Haruki's recovery was surprisingly swift. In a mere three days, his ankle had regained its normal shape, and within another three days, he was back to his usual active self.
During this time, Ginger would frequently drop by. Instead of straightforwardly admitting that he came to see Haruki, he would conjure up excuses like, "I can't trust you to be alone with a broken leg," or even, "I think I left something at your place..."
Of course, there was never anything left behind.
Truth be told, both of them were slowly growing accustomed to each other's company. Ginger felt it, and Haruki could sense the same.
"And that's another victory for me!" Haru exclaimed proudly, reveling in his triumph over Ginger during yet another round of one-on-one combat in a video game. Out of the seven rounds they had played so far, Haruki had emerged victorious in five. The remaining two were merely acts of generosity on his part.
Ginger tossed his controller aside and slumped back on the couch, feeling disheartened. He muttered, "I'm terrible at this."
"But you're improving. Just three days ago, losing two matches in a row would have driven you crazy," Haruki teased, trying to uplift Ginger's spirits.
On that very first day when Haruki invited Ginger to play video games, he discovered just how inexperienced the kid was. Ginger had never even held a controller before, so it was a small miracle that he managed to press any buttons at all.
Ginger scoffed in response, as if to say that Haruki's encouragement wasn't doing much to boost his confidence.
"Want to switch to a race instead?" Haru offered.
That proposition seemed even worse for Ginger, who quickly straightened up in his seat. "Let's play a few more rounds. I think I'm starting to get the hang of it."
"If you say so," Haruki selected the rematch option on his controller and readied his avatar. "Here we go?"
Ginger nodded, determined. "I'm ready."
Haruki's gaze fell upon Ginger's slightly trembling hands, and he couldn't help but chuckle. "It's like you're suddenly in a war zone—wait a moment," he leaned in for a closer look, realization dawning on him. "That's not right."
"Hm?" Ginger glanced down at his hands, then back at Haruki, bewildered. "What do you mean?"
"You're holding it all wrong," Haru pointed out, and after a brief contemplation, corrected himself. "I know different people hold these things differently, but the way you're doing it is completely... well, let me show you."
With that, he paused the game and stood up, walking over to face Ginger. Haruki squatted down on one knee, examining the situation. After a while, he attempted to imitate Ginger's grip on the controller, using the ginger-haired kid's hands as a guide.
Ginger sat there, nonchalant expression on his face. Eventually, he raised an eyebrow, seeing that Haruki's method was leading them nowhere. "Do you even know what you're doing?"
"Hmm," Haruki pondered, deep in thought.
Was he really going to exhaust all his brain cells on this? Ginger was about to speak up when Haruki suddenly stood up and positioned himself behind him.
"W-What are you doing?" Ginger stammered, perplexed.
"Eh?" Haruki saw nothing wrong with his actions as he came up from behind Ginger. "Don't tell me you're afraid of a little physical contact?"
As if Ginger would easily admit defeat. "N-no. I'm not scared of a weirdo like you touching me! I'm just curious about what you're planning."
"I was getting it wrong because the controller looked upside down from where I stood, so I thought, why not act like I'm the one holding it?" Haru explained. "It'll only take a minute. But if you're embarrassed, then—"
"What's embarrassing?" Ginger muttered, focusing straight ahead to hide his reddening ears. "Just get it over with."
I was just messing with him; Haru thought, smiling as he took over from behind, guiding Ginger's hands on how to hold the device correctly. At least now he could clearly see what he was doing.
Meanwhile, Ginger's mind was in complete turmoil. He couldn't fathom why he felt so flustered. Perhaps it was because he had never been this physically close to anyone before, except for his mother, of course. He had always kept most people at arm's length.
So he sat there, feeling Haruki's warmth lingering so close behind him. Even the hands Haru was guiding had gone slightly numb.
"There, that's it," Ginger almost jumped when he heard Haru's voice so close to his ear, resisting the urge to scratch away the sudden tickling sensation. "I think you'll have a better grip this way."
"Oh... yeah," Ginger mumbled as Haru finally withdrew and returned to his seat, grabbing his own controller.
"Now, let's try it this way. See if it feels better," Haruki pressed the 'resume' button, and the two of them dove back into the game.
However, Ginger still ended up losing in the end. Haruki couldn't even be sure if Ginger had improved at all. In fact, it seemed like his performance had worsened. Letting out a disappointed sigh, Haruki leaned back in his seat. "Well, that sucks. I think I just made things worse for you."
Ginger gazed down at his hands and controller, lost in his own thoughts.
With a glance at the unresponsive person, a sudden wave of guilt washed over Haruki, assuming that the kid was furious. Just as he was about to apologize, Ginger spoke first.
"You didn't," he said, his eyes fixated on the controller. "I wasn't focused."
"Hmm?" Haru raised an eyebrow, slightly perplexed, when his phone buzzed beside him. Without even looking, he knew who was calling.
After spending several days at Haruki's house, Ginger had grasped the situation as well.
"Your mom?"
"Yep," Haru nodded before answering the call. "Old hag."
"I ALREADY TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT!!!" Maki's voice fumed through the phone.
"But you are quite old," Akashi's teasing voice echoed in the background, infuriating Maki even more.
Haruki moved the phone away from his ear, accustomed to this kind of banter.
Despite Haru's phone not being on speaker, Ginger could hear their entire conversation. During his time at Haruki's house, he had come to realize the close bond Haruki shared with his parents. Haruki never hesitated to engage in all sorts of conversations with them, even in Ginger's presence.
It demonstrated how comfortable Haruki was, even with Ginger around. Most people would excuse themselves before taking a call.
"Alright then, 'mommy dear'," Haru teased, prompting Maki to release a defeated sigh.
"Just listen," she continued, shifting the focus back to the reason for her call before the usual time. "If everything goes well at the meeting today, we might be able to make it home before dinner."
Haruki sat up straight, his eyes brimming with excitement. "Are you serious? I thought it would take another day or two."
"Well, your father put in some extra effort to compensate for the additional two days. All so we could return sooner and spend more vacation time with you," Maki explained.
"Old hag, if you're lying..."
This time, Maki didn't protest, glad that at least her son was looking forward to their return. She could hear the enthusiasm in his voice.
And so could Ginger.
Although he had no reason to feel this way, a twinge of disappointment crept into his heart.
Nevertheless, he kept it to himself and even managed a smile for Haru's sake. Through Haruki's admiring words, Ginger had sensed how much he missed his parents. Haruki often mentioned that despite their busy schedules, they would always make up for it during their limited time off.
I guess now that they're coming back, I won't get to see him as much; Ginger thought, his gaze returning to the controller. He had enjoyed his time here, but he knew it was time to return to his own reality before growing too attached.
"...and you're not kidding about coming today?" Haru asked eagerly.
"Of course," Maki affirmed. "The meeting shouldn't last longer than two hours. Once the negotiations are done, it'll take us another hour or two to get there."
"When does the meeting start? It's almost lunchtime," Haru inquired.
"It won't begin until two..." Maki started but was promptly corrected by Akashi in the background, reminding her that she had gotten the time wrong again. "Oh, make that one-thirty then. Your father is already rushing me."
"Then go, you hag, or you'll be late," Haruki urged. He had already sprung to his feet, seemingly ready to jump into the phone and personally push her to the meeting venue. It was quite a comical sight.
"Well, this is a surprise. You're usually never this excited for our return," Maki noted. While Haruki would occasionally display enthusiasm, this seemed a bit excessive.
"Of course, I want you guys to hurry since you have to meet someone."
Those words echoed in Ginger's ears, and for a brief moment, he thought he had misheard. But then he looked up and met Haru's gaze, the teen's lips quirked into a mischievous grin.
Ginger's heart skipped a beat. Me?
As if in response to his unspoken question, Haruki nodded, chuckling at his mother's amused reaction on the other end of the line.
"You want us to meet someone? An actual person?" Maki's voice came through the phone.
"Yes, my friend."
Feeling his heartstrings being tugged, Ginger wondered; He really wants me to meet his parents?
"Now I have something to look forward to," Maki sounded excited. "We'll definitely make it today. You silly boy, why didn't you tell us you made a friend sooner?!"
"Uh," Haru awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, clearing his throat. He looked genuinely embarrassed. "Can we talk about that later, Mom?"
"Eh? You sound flustered. Is that 'friend' in the room with you?" Maki curiously asked, and before Haru could react, she yelled at the top of her voice, "HARU'S FRIEND, ARE YOU THERE? SORRY MY IDIOT SON DIDN'T INTRODUCE US. I REALLY HAD NO IDEA—"
"Okay, see you later, bye," Haru hastily ended the call, his face turning a light shade of pink. He turned to find Ginger equally flustered, eyes fixed on the large TV screen, avoiding eye contact.
"Your mom is really something," Ginger finally spoke after a while.
"She's crazy," Haruki replied, sinking back onto the couch, tossing his phone aside and sighing. "I hope you don't mind staying for dinner. I should have asked before making the decision for you."
"It's all good," Ginger's voice was barely audible.
Haruki scratched his head. "Sorry I didn't mention you to them earlier. I just didn't think you'd be interested in that kind of stuff."
Ginger questioned, "So why the sudden decision? What if we're not friends in the future? Wouldn't that just set them up for disappointment?"
Haruki countered with a smile, challenging Ginger's doubts. "How can you be so certain that we won't still be friends even fifty years from now? Right now, they're just grateful that I have a friend at all. So even if things don't work out in the future, at least they'll have seen how great a friend I once had."
Surprisingly, Ginger found himself deeply moved by Haruki's words, despite his typically cold demeanor.
"I really want you to meet them," Haruki insisted. "After all, you were the one who took care of me when I was injured."
Ginger muttered, "I wasn't taking care of you, idiot."
Smiling, Haruki retorted, "Oh, come on. You were like my caring little brother. There's nothing to be ashamed of."
"Go to hell," Ginger half-yelled before lowering his voice. "This feels more like you're trying to manipulate me into staying for dinner."
"Is it working?" Haruki asked, teasingly.
Ginger clicked his tongue, deciding to change the subject. He gestured toward his controller and suggested, "One more round?"
Knowing he had already won Ginger over, Haruki grinned. He casually asked, "Any ideas for dinner?"
Confused, Ginger glanced at him. "Why are you asking me? It's your parents coming, not mine. You should know what they like."
Haruki pondered for a moment before replying, "Isn't it the same for everyone?"
Ginger shook his head. "No."
Haruki considered this for a moment and then said, "Well, then it's just you."
Ginger gave him a puzzled look. "What do you mean?"
"Your tastes are very similar to my mom's. Just suggest whatever comes to mind," Haruki explained. "I'm sure you have something you've been craving. Maybe a favorite meal from the past?"
Ginger fell silent, his hands pausing in their movements. Haruki was amazed that he was actually listening.
Finally, Ginger spoke up. "Curry rice, if that's okay."
"Curry rice, huh? It's been a while since we've had that," Haruki approved immediately. "Although, we'll need to go out and buy a few more ingredients for the curry."
"You actually know how to make it?" Ginger asked, admiration in his voice. He had only suggested it on a whim, thinking it would be too difficult for Haruki to prepare.
Haruki responded matter-of-factly, "Yeah, it's not hard at all."
Ginger couldn't help but think that there wasn't a meal this guy couldn't cook.
"Who taught you how to cook?" he suddenly asked. He had never bothered to ask before, despite seeing Haruki's culinary skills over the past few days.
Haruki replied proudly, "The old hag did. You'd think she was a chef in her past life. She even claims my cooking is better than Mei's."
"Mei?" Ginger inquired.
Oh, crap. Haruki laughed it off, "My older sister. But there's..."
"I didn't know you had a sister," Ginger interrupted. He looked genuinely interested, which surprised Haruki. He couldn't pretend Ayame didn't exist.
Haruki replied honestly, "I do have one, but she recently went to study in the U.S."
"Wow, studying abroad," Ginger exclaimed, his eyes wide with fascination. It revealed his childlike nature. "You must brag about her a lot."
"Not really, but I'm happy she got that opportunity," Haruki said, his voice tinged with stiffness but still carrying a smile.
Unbeknownst to Haruki, Ginger was perceptive. Despite the smile, he couldn't help but wonder why Haruki seemed so sad while talking about it.
Changing the subject, Ginger asked, "What kind of juice should we get with the curry?"
"Oh, I didn't even think about juice," Haruki said, relieved. "And hey, since you love curry so much, today's the day you'll finally learn to make it."
"I'm not so sure about that," Ginger hesitated.
"Don't worry, I'll be your instructor. With me there to help you, you won't have a chance to ruin anything," Haruki assured him.
~~~~~~