KS: Bloodline Chap 12 (V.1)

Original and unedited posting of the first version of (the infamous) Chapter 12.
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Chapter Twelve: Family Bonds

Everything is still dark. Not a sound can be heard. I turn on my side and look at my clock. It's still far too early to do anything.

I wasn't able to get much sleep last night. In fact, I can count all the hours I slept on one hand. No, half a hand is more than enough.  I spent the whole time staring a hole in the ceiling imagining all the things that can go wrong with meeting Toshiro Atoza, my older brother.

As children, we would always get along. We would play together and share just about everything we had. Being six years older than I am, our parents put a lot of pressure on him to live out the dreams they couldn't. He was raised to be the golden child of the family, while I was left to live however I wanted. I can still remember some nights when he and my mother would argue about his grades.  He didn't mind it, he endured everything they threw at him. He considered it his brotherly duty to protect me from that.

Unfortunately, things didn't stay that way forever. As I grew older, our parents saw that I had more potential than my brother. My grades were better, my skills sharper, and my determination was boundless. After some time, they gave up on my brother and focused on me, I didn't have much say in the matter. Since I was less trouble than Toshiro, our parents didn't put such harsh restrictions on me. I didn't argue with them and they let me enjoy my life my way. It was a good system and everyone was a little happier.

He changed however, he became distant with me. The way that our parents just switched their ambitions over to me, made it seem like they disowned him. We never played after that. He became more rebellious toward our parents. He would spend nights arguing with my mother and father about how he wanted his life to be and how it wasn't fair that I got everything so easily. He considered himself a failure and he blamed me for it. He eventually left the house to live on his own.

He was still my older brother, and with all that it entails, we had to live with each other no matter what. I tried to get closer to him, but it would never work. As children we were very much alike, but as we grew older, we became opposites. Slowly, I starting giving up on our relationship and my brother just became some stranger who shared my last name.

Before I had my stroke, we made amends. We carefully tried to fix the bond we lost. He was still bitter about what my parents did but he tried his best not to show it. When we talked, we would avoid the vast amount of landmines that would set off an argument. It was tedious, but it worked. We became friends again, granted it was not the most stable to friendships but it was still one. I can only imagine the effect my stroke had on my brother. When I got out of the hospital, my brother didn't speak to me and I never tried either.

He called me worthless and I consider him scum. Only trouble can come from us meeting again.

A loud beeping comes from my clock. I let it ring for a few moments as I try to wake myself up.

This is going to be a long day.

I slowly lift myself off of my bed. I almost fall to ground as I take my first step. My mind might be working overtime, but my body sure isn't. My lack of sleep has left me rather unbalanced and uneasy to be standing up.

"What are great start to my day," I hiss.

Being Sunday, I don't have to worry about class. I can take all the time I need to get ready for my day. However, it still is rather early. I consider going back to sleep for few more hours but decide against it. It's unlikely that I'll be able to get any now that my meeting with my brother is only hours away.

I move to my window and pull open the curtains. It's sunny and clear. It's beautiful day.

Damn it world. Why make today look so wonderful if it's just going to be full of shit?

Well, it is a sunny day and it doesn't seem too cold or wet.

...

It's decided. Time for a morning run. I change into my gym clothes, grab a few water bottles and head outside.

After a few minutes, I find myself staring at the field. Luckily, the storm from a few days ago hasn't made the surrounding area a miniature lake. The track itself is still a bit damp but it shouldn't cause any problems. Besides, it's not like I'm going to go all out today. I just need a jog to wake my body up.

My heart drops as I notice that I'm not the only one out here. A middle-aged man stretches in the dry area near the bleachers. Even at this distance, the man's messy brown hair is clear indicator of who he is.

Oh come on! We don't even have class today!

 He must have something on his mind since he doesn't notice me. Only when I set my stuff down on the bleachers does he acknowledge my presence.

"Good morning Mr. Nakai."

Oddly enough, he doesn't seem too glad to see me. His expression is a little dazed as if he didn't expect anyone to come here so soon after the storm. Eventually he responds, "Good morning, Yaso." A slight smile makes it to his face, "Had the same idea I did, I see."

"Heh, yeah." I rub the back of my head. "Though I am a bit surprise to see you here on a Sunday. I always figured that teachers would want to enjoy their day off somewhere far away from school."

Nakai lets out a small laugh as he picks himself off of the ground. "Normally, I don't run on the weekends. The storm we had prevented me from running on Friday, so to make up for it I'm running today. Besides, I have some important business to take care of so I'd be here anyway."

Maybe I'm getting way too paranoid, but I swear his pronunciation of "business" was strange.

I join him in getting some stretches done before we run. Nakai doesn't seem very talkative today, nor does he seem focused. He keeps looking back at the school building expectantly. I ask him if anything is wrong and he simply says that it's nothing.

After quietly getting through our stretches, we hit the track. Nakai seems to be in a hurry to get finished because he's taking the curves rather quickly. I'm not really in the mood to race today so I take my time. This isn't about me working up a sweat or trying to get something out of my mind, it's just to help me wake up.

It takes a while but I eventually finish my small jog. Refreshed and finally awake, I take a look at the track. Nakai is still doing his cool down. His hands are behind his head as he walks. As I watch him, I notice that his face is pensive.

When he notices that I'm looking, he steps off the track and takes a seat next to me on the bleachers. "Didn't feel like running much today?"

I shake my head, "I just needed to wake myself up. I couldn't get much sleep last night."

My tone of voice must have been very grim because he looks worried. "Is something bothering you?"

"No, it's nothing really. I'm just suppose to meet with my brother later today and I'm a bit worried about that."

"Why would meeting you're brother worry you?"

I contemplate my words for a few moments. "We don't get along very well. Family issues, you know."

"Ah yes, I understand that."

It's at this moment that I glance at his hands. Just as Amaya said, whenever Nakai starts to think about his family he rubs the base of his ring finger. It's a small action that someone wouldn't have noticed unless they were looking for it. I'm tempted to ask him more about it but I already know that he wouldn't answer.

Nakai takes a look at his watch . "Don't you think you should go see Nurse?"

"Hm?" I'm in the middle of drinking water so I can't answer.

"I think it'd be better if you go right now before it gets too late." He's rushing. It's almost as if he's pushing me away.

"Well, yeah I was planning to. I j-just wanted to take my time this morning since we don't have class."

He's handing me my stuff. "Still, you should be sure nothing is wrong. So go on, get going."

"But aren't you going to go?"

"I will it's just that I-" He stops talking midsentence as his gazes moves to something behind me.

As I turn around I see a familiar face. It's one that I've only seen once when she woke me up when I fell asleep on a bench outside. She has wavy blonde hair and cloudy blue eyes. She's Lilly Satou, the blind English teacher for the second years.

"Hisao, may we talk?" She speaks in a very calm and measured manner.

"Lilly," Nakai stumbles with his words. "Sure we can talk, first let me just send him on his way."

"Good m-morning Miss Satou." I manage to say as Nakai directs me towards the school building.

Satou turns in my direction. "I'm sorry, but who are you?"

"He's my new student, Yaso Atoza."

"Hm." She reacts a little upon hearing my name. "It's good to meet you again Atoza. I didn't know you ran with Mr. Nakai in the mornings."

"Yeah, I didn't expect him either. He just shows up every now and again," Nakai quickly answers for me.

Once again he pushes towards the school building. It doesn't take a genius to tell that neither of them want me here. I say my farewells and take my leave. After I'm some distance away, I turn around. They've begun talking but I can't hear what they're saying. Whatever it is, Nakai seems to be bothered by it. It's only then that I realize that there's a young boy not too far from them. He looks old enough to be in middle school and his blonde he makes me think he's related to Satou. Neither of the adults look bothered by his presence and continue their discussion. I turn back around and head to the Nurse's Office.

It's none of my business. That was made very clear by Nakai. I wonder if this was what he had to do today.

I make my way to the Nurse's Office and knock on the door. After a muffled "Come in" from the other side, I open it and walk in.

A grayed-haired Nurse finishes putting medicine in a small paper bag before turning to me. "Well, looks like someone had an early start. Can't say many students share your enthusiasm about Sunday mornings."

"Normally, I don't wake up until noon but I have things to do today."

It's become second nature at this point. I take off my shirt and Nurse checks my breathing and heart rate. He then asks me questions to see if I've been experiencing any pains or headaches recently.

"Have you been taking you medicine as you should?"

I put my hand over my heart and raise my left hand. "I swear that this time I'm taking my medicine. I'm not forgetting it in the mornings."

"Good." Nurse scribbles a few things on his clipboard. "No unusually vivid dreams besides those of an average, teenage boy?" he asks with a wink.

"No," I answer quickly and flatly.

"Okay, everything checks out. You're doing very well. We haven't had to shackle you to a bed since you started taking you medicine so that's a good sign."

"Is that really something you have to keep track of?"

A wide grin forms on his face. "For you, yes. It means your medication is working and you're less of a threat to medical practitioners."

"I couldn't have punched him that hard," I mumble under my breath.

"I'm not too sure of the details, but I think you might have broken your doctor's nose." He says with his back turned to me.

Wow, I didn't think I could punch that hard after my stroke. That's a good little bit of information to hold on to.

Nurse hands me the small bag he was working on earlier. "Here, take this to Ryo Hanamaru. He's your neighbor and you own him for bringing you here that day."

"Are you sure that you're allowed to give someone else's medicine to a student?"

"It's not a prescription, it's just cold medicine. He called me late last night because he got sick from the rain. I was going to deliver it myself but seeing as you're going there, I thought you could do it for me."

Without waiting for my answer Nurse starts explaining how the medicines should be taken. It's all pretty simple and easy to remember. I promise him that I'll deliver the medicine without a problem and head back to dorm.

Before knocking on Ryo's door, I decide to take a quick shower and change into some more casual clothes, a red t-shirt with the design of a shield over my heart and dark jeans. It feels a bit strange to be back in these clothes. After my stay in the hospital, brief time back home and the uniform of Yamaku, I never had a chance to wear these just to hang around, it's somewhat liberating.

I knock on Ryo's door. There's no answer.

I knock again and I can barely make out an "It's unlocked" from the other side.

The first thing I notice in Ryo's room is that it's a lot more decorated than mine. There's pictures of friends and family on his desk. There are books scattered about and a huge calendar hangs on his wall. As my eyes dart all around his room, they soon focus on the figure that's underneath the blankets on the bed.

"Hey Ryo, it's me. Nurse sent me with you medicine."

The blankets shift and reveal a silver head of hair from underneath. As the blankets move further, Ryo's face soon comes into full view. He looks extremely under the weather, bloodshot eyes with bags under them, a red nosed dripping with mucus and overall he seems a bit darker. It's not a pretty sight, the always so organized Vice-President, Ryo Hanamaru, looks absolutely miserable.

"Why are you here?" he says in a nasally voice.

I lift up the bag so he can see it. "I've got your medicine for you."

He looks at the bag for a second and then back to me. "Is that my medicine?"

"Yes! What's wrong with you can't you hear me."

Ryo stares at me for a few seconds without saying anything. "You know when you get sick and your ears don't pop?"

I nod.

"Well, it's worse for me. I already told you how my Waardenburg Syndrome causes slight deafness in my right ear. So just add that with non-popping ears and I can't really hear you, like at all."

"So what am I suppose to do? I have to explain this stuff to you." For obvious reasons, Ryo doesn't say anything.

I head over to his desk and pull out a pen and paper. I write out a simple question and show it to him. <Do you want me to write everything out for you?>

"You don't have to. You can just speak really loudly, I'll be able to hear you then."

<You're kidding right? It's still early, it'll wake up everyone on the floor.>

"Fine, you can write everything. Just hand me my glasses, your handwriting is a little hard to read."

<Asshole.> I don't show him that last one.

I grab a fresh sheet of paper and start writing out the instructions from Nurse. It takes a longer than I imagined because I have to write everything out but eventually he understands.

"Thank you, Yaso. You can just leave the medicine on the nightstand and close the door when you leave."

I'm almost completely in the hallway when he yells back to me. "Yaso! Wait, can you do one more favor?"

I grab a paper and pen once more. <What is it?>

He slowly sits up and points to a stack of papers on top of his drawer. "Can you take those to the Student Council Room. The Class President really needs them."

<I'm not a delivery boy. Can't those wait until you're better?>

"No! They're extremely important and she needs them by today. If you're not going to take them than I will." He tries to stand up and when he finally does, he falls forward. I manage to catch and push him back onto his bed.

<Dude, you have a terrible immune system to get sick so bad you can't walk.>

"I don't need to hear that from a lazy-" he's starts coughing before he can finish talking.

I sigh as I write. <If there really that important then I'll deliver them. You owe me one.>

"I think you meant to spell 'they are'." I hit him on the head with the paper. "Ok, thanks. I'll make it up to you somehow."

<Why are these so important anyways?>

"It's just some budget reports for an upcoming event. We have to know how much we're able to spend on it."

<Cool, seems like something to look forward to. Anyways, I'll head out now. Get some rest.>

I close the door behind me as I leave Ryo's room. I pull out my phone to check the time. There are still a couple hours before I have to meet my brother. I guess taking these to Kamiko is good way to kill some time.

But first, I really need to get something to eat. The cafeteria's breakfasts are decent to say the least. I don't have to eat much because I'm having lunch with my brother. So something light will suffice.

One quick breakfast and walk around the school buildings later, I carry the stack of papers to the Student Council Room. The chilling thought comes to my mind that this is the first time that I'm willingly going there. Sure, Kamiko and Ryo are fun to be around but I'm not really interested in joining the council, or any club for that matter. I've never been the type of person to do those sorts of things. I prefer doing my own thing and not being dragged around to do odd jobs here and there.

As I reach for the handle for the Student Council Room, the door suddenly swings open. A woman dressed in a light pink suit, long brown hair and bright golden eyes runs out and crashes into me.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't see you there." She turns around and shouts into the room, "Bye Kacchan, I'll see you later!" She then runs past me and down the hall.

As I stare in the direction the woman ran, I can hear Kamiko shouting, "Don't call me that in front of other people!" The laughter of about a half-dozen students soon follows.

I slowly enter the room and bear witness to the hustle and bustle of Yamaku's Student Council. Eight people fill the room, each occupied on their own task. The council seems to made up of mostly third years. I recognize a few faces of some of my classmates while the others look like complete strangers to me.

I look around the room to find the one person that I actually came to see. It's fairly easy to spot the girl with straight, short, raven-colored hair and deep blue eyes. It's fitting that even on a Sunday she wears her school uniform. Since she's the Student Body President, her desk is found at the front of the room in a position that overlooks the other stations. As I approach her desk, Kamiko Hakamichi is busy working her way through a fairly large pile of paper work.

"Hey Kamiko."

She looks up at me and sighs. "Good morning Yaso. What are you doing here?" She sounds exhausted.

I place the stack of papers Ryo gave me in front of her. "Ryo told me to give these to you. He would have come here himself, but he's sick in bed."

A quick look of concern comes over her face. It quickly disappears and is replaced with annoyance. "So that's where he's been! I've been waiting for him to show up all morning." She rubs her eyes. "At least he has a good reason for not showing up."

I quickly glance around the room. This place has a completely different atmosphere today than  it did on that one rainy day. The room that was once filled with nothing but laughter and amusement is now filled with business and students running around putting more papers on Kamiko's desk.

When I turn my attention back to Kamiko, she is staring at me with a small, albeit tired, grin. "So, does seeing your fellow students working give you any ideas?"

"Yeah it does."

"And?"

"I'm not joining the Student Council."

She immediately frowns. "Can you at least help for a little while? Without Ryo, we're a bit underhanded at the moment."

"I'm sorry but I can't help today. I have to meet my brother at the Shanghai at two. So I can't really spend too much time here."

She looks at her watch and then pouts in my direction. "But come on, it's only 10:30 right now! You can help us for  a few hours right?"

I really don't want to but what else am I going to do to pass the time? Hm, maybe that could work.

 Ryo's definitely going to owe me big time for this.

I rub the back of my head and act as if I really don't want to help. "Well, if you really need my help so much, then I guess I can help for a little bit. But there's one condition!"

She raises an eyebrow.

"I'll help you only if you go visit Ryo when we're done."

Now she just looks flat out confused. "Why is that your condition?"

"Ryo looked miserable when I saw him in the morning. He felt bad that he couldn't show up today so it'll do him some good to see a friend."

Plus it'll lift his spirits if the girl of his dreams visits him when he's down.

She looks at me suspiciously. "Okay. I was going to visit him anyway but this works out great. Let's get to work!"

And work we do. And work. And work. And work....

This wasn't worth it.

For what feels like days, I help sort out the giant pile of paper work that's on her desk. As the other members give me their papers, I go through them and organize them based on the subject of the form. Some of invoices, budgets reports, requests and comments from faculty and students. The work is endless, I can't imagine someone wanting to work on this all day long.

As girl from class 3-1 hands me her form, Kamiko reaches out and takes it for herself. "Yaso, that's enough. You don't have to work anymore."

I pull out my phone to check the time. It's half past noon. "Why's that?"

"The Shanghai is a very popular place for students to go when there isn't any class. If you plan to meet your brother there, I suggest you go there now so you can get a table by the time you have to meet him."

"Oh, thanks. I guess I'll be off then."

"Wait, do you know how to get there?"

"Yeah, Amaya showed me around town yesterday, so I still remember where it is."

She's surprised when she hears Amaya's name. She remains quiet for couple of seconds before she nods. "Ok then. Have fun."

Fun isn't what I'm expecting.

It isn't long before I find myself walking towards the front door of the Shanghai. It's one o'clock now and the place is full. The hostess walks up to me and asks if I'm eating alone. I tell her that I'm planning meeting someone in an hour and if it's possible to have a table by then. She nods and directs me to the waiting area.

As I wait I take a look around the cafe. It isn't very modern looking. Compared to the other buildings that surround the area, this feel out of place. While everything in the outside world moved forward and progressed, this place feels as if it hasn't changed in years. That's not to say that ambience is terrible. The booths are well maintained and there is nothing that looks visually unappealing. Many people speak in hushed tones and waitresses can be seen walking to and fro, taking orders, picking up places or talking with some of the customers. Generally, everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, even the people that sit alone at the bar are seemingly happy. Maybe this mode will rub off on my brother and me.

Yeah, I didn't think so.

The lack of sleep is starting to get to me because my eyelids are starting to feel heavy. I am sprung awake as a group of adults walk past me and leave the cafe. It's not long after that, that the hostess comes to me to tell me that a booth is open. Now seated, I ask for a glass of water and pull out my phone to check the time. It's 1:30, it's just a matter of minutes before my brother shows up.

Geez, the closer it gets, the worse I feel. I can't help but feel that this is going to end badly for everyone.

I take a sip from my water when my phone starts ringing. It's a text message. It's my brother saying that he's arrived and asking if he should get a table. I reply, informing him of the table I already have and how he's just suppose to tell the hostess that he's meeting someone here.

Soon a man, tanner than most but not tan enough to be considered foreign, takes a seat in front of me. I look over to this man and see his short, straight black hair, dark brown eyes, and short, black beard under his chin. He's basically an older version of me with the expectation that his hair never gets curly, he's a bit bulkier than I and that his left hand isn't always in a half-clenched position. He's wearing a dark blue polo, brown khakis and stupid grin on his face. He's none other than my older brother, Toshiro Atoza

"Hey little brother, how's school treating you?" He's overly eager with me. He's cheerful attitude sounds fake and forced

Ugh, just hearing his voice is giving me a headache.

After a bit of silence on my part, I answer. "Hello, Toshiro. Schools been fine. It beats being in the hospital any day." Granted my tone isn't the most exciting, but it's hard to be glad when scum is looking you straight in the eyes.

He picks up on my mood and tries to move the conversation forward. "Have you order anything yet? I don't know what's good here so I'll need some time with the menu."

I shake my head and point to the menu in front of him. When he picks up his menu, I do the same and hold it up to the point when it blocks my vision of him. "This is my first time coming here too, so I'm not sure what to expect. It must be good though, considering that many students from Yamaku come here."

Toshiro winces at my mentioning Yamaku. If I remember correctly, he was never comfortable with the idea of an all cripple school. He considered it odd and never wanted to talk about it.

"So, how is that school? You know what I mean, is it full of-"

"Students?" I cut him off. "Yes, every school has its students. Some more unique than others. Though being unique is never a bad thing."

I can't see him but I can tell he's rubbing his arm. If the blonde, pixie haired, one-eyed archer, Amaya Mori can tell that I'm thinking hard about something when I scowl, then I can tell when my brother is uncomfortable about a subject when he rubs his arm.

"I... see." He quietly says. "Have you made any friends? I know you don't like to talk to other people but considering your... 'accident,' it'll be good to have some, right?"

I don't like how he paused when he said accident.

A waitress comes and asks if we're ready to order. We both say yes and place our orders. He orders some coffee and a turkey sandwich. I order green tea and a tuna sandwich. When she takes our menus and walks off, Toshiro turns to me. "So you do like tea. I didn't know that."

"I met someone who introduced me to teas." I hesitate a bit at the thought of Midori Kagami. "Also, to answer your question, yes, I've made a few friends."

"That's good, it's good to make friends. They'll always be there to help you when times are tough." He looks past me and at what I assume is the window.

There was a time when he wouldn't take to the family. I guess his friends helped him during that time. But I don't appreciate him comparing his life to mine. My stroke and his falling out aren't on the same level. He caused his problem and I never wanted mine.

We  don't speak again until the waitress returns with our food. I have to admit, even with the place packed, the service is very fast. The waitress sets down my tea in front of me and I as I thank her, Toshiro grabs it and moves it to my other side.

"What are you doing?" I ask once the waitress leaves.

"I'm making sure you don't drop it. I'm just moving your tea so you can grab it with your good hand."

I can feel a pit growing in my stomach. My brother has always had the habit of being over protective of me. He would always do the most unnecessary things to make sure I was all right. At first it was nice knowing he cared, but then it became very belittling.

I'm not useless, I can grab it just fine with my left hand.

I glare at him and reach for my tea with my left hand. I take a sip and put my cup down with a bit of force that rattles the table. The sound startles him but my message is clear: I don't need his help.

The awkwardness only grows as we start eating. Neither of us can think of anything to say and my little act of defiance made Toshiro think twice before pulling another little stunt like that.

With our plates cleared and only our drinks remaining, we sit in silence until he tries to start a conversation again. "Mom and Dad have been very worried about you. It was a big hit to them when 'that' happened."

"Hmm," is all I want to say.

"They've been really busy this week. Dad's been spending most of his nights in the office and Mom's been working herself to the bone to keep from thinking about y-" He catches himself before finishing but he's said enough.

The pit in my stomach grows bigger the more I talk with him. I can feel myself starting to remember that day when I was lying in a hospital bed with Toshiro looking down on me and calling me worthless. I grit my teeth to keep myself from making a scene.

"I s-see." My breathing is becoming sporadic and my heart rate is increasing. I can feel every nerve in my body want to lash out at him but I can't. I know that I shouldn't.

"Yaso, are you all right?" He looks at me concerned but doesn't move from his seat. He just looks at me with those eyes.

Those damn eyes of his! I remember that look. He thought I wasn't conscious when he talked to me that day. I was and I remember that look! It's the same one he had back then! He's doing it right now! Don't look at me that way, I hate that look!

I grip the edges of the table tightly. My hands begin to tremble and it can be heard through the rattling of the table.

"Yaso?" Once again he talks to me.

The pit in my stomach is unbearable, I just want to scream at him. "Toshiro, I-I just w-want you to-."

"Um, excuse me." A new voice addresses us. It's a soft, feminine voice, one I haven't heard in a long time but remember well.

The pit in my stomach subsides for a moment and my temperament cools down. I turn my head towards the origin of the voice and I am left speechless. Straight, long brown hair, mismatched eyes, one brown and the other blue, she's dressed in a violet v-neck blouse with a white shirt underneath and light grey, form-fitting pants. She stands at the edge of the table and waits for one of us to answer.

While I'm at a loss for words, my brother is the first to break the silence. "Hello, who might you be?"

She keeps her gaze down and avoids eye contact. "My name is Midori Kagami and I'm a student at Yamaku Academy."

My brother turns to me with a confused look. I'm pretty sure a similar look is on my face as well. "Midori, what a-are you doing here?"

She lifts her eyes and looks apologetic, "The rest of the cafe is full and you were the only one that I recognized here. I'm sorry if I'm interrupting something."

"Oh! You're one of my brother's friends? Then I have no problem if you join us." Once again he seems too happy.

He's probably just welcoming the out Midori gave him.

I show no objection to Midori joining us and she takes a seat next to me. I would love to say that this is somewhat pleasant, but it's not. In front of me is someone who I've lost respect for and next to me is just someone who I've heard nothing good about. This situation just went from bad to worse. I can't even lash out at my own brother with her here.

Toshiro looks at me and Midori a few times and he sits back with a strange smile on his face. "Okay, little brother I get the picture. I guess I'll just leave. You don't want me to cramp your style." He stands up and leaves enough money to cover both of our meals. "I'll tell Mom and Dad how you've been. I'm sure they call you one of these days.

"Y-yeah. See you later."

As he leaves our booth, Midori gets up and takes the seat across from me. "I'm sorry. I got in between you and your brother and made him leave."

I wave my hand in front of my face to dismiss her conclusion. "No, don't be sorry. I think I should be thanking you. Had you not come in when you did, we would have had a huge argument."

"You don't get along with your brother?"

I shift uncomfortably in my seat. "No, I don't. I... can't explain it right now."

She nods slightly and our silence continues. I'm not usually this awkward with people but considering that I almost publicly attacked my brother, it's somewhat understandable. Midori spends this time to look over at the menu and I try to calm my nerves with a sip of my tea.

It's not the best tasting tea in the world but it helps. Satisfied with the taste, I slowly put the teacup back down. My hand slips however, which results in the contents being spilled on the table. As the puddle of tea moves along the surface, it slowly makes its way to the edge and it falls on my pants. "Ow!" I shout as the liquid burns me.

Why does this feel familiar?

Midori drops her menu and looks at me. "What happened?"

"Nothing, I just b-burned myself with the tea."

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah, don't worry about. You don't have to help me dry my pants."

Her eyes go wide. "What?"

Damn it! It's just like that stupid dream.

"N-no, I didn't mean anything by that." I try my best to sound reassuring as I use napkins to soak up the spilt tea on the table and on my pants.

A hurt expression crosses her face and she looks down on the table. "Oh. I understand." She whispers in an almost inaudible level.

"What are you talking about?"

She sighs and looks away. "When we first met you said you were running away from the Vice-President. I was nervous the whole time we talked but by the end of it, I was a little happy that you didn't mention anything about that."

She closes her eyes and refuses to look in my direction. "I'm well aware of the rumors going around about me and Mr. Nakai. I know that people think that I'm the reason that he's divorced." She opens her eyes and turns to me. "Tell me. What do you think about those rumors?"

She doesn't take her eyes off me. She's waiting to see what I say next, but I can't answer. I don't know what to say.

Another sigh, this one deeper and more disappointed than the last. "I thought so." She crosses her arms and grips at the sleeves of her blouse. "Do you what to know if they're true?"

I nod, only slightly, but enough for her to see.

She opens and closes her mouth several times as if she can't get the words to come out of her mouth. She take one deep breath after  another trying to form her sentence but nothing comes out. After what appears to be her fifth breath, she whispers one word, "Yes."

I freeze on the spot. My thoughts come to a screeching halt. I can only manage to say a few words. "Are you serious?"

Her gaze falls to the table once more. Her bangs cover both of her eyes. She's shaking a little as she tries to continue talking. "I was happy that you didn't judge me when we first met. I thought that if we didn't talk about it we could have been friends. But now..." Her words are cold and depressed. It's as if it's painful for her to speak of this. "Now, I think it's better if we never talk again. It'll be easier this way."

I don't know what to say. I can't form any words nor can I think correctly. It's obvious to me that she only left me one option. I get up from my seat and without a word, I walk away. Before I exit the building I turn back to where she sits. She's still shaking and her hands are wrapped around her necklace. It's a golden chain but I can't tell what's attached to it. I turn back towards the door and walk out.

Once outside, I look in the direction at Yamaku is located. The sun is still high in the sky and the day is still clear. I decide against going back to school and walk around the town.

Well that could have gone better. She thought that if I never knew about her relationship with Nakai we could have been friends. Where's the logic in that? Practically the whole school knows about that, how could she expect me to not figure it out. Is that the only way she can even consider making friends? How sad.

While I'm reliving the events of the day in my head, I find myself in the middle of a park. Trees and shrubbery line the edges of the park. In the middle are a number of trees where one can take a seat under and rest. There's even a fairly large pond in the center of the area with benches along its border. I take a seat on one of the bench beneath a group of trees that look towards the pond. Children can be seen running around, men are fishing in the pond and a family celebrates the birthday of a relative. They're having fun and sharing happiness with each other while I sit here and sulk.

My phone starts ringing. I pull it out of my pocket. Someone is calling me but I don't recognize the number. I might as well pick it up, nothing better to do.

"H-hello?" I answer. My tone is a bit darker than I want to sound but I can't help it.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" the angry, feminine voice says.

"Who is this?"

"It's me, Kamiko. Now tell me, why do you have that tone of voice?"

"It doesn't matter and how d-did you get my phone number?"

"'It doesn't matter'" she says in the same way I did. "Where are you right now?"

"I'm just sitting in the park but what does that have to do with-"

"Good! Stay there, I'll be right over!" A click followed by silence indicates that she already hung up.

What that hell is wrong with that girl. She calls me, yells at me and then hangs up. What is she planning?

"Yaso, over here!" I spent the last few minutes watching the children play tag and now I hear Kamiko's voice coming from behind the bench I'm sitting on.

What in the world?

As I turn around I see Kamiko in her school uniform, that's to be expected. What I'm really surprised about is who is being forcibly dragged by her. Midori is being held by her arm and pulled towards where I am.

"Kamiko, what are you doing?" I ask.

"Shut up! You don't have a right to talk right now!" She points at my face. Her deep blue eyes are fierce. She's fuming and somewhat scary right now.

"Would you let me go already!?" Midori tries to struggle her way out of Kamiko's grip but it's unsuccessful.

"I'm not letting you go until you fix what you screwed up!"

"But I didn't screw anything up!"

"Then why were you crying at the Shanghai and why is he here sulking by himself?"

Midori doesn't say anything and just looks away.

"What are you two t-talking about?"

Kamiko focuses her attention on me next. "You! What the hell is wrong with you! Why did you walk out on her? Wasn't it obvious that she was lying to your face?"

"Lying? You mean the whole thing about her and Nakai was a lie?"

"Of course it was! That rumor only got started because of how she decided to act when she first came to Yamaku."

"The rumor wouldn't have spread if you tried to keep the biggest gossip quiet." Midori finally re-enters the conversation.

"I know, I've had a few words with Ryo about spreading rumors. He doesn't do it as often anymore but it's hard to completely suppress human nature."

Why do feel like I'm missing a huge chuck of this conversation.

"Hey!" I shout. "Can one of you explain what's going on here!"

Kamiko lets go of Midori and pushes her in my direction. She stumbles a few times before regaining her balance. She turns to me with her cheeks slowly turning red. "Well, Yaso. You see the thing is..." Her words slowly trail off.

"Would you tell him already! I'll twist your arm if I have to."

Midori flinches at her words. She quickly straightens herself up and starts again. "Okay, the thing is that Nakai is- Uh, he is divorced." She looks over her shoulder at the other girl.

Kamiko glares at her. "This was your idea from the start. You told me to help you do it even if I had to force you to go through with it at the end."

She sighs and continues yet again. "Nakai is divorced and it was my fault. But not for the reasons that everyone thinks." She starts twirling a lock of her hair. "The truth is that he was married to Lilly Satou up until a few years ago, roughly four years ago if you want to be technical."

She pulls at the gold chain around her neck. As she holds it out I can finally see what is attached to it, two golden rings. "These are their wedding rings. The only reason I have them is because they got divorce for my benefit. While legally they are separated, they still love each other and consider themselves husband and wife. Because of my circumstances, there would have be a lot of issues to deal with if they were still together. They divorced so that I would be able to go to this school under an alias, otherwise I would have to go somewhere else."

"An alias?"

She nods. "My real name isn't Midori Kagami, it's Midori Nakai. I'm the daughter of Hisao and Lilly Nakai."

Everything starts fitting into place. When I first met Midori, there were two times that someone was at the door. The first was Ryo who had followed me and the second must have been Nakai. From then on Nakai would avoid talking to me about his life whenever we ran because he saw me with his daughter. Satou got angry with me because I mentioned a possible improper relationship between her daughter and husband.

Okay, now I feel a lot worse about that.

This morning when I talked to Satou, she seemed to know who I was. I simply thought it was because she remembered me from the other day, but could it have been her daughter who mentioned me before?

But why go through all that trouble?

Kamiko sighs. "Midori is a bit forgetful with her explanations. You see, Yamaku has a specific policy concerning the enrollment of immediate family members. They don't want faculty to have their children at the same school. It's mainly because of what kinds of students this school is structured for. The higher ups think that teachers would put more attention towards their own children before everyone else during an emergency. Yamaku isn't the only school for the disabled, so students who can't go here go to those other ones. Had Midori's parents not gotten divorced, she wouldn't have had a reason to enroll under an alias."

"So let me guess, since Nakai is so well connected with the powers that be, he can have some people just look the other way whenever it comes to something involving your parents."

They both nod at my deduction.

"So why are you telling me?" I ask.

"It's because I thought we could be friends. I've never told anyone this because they already believed that rumor. But you were the new student and when we met, you didn't think bad of me. You were really kind." Midori says with a bashful smile.

"After you two met, she called and told me about how friendly you seemed. So for the next few days, I tried to get you out of your shell to see if you really were a good person. After I confirmed it for myself, we decided it was fair to tell you." Kamiko explains.

"My parents were a bit difficult to persuade though. My mom quickly accepted the idea but my dad was against it. They talked this morning and she managed to change his mind." Her head drops a little. "I'm sorry for lying to you earlier, I chickened out at the end."

That manages to make me chuckle. "It's only fair I guess. I lied about my reasons for being in that room when we met. Though you saw through my lie quickly, I believed yours."

"Are you mad?"

"No, I'm not. I'm relieved actually."

Relieved that the venom everyone was spreading about her was nothing but a misunderstanding.

"Kamiko, the sun's going down. We should probably head back now." Kamiko points towards the rapidly darkening sky.

"Oh, right. We should get going." Before she walks off she turns back to me. "Yaso, do you remember the room where we met?"

I nod my head.

"I wouldn't mind if you joined me for lunch again." I can feel my cheeks crimson as she walks off with Kamiko.

I sit back down on the bench and watch as the sky turns from light blue, to orange and eventually to black. I admire the thousands of stars as they light up the night sky. I've always loved star gazing, it's been a long time since I actually had the chance to just relax and look at the night sky while feeling like I'm at the top of the world.

This day was building up to be a terrible one. I was dreading the meeting with my brother. While it went as bad I thought it would, the events that soon followed after were better then what I've experienced in years.

Someone has put their trust in me. She truly believes that I'm a good person and worth all of her trust. I can help but smile at the stars.

You're not the only who feels like they're shining brightly.

Back at my dorm room, I start preparing my things to go to bed. It's been a tiring day. I woke up early to run with Mr. Nakai and had to run as errand boy for Nurse and Ryo, not to mention working with the Student Council. The emotional rollercoaster that my brother and Midori put me on wasn't fun either. At least this day ended on a high note.

My phone breaks the silence of my room. I look at it and recognize the number. It's Kamiko.

"Hello." I answer in a more cheerful tone than before.

"There we go. That's the tone you should answer with." She sounds a lot happier now than before as well.

"What's up? Why are you calling so late?"

"Well, I felt like I still needed to explain myself."

"Look, I understand that you did the things you had to. I forgive you for your forceful nature."

The line goes quiet for a few moments. "Uh, thanks, but that's not what I meant."

"What do you mean?"

"Haven't you wondered why I know about Midori's real name?"

The thought hadn't crossed my mind.

"Well, not really. I just thought she told you at one point or something."

She laughs for a bit. "No, the truth is we're cousins, though she's more of a younger sister to me than anything else."

"That's a bit surprising. I don't really see how you two are related."

"Yeah, well it's true either way. But back on topic, there's a reason for me going through all the trouble of helping her." She clears her throat. "All these years at Yamaku, Midori hasn't been able to have any close friends. Most people just judge her because of that stupid rumor. She doesn't really open up to anyone. When she thought highly of you, I just had to be absolutely sure you were worth her time. I didn't want her to get her hopes up only for them to be crushed."

"I understand. Don't worry, I'll try my best to be a good friend. To be honest, I've never really gotten close to people either. I didn't think they were worth my time, but you've helped all with that. With the amount trust that both of you have put in me, I don't want to fail either of you."

"That's good to hear." The line goes quiet again. "Hey Yaso, do you want to see something cool?"

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Come to the girl's dorm quick and I'll show you." She hangs up shortly after. I'll admit, I'm interested in what she wants to show me. I head out the door and towards the girls dorm.

I find Kamiko waiting for me outside. When I approach her she puts her finger to her lips. "You need to be very quiet to see this. Come on!" She whispers.

As we enter the dorm, we stop in the hallway outside of the lounge area. Kamiko points to her ears and then points to the inside of the lounge area. I listen to the sounds that are coming from within. Music? It's a piano, but it's not a recording. Someone is playing the piano in the lounge.

I take a peek inside and see Midori swaying from side to side as she plays. She's completely entranced by the notes that she plays and pays no heed to whatever is around her. The song is beautiful.

"This is her dream. She's been practicing ever since we were little." Kamiko whispers.

"Does she want to be a concert pianist?"

She giggles. "No, that's ridiculous. Take a look in front of her, what do you see?"

I try to look in front of Midori but I don't see anything.

"I don't get it. What am I suppose to be looking for?"

"She doesn't use sheet music. She knows this song by heart. It's Debussy's First Arabesque"

"That's incredible."

She smiles as she watches Midori. "She wants to learn as many songs before she loses her eyesight. She comes in the middle of the night when no one is here to play in private."

I jump back from the door where we're standing. "If she wants to play in private then we shouldn't be watching her."

Kamiko smiles grows wider. "I said she comes here in the middle of the night. It's not that late today. She wants a certain someone to see her because she's the most honest about her feelings when she plays."

I take another look at Midori. Though it's difficult to tell from this angle, I'm fairly certain that she's smiling.

Kamiko starts to walk off. "Just so you know curfew's about to start soon so you'll get in trouble if you're caught here."

I reach out and grab her shoulder before she leaves. "Wait, why do I get the feeling that you're trying to set me up with your cousin."

"Is that really so bad?"

"Well, I'm starting to like the idea." I admit while rubbing the back of my head.

She puts her finger to her lips and winks at me. "I'll keep your secret. Just promise me you won't do anything to hurt her okay?"

"Okay, I promise."

She sighs contently. "Good night Yaso. Don't get in trouble."

"Yeah, I won't and good night."

I go back and peek at Midori playing again. She moves gracefully from one key to the other. The sounds fly into the air and blend into a serene melody. She's passionate about the song she's playing. She puts all of her feelings into each note. I feel as if I understand her a little more by watching her. I can't keep my eyes off of the spectacle.

I don't mind if I get in trouble for being here, I want to be witness to the scene in front of  me.

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