The Letter 01

[[ The Letter ]]


A couple years ago, back in highschool, in my last year, I decided to drop out. My red-headed friend Pheonix, from the mafia, said no! Don’t quit. You don’t know what you can do yet. But I told him: No… That’s just it. I don’t know, so I’ve got to go out there and find out.

And I left.

I got on the train and rode it as far east as I could go, to the other coast. Then I started north. Eventually I ended up in the small town of Yakipe. Now don’t slam it’s weird name. I was surprised, too, when I got there. A metropolitan city, very small, very crowded, right in the middle of a valley with mountains up either side and a river coming right through the middle.

This was my new home, like it or not.

Fortunately, I liked it.

~*~

“Ok Ok settle down people,” called the teacher of the senior class up on stage. “We have a new student today. His name is… Hito Ritabi?”

In from the side of the stage walked a blond young man. He wasn’t dressed in the school’s red and white uniform, but instead in green pants with wholes in the knees, a black shirt and long dark red jacket.

But the audience stayed silent. The teacher turned to Hito, handing him a piece of paper. “This’ll be your dorm. Go ahead and take a look at it.” He waved his arms up into the air shouting, “Ok you can all go now! I know you’ll treat Hito well!”

As he started off the stage, the teacher patted Hito’s shoulder and whispered to him: “Good luck and stay away from the preps. They bite.”

Hito stared after the teacher curiously, but just shrugged it off. A couple minutes later, he was outside at the crowded cement courtyard, making his way to the dorms on the far end.

He bumped into a few people, got turned around a bit and ended up tripping onto a young man with long black hair wearing a gray beanie.

Hito stared and stumbled up, getting help as the other student shoved him off. “Watch where you’re going.” He said, and walked away quickly.

Well, needless to say, Hito was in shock. Sure he’d met rude people before, but not people that seemed to hate him from second number one. After that, the blond found his way through the crowd to the dorms and up to the building he’d be living at. Hito frowned a bit and tilted his head to the side. It didn’t look like much. Basic white pain that was stained from the weather, a garden at the back it looked like, and all the windows were covered with some thick dark fabric.

“Don’t worry!” came a voice from behind Hito, causing him to turn around. There stood a young man with long blue hair with a bright smile. “It may look bad, but it’s really nice inside. Wanna come in?”

Hito, being the mute that he was and unexpressive, just nodded. The other boy nodded slowly and led Hito up to the door. He took the liberty of unlocking it and let the two of them in. He glanced around and propped an arm up on his hip.

“Well, looks like the others are still lost in the crowd.” He said, “They should be here any minute. Oh! I’m Noah. And you’re Hito, right?” Again, Hito just nodded.

The two moved from the door as they heard people talking coming toward it. The door then burst open and in came in three more young men, followed by one adult.

The first one to come in was the man in the beanie. He looked Hito over and groaned, turning to Noah, “Oh man… We get the new kid?”

“Yes, so be nice!” Lectured Noah, stomping on the other’s toes, literally. The other yelped and moved to punch Noah, but his arm was grabbed by another young man with black hair, only short.

“Now now, Kei,” he said, “Don’t be so violent!”

“I’ll be as hell a violent as I want, Shubira!” Kei shouted, yanking away from the other.

The adult shook his head, loosening his white tie. “Why can’t you all just get along? It’s only been a month since we’ve been living together.”

“I thought I’d get away from him but nooo,” Kei said, leaning in to Shubira. “You just had to follow me from local high school to this one huh?”

Shubira’s cyan eyes panged sadness and he turned his head down. “You’re such a jerk.”

“Look at that, Kei… You made Shubira sad.” Noah said laughing, while Kei was fussing over cheering Shubira up.

Noah turned to Hito, “Don’t mind them. They’re old friends, but they’re harmless. The tall one was Kei Masuke. He’s great at fencing and martial arts. So, if he ever sticks up for you, you just let him.”

“Yes, the other students are well afraid of him and what he can do.” Said the adult. “I’m Mastuki, the adult in charge of this dorm. Noah here is the-“

“The oldest one, and the peacemaker.” Noah interrupted and smiled with a huge nod.

Hito nodded slowly to the two of them then looked at the last person standing against the closed door.

Mastuki shook his head with a chuckle and walked off to make sure Kei and Shubira weren’t fighting again. Noah smiled and patted Hito’s shoulder before following.

Hito looked after them and then to the one at the door. He had brunette hair cut short much like Hito, but with a wisp over his left eye. He turned his stunning blue eyes to Hito slowly, then straightened up.

“Aki.” He said and pushed past Hito.

The door opened again, causing Hito to jump. Another person walked in, looking just like the one who’d just left. This brunette had his hair gelled back though.

“Hi! I’m Asuka. And you are…?” he asked Hito.

“Hito.” Came Aki’s voice as he walked back into the front room. “He’s the new kid.”

“Ah,” Asuka smiled. “Well, welcome.” He nodded and walked over to Aki. “So, has mom called yet?”

“Not yet.” Aki said and they walked up the stairs on the right.

Hito blinked, dumbfounded. It seemed all his roommates knew each other and didn’t want anything at all to do with him. So, he decided to look around a bit.

The way on the left was a hallway leading to the kitchen and the downstairs bathroom. In that room, Hito spotted the first four talking about some vacation trip they were planning on taking that weekend.

Bored easily, Hito continued on. In the next room he found the living room packed full of video games on one side and books on the other. Strange, he thought.

He followed the turns around back to what appeared to be a small den room filled with blankets and pillows. Apparently a designated storage room for everyone. There was also a door to the backyard where you could see the garden from.

He continued on, finding the laundry room and pantry at the door nearest the stairs. The door under the stairs was a small coat-closet that was completely empty, save for the bulb on the ceiling.

Hito then wandered up stairs. He first spotted that every door had a tag on it. The first door was labeled as bathroom, the second as sink room. Farther down started names. Aki, Asuka, Mastuki, Noah and Kei. The last door was blank. Hito wandered over the blank door and pushed it open slowly.

“Sorry,” came a voice behind him. Instantly Hito shut the door and turned around. “That room hasn’t been cleaned out. Belonged to Roen. He got injured last week and had to leave campus. He might be back.” Explained Noah, standing there with one of Hito’s bags in his arms. “For now you’ll just have to share a room with one of us. It’s against the rules to sleep downstairs.” Hito nodded slowly and watched as Noah just dropped Hito’s stuff against the wall. “Come on downstairs, we’re about to have lunch.”

The two went down to the kitchen. Hito spotted a circular table with six chairs around it. Everyone was already sitting down and helping themselves to the scrambled eggs, bread and orange juice. Noah took a seat between Asuka and Kei. Next to Kei was Shubira, then Mastuki, then Aki, and then the open seat between him and Noah.

“Come sit down!” said Asuka politely. Not nicely, but politely.

Hito nodded slowly and sat next to Noah and Aki. He watched as the order of eating food seemed to be random. You just grabbed whatever you wanted, plopped it onto your plate, ate it, talked a bit and then drop your dishes off at the sink.

“So who’ll Hito share a room with until Roen’s stuff’s cleaned out?” Mastuki asked before anyone could leave and escape the topic.

“Not my room.” Noah said, “I have a lot of homework I have to study up on.”

Kei shook his head, “My room’s the smallest.”

“Mine’s too messy,” Shubira said, grabbed the pitcher of orange juice and refilled his glass.

Asuka shook his head, “I’m back and forth all the time, so he wouldn’t be able to concentrate.”

“I guess that leaves you, Aki,” Mastuki said.

Aki choked on his eggs. “What?! No!”

“Why not?” they all asked.

“He’s a stupid younger brat. I need to concentrate too, ya know.”

“You do that?” Asuka asked, laughing. Aki jumped to get up and hit him, Noah jumping up and stopping him.

“Calm down!” Noah shouted. “It’ll just be for a few days until the room’s packed up. Then he’ll be out of your hair.”

“Stick him in the hallway!” Aki shouted. “I’m not sharing my room!”

“He’s quiet. What are you so annoyed about?” Mastuki asked.

Aki turned to the adult, his red hair coming out of its gelled state. “I like my privacy. That’s why I’m not sharing with anyone. Not my twin, not anyone, and especially not some snotty little brat who’s so rich he could afford to come here without any help!”

“You’re just mad because you didn’t get a scholarship like me.” Asuka said laughing.

“That’s it!” Aki shouted, about ready to dive across to Asuka.

Mastuki stood up and grabbed Aki just in time. “Why don’t you go water the yard?”

“Fine!” Aki shoved him off. “But if I come in tonight, and that lil shrimp’s in my room…” And he stormed off without saying anything. No one moved until they heard the door slam behind him as he went outside.

“You know, you really didn’t have to egg him on like that, Asuka.” Kei said, shaking his head.

“Yeah, not cool, Asuka.” Noah grumbled, getting up with his dishes.

Asuka pouted, “What? So now I’m suddenly the bad guy here?”

No one answered him, as everyone but Mastuki and Hito got up to drop their dishes at the sink. Then they left to various rooms of the dorm.

Asuka groaned, staring across the table at Mastuki. “Don’t tell me… You want me to share my room with Hito?”

Mastuki shook his head, “I didn’t say anything.”

“But you were thinking it.”

“No.” Mastuki shook his head, “I know you and your brother both came here, to this dorm, especially to get different bedrooms. But you still have to get along.”

“Yeah, so?”

“Means stop egging him on.” Mastuki said. “When he punches you, I’ll just say I told you so.” And Mastuki left with his dishes. “Do the dishes, Asuka.”

“Why me?!”

“You’re the last one eating. House rules.” And he left.

Asuka slowly glared over to Hito, who hadn’t served himself anything. “…Not hungry?” Hito shook his head. “Dammit..” Asuka complained, picking up what was left of the dishes and started to wash them.

Hito quietly excused himself and wandered outside. He walked over to where Aki was still fuming, watering a bush on the far end. Hito jumped when he stepped on a stick that made a large snap, causing Aki to turn in start and spray Hito all over his front.

Aki turned off the handle of the nozzle head and looked Hito over, chuckling a bit. “Well… Maybe that’ll teach you not to sneak up on people.”

Hito’s shoulders slumped. He’d just gotten sprayed and that’s all Aki could say?

“What do ya want?” Aki asked, putting a hand on his hip. “If you’re here to ask me to share the room with you, forget it. You’re sleeping in the hall tonight.”

Hito looked down and nodded slowly, just walking off to the other end of the garden. He sat himself down under a tree and stayed there until sunset.

“Should one of us go talk to him you think?” Noah asked Kei. The whole group were in the storage den staring out the window at Hito, still at his spot under the tree.

“Maybe..” Kei said.

“Maybe not,” Aki said. “What’s the big deal? All I did was tell him he’s sleeping in the hall.”

Asuka hit Aki upside the head, “You dork. You hurt his feelings. Go apologize.”

“Over. My. Dead. Body.” Aki said, glaring at his brother.

Noah saw what was coming and dashed between the two. “Ok ok. Calm down. He’ll come in when it gets cold. Let’s all just go shower up and get to bed.”

“Yeah,” Shubira said with a nod. “We have to leave early tomorrow.”

“Oh the vacation thing?” Aki asked.

“Yeah,” Asuka nodded. “We’re all going. Cept you, who opted out.”

“I don’t need sandy beaches, salty air and sunshine. Thanks.” Aki said sarcastically, leaving the room first.

“You really think he’ll make Hito sleep in the hallway, Asuka?” Kei asked.

Asuka nodded. “My brother’s pretty picky… Less Hito can push some magical emotion button my brother might have, I don’t see any way of him sleeping in the room.”

“He can share my room?” Shubira asked.

Noah shook his head, “No… We all have good reasons to not share rooms… One is that we should all have our own room.”