This isn't the News I Needed

 I shoved her hand away and literally tried to shake sense into my head… but to no avail. “Sayuri… w-would you care to repeat what you just said?”

“I have a home-date. With my boyfriend. Tonight.”

“Makoto, have you ever seen a medical professional about this? Fainting so often can’t be good for you.” My vision was filled by the day and night of hair. I parted the Red Sea and sat up between them.

“I fainted for good reason this time! If anything, it’s surprising you two didn’t. Did you not hear Sayuri?”

“Yes, we heard her,” The two responded in unison. Kaoru continued speaking for both of them. “Sayuri’s in her third year of junior high… She’s not such a little kid anymore.”

“No-no-no! She is! She is!”

“Kaoru-nee-chan is right, Mako.” My sister spun around in the chair. “Throwing a gross tantrum won’t change the fact I’m not a little kid anymore.”

My vision felt a bit blurry… Oh… it’s happening again— My head felt heavy and I fell back, filled with a terribly noisy static as it became harder to keep my eyelids open. “Hey! Hey! Stay with me!” Kaoru yelled as he propped up my head.

“I— I’m fading… It’s too late.”

“We’re not losing you! Fujioka-senpai! Grab that bunny-girl figure!” Fujioka’s eyes widened and she looked a bit confused. “Don’t just stand there like a donut! On the double!” In a moment the blurry silhouette of a Utahi Kazumagaoki figure was waved in my face. “Come on Makoto… Please…”

The blurry lines of the world around me sharpened—the blonde head of hair in front of me focused.

“Haa—” A sigh came from Fujioka. “Stop horsing around. Makoto, if you were a good brother you’d let your sister have some private time. And there’s no need to worry, I’m assuming your mother will be here.”

“F-fine!” I got up along with Kaoru—I folded my arms and flicked away from Fujioka. “And for your information, I’m a great brother.”

I heard a stifled life come from behind me. Alright. I’m leaving.

“I feel like a bum…” I kicked a can to the side. “Kicked out of the house left to roam the streets.”

“I cannot blame your sister, you most likely would’ve been a disturbance to their date.” Fujioka said from my right.

“Hey! I know! Why don’t we go grab dinner! This is the perfect chance to eat out.” Do I even have to say who said this?

“Did you bring your wallet…?” I gave her a dead-pan stare.

“O-of course I did! Haha… Why wouldn’t I have?”

“Let me see it.”

Ak— Kaoru looked everywhere but my eyes. Was her wallet on top of a building or something? “Uhmm… Caan we stop by my house quick? Just for a sec?”

Usually, any sane person would just say no and cover for their friend/club mate—avoiding a twenty-minute train ride. Luckily, there were two factors today that prevented this. One, we had all the time in the world, and two, it was Kaoru.

So after a small forty-minute expedition, we departed the train at Kagoshima-Chuo Station. It was the tail end of rush hour so foot-traffic was still an issue. We pushed through to a wall-mounted bench on the platform and thought over where to eat. Actually, that’s not quite the truth—we waited for Kaoru to decide.

Fujoka and I both watched on as our blonde companion actively drooled while looking at a map of the city.

“Yes! This is the place!” She turned her screen towards us, it was an average looking Tonkatsu place.

“Are you sure? Maybe you’d like two Big Mac’s and a large fry.” Fujioka clearly meant this as an insult, but Kaoru didn't get the hint.

“Ahh~ Maybe you’re right…”

“N-nevermind. Let us go to the place you suggested.”

“No! That won’t work! I want fries now.”

“Kaoru-chan, I find it impossible that you’re considered popular…”

“No~ But the nearest McDonalds is sooo far!” She glossed right over Fujioka’s jab and went back to scouring her digital map.

We took a booth seat near a window, the place was quite noisy, being filled with the afterwork crowd. It’s a nice homely type of vibe, you know? But I’d prefer less people, personally.

The place we she decided on was your staple family-diner. I don’t mind honestly, it’s cost-effective, tastes fine, and good service. Well, the “cost-effective” part is relative. Let’s say I was just out with Fujioka or someone, it’d be cheap, right? Now add Kaoru to that equation and suddenly it’s a cost-equivalent to a dinner in downtown Paris.

Course One: Large fries

“Makoto, this is a perfect time to get writing done. I’m assuming you did next to none today? Correct?” My senior thunked her laptop down in front of me.

“T-that assessment has no evidence to back it!”

She sighed and rested her cheek on her hand. “It’s May right now, the deadline is June fifteenth, giving you… about twenty-two days? If we’re efficient, we could still get in two rounds of revising.”

“Hahaha good one. But I have way more time than that.” I opened the calendar app on my cell phone. “You’re just overdramatizing it so I’ll—”

“Hm? Is something the matter?”

“J-J-June… fifteenth… is in… twenty-two… days…”

“Mm— Better—mmf—pick it up then,” Kaoru commented with a stuffed mouth.