“I want you to know, with all the love I have for you as your friend, that you are fucking
retarded.” Fuuka stares at me disbelievingly from the opposite, more open side of the booth. It was Fuuka’s idea to hang out at the Shanghai and I’m starting to regret agreeing to it.
“Tell me what you really think, why don’t you…” I slink back into the plush cushions, arms folded defensively.
“No, seriously, what were you
thinking?!” She shakes her hands either side of her head dramatically. “This is, by far, the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard. And I include the time Ayumu tried to saw poor Aki in two!”
“Did they ever find Aki’s nipples?” I throw out a joke to divert Fuuka’s attention but it does little to change the course of the conversation. I’m locked into this route now and I guess I have to take my lumps from my companion for my choices before I continue.
“Rika…” Fuuka sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. “What in the hell do you think this will accomplish? Hisao and this girl…”
“Iwanako.”
“Iwanako — what kinda name is that anyways — meeting up will only end badly for you, girl. She’s his ex! Why are you so damned determined for them to meet up again? I mean, are you high?” Fuuka rambles on and on, again butting her nose into my love life while I just sit there and endure it.
Spending a few days with Hisao in his home city will be really nice; meeting his parents and hanging out with his friends. I mean, yeah, Hisao wants to have a heart to heart with his ex-girlfriend but it’s just to get closure on their relationship.
“Come on, what do you think is going to happen the moment she sees him up and around and looking healthy?” Fuuka posits and I sigh.
“I imagine you’re thinking something sordid but it’s not going to be like that. They broke up! Pretty awfully, I might add. There’s
no way anything could happen with them.” I defend Hisao’s honour and Fuuka just rolls her eyes at me.
“All that raw emotion bubbling back up to the surface and you don’t think there’s the slightest possibility that they’ll find themselv-”
“I think you’d be better off stopping there ‘cause I can see Rika launching over the table and giving you a right hiding.” Molly chimes in, the first of the peanut gallery to make a comment but certainly not the last.
“Hisao’s a good guy, Fuuka. I sincerely doubt he’d do anything like that.” Taro mutters, sitting on the opposite side to Molly and looking more than a little uncomfortable. I know the feeling.
“I’m
just saying…” Fuuka tries to begin again but I’ve finally had enough and cut her off.
“And I’m
telling you; Hisao isn’t going to bang his ex and I don’t appreciate you saying that he will, Fuuka. What the hell is wrong with you?” I growl the question at her, my heckles well and truly up at her… insinuation.
The table goes dead quiet and Fuuka casts her gaze down to her lap, a look of apologetic guilt across her face like the time she broke my Gameboy Advance.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m just… worried about you, is all.” She mutters, not raising her head.
“I know but that’s really, reeeeally not cool, Fuuka.” I sigh, furrowing my brow as I take a sip of fruit juice. I can see Molly and Taro exchanging glances in the awkward silence. It’s not their fault they were dragged into this… Again, it was Fuuka leaping before she really looked, just like how she talks without thinking. I’m glad they backed me up but I feel bad about interrupting them for this nonsense.
“I’m just gonna, uh, go to the bathroom…” Fuuka excuses herself and Molly stands a few seconds after.
“That tea’s gone right through me! Back in a mo’!” She laughs and trots after Fuuka, leaving me and Taro to forage for a topic of conversation. I guess I should apologise…
“I’m so sorry about this, Taro. We didn’t mean to interrupt your date.” I say softly only for Taro to react loudly, choking on his drink and spluttering while his eyes go wide in panic.
“Wh-gah-
what?! This isn’t a date! It’s
not! It’s a totally platonic, non-date thing!” He wheezes quickly, while mopping the spray from the table with a napkin. His cheeks have turned as red as my pupils and I can feel myself going the same way.
“I’m so sorry, Taro, I got the wrong impression. Didn’t mean to embarrass you…” I groan, burying my face in my hands. Ugh, this is turning into just the worst day.
“It’s alright,” He chuckles ruefully with a sad smile. “No harm done, I suppose… You’re not the first to assume; Fuuka has too. Hell, she’s all but petitioning to make it a thing.”
“Yeah, she’ll do that.” I smirk a little while sighing, the two of us locking eyes before laughing aloud.
“I do think she means well, even if she’s a little…
insensitive about it.” Taro offers and I nod in agreement. She’s crass, certainly, but she has only ever been a good friend to me. I hope she’s not going to be too lonely here while I’m off on my little adventure.
“What are
you doing for the summer break?” I ask Taro curiously.
“I usually head home but I figured I’d stick around this summer; make the most of my last year here, y’know?”
“That’s a nice idea. It’s so weird… I keep forgetting that we’re in two different years.” I admit. It should be always in the back of mind that, eventually, Hisao will graduate and he’ll move on from Yamaku. And I’ll still be here.
“That second year flies by quick! I remember stuff happening last year but it’s mostly a blur. Our first and last years seem to be the most important, what with adjusting to a new environment in the first year and then preparing for the next stage in the third… I guess that’s why I wanna stick around; to make the most of the time I have left.” He chuckles softly, imparting his upperclassman wisdom with a soft smile.
Whether he knows it or not, Taro’s words strike a chord with me. Hisao might only be here for a short while and I don’t really have a solid idea of what I’m going to do when I leave Yamaku but… While both Hisao and I are here, together, I might as well make the most of it.
“You’re pretty smart, Taro.” I compliment him and he looks up from his mug confused.
“Huh? I am?”
“I wouldn’t hang out with you if you weren’t, big guy.” Molly says as she returns from the bathroom, leaning against the outer corner of the booth near Taro. She crosses her arms and looks to me with an unsure expression.
“You may want to have a word with Fuuka… She thinks she’s made a right balls-up by running her mouth off.”
“Is she crying?” I ask, almost wearily.
“Nah, but she could probably use her best mate to calm her down.” Molly smiles reassuringly and I shuffle around the booth to get out. I give a thankful nod to Molly and trot along to the female bathroom.
It’s plainly obvious which of these four burgundy-stained, wooden stall doors my friend hides behind. The closest to the bathroom door is double-wide to accommodate wheelchair users and so, I knock on that particular stall door.
“…
Occupied.”
“
Duh, it’s not like you’re going to climb out of the window.” I respond in jest and I hear a faint snort of amusement.
“Wouldn’t that have just blown your mind though? If I just wasn’t in here?” Fuuka says, her voice echoing slightly.
“That would be impressive. Not as much as you managing to put your entire foot in your mouth but still impressive.”
“Sorry.”
“So you should be. I know you were just looking out for me but still, saying that Hisao would hook up with his ex-gir--”
“I know, I know! It was a shitty thing to say and I’m sorry, alright?! I’ll keep all that shit quiet from now on, ‘kay?”
“Good. Now come and have some cake with me.” I respond, my arms folded across my chest.
The room goes quiet, only the ambient buzzing of the fluorescent lights above filling the silence.
“Can you, uh, give me a minute? It’s kinda hard to go with you making that face on the other side of the door…” Fuuka mutters but the echo makes it loud and clear.
“Oh, right, yeah. Sorry. See you out there.” I blurt out and rush to the door and out into the Shanghai’s main area.
Wait. What face?
-----------
The zombie-like shuffle of students coming out of Class 3-3 is disheartening to say the least. Even the iron-lady student council president looks worn down. As a dark-skinned girl is pushed out by a much smaller cerulean-haired girl with thick bags under her eyes, I spot Hisao following closely behind them.
He tugs at his tie to loosen it and offers a weary smile to me before I wrap my arms around his torso.
“Hey, senpai. What’s got you looking so down?” I ask sweetly and he shrugs.
“Pop quizzes in the last two lessons of the day… English and Social Studies were never my strongest subjects and while I’m getting
some special consideration, I’m still playing catch-up… I’m just glad it’s over for now.” He slumps against me a little and I almost feel like I’m the only thing keeping him standing. You can rely on me, Hisao.
A piercing wolf-whistle catches us both off guard as we both look in the direction of the stair-well to see the small sleepy girl trying her hardest to push her friend around the corner as she cat-calls.
“Who…?” I question and see Hisao has turned beet red.
“That would be Miura… The little one is Suzuki. They sit in front of me, next to Molly. Miura’s… well, Molly says she’s…” He clears his throat and tries to affect a British accent. “a beet ah-grow, butt not harf taystee.” Rather badly, it must be said.
“I have no idea what that means.” I look at him blankly and he shrugs.
“Me neither but I think Taro agreed; they’re always chatting in English... Anyway, Miura’s a little loud and abrasive but she’s a good person really, wouldn’t look after Suzuki if she wasn’t. Not a fan of her calling me
gaylord though…” I begin snickering at him and he frowns.
“What? It’s funny!”
“You wouldn’t find it funny if I switched teams and believe me, Akio’s
tried.” Hisao narrows his eyes before smirking. That’s probably true, given what little I know about Akio’s personality so I drape myself around Hisao’s arm.
“You better not! I might have to be consoled by Fuuka and god only knows what that girl’s ideas for me would be!”
“One can only imagine…” Hisao says wistfully and I swat his shoulder playfully. “Not that I’d do such a thing…
Or have…” Setting polyamory aside for the moment…
“Did you get the go-ahead from your folks?” I question, wondering how that particular conversation went.
“Yeah, they’re okay with it. What about your Mom?” Hisao responds with a question of his own, which I answer with a beaming smile.
“Yup! She even offered to drive us down to Sendai Station. I think she was kind of bummed you weren’t staying with us but we have, like, six weeks of free time; would you mind a detour?”
“That’d be nice.” He agrees and I hug his arm a little tighter.
-----------
The summer vacation soon arrives and I find myself in the summer sun, fully sunblocked and wearing the same cute outfit that Hisao likes but with a matching beige baseball cap.
I’m met by Fuuka and Molly in front of the girls’ dorms, both decked out in seasonal outfits. I give Molly a quick hug before bending down to Fuuka and giving her a much tighter squeeze.
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” She smiles while winking.
“So that leaves me with just about everything then.” I jab back with a smirk.
“Atta girl! I’ll see you when you get back! And be sure to call when you arrive safe!” Fuuka’s voice steadily grows louder as I walk away from the pair, waving back at them.
Hisao and my Mom are already waiting just outside the gates, Hisao visibly flustered and my Mom wearing the face of a cat toying with a mouse.
“Sorry, I’m late! Couldn’t find my backpack.” I apologise while pecking Hisao on the cheek.
“That’s okay, sweetheart. Hisao was here to protect me.” She says in a sickeningly sweet tone.
“What did she do to you? Are you okay?” I fuss over Hisao and he nods sheepishly.
“Nothing… We were just discussing my condition…” Oh my god, Mom, you didn’t… I throw her an incredulous look which she laughs off.
The car ride is thankfully short, as it gives Mom little time to embarrass me and Hisao more; not for lack of trying though. Hisao seems to take it more in stride when I’m also getting it from Mom.
Sendai Station is pretty busy, with lots of other students on their way home, some I know, others I do not. I turn and squeeze Mom tight, a move she returns in kind before kissing my forehead.
“Take care of yourself, Rika.” She speaks softly before pointing at Hisao, who visibly bristles like he was shot with a bolt of electricity. “And you, Mr Nakai, better look out for her.”
“Y-Yes, ma’am.” He nods and she smiles.
“Enjoy the trip home, Hisao.”
“I will, thank you.” He smiles genuinely as I take hold of his hand. “And I’ll look after Rika, don’t worry.”
“I’m sure you will. Have fun, love-birds! Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” She calls out, earning looks from people around us as she hops back into her car. Me and Hisao drag our luggage up the steps of the station and find the correct platform we need.
We find a spare bench as students rush for the train that just pulled in. I lean against Hisao, my right hand entwined with his.
“You know what? I bet this is going to be fun.” I smile up at him.
~~~~~~~~
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