Two Crashed Hearts on Wheels

Chapter 7

"I'd love to be friends with someone like you too!" Langa says all cheery. He jumps into me with, I don't know, force from his legs because his leg was injured, but we were on the bed, so it was easy for him. Langa places his hands around me and hugs me tightly, while I am like a stiff statue in surprise. I didn't know how to react. More accurately, I didn't have time to react because the door flung open and my uncle was standing there.

"Asuke?!"

"Oji-san! It's not what it looks like!" I say this immediately, pushing Langa off me. Langa looked confused, but then finally understood what we looked like.

"Uh, she's right! We were just hugging as friends." Langa says, backing off and turning to his crutches. 

"Out!!" My uncle yells in slight anger. Langa quickly got up, holding his crutches, and I helped him hold his bag.

"Where do you think your going?" My uncle asks me. 

"Oji-san, he's injured. At least let me help him get home," I say.

"I reject your favor; call your mother, young man!" I've never seen my uncle this frustrated before, and I didn't want to push any more buttons. I took Langa out the door, and he called his mom, who was just coming back from work.

"Sorry...I didn't know oji-san could get so angry sometimes," I say awkwardly.

"I mean, you did warn me about him," Langa says, shrugging. "My mom's on her way, but would you want to maybe hang out tomorrow?" Langa had the expression that he regretted what he said because he knew I was going to say no.

"Maybe if I'm not grounded...I'd like that," I say, smiling slightly. "Reki could tag a long one as well." Langa smiled, and I could see she was going to hug me again, but my uncle was staring from the creek of the door, so he didn't. We stood there in awkward silence for a bit until his phone rang. 

"That's my mom; I'll see you tomorrow!" Langa says as he makes his way to the car with his crutches and bag. I waved at him with a smile I couldn't wipe off my face. I walked back inside our apartment, and my uncle was waiting there with his hands crossed and tapping his right foot.

"You know I'm not that type of person!" I say, pouting slightly.

"I know your not...that's why I want an explanation," Kaoru says.

"Well...he was just hugging my friend because he really wanted to be my friend, and I said yeah!" I am simply telling him the truth.

"Why would that kid be desperate to be your friend? He's planning something!" Uncle Kaoru says.

"No, Oji-san," I groan. "He's too oblivious for that. I've never met anyone as innocent as him."

"He's pretending to be innocent; therefore, he can do whatever he wants to you!" Uncle Kaoru says. "Teenage boys will do anything to assist and obtain their hands on a girl." He had good reasons, and I would logically agree to them, but his badmouthing Langa made my blood boil.

"Oji-san! He isn't like that!!" I yell. Uncle Kaoru looked at me in surprise. I never raised my voice. I was surprised myself. "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell...but I genuinely mean it! Langa isn't that type of guy. There are such pretty girls at my school, and apparently he is really popular. When he got hurt, he had a chance to go to any curvy, good-looking girl's house, but he came with me because he likes skateboarding, and it's something we both share.

"What is this boy doing to you? you would refuse to interact with anyone. You'd always nod your head when you told someone something," Uncle Kaoru says, stunned. I looked down, biting my lower lip.

"Sorry, I won't do it again," I say. He came to me and lifted my head forcefully with a frown. 

"No; you will keep doing that! I like seeing my niece stand up for herself, and she is valuing a friend of hers...well, he better be a friend," His frown slowly turned to a smile as he pulled me into a hug. I was surprised, but I let him hug me and buried my face in his chest.

"I would have been in the orphanage if it weren't for you, and I treat you with disrespect right now. I am really sorry; I'll never do it again," I say.

"Yeah, just don't do it to me, however, do it to whoever is trying to take control of you. Don't allow people to walk over you," Uncle Kaoru says. "And that boy, you can be friends with him, but no love business, and please make some female friends too, so I don't feel worried." I chuckled and nodded. 

"I'll see," I say. I immediately switched the topic. "So, are we going to that skating rally still?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Let's finish dinner before we go," Uncle Kaoru says.  I was really grateful for my uncle. The only adult I was able to trust no matter what. I always wondered how he still hadn't found himself a wife. Like, any woman would be lucky to have him as their husband. Good-looking, stable job, good personality, good cooking. I wanted to ask him about it, but I don't know if he would take it personally or not, so I didn't say anything. We both ate together, and then I sat down on the sofa to rest my stomach. My uncle went into his room to change. When he came out, I began giggling. He came out wearing a white robe over his hakama kimono, wearing a mask on his face, and wearing his hair up.

"What's this?" I ask, trying to hold in my laughter.

"Well, I can't show my identity over there. My entire reputation will be ruined," Uncle Kaoru says. "What? Does this not make me look phenomenal? Many females find me very attractive there."

"You look cool. I wasn't expecting this, that's all," I say.

"Well, would you like to wear a mask too?" He asks. 

"You're really known there, so you need the mask. I don't have a reputation here that can be ruined," I chuckle. I loved the bond me and my uncle had.