| Chapter 7: Kyo wa... Ame desu *Disclaimer on main page. originalsmile_index.html -- "Give that back!" Nakai shouted, chasing Shingo around the house. Goro had to shift his head constantly to watch the television, whilst the tow brothers kept blocking his vision. "Nakai, stop being childish!" Goro finally complained, exasperated. "If you sit down, Shingo will eventually relent and return your hats." "I won't!" Shingo announced gleefully. "Ah!!! You wait right there, I'll come back after a toilet break!" Nakai shouted to Shingo, who was triumphantly waving Nakai's hats in the air. "Shingo-kun, you're 25 years old, not young anymore. Stop teasing Nakai." Goro reprimanded. "Eh?! Age is only a number, ne?" Shingo challenged. When Nakai emerged from the toilet, the chase continued, until Shingo dropped the hats in shock from the loud thunder. "Ah, a heavy storm today." Tsuyoshi commented, looking out the window at the sky, which had already turned grey. "Luckily we've arrived home on time!" "Aiya! Takuya oni-chan isn't home yet !" Shingo exclaimed. The rain pooured own heavily after that, and a minute later, Takuya burst into the apartment, drenched from head to toe. "Tadaimasu!" he announced grumpily. "Okairinasai." the four brothers greeted back. "Heavy storm outside. Who's on duty for dinner today?" Takuya queried, advancing towards the bathroom. "Tsuyoshi! Looks like we can't buy takeaways though, the weather seems scary enough to blow poor Tsuyo-chan off his feet!" Goro answered, tearing his eyes away from the television screen. "Yup. Tsuyoshi, ganbatte!!!" Shingo cheered on. "You're biased!" Nakai complained. "You're negative, oni-chan!" Shingo rebutted. -- Jumping at the sound of loud thunder, Sayuri stopped in her steps and calmed herself down. She was still two blocks away from her apartment, but now, the rain had started to pour down heavily. She rummaged through her bag for her umbrella, but found no sign of it. "Aiya!" Sayuri exclaimed. She became agitated that she had left her umbrella on the kitchen table that morning, and forgotten to place it in her bag. A sudden blow came on her right arm, and Sayuri lost her balance, sending her exposed into the heavy downpour of the rain. She rubbed her arm from the hit, and was doubly furious at the rude person who pushed her down. After all, he or she had not even apologised. She had no idea where she had fallen from, due to the rain lashing down on her. Deciding not to take a risk, Sayuri sat down on the floor, letting the rain splash down on her. She lowered her face, and then sighed for the damaged cellphone in her bag. Her walking stick had flown out from her hand during the blow, and there was no way she could find her way around. -- "Ah, I can't cook today." Tsuyoshi announced, lifting his head from his pile of assignments. "I have assignments to complete for the lecture tomorrow. I think I'll brave the storm today. But... need someone to help me share the load of carrying five bentous." "I'll go with you, then. I missed my duty last week." Nakai volunteered. Tsuyshi packed his papers, then left them on the dining table and went out with Nakai. Halfway to the bentou store, Tsuyoshi suddenly frantically signalled to Nakai above the crasing of the rain on the ground, "Oni-chan, look!" He pointed to Sayuri, who was still kneeling on the ground. "Gomene, Tsuyo-chan, you have to carry the bentous yourself, or get one of your brothers to help." Nakai apologised, then rushed over to Sayuri. Sayuri lifted her head when she heard the sound of feet splashing through the water towards her. The next thing she knew, she was being lifted up and escorted to her shelter, her numb legs barely supporting her. When shelter was above, Sayuri heard her rescuer say, "What on earth were you doing in the rain?!" She froze, now colder than she was before. It was Nakai. She had been trying so hard to avoid him, but he actually came to her instead. Before Sayuri gave an explanation, Nakai had already started bringing her to the lift. Outside the apartment, Sayuri hurriedly said, "It's alright, I can handle myself at home." "But I'll be guilty for leaving you like that. You're still shivering!" Nakai argued. "Don't tell oni-chan that I hid his stuff in the messy storeroom!" Shingo's gleeful voice could be heard from outside the apartment. "Wait." Nakai told Sayuri, then went over to his apartment, and shouted, "Shingo-kun, don't think I didn't hear that!!" "Eh?! No fun at all!" Shingo wailed. "Gomen, my brother loves to do that when he's bored." Nakai said, then unlocked Sayuri's apartment door. |