Check 52: Life is about creating and living experiences

Morning came just as every other morning does. Despite a late night, Daisuke was up bright and early. He'd managed to finish whatever it was he'd had to do the night before and then gone to bed. Once there, he'd slept like the dead and, despite the lack of a full night's sleep, actually felt decently rested.

As he made his way down to breakfast, he ran into Cass, who had the same idea. "Morning," he greeted with a slight smile.

Cass, looking slightly distracted, took a moment to process his greeting. "Oh! Morning! Sorry. I was just lost in my own thoughts!" she explained as they both stepped into the elevator.

"Is Hiro not with you this morning?" Daisuke asked politely, noticing the lack of his cousin.

Laughing a bit to cover up any confusion, Cass nodded. "I went to invite him down but apparently he decided to sleep in today. If I had to guess, he was up a lot later than he should be."

Daisuke had to nod at that, knowing her guess was correct, though he had no idea just how correct. He knew the teen had returned to his room shortly after bidding him goodnight, but, beyond that, he had no idea. "He told me you wanted to talk to me today," he admitted.

The elevator arrived at the desired floor, the doors opening so they could exit. Cass stepped out first, followed by her nephew. "That's right," she confirmed. "I wanted to ask if you'd be interested and willing to help me out with something."

The man's eyebrows rose a bit with that, not at all sure where she was going with this. "If it's not too unreasonable," he said before he could stop himself. As they approached the dining room, he offered to let her enter first with a slight bow.

Cass smiled as he helped her into her chair once both were inside the room. "It's nothing too crazy," she assured him. "It's just that I had planned on doing something after we got home, and since our stay was extended a bit, it puts my original timing off a bit."

"I'm listening," Daisuke assured as an under butler brought in their breakfasts. He situated himself with napkin and chopsticks while he waited for her to make her request.

She looked slightly embarrassed. "Well, technically there are a few things, but I think I'll keep one of those to myself for now. But I did want to go into the city for a few things. You see, Hiro's birthday is coming up and—"

Understanding lit up Daisuke's face like a candle. Mentally, he recalled mention of the teen's birthday from the files he'd downloaded before. "I admit I had forgotten. Did you want to do something about it while you're here?"

Cass looked a bit sheepish as she nodded. "If you're not comfortable with it, that's fine. We can wait until we get home. He usually forgets anyway. And that's another thing we need to discuss, when we're heading back. Originally, I wasn't sure when to tell my helpers back home, but since it seems things have resolved here, we probably should decide on a day."

"True," Daisuke agreed. There was a part of him that had wondered when that might be brought up. There was another part of him that had really enjoyed the Hamadas' company, even with all the craziness it had entailed. It wasn't their fault someone had tried to kill Aunt Cass, after all. And, all things considered, it hadn't been all that bad. "Did you have a day in mind?"

Regardless of when they decided to head home, he'd need to let the flight crew know so they could prepare accordingly. That and it would be helpful to know should there be any tourist-type places they wanted to visit beforehand. He knew Hiro needed to get back to school. The longer they waited, the harder it would be to excuse any absences. And he wasn't sure how lenient the teen's professors would be.

Cass seemed to deflate a bit at that question. Even though she'd been the one to bring it up, and she knew they needed to go home. The café was waiting for her and she did miss. She was sure Hiro missed his friends and classes. But part of her was reluctant to call it done and over with. It had been a long time since she'd had contact with any family outside of Hiro and it was nice to know they were out there. "Well, I don't know," she dithered.

When push came to shove, she found she wasn't sure what to say. Not having consulted with Hiro on the matter, she wasn't sure how he felt about it either, outside of knowing he missed home. He was getting better at thriving outside of the only places he'd ever known. She could only hope his experiences here wouldn't end that.

"I see." Daisuke nodded, sure he understood her feelings. "You don't have to answer right away, but it definitely needs to be decided on. Perhaps you and Hiro could discuss it and let me know later."

Feeling a bit like she'd been given a life line, Cass nodded a bit more enthusiastically than she'd intended. "Yes, I will." It was only fair she ask Hiro about it, as Daisuke had pointed out. "And what about Hiro?"

Daisuke had to think about that one for a moment, which he did while chewing on some rice and smoked salmon. This gave Cass the opportunity to work on her meal as well. "Would this evening work for you?" It wasn't' technically Hiro's actual day of birth, but then the Japanese didn't necessarily celebrate those reaching into adulthood on their birthday, but somewhere around it. He supposed the teen's friends would also wish to celebrate once he got home.

"That would work," Cass agreed, nodding thoughtfully. "I still need to head into town for a few things, and we'll need a cake. I still need to get a new phone." She looked a bit wistful at the idea.

Not sure how to interpret his aunt's expression, Daisuke contemplated. It was possible she was sad about the loss of the personal data on the phone, which would reside in police custody until who knew when. He'd planned on getting her a new one since asking her to surrender it to him but hadn't had the opportunity. "If it helps," he spoke quietly, not sure how she'd take it, "I had all data from your phone backed up before Suzue took it apart."

Cass looked almost hopeful at that, making him sure he'd guessed the reason behind her wistfulness. "You did? I don't know what I'd do if I lost all the pictures I have saved on there! Not to mention all my contacts!"

Daisuke did think it wise to mention a need to change any passwords once things were situated, but he assured her he was able to restore the data she thought she'd lost. "I can ask Suzue to take you into the city later, if that's all right?"

His aunt surprised him by getting up and coming around to his chair a lot faster than he'd thought possible. Before he could even process it, she'd planted a kiss on his cheek and was headed back to her seat. He blinked a few times in surprise at that, not sure what to make of it. She almost acted like a giddy school girl from American movies.

He awkwardly cleared his throat. "Yes, well." He couldn't help but look a bit uncomfortable and yet strangely pleased at the same time. There was nothing romantic about the moment. He'd half expected her to hug him instead, though both forms of physical affections were not ones he was accustomed to. All the same, he couldn't help but blush slightly, hiding it by eating in greater earnest, hoping she didn't notice his embarrassment.

…

If Hiro was suspicious about his aunt going out with Suzue, he didn't show it. He knew his aunt needed a phone to replace her old one. He just hoped whatever phone she found, Daisuke and Suzue would help make it a lot more secure than the last one had been. He didn't want to contemplate the possibility of someone trying to bug her phone ever again.

Since he wasn't really interested in going out and shopping, Daisuke tried to find something else to occupy the young man. And because he still had paperwork and other obligations to the family company, it became a bit difficult until he thought about Katou. Escorting the teen around Tokyo was preferable to sitting at a desk all day, and he knew their division chief wouldn't question it.

Katou was more than happy to escape the office. Despite his injury, his coworkers weren't the most accommodating until Chief Kiyomizu gave them a look. He didn't give them often, but it was more than enough to get the others to pick up the slack. It helped that they only deferred to him when he was actually in the office, which wasn't as often as it used to be. If Kiyomizu didn't ask, Katou didn't have to say the reason behind that, though he was pretty sure the man already knew.

When Katou came to pick Hiro up to visit some of the more touristy areas, the teen expressed interest in the local shrines and gardens. More than a little surprised at the request, the detective was more than willing to accommodate. He made a conscious effort to not include anything too strenuous, not only for his sake but for Hiro's.

Before leaving, Daisuke had pulled Katou aside to explain some of the family plans for later that evening. The rest of his morning meal with Cass had included various discussions around the teen and his likes and dislikes, as well as the final agreement on a simple celebration to follow the evening meal. Katou was invited as the Kambe head reminded him to not overdo things. He'd also made sure to slide some currency to pay for any admission fees or parking. Baymax, of course, went with them.

Keeping that in mind, Katou had tried to stay away from the most popular areas where they might get jostled in a crowd. There were still plenty of foreign visitors in the area and it wouldn't do to complicate things more than necessary. He felt sure Hiro would feel the same way, seeing him shy away from one particularly crowded area at the start of their adventure.

In the end, they spent the majority of their time at the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. The vast size was intimidating at first, and Hiro definitely didn't care for those areas with more crowds, but they made their way to the more traditional gardens and their various landscapes. Katou wouldn't have taken Hiro as the kind interested in such things but he supposed there was an unknown side to everyone.

After a quick lunch at a nearby restaurant, the detective took Hiro to the observation decks atop of the Metropolitan Government Building. There, Hiro enjoyed a panoramic view of the city, and was even able to see Mt. Fuji in the distance, thanks to a cloudless sky. Katou had suggested the Tokyo Skytree, or even Tokyo Tower, but Hiro had wanted to see the view from that building in particular, though he had no idea why.

When Hiro had had his fill of the view, and the sky was starting to darken, Katou suggested they return to the Kambe Estate. A quick glance at his watch told him they'd likely arrive back on property about the time Daisuke had told him they'd sit down to dinner, with maybe a bit of time to spare for cleaning up. And, after being out in the sun all day, he felt they both might need it. It was probably a good thing he'd stashed a change of clothes in the trunk of his car before heading over.

…

A butler greeted both Katou and Hiro as they returned to the manor, ushering them inside. They quickly made their way up to the upper floor, where they temporarily parted ways to prepare for dinner. The butler had informed them dinner would be served within the hour so neither wanted to take too long.

In all the hustle and bustle, Cass hadn't had a chance to talk to Hiro about when they should head home, but the thought was in the back of the teen's mind all the same. Baymax was good enough to remind him of a few assignments he might want to think about that would soon be due. He also couldn't forget that, thanks to his hard work (and probably overdoing things a bit), he was going to graduate at the end of the semester. That was he should graduate, so long as he didn't fail his current classes.

Exiting his room in fresh clothes, hair still damp from a shower, Hiro couldn't help but wonder how he could bring up the topic with his aunt and the others. If all went well, he was more than happy to extend an invitation to his newfound family for the graduation. High school might have been a big deal to the local media, mostly because of his young age, but college was a bigger deal to him. It helped that the rest of his friends would also walk for their diplomas.

Settling the butterflies in his stomach, mostly because he knew his aunt was having a good time now that the crisis was over, Hiro knocked on Aunt Cass's door, not sure if she was inside or not. She'd sent him a text with her new phone to let him know she was back on property, but that had pretty much been it since earlier that afternoon.

Katou exited his borrowed room, hands stuffed in his pockets as he waited for Hiro. He noticed the teen at the door of his aunt's room and couldn't help but wonder. Was she in there or had she gone downstairs already, making some last minute plans?

When no one answered, Hiro shrugged, glancing at Baymax. The robot informed him that it did not appear that Aunt Cass was inside and so he felt more than fine with the idea of walking down to the elevator with Katou. His legs might not be able to handle the massive amount of stairs so he was more than happy to keep up with the usual means.

Daisuke rounded the corner from the opposite side as the elevator doors opened. "Mind if I join you?" he asked as Katou entered the car, Hiro followed a bit slower behind. The Kambe head came next, with Baymax taking up the rear.

"You see Aunt Cass?" Hiro asked as the elevator descended. He didn't think Daisuke had left the manor all day, though he could be wrong. "I got a text from her new phone, but haven't seen her since this morning."

Daisuke reached for his earring. "Suzue, have you seen my aunt?" He nodded at whatever response she gave him, though Hiro couldn't hear what it was. "We're on our way down now. We should be there in a few minutes."

As he finished speaking, the elevator stopped and the doors opened onto the main floor. Since Baymax was the closest to the doors, he waddled out first. Daisuke indicated both Katou and Hiro should precede him in a gesture a bit more formal than usual, causing Hiro to give him a look. In return, he got a bit of a smirk from his older cousin, though he had no idea what it might mean.

The closer they got to the dining room, the more Hiro couldn't help but sniff the air as a vaguely familiar aroma permeated the air. Just outside the room, he paused, sniffing. "Is that bacon I smell?" he asked no one in particular.

Once more, Daisuke seemed to smirk, that or his expression meant he was pleased with something. "Who knows?" he said with a bit of a shrug.

Behind him, Katou rolled his eyes. They were holding up things by standing in the doorway, which was a bit rude, he thought. The last meal he and Hiro had eaten was more snack food meant to keep them from getting too hungry before coming back to the manor. But that had been over two hours ago and his stomach threatened to grumble at the delay. At least Baymax wasn't part of the traffic jam.

Perhaps seeing the look out of the corner of his eye, Hiro sort of twitched before heading into the room. He quickened his pace as he saw his aunt already waiting at the table. "Aunt Cass!" he greeted, giving her a hug.

Cass responded by taking his head in her hands and giving him a look over before nodding slightly and releasing him. "I hope you had a fun day with Mr. Katou." She was smiling, a sure indicator that she'd had at least a productive day in comparison.

The teen had to laugh a bit. "Yeah. It was fun. We went to the government building and looked around. I didn't realize how big Tokyo is."

By this time, the others had caught up with them and had headed to their respective places at the table. Suzue appeared around the same time, excusing her late arrival with an apology. She'd apparently been otherwise engaged and had lost track of the time.

With everyone seated, Daisuke signaled for a server to bring in the meal. He seemed to relish the delight on Hiro's face as a rather gourmet-looking BLT sandwich on a croissant roll was placed before him. What the teen might not know was that he'd asked the kitchen to use Jamón Ibérico instead of the usual bacon. And, while he knew they'd technically had similar sandwiches earlier on, he'd learned this was one of Hiro's favorite foods.

To accompany the dressed up sandwiches, the chef had provided homemade potato crisps similar to the ones served when they'd had the sandwiches for lunch who knew how many days ago. Again, it was something Daisuke had discovered the teen liked. He'd asked for a salad to accompany the meal, to offset any dietary concerns.

Since the meal was less traditional, chopsticks had not been provided, though there was a fork and knife, should anyone want to use them. The salad, obviously, would require one, but the knife was more a courtesy for those who didn't want to use their hands, though that seemed unnecessary.

As the meal progressed, Cass regaled them with tales from her and Suzue's shopping trip, which included looking at various phones and souvenirs. She'd tried to visit some of the places she remembered from her childhood, but many of them either no longer existed or weren't the same. Once that topic was exhausted, she moved onto stories about Hiro's childhood, much to the teen's embarrassment.

"Okay, guys," Hiro finally said, now a decent shade of red, "surely you're not that interested in how awkward I was when I was younger."

Whether or not this was a signal or not, someone turned down the lights, prompting Hiro to look around in confusion. "What's going on?"

Smiles seemed to surface on everyone's faces as the teen turned this way and that, trying to figure out just what was happening. When a server wheeled in a cart with a cake, lit candles providing illumination, understanding hit like a bolt of lightning and he almost smacked himself in the head."Oh."

Determined, Cass started up the birthday song, with everyone else joining as the server brought the cart close to Hiro's position at the table. This, of course, prompted Hiro to turn an even darker shade of red.

Hiro ran a hand through his hair as the song finished. It might not have been on key, though the song usually never was, but he couldn't help but feel a warm sense of happiness like a hug. "Guys, you didn't have to do this."

Cass moved over to his side and gave him a hug as he stood to look at the cake. "Of course we did," she said. "If we hadn't you would have completely forgotten until we got home."

The cake was definitely a lot more fancy than he was used to; decorated in mostly white, with red accents in different flourishes he had no names for. With a deep breath, and encouragement from his aunt, he blew out the candles to light applause.

While the cake was cut, and slices served, everyone present offered congratulations on his turning seventeen. Both Suzue and Katou slid him a red envelope. Daisuke also gave him a red envelope, though his was a bit fancier, with gold foil. "I'll give you my gift later," Aunt Cass said when it came her turn. "I figured you might want to open it in private."

Smiling like he'd just won the lottery, Hiro accepted the gifts, setting them aside for later. Something told it would be rude to open them at the table. After taking the initial bite, everyone else enjoyed the cake with him. A Victorian Sponge cake, it was moist and soft, obviously made by a pro. And, after the day's events, it didn't take long for the food to induce a more drowsy state. He was able to finish his cake, but didn't last much longer than that. In fact, Baymax had to carry him up to his room, followed by Aunt Cass, who wanted to make sure he was tucked in for the night.

…

"I think that went well," Katou stated as he headed towards the front of the manor, accompanied by Daisuke and Suzue. "I didn't think our city excursion would wear him out that much though." He looked a bit sheepish at that.

Daisuke allowed a slight smile to show. "It's fine. But I think you're right. I think it went quite well. My aunt did warn me that Hiro has a tendency to forget about his birthday, usually not wanting to make a big fuss of things. I think this had just the right touch."

Next to him, Suzue nodded in agreement. "I can't think of a better way to end the night. I'm sure he'll remember this as a good day."

Having reached the door, Katou said his good nights and headed out, the two Kambes waiting for him to get into his car and drive off before re-entering the mansion. Now alone with his cousin, Daisuke took the opportunity to ask about various details that weren't reported at dinner, mainly making sure Cass's new phone was secure from potential hacking, as well as integrating all the data they'd saved from her old phone.

"I did exactly as you asked," Suzue reported. "She shouldn't have any more issues with someone trying to install unwanted applications. I even took the liberty of trying to transfer Hiro's app, though I wasn't as successful there."

Heading back to the elevator, Daisuke found he wasn't surprised. The coding language the teen had used was definitely not one he'd seen before. It took him a moment to recall that it was a language only known by Hiro and his brother. "I'm sure he'll take care of that later," he assured. "I can't imagine he'd wait too long, either."

Now at the elevator, Daisuke waited for the doors to open before they both stepped into the car. With no other real responsibilities for the night, he had every intention of heading to bed at a decent hour. "Did Aunt Cass make any requests for tomorrow?"

The doors closed and Suzue shook her head. "No, though I'm sure she's thinking about it. It wouldn't surprise me if she isn't sure after our excursion today. I don't think there are too many other places she wanted to see. If anything, it'll likely be up to Hiro. Why? Did you have something in mind?

"Not particularly," Daisuke responded as the elevator stopped and the doors opened. "I'd be surprised if they wanted to go too far. Aunt Cass did express a desire to head home soon, so it's likely she'll want to do that the day after tomorrow. If possible, I'd like to spend tomorrow as a family."

Suzue stopped short at that, not sure how to take that. "As a family? But—"

Daisuke gave her a patient smile. "Instead of trying to recreate the memorial, I thought it would be nice to just spend some quality time together. Though we've certainly spent more than typical time together, it wasn't under the best of circumstances. I'd like the end of their trip to be memorable in a good way."

"Understood," Suzue nodded. "I'll put together a list of different activities and places to visit."

She was about to head off to do just that but Daisuke stopped her. "That won't be necessary. I think it might be best to try and be a bit spontaneous." The surprise on her face was more than worth the comment. "I will, of course, expect you to accompany us. You are family, after all."

With those words hanging in the air, Daisuke headed to his room for the night, leaving Suzue blushing ever so faintly.