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“So are any of you slimes going to the waterfront festival next week?” Miya peeked over the edge of his switch and looked at the others in the room. It was Sunday and for some reason it had become a thing for everyone to descend onto Kojiro’s apartment for “bro time brunch”. In Kojiro’s opinion it was an excuse for them to come eat at his house but he had to admit it was pretty nice to have them around.
“Who are you calling a slime sailor boy?”
Most of the time.
Miya’s cheeks puffed out indignantly. “Oh, I don't know. Maybe to the guy who lost all his beefs last night?”
Kojiro knew he was fast but he was not fast enough to stop Reki and Miya from flying at each other. “What’s the waterfront festival?” Langa sidestepped the brawling teens and sat on Joe’s couch.
This was enough to get Reki to pin Miya down to the floor and look up at his friend. “It's just a Summer Festival down by the beach.”
“There’s food, games, fireworks. Loads of stuff to do with friends.” Hiromi chimed in from the kitchen table. He was the only one who was supposed to be there since he was helping Kojiro pick out new floral arrangements for the restaurant.
“Oh.” Langa’s ears perked up signaling his excitement. “When is it? Can we go?”
Reki struggled against his prisoner and from where he was seated Joe could see Miya getting ready to bite him. “Sure. You can come by my house and see if we have any yukatas that might fi-IIIIOuch! Miya!!”
“Let go of me or I’ll do it again.”
Before they could go back at it, Reki was lifted by the back of his shirt and dragged back to the couch by an exasperated Kaoru. “Alright that’s enough you two.”
“Man Cherry, I always forget how strong you are under all the billowy sleeves.” the red head was completely unbothered by the rough treatment.
“Well yes. True strength should never be out on display. That’s why I prefer modesty unlike SOME PEOPLE.”
Kojiro knew the jab was at him and took it just as personally as Cherry wanted him to. “First of all strawberry shortcake, me showing off my strength is a personal choice. Second of all, the ladies love it and who am I to deny them of their joy?”
He flexed and Kaoru scoffed, returning to his tea on the balcony. “Only an out of control attention seeking ape needs to keep his chest on full display.”
Joe conceded knowing he walked himself right into that one and turned his attention to Miya who whispered “Uh oh, mom and dad are fighting again.” to Langa who laughed and accidentally spat orange juice all over Reki’s shirt. “Really guys?”
There was a symphony of apologies as he went to find a clean one for the kid to wear.
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Several days before the festival Kaoru got a formal invitation to do a demonstration. He wasn’t intending to go but he wasn’t one to turn down a gig, especially one as easy as this. He sent his response of agreeing only if they upped the fee ‘since it was such short notice’ and put in a request for some of his merchandise to be shipped out.
“Carla, tell Colette that we need workers for the stall on Saturday and to please not send the ones that are in a relationship. All they did was look at each other the entire time.”
“Right away sir, also Gorilla Grip is approaching the front door.”
What could that man want at this time of night? He grabbed a house robe and made it to the door just in time for Kojiro to ring the bell. When the door opened it was not only Joe but also Miya almost hiding behind him. “Give me the reason and make it good.”
Nanjo pushed past him and ushered Miya in. “Hello to you too. Miya needs your help.”
“With?”
Green eyes looked up at him slightly awestruck and Cherry raised a brow. “I’ve never seen you wear your hair all the way up like that. Your industrial bar is cool.”
Because he was (supposed to be) relaxing at home Kaoru had all of his hair swept up in a bun exposing his ears and all of his piercings. “Th-thank you.” he tried not to sound flustered. Compliments from Miya were few and far between, especially when said so plainly. “Now what do you want?”
“Little man needs a yukata and I figured he should come to you for that.” Kojiro ruffled the boy's hair and there was a squeak. “And if I remember correctly you were about his size as a kid.”
Cherry didn't like talking about his childhood but Joe was right. “I might have a few that survived my grunge days.” He led them both to his storage room.
Miya followed, looking around as went. “Nice place. How come you never let us come over here?”
“I know right,” Kojiro laughed, nudging Kaoru. “He has all of this but still chooses to come to my apartment and complain about the size.”
“I like my space, and some of the stuff here is worth more than your entire bloodline. In here.” They had been led to the far end of the house and a door opened to a mostly empty room. Kaoru lit a lamp and told the intruders to go sit somewhere while he dug through the closet. If what he was looking for was there it was going to be most likely at the bottom or in the back (or both) so it was going to take some time. “Is there a particular color you're looking for or do you just want anything that fits?”
“Anything that fits.”
Box after box was moved out of the small closet and several times Cherry had to slap at Joe to keep him from spilling their contents everywhere. Miya was at least respectful and sat a distance away fidgeting with his phone as Kojiro word vomited stories from their childhood. “Me and Cherry had to be in the same class all of grade school because he would cry uncontrollably if we had to separate.”
“Lies.” pure blasphemy.
“He also doesn’t make friends that easily so of course me being the saint that I am, I obliged.”
“You're a harlot thats what you are.” Kaoru found what he had been looking for and looked over to find that Nanjo had an old yearbook open. From the cover it looked like a high school one. “Give me that! Miya come try these on.”
“They’re so dusty.”
“If we find one that fits I will have it cleaned in time for the festival.” The fabrics were pulled out one by one and they were in awful patterns and even more embarrassing than he remembered. Miya was handed the under robes and left to change in the hall and Joe watched Cherry with a smile.
“Remember when you used to wonder what it would’ve been like to have a little brother.”
Kaoru often lamented growing up an only child unlike Kojiro who had sisters. But this was bringing back those memories. “I have since blocked out those memories.”
“Do you think that if we call your mom she’ll have extras?”
“We are not calling that woman!” Joe pulled out his phone as a threat and Cherry jumped him to get it. “The last time you did that we had to go over for dinner and I had to spend the weekend refusing suitors.”
“If you guys want more privacy I could just go to the other side of the house.” The ‘adults’ stopped tussling and found Miya in the doorway trying not to laugh.
Cherry stood and made sure to step on Joe as he pulled out the first overcoat to try. “Don't worry about that, the stupid ape was bored and confused me for one of his play things. Arms out.”
Over the next hour they switched the robes and obi belts to mix and match until Miya settled on a dragonfly yukata with a green obi. “So you're sure this is the one you want?” Joe asked as he folded the others to be put away.
“Yeah. It's a cool pattern.” Miya had switched back to his normal clothes and held his little parcel on his lap.
Kojiro and Kaoru exchanged a look. Miya was never the most vocal about his feelings but it was clear he was nervous about something. “If you don't mind, you never struck me as the type to go to festivals.”
“I'm not. A friend invited me and I said ok.” he made a point to focus on his phone and not the two staring at him. Cherry noted the blush in his ears.
Joe pretended to organize one of the boxes. “Is it just the two of you or…?”
“I'm not sure. He just said to meet by the gate at 7.”
He?
There was another knowing look as Kaoru shut the closet. “Well, I will be there as well for a demonstration so you can get dressed here and we can head over together. I don't want you getting this dirty skating your way there.”
“How kind of you.” Joe laughed. “We'll be here at 5.”
“I wasn't talking to you, you Neanderthal!”
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Takashi had begun talking to Miya again little by little. It was small words during passing or a comment on his most recent official skate competition but it was something. Just before summer break he stopped Miya at his locker.
“Hey Chinen, wanna go to the waterfront festival?”
“What?”
Takashi stood awkwardly and huffed. “The festival coming up, you going?”
“Um. I wasn't planning on it.”
“Well you are now.” for a moment Miya cursed his shortness as the other boy stood about a head taller than him. “Meet me by the entrance by 7 or I'm posting your kindergarten pictures online.”
And with that he spun on his heel and walked away.
Now today was the day and again Joe picked him up from his house and they rode to Cherry's house where after an(other) argument the three of them separated to get dressed. The yukata actually looked really good now that it had been tailored and cleaned. Cherry came in and fixed his hair and gave him a bag for his phone and wallet followed by a short lesson on how he should hold himself.
“I will not be seen with untrained and unkempt children.”
“Better stay away from Joe and Reki then.” his joke got a chuckle out of Cherry so he counted it as a win.
The drive to the venue was energetic but Miya spent it panicking that he might have been over dressed. “You'll be ok kid. It's just a local thing and there will be plenty of other people dressed the same way. Now smile!”
Joe leaned over and took a picture just as the car came to a stop and Miya was able to jump out before getting caught in the crosshairs.
He walked the remaining distance to the front and his nerves were as bad as when he competed at “S”. It got worse when he saw Takashi leaning against a railing looking at his phone. He stayed a distance away until his friend looked up and noticed him.
“Finally.”
“What do you mean finally? It’s not even 6:45 yet.”
Takashi shrugged and shoved his hands in his sleeves. “Whatever. What do you want to do first?”
Miya allowed the other boy to pick and they walked from stall to stall playing games and trying some of the foods that the stalls had to offer. They made comfortable conversation about nothing in particular and Miya was happy that they still had so much in common. From a distance they peeked in on Cherry’s calligraphy demonstrations and they were spotted in the crowd and got a small wave in return. After that they bumped into Reki and his siblings who were looking for Langa.
“How do you lose a 5’9 Canadian?”
“He was at one of the squid stalls and now can’t find him. Hi, I’m Reki, one of Miya’s skate friends. These are my sisters, Koyomi and the twins Chihiro and Nanaka.”
Takashi gave a respectful greeting to the girls and turned to Miya who put a hand up. “He’s not my friend, we just happen to skate together. I hate to have to do this but would you mind helping us find Langa?”
“Um. sure?” Miya grabbed his hand and the gaggle of children set off calling for the lost duckling that was Langa Hasegawa.
It started well at first, with all that could calling out his name but as kids do, they got distracted by the games and even Reki stopped to play a few rounds of one that offered plushies and he did his best to win one for each of his sisters. He emptied his own pockets and tried to go after Miya’s but the smaller kid beat him back. “Please! I’m gonna look like a loser.”
“Too late my dude.” he and Takashi took turns trying to knock over the bottles piled up at the back of the stall.
“I can’t believe this!” Here come the dramatics. “First I lost my best friend and now I’m being bullied by middle schoolers!”
“Both of which are your fault.” Koyomi chimed in, clearly wounding her brother.
While he had his melt down Chinen noticed Joe walking arm and arm with two women and got an idea. He tapped Takashi. “Wanna hear my gamer girl impression?”
“Oh bet?”
“Watch this. Stay close.” Miya tore away from the group and approached Kojiro and his companions. When the older man turned his back he ran up to him. “Daddy! Daddy! I was looking for you.” he pitched his voice as high as he could make it.
As expected he tried to play it off. “Not again! We talked about this!”
“But I need money for games.”
“Sorry ladies, he is not my son but a kid I mentor.”
Miya grabbed Joe around the middle and turned to face Takashi who was laughing. “I’m telling Mommy you're talking to other girls again. You promised you wouldn’t do it any more!” He turned on the fake waterworks and as expected it made everyone uncomfortable.
Once the girls he was talking to ran away, Joe gave in and pulled out his wallet. “Fine! Fine! Fine! Stop making a scene, how much do you want?”
“6,000 yen.”
Kojiro looked ready to vomit as he handed over the money. “You owe me a race you little criminal.”
“Whatever you say, ‘dad’.”
He took the money and ran back to his friends. “Okonomiyaki is on my guys!”
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Joe wanted to be mad at Miya for shaking him down like that but the smile he had as he ran off with his friends made up for it. For the next hour or so he wandered the stalls looking at the trinkets they had to offer and buying some dinnerware for the restaurant and ink stones for Cherry since he had mentioned he was running low.
When he did meet back up with Princess Peach, Kaoru had changed into a much less formal outfit to better blend in with the ‘commoners’. “Have you seen Miya? Is he having fun?”
“Considering he shook me down for money I will assume so.” he offered to buy him some shaved ice and he accepted. After they had their desserts they made their way to the boardwalk to find a comfortable spot for watching the fireworks.
“I remember doing that as a kid.”
“He took 6,000 yen from me.”
“Only? I’ve taken more from you.”
Joe laughed at that one. It was true since he had dinner at SLL almost every night and if you added it all up it was about 6-7,000 yen a night. Cherry huddled closer to Joe since the sea breeze was picking up. Farther down by the water the kids were spotted in a group and Kojiro pointed them out. “Reki brought his siblings.”
Kaoru looked at each of them and narrowed his eyes at Langa. “And Hasegawa is wearing his yukata inside out.”
“Do you really expect anything less from the kid?”
“I guess not.”
Conversation fell away as fireworks lit up the sky. Kojiro pretended that he didn’t notice the way Kaoru rested his head on his shoulder and cold fingers slid up his sleeve. He also pretended not to see how Miya’s friend went for the classic over the shoulder trick.
He had half a mind to disrupt whatever was going on as payback but he looked at the man on his arm and remembered what it was like being young.
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