Summer
Summer came, swift and hot. The meet between Kujin Gakuen and Sakurako Gakuen was a success…especially for the Kujin team. For the fourth year in a row, they had won the title. Kawai Mina had shot perfectly, all her arrows hitting center. The team had been overjoyed and promised to treat her the first day of summer. Of course they had invited their captain along, but he had refused. They kept insisting he accompany them to karaoke and lunch the first Sunday of summer break, but Rei politely turned them down. They had finally given up and bid him farewell that final Friday, promising to come to practice often.
For Rei, summer was just the hot season of the year. Since it was also summer break for little Miyu, he granted Kazuya and his family the break off to go visit the beach, family, and what-not. Ayako and Kotaro insisted on staying to help him run the house and dojo, which he accepted without much resistance. He wouldn't need a great deal of help running the family estate, but doing it alone was sometimes stressful; even a little help was better than none.
On the bright first Sunday of summer, the Ishikawa master wandered the streets of Tokyo alone. He purposefully avoided the karaoke boxes so as not to come across any of his teammates and be coerced into joining them. It wasn't that he didn't like social gatherings; rather he felt this was a time for them to celebrate a victory they won without his help. He'd rather let them have their fun than ruin it by being there.
Quickly walking up a short flight of stairs, Rei entered a second story café that overlooked the busy Tokyo street below it. The soft chime of the door's overhead bell was followed by cheery voices welcoming him as he found an empty seat near a large panel window. A young waitress, probably the same age as Rei, came over and took his order of a peppermint tea. He gazed out of the window as he waited, watching the people below.
"Omatase shimashita," came a happy sounding voice as the tea was placed before Rei, steaming slightly. He recognized that voice and was not a bit surprised to find Yuusuke's face smiling over him.
"A little hot outside to be drinking such a thing, na, Sensei?" Rei ignored him for a moment as he raised the cup to his lips and took a short drink.
"I thought I told you to stop calling me that," he said softly, replacing the cup on the saucer with a slight clink. Yuusuke chuckled, patting his instructor's shoulder.
"Hai hai, Rei-kun. But what are you doing here? Why aren't you celebrating your victory over Sakurako with the rest of your teammates?"
"It's their celebration, not mine."
"Aren't you a part of their team? You're their captain after all. Being captain doesn't make you any less of a team member."
"They won without my help. There's no need for me to interfere with their partying." Yuusuke sighed, shaking his head slightly.
"Well, if you aren't doing anything today, how about joining me for lunch? My treat." Rei eyed him over the rim of his cup, wondering if he had anything else in mind. Yuusuke must have understood the look on his face because his left eye twitched slightly.
"There's no catch," he hastily said. "I just thought if you hadn't eaten yet that you'd might like to join me. I get off in ten minutes."
"I had plans," Rei flatly answered.
"Oh?" Yuusuke was, to say the least, surprised. He wondered what kind of plans and probed a little further.
"A lunch date?"
"Iya."
"A dinner date?"
"Nai."
"An afternoon walk-type date?"
"Chigau." Yuusuke was starting to get frustrated and more curious by the minute.
"Then…what?" Rei eyed him again, debating whether to say or not.
"Come on, you can tell me. I won't tell anyone else. Yakusoku."
"It's not important."
"Oh, come on." Not caring whether he was off-duty or not, Yuusuke plomped down into the seat across from Rei and flashed a grin. He got a calm, slightly cold stare in return, but didn't break the eye contact he had with his instructor. Eventually Rei sighed and took another drink of his tea before continuing.
"CD shopping," he simply said. Yuusuke blinked; that was all? He was going CD shopping? Somehow the idea disturbed Yuusuke, and, apparently, it could be seen.
"What, exactly, is wrong with me going CD shopping?"
"Ah….nandemo nai," Yuusuke replied hastily. "I was just wondering what kind of music you listen to. You just seem like the type of person who listens to classical or traditional music." Rei snorted, giving Yuusuke the impression that he was dead wrong.
"Well then, do you mind if I join you?" he asked, getting up to clock out. "I haven't been shopping for CDs in a while either. Maybe I'll find something I've been looking for."
"As you like," was all the reply he received. Yuusuke grinned wide before nearly skipping off to clock out. In a short while he was dressed in street clothes and walking down the busy sidewalk with Rei next to him.
As they walked, Yuusuke noticed how much taller Rei was than he had originally thought. The Ishikawa master was nearly as tall as the student; just a mere inch was all Yuusuke had to claim he was taller. From the corner of his eye, he took in Rei's whole appearance. This was the first time Yuusuke had seen him in clothes other than the ones he wore at practice. He had to admit, Rei looked a lot younger in just jeans, sneakers, and a large, white T-shirt; he actually looked his age. When he wore the kimono and pale blue hakama for practice, Rei looked slightly older than seventeen. He still looked young, but not as young.
A blast of cold air suddenly hit Yuusuke as he realized he and Rei had entered a CD/book shop. He found himself wondering, again, what kind of music Rei listened to. He soon got his answer as he watched Rei pick out a CD by the group Aucifer, another by Yonekura Chihiro, and a CD single by Tange Sakura.
"You…listen to that?" Rei turned to him, not at all phased by the shocked expression on Yuusuke's face or his slightly raised voice. Other shoppers, however, seemed to notice and turned, eyeing them. Rei ignored them, his attention focused on Yuusuke.
"Is there a problem with that?" he asked, turning and maneuvering over to where the books were. Yuusuke had to sprint two steps to catch up, the shock still very much on his face.
"Da te da te da te…"
"Girls normally listen to these CDs. So?"
"You never told me you like listening to stuff like this!"
"You never asked." Yuusuke looked defeated as he stood in the aisle. Rei ignored him, reaching out and pulling a new manga off the shelf in front of him. Once again, the student was shocked at what his instructor was doing.
"Sensei!!"
"Stop calling me that." When he received no reply, Rei turned and found Yuusuke's eyes transfixed on the book in his hands. He looked down at the book then back up at his companion, a slightly annoyed look on his face.
"Now you're going to tell me you didn't know I like reading shoujo manga." His only response was a nod. Rei stepped up and waved the book in Yuusuke's face.
"There is nothing wrong with a guy reading shoujo manga or listening to music by Tange Sakura. Nor is there anything wrong with me liking them. Whatever ideas are running through your head right now, dump them. I have my preferences and you have yours." Yuusuke nodded. That was all the answer Rei needed; he stepped back and leaned slightly against the shelf, turning the book in his hands to read the back description. Yuusuke watched him, amazed that a person such as Rei would have such interests.
Well, why not? he thought to himself. He's human after all. It's still a little odd that he would be interested in things like shoujo manga. But there are lots of guys who like that stuff. He just stood there, watching Rei as his green eyes roamed over the words before him. He then flipped the book to its front cover and turned, heading over to a nearby check-out table. Yuusuke followed him.
"You always surprise me," he said, standing next to Rei.
"Oh? How so?" He watched a moment as Rei handed the girl before him some money before replying.
"Just the way you are. You're seventeen, master of a well-known dojo. You go to school, are top of your class, and captain of the school archery team. You listen to music mostly girls your age listen to, and you read shoujo manga. I bet next I'll find out you can cook and clean even though you have a maid and a cook."
"I do." Brown eyes widened, staring at the person before him who accepted the package handed to him with a slight inclination of the head and a soft "arigato." Yuusuke, again, had to hurry after Rei as he exited the shop.
"When have you ever….?"
"I cook whenever Suzume-san is away or whenever I feel like it. Ayako-san cleans the house but I do my own laundry."
"You still do chores even though you have people who are willing to do it for you?"
"Is it 'criticize your instructor' day? Because if it is, I didn't know about it." Yuusuke was slightly taken aback by the statement, his cheeks turning a pale shade of pink.
"Suimasen. But, like I said, you keep surprising me." Rei remained silent, but Yuusuke could see the flush creeping across his cheeks. He grinned, patting Rei on the shoulder.
"Sa, I said I would treat you to lunch. What would you like to eat?"
"Doesn't matter, you're the one paying."
"So ka…then how about Italian?" Rei shrugged, causing another grin to break across Yuusuke's face. He then proceeded to usher his instructor in the proper direction. Rei was beginning to think that it was going to be an interesting summer.