IN TIME | Tenjiku

Heavy Rain

Days turned into weeks as weeks turned into a month. It was now the middle of March and Kakucho was slowly getting better. His mind was at ease and his shoulder was almost fully healed. 

I had been attending school, trying to get my grades back up from all of the emotional turmoil I had faced over the past several weeks. It was one late night when I woke up out of a dead sleep from a nightmare about killing Kisaki. 

"Val?..." I heard a sleepy Kakucho say as he slowly sat up to rub my back and make sure I was okay. I was drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. 

"I can't stop thinking about it. I can't stop thinking about what could happen to me if the police found out that I killed a man." I whimpered out, trying my best to console my own cries. 

"The Haitani brothers' vouched for you, Valerie. You're fine I promise." He would say, but that didn't stop the overwhelming sensation of sickness I felt in my stomach. I laid back down next to him and cuddled into his chest. I felt his arms wrap around me as I cried myself back to sleep. 

__________________________________________________________________________ 

The next morning, I was woken up by the smell of Kakucho cooking me breakfast, as he always did. Every morning, he would wake up before I did, and make a full course breakfast with whatever we had in the kitchen. This morning, it was sausage and egg, and cheese omelets. I came and sat at the counter and he handed me my plate when Zoe and my mother came walking in. 

"Well, looks like no school for you today." My mother would say as I turned to question what she as up to now. 

"Why?" 

"Car shopping!" Zoe would throw her arms in the air as if she was the one getting a brand new car. My mother pulled out some forms from the bank to where she had finally gotten pre-approved to buy me the car that I had wanted off the lot. 

"I say it's a good deal." She would turn to me and ruffle my hair. It was a 2006 Mustang GT with a nightshade finish. 

I was beyond ecstatic and could barely eat the omelet that Kakucho had made me. This meant no more having to borrow my mother's car for groceries. Of course, I had to keep this on the downlow since in Japan, I wasn't allowed to legally drive until I turned eighteen. 

"Thanks mom!" I would say before taking a bite out of the omelet and rushing off to get ready for the day. I could hear Zoe and Kakucho going over who gets the next home cooked meal that he cooks due to his cooking being so good. 

"Whatcha cooking tonight, house husband?" She would tease him as he handed her a plate. 

"Probably steak," He laughed, "I've been craving a good steak." 

I came out of the room dressed in jeans, a white shirt with a jacket and converse to find my mother examining Kakucho's shoulder. 

"It's healed nicely, Kaku!" She exclaimed, undoing his bandage fully while stating that he doesn't need it anymore. The bullet wound was still noticeable. 

"I'm glad, it doesn't even hurt anymore." He chuckled. I just stared at he scene in front of me. I was happy to know that my mother liked Kakucho. She seemed to get along with him like he was her own son. This made me happy considering that all Kakucho deserved in my eyes was a happy family with a happy home life. 

"Alright, we've gotta get going. Kakucho, are you coming?" My mother would gesture towards him as he turned the stove off and started to put the dishes in the sink. 

"I think I better stay here and do some cleaning, Valerie has been studying a lot and the house needs a pick me up." He said, turning towards my appreciative mother. 

"Do you want us to bring you anything back?" Zoe asked as she slapped his good arm. She treated him like a brother at this point, coming over everyday after school, bragging to him about her and Ran and how they were getting serious. Of course, although it didn't seem like it, I felt as if Kakucho and I were getting pretty serious as well. 

Zoe would have private conversations with me about her love life; about how she and Ran would constantly have sex and how great he was in bed. Oddly enough, I didn't mind listening to the gruesome gross details, as I was intrigued. Kakucho hadn't touched me in months and even when he did in the past, it never went past us just making out heavily. I was still a virgin and my mother had known it. 

Kakucho was doing the dishes when we decided to leave. I ran up to him to place a quick kiss on his cheek before meeting my mother and Zoe outside in her car. It was raining pretty heavy and I was nervous to drive my new car home. I kept thinking to myself about how much my life has changed over the past year or so and how much I had fallen for Kakucho. I had never felt like this towards anybody except Baji, but the feeling I had with Baji was more like puppy love compared to how I felt about Kakucho. 

Kakucho was more mature, he had seen the world as its' ugly self and he was more capable of providing for me. Not saying Baji wasn't, he was never even given the chance to try. He died by his own hand though, and that's something I will never forgive him for. He left me here all alone in defense of his friends. I shoved those thoughts off as we pulled into the dealership parking lot to see my car sitting in the very front row, ready to be signed for.