To Infinity and Beyond - Reki Kyan - 1215 fanfiction

Episode 9

I can't believe Langa just went and said yes, like that creep wasn't a second and three millimeters away from molesting him. I pressed my cheek to my desk, shutting my eyes and sighing. After Adam made a ridiculously over exaggerated extravagant exit from the warehouse after they set a date, Miya agreed to share his number with all of us so we could keep in touch.
Well, he mainly agreed so that he could help Reki learn a thing or two to make his chances of winning against Adam a little higher. 

I remember, it was almost embarrassing. I stepped up in front of Miya and held out my phone, grabbing his, we silently gave each other our numbers and then I messaged him first. I sighed as he glanced at me, then looked away, then looked at me, then looked away.

I was going to say something to ease the tension, but Reki put his head on my shoulder from behind and my face flared, making Miya raise a brow.

"What's with the awkward air here you two? Make up~ We're all friends now!"

I sighed again. I can't believe Reki's going to skate a beef against yet another crazy skating cosplayer. 

My phone buzzed and I moved my arm to pick it up, seeing Reki's name, I smiled.

Reki: wanna go out for Ramen after school?

I blinked. Ramen... after school... out... 

A DATE?!

-

Langa, of course. We were going to get Ramen together, all three of us, our fantastic friend group. In other words, not a date.

Either way, the food was still great.

"So, what kind of skater is this Adam guy?" Langa asked.

"He's the guy who started S." Reki replied, making me almost choke. 

Act natural, act like you already knew!

"Rumors say he's undefeated." He added, only making my mood worse. But when I leaned forward to look past Reki at Langa, he had a dead face but hopeful, sparkling eyes and somehow even though he didn't exactly look it, I could tell he was interested.

"Don't be getting all excited." Reki warned.

"Anything else?" Langa asked as I shoved a bunch of noodles in my mouth.

"Actually, most of him is a mystery. Though, the founding members probably know." 

I hummed, chewing. The first time my brother took me to S to tell me all about it and get me my pin, he told me all about his early skating adventures and how he helped find the place that all these people gathered to skate in now. But he never really talked a lot about it, it even seemed like a touchy subject.

I sipped some of the broth. Why would it be a touchy subject?

"So, Yuri, I see... this is the boy you like." 

I choked for real this time, but with one firm pat on my back from my brother, who'd somehow been sitting beside me this whole time unnoticed, I was able to recover myself.

"Who are the founders?" Langa asked as I stared at my brother with the biggest most threatening warning gaze I have ever mustered in my life.

"Cherry and Joe. The veterans like them all-"

"That's not true." My brother spoke up, getting the attention of the boys who recognized him immediately, "I was skating with Adam way before S started." 

My brows furrowed as I wracked through my memories. I've met all of Kojiro's skating friends at least once, hence why I know Koaru, and he's even introduced me to a handful of his girlfriends, but... I didn't recognize that 'Adam' guy at all.

"This is Joe, one of the founding members!" Reki began, explaining to Langa as I pressed my finger to my cheek bone in thought, "Known as the fastest six pack skater! He's the strongest skater if you're talking about just power!" 

I sweat dropped as my brother stood, swerving around me to grab Reki in a joke hold, laughing as he slapped his arm, "I-I-I give up! I give up!"

"So is Adam really... an amazing skater?" Langa asked.

My brother let Reki go and the poor guy sat back down, coughing. 

"People call him The Matador of Love." Kojiro exclaimed, "Adam says that skating is a ritual of love."

"What's up with that? I don't get it?"

Someone who would say something like that... and someone who's made me just as uncomfortable as Adam did last night. Was there ever anyone like that, that I'd met before because of my brother? I can't remember...

"I don't get it either. When it comes to him, not anymore." Kojiro mumbled, and I looked up at him, my eyes widening slightly at the distant look in his. He didn't often look so much... like me.
"But he's certainly a dangerous skater. Those who skate against Adam can't avoid being severely injured. Actually, people have quit skating because of him."

I turned to look at Reki, but I cut myself off. I wasn't even sure what I was going to say in that moment - probably a beg for him to give up on this dumb beef, because  it wasn't worth it anyways, but his eyes looked distant too. 

"Got that? You should listen to your senpai's advice."

Huh? I moved my head to look at the bill my idiot brother slapped on the table, winking as he said 'see you' and then told the host that he wanted to pay for us as well as himself. But for fucks sake, this idiot only left enough money to cover me! He did that on purpose, didn't he. After the door shut behind him and Reki sighed about how weird his offer was when he didn't even have enough money, my phone buzzed.

It was my brother, of course.

Koji-hoe: We need to talk later.

Me: About what? When?

Koji-hoe: At my place tonight. Come for dinner, I'll call mom. 

Me: Okay.

-

Later, when I arrived at my brothers place, he had a nice cheese and crackers platter for our 'dinner' considering we had Ramen only hours before. Telling Reki and Langa my brother invited me over so I couldn't go skate with them was lame enough, considering Reki suddenly started acting all depressed about it.

"WHAT? But we were gonna go to the skate park and have a mini competition thing- and I even planned prizes!"

I won't lie. When he told me that, I felt my heart squeeze so tight I almost told my brother I was ditching him. That pout, being directed towards me, was honestly the cutest thing I'd ever seen. I wanted him to be like that with me more, more like himself, more childish, emotional, and touchy - like he was with Langa. 

But, my brother was serious when he messaged me earlier.

So, I thought as I looked up from the perfectly sliced cheese to my brother, "This better not be a waste of my time."

He smiled lightly to me, "Of course. You see, Yuri, I think it's important that you hear from another man. That sometimes, boys can be-"

I sighed, already pissed, "Dude. If you brought me here just to give me the 'talk' - stuff it, because I already know all that stuff. Reki isn't like that!"

He blinked, "How do you know? You haven't even known him that long?"

"Well, I think if he was as much of a womanizer as you he would have made his pathetic move already." I leaned back and crossed my arms, "Besides, don't you trust me? I'd totally kick him if he tried anything funny, even if I like him."

He hummed, tilting his head, "Alright then, there's one more thing I wanted to discuss."

I sighed heavily, "What?"

"Reki is a skater, just like Langa, and he's going to get hurt a lot. You have to be able to accept that, and not try to stop him from doing any beefs or tricks. Especially now that he's challenged Adam."

Suddenly, the aura changed. My brother was actually serious this time, and I knew almost right away that this is what he really called me here for. He knew already, that I didn't really care what Reki did as long as he wasn't putting himself in serious danger. I didn't care if he got bruises or scratches... but when Kojiro said that Adam's put people in hospitals, and made them so upset they quit skating... the last thing I want, out of everything, was for Reki to lose his smile.

"Can you do that, Yuri?"

"I... I dunno." I muttered in reply, "I don't really know how I'll react until it happens."

"For now, just put your faith in him. Fighting over it will only make things worse."

"Of course I have faith in him, he may not seem like it, but he's a good skater! I'm sure he can stand up to Adam, even if he doesn't win!"

Kojiro smiled lightly, there was an odd distance in his eyes again, "Remember when we were kids, and I fell off my board during a jump trick and got all scratched up?"

I tilted my head, "Huh? What? When?!"

"I guess not." He sat up a bit straighter and changed his demeaner, smiling like he hadn't said anything, "Well, lets dig in!"

"Wha- tell me about what happened!"