บท 6: Oh Brother
Sasuke's legs had ached for some time since leaving the plaza but he kept his discomforts to himself as he carried Mei through the quiet side lane to the train station. He was grateful the snowfall had eased and their sludge through the streets wasn't hampered down by snow or rain.
'You okay Tanaka-chan?' he checked with Mei who was more than comfortable on his back.
'Mei. Call me Mei,' she whispered into his flushed ears.
'Um okay,' Saskuke gulped. He felt her embrace firm around him.
He cursed when he lost his balance as his foot stomped on an unexpected loose marble that had bounced underfoot and caused him to stumble to the ground.
'Mei-chan!' Sasuke cried out as he checked to see if she was hurt. She beamed a warm smile his way and accepted his assistance to stand up. He noticed her coat was soaked from her fall to the snow sludge.
She picked up the holly-red troublesome marble and held it before them. At that moment, he heard a cacophony of screaming and yelling headed his way. They both looked back to see the approaching Sket Dan mob headed for them.
'Shoot. let's go,' Sasuke grumbled and hurried Mei into a brisk walk in the direction away from the Sket Dan.
It was too late. Bossun had seen them.
'TSUBAKI! OI TSUBAKI!' Bossun called out to his brother as he made a dead run for him, and caught up to them.
'Is this yours Bossun?' Mei asked Bossun innocently and held up the marble to him.
'NO! Don't leave it open to air!' Himeko cried out.
The marble leaped off Mei's hand and went bouncing on its own up in the air. Taking bounding shots off the heads of Sasuke, Bossun and Switch before it landed back down into Mei's hand. She closed her hand in a fist and carefully placed it back into the tin in Himeko's hand.
'GODDAMN FUJISAKI! DON'T YOU EVER LEARN YOUR LESSON!' fumed Sasuke as he whacked the egg on his brother's head whilst rubbing his own. His rant left him panting for breath.
'Not my fault that someone didn't close the tin properly!' Bossun argued back and flashed an evil eye at Switch who was pretending innocence.
'You shouldn't have it with you to begin with!' Sasuke growled back.
The brothers lapsed into another comical argument again that stirred hearty laughter from Mei.
'Anyone think you're brothers,' she laughed.
'We are,' Sasuke and Bossun said in unison that caused Himeko and Switch's parental fawning over them.
A cry for help and brute conversation caught their attention. It didn't take them a genius to realize what help was needed.
'Mei stay with Himeko. Himeko?' Sasuke said. His eyes darted to Himeko who nodded her head with understanding.
'Come on baby brother!' Bossun called out to Sasuke sarcastically and received another growl for his response.
The brothers raced down the side lane and around the corner toward the public playground at the end. They stopped before a swing set where they saw Teppei Sugihara being bailed up by delinquents in baggy sports gear, over-the-top fake $$ bling and crappy bleach hair that was either cut in random layers or hung messily over shoulders.
The by-spectacle boy was pleading his poorness and received a punch to the face for it. He wrapped his head in his arms to protect himself from further attacks but they never came.
The thugs screamed out with both shock and disbelief at the assault they were suffering from two boys their junior.
One of them managed to pounce on Sasuke and grip him in a body lock. Sasuke fished for the vial in his pocket. His fingers fumbled the lid open and threw the pungent stink up the thugs nose. The thug reeled backward; cursing and crying out at the stinky pain he was suffering.
'Fujisaki - the one on the left!' Sasuke warned his brother at one of the thugs advancement toward Bossun's back.
Bossun spun around with a low round-house kick that knocked the thug down on his arse.
The three boys fled the scene with their tail between their legs. Neither saw Mei swooning at her witness of Sasuke's manliness with shoujo stars in her eyes.
'My Prince!' Mei thought with a dreamy sigh.
'Sugihara-kun. You okay?' Sasuke asked as helped him up.
'Yeah, thank's to you Tsubaki-kun,' Teppei said.
'Oi! Teppei I was here too,' Bossun piped up with a childish tone of voice.
Teppei shared his gratefulness with Bossun as well. He thanked the brothers again and resumed his way down the street.
'So where have you both been anyway. You try to sneak off somewhere ,' Himeko teased Sasuke as she drew attention back to him and Mei. She chuckled when she noticed a deep blush to his cheeks that he tried to hide with a frown.
'I'm escorting Mei-chan back to hospital,' Sasuke mumbled and turned his attention to Mei who's eyes were all for him.
'Mei-chan? Talk about progress,' Switch teased, excitedly.
'Don't you all need to be somewhere else!' Sasuke growled at the Sket Dan crew that left him huffing.
'Oh Sasuke-chan, you're so cute,' Mei giggled.
'Tsubaki cute?' Bossun muttered, perplexed. He glanced at the blushed expression his brother's face and realized what was going on.
'Oh, heh baby bro! Let's have a chat,' Bossun chuckled and yanked Sasuke into a private 1-on-1.
'What the hell Fujisaki!'
'So you and that Mei chick aye?'
Sasuke frowned at Bossun's disrespect.
'Her name is Tanaka Mei,' he slapped into his brother that sent the Sket Dan President spinning foolishly on the spot.
'Okay! I get it!' Bossun rubbed at his cheek as he re-balanced himself.
'Seriously Tsubaki. You know that she's on a time limit?' Bossun's voice assumed a sober tone.
'Baka! I know that. I'm only fulfilling one of her dying wishes,' Sasuke explained.
'Right. Well you know what you're doing. So I guess I'll leave you both to get cozy,' Bossun teased him and laughed at Sasuke's irate expression.
'Hey Switchy! Let's go for ramen before I get my ass-whipped at home,' Bossun called out as he turned and made his way to Switch near the playground entrance.
'Oi Bossun, you forgetting about me!' Himeko growled at her friend standing nonchalantly before her.
'Nah. You're paying right,' he threw at her and received a whack on the head as a response.
Sasuke and Mei watched the Sket Dan crew gradually disappear from their view.
'They're a lively bunch aren't they? I like your brother, he's really funny,' Mei said fondly.
Sasuke sighed away his tension and returned her smile.
'Do you want me to continue with the piggy-back,' Sasuke offered. His heart fluttering at the thought of feeling her heart close to his.
She accepted his offer with a nod and climbed onto his back. They resumed their journey toward the train station.
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