28 DAYS [MakoHaru]

seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

A/N: I KNOW THE MEDIA IS PLAYSTATION AND MARIO KART IS A WII GAME OK I JUST LIKED THE PICTURE AAAAAAHHHH

- - - -

Makoto does not realize that it is possible for two human beings to be such amazing cooks.

He has to swallow occasionally to keep from salivating at the absolutely invigorating scent that is wafting from the tiny studio apartments kitchen, where Miss Amakata and her husband are hard at work, listening to old French tunes on their wind-up radio. He had offered to help with the cooking, and as much as Miss Amakata appreciated his offer, she had insisted he go have fun with the other kids in the living room while dinner was being made.

Asuka had announced she wanted to play Mario Kart, or as she had put it, "crush the souls of her enemies", which got a stern look from her father. Haruka, however, was completely up for the challenge. He grabs a Wii remote and a Nunchuk and plops himself down in the middle of the couch, waiting expectantly for Asuka to switch the screen to the game.

She chucks a wheel his way, which he barely catches with his sub-par reflexes. Makoto hasn't played this game very much, only occasionally at Nagisa's house when they aren't studying. Asuka flips through the screen to the main menu, and a bright melody plays through the speakers.

Suzuka takes the opportunity while Makoto is distracted picking his character to climb up on the couch next to him.

"Can I help steer?" She asks, batting her long eyelashes at him. There's no way he can say no to a face like that, and he nods. She situates herself in his lap, snuggling into his chest contently and watching the screen. "Pick Peach! She's my favorite!"

"Alright, princess," Makoto agrees, ruffling her hair, which makes her smile. Makoto selects Peach and notices that Asuka has already selected Rosalina, and Haruka has Yoshi.

"Really? Yoshi?" Makoto casts a sideways glance to Haruka, who frowns.

"What?" He huffs, sticking his nose in the air. "You have a problem with Yoshi?"

"No, no," Makoto shakes his head quickly, an untraceable smile on his lips. "Just... not what I expected out of you."

"Says the one playing as Princess Peach."

"Touché."

- - - -

Makoto quickly learns that playing Mario Kart in the Amakata household is one step away from a nuclear war.

"Asuka, I'm going to kill you!" Haruka shouts at his cousin, who is manically laughing as she flies by him, having just whacked his kart with a red shell.

"Should've protected yourself with those bananas!" Asuka laughs, practically dancing in her spot on the floor as she flies off a ramp and shakes her wheel, making her character do a front flip.

Muttering some French curse words under his breath, Haruka is fuming in the spot besides Makoto, legs crossed, eyes trained intensely on the screen. Makoto notices out of the corner of his eye that he is roughly biting his lower lip in concentration, pressing the gas button as hard as he can to propel himself forward.

As for Makoto, he's long since given up on trying to win first place in the Grand Prix. With Suzuka's help in steering, he's been thrown off the course too many times to count, putting him in twelfth place. He's already been lapped once, and not even the bullets are giving him a chance at being anything but last place.

Suzuka, however, seems to be having a blast, and she giggles relentlessly any time Princess Peach squeals as she flies off the track. Eventually Makoto gives up and allows her to take full control of the remote, only guiding the car in a straight line. She blows raspberries with her tongue to imitate an engine running, laughing at her own funny sounds.