Playing With Fire

6

“Inoue? Inoue?” Imai wake him up.
“Mmm.. hmm..? Is it morning already?” Imai smacked him. “Get up! It’s your first day at Fusaku High!” Imai open the curtain wider to let the morning rays into Inoue’s eyes.
“I’ll go make breakfast, you go ahead get dressed.” Imai go downstairs with a happy hum.
“Silly little me.” Inoue yawn and take a shower.
After that, Imai and Inoue walks together to reach their destination.
“You seem relax, Inoue.”
“Are you kidding me? I’m always calm, be cool, right?” Inoue click his tongue.
Imai give him the death glare all the way to school.
“Will you stop glaring me like that? Everyone might think I’ve got something weird on my face, please Imai,” Inoue began to panicked.
At last, they have reached the school, Imai exchange her shoes into school shoes and noticed that Inoue was sweating.
“See… you are nervous,” Imai grinned.
“Don’t say that out loud… I mean… this is your world… right? I hate introduce myself again in front of the class.” Inoue sits like a puppet on the ground and he was about to pass out.
“Hey! Get a hold of yourself, Inoue… just be casual… just like… well… just like me and you…” Imai hold Inoue’s shoulder and tries to calm him down.
Inoue looked straight into Imai’s eyes and stand up. “Alright, Imai, this is for you! I’ll do it casual, no mistake.”
“That’s my Inoue.” Imai smiled. “Now, come on, let’s go meet my homeroom teacher,” Imai grab his hand and immediately go to teacher’s office.
“Michida-sensei, this is my cousin, he’s a new student and-“
“I know, Akane-san, I know… you two better go back to the classroom before the bell rings.”
“But, Michida-sensei, you are the one who will be taking him after the bell rings… would you?”
Michida just stared at them and nodded.
“Thank you, sensei. Inoue, I’ll be at the classroom, just remember, be casual, be cool.” Imai click back her tongue to him.
“Alright, thanks Imai.” Inoue watched Imai walk out from the teacher’s office and run off. He was just standing there beside Michida’s desk.
“So, new kid, let’s get your name check in, let’s see… hmm…’Inoue Akano Ushira’…huh? What a nice name you got there, kid”
Inoue felt uneasy being called ‘kid’ but he would not say a thing and just keep waiting.
In the classroom, Michida let Inoue introduce himself, in front of the class. Imai was so excited.
“My name is Inoue Akano Ushira, from now on I’m your classmate, hope we’ll get along together,” said Inoue, with a little trembling voice.
“Very well then, Akano-san, please take a seat and we will begin our lessons today,” said Michida.
Inoue sit next to Imai, Imai hold Inoue’s shoulder and she gives a thumb up. Inoue respond it with a sad smile.


   Lunch time, at Fukoi High.
“Do you think that Inoue still alive?”
“Does he hate someone else?”
“Or maybe he hates us?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Inoue will never hate us.”
“Yeah, he always helps his friend including us.”
Lily, Samuella and Nelicia were eating and talking about Inoue in the cafeteria. “I just hope he’s fine.”
“Hey girls, stop worrying about Inoue, come talk to us if you like him,” the voice of three boys behind them.
“No thanks, boys.”
“Hey, Kunio-kun.” Greet Norian
“Hmm? What’s up, Norian?”
“Can you communicate him? Inoue, at all?”
Kunio check his contact number and call him.
“…”
“……”
“No luck, Norian.” Kunio shakes his head.
“Where could he be? I want his help for my little sister party.”
“I’m sorry, Norian.”

“Hey, cheer up, Inoue!” Imai elbow him.
“I’m sorry… I just… missed my friend… but…you don’t have to worry about me.” Inoue put his arm on Imai’s head.
“It’s heavy.” Imai push it. “So… have you decided which club do you want to join?”
“Hmm… not yet… I need to think about it.”
“Yeah, in the meantime, you should know my classmate, know them better.”
“I will, Imai – this is my first day in your school world and I’m still a little nervous talking with them.” Inoue and Imai were so nervous and shy when around with stranger, they must write a letter to the stranger to get to know them better and that’s the way, Inoue and Imai got friends.


“Big sister, Imai!” a fifteen years old boy called and waved Imai in front of the school gate.
“VINCENT!! AAAAA!!!” Imai scream happily and run towards her little brother.
“You’re still a cute boy! Come here you,” Imai pinch him hardly.
“Ouch, ouch, it hurts, big sis… let go of me… mmm…” Vincent holds Imai’s hand. Vincent looked at Inoue and asked Imai. “Big sis, your boyfriend is here…?”
Imai smacked him. “No, silly brother, this is…erm.” Imai grab her necklace. “This is your big brother of me.” Smiled Imai.
“Huh? Big brother? Arthur is the only big brother in the family.”
“Vincent…?” Inoue speak. “Vina…?”
Both of them were looking at Inoue.
“Yes, Vincent …I’m your big brother.” Smiled Inoue.
“NEW BIG BROTHER?! Woohoo…I better tell mother.”
Imai hold Vincent’s hand. “No, Vincent, don’t tell mother… because… your big brother doesn’t last long,” said Imai.
“What? Big brother is sick? He should go to the hospital, so he can live.”
“No, Vincent…” Imai glare at him and that makes him scared.
“Alright, big sis, I won’t tell mother.”
“That’s my Vincent, give me a hug.” Instead of giving him a warm hug, she squishes him.
“Big sis… I can’t breathe.”
“It’s your entire fault because you’re so CUTE!”
Inoue just give a small sigh and pat Imai’s head. “Come on, Imai, let’s go home.”
“Yeah… Vincent, want to come with me?” asked Imai.
“Oh… no… big sis… I’m waiting for someone.”
“Alright, good luck with that, see you soon, tell me if you need anything, okay?” Imai kissed his forehead and rub his head, as a sign that she loves her little brother so much. Vincent smiled.

Aoife have been playing her video games since this morning. She wants to forget about Inoue. “Damn it!” She loses the game.
Then, her mother knocks her door and Aoife doesn’t even hear it because she was using headphone while playing her game.
Stirling pulls her headphone and it makes her mad. “What the hell? Give it back!” Aoife want her headphone so badly.
“Go help mom first, then you can continue your game.” Said Stirling, the oldest brother.
“Why? Inoue can help her out; I am not in the mood right now.”
Stirling grabs her arm and scolds her. “Inoue is not HERE! It’s your JOB to go help mother because you’re a girl! Do you understand?”
Aoife stopped and keep glaring at her big brother. “Let go off me.” She pulled her arms away from his hand. “I know big bro… I know it’s hard… and I better go,” Aoife leave her room and Stirling knew he have so much responsibilities for his siblings.
In the kitchen, Aoife’s mother smile at her and it makes her feel uncomfortable.
“Mom, why are you smiling?” asked Aoife.
“My big baby girl came to help me, I’m so happy.” Aoife’s mother cried.
“No… moms… please, don’t cry… I am here, mom, I’m sorry for being so lazy all the time,” said Aoife
“Aoife… it doesn’t matter… Inoue will usually help me in the kitchen, you don’t have to force yourself to help me,” her mother still cries.
“But, Inoue is a boy and I am a girl, I should do girls work, right?”
“Oh, Aoife.” Her mother pinch Aoife’s cheek.
“M-Mom..!”
“As old as ever, hihi…” she giggles.
“What is that suppose to mean?” Aoife glare at her.
“Its mother’s secret, you will never know.” She grinned.
“That’s not fair!!”
They are having their family time together, just for daughter and mother.

“So, Inoue… how was your first day at Fusaku High?” ask Imai with her cheerful face.
“It’s normal… I guess… and I hate it when I’m introducing myself in front of the class…again.” Inoue sigh and eat his dinner.
Imai stand up and leave Inoue in the diner room. He just keep eating, ignoring her.
After Inoue finish his meal, he’s go check on Imai. She was just sitting in the living room watching a horror movie. Inoue sit next to her and look at her.
“Imai? You not scared watching this alone?” asked Inoue
“W-Why would I? Is not that scary,” said Imai.
“Alright… I just going to go take a shower, don’t sleep too late, okay?” Inoue went upstairs to take a shower. Imai continued.
In the shower, Inoue kept thinking about this world compare to his own world. “When will I go back? I don’t know, I better go talk to Imai.”
After that, he noticed that Imai haven’t go to bed yet. He went downstairs and Imai still there but she’s not watching a horror movie anymore. She watches some sad drama.
Inoue sit next with Imai. In Inoue’s mind ‘this is very depressing’ then he glance at Imai. She was crying.
“I-Imai?”
“Hmm?” She still cries.
“You…erm…never mind.” Inoue just keep watching the drama.
“Inoue…*sob* …?” called Imai.
“Y-Yes?” Imai need someone to comfort her.
“Are you going to leave me?” she asked.
“W-What? What do you mean?” Inoue was confused.
“I saw you’re not happy all day and I know you want to go back, to where you belong, right?” cried Imai.
Inoue just keep quiet and think, he knows that he need to go back and he know it will be depressing for Imai. What choice do Inoue have? Inoue hold Imai’s hand and stare at her.
“Imai, you know that I don’t belong here so I have to go back. But, for you, Imai. I will not forget about you. Always remember that and I promise, I will always remember you.” Inoue smiled.
“I-Inoue…” Imai’s tears keep flowing down and hugged him tight. “I will never forget you either, Inoue~,” Imai still cries because she was touched by Inoue’s wonderful words.
“There, there…it’ll be okay,” Inoue rub her back.
With all the crying, Imai fall asleep at Inoue’s shoulder. Inoue put her to bed and they sleep together. Well, Inoue sleep on the ground, okay.
I know it’s more to have their own version.
And in real life, there is no way and impossible.
But in your dream, maybe there is one.
Special rewards awaiting you.