8: (CLSS-01) Walking home together is always better, until an inevitable interruption occurs
"I like him," Yumi admitted to Ulrich.
The boy had been taking a swig of water suddenly spat it all out and started coughing. "Whaoo?" he sputtered – the slurred combination of 'what' and 'who'.
"Take it easy," she said, thumping her friend on the back.
Occasionally, Ulrich would 'escort' Yumi home. While she insisted that there was no need for him to do this - that he was simply wasting time by going back and forth - she secretly enjoyed these walks. It was nice having someone like Ulrich to talk to; she seldom spoke with anyone during her classes. They talked about everything. Today's discussion featured a rant from Ulrich about how Bayern Munich was going to win the Treble this year.
"I was talking about Bryan. He seems like a good addition to our team…unlike William."
"Much better," Ulrich agreed.
"I mean, he seems nice and modest. I feel bad for him though, losing his parents. And on New Year's Eve as well."
"Yeah," Ulrich nodded solemnly, reminiscing about his own family, with whom he frequently argued with. But after hearing Bryan's story, he felt a renewed sense of gratitude that both of his parents were alive and well. Sure, his mother and father were very strict, but Ulrich knew that they cared for him and only wanted help him to achieve his full potential and live a good life. He didn't know what he'd do without them.
"And it looks like we can fight on even footing against XANA with his help, even when we're not at full strength," Yumi continued.
"Right. He can do virtually anything on LYOKO…kind of makes us look bad," Ulrich added sheepishly.
"Well, from what I've heard, you managed to take apart two teams of Hornets by yourself. But if he really did inherit the Rinnegan's complete arsenal, he'll have to be careful of its drawbacks and limitations."
"Oh, speaking of that, do you have any copies of that comic book?"
"You mean manga," she corrected him. "I never knew you had an inner passion for this kind of stuff."
Ulrich started to turn red. "Umm…well, Bryan made it sound interesting."
"And I don't?"
"Uh…"
"Relax. I'm just playing with you. I think I've got some at home I can lend you. I'll see if I can find them."
"Thanks, Yumi."
As they kept walking on a sidewalk littered with brightly–coloured leaves, Ulrich tried his best to avoid looking directly into his friend's eyes.
We're just friends. He still hadn't gotten over her unofficial rejection, at least for the time being. In fact, there were several moments when he thought that maybe, they could…
"Ulrich, hello?" The boy snapped out of his train of thought.
"Huh? Oh, sorry. Just – just thinking about the math homework," he replied quickly.
"Well, I've got something that will cheer you up. Jim told us that because the weather's getting cold, he's giving up on softball; so it's going to be indoor football next week."
Ulrich 'feet over hands' Stern's face lit up. "Really? That's great!"
Getting an A in physical education was no longer a problem. Showing off was also now enabled. Not that he was particularly bad at softball, but it was kind of embarrassing to catch a fly ball and then drop it from the shock of being able to catch it in the first place.
"How about you? Decided which university you wanted to go to yet?"
"Not really."
"Don't you have to apply soon for that stuff and for other things, like scholarships?"
The girl nodded. "The application process starts in November. But…I'm not sure what I want to do."
"Didn't you take a course on career studies last year?"
"Yeah. Apparently, I have the skills to be a decent plumber."
Ulrich snorted before entering full laughter mode while trying to imagine his friend dressed in coveralls and repairing household pipe systems. Yumi started to laugh as well.
"I dunno. Right now, I'm still figuring out what I'm good at and what I enjoy doing most."
"I'm sure you'll make the right choice in the end."
"Thanks."
"Just remember that when you get mega-ultra rich, I want ten percent of your earnings."
Yumi playfully shoved Ulrich. "I'll treat you to McDonalds, how's that?"
Ulrich smiled. "It's a start."
Soon, the two had arrived at the front porch of 36 Promenade Bellevue. It was a nice, mid-sized detached house, with plenty of windows and a two-door garage.
Yumi turned around.
"Thanks for walking me home. Would you like to stay for dinner?"
Ulrich thought about it. Having dinner with Yumi equivocated to being able to spend more time with Yumi. That was a good thing. On the other hand, her parents were sure to pepper him with plenty of awkward questions, which was kind of a bad thing.
"Thanks for the offer Yumi, but…I don't want Jim to catch me outside of school so late."
Yumi smiled and leaned in towards Ulrich. "Fair enough, maybe next time," she whispered. Her lips were millimetres from his cheek. From this close…perhaps she should…
See her younger brother coming out. Yumi instinctively shoved Ulrich away.
"Finally, you're home! Mom was getting a bit worried. Oh, hey Ulrich, what's up?" he added, nodding to the boy.
Hiroki Ishiyama
Age: 14
Rating: Too young to drink or drive.
Fun facts:
He is currently ranked third in Kadic's active prankster list (Odd is ranked first).
His hobbies include robotics and ruining countless U & Y moments since 2005.
"Nothing much. Yumi's trying to get me into manga."
"Eww. Trust me Ulrich, you won't like it. Those stories go on and on. They have cute girls and all, but they never kiss or fall in love until the end."
"Ah…okay."
Yumi glared at her brother. "I think I hear mom calling you to go help set the table."
"Huh? I don't hear any – oh, I get it. You want some alone time with your boyfriend," Hiroki placed extra emphasis on his last few words.
"He's not my boyfriend. And don't let mom hear you," she uttered under her breath. Ulrich felt his insides slightly deflating.
"Whatever. Just hurry up and give him a good-bye kiss. Dad will be home soon." And with that, Hiroki left the two flustered teenagers alone.
"So, umm…" Ulrich started rubbing the back of his head, unable to come up with anything to say.
"Sorry about that. You know Hiroki…he just has to enter any conversation."
"I can relate. My sister is of the exact same breed. She'll come interrupt your conversation and when you move away, she'll continue yapping away with the person closest to her."
Yumi chuckled. "Anyways, thanks again. I'll give you the books tomorrow."
"Cool."
"And they'd better be in good condition when you bring them back to me," she added, wagging her finger.
"O-of course. Definitely."
Yumi grinned. "One last thing before you go…"
Mustering her courage and daring nature, she approached Ulrich and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
"A good-bye kiss, right? Be safe. I'll see you tomorrow," she murmured into his ear. She straightened up, waved, and headed inside; leaving a beet-red and stunned Ulrich Stern on her doorstep, with a hand over his cheek.
Fragmented Legacy Fun Fact 008:
Occasionally, there will be Code LYOKO Short Stories (CLSS's) that focus on amazing character development and comedic relief.
A|N's:
Originally, I wanted to write this into Chapter 7, but that would mean making it appear to have too much going on at one time for my tastes. Plus, when I wrote this part, I felt that the content warranted its own unique, short and sweet chapter. There has never been much doubt in my mind as to who Ulrich's 'the one' will be. The same goes for Yumi (hint: it's not William).
Feel free to leave a comment, and as always, thanks for reading Code LYOKO: Fragmented Legacies =)