School Girls' Stories - Year 3

Chapter 17 – Summer Vacations Woes

“This was not how I expected to spend my summer vacation,” Fuji said quite honestly, dropping the box in the back of the truck and wiping away the sweat that was gathering behind her ponytail. She was studying to be a successful business woman, she was now going to be married for the sake of a company, and she was moving heavy boxes. This was not supposed to be a part of her resume.

A hand fell on top of her head, guiding her away from the back of the truck and towards the house for more boxes. “How did you expect to spend it?” Amatsu asked smoothly, the two of them entering the Taiikuka household and looking around, wondering how in the world one girl had collected so much stuff between her and two babies, one who had only been in her possession for a few weeks.

“Picking out wedding dresses,” Devilin smiled coyly, stepping up behind the two and taking Fuji outside of Amatsu’s grasp. He led her over to the next batch of boxes and helped her pick the next one up. The men were enjoying their game of cat and mouse with her, and also enjoying the way the T-shirt she wore clung to her body as she melted in the summer heat.

“Kyoei looks happy, doesn’t he?” Yuki butt in, coming down the stairs with a box much too large for her in her hands, smiling happily. Fuji, Amatsu, and Devilin all cringed, waiting for the moment when she would trip and fall. They all hoped what was in that box was nothing fragile.

“He does,” Fuji said, watching her best friend walk down the stairs and onto the first floor. A collective sigh of relief filled the room as Yuki managed the box. She made it to the door without tripping, but those darn thresholds can be tricky. Yuki’s foot caught on a small piece of rubber from the door and suddenly she was falling forward, a box flying into the air as she fell down to the ground. Fuji cringed and ran to her friend.

Kyoei caught the box before it landed on Yuki’s head, doing his best not to fall forward and land on the girl himself as he pushed back and looked down at her. “Yuki, are you all right?”

“Sure,” she said, pushing herself upwards and examining the cuts and bruises on her knees that were quickly beginning to gather droplets of blood on the end.

Shinji walked up and helpfully reached out to Yuki, pulling her upwards and onto her own two feet. “Come on Yuki,” he said kindly, “let’s go get you cleaned up.”

As Shinji entered the bathroom with Yuki, the place of the first aid kit, Shai walked out of the children’s’ room, with Bliss carried in front of her, and Shu walking beside her. Shu saw Kyoei and positively jumped with excitement, running towards him at full speed down the stairs. It was a shame the child could maneuver hard moves easier than Yuki. He ran to Kyoei and jumped on the man, who still had the box in his hand and was doing his best now to juggle boy and box.

“I think that’s everything,” Shai said, stepping down the stairs carefully, holding Bliss closely to her chest, as if the girl would escape like her parents had.

“I don’t know how you could have any more,” Amatsu said, ready to lift another box. “We are only moving two bedrooms and I feel like we’ve moved a whole house.”

“Quit whining,” Devilin laughed at him, “you’ve barely moved anything.”

“I could say the same for you.”

“Knock it off you two,” Fuji snapped, coming back in the door after having taken out another box. “We are here for support for Shai, you both need to act properly when a guest in someone’s home. Feelings can not come in to play if you are going to be a strong businessman, both of you.”

“Fuji, you’re next,” Shinji called from the bathroom door.

“But I’m not injured,” she protested.

“You’re going to be,” he said, sending Yuki on her way and pulling his eldest daughter into the bathroom.
“Oooo, she’s in trouble,” Yuki sang, coming out with fresh Band-Aids on her knees.

“If only Shinwa could see you now,” Kyoei laughed. He was now carrying Shu, who seemed to enjoy being held by a man who wasn’t really his father but looked after him anyway.

“Shush, Kyoei,” Yuki sputtered, her sadness returning to her eyes.

“Good job, Kyoei,” Shai sighed, stepping over to her friend and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Don’t worry, Yuki,” she told her brightly. “Shinwa will return for you soon.”

In the bathroom Fuji was sitting on the edge of the bathtub while Shinji paced in the small room. “Why didn’t you tell me you were engaged? I had to hear it from Shai!”

“Mom made the decision for me,” Fuji said honestly. “I was given very little choice.”

“Your mom should have consulted me first,” Shinji grumbled, leaning against the wall in somber irritation.

“Shinji, has mom ever consulted you on anything she was going to decide for me?” Fuji asked quietly, honestly. “Why would you believe she would consult you on something that would be the biggest decision of my life?”

“Well why didn’t you tell me?” Shinji asked. “I’ve tried very hard to be your dad, Fuji, though I know you do not forgive me for a lot of things. I can’t help who I was, but I’m trying to be there for you. The least you could have done is called when you were engaged so I would not have to hear it from Shai three days later.”

Fuji bowed her head. She had never been reprimanded in this way before. Her mother was usually very physical in her reprimands, and she had never truly had a father figure in her life. It was odd to have Shinji so disappointed with her, in something that he wanted to be happy with her for.

“Do you love him?” he asked.

Fuji looked up at him and did not know how to answer. “I do,” she said, then continued, “and I don’t. I don’t know who I love.”

Shinji nodded and knew there was no more he could do for her at that moment, in that tiny bathroom. There was only one question left. “You don’t know who you love, but that is a lie, because you love them both, but who do you love more?”

Fuji looked up at him with glistening eyes and gave him her answer without hesitation.

“We’re leaving!!” Kyoei shouted from the doorway, hoping it would reach the two people locked in the bathroom. The door was nearly ripped off its hinges as two people came charging out to say good-bye to sister, daughter, friend.

“I guess I will see you as often as I see you now,” Amatsu joked with his best friend, clapping him on the back.

“Probably,” Kyoei said honestly, but with a laugh. “But… we’ll always be friends.”

“How gay,” Devilin mumbled behind them.

“Not very adult of you,” Fuji reprimanded, then her and Yuki both stepped over to Shai, giving her a large hug, the three of them embracing as school girls for the last time. From here on out it would be a different path for all three of them, and though they tried not to mention it in words, it was in all of their hearts.

“I can not say I’m completely happy,” Shai said honestly to her friends. “It is going to be hard without you two, we’ve always been together. But this is what is best. And don’t worry, I have a computer out there, so you’ll get e-mails from me all of the time.”

“Take care of yourself out there,” Yuki told her friend.

“Call us if you need us for anything,” Fuji insisted.

“No worries,” Shai laughed, “I’m not completely independent yet. I will always need you two in my life.”

Fuji and Yuki walked Shai to the truck, Bliss held tightly in her hands. Amatsu and Kyoei walked behind them, neither of them showing any emotion or even bothering to speak, the words they needed were between them already. Best friends, especially of the male persuasion, did not need to say all of the mushy things, they knew they were there.

Together a small crowd watched the truck drive away, unfortunately not into the sunset which would have been romantic, but into a hot afternoon sun, with Shu and Shai waving wildly out the window their good-byes.

The moment was ruined as Shinji explained he needed to be changing, and Devilin went to grasp Fuji’s hand, explaining they were supposed to spend the evening with Noriko and Teiyoku, and Amatsu following like a third wheel that was dominant. Yuki was left on the sidewalk, easily forgotten in the whirlwind of life, and feeling so utterly, desperately… alone.