K-Shounen!

[LordDarknus]

“So...” Lionel states nonchalantly.

“Yes.” Hanzou answers as he reads the menu.

“Our librarian actually works here.” Lionel states again, slightly in disbelief.

“Yes.” Hanzou answers without looking up from the menu.

“As a full-time manager. During summer.” Lionel states some more, trying to accept the facts.

“Yes. Stop talking about it.” Hanzou answers curtly, trying to concentrate on the menu.

[LordDarknus]

The silvery ceiling fan spins with a moderate swiftness, quietly cooling us at our tables, while the calming ocean winds whispers by intermittently.

Sheltered from the sun and finally relaxing in an open-air restaurant, I slowly flip through the menu, carefully analysing every item and its price, wondering what I should have for breakfast. ..Or lunch. --Or brunch?

“What's the healthiest option available for breakfa-.. brunch. What's the best dish to have for brunch?” Rai asks.. no one in particular. --I'm starting to think he's psychic-- The waitress showed us to our table but left a long time ago. Understandably, there are a lot of customers downstairs waiting to be served.

[LordDarknus]

“You can order more than simple cakes or mere pastries here...” Hanzou finally replies to Rai, half-heartedly reading the menu aloud. “There are servings of actual Shanghai-style noodles, fried or in soup. Wonton noodles. ...Char Kway Teow? Hmm, I think that's a Singaporean-Chinese thing. Fragrant rice. Fried rice, chicken rice, duck rice, ..tofu? On its own? Char siew pao, siew mai and other assorted dim sums.. which are apparently the most popular dishes in this area. Mushroom soup with bread. Mmm: spaghetti, ..but out-of-stock. Western fish-and-chips, lamb chop-- lamb chop? ...huh. Burgers, hot dogs, eggs and sausage, luncheon meats, chicken soup, mushroom soup, ..wait, that was mentioned. Turkey sandwiches.. tuna sandwiches, tuna with salads, orange juice, carrot juice, watermelon juice, hot dark coffee, iced black tea, vanilla or chocolate chip ice-cream, or mixed flavours... Perhaps you'll sample the lemon meringue pie as an appetiser? Rai? It may be to your liking.”

“Errr~ thanks, Hanzou. ...There's really not one single “normal” dish here at all? None of them are in any way ...Japanese?”

“It is named 'Shanghai' for a reason, Rai. Its speciality and attraction is serving authentic foreign dishes. Whether the dishes are actually from Shanghai or otherwise.”

[LordDarknus]

Lifting my focus from the menu, I let my mind wander with my eyes and take in the sights, ..or rather, the style and vibe of the place. They have round western tables and chairs, large enough to seat me, Rai close to my side, Hanzou on my other side, with a fuming Kaori and an easy-going Lionel in a double-replacement reaction opposite of me, while Acair and Yuki are at the table next to us, gently and fluently flowing a more.. amorous chemistry.

The intricate bannister, rustic walls and wooden floors all seem to have been hand-made, or at least very convincingly so. The general architecture is also pleasingly old-fashioned, rather reminiscent of a classical Chinese tea house in the 1920s, despite having little speakers that play Elvis Presley, Beatles, Bee Gees, Michael Jackson and nostalgic Chinese music for easy listening.

[Insert Song: 月亮代表我的心 by Teresa Teng]

The softening old tunes and old-fashioned architecture with its anachronistic character all come together in a quiet, special place in my heart, letting me feel so very... at home.. here, comfortable and at ease... in the upper deck of the Shanghai Café.. with all my friends...

I find again glimpses of my childhood... and I treasure the memories I'm making...

Ordering and waiting for our brunch, idly talking and warmly laughing...

Simply whiling away the bright summer day with a family of friends.


I feel like I.. I could let myself cry... in happiness, being with my family.

[LordDarknus]

In the lonely song of quietness, when Kaori and Lionel have gone off to join the beach contests, and after Acair and Yuki romantically decided to walk further along the heavenly shoreline...

Rai is still sleeping at the table, his full lemon pie and fish burgers and french fries and mashed potatoes were all gobbled up in an instant, and he had been patiently waiting for us, but then couldn't resist falling asleep in the café's relaxing atmosphere.

Hanzou and I decide to stay and wait for him, neither of us having the heart to wake the gently sleeping boy. ..Although he is technically older than us.

“Do you like him?”

“W-wh- Huh?”

Hanzou asks the question completely out of the blue.

[LordDarknus]

“Rai seems to be very fond of you, Iwanako.”

“I-I know..” I blush as I answer, looking away from Hanzou and smiling shyly.

“You run with him every morning on the track... you are Rai's closest.. and dearest.. friend.”

“N-no, not really.. there is his best friend and hallmate... umm.... the School Doctor is closest to Rai, I think...”

“hm..” a cursory smile from Hanzou as he acknowledges.

[LordDarknus]

“Hanzou? ..Are you concerned ..about Rai?”

“..., I'm concerned about everyone; I am the Student Council President. It is a natural part of my duty. Integrally, so.”

“Well yes, but.. I mean, do you care about Rai like.. a little brother?”

“..., Ahah... --he would be an elder-brother... a little elder-brother, ...but; yes... perhaps I do.”

I smile brightly upon hearing Hanzou.

“Rai looks up to you too, Hanzou. I think you are the big brother he never had.”

Hanzou smiles ...sadly? Upon hearing me..

“Am I..... a good brother?”


“I've done nothing but hurt you.... and Rai-- he trusted me, but I blackmailed him to join the Track Club. I don't think he'll ever forgive me for th-”

“No, you and Rai don't hold grudges against each other! The two of you share something special... a bond.. a connection.... You truly understand and deeply care for each other.., you're meant for each other..”


“Err..., I didn't mean that last part the way I.. the way it sounded.”

“I-I know, Iwanako. ...Rai told the School Doctor similar sentiments before.”

[LordDarknus]

The calming moment.. slowly ..becomes one of long silences.


“You know...”

“Y-yes? Hanzou?”

“I've always noticed it before, but... -- Rai and I are very much alike..., I lost everything in the fire... Rai lost his mother. -- The two of us are violent, angry people. We hated each other the moment we met.”

“H-Hanzou...”

[LordDarknus]

“After a while.. somehow... we started accepting each other. -- Sasha and I from 1-3 started helping Rai's classmates in 1-4, along with our upperclassmen in 2-4 and 3-4. Although, most of them actually found us rather annoying.”

“Sasha decided to transfer to 2-4 in his second year, after Mrs. Katayama's permission and approval. And now; he endeavours diligently and honestly as Class Representative of 3-4, quite probably enamoured and inspired by Shizuo who was elected Class Representative for every consecutive year.”

“S-Shizuo is that well-liked?”

“He is beloved by his classmates, he appears perfect and proper, and finely administers his class. Respectably so. Even better than you and I, actually..”

“Aheh.. you've never admitted to being less than... anyone, before..”

“.., even if I do not, the fact is still quite plain to see; I was the Class Representative only because no one was brave or competent enough to disprove my intentions and abilities, and I became the Student Council President only because I am Mrs. Katayama's son.”

[LordDarknus]

“W-w-what? You're.. you... the Principal is your mummy?”

“..., I'm her ward, actually.”

“She.. you.. you.. she-?”

“I probably should have told you with... more tact.”

“I... huh..... wow...”

“Definitely ...more tact.”

[LordDarknus]

“I.. I think I've somewhat noticed it somehow..; sometimes, you say words like 'perhaps' with the same unique emphasis, and you also talk in that “posh logical” way she does, ..almost.”

“I do..?”

“I think Lionel picked up a little bit of it too, I was reminded of his way of speaking while talking to her.”

“You've spoken to mum-mu-I-I mean Mrs. Katayama?”

“Y-yes, once. She came over and talked to me.”

“What did she say?”

“Err.. not much, but she was... warm.... she was very kind to me.”

“.....”

“Hanzou?”

“I- I am just.. thinking about... err, Rai.”

“..oh?”

[LordDarknus]

“The School Doctor is considering adopting Rai, you know? If it is possible to do so legally. Even if it's not, ..I think Rai would still want to move out when he graduates, and live with her. ...He already thinks of her as his.. 'mummy'.”

“Huh... and you are Mrs. Katayama's son... the two of you are very similar..”

“I'm not her son. She's.. too old. ...At first she didn't even know I survived, the old records actually still state me as deceased.”

“H-Hanzou..”

“I-I'm sorry, Iwanako. I shouldn't be talking about this. Let's.. let's see if we can't wake Rai? I don't think he'll appreciate it if we waited until dusk-”

“I'm already awake, ...Han-chan.”

“AAH!”

[LordDarknus]

Hanzou and I startle in our seats, as Rai slowly gets up and stretches his arms, casually mocking Hanzou for being mellow and sentimental. Hanzou.. blushes and pulls his student cap lower, trying to hide under it, while I smile softly at the two of them..

'Brothers'... I wonder thoughtfully, as I follow them closely on the path home, as they half-heartedly exchange childish accusations again, and stubbornly declare that they have absolutely nothing in common.

I think to myself; 'they're family', with the way they're smiling and playing with each other, even if they will only admit it in their hearts.. They already are brothers.

[LordDarknus]

Later at night...

“Look carefully, Iwanako! Now 'all your base are belong to me'!”

Sasha gloats as he hammers the final blow to my Headmaster Unit, breaking my mecha-robot into a dozen or more crumbling pieces, falling apart into a fireball that goes “poof-poof” in unconvincing explosions. Explosions that don't even cause any damage despite engulfing Sasha's own robot. It.. it's just pixels of poorly-textured insult, adding to the injurious destruction of my last line of defence.

Indignity is further layered on, as my virtual-lieutenant casually informs me that my stealth-upgrades are useless, while still forgetting to warn me that my forward-bases have been hijacked and are constructing enemy units, thanks to Sasha putting so many 'Wire-Hack' packages into play.

[LordDarknus]

“Hey....!” I whine with acute unhappiness, as Sasha takes his time to pick up all my dropped items and power-ups, simply strolling along the perimeter and prancing mere inches out-of-range, where my stranded batteries can't retaliate and rain a hail of pain on his sorry tail. He's just-- taunting me, and letting his mecha-robot “auto-repair” (or 'heal') to full “hull-integrity” (or full 'health') before resuming his ruthless onslaught.

“Iwanako, my humble foe; this is why the 'turtle'-way-of-play invariably fails: The 'hare' is too fast, ..too furious.”

“You cheated, Sasha.”

“If I cheated; I cheated fairly and openly, ..my grumpy foe.”

“Arwwggghh...”