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Lilly Route: Conflict: 1-7: Family Style

May 9th, 2013
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  1. We're all left standing by the wayside as Shizune and her uncle continue to lock eyes together, a silent battle of wills taking place between them. I can feel sweat beginning to form on the back of my neck from the intensity of the pair, the air turning electric from their uncompromising air of contention, neither one blinking or shifting an inch from the other.
  2.  
  3. Mr. Satou lifts one hand and makes a single sign. Shizune glares back at him and responds with a flurry of movement. He chuckles and answers, stowing his cane in the crook of his arm to free both hands.
  4.  
  5. He knows sign language?
  6.  
  7. Despite that surprise, Shizune doesn't look happy with the situation, if her sharp and decisive hand movements can be trusted. Mr. Satou just keep a pleasant smile on his face, indulging her ire.
  8.  
  9. Lilly leans in towards me. "Hisao, what is happening," she whispers.
  10. "Your Father and Shizune are having a conversation."
  11. Worry passes over Lilly's face. "Oh, dear."
  12. "Why? Is that bad?"
  13. "Not directly, no. Though my father and Shizune's father... well, they're brothers and they have never gotten along."
  14. I look back at Shizune who is continuing to sign furiously at Lilly's dad.
  15.  
  16. If his daughter is any indication, I can only imagine what Shizune's father is like.
  17.  
  18. They continue on their discussion rapidly, leaving the rest of us to ponder what the matter at hand is. If they were standing any closer, their hand signs could be considered a form of martial arts! Misha is still dumbstruck and though she's following along by the looks and emotions that pass her face, she's completely forgotten about the need for translation.
  19.  
  20. The signing stops suddenly between Mr. Satou and Shizune, the two of them glaring at one another for some time. Then Shizune sighs and sticks out a hand which Mr. Satou firmly shakes, both of them with a satisfied look. Whatever it was about, some form of agreement has been reached between the two of them.
  21.  
  22. Shizune turns away from him and faces us, beginning to sign once more. Misha stirs herself awake and laughs once again. "Sorry about that, Shichan! I was surprised! Everyone, Shichan says that an understanding had to be worked out with her uncle and apologizes for the delay! She hopes everything is all right?"
  23.  
  24. I get the feeling that question was directed poignantly at Lilly. She takes the hint and nods. "Everything is all right, for now."
  25.  
  26. Misha signs and Shizune seems pleased, if still worried. She looks over at Akira. The older woman waves her off and Shizune shrugs helplessly.
  27. Mr. Satou interrupts, nodding at Misha. "And you are?"
  28. "I'm Misha~! I'm Shichan's interpreter! It's nice to meet ya'!"
  29.  
  30. Mr. Satou seems taken aback by Misha's boisterous attitude, but smiles pleasantly. "It's a pleasure to meet my niece's friend, Misha." He glances at Misha's shirt and what it says. "Well, at least there's some hope for the younger generation."
  31. Mr. Satou walks off with Misha blinking in confusion after him. She looks at me with a worried glance. "What did he mean by that?"
  32. "You don't know what your shirt says?"
  33. She shakes her head. "No, is it bad? It's not something dirty, is it?"
  34. "No, it's not. Never mind."
  35.  
  36. Misha laughs, shaking it off. "Okay, okay~! Come on! I'm starving! We don't want to be late for Hanako's bus, do we?"
  37.  
  38. We begin to move into the Shanghai. Lilly and I end up walking next to Mr. Satou. "I'm surprised you know sign language," I say to him.
  39. He casts an eye over me and nods. "It's useful for business at times. I'm hardly proficient, but I know enough. Besides, a member of my family requires it for communication. It's only common courtesy that I would want the means to speak with them at some point. It also looks good on a resume; you would do well to remember that."
  40.  
  41. We walk into the restaurant as a group, Lilly on my arm. I'm always amazed by how empty the Shanghai looks. I can't really remember seeing many other customers and yet, every time I come here, Yuuko always looks like she's serving a banquet full of people on her own.
  42.  
  43. Speaking of which, she hustles up to us and bows after the bell over the door rings, low enough to nearly slam her head into the floor. "Thank you for patronizing our establishment," she says after her quick bow. She looks up, sees all of us gathered together and I can see a flash of panic set in. "There's so many of you," she says, her voice shaking.
  44.  
  45. "Hey, Yuuko, it's just us" I say in a calming tone, trying to catch her attention.
  46. She looks surprised, finally noticing the familiar faces in the crowd. "Oh! Oh, good, it's you! I was worried that a party arrived and I forgot their reservations! That would have been terrible...."
  47. "I haven't seen you around recently. How have you been?"
  48. "Awful! With the library closed for the summer, I have to work twice as many hours here! I don't remember the last day off I had and summer always makes my manager really, really mean." She panics slightly, looking around, I imagine to see if he could have overheard her slip. "Please don't tell him I said that."
  49. "Don't worry, Yuuko," Lilly says. "We'll be careful."
  50. Yuuko bows rapidly several times. "Thank you, Lilly. Are all of you together?" She looks frantically around. "I guess I can move a few tables unless you want one of the rooms for parties...."
  51.  
  52. "Set them up in there," Mr. Satou says. "When they're done, I'll handle the bill."
  53.  
  54. Lilly turns to the sound of her Father's voice. "Daddy...."
  55. "No, Lillian, it's fine. I won't be joining you. I wouldn't want to disrupt your little friend's going away party with my presence. I'll be more than satisfied on my own."
  56.  
  57. He places his hand on Lilly's shoulder, leans in and kisses her on the cheek very gently before walking towards the bar. "Tea, hot, and a newspaper, I don't have all day," he bellows at Yuuko.
  58.  
  59. She bows and then frantically ushers us all into a part of the restaurant I haven't been in before. It's a nice little space for smaller parties, a big table in the center and a large window dominating a whole back wall of the room.
  60. Yuuko quickly takes our orders, mostly just drinks. Lilly, Hanako, Shizune and I are having tea, while Misha orders a strawberry shake, a piece of cherry pie and a steady stream of parfaits. "If we're being treated, why shouldn't I enjoy it?" she says loudly.
  61.  
  62. Akira orders a beer before Yuuko bustles away, fumbling to keep the items straight in her head, followed by a moment of silence around the table, none of us saying anything.
  63.  
  64. Lilly sighs.
  65. "I'm sorry, Lilly," Akira says.
  66. "I know. It's not your fault."
  67.  
  68. Shizune glares at Lilly and Akira, looking between the two of them before starting to sign angrily. Misha looks stunned as she begins to speak. "Shichan... uh, would like to know why your father is here."
  69.  
  70. Considering the venomous glares she has for the two sisters, I don't think she actually put it that lightly. Worry passes over Lilly's face and Akira turns away, her eyes narrowing. "We had no idea he was coming here, Shizune," Lilly says. "It is as much a surprise to us as it is to you."
  71.  
  72. Shizune doesn't like that reply because she only get more animated with her signs. "How could you not have known? He's your father!"
  73. "He doesn't tell us this stuff, Shizune," Akira says sourly. "He does what he wants, he always has."
  74. "Then why is he here?"
  75.  
  76. The question goes unanswered by either sister. From Shizune's glare aimed at me and Lilly, the answer is obvious and doesn't require one.
  77. Shizune hangs her head and runs her fingers through her hair, teeth grit, pulling at the strands. "This is a disaster of epic proportions!" Misha relays, worry beginning to creep into her face from Shizune's adamant tone of signing, all grand, dramatic gestures. "Do you have any idea what this means? Do you have any idea the calamity you've brought upon us?"
  78.  
  79. Lilly tightens her hands. "This is not my fault, Shizune. I had no way of knowing what he would do. No matter how much you wish you could, you cannot blame me for this."
  80.  
  81. "I can think of several reasons why I can blame you!" Misha continues on behalf of Shizune. "This even-tuality was distinctly possible given your hasty decision," Misha stumbles. "You should have predicted this turn of events and handled it immediately! As usual, you waited to the last minute to do anything and now here we are on the pre-cipice of outright war!"
  82.  
  83. War? What is she talking about?
  84. Hanako looks upset with the tone the conversation is taking and Akira just listens, chin propped in her hand.
  85.  
  86. Lilly glowers. "How can I stop something I had no idea could happen? I'm not infallible, and neither are you. There's no way I could have known my Father would come all the way to Japan. Even if I did, do you think there is anything I could have done to convince him to stay away? Have you ever been able to convince your own father to do something you wanted?"
  87.  
  88. Shizune pinches the bridge of her nose in frustration before continuing. "Typical excuses!" Misha says. Now she's getting upset. I can see Misha doesn't like to be an enabler for the two of them to argue anymore. "You're always so quick with a reason why it's not your fault, Lilly. It must be exhausting! If you spent half the time actually handling your own problems instead of coming up with excuses for why you let things get out of control, we wouldn't be in this situation!"
  89.  
  90. Lilly's face turns dark. "This is my family's business. It does not concern you, Shizune."
  91.  
  92. "It is when it boils over and lands in my family's lap! What do you think will happen when my father learns his brother is back in Japan? The treaty will be off! There will be blood and war and it'll be your fault! You didn't tell him to stay away and you didn't tell Hichan you were leaving in the first place! How typical of you! You only have yourself to blame for everything that's happened to him and to you!"
  93.  
  94. Lilly looks like she about to jump out of her chair, but I hold her by the arm gently before she hurls herself in Shizune's direction. "That's enough, both of you!" I say, trying to keep from raising my voice. "Come on! You were doing so well before! Don't burn all those bridges you were just starting to build again. When the time comes, I'm sure you'll find some way to make this work out. Shizune, you're smart enough to handle this, and Lilly, I'm certain your father can be reasoned with. You need to stop acting like this is the end of the world. If it's a problem, then the two of you can solve it, together, not by assigning blame or taking shots at each other."
  95.  
  96. Lilly looks angry, but she swallows it and takes a calming, settling breath. Shizune does the same when Misha finishes signing, the pink haired girl looking relieved with both my interruption and Shizune's reaction to it. Shizune adjusts her glasses, giving her something to do while she vents all her pent up aggression, like a car roaring while stuck in neutral.
  97.  
  98. "I... apologize, Lilly." Misha translates for Shizune. The sign is very slow to come and somewhat forced, but it eventually gets there. "I shouldn't have said that. You remember how the both of them are. I'm only thinking of preventing a disaster. It's only a matter of time before they run into each other."
  99.  
  100. Lilly nods, settling herself as well. "I'm... sorry as well, Shizune. I know how they are. Believe me, if there was something I could have done to prevent this, I would have done so immediately."
  101.  
  102. Shizune hesitates, then reaches across the table and taps Lilly on the hand. She opens it and Shizune seems to trace something in her palm which makes Lilly's smile. "Thank you," Lilly replies.
  103.  
  104. I nod, satisfied with the situation. I can tell it will be a long time before the two of them get along, but at the very least they are trying.
  105.  
  106. Yuuko rushes into the room with a tray laden with our orders. She hands them out quickly, managing not to spill any of them as she does. "Lilly," she asks desperately, "who is that man who came in here with you?"
  107. "That is my Father, Yuuko."
  108. Yuuko looks about ready to despair. "Oh, dear."
  109. "He's not giving you any trouble, is he?" Akira asks.
  110. "Well... he was upset. We didn't have the tea he wanted, I've never even heard of it. And he wanted a copy of the newspaper, but it didn't have the business section. I'd better get back out there, he threatened to complain to my manager." She rushes back out, and Akira sighs in embarrassment.
  111.  
  112. Despite that tiny crisis, Lilly and I begin pouring tea for everyone. I pick up my teacup for a toast. "Good. Now that that's settled, let's remember why we're here." I turn to Hanako who has been silent during the whole heated conversation. "We're here to celebrate Hanako's trip."
  113.  
  114. She smiles, grateful for my interference.
  115. "That's right!" Misha says, taking to the change of subject eagerly. She tries to suck her strawberry shake down, but the straw doesn't cooperate, making her cheeks puff out. "I bet you're looking forward to it!"
  116.  
  117. Hanako looks down at her teacup and smiles. She may get nervous being the center of attention, but she also seems grateful for everyone taking the time to see her off. "Yes, I am. I'm really... looking forward to it. I've been thinking about K-Kyoto for so long, now that it's here, I'm not sure how I feel about it. B-but I'm glad I'm going. I think it'll be... a lot of fun."
  118.  
  119. Akira looks up from her beer with a smile. I've noticed she's been a lot more quite than she normally is, I'm pretty sure due to her father. "Glad to hear, Hanako. I knew you had it in you! What's the plan once you get to the old city?"
  120.  
  121. Hanako shrugs. "I'm... not sure. Naomi and Natsume kept t-talking about all the sites they want to visit, so I'm looking forward to that the most. They mentioned K-Kamigamo and Shimogamo Shrine and To-ji Pagoda, but I really want to see the b-botanical gardens. I don't... think we'll have much d-down time. They said they wanted to see all the sights they could with what time they had l-left."
  122.  
  123. I sip at my teacup before setting it down. "Speaking of which, thank you for sticking around, Hanako. I'm sorry I made you miss a lot of your time away from school."
  124.  
  125. She shrugs and blushes shyly. "It's... okay. I w-wouldn't have been able to enjoy myself while you were still in the h-hospital. But we'll have plenty of time. I don't think Natsume or especially Naomi will let me have any r-rest until they're satisfied they've seen every tourist site in th-the city."
  126.  
  127. "Well, just don't push yourself too much. Don't let the two of them get carried away and drag you along," Lilly says like a doting mother.
  128.  
  129. Hanako nods. "I know. They seemed okay with d-delaying the trip. I'm not worried."
  130. Misha pulls away from being nearly face first into the piece of pie in front of her. "That's right, Hanako, be careful around those two! You don't want them to drag you into anything you don't want to get involved with! That Naomi is especially pushy!"
  131.  
  132. I glare at Misha from across the table.
  133. She takes a huge bite of her pie, sees me and blinks. "What is it, Hichan?"
  134.  
  135. It sounds more like she she said, "whawt hes hit Hychyun?"
  136.  
  137. "Yes, Hanako," I say. "Don't let the two of them drag you into doing anything you don't feel like. Even if they pester you into it, just ignore them and they'll go away eventually. You'll find that if you tune them out, they'll lose interest and you'll get a moment's peace to yourself."
  138. Hanako tries not to giggle and Lilly covers her cheek, blushing.
  139. Despite not understanding, Misha continues to sign in between her hurried and rushed bites of sweets and deserts. Shizune rolls her eyes when she sees my reply.
  140.  
  141. "That's right, Hichan! Some of us have an appreciation for making our school the best place possible," Misha says for Shizune, after an explanation of my meaning and with crumbs on her cheeks. "Unlike you, Hanako has taken a healthy interest in extra-curri-cular activity~!"
  142. Shizune turns towards Hanako and I see and recognize that glint in her eyes. "You know, Hanachan~!" Misha starts, "when school starts up again, if the newspaper club no longer holds any interest, you might want to consider joining the Student Council! Then we'd get to hang out like this all the time! Wow, Shichan, that's a great idea!"
  143.  
  144. I hide my grimace behind my teacup. Lilly covers her mouth with a hand, suppressing a giggle. Hanako smiles meekly, eyes averted and shoulders hunched. "M-maybe. I'll... think about it."
  145. "No," I warn her, setting my teacup down with some force, "don't think about it. That just means you haven't said 'no' to them yet." I turn towards Misha and Shizune. "Leave Hanako alone. Summer isn't half over and you're already recruiting for next year? Don't the two of you have any shame?"
  146.  
  147. "That's not fair, Hichan! Don't think we haven't forgotten our responsibilities, even during vacation! This is a perfect opportunity to prepare and ready ourselves for when school starts up again!" Misha wags a finger at me while Shizune glares. "And don't interfere! You've shown time and time again your disinterest in being a productive member of our school! Don't persuade Hanako to follow along in your negligent habits!"
  148.  
  149. Hanako lets out a tiny giggle.
  150.  
  151. "And don't think we've given up just yet!" the Misha/Shizune tag team continues. "There's still time before graduation! Come hell or high water, we will convince you to join the Student Council!"
  152.  
  153. Normally the pestering over the Student Council annoys me, but this time I almost enjoy the back and forth between me, Shizune and Misha. Maybe it's the fact that I've been so bored or maybe since I haven't seem them recently or maybe it's because of finally feeling like I'm on the right track in my life, but something inside me pushes me to take a leap.
  154.  
  155. "How about this?" I offer after some thought. "When we graduate, I'll think about joining to help out, but I'm telling you, you won't get anything more out of me. It'll give me a line in the yearbook, at the very least."
  156.  
  157. Shizune leans in close, her eyebrow lifted, teacup steaming. "Is that a promise?"
  158. I hold a finger up to give her pause. "It's a maybe promise. Just stop pestering us about it."
  159.  
  160. She leans back and smiles. "Did that just happen, Shichan? I think it did! An adequate victory, we guess. Truth be told, you held out longer than we thought you would, Hichan! I was sure we had you roped in several times!"
  161. "Well, I'm just full of surprises, aren't I?"
  162. Shizune looks between me and Lilly, then nods. "I guess you are," Misha says for her with a laugh.
  163.  
  164. Akira puts her beer down, wiping her lips on her sleeve. "Speaking of school, Hanako, it won't be long before all of you are back at Yamaku. Are you and your friends staying in Kyoto the whole time till the term starts?"
  165. She nods. "I think we are. Natsume has a big p-plan for everything; where we'll be staying, where we'll be going. I think she likes to m-manage things. I'm sure I'll be back before then, though."
  166. "Well, you just be sure to enjoy your time away! Not every day you get to be a new girl in the big city!" Akira winks. "Keep an eye out; you might find a nice guy out there!"
  167.  
  168. Hanako blushes furiously and stares down into her teacup.
  169. "Don't tease her, Akira," Lilly says.
  170. "Aw, I'm just funning with her, Lilly." Akira takes another sip. "Hanako, you take care of yourself, but you have my number if you need anything, got it? I have friends in the city I can call if you need it."
  171. "Th-thank you."
  172. "Yes, you have all our numbers," Lilly says. "You can call anytime and we'll come right away. I promise."
  173. "I-I'm fine, Lilly. I'll be okay."
  174.  
  175. I grimace. Lilly hates to show it, but she is really nervous about Hanako going. She doesn't want to smother her, but neither does she want to let her go. It's a difficult balance act for her between keeping the people she loves close and giving them the freedom they need. Especially with Hanako who for so long was dependent on Lilly for so much, it's hard for her to accept that Hanako is growing out of that shell she had been encased in for so long.
  176. I know I get nervous sometimes, but I need to learn to give Hanako the space she needs. I know what a lopsided relationship is like, when one person does all the work and the other comes to rely on them too much.
  177.  
  178. "So... what are the rest of you going to do?" Hanako asks. "Thank you for coming, but I'm s-surprised the two of you are here," she says, directed at Misha and Shizune.
  179. Misha laughs boisterously at that and Shizune smirks, beginning to sign.
  180. "Shichan's right! As Student Council, we should always take an interest in a fellow students growth, whether that takes place within school or outside. Your recent activities have been a welcome sight and your recent participation at Yamaku are a credit to the school!"
  181. Misha leans in close and whispers, as much as she is able to without bellowing the words out. "Truth is, Hanachan, Shizune's house is boring! We needed a break!"
  182.  
  183. "At least I'm not the only one who's been bored with their summer," I comment.
  184.  
  185. Lilly holds my hand in hers and squeezes tightly. I tighten my grip as well, rubbing Lilly's fingertips which makes her smile.
  186. "There's nothing to do there! It's only us and Shichan's Father and little brother!" Misha whines.
  187. "How is Hideaki? I never got the chance to thank him for his help."
  188. Shizune shrugs after Misha translates for me. "Same as always I guess. Truth is, the summer hasn't been very exciting or eventful. I'm looking forward for the school term to start."
  189. "Only you would want summer to be over with to go back to school, Shizune," I say through Misha. "Do you miss the power of the Student Council already? No one to order around and harass? Is the throne gathering dust?"
  190.  
  191. Shizune grins, her smile mocking. "And what have you been doing since you got back to Yamaku? Anything interesting? We half expected the school to be a smoking crater leaving it in your capable hands! That would be terrible, Shichan!"
  192. "Give it time," I tell them after a sip of tea. "Mutou has been busy, but we could still put something together to satisfy that request. I won't need to join the Student Council if there's no school."
  193.  
  194. Everyone laughs at that and it feels good to amuse them. I missed these people.
  195.  
  196. "Truth is," I continue, "I've been bored out of my mind. There's only a few students left and most of the teachers are on vacation as well or busy with extra work, or even the students who are taking classes over the summer. I've only been trying to keep myself sane by focusing on my health and even that is driving me crazy."
  197.  
  198. Lilly puts a hand on my arm, a smile on her face. "How have you been doing? I know you said you did well today, but I want to make sure you're being safe at the same time."
  199. "I'm fine. I'm taking my medication every time I need to thanks to your phone calls and I haven't missed a day since I got out of the hospital. I definitely don't need to go back there. Like I said, I exercised today, though I had a little accident."
  200.  
  201. Lilly's face grows just a shade paler. "Yes, you said that. I want you to take care of yourself, but not if it means getting hurt," she says in a worried tone.
  202. "I'm all right, Lilly. I just tripped, that's all. Nurse patched me up just fine, it's nothing to get worried about, nothing to do with my heart. If I'm going to start exercising, I have to expect little scrapes and bruises."
  203. "Little scrapes and bruises can add up to a lot. I don't want you pushing yourself."
  204. "Pushing myself is what I needed. I never would have been out there if it hadn't been for Emi."
  205. "Ms. Ibarazaki? She helped you?"
  206. "Yeah, she practically dragged me out of bed."
  207. Lilly smiles coyly. "I thought I heard something over the phone this morning...."
  208. I stammer. "She was only there to make sure I ran, that's all! I swear!"
  209. Lilly smiles, pinching my arm gently after wrapping her own through it "I know. I'm just teasing." Lilly leans her head against my shoulder and it nearly undoes me.
  210.  
  211. Shizune and Misha watch with broad smiles. "We are very pleased to see you are keeping yourself busy, Hichan," Misha says. "Lilly has been no fun this entire summer!"
  212. Lilly's face screws up and her lips pout.
  213. "What do you mean?" I ask.
  214.  
  215. Shizune signs, eyes on Lilly, smiling malevolently. "She's spent all the time at the house doing nothing but sulking all day long! When she's not on the phone with you, she looks all wistful and tragic like a doting wife on a widow watch, pining the return of her beloved! Shichan, that's not a nice thing to say at all!" Misha shakes with laughter after that comment from Shizune, who wears a coy grin on her face.
  216.  
  217. Lilly's cheeks turn very red and she digs her arms into me a little, clinging to my side.
  218.  
  219. Akira snickers and Hanako giggles, which only makes Lilly all the more embarrassed.
  220.  
  221. She shrugs, looking very pretty when she's being bashful. "I miss you. I can't be blamed for that...."
  222.  
  223. I'm relieved to hear Lilly has missed me as much as I've missed her. What kind of guy wouldn't want his girl to feel that way when they're separated? I don't like causing her any discomfort, though. I wish there was a way she could stay at Yamaku with me and I'm sure she'd like to, but there's just nothing we can do until school starts and she can move back into the dorms.
  224. I touch Lilly's face, the warmth from her blushing cheeks on my fingers and she smiles, leaning even closer to me. "Don't worry. We'll have plenty of chances to be together before school starts. The summer won't be a total waste."
  225. Lilly sighs in a hurt fashion. "I know, I know. This just isn't what I expected our first summer to be like."
  226. I kiss the top of her head and she makes a pleased, if sad, sound.
  227.  
  228. Akira looks on sadly and I catch a worrying glance from Shizune behind an imperceptible mask of thought.
  229.  
  230. ----------------------------------------
  231.  
  232. 1-8: http://pastebin.com/YYzEnDBh
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