BLURRY EYES

�So how was school?� the current head of the Umeda Empire asked his three boys who were already seated, waiting patiently at the dinner table.

�It was alright. I still preferred Tokyo High though,� Shinji answered his father while gazing at the food that was being served in front of them.

�They have a basketball team, Otou-sama.� Sakuya added excitedly.

�And some weird players.� Shinobu said while passing the coleslaw to Shinji who was sitting in front of him.

�How was practice then?� Shuichi Umeda enquired and dig into his meat ball spaghetti with tomato sauce.

�Shinji-aniki missed some shots and Nobu-aniki accidentally knocked someone down.� Sakuya reported eagerly.

�I was� eermm� well� chasing after the captain of the team, Sendoh Akira. I think that�s his name. He�s quiet good, Otou-sama, like Shinji-aniki before he injured his leg.�

Shinji ate his dinner in silence when Sakuya reminded him of something he wanted to forget. Not really wanting to listening to the rest of the conversation that was going. The silence in his head was forcing him to remember, evoking the mishap that happened 2 years ago�

*flashback*

�I�ll be back soon Otou-sama, just going to meet Riki at the coffee club.� putting on his black polished helmet and taking off on his new bike that his father bought for his birthday.

He was already late for his date and to make matters worst, his dad had to hold him back for some basketball training and couldn�t wait for the next day.

�Riki�s not gonna be very happy bout this.� he though to himself, not noticing that he just ran a red light, luckily there were no cars around.

�I hope he�s still there.� Shinji was sweating like a pig under his helmet and leather jacket. The light turned amber and he gently pressed the breaks. He stopped his bike at the cross road junction and he could see Riki from where he was. Sitting at one of the seat that the coffee club had, wearing a black pull-over because of the chilly weather. Riki had on a pair of faded jeans and was sporting a bandana under the dark blue baseball cap, covering his lovely brown hair. Shinji waved his hand frantically, but Riki didn�t see him. He tried again but to no avail.

The light turned green and immediately Shinji pressed the gas pedal. His bike just moved a few meters when a car from the right came speeding down the road, not aware of Shinji and collided into him. Shinji and the bike spun a few meters forward and he was exactly a few steps away from Riki.

Riki heard the loud bang which made him jump a little, spilling his coffee on his newly bought black pull-over. He looked to his right, the direction the sound was coming from and was left stunned, speechless, shocked . Seeing his boyfriend lying on the ground, grabbing his leg and holding on to dear life.

�Shinji!!!!!!!!!!� Riki screamed as he frantically ran towards his boyfriend.

*end of flashback*

�Earth to Shinji-aniki, are you there?� Shinobu kicked his brother�s legs from under the table trying to get him to respond to their father�s questions.

�Gomen nasai.� he bowed his head in apology.

�Otou-sama was asking, which university you would be applying for.� Sakuya could tell his brother was rather distracted, about what? He really didn�t know. No body really knows what goes on in Shinji�s head.

�I haven�t decided yet Otou-sama.� he added quickly and ate his dinner hastily. Now he didn�t really feel like eating at all. Maybe some basketball might help.

�Otou-sama, Shin, Sakuya. Please excuse me, I�m rather full and I�ll be at the gym if anyone needs me� he pushed his chair in and left the dinner table. He needed some time alone, to clear his mind. He missed Riki but that was out of the question� he dragged himself to their private indoor basketball court and started practicing on his jump shots.

*

�That�s weird, he barely touched his food.� their father said.

�Anou, otou-sama. Eeermmm� I�m going to join Shinji-aniki.� Shinobu, bowed in respect to their father and ran off to catch his brother.

Seeing that he was the only one left. �me too!!� he swiftly sped in the same direction to join his brothers.

�Gosh, what�s happening to those boys.� Shuichi Umeda continued eating his spaghetti only to realize how quiet it was. His boys are getting bigger and his wife� well she passed on after giving birth to Sakuya. it�s a miracle the boys turned out so well without a mother.

Chapter 3