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In the little Hayakawa apartment, once a month Denji, Galgali, and Angel sat around the dining table, discussing the book they just read.
“Ok so what did everyone think of the book?” Angel started off the discussion
“I liked it. I thought it was cute, and it showed great character development as well as illustrated the challenges teenagers have to go through that are often dismissed as unimportant and not given the attention they deserve.” Galgali said looking at Denji
“What did you think Denji?” Angel asked him?
“I thought it was crazy when the dudes died, but I did not understand why the mom was involved in it.”
“Ok, good. You were close. Ari, the protagonist, was talking to his mom about a moment in history.”
“So his mom was not involved?”
“No.”
“Agh”
“But, you basically understood it.”
“Yea I noticed significant improvement.”
They heard someone opening the front door. A tall dark haired man with an awful ponytail, carried a bag of groceries in. Then took a good look at the three of them sitting around the table.
“Galgali? Uh, good afternoon. What are you doing here?”
Denji looked offended. “Didn’t they teach you it’s rude not to greet people.”
“What is going on?” Aki ignored him
“Book club” Angel informed Aki, calmly
“Book club? Yea right. What is going on?”
“Book club. We meet once a month to discuss a book we just read. It was Angel’s idea.” Galgali said.
Angel smiled at Aki
“Denji can’t read.” Aki stated
“Yeah, that was a problem at first, but he’s gotten better. It’s a slow process, but with our help he has an easier time reading.”
“Yea I’m so much gooder at reading.” Denji agreed
“Yea right. Denji, what book are you reading?”
“Dante and Atosphere hide secrets from Urole”
“You’re full of shit.”
“It’s called Dante and Aristotle discover the secrets of the universe. I thought it would be good for Denji because the syntax is simple and the chapters are short eliminating unnecessary confusion.” Angel explained
“I liked it because I thought it would be good for Denji to read about relationships that aren’t trying to kill him.” Galgali added
“Let’s say this was true. Why have you never invited me, or anyone else for that matter?”
“Sometimes Kishibe stops by.” Angel said
“What? When?” Aki was gobsmacked
“Last month he suggested Slaughterhouse 5, but I don’t think Denji is ready for a classic.”
“So everyone was invited but me?”
“Do you wanna join? I’m trying to get Kobeni to join, maybe if there’s another human she’ll join.” Galgali politely asked
“Great so I’m an afterthought? No thanks. I don’t want your pity invite.”
“It’s not a pity invite. I just didn’t think you’d be interested.” Angel said
“Why not, I did well in school. I’m great at understanding passages.” Aki said offended
“I didn’t think you had hobbies outside of exercising, cooking, and cleaning.” Denji said
“You think I’m passionate about cleaning?”
“Why else would you spend all day cleaning?”
“Because you and Power are a bunch of slobs.”
“Woah, I was just trying to help you out man. I swear I’ve seen you get hard over fresh pressed linens.”
Aki was astounded “That never in my entire life has that ever happened!”
“Are you mad I revealed your shameful secret?”
“I’m gonna kill you.” Aki dropped his groceries, and was approaching Denji. Luckily, Angel got to Aki before Aki was able to kill Denji, and gently rested his hand on his back.
That seemed to kinda calm him down. Then Angel started to rub Aki’s back, and the anger disappeared from Aki’s eyes.
“We would love to have you in our club. You’re just so busy that we didn’t want to bother you with the club, but if you want to join our club we would be more than happy. Plus the more help we can get the better, because I don’t remember learning to read so I don’t know how to teach it. Galgali is doing a great job though.”
“Oh, um. thank you Angel.”
“Ok I’ll join.”
“Great. We’ll probably keep reading this book for a while, you can have my copy.”
“How are you gonna read it?” Denji asked
“I already finished it.”
“What?”
“You’re just learning to read. I have been doing this maybe for as long as I have been alive. There’s no way of knowing.”
“Don’t feel bad angel, sometimes I wish I couldn't remember things. Like that time I saw Aki get hard over fresh pressed linens.” Immediately after Denji said that, Aki punched him.
“Woah no violence. Please use your words” pleaded Galgali
“Angel control your boyfriend.”
“This is on you.”
“Huh!?”
“I tried to calm him down but you had to poke the bear didn’t you?”
“I was trying to learn about Dante and Alone waffle when Aki strutted in here, like he owned the place-.”
“I do!” Aki interfered
“Then he resorts to unnecessary violence in front of poor Galgali who hates violence.”
Aki looks at Angel who just shrugs
“I’m going for a walk!” and leaves, accidentally slamming the door
“Why would you do that!”
“Do what?”
“You know how sensitive he is.” Angel reprimanded him
“Yea man c’mon cut him some slack”
“I was just teasing him. It’s not even true so you guys can hop off my dick because he’s said worse to me.”
“Yea, but he’s feeling excluded and on top of that you’re making up some lie about him”
“He punched me”
“You had it coming”
“Whatever, if you're all gonna freak out I'll apologize.”
“You're not understanding me. I don’t care about what you said. It’s about when you said it. Time and place.” Angel explained
“Huh?”
“Let’s say meows died.” Angel elaborated
“Why would you say that?” Denji said offended
“It’s an example.”
“What is wrong with you? if Meowy dies i’m airing out japan.”
“Oh my god.” Angel looks to Galgali for support, but he just nods
“Ok whatever it’s a hypothetical-“
“A bad one”
“Ok let’s say it did. And power didn’t wash the dishes that day-”
“Typical.”
“-you wouldn’t yell at her that day because clearly she is going through stuff”
“Ok.”
“So you understand what I’m saying.”
“Yes, but what does that have to do with Aki?”
Angel looked at him astonished, “You and power really test my patience, do you know that?”
“Not the first time I’ve been told that.”
“Ok well Aki is feeling excluded, and on top of that you won’t stop making up lies just to spite him.”
“In my defense, he has a short fuse.”
Angel just agrees.
“Why didn’t we invite him?” Galgali asked Angel
“I was gonna invite him, when he got more used to his new schedule. Which I assumed that would be roughly when Denji learnt how to read, but I’m unfamiliar with the time it takes humans to learn new tasks.”
“I just assumed you and Aki were in a lovers quarrel so i didn’t wanna pry”
“No, Aki and I are pretty good. I thought moving in together would be difficult, but I think we got a routine down.”
“Ew gross. I don’t wanna hear about you dry humping Aki.”
Angel gave him a horribly disgusted look that made Denji’s stomach churn.
Galgali, clearly scared of angry Angel, broke the silence “Should we look for Aki?”
“Yea that’s a good idea.” Angel said “Denji go find him.”
“What? Why me?”
“It’s your fault.”
“I was just trying to learn to read. It’s not my fault Aki is such easy bait.”
Angel and Galgali looked at each other and nodded a bit.
“He’s got a point.” Galgali said
“Yea, I can’t disagree with that, but don’t you want Aki to join our club?”
“Yea.” Denji said defeated
“Then you have to go find him.”
“Fine, but I’m dramatically storming off.”
“Yea that’s fair”
Denji stood up dramatically grabbed a book on the table and flung it down, scoffed, marched to the door, and slammed it shut when he left.
Angel walked to the kitchen, took some ibuprofen from the cabinet then picked up Aki’s discarded groceries that no one had bothered to pick up. He put everything in its proper place then grabbed the massive tub of ice cream from the floor, that had melted a bit from being outside the fridge for so long and took out 2 spoons.
He sat down again with Galgali and offered him a spoon.
“Is it going to be like this from now on?” Galgali asked him
“Occasionally, but usually they’re a sweet and supportive family. Just a little loud.”
They ate a bit of ice cream.
“Did you read the other book?” Angel asked him
“Yea I liked it. I thought it was an interesting concept: Are humans born evil, or do they grow up to be that way. I haven’t finished it though.”
“That’s fine. It’s a long book, but what do you think so far?”
“I can’t really input that much but I really liked how Dostoyevski gives us a deep insight to the character’s thoughts and motives. Usually you have to pick it up from context, but due to his isolation that has caused him to talk to himself we are told exactly what lead to his actions. But it’s kinda hard to keep up with all the names.”
“Yea that’s for sure. Also, so off topic, but is Kobeni gonna join?”
“I have no idea, that’s why I was asking if this is how it usually is, because she cannot handle arguments. She’s a little…”
“Fragile?”
“Anxious”
“Yea, I can tell.”
“It’s just that her family fought a lot. She can’t handle more. You know?”
“I can tell them to not fight, but they naturally yell. A lot. One time Aki said we were going to the park that we always go to, and they started yelling. Not even saying anything, just screaming as loud as they could. I don’t know how we don’t get noise complaints.”
“I’ll talk to her, because she really likes to read and learn but she never had the chance.”
“Look, I’ll do what I can to make her feel welcomed, but I can’t change their personalities.”
Aki and Denji returned laughing.
Aki sat right next to Angel and kissed his head, and Denji sat across from them and made throw up notices.
“Where were we?” Galgali asked
“Chapter 3 I think?”
“I did not get that far.” Denji admitted
“We can read it together. Denji you can start.”
“When I walked into the heat of the day, even the lizards knew better than to be caw. caughting.”
“Sound it out. What sound does cr make?” Aki said
“cuhr”
“and aw?”
“aw”
“So together?”
“craw”
“now add ling”
“crawling?”
“That's right.”
“crawling around!”
And as the hot summer sun passed over the Hayakawa household. They kept working with Denji. Until Power got hungry, and marched in, uninvited, demanding to be served a steak, or we would eat Denji.
Galgali stayed for dinner, and watched as Denji and Power threatened each other over dinner, then fell asleep on each other.