POV Takao
When we walked in the front door, we didn't even have time to say we were home before Nobou and Keiko were there, checking us over.
"Are you alright, you're not hurt?" Nobou asked.
"Dad?" Shin-chan was frozen by his parent's panic.
"You didn't answer our many calls, we thought something had happened to you," Keiko told us, her hand clutched over her heart.
"I never answer my phone, why didn't you call Takao's cell?"
"We did, that's why we were so worried. Is your battery dead?" Nobou asked.
I took my phone from my jacket pocket and flipped it open. The battery life was at half-charge and the signal strength was fine. I hit the speed dial for Shin-chan's phone and it did nothing. I looked again at the display. It said: No Service.
"Oh, it looks like my networks down," I explained, showing those words to everyone in turn.
"What was so urgent that made you call in the first place?" Shin-chan asked.
"Takao's mother called. She asked us to have you call her. It was odd, she normally would call you herself, so I thought something must be wrong," Keiko said.
"She called here? Well maybe it was because I didn't answer when she called me because of the service outage."
"Why don't you use the phone in my study and call your provider and get some information on what they are doing to fix it. Then you can call your mother as well and let her know what's going on."
"Thanks, I'll do that. I'm sorry for all the trouble."
"No, we're just glad that both of you are safe," Keiko said.
Nobou's study was a comfortable nook of books interspersed with his collection of anatomical models. I sat at the desk and used the old-fashion corded phone to make the call while I used the modern computer to navigate to the provider's website while I waited on hold. There was no message about outages on home page. The operator came on the line after some time and took my name and phone number to look up the issue.
"I'm sorry sir, but this phone number has been disconnected by the primary account holder as of noon today. Perhaps you should…" I didn't hear anything else she said.
"Thank you," I said and hung up. At least my phone worked well enough as a digital address book and I looked up her phone number and dialed.
"Moshi, moshi," my mother answered.
"It's me," I said. "Why did you cancel my phone?" I saw movement as the door opened and Nobou came in with a plate of snacks and a drink. I nodded at him, knowing he'd heard my question. He put down the delivery and backed out of the room.
"I sent you a message this morning, did you not get it?"
"When did you send it?"
"I don't know, around 11:45, I guess," she answered.
"Fifteen minutes before you cancelled it? While I was in history class?"
"It's not like I had a choice, Kazu, I still haven't found a new job and I had to make a decision."
"Did you cancel Yukina's phone as well?"
"No, you are always with Midorima, I'm sure he can afford to let you use his phone for emergencies." I rubbed my eyes and leaned on my knees. "Rent is due soon as well, unless you want us to come back to your father?"
"No," I said, "no one wants that."
I switched to my bank's website as a horrible feeling awoke in the back of my mind. She continued to complain about the prices in Osaka and Yukina's new uniform costs. I logged into my account and noticed a withdrawal of ¥100,000 from this morning. I hadn't done that. Yukina yelled in the background and eventual Mom stopped talking and handed it over to my sister.
"Big Bro! I miss you," she squealed.
"You too, Little Bird. I think someone's going to have a birthday soon."
"I am, I am. Two weekends from now I'll be thirteen!" I felt old at seventeen. "I want you and Shin-chan to visit for my birthday. That's what I want for my present." That was the difference between my mother and sister; one distanced herself from the love of my life and the other embraced him.
"I don't know if we can afford it, but I'll try my best."
"Ok, but I really want you here. I joined the girls' basketball team. I'm going to be a point guard just like my big bro, but we suck and I want you two to help us. There's even a school holiday coming up. Please!"
"I promise I'll try. Good night Little Bird and say goodnight to Mom for me," I said and hung up.
Nobou was in the hallway and when he heard the phone replaced on the cradle, the door opened and he entered.
"I'm sorry I interrupted earlier, but I heard what you said. You were talking to your mother then, right?" He perched one hip, casually, on the corner of the desk. I tried to stand, but he waved me down.
"Yeah," I sat back and tried to fake a smile. No Midorima family member was tricked by that any longer. They knew me too well.
"We have a family plan, it will only cost an additional ¥500."
"I'm not…"
"Don't you dare say you aren't family," he scolded. "You are as much our son as any of children's spouses are." He cupped my ear with his hand and made me look at him.
"Yes, sir."
"You may not be used to this kind of family, but we will make sure you understand this isn't about obligation. We love you for you, not just for your commitment to Shintarō."
I couldn't answer him. All I'd ever wanted was for my parents to say such a thing.
"We'll be patient as you learn this new kind of familial love. But first things first, tomorrow morning I'll take you to buy a new phone. You like the one Shin-chan has, right? What a waste buying something like that for him."
"Yes, sir," I forced out of my mouth. Shin-chan was standing in the doorway.
"Or give him my phone, I never use it. I could easily do without," he offered.
"Takao-kun needs something of his own," Nobou said.
"Otousan," I tried out the word again and he smiled. "There's something else I need to do, first thing."
"Oh?" he said. Shin-chan came inside and closed the door, sitting in the chair across the desk from us, looking too large for such a small piece of furniture.
POV Midorima
Before I was even awake this morning, Dad has called the school and let them know that both of us will be late today. Takao is up before me too, or perhaps he never actually went to sleep, but either way, he nudges my shoulder at the agreed upon hour and tells me it is time to get ready. I rub sleep out of my eyes and go to the bathroom, getting ready with a strange kind of panicked calm.
"You're going to miss Oha Asa," my Dad says as I come out to the car. "You don't have to come –"
"Don't say such unnecessary things," I say. "If it is a choice between Takao and a lucky item, Takao will always win."
Dad is surprised, but happy at my saying. Takao is already in the backseat and Mom is in the front. I sit next to him. We are the first people in the bank's parking lot and Takao is too nervous to sit in the car any longer. He has his bank book, his card, and his stamp and he gets out. I go with him while Mom and Dad wait in the car.
"What if it's empty?" he asks, pacing.
"Check your balance on the ATM," I suggest and he dashes over to the machine. After the strike of a few keys, he lets out a long shuddering breath that he's been holding all morning.
"Same as last night."
When the bank opens, Takao and I head in immediately and he begins telling the woman behind the desk what he needs. Dad is with us before the request is complete. It takes about twenty minutes of checking paper work and identifications, but after that, Takao has his entire life savings in hand and the account is closed.
The drive to our bank is much less tense. Dad does all the work, Takao hands over the money, and in five minutes there is an account set up with the automatic withdrawal scheduled to make his payments on the 15th of the month to Shūtoku. The deposits will have to done through the school, but he is assured there will be no problems. Takao holds back ¥18,000 which he gives to Dad.
"I'm sorry it's not the right amount. Starting next month, it will be, I promise and I'll pay back the ¥2,000 as soon as I can," Takao apologizes bowing and holding out the money. Dad doesn't take it and after a long awkward moment, Takao's eyes raise from the ground to look at him.
"That money is supposed to come from your mother, not you," he says. "Keiko and I will speak to her once we get –"
"Otousan, please just take it. I don't want to move to Osaka. If you insist, she'll make me go there, get a job, and drop out of school. This is a small thing. Just take it." Dad's face softens when Takao calls him father.
"As soon as she gains employment, this is over. I will not allow her to hold you hostage," he says and puts the cash into his wallet. I have never seen both men, who are so very important to me, look so diminished. It makes me ill.
Next we go to our cellphone provider and add Takao to the plan. Takao's pride is damaged again and I can tell by the drool that he'd love to get the Xperia, but he insists that he wants to have the Galaxy Ace that matches mine. The only thing I can do is insist on paying for his phone and his portion of the very inexpensive fee on our family plan. When he looks like he will cry, I lean in and bump his shoulder with my arm.
"Unlike my father, I will let you pay me back," I say, making it sound conspiratorial, but not meaning it one bit. He looks relieved and the tears don't come.