Meteor Bond (Chapter 9)
10/8/12 15:35![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
24iza_runPairing: All 5
Genre: Crossover, comedy, brotherhood, angst
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Plot 65% from me, 35% based on the real drama. The characters are not mine!
Summary: Based on Ryusei no Kizuna drama with slight change. 5 brothers sneaked out from their house to watch meteor shower but only found their parents were brutally murdered after returned home. 14 years later, the police unfortunately still could not find the culprit behind their parents death. The brothers meanwhile already become grown-up men and move to Tokyo, but still close with each other. They fill their days with laugh and funny quarrel despite of the deep grudge they hold toward their parents' murderer for the whole past years.
A/N: Their surname is Ariake.
Chapter 9 : It will never be a happy ending
“Alright, I’ll go back to café and ask Aniki.”
With one swift movement, Kazu hangs up Masaki’s call. He tries his best to stay calm and walks back to George’s café without making the stalker that Masaki just told him while ago realizes that he is actually aware with the other one's presence. A minute later, he finally enters his workplace again.
“You’re finally here. I’m deathly tired, you know.”
He turns to Satoshi who is looking at him while cleaning the café’s counter. Hurriedly, he grabs for the older guy’s hand and drags him to the backside.
“Did Jun come here before?”
“No.”
“Kashiwabara-san? Have you seen him?”
“No.”
The answer makes Kazu heavily sigh.
“I don’t know if Jun ever called me though. I left my phone inside the staff’s room.”
“I’m sure he doesn’t. He didn’t pick mine and Masa’s call before.”
Satoshi frowns.
“Why both of you suddenly looking for him? Something happen?”
Immediately, Kazu moves closer and whisper something to his ear. At the moment Kazu finally moves a step backward, Satoshi only can returns the younger brother’s serious gaze with pair of disbelief eyes. Soon, they hear a customer is calling for them from the front side.
“Masa told you?”
“Yeah. He finds out about it from Hagimura-san.”
“So that means the stalker maybe is watching us now, right?”
The younger brother nods. Both guys then walk back to the café’s front side before Kazu suddenly pats his back.
“He’s here.”
Satoshi immediately looks at the same direction with him and found a guy in a cap is sitting at the most corner and isolated seat inside there. Could not hold back his anger toward the stalker anymore, Kazu decides to make a move.
“I’ll go and ask him.”
“Be careful.”
With a nod, Kazu makes his way to their stalker carefully to avoid the other one from realizing his movement and try to escape. As he finally stands next to the other one's seat, he folds his arms on his chest and waits until their gaze meet each other. The stalker seems surprise to see him later, but does not show any fear at all.
“Say, is Kashiwabara-san the one who told you to stalk us?”
The guy in cap just chuckles.
“I know you guys are going to find out about me sooner or later.”
“What is his intention?”
He receives a shrug as answer.
“I just follow what he said. He gives me money and I do my job.”
Kazu tightly grasps his hand into a fist. Soon, he recalls something about what Masaki told him during their phone call before.
“You’re that old man Ebi’s son right? I bet your father feel so happy when you decide to do this creepy job. Well, you and your father seem didn’t mind to do this kind of thing though.”
“Don’t talk bad about my father! You should feel embarrass about your father’s addiction on gambling!”
“Why suppose me? No. Why suppose US to feel embarrass? He didn’t kill someone. He didn’t take people's property. He didn’t give trouble to anyone. And he DIDN’T tell a crap to make anyone suffer like your father DID!”
The guy’s eyes go wider by Kazu’s angry shout. Fortunately the café itself is currently a little bit noisy, so no one heard they are shouting to each other. Only Satoshi witnesses it and keep eyeing them as frequent as he can in case something unwanted is going to happen. Soon, the stalker guy brings his gaze down and mumbles audibly something.
“That’s what I curious to know.”
Kazu who by chance hears it frowns immediately.
“What do you mean?”
The latter sighs in defeat.
“I’m doing this cause’ I’m curious to know why my father always makes a story about your father. There’s not even a second he stops from doing that until he even didn’t care about what his own son is doing or giving any attention like what a father normally should do to his child.”
“You father more concentrate to destroy our dad’s good name than take care of you? Why he went till that far?”
“I told you, I also want to know the reason. That’s why I went to see Kashiwabara-san. I believe he knows the reason behind my father’s action since I caught them always secretly see each other after your parents were murdered. From that day also my father started to spread rumor about your family. But I have no idea why he’s so desperate to do that.”
The unexpected information makes Kazu speechless for a while.
“Wait. Kashiwabara-san went to see your father after our parents’ bodies were found?”
“Yeah. At first I thought he only wanted to question my father. But few days after that homicide, I saw my father gave him an envelope full of money inside. I started to feel worried if my father was doing something illegal, so when I finally have a chance to see Kashiwabara-san alone, I asked him for an explanation. Yet, he gave me a job to follow you guys everywhere and inform him immediately if there’s any founding or development about you and your brothers. Since it was our deal for an explanation about my father’s behavior, I agreed to follow his order.”
Kazu frowns for a while.
“You must be kidding me. Why Kashiwabara-san want you to do that? He was quite close with our late father, you know?”
“I DON’T know why. As long as he is going to fulfill his promise to explain about his relationship with my father, I don’t care what his intention is.”
His answer makes Kazu to chuckle cynically.
“Say someone who has a father who tells craps for his entire life.”
“Look. I really don’t know why okay? And I don’t care about his reason at all.”
The guy snorts in his breathe which also almost brings Kazu to the edge of his patience.
“Must you go that far by gave us a threatening letter?”
“That’s not from me. I was told to leave the letter in front you guys’ house. I completely have no idea what’s inside it.”
“You just try to take my picture while ago so it must be also you who put our pictures inside the letter. If we give it to the police, you’ll be sent into jail in no time for hiding a blade inside it. The blade cuts my brother’s finger and I know you’re also realize how serious it can be since someone was injured by it right?”
Hearing that, the guy turns to him furiously.
“Hey, I’m telling the truth here. I swear I have no idea what inside it. Besides, I will get nothing by threatening you guys.”
Seeing Kazu only silently look at him with pair of disbelief eyes, the guy immediately gets up and curse himself for wasting his time staying and answering the other one's questions. He then angrily heads to the exit door since there is no reason for him to sit there anymore after got caught following them. Kazu on the other hand pursues his lip thoughtfully before finally opens his mouth.
“Wait.”
The guy looks at him.
“Are you serious that you’re only told to give us the letter? You don’t know what is inside it at all?”
“I told you I have no idea what Kashiwabara-san put inside it! Go and ask him if you’re curious about it!”
And he angrily storms out from the café. Meanwhile, Satoshi who was watching the scene from far since earlier frown when Kazu’s expression changes. Feel worry with his younger brother’s condition, Satoshi quickly moves to approach the other one.
“What’s wrong? Did he try to harm you?”
Kazu immediately turns to him.
“We need to ask Jun about something, now.”
=*=*=*=*=*=
“I’ll give back your English paper along with your report card. Make sure to give it to your mom and don’t try to runaway!”
All Sho’s classmates groaned by the new male homeroom teacher’s sudden announcement. Sho meanwhile just chuckled by their reaction and patiently waited until the teacher called for his name. The moment his turn finally came, he calmly walked to the front and took his paper.
“Ariake-kun got the highest mark again. You guys should study more.”
The class groaned playfully again with a slight defeat tone; already accepted the fact that they will never able to beat Sho’s mark. Their reaction made a chuckle escaped from Sho’s mouth. Just when he almost went back to his seat, the new teacher suddenly patted his shoulder with a happy look.
“Your parents must be proud of you, don’t they? Please send my regards to them.”
His words made the class fell into silent. The teacher frowned by his students drastic change especially when some of them looked at Sho with worried stare. Realizing the mood's sudden drop was because of him, Sho quickly thanked the teacher and returned to his seat as fast as he can. Even though he already said that he never mind it if people around him talked about their parents or asked him about his mom and dad since he and his brothers already can accept about what was happened to them, no one seems to pay attention about it. Everyone in the school still treated them differently or extremely careful when saying something as they were afraid that any word that came out might make Sho and his brothers to feel depress.
“Alright class. I’m looking forward to see your mom or dad during the next week family’s meeting. Make sure they are going to come or I’ll barge into your house.”
Sho felt a bit relief when the class became noise again when everyone wanted to say something. The new teacher however just ignored them and prepared to leave. When the teacher told the whole class to get up from their seat, Sho caught the teacher was smiling at him.
“I can’t wait to see your parents, Ariake-kun.”
The homeroom teacher received a hush from one of the front line students immediately. He frowned again but since the school bell already chime as a sign for the lunch break time, he just took his leave after the class bowed down. As soon as the young teacher lost from their sight, the entire class quietly stared Sho in sympathy, fear and not exception; hate. Some of them then went out to have their lunch at the canteen with the other half whether made a circle to dig their homemade lunch box together or whispering to each other about him. Sho meanwhile just care less about it and calmly unwrapped the rice balls that Jun made this morning.
“He is getting better on shaping this.”
He talked to himself with a smile. Months ago Masaki was the one who voluntarily in charge to cook and made lunch box, but after he moved to Tokyo and worked there, Jun took the position. Fortunately the youngest brother was the one who always help Masaki in the kitchen so he did not have so much trouble to cook anything by himself. As Sho started to hungrily take a bite of his lunch, some of his male classmates suddenly came to approach him.
“We just think to invite you to have lunch with us at the canteen. But seems you bring your own meal.”
Sho laughed.
“I pass then. You guys can go without me.”
The three guys nodded. Soon, one of them looked at him concernedly.
“Are you okay?”
The asker immediately received a smack on head from both guys beside him.
“You shouldn’t ask that.”
“But…I feel sorry for Ariake-kun.”
“Well, I’m seriously fine eating alone. Just go to the canteen now. You guys will lose chance from having delicious food if you still stay here.”
Believe that Sho misunderstood that their slow friend was asking him if it was fine to have lunch alone, the other two guys sighed in relief. In no time, they walked away from the class and left Sho to sit alone again.
Sho admited that he already felt extremely tired with this kind of treatment. Everyone was trying their best to avoid from hurting his feeling which at the same time made him feel like there is an unseen wall between them. Everything that they did to make him feel better actually only made him to feel worst. Furthermore, he knew that not long after this the homeroom teacher will definitely call to see him privately and tell him sorry for bluntly speak out without knowing about his family’s situation.
After the school period finally over, Sho decided to just go back home and not to stay at the school library like he always do. Half way before he reached home however he finally remembered that their house was running out of egg and miso sauce. Thinking that maybe he should drop off at the nearest convenience store, he immediately changed his direction and headed to the shop’s area. Later, he finally stood in front of a road with shops, bars and restaurants on the roadside and sighed.
“I guess I have no choice…”
He slowly entered the place. After few steps forward, he bumped into female junior high school students. The moment his eyes met theirs, the two girls immediately moved as far as they can and made themselves small like he was a dangerous thug. Sho on the other hand ignored the usual treatment he and his brother used to receive after their parents’ incident and continued to walk until he reached a convenience store.
“Wel-oh, you again.”
The shopkeeper said in a cold tone as soon as Sho stepped inside his store. From the second Sho moved to the kitchen’s stuff area, Sho noticed how the shopkeeper just kept watching him to ensure that he will not steal anything. The bad judgment somehow bit by bit made him understood why Kazu and Jun often do groceries anywhere, but not in that area. After wondering inside the shop for a while, he only found a tray of eggs. Gave up on looking, he decided to just ask another one more item that he was looking for to the shopkeeper.
“Do you have miso sauce here?”
“We’re running out of it.”
The fast reply made him to dumbly nod. Sho then took out his wallet to pay for the eggs when at a same time a housewife suddenly came from the entrance.
“Welcome, ma’am.”
The shopkeeper greeted with a totally different tone than he used to Sho before. The lady on the other hand just nodded with a smile as a reply. She later turned to Sho and quietly observed the other one to pay for the egg before took the plastic bag and headed to the way out.
“How can I help you?”
“My house is running out of miso sauce. The kids are going to nag me if I don’t use it in my cook.”
“Oh! You’re lucky cause two boxes of it just arrived while ago.”
Sho froze by his words.
“I’m really lucky then. Give me two bottles, please.”
Immediately, the shopkeeper ran into the storage room. Sho on the other hand bitterly swallowed his feelings inside. He almost dashed out from there, but stopped when heard the just coming lady purposely let him to hear what she said to herself.
“Maybe this place needs some salt to chase out people who have a gambler as father.”
Those words made Sho tightened his grip to the plastic bag in his hold.
“Your coffee Ariake-san.”
Sho opens his eyes and straights up from leaning on his working chair immediately.
“Thanks.”
The coffeemaker nods smilingly before leaves him alone. It supposes to be a lunch break time now but due to a sudden piling up job from their boss before, Sho and the fellow workers who worked at the same economy section with him have no choice but to stay at their office. As he takes a sip of his coffee, he realizes that his coworkers are gathering at some place while teasing a lady among them. Curious by it, he questioningly approaches them.
“What are you guys talking about?”
All eyes there turn to him.
“Ariake-san, do you believe shooting stars will grant whatever wish we have?”
“Huh?”
He flinches aback when the lady who becomes the victim of the teasing group suddenly jumps to him with pleading eyes.
“You believe it right? I’m sure you are.”
“Come on. You’re not a child anymore. There’s no such a thing. Plus, life is not a fairy tale. It’s harsher than that.”
The man who said that gains some applause from the other coworkers. Their teasing victim meanwhile rolls her eyes furiously by it.
“…Yeah. Life is not a fairy tale.”
Sho mumbles the words to himself.
“Did you just say something?”
“Hmm? Oh. Nothing.”
He awkwardly smiles.
“So, what do you think? Can a shooting stars grant our wish?”
The lady asks him again which makes the other workers there look at Sho, waiting impatiently for his answer.
“Well, it’s better if you work for it than hoping for a meteor to grant it for you.”
“See? Even Ariake-kun says that.”
And the teases go on. No matter how hard the lady tries to defend herself, the other coworkers unfortunately not show any sign to stop. Watching the scene makes Sho to laugh amusedly before he feels a vibration inside his trouser pocket. Quickly, he shoves his phone out and frowns when the number that shows on the screen is unknown.
“Hello?”
-“Sho-nii? It’s me.”
Sho’s eyes snap wider by the voice.
“Masa? Whose phone you’re using now?”
-“Hagimura-san. Mine was hit by car.”
“Eh? What do you mean?”
-“It’s not important now. Do you know where Jun is? I can’t reach his number!”
“Masa, I’m at my workplace now. What makes you think I know where he is?”
He hears Masaki sighs stressfully from the other line.
“What’s wrong?”
-“We need to find him. Kazu just found something.”
=*=*=*=*=*=
It almost dawn when the four guys finally finish their work. Since they have no choice but to settle their job first, they only have a chance to look for their youngest brother now. Fortunately Satoshi already have George’s permission to leave early while Kazu was given a day off for his night job at the renting DVD shop. After a few hours passed from the moment they started to look for Jun, they finally meet again when their wristwatch show it almost pass 9. Means, they have less than 5 hours before their parents’ case exceed its time.
“I bet Kashiwabara-san went to see Jun again.”
Kazu said between his short breath.
“Is there anywhere else we can find Jun?”
“We already searched at the highest possible place he might appears. I also tried to call all his friends that I know, but they said Jun immediately went to meet someone after class this morning.”
Sho sighs in depress, knowing that Kazu’s guess about Kashiwabara-san was right. Together, the four of them try to find a way to contact. They try to call for Jun’s number again but only greet by disappointment when Jun does not answer it. More and more minutes elapse until they realize that they have been standing there for more than 30 minutes already though they still have not even a single clue where Jun is. Soon, the rest notice that Masaki’s face slowly damp with tears.
“Calm down. We definitely will find him.”
He gives a reassure pat on the third brother’s back.
“I’m not so worried about it. All of us know that Jun can take care of himself. Just…I’m pissed off.”
He sniffs while averting their gaze.
“Kashiwabara-san obviously is hiding from us now since he knew that we already find out who he actually is. Why we’re so stupid back then to trust him? He always looks like really care about us yet…he’s the one who behind this! Can you guys imagine that he was actually just fooled us for this entire 14 years?! And he even actually related to that old jerk! I-I can’t take it anymore!”
Satoshi and Sho only can watch Masaki without saying anything. The third brother meanwhile grits hardly his teeth. trying to not burst with his overflow emotion in such a wrong timing like now. Unexpectedly, Kazu also already brims with tears beside him.
“Kazu. Are you alright?”
The fourth brother chuckle cynically.
“You know? A few more hours to go and Kashiwabara-san will free from take responsibility of his sin. Ironically we also can’t do anything to that bastard Ebi man after what he has done to us. Both of them make us suffer for a very long time but still can lead a good life while our past keep on haunting us till we die. It’s unfair, wasn’t it?”
Kazu clenches his hand into fist. The two eldest brothers realize how right the two guys are. Perhaps they still can accept if the murderer is a stranger and was hiding from them for the whole time. Perhaps they also will feel better if the murderer have nothing to do with their family’s destroyer or someone who they never believe. However, seems the reality is cruel that what they thought. Their feelings now not only crush for fail to catch the murderer within the time, but become worst when hit by the realization that without founding the culprit they are not capable to clean their parents’ name for at least prove that they were not die because of loan sharks. After several years live in heartless community that love to misjudge, discriminate and treat them like a bunch of rubbish, there is nothing they can do but let the murderer free and that old man to enjoy his happy life with the whole neighborhood pay a lot of respect for putting them in a horrible misery. No word can explain how terrible their feeling now is.
“You guys are right.”
Sho suddenly says while trying his best to avoid his voice from crack. Soon, Satoshi inhales deeply before turn to his younger brothers.
“Let’s just find Jun first for now. It’s still not the end…at least for us even if this case exceeds its time.”
The other three look at him and finally nod. After manage to get hold of their selves again, the three of them split with Masaki stay in a same way with Kazu to make all of them easier to contact each other.
After run for some more minutes, Satoshi decides to call for Jun’s number again. The night somehow silent than its usual when he waits for the other one to pick up his call. Later, he stops when he hears a familiar phone ringtone from nearby area.
“Jun?”
He slowly moves his phone far from his ear. After make sure where the source is coming from, Satoshi quickly walks to the place’s direction. Soon, he reaches a park entrance and surprises to see Jun is sitting on one of the benches there. Jun on the other hand just staring at his phone without saying anything until Satoshi’s call cut off by the operator’s voice.
“Ju-!“
“The Okonomiyaki was delicious right?”
Satoshi stops. He does not realize about the inspector’s existence before.
“I’ll treat you again when I free.”
Jun however just stays expressionless and shoves his phone back into his jeans pocket.
“I have followed your request to not contact or answer anyone’s call or message for this entire time. Now, tell me what the important thing is.”
At the same time, Sho by chance runs to there and surprises to see Satoshi is standing still. He immediately approaches the older one and was told to stay quiet.
“It’s still early. Let’s just have guys talk for a while.”
The inspector does some stretching before starts to walk around there. Soon, Masaki and Kazu finally show up after Sho texts them to come to there.
“What happened? Why we can’t just see them now?”
“Let’s just keep on watching for now.”
Seeing how tense the two older guys’ faces are, Masaki and Kazu silently turn to the same sight.
“You’re wasting time. I know tonight will be the last night for mom and dad’s case, but like Aniki said before, we’ll never give up.”
“I’m not telling you guys to give up, but please don’t waste your youth just like this. You guys have a bright future.”
Jun snorts.
“Unless that murderer die, it will never happen. You’ll never understand.”
“I’m also hoping we will found the murderer. You guys were suffering more than enough and-”
“Are you really meant it?”
The sudden cut startles the older man.
“What do you mean?”
“I know you hide something from us. And maybe you’re waiting till the case exceeds its time before you tell me what it is.”
The old inspector becomes speechless by how easy Jun can read his mind. Feeling cold, Jun on the other fold his arms while sighing heavily without any awareness that Kashiwabara inspector already moves to behind him. Later, the four guys who just quietly watch from outside the park surprise when the inspector shoves out a gun from under his back coat.
-to be continued-
-1 more chapter + epilogue left! Will fate this time on their side or otherwise? Thank You SO much for still following!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
10/8/12 08:28 (UTC)(no subject)
10/8/12 08:59 (UTC)Fortunately the rest are there so they can't avoid from something bad to happen to Jun alone...
Why are you surprise with the update?I want to tell you about this new chapter but seems you found it earlier ;) Yeah, lately so much cliffhanger nee =="
(no subject)
10/8/12 13:18 (UTC)(no subject)
10/8/12 16:27 (UTC)I'll do my best for the next chapter!
(no subject)
10/8/12 18:05 (UTC)(no subject)
10/8/12 18:32 (UTC)(no subject)
10/8/12 19:05 (UTC)(no subject)
10/8/12 09:05 (UTC)That old man really make their life miserable ne :( At least the rest are there to prevent anything bad from happen to Jun...
Reality is harsher ne :(
I'll give all my best for the two last! ^-^o
(no subject)
10/8/12 12:20 (UTC)dont shot jun!!
but jun's brother definatelly will save jun from that man..please save jun..
i'm really really curious with what will happen in the next one, i'm curious in many things..
thanks as always for you and i'll wait for the next one (1 more and epilogue!! ^^)
(no subject)
10/8/12 16:23 (UTC)Don't worry.They'll definitely save Jun :)
I hope you'll enjoy this story till the end and found the answer of your curiosity! I'll do my best for the next update >w<o
(no subject)
10/8/12 19:08 (UTC)(no subject)
11/8/12 04:15 (UTC)Your guess maybe is not so wrong too.But what we're sure now the inspector really has something to do with the old man ne.
The rest surely won't let anything to happen to Jun :)
(no subject)
10/8/12 20:25 (UTC)A narrow-minded brain all of the neighbor's have.. And this cliff-hanger.. Jun, be careful with that inspector.
Btw, you're really fast updating this story..
(no subject)
11/8/12 04:23 (UTC)The neighbors are heartless ne >m< Maybe that old man already brainwash them.Jun's brothers will do something for sure!
I honestly think I'm slow...But when you tell me that I feel relief and happy ^-^ Thanks!
(no subject)
11/8/12 21:46 (UTC)THANK YOU YUKI-CHAN FOR UPDATE!!!...ONLY ONE CHAPTER MORE...:(
(no subject)
12/8/12 04:54 (UTC)It's hard to see you around lately.Hope you're doing fine.
I hope you're going to enjoy the one chapter left though :)
(no subject)
13/8/12 07:43 (UTC)Almost climzx!