"I'm here!" he yelled running over to Yoshi, Tokine and their spirit dogs. "I'm here. " he held the bag out. He'd gotten curious and checked, he'd been right and there was enough for three people. "I ...I brought dinner."
"Alright!" yoshi cheered, as they sat on the roof and ate. "So how's it going? I mean are you still tired?"
"Well, a little but dad didn't demand that I stay home because I'm too weak to protect Karasumori tonight so that's good." he gave a crooked half smiled, "Maybe after last night he sees I'm not as weak as he thought. "
No enemies had showed up that night so he and Yoshi had been able to get some sleep on the job while Tokine and the dogs stood guard. She'd smiled and assured him that it was okay. She was just going to review her homework.
What was confusing Aki at the moment was that he was eating breakfast with his family for the first time in ages. He normally ate in his room, when he was allowed to eat at all.
He took a bite of his breakfast and hummed. It was really good.
"This tamagoyaki is wonderful!" he said, tears running down his cheeks. "I think it's better than Yoshi's dads."
"How do you know what his tastes like?" his father demanded.
"Well, the day before yesterday Yoshi gave me some breakfast left overs. " Aki replied, blinking. He glanced around. "It was the first time he's done that and Tokine gave me the food she made in Cooking Class. That was a first too and she let me eat with her friends. I didn't realize that we were in the same grade even though she's older than me. (In the Manga Yoshi is 14 and in 8th grade while Tokine is 16 and in 9th grade. She should be in 10th but it says 9th so that's what I'm going with. ) " he shrugged, "Anyway this is really good..." He glanced at his watch. "I have to go! Thanks for breakfast. "
"Tokine, your friend is here." A boy called.
It was lunch time. Tokine looked up to see Aki at her desk.
"I really did leave my lunch this time." he whimpered so only she could hear. Then switched to his normal voice. "Did you make anymore of that yummy food from last time?"
Tokine sighed with a smile and had him join her and her friends for lunch again. He happily ate until the door opened and Asu came in.
"This time it's one of the older students." Mirara said, "Nope, Yoshimori is right behind him. "
"You idiot you forgot your lunch." Asu put it down. "How'd you get lunch?"
"Tokine made it special for me." Aki teased, "Just for me. "
"Eh?" Asu snagged a bit and ate it. "She's good. "
"Here!" Yoshi slammed down more food and another sweet container. Then stormed off.
"You know I could drive you to school." Asu had snagged one of the tamagoyaki from what Yoshi had left. "Hn? This is good. "
"See I told you." he smirked. Then went back to the food.
"Don't eat it all, brat or you'll get a stomach and you've already been sent home once this week. "
He snagged more Tamagoyaki and waved over his shoulder as he left the room. Tokine curious snatched the piece of Tamagoyaki.
"Can I have this?"
"Sure, I had some for breakfast."
She was soon exclaiming how good it was. When they were done eating they opened Yoshi's treat. Today it was a small house cake. He divided it among the girls and saved the rest for Osamu.
After lunch the ninth graders had gym, thankfully for the three girls he sat with, as they had loved Yoshi's cake. Unfortunately, it was swim gym.
"TOKINE!" she turned from where she was standing in her swimsuit just in time to catch Aki, in his swim trunks and a tank top, "I don't know how to swim!"
"Don't worry." she smiled at him gently, "I'll teach you." he gave her a crooked smile of gratitude as she lead him to the roof top pool he could sense Yoshi watching them so he was skipping out on class. That didn't shock him. Sure he was taking advantage of being a rightful heir to their Master but Tokine always acted like what he believed a big sister would act and he liked that. "It's okay to come in the water. This is the shallow end you wont drown here you an just stand up."
"Okay, Tokine." He said, and followed her into the pool. "Are you really okay with teaching me to swim?"
"It's no problem." She smiled at him.
So the rest of the period Aki learned to swim. Tokine was so nice to him and he liked that. Her friends even got into helping.
"Why are they paying so much attention to you?!" A boy hit him to the ground in the boy's locker room. Aki felt blood running from his head. "Why is Tokine paying so much attention to you!"
"She's my friend." He said, then grunted as the boys began beating him up. "She's my friend!"
Aki woke in a hospital bed he was in the nurses office. He could feel his body healing and could tell he'd been hurt bad.
"Akihiko!" Asu pulled the curtains back. "Akihiko are you okay? Tell me what happened?!"
"They...wanted to know why Tokine is so nice to me..." Aki answered ,, he could sense his dad in the room. "I told them because we are friends . Because Tokine is my friend. They just beat me up more but I don't blame Tokine because Tokine is nice to me. She taught me to swim today. She's like a big sister to me. Tokine is great."
"Yes, Tokine is rather popular around here." The Nurse said, "I'm sorry you had to suffer but you don't seem to be hurt that bad..."
"Excuse me?" Aki's dad growled, "I'd like some time alone with my boys."
"Of course. " she left.
"How bad are you hurt, Akihiko?"
"Not any more." Aki said sitting up. " Karasumori heals me. I don't like using it's power but it comes to me and heals me. "
"There is something I need to tell you , Akihiko." His father sighed, running a hand over his face. "It's about your mother."