The Three Companions: A Tale of Kaimon

Welcome to High School (1)

Chapter One: Welcome to High School (1)

Kaimon, Japan...The Past.

"Yuu...Yuu..."

Yuusuke Hino groaned, deep in slumber. He kept hearing his name over and over...But why? Wait...Why is he feeling wet all over- "Oh geez!!" He cried out, waking up in a shock in the middle of his room.

A room that's currently taking in water as with the rest of the houseboat he happens to live in with his father.

"What the hell happened?!" He cried out, looking at his soaked futon bed, as well as the floor already taking in an inch of water.

"Oh Yuu!" His father Enishi said, standing at the door to his room. "Sorry, looks like the plugs came loose last night again. Been trying to wake you up for ten minutes now"

"Ugh..." Yuu muttered as he stood up, soaking wet. "Thanks for that, I guess...I guess breakfast in the shack then?"

Not long after, the two now have breakfast in their small fishing shack, located in a small harbor in East Kaimon next to their parked decaying houseboat and fishing boat. Enishi Hino have long started a fishing business as a youth, his wife Nanako currently in a constant trip around the world, having raised his only son practically single-handedly. Despite all this, the family is still going strong.

But yeah, they again still live in a leaking houseboat and have meals in their small shack that smells of various fish odors located just by the harbor of East Kaimon.

"So, your mother mailed a postcard to us." Enishi said as he scratches at his unkempt beard, noticing Yuu looking at said postcard. "She's proud to know you're starting high school."

Yuu gave a sigh, trying to figure out just where his mother is from the postcard, a towel on his head as he dries himself off. His deep violet eyes narrowing as he couldn't tell if that building is important or just some weird tourist attraction before giving up, setting the postcard aside on the table. "Right, but still...Would be nice if she was home for once." Yuu replied as he finishes his bowl of rice. He wears the gakuran uniform of Kaimon High School, a black uniform with the jacket having a deep blue vertical stripe in the middle with two horizontal stripes on the cuffs. He sighs in relief, glad he didn't kept the uniform in the houseboat last night. It would have been an awkward tale to explain just why he came in with a wet uniform. "So Dad, you're probably going to be fixing the boat all day, huh?"

"Oh don't worry bout me." Enishi said with a chuckle. "I got some tricks left to keep the old boat afloat!"

Yuu could only frown at such a statement as he sets the towel on the table. "...No offense Dad, but can't you just get some help for once?" He asked before biting his lip. "...Like Mr. Onimada. He's a carpenter-"

"I would rather die than to beg for that bastard to fix my house." Enishi suddenly said with a scowl so sudden that Yuu couldn't help but be taken aback. "Yuu, I don't care if you're friends with his son...But as far as I'm concerned, Lent Onimada's a dead man to me." Yuu couldn't tell if his father is exaggerating or if indeed the bitterness behind those two men isn't going to die soon, biting his lip once more upon thinking about the possibility of the latter. "It's just like the old days, it's always has to be his way! Even down to picking out nude mags to steal even if they're terrible issues!" Yuu's nervousness then suddenly deflated into sheer bafflement after Enishi's very strange rant. Yeah, maybe his father is taking this way too far after all.

"...Oh-kay then, I guess I won't bring it up anymore." Yuu muttered embarrassingly, trying to ignore his father fuming of past transgressions. "You really need to tell me what he did to you to bring all that up..."