2 NEW LIFE

"My brother went with Mom to Germany and I'm staying here because of Dad," Aki said. "My father is a university lecturer. But every summer vacation I go to Germany. So it has to be smooth if you want to have fun with my brother."

Aki looks mature from the first meeting. But after a story like this, he was like an ordinary little brother who had a favorite brother.

"Oh, I see."

"Hn," Aki muttered. And suddenly he chuckled softly. "Ah, yes... I thought your lunch was delicious. But I just remembered saying..."

DEG

"Hah?"

"The lunch you made this afternoon. It was the first time I ate your food," said Aki. "To the extent that my bandmates join the fight to eat it. Although next time I want extra tomatoes."

"Oh, that..."

"But I wonder how you got to know my schedule again?"

Asked so. Fuyu's memory instantly flashed back to daylight. Right after Aki helped him clean and organize the things in the cupboard… there was a memo that fell from his door.

The caption... 'Monday afternoon at 4. Band practice for the festival.'

Just when Aki said goodbye to buying a new pit guitar. Fuyu immediately opened the contents of the refrigerator. Which turned out to be a supply of some groceries... even though at first he thought it was nothing because Aki lived alone before. But from yesterday's frozen leftovers, Fuyu knows that Aki is the type of person who likes to live a frugal lifestyle even if it's a bit of a hassle. Cook every two days for example? And eat with the same menu and has been frozen in the refrigerator.

Just heat every hunger, in short.

"Oh, I see..." Aki said. As soon as I heard Fuyu's story.

"When you go home, you go straight to the bathroom," said Fuyu. "So I thought... like a nervous dad going to work again. I reflexively got homemade lunch ready."

"Hahaha...automatically, hm?"

Fuyu blushed slightly. "D-Don't insult me," he defended. "My father used to ask me. We have to live frugally. So I—"

"Yeah, I know," Aki interrupted. "So thank you. To the extent that I was surprised to see my lunch box that had been in the cupboard for too long. Suddenly next to my guitar bag. Thanks to that, I didn't eat out and wasted money."

Fuyu broke eye contact. "Mn. Okay."

"There your father must be expecting," said Aki. "Your usual homemade provisions. I mean."

"I also… thought so," Fuyu sighed subconsciously. "But-"

"Then why did you move here?"

DEG

"What?" Fuyu turned to Aki. Reflex. "If you don't want to talk, it's okay. After all, you have to be careful with people you haven't met for a day," Aki said quickly.

"No, I..." Fuyu sighed. "No problem with that. Because before we came here, we had a big fight."

"Oh really?" asked Aki. "What's the problem?"

Fuyu turned to Aki in horror. "Are you sure you want to hear it?"

"Of course. If you don't mind."

Aki's words... from the start always accepted his presence and life pattern as good as that. Unlike his appearance which is rather haphazard and untidy. Fuyu felt that he could immediately believe it even though they had only met for a few hours.

"My father wants to remarry," said Fuyu.

"Wow... isn't that great news?"

Fuyu shook her head. "But with men too. So suddenly..." Instantly Aki's face was decorated. "What?" shocked.

Fuyu nodded. "My father claimed to have been in touch with the man for a long time. He is both a widower and has one child my age," he explained. "His name is Hiro and his son is Aoba. They're half-American and have blonde hair who loves to speak an alien language. So I was really surprised, to be honest..."

"So you..." Aki sighed. "Are you here to escape or something?" Fuyu is silent. He looked like he had just been caught stealing something.

"More or less," he replied. "But I'm not that bad. Before I left a memo I'll be home when I'm ready. I also stole a credit card belonging to Dad. What I asked was not to be blocked of course. And for now, I just want to think for myself first..."

"I see," said Aki. Then smiled faintly. "Not bad. Then just make yourself comfortable. Later when you want to go home again... at least make a memo for me too. Haha... it's better to accept being left alone again."

Fuyu blushed slightly. "W-What the hell," he said. "Haven't got a day and a night yet. I told you so. I was just telling the story and didn't say I was going."

"Ho, good," Aki sighed then faced the sky and closed his eyes. "I thought I would lose quickly and be a widower like your father."

DEG

"W-What?" Shocked Fuyu. "W-Why are you being widowed?"

"Just kidding. Let's go to sleep..." asked Aki.

Then just go to sleep. . . . That time, was just the beginning. Fuyu felt such a great change since she was with Aki. Even though it's only been two months now. He knew the ins and outs of his best friend's life. Starting his hobby of archery and being in a band as a guitarist and vocalist... introduced to his friends... his craze for cleaning and tomatoes... his favorite reading and staying up late at night... even his boxer shorts which turned out to be stripped all.

Aki is just a little scary to the eye. But the fact is that his best friend is very open and he has many friends. He also likes to help, understand, and appreciate the work of others. Even praise and tease them when bored.

Unexpected. And now, Fuyu also knows that he only watches TV at the end of the month. He said it was just a distraction. When it comes to news, it turns out that Aki prefers to read from newspapers.

"Wow... the remote is broken," said Aki suddenly. "I thought last night was fine after being knocked over by that cat."

"Why?" asked Fuyu. Who just came out of the kitchen with two servings of breakfast. Aki sat on the sofa with the remote half-crushed in his hand. In front of the television is still blurry. Not because of a booster or anything like that. But because of the wrong button on the program menu before it was damaged by the cat.

"This... looks like it's broken," repeated Aki. While fiddling with the thing. "Even though there is a talent search show that I want to watch. Now it's final..."

Fuyu took off the apron and sat down next to him.

"May I see?" The remote changed hands.

"You can?"

"If you're just looking for the problem, where might it be," said Fuyu. "But then just say if you want to fix it."

"So."

"You don't like electronics, do you?" asked Fuyu. Without shifting the focus of the remote in the slightest. His fingers are still tinkering. And Aki immediately smiled hearing that.

"Of course. My soul is dominant in art. I like archery, language, and music," Aki said confidently. "So it's only natural that you don't like technique."

"Oh, yeah...forget it," said Fuyu. Then sighed softly. "So I have to replace this cable..."

"Where?"

Fuyu pointed at a cable. "This tiny blue cable. It looks trivial, but if it breaks... all system connections will be cut off."

"Huh..."

"I'll take it to the handyman while shopping," said Fuyu. "But today you might not be able to watch the final. How about that?"

"I see," said Aki somewhat disappointed. But a faint smile still appeared on his face.

"Okay. I'll just download the replay from the internet later."

"Hah?"

"Occasionally playing wifi in the school canteen isn't bad either. So you don't need to make lunch for me to go later," said Aki.

"How?"

"Hmm?"