"Hey, Kyo?" I asked.
"Yeah?"
"Who are your parents?" I asked. He paused a moment.
"My mother um… passed away when I was younger." He said, looking down. I stopped what I was doing and turned to look at him. I walked over and sat next to him, one leg over his lap as I hugged him. He looked over and hugged back quickly as soon as I sniffled.
"I'm so sorry. Kyo, I didn't know." I said. I hugged him tighter. "And… your father?"
"He's alive. He just lives far away from here." He said. "How about we meet him?"
"YES!" I said, jumping for it.
When it came time to meet Kyo's father, I was really nervous. I stuck close to his side as we walked up to the small old house. Kyo knocked on the door, and an old man opened the door. He was wise looking with his black hair tied back. He looked Kyo and then to myself.
"Hey!" Kyo said. The man smiled.
"Hello Kyo." He said. "Come on in and introduce me to your lady friend."
We walked inside and took off our shoes, and Kyo held my hand and the man looked a little surprised when he noticed.
"Well, master, I would like you to meet my girlfriend, Andrea Koenig." Kyo introduced. The man was completely flabbergasted as he shook my hand.
After visiting, I discovered that Kyo's father, named Kazuma, is a very kind man that owns a dojo and teaches small children how to perform martial arts. Little did I know, Kyo and many of his family members happened to be some of his very own students. Unfortunately, he was too embarrassed to show them off because he was a little "rusty" because he's into the band more than martial arts. His father also was very supportive of our relationship, but he seemed very surprised over Kyo having a girlfriend. Maybe, to him, Kyo just didn't seem like one of those guys. Before we left, I went to the bathroom.
Kyo's POV
"I'm happy for you Kyo." Master said. I blushed and looked in the direction of the bathroom. "She's a real keeper."
"That's a reason that I wanted to talk to you about." I said. He looked at me curiously.
"Kyo… are you going to-"
"On Christmas day… if it's all right with her family…"
"Where's the um..."
"It's in where she'll never look. Don't worry." I said. "Would you be able to come to the states too?"
"No… I wouldn't want to burden her family. Just go. I'll stick around when I can."
"Thanks…"
December 20, 2013
Andrea's POV
I woke up the next morning to my alarm clock waking me up. I punched it before throwing it across the room. I rolled out of bed and went into the shower before coming out and getting dressed casually. I munched on cereal as I called up Kyo.
"Hello?"
"Hey." I said. He perked up.
"Oh hey! You ready?" He asked.
"Just about. I'm in the middle of breakfast. All of my crap is by the door though." I said. He chuckled.
"Well I'm just about ready myself. I just have to do a double check on my things because I can't find my keys."
"Right jacket pocket."
"What?" There were sounds ruffling and then the jingling of trees. "How the hell..?"
"I have my ways." I said smirking.
"Haha. Well I'll be right over. I'll just pack my things into the back."
"All righty, I'll be ready."
"You take what road?"
"That one right up here it's labeled with a giant 'EIGHTEEN' on the sign."
"This?"
"YES!" I exclaimed. We sped in a turn down the road and followed it to the airport.
Then my phone rang.
"Hello?"
"You ready or whatever?" My mom said.
"We're not even at the airport yet. Well no… we just pulled in and we're acting like an old couple on a road trip." I said.
"No we're not, I'm just not sure of what I'm supposed to be doing here. I've never been to the airport before." Kyo said, turning to me. I leaned on the window and used my other hand to turn his head to the road.
"Lovely" She said. "Let me know when you're almost at the airport."
"Well the tickets say that the flight will make it to Syracuse at… your three o'clock pm. So I'm really tired since I just woke up at 1:30. In the morning. And I hate talking." I said. I suppressed a yawn.
"All right. I'll be there at three. Meet me in the terminal."
"Kay."
"Kay."
"Bye mom."
"Bye Hun."
I hung up and we went into the airport, got ready, and soon within a matter of time we were on our way to New York.
"Hey." Kyo whispered. "Wake up. We're here."
I opened my eyes and raised my head from his shoulder. I looked around and sure enough, people were filing out of the plane. I smiled and got my baggage I carried on. Kyo grabbed a place in line and let me in front. I walked off of the plane and into the terminal. I waited for baggage claim and soon we piled it all onto a cart that Kyo forcefully pushed on his own.
"So… your folks here yet?" He asked, his palms getting sweaty as he held my hand. I smiled and pecked his cheek, feeling him squeezing my hand when I did. I squeezed it back and smiled at him.
"Don't worry. I have my family around my finger. If they try anything I'll calm them down. Just don't get offended by some of their customs. We're Americans so we don't really bow or anything to each other, and we freely do whatever." I said. He nodded. "The most you have to do is prepare a firm grip for the men in the family."
I looked around. "Hey! It's my brother!" I said, excited. I smiled and waved to my brother, now sixteen. I grinned as he saw me and turned to my parents before he ran up and hugged me. I hugged him back and then turned him and caught him in a headlock, before giving him a noogie. "Hey you brat! How's it going?"
"Haha. It's going good." He said before he freed himself. "So where's the bee eff?"
I laughed and hugged my parents and aunt and uncle as they walked up. Then I turned to Kyo and walked over to him, and grinned as I held his hand.
"Guys… this is Kyo. Kyo… this is my mom, Lynn… my dad, Mike… my Aunt Deb, Uncle Joe, and my little brother Patrick." I said, introducing him. They looked at me before shaking his hand. I smiled as he hugged or shook their hands keeping firm grips.
"Kyo, you're going to have to start speaking English you know." I said. He shyly greeted them.
After everyone was acquainted with everyone else decently enough, we all went home and sat around the table. I helped translate a few things that Kyo hadn't learned yet. He learned to be able to not have a terrible accent since I've quit volunteering and I personally tutored him. I smiled and held his hand as my family started interrogating him. I squeezed his hand when he became uncomfortable.
"And what are your intentions?" My dad asked. I sighed and let go of Kyo's hand.
"Dad… you're being over-rational. Stop making Kyo uncomfortable." I said, walking over to him and hugging him. "But that question is my cue to leave for I dare not wish to hear the answer for personal causes."
I kissed Kyo on the cheek and walked into the next room with my mom and dragged my brother with me. I sat and watched some TV while my brother sat next to me, making fun of some people on TV that I joined in on.
Kyo's POV
"And what are your intentions?" Her father said. She let go of my hand before I had a chance to calm down, so my hand fisted. The deadly question I was warned about so many times has come to me. I watched her get up and walk over to her father, hugging him from behind and kissing him on the cheek.
"Dad… you're being over-rational. Stop making Kyo uncomfortable." She warned, continuing on. She walked over and kissed me on the cheek before dragging her brother into the next room to watching TV. Her mom and aunt followed.
"Well?" Her father asked.
"I don't know just yet sir. Your daughter is a wonderful person, and I would love to see where the relationship will take us, I just want to wait and see if it leads us in any further direction."
"I see…"
"Though… I believe strongly that I know where it is going. I know we've only been going out for a little while but… I would like to um…" I said. I whispered the last part while glancing into the next room.
"Well you seem like a nice boy. Really well defined and knows where priorities lie. I'll… I can't believe I'm saying this… I'll… allow it. You have my blessing." Her father said. Everyone else in the room agreed and her mother got a little excited over the whole thing, but calmed down a short while later.
Her uncle called her back in and she came in and sat by me, grinning ear to ear. She looked to her family and looked at them expectantly, nervously holding my hand.
"Well?" She asked. We looked at them as they stood up, and we stood up too. Then I saw her dad smirk, and her uncle chuckled. She squealed and hugged me before hugging them. I shook their hands and I was given a "welcome aboard".
She smiled at me happily and I just smiled back at her as she held my hands. She bit her lip before kissing me quickly then hugging me again.
"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" She whispered. She looked over at her family and smiled. She then went and hugged her brother, who gave me a death glare. I gulped nervously.
"Well, let's get a different party started. Mom, can I borrow your vehicle thing?" She asked. Her mom nodded and tossed her the keys. She grabbed my hand and turned to the door, putting on her shoes. "Gonna go grab April and Kristine and crew! Be back for dinner!"
She said, dragging me off and hopping into a van. She started driving off down the road. I looked around.
"So… what's around here?" I asked in Japanese.
"There's a library, houses, stores, houses, huge high school, houses, a few colleges and parks, houses, ethnical diversity, oh, and houses." She said. I laughed. She flipped on her cell phone and I sat and waited, wondering what we were going to do.
Andrea's POV
"Hello?"
"Hey… I'm at my home base." I said.
"No freaking way! Where are you?"
"On my way to introduce you to a certain guy who came with me for the holidays."
"Oh my gosh. Does he- hurry up! Pedal to the medal woman! Floor it! Me and Clarissa are here!"
"Sorry but I'm at a 30 mph zone my friend. I'll be there shortly."
"Stupid speed zones." I laughed.
"Why the hell are we going so slow?" Kyo asked.
"Because it's a 30 mph speed zone." I replied.
"STOP TALKING ABOUT ME IN JAPANESE YOU FREAK!" April shouted on the other line.
"OH YEAH… so April… she's a total bitch you won't like her!" I said loudly into the phone.
"BITCH!"
"HEY WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE-" Kyo shouted. I clasped a hand over his mouth. When he fought back I pulled over.
"Hold on a second." I said. I put the phone on the shelf by the speedometers and turned as soon as he tore my arm away and kissed him. He seemed to fight back still at first, but quickly changed and got into it, so I broke away and grabbed the phone before pulling out and continuing to drive. He looked at me a moment before scoffing and looking out his window.
"Okay." I said.
"What did you do? He was screaming his guts out and now he's…calm? How did you do- oh… you promised him some loving didn't you?" I blushed and yelped.
"No I didn't… I didn't promise him anything!"
"You gave him a quick bee-jay?"
"NO." I said, blushing even more. Kyo looked over at me curiously. "I feel so lucky that he- never mind. We're almost there. I'm at the light in my mom's thingy."
"What? Really? Oh my gosh!" She replied, and banging noises of her rushing down steps were heard on her end.
"Now we're driving… we're driving… we're slowing down… we're turning… we're parking… we're parked." I said. "We're shut off… we're getting out… we see you. Good bye."
I put my cell phone away and stood in front of Kyo as they rushed out, tossing her phone into the snow. I ran for them and we hugged, spinning around until we were in our original positions.
"Okay. Guys, this…" I said, turning and hugging Kyo from the side as I brought him up closer. "..Is Kyo. Kyo, this is my friend April, and then Clarissa."
After the agonizing introductions for Kyo, we decided to grab Kristine, so we piled into the car and drove off.
"Kristine? Hey it's April." She said. She put the phone on speaker.
"Oh hey! Hahaha." Kristine replied.
"Guess who I'm riding with?"
"Who?"
"Andrea and her BOYFRIEND." April said. I reached back and smacked her in the head.
"April stop being mean!" I said.
"OH MY GOD Andrea!" Kristine called on the other end.
"Hey Kristiiiine! I'm in New York with Kyo!" I said.
"GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!" She screamed.
"Don't worry, I'm turning into the park now… get out here." I said.
"Okay… and how far do you think you're going to get with her?" Kristine asked. I spit my drink out my window.
"Guys, shut up! He went through it with my dad; he doesn't need to deal with you." I warned. They started teasing me. "Guys, I will throw you out of the vehicle… in front of Ryan's house. Now… go away."
"We're just kidding around with him…" Kristine said. "He hasn't said much."
"Yeah..." April said. Clarissa just laughed.
"Kyo." I said. I looked at him. "Give them worthy conversation, or answer the question."
"Well, what do I say?" He asked.
"Okay, let's try this." I said. "What have you two done lately?"
"Do you guys want to get together the day after Christmas or something?" I asked.
"Yeah, yeah. Sure." April said.
"Hell yeah." Kristine replied. I dropped them off, giving them hugs and stuff. Then I went home and walked in to see dinner. I held Kyo's arm and we walked over to the table with some plates and sat down. We ate dinner, putting our two cents when we could. I commented more than Kyo, since he was still getting used to my family.
When the night came, my dad forced me to sleep in my room, while Kyo slept downstairs on the couch. I sighed as I put my hair up. I walked over to him as I left the bathroom and yawned as I hugged him, a quick peck to his lips. He hugged back and my dad pulled me away to go upstairs.
"Night Kyo…" I said.
"Night."
"I love you." I said in Japanese. I smiled at him as he blushed and he looked down with a small smile before looking up at me.
"Love you too." He replied. I smiled and walked upstairs.
"What did you say?" My dad asked as we went upstairs. I grinned.
"Nothing bad… just wishing him a nice night." I said.
"He seemed a little… embarrassedly giddy about it."
"Don't be perverted about it, but I said something simple to him." I said smirking. "Ask mom if you don't know."
I woke up when Christmas arrived, and I convinced my father that Kyo and I won't do anything. So I turned and looked over to him sleeping. I smiled and kissed him on the cheek before getting out and heading off to take a shower. After the two of us took showers…separately…and everyone returned home. So we began sending off presents. Since no one knew what to get Kyo, I told them that he'd be fine with a simple card or something in it. My parents gave him a sweater, and then my brother gave him some CDs. Everyone else gave him money.
I doubled up with Kyo, and we gave my brother a new MP3 player, my mom, aunt and grandmother some Japanese crystal knick knacks, my dad, uncle, grandfather on my dad's side, and grandfather on my mom's side some technology things, and then I bought a few things for others.
I gave Kyo a few things. Kyo decided to give me my gift and everyone turned to look at me as I sat down on the couch by my present pile. I looked around curiously before turning to Kyo. Kyo smiled and got down on one knee, taking a deep breath. I blushed and looked at him, my heart racing faster and faster.
My heart stopped as he started talking, testing out some of his English. My pulse increased, I couldn't think much anymore.
"Andrea, will you… marry me?"
