You're All I Need - Nishimura Riki

Chapter 24 : The Game

Saturday arrives and I realize that today is the day that Sunoo and Ari will be coming over for a movie night!

I text them early in the morning and ask them what time they'll be coming over.

•texting•

Hana : When is a good time for you guys to come over tonight?

Ari : I can come over at about 6:00. My mom works late tonight so she doesn't care when I go over.

Sunoo : I should be free by about 8:00

Ari : That works out great then! We can have some girls time before Sunoo gets there!

Hana : Okay, that sounds great! I'll see you later!

•end of texting•

The day passes by quickly since I am helping my mom clean our basement, which was really gross considering we haven't touched it for about 5 or 6 years. I probably inhaled enough dust to have a dust bunny live in my lungs, but my mom said I'm just being dramatic. She's probably right.

My mom looks down at her phone screen.

"Oh, its 5:00. We have to start preparing dinner," she says and stands up from the basement floor. "We can continue this another day." She puts everything back in it's place and goes back upstairs with me.

"Oh, mom. Ari said she'll be coming over early tonight since her mom is working late. So she'll be here by 6:00," I tell her.

"Oh, I'll have to make extra food tonight then since we have another guest," she says as she washes her hands in the kitchen sink. Then it hits me that today is Saturday. Saturday is one of the weekly nights that Ni-ki's family comes over for dinner.

"Oh, I forgot that the Nishimuras were coming over tonight. I can tell her to come a bit later," I say and pick up my phone.

"No. No, it's not a big deal. I'll just make a little extra food. And you can rearrange your seats so you can sit together," she smiles and looks in the fridge for ingredients. "Oh, and I have to go to a meeting with some of my friends, so I have to leave tonight and I won't be back until tomorrow morning. So you and your friends have to be responsible tonight. Got it?" She tells me.

"Yes, Mom. We'll be responsible. I promise. You don't have to worry about us," I say and start helping my mom.

I wash my hands and cut the vegetables for the fried rice. Once I finish that, my mom puts me on dessert duty. Today's dessert is simple. Just ice cream with various toppings. I finish that and put it on the tray in the fridge.

"You can go now," my mom says as she stirs the udon noodle soup.

"Okay," I say and head up to my bedroom to take a quick shower before dinner.

Once I'm out of the shower and dressed, I walk downstairs and smell the udon noodle soup and fried rice and I feel my stomach rumble.

The doorbell rings and I walk over to open it.

"Hello, Hana. How has your day been?" Mrs. Nishimura asks me. Konon and Sola are behind her but Ni-ki is nowhere to be seen.

"It was good, thank you for asking," I say politely and move to the side. "Come in, please. And where's Ni-ki?" I ask out of curiosity.