The following two days of the school week went as expected.
Thursday went smoothly as there were no club activities, no running around, Kyo only had his classes and lunch. During his lunch with Yuuki, he learned that the student council didn't expect him to finish getting the list of club activities for the festival until Friday after school. Since Kyo got lucky with some clubs telling him what the other clubs were doing, or running items for him, he didn't actually need to visit every club, making his trip quicker. This meant that he got Thursday off of 'work.'
Friday also went by as well as it could have. Classes went by quickly, Kyo and Yuuki had lunch, where he mentioned that he would be helping out the board game club during the festival. After school each club was getting ready for the Welcoming Festival. It was officially one week before the Welcoming Festival began. Meaning this Friday was spent pulling things out of storage such as, flyers, banners, carts, boards, props for theater, and more. In essence this day was a pre-set-up day. Allowing students to start getting ready for the event right after school on Monday.
Kyo assisted the board game club with setting up and painting the large chess board on the school yard. While the other members of the council assisted others who needed it. Before they knew it it was Saturday.
…
Saturday morning Kyo had a dream, or rather, a recollection of the past that took place in a dream. He thought back to the day his mother slapped him.
Final grades had been posted and it was confirmed that Kyo was going to graduate from Seka Middle School with the second highest marks in the grade. This was a good indicator that he could get into a good high school. His mother also got a promotion that day, she would become the dean of music and the arts at Tokyo University (the position she now holds). Granting Kyoyota Arianagi a free career path in music.
He could go to college for cheap, play in the school band, and get a job out of college as a teacher or a musician from his mothers connections. All Kyo had to do was stay the model student he always had been.
To anyone else this might have sounded like a dream come true, some were probably jealous of his position. However, Kyoyota Arianagi wanted nothing to do with it anymore. Day in and day out his mother wanted him to be better. Kyoyota was required to play music perfectly and get the best academic scores.
Ultimately Kyoyota pushed himself to his breaking point. Kyo's mother wouldn't let him hang out with friends, or do other extracurricular activities, all he could do was play the piano and violin. Kyoyota Arianagi had slowly drowned in sheets of music and expectations. That night at dinner, something within him fought against the tide, breaking to the surface, and tearing those sheets of music to shreds.
Kyo and his family went to a fancy restaurant to celebrate and discuss what the future would now be like. The people who were there was Aunt Kokoro, Kyo's mother, step father, and himself. They were seated in the back of the restaurant with very few people around them. Aunt Kokoro and Siren (step father) were across from one another, and Kyo and his mother were sitting across from one another. Kyo was next to Aunt Kokoro.
"All of these items look amazing! Kyomeowta, get whatever you want ok." Kokoro said, leaning next to Kyo.
"Stop calling me that, I'm not a kid anymore." Kyo begged.
As they ordered their food, Kyo's mother, Asa Arianagi, said "Kyoyota, I signed you up for a new music program since your current one stops teaching after middle school. I have also signed you up for an entrance exam at Ongaku High school (a prestigious private high school specializing in the arts), you will take the exam this Friday."
To properly describe this woman is rather difficult. She was mature, beautiful, and empty. Asa Arianagi looked similar to her sister, but used far less make-up and was less happy-go-lucky. On this occasion, she was dressed in an orange turtle neck, a black pencil skirt, had her black hair in a braid, and her green fish-like eyes looked as soulless as ever. When she said this news to Kyo, it came off as more of a demand, a chore, not because she cared that much about her son's future.
Hearing this, Kyo looked up and met his mothers dead fish like eyes, she had no expression on her face, she seemed bored, this made Kyo freeze in telling her his honest thoughts. The table sat in silence for a moment. It was an awkward, intense, deafening-silence kind of quiet. What interrupted this intense air, was the food that had arrived. Maybe it was the break in silence, or the thought that since we were in public nothing bad would happen, but as the waiter left, Kyo took this as his opportunity.
"Mom, I don't want to go down the path of music any longer, I want to go to Hanab-"
WAM
Asa Arianagi slapped Kyo, her own son across the face.
This wasn't the kind of slap that one would give as a punishment to their children, like a slap on the butt, this was a full grown woman using her full might to strike another person.
At that moment she only processed Kyo's words, not why he had said them, or the feelings that were attached behind them. No, she only heard the letters and placed them together formulating her own understanding behind them, then slapped Kyo without hesitation.
It was a hard slap and it came unexpectedly. Kyo dropped his fork, and there was a clear, red imprint of a hand mark, embedded deep into his cheek. The strength behind this slap was enough to rattle Kyo's head, forcibly placing it to the left. Kyo's eyes were staring at the ground, his body startled and in pain, his mind was racing.
Aunt Kokoro immediately stood up and grabbed Kyo's shoulder, "Asa!! Why would you hit your own son?" The answer was obvious. As plain as day. Kyo insulted her. Kyo insulted the one thing that she has loved far longer than before he was born. To Asa Arianagi, the damage Kyo had dealt by saying those dreadful words, that he no longer wanted any part in music, was a much harder slap to her, than she could have ever physically done to him. In her eyes, it was self-defence.
"Kyoyota, apologize." This was all Asa Arianagi had to say to her son. Her dead, fish-like eyes impatiently waited to hear his apology. Kyo's fear, his miscalculation that he was safe in a public area, it all ran deep inside his mind, like the waves of expectations were going to drown him again. Kyo began to speak, in a shaken, rattled, scared, voice, "I … I'm s" Aunt Kokoro grabbed Kyo's shoulder tighter, not in a painful way, but as a message telling him to stop. Kyoyota Arianagi heeded this message, and said nothing more.
"Asa! Do you feel nothing towards him? He said he wants to go to Hanabira, so let him stay with me since you obviously don't love him!" Aunt Kokoro tried to pull Asa's attention towards her to keep the heat and pressure off Kyo. There was a moment of silence between the three of them.
Asa Arianagi then spoke, "Fine, if that child somehow manages to get into Hanabira then he can stay with you, until his grades slip. If he fails to get into the school, then he stays with me, and you, sister, are to leave this family alone. If he gets in, he can live with you only until his grades slip." It was the key wording that left an impact.
Asa knew her son was smart. However, she was confident that without her guidance, Kyo would inevitably fail to last long inside the walls of the top private school in Tokyo, Hanabira High. This was the deal that ultimately led to the events that now lead to Kyo being a part of the student council.
…
Kyo woke up in a cold sweat, lightly touching the right side of his cheek, as though it had been throbbing in pain.
Kyo, realizing it was a dream, sighed in relief. I am grateful Mei wasn't there to witness the drama. This thought crossed his mind. Mei was Kyoyota Arianagi's younger sister, an elementary school student, who lived with Kyo's mom and step-dad.
Kyo found this thought peculiar, as it wasn't something he had even noticed before. He did miss Mei and felt guilty for leaving unannounced, but at the time, Kyo's only thought was to leave.
Yuuki's words popped into his head, "you're her older brother though, you should try to talk to her. I am sure she will be happy if you give her some attention."
Kyo thought for a moment before getting out of bed, getting dressed in a green t-shirt and blue jeans, then he headed over to building 001. Aunt Kokoro's place of residence.
She opened the door, Kokoro was wearing a nice white sundress with flowers and accessories, even on her days off she wore nice clothing. "What is it Kyomeowta? You don't look that well, are you sick?" She put her hand on his forehead. There was no fever, he was just pale from the cold sweat, and was nervous for the favor he was about to ask.
"Mind if I come in?" Kyo said anxiously. Aunt Kokoro moved aside and gave a gesture for him to come in. "Please have a seat anywhere you would like" Kyo walked over and sat at the kitchen table, Kokoro then handed Kyo a cup of coffee that she had freshly brewed this morning, then passed him two sugars.
Kyo looked at the coffee and gave an appreciative smile, before saying, "I need to ask a pretty big favor." His tone was that of a desperate man.
"I would do anything for you, Kyo, as long as it is within my power to do so" This was one of the first times she had ever not said the cute nickname. This meant she was taking him seriously.
"I was selfish … I left Mei in that household all alone, without any kind of warning. I didn't even say bye to her! I don't know if she hates me, or what she thinks of me … Please, if Mei agrees to it, take her to see my school's welcoming festival." Kyo said this, clasping both his hands together, towards Kokoro, his eyes closed, almost as if praying to a God.
Aunt Kokoro paused, taken aback by this favor. She then took a deep breath as if to prepare for what was soon to follow, then spoke. "Ok." There was another pause before she spoke again,"if she agrees, then I will take her. Neither you nor I are on speaking terms with my sister; however, I can try to call her later."
Kyo shook his head dismissively."I got it, I will call the house phone, that way you don't have to do more than needed. I just wanted to know if you were willing to take her, I will let you know when/if you need to pick her up. Thank you."
"If calling them is too hard for you I can do it. I can tell you have really grown in the last month, I am proud of you." Kyo was truly grateful to his aunt. After drinking the coffee and telling her about where this was all coming from. Kyo left the apartment and headed back to his place. Kyo stood in the center of his room, pulled out his phone, and slowly dialed the Arianagi house phone number and pressed firmly against the call button.
…
Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring. At the final ring, which felt like an eternity, someone picked up the phone.
"Hello there young mater Kyoyota, it has been far too long." Kyo's nerves vanished the moment he heard the soft yet firm voice of the Arianagi household's maid, Annie. Within that house, she was the only one Kyo was particularly close with. "Hello Annie, I have a favor to ask. Can you see if Mei wants to see the Hanabira high welcoming festival with me and Aunt Kokoro? It will be held between noon-7pm this upcoming Friday, Saturday, Sunday."
"Consider it done, I will ask the young mistress now and give you her response."
"Thank you, also please call me Kyo, I don't care much for formalities."
"I wasn't sure if that request had changed since you left, I will do that from now on." About three minutes passed before Annie got back to me on the phone. "Brother?! Are you there!?" For the first time in almost a month Kyo heard his little sister's voice. "Hey there Mei! How are you?"
"I really really really" she breathed in, "realllllyyy want to go!"
"Great! Aunt Kokoro will pick you up and we can hang out, does that sound ok?"
"Yup! Hehe! Here is Annie." Kyo heard her tell Mei to head back to her room. "Annie, how do I convince my mother of this?"
"Please don't fret young master Kyo, I have a plan for that, but it will only work on Saturday."
"One day is fine with me, thank you Annie. And please don't add 'young master' that defeats the purpose."
"My bad, it will not happen again young master Kyo … oops, I did it again. Well if you will now excuse me." She hung up before Kyo could say anything back to her. He really did miss their conversations. Kyo was also relieved and happy that neither Annie nor Mei seem to be mad at his leaving. Kyo then informed Aunt Kokoro to meet Mei, Annie, and himself at the school next Saturday at noon.