Chapter Summary: It’s Akira 16
th birthday, so she decides to celebrate the day with her family, including her father who flew in especially from London, and her friends, Ryo, Jin, Sakura, Ichigo, Tae, Satomi, Xiao, Miharu and Taisuke, her best friend from Ōsaka.
Disclaimer: I do not own Tekken but I do own my OCs and plot. If you steal, be prepared to
suffer.
Chapter Warnings: It’s a short chapter and quite boring, to be honest, so I suggest you skim read.
Notes: I haven’t uploaded for AGES simply because I did the NaNoWriMon challenge in November, edited it in December, revising, working, Christmas and now New Years! Well, if anyone is reading, I hope you had a good Christmas and I wish you a very happy New Year!
Extra Notes: There is a reason why I uploaded this chapter (and when I do, the next one), but I’ll explain it in the next chapter. Look out for it!
Chapter 7 - Merry Christmas! will up soon!
A Tekken Story: Through the Years
Our birthdays are feathers in the broad wing of time
Jean Paul Ritcher
Chapter 6 – Happy Birthday Akira!
Being the oldest in our group of friends (I later learned that Jin was the oldest by three months) had its advantages: I was the first to pass my driving test and get my driver’s license (Luckily I did, first time), I was the first to legally drink alcohol, and I was the first to become a teenager. And so, it was my sixteenth birthday and a week until Christmas.
18th December 2010 I awoke early on the morning of my birthday thanks to the chirp of my phone, courtesy of a text message from Taisuke.
R u awake yet, sleepy-head? Me & ur dad r heading to urs now, so ur eyes better b wide open! Happy birthday, girl! Xxx
Excitement jolted in my stomach. I had totally forgotten that Taisuke had flown over Chūō-ku so we could spend my birthday together! Dad had also flown in yesterday from London. Ryo, Jin, Sakura, Ichigo, Tae, Satomi, Xiao and Miharu were coming round later so we could go bowling then to the local Chinese restaurant.
I flung myself out of my bed, landing on the floor and tripping over my feet as I hastened my way to my wardrobe. After pulling on a pair of black jeans and a gray jumper, I raced downstairs and suddenly found my arms full of shoulder-length brown hair.
“Happy Birthday, onee-chan!” Hana cried happily.
“Thank-you, imouto!”
Mom also took herself from flipping pancakes to hug me tightly and wish me a happy birthday. Me and Hana sat at the kitchen table, laughing and mock-bickering. I had managed to get through three pancakes before Dad and Taisuke arrived.
“Happy Birthday, Akira-chan!” They chimed once they had hung up their coats and hoarded away their shoes.
“Thank-you, tou-chan and Taisuke-kun!”
Taisuke is what most people would describe as a “pretty boy”, with dark brown that brushed over his forehead; big, glittery dark eyes; deep tan skin tone and long, thick eyelashes that make any girl jealous. In other words, Taisuke is the average bishōnen.
Dad and Taisuke tucked into their own pancakes as they chatted about Chūō-ku and London when I was given my cards and presents. I took the cards sent overseas first. Auntie Rikiya, Uncle Echiko, Akihiro, Akikazu and Akane (Mom’s older sister, brother-in-law and my triplet cousins) sent me a silver necklace with the letter “A” swinging from it, decorated with amethyst stones. Auntie Kaiya, Uncle Daichi, Yuki and Kita (Mom’s younger sister, brother-in-law and my two female cousins) gave me a black jewellery box with painted butterflies and sakura branches on it. Grandpa Rinji and Grandma Sakurako (Dad’s parents) sent me four tickets for the Studio Ghibli Museum while Auntie Junko, Uncle Daiki and Rhaiken (Dad’s younger sister, brother-in-law and my female cousin) sent me money.
Taisuke, reluctantly, handed over his present, which was the latest copy of
Gakuen Heaven (luckily my parents never knew what the book contained). Taisuke had, unsurprisingly, read a lot of shōnen-ai and yaoi, hence why I was equally as “addicted”.
Hana represented me with her present next (I had to play along, even though I knew that Mom and Dad had bought it). It’s a beautiful sterling silver ring with a band of blue stones engraved in the metal. The stones are turquoise, my birthstone.
“Now,” Dad suddenly proclaims when it’s time for my parents to hand over my birthday present,” For your present, you’ll have to come outside when you open this,” He offers me a yellow rectangle-shaped box, making my eyebrow raise in confusion. I glance at the box, then at my parents, then back at the box. I pull the lid off the box and see a key with a black toggle resting on a bed of white wool. I pick the toggle up between my forefinger and thumb, letting the glinting key dangle.
“This is-,”
Mom grabbed my shoulders and hauled me upright, covering my eyes with her hands as Dad took my hand and tugged me forward, directing me through the living room, into the genkan and out the front door. Once we had vigilantly descended down the steps, Mom retracted her hands and Dad let my hand drop to my side. Before me, a jet-black motorcycle stood, leaning its weight on the kickstand.
“This-,” my voice quivered from a wrench of shock through my body,” This is your…?”
Dad affirmatively nodded at me as I casted a look over my shoulder at him,” Yeah, it use to be mine, back in the good old days. I know you won’t be eighteen for another two years at least, but I’d just been fixing it like crazy over the past few months, and I thought I’d get there a bit early,”
My heart swelled and I bundled myself into parents’ arms to swallow them up in a firm embrace,” Thank-you so much Dad, Mum! I love it so much!”
After a few minutes of actually bestriding the seat, holding onto the handles, revving the engine but not actually going anywhere, we all went back inside. In the hours that followed, I admired my other birthday presents (more like read a few pages of
Gakuen Heaven and plan the trip to the Studio Ghibli Museum), getting dressed properly and generally catching-up with Taisuke (and Chūō-ku) and Dad (and his new dōjō in London), Mom served us lunch. As a birthday tradition, Mom always served a buffet-styled lunch or dinner consisting of the birthday boy or girl’s favourite, so, of course, I was looking forward to it. Mom had been slaving away in the kitchen to produce everlasting plates and dishes of various kamameshi, tonkatsu, maki-zushi, ramen, melon-pan, kushiyaki, zoni, dango and korokke. We tucked in, talked, joked around, just as I had always remembered we had done whenever in eachtoher’s presence. I was too busy feeling deliriously happy and content, too busy crying with laughter and making my sides ache that I didn’t realise the time until a few raspy knocks came at the door.
Ryo, Jin, Sakura, Ichigo, Tae, Satomi, Xiao and Miharu. Introductions were made as me and Taisuke hauled on out coats (more on Taisuke’s part), goodbyes and well wishes were said before we all set off for the bus stop. We clambered onto the next bus and up to the second deck, teasing, laughing, chatting, bathing in eachother’s company and amusement, getting so loud that a couple of other people riding on the bus around as tittered and shook their head in disappointment, but we didn’t care. I was just pleased that everyone was getting along (Sakura seemed to be on her best behaviour, but I suspected for her own benefit, not mine). It was if everyone already knew eachother and got along famously.
Our constant clattering buzzing around us from the bus journey that persisted as we made our way inside and paid, nattering and laughing away over the blares and banging of the alley as we queued up and glided on our bowling shoes.
I
loved bowling, ever since I was a kid, so I certainly had the flair for it, but I guessed that Ryo and Jin would too. And I wasn’t wrong.
Ryo was the best by far, aiming stylishly, effortlessly and graciously. Jin was just as good, extending his leg, flicking his wrist, demolishing huddle after huddle of pins, but he lacked a few behind Ryo. Taisuke, being Taisuke, copied me as I copied Ryo and Jin, and managed to take down most of the pins.
Ichigo, Tae and Satomi chose not to take the game too seriously (unlike Ryo), just to have some fun and knock over a few pins. They all seemed to have developed the same bowling style of bending down and then rolling the ball, but all their aiming was lousy, so lousy that at one point, Satomi managed to heave her ball over to the neighbouring lane. Points for her giggling with Tae and Ichigo to ignore the yelling from the boys on the next lane.
Xiaoyu and Miharu were not too bad nor that good, they were like little Jin and Ryo shadows - copying the same technique of extending the leg and flicking the wrist, but they were only able to bulldoze half the pins.
Ryo and Jin were level-pegging for the first half of the game, but then Ryo’s competitive spirit kicked in, making him draw ahead, me, Taisuke, Xiao and Miharu not lagging far behind and Satomi, Tae and Ichigo sharing joint last-place.
After the game had draw to a close with Ryo victorious (I think he was pleased as he punched the air, leaped about crazily then grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder), we headed to the Chinese restaurant across the street (luckily, with my feet planted firmly on the ground). And, by chance, the Chinese restaurant was having an all-you-can-eat-buffet, so we helped ourselves to the buffet (I was the most greedy with three helpings) and a dessert.
I opened presents after we had finished eating. Ryo had brought me a thin, sterling silver ring that criss-crossed on the edges of the dark-plum coloured stone. Sakura gave me two tickets for Lady GaGa’s concert The Monster Ball Tour taking place in April. Jin (obviously asking on Ryo and/or Sakura’s advice) had gotten me a set of 4 rock-themed earrings, while Xiao and Miharu had chimed together to get me a black-and-pink cat cell phone charm and Ichigo, Tae and Satomi had also chipped in together to give me a leopard-pattern watch.
The journey back home was more comfortable and quiet, probably because it was late and we were tired from the busy day we had had. One by one, everyone returned home, waving goodbye and hugging me tightly, telling me that they hoped I had had a nice birthday (but only a kiss from Ryo, understandably), until me, Taisuke, Xiao and Jin reached our well-known street corner. Jin, being the ever polite one, even walked me and Taisuke to my door, despite my protest. I hugged Xiaoyu goodbye and crossed the street. Jin followed us up to my front door and waited behind me as I fumbled around in my handbag for my keys, my heart beat escalating nervously as I felt his gaze trained on my back. I found them and turned to him, catching his eyes steadily.
“Well…Goodnight,”
He nodded,” Night,”
Before I knew it, he bent forward, closing the distance between us, leaning towards so his full lips were close mine, but I tilted his head near cheek, but had second thought and just as slowly, pulled away.
“Thank-you,” I said in a near-whisper,” I had a fantastic time,”
“Good,” said Jin, nodding and laughing nervously,” I had a really time too,”
I averted my gaze from his as he maintained his staring until I sighed and pointed to the house with my thumb over my shoulder,” “Well, I’m gonna go inside now…,”
“Oh, right. Goodnight then,” Jin’s face soften slightly, almost making me believe that he looked
sad to leave.
I nodded,” Night,”
Jin watched me as I insert my keys into the door, let Taisuke scramble in first, followed by me, lifting my hand stiffly in a last goodbye, swearing I could see a hundred watt smile widen his mouth as he walked back down the path.
“So,” said Taisuke as he crawled into his sleeping bag next to mine,” What’s going on you and Jin then, hmm?”
Oh God.
I shot up to face him and threw him a “don’t-be-so-stupid!” look,” What do you mean?”
“You know
exactly what I mean,”
I motioned my head back a bit and crinkled my eyebrows in puzzlement,” It’s nothing like that. I’m with
Ryo, remember?”
“Trust me, I
couldn’t forget,” he winked me and waggled his eyebrows,” He’s seriously cute, but
Jin, damn that boy-,”
I whacked him upside the head with my pillow,” Please, do not finish that sentence!”
Taisuke whipped his own pillow from under his head and hit me in kind on the cheek,” You have to admit, Jin is a bishōnen,”
I raised both my eyebrows at him.
He shrugged,” Takes one to know one,”
We stayed up for a few hours, retelling our accounts of our childhood, cutting in to add the little details, until Taisuke’s breathing became slower and deeper, totally unresponsive.
As I snuggled back down into my sleeping bag I reflected on the day slowly reverting into the past.
Today has been a good day. Just what I needed, was my last thought before my eyelids fluttered shut and drifted of to sleep, sadly not remembering the wonderful dream the next morning.
