The Life With You (ReiShi)

Chapter 1: His Life

Rei opens the door of the house. Silence. The house is dark. He enters the house, shuts and locks the door. Switching on the lights, he proceeds to go to the kitchen. He notices a note on the fridge door. The note is hung at a height that he can grab it.

"I'll come home a bit late. There's frozen food in the fridge. Just warm it up when you want to eat. Finish your homework and don't stay up too late."

Another night. It's a common thing. His father is always busy with his work as a police officer. He becomes accustomed to staying alone at the house. He tosses the note into the dustbin and opens the refrigerator. Takes out the frozen food and warms it up. He ate his dinner. Alone. When was the last time they ate together? He never has time for him anymore.

But Rei understands. He doesn't complain. He loves his father after all. Though, it doesn't mean that he does not hope that he can spend more time with his father. Children around his age will have their parents sending them to school, going out once in a while together and their parents coming to their important days. Such as results day, sports day and their tournaments. Well, at least he got praises for all of his achievements.

Rei cleans up the table and does the house chores. After he finishes with everything, he shuffles to his room, lying down on his bed. He has done his homework earlier before he went out. He's a student that excels in everything after all. Except, maybe his attitude. He gets into fights so many times he loses counts. Whenever his teachers call his father, his father only hears the cause of the problems and makes the teachers punish him and the other children he fights with.

He glances sideways and looks at a picture frame that is on his bedside table. He grabs the frame and looks at it. The picture has his father and mother standing side by side. His brother in between them. While he is in his mother's embrace. It is a very nice picture. With the beach as the background. The picture was taken when he was 3. He misses his family. Ever since his parents' divorce, he has never met his mother and brother again.

Tossing the picture back onto the table, he stands up and switches off his bedroom light. He needs to wake early for school anyway.

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It's early in the morning. Rei grabs his bag and makes sure to switch off every switch and closes all the doors and windows. It's rutin. He isn't bothered by the work. It seems like his father didn't come back home. Another common thing. He wears his shoes and is ready to go to school.

The weather is nice. Birds chirping, a light breeze and warm air. Nothing can go wrong, right? He turns right at a corner and saw someone familiar.

"Hiro!" He yells as he runs toward the boy. That boy stops on his track and turns around. Recognised the voice of the person who was just yelling his name.

"Zero. You're early as usual."

"Hiro, too." They continue walking to school together.

"So, did your father comes home last night?"

"Nope, not at all. Not that I'm bothered with it."

"So, who did you fight with yesterday. I see you have some bruises. Did that little girl take you to her parents' clinic again?"

"Well, those guys were laughing at my hair colour again. They even said that I'm not a true Japanese. And yes, that Akemi girl showed up again yesterday and drag me all the way to her parents' clinic. But this time, it's a bit different."

"How so?"

Rei begins to tell him about all the things that happen yesterday at the clinic. While listening to his friend's story, Hiromitsu can see a glimpse of fondness in Rei's eyes.