Summer

He knocked softly on his brother's door, instead of the usual answer this time Ryosuke stood up and opened the door for his younger brother. At the door frame stood Keisuke his hair was the usual mess, his shirt covered in dirt and blood, his face remained untouched but Ryosuke noticed his brother limp into the room.

"Miss me bro?" asked Keisuke taking a seat on his brother's bed. Ryosuke walked over to his desk where his laptop sat wide open, he closed it and turned towards his younger brother.

"Where have you been?" asked Ryosuke frowning at his brother's state. Keisuke shrugged but upon seeing the look of worry on his brother's he decided to answer.

"Around, aniki, I'm sorry about your birthday-"

Ryosuke sighed "there's no need to apologize Keisuke, now what happened to your leg?"

Keisuke lifted up his right foot which was quite swollen "this, I twisted my ankle jumping out of the window last night."

"That's how you've been getting in and out of the house" said Ryosuke shocked he hadn't noticed it before .

"Yeah, what did mother and father give you for your birthday?"

Ryosuke gave his brother a small smile "a car."

Keisuke felt taken aback, his parents had never given him anything that expensive. "What kind of car is it?"

"An Rx-7…but I won't go into details, I know how cars bore you" said Ryosuke taking a seat beside his brother "I'll get you an ice pack."

"Thanks"

"You know Kaneda's been worried about you as well" said Ryosuke before leaving the bedroom. Keisuke sat on his bed shocked. He supposed she'd be worried too but he didn't think she'd go to Ryosuke about it, once his brother came back Keisuke took the ice pack putting it on his ankle.

"Since when do you and Akemi speak?"

Ryosuke took a seat at his desk "since you were gone for about a good two weeks, don't disappear like that again" he said his voice laced with relieve. "There are people who care about you."

A few weeks later…

"After all the hard work, summer vacation is finally here!" said Hiroshi Tamura running his fingers through his hair, he leaned against a wall waiting in line to use the fountain. In front of him stood Akemi, next in line for the water fountain "so Kaneda what are you going to do?" asked Tamura as Akemi took her turn on the water fountain.

"Nothing, why?" she asked. Tamura watched as she took a drink from the fountain his eyes on her shorts.

"I was thinking if you wanna hang out with me and the guys from the club sometime during summer vacation."

Akemi shrugged as she stood up from the fountain; lately Tamura had been very talkative and even kind to her.

"Maybe, if I'm not too busy, I'll let you know." With that Akemi left for the locker rooms where she changed and walked out into her uniform. Her plans for the summer were simple, find Keisuke and kick his ass. He had been missing school for about a month now, and quite frankly school without Keisuke was about as fun as stale bread.

As she walked towards the school gates she could see a blonde leaning against the wall, he was wearing a blue shirt and dark pants. He watched the students walk past him, some pointed at him others whispered as they walked past him, but right now Akemi could care less instead she ran towards him giving him a bone crushing hug.

"Hey" he said patting he back. She looked at him wearing what seemed to be her first smile in ages.

"I thought you might be gone for good!" she said pulling herself off him, she proceeded to punch him in the arm to which he frowned.

"What the hell?!"

"That's for leaving me alone in this hell hole for a month" she said pulling her bag further up her shoulder. "Now where are we going?" she asked. Keisuke frowned for a moment before deciding what to do.

"Listen, I owe you one…for getting you into trouble with your father. How about some ice cream?"

"Sounds like a date!" she said happily walking ahead of him, he followed flushing. Hoping nobody else had heard them Keisuke trekked of behind Akemi as she spoke how boring school had been as of the late.

As they approached the ice cream shop Akemi turned to Keisuke, stopping him before they went inside.

"Say, what are you doing for summer vacation?" she asked as he opened the door.

"It's already summer vacation?" he asked, she nodded walking inside. Keisuke hadn't thought of it, it'd be two whole weeks without school, but he was sure there was a lot he needed to catch up on if he didn't want to repeat the year.

"Nothing-"

"Wanna go to the beach? It's a long drive but my cousin said he'd take me, wanna come along, we could even invite your brother if you want!" she blurted out blushing; he simply stared blinking, but quickly regained his composure and ordered two sundaes.

" I'll ask my bro if he wants to go" said Keisuke paying for the two sundaes, smiling Akemi took hers and had a seat at the nearest booth.

"Great then, I just need a bathing suit; you can help pick it out."

"Me?"

"Who else, I don't have any other friends you know…"

Keisuke looked down at his ice cream as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. "Fine, but make it quick."

Akemi chuckled as he stuffed his mouth with ice cream to avoid talking about bathing suits. If he was completely honest, he was curious to see his friend, not in a morbid way but innocently curious. He had rarely seen Akemi outside of her school uniform unless it was at party where she usually complained about her father picking out her clothes. This would be the first he saw her wearing whatever she wanted.

After a couple of hours they each went their separate ways home, Kamei holding her bag which contained a pink two piece bathing suit she was fond of. Keisuke had no say instead he'd just nodded at whatever she liked and in the end the pink bathing suit had won.

On his way home once at his house Keisuke noticed the second car in garage meaning his brother was home. 'Finally, where does he go anyway?' Keisuke thought entering the house; as usual it was quiet except for his mother who was in the kitchen giving the staff specific instructions. He walked up the stairs towards his room prepared to call it a day when he caught sight of his brother walking out of his room.

"Hey aniki"

"Keisuke, you're home early" said Ryosuke with a smile, he perhaps thought Keisuke was coming around, and not that he was simply tired.

"Yeah, Akemi invited me to the beach asked if you wanted to come?" asked Keisuke, his brother sighed and shook his head looking slightly disappointed.

"I can't I have a lot of homework to do."

Keisuke rolled his eyes "can't you take a day off?" he asked, he brother shook his head.

"I can't sorry Keisuke, but you should go" said Ryosuke walking back to his room, Keisuke shrugged and walked away towards his own room perhaps going to the beach would do him some good, get his mind off things at home.

Keisuke worried about his brother, he was always under their father's magnifying glass, the pressure to be perfect would someday be his downfall. It was the complete opposite of what Keisuke suffered; his father completely ignored his younger son instead putting all his faith in Ryosuke as if Keisuke was destined to be nothing. It made his blood burn, Keisuke could be responsible too if he wanted, he just gave up on it years ago when he noticed school just wasn't for him. Yet his father kept forcing him to go even going as far as to place him in Sekai Academy one of the most prestigious schools in the area.

In some ways his father tired to force him to be like Ryosuke, but deep down Keisuke knew he wasn't. While his brother could keep himself under control in any situation he just couldn't, his emotions were always his guide. If something didn't feel right he'd speak up, unlike his brother who'd swallow anything his parents threw at him.

Speaking of his parents he could already hear his father talking to his mother in the hallway. It was about Keisuke, sitting up he listened closely but only one word caught his attention.

"…he's just a disappointment Sayuri…"

Disappointment..

Keisuke clenched his fist it took all of his self control not to punch a hole through the wall. Why couldn't his father just accept he was different, he wasn't prefect nor did he want to be just seeing the pressure it put on his older brother made him sick.

"If the old man wants a disappointment I'll give him one" thought Keisuke turning towards the balcony of his bedroom, once outside he pulled out a box of cigarettes from his pocket. Lately smoking had become a way to control his anxiety, something he had pick up off the streets.

He lit one and took a drag; the menthol flavor filled his tongue. As he released the smoke he could feel his heart rate decrease, for a moment he even forgot his father's words. The cigarettes helped him think even, and he couldn't help but go back to his afternoon with Akemi, sure he had fun but there was something missing. Something that would excite him, but nothing, including punching punks into the asphalt, could fill that spot.

He sighed and taking one last drag of the cigarette turned it off. If his brother caught him Keisuke could be in trouble, even more so than with his father. In fact his father would probably just let him smoke hoping it might kill him. He took a look at the sky, tonight would be too good of a night to stay indoors.

*

Hello readers thank you for reading and keeping up with the story, I hope you will R&R as it lets me know what you think of this tale so far :)