Life Made Anew

7: New Life Together

Kazama and Maki went to her house after that. He didn't give a clear answer, but he said he would think about teaching her piano. Maki wanted to force him to, but she knew that he needed to be by himself and think about things himself. He has been through a lot today.

Maki's parents welcomed Kazama with open arms, especially after telling them what happened. They actually agreed to let him stay if he wanted. For the second time after the incident, he smiled, warmed by the kindness of Maki's parents.

"I'll think about taking you up on your offer. As much as I want to, staying in the same house as my girlfriend could lead to some bad rumors," he said. Her parents understood his viewpoint, but Maki didn't care about the possible rumors. She didn't verbally express her feelings though. All she wanted was to be with him more, to grow closer.

"Hey, Kazama. Even if you do move in to a dorm, what will you do about the piano at your house?" Maki asked him.

"Sell it, I guess. There's nothing else I could do, really. I mean, it's not like I could take it with me to the dorm. It would take up a lot of space, and others may not like hearing it constantly."

Maki new something that he didn't say. With selling it, he basically said that he was giving up on playing. He wouldn't have anywhere to play it but at school, and he wasn't the kind of person to stay at school constantly. She could see it in his eyes. His passion for playing was lost with the loss of his teacher, his entire family.

"What if we brought it here, to my house?" Kazama looked back up.

"Why would you need it? You don't play piano."

"This is not about me! It's about you, and you alone. I can tell what you really mean when you say that you'd sell it. Just because you lost your aunt—your teacher—doesn't mean that you shouldn't play anymore. I said this a while back: you're your own musician now, Kazama. Don't let things like this stop you from playing. Use this experience to give yourself another reason to play!"

With those words, those simple words, Kazama's eyes were relit with that passion—that desire—to play again. "Thank you, Maki. I accept your offer. I'll take you as my student."

Maki's parents looked confused. "Student?" Her mom said.

"Yeah, I asked Kazama if he would teach me to play piano."

They looked even more confused, but proud at the same time. "I never saw you as someone who would play music, but I'm glad you finally found something that you'd like to do I your free time," her dad said.

"It'll be hard, but the pain is worth it. To facilitate the road, or to at least short the time, I guess I could stay here so I can dedicate more time to teaching you." Kazama decided it because he thought about Maki's personality. He knew that she was strong and didn't care about what others thought of her. That's why she dated him in the first place.

"You will?! Thank you, Kazama." She tackled him with a hug. They both hit the ground, and as they did, Maki kissed him. Surprised, Kazama kisses back.

As the kiss ended, they both laughed. Maki's parents joined in later on. "Well, let me show you to your room Kazama," her dad said.

Maki's mom and Maki stayed downstairs and chatted, while her dad and Kazama showed him to the guest room, which was now his. "You know, I really do like that you, of all of the idiot guys in the world, are her boyfriend."

"Thank you, Mr. Hatora. I—" Kazama started to say.

"But I have one thing that I must warn you of." He turned to face him. "Do not hurt her, or I'll become a criminal to protect her feelings. You got that?" His finger was jammed into Kazama's chest.