9 Games To Love

Chapter 1: New Friends

Sunday, 

08/10 7:00 AM

Kanagawa, Akatsuki's Household

It is Sunday and Phoebe has finally finished unpacking and has toured the area with her grandfather so that she will be able to navigate on her own later. She also explored every inch of the house so that she can get around without getting lost. The house Phoebe will be living in is surely larger than most normal three stories house; with a small pond and a beautiful garden in the backyard along with a smaller storage house that was converted into a wooden studio for either martial art training or dance. Inside the house is spacious with traditional antiques decorating the walls and corridors. Phoebe was given her mother's room when she still lived in Japan. It was clearly big and with a little balcony.

The young girl is now in the kitchen preparing breakfast for her family.

"Kiyoko dear, can you bring breakfast outside?" Renji Akatsuki calls out from the garden. "I have to prepare for my shogi match with some old friends!"

"I'm out here too sweetie!" her father chimes in.

Clap. Clap.

The said girl then slowly makes her way out to the garden with a tray filled with food. The two older men sat quietly as James commented on a few points on shogi. As the three eat, James questions,"How long have you known your friends?"

Renji laughs, "I have known those old dogs since we were still in high school and then together through the police force as well. Been through a lot with them; rivalry and fights, but in the end, we were able to remain close friends. I believe both of them have grandsons a few years older than you Kiyoko dear."

Pausing midway through eating, Phoebe turns her head to her grandfather and nods silently. The sixth-grade student then returns to eating. The two men stare at each other with worried expressions. The child still hasn't opened up to them - having only given short answers here and there with no emotion to her voice or face - and it worries the fathers for they fear she won't be able to make any friends. Furthermore, the men fear she will be bullied for the girl's soft nature.

Finishing up her breakfast, Phoebe waits for Renji and James to finish theirs. After the two finish, Phoebe places the plates and bowls back onto the tray and returns to the kitchen to wash the dishes. James watches his little girl walk away, a deep frown on his face. Seeing his daughter now, the foreigner only hopes that someone will be able to break Phoebe out of her shell that she placed up after Misaki died.

Misaki, Phoebe's mother, was diagnosed with a primary cardiac tumor. The woman found out only after Phoebe turned four. Since then, Misaki had worked hard to survive for the family. In the end, Misaki passed away earlier that year. James can still remember his almost-eleven years old girl hugging her mother for dear life and sobbing endlessly as the woman he loves lays on her deathbed. Akatsuki Renji, Misaki's father, also mourned for his daughter's death. He now had no other blood relatives besides his grandchildren. Therefore he treasures them dearly, so to see his youngest grandchild like this, it breaks his heart.

"Phoebe," Renji calls, snapping the light brown haired man out of his thoughts. "Why don't you come with me to meet my friends tomorrow? Their grandsons are coming as well. I heard that the lads are tennis players like you."

Phoebe slowly emerges from the house, her eyes filled with little, but satisfyingly enough, excitement for the first time since her mother's death.

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08/10 2:00 PM