"Man I hate this," Christian said as he put on his hoodie and opened the front door, "I'm going out."
"You lost the game fair and square, this is your punishment," Shinabaru said, he was wearing a onesie with a paper crown on his head.
"This is not a punishment. You just told me to get some soda," Christian shut the door very hard, "I was just hoping to play with everyone on a good Friday night. But I'm the slave now huh?" Christian started walking to the nearest store.
He arrived there to find it closed, "Oh c'mon," Christian sighed, "Where are you Yoshitaka, you said your shop is twenty-four hours open," Christian took in a huge breath, "I guess I have to go to the city now..."
Christian proceeded to go home. But when he was in the middle of his walk, he saw a familiar face, "Yo prez," it was none other than Ragushi Jemuzu, the past student-council-president of Sakura academy.
"Oh, hey," Jemuzu said as they fist-bumped each other.
"Why are you still outside at this time?" Christian asked Jemuzu, he just looked at Christian with a questioning gaze.
"I was going to ask you that. Anyway, to answer your question… I'm job hunting," Jemuzu said, Christian then realized that Jemuzu was wearing a suit and tie.
"How responsible of you," Christian said sarcastically.
"Of course I need to be responsible. I'm planning to get my own apartment because I feel like Kurapa is going to propose to his girlfriend soon, I don't wanna be in the same household as a couple," said Jemuzu, "I wish I could find a girlfriend as sweet as Kurapa's."
"Propose? He's like nineteen right? That's far too young," Christian rambled about this for a few minutes.
"I know right. But hey, it's Kurapa's life. I actually told him that he's far too young, and he said to me. This life is mine, I decide what to do, I will also take responsibility. If I regret this, I won't complain, because I chose this… and you can get blinded by love you know? That's what he said to me," Jemuzu said with a straight face.
"He said that?" Christian was pretty impressed at how Kurapa handled himself. Jemuzu looked at Christian, his eyes reminiscing of a young quiet boy.
"Christian?" Christian looked at Jemuzu with wondering eyes, "Make sure to do everything you can in your youth, because when you grow up, you'll be just another human living on this earth. Everything I did in school, I didn't regret. Even though painting myself as a pervert might ruin my reputation. The time I spent chasing girls and getting caught, being beaten by you, Yashiro, and Kurapa… it was fun while it lasted you know?" Jemuzu said with a serious voice.
"...Yeah, It sure was fun," Christian said with a little smile on his face.
Jemuzu then looked at the night sky, "Did you know… Kurapa and I go way~ back. I think I first saw him at the age of three. In our youth, we would rob people off the streets, and beat them into a pulp if they didn't give us anything," Christian was a little shocked about this, "You know the reason why we did that? It was because we were accidents. Both Kurapa and I are sons of prostitutes. It messed us up that we didn't know our father, and we weren't even wanted."
Christian felt bad for Jemuzu and Kurapa, he hasn't heard of their past before. All he knew was they were bad in the past.
"But you know. We did get caught, but instead of prison, we were adopted. I don't even know the reason why, don't reckless youth go to a youth camp? Anyway, that's where we found our new father."
"Wait… why are your last names different then?" Christian asked, Jemuzu just sighed.
"It's because our step-father didn't actually adopt us. It's like he just said to us to stay at his house," Jemuzu had a little smile on his face, "He's really irresponsible at times… Anyway, I'm planning to marry his daughter that Kurapa and I fought over. But now that Kurapa has a girlfriend, she's all mine."
"Wait… isn't that incest?" asked Christian.
"No, because our step-father didn't actually adopt us, we made our own last names. So I can marry her. But first, I need a job," Jemuzu then laughed a little bit, "It feels like yesterday that we talked about planting crops that didn't even exist, you got so angry about it. Time sure flies by," Jemuzu looked at the night sky with wondering eyes.
"Why did you tell me about this stuff?" Christian wondered about the real reason why Jemuzu told him that.
"...Christian, you know I was in the same middle school as you," Christian was a little taken back by this, he didn't know a person named Jemuzu at middle school, "I just didn't want to stand out back then. But I did hear about this student named Christian Tsunade," Christian then felt a little uncomfortable, "I'm asking you Christian. What happened to you, I heard that you were kind, sporty, and a quiet junior student. Then when you made your high school appearance, you were totally different?" Jemuzu asked as Christian bit down on his lip.
"...Since you told me your background… I'll tell you mine," Christian then signaled Jemuzu to sit, "...I was a soft boy, maybe a little too soft. I had a secret love of sports, but I mainly did photography. But everyone saw me as the quiet kid," Christian said, his eyes looking up to the night sky, "And of course, everyone picks on the quiet kid. I was bullied, humiliated, and even forced to do dangerous stuff. All for the entertainment of people," Jemuzu already knew this.
"And, what did you do to them?" asked Jemuzu, his curiosity rising as time passes.
"Nothing. I wasn't as tall and scary as I am now. I hated them, yes, but I forgot it all when I came home. My father back then, was working in a part-time job, and my mother stayed home where Chris and I would take care of her," Christian said with a sorrowful tone.
"Wait, isn't the taking care of part supposed to be the other way around?" Jemuzu asked.
"Yes… but my mother was different. She was mentally and physically disabled," Jemuzu was shocked at hearing this, "My mother can't walk, and her way of thinking was different to other people… she basically acted and spoke like a kid. But even though her way of showing love was different, she would do it so much that we would feel how much she loved us. For example, when she was proud of us she would make us origami of swans, as a reward of course. One night I saw her making swans and throwing them in the trash, I asked her why she was throwing the swans away, she replied. "I want to make the perfect swans for my perfect little children" and then… I saw her in the daytime… past out with two of the most perfect swans I've ever seen," Jemuzu could see Christian wiping the tears from his eyes.
"Christian, you don't have to continue," Jemuzu was feeling guilty for making Christian do this.
"...I asked my father why he chose mother to be his bride," Christian continued, ignoring Jemuzu's offer, "He told me a time when she saved my father's life from a madman. She was shot in the arms three times. My father asked her why she did that, she replied saying, "If there's someone in trouble, of course I would try to save them" that's when my father fell in love with her."
Twenty years ago…
"Hey Seika," said a boy who was wearing a suit. He was facing a girl in a wheelchair, the girl looked at the boy with her red eyes.
"Sora, why are you red? Are you sick? I'll call an ambulance for yo-" the girl named Seika worriedly said, but her worry was interrupted by the boy kneeling and looking at the girl.
"Seika… yeah I'm sick, it's something called lovesickness," Sora said, his mouth trembling.
"Huh, is that a new kind of sickness? How do you cure it?" Seika worriedly asked, but when Seika was panicking, Sora leaned in and kissed Seika on the lips.
"The cure is you, dummy," Sora gave a sincere smile. Seika felt embarrassed and began trying to slap the boy, Sora just laughed at the whole time.
"Sora don't call me a dummy you dummy, dummy, dumm-" suddenly, Sora hugged Seika.
"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not… Seika, you wanna spend the rest of our lives together to see who is the bigger dummy?" Seika didn't understand what Sora was saying.
"W-what do you mean?" she asked.
"It's a proposal, you dummy. I love you Seika, I want to see you every day, I want to wake up with you in my bed, I want to make food for you, and I want to spen-" Sora then felt his shoulder being wet, he stopped hugging Seika and saw that she was crying, "I'M SORRY I'M SORRY, SORRY FOR SAYING THIS TO Y-"
"I'm so happy Sora, why didn't we meet when we were kids, I wanted to grow up with you," Seika said while crying tears of joy.
Sora smiled, "Oh c'mon, you know that's impossible… but you know what's possible? Spending our remaining time together. So Seika Keito would you marry me?" Sora said while also crying tears of joy.
"Yes Sora Tsunade, I want both of us to care for each other, look out for each other, love each other, laugh and cry together. But most importantly, I want us to be together," Seiko said happily.
"Then it's confirmed," Sora then picks Seiko up from her wheelchair and lifts her, "From here on out, your name is now Seiko Tsunade," Sora happily announces.
"I like it. Because it's your last name," Seiko then embraced Sora.
Three years later…
"He's beautiful," Sora said, carrying a baby in his arms, "He's got your eyes," Sora said as he held his wife's hand.
"But isn't he sleeping?" said an exhausted Seiko.
"He opened his eyes a few minutes ago, anyway you should rest now," Sora kissed the forehead of Seiko and sat down on a chair beside her.
"What should his name be?" asked Seiko as she closed her eyes.
"Didn't you say you wanted his name to be Christian?" Sora asked, Seiko smiled.
"The dark knight from my dreams. Christian Stern Fisher the fourth, that should be his name," Seiko said while falling asleep.
"That's too long. Christian is okay… or maybe, Omoiyari is alright?" Sora faced Seiko to see her already asleep, "You didn't hear me eh? Christian it is then. Omoiyari might be his other name," Sora smiled as he was proud of himself and his wife for making a beautiful son.
Present-day…
"It was so fast I didn't even realize my mother pushed me from the car, but when I did… I saw the image of the broken body of my mother in a car wreck… and it messed up with my brain," Christian painfully said, his eyes recalling traumatic images of the amount of blood during the incident.
Jemuzu was left speechless at this, "...I'm sorry Christian, I didn't mean to make you recall those memories."
"Don't apologize, it wasn't anyone's fault… but mine," Jemuzu then noticed the tears pouring out of Christian's eyes, "It was my b-birthday, I was excited to get a new camera that I… I rushed to the store. I-i-if I o-only didn't t-try to r-rush… MY MOTHER WOULD HAVE BEEN ALIVE… IF ONLY I WASN'T STUPID, I COULD EMBRACE HER, I COULD MAKE HER LAUGH, I COULD TELL HER HOW MUCH I LOVED HER… but no… because of my stupidity, my mother died not even knowing I loved her," said an emotionally broken Christian, his tears flowing from his face, "So, in my frustration and self-hatred, I became the Christian Tsunade you know now."
Jemuzu was thinking of something to comfort his friend, "You know… I think your mother already knows how much you love her. Didn't you say you took care of her after school, I bet she appreciated that," Jemuzu then patted Christian's back, "People die Christian, and yes that will hurt us. But doesn't that hurt us because we love and care about them? If let's say... Kurapa dies, I would be sad because we grew up together like brothers," Jemuzu said trying to comfort Christian.
Christian was still trying to recover from his emotional breakdown. But he appreciated Jemuzu's efforts to comfort him.
"You know, I think you're recovering from your silver tongue days. I noticed that when you cut your hair, you seem to be more kind to other people. Plus you actually wait for your friends now," Christian noticed this also, but he also had another question.
"How did you know about me waiting for my friends, and how did you know I became kinder?" Christian asked.
"Well you see here, I'm becoming a janitor in the school for a bit. So when I had my test run, I saw you… by the way if you see me working, don't you dare interrupt me," Jemuzu said in a semi-threatening tone.
"Sure," Christian said with a smile, he stood up and lent out a hand to Jemuzu.
"Thanks, Christian-Kun," Jemuzu said as he took the hand and stood up, "Ah, I still remember when we used those. I can't believe three people changed that," Jemuzu sighed as he began to walk away, "Be sure to take care of yourself Christian, see you," Jemuzu said.
"Yeah, you too," Christian began to walk away as well.
"Oh yeah, one more thing," Christian turned around to hear what Jemuzu was about to say, "Take care of your girlfriend, one more year Christian, and you'll become an adult like me. If I find a company I might hire you… and your wife Yashiro," Jemuzu said jokingly.
"I'm not Kurapa, I'm going to wait a bit. You better fulfill your promise when the time comes," Christian said while walking away.
"Good luck my friend," Jemuzu whispered under his breath.
A few minutes later…
"I'm back," Christian said, while entering his home.
"What took you so long? I lost my crown now," Shinabaru said with a hint of anger in his voice.
"Yoshitaka's store was closed, I had to go to the city to get these," Christian said while putting the drinks and food on the table.
"Oh yeah, Christian did you know, Owen and Angel are now dating," Samuel said while looking at his older brother.
"S-stop telling everybody," Owen embarrassingly said.
Christian expected this, but he had to ask one question, "Wait, what's your guy's age gap? cause Angel looks much younger than Owen," Christian asked, Angel was the one who responded.
"Two years, and I only look younger because I actually use beauty products, meanwhile Owen over here doesn't do anything," Angel said, poking Owen's face.
"Don't worry Owen, when you meet her parents, her father will accept you immediately… but you gotta convince the mother," Angelo said while patting Owen's back.
"Th-thank for the heads up mister Arawan," Owen was already thinking of ways to convince the mother.
"How about you Chris? When are you and Shinabaru going to be a couple?" Sora jokingly asked his daughter.
Chris and Shinabaru looked at each other for the moment.
"You read my mind right?" asked Shinabaru.
"Yeah," Chris responded, "Let's say the same line in one, two, three."
"You mean I had permission?"
"Shinabaru already has a crush."
.
.
.
"YOU SAID YOU READ MY MIND, THAT WAS ONE OF THE BEST JOKES I WAS GOING TO ME!!!" Shinabaru angrily said.
"Dammit," Chris said, regretting it, she also wanted to hear the joke.
"Since I have the crown, I demand Shinabaru to tell me who his crush is," Alessia said to her son.
"Why mom? I thought you were on my side," Shinabaru said as Alessia gave a sly smile.
"Were," Alessia said.
"Fine," Shinabaru then whispered something in Alessia's ear, "There, you said only you."
"I see," Alessia said with a smile.
While they kept talking, Christian was looking on with a smile on his face, "I guess life isn't that bad now," Christian thought as he looked on. Sora laughing while one of the dogs sleeps on his lap, Shinabaru and Chris talking about random stuff, Samuel and Dylan playing with each other, Alessia and Angelo secretly fighting with words, Owen and Angel being a cute couple, and Npc sleeping with one of the dogs, "It's okay now, I have these people to take care of me."