Chapter L: The Weekends
Weekend sunlight spills lazily through the Furukawa residence windows, warm and unhurried, like the day itself doesn't have any real plans.
Inside Ryujin's room, the air smells faintly of paper, dust, and Chips-Ahoy. He sits cross-legged on the floor, an old encyclopedia spread open in front of him. The pages are slightly yellowed, the corners soft from age. Light hits the ink just right, and the diagrams almost glow.
Outside his room, life hums. From the living room couch, a fluffy white and brown Shih Tzu lies curled like a loaf of bread, soft snores puffing through a tiny black nose. And yes, it is Ichiro in his dog form. One ear twitches, snores, and positions himself more cute.
From the bathroom down the hall comes the sound of running water. Reina is taking her bath, humming off-key to a Vocaloid song but confidently.
In the kitchen, Mrs. Furukawa moves like a one-woman orchestra, as pots clink, oil sizzles, cupboard doors open and close. Between stirring lunch and checking the small store attached to the front of the house, she multitasks with superhuman calm.
The house is actively alive, peacefully alive.
Ichiro's dog ears suddenly perk. His nose twitches and then, he blinks awake.
"...Mmph."
He stretches dramatically, hind legs kicking back, front paws forward, tail wiggling like it's trying to detach. Then he hops off the couch.
Tap tap tap tap.
Little paws on tiled floor. He waddles toward Ryujin's room. The door is slightly open. He squeezes through. Due to his concentration on the encyclopedia, Ryujin doesn't notice. Ichiro narrows his dog eyes mischievously. He backs up. Then-
THUD.
He kicks Ryujin in the spine with his tiny paws.
Ryujin jerks forward. "AH! WHAT THE? Hey! What did you do that for?!"
Ichiro giggles, voice shifting slightly as he talks while still in dog form. "Nothing, Oni-chan, hehe."
Ryujin turns, squinting. "You're lucky you're cute."
Ichiro hops onto the bed and sits like royalty. "So, whatcha reading there?"
Ryujin lifts the book. "Just one of our encyclopedias from the dusty shelves."
Ichiro tilts his head. "Wait... we still have those?"
Ryujin nods. "Yeah, it's Uncle Seiko's old books. They just... stayed here apparently."
Ichiro looks impressed. "Wow. That's amazing."
"Yeah," Ryujin says softly. "It is."
There's something grounding about old books. Knowledge that existed before them. Knowledge that will outlive them.
Ichiro suddenly scratches his ear nervously.
"Oni-chan... can I get some advice?"
Ryujin closes the book gently. "Of course. What is it?"
Ichiro avoids eye contact. "There's this girl... in my school."
Ryujin smiles knowingly. "Ah."
Ichiro blurts, "I think I like her but I don't know what to do and when she talks to me my brain just shuts down and sometimes I pretend to be cool but then I say something dumb-"
Ryujin laughs. "W-w-wait, Ichi, slow down. What do you feel when you see her?"
Ichiro thinks. "Uhm, warm? Nervous? Like I wanna protect her but also hide behind a wall?"
Ryujin nods seriously. "Hmm, that's real."
Ichiro's ears droop. "So what do I do?"
Ryujin leans back on his hands. "First, and foremost coming from me, don't be flamboyant just to impress her. Girls can tell when you're not being yourself."
Ichiro listens like it's sacred scripture.
"Second," Ryujin continues, "confess when it's the right time. Do not rush. Feel the moment when it is time. Everything is on its time."
Ichiro nods slowly. "Man, you sound like a monk."
"I read encyclopedias on weekends. I basically am."
Ichiro grins.
Then his expression shifts. "How about you and Saki?"
Ryujin pauses.
"Oh...We're just friends."
Ichiro squints suspiciously but lets it go.
Meanwhile, at the Aikawa residence... Saki sneezes.
"...Ah—choo!"
She rubs her nose, eyes still glued to the screen.
An episode of Attack on Titan plays dramatically. The titans roar, and the walls shake.
Saki whispers intensely, "Eren, don't do it..."
Back in Ryujin's room,
"She really likes anime," Ryujin says. "I don't even know half the stuff she talks about."
Ichiro grins. "Then learn, Oni-chan!"
Ryujin sighs. "I used to like American cartoons, you know, and built Legos all the time."
"But what happened?"
"I grew up," Ryujin says. Then adds softly, "But I still build sometimes."
Ichiro beams. "Saki's a great girl, Oni-chan. She could be a great Onee-san one day."
Ryujin laughs quietly. Footsteps approach the room. Reina appears at the door, towel around her shoulders. "Lunch smells good."
From the kitchen,
"Ryu! Ichi! Rei! Lunch!"
They all rush out.
Meanwhile, at the Hamasaki Residence, Hageshi bursts into his room, sweaty from cycling.
He flops into his chair. "Ughh, it's Minecraft time!"
His phone buzzes.
Inoshiro: "Dude 1v1 later?"
Hageshi types fast.
"Game on, ya Furry!"
He hits send, then after a while he freezes. He didn't send it to Inoshiro. He sent it to the group chat. The Brofist Squad Group Chat. The chat explodes.
"GAME DETECTED"
"ARENA ACTIVATED"
"WHO'S HOSTING"
"BLOOD FOR THE SERVER GODS"
Hageshi groans. "Aww man! I messed up."
Soon they switch to Bombsquad to include everyone.
Explosions, chaos, and screaming voice chats.
Memes flood nonstop. Well except for two. Ryujin and Miran are offline.
"Where's Ninja and Darkiplier?" Haruto asks.
"Chores probably," Inoshiro says.
"Man, I almost actually went to Ryujin's house earlier", Hageshi says.
"What? That's impossible dude. There's only one place where one can trek coming to here the mainland and that is by that highway.", Okaki interjects.
"Yeah, and you still got the old framed beam bridge there, and that is only one bridge since there wouldn't be a bridge connecting your place with their town,", Haruto inspects.
"And by the way, even if your towns are neighboring, it is still in fact separated by that serenely calm river but no roads since they don't have fundings I think for that", Inoshiro adds.
"Uhm, I meant that, when I was cycling earlier, I reached their place, but at that they, it was still dark and they might be sleeping.", Hageshi affirms.
The battle continues. Laughter echoes through speakers.
At the Mall, Kitsune and Rikiyo walk side by side, window-shopping. They go to an old house on Runa St. and as they enter it, it is a café. And not so long, they spot Yamato at a café counter.
"Hey!" (Yamato)
"Hey, long time no see!" (Kitsune)
"Fancy a dip on latte's girls? What would it be?" (Yamato)
"Two cookies and cream shakes, Yam!" (Kitsune)
Rikiyo nods, confirming Kitsune has the order right.
"Alright, served to you two later", Yamato says as she writes down the orders.
They chat briefly before Yamato rushes upstairs. Rikiyo's smile fades.
"Kitsune, have you noticed Saki's been weird lately?"
Kitsune nods. "I mean yeah, she spaces out. And smiles randomly."
Rikiyo looks determined. "Whatever it is... we protect her."
Kitsune bumps her shoulder. "Always."
The weekend sun glows outside the glass. Some hearts are figuring things out. Some friendships are sharpening into shields.
And somewhere, a ring rests quietly on a finger, waiting for the next ripple.