It wasn't until the middle of the week that Sora met up with Takumi, who was arguing with his younger brother on his phone. Like Mizuki, Takumi rarely spoke respectfully of his sibling, but Sora knew that they both cared deeply for their family members, whether their words reflected it or not.
His thoughts wandered to the impressions he'd had of the argumentative adults who had attended his father's funeral, until Takumi asked abruptly, "Sora, do you think pets are essential for children?"
"Eri hopes to have a pet doesn't she?" he replied cautiously.
Takumi flicked his hand back and forth to indicate uncertainty. "I think that she has also heard this ridiculous theory that they are essential."
Sora shrugged. "Can they test for allergies before kids are even born these days?"
Takumi stared at him for a moment that was long enough for Sora to shift uncomfortably. "I have no idea," Takumi finally admitted. "I'll find out," he added with determination.
Sora silently apologized to Eri, who would be the one who had to undergo the procedure if such a thing existed, and then asked, "Do you think I've misjudged my own siblings, and that they just didn't know how to approach me afterward?"
Takumi looked so startled that Sora assumed he hadn't realized the adults back then had been his siblings either, until he replied sharply, "No way! Those idiots didn't even believe you were really your father's son."
"What?" Sora didn't even know how to respond.
Takumi turned and held up his fist. "Seriously. You don't have to worry about trying to maintain any relationships except the ones you want to keep."
Sora couldn't figure out how to ask, or admit that he hadn't realized back then, and replied a bit weakly, "Okay."
Takumi frowned at him, and then commented, "Actually, I'm surprised you knew, I only found out that you actually had siblings when I overheard the lawyer reporting back to my parents."
Sora couldn't help the grin that he flashed at his best friend as he replied dryly, "You yelled at them yourself."
Takumi blinked at him and then laughed. "Oh yeah? Then definitely don't forgive those jerks!"
--
Friday Sora got off work early, checked his messages, and then called Mizuki. When she didn't pick up, he realized that she would still be at school.
He sighed. Even though he'd made up his mind not to let her age come between them, the fact that she was still in school was uncomfortable. He messaged Rin that he might not know for at least another hour.
When Mizuki called him back less than a quarter of an hour later, Sora stared at her image without speaking for a minute. "Sora?" she asked. "I'm just between classes, what's wrong?"
He blurted more anxiously than he meant to, "Nothing's wrong, in fact it's great, I found a bike I like for a reasonable price."
"You don't look happy about it?" she complained.
He rubbed his face and then explained, "I promised I'd come every weekend, but it needs brakes before it's rideable, and this is the only weekend that the best mechanic I know is available to help me replace them until after Christmas. If I can do it when he's available I can use his shop and tools and it'll be a lot cheaper too."
"Okay," Mizuki replied after a moment.
"Is it really okay?" he asked uncertainly. "If you want me to come anyway, I will, I promised I would."
"It's really okay Sora," she replied firmly. "I'll miss you, but I'll live without seeing you for one weekend, and if you're really serious about wanting me to quit working, it's probably better for us to save up what we can in the meantime?"
"You're really the best girlfriend I've ever had," he told her seriously.
She blushed even as she replied hurriedly, "I need to go back to class. Can I call you since you're not coming, or should I stick to messages?"
"Call me, I won't be able to answer sometimes, but I'll call you back when I can," he replied quickly.
"Okay, talk to you later," she assured him and ended the call.
Sora messaged Rin, and then went to pick up his new motorcycle and have it delivered to Rin's shop.
He missed her first three calls, and felt guilty when they wound up only exchanging messages after her work shift started.
--
When Mizuki called again on Saturday morning, Sora was already laying on his back removing greasy pieces from the rear wheel mount. He flailed for a moment, and then scrambled toward the nearest towel.
When they'd started taking the motorcycle apart, Rin had examined everything and then told him, "It's worse than it looked. You could get away with just doing the brakes for a while, but it would be better to replace a lot of the assembly while we've got it apart." Sora had sighed and agreed, and then ordered the extra parts.
When Sora called Mizuki back, he informed her with disappointment, "The price is turning out to be not as good as I hoped, it's still reasonable, but there was more damage than showed from the outside."
Mizuki asked hesitantly, "Wouldn't you expect that after someone rode it until it had no brakes left?"
He laughed and replied teasingly, "Obviously I should have consulted with you more before buying it."
"I don't know anything about motorcycles," she protested.
He grinned at her as he replied, "But you obviously know something about people, which is probably just as important when you're buying a used vehicle."
She shrugged and asked a little wistfully, "Will you still be able to finish fixing it this weekend?"
"I think so," he assured her.
They talked a little more, longer than he realized, until Mizuki began to dress for work. Sora returned to the shop a bit sheepishly, but Rin just grinned at him.
--
Sunday morning Sora called Mizuki first. When she answered half asleep and half naked, he stared at her and asked breathlessly, "Mizuki? Can you get dressed and call me back?"
She laughed and agreed.
When she finally called back, freshly showered and fully dressed, he grinned at her and said, "Good morning beautiful."
He was rewarded with her blush as she asked, "How's it going?"
"Not as well as if I were able to touch you this morning," he declared teasingly. "But it is going pretty well. We got everything cleaned up last night. All the parts have arrived and it looks like they're all the correct part. I was calling you early because it'll be awkward to call while we're assembling everything."
"Oh," she replied with disappointment.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I was just hoping we'd get more time to talk today," she told him quickly.
He grinned as he suggested, "If you get all your homework done this morning, we can talk again this evening?"
"I finished it all yesterday!" she exclaimed laughingly.
"Oh, then let's definitely talk tonight," he replied happily.
"Okay Sora," she agreed with a grin.
They talked until Rin interrupted, "Chat with your girlfriend later! My wife promised to make me lunch today, and I want to be at a stopping place in time to eat it with her before she goes back to work."
Sora felt his own cheeks warm as he told Mizuki, "Talk to you tonight."
--
The week felt long, but this time on Friday Sora arrived in time to pick Mizuki up from school. He waved at the bike and asked her excitedly, "What do you think?"
She laughed up at him before insisting, "I told you I don't know anything about motorcycles! It looks a lot like the other one, except for the colour? It's pretty?"
It was mostly a deep green that went well with the brighter emerald green that he'd gotten his new riding gear in. Gold accents gleamed against the green, and it was completely clean. Even the chrome on the handles and muffler gleamed.
He explained enthusiastically, "It has got a little bit smaller engine than Takumi's, but it's more efficient. Its navigation system is only a couple years old, so it connects to the net in real time. And it's already got custom seat work on the driver's seat that fits me pretty well."
She grinned at his enthusiasm and told him, "I'm glad you're happy with it."
One of the other students from her school approached, and complimented, "Nice bike."
Mizuki watched the young man warily, but Sora replied cheerfully, "Thanks!"
"Bet it helps you get laid," the student added, looking at Mizuki.
Sora stiffened, but Mizuki laid her hand on his arm and insisted quickly, "Ignore him Sora."
He looked down at her anxious face and then nodded. He handed her her helmet and then held her jacket for her while she buckled it.
The student shrugged and left after a moment.
--
When they arrived at her home, Mizuki complained grouchily as she dismounted, "This isn't a passenger seat, it's a passenger spike!"
Sora turned and gazed at her consideringly for a moment. "Is it really that bad? It's a standard seat design."
She replied uncertainly, "It might be because I'm so short? I'm basically impaled on the highest point since my legs can't bend much if I'm going to reach the footpegs?"
He measured the distance with his eyes, and then nodded, a little relieved that it actually was a likely guess. "We could get a different premade, but let's just get a custom seat made."
"Won't that be expensive?" she asked doubtfully. "The one on Takumi-san's was fine, was it custom?"
"I don't think so, but I'll ask," he assured her before asking more hesitantly, "Mizuki, should I be picking you up from school? Does it make things worse for you?"
She looked up at him in surprise and then assured him quickly, "It's fine Sora, I'm really glad that you could arrange to get off early enough on Fridays to come in time to pick me up."
"Okay," he replied with relief as he scooped her up.
"Sora," she said hesitantly.
He looked at her face and asked, "Do you not want me to carry you? You haven't complained at home and I've been careful not to pick you up mostly when we go out?"
She blushed, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders as she said quietly, "It's fine. But um, I'm on my period still today, and probably will be tomorrow too."
He couldn't help blinking, before a laugh bubbled up, and escaped before he realized she might be offended.