Sora ni koete – Beyond the sky
Chapter 5 – Prince, court jester and…?
I had told Mayuri and Akira they could come at around 10am, but knowing Akira he'd be here like 15 minutes in advance. Knowing Mayuri she'd be here like 15 minutes too late. Deciding on a time with them is rather difficult.
Luckily mom and dad weren't home for the day and Aoi had to take care of some business, so the only obstacle left was Hana. I'd prefer it if she wouldn't be at home when the two came over, but getting Hana out of the house when she doesn't have to go outside isn't as easy as it may seem to be. Hana may not look like it, but she's really an inside-type of human. She prefers staying at home over going out. She's a person who could spend the entire day reading and she wouldn't get bored. Therefore my first mission of the day before Akira and Mayuri arrived, was to make Hana leave the house.
"Good morning Hana, isn't today a lovely day?" I said to her when I saw her in the kitchen, eating cereals.
"What do you want?" she answered immediately. She was as grumpy as ever, alright.
"Nothing, can't a brother greet his beloved big sister on a sunny day as today?" I looked at her with big sparkling eyes and a wide smile.
"Okay what did you do?" she was doubting my very words.
"Nothing, can't a-"
"Sora!"
"…fiiiine. Is there any possibility you could leave the house today? Akira and Mayuri are coming over." I asked her.
"And why do I need to leave if friends of my brother come to the house I live in?"
"Because we'd really like to have some time for our own? Mayuri wanted to discuss something with us, and whenever she asks like that it's mostly something serious." I tried to convince her with my spontaneously made up lie.
"Is that so, than wouldn't it be better to meet at her home instead?" she had a point.
"Y-yes, maybe, but, you know… she… uhm…she really likes our… sofa?" I said, knowing how stupid it sounded. Hana raised an eyebrow in disbelief.
"Oh come on Hana, please? Can't you meet Daiki or something?" I asked her again.
"I could, but what if I don't wanna?"
"Hanaaaa…" I was about to give up when my saviour entered the house and rushed into the kitchen.
"Oh good, you're still here Hana." Aoi said out of breath.
"And what do you want?" Hana sighed and stopped eating.
"I really need to go to the community hall to hand in a form, but there's some kind of incident and the bus won't drive. Could you drive me there please?" Aoi looked desperate.
"…fiiiine. I'll drive you. Gimme five minutes to change."
"You don't have to, you can stay in the car and-"
"I'll change, you're gonna treat me to something afterwards, okay?"
"Uhm, okay." Aoi looked surprised and I was saved. And exactly five minutes after Hana went upstairs she came back down.
"Alright Sora, take care of the house while we're gone. I hope you're happy…" Hana said as she opened the front door and stepped outside.
"I owe you one, Aoi!" I yelled.
"You… huh?" Aoi was confused.
"Hurry up!" I heard Hana screaming.
"Coming!" Aoi yelled back and closed the door.
My plan did work, more or less. Now I just had to wait for the two to arrive and then we'd be spending a relaxing day together.
I still had 30 minutes left before I needed to go, I didn't want to come late. In my opinion, it's always best to arrive earlier than the appointed time; that way there's no risk to run late. But knowing Mayuri she'd be probably late, again, like she always was. Akane was still sleeping in her bed, I tried my best not to wake her up. As harsh as it sounds, I didn't want her to come along today. First of all, she wasn't that much friends with Mayuri and secondly, I really needed a break from what had happened the day before. I silently walked out of our room and went downstairs.
"Oh ho ho, already awake?!" dad asked.
"Yes, I'll meet Sora and Mayuri today."
"How about Akane?" he asked, not turning away from the TV; he was watching a volleyball game.
"She's still in bed."
"I see. Keiji made breakfast before he left to go shopping, so serve yourself."
"Alri-"
"Wait she's in bed?!" he suddenly turned back as if he had heard bad news.
"Y-yes, she is."
"Is she ill?!" he said worried.
"No dad she's no-I mean, yes. Akane's ill." I didn't like lying to my parents, but I figured it'd be easier if he thought she was ill and tried to keep her in bed. And since dad isn't the, let's say brightest bulb concerning these things, it would somehow work.
"Oh no, just when Keiji went out! What do we do Akira?!"
"Nothing dad, she just needs some rest, that's all."
"R-really?" he looked relieved.
"Really! So you just need to make sure she doesn't leave her bed. And whenever she tries to tell you that she isn't ill, don't listen to her. That's just her… uh, ill consciousness speaking… yeah, that." I asked myself if I sounded convincing enough to make dad believe me, but after looking at him and seeing his concentrated face, I knew he had fallen for it.
"Alright Akira, leave the rest to daddy! Anything else I need to consider?" he asked.
"No, not really. You'll do just fine, I believe in you, dad." I said as I patted him on his head. Sometimes I felt like I was the parent and he the child. And at the same time I heard noise coming from above.
"Akira?!" I heard Akane saying, while sounds of steps were getting louder and louder. Akane had woken up.
"O-okay dad! I gotta go now." I said quickly.
"But what about breakfast?"
"I'll, uhm, eat something at Sora's place, don't worry, I-"
"Akira, where are you goin-" Akane wanted to ask as she was standing on the stairs, but I had already opened the door.
"I'm off, see you later!" I said.
"Ahhhh, Akane, you need to stay in your bed!" dad said.
"Huh, why?" was the last thing I heard before I closed the door behind of me. I was relieved that it somehow worked, took my phone out of my pocket and called Sora.
"Akira?" he asked.
"Hi, sorry for calling but… just wanted to say that I'm on my way."
"Already?"
"Yeah, I… Akane has bad timing." I said.
"Uhu…" Sora didn't seem to understand.
"Anyways, I'll be there in a bit. Is that okay?"
"Sure, I was about to eat breakfast though…"
"Cool, then I'll join you, I'm hungry."
"Haven't you eaten anything?"
"I'll explain it when I'm there."
"Alright then."
"Thanks." I hung up and started walking to the bus stop. I looked up to the sky and sighed in relief.
I decided that today would be the day I wouldn't arrive late like I always did and therefore I woke up earlier than normal. I got dressed and ready to head out, walked down the stairs and entered the kitchen.
"Morning sweetie, already up?" dad said while putting down the newspaper he was reading.
"Morning dad! Yes, I'll go over to Sora's. Akira will be there too and I didn't want to be late, so I woke up earlier!" I said full of pride.
"Sounds nice! So, want some breakfast?" he asked.
"Sure, I feel like eating a-" before I ended my sentence I saw dad take out the toaster from a cupboard. I rolled with my eyes.
"Something wrong, Mayuri?"
"He didn't wak-"
"Not yet, no."
"So you're gonna make breakf-"
"Yeah."
"And I'll have to-"
"Looks like it."
Silence was in the air.
"Toast?" dad finally asked.
"It's okay, I'll eat something on the way, I have enough time left before I need to be there." I said as I walked out of the kitchen and towards the front door.
"You have enough money?" he followed me.
"I think so, should be enough for a melon bread or something." I said as I put on my shoes.
"Here." he said while stretching out his hand. In his hand was a 1000 yen bill.
"Thanks daddy!" I said while hugging him.
"You're welcome sweetie. And now get going, we both know how easily you get lost."
"I will prove today that Mayuri Kuroo can make it on time if she really wants!" I said as I opened the door, stepped out and closed it behind of me. After walking a few steps I turned back and opened the door again.
"You forgot your bag, right?" dad said with a smirk on his face while leaning onto the wall.
"N-no? I left it there on purpose… because of… reasons?"
"I see. Well, have fun!" he said as he turned back and walked into the kitchen again.
"Bye bye." I said and closed the door a second time that morning.
The doorbell rang and Akira and me both went to the door. When I opened it a Mayuri out of breath was standing there, resting her arms on her knees, panting like she just had finished a marathon.
"I'm… ha… ha… here… tired…" she said while panting.
"You're late." was Akira's response.
"I… haa… have a perfectly good excuse… for that…"
"Are you okay?" I asked her.
"Do I look okay?" she seemed to have calmed down a bit.
"No, you look late." Akira added.
"Aaaaanyways, why don't we sit down and continue this there?" I pulled her into the house and closed the door again. I went to the kitchen and took the tray with the drinks.
"We can sit on the couch, no one's home toda-" as I was talking Mayuri fell down on the couch.
"O-or lie down, that's okay too." I added. I put the tray on the table and handed a glass to Mayuri. She sat up and drank it in one go. Akira took a glass as well, sat down on the armchair and crossed his legs.
"So?" he asked finally, weird mafia boss-like vibes coming from him.
"As I said, I have a perfectly good excuse." she said and started explaining the situation she was in that morning.
"So you got lost while looking at your phone? You mean, like always?" Akira asked finally.
"…yeah." she answered slowly.
"And that's a perfectly good excuse, because why?"
"Well… at least you know I'm not lying?" she had a point. But Akira only put his hand on his forehead and let out a deep sigh.
"Anyways, now she's here. Everything's fine!" I said to change topics.
"Right!" Mayuri smiled.
"Sooo, what did you want to talk about" I asked her.
"Oh, right. Riiiight. Uh, where to start. So, yesterday. Like you may know already, Akira, we went to the amusement park. Yuri, Aoi, Sora and me." Mayuri started talking.
"I know, Sora told me." Akira said.
"Okay. Well and then at one point Sora had to go to the toilets becau-"
"Mayuri I think you don't need to add that to the story." I interrupted her.
"Right, sorry. So Aoi, Yuri and I were sitting there, waiting for Sora, and then all of a sudden Yuri wanted to lead me somewhere. Aoi said she'd wait for Sora, so we could do what we wanted. So then Yuri took my hand and we walked around for some time. After a while he told me wanted to ride the Ferris wheel, so we did. And when we were at the highest point he first told me how my eyes remind him of the sunset and then he kissed me." Mayuri had closed her eyes when she reached the end of her story.
"Huh, that guy's not half bad, more than I expected." Akira said.
"Whoa! See?! I told you he likes you too!" I added.
"B-but, he didn't say anything else afterwards!" Mayuri continued.
"And you?" I asked.
"As if I was able to do or say anything after something like that!"
"Ask him out on a date." Akira said bluntly.
"Wh-what?!" Mayuri blushed.
"If you don't do something, nothing'll happen, you know?" he said.
"Bu… but just asking him… I… How?!" Mayuri hid her face behind a cushion.
"Just ask him in school. Or write him a text, or better, just call him. It's not that difficult."
"Well you have it easy, Akira, you already have your prince." she said.
"Aaawww, Yuri is your prince?" I asked Mayuri, she was acting too cute.
"Huh, I wouldn't really call Daiki a prince." Akira said.
"Oh, what then?" I asked him.
"Rather than a prince, Daiki is more like a… court jester." he said finally.
"…wow." Mayuri said.
"Poor Daiki." I said.
"And what are you?" Mayuri asked.
"I'm the king of course." Akira said.
"I wonder what Daiki thinks about this." I asked myself.
"Oh, I can ask him. Wait a sec, I'll text him." Akira said as he pulled out his phone from his pocket. After roughly a minute the answer came.
"'Akira is my one and only king!'" Akira showed me the message and I read it aloud.
"Aww, that's… kind of cute. I guess?" Mayuri said.
"You've trained him well, huh?" I said.
"Anyways, ask him out. End of discussion." Akira said.
"I wonder when I'll meet my prince. Or my court jester. Or my whatever." I grabbed a cushion and hugged it.
"Maybe sooner than you'd think." Akira said as he stood up and walked into the kitchen to refill his glass.
"Why do you say that?" I asked him.
"Just a hunch!" I heard him yell from the kitchen.
"Soraaaaa, what should I do?!" Mayuri asked.
"About what?"
"About Yuri!"
"Oh, I agree with Akira. Just ask him on a date. That'd be the easiest way, wouldn't it?"
"Y-yes, but… still."
"Should I ask talk to him first?"
"Wh-what? About what?"
"About you, obviously."
"I don't know if that's a good idea…" Mayuri was unsure.
"I think it's a perfect idea. We have PE on Monday, right?" Akira came back.
"Yup." I answered.
"Great, then we'll ask him then. Girls have swimming lessons then, right?" he looked at Mayuri.
"Y-yes, but. No. Don't talk to him, why would you-"
"Too late, it's already decided." I said.
"You heard him." he said and we bumped our fists.
"Nooohoooo…" Mayuri yelled into the cushion and let herself fall down on the couch. After that we continued talking until we got hungry and then we made lunch. In the afternoon we played some games and continued talking and the day ended just like that and both of them went home. Shortly afterwards Hana and Aoi came back home.
"We're back!" Aoi said as she opened the front door.
"Welcome back." I said while lying on the couch, reading a book.
"I'm hungry!" I heard Hana say.
"Yes yes, I'll make you something right now, don't worry." Aoi said and entered the kitchen. Hana came to the living room and stopped in front of me.
"Hi Hana." I said without looking away from my book.
"Move." she said.
"Huh?"
"Move!" she repeated angrily. I jumped up scared and Hana sat down next to me. I was struggling if it was a good idea to talk to her or to better leave her alone.
"…you okay?" I asked finally.
"Shut it!" she said as she turned on the TV.
I slowly stood up, closed my book and backed off from her, joining Aoi in the kitchen.
"Uhm, is she…" I wanted to ask Aoi what had happened.
"Ah, nothing, don't worry, we met Daiki and he insisted on spending the day with us." Aoi said with a laugh while cutting some vegetables.
"Oh, I see. Need help?" I asked her.
"Sure, thanks!" she said and told me what to do.
"I'll better not ask about your day then." I said.
"Yeah, don't. How was yours? Did you talk about whatever you talked about? I heard from Hana."
"Yeah, talked about princes, court jesters… the normal stuff." I said. She looked at me with a worried expression.
"Okay I think my little brother has lost it completely." she said and I started laughing.
I still didn't know what Akira meant with his hunch, but I was curious as to what would happen from now on. And I couldn't wait to ask Yuri about Mayuri, that would be fun.