Chapter 52: Rudeness

Slurrrrp... slrrp...

For a kid who insisted he wasn't hungry he sure is wolfing his food down.

I sit in the booth across from Shin. Both of us are soaking wet, but the steam from the bowls in front of us makes those few seconds of rain worth it.

No one said anything in the car, except for Natsume. He asked us where we wanted to go and if he had the right place. Long live the maturity of older brothers.

He and Ema brought us to one of the noodle places near the station. I had in mind to go to another place before the rain started, but that one's a bit further away, and I don't want to impose on Natsume any more today.

He and Ema sit in another booth a ways away. They're trying hard not to eavesdrop, but we're practically the only ones in the shop. The only other people are an older couple near the back. They're busy chatting it up with the server and the chef, though, also pretending like they can't hear us.

I slurp back some noodles, sneaking glances at Shin in between chews. He hasn't looked at me since we sat in the back seat of Natsume's car. He didn't even look at me when we ordered. He just said it'll be on my bill and muttered that he'd pay me back later.

When I said you 'owe' me I wasn't actually going to make you pay for the meal... I'm not that mean, you know!

I didn't correct him, but I didn't say otherwise, either. Part of me wants to make sure that Shin has a reason to stay here.

"So..." I say. My chopsticks rest at the side of the bowl. The golden broth reflects the pale light over our heads. The blobs of gleaming oil reflect my nervous face. With my blue and black hair dripping down my neck, I look like I'm the one who ran away and fell in the river, and that statement wouldn't be entirely incorrect. I'm fighting the urge to stand up and leave right now. The food is good, but I want to go home.

"So what?" Shin grunts. He lifts his bowl and takes another loud slurp. "You gonna yell at me again?"

Well, I want to, but I'm not going to. You're welcome.

"Look. It was wrong of me to yell at you back there," I admit, the half-hearted apology grating against my tongue. "I was worried and it came out wrong. It's been a stressful morning."

Shin snorts. "I bet."

"It's been even worse for our parents."

"You tryin' to guilt trip me? No wonder you get along with them so well.

"My chopsticks clink against the bowl. I can't let him get the better of me. In the past Shin would bait me and I would bait him, we'd fall for each other's baits and get continue our never ending argument. Normally it would be our parents who get us to stop.

But they're not here to do that now. That responsibility falls on me now. I have to be the bigger person. 

Just perfect...

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I try to see Shin through the eyes of my parents. How would they view him now? How would any other adult see him now?

In this hypothetical scenario, Shin is a cold, wet, hungry high school kid, far from home and without his family to rely on. The only person with him is his older sister, who's fuming at him, and some total strangers who found themselves involved in this drama. None of them are going to leave him alone if he runs again, so he's begrudgingly staying put for now. 

I bet he's waiting for an excuse to leave, but not before he stuffs his stomach. He doesn't seem to have a plan for what comes after, so he might as well accept their goodwill while it lasts.

If I look at it that way I kind of feel sorry for him. Shin hasn't said a word of what happened at home, and I don't think I'm going to get to the bottom of everything today, but I still want to try. But I need to be careful. If I push him too hard he'll clamp up.

It's selfish of me to admit it, but I want to be able to get through to him. I want to succeed where my parents failed. I want to be that good older sister whose younger brother goes to for advice. I want to provide a solution to whatever problem that started this.

Guilt prickles at me, the acknowledgement of my selfish motives making my cheeks flare.

I cast a side-eye toward the other table. Ema and Natsume's murmurs sound from the other corner. They're talking amongst themselves, but not so loud they'd drown out anything that's said over here.

Having an audience is definitely another motive to pretend that everything is going to be okay.

"We're just worried about you," I try again. "I don't know what else you want to hear. If you're coming to Tokyo I'm not just going to leave you alone like this. No matter what happens, you're my younger brother."

No matter how irritating you are, I'd never not make sure you were okay.

The words that come out are pretty, but my feelings are the truth. Even though I'm trying partly for selfish reasons, I really, really want Shin to be okay for his own sake, too.

"You've gotten better at talking," Shin says. He fishes out a fishcake from his bowl and pops it into his mouth. "Did college do that to you?"

Technically, I'm in university, but that doesn't matter right now.

"You can argue with me all you want, but it's not going to get you anywhere."

"Yet you always jab back."

It bothers me that he's right. "If it's worth jabbing back then of course I will.

"The two of us glare at each other. Elsewhere in the city, lightning flashes through the thunderous rain.

In the other corner Ema shrinks back. I'd be startled by the lightning, too.

"You have any plans for the night?" I ask. Might as well get it over with. I know he's going to tell me it's none of my business.

Shin smacks his bowl down. "What's it to you?"

Classic younger brother. Why's he got to be so melodramatic? Was I like him at that age?"

So you've got no plans."

Shin averts his gaze, and I know I'm right.

"Come stay at my place," I say. "I won't ask you about it if you don't want to talk, but you can't just waltz around Tokyo like we do at home."

"Yeah? Why not? High schoolers do it all the time.""Yeah, but they know their own city. You'd get lost here in the blink of an eye."

"I have Google Maps, you know."

"Where's your phone?" I cross my arms.

Instead, Shin raises his bowl again and gulps down more broth. When he eventually sets it down and wipes his chin, he mumbles something.

"What was that now?""... lost it."

"I'm sorry, what?"

Shin narrows his eyes. "I lost it, okay?"

"How do you lose your phone?" I rub my forehead, exasperated. "Wait, how did you even pay for a ticket without it?"

Shin doesn't speak for a while, but since I won't budge he eventually comes out with it.

"I asked the station guy," he mutters. "He got me one with my savings."

Well, at least he's resourceful."Well, you got here in one piece, at least." I stir the noodles around in my bowl. They're soggy by now, but I know they'll still taste good. Stalling for time, I take another few bites, savouring the umami. I was right about the taste, by the way.

"We can call your phone using mine. Someone probably found it. How about clothes?" I nod to his bag, whose cover is so soaked that it's sunk in on itself. It must be nearly empty. I'm beginning to question what exactly went down when he decided to leave home.

Shin mumbles something about having his P.E. clothes. Apparently, they were the easiest thing to grab in a hurry. He might've just come home from school.

"So let me get this straight. You've got no phone and no clothes. I'm guessing you don't have any spare underwear right now."

"Nee-san!" Shin hisses. His eyes dart furiously over to the Asahina table.

I purse my lips. Oh. I guess he didn't want Ema to hear that.

"You can use the dryer at my place, but when the rain stops we're going out to buy you some. You're not wearing mine."

Shin pulls a face. "Like I'd want to wear your girly panties."

"Don't call them 'panties.' That's weird."

It's more weird that we're talking about it at all, but I'm trying to be practical here.

"I'll have to get you a toothbrush as well, and another towel for the bathroom..." I list off the growing list in my head. Hosting an unexpected guest is proving itself a pain. "I hope I have enough for it."

"Oi, I'm not asking you to buy all that for me," Shin argues.

"I know you're not, but you said yourself you're not going to use my stuff."

Shin can't say argue with that.

"What else? Food? You like meat. We'll pick up some beef on the way back. I've been eating nothing but instant ramen anyway."

"You're so in trouble if Kaasan finds out."

"I'm sure she'll be fine with it since I'm sticking to a budget."

"Your budget must be shot. You had to find a new place, too, right?"

I blink in surprise.

"Everyone heard about it, you know." Shin rolls his eyes. "Kaasan told everyone how bad it was, how her 'poor Mai-chan is up to her ankles in water, homeless in Tokyo.'" He imitates our mother's voice in a squeaky pitch. I want to cover my ears, but at the moment I'm kind of annoyed at our mother.

"She told everyone everyone?" My heart races.

Shin nods, glad not to be the one in the line of fire for once. "Yep. She told the neighbours, the Yamagawas, the Satsukis, the Yoshinaris... oh, even that jiisan who comes to the shop just to smoke."

Hearing the name of our family's closest friends and random acquaintances makes my head spin. Great. Now everyone knows. I mean, it's not like it was a secret, but it's kind of embarrassing.

I hang my head. "Wonderful. It's not like it was such a huge deal though."

"She told everyone you were staying with a friend, but she didn't say much about after that," Shin continues. He's finished his bowl and has moved on to pinching bits of meat from mine. I try to pull it back, but he's faster. Triumphantly, he pops the bundle of beef into his mouth and licks his lips. I'm left scowling at my now meatless noodles.

"Well, I stayed at Ema's. She probably told you that."

"Yeah, she did." Shin openly looks back at the Asahinas now. "Didn't say you were staying with a guy, though."

"A guy?"

I look past Shin over to Ema and Natsume. They're deep in their own conversation now, and it seems like they're no longer listening in on us.

Shin frowns. "Well, I guess he's an old man. But still."

Coughing erupts behind us. Natsume's banging his chest to get the air moving again. I realize that Shin's referring to him on both counts.

"I don't think he's that old," I murmur. But that's beside the point. Shin thinks that Natsume lives with Ema and that I've been living with both of them.

Oh, boy. So she didn't tell you that I've been staying with Ema's other brothers?

I want to laugh at the irony.

"Look, Shin, it's not what you think, but Ema-chan's been real nice to me this whole time. She keeps helping me out despite never getting anything back. I'm grateful to her and her family for that."

"Sure." He doesn't sound convinced, but I'm not sure what about. "Maaa. I can't believe you're the one who gets to be friends with a pretty girl. Guess that's the only good thing about coming to Tokyo."

A vein bulges in my forehead. "Oi, don't talk about her like that. I know you're mad at me, but you don't have to be rude. Keep those kind of things to yourself."

Especially since they're the ones who saved your butt from a rainy night in the streets!

I don't understand why he's being like this. Yes, Shin's probably had a rough day, but that doesn't excuse him for talking about my friend like they're some side characters in a manga. If he needs a punching bag for his emotions then he should just stick with me. As his older sister I'm used to it, and it's far more appropriate than going after a stranger.

"Whatever." Shin crosses his arms and leans back against his seat.

"Shin, you—"

I don't get to finish my tirade.

A shadow falls over both of us. I startle and slowly look up.

Natsume towers over us, and in the flickering noodle shop lights his orange hair flares red like flames.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't help but overhear you," he says, his expression taut and his tone anything but apologetic.

"What did you just say about my sister?"