Hey, everyone. This train just keeps rolling along. You guys get to meet some more new characters here, but one of them stands out the most. Thank you all once again for your terrific insights and opinions on the last chapter. I'm even more bolstered by your words of encouragement.

Enjoy!

Kazuma Ishida buttoned up his uniform shirt the next morning as he got ready to leave for the first day of the new school term, leaving the top button undone since he wasn't wearing a tie.

Since the weather was still warm, he wore the summer version of Aizumidori Academy's uniform: A plain white, short-sleeve button-up shirt and black slack pants. Usually, there was a black military-style jacket with the school emblem on the left breast, but male students didn't have to wear those until the colder months. The shirt also had the school emblem on the left breast pocket, which was not a common thing for most private Japanese middle schools. The colors were royal blue and silver, along with black. It reminded him a lot of the Ravenclaw colors.

The twelve-year-old boy then gazed in the bathroom mirror to give himself one last lookover. His blonde hair was swept over to the side in just the way he preferred to wear it. Upon closer inspection, he frowned before picking up the comb and brushing it once more to make sure everything was right.

There. Much better.

While others would take one look at his blonde hair and instantly associate him with his father, Kazu––as his family called him for short––saw much more than that when he saw himself in the mirror. His blonde hair was not the same golden shine as his dad or Uncle TK's. Instead, it was more of a darker shade thanks to the other side of the gene pool. Whenever he looked in the mirror, he always saw his mother looking back at him from the way his nose and eyes were shaped to his brown eyes. In many ways, he was glad he got more from her than he did his father.

Knock knock

"Little Prince."

Kazu shook his head out to return back to reality. It was his mother at the door.

"Yeah, Mom?" he replied.

"You better hurry up and come out if you want to have some breakfast before you leave," she said. "You're still meeting Naomi and Yuki to walk to school together, aren't you?"

Kazu wiped his eyes before heading to open the door. A bright smile shot up his face at the sight of his mother. Meiko Ishida returned her oldest son's smile, which made it widen even more. She wore a white doctor coat over a dark blouse and skirt. It seemed like she was heading downstairs to the clinic and wanted to make sure he was heading out on time before she did so.

"How do I look?" he asked. "Okay?"

His mother giggled before saying, "You look as handsome as ever, my prince." She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "But hurry up and get moving. You don't want to be late for your first day of the new term."

Kazu returned the chuckle. "All right, all right." He gave her a quick hug, adding, "You're the best vet in the world."

Meiko patted his head and kissed the top. "And you're the sweetest son a mother could ask for," she returned before letting him go. "Do well today."

"I will. Same to you."

Kazu then left to go to the kitchen. He absolutely adored his mother. She was his sun, earth, moon, sky, everything. Ever since he was little, the two of them had a special relationship––they could always tell what the other one was thinking without having to say anything. Maybe it was because they were so much alike. His world would completely collapse if something ever happened to his mother, which was why he savored every single moment with her.

"Hiwo! No weeding ah da d'able!"

"You're not Mom, Mei. Eat your breakfast."

Kazu sighed. And his morning was going so well until he heard that. Better move fast and stop them before things got worse.

As he entered the kitchen, he saw his younger siblings Hiro and Mei at the table with their breakfast. They weren't eating it though, preferring to stare each other down like two wolves fighting over who should eat the last scrap of meat. Their father had already left for work that morning, and a closing of the door told Kazu that his mother left as well to head downstairs. That meant there was no one else to step in and referee the two until he came into the kitchen.

Hiro, at eight years old, was the middle child and youngest son of the Ishida family. His jet-black hair was extra untidy this morning, which paired with the visibly tired brown eyes behind a pair of glasses told Kazu he had fallen asleep while reading again. Not that he was surprised, for Hiro loved reading. Really loved it. His brother had the reading level of someone who belonged in college rather than the third grade. Hiro would read just about anywhere and everywhere.

That included the breakfast table.

"Ehs bad mannahs," Mei shot back. "Daddy says so."

Hiro pressed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose as he glared at his sister. "Would you just leave me alone?" he growled.

Mei was the baby of the Ishida family at four years old. She got the most of their father between the three siblings in regards to physical appearance. In addition to the blonde hair that she and Kazu shared, her eyes were a shining sapphire blue. Since she was still a little girl, she could be quite loud and demanding, but also very sweet when she wanted to be. Kazu loved her to pieces.

"What's going on here, you two?" Kazu said as he grabbed a piece of toast off a plate in the middle of the table. "What's all the fighting about?"

"Nothing," Hiro grumbled, his eyes glancing down at the book in his hand. Kazu saw it was the latest volume of their uncle's manga.

"Hiro," he said with a warning tone in his voice. "You know better than to read at the table. Can't you put the books down for just a few minutes and eat?"

"I can't put it down now! I'm at this really good part!" Hiro whined. "Dad and Mr. Kamiya just–"

"It can wait for later. Besides, you have to go to school today, so get eating," Kazu shot back.

"Come on! Please?"

"The answer is no. Eat."

A short silence fell over the table as Kazu and Hiro engaged in a silent staring contest. Their eyes were a similar color, but showed two different emotions at that moment. Kazu showed his brother he was serious about wanting him to put the manga down while Hiro seemingly tried to maintain a façade of not budging. The older brother raised an eyebrow in a similar way their mother did when she told Hiro the same thing.

The young boy sighed. "All right." And he put the book down as ordered.

Kazu smiled and ruffled his brother's hair. "Good boy. I'll see you later."

"Bye, Kazu," Mei said.

His smile widened as he did the same to Mei before giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Bye, Mei. Be good for Mommy today."

Kazu then left the kitchen and headed back to his room for a quick second. He grabbed a black guitar case and put his right arm through a strap so it rested on his back before walking to the door, putting on his brown penny loafers, grabbing his school bag and opening the door.

"I'm off," he announced before closing it behind him.

The blonde quickly made his way downstairs. It was the first day of the new school term, and he did not want to be late. He was still adjusting to the middle school lifestyle––harder work, teachers already asking about career plans and high school entrance exams, and all the trappings that pubescence brought––but was thankful he had Naomi and Yuki with him. The three of them could almost be called the "Three Musketeers" because of how close they had been since they were basically in diapers.

Kazu reached the bottom and popped into the veterinary clinic real fast to say goodbye to his mother. She wished him a good day. As he came out, he saw Naomi and Yuki standing on the corner near the crosswalk waiting for him.

Yuki wore the same uniform as him. He carried his school bag in his left hand while his red and black soccer bag hung around his right shoulder. His usually untidy orange hair was neatly combed and shined in the sunlight.

Naomi wore the female version of the Aizumidori Academy uniform. It consisted of the same white shirt the boys wore, but with a royal blue ascot tied around her collar in the traditional sailor style, a black skirt, black high socks and the same brown loafers Kazu and Yuki wore. She carried her school bag in her left hand. Her brown hair was tied in a ponytail.

"Well, it's about time you showed up," Naomi said with a teasing voice. "I was worried you had gone on and left without us."

Kazu chuckled. "Like that will ever happen," he said as he joined them. "Glad to see you're back, Nomi. How was Nashville?"

"It was fun," she replied before wrapping her arms around his and Yuki's shoulders. "I missed having my two best friends in the world with me, though."

The blonde felt his cheeks heat up a little. He looked away so that neither Naomi nor Yuki noticed as the pedestrian light turned green, allowing the three to waltz down the crosswalk to the other side.

Kazu's cheeks turned an extra shade of red as he felt Naomi squeeze his hand. It was getting harder to hide his blush. He knew exactly what that was going to do if Yuki saw it. He knew that the redhead was completely in love with the Izumi girl, and he did not want to get into a tug-o-war over her with him. Kazu did not want to share Naomi with Yuki, but also didn't want to deal with the confrontation over it.

Ever since they were little, Naomi had a certain allure to her that instantly attracted him. Maybe it was her caring nature, or maybe how she always lit up a room when she walked in. Whatever it was, it made him crush on her fast. As they grew older, that attraction only grew to the point where he could not hide the fact he felt more than friendship toward her.

Kazu saw her free hand dangling at her side, practically begging for him to grab it. Kazu swallowed nervously and reached out. He managed to wrap his fingers around hers and held it tight. Naomi turned and looked at him with a surprised expression. For a second, he thought about withdrawing until seeing that she wasn't perturbed by them holding hands. Slowly, the surprised expression melted into a warm smile. He returned it with one of his own. It even looked as if a slight twinkle appeared in her eyes. The heat in his cheeks returned.

"You okay, Kazu?" Naomi asked. "Your face is all red."

Shoot! Kazu let go of Naomi's hand and brushed it through his hair to settle himself down. A sharp breath went in and out, allowing his blood to simmer down.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said. "Just a little hot out this morning is all. Even in September, the heat is still killer in the mornings."

That sounded lame even to him, which was confirmed by the curious looks Yuki and Naomi gave him. Kazu nervously scratched the back of his neck.

"Forget it."

From the corner of his eye, he saw Yuki grab her other hand. He turned his head slightly to the right and saw the redhead staring at him with a glare on his face. Was that supposed to be some sort of challenge? Had Yuki seen him hold Naomi's hand just a second ago? For some reason, that made his blood boil and he grabbed Naomi's hand once more. Two could play that game.

Naomi giggled. "I'm so lucky to have such two handsome boys giving me all their attention," she said. "They can already crown me the next Miss Japan."

Kazu chuckled. "More like just our best friend," he said.

"Don't listen to him, Nomi," Yuki shot back, masking an icy glare with his trademark grin. "You'll be Miss Japan for sure one day."

Naomi's eyes sparkled. "Ya think so?"

"I know so."

"Yeah, well you said that it would be raining gumballs one day when we were little," Kazu chuckled. "So, I don't think your predictions are worth much."

"I was five!" Yuki shot back. "Besides, you both believed me when I told you."

"Until it didn't happen," Naomi added with a giggle.

"Semantics!"

A comfortable silence fell over the three of them as they approached Kasuga station. The sounds of traffic rolling beside them and their footsteps filled the air for a few precious moments. Kazu hoped that the discussion was now over.

"Speaking of being Miss Japan, I'm thinking about cutting my hair," Naomi said. "This YouTube vlogger said this haircut is the best way to get a boyfriend."

Kazu snorted in laughter. "Where the heck did that come from?" he asked.

"I think you should give it a try, Nomi," Yuki said. "I'm not going to stop you."

The blonde knew he had to say something now or else that was going to stay in her head until she did it. He hated how Yuki always fed into Naomi's crazy ideas, no matter what they were. It was up to him to put a stop to this.

"Hold on," he said. "Why so desperate to get a boyfriend? You've always liked your long hair."

Naomi shrugged. "I don't know. Just to try something different probably. I've been wanting to experiment with different hairstyles for a while now. Plus, if changing my hair will make a guy notice me, I'm all for it."

Kazu sighed. He knew she'd come to regret it later if she went through with it. Naomi was an impulsive person, and so was Yuki, which was why he had to be the voice of reason when he needed to be. This was one of those times.

"It's your hair," he said. "Do what you want, but don't do it only because so and so said it'll make you more attractive." Redness covered his cheeks again as he added, "You're fine just the way you are."

'Idiot!' he scolded himself. 'You just had to make it obvious, didn't you?'

He felt Naomi wrap her hand around his once again. Rather than a pouty look, she was surprisingly calm. An easy smile played on her features, which made the redness cover his whole face this time.

"You're right," she said. "I'm so glad I have someone like you to be my conscience, Kazu."

Kazu smiled back. "No problem."

Naomi smiled that same calm smile she gave him just a moment ago. The twinkle in her eyes returned as well, making him share that calm feeling with her. His heart pounded in his chest as if he were running a marathon. Was this really happening?

"Okay, okay. Break it up!" Yuki snapped, darting down the stairs to head into the station. "Come on, you guys. We've gotta move."

That left Kazu being the only one holding Naomi's hand as they joined their friend inside the station. For a moment, Kazu dared to get his hopes up. Maybe she felt the same way he did. Was he reading the signals right? Only time would tell, he supposed.

Kazu settled into his desk as he arrived in class. He had gone to the music room to put his guitar away for later before coming in. With his next gig coming up next week, he had to practice whenever he could. Now that school was back in session, he put it in the music room to play during lunch before he would head to band practice at the warehouse he and his band had for a rehearsal space after school.

Naomi sat in the seat to his left, one of the middle rows in the class. Yuki sat behind her as more students came filing into the classroom.

Aizumidori Academy was one of the most elite junior high schools in the city, let alone Japan, and was a popular choice for students whose parents could afford the pricey tuition and if they passed the entrance exam. Many students were the children of some of the most influential people in all sorts of fields throughout the city from politicians to architects to entertainers.

In Yuki, Kazu, and Naomi's cases, they all fit right in. Even so, Kazu didn't particularly like many of their classmates, thinking of them as high-class snobs who were coasting on their parents' money and notoriety rather than having actually earned anything of merit.

Kazu glanced at his digital watch and saw class would be starting in just a couple of minutes. He then felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Hey."

The blonde sighed and turned around, coming face-to-face with Yuki. His crimson eyes glowed with fire and conviction.

"What is it, Yuki?" he replied, annoyed and a little wary of what the redhead's intentions were.

"Can we talk for a minute before Mr. Kubo comes in?" Yuki glanced in Naomi's direction. "Alone?"

Kazu nodded and got up from his desk. Whatever it was, he just wanted to get it over with so that this whole morning drama could be put behind them. It was the first day of the new term, and he wanted to start things off right. He went with Yuki just outside the classroom door.

"What do you want?" he asked.

To his surprise, Yuki put a hand against the wall, cutting off any chance for Kazu to get away. He bit his lip. This did not bode well.

"Look, Kazu. You're one of my best friends, and I do cherish you as one, but if you think you're going to make a move on Nomi, you've got another thing coming," the redhead said, his voice like knives digging into Kazu's face. "After all this time, I'm finally going to ask her out. Her being gone during the whole summer break made me come to terms with how I feel and that I can't wait any longer. I'm here to tell you to stay out of my way."

Kazu met Yuki's icy stare with one of his own. Like hell he was going to do that.

"If this were any other girl, I'd have no problem with that," he returned just as coldly. "But when it comes to Naomi, I can't just let this go, Yuki."

"Why not? Tell me."

Kazu bit his lip and glanced down at the floor. Two different sides of his brain were battling it out for dominance. Should he say what he really felt toward the Izumi girl and meet Yuki head on, or should he just back down from this confrontation and let it slide? He didn't know.

"Well, well. It looks like I have a welcoming committee on the first day of class."

The two boys ceased their staredown at the new voice. Kazu looked to his left and saw a man in his mid-forties with salt-n-pepper hair wearing a black suit with a blue tie. He wore black rimmed glasses over his eyes. Just in time, it seemed.

"Hi, Mr. Kubo," he said.

Yuki withdrew his hand from the wall and smiled. "Yeah. Hi, Teach," he also greeted.

"Mr. Kamiya. Mr. Ishida," their teacher said with a nod. Kazu sensed the iciness in the man's tone. "I trust the two of you had a good summer break?"

Both boys nodded.

"Oh yeah. We did," Yuki said. "Kazu and I were just talking about what we did during the break."

"Well, how's about saving that for later and heading back in so we can begin our class?" Mr. Kubo said with more of an edge to his voice.

Kazu nodded. "Sure thing. No problem. Right, Yuki?"

The redhead also nodded. "Yeah. Let's go."

Mr. Kubo slid the door open and walked inside. Before the two boys could join him, Kazu decided to give Yuki an answer. If this was the way Yuki was going to play, then he was going to meet him move for move. A new school term meant more than just academics.

"You're one of my best friends, but for just this once, let the best man win."

Yuki glared at him. "Game on. I'm gonna do it at lunch today."

"Fine. If she does choose you, then so be it," Kazu shot back. "But if you pressure her into it, you have to answer to me."

He saw a flash of fear in Yuki's eyes. He must have gotten the message.

"Mr. Kamiya. Mr. Ishida," Mr. Kubo called from inside the room, trying to sound light-hearted but it was clear that he was annoyed with them. "If you're done reminiscing about summer break, let's begin class now."

Kazu went back inside without another word.

Looks like we have a little love triangle in the works here. How will this all play out? Find out as we move further along in the story.

Hope you all like Kazu and his siblings. When it comes to the OC son of Matt Ishida, he is usually an exact copy of his dad, which is why I wanted to go in another direction with that. Sure, he's a musician too, but his whole cadence and demeanor are more like Meiko. As for what Matt's job is, you'll find that out soon. I'm just making sure to take things slow so that you guys get to know each of the new characters as they are introduced.

As always, be sure to leave a review and subscribe and I will see you all next weekend.

Tootles!