Summer Wars: Aftermath Part 1

Chapter 9

Two days later, the house was in an uproar as people were getting ready to leave.

Kenji's parents were returning home with him, and Natsuki was accompanying them back to the city. She lived in the school dorm when school was in session. The uproar over the OZ incident had delayed the restart of school, but now things had shaken down enough for school to resume.

"Natsuki!" Riichi called.

Natsuki escaped from the group of her aunts that were grilling her about her relationship with Kenji. "Yes, Uncle Riichi?"

"Here," he held out a twice folded piece of paper. "I was doing a last sweep of Kenji's room and found this."

"What is it?" Natsuki said. She unfolded the paper and found one side filled with scribbled equations.

"It's yours, isn't it?" Uncle Riichi said.

"No, I've never seen it before."

"Oh. It has your name on it, so I thought it was homework or something."

Natsuki looked again and found her name at the top of the page. She frowned, puzzled. "It does, but it's not mine. Maybe It's Kenji's." She refolded the paper and stuffed it in her pocket.

"Oh, well," Uncle Riichi said. "Listen, I have to get back to work, so I can't see you off at the station. I'll have to say goodbye now."

"Oh, too bad," Natsuki said. She hugged him. "Thanks for everything and I'll see you next time I come home."

"I'll look forward to it. And bring Kenji with you, if he isn't busy. I like him."

Natsuki colored a little. "If he's free and wants to come."

"Why wouldn't he want to hang around with you?" he said with a grin. "I think you've already got him ninety percent snared."

"I'm not trying to snare him," she said loftily, "he's just a friend."

"A good friend," Aunt Naomi broke in, "if I'm not mistaken." Her wicked chuckle caused Natsuki's blush to deepen.

"That's enough of that, now," Aunt Moriko said.

Natsuki felt a pang at how much Aunt Moriko was starting to sound like Granny Sakae.

"Go on, you two, and make sure the luggage gets loaded." Moriko took Natsuki's arm and strolled her toward where the activity was congealing around the cars that would take the crowd to the station.

Moriko veered them to where Kenji and his parents were talking with Natsuki's parents.

"Well, Kenji," Moriko said, "your time here was more exciting than you were expecting."

"Quite a bit more," he said.

"You will always be welcome here," she said. "Feel free to visit anytime you wish."

Kenji bowed. "Thank you, Aunt Moriko, I will remember."

"Well, let's get you all off, then. We don't want you to miss your train."

Moriko got everyone into the cars and they drove off in a convoy, heading for the local train station.

END (to be continued?)