Living In The Shallows (UK Crush #1)

Chapter Thirty-One

We made a right as we exited the temple grounds, and strolled the quiet streets of Kyodo. Their house was just four or five down the street, not really visible because of the wall, but the gate was wrought iron, so we could see through it. I was happy to see whoever lived there now had kept up their little garden, and the koi pond was still there. I pointed it out to the boys, and told them how I had named each of the seven koi who lived in it, and how when one of them had died, we'd had a funeral for it and buried it in the yard.

Teddy said he'd done the same with a pet gerbil he'd had, and Matty chimed in with a story about a goldfish. We stood in front of the house, holding hands, looking for all the world like a prayer circle. I wonder if the owners of the house saw us, and what they thought if they did.

Teddy asked if we could walk around a little bit, as it was their first time in suburban Japan, so we roamed around the neighborhood, as the guys asked questions about the size of the houses, the sizes of the property, the streets, who had the right of way, why they were so narrow. They were full of questions about everything. We went back to Nodaidori, and turned back toward the train station.

As the afternoon had worn on, the street had gotten more crowded, and I explained to the boys how between certain hours in the mornings and afternoons the street actually became a pedestrian paradise, no cars allowed. It was crazy crowded, and so fun for a small child, clutching a list and money, to be sent to run errands, jetting from shop to shop, greeting everyone, feeling important.

As we approached the train station, Ronan noticed a KFC across the train tracks, and he looked at me imploringly. "I'm that hungry, Tink," he said, blinking his baby browns at me. "I hardly ate any breakfast at all, because I planned to eat all that great hotel food all day long. Could we possibly stop in over there for a bit, just to tide us over like?"

I laughed. "I don't care, I have no other plans for today." I looked at the other guys. They were all agreeable, and probably hungry, too.

"Don't know that I've ever had Japanese KFC," Teddy remarked.

"It's actually a little different," I said, "because they feed the chickens different stuff, probably."

We crossed the tracks and entered the store, which was pretty small. We were lucky to find a place for all of us to sit, and at the back, away from the windows, where we were less likely to be noticed. The boys all sat down and I ordered for all of us, enough food for ten people, and when I took it back to them, they fell to, and there was near silence while they obliterated the food in nothing flat.

I just sat back and watched them eat. "Like a pack of flipping wolves," I remarked.

They looked at me. "We're growing boys, Tink," Ronan said with a smile. "We need the calories. Have you seen us onstage?"

"I have, as a matter of fact," I said, hugging myself to him. He hugged me back, being careful to keep his oily hand off my linen dress, for which I was grateful. "You are outstanding onstage, sweet boy, and you do definitely burn through the calories, so enjoy the food."

We left the KFC, and headed back toward the train station.

Ronan asked where we were going now. I shrugged. "Back to the hotel?" I suggested. "I don't have any other plans."

His face fell. "I'm having loads of fun, though," he said. "You know, just churning around by ourselves." His expression changed. "I didn't mean—not that it was fun to—"

I patted his arm. "It's fine, Ronan. I'd hate to think I took you away from your BZG marathon to make you suffer for an entire day. I'm glad you're having a nice time." I looked around at them. "I don't know. So far, you guys have been right. No one's really bothered you, no riots or hospitalizations like I predicted. Is there something you needed to do? Some shopping or anything? I love stationery, I was going to stop somewhere and pick up some pencils and pens and notebooks and stuff, you want to do that?" I looked around.