ladestiny92

 Keito fell into the puddle, his books scattered nearby. Laughter of his bullies could be heard.

 "We told you we want 100 000 yen, not 1000 yen," one of them said.

 Keito stood up, his school uniform soaked with dirty puddle water. He began collecting his books.

 "Hey, are you listening to us?!" the leader of the bullies asked, pushing the books out of Keito's hands once again. "Just run along to daddy and ask for that little sh*t of money."

 "No," Keito muttered under his breath.

 "What did you say?!" the bully with blonde hair and many ear piercings, asked.

 "I said NO!" Keito yelled.

 All the four bullies cracked their knuckles. "You dare to defy us?"

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 "Quiet please," Shizuka-sensei said and in just a few minutes, the students of class 1-A shut their mouth. "This is your new classmate, Okamoto Keito. He just transferred from Seiyou Junior High," she motioned towards Keito. "Okamoto-san, would you please introduce yourself?"

 Keito just stood there, didn't say anything.

 "Okamoto-san?"

 Keito's head snapped up, looking at the teacher. Glaring to be exact. After a few seconds, he turned back his attention to the whole class. Glaring. That caused the students to whisper among each other.

 "Alright, alright, minna," the teacher said, "quiet down please." She looked at Keito. "You may take your seat at the back row near the window."

 "Hai," Keito said. On his way to his seat, he passed by a guy wearing spectacles. "What a snob," Keito heard the guy say but he just ignore him; no emotions on his face.

 It had been a week since Keito transferred school, yet he was being a lone wolf. Everything he did, he did it individually. During lunch breaks, he sat by himself, in class, he never talked to any of his classmates, unless it was necessary.

 One morning, Keito was about to enter the classroom when he heard people talking. Keito decided to stay outside the classroom and listen to the conversation.

 "That Okamoto-san is such a snob," a voice Keito identified belonged to Inui, said. "Just because he's rich, a piano prodigy, and is a genius, he thinks he can look down on us."

 "I agree," another said angrily. Keito figured it belonged to Akito. "Utsui-sensei, I don't need a lab partner. I'm completely capable on my own," he mimicked what Keito said in Keito's first day in Biology class.

 "But he does has a nice tan," a girl said.

 "And nice muscles," another girl added in dreamily.

 "Un, un," a few more girls agreed.

 The boys glared at the girls. "Whose side are you supposed to be on anyway?"

 Keito decided to acknowledge his presence. With one push, he pushed open the sliding door. Everyone looked at him, and he looked back, his expression remained stoic as ever.

 "Ohayou Okamoto-kun," one of the girls, Keito recognized as Maihara, greeted him.

 Keito's expression remained stoic as ever though he did gave a little nod. He was about to go to his seat when one of his classmates, Nakai, tried to trip him. Keito tripped a little. However, Keito kept his cool and continued his way to his seat as if nothing had happened.

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 "Otou-san, I'm home," Keito yelled out, locking the door after he had enter. When he passed the living room, he saw a note on the table. Keito read it out loud, "There's an important meeting I have to attend. If everything goes well, a guest will be staying with us. Please prepare the guest room just in case."

 Keito sighed but his lips curved upwards. Ever since his mother died when he was younger, it had always been him and his dad. Both of them had taken care of one another. Even though Keito's dad is a world-known musician but he was hopelessly clumsy with houseworks. In the end, it was Keito who did all the house works. Keito didn't mind though. Besides, his dad will help out sometimes, except for things in the kitchen... Keito wouldn't allow him to help out there.

 Keito looked at his wristwatch. It was four in the evening. 'If we're expecting a guest, then I might as well go grocery shopping."

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 As soon as Keito returned, he immediately went to prepare the guest room. There wasn't really much to prepare actually, just dust here and there and change the bed sheet. When he was done with the room, he began cooking dinner. Usually Keito would cook Western food since his dad loves them, but because they were having a guest, Keito decided to make Japanese food he didn't know which their guest prefers.

 Half past seven, his dad still hadn't arrive yet. All the food had been prepared, and the table was set. Keito sat at his seat and sighed. Twenty minutes had pass and Keito began to wonder where his dad was. A moment later, he heard the front door opened and closed, and the familiar 'Tadaima' was heard.

 Keito went to the front to greet his father and the guest. When he got there, he was surprised to see another boy, probably the same age as him, clinging to his dad. The boy looked awfully familiar to Keito but Keito couldn't place where he had seen him. Keito looked at his dad. Knowing the silent question, Mr. Okamoto said, "This is Yamada Ryosuke, 13 years old; my nephew, the son of my sister."

 Then it hit him. That boy was his cousin. He had seen photos of him whenever a letter to his dad from his aunt came, telling about her life. At that time, Keito and his dad were still living in England. About two years ago, they returned to Japan when Mr. Okamoto heard of his sister's death, and Ryosuke was missing. Mr. Okamoto had been searching for his missing nephew ever since.

 "You've found him," Keito stated, his eyes still locked on Yamada.

 "Someone had found him unconscious on the street and sent him to the hospital about a week ago. The nurse working at the hospital called me today when they found his living relative; us."

 Yamada didn't say anything. He was still clinging to Keito's dad's side, looking at Keito suspisciously. 'As if he was scared,' Keito observed.

Mr. Okamoto sniffed in the air. "You cooked Japanese food today," Mr. Okamoto said, trying to release the tension growing.

Keito chuckled. "You've guessed right, otou-san," he said. "Come on, both of you must be starved." Keito smiled at Yamada. He still looked at Keito suspisciously. 'Oh well, I don't blame him,' Keito thought. He must have had things hard during the time when he was missing.

 "Oh yeah," Mr. Okamoto said as they walked to the kitchen. Yamada didn't say anything but followed from behind, his hand holding the sleeve of Mr. Okamoto's shirt.

 During the entire dinner time, Yamada had been silent. Whenever Keito or Mr. Okamoto asked questions, he'll just nod or shook his head, didn't say anything. After dinner, Keito had volunteered to show Yamada to his room, which his dad agreed to.

 "Maybe you could get through him," Mr. Okamoto whispered to his son.

 Yamada was hesitant at first but Mr. Okamoto assured him that it would be alright, alas he agreed. The entire walk to the guest room was filled with silence. Yamada looked at the ground the whole time, glancing at Keito once in a while. He wondered why Keito didn't ask him any questions.

 "Your room has an adjoining bathroom," Keito said. "I've prepared some clean clothes for you to wear tonight. If you ever need anything, my room is just next door." Yamada just nodded his head. "Well, I better go now," Keito said. "The kitchen will be a mess if left in my otou-san's hand." Somehow, that joke managed to make Yamada smile a little. Keito was just about to walk away when he felt Yamada grabbing the sleeve of his shirt. Keito looked at his cousin questioningly.

 "Thank you," Yamada said, his voice barely above whisper. Keito smiled. Although Yamada still didn't talk much but at least this was a progress.

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 When Keito arrived to the kitchen, he saw his father attempting to wash the dishes. "Otou-san, didn't I tell you works in the kitchen is off-limit to you?" Keito joked.

 Mr. Okamoto was taken by surprise, he almost dropped the dish he was holding. Mr. Okamoto turned to his son, smiling sheepishly. "You've made dinner tonight, so it would just be fair if I help out a little."

 Keito chuckled. "Alright, but just tonight." Mr. Okamoto laughed and continued washing the dishes while I sat by the kitchen table.

 "Otou-san, what happened to Ryosuke?" Keito asked out of the blue.

 "Hmm~..." Keito heard his father said. "According to the doctors, they had found fresh cuts and bruises on Ryosuke's body as well as old ones. They believed that Ryosuke might have been tortured the two years he was missing, and I believed so too."

 Although his dad's back was facing him, but Keito knew his dad was angry. He was too. No one deserved to be treated the way Yamada was treated. Keito could still remember the rage his dad was in when they arrived to Japan, when they confronted his sister's, Yamada Sayu's murderer; Yamada Kyouhei, his own brother-in-law. He had confessed of killing his wife, Yamada Sayu when she tried to stop him from selling Ryosuke. But before they could ask about Ryosuke's whereabout, or to whom he sold Ryosuke to, Yamada Kyouhei had died of heart attack.

 'I will surely get through him,' Keito thought with full determination.

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