"Suikazan!" Kisame called out to the open garage where Suikazan was inspecting a blue SUV.
"Kisame," Suikazan grunted by way of greeting and stared at the bags Kisame lugged behind him. "Did your girlfriend kick you out or something, Kisame?"
Kisame bowed his head and chuckled, setting his bags by the corner garage. "I already told you, she's not my girlfriend,"
"Bet you wish she was."
"and yeah, I guess you could say she kicked me out. Her boyfriend's moving in with her this Saturday, so I guess I'm moving back in!"
He expected Suikazan to say "good to hear" or "always great to have you" or "I knew it wouldn't last" along with a strong, clap on the back. Instead, Suikazan returned to working on the car. "Kisame,"
"Yeah?"
"Take a seat. There's something I need to talk to you about." He said, gesturing somewhere behind him.
There was nothing lying around that Kisame could comfortably sit on, so he wheeled his suitcase over to where Suikazan was crouched beside one of the car's wheels and sat on his suitcase instead. "What's up?" He asked, leaning in to get a better look at the tire.
"It's not about the car." Suikazan explained. "It's about the shop."
Still leaning forward, Kisame glanced at Suikazan. "What about the shop?"
Suikazan sat up with a long exhale and said "I'm closing it down soon."
"Closing it down?" Kisame echoed. "Why?"
"Sales aren't what they used to be, Kisame. In the city, there are bigger auto-shops that have a name brand, and more money under their belts."
"Suikazan is a name brand." Kisame attempted to argue, but Suikazan cut him off.
"I'm talking big name brands, Kisame, nationally recognized name brands that have the money to do more than just one car at a time," he gestured at the car before them, "to buy bigger and better equipment to get the job done faster, and the funds to keep running. Funds that we don't have."
Kisame interjected. "But nothing compares to an auto-repair done by hand. Machines break down all the time."
Suikazan rubbed his forehead. "That may be true, but machine's will get more jobs done before they break down, and even then, they'll hire someone to come in and fix 'em overnight. Heck, a machine'll get more jobs done than I can get done in my lifetime."
"What about me?" Kisame asked. "You and I can get the job done just as quickly as any machine if the two of us work on it. I can work overnight if you need me to, even."
Suikazan stood up and walked away to find the correct tool he needed, talking as he walked. "That's the thing, Kisame. The shop is called Suikazan Auto-Repair Shop. It's a family owned business; always has been for the past one hundred or so years and I have no family to hand it over to when I keel over."
"You have me!" Kisame shouted now, standing up so fast that his suitcase fell to the floor behind him. "Have you forgotten? So what, my last name isn't Suikazan and I'm not family, but I'm like family to you, you said it yourself!"
The repair shop owner grunted and pulled himself to a stand. "Kisame," he said, placing a hand on the other man's shoulder. "I did say that. I've always considered you like a son to me, but the ugly truth is that we don't have the funds to keep running and I'm getting old. It's time for me to retire, and it's time for you to move on."
Kisame opened his mouth to speak but closed it. He knew he was fighting a losing battle at this point and was having a hard time letting it go.
"But listen. I'm not closing up shop today. I'm going to finish up the last few jobs I already have booked and then I'm closing up shop. You wanted to move back in, right? I'm not going to force you to go crawling back to your girlfriend to beg for her forgiveness, so I'll let you stay for a little while. But only temporarily. Deal?"
"Wait."
"Yes?" Suikazan asked.
"If I find a job elsewhere, and continue to pay you rent, can I still live above the shop?"
Suikazan put his hands on his belt and sighed, a sign that Kisame was starting to exhaust him with his questions. "If I could, you know I would let ya, but the garage here is part of my property and you can only pay rent for as long as I own the property. When I die, you'd have to find a way to pay for the lot, house and all."
Kisame averted his gaze to the ground.
"I think this'll be better for you in the long-run, Kisame. I've been looking out for you since you were eighteen years old. Hell, I've been looking after you longer than your parents have! Getting out into the world will do you some good. I'm sure of it. So do we have a deal, Kisame?"
As much as Kisame hated to admit it, he nodded anyways and said "deal," and shook Suikazan's hand.
"Now then," Suikazan loudly announced his usual manner of speaking, "drop your bags upstairs and help me finish this one up, will ya?"
"Sure thing." Kisame mumbled and gathered up his bags.
And thus concludes chapter 3 of Parallel Lines. I hope you enjoyed it!
Until next time!
~Sasori33-001