Running Wild

Everyone was drawn in easily by the illusion and the surprisingly real sensations that it gave them. The thought of whether it was possible faded away. It was now and that was all that mattered. Time eased on by at a quick pace making it easy to forget what they were doing. A few hesitant moments from Yuki washed away before he was taken in by the landscape.

Not until Ha entered into the fields did anyone question anything further. She approached in from behind Yuki, Saki, Yumi and Katsumi, who sat back in the grass. Ha crossed her arms, turning narrow in her face. “Wow for teenagers you’ve got a pretty lame imagination…thought at least the nerd would find something interesting.” The four students quickly turned towards the voice, more surprised than bothered.

Chapter 48 – Running Wild

Hiroshi came up from behind Ha dropping his hand on her head, not so much grabbing her nor resting his hand. “We’re just testing it out first…kid…” He gave her a wide grin that hid his annoyed expression from being mouthed off by a little girl.

The little girl pushed away his hand while getting out from under him. She quickly placed distance from him. “Watch yourself! Kid!” After her gladly opening hostilities with Hiroshi, the two leaned in at each other exchanging intense glares. However, Kaede came up from behind the little girl grabbing her up and hugging her tightly. “Hey! What do you think you’re doing, girl!”

“Aww, you shouldn’t be getting so upset. Hiroshi isn’t worth the energy.” She held onto Ha through the tantrum. “Just go back to the sweet little girl!”

“Stupid girls should be quiet!”

Kaede wasn’t stopping and Hiroshi seemed to be enjoying the shift turning him back to his usual self. The noise had started to bring the rest back in as Ha fought Kaede. They continued with their struggle as Yumi tried to separate her friend from the girl. It wasn't until Hana stepped in behind everyone with surprisingly unintentional stealth. “Oh hey Ha! Having fun with the customers? Can I join?”

Using everyone’s momentary stunned reactions to her advantage, Ha slipped out of Kaede’s grasp. “Did it look like I was enjoying myself? You stupid airhead!” Ha leapt up with tremendous height to whack Hana in the back of the head.

“But you were gone for so long, sis. I thought you were checking to see if they wanted something to eat?”

“I was until that stupid cow and her boyfriend started grabbing me!”

“Cow?! Boyfriend?!” Kaede shouted, making her way over to Ha very quickly.

“We are not!” Hiroshi and Kaede said together.

Kazuhiko joined the group to get to the heart of the matter. “What’s with the rough attitude towards paying customers?”

“I’ll show you rough!” Ha attempted to move, but Hana grabbed her.

Hana laughed lightly in embarrassment trying to keep Ha’s temper under control. Then in a swift motion, she lifted up Ha by her obi holding her off the ground. Her free hand raised up by her mouth as a distant, not quite vacant, look appeared as she was trying to think. “As big sister Hanabira explained it, there is one type of little girl. The…what was it…stereotype! Yeah, the stereotype of a little girl is sweet and innocent. But she also said…”

The twisted and confused look in her eyes was quickly shifting as she moved through her words. “…that cultural…trends had shown that a new stereotype was becoming popular…the blunt rough sounding little girl that is supposed to play…in contrast to the typical running stereotype. However…it's uh a stereotype too…so uh…it falls into uh…”

Ha had had enough of Hana and broke free from her hold, dropping back down to the ground. “Stupid girl, you aren’t supposed to explain the plan to them!”

“Plan?” Saki stepped out from the rest.

The little girl curtly crossed her arms staring at them. “Simply put you get two clichés, a sweet innocent little girl and the brat that contradicts the other cliché.”

“What?! You can’t be serious!”

“Hey, this is a business of fulfilling fantasies and we get a lot of those weird anime otaku types.”

“I sort of wish this would just end…” said Hiroshi sorrowfully, still partially out of it. While the voice was low it seemed to trigger an effect in the room. An electronic beep sounded out followed by an explosion of light that drained away from sight. The room returned with everyone back packed in around the center.

“Hey! Where’d the grass go? We were playing!” Ken hopped up in frustration. His little brother asserted a firm nod. They both went over to Yuki to plead to him. Ken took his left and Jun his right, holding on the ends of his school uniform trying to beg with soft eyes. “We want to play more!”

Hana took to their complaints and started walking over to the door. The suspicious emotions in the air went by obliviously. It was simply her task to serve and keep the customers happy. She approached the computer panel in the wall starting to type before everyone realized what she was doing. “I know something fun for everyone! It’s highly requested!”

“No!”

“Wait!”

“Stop!”

Tatsuya, Kaede and Saki rushed over to Hana trying to reach her before she did something. The entire room fell into darkness again as Hana’s speed typing finished the request before they were able to even get close to her. “There!” Seconds passed by as everything was beginning to be processed before revealing a sandy beach next to a water park.

“Oh this looks awesome!” Ken said, running out into the water as the waves broke against the shore. Jun followed along with his brother splashing water everywhere he went. The rest of the students all took in the moment before Ayumi was taken in by the moment heading to the water. It was then they realized she was wearing a bright pink and white bathing suit. They all looked around at each other noticing that everyone was wearing swimwear.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?!” Saki shouted over to Hana, still in her kimono smiling like everything was good and right in the world. Ha stood next to her older sister with a wicked grin on her face, also enjoying the scene.

Yuki noticed the huddling Yumi and approached her. “Are you okay?” He offered her a hand up in addition to a warm smile.

“…but I’m in…ah…a…b-b-b-b…”

He looked back at the two employees. “I think you two need to learn about consent.” His stern look dropped the smirk from Ha’s face, though Hana remained clueless. Yuki looked back down to Yumi. “I’ll have them turn it off.”

“No… It’s just happened…so fast…”

“Are you sure?”

“They’re having fun…”

He looked down at his brothers playing with Ayumi. “Yumi, you don’t have to force yourself to conform to others. You’re allowed to be upset and different.”

A slow nod agreed with him. She grabbed onto his arm and started to stand up. The initial shock faded away for her. “I know… But I also…don’t want to be trapped…”

“Hm?”

“It’s okay. I never swam before. Can you help me?”

“Sure, if that’s what you want.” She gave him a more determined nod. A bit of unease remained for him, but he accepted her request. They walked out to the idyllic beach. The cold ocean water washed against their feet. Once again, they had to remind themselves how real everything felt.

Those that remained slowly peeled away embracing the rare summer event in spring. The beach came fully set up for anything one would want to do. Beach volleyball, animal floats and an umbrella laid nearby with more further out.

Once more, time was forgotten in the playful expression of everyone. All of the stress that they had all been holding was finally allowed to be let free washed away. They could act like children without care or worry. It was a moment in time that they could smile freely, dropping their guards to enjoy the moment.

Kaede and Katsumi sat under the umbrella on a break. They watched Yumi out in the ocean laughing with Yuki. “I haven’t seen her like that, Katsumi.”

“Yeah…it’s been a while since I’ve seen that smile.”

“Maybe…you think?”

“…Perhaps…”

“Did we judge him too harshly?”

“So many were cruel to her… But he’s different.” Katsumi smiled watching Yuki and Yumi. As they continued to look on, Yuki came up out of the water. The sun glistened off his body highlighting his fit figure. “Hey, Kaede…”

“What?”

“Yuki…was he always that muscular?”

“You noticed too? There are the rumors he used to fight, but he acts like an airhead. I thought he was just a nerd…”

Katsumi leaned forward resting her head on her hand staring out. “Maybe there’s more to him than what we see in class…”

The time that remained ran out fast as an announcement by the machine’s voice. “Ten minutes remaining… Ten minutes remaining… If you wish to purchase more time please visit the front desk. Thank you!” Everyone looked around at each other feeling a little disappointed that they had already came to the end.

Jun looked up at Yuki grabbing his attention. “What, Jun? You want to try it out? There’s only ten minutes though, Jun.” Jun reached out his hand grabbing Yuki’s swim trunks giving him a serious expression through his eyes. “Is that okay with everyone?” A quick majority vote handed the decision to Jun.

“Okay, if you want this to end.” It was at that moment that the entire world melted away. Everyone stood in the room with their clothes and completely dry. Yuki walked over to the computer with Jun looking down at him. “Just tell me what you want and I’ll put it in for you.” Jun tightened his hand on his school uniform making it clear enough to Yuki. “Alright…”

Yuki knelt down picking up his brother allowing him the height to reach the keyboard. Jun insisted on not letting Yuki see it or anyone else. It only seemed to take a minute and Jun was done with the computer accepting the input. Yuki stared down at his little brother trying to figure out his secret. The entire room went dark once more for a few seconds.

Suddenly, the light exploded from the top as the sun beamed down on them revealing a seemingly generic looking neighborhood in Japan. It wasn't just any neighborhood though as Saki and Yuki quickly realized. “Jun, why did you want to make our neighborhood?” Yuki looked down at his brother once more.

Out from the distance there was a woman’s voice that seemed to clearly carry through the air. Jun was quick to turn and dart off towards the voice, but Yuki froze in his body. ‘That voice…it sounds so familiar…’

Saki looked over at Yuki seeing the reaction on his face. “Yuki?”

Another voice, this time a man’s voice broke through the street they were standing in. This time Yuki heard them. “Hey, Jun! How’s my big man doing?”

Yuki’s body knew the voice, but his mind had not put it together yet. It made his heart pound and sweat crawl over his skin. ‘Is it?’ The thumping grew to echo in his ears as he was unable to control his own body as it reacted.

“Yuki?” Ayumi said, confused by his reaction from seeing the two adults with Jun. She, like everyone else minus Saki, didn’t understand.

Saki was finally pulled away from Yuki recognizing the voices and looked up at the house seeing the man and woman as they greeted Ken running up the sidewalk to them. Her eyes widened sharply as she immediately recognized them. She stepped back having difficulty believing what she was seeing. “It can’t be!”

The woman looked out from Jun and Ken quickly catching her eye on someone in the crowd. She stepped down from the house with Jun holding at her side. She stepped towards them standing before Yuki, still paralyzed, looking down at him with such a gentle and warm smile. “There you are, Yuki!”

Yuki’s eyes widened in shock, still not believing it. Even when he stared up at her face he had to reach out his hand to touch her just to know it was real. Before any words could come out of his mouth tears fell down his cheeks. “…mother…”