Miss Incomplete | ✓

38 | He Loves Me Not

Kenji didn't want the typical-family Japanese party; where we would've gone to temple at the strike of twelve and would've cooked him all his favourite food the day before like our father. He didn't want any Japanese food at his party, he didn't want to speak Japanese at his party, he didn't want to host the party the day before. Instead, he wanted something American.

I knew I couldn't change his thoughts, so I went along with it. Kenji was currently over his friends' house as we got the party set up for my brother. As tradition, the birthday person would not need to worry about their own party revenue. That was the only thing he wanted to keep.

"Iris is buying the food, and you and me, we're going to be setting up the backyard," I gesture between the two of us. Iris had just left minutes ago, exiting out of the house to go grocery shopping. We had approximately ten hours before the party starts, which was at eight.

"Why does Rose get to do the easy work?"

"Unless you know where to get the food at—and bring it here without eating all of the junk—you're stuck with me." I deadpanned, and Graham gave me a look that confirms he wouldn't have fitted to do the job either. I nod on, continuing to our next objective, "okay, so set-up time. I decided on a picnic."

"Alright," Graham agrees. "How?"

"I have those benches in my backyard, right? So, we're going to make a long-ass table in the middle of the yard and add pillow or blankets or seat cushions on the grass for each person's seat. Then, we're going to add lights around the yard since it's going to be dark soon and add like the soccer goals for Kenji to play and then off to another area, add an area of food for the people to take what they please and how much they want. Good?"

Graham's eyes look back and forth, completely lost at my words. I shrug, "we'll do it as I go along, then."

Graham nods, and I off myself towards the green backyard, beginning to set up the main priority, which was the table. They were heavy, but with the help of Graham, we were able to fix the tables in the middle of the yard to create the appearance of a long table.

Once we finished, we adjust the soccer goals in a clear direction away from the table so the guests that didn't want to play soccer could eat at the table in peace and enjoy their meal without so much of a worry of being hit by a ball.

Next, which took the longest time, was adding the lights all over the place and enough to illuminate the area without tangling the guests in the mist. Graham and I had been arguing throughout the entire ordeal; while I wanted to place it here, Graham wanted to place them there. Once we finished, and bickered till our throats were dry, it was around five.

Iris came back with thousands of bags of food; all in her car as she asks us to help carry them inside. We did, and stashed them in the kitchen as the piles begin to build on a fort of plastic.

I asked Iris to set up the bowls and drinks, while Graham and I handled carrying out another table into the field for the food setup. We decided on the side of the backyard, not too far from the long table and added another table for safe measures.

Iris bought steak and ribs, since Kenji wanted something like an Americanised party, what screams more like America than a BBQ?

An hour before the party starts and we barely scrap the finishing touches with the food arrangement; Iris told me that she forgot to buy the charcoal to start up the fire of the BBQ. That was an important part, and I needed the help of my best friends here to help with the food. So, I had to turn to someone else for the charcoal.

I move to the side and pulled out my phone, scrolling through names before landing on one. Julian.

💎LIAN
7:02PM