Reckless Muse

Ch. 4: The Kusunoki Dinner (Part 1)

Kuramochi was screwed. So, so screwed. His shoulders were tense as he sat ramrod straight at the Kusunoki family dining table. Sakura was seated to his right and Nikko was to his left. Mirai sat next to her sister and their mother, Mizuki, sat across from him. She was a petite woman, slightly shorter than Sakura, with light blond hair and warm chocolate eyes. She was calm and collected as she maintained her steel gaze on him. She was terrifying.

And Kuramochi was screwed.

He cleared his throat. "Um, well, I had a lot on my mind, so I was going for a run?" The statement came out as more of a question and Kuramochi cursed himself to hell and back. Mizuki's expression remained the same and Sakura shifted beside him.

"Mom, he lives in the dorms," Sakura said, chuckling nervously. "It's not that weird for him to be out at the field."

"It is when it's raining cats and dogs," she said simply. Kuramochi swallowed around a lump in his throat. He had thought that it was Nikko he should be scared of. He couldn't be more wrong. Mizuki might have been significantly smaller than him, but it looked like she was capable of ripping his throat out without so much as blinking.

Mirai raised her eyebrows. "She is right. What was happening? Why were you out at the field? I know that Sakura was probably drawing or taking reference pictures, but why were you there to run into her?" Kuramochi opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to come up with a reasonable excuse.

"He said he had a lot on his mind," Sakura repeated, trying to help him. "You know I run sometimes to get things off my mind."

"But you're not stupid either," came the clipped reply.

"Mizuki," Nikko interjected at last. "You barely know the boy. He said he was running to clear his mind. That's all there is too it." Kuramochi looked at the man, surprised. He appreciated the help more than a simple look could convey.

Mizuki sighed, crossing her arms. "I told you my division was called in for petty theft, right?" she asked, turning to her husband.

Kuramochi's stomach plummeted and he saw Sakura stiffen up beside him.

Nikko nodded. "Well," Mizuki continued, "the shopkeeper said that one of the boys managed to get away. We were reviewing the tapes, and the boy in question happens to look a lot like Kuramochi-san, here."

Nikko shifted his gaze over, eyeing him warily now. "Kuramochi-san, is there something you need to tell us?"

"Dad!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Oh, Sakura~," Mirai drug out. "You brought a bad boy home~."

"Will you all shut up for a second!" Sakura yelled, slamming her hands down on the table. Kuramochi flinched away from her, dropping his head. He didn't know what he could say to the accusations, they were true after all. He had been there, he had run. He hadn't taken anything, but he had joined them.

"Sakura, honey, I know he's your friend, but you don't know him very well," Mizuki spoke evenly, professionally.

Sakura matched her mother's stare with her own glare. "No, but I know him better than you. So please, let us explain what happened."

"So he was there," Nikko said, coldly.

Sakura switched her glare over to her father. Her voice was calm as she spoke. "Please, just hear us out. I already know what happened, and so does the coach." She nodded to her mother as she added, "If you want to double check what we tell you, feel free to call him."

Mizuki interlaced her fingers together and rested her chin on top. "Alright then. Kuramochi-san, why don't you tell me what exactly happened."

~

For the second time that night, Kuramochi fidgeted under the intense stare of judgment. He didn't dare glance at Mizuki as she ran her steel gaze over him, almost as if she was looking for physical cracks in his story. Beside him, he could still feel Sakura's nerves. Mirai had been silent as he told them all what had happened, how he had been drug along. Nikko sat next to him, looking at him almost sympathetically before glancing nervously back to his wife.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity in silence, Mizuki spoke. "I see. Well, it all fits in with the stories we've heard. Most of the boys ratted you out as well, but there were two that said you had been tricked along, that they hadn't told you the plan. The shopkeeper also said that he didn't want to press charges, lucky for you." Kuramochi's breath was still stuck in his throat as Mizuki leaned back in her seat. "In any case, you need to do a better job on planning who you hang out with."

"Y-yeah," Kuramochi stuttered out. "I-I mean, yes Ma'am."

Mizuki's face shifted for the first time that night as a smirk played across her lips. "Well in any case, the food's probably ready by now. I bet you're starving from all the excitement tonight."

He gave her a small smile. "Yeah I am. And thanks for having me." Mizuki gave him a nod as she headed back into the kitchen, calling for Mirai to follow who did so with pep in her step.

Finally, a rush of air left his lungs and he felt like he could deflate into a puddle from relief. Beside him, Nikko chuckled. "I know what you mean. Her interrogations are intense."

Kuramochi looked at him from the corner of his eye. "You're not upset with me?"

Nikko shrugged. "I work as a personal trainer. I've seen smokers come in who have to leave in ten minutes to light up, alcoholics who stumble in drunk. Heck, I've had kids stoned out of their minds walk in. Once I even walked in on a professional athlete shooting up in the locker room. If all you are is someone who likes to cause some harmless trouble, gets drug along with the wrong people, and then fesses up like you just did, that's a world better than Sakura could be doing."

"Oh," was all Kuramochi could think of to say. Nikko smiled at him before nodding to Sakura. When Kuramochi glanced over, she seemed to be staring intently at the ceiling. "Um, are you okay, Sakura-chan."

She rolled her head over to give Kuramochi a small smile. "Yeah, just thankful my mom didn't skin you alive."

Kuramochi chuckled nervously. "Same here."

"On a first name basis, huh," Nikko asked, a light tone to his voice. Kuramochi felt a blush rise and tried to think of what to say.

"He's teammates with Fumiya. It got annoying hearing him call us both by our family name," Sakura said, waving her dad off who just hummed in amusement.

Before any more could be said, Mirai came bursting through the door carrying a big pot. "Dinner is served!" she announced gleefully as Mizuki followed behind her with more plates. Kuramochi relaxed as he saw that Mizuki no longer looked like she was liable to kill him. In fact, had it not been for earlier, she could easily pass for a simple domestic housewife. She was calm, nice, friendly, and overall unintimidating.

Kuramochi found himself wondering if this entire family had two sides to them, one that most people could see at a glance, and one that was who they showed the people around them. Nikko was intimidating yet nice, Mizuki was nice but terrifying, and Sakura was quiet but could stand her ground. Whatever the case, Kuramochi had a feeling that this dinner was going to be nice after all.