"Come on... give me your bag and go wash up fast or grandpa will eat the fish." "Theee FIIIIISH????" Hotaru asked with big gasp. She quickly runs. She takes off her bag on the way to the bathroom, and her hair band, jacket, the belt, and the socks. She is running upstairs. "Your towel and clothes are all in the bathroom. We'll wait for you downstairs." Granny said while walking and collecting all the clothes on the floor and puts them in her room.
"HA HA HA" Grand-pa's loud voice. He is reading something that he picked up from the floor. "What is it? Didn't it come out of Hotaru's bag?" "Look... Hotaru received a love letter from a student..." HA HA HA "Give me that!" Granny grabs it angrily and leaves.
After about an hour, dinner time is over. Hotaru and her grand-pa are washing dishes. He takes the dishes and arranges them on a mat. They finished all the work and opened the backyard door. "Am going to sleep. You two also go to sleep... ok?" "Gran-Grand... you shouldn't go to sleep right after you eat... you 'll get fat... oh wait... you are already fat.. oops!" HA HA HA HA Hotaru and Mr. Oreki head to the backyard while laughing.
They walk on the rock pathway and sit on the bench under the mango tree. Hotaru looks at the moon and smiles prettily. "It's beautiful! Do you know grand-pa?" "Huh?" "This is one of my favourite parts when I'm home. Talking with you at night without grand-ma.. meaning... "Meaning peaceful! Trust me dear, I know it better than you.." Grand-pa said before Hotaru. HA HA HA HA! "Pa...." Hotaru gets up. "Yes?" "Do you remember the incident that happened in the school two years ago?" Hotaru started going in circles. "Yes I do. About that girl going missing which happened when I was the principal. One of the reasons why I lost my job." Grand-pa said while looking at the floor. "Yes. And you know it wasn't just one student." "Yes. I think those students who faced that incident two years ago are now in their third year of high school? They are spending their last year right?" "Yeah! And guess what... they are facing it again." Hotaru stopped. Grand-pa's eyes went up. Hotaru turns around and looks at grand-pa. He keeps looking at Hotaru. He is frozen. Hotaru quietly sits down.
"Well.. at least that's the reason why you kept quiet during dinner.. I thought it was cuz of that letter." Grand-pa sighs. "What letter?" "That love letter from one of your students.." "Whaaaat? How do you know that?" "It fell out of your bag." "PAAA?" "At least it's not what you were worrying about.. I wouldn't want my little cutie to get stuck in garbage like that." Grandpa giggles. "Argh!" Hotaru gets up and leaves angrily. He looks at the sky. "Well.. let's hope the new principal can solve it!" He also gets up and leaves the backyard.
Hotaru goes upstairs. She opens the door of grandma's room. She is deep in sleep. Hotaru smiles and closes the door. She goes back to her room, opens a drawer and takes out a fille. "Students of Freshman Year" The file with all the information of the missing students, two years ago. Hotaru sighs. "No matter what happens... this year we will end this shit!" Hotaru closes the file and puts it back in the drawer and goes to do her work.
******
The clock struck at 8.00pm. Chopsticks sounds. Shoyo is eating on the table with six chairs. By his side is a single chair with a man in a suit. On his right, is an empty seat. In front of him is a beautiful woman. Next to the woman is an old lady and on the side of the lady is an old man, the principal of Dwilight high School, facing directly to the man in suit.
"Look at this sad empty spot." the old lady grandmother of Shoyo said. "I know mother, it would have been great." Beautiful woman, Kishi Midori said. The real mother of Rei and the stepmother of Shoyo. "It would have been great for him and it would have been a better family dinner." The man in a suit said with a grumpy voice. He is the real father of Shoyo and the Stepfather of Rei, named Yuudai Atsushi. Simply means Shoyo and Rei are Step Brothers. He is not that kind of a good man. He tried his best to keep Rei at home but for some reason.. Rei was disgusted by him. So he left that house.
"Stop with that talk. That kid can not be a topic for us to talk about. He is stubborn. He is too stubborn, the less you mention about him, the better it is for all of us. I don't know why he is like that... A troublemaker." Grandpa puts down the chopsticks and grabs the spoon and digs in the soup with an angry face. "Did something happen? Father-in-law?" "You seem to be annoyed honey..." Shoyo's stepmother and grnad-ma are the only people who seem to be worrying about Rei. As for Shoyo... he doesn't really worry about him alot since he knows what Rei is up to everyday. Not quite but at least he meets him once in a while.
"Yes! Something big! Very serious!" "What is it dad?" Atsushi, Shoyo's father asked. "Something is definitely wrong with that kid. Am not saying that he has mental issues or anything." "Dad just get to the point." Atsushi is annoyed already. Talking about Rei is something that he really hates to do. "Argh! That kid! He keeps being late for school. The entire last week he was late for school. And as for this week... I was able to stop it. And now he is being late for other classes. Like classes after lunch break or before lunch break, and last classes. Teachers have complained about him to the vice principal too many times now. If this continues like this, I will have no other choice than expel him from the school." "WHAT?" "It's a punishment for him to not listening to his own grand-father." "You Can't expel him as a punishment! This is his last year in high school. Expelling him isn't a good idea. Let him enjoy his last year as he wishes. Don't ruin his school life! Especially when it's the last year!" Grand-ma yelled. "Oh yeah!? Let him enjoy as he wishes...? School has rules u know!" "Yes, but this is his last year in school. If you expel him now... he'll miss all that fun students have in last year of their school life. Don't you get it?" Grand-ma asked with an innocent face.
The dining room is silent. Grand-ma doesn't eat and keeps looking at the empty spot. Rei's mother is worried. She is about to cry. She stares at the food while rolling her chopsticks. "Don't worry too much. I am sure that he is struggling to get up in the morning." Atsushi said. "What?" Midori lifts up her head. "Don't worry honey! You know... he is on his own. So he has to do work, studying and everything on his own. When he realizes that he can't do all that for so long on his own... He'll return." Atushi said while rubbing Midori's hair.
"Do you really think so?" Grand-ma asked. "I've been with him for six years. Well not exactly six years cuz he leaves the house whenever he wants and doesn't come back for like 3 days. But... during that time.. I found that boy so strong. Both mentally and physically. He is also very intelligent. I have noticed it several times. Son... you'll have to try even harder to get him back in this house." Granny continues like she knows everything about him.
Yoshiro Rei and his mother Kishi Midori joined the Yuudai family when he was only 9 years old. His father died when he was 7 years old. After that, his mother spent roughly two years raising Rei on her own but she couldn't. The reason why she remarries. After the marriage... Rei thought his mother abandoned his father because she wanted to be rich. So he started hating his mother. He hated everyone in the new family. He didn't want to have a new father. He didn't feel like sharing his love with someone else other than his lovely father. He only stayed there for two months and he left. He would come from time to time to visit his mother, maybe for a week and leave again for 3 days. He slept at school. He also had money because all his dad's money and properties were signed under Rei's name. He spent them carefully. That's how he survived for six years without needing any help from his new family. And at the age of 16... he decided. "I'll go on my own! I won't need your help at all!" He found a part time job. August 21st.. he turned 17. He left the house for good and never returned even to visit his mother. Now he is 18 years old. Stubborn, Trouble making, Strong smartass!
******
~Sen's grand ma's restaurant~
"Thank you for coming!" "Please enjoy the food!" "Thank you for the food!" "One boiled rice noodles" Sen takes the orders. The granny is cooking. Rei is serving. "Let's clean up. It's almost 9.00pm." Sen tells Rei. "Right" Rei quickly goes around the restaurant collecting the dishes. Sen heads outside turned the open sign to close. The customers quickly left.
"Thank you for your hard work boys!" Granny said while handing over two cups of bean noodles. Sen starts eating before she even hands it over to them. "Thanks granny!" "You're welcome! Rei.. you should eat too. You can't skip today, I'm watching you." "Sorry! But I'm not hungry. I'll eat tomorrow." Rei goes upstairs. "But you said the same thing yesterday." Granny shouts. "Please! I promise I'll eat tomorrow." Sen looks at Rei while having noodles hanging in his mouth. Grand-ma is also looking at him with her mouth open. "Granny.. close your mouth. Otherwise a fly with no break will end up in your mouth. Oh poor fly! It will have to close its nose before flying in there." "Oh shut up!" Granny hits him with the menu book that was on the table.
The moon is shining brightly. The wind is so refreshing. Rei is sitting on the rooftop of the restaurant looking at the moon. He takes a deep breath and exhales. He closes his eyes and lies down. The night ends with Rei sleeping on the rooftop.