Haruka's Fanfiction

This story is not canon. It is based in one of my wife’s and my RPG worlds, this one being set in a family neighborhood. The households are usually large, and are made up of some of our favorite fandoms.

Info/warnings here: http://asylums.insanejournal.com/sakuracourt/profile
Earlier chapters here: http://canadian-haruka.insanejournal.com/tag/sakura+court


Sakura Court – Part 9

By Haruka (haruka@ymail.com)

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“Squirk?”

“Ssh,” I tried to keep the guinea pig calm in its carrier. So far, he’d been doing pretty well, considering he’d been carried all throughout Tokyo.

I had found my way to a park that I knew wasn’t far from Sakura Court. Settling onto a bench, I yawned and rubbed my eyes. I hadn’t slept much the previous night, but that was to be expected when you were running away from home and had been out on the streets for almost 24 hours. I wasn’t sure when I’d made the decision to head for my uncle’s house or even if it had been a conscious decision. All I knew was that I had gone too far to turn back now.

I became aware of music nearby, and the cheering of a crowd. I picked up my pig-porter and curiously followed the sound.

Coming around the corner, I saw a crowd surrounding a street dancer. When I got closer, I saw that he seemed to be a kid around my age and he was having the time of his life dancing for the admiring crowd. From the looks of things, he was making a fair bit of money, too.

Watching the kid with the purple streaks in his hair and vivid purple eyes brought back memories. My earlier performing days had been as a street dancer in a three-man troupe called Brights. I went on to a successful acting and singing career. Not that dancing wasn’t part of that, too – I performed in musicals a lot. Ironically, my brother, mother, and I had all played the same role in a series of musicals in successive years. Thinking about my family gave me a twinge of guilt. They had to be worried sick about me.

The boy had finished dancing for the moment and people were tossing coins at his feet. I didn’t have much cash on me, but I contributed as well. From one street dancer to another.

The crowd had broken up and the boy was gathering the money. He happened to glance up at me and a wide smile broke over his face. “Hey, what have you got in the carrier?” he asked brightly, bouncing over in excitement.

I’ll admit, my ego took a bit of a blow from that – I’d thought the delighted look on his face was from recognizing me. Shame on me.

“It’s a guinea pig,” I said, holding the carrier up a little so he could see the animal’s face through the mesh on the front. If anything, the boy’s expression became even more enchanted.

“Awww, he’s so cute! Can I hold him?”

“Um, I don’t think so,” I gave him an apologetic look. “He’s low to the ground, but he’s pretty fast. I can’t take a chance he might get away while we’re outdoors.”

That seemed to satisfy him and he looked at me curiously. “Is he going to the vet? Is that why you’re carrying him around?”

“No, I’m … moving. So I’m bringing him to our new home.” I frowned slightly. “I hope.”

Now the purple eyes were confused. “You don’t sound sure.”

Looking at his earnest face and factoring in his reactions, this kid was actually much younger than I was. That made it easier to confide in him. “I ran away from home,” I admitted. “I’m heading to my Uncle Kouga and Aunt Jabi’s house. I think they’ll let me stay there a while.”

“I know them! They live on my street!” he said, then tipped his hat. “I’m Ryuutaros, but you can call me Ryuuta.”

I smiled. “I’m Aiba Hiroki,” I said, bowing. “It’s nice to meet you, Ryuuta; you’re a great dancer!”

“Thanks!” His face lit up. “Hey, you’re a dancer, too! And an actor, right? I saw you on tv with Nisshi and Shinjiro!”

I laughed, remembering the fun I’d had filming that wild series with those AAA members. We’d remained friends, and I already knew that they lived on Sakura Court, which was another reason I wanted to go there. “That was a fun show,” I said. “I’m looking forward to seeing them again.”

“I’m heading back now,” Ryuuta told me as he pulled the drawstring tight on the cloth coin bag he carried. “I’ll walk you there if you like.”

“Sure,” I said, and headed for the sidewalk. He caught my arm.

“Not that way – there’s a shortcut!” He grinned.

He was right. We cut across the park and through the woods that bordered part of it. There was a well-worn path, and although it went on for a while, the scenery was definitely prettier than looking at traffic. When we emerged into the daylight again, we were passing between two houses. I saw my uncle’s place across the street.

“That IS a good shortcut!” I said to Ryuuta.

“That’s my house over there.” He pointed. “We’re the newest ones in the neighbourhood, but there are still some empty houses so maybe someone newer than us will come along.” He glanced at me. “So what’s going to happen when you get to your uncle’s? Won’t he call your parents?”

“My mother,” I corrected, then sighed. “And yeah, I know he will, but I’m hoping to have the rest of the family behind me by the time he gets here.”

“If I were you, I’d rather have them in FRONT of me, between me and my mother.” Ryuuta winked, then waved and headed off toward his house. “Good luck, nice meeting you!”

As he left, I saw him physically change from the boy I’d been talking to into a dragon-like creature that was all-over purple leather and armour. If my cousins hadn’t already told me about the ‘Imagin’ that lived in their neighbourhood, I might have screamed.

Not that I didn’t still feel like screaming, but from nerves instead. I wasn’t sure what kind of reception I’d get at my Uncle’s, but I couldn’t wait any longer to find out; both the guinea pig and I were hungry. I headed across the street and knocked on the door.

Aunt Jabi opened the door, and I saw both shock and relief on her face at once when she saw me. “Hiroki! Thank goodness you’re all right!” She pulled me into a tight hug, then yelled over her shoulder. “Kouga! Hiroki’s here!”

“What?!” My uncle came down the stairs. “Boy, do you have any idea how worried your mother is about you?!”

“Let me close the door before we start yelling at him,” Aunt Jabi suggested, and shut the door behind me. “What’s that you’ve got?” she asked suddenly, noticing the carrier.

“My guinea pig!” I said, holding it up, beaming. “His name is Squirkers. Isn’t he cute?”

They both looked inside the carrier dubiously. “What are you doing carrying it around with you?” Uncle Kouga asked. “And you still haven’t explained your having taken off and frightening everybody.”

“Well, they’re sort of tied in together,” I admitted.

Aunt Jabi put an arm around me and steered me toward the kitchen. “Let’s get you something to eat and you can tell us about it.”

“Can I have some celery or a piece of apple for Squirkers? He’s hungry, too.”

So a few minutes later, we were all snacking in the kitchen. Squirkers was crunching happily on his celery, but he was still in his carrier. My Aunt and Uncle wouldn’t let me set him free from it yet.

“All right, now what’s going on?” Uncle Kouga asked, looking at me pointedly. “You’ve caused everyone a lot of worry.”

I lowered my head. “I know, and I’m sorry. But Kaasan wouldn’t let me keep Squirkers and I couldn’t let him be taken to a shelter.”

He frowned. “Kimeru didn’t mention anything about a guinea pig when I talked to him about your disappearance. We weren’t sure that you hadn’t been kidnapped!”

I looked up quickly, horrified. “Really?! I’m so sorry! I left straight from my photo session – it was held at a farm, where they had me riding horses and feeding squirrels and playing with a bunch of guinea pigs.” I smiled down at the carrier. “The guinea pigs didn’t belong to the farmer, they were brought in for ‘props.’ They were going to the animal shelter afterwards, and I couldn’t stand the thought of that. I couldn’t save all of them, but I could save this one, the one I got to hold for the pictures.” I sighed. “I smuggled him out when I left, but I couldn’t take him home. Kaasan had already told Yuuta and I that we couldn’t have any pets.”

“That’s because you three are still in an apartment,” Aunt Jabi said. “And you’re all busy with your careers. There are times when you and Yuuta and your mother are all out of town at the same time concert touring and doing musicals.”

“Yes, but I have friends who might look after him, or I could board him at the vet’s.”

“Don’t forget about the apartment, Hiroki,” Uncle Kouga pointed out.

“But we could have a house,” I insisted. “A boy just told me there are still houses in THIS neighborhood.”

“Yes, but I don’t think your mother wants to live all the way across town –“

“Are you kidding?” I exclaimed. “This place is closer to my agency and Yuuta’s, and to Kaasan’s record company, too. Our apartment was Tousan’s choice, and when he left, we just ended up staying there.” I frowned a little. I don’t like talking about my father.

Aunt Jabi rubbed my back kindly and looked at my uncle. “It’s not such a crazy idea, Kouga. You’ve wanted your brother to move here for a long time, and you said yourself he’s just been putting it off.”

Uncle Kouga nodded slowly. “You’re right. It’s been a year since his husband left, and he’s been knocking himself out with work ever since. If he came here, work would still be close enough, but family would be here, too.”

“And I could keep Squirkers!” I chimed in happily.

“Squirk?” came the sound from the carrier.

“It’s time to call my brother.” Uncle Kouga went to the phone and dialed. I waited nervously. This wasn’t going to be fun.

“Hey, Kime, it’s Kouga,” he said into the receiver. “You can relax about Hiroki, he showed up on our doorstep.”

I could hear my mother’s exclamation of relief across the room. I listened while my uncle gave him a rundown of how I’d come to be there with Squirkers, then he proposed the idea of our moving. At first, it sounded like Kaasan was making excuses.

“Kimeru, listen,” Uncle Kouga finally interrupted. “You have to come out here to get your son anyway, we can talk about it more then, all right? … Sure, I’ll see you then … Yes, he’s right here.” He held out the phone to me. “Your mother wants to speak to you.”

I’ll BET he does, I thought with an inward groan, but I went over to the phone. “Hi Kaasan.”

“Don’t you ‘hi Kaasan ME, young man!” my mother declared. “How dare you just run off like that and scare everybody! I’ve got the police out looking for you, Hiroki!”

“I’m sorry,” I murmured, feeling my face heat up. Right then I was really glad most of Tokyo was between the two of us. “I didn’t mean to scare everyone, I just wanted to keep Squirkers.”

“You could have at least done me the courtesy of ASKING me about him,” Kaasan said, then sighed heavily. “Are you all right?” he asked in a softer tone.

“Yes,” I answered, then added, “I’m sorry,” once more. I really did mean it, and maybe if I said it often enough, he wouldn’t annihilate me once he got hold of me.

“I’m sure you are, but we’ll talk about it when I get there. Stay PUT, understand?”

I swallowed and nodded, although he couldn’t see it. Uncle Kouga took the phone back and Aunt Jabi began steering me toward the bath.

“Do you think we’ll be able to move here?” I asked her.

“Your uncle and I will do our best to convince your mother,” she said, and smiled at me. “We and your cousins would be thrilled if you did.”

I smiled back, but inside, I was a bundle of nerves. I hoped my older brother would be able to calm my mother down somewhat before they arrived.


Hiroki

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End of Part 9

(2008)

No characters here are mine. Celebrities here are for fictional purposes only and none of the events within ever happened.

This fic is not to be re-posted.