Twenty-Four

'Instead of runaway teens we have runaway parents, huh.' 

After half an hour in the supermarket, buying ingredients, snacks, and sauces, Mrs Aigawa arrived at Kikiyo's door, Kaho and Himiko in tow. She rang the doorbell and Ichigo answered, her two younger brothers running around, wailing incoherently, each holding a plastic superhero in their fists. 

She looked rough. Rougher than she had a few days ago, run down like Kikiyo. She'd cut her long black hair into a bob by her chin. It was too round, and made her cheeks look fuller, less gaunt. Her skin had grown paler, and the bags under her eyes were darker. 

She'd changed out of her school uniform and into a pair of fuzzy pyjama pants and a hoodie, pottering about in odd socks. 

"Hey there Ichigo," Kaho said, "Kikiyo said I could drop by?" 

"She didn't tell me anything about it…" Ichigo muttered, letting the Aigawas step inside. They removed their shoes, and forced themselves to stay looking at Ichigo. The house was chilly, like every last window was open. A saucepan sat on the hob. Ichigo was boiling eggs, four sad bentos waiting on the cluttered kitchen counter. 

Washing was air drying, hanging from every handle; socks, bras and underwear dangled from the handles from the kitchen drawers. Ichigo's school uniform was dripping wet, hanging from a door, dangling above a ceramic bowl. The boys' ash grey school shorts and light blue parkas were draped over each of the chairs at the dinner table, shorts, parka, shorts, parka, and two little white polo shirts. A stubborn bright red jam stain was still on one of the shirts, a paste of bicarbonate soda, toothpaste and vinegar was fizzing from the stain, trickling to the floor. The washing machine, filled with a bright red duvet depicting 'Spiderman' thunked in the corner, the drum battering the wall as the duvet spun and spun.

"How was your birthday, Ichigo?" Mrs Aigawa asked. 

She scowled petulantly, "Fine. Mamoru bought cake. 'S'good. Have some." 

Dirty dishes were precariously balanced on the side, next to the sink and an open history textbook was balanced beside the oven. Ichigo was studying. Even while cooking for her siblings. Kaho's heart ached. There was only so much she could do, especially since someone had to keep an eye on Naoki and Daichi. 

"Maybe later," Kaho said, rolling up her sleeves and bustling toward the pile of dirty dishes. 

"Hey!" Ichigo squawked, "You don't have to do those! I was gonna do them after I fed the boys!"

"Don't worry," Kaho smiled, "I've got these."

Ichigo stomped her foot, hands forming fists at her side. 

"Sweetheart," Mrs Aigawa said, crouching down so she was smaller than the first-year girl, "We heard your parents were struggling, so we bought some food."

Ichigo tensed, "Who told you that?" 

"I did," Kaho said. 

Ichigo crossed her arms and glared at Kaho. 

"You don't know anything," she muttered, stomping away from Mrs Aigawa and the boiling eggs. She crossed the kitchen, to the messy table and sifted through the worksheets and organised them into piles, clipping them together with hot pink bobby pins and shoving them into each boy's school bag. 

Mrs Aigawa took over supervising the eggs, and when Kaho had finished scrubbing the dishes, gestured for Kaho to fill the four bentos with the groceries. Kaho set to work, putting apple slices, crackers, sliced ham, store-bought curry buns and lemon yoghurts in each box. Each was individually wrapped from the supermarket bento bar. 

Himiko had long-since wandered deeper into the house, joining the boys in their game. Their laughter shook the house. Ichigo ran a hand through her hair. 

"Kikiyo didn't send you, did she?" Ichigo muttered. 

Kaho smiled placidly while her mother called the three children to the table. Himiko would eat with the boys, and while they ate their hard-boiled eggs, Ichigo would study, Kaho would tidy up a bit, and Mrs Aigawa would prepare dinner for Ichigo. Kikiyo could cook an egg when she got home. 

"Why are you doing this for us?" Ichigo asked as her brothers thanked Mrs Aigawa for the meal. 

"Because, when I had Taiga, I was really really sick, and your Mum came over and bought food for me. I was too sick to even move. I'm just returning the favour for her." 

Ichigo's eyes watered. She turned away. 

"You can go," she muttered, "She'll be back…"

Kaho woke up to a kitchen full of mangoes. Taiga had bought them. He declared there'd been an accident on his run and the man driving the truck of fresh fruit had to write off his stock. So he was giving it away. Taiga, being the opportunist he was, had taken two overflowing boxes of fruit and staggered home, cutting his run short. Then he sent Mrs Aigawa to fetch some, too. For Kikiyo and her siblings. After all, mangoes were expensive, and a great treat in the warm weather. 

A smoothie was waiting at the breakfast table, bright orange and full of Vitamin A. Cardboard boxes were overflowing with fresh, ripe fruit. Kaho's brother was peeling their skins and throwing them in sugar syrup while headbanging to rock music. 

The cats had made themselves scarce. 

"You okay over there, Taiga?" 

He nodded, grinning wolfishly, "I saw Ryota practising in the park this morning. He was playing some older guy and wasn't even sweating. The kid doesn't stop."

"He really wants to be someone your team can depend on," Kaho said quietly. She flipped her hair, styled in twin tails, over her shoulders. She chewed on her lip and picked up a singular mango, putting it in her bag. 

"Oh no you don't," Taiga declared, "You are going to use these to curry favour with Aya's brother." 

Kaho rolled her eyes, "You want me to seduce him with a mango? What am I a penguin?" 

"Don't be silly! Penguins don't use mangoes to flirt, Kaho."

Kaho crossed her arms and took two more mangoes and put them in her bag. She would put one on Naseru's desk, like how someone had left those matcha 'Kit Kat' bars on Emi and Maki's desks a few weeks ago. 

"I have a boyfriend, Taiga," Kaho muttered, "I wouldn't be flirting with mangoes anyway." 

"Yeah?" Taiga said, turning on the blender, fresh fruit and ice cubes whirring together, adding an extra bassline to the rock music, "I thought you said he wanted to see you? He said you needed to talk?" 

Kaho pursed her lips, digging her nails into her palms, "A lapse in judgement!" 

Taiga snorted and decanted his smoothie, "Want a ride today? You were out pretty late at Kikiyo's." 

Kaho nodded, yawning into her fist. Taiga gestured to the door. Kaho put her shoes on, grabbed her bento box, and yawned again. 

Himiko hadn't been impressed last night. Instead of spending her evening playing 'Mario' like she'd wanted, Mrs Aigawa essentially rammed the door to Kikiyo's house down. When Ichigo finally answered the door there was little she could do before Mrs Aigawa shoved her way in and unpacked a week's worth of groceries into the decrepit pantry. In exchange, they'd accepted a piece of Ichigo's birthday cake. 

 "She feeling better after that creep tried to perv on her the other night?" Taiga asked as he drove.

Kaho shrugged, "I'll check in with her today, promise." 

"Good. And hey, make sure Ryota doesn't overdo it? The kid is brimming with enthusiasm. I really think he could be the ace up our sleeve." 

"Maybe you should be the one to tell him that?" Kaho said unsurely, "He'd rather hear it from you. Or Fumiko, or Captain Hirano, but especially you." 

Taiga shrugged, "He should have more faith in himself. His team does."

"Says the guy who remains dedicated to getting Matsuoka to join." 

Taiga glared at her, turning into the car park. 

"Kaho," he said, "You can't force him. I know that. You know that. But it would be good to have someone like that on the team, don't you see that?" 

Kaho shrugged, "I think the team is pretty damned good as it is and if Matsuoka doesn't want to join he shouldn't have to." 

She slammed the door on her brother and joined the flocks of students heading to their respective classes. Kaho watched, with narrowed eyes as Itou Maki stuffed a sheet of paper in a shoe locker. She stared, struck dumb as Kaho's eyes met hers. She broke into a run and bolted up the stairs. Kaho furrowed her brows, glancing over at the locker. It was Tsumugi's. She was the one who had been leaving those lockers for Tsumugi? 

Kaho changed her shoes and shook her head. Whatever Maki's letters were telling her about Tsumugi wasn't her business. Not at the moment. She had mangoes to distribute.