Family worries

[iron_strength]

Things have been troublesome lately thanks to the recent circumstances regarding my baby sister. And as a result, I've also been learning that Kaasan feels really guilty about what happened to Namari. Because she never noticed anything wrong and now she's beating herself up over it. To the point that it's affecting her work, and she was sent home

Comments

[kokuhatsu]

I offered, so of course I'll take you. It is a nice place. If you can look past the shabbiness of the building, that is. The interior's pretty homey though. Location's good too. Walking distance to school, a bus ride away to the hospital, a number of combini nearby... The residents are mostly families re-locating to Tokyo from other prefectures, and some are university students and employees who didn't like living in the heart of the city. They can be eccentric, from the different backgrounds, I guess, but their hearts are in the right place. I can vouch for that. Ah, and the landlord's a retired policeman and a good friend of my uncle's. Hmm... I guess everything else you can see for yourself.

I'd offer to take you this afternoon, after visiting Sengoku and Dan-kun, but... since you're planning on taking Namari-chan and Ibu-kun and his sisters to see the place, how about this weekend? It might be easier for the girls with school out.

........And believe me when I say I respect the gravity of the thought behind this post. But, Tetsu-kun... that thing you edited in... just cracked me up.

[iron_strength]

...So you have told me. ...Which is why I want to see it for myself and find out if it's as good as you insist it is. Because I can't be too sure. And while someone might think everything is okay, it could end up being awful in the end.

This weekend is fine. Shinji won't be bringing his sisters, but I'll still be bringing Namari to check things out.
...
...But thank you for helping us with this.

...Well, it's true. It doesn't take into consideration the plight of those who choose to be hair-free.

[kokuhatsu]

Hm, true. I may be just biased, the landlord being a family friend... Well, you know what's best for your family, Tetsu-kun. I'm just here doing what I can to help.

....I'm sorry. Still cracking up.... Ahem. ...So, what exactly does hair-free people do to indicate they're stressed out?

[iron_strength]

I'm sure anything will be better than where me and my family are right now, but I shouldn't be too quick to accept something without knowing all the facts and seeing things for myself. But I'll be keeping that in mind with all the places we'll be checking, not just the apartments you'll be taking us to.

A lot of scalp scratching. ...And as you might've noticed over the course of the tournament, I also tend to grind the heel of my palm into my forehead a lot when I get frustrated or stressed out over something or someone.

[kokuhatsu]

I understand. I do hope you'll be able to find and move to a new place soon. Tell me if you need help with the moving or anything else, okay?

Scalp scratching sounds more like confusion though. But, yes. I noticed the hand to forehead thing... Is the Viking boy still bothering you? I thought he's too busy with his friends now.

[iron_strength]

I'll hopefully be able to move as soon as I figure out which place is best for us. I'd have to have Kaasan stop by the place and see it for herself before we made any final decision, but after that, I'd be able to start packing us up and getting us moved over.
...Ah, yeah... I'll keep that in mind when we do move. ...Thanks, Ryou-san.

...Hmmm... Maybe you're right. Confusion seemed to be something I was feeling a lot also alongside my frustration and stress, so maybe I was mixing up my habits... The opposite, actually. I haven't spoken to him barely since we got back. He's been heading off to places with Hirakoba-san a lot lately. ...Guess he is really busy with his friends. I couldn't even get him to spare some time to show me to the dojo he goes to.

[kokuhatsu]

It'll be my pleasure to help, Tetsu-kun.

...I understand the frustration and stress from the problem you're dealing with... Confusion, I don't get. What are you confused about? ...Even you, huh? Hm, figures. So you're frustrated over him because he isn't around much?

[iron_strength]

...
...You're being too nice to me considering how I'd been treating you lately, Ryou-san. ...Why aren't you upset with me?

...I'm not comfortable talking about it at the moment. And I'm sure it'll pass soon enough. So there's nothing to worry about. Ah, I'm not really frustrated with him. Kinda annoyed that he seems so nonchalant about things I'm seriously asking him about, but maybe he's dealing with his own problems right now. I can't fault him if he's caught up in his own issues, ...even if I do want him to talk to me.

[kokuhatsu]

...You're saying I should be an ass to you just because you're being one to me? Please. I have better breeding than that. ...I don't remember saying I'm not.

Hm... If you say so. He might be an airhead most of the time, but I doubt if he'll treat you nochalantly. So yes, he must be having problems of his own... Right, it's not him you're frustrated with. No use playing dumb about it then. It's me. Still have no clue why, btw.

[iron_strength]

...Okay, I deserved that one.
...I know I've been acting like an ass lately. And you don't deserve it. It's my own stupidity at work. So I deserve to have you being upset back and angry with me. You shouldn't be wanting to help me with the way I've been.

...I've been foolish and reacting to things I don't understand. And I took it out on you. ...But you don't even seem to remember any of it. ...So I'm stressing myself out for nothing. I'm sorry. Don't worry about it anymore. ...It's not important.

[kokuhatsu]

Well, I must've done something absolutely horrid to you for you to react that way. I'd love to apologize for whatever it is, but seeing as I don't even remember doing anything, any apology and stupid will sound stupid and phoney. I can't see how being upset and angry with you can benefit either of us. And you're needing help. So I offered to do what I can. Because that's what friends do, Tetsu-kun. They help each other.

......I don't want to add any more to your problems so I won't press anymore. For now. You'll have to tell me everything when you're all settled, alright?

[iron_strength]

...No. Not horrid. ...Not really. But...this is why I'm getting confused. You and Kai-san...you do shit just to mess with me, but this... It wasn't funny. And I got angry and upset because of it.
...But you were drunk. You weren't thinking straight. ...Do you even remember talking to me that night? It doesn't benefit anyone, ...but anger and upset isn't always logical.
...Thank you for helping me, though. Even if I am a poor excuse of a friend.

...It'd probably be in our best interests if we just forgot about it. You don't remember anything...and I don't want to think about it anymore. I don't want to make things weird between us again by bringing up something you probably don't want to remember anyway.

[kokuhatsu]

...So I've done something non-horrid, which would make it a good thing, and this upset you? Curiouser and curiouser. ...I recall you taking me back to the hotel. Talking...? No talking, but there was awful loud shouting. And then you dumped me in a bed and stormed away. That's it. Which is exactly why I've decided not to get upset with you. ...I told you. That's what friends do. Even if they're having issues.

Sorry, but we can't have that. There's a big chance I'll be repeating whatever I did back then, and you'd probably hate me by then. I want to be able to avoid it, if I can help it.

[iron_strength]

No, if you had done something truly horrid, I wouldn't be speaking to you again. ...I'm obviously still speaking to you. ...And I admit my...temper at times tends to make me overreact. ...But it still wasn't funny.
...I wasn't *that* loud. And you were being stupid, so of course I was shouting. ...But apparently you don't remember half of what you were doing.

It won't happen again, because I've decided that, to be on the safe side, I'm not going near you again when you're drunk, if I can help it.