28 DAYS [MakoHaru]

thirty seven

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Standing up after a twelve hour flight is quite possibly the most relieving feeling Makoto's had in a long, long time, and he's pretty sure his legs have forgotten how to function as he stumbles out of the airplane, his carry-on bag rolling loudly up the exit ramp with him.

Haruka is right behind him, rubbing one eye tiredly, his travel pillow still hooked around his neck. They say nothing - they're too exhausted to come up with meaningful conversation - as they follow Mr. Amakata out of the gate.

Instantly, Makoto is overwhelmed by all the sights and sounds of the bustling airport. All the signs around him are written in foreign scripture, and he can only make sense of pictures on posters. He tries to not let it get to his head, convincing himself he can stay sane for longer than ten seconds.

He isn't sure where they're walking until he hears a high-pitched squeal of delight, followed by Suzuka running by him (nearly running over his foot with her suitcase in the process) and jumping into the open arms of an elderly woman.

The woman, Makoto notices, is very fashionably dressed, fit in a cream colored blouse, a camel petticoat, a peach-colored scarf tied perfectly at her collarbone, and ironed dress pants. However, she seems to have no problem wrinkling her outfit as she scoops up the child and swings her around. Suzuka giggles excitedly, and the moment she is set down she grabs for the elderly man standing next to her, her chubby fingers clutching at his crisp pinstripe shirt.

Makoto assumes these must be the famous grandparents they'd be staying with for the next few days.

Tentatively, he lingers behind Haruka as the rest of the family joins the grandparents. The family reunion is joyous, with happy tears prickling at the sides of their eyes as they embrace after a year of parting. They're all talking in rapid-fire French, and it's all going in one ear and out the other with Makoto. To him, they might as well have been speaking an alien language from Saturn. For a brief moment, he wishes he paid more attention in French I in his first year of high school.

Haruka must've sensed him tense up, because he feels a featherlight touch on the small of his back, fast and unnoticed by the preoccupied family. "Hey, it's alright," He whispers under his breath, softly enough for only Makoto to hear. "My grandparents may not know Japanese, but they're trying. I'll translate anything you need."

Makoto swallows and finds himself nodding. As if on cue, the attention is drawn to him as Miss Amakata says something in French as she ushers towards Makoto.

"Honey, these are my husband's parents, Jeanette and Albert," She says, pronouncing the grandfather's name without the last letter. The grandmother adds something, and she nods, smiling. "They say they're delighted to have you with us."

Makoto forces a pleasant smile. "Je m'appelle Makoto," He tries to introduce himself, knowing he's totally butchering the accent and probably insulting the entire French-speaking world, but the grandparents smile nonetheless. He holds his hand out to shake their hands, which they take graciously.

"Thank you for visiting our beautiful country," Jeanette says in broken Japanese.

Albert says something in French, and from his left, Asuka snorts, nodding her head in agreement. The grandmother whacks his shoulder, and he rubs his arm sheepishly. On his other side, Makoto notices out of the corner of his eye that Haruka is blushing.

"What?" He echoes dumbly.

"Nothing," Haruka says quickly, looking irritated and clearly wanting to move on from the conversation.

"You're not denying it, Haruka," Asuka teases in a sing-song voice, and if it's possible, Haruka's face turns a darker shade of red. He mumbles something in French, earning a snicker from Albert, and Asuka starts to laugh some more.