"'Twas the Year Before, On Christmas"
Act 1-Blue Christmas
Chapter 2
Satonaka Residence
"What am I doing here?" Hanamura Yosuke said out loud to himself. "I should have been more proactive in asking Saki-senpai out. Why am I going to Chie's house instead…?"
Yosuke knew the answer to that question…
…
Part of him was still in love with Satonaka Chie.
Oh sure, he wrote her off with Daitaka Nobuhide. Their Senpai that she had a crush on…Okay it was much deeper than that.
But he hadn't wanted to let Chie go. They were "Friends Forever."
They had lived next door to each other in the decade before. But then she moved away…well from him, she had only moved to this side of town…which happened to be close to the side of town Yosuke lived on.
He had thought he had done something to make her father angry and so was avoiding her house like the plague. But he had overheard her saying her parents weren't going to be home because her Mom and Dad were going to some function for his company and would not be back until the afternoon of the next day.
Yosuke wasn't trying to plan anything untoward…but rather…he was going to tell Chie the truth.
He remembered who she was and wanted to apologize.
He knew though that would make things hard for her. But this was his plan. To let her know that it was a mistake that he pretended that he was a different Hanamura Yosuke than from childhood. To ask for her forgiveness.
He felt the truth was the best gift he could give her.
…
And if that didn't work then this T-bone steak he got for her would do.
He rang the doorbell.
The door opened and he winced, knowing that her dog was going to spring on him.
Instead he had felt something small, yet compact and strong tackle him…
…
And kiss him…
And then Chie opened her eyes and said, "YOSUKE!"
"Ch-Chie?"
"Get away…Nobu-chan's coming and I'm going to give him his gift!"
"His gift?!" Yosuke said. Then he noticed that she was wearing a skimpy negligee. "Oh shit! I'm sorry, Chie…" He replied as he looked away.
"Duh! Now what was it you wanted?!"
"Uhh…meat…for Christmas."
She kicked him in the shin.
"NOT THAT! The steak on the ground there…"
"?" She noticed it was wrapped up still. "Oh, Yosuke! But wait…why would...?"
"Well, because…" He started to say, willing to tell her.
She shook her head. "Never mind…Nobu-chan will be here and if he sees you, he'll kick your ass, now go Yosuke…"
"But Chie…" Yosuke said.
She walked in her house quickly. "GO!" And then, she slammed the door.
"… I still love you…" He said weakly.
He felt humiliated. For some reason he was going to say that. He never planned on it. He was only going to be just friends with her.
But old feelings die hard in Hanamura Yosuke.
So he walked home and tried shrugging off the cold. He could do that with the cold outside.
…
But he couldn't in his heart.
Chie waited for Nobuhide. It had been before 21:00 when Yosuke showed up. She had it planned. She invited him over for a Christmas date to make up for the fact that they couldn't go out together on Christmas, because her Dad's thing was last minute. Muku…No… Kenta… was downstairs in his room sleeping, but the door was open if he wanted to come up. Chie sighed about the recent name change…but Chie and Yukiko had had an argument that had led to some cross words… Then it turned out for some reason Yukiko was more annoyed about Nobu-chan… Chie wondered what it was.
But soon it became 22:30. And it became obvious Nobu-chan wasn't coming… He had mentioned his Dad may not have been keen on the idea of them alone together and probably didn't want Nobuhide to even call, because of fear that the two would argue. That had to be it.
Lover's Palace, Okina City
Daitaka Nobuhide was enjoying his hookup with his old girlfriend from Nara…
Hanamura Residence
Yosuke came home after talking with his parents about random stuff, went upstairs and got ready for bed. HE looked at the internet on his phone.
"Geez…what a loser… Planning to knock over a place with sai…in America… Baka…"
He didn't have any information on the person's name. The police still weren't releasing it quite yet in the States.
"I wish I could have a friend that listened all the time…two really…But I don't think I could trust a guy like this…some idiot wanting to get his kicks…"
…
"Mostly…I wish I could be with Chie again…" Yosuke said.
He went to sleep…He knew he had to move on…if nothing else…for Chie's sake.
Satonaka Residence
"Why, Yosuke?" She said, looking at the picture in her hands that they drew in 2002. The one with them playing with hearts and the sun smiling as it was shining down on them, and large letters that said, "Friends Forever." "Why did you forget about this? Why did you forget about US…?"
Chie wasn't fooled. At least not after a week. She was suspicious of Yosuke but couldn't manage to get him to confess he was her former love and next-door neighbor.
Could it be that when he saw me with Nobu-chan when the Trimester started…He was actually making a sacrifice…? This…the same Yosuke who not only tried to pick up Yukiko just moments later…but other girls as well?
...
Though it was funny when even the town bicycle Ebihara turned him down…
Chie looked at the TV. There was some story about some American involved in some plan for a heist.
I bet I would have kicked that guy's ass…The one they're talking about with the sai…obviously he sounds like the second-in-command, especially when he fought off those cops.
…
Hell, I can't even get a friend to fight for me… Even die for me…just because he's my friend…
…
There WAS Yukiko…but she seems a little unhappy lately…I wonder if it was our argument. But still, she should be happy. She'll inherit the Inn.
…
Yeah…she'll inherit the Inn and all I'll be left with is myself.
…
Yukiko's leaving me behind…
…
Just like Yosuke…
Chie went to sleep. She had Nobu-chan now…she would survive…
Sykes Residence, Las Vegas
"So when is your big sodding match?" James Bond Sykes asked his older brother, Daniel.
"Tomorrow…at 7:00 PM. At Caesar's Palace…" Daniel said, with a sigh.
"Will there be topless ring girls?" James asked.
"No…" Daniel said.
"Then pass…" James said.
Daniel sighed. He could fight Salvador Benitez in a big MMA match…but he couldn't motivate his brother to show up. "James…Haven't you sodding heard? This is a rematch. The stars have aligned. He wants payback, and I want to show that my last win against him wasn't a fluke…"
"Why don't you just kick his arse in the first 90 seconds then we can go look for some girls…"
"James…you're not legal here to do that…In fact you're not legal for much of anywhere here in Vegas…"
"Aye…not even your bloody fight…so why…?"
"James…Salvador insisted on that for anyone outside of yourself because a crazed fan tried to…well…I don't know what…I wanted you to see the rematch…you weren't in much of a mood to watch the video of last time…"
"Aye…because our parents were dead and you…"
"James…the Time Difference. By the time I found out it was after I beat Benitez the first time. James, why are you pissed?"
"Because just thinking you having this rematch…just shows you didn't care about what happened to Mum and Dad…"
"James…I did care…I flew out immediately…"
"36 hours from when you're told is not immediate! You had to continue with your smashmouth…"
"Momentum, James…"
"MOMENTUM?! That's what you cared about….Was momentum…Unbelievable…Did you lose the sense of family…?"
Daniel looked annoyed. "Look, I didn't invite you to lecture me…I wanted to make up for what happened."
"Aye…Meanwhile…you let your argument with Mum get in the way of not coming out sooner…Momentum…Shite, you're a bloody stupid arsehole… You've forgotten what it means to be a Sykes!" James said.
And then he walked off to his guest room and slammed the door.
"Momentum…I'm surprised momentum hasn't gotten him bloody…kill…"
Then James became upset and started crying…But only for 7 seconds. Then he steeled himself. He was a Sykes after all. And Englishmen do not cry. They keep a stiff upper lip…
Still James turned on the TV and lay down on the bed.
"And while the Salt Lake City Police Department has not released the name of the Suspect, word has come down that he is a 16-year-old boy, and will be tried as an adult…"
"Bloody Sod…My cousin wouldn't be as stupid as this pillock was…trying to knock over banks and liquor stores and such…" James said. "Chuck is smarter than…than this waste… or the waste of breath out there."
James frowned. He probably was being unfair to Daniel. After all, news WAS sketchy from Yorkshire to Vegas. All Daniel knew was that their home had been on fire, and varying reports of who was in there and that there were even reports that the family was completely safe. So Daniel probably…given his argument with Mum…probably felt it wasn't his concern…
That of course changed as time went on and even though Daniel had found out the truth, Daniel was stuck keeping commitments most people could have turned down but not easily so. But for him not to try…
"Daniel still could have dropped everything and came back home…but maybe he was worried how Mum would have reacted. It's too bad he never found out…"
…
"Especially since she was willing… to... for-for- gi…"
James sobbed again. He missed his parents so much. Stiff upper lip doesn't help when you miss your family very much.
Besides…James was above the cliché…
He was, however, not above to letting sleep claim him…
But as it did so, he was left with one thought…
…
I wish I could see Mum and Dad again.