8 Eps 6

A 2nd-year girl with bobbed black hair gave each student in Misaki's class a paper that contains questions and a blank box for every question to fill in the answer. It was recess at the moment, and all the students in the class chat happily with their friends, making the class noisy like always. Charles, Ryuu, and Yua sat around Misaki's table(because she's so lazy to go to another place).

"Please hand this survey to your teachers before the end of this month!" she said with an audible voice to overcome the noisy class. Some of them turned to the girl and said ok, and some of them nodded and say their thanks.

Charles ate the turkey sandwich that Inari had made for him. He took the paper and examine it."What's this about?"He murmured and looked at the questions listed in the paper.

Ryuu took a bite of her onigiri. His mom had made squid onigiri for him today, which is his favorite. He also examined his paper."Basically, we need to tell what we wanna do, wanna be after we graduated from school"

Yua nodded."Any plans, guys?"She asked sweetly.

She had finished with her meal, she closed back her bento and took a sip from her strawberry milk drink.

"Ahhh," Charles said, finishing the last bite of his sandwich."Well, most probably I'm going to continue my father's business"He answered. His mouth is full of bread, making his cheeks bulged like a pufferfish."You?"She asked Yua.

"Not decided yet," She said simply."And you?"She turned her attention to Misaki, who's eating her subway cookies silently.

"Lawyer," She said.

Ryuu laughed.Loudly."A what?"He continued laughing."Lawyer?"He roared."You aren't that talkative yourself!" He continued laughing.

Misaki ignored him. There's nothing wrong with becoming a lawyer. And nothing is funny about it."And you?"

"Me?" He stopped laughing, then rubbed his nape."Uhhh, not yet decided, "He gave a nervous laugh.

"You better, people with your level of IQ often end up in the streets," She said simply.

Charles laughed at how Misaki gave her comeback. She is somehow, easily provoked, despite she's rarely seen talking with other people." take that!"He said as he laughed at Ryuu.

Ryuu's expression redden with embarrassment. He hit Charles on the arm"Stop it you, dammit!"He cursed. Charles just continued laughing like a devil.

Yua looked at them both, then at Misaki. She stared at the girl, who's Ryuu crushing on. What he said is factual. She had her kind of charm. Her untalkative manner made her charm somehow more dominant and intense. She looked down at her hands. Misaki had an Asian, pale white skin while she had white pinkish skin. Misaki's eyes are pointy, and black almond eyes, while her's are light brown, protruding eyes. Misaki's hair is straight, the black strands of hair gracefully lands on her shoulder, while her hair is light brown semi curly hair. Most of Yua's friends envy her for having such perfect, stunning, and lovely features. But for her, that doesn't matter anymore because she can't have the man that she loved. Ever since Ryuu told her that he's madly in love with Misaki, she can't help but compare herself and Misaki every time she's around. And every time she does that, She came to realize that Misaki _is_ beautiful. A type of beauty that you can't get easily. Her confidence and her charisma is what makes her beautiful. Above all the perfect things that Yua had, she didn't have these.

She had a plan in her head. She knows what to be now.

...

Ryuu brought her mom to the hospital by using the taxi. Meiko is off with her additional class the school organized because she failed the science test in the last examination. She still won't talk to him since the manga incident. Ryuu holds her mother's hand as they walk into the hospital, walking towards the reception.

"I have an appointment with Dr.Chiba," He said to the nurse that is busy handling and organizing files on the counter. The nurse smiled and nodded to him, as she opened the computed, searching for something."Your appointment is another 3 minutes, please wait here for a moment."She told them.

"Let's sit there," Her mother told him, as he looked up at her tall son.

As they sat on the chair provided in the hospital, Ryuu looked at their surrounding. The hospital's design is neat, with wide windows, allowing the sunlight came in. There is a Tv, that had been hanged on the wall. Then he looked at her mother, who is busy entertaining herself by watching the Tv in front of them. He realized that her mother becomes more older. There are wrinkles on the tip of her eyes, and her neck. There are strands of white in her hair. He looked at her mother's hand, which intertwined in his. Her fingers are long and beautiful. Her mother sensed that her son is staring at her, she put her head on Ryuu's shoulder.

Ryuu wrapped her shoulder with his arm. He wanted to cherish this moment as long as he can. And stop the time if he could.

Just him, hugging his lovely mother tightly as he forgets all the problems that he facing in life.

...

Her mother holds his hand tight as sweat trickled down his face. She bit her lips, holding the pain. She hated chemotherapy, who does? She could feel the liquid burning in her veins and flowing through her body. The longer it gets, the more painful it burns. Ryuu looked at him concerned and held her hand tighter.

"It's okay, it won't be long, we're almost done here," He said softly, trying to calm her mother."If we're done with her, we can meet my boss," He said, trying to distract her attention.

Her face lightens up a bit."I can?Finally?"

Ryuu nodded. But cursed silently inside as he hadn't told Tatsuo in the first place. He'll be mad."Yes!"He answered."You'll certainly gonna love him, "He continued." He's handsome, you know?"He smiled.

Her mom also smiled."Oh, I can't wait to wear some makeup and be young again."She grinned, but then groaned as the pain strikes in again. She squeezed his hand.

"Let's just pretend that you have a date with him, yeah?" He said suggestively as he wiggled his eyebrows."I don't mind if you dated him though, he's a nice man, "He grinned. Already imagined the picture of his family, living together with Tatsuo. He laughed at his thought. Her mother, reading his mind also grinned naughtily. Even though she's 40, but she had the personality of a teenager.

...

" YOU WHAT?"Tatsuo's voice growled at the phone.

"I'm SORRY" Ryuu answered as he bowed even though Tatsuo isn't there in front of him."I'M OUT OF IDEAS WHAT TO TELL MY MOM," He explained in a brittle voice while trying hard to keep his tone low so that her mom and the people around them won't hear him.

Tatsuo grumbled and cursed under his breath."You better buy me a drink tomorrow, "His husky voice calms down.

"Thank you! Thank you!" He bowed again for a few times."Make sure you wear clothes that cover your stupid tattoos, "He reminds him." And make yourself handsome,"

Tatsuo puzzled."What, are you trying to hook me up with your mom?"He answered flatly.

"Maybe?" He laughed."Meet you at the restaurant, at..4?"He continued."We'll go to my mother's favorite place."Then he whispered."It's a bit pricey, do you think you can afford it?"

"I'm offended," He said."Who's the one who pays the bills when you want some stupid stuff?"He's referring to the sleeping pills that Ryuu took to help him sleep.

"You, "He said gleefully." You know you can stop helping me if you want to, "He said as a matter of fact."I am fine on my own now"

He didn't answer."Should I wear a red maroon tuxedo or a classic black one?"

"Black one better, it makes you more businesslike" Ryuu saw his mom, already finished talking with her friend that she met at the hospital and is now walking towards him." Need to go now, see ya"

"Aight," Tatsuo replied.

"Boss,?" The boy called him.

"What," He groaned.

"Thank you, boss," He said and then turned off his phone.

That made him smiled a little.

[Everyone liked that]