I Did Not Know Pt. 2

Azami drags her older brother along as they, Inei and his mother, and Chura walk through the stalls at the party.

"I already told you I'm not doing this if he's involved."

Azami looks at him with an angry look.

"You're acting so immature! He's your teammate, and you're being mean to him for no reason!"

He looks at her in disbelief.

"I have plenty of reason! And I can't believe you're siding with some silent asshole over me!"

Inei's mom leans toward Inei.

"What did you do to him that infuriated him?"

Inei shrugs.

I did nothing to him. Sure, I took his spot, but the coach placed me there. I don't believe that it's my fault. He's still a great player and could easily be the sixth man, but that's not good enough. He also has an entirely different attitude than Azami.

Inei looks over, and Azami and her brother argue some more. Chura sneaks over, standing next to Inei as they wait for them to stop arguing, looking down to the side with a blush.

"So, what did your mom mean by that earlier?"

Inei looks down at her and then forward.

I have a now somewhat shy Chura and an upset Azami. These girls in this mood aren't going well, and I need to find some way to fix this.

Inei's mother speaks to Chura in an upbeat tone, trying to clear the misunderstanding between Chura and Inei herself.

"Oh! Well, you seem to be the more mature and out-there, so I consider you the hot one who likes to be looked at and have attention."

Chura tilts her head.

"So he didn't tell you I was?"

Inei's mother shakes her head.

"No, that was my statement."

Chura then has a pout looking at Inei.

"Oh. I see."

And she crosses her arms looking away.

Why is she angry?! Did she want me to say she was?!

Azami walks over to Inei now.

"Sorry, Inei, he's just being a pain. I'll meet up with you guys later; he's stubborn."

Inei nods. Azami smiles sadly and runs to her brother, walking in a different direction.

Wait a minute.

He looks to his side, Chura still there.

Azami left Chura with me!

Inei's mother looks at Chura with a smile.

"Chura! It looks like you're with us! Here, I would like to meet you and get to know you better!"

Chura smiles, gives Inei a mean look, then goes next to his mother, talking with her happily. Walking through the stations, Inei follows Chura and his mother, who is having a great time.

The festival isn't going how I expected it to go, and I will probably change plans. If I get the chance, I should meet up with Yui and Yasu for some time.

Inei pulls out his phone and opens his text messages.

Wait, who do I text? Because if I only text one of them, it will look like I like that one more, but I enjoy all my friends equally. What if I text both of them? No, that would be weird. Well, I guess I would rather be weird than make one sad.

Inei texts both Yasu and Yui, both of them responding at the same time.

Yui: "We're over by the grills!"

Yasu: "We're at the grills..."

Inei looks at his mom and Chura and ponders.

It would make sense that they're at the grills. Yui loves food, and if what Yasu said is true about their father favoriting her, then they will be at the grills for as long as Yui would like. How am I going to get them there, though?

He glances at Chura and his mother, laughing up a storm. Inei then gets an idea. He taps on their shoulders and points at his stomach. Inei's mother speaks.

"Inei, quit being so silly and showing off your muscles!"

Chura bursts out laughing, as well as his mother. Inei gains a tormented look. He then begins walking.

They'll follow me.

And with that, he looks behind him, seeing the two girls following him, his mother talking.

"Inei, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to embarrass you; come back."

Inei stops and points to his stomach again and then at the grills. Chura and his mother both say at the same time.

"Oh, okay, that makes more sense."

Inei turns back, walking towards the grills, the other two walking with him. When they arrive, Yasu is the first one that Inei finds. Chura is speaking to her.

"Hello, Yasu! Are you here to eat too?"

Yasu looks away shyly. Inei's mother is now going to her, hugging her.

"You look like you need a hug Yasu. Are you alright?"

Yasu gains a shocked expression on her face, then hugs back. After the hug, Yasu smiles.

"Yes, ma'am. I'm okay."

Then, she goes to Inei.

"Do you mind if I stay with you guys?"

Chura tilts her head.

"But, I thought you were here with your father."

Yasu looks at her, almost shocked rather than nervous.

"Well, yeah."

Chura smiles big.

"You should go get him! I'm sure he'd love the meet Inei and his mother!"

Yasu furrows her eyebrows a little, visible frustration on her face.

"How about you guys come with me?"

Inei nods and stands beside her. She smiles at Inei. Yasu turns her head towards Chura with a confused and upset look and then looks forward, all three following her. When they arrive at their father, Inei freaks out.

Holy shit.

The twins' dad is enormous, has big muscles and tattoos, and is very tall.

I'm six foot two, and he makes me look short! He is a different level of terrifying!

Yui stands beside him, eating a rack of ribs along with him. He sees Yasu through his blackened shades.

"Hi Yasu, nice for you to rejoin us."

Yasu looks down, not making eye contact with him.

"Um, Dad, this is mine and Yui's friends, Inei and Chura, and Inei's mother."

The twins' dad looks down at him, furrowing his eyebrows. Inei begins to sweat.

I didn't think anyone could intimidate me. The twins' dad is something completely different.

He walks up to Inei, leaning down, looking him in the eyes, lifting his sunglasses, his eyes as black as the glasses. The man then smiles, putting his hand out.

"I'm Mr. Kazuki; nice to meet you, Inei, was it?"

Inei nervously shakes the man's hand, nodding. Yui speaks now, mouth full.

"He's mute, Dad, so you'll have to watch for body language for a response."

Mr. Kazuki nods.

"Okay, that's fair enough. Well, if my daughters are your friends, you must be a good fellow."

Inei nods quickly to agree.

He speaks on behalf of both of them. Maybe it's just how Yasu thinks.

Suddenly, he leans down, whispering into Inei's ear.

"Which one are you trying to get with?"

Inei tenses with fear as if he had just touched an electric fence, his face and skin turning pale from fear.

"Let me make one thing clear. I'm a nice guy, and I try to be. But if you even think about hurting, either, I will crush you, no matter who you are. Understand?"

Inei nods super-fast with fear, red covering his face. Then their dad laughs, clamping his hand down on Inei's shoulder.

"I'm messing with you. But don't hurt my girls. Seriously."

Inei smiles uncomfortably with relief.

This guy screams Yui's personality. I've not sensed any Yasu from him other than his dark style.

Inei's mother walks up to him with a smile.

"Well, it's finally nice to meet a parent of one of my son's friends! I promise you he has good intentions, and if he does something wrong, even at nineteen, I'll spank him!"

He looks at his mom, his cheeks becoming dark red.

What the hell, Mom!

He bellows out a laugh once more.

"Oh yeah, you girls did a great job making friends with this guy; he's silent but funny to watch!"

Inei looks down in despair.

This festival is going to be the worst day of my life.

Yui, Yasu, Inei, and Chura move to the side, letting Ms. Hoshi and Mr. Kazuki chat. Chura smiles.

"That was a much more pleasant encounter, wasn't it?"

You're one to talk when it does not affect you, Chura.

Yui nods, smiling.

"I have excellent food; Inei met our dad, and two-thirds of us are together. The only thing that would improve it would be if all six of us were here!"

Inei looks to the side, Yasu noticing.

"What's wrong, Inei?"

Chura speaks up.

"Azami's older brother is on the basketball team, and I'm assuming Inei's new fame was not taken lightly by him. He refuses to let Azami be around Inei whenever he's around."

Yui and Yasu both frown. Yui is speaking up.

"What about Aneko?"

Chura shrugs.

"We have not seen her, have you guys?"

Both Yui and Yasu shake their heads. Inei looks around.

She said she was going to try to make my life hell. That is the last thing I need right now. Maybe Azami and Aneko are together.

The intercoms sound.

"It is now seven-fifteen! Please get in your friend groups in the next fifteen minutes!"

All four of them look at each other, then at the parents. The parents notice and look at them. Mr. Kazuki is speaking.

"Is this all of you?"

Inei's mother looks at him.

"If I'm not mistaken, there should be two more. Azami and Analicia?"

The girls kind of giggle, then Chura corrects her.

"Aneko. She's gotten better and become better friends with Inei now, so she wouldn't mind hanging out if we find her."

Inei's mother claps her hands in excitement.

"Oh good! With what you all told me, she sounds like a sweet soul!"

Aneko is not sweet; more like the opposite.

Yui turns, looking at the crowds.

"Well, we're losing time! Let's look for them!"

She takes off, then everyone takes off after her, searching for them. They run through the mass crowds of groups, shrinking and moving their bodies effectively through the crowds.

Running around is crazy. I never thought this would be what was going on. I'm so confused by people and want to go home.

Inei looks to his left, his eyes growing, a surprised look on his face. He sees the silhouette of a woman, the woman looking back at him with a horrible look, and then he passes someone, the woman gone. He slows down, now even falling behind his mother in speed.

"Come on, Inei! You're falling behind!"

Why? Why now?

Suddenly, a shout from Yasu.

"I found both of them!"

They run up, meeting with Azami, Aneko, Aneko's mother, and Azami's older brother. Immediately Aneko brings her mother to Inei with an evil smirk.

"Here, Mother, this is Inei."

Her mother inspects him, Inei looking down.

"He seems like a creep."

Aneko nods, smiling with a confident look.

"Right? I thought the same thing when I first met him."

She puts her hand out to him.

"I'm Aneko's mother. Nice to meet you."

Inei slowly looks up, his eyes dark in color, shakes her hand, nodding, and then looks back down. Now even Aneko notices.

"Hey, Inei, are you okay?"

Inei doesn't respond, and then the intercom comes on.

"It is now seven-thirty! Begin meeting everyone for the next thirty minutes!"

They all get in a big circle, everyone talking to each other, big smiles on their faces. Shockingly, however, Aneko sits beside Inei, actually concerned, her mother scoffing.

"Don't worry about him. He seems useless and boring anyway. Who would want to be friends with that?"

Inei doesn't budge, just looking down at the ground. Aneko furrows her eyebrows and then looks at her mother.

"I do. I planned to tease Inei by having him meet you. But you know, he has done so much for me that him looking like that I can't even stand no matter how much I want it to look like I hate him! Remember when I came home with that teal mini dress on?"

Inei lifts his head as if jolting, glancing over to Aneko.

Didn't she go home in the cheerleader uniform that day?

Aneko's mother nods.

"Yes, lovely and proud that you had chosen a beautiful dress that fits you well."

Aneko shakes her head.

"I didn't pick it. Inei did. He picked it for me. And it is honestly one of the most grateful things I have ever felt to someone because that day I wore that minidress, it made me feel so happy."

Aneko looks at Inei.

"Even if I don't show it, and I'm constantly rude and mean, you are my friend, and I'm grateful for everything you've done. From saving me at that party to the dress."

Inei blushes, looking away.

Damn. Aneko said all of that after what I said to myself earlier.

Aneko's mother smiles.

"You sounded just like your father when you said that. I knew it was somewhere in you. Nice to meet you, Inei."

Inei looks at her and nods, then back at Aneko, who is now super red with an angry look.

"Don't think about it too much, Inei. I'm still going to hate on you. Always."

Inei smiles.

I wouldn't want it any other way, Aneko.

Inei looks at the group now. Everyone is talking together, which shows that none of them pays attention to Aneko's praise of Inei. His mom is talking to Azami's reluctant brother, and Yui and Yasu are now talking to Aneko's mother. Everything seems lovely, and everyone is getting along. Inei and his group grab food as it comes by and around other groups, everyone eating at least something, then finally, the intercom sounds.

"Thank you for taking part in the Underclassmen Parents Night! You may all leave!"

As everyone says their goodbyes, Chura walks along with Inei and his mother, their homes in the same direction.

"Don't think I'm not mad at you, Inei. I'm still mad about earlier."

Inei looks at her, then at his mom. He looks at Chura and then messages her.

"Can you tell my mom she can go home, and I will talk to you quickly?"

Chura thinks about it for a second and then speaks.

"Ms. Hoshi, may Inei and I talk about something privately?"

She turns, nodding with a smile.

"Okay, no problem. I'll be home when you get there, Inei! Don't be out too long! No kissing!"

She heads off into the darkness down the street where his house is. Chura and Inei were left alone at the split paths to their homes. Chura turns and faces Inei. Her phone buzzes, and the message says.

"Ask as many questions as you want. There is no shyness to it, and there's no reason for me to lie."

Chura looks at it, then up at him, sighing. Chura then speaks softly.

"Was it your mother that said I was hot and not you?"

Why did I figure the whole calling her hot thing was the problem?

Inei types the message and sends it to her.

"To be honest, I do think you're pretty, but to me, hot is a further than a friendship term. I do think you're pretty."

Chura then looks up.

"So, you're saying that if we were more than friends, you would think I was hot?"

Shit. Chura does not understand what I am saying and overthinking it; this is not going well at all.

The following message reads.

"Look. Don't overthink this, Chura. You're pretty, and let's leave it at that."

There's no way around this. If she keeps on, I'll be in a situation where I cannot provide a stable answer.

Chura goes to speak; then another voice breaks out after pattering feet.

"Chura!"

Chura and Inei both look at Yasu, who has just run up.

"Hi, Yasu!"

Yasu has an angry look on her face, tears rolling down her cheek.

"Cut the crap, Chura."

Chura takes a step back in shock, and Inei does as well.

Woah, what's going on?

"You know about my father. And how I feel about it. Why did you do that earlier? Why did you not let me stay with you instead of bringing my father into it?!"

Does Chura know about that?

Inei looks at Chura, whose lips are quivering, not responding. Yasu keeps on.

"What is this about Chura? I'm always there to cheer you up. I'm always there when you need me; why did you give me the boot like that?!"

Chura looks down, the shadow from her hair covering her eyes.

"I can't say."

Yasu becomes angrier hearing her say this.

"I can tell you everything. You can't tell me why you threw me in the pond like bait?!"

Inei puts his hands up.

Okay, this isn't good; something needs to change, or this can get ugly.

Yasu looks at Inei, angry.

"Don't even bother, Inei! I don't show it often, but when I'm angry, I talk more than Chura does with her blabber mouth!"

Chura clenches her fists.

"Don't yell at Inei, he did nothing wrong."

Yasu notices and takes steps back, the tears continuing to fall.

"Is that it? You have a thing for Inei?"

Chura's fists clinch more, then she looks up, tears running down her face.

"And so what if I do? Why does it matter to you?"

Inei blushes.

What the hell is going on?!

Yasu begins to cry harder, frustration and sadness influencing the tears.

"We promised that no matter what, we would have each other's back. I didn't think the feelings for a boy would break that."

Yasu turns away and runs off, sobbing. Inei looks at Chura, who has tears rolling down her cheeks, then gives a sad smile to Inei.

"I'm sorry you had to find out that way. That's not what I intended to happen at all."

Inei then gives her an angry look, types something, then runs off after Yasu. The message left on Chura's phone reads:

"You know, that's a shitty thing to do to a friend. You should never have done that to her."

Inei finally catches up to Yasu, grabbing her wrist. She turns around with a knife, swinging it towards Inei's face, and Inei dodges it. Then, Yasu gasps, realizing it is Inei, dropping the knife.

"I thought you were going to stay with Chura. I didn't expect you to come after me!"

Inei sends a message to Yasu.

"You're all my friends. And I don't exactly agree with what Chura did, regardless of how she feels. Friends always come first, and Chura brought it upon herself."

Yasu's tears begin to stop, and another message appears.

"Although I don't appreciate that you yelled at her or me. Even though her offense is worse, you should still apologize. You also kinda threw her out because her confession got ruined because of you calling it out."

Yasu shakes her head.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you, but not her. Out of everyone, she's the person that should have known how badly I want to get away from my father."

Inei looks at his phone, then up.

It would be the wrong time to talk to her about that. I should comfort her.

Inei sends Yasu another message.

"Well, it's dangerous for you to be out by yourself. I'll walk with you home and then head back."

Yasu shakes her head.

"I can't possibly ask you to do that, Inei!"

Inei shrugs, and another message arrives on Yasu's phone.

"Or we can go back to my house and get my car, and I'll drive you over there."

Yasu shakes her head smiling.

"No, I am okay."

Inei squints in frustration.

"Just accept the offer."

Yasu looks and then back to Inei.

"Fine. Let's go to the car."

They start heading back, finding Chura in the middle of the road, her knees and legs out, with her hands over her face and hair hanging down. They stop in front of her—Yasu with an angry look on her face. Chura looks up and shoots up, hugging Yasu tightly.

"I'm so sorry! That was so selfish of me! I should have never done that! Please, let's make our promise again!"

Yasu stands, unsure of what to do. She looks to Inei as Chura cries, Inei motioning to hug her back. Yasu hugs her back.

"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have come after you like that."

Inei smiles.

They're sad, but sad because of something they did, not each other.

Inei looks up to the moon.

The two in this mood remind me about my goals for tonight; I haven't figured out a lot. I need to learn to make Azami's brother not mad at me. I need to figure out why Yasu doesn't like her dad when he seems so lovely and why I saw her today.

He thinks of the moment they were running when he saw the woman.

I don't know why today I saw her. But it's not right.

A tug comes from Inei's sleeve, Yasu pulling on it.

"Can you take me home now? We finished our makeup."

Chura smiles, also speaking.

"Oh, I said about liking you earlier to get into Yasu's head. I don't like you that way, and I thought she accused me of it because she felt that way."

Damn. That's so evil.

Inei nods to both of them. Chura waving.

"Well, I'll be off! Be safe!"

Chura runs home, and Inei and Yasu get to the car, get in it, and drive off towards her house. When they arrive, Yasu gets out.

"Thank you, Inei."

Then speech comes out.

"Yasu! Where have you been?!"

Yasu turns, and Inei looks; Yui is standing in a bathrobe at the door, a face mask on, but her face turns red, noticing that Inei is there. Faster than light, Yui runs inside, hiding at once. Suddenly, Yasu begins to laugh, laughing so hard that she falls on the floor. Inei smiles.

I've never heard Yasu laugh so hard before. She must be comfortable enough when her sister is who is causing her to laugh.

She stands, rubbing one of her eyes.

"Thank you again, Inei, goodnight."

She walks away to the house and opens the door.

"Hey, Yui, why did you come out in a bathrobe to begin-"

Before the sentence finishes, the door closes behind her. Inei begins driving home. He turns on the radio, listening to a late-night show.

"Our top story today: a small college head basketball coach is claiming to have the next prospect of the NBA."

Inei looks at the radio.

"Thank you, coach. What is the name of this prospect?"

Then Inei begins to swerve, freaking out about the next thing he hears.

"His name is Inei Hoshi!"

He pulls over to the side of the road, his sports cars tires screeching to an immediate halt, listening to his coach speaking.

"One day during practice, after being on the team for a year and not showing any talent, he pulls up on the starting point guard, dropping his with three moves and sinking a perfect three-point shot! This dude will be the next Michael Jordan, I'm telling you!"

Inei grits his teeth, holding himself back from smashing the radio.

I never asked for this! I don't want people to talk about me on a news station!

The broadcaster laughs.

"Well, that's quite the claim! Where should people go if they want to see this for themselves?"

Inei's coach speaks once more.

"On Saturday, at seven-thirty, at the college gym. You must see this guy play!"

After that last sentence, Inei steps on the gas, and the car accelerates at an unbelievable pace. When he gets home, he storms straight to his room. He approaches a pillow and punches it, releasing his absolute rage on something soft and unbreakable. When he finishes, he breathes deeply, sighing finally to a calm state. He lets his body collapse, lying on his bed, exhausted and upset.

I never asked for this. My life has run amuck in the span of a month! I need to slow down! So much is going on. I don't know how much more I can take; Friday is the prep rally, and if he tries to make me talk, I will lose my mind, and that will be it, and I will not play. I don't think that any crazy things are going on tomorrow, so maybe hopefully, tomorrow can be a much more normal day compared to what has been going on. How amazing it would be to have a typical day back.