I was pleasantly surprised when Saki knocked on my door the next day a little after noon.

"Hi," I said with a smile, opening the door. "Come in."

She stepped inside, set down the plastic bag she was holding, and took her shoes off. "Is Hiromasa here?"

"Yeah." I shut the door. "Upstairs."

She nodded and headed up the stairs. I followed her up to my room. Hiromasa was sitting on the rug in front of the TV, right where I left him.

"Hey, Saki," Hiromasa said with a grin.

"Here." She thrust the plastic bag at him.

He took it and peered inside. A smile spread over his face. He pulled out a sports drink and a bag of chocolate panda cookies.

"Thanks," he said.

She rolled her eyes. "They aren't for you, idiot. They're for Kanna."

"Oh." His face fell a little. "That's really nice of you. I'm sure she'll like them."

"Oh, don't pout." Saki put a hand on her hip. "I'm sure she'll share with you if you ask nicely."

He nodded with a smile and put the stuff back in the bag.

"Did you actually buy those legally?" I asked.

She looked back at me and glared. "I do buy things with money occasionally, you know?"

I put my hands up. "My mistake."

"How is she doing by the way?" Saki asked.

"Pretty good." Hiromasa nodded. "She's feeling a lot better and her fever has gone down."

"Good," Saki said. "So what are you losers doing?" She sat down cross legged next to Hiromasa.

"Same old. Same old," Hiromasa said. "Just hanging out and playing video games."

I sat down next to Saki with my legs outstretched. "Plan on sticking around?"

"Yeah, well, I figure I've got to do that stupid homework sometime, not that I mind messing around a little first."

I smiled. "Glad to hear it."

She leaned back on her hands. "You guys are just going to have to get used to having me around." She poked me in the chest. "And you better have plenty of strawberry deserts at the ready."

"Of course." I chuckled.

Saki hung around for the rest of the day and showed up for the next few days after that, which put me in a much better mood. That is, until Monday, when my mother informed me in her obligatory phone call that she would be returning home with my father in a few days. Fantastic.

I suppose it shouldn't have bothered me so much when they came home. It's not like it really affected anything I did. I still stayed holed up my room, occasionally emerging to get food or bathe. The only difference was that two strangers I'd known my whole life roamed around quietly downstairs.

It must have been quite unusual for Saki when she showed up and some middle aged woman with her hair pulled back into a perfect bun answered the front door. I didn't hear her knock. I was leaning against the wall on my bed with earbuds jammed in my ears.

"Kaito," Mother said, knocking softly on my door. "Higoshi is here to see you."

She opened the door. Saki stepped inside and gave my mother a slight bow. My mother nodded and went back downstairs, leaving the door open. This gesture was simply for show. I'm almost positive I could've had sex with a girl downstairs on kitchen counter and neither of my parents would say a word. They would probably just get up quietly and leave the room, because doing otherwise would require them to do some form of active parenting. An act which I didn't believe either of them was capable of anymore.

Saki walked over and joined me on the bed, resting her arm on a bent knee. "Hey."

"Hey." I took one of the earpieces out.

"Where's Hiromasa?" she asked.

"He gets kind of scarce when my parents come home."

"I can see why. Your mom is kind of...." She trailed off.

I smiled. "Human statue like?"

She chuckled. "Yeah, pretty much. Has she always been like that?"

I shrugged. "Maybe she has. I can't remember her ever being particularly nurturing or warm."

Saki gave an exaggerated shiver. "Creepy. What are you listening to?"

I handed her the earpiece I took out. She scooted closer, pressing her shoulder against mine, and put the earpiece in.

"AKFG?" she asked after a few seconds.

I nodded. "I'm surprised you know them. I would think you'd be into stuff that was a lot more hard core."

She laughed. "Well, I do love my Abigail, but these guys are good too, for the days I don't feel like putting my fist through a wall."

"You have those days?" I grinned.

She smiled, closed her eyes, and leaned her head back against the wall. "Rarely."

I leaned my head back, too, and we both sat silently for a few minutes listening to music. It had been a while since we'd been alone together. I wonder if she felt me staring at her; studying the way her hair fell over her shoulders, the rate at which her chest rose and fell, or how she twitched her fingers subconsciously to the beat of the song. My own fingers rubbed the bed restlessly, longing to reach out and fold themselves around her hand, never to let go.

"Kaito," Mother said from the hall.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Yeah?" I answered.

Saki opened her eyes and pulled her head forward as my mother stepped into the doorway.

"Would your friend like to stay for dinner?" she asked.

"I couldn't impose like that," Saki said. "Besides, I'm sure my mom is expecting me back for dinner."

"I suppose so," Mother said. "I can always call her if you like."

Saki's eyes got wide. "No. That's fine. I'd love to stay, actually."

She titled her head to the side. "You don't need to call your parents?"

"No. I totally forgot what day it was. I can stay today." Saki forced a smile.

Mother nodded. "Great. I will come get you in a little while."

It's not such a rare occasion that my mother cooks. I suppose she feels she should since she's here. The food isn't even bad. In fact, home cooking is pretty refreshing after you've lived on instant food and convenience store meals for a while, but even so, I could never wait to get away from that table and back up to my room every time we had a family meal. The heavy, awkward atmosphere and the sound of nothing but chewing and utensils scraping against plates is enough to drive you insane. I usually wolfed down my food and practically sprinted from the table. There is only one thing I could imagine that would be worse than a family meal, and it was having a family meal with the hot tempered girl I wished I was dating.

When my mother called us down, there were already steaming plates of curry waiting for us. My father was sitting at the head of the table. The neatness of his appearance rivaled my mother's. It really blew my mind that those two could have a relationship at all, let alone go off on trips together. They must've been completely different people outside of the house.

Saki and I took our seats next to each other. Curry was a pretty obvious choice, but a good one. It was your standard comfort food. I haven't met a person yet who didn't like curry in some form. My mother sat down across from me and we all said our thanks. An awkward silence followed, as expected. Saki picked up her spoon and ate deliberately slow.

"I wasn't sure how spicy you liked it," Mother said, finally ending the silence. "I kept it pretty mild."

Well, at least she was trying.

Saki shook her head. "No. It's very good. I like it this way."

That's crap. Saki loves spicy things. Not that I was hoping for a struggle, but seeing her with a passive attitude was really odd.

"Have you finished your summer assignments, Kaito?" Father asked.

"Not yet," I answered.

He scooped up some curry with his spoon. "Better to finish it all in the beginning."

I shrugged. "I've still got lots of time left."

"Procrastination will only get you into trouble later in life." He put the curry in his mouth.

"How are you fairing on your assignments, Higoshi?" Mother asked.

"About the same," she said. "We've kind of been doing it as a group."

"Ah," Mother nodded. "Study groups are effective aren't they? I used to do that a lot when I was in school. Who else is in your group?"

"Hiromasa," I said.

"What ever happened to Shiganori?" Father asked. "I haven't seen him lately."

I wasn't really sure what to make of that statement. Did he mean he hadn't seen him since he got back, or did he really think he was home more often than he was?

"He's busy at home." I scraped some curry into my rice and started folding it in.

"Kaito, you mustn't play with your food like that," Mother scolded.

"I'm not playing with it. I like it like this," I said.

"Nonsense," she said. "You probably just aren't used to eating properly. All I found was instant noodles in the cupboard. I thought you said you were eating well."

"I eat other things," I said.

Sort of a lie. The other things I eat aren't necessarily better for me.

"That isn't proper nutrition," Father said.

Why the hell is it we couldn't ever have a normal conversation? I could say the sky was blue and they'd probably find a way to throw it back to my own short comings. I balled my hand into a fist under the table. The heat rising in me caught me by surprise. Was I actually getting mad? It felt terrible and wonderful all at the same time. I needed to change the subject, though. It wouldn't do me any good to yell, and if I started, there was no telling when I'd stop.

"So, where are you going on your next trip?" I asked.

"Probably somewhere in Fukuoka to start," Mother said. "We were lucky, and should be fairly close to each other this time."

"Speaking of careers," Father said. "Have you chosen a career path yet?"

"Not really," I said.

My father made a sound of disapproval and shook his head. "It's never too early to consider the future."

Saki brought her fist down on the table so hard it made the plates rattle. "What is wrong with the both of you?"

"Excus..." My mother started.

"He hardly ever sees you," Saki cut her off. "And when he does, all you ever do is berate him." She shot up, forcing the chair back. "Can't you say anything kind to him at all?"

Her outrage was met with blank stares and silence. Saki clicked her tongue and ran from the room. A few seconds later, the front door slammed shut. I got up and chased after her. My mother called after me, but I didn't stop.

I ran out the front gate and glanced both ways. Saki was barreling down the sidewalk to my left. I took off after her. The pavement stung every time I brought my bare feet down on it. She made it a few blocks before I finally caught up to her.

"Saki," I called out to her.

She slowed to a stop and I circled around her. I put my hand on her shoulder, afraid she'd take off again at any moment.

"Wait," I panted. "Don't run off like that."

She was breathing hard too, but not nearly as hard as I was. "How can you stand it like that?"

"That's the way it always is," I let go of her shoulder. "It doesn't matter. They'll be gone in about a week anyway."

"That makes it even worse." She squeezed her hands into fists and walked around the sidewalk in an aggravated circle. "Why can't they just be nice to you?"

I smiled. "Yeah, well, they suck, but that's no reason for you to get upset."

"Of course I'd get upset, idiot." She punched my shoulder. "If you're not going to get pissed off about it, then someone has to."

I rubbed my shoulder and grinned. "Thanks." I paused. "I was upset by the way."

"You were?" she asked.

I nodded. "Of course. It just never occurred to me to punch a table."

Saki laughed and squeezed both my shoulders. "I'm so glad."

"Is that really a good thing?"

She nodded eagerly. "Of course it is." She let out a deep breath and dropped her head. "I knew I could dig you out of yourself if I tried." There was a pause. "Why aren't you wearing any shoes?"

I scrunched up my feet and chuckled. "Yeah, I kind of ran after you in a hurry." I rubbed the back of my head and grinned.

She shook her head and laughed. "Idiot." She let go of my shoulders. "I doubt your parents are going to want to see me much, huh?"

"Probably not."

"Guess I sort of screwed myself there," she said.

"That cell phone is looking pretty good right now, huh?"

"Piss off." She shoved me. "I guess we'll have to put this homework club thing on pause for a while."

"So, you're still going to hang around with us?" I asked.

"Why?" she asked. "Getting sick of me?"

"Never."

She grinned and leaned closer. "Afraid of losing me, then?"

I smiled. "Terrified."

"When do your parents leave?"

"Next Sunday."

She nodded. "Next Sunday it is."

I watched her go and then slowly made my way back to the house. I already knew it was going to be a really long week and a half. I opened the front door and wiped my feet the best I could on the mat before starting up the stairs.

"Kaito," Mother said, walking into the hall. "Your Father and I have talked it over and we don't want you seeing that girl anymore."

I started laughing. I couldn't help myself. What a pointless thing to say.

"How do you plan to stop me?" I stared at her, waiting for a response, but she just stood there, stunned.

I continued up the stairs. "Let me know if you think of something."

I went back to my room and lay down on my bed with my eyes closed. That last comment was rude and petty. I shouldn't have said that to her, but it irritated me. What right did they have to try and run my life now? I’d never argued with them before because I never really had a reason to. I wondered what they'd do. I couldn't really imagine either of them yelling. Wouldn't that be a sight to see? I pulled out my phone and stared at the date.

"Come on next Sunday," I muttered.