Sharp-O's One-Shots! "A Matter of Memory" 05/01/24

[Mirage_GSM]

It's Ta-ro - no special emphasis anywhere.
Noticed a few cameos from other fics. Nicely done. Too bad none of the guys other than Kenji are still available.

[Sharp-O]

Noticed a few cameos from other fics. Nicely done.

I'd love to say that it was intentional but the only cameo I intended was Marcus. Do any of the girls seem familiar to characters in other fics?

Too bad none of the guys other than Kenji are still available.

Can you see where I'm going with this? #HaremForTheMeninist

[Mirage_GSM]

Well, Rika would be an obvious name, even if nobody said anything about her (still) having white hair, and of course my secret favourite from Developments, Nori...
Yuki and Mayumi are quite common names. I'm sure they appear in KS fiction more than once.

[Sharp-O]

I think you got the character's mixed up, sir. Yuki the goth is the one with white hair and this Rika is in no way associated with the other Rika but I can see how you might get them confused

[Mirage_GSM]

I didn't. I wrote "nobody said anything about [Rika] (still) having white hair" implying that she might have dyed it.

[Sharp-O]

I didn't. I wrote "nobody said anything about [Rika] (still) having white hair" implying that she might have dyed it.

Right, right, gomen, gomen! She certainly could have and I guess that would be an interesting concept for a one-shot.

Rika having enough of people recognising her all the time for her hair, dying it and then no one talking to her because they don't realise it's her

[Sharp-O]

Act 5:

The warmth of Lilly’s breast and familiar fragrance elicits a strong sense of nostalgia in Hanako, one that she hadn’t realised she had until this very moment. The gentle touch of her old friend, whom she had once considered like a sister, combing the back of her head made her want to melt into a happy little puddle.

“Oh my god, I think Hana’s actually falling asleep…” The impishly mocking words of Miki made Hanako want to squeeze Lilly tighter in defiance but she knew she couldn’t hold onto her forever. Releasing the blonde woman from her clutches; Hanako smiles up at Lilly, who returns the look in kind.

“It’s not my fault her b-boobs are so c-comfy.” Hana admits wryly, earning a small chuckle and a mild blush from Lilly. “So that’s why you were so fond of cuddling.” Lilly sighs, playing into — in her mind — a cheeky joke but for Hanako is closer to the truth than she’d openly admit.

Lilly had arrived with Ritsu and Suzu, the latter content to play on her phone as Ritsu took the opportunity to make small-talk with Miki, relishing Molly’s new nickname for the athletic woman in the green flannel.

“Would you like some tea, guys?” Molly calls from the kitchen, Lilly turning her head with piqued curiosity. “Would that be actual tea or the swill that passes for it down in the Midlands?” Lilly fires off a barb in subtly Scottish-accented English that hits a very sore spot for Molly, who turns to face her old opponent.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realise the Scottish took time away from their daily sessions of alcoholism and drug abuse to enjoy tea like the rest of the civilised world.” Molly counters with a lilt in her voice, the rest of the group soon perking up their ears at the verbal confrontation.

“If you can call that bastardised, savage concoction ‘tea’. Really, Molly, what self-respecting tea drinker would use a tea bag?” Lilly scoffs with the kind of superior attitude most of them had come to expect from her cousin but Molly doesn’t concede, squaring up to the woman as the atmosphere in the one bedroom apartment practically bristles with hostile electricity.

“I’m only getting, like, half the convo here but are they gonna throw down over tea?” Miki asks Ritsu incredulously, the hazel-haired woman offering only a shrug in response. Hanako pinches the bridge of her nose in exasperation, having witnessed this particular argument before, all the way back at Yamaku. “If you c-can avoid g-getting b-blood on my floor, I’d a-appreciate it.” She mutters as Lilly and Molly inch closer together, Lilly navigating by the direction of Molly’s voice.

“Well, it looks like there’s only one thing to do then, huh, blondie?” Molly’s lips curl into an almost sneer as Lilly’s face becomes a colder, sterner glare in Molly's general direction. “Agreed, doctor. There’s only one solution…”

“Wine?”

“Please.”

The pair switch gears in an instant and their aggression turns into polite conversation as if the preceding minute had never happened. Hanako breathes a sigh of relief as Molly opens the fridge, the proud assemblage of bottles clinking together as the door swings wide.

“What the fuck just happened?” Miki leans sideways to ask Ritsu again and she smiles crookedly, not fully understanding the little display either. “I have no god damn idea, Meeks.”

“Stop that.” Miki glowers, one eye squinting ever so slightly.

“Never.” Ritsu responds as her lips curve into a sadistically smug smile. “Not when I actually have something that winds you up.”

=======

“Can you please tell her to stop calling me a ‘slow as fuck’ while I’m lining up a shot?” Taro raises his head from its bowed position near the shaft of the cue, his question directed at Yuki while his opponent makes rude gestures with her hands. Yuki raises her eyebrows in surprise then relays the message to Nori, who in turn looks to Taro quizzically. She signs a little and Yuki dutifully translates.

“Noriko’s asking if you can understand her.”

“Like any new language, you always pick up the swearing first.” Taro replies glibly, punctuating his sentence with a glancing shot that causes the striped 13 ball to ricochet uselessly against the corners of the pocket, teetering at its edge but not falling in. Taro groans as he stands upright, stretching his back out before placing the cue against the table. He raises his left hand and carefully recites one of the few words he remembers how to sign with a purposely comedic face of disappointment.

[F-U-C-K.] Noriko doubles over at this display, holding her flat stomach as she silently quakes with hysteria. Yuki giggles a little too, but nowhere near to the same extent as her friend.

Regaining her composure, but with a mirthful grin still spread across her face, Nori twirls around the table with cue in hand. She lines up her shot quickly and takes it, almost potting a solid ball but leaving the cue ball in an oddly beneficial place for Taro. She gestures with a sweeping wave for him to take his turn and he cautiously moves around the table.

“I think she likes you, Taro. Nori never gives people a chance at pool!” Yuki impishly teases, resting her head in her hands as she surveys the table. Taro looks to Yuki a little disbelievingly and then to Noriko. The frisky rival nods upwards, urging him to take his shot if he dares. He can’t help but think about both Ritsu and Miki as he tries to focus on the game. This girl is very much like them both in certain ways and he’s not entirely sure how to feel about that.

Over at the booth, the remainder of the two groups share spirited stories about their time at Yamaku. Kenji felt excessively awkward about the close proximity of possible-feminists and his body was starting to ache with how tense his muscles were. As Akio began another ‘hilarious’ story, Kenji notices the quiet one of the female group studying his jacket intensely from behind her wire-framed glasses.

He narrows his eyes into a frown at the brunette, her relatively short hair tied into a stubby ponytail at the base of her skull while her bangs framed her pale face. He pays close attention to the way one eye moved more than the other, which seemed unnatural in a way he can’t quite put his finger on. When those shifty eyes of hers meet his thick, almost opaque lenses and quickly move to look away, Kenji feels an overwhelming urge to confront her about her behaviour.

Kenji takes a gluttonous gulp of his second beer and engages the enemy head-on. “So what’s so interesting about my jacket?” He asks, taking a cursory glance at it himself as the quiet girl flinches a little at the retaliatory attention Kenji now throws on her. “It’s, um, your patches… I think they’re kinda neat.” She quietly explains, instantly making Kenji suspicious.

“Do you even know what any of these mean?” He accusingly leans in, getting a good look at her nervous expression as she nods rapidly. “Military mostly, all different eras, all different countries.”

“Hmm. Lucky guess.” Kenji leans back, taking another swig as the girl bristles. She straightens her back, making her seem much taller than her deceptively slouched posture had lead Kenji to believe. She then, albeit cautiously, began pointing at the patches on Kenji’s jacket. Much to Kenji’s astonishment, she listed off the regiments, countries of origin and even the battles that certain patches were from.

“They’re all reproductions of course, but still pretty cool!” She offers with a smile as Kenji pulls his arm around to look at the last patch she talked about, a 27th Fighter Squadron deployment patch he is particularly fond of. “What!? The guy I bought this off told me it was legit!” He shrieks a little, earning a toothy giggle from the girl.

“Sorry to break it to you… Oh no, I didn’t catch your name. Sorry…” She bows sheepishly. Kenji scratches the back of his neck as he mulls over whether to give his real name, despite Hisao outing him earlier. She does know her stuff… He pondered, And Hisao is telling me to give people the benefit of the doubt…

“It’s… Ah, it’s Kenji.” The almost whisper makes the girl grow pinker in the cheeks as she extends a hand. “I’m Rika. Nice to m-meet you.”

=======

“I guess I should say thank you, then…” Ritsu says thoughtfully, turning the glass of red wine in her hands. Miki nods as she leans forward, her elbows resting on her knees. “No need, Rits… It’s a pretty big deal. Didn’t feel right to go blabbing to everyone.” She explains, completely unsure on how support her friend in this moment. The best thing she could do, Miki rationalised after originally hearing the news from Taro, would be to keep the news quiet until one — either Taro or Ritsu — or both of them felt comfortable talking to everyone else.

“You know…” Ritsu chuckles a little, albeit bitterly, as she leans back into the plush couch. “He’s blowing the whole thing out of proportion! I mean, sure his sperm count is low and the swimmers that are there are lazy…”

“Not sure I’m okay talking about sperm counts but whatever…” Miki muttered under her breath, averting her eyes as she gulped from her beer bottle.

“But it’s only unlikely that he can have kids! There’s stuff we could do to help that! He’s just being so…” Ritsu pauses, looking upward for the word she needs as if it would be written on Hanako’s ceiling. “Melodramatic!”

“You sure about that?” Miki asks quizzically, “I mean, there’s probably something in that thick skull of his that makes this make sense to him.” Ritsu tilts her head at the tomboyish woman sitting across from her, mulling over her words. Apart from her, no one else knew Taro like Miki. Hell, she thought, she probably knows him a little better. They’ve got that dumb ‘brothers-in-arms’ thing going on… Plus they work together…

“Maybe…” Ritsu admitted with a tut. “Maybe you’re right. I really hate saying that…” Miki laughs in response but soon gives a sympathetic smile.

“I don’t always have a point but when I do, it’s usually because you two don’t fuckin’ talk. You’re both as bad as each other!” Miki teases, a little harsher than usual but she knew Ritsu could take it, and that she needed to hear it.

“I’m sure he’d be just the same with you…” Ritsu says with a slightly amused smirk.

“Probably. You just can’t stay mad at him though, can ya?” Miki retorts with a shake of her head.

“Heh, yeah… He’s pretty charming. Stupid, but charming.”

The two women give each other knowing looks and small smiles. They might not have always been friends but it’s been a long time since Yamaku and their shared exasperation with a certain man has solidified their friendship.

“What do you think is up with those two?” Miki asks, motioning with her head to the isolated Suzu, who hasn’t taken her face from her phone nor moved from the one armchair in the living room since she arrived and Molly, who is making small-talk with Hanako and Lilly in the kitchen, taking — painfully obvious — furtive glances at Suzu.

Ritsu follows Miki’s backwards nods and shakes her head. “What else? Toshi. That and a total lack of communication.”

“Yeah, hear there’s a lot of that goin’ around.” Miki snipes with an impish smirk, earning a disapproving glare followed by a smirk of her own as Miki finishes her beer.

=======

“C’mon, Akio! Don’t be a spoilsport.” Hisao laughs — the buzz of three beers finally kicking in — a rosy-cheeked grin plastered on his face as the night’s band finishes their warm up and the lead singer announces their first song. Mayumi holds both Akio’s arms tight, her gloved hand noticeably weaker by Akio's reckoning, as she gently encourages him to join her on the dance floor.

“Please, Aki! It’s, like, my favourite! It’s my theme song!” She pleads, tugging at his arms. Akio winces and reluctantly stands, the medical leggings seeming still holding his weight perfectly. “First, please don’t call me that. Secondly, do I even want to know why ‘The Lady is a Tramp’ is your theme song?” He asks with a worried expression.

“Go for it, Akio. You might actually learn how to dance.” Taro quips, his rear perched lightly on the edge of the pool table as he takes a gentle post-defeat ribbing from Noriko, via Yuki.

The pony-tailed woman winks and proceeds to drag Akio to the dance floor. “Don’t worry, Red, I saw the ring. It’s just a dance! Now quit slouching and grab my waist!” Mayumi orders, provocatively swaying her hips from side to side. Reluctantly, Akio does as she asks, one hand on her hips and the other in her gloved hand. Again, he notices that it doesn’t grip quite as tightly as it should.

“Prosthetic?” Akio enquires and the woman nods.

“Yup! Doesn’t freak you out, does it?”

“Only if it doesn’t freak you out that I’m wearing prototype leggings to keep me standing without the use of a cane.” Akio shrugs, Mayumi’s jaw going slack. “Wait, that’s a thing?”

“We’ll see after a dancing field test... Lead the way, I guess.” Akio offers a trepidatious smile. The band strikes up and Akio gets lead around the dance floor like a wrongly jointed marionette, much to the amusement of Hisao and Taro, who watch eagerly from the sidelines.

“Is your prototype going to be able to take this?” Taro asks and Hisao rocks his head from side to side. “I’m giving it a 70-30 shot of keeping integrity.” Taro nods, as if understanding before double-taking. “70-30? Which way?”

Hisao simply shrugs with a bemused look before Yuki grabs his wrist and yanks him towards the dance floor. “C’mon, Hisao!” The weak-hearted scientist is taken by surprise, both by the sudden abduction and by Taro plucking the beer bottle out of Hisao’s hand, giving him an encouraging wave with the three fingers not occupied by a glass bottle.

A quaking Noriko pulls out her smartphone and types casually as Taro places Hisao’s beer on a nearby table. She holds up the phone and Taro reads the typed question curiously.

[Not going to invite me to dance?]

“Seriously? Wouldn’t have you pegged for the dancing type.” Taro responds with a genuinely surprised tone. Nori huffs with amusement and types out her retort.

[And what type do you peg me as?] She holds up the phone with a cocked, accusing eyebrow.

“Well, y’know…” Taro begins, scratching his cheek. “You seem more of the ‘I’m too cool for this’ type.”

[You’re never too cool for jazz! It was my idea to come here! So are you going to ask me to dance or am I going to have to drag your piss-poor-pool-playing butt out there?] Nori snickers as she holds the phone up. Taro chuckles a little before he sighs.

“Look Nori, I appreciate the… offer,” He rubs the back of his neck with a rueful smile. “But I’m… I’m really not in the right head space at the moment. I broke up with my long-term girlfriend not too long ago after some shitty news and…”

His explanation is cut short with a phone screen being shoved into his face. [I split up with my boyfriend yesterday, hence the girl’s night out.]

“Oh… I’m sorry…” He feels a pang of guilt for dumping all his emotional turmoil on someone dealing with a similar situation. He casts his gaze downwards as he takes a sullen sip of beer. Nori’s phone is soon in front of his face again.

[You and me both ^^; One dance. That’s all I’m asking. Consider it my spoils for beating you, no strings attached.]

Taro looks up from the message to Noriko, who brushes her bangs out of her face, revealing big, empathetic eyes. He places the beer down and takes her free hand with his sole working one, gesturing with his head toward their dancing friends.

“Just the one. But I have to warn you, I’m not very good with anything other than a slow dance.” He shrugs meekly and Nori types one-handed in response.

[Can you keep a secret? Promise not to spoil the tough girl act I’m apparently crafting?] Taro reads the message, chuckles and then nods with warm smile.

[I love slow dances.]

[swampie2]

Hisao and Akio drunk and dancing with women.

Oh deary me, I hope this doesn't turn out bad.

Another great chapter, that 'wine' line really got me good!

[Mirage_GSM]

In the beginning of the chapter there are a few lines where you slipped into past tense.
...also later with Kenji at the bar.

Good chapter - too bad we already know a lot of what will and what won't happen...

[Sharp-O]

Hisao and Akio drunk and dancing with women.

Oh deary me, I hope this doesn't turn out bad.

Man, if I could get away with a straight up Roadhouse bar-fight, I would...

Glad you're still enjoying it, Swamp

In the beginning of the chapter there are a few lines where you slipped into past tense.
...also later with Kenji at the bar.

The narrative format is kinda hard to keep consistent but I'll go back and fix it.

Good chapter - too bad we already know a lot of what will and what won't happen...

I think that's the biggest problem with this story. It's good to have it here to fill in the blanks but I already blew my load with the Mirai chapters. Hoping that the couple surprises I have in here will make it worthwhile.

[Sharp-O]

Act 6:

“Yumi! Get your boobs out of the poor guy’s face!” Yuki cries out, drawing the attention of Taro and Noriko, who had been lost in their own little world as the band played. Taro cranes his neck to see a contorted pile that was once Mayumi and Akio. Mayumi scrambles off her dance partner, cheeks flush with embarrassment as her voice squeaks.

“I-It was an accident! His legs j-just-just buckled and he fell and I went with him and I didn’t m-mea--” Her frantic, worried stammering is cut short by the protracted groan erupting from Akio’s throat as a kneeling Hisao eases him into a sitting postion.

“Anything broken?” Taro asks, squatting down just behind Hisao. Akio nods with a rueful smile, wincing a little as he rolls his neck and shoulders. “Just my pride… And my ass…”

“I’m so sorry, Akio!” Mayumi cries, a look of sincere guilt plastered across her face. Akio looks at her with one open eye and a cocky smirk. “Don’t worry about it, though the soft landing shouldn’t have landed on me, y’know?” He jokes, garnering a small titter from Mayumi, relieved that she didn’t break his sense of humour.

Hisao, meanwhile, tests Akio’s legs and — despite his friend’s griping — finds them perfectly mobile. Soft compressions above and below his knees reveal that the leggings have failed and Hisao shows his displeasure with a frown as he checks his watch.

“Cohesion lost in… two hours forty-seven minutes. Hmmm. Taro, would you grab my jacket?” Taro does as he’s asked, handing the jacket to Hisao. The brilliant man runs his magnetic pulse device over Akio’s legs once more. “On your feet, Akio. You shouldn’t be falling for other girls at your bachelor party!” Hisao smirks as he offers his hand out and Akio gladly takes it, gingerly getting to his feet.

“Leave the jokes to me, Nakai.” Akio shakes his head at his friend, giving him a look that could only be described as pity as Hisao crosses his arms indignantly. “Shizune thinks I’m funny…”

“You girlfriend’s idea of fun is playing Risk and collating spreadsheets; she doesn’t know funny.” Akio playfully elbows Hisao in his side, earning a small smile that he immediately hides. “Just make sure you don’t trip and break something next time. I don’t need a guilt-trip from Hanako and Shizune…” Hisao sighs defeatedly.

“You okay, kid?” The middle-aged trumpet player of the band asks, the band having come to a halt mid-song when Akio fell. He waves off the concern before bowing apologetically, encouraging the band to play on. “Sorry Mayumi but I think I’m done dancing for now…” He shrugs to the young woman who smiles with sympathetic eyes.

“That’s alright. I’m getting a little thirsty though, aren’t you?” She nudges him softly with her shoulder as she passes him on the way to the bar.

“Sounds like a plan! A round of shots, good sir!” Akio demands, slapping a bundle of notes onto the bar as the others join him.

“This is going to get messy…” Taro grimaces at Noriko as she drags him towards the bar.

=======

A soft plastic crinkling bouncing off the cushion beside her draws Suzu out of her reverential phone gazing. She blinks a couple times as she picks up the small oblong packet and discovers it to be a Kit-Kat, picking it up. She internally cringes as she looks up at Molly, who holds two open bottles of beer by their necks in her left hand. A meagre peace offering in the grand scheme of things but something Molly would do to perk up her friend from time to time.

“Mind if I sit?” Molly asks, gesturing to the spot next to Suzu. She nods and Molly flops down, offering up one of the bottles. While Suzu holds her bottle stock still, Molly clinks hers against it, causing Suzu to look at her friend incredulously.

“So we’re just going to ignore what happened earlier?” She sighs and Molly adjust s her sitting position to one more comfy for her, with one leg tucked under the other. “It was either that or I let you brood all night on your tod like Billy No-Mates.” Molly proposes, a light-hearted lilt in her voice that she hopes will draw Suzu out of her malaise.

“Who’s Billy No-Mates?” Suzu asks earnestly, Molly chuckling in response.

“Just a saying, Suzy. Point is, you haven’t shifted from this spot since you got here. You’ve been looking at your phone non-stop, even when Hana brought you some tea! Bloody rude, if you ask me…”

Suzu folds her arms in such a way as to allow her to nonchalantly sip at her beer, looking slightly away from Molly. “I didn’t know what to say to you after…”

“Yeah, I figured.” Molly nods. “But it’s a party and I know Hana would appreciate it if you joined in. So would I, you know I don’t like to see you grumpy.” Molly’s lips curl upwards as she leans in, her girlish charms working overtime to break Suzu out of her melancholy. “Whatcha been looking at, anyway? I know who you follow on Twitter, your feed can’t be that interesting.”

The faintest hint of a smile tugs at the corners of Suzu’s mouth as she looks down at her phone, the screen darkened but still unlocked. She lifts the phone and offers it to Molly who happily takes it and the screen illuminates at her touch. Molly gasps a little as she looks down at a photo of her and Suzu in thick winter coats. A goofy selfie from their time together in Oxford. “Woooow, this takes me back.”

“I’ve been looking at photos, in between checking Twitter and Facebook.” Suzu explains as Molly flicks through various images, many of which she lamented missing out on while she was back in Britain. The group of friends at a theme park. Celebrating Tanabata. Christmas… Molly hated that she missed so much time with her friends after Yamaku. Besides the odd trip back to Japan and Suzu visiting her once, the only connection Molly had to her friends was email and Skype.

As she continued on, the pictures suddenly begin to wrench at her emotions as they become a history of Suzu and her latest boyfriend, Toshi. They’re cute together, Molly noted as she kept going at a steady pace until the last picture in the album made her pause. A picture of Molly, no less, taken less than twenty minutes ago as she chatted with Hana and Lilly in the kitchen.

It dredged up all the pent up emotions that both she and Suzu shared. This desire that they daren’t act on, because to do so would only hurt someone else. It was similar to a feeling that she remembered from Yamaku that she would rather not experience again. Taking a massive gulp of beer, she activates the camera function and pulls Suzu into a headlock.

Her startled protestations are silenced when Molly brings the phone to bear on them. “Big smile, Suzie!” Molly demands and Suzu complies, her grin helped by the digital reflection of her and Molly, side-by-side. The phone emits a digital shutter sound and the pair look at themselves on the tiny screen.

“See that? We need more pictures like that!” Molly shakes the melancholic thoughts out of her head as she practically bounces off of the sofa. She fishes her on phone out of her pocket as she skips towards a small black speaker on one of the many bookshelves that line Hanako’s living room.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to…” Suzu interjects, following Molly and earning the attention of the others. “Yeah! Put on some tunes, Molls!” Miki cries from across the apartment, making the nearby Hana flinch.

“But her music is crap! It’s all anime themes!” Suzu bemoans, waving her arms limply as Molly turns on the spot, having finished syncing her device to the speaker. “Oh no, this is something I cooked up special! Go ahead, pick something then set it on shuffle.” Molly offers the small black device to Suzu and she accepts, looking at the play list displayed on the screen.

“‘Molly Mix v4.0: Yamaku Redux’? What…?” Suzu frowns and looks to the dark-skinned woman, who crosses her arms across her chest confidently with a smug grin.

“Because I spent so much time without you guys, I made a playlist full of songs that reminded me of you all. As a group, individually, etc…” Molly explains.

“What a wonderful idea!” Lilly beams, the effect of several glasses of wine evident on her rosy cheeks and in her cheerful demeanour. “I wish I’d thought of that.”

“Sappy but I hope I got a bad-ass song, at least!” Miki poses in a macho fashion, Ritsu shaking her head a little at her but showing a keen interest in the music nonetheless. Hanako had made her way to Suzu and was looking through the scrolling track list. “Oh! I like that song! The movie was really cute.” She smiles and is ready to press the button when the doorbell chimes.

=======

The raucous laughter of the group of new found friends fills the near empty jazz club, the band long since giving up any hope of a sizeable audience and the club’s speakers playing a chilled out jazz tune in their stead.

“Is there anyone of you guys he hasn’t kissed?” Mayumi cackles, leaning against a blushing Akio as Taro gestures to Kenji, and to lesser extent, Rika — who had secluded themselves away from the group a little to talk more about military history.

“Only that one but I’m pretty he hasn’t kissed anyone.” Taro laughs, the silent Noriko silently snickering beside him. Hisao drunkenly frowns and points at Taro with a bottle in hand.

“Don’t pick on him, man! He’s got a seriously hic messed up history. It’s not his fault feminists stole his mojo!” Hisao’s earnest defence of his friend breaks down into a little snort as he remembers how ludicrous Kenji’s purported love life sounds when spoken aloud. He refocuses as best he can and continues. “Besides, who’d ever believe you dated one of the sexiest girls at school?”

The girls and Akio laugh as Noriko sloppily types in truncated text [Rlly? U r a chrmr!]

“It’s a whole non-dating thing! Besides!” Taro narrows his eyes at Hisao, feeling rather defensive. “You almost died ‘cause a girl confessed to you! How Shizune hasn’t killed you is asstoni-ashtoni-amazing!” Taro points back and the laughter is reflected to Hisao who smirks wryly, the combined alcohol emboldening him a little more than usual.

“Whatever doesn’t kill me shoulda brought it’s A-Game!” He laughs, chugging his beer. The good-natured ribbing goes on for a while before Akio tries to rise and stumbles a little.

“Whoop! Legs're gone! Hisao, do the thing to my legs to make them work!” Akio chuckles as he eases himself back down. Hisao tilts his head at the device he pulls from his jacket and tries to focus his vision.

“Huh. Blinker’s off. No more charge, sorry.” He waves it from side to side a little before putting it back in his coat. “You are so damn smart, Hisao!” Yuki giggles, resting her head on her hands and looking drowsily at Hisao. “Hows it work?”

“Well you see,” Hisao straightens up, about to deliver a rousing lesson when he suddenly finds himself completely unable to form the words. He knows them but cannot articulate them. After a minute of trying, he goes with the only two words he can conjure in that moment. “Magnets. And Science. Lots of science!”

“Up for Nobel Prize there, Hisao!” Akio snickers, finding it harder and harder to keep up right and propping himself against the table.

=======

Shizune had barely made her entrance into the main living space before Miki had thrust a drink into her hands. She nodded with appreciation and waved to most of the group, taking care not to spill her glass of white wine while she hugged Hanako, kissing her friend on the cheek.

Handing her drink to Hanako, she signed a quick hello to Molly, who returned the gesture with a respectful nod.

[We should speak later, Dr Kapur. I believe congratulations are in order.]

[Thanks but I haven’t told the others just yet so could you keep it under your hat for now, please?] Molly retorted, Shizune responding with a locking motion on her mouth followed by a wink.

“My cousin has certainly been busy befriending you all. She hasn’t even said hello to me yet…” Lilly comments idly, eyebrows raised in surprise by the lack of the tactile sign for hello in her palm. Shizune adjusts her glasses cockily, as she always does when she has the upper hand, and eyes her taller blonde cousin like a lioness eyes prey. She’s been waiting for this moment for a long time and she’d hoped to have a captive audience. A shame Hisao isn’t here for this, she thinks as she takes a long, deep breath through her nose.

“Hello, dear cousin. I am sorry for my rudeness. I hope your trip wasn’t too taxing.” Shizune speaks, her voice weak in volume but as purposeful as her signing gestures. The reaction is everything she wanted and more as Ritsu, Miki, Suzu and Molly’s jaws drop as they try to make sense of what they just saw.

“Molly, Hanako… Have either of you been translating?” Lilly asks cautiously, Shizune pressing her advantage before either can answer —not that Hanako would, being in on this little show from the beginning.

“They are not. Here.” Shizune states, taking Lilly’s hands and brushing them past her navy blue hair to her ears. Lilly tilts her head curiously as her delicate fingers caress the unknown objects in Shizune’s ears.

“You… Can you… Hear me?” Lilly whispers, subconsciously testing what she thought was an impossibility. She feels Shizune’s head nod in her hands and she recoils, bringing her hands to her chest and mouth in shock. “Oh my god, Shizune…!”

“You can thank Hisao. He built these to help with my sen-sori-neu-ral deafness.” Shizune struggles a little, some words less practiced than others but she soldiers on, just for Lilly’s reaction. Her cousin’s face contorts, as if in pain and her eyes begin to well with tears. Before Shizune can speak again, Lilly launches forward and embraces her cousin tightly.

Stunned by the sudden and inexplicable display of affection, Shizune can only wrap her arms around her cousins chest and smile. “I’m happy to see you too… Lilly.”

“God…” Lilly makes a most unladylike noise as she sniffs loudly, her voice cracking as she tries to convey the torrent of emotions swelling inside her. “I…” She has so much she wants to say and she doesn’t have a clue to begin.

“I have never seen you at a loss for words.” Shizune quakes as she silently laughs, not wanting ruin the moment with the awful squawk of a laugh she discovered she has. Lilly’s grip tightens around her shoulders and she speaks softly, but with sincerity and love.

“Shut up, Shizune.”

The two break and Shizune smiles earnestly at Lilly as she wipes her cloudy eyes. “Admit it. You have always wanted to say that.”

The group laughs, in between their own sniffs of emotion, none more loud than Miki’s, which sounds like a wild boar’s snort. Ritsu gives her slightly bemused glance sideways and Miki pouts.

“What? That was really sweet…” She mutters quietly with a small smile.

=======

“God! Where’s Rika?” Mayumi loudly, pouting as she smokes away from the group.

“She’ll be back soon! We left the van like a block away, remember?” Yuki calls back as she sways back and forth. “Unless she’s banging Kenji in the back of the van!” She cackles and Hisao scrunches up his face.

“Ugh, don’t need that mental image…” He grimaces. As if on cue, a dark metallic Nissan Elgrand turns the corner and slowly rolls down the one-way street to them. The window rolls down to reveal Kenji in the front-seat while Rika, who was playing designated driver this evening, sits at the wheel.

“You light-weights call for a cab?” He smirks at the intoxicated Hisao and Akio. Mayumi tosses her cigarette and jogs to the sliding door, opening it and jumping inside.

“Are you sure we’ll all fit?” Taro asks, unsure that the drunken math done earlier is sound. Yuki barges past and hops in next to Mayumi. “If not, we’ll just have to start sharing laps!” She giggles and Hisao clambers in next, Akio following on his cane.

“Dibs on Hisao’s!” He calls as Taro and Noriko peek into the vehicle to see that there is indeed only one seat left.

[Wanna sit on my lap?] Noriko offers up her phone with a drunken grin. Taro shakes his head with a chuckle and climbs in, taking the last seat nearest to the door. He pats his knee and Noriko climbs into the vehicle and squeezes herself into a semi comfortable position on top of him.

As the minivan pulls off, Noriko shows types again, her phone the only light within the darkened vehicle.

[Bet ur lovin this huh?] Taro reads the message and shrugs with half smile, barely seen under the passing street lamps outside. Noriko shakes with laughter, the reverberations going through Taro’s body. He leans back a little more and Noriko nestles against him, not moving for the rest of the trip back to Akio’s apartment.

[swampie2]

Act 6:

Man was I looking forward to this.

The scene with Shizune speaking to Lilly. Golden.
Yuki x Kenji. Platinum.
The guys all taking the piss out of eachother. Perfect.

Great job as usual!

[Sharp-O]

The scene with Shizune speaking to Lilly. Golden.

Ever since you introduced the concept, my thoughts immediately went to Lilly so I knew I had to include that scene at some point.

The guys all taking the piss out of eachother. Perfect.

Oh, there's more to come! I'm determined to make Hisao less of a schmuck even if it kills him

I really didn't envision one day lasting this god-damned long! Wasn't there supposed to be a wedding at some point?

[Mirage_GSM]

It's rare to find one of those in your stories :

It dredged up all the pent up emotions that both her and Suzu shared.

"both she and Suzu"

I really didn't envision one day lasting this god-damned long! Wasn't there supposed to be a wedding at some point?

That's your storytelling as we all know and love it

[Sharp-O]

It's rare to find one of those in your stories :

It dredged up all the pent up emotions that both her and Suzu shared.

"both she and Suzu"

I'm surprised there haven't been more given switch to narration! I'll sort it. Cheers, Mirage

That's your storytelling as we all know and love it

Rambling?