[Takki] Part 3: Dinner with Daddy
Dinner should always be a happy occassion in the Namikaze Household especially today which was one rare occassion. They were complete - Hideaki Takizawa headed the table off at the center, on his side, his brother, Yamashita Tomohisa and Keiko Kitagawa the newly met girlfriend. She was lovely, engaging and very sweet but he reminded him of his brothers former girlfriend who died from a serious disease. He wondered if he really loved her or if he's loving the ghost of the woman he loved. He would have to look into that but for now, scrumptious food was on the table. Tonight, he merely observes them and feast his heart on their smiling faces and good food.
To his left , his cousin Maia Namikaze and Junnosuke Taguchi smiled each other as the man said corny puns about the food placed in front of them. He wonders now how odd his cousin's sense of humor maybe now that this man has definitely placed a foothold on her heart. Though, he could think of no better man for his cousin than him. Junno was simply one of those people you can trust with your life. Maia seemed genuinely happy that Junno was there too, but something about this was bothering him. What was it that he heard in London? Someone named Daigo had stolen her heart and was cruising about the town with her? Maybe it was just a friend - apparently that Daigo was big in the fashion world.
Next to her, Sarah sat with an unmistakable look of irritability on her face. That was odd, since she was supposed to be truly in love with the boy beside her. Indeed, the Surgeon who had returned from New York had returned not only decorated in laurels in the medical world, but also a brand new face. He had outgrown the awkward puberty that had hit him and had instead come back with a look of a prince. Maybe it was that that was bothering his cousin, after all, with a face like that, it's not hard to be popular with the ladies. Then again, something still didn't sit well with him about that situation. Could it be, that because of his request, Yuya was here just for that? Could it be that she hates him and still has not forgiven him for his abrupt departure? Perhaps. Sarah was most sensitive of the lot, she could bear deeper feelings and perhaps grudges were part of those.
He was also happy to see that Resha had grown to be a lovely young lady. She had a look of motherliness to her, most becoming of her since she was actually mothering a certain Akanishi Jin who was busying himself trying to get the most out of the tempura plate in front of him. The worried look on Resha gave it away - she could never keep a secret from him and that was a known fact, but somehow even if she was enjoying time with Jin, there was something in the back of her mind.
Idda was the one who surprised him the most. She was but a baby when he left, now she comes to him bearing a boyfriend who seemed a promising contender. She had indeed grown up beautiful, perhaps, prettier than the eldest and those wide eyes that she had were light. Aside from the eldest and his brother, Idda was the only one who seemed like she had nothing to hide. Yabu Kouta looked very nervous, thrilled and panicked at the same time. The young lad reminded him of himself which was a comfort. Maybe Idda chose well.
Finally, he spoke. "Masuda, my pseudo-cousin, you really have outdone yourself this time. Tempura was perfect, steak, curry, pasta... you're making me not want to go back to London. And your bride, what can I say, Kii-chan, you're a lucky girl."
Kitano Kii promptly blushed at that and nodded. "I don't know about that. Though he is brilliant with everything in the kitchen and cleaning. This man has a thing or two to learn about laundry."
"
Darling, you can't have everything," Maia piped in defending her best friend.
Massu laughed. "Hey, I try! It's just that all that complicated chemicals you women use on laundry nowadays baffle me."
"What? There's soap, bleach, fabric conditioner," Resha counted off with her fingers as she stopped Jin from spearing the steak on Junno's plate. She gave him a glare and he sat down.
"You still have to sort, warm from cold and frankly, I can't get my head around that," Massu admitted.
"At least you'll have edible meals," Tackey laughed in merriment. He was truly happy to be there, though there were some mysteries to be uncovered. "Junno here might have to hire a chef."
"Hey!!" Maia frowned at her cousin and then looked up to Junno. "I could cook right?"
"Curry, yes. Curry, salad and diet food," Junno said with a plain face. "Yeah, Mai-nyan, I think we should hire a chef."
Yamashita Tomohisa watched his cousin Maia and Junno act as if they were still together and almost forgot that they were just acting. It was all so natural. They belonged together and the affection in their eyes were not part of the act. Instead, he frowned in realization. They were still helplessly in love with each other. Today is the only day they could come back to it. He watched as Junno put an apologetic arm around Maia who was pouting and kissed her forehead when Keiko nudged him.
"Junno's brilliant and your cousin's a great actress," Keiko whispered to her boyfriend who watched the couple across them. She knew it was all an act. Maia has a boyfriend named Nishikido Ryo beyond these walls.
"I don't think it's all an act, Honey," Yamashita said slowly as he chewed thoughtfully on a prawn. "There are still some feelings there. "
"Eh?" Keiko looked up in surprise at her boyfriend. He would know, he was their cousin anyway. "You mean?"
"They might still be hiding love underneath the tough exterior. In fact, they might still be in love after all these years. I have always wondered how my cousin could stand such a dirty sport as soccer- which up to now she doesnt understand. She followed Junno from the tennis courts onto the field. She even was the reason why Daigo started giving more attention to the lightnings," Yamapi said in a whisper.
"Really?! I didn't know that," Keiko looked at the woman across her in surprise. "Your cousin has owers,Pi. Scary and wonderful powers she still doesnt know how to use."
Yamashita smirked at this and turned his attention to Sarah who was refusing to openher mouth
for Yuya who insisted he feed her. Dysfunctional - is one word to call it, but more of obvious hate. Somehow, Yamashita got the feeling that Tackey who was watching the scene was also not buying it.
"Come on, sweetie, open up!" Yuya chided Sarah, who, like a bratty child clamped her mouth shut and turned away.
"I could eat myself, thanks," the nurse said as she was force fed another spoonful of curry. Not that the curry was bad, she just didn't like being treated like an invalid especially by this man.
"Why don't you feed me that way?" Jin demanded at Resha pouting.
"You're not a baby aren't you?" Resha said calmly spooning rice into her mouth.
"But, Mama!!" Jin pouted more now with a glare. "Feed me."
"No," Resha said firmly as she took her chopsticks and chose a piece of tempura off the plate.
"But I'm hungry!" Jin whined.
"You have hands and chopsticks, Eat," Resha said as she minded her own food much to the amusement of Tackey at the head of the table.
"If that isn't the only way to handle Mr. Akanishim then I don't know what is," Tackey said as he smiled amusedly at his cousin.
"I know one more cruel way to get him to follow me," Resha grinned evily and winked at Jin.
At this, Jin straightened up and ate on his own. No, not another date with Totchigoro-sen. Not another one. The last one had him traumatized for whole month. He thought of it and shuddered. Mama could be scary sometimes.
But at the very least, he was with her. She wasn't in Meiji or anywhere with that stealing one lidded thief, Koyama Keiichiro. He would, if he could steal her permanently. But for now, this would have to do.
"And, Sarah, sweetie, what's wrong? What did Yuya do?" Tackey inquired at the dysfunctional couple.
"Nothing," Sarah frowned. "Don't worry about it Nii-san." She said quietly as she sighed. She had hoped that shige would be there instead of Yuya. They would have been laughing loudly at Jin and Shige would have taken snapshots of them. It would have been more fun. But instead, she was stuck with her ex-boyfriend.
"Well, whatever it is Yuya, you better sweeten her up," Tackey grinned and winked at the surgeon. "Really, I'm glad you guys found your own happiness. These two beside me is long due an engagement, really." He jabbed his shrimp laden chopsticks at Junno and Maia who looked up surprised from a conversation they were having.
Junno picked up the trail smoothly. "Oh, don't pressure me so much, Tackey-Nii," he said with a coy smile. "As much as we'd love to go ahead, we respect you so much to get married first." Junno said it because he knew that it would be years til Tackey gets engaged.
But that just made Tackey grin. Junno just gave him the perfect entry to his announcement. "well, thank you Junnosuke. Then why don't you go ahead and buy that ring already? The fact is, that I am in Japan to meet my Fiancee's family."
Yamashita almost choked on his rice. "F-fiancee?"
"You're getting married?" Maia put down her drink, glad that she didnt do so yet or she'll spew, which is what jin actually did.
"No kidding?" Sarah forgot all about trying to get away from Yuya to stare at her cousin.
Resha merely stared at her cousin and hoped he was joking.
"I'm so happy nii-chan!" Idda was the only one who raced from her seat to Tackeys to give him a hug.
"I'm so glad you guys are happy for me," Tackey said pointedly at the silent crowd in front of him. The shock made him laugh but soon the wellwishers flooded him. All four sisters around him hugging and kissing and jumping around him.
"This better not be a joke," Yamashita said as he high fived his brother.
"If it was, would I be here?" Tackey laughed. "Now, Junno, what were we talking about again?"
Maia and Junno looked at each other. Now, how do they say that its been five years since they've broken up again?
"Give them time," Massu saved his best friend this time. "It's going to happen to them too. This happiness."
"Besides, we don't want to upstage your parade," Maia winked gratefully at Massu who nodded.
"That's right, it's all me now," Tackey smiled. "So let's eat up and drink up. Because, the next few months, we have a lot of work to do and I'm expecting all of you to help me out."
"All of us?" Resha echoed looking around at everyone worriedly.
"Yes, you and jin, maia and Junno, Pi and Keiko, Massu and Kii, Idda and Yabu and sarah and Yuya will be my bridal party and will help me settle this marraige thing once and for all. It's a family thing, anyway,
so whoelse better to organize this party than my family?" Tackey smiled at them warmly.
Maia teared up. Not only because she was touched by Tackey's statement but also because this lie was beginning to weigh on her. The fact that she had to act around Junno and her feelings were already confusing her.
"There, there, Maia-chan," Tackey said as he hugged her. His cousin was touched. This was so sweet. He was glad he came home. But he also looked at them, still, there was something very wrong with this picture.
To his left , his cousin Maia Namikaze and Junnosuke Taguchi smiled each other as the man said corny puns about the food placed in front of them. He wonders now how odd his cousin's sense of humor maybe now that this man has definitely placed a foothold on her heart. Though, he could think of no better man for his cousin than him. Junno was simply one of those people you can trust with your life. Maia seemed genuinely happy that Junno was there too, but something about this was bothering him. What was it that he heard in London? Someone named Daigo had stolen her heart and was cruising about the town with her? Maybe it was just a friend - apparently that Daigo was big in the fashion world.
Next to her, Sarah sat with an unmistakable look of irritability on her face. That was odd, since she was supposed to be truly in love with the boy beside her. Indeed, the Surgeon who had returned from New York had returned not only decorated in laurels in the medical world, but also a brand new face. He had outgrown the awkward puberty that had hit him and had instead come back with a look of a prince. Maybe it was that that was bothering his cousin, after all, with a face like that, it's not hard to be popular with the ladies. Then again, something still didn't sit well with him about that situation. Could it be, that because of his request, Yuya was here just for that? Could it be that she hates him and still has not forgiven him for his abrupt departure? Perhaps. Sarah was most sensitive of the lot, she could bear deeper feelings and perhaps grudges were part of those.
He was also happy to see that Resha had grown to be a lovely young lady. She had a look of motherliness to her, most becoming of her since she was actually mothering a certain Akanishi Jin who was busying himself trying to get the most out of the tempura plate in front of him. The worried look on Resha gave it away - she could never keep a secret from him and that was a known fact, but somehow even if she was enjoying time with Jin, there was something in the back of her mind.
Idda was the one who surprised him the most. She was but a baby when he left, now she comes to him bearing a boyfriend who seemed a promising contender. She had indeed grown up beautiful, perhaps, prettier than the eldest and those wide eyes that she had were light. Aside from the eldest and his brother, Idda was the only one who seemed like she had nothing to hide. Yabu Kouta looked very nervous, thrilled and panicked at the same time. The young lad reminded him of himself which was a comfort. Maybe Idda chose well.
Finally, he spoke. "Masuda, my pseudo-cousin, you really have outdone yourself this time. Tempura was perfect, steak, curry, pasta... you're making me not want to go back to London. And your bride, what can I say, Kii-chan, you're a lucky girl."
Kitano Kii promptly blushed at that and nodded. "I don't know about that. Though he is brilliant with everything in the kitchen and cleaning. This man has a thing or two to learn about laundry."
"
Darling, you can't have everything," Maia piped in defending her best friend.
Massu laughed. "Hey, I try! It's just that all that complicated chemicals you women use on laundry nowadays baffle me."
"What? There's soap, bleach, fabric conditioner," Resha counted off with her fingers as she stopped Jin from spearing the steak on Junno's plate. She gave him a glare and he sat down.
"You still have to sort, warm from cold and frankly, I can't get my head around that," Massu admitted.
"At least you'll have edible meals," Tackey laughed in merriment. He was truly happy to be there, though there were some mysteries to be uncovered. "Junno here might have to hire a chef."
"Hey!!" Maia frowned at her cousin and then looked up to Junno. "I could cook right?"
"Curry, yes. Curry, salad and diet food," Junno said with a plain face. "Yeah, Mai-nyan, I think we should hire a chef."
Yamashita Tomohisa watched his cousin Maia and Junno act as if they were still together and almost forgot that they were just acting. It was all so natural. They belonged together and the affection in their eyes were not part of the act. Instead, he frowned in realization. They were still helplessly in love with each other. Today is the only day they could come back to it. He watched as Junno put an apologetic arm around Maia who was pouting and kissed her forehead when Keiko nudged him.
"Junno's brilliant and your cousin's a great actress," Keiko whispered to her boyfriend who watched the couple across them. She knew it was all an act. Maia has a boyfriend named Nishikido Ryo beyond these walls.
"I don't think it's all an act, Honey," Yamashita said slowly as he chewed thoughtfully on a prawn. "There are still some feelings there. "
"Eh?" Keiko looked up in surprise at her boyfriend. He would know, he was their cousin anyway. "You mean?"
"They might still be hiding love underneath the tough exterior. In fact, they might still be in love after all these years. I have always wondered how my cousin could stand such a dirty sport as soccer- which up to now she doesnt understand. She followed Junno from the tennis courts onto the field. She even was the reason why Daigo started giving more attention to the lightnings," Yamapi said in a whisper.
"Really?! I didn't know that," Keiko looked at the woman across her in surprise. "Your cousin has owers,Pi. Scary and wonderful powers she still doesnt know how to use."
Yamashita smirked at this and turned his attention to Sarah who was refusing to openher mouth
for Yuya who insisted he feed her. Dysfunctional - is one word to call it, but more of obvious hate. Somehow, Yamashita got the feeling that Tackey who was watching the scene was also not buying it.
"Come on, sweetie, open up!" Yuya chided Sarah, who, like a bratty child clamped her mouth shut and turned away.
"I could eat myself, thanks," the nurse said as she was force fed another spoonful of curry. Not that the curry was bad, she just didn't like being treated like an invalid especially by this man.
"Why don't you feed me that way?" Jin demanded at Resha pouting.
"You're not a baby aren't you?" Resha said calmly spooning rice into her mouth.
"But, Mama!!" Jin pouted more now with a glare. "Feed me."
"No," Resha said firmly as she took her chopsticks and chose a piece of tempura off the plate.
"But I'm hungry!" Jin whined.
"You have hands and chopsticks, Eat," Resha said as she minded her own food much to the amusement of Tackey at the head of the table.
"If that isn't the only way to handle Mr. Akanishim then I don't know what is," Tackey said as he smiled amusedly at his cousin.
"I know one more cruel way to get him to follow me," Resha grinned evily and winked at Jin.
At this, Jin straightened up and ate on his own. No, not another date with Totchigoro-sen. Not another one. The last one had him traumatized for whole month. He thought of it and shuddered. Mama could be scary sometimes.
But at the very least, he was with her. She wasn't in Meiji or anywhere with that stealing one lidded thief, Koyama Keiichiro. He would, if he could steal her permanently. But for now, this would have to do.
"And, Sarah, sweetie, what's wrong? What did Yuya do?" Tackey inquired at the dysfunctional couple.
"Nothing," Sarah frowned. "Don't worry about it Nii-san." She said quietly as she sighed. She had hoped that shige would be there instead of Yuya. They would have been laughing loudly at Jin and Shige would have taken snapshots of them. It would have been more fun. But instead, she was stuck with her ex-boyfriend.
"Well, whatever it is Yuya, you better sweeten her up," Tackey grinned and winked at the surgeon. "Really, I'm glad you guys found your own happiness. These two beside me is long due an engagement, really." He jabbed his shrimp laden chopsticks at Junno and Maia who looked up surprised from a conversation they were having.
Junno picked up the trail smoothly. "Oh, don't pressure me so much, Tackey-Nii," he said with a coy smile. "As much as we'd love to go ahead, we respect you so much to get married first." Junno said it because he knew that it would be years til Tackey gets engaged.
But that just made Tackey grin. Junno just gave him the perfect entry to his announcement. "well, thank you Junnosuke. Then why don't you go ahead and buy that ring already? The fact is, that I am in Japan to meet my Fiancee's family."
Yamashita almost choked on his rice. "F-fiancee?"
"You're getting married?" Maia put down her drink, glad that she didnt do so yet or she'll spew, which is what jin actually did.
"No kidding?" Sarah forgot all about trying to get away from Yuya to stare at her cousin.
Resha merely stared at her cousin and hoped he was joking.
"I'm so happy nii-chan!" Idda was the only one who raced from her seat to Tackeys to give him a hug.
"I'm so glad you guys are happy for me," Tackey said pointedly at the silent crowd in front of him. The shock made him laugh but soon the wellwishers flooded him. All four sisters around him hugging and kissing and jumping around him.
"This better not be a joke," Yamashita said as he high fived his brother.
"If it was, would I be here?" Tackey laughed. "Now, Junno, what were we talking about again?"
Maia and Junno looked at each other. Now, how do they say that its been five years since they've broken up again?
"Give them time," Massu saved his best friend this time. "It's going to happen to them too. This happiness."
"Besides, we don't want to upstage your parade," Maia winked gratefully at Massu who nodded.
"That's right, it's all me now," Tackey smiled. "So let's eat up and drink up. Because, the next few months, we have a lot of work to do and I'm expecting all of you to help me out."
"All of us?" Resha echoed looking around at everyone worriedly.
"Yes, you and jin, maia and Junno, Pi and Keiko, Massu and Kii, Idda and Yabu and sarah and Yuya will be my bridal party and will help me settle this marraige thing once and for all. It's a family thing, anyway,
so whoelse better to organize this party than my family?" Tackey smiled at them warmly.
Maia teared up. Not only because she was touched by Tackey's statement but also because this lie was beginning to weigh on her. The fact that she had to act around Junno and her feelings were already confusing her.
"There, there, Maia-chan," Tackey said as he hugged her. His cousin was touched. This was so sweet. He was glad he came home. But he also looked at them, still, there was something very wrong with this picture.