Part I -- The Soul and Spirit of Kiku Heaven
Chapter Three: Troubles in Kiku Heaven’s Student Neighbourhood -- An Interlude
Fall Seven times and get up eight
When Ceci moved to College she was not only still dating Kazuo, but she also said Yes when he proposed to her. However, she chose to live with Stephen and Jiro instead of moving with Kazuo and his brother, Hiroshi. She and Stephen had grown up together like siblings, we cannot blame her decision at all, can we?
After having declared his Major and gone shopping for buying new clothes, Stephen called his father, Andy, and invited him to check their student house.
Needless to say Andy was deeply moved and proud to see he still played an important part in little Stephen’s life. [Well, Stephen is far from “little” but you know how difficult it is for parents to accept their children have grown up.]
Jiro, on the other hand, was about to have a head stroke when he tried out one of the outfits his half-brother had bought for him.
Yamasaki Jade, Yokito’s and Ichiro’s sister had started dating Ying, Hiroyuki’s brother, at High School, but after a while Ying seemed to have a change of heart. Maybe his feelings had never been deep enough to think of Jade as someone special in his life, or maybe he had other reasons. Fact is, from the moment they put foot on the campus Ying kept visiting the Wus 24/7. As it happened, his timing was always right to find….
…Ceci alone in the house doing one of her crazy smustle dances. “Cute! Cute! Cute!” was his usual thought [such a rich vocabulary!] and would stood there staring at her with a broad smile on his face -- which, if it was a sign would read, “Attention! Stupid ahead!”
What actually happened in the students’ neighbourhood the summer Hitoshi spent painting uncertain of his future and trying to take both Norihiro and Shinobu out of his mind, is that some couples broke up and a few of them felt deeply hurt and betrayed. Other incidents involved engagement, vows of eternal love, change of partners, but every little change was, unfortunately, went through lots of fights and rivers of tears - tissues included.
Ying says he felt in love with Ceci that summer, but he is a liar. He will never admit he had been in love with her for years now and the only reason he kept it to himself was she was dating Kazuo; but he is rather pleased no one ever noticed. Now, if you ask Ceci she will say she knew it all along, but she let him nonetheless believe his confession came as a surprise. “Seriously?”
Ying: After all this exercise my body looks so much better… eh?
Ceci: Yes, yes. It does. Now….
Ceci: …let me show you mine.
Ying to himself: She… she likes me! Let’s hope I won’t pass out once we get into her room.
He did not pass out, but Jade, who was stalking him, found her way to the Wus, too.
Ceci: He’s not here… I think.
Jade: But I saw him! Are you saying I need glasses?
Ceci: No, of course not. Maybe he’s studying with Stephen, not sure…Err, Jade? Isn’t it a little hot for a raincoat and boots?
Jade: I know, but I couldn’t resist such a marvellous colour. It suits perfectly my complexion, don’t you think?
Ceci: ….Right. Let me check if Ying is in Stephen’s room.
Ceci: Jade knows you’re here. You’d better go down.
Ying *in moronic smile without making a single step* : I.. I’m going…
Ceci: Move! NOW! ...Please?
Maybe Ceci wanted to be honest and tell Kazuo everything (she was a bit late though), but Kazuo did not take it exactly kindly. It took them months and a great effort to become friends again.
…and Ying, listening to Kumi’s advice, he had to apologise hundred of times before finally appeasing Kazuo’s anger.
Why Kumi would get involved in all this? Because he felt partly responsible for the uncomfortable turn of events: it was his and Hiroyuki’s idea to invite Ying and Ceci to join them in their summer vacation break, while Kazuo had to stay behind to finish his paper. Their invitation included Hiroyuki’s best friend, Yashamaru, and Ceci’s BFF, Cloud, but no one invited Nenki. [How rude!] After their big fight (remember Nenki’s jealousy when he heard the rumours of Cloud having fun with Yashamaru Downtown? If not, here is a little reminder)
...after that fight the two boys stopped talking to each other, but no one seemed willing to split up. One can assume it was their pride keeping them apart.
Yashamaru looked exceptionally calm during dinner. Heart beats: 200 p/m
Cloud was rather confused to feel his heart thumbing on his stomach. Heart beats: 200 p/m [:D]
They all had a splendid time; Hiroyuki and Kumi, in particular, seized the opportunity to fall in love all over again. [As if they needed a pathetic excuse like this to get excited.]
Day by day Ceci found Ying increasingly attractive, so much that she was literally hanging on his lips, and by the time their vacation was over
…Ying was her one and only thought.
When they went back her friends noticed she had changed, Ceci absent-minded? Hell, no. Early autumn Ceci and Ying began going out together till a moment came she become absolutely certain Ying was the One! Determined to talk to Kazuo and tell him everything she invited Ying over to celebrate; unfortunately, that short delay cost her credibility.
Kazuo caught her cheating!
Jade the Stalker had found out what was going and thought of joining forces with Kazuo to claim her “prize” back.
Time for the blame game.
Jade: You’re such a low-life! How dare you sleep with someone else? With my best friend?
Ying: She is not even your friend, let alone best.
Jade: You’re a LOOOOSER! Face it!
Ying faced it, and Jade had to face his final judgment.
A little later, when she began crying no one could tell if it was because Ying left her or, because the fight had dirtied her brand new white pair of pants.
While Kumi and Hiroyuki were sunbathing on the beach, his elder brother, Takeshi, was struggling with pending assignments, and not only that. He had become the bone of contention between the Chikuma sisters and at some point he made his choice. Yukiko, however, was a very persistent girl and kept flirting him. When Takeshi, for 1001st time, turned down her invitation to go on a date with her, the girl collapsed. Literally.
Takeshi probably thinks he was right to refuse going out with a nut case.
Now that his decision proved to be right...
...time to work on that assignment.
Takeshi chose Suchiko (on the right). [Seriously, Takeshi, WTF? Are you blind or something?]
It was already mid-winter when Kazuo finally decided to forgive and forget…
…for he had already carried on with his life. His new romantic interest was Haruko. [!?!!]
Naoki Haruko. Debora’s and Gero’s daughter, Ceci’s and Tatsuya’s half-sister, and above all one of Kiku Heaven’s girls causing a hell of troubles.
Haruko’s first boyfriend was Stephen. Depending on one’s tastes, Stephen can be either the perfect guy or, the boredom in flesh and blood. We don’t know what Haruko was searching but a while after she and Stephen made it officially, she was spotted in the Campus cafeteria chit-chatting with Stephen’s half-brother, Jiro, in a rather strange fashion of intimacy. Who proposed the outing? No one knows, but Jiro’s behaviour towards Stephen hadn’t been the best - despite Stephen’s efforts to get close.
Jiro preferred Tenzen's company instead. [Why he felt closer to Tenzen and Hyoma and not to Stephen is open to speculation.]
Jiro: Grats, man. Lifetime happiness is a great book. I've never finished it though. Too many pages, man.
Stephen was pre-occupied with the Ceci-Kazuo-Ying subject that he did not notice Jiro flirting with his girlfriend. Jiro’s reply when asked to explain himself was unexpected.
Stephen lost the fight and the girl. Jiro won the fight but after a couple of weeks lost the girl, too. Haruko had left him for Kazuo. [Truly, Haruko, we admire the degree of your commitment.]
Stephen picked up his pieces and made an effort to shake off his shoulders the ugly feeling of humiliation. He went to watch his ants. A phone call to his father was due shortly after.
[TO BE CONTINUED...]
Fall Seven times and get up eight
When Ceci moved to College she was not only still dating Kazuo, but she also said Yes when he proposed to her. However, she chose to live with Stephen and Jiro instead of moving with Kazuo and his brother, Hiroshi. She and Stephen had grown up together like siblings, we cannot blame her decision at all, can we?
After having declared his Major and gone shopping for buying new clothes, Stephen called his father, Andy, and invited him to check their student house.
Needless to say Andy was deeply moved and proud to see he still played an important part in little Stephen’s life. [Well, Stephen is far from “little” but you know how difficult it is for parents to accept their children have grown up.]
Jiro, on the other hand, was about to have a head stroke when he tried out one of the outfits his half-brother had bought for him.
Yamasaki Jade, Yokito’s and Ichiro’s sister had started dating Ying, Hiroyuki’s brother, at High School, but after a while Ying seemed to have a change of heart. Maybe his feelings had never been deep enough to think of Jade as someone special in his life, or maybe he had other reasons. Fact is, from the moment they put foot on the campus Ying kept visiting the Wus 24/7. As it happened, his timing was always right to find….
…Ceci alone in the house doing one of her crazy smustle dances. “Cute! Cute! Cute!” was his usual thought [such a rich vocabulary!] and would stood there staring at her with a broad smile on his face -- which, if it was a sign would read, “Attention! Stupid ahead!”
What actually happened in the students’ neighbourhood the summer Hitoshi spent painting uncertain of his future and trying to take both Norihiro and Shinobu out of his mind, is that some couples broke up and a few of them felt deeply hurt and betrayed. Other incidents involved engagement, vows of eternal love, change of partners, but every little change was, unfortunately, went through lots of fights and rivers of tears - tissues included.
Ying says he felt in love with Ceci that summer, but he is a liar. He will never admit he had been in love with her for years now and the only reason he kept it to himself was she was dating Kazuo; but he is rather pleased no one ever noticed. Now, if you ask Ceci she will say she knew it all along, but she let him nonetheless believe his confession came as a surprise. “Seriously?”
Ying: After all this exercise my body looks so much better… eh?
Ceci: Yes, yes. It does. Now….
Ceci: …let me show you mine.
Ying to himself: She… she likes me! Let’s hope I won’t pass out once we get into her room.
He did not pass out, but Jade, who was stalking him, found her way to the Wus, too.
Ceci: He’s not here… I think.
Jade: But I saw him! Are you saying I need glasses?
Ceci: No, of course not. Maybe he’s studying with Stephen, not sure…Err, Jade? Isn’t it a little hot for a raincoat and boots?
Jade: I know, but I couldn’t resist such a marvellous colour. It suits perfectly my complexion, don’t you think?
Ceci: ….Right. Let me check if Ying is in Stephen’s room.
Ceci: Jade knows you’re here. You’d better go down.
Ying *in moronic smile without making a single step* : I.. I’m going…
Ceci: Move! NOW! ...Please?
Maybe Ceci wanted to be honest and tell Kazuo everything (she was a bit late though), but Kazuo did not take it exactly kindly. It took them months and a great effort to become friends again.
…and Ying, listening to Kumi’s advice, he had to apologise hundred of times before finally appeasing Kazuo’s anger.
Why Kumi would get involved in all this? Because he felt partly responsible for the uncomfortable turn of events: it was his and Hiroyuki’s idea to invite Ying and Ceci to join them in their summer vacation break, while Kazuo had to stay behind to finish his paper. Their invitation included Hiroyuki’s best friend, Yashamaru, and Ceci’s BFF, Cloud, but no one invited Nenki. [How rude!] After their big fight (remember Nenki’s jealousy when he heard the rumours of Cloud having fun with Yashamaru Downtown? If not, here is a little reminder)
...after that fight the two boys stopped talking to each other, but no one seemed willing to split up. One can assume it was their pride keeping them apart.
Yashamaru looked exceptionally calm during dinner. Heart beats: 200 p/m
Cloud was rather confused to feel his heart thumbing on his stomach. Heart beats: 200 p/m [:D]
They all had a splendid time; Hiroyuki and Kumi, in particular, seized the opportunity to fall in love all over again. [As if they needed a pathetic excuse like this to get excited.]
Day by day Ceci found Ying increasingly attractive, so much that she was literally hanging on his lips, and by the time their vacation was over
…Ying was her one and only thought.
When they went back her friends noticed she had changed, Ceci absent-minded? Hell, no. Early autumn Ceci and Ying began going out together till a moment came she become absolutely certain Ying was the One! Determined to talk to Kazuo and tell him everything she invited Ying over to celebrate; unfortunately, that short delay cost her credibility.
Kazuo caught her cheating!
Jade the Stalker had found out what was going and thought of joining forces with Kazuo to claim her “prize” back.
Time for the blame game.
Jade: You’re such a low-life! How dare you sleep with someone else? With my best friend?
Ying: She is not even your friend, let alone best.
Jade: You’re a LOOOOSER! Face it!
Ying faced it, and Jade had to face his final judgment.
A little later, when she began crying no one could tell if it was because Ying left her or, because the fight had dirtied her brand new white pair of pants.
While Kumi and Hiroyuki were sunbathing on the beach, his elder brother, Takeshi, was struggling with pending assignments, and not only that. He had become the bone of contention between the Chikuma sisters and at some point he made his choice. Yukiko, however, was a very persistent girl and kept flirting him. When Takeshi, for 1001st time, turned down her invitation to go on a date with her, the girl collapsed. Literally.
Takeshi probably thinks he was right to refuse going out with a nut case.
Now that his decision proved to be right...
...time to work on that assignment.
Takeshi chose Suchiko (on the right). [Seriously, Takeshi, WTF? Are you blind or something?]
It was already mid-winter when Kazuo finally decided to forgive and forget…
…for he had already carried on with his life. His new romantic interest was Haruko. [!?!!]
Naoki Haruko. Debora’s and Gero’s daughter, Ceci’s and Tatsuya’s half-sister, and above all one of Kiku Heaven’s girls causing a hell of troubles.
Haruko’s first boyfriend was Stephen. Depending on one’s tastes, Stephen can be either the perfect guy or, the boredom in flesh and blood. We don’t know what Haruko was searching but a while after she and Stephen made it officially, she was spotted in the Campus cafeteria chit-chatting with Stephen’s half-brother, Jiro, in a rather strange fashion of intimacy. Who proposed the outing? No one knows, but Jiro’s behaviour towards Stephen hadn’t been the best - despite Stephen’s efforts to get close.
Jiro preferred Tenzen's company instead. [Why he felt closer to Tenzen and Hyoma and not to Stephen is open to speculation.]
Jiro: Grats, man. Lifetime happiness is a great book. I've never finished it though. Too many pages, man.
Stephen was pre-occupied with the Ceci-Kazuo-Ying subject that he did not notice Jiro flirting with his girlfriend. Jiro’s reply when asked to explain himself was unexpected.
Stephen lost the fight and the girl. Jiro won the fight but after a couple of weeks lost the girl, too. Haruko had left him for Kazuo. [Truly, Haruko, we admire the degree of your commitment.]
Stephen picked up his pieces and made an effort to shake off his shoulders the ugly feeling of humiliation. He went to watch his ants. A phone call to his father was due shortly after.
[TO BE CONTINUED...]