for a thank you you ungrateful girl.'
Sunako stopped and turned to him, avoiding eye contact.
'A thank you, are you kidding me? Because of you I couldn't confess!'
'You would have been rejected, I told you I knew this guy!'
'What does it matter to you? I'll still confess, whether you want it or not.'
'Do you even know him? Do you know the kind of food he likes? The movies he watches?'
'That's the reason why I want to go out with him, to know him better. A bright creature like you wouldn't understand. Moreover, you don't even know me and it doesn't prevent you from harassing me.'
'Wrong, I know a lot about you. I know your favourite day is Halloween, I know chocolate is your weakness, that you're the best cook ever, that you fight for what you think right. I know you like gore stuff and can't stand bright things. I know you love your aunt and have always admired her.'
Sunako was stunned. How could he know so much? She raised her face to look at him in the eyes.
'Who are you exactly?'
Kyouhei thought carefully of his answer, but decided to be honest.
'To tell you the truth, I'm from the future. From your future.'