I look up at the construction. Kinosuke-san said it would only take a couple of days but how come it’s been 5 days already and it’s only half way done? I want to get this treehouse finished by the time the Kendo tournament is done… So I can -leave-. I’ve been taking detours and checking out the train station, now that they’ve been leaving me alone thinking I’m still practicing, which I am but only -half-.
So what am I really going to do when I get to Aizu? Well get Tsuyoshi back of course! I’ll bring him back to mother. She’ll be angry I didn’t stay here but he doesn’t care anyway. The three of us can just live together -without- him.
I kick a pebble towards the tree. I don’t care if I don’t get to finish school. I’m way behind anyway. Plus I’ve been hearing rumors again, apparently that girl was a student of mothers and she heard Makoto was my sister. It’s probably better if I’m not there, then they’ll all forget, even Kai. I put my fist in my pocket and go back to the tatami room.
I told Makoto I’d help her write a letter to Tsuyoshi after all. Sitting down on the sofa, it’s rather nice and plush. I bring up my legs sitting cross legged and get a pen and paper handy.
(OOC: Anyone can drop by if they like)
Saturday Morning Fulfillment Duties
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I did my chores and all my homework so I can play all I want today. So where’s Tsutomu-kun? I’ve not seen him at all!
I peek in his room – not there. I look in the kitchen – not there. He’s not outside (but the grown-ups are!) so one more place – the tatami room!
I open the door and he’s on the nice sofa. And he has paper! “Hello Tsutomu-niisan! Are we going to write the letter to Tsuyoushi-niisan today?”
I pat the sofa, in a motion for her to get on.
“Hello Tsutomu-niisan! Are we going to write the letter to Tsuyoushi-niisan today?”
“Do you want to dictate and I write?” I hold up the paper and pen, “Or do you want to try to write it yourself and I check?”
It’s easier for me to write I guess but she likely needs practice. My kanji isn’t bad but it’s not my strong suit either but then again Tsuyoshi’s is the worst! I bet he can’t read the letter we’re going to write him if it doesn’t have furigana. Oh…
Do you want to dictate and I write? Or do you want to try to write it yourself and I check?
Hmmm I think … “I need to write it, Tsutomu-niisan, so that Tsuyoshi-niisan knows that I’m not a -baby-.” But I’m only going to be the littlest in the family for a little while longer. I take the paper and the pen.
“Okay so tell him ‘Dear Tsuyoshi-niisan, thank you for the akebeko. I like red a lot, and cows are nice even if I’ve never seen a real one one before.'” I go very slowly. “Tsutomu-niisan, how do I write ‘akebeko’?”
“I need to write it, Tsutomu-niisan, so that Tsuyoshi-niisan knows that I’m not a -baby-.”
“Well you’re still kind of a baby.” I pat her head, “You’re little now but soon you’ll have another…” My voice trails off. No need to go there.
“Tsutomu-niisan, how do I write ‘akebeko’?”
I take the paper and lightly trace out the kanji. She can fill it in for practice.
“The first is a kanji like this 赤 and the rest is a hiragana べこ. Tsuyoshi has a hard time with kanji,” I say, “so to the 赤 we write “a-ke” on top. That’s furigana, it helps in pronunciation and figuring out what a kanji is.”
Giving the letter back I think about what else needs to be done, Oh… “I think the treehouse is going to be done before the end of the month.” I dont’ tell Makoto it was supposed to be done this week since it doesn’t look like it will be. No need to get her hopes up. If it does get done before then, that would be good.
Well you’re still kind of a baby. You’re little now but soon you’ll have another…
“I am not a baby!” I stick out my tongue and giggle. He starts to talk about the -new- baby, but I want to work on my letter.
I carefully follow the characters that Tsutomu-niisan wrote out for me. “Then I want to write ‘I hope we can meet soon'”. I can do that myself! “‘We will have a secret base for just us kids'” I frown. I think I got some of those wrong. “Are those the right kanji, Tsutomu-niisan?” I look again at the word “akebeko” that he helped me with. He has nice writing.
I think the treehouse is going to be done before the end of the month
“Oh really?!” Now that’s -very- exciting. “So that’s… two weeks? We’ll need to have a party to make it -kids- only once it’s all done.” I’m getting very excited about the present I’m making for the treehouse! I can see that it’s taller than chichiue. I giggle. I want to pat his head from up there.
“Oh! Look what I have!” I pull a tiny scrap of paper from my sleeve. “I told my teacher I was writing a letter to practice my kanji, and she gave me this – it’s a stamp! You put it on the letter and the post office will take it -all- the way to Tsuyoshi-kun!”
“I said you’re -kind of- like a baby.” I grin slightly, “What with you sticking out your tongue like that. Like a baby.”
She finishes the letter with talk about the base and she asks about the kanji, “It’s good enough.” I look at it again. Tsuyoshi can read this. I think.
“So that’s… two weeks? We’ll need to have a party to make it -kids- only once it’s all done.”
She talks about a party and I nod. I won’t be there of course. I’m going to Aizu. “Maybe have your friends over? How is that Kenji-kun…” Oh and then I remember, he’s related to that man with the red hair. “Actually maybe you’ll make new friends at sewing and kyudo class. You’ve been working hard at sewing right?”
it’s a stamp! You put it on the letter and the post office will take it -all- the way to Tsuyoshi-kun!”
Oh… I look at the stamp and give it back to her. “Don’t worry the letter will get to Yoshi.” I smile. “So you can keep that, maybe as a souvenir?”
I laugh at him calling me a baby, it’s just funny because I’m not! He doesn’t smile enough, so it’s nice that he does.
I’m glad I wrote a good letter. “This is the longest letter I’ve -ever- written,” I say. My hand is tired!
He talks about the party, and I shake my head. “No, not Kenji-kun. And I have some friends. But we get in a lot of trouble for talking and I heard that passing notes is even worse!” But they’re really girly-girl and maybe wouldn’t like to play in a secret base? Or would only like to play tea party.
He gives me back my stamp. “What’s a souvenir?”
(Hide)
I’m taking laundry up from the line and back up to the appropriate bedrooms. Between Tsutomu-kun’s school uniform shirts and Hajime’s police uniform shirts (that I keep clean, fresh and ready) and the regular clothing, I am awash in laundry. Heading to the stairs, I can’t help but overhear part of the conversation in the tatami room.
it’s a stamp! You put it on the letter and the post office will take it -all- the way to Tsuyoshi-kun!
Don’t worry the letter will get to Yoshi. So you can keep that, maybe as a souvenir?
What’s a souvenir?
My heart starts to pound – how else could a letter get to Aizu? And why would Makoto need a souvenir? I stand in the stairwell, waiting. Would he really?
(OOC – Hide cannot be seen but they may have heard her walk past – she doesn’t walk as lightly these days, lol)
“Remember what I told you. You’ve got to persevere.” I take the letter and put it in my pocket, “But good job?”
But we get in a lot of trouble for talking and I heard that passing notes is even worse
“Well as long as they’re not getting you in trouble.” I think for a moment, it should be a sturdy treehouse but she can’t have a lot of people on there. “Try to only invite a few people. The friends you really like.”
“What’s a souvenir?”
“It’s something to remember someone by. I ruffle her head. “OK so my job here is done. I’m going to try to study upstairs.” Otherwise I’m sure Takimi-sensei will say something soon but I’m lucky I guess, he’s not here so there’s no one to know.
I get up and go upstairs.
(OOC: He’s headed to the stairs so if Hide doesn’t want to be seen she can leave and close the thread)
(Hide)
It’s something to remember someone by
Then I hear him say something about going upstairs so I head up, quickly, going to my room where I put up Hajime’s shirts. I leave Tsutomu-kun’s shirts to where they won’t wrinkle and I sit on the futon…
So he’s going to run…
As someone who’s run herself I can just -feel- it. But what to do?
(Close)