Chapter 2: The Band of Seven.
"Spill the beans, what did you get on the 'Band Of Seven'?" Izaoi asked pulling her lunch from her bag. Tatsuki pulled a file from his bag and handed a copy to everyone. Yosuke sat beside Kyoko as he glanced down the page.
"They're all adoptive, just Jakotsu and Bankotsu are blood related." Tatsuki said, afterwards shoving a large spoon full of pudding into his mouth, everyone made a noise of disgust and went back to looking at their copies of the file. Kyoko nudged Izaoi as she saw something interesting in the text.
"Look, Bankotsu has a record of violence. It says that the Band of Seven are quiet smart but had emotional issues, seems that all seven of them were left orphaned by their parent's deaths." Kyoko said as Izaoi and she stared at each other.
"It doesn't say how they died, but if you give me their last names I can find out in the library." Yuki said as she tied her hair in a bun. Kyoko nodded and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen. Yuki couldn't take the confidential papers out in public, they'd all get expelled.
"Okay, now moving on," Rin said as she tucked her chopsticks behind her ear as she pressed her finger against the page. "It says here that Bankotsu is the leader, everyone in their gang follows him to the T. But Renkotsu is said to have lead off and tried thing on his own, I'm guessing Bankotsu didn't really like that." Rin made a face at the paper.
"Why, what happened?" Kaguya asked, she had set her paper down to eat her lunch.
"It says that Renkotsu was hospitalized when he went rouge and put Jakotsu in danger. The police had evidence that Bankotsu had beaten him, but Renkotsu refused to press charges, said that it was a 'family' matter." Rin rephrased as everyone stopped eating and looked at the ground.
"That's horrible." Izaoi said after the silence grew unbearable. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.
"But you know, I can see why he flew off the handle." Tatsuki said gaining everyone's astonished look. "I'm not saying I applauded him, it just; what if your only family member was put in danger because your adoptive brother puts him or her in the position. I mean, if Mom and Dad died, I'd kill anyone that'd put Yuki or out little brothers and sister in danger." Tatsuki said as Yuki smiled at him.
"The only thing I love about you," Yuki said as her eyes softened. "Is that you are so protective of us all, just like Daddy." Yuki finished as she playfully punched Tatsuki's shoulder. Murmurs of agreement sounded as they all laughed at Tatsuki's blushing face.
"In any case," Yosuke cut in, his voice stern as he eyes stared at Kyoko and Izaoi. "You two have to be careful around them. None of us want to see you two hurt because the school made you be friends with the Band of Seven." Yosuke said as Kyoko and Izaoi smiled, they knew he cared deeply about his family, even if he didn't like showing it.
"We know Yosuke, you too are so protective over us." Izaoi said as she touched Yosuke's shoulder in a kind manner. Kyoko copied her sister.
"We love you too Yosuke." Kyoko said as she brushed her lips against his cheek. "But that doesn't mean that you can hit on us." Kyoko added as she stuck her tongue out at him. He glared at her as a deep scarlet blush crossed his face. Everyone burst into laughter, but Yosuke was okay with it, it was family fun laughter, best friends laughter, the kind that you can't help be laugh with them. Yosuke pushed Kyoko's arm slightly, she rocked and laid against his arm when she returned. "I love our family." Kyoko said aloud, her eyes closed as she fell into a sea of happiness.
"So do I." Izaoi said leaning against Rin. "Our family is the best." Everyone nodded and looked at one another with happiness.
Down in the court yard of the high school, Jakotsu and her brothers sat under the shade of a large oak tree, Bankotsu and Kyokotsu both siting in the tree above the rest.
"What do you think of the school so far boys?" Bankotsu asked, his back leaning against the back of the tree. Jakotsu rolled her eyes before she closed them as the sun snaked its way through the moving leaves to her eyes.
"There are plenty of some-what cute girls." Ginkotsu said as he played with his pocket knife he brought to school with him. His red hair fluttered in the wind, the green, folded bandanna holding his hair from getting in his eyes. Laying his large body against the grassing hill side, Ginkotsu rested an arm against his forehead to block the sun.
"That girl, Izaoi and her sister Kyoko, they were quite cute." Renkotsu said, one eye slit open to see Bankotsu's face. Bankotsu half opened his eyes, looking down at the ground in thought.
"Izaoi and Kyoko Takashi, they're very...interesting." Bankotsu mused loudly as Renkotsu and Suikotsu exchanged looks.
"Which caught you eye brother?" Suikotsu asked. His eyes steady on Bankotsu
"Izaoi." Bankotsu said calmly as he folded his arms behind his head as a pillow. Renkotsu looked up to the roof then back to Suikotsu. "What about the rest of you?" Bankotsu asked opening his eyes to glance over his family.
"I thought that the boy in my class is cute, but then I saw Izaoi's cousin, Tatsuki, oh! Is he one sexy man!" Jakotsu said as she looked up to the roof with a dreamy look. Her bright blue eyes sparkling as she closed them to dream even more in her mind. The other six rolled their eyes and sighed.
"Mukotsu, Kyokotsu, Suikotsu, Ginkotsu, Renkotsu?" Bankotsu prompted softly.
"Kyoko Takashi." Three said, one other agreed with Bankotsu about Izaoi, and the last two mentioned two different names. Bankotsu sighed as he pushed his back from the tree, swinging his feet over the trees branch.
"So we all have a tie over the Takashi girls, Izaoi, the oldest and Kyoko the baby." Bankotsu said as everyone agreed with small shouts. Bankotsu sighed and looked to each of his brothers, then Jakotsu. "Okay, it'll work out this way, so it's all fair; everyone may try to woo the girl they like, if she does not return the feeling, then you have to give up and allow the others a chance, if you find a new girl you must give up the first girl. Unless the second girl does not like ya." Bankotsu said as if he'd given the rules to the 'game' many times before. "Everyone agreed?" Bankotsu asked.
"Agreed brother." Everyone but Jakotsu said as they nodded to Bankotsu.
"Men!" Jakotsu said as Bankotsu jumped from the tree and wrapped his arm around Jakotsu's shoulder.
"You really just lump us all together huh, Jakotsu?" Bankotsu asked as Jakotsu make a face at him.
"When you act like that, yes." Jakotsu said coldly as she turned her face away from her brother. Bankotsu laughed as he patted Jakotsu's shoulders. "How can I be related to you?" Jakotsu asked when Bankotsu went back to talking to his brothers about the rules. Jakotsu sighed and stood up, brushing her butt of any grass and dirt on it. Rolling her eyes again Jakotsu began for the outside school stairs. She was gonna at least warn the poor girls of the assault of flattery and presence of her brother for their affection.
Who knows, Jakotsu thought as she walked slowly up the stairs, maybe they can save my brothers. Make them change for the better. Make them stop getting in trouble and into fights.
Jakotsu stopped when she was just about to the top of the stairs, voices were fluttering in the breeze, happy, carefree, family laughs. Jakotsu sighed again as she leaned against the wall, she always wanted a full family, she loved the one she had now, she just, sometimes she wanted a mom, a father, other sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. A solid foundation for her to grow up in. But she was glade to have her brothers, especially Bankotsu, her only blood relative.
Taking a deep breath Jakotsu started to walked again, reaching the roof in a few seconds. She heard someone say that their was another student on the roof and the group began to shuffle their things around. Jakotsu placed a smile on her face as she walked towards the seven students on the roof top. "Hello! Izaoi, Kyoko!" Jakotsu said as she waved her hand to the group. Izaoi and Kyoko waved back as they smiled at her.
"Jakotsu! I didn't expect you to come up here? Weren't you with your brothers?" Izaoi asked as she stood up to greet Jakotsu. Jakotsu just smiled shyly at her.
"You're the only friend I know here, so I thought I'd see what you're doing, my brother's are just being boys." Jakotsu said as Izaoi laughed, leading Jakotsu to her family.
"Yuki, Tatsuki, Kaguya, Rin, Yosuke, Kyoko, it is Jakotsu Shichi. Jakotsu, this is my sister, you've met her briefly, Kyoko, my cousins, Rin, her sister Kaguya, Yuki and her twin brother Tatsuki, and Yosuke." Kyoko said as Jakotsu smiled and waved to each of the group members, her eyes lingering on Tatsuki. Kyoko patted Jakotsu's shoulder as she spoke, "Wanna sit down with us? Lunch is almost over but, we like to wait until the last moment to leave."
"I'd love that." Jakotsu said as she sat down with Izaoi. "Before I forget, Kyoko-san, Izaoi-san, you may start to receive random gifts and little gestures of courtship." Jakotsu said as she looked at her skirt. She knew that the whole group was looking at her funny.
"Why Jakotsu-chan, do you mind if I call you that?" Izaoi asked resting her hand on Jakotsu's shoulder, a sign of reassurance. Jakotsu looked at Izaoi then to Kyoko, they seemed so nice to her. "My brothers like you two. They have this thing, if two or more like the same girl, they have to court her."
"In other words, they have to try and make her go out with one of them before the other." Yosuke said in plain terms as he laid on his back, his eyes closed. Kyoko turned to Yosuke and hit him in the stomach with her small fists of anger.
"Be nice to Jakotsu, Jerk!" Kyoko and Izaoi shouted at him, their voices mingling together. Yosuke jerked to cover his stomach mumbling an apology to Jakotsu. Jakotsu smiled as she looked at the wounded Yosuke.
"It was fine, you didn't have to hit him." Jakotsu said as Izaoi shook her head.
"To Yosuke, that was for-play. He like Kyoko a lot." Izaoi said as she kept an eye on Yosuke.
"Are you all cousins?" Jakotsu asked innocently.
"Mostly, some are distantly related, but we all grew up together, so we're more like really close cousins. Even Yosuke." Izaoi teased, as Yosuke jerked up and grabbed Kyoko around the waist, pulling her to the floor with him.
"Pay back is a bitch!" Yosuke shouted as he began to tickle Kyoko's side. Kyoko screamed in laughter as she tried to roll around to get away from him.
"Stop! Stop! Pl-Please! Izaoi! Yuki! Tatsuki! Hahaa! Kaguya! Rin! Jakotsu! Please! Hahaha! H-Help me!" Kyoko cried between laughs and gasps for air.
"Say your sorry!" Yosuke said pausing long enough for Kyoko to stick her tongue out at him, her answer; no. "Okay then, suffer!" Yosuke said as he tickled her again. Tatsuki stood up in once quick motion and walked to Yosuke; wrapping his arms around Yosuke's waist, Tatsuki picked up his cousin and sat him down, a few feet away from the now gasping Kyoko.
"Th-thank you Tatsuki. M-meh my hero!" Kyoko gasped as Izaoi helped her up to a siting position.
"Tatsuki, you're just a big softly for a damsel in distress!" Izaoi joked as he blushed a little with a small smile. His left hand rubbing the back of his head in a nervous reaction. Everyone joked with him about his kindness for any young woman in trouble. Kyoko glared at Yosuke when she got her breath back.
"You're a jerk Yosuke." Kyoko said as she leaned against Jakotsu's shoulder. "Jakotsu, now what were you saying about your brothers? My memory was lost with the lack of oxygen that got to my brain." Kyoko said as she glared back over at Yosuke, he shrugged his shoulders and turned away.
"Um...well, they're planing to try and win one of you two over. Bankotsu and Ginkotsu like you Izaoi, while Renkotsu and Suikotsu like you Kyoko." Jakotsu said as she looked down at her skirt again. Kyoko and Izaoi stared at each other before standing up and walking to the side of the rooftop and peering over at the six males below.
"Well, you know Bankotsu, and Ginkotsu aren't that bad." Izaoi said sizing up the two that like her. "They're all good looking, but I dunno." Izaoi mused aloud as she rested her arms and head on the railing. "I guess Bankotsu is the best looking one, even with his long hair."
"Yeah, lucky you." Kyoko said as she stared at the two that like her. Suikotsu, the kinder looking one of the six males. His green eyes were dazzling in the sun light, then there was Renkotsu. She didn't really have an opinion on that particular member, she'd only met him briefly and he didn't leave a lasting impression on her, Kyoko blushed when she saw his eyes turn to her. Jerking her body away from the railing, Kyoko blushed even redder at her sudden movements
"Kyoko, what's wrong?" Yuki asked as the girls stood up went to her. Kyoko looked at the floor.
"N-nothing, just saw a couple making out." Kyoko lied as Jakotsu went to the edge and saw Renkotsu turning his head with a smile. She knew what happened. Jakotsu smirked as she heard her name being called from below her. Turning slighting Jakotsu waved to her brother Bankotsu when he looked up at her.
I guess Renkotsu is starting early, Jakotsu thought as she walked to Izaoi and the others.