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It was later that night. Takashi had been laying on Aki's couch for the past hour, the sound of Aki's repetitive typing acting as white noise in the background. Finally, Aki snapped, grabbing a mug she had yet to wash and throwing it directly at Takashi's face.
Takashi caught it with ease -- he was an athlete, after all -- shaking him out of his trance. "Huh, you should really wash this," he murmured, sitting up. "I'll go put it in the sink for the maid to wash in the morning."
"Takashi, get over here."
Takashi's head whipped around at Aki's dismissive tone. "Uh. Why?"
The look Aki gave him was deadpan. "You've been acting catatonic. Honestly, your silence is more distracting than your constant bustling and sighing." Aki sighed, leaning back in her chair. "Tell aneki what happened, Taka-kun."
"Well," Takashi hesitated, and sighed, submitting himself to his fate. "It's really dumb."
Aki shrugged. "You've always been rather dramatic."
"What? No, I'm not," Takashi gave his sister an indignant look. "Rina's the dramatic one."
"You're both dramatic. Rina's dramatic because she's uptight and a control freak; you're dramatic because your heart is squishy and soft." Aki leaned forward, clasping her hands together like she was a mob boss considering the fate of one of her pawns. "Now talk, before that squishy heart implodes and collapses upon itself like an overripe peach."
Takashi groaned, falling back onto the couch, contemplating what he would say. "It's about that guy."
Aki's ensuing sigh was clearly exasperated. "You're getting very predictable."
"No no no, this is different." Takashi lept up, quickly striding over to Aki's desk before slamming her laptop shut and leaning forward to look his sister in the eye, almost missing Aki's mutter of, "see, dramatic."
Takashi stood like that for a few moments, looming over Aki whilst unsure of what to say. "The guy is a prostitute, and he was about to fuck Kyuu when I interrupted and kicked Kyuu out!" Takashi blurted out.
Aki looked slightly interested. "Well, I suppose that's a slight turn of events. What about it?"
Takashi stared at her dumbly. "What do you mean by that?"
"Your guy is a prostitute. Do you intend to do anything about it, or did you just want to get it off your chest?"
Takashi relaxed his posture. "I . . . I don't know."
Aki opened her laptop again, presumably going back to whatever she was doing before. "Then sit on it. I'm not good at dealing with your emotions." Takashi nodded robotically, turning to head to his bedroom, where he knew he would be laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, for at least another hour.
"Remember to keep your eyes open for opportunities," Aki called out belately. Takashi turned back to look at her, confused, but his sister was already consumed by her screen.
Takashi always made an effort to follow Aki's sagely advice, but during the ensuing days after the incident, he found that his eyes were too busy following Sato to look for opportunities. Even Kousuke, who was often too absorbed in talking to notice a change in his friend's behavior, was giving Takashi weird looks and words of mild concern.
"Hey, Takashi-kun." On the third day after the incident, Kousuke waved his hand in front of Takashi's face, giving the blonde an impatient look. "What's wrong with you, man? It's like you haven't even been here for the past few days. You were off your game during practice too, and you're our star player."
Takashi shook his head, giving his friend a tired smile. "Sorry, I've been kinda tired recently. I'll get over it."
Kousuke gave Takashi a disbelieving look, but proceeded to ramble on about how his older brother, an exchange student in America, had caught his girlfriend cheating on him in his own bed. Takashi made all the right noises in the right places, but he still found himself distracted.
On day four, Takashi once again followed Aki into Kabukichou. "I need to check up on an incident." Aki gave Takashi a strange look when jerked back at her wording -- he was already too used to using the word incident for one particular moment in time.
"You don't really need to be here today," Aki continued, deciding not to address what happened, much to Takashi's relief. "But since you're coming anyway, make sure to put people in their place if you see them stepping out of line. If you see Kyuu roaming around our area, beat him up for me, Taka-kun."
"Okay," Takashi replied passively. Aki raised an eyebrow, but thankfully didn't comment. The two siblings went their separate ways.
I wonder what Aki's doing, Takashi thought to himself. He never knew much about Aki's affairs; he admitted that they were probably beyond what he was capable of, but Takashi still wondered. Oftentimes, the blonde was treated like a mix between an incompetent dog and a child too young to know anything by his family. Aki never looked down upon him, but sometimes, Takashi still felt like the oblivious child with her.
Turning the corner, Takashi decided to stop roaming around, and leaned against the alley wall. Sometimes, I just want an opportunity to show up at my door. Maybe I'll stop thinking so much.
As if on cue, Takashi lifted his head right as someone slipped into the alleyway. Sato? In that moment, it seemed as if all of his worries slipped away to make way for the Takashi that was impeccably good with people -- the magnanimous, perfect Takashi.
"Hey, Sato-san," he said smoothly -- people were always his comfort zone. He gave the guy a warm smile, still leaning against the wall, before beginning to speak in a compassionate tone. "Sorry about the other day -- Kyuu can be a dick sometimes.
"Hey, it looks like you're in a difficult position; I'm sorry about that." Takashi smiled softly, moving his gaze to the opposing wall in front of him "Idealistically, I wish the world was kinder to those who need it."
Maybe you could start with yourself, Takashi's inner voice nagged. The blonde brushed it off.
"I'm not going to rat you out," Takashi reassured. "But I've noticed that your grades are pretty good." Takashi paused deliberately, making sure that the implying undertone of his next words weren't cancelled out by the geniality he made sure to maintain. "I was wondering if you could help me out." Takashi leveled his gaze at Sato. "It seems we're both in . . . unideal positions."
Takashi caught it with ease -- he was an athlete, after all -- shaking him out of his trance. "Huh, you should really wash this," he murmured, sitting up. "I'll go put it in the sink for the maid to wash in the morning."
"Takashi, get over here."
Takashi's head whipped around at Aki's dismissive tone. "Uh. Why?"
The look Aki gave him was deadpan. "You've been acting catatonic. Honestly, your silence is more distracting than your constant bustling and sighing." Aki sighed, leaning back in her chair. "Tell aneki what happened, Taka-kun."
"Well," Takashi hesitated, and sighed, submitting himself to his fate. "It's really dumb."
Aki shrugged. "You've always been rather dramatic."
"What? No, I'm not," Takashi gave his sister an indignant look. "Rina's the dramatic one."
"You're both dramatic. Rina's dramatic because she's uptight and a control freak; you're dramatic because your heart is squishy and soft." Aki leaned forward, clasping her hands together like she was a mob boss considering the fate of one of her pawns. "Now talk, before that squishy heart implodes and collapses upon itself like an overripe peach."
Takashi groaned, falling back onto the couch, contemplating what he would say. "It's about that guy."
Aki's ensuing sigh was clearly exasperated. "You're getting very predictable."
"No no no, this is different." Takashi lept up, quickly striding over to Aki's desk before slamming her laptop shut and leaning forward to look his sister in the eye, almost missing Aki's mutter of, "see, dramatic."
Takashi stood like that for a few moments, looming over Aki whilst unsure of what to say. "The guy is a prostitute, and he was about to fuck Kyuu when I interrupted and kicked Kyuu out!" Takashi blurted out.
Aki looked slightly interested. "Well, I suppose that's a slight turn of events. What about it?"
Takashi stared at her dumbly. "What do you mean by that?"
"Your guy is a prostitute. Do you intend to do anything about it, or did you just want to get it off your chest?"
Takashi relaxed his posture. "I . . . I don't know."
Aki opened her laptop again, presumably going back to whatever she was doing before. "Then sit on it. I'm not good at dealing with your emotions." Takashi nodded robotically, turning to head to his bedroom, where he knew he would be laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, for at least another hour.
"Remember to keep your eyes open for opportunities," Aki called out belately. Takashi turned back to look at her, confused, but his sister was already consumed by her screen.
---
Takashi always made an effort to follow Aki's sagely advice, but during the ensuing days after the incident, he found that his eyes were too busy following Sato to look for opportunities. Even Kousuke, who was often too absorbed in talking to notice a change in his friend's behavior, was giving Takashi weird looks and words of mild concern.
"Hey, Takashi-kun." On the third day after the incident, Kousuke waved his hand in front of Takashi's face, giving the blonde an impatient look. "What's wrong with you, man? It's like you haven't even been here for the past few days. You were off your game during practice too, and you're our star player."
Takashi shook his head, giving his friend a tired smile. "Sorry, I've been kinda tired recently. I'll get over it."
Kousuke gave Takashi a disbelieving look, but proceeded to ramble on about how his older brother, an exchange student in America, had caught his girlfriend cheating on him in his own bed. Takashi made all the right noises in the right places, but he still found himself distracted.
---
On day four, Takashi once again followed Aki into Kabukichou. "I need to check up on an incident." Aki gave Takashi a strange look when jerked back at her wording -- he was already too used to using the word incident for one particular moment in time.
"You don't really need to be here today," Aki continued, deciding not to address what happened, much to Takashi's relief. "But since you're coming anyway, make sure to put people in their place if you see them stepping out of line. If you see Kyuu roaming around our area, beat him up for me, Taka-kun."
"Okay," Takashi replied passively. Aki raised an eyebrow, but thankfully didn't comment. The two siblings went their separate ways.
I wonder what Aki's doing, Takashi thought to himself. He never knew much about Aki's affairs; he admitted that they were probably beyond what he was capable of, but Takashi still wondered. Oftentimes, the blonde was treated like a mix between an incompetent dog and a child too young to know anything by his family. Aki never looked down upon him, but sometimes, Takashi still felt like the oblivious child with her.
Turning the corner, Takashi decided to stop roaming around, and leaned against the alley wall. Sometimes, I just want an opportunity to show up at my door. Maybe I'll stop thinking so much.
As if on cue, Takashi lifted his head right as someone slipped into the alleyway. Sato? In that moment, it seemed as if all of his worries slipped away to make way for the Takashi that was impeccably good with people -- the magnanimous, perfect Takashi.
"Hey, Sato-san," he said smoothly -- people were always his comfort zone. He gave the guy a warm smile, still leaning against the wall, before beginning to speak in a compassionate tone. "Sorry about the other day -- Kyuu can be a dick sometimes.
"Hey, it looks like you're in a difficult position; I'm sorry about that." Takashi smiled softly, moving his gaze to the opposing wall in front of him "Idealistically, I wish the world was kinder to those who need it."
Maybe you could start with yourself, Takashi's inner voice nagged. The blonde brushed it off.
"I'm not going to rat you out," Takashi reassured. "But I've noticed that your grades are pretty good." Takashi paused deliberately, making sure that the implying undertone of his next words weren't cancelled out by the geniality he made sure to maintain. "I was wondering if you could help me out." Takashi leveled his gaze at Sato. "It seems we're both in . . . unideal positions."