She pointed to the exit.
“Thank you for your service…”
Nick smiled.
Hayato said his thanks and walked off.
“She’s hot…”
Jay licked his lips.
“Hope we get to have her again on our way back…”
Hayato rolled his eyes, and continue to exit off the plane.
“Damn… too bright!”
He squints his eyes, and reached for his cap in his bag.
“Don’t you have sunglasses?”
Jay frowned.
“It’s rare seeing you with hats.”
“They’re in the luggage.”
Hayato replied.
The boys entered the airport, and showed the guards their tickets and passports.
“Welcome to Tokyo…”
Hayato bowed back, and continued walking.
“WHAT?!”
He stopped, and turned to his two best friends.
“What, what, Hayato?!”
Jay cringed.
“We’re not in Singapore!!!”
He pointed.
“Uh… no, we’re not.”
Nick said slowly.
“Remember, the stewardess said to enjoy our transit in Tokyo…?”
“But… we boarded Singapore Airlines to Aussie, and transit in Singapore, no?”
“Yeah…”
Jay sighed.
“Who in their right mind want to fly straight from New York to Singapore???”
“It’s a fucking 18 hours flight non-stop!”
“I ain’t doin that.”
Nick nodded.
Hayato blinked, and he looked around his surroundings.
“Wow…”
He smiled.
“Japan…”
“This is Japan…”
He sighed dreamily.
“Okay…”
Nick gave Jay a glance.
“Jay… we’re in our home country…”
Hayato smiled.
“Well, your mom’s home country…”
“Oh, that’s right!”
Nick clapped his hands together.
“You were born here!”
“Yeah!!!”
Hayato nodded vigorously.
“Hn…”
Jay looked around.
“Last time I came back here was two years ago…”
“Lucky you.”
Hayato sighed.
“Last I went, was 6, almost 7 years ago, man…”
“Woa…”
Nick walked over to his two best friends.
“Fuckin’ long time…”
“Yeah…”
Hayato nodded sadly.
“I miss it here.”
“I bet you, right now, it’s all about the summer festival!”
He said dreamily.
“Remember, Jay?”
“We were like… 9 or 10, and, our uncles took us to the festival…”
“Yeah!”
Jay closed his eyes, reminiscing.
“We ate grilled squid, your tou-chan’s favorite…”
Hayato winced when his bestfriend mentioned the word “tou-chan”.
“Your uncle Koki and uncle Junno caught us lots of koi fish, every time, right?”
“They’d make sure we’d get equally, so we won’t fight.”
“And when your uncles play at one vendor, people would stop, and cheer.”
“Especially girls.”
Jay grinned.
“Of all ages too!”
“Ah!”
Nick pointed.
“Maybe your uncles are to blame for Jay’s Casanova behavior.”
“My uncles had nothing to do with his libido, Nick.”
Hayato tsked.
“Maybe he accidentally took Viagra during puberty, mistaking it with a head ache medicine.”
The boys sans Jay snickered loudly.
“Well…”
Hayato sighed.
“It’s not much, but… yeah, guess I am kind of home…”
“TADAIMA~”
Hayato laughed, amused at himself.
They stood there for few more minutes, till Nick broke their silence.
“Well, let’s head to a café, or some restaurant.”
He suggested.
“We’ve got 5 hours till our flight to Singapore.”
“Yeah.”
Hayato nodded.
“I am kind of hungry too.”
“Wait a minute, guys!”
Jay called back.
“Do you really want to go to Aussie?”
“Hah?”
Hayato turned around and eyed his bestfriend.
“I mean…”
Jay trailed.
“We’ve got 5 hours till our next flight to Singapore, right?”
The two nodded.
“From Japan to Singapore, it’s like… another 7-8 hours flight…”
“Then, continuing on from Singapore to Sydney.”
“That’s another 5-6 hours flight.”
“Yeah, no thanks to you, idiot.”
Hayato spat.
“You’re the one that came up with the brilliant idea of a month in Sydney.”
“I know… I know…”
Jay raised his hands.
“But, we can forget about Sydney and just stay here?”
Nick and Hayato looked at each other, and then back at Jay.
“I mean, why not?”
Jay pointed.
“You haven’t been here in THAT long, that’s a good reason enough.”
“Nick, you’ve never been here, right?”
“Riley went here with his mom before…”
“And I know you never visited Japan…”
“Come on, it’d be fun.”
“We can spend a week in Tokyo, a week in Osaka, and a week in Okinawa.”
“Or wherever else place you guys have in mind.”
“What about it?”
Jay shrugged.
“Well…”
Nick trailed.
“It IS better than spending another 16 hours worth of traveling.”
“And… it’d be nice.”
He nodded.
“To see the kind of places where my bestfriends come from.”
“Atta boy!!!”
Jay clapped his hands.
“You, Hayato?”
The frown on his handsome face turned upside down, and he grinned from ear to ear.
“Let’s go.”
He said excitedly.
“I want to surprise my uncles!”
“Here we come, Tokyo!!!”
Jay raised his hands up in the air.
He put his hand together, closed his eyes, and said his prayer.
“Reio…?”
He got up, and went out of the tatami room.
“I’m here, kaa-chan.”
“Hi, sweet heart.”
She cupped his cheek and gave her youngest son a peck.
“Why didn’t you tell me you’re dropping by?”
“I could’ve made your favorite for lunch.”
“It’s okay, kaa-chan.”
Reio shook his head.
“I wanted to see you and tou-san.”
“And… greet aniki…”
He looked back inside the room, and smiled at his brother’s picture.
“Okay.”
She nodded.
“I’ll prepare some snacks.”
Sitting down on the tatami again, he greeted his brother, and smiled softly.
“18 years, and still missing you, aniki…”
Reio whispered.
“I can’t believe you’re gone.”
“…Sometimes I can’t accept the fact.”
He took a deep shaky breath.
“It’s even harder when I look at Hayato.”
“It’s like you never even left.”
Reio looked down and scoffed softly.
“President suite…”
Nick nodded.
“Of course, Jay wouldn’t settle for a normal hotel room.”
“Dude, we’re staying in Shibuya, might as well get the luxury of it too~”
Jay threw his bag on the couch.
“I mean, we’re three guys, in one hotel room???”
“One presidential suite is more like it, right???”
Hayato rolled his eyes and plopped down on the sofa.
“Well, would you look at that…”
Nick trailed.
“When we open the curtain, we can see a huge billboard of 5 men.”
“The backstreet boys of Japan, perhaps?”
“Nick… shut up….”
Hayato threw one of the couch’s pillow at the blonde.
“So, what are we gonna do?”
Nick plopped down next to him.
“I am gonna get meself a nice Japanese girl!”
Jay rubbed his hands together.
“I mean… girlS!!!”
Nick and Hayato rolled their eyes.
“Well, you two losers who got girlfriends back in America, would you like to join me?”
“I’m not cheatin’ on my girl, Jay.”
Nick threw his hotel slipper at him.
“Hayato?”
Jay grinned.
“Come on, you’re my best friend and wing man, and-“
“Like hell he’s cheating on Kazumi.”
Nick shook his head.
“A real woman with that kind of ass is-“
“If you finish that sentence, Nick, I swear I’ll end your soccer career in a minute.”
Hayato growled.
“Ohhhhhh, yeah!!!”
Jay nodded vigorously.
“Dude, Kazumi’s flat chested, but her behind-“
“Okay, okay… sorry.”
Jay held up his hands upon seeing his bestfriend glaring daggers at him.
“Where you goin’, Jay?”
Nick frowned.
“Shinjuku.”
He replied.
“You two comin’ or what?”
“No, I’m stayin here.”
Nick shook his head.
“I’ll pass.”
Hayato nodded.
“Oh, and Jay… you dare bringing a girl here… I’ll fuckin-“
“I won’t.”
Jay grinned.
“Besides, I want to try one of those love hotels.”
Nick and Hayato shook their heads at that.
“Will he be okay?”
Nick pointed.
“Okay?”
Hayato raised his brow.
“He’ll be more than okay, so long he doesn’t get any stranger pregnant.”
Nick cackled.
“I meant, how will he communicate?”
“His Japanese is worse than yours.”
Hayato laughed.
“Well… so long as he doesn’t bring his one night stands back here, I’m cool.”
Nick nodded.
“You wanna go with me?”
Hayato got up, stuffing his wallet in his pocket.
“I’m planning on visiting my grandparents.”
“We can stop by at some places along the way.”
“Yeah, let’s go.”
Nick nodded.
“This is awesome!!!”
Nick chewed loudly.
“What’s this called again?”
“Takoyaki.”
Hayato chuckled.
“My uncle Ryo said the one in Osaka is better.”
“I remember he’d wait on a long line to get it for me and Kazuya whenever we visit his hometown.”
Nick nodded, not realizing his best friend’s slip.
The two continue to walk till they reach a bench.
Nick smiled as he watches the local kids playing soccer.
“Ah! Sorry, can you kick it back to us, onii-san?!”
Not understanding what the kid said, but Nick being the soccer captain that he is, knows what to do with the stray ball by his feet.
The kids were amazed at how précised Nick kicked the ball.
And they all jogged towards him and clapped.
“Ne, onii-san, we’re short on people, would you like to join us?”
Nick blinked and looked at his bestfriend.
“They’re asking if you’d like to play with them.”
“They’re short on people.”
“Sure.”
Nick smiled.
“He’d love to, guys.”
Hayato smiled as the kids beamed happily.
“You too nii-san.”
One of them added.
“Eh?”
Hayato blinked.
“But, I never play soccer before.”
“I suck at it.”
“It’s okay.”
The kid smiled.
“You be the goalie, and try not to let any ball pass, okay, nii-san?”
“Eh… well… okay, but… if we do lose because of me, I’d treat you guys for ice cream.”
The kids cheered and the two teen just shrugged.
Of course, Nick who was the soccer team captain managed to score some goals.
It’s not surprising for Hayato.
But it’s surprising for them both when Hayato actually dodged all the balls going his way.
The first one, both thought it was a fluke.
The second one, it was Takeru who tried to score, but Hayato caught it, well, Takeru didn’t kick it that hard, so, it’s an easy one.
The third, Hayato blocked it with his knee, sending it to the side.
Nick thought it’s just beginner’s luck.
Untill Hayato did it over and over again.
And managed to kick so far, and so precise.
Beginner’s luck or not…
A newbie, especially when he’s never played soccer before can’t possibly kick that far!
Nick hogged the ball, and tried to bring Hayato away from the goal.
He managed to do so, and dribbled the ball left and right.
The kids of both teams went to the side and watch in amazement as the two teens played.
“And that nii-san said he’s suck at it!”
“But look at him play!!!”
The kids cheered.
Hayato managed to steal the ball and brought it to the other side of the field, and…
“SCORE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~”
He threw his hands up in the air.
“I mean, GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
He chuckled.
The kids gathered around him and jumped up and down.
Nick gaped and blinked.
“Aw, come on, now…”
Hayato jogged his way back towards his best friend.
“Don’t you be a sore loser.”
“That’s Jay’s job.”
Nick shook his head, and blinked.
“Hayato… you play soccer?”
“No.”
He laughed.
“Beginner’s luck, I guess.”
Nick scratched his head and frowned.
“Hayato, you dodged every balls, and managed to surpass me just now.”
The soccer captain crossed his arms.
“I’ve played for 10 years, and that’s not what you called beginner’s luck.”
“I dunno…”
He shrugged.
“Guess soccer runs in the family?”
“Okay…”
Nick shrugged at him back.
“I guess there’s that explanation too.”
“Riley’s awesome in swimming cuz his dad was a pro and Olympian.”
“So, yeah…”
Nick chuckled as Hayato high fived the kids again, and talk animatedly with them.
“Wait…”
Nick frowned.
“Uncle Kazuya doesn’t play soccer…”
part III:
peace-l0v3.livejournal.com/17401.html