KOF School

The Getaway

Aiko snickered when Masaomi hurriedly pulled her away from the haberdashery.
"Who were they?" Masaomi said in disgust. "Wonder what they even want..."
Aiko just shrugged as she followed him. "Where are we off to now?"
"We still need to get something for your brother," Masaomi said. "Let's go to Beauty and Bath Works. Maybe get him something nice like a lotion or after-shave or something like that."
"He needs it," Aiko agreed. "Maybe we can buy him some cologne."
They went over to the shop and started looking around, mostly using up the testers, and chose a few things to get for Iori like some moisturising cream and cologne.
"Aiko, stay by me okay?" Masaomi said when he caught up with Aiko, who had wandered off to look at something else. "We don't know what kind of people are around us."
Aiko sighed. "Is this about those guys with the trench coat?"
"Of course this is about those guys with the trench coat," Masaomi was still concerned. "You saw how they were following us around?"
"They followed us around?" Aiko groaned at the thought of her uncle and brother doing just what they shouldn't be doing.
"Not really," Masaomi admitted. "But I did see them looking at us, hiding behind that trench coat."
Aiko shrugged, a little relieved. "Maybe they're someone we know."
"Who would that be?" Masaomi asked.
Aiko shrugged again. "Who knows. Someone from your band, someone from another band, someone that used to know us, someone... who knows."
"Maybe you're right, but it was still creepy," Masaomi sighed. "You heard the news, right? A schoolgirl was kidnapped and tortured for days before they finally caught the criminals."
That sent shivers down Aiko's spine, but she chuckled sheepishly. "I... I heard about that, Dad. But at least she was rescued."
"Yeah, but all that trauma?" Masaomi pointed out.
Aiko sighed. "Dad, I never go out alone. Besides, I'm with you right now. Also, Dad. That was in Osaka."
"Still?!" Aiko leaned back in surprise when her father leaned so close, his spit all over her face. "It still happened, right? There are so many creeps around, you've gotta be careful."
"Dad, that was months ago, why the sudden obsession for that story now?" Aiko gently pushed him away. "Besides, I saw what those guys looked like. They were just checking out the coat. They didn't even bother us."
"What did they look like?" Masaomi asked.
Aiko groaned again. How was she gonna say that it was just their family members running around behind his back to get him gifts? In the end, she just winged it.
"Well, they were both tall, like a little taller than you, maybe, and... they both had fringed hair, then... they looked alike?" Aiko said. "I think they were brothers, or close relatives. I think they were just shopping around."
"Oh..." Masaomi finally said. "Fine. But you still have to be careful."
"I will," Aiko smiled. "Anyway, you wanna get anything else?"
"Yeah, there's something," Masaomi said. "You wanna go to the counter to pay first?"
Aiko sighed in relief and nodded. "Yeah, sure. Take your time."
Masaomi smiled and patted her hair before moving on to the women's section. There was still one person he hadn't shopped for yet.
Aiko hurried over to a shelf beside the counter and quickly grabbed a car air-freshener and a refill since they were on sale, and some pomade from the men's section for a considerably lower price than usual. She went over to the counter to pay while her father was still lingering around the ladies' section. She smirked, there needn't be an explanation for why he was there.
Masaomi was soon done too, hiding a gift set behind his back as he went over to pay. Aiko decided to respectfully wander off to use up more of the testers. 

"Put your helmet on," Kazuhiro said, shoving the helmet at Iori.
"Uncle, my hands are full!" Iori argued. "Let me at least tie everything up first."
"Okay," Kazuhiro said and started helping him. "We should've brought the car..."
"Yeah, but Dad said he wanted to go out," Iori sighed. "Then again, what difference would it have made? We ended up in the same mall."
"In the same shop," Kazuhiro added, pulling hard at the flaps of a plastic bag to tie a knot. "There, shove it in the storage compartment."
"Is there enough space?" Iori asked as he placed a few of the plastic bags in it, folding the access material so that it wouldn't be inflated. "I don't think the paper bag from Miami can fit..."
"Then hold it," Kazuhiro said. "Make sure you don't drop it while we ride."
Iori nodded and put his helmet on before taking the bag. He watched Kazuhiro get on first then got on behind him.
"I still think it was mean of Niisan to ditch me like this," the two of them exchanged glances when they heard Aiko's voice echoing throughout the parking lot. "First he was planning to leave me at Kula's place to babysit me so that he can go out with his besties. And now he whisked Uncle away as well."
"Come on, at least I took you out today," they didn't stick around after that. "We had fun, didn't we?"
Aiko chuckled, oblivious to the fact that her brother and uncle had just left the scene. "Yeah, it was fun. We need to get everything wrapped later."
Masaomi groaned. "Ugh, can you wrap mine as well? I'm not any good at wrapping."
"Oh, Dad..." Aiko groaned.
"Fine, fine," Masaomi chuckled, taking his keys out. "I'll do them myself." He handed the bags he was holding to Aiko. "Hold this for a moment. I need to open the boot."
Aiko nodded and waited as he went to open the boot. She could hear the sound of a motorcycle. A very familiar motorcycle. She turned to look and yep. There they were. Aiko smirked and shook her head before turning back to her father, who was busy opening up the boot. He then held out a hand for her to hand the things over, which she did, smirking as she thought about how they all ended up going to the same mall.

Iori and Kazuhiro chucked everything in their rooms and quickly got dressed into house clothes before seating themselves in the living room to watch TV. They were just in time too since the others returned, carrying bags and bags of stuff.
Masaomi stopped short as soon as he spotted the two of them chilling in front of the TV.
"Yo," Iori greeted, smirking. "Good shopping trip?"
Masaomi just grinned and ran off to his room. Aiko was at his heels. She watched as Masaomi hastily closed the door behind him and joined them.
"You guys hid everything?" Aiko seated herself beside Iori.
Iori nodded. "Yeah, we have. Chucked everything in our rooms."
Aiko chuckled. "Dad is doing the same thing."
"I still can't with the fact that you guys showed up in the same shop," Kazuhiro sighed tiredly. "It was so hard to hide from your father."
Aiko burst into laughter. "The trench coat. I like how you guys used the trench coat to hide!" She proceeded to chortle even more.
"Yeah, we didn't have much else to do," Iori sighed. "But at least it worked?"
"Yeah, Dad thought you guys were creeps trying to get me," Aiko shrugged. "He kept asking me to stay close to him, even told me a tragic story of a girl getting kidnapped and tortured for days. It didn't even happen here, and it was months ago."
"Well, he's right, the world is dangerous," Kazuhiro added in agreement. "But why bring it up now?"
"Because of you guys," Aiko sighed. "He thought you guys were the creeps who kidnaps people."
Iori smirked sheepishly. "Oops. But it wasn't my idea."
Kazuhiro sighed when the two of them turned to him. "Fine, fine. It was me, okay? But admit it, it still worked. Niisan still didn't see us."
Aiko snorted. "Yeah, fine. Anyway, what did you guys get for Dad?"
They ended up discussing that while Masaomi still prowled in his room.