Try for Change (Coffee-Tastic and grizzly) [18+]

[Coffee-Tastic]

For lunch time, instead of going to get lunch, the counselor pulled him to her room again for the status of his brother. He thought that she was just going to want to know if he agreed or not, but she was asking questions that suggested that she was interested in Hiro's yes or no answer. She asked Kou how motivated Hiroto seemed to be, if he was paying attention to what he had been saying to him and if he was going to start attending class again. He responded the truth, saying that his brother not only agreed to study with him, but he was showing he was indeed interested in getting his education back.

 

"Why?" He sat back in the chair of the office and looked at her, "I could have just told you that he agreed and I didn't have to come here. I'm missing out on lunch right now."

 

She smiled and shook her head, "Oh, I ordered outside food from a burger place. Hope you don't mind... To answer you," he leaned a bit forward and shrugs, "If he didn't show any desire for it, then even if he agreed, he could have been kicked out. It was a hard thing to do to let your brother stay in school with making such little progress."

 

No he didn't want to eat a greasy burger and what the hell? "So you expected him to be on board and not struggle in doing this at all." He said as a statement rather than a question, "Isn't that a bit wrong to do, miss? Even I didn't expect him to catch on so easily." Did everyone honestly have that little hope in Hiroto? He didn't think it would have been like that. Kou was lucky that Hiroto even said yes to this to begin with. To hear that they wouldn't have let him stay in school even if he agreed, that was actually very upsetting to hear. "Whatever... Just...What does he have to do to pass this year?"

 

"Here. Its very simple..." she moved some papers over to the side and handed over a sheet of paper with the details, "He has to come in on school every day, he needs to be able to pass the tests all the way from the beginning of the year up until halfway and there can't be any fights of course. He'll be attending special classes during the summer, so by the time he gets in all of that, he can finish the rest of this year's education here with a teacher and you'll be free of having to tutor him. And then he will be able to pass."

 

Kou wasn't paying attention to her at all, focusing only on reading the document over in his hand, "... Alright. Doable... But I want him to be able to read my material during the school day or else progress is going to be slow. Can that be done?" He asked, sounding like a teacher in a funny way.

 

"Hm. I think that can happen. He won't be able to learn anything in class anyways this far into the school year... Consider it done, Kou!" She smiled, "Thank you for doing this for him. You're really a great brother. I hope he's happy to have you."

 

We only have each other.

 

"Yeah, he better be..." he sighed and glanced out the glass of the door, seeing people go by and hearing their loud chatter, "Is it okay if I eat in here for today?" He asked, hoping to score a chance to be in the office and not where anyone else was.

 

Nodding, she got up from the seat and walked over to him, patting his head, "Of course, Kou, that won't be an issue... There will be a staff meeting, so it'll be just you... only because I trust you... There will be someone bringing the lunch here, just say you're the one who was going to keep it safe until I got back. Okay?"

 

"Okay... Before you go, can you tell me the last class Hiroto has today? I want to be able to meet him outside the classroom." He was afraid that his brother would storm off again without saying anything. It was important to go over the document so he understands what has to happen in order for him to pass. Kou couldn't have him running off somewhere else. The student counselor quickly looked up Hiro's scheduled and told him the classroom number he'd be in. He wasn't going to let him run off again so easily.

[grizzly]

Hiroto returned to the roof for lunch to finish the rest of his cigarette. Relighting it made it taste so much more awful, but hey, that was to help him break the habit. He had immediately left the classroom when he realized no one would be interested in talking to him. He was never one to initiate conversations, it made him too anxious. So he decided that being alone on the rooftop would be enough.

 

He never bothered to ask his brother make his lunch, let alone make it himself. So he usually bought some bread and a juice box from a convenient store before heading over to class. Well, when he did attended class. But that was going to change now, he would have to fix his attendance record by showing up to class every day for the rest of the year. No doubt he would have to continue class during their breaks, but it wasn't like he had anything important going on in that time.

 

His phone was blaring up with text messages from his group of friends, all of them notifying him that they were in the park drinking their parents' expensive bourbon. There was something about expensive alcohol that sickened him, but that was only because he was so used to cheap liquor. Even so, he had to pass it up now that he was focused on school now. All he had to do was get through one more class then he could hurry on over home and lock himself in his room. He had a lot of homework to catch up on and a couple of tests he needed to re-do before he could officially be caught up in his English class. Then he needed to catch up in chemistry, math, and so it goes.

 

By the time class was over, he had already filled out half of his journal with notes. His hand was cramping from how vigorously he was jotting down notes, but he had to give himself credit for working so hard. Honestly, it was rewarding to see the progress he was making, but it was going to wear him down real fast real soon. Maybe if he made new friends in class, he could find the motivation to work with them rather than do it all alone. But he had Kou for that... He shook the thought from his head and packed his bag up, ready to leave the class.

[Coffee-Tastic]

Kou was given permission to leave early, completing all of the notes and the last end of the class assignment easily. Along in the hallway, he slung his back pack lower to be able to reach the zipper and take out the folder than held the sheet of paper he was given, deciding on holding onto it now so he could just let his brother see it and get it out of the way. He probably will be bummed that he'd have to spend the summer making up work, but he was the one who failed to do the work when it was originally given.

 

Waiting outside of Hiro's class for nothing more than a few minutes, the sound of the bell was a loud relief to hear. Finally he could go home... School made him so tired of being with other human beings. Kou came inside the classroom after the bell sounded, looking around at all the people getting up and moving around until he saw his brother there. "Hiro," he said without a real hello, coming up to him and giving him a brief stare before mumbling under his breath, "Hm. Its weird seeing you in class after such a long time..." He was sure than he rarely stayed in school the whole day because he's never seen him around anyways. So meeting him at the very last class of the day was a good thing. "Anyways. The counselor told me a few extra things about you staying in school and passing this year. You should look over this paper so you know what you have to do as well. I also think you'll be able to work on your own level of studies during class." She said the teachers might let it happen, it wasn't something definite... he hated being told things that were unofficial like that.

[grizzly]

His back was to the door when his brother entered the classroom. He had just put up all of his papers and books back into his bag when he heard his name, sending a chill down his back. How did Kou know where he was? It was probably that counselor lady he tried so very hard to avoid. He turned slowly to his brother, but kept his eyes on the space between his feet. He still couldn't find it in his heart to look his brother in the eyes with his dream still fresh in his head. "Is it really?" he asked while rubbing the back of his neck. He guessed he didn't fit into the classroom with his ear piercings and disheveled look. He tried to look at his brother, but his eyes immediately darted past him and towards the door. He grabbed hold on the paper and turned back around to place it back into his bag.

 

"I'll check the paper out as soon as I get home. I, uh," he turned towards Kou with his bag slung over his shoulder now. "I gotta hurry home if I want to catch up on today's homework assignments." He walked past his brother, but stopped at the door to look over his shoulder. "Do you want to walk home together? Or do you have some after school thing going on?" He secretly hoped it was the later, but Kou wasn't one for after school activities. Though, he could picture him in something like chess club if they even had one at the school.

 

He scratched his chin and said, "I think I might need some help with math today, if you don't mind helping me out." Math was his worst subject, and it certainly didn't help that he was so far behind in the class. Reading came like a breeze to him, but that was probably because he read quite a bit when he was younger, but not to the same extent as his brother.

[Coffee-Tastic]

There it was again. Hiro was acting weird again. "You know, Hiroto," he started off, putting his folder back into his bag while following after him, "I'm not a slow walker. It won't hurt to walk together... And by the way, you were twenty minutes early in going to school, which is ridiculous even for me." sighing throught his nose.

 

Well it didn't seem like his brother was find of looking his brother in the eyes. What? Was it really something that was his fault? "Are you mad at me for something?" he asked, scrunching his nose a little. If this behavior was his fault, then he'd be upset just because it was over something so stupid that Kou didnt remember... Unless...

 

"...Are you mad that I made better pancakes and eggs than you?" he asked, that being the only possible reason he could think of at the top of his head. It was kind of a dick move to one up him after he was being so kind to cook breakfast for him for once.

[grizzly]

Hiroto looked perplexed by his brother's accusation. "What? Hell no, I just..." he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking of an excuse. "I'm just a bit... Irritable. I've been cutting down on smoking. I just came to class early to check in with my teachers to see what I need to do to prepare for my exams." It wasn't a complete lie, since he was telling the truth. But he obviously wasn't spilling all of the beans to his brother.

 

"Anyways, are we going or not?" He said while tapping his foot. His face was already turning red like it always did when he was embarrassed. He didn't like it when people pried into his business, but he was a hypocrite in the sense he liked getting into other people's personal affairs. Kou was no exception, so he showed clear irritation to his brother's questions, hoping it would discourage him from asking another. He walked ahead, knowing Kou would be right behind him.

 

After walking down the hill that lead up to his school, he was able to relax some. He was being a dick to his brother for no good reason, but he really needed some space from him. Yet, he also seriously needed his brother's help with his math work. There was no way in hell he could figure it out himself.

[Coffee-Tastic]

Irritability didn't cause blushing of the cheeks and it was different from not being able to look him in the eyes in Kou's opinion, but he wouldn't know what else could be the issue was... He hoped it solved quickly because already with the attitude he was given, he was ready to naturally fight back and say something back in an equally rude way. And, well, Hiroto was doing himself good to try an stop smoking. Kou shouldn't be on his case if his changing habits were the actual cause. The air would be nicer in the house, both outside and inside his brother's room, because a swore the smell of his cigarettes were following him almost everywhere in their home.

 

He was walking a good two steps behind his brother, holding onto his bag strap with one hand and the other in his pocket. Walking back home with him wasn't something they typically did after they were smaller and it was the truth for Kou to say he didn't feel settled doing it now. What was he supposed to do? Keep staying silent? Continue on in this silence? The brunet frowned and looked off. This silence better fix his attitude, he thought, choosing to keep silent, but follow up more and at least walk closer so it didn't look like he was being a duckling towards Hiroto. They were equals and he shouldn't be following him.

 

Getting closer to home, he took his keys out of that pocket and singled out the silver key for the front door, walking ahead to be able to get there first and open it, "Math is a frustrating topic," he said, his hazel eyes giving Hiroto the relief of not looking his way, "I hope you got yourself together because you're going to need patience." And I don't want you running down mine either. "But at least math is the best subject to go over with another person. It'll get done." He said, opening the door for them.

[grizzly]

(I might not reply as much this weekend. I'm gonna be too busy partying like a rockstar lmao.)

 

The distance from the school and to their home seemed like a never-ending trek. It was as if the road kept stretching, so when he saw the driveway of their home, he instantly felt relief sweep over him. While he wanted to instantly run off to his room, he waited patiently for Kou to open the door. He wasn't prepared to unexpectedly look into his hazel eyes, so he returned the reassuring look in them with a very sheepish smile. "Yeah, I'm sure going through the chapter will be a piece of cake with you around," he said while slipping through the door. He calmed down significantly since the morning, but it was still a bizarre dream. Maybe if he told Kou about it, it would lift a huge weight off his shoulders. Maybe they'd laugh about it. He really doubted it. Either way, he couldn't keep up lying to Kou. He was too good at reading into his lies since he made a habit of biting his lip whenever he lied.

 

"I'll be in my room," he said to his brother while waving his hand. He continued down the hallway and ignored the bedroom across from his that was his father's. It was almost a custom to open it to see if he was somehow home despite the driveway being empty, but it was about time he stopped that nonsense. Even if his father was home, it still felt like he wasn't since all he did was hole himself up in his room like Kou did. He carefully placed his bag onto his bed and changed out of his school uniform and into a pair of sweatpants and a shirt. He knew he would have to go to Kou's room since math was a subject he was completely hopeless with. It wasn't like reading where he could just read the excerpt and ask questions later. He needed all the help he could get, and only Kou was the one to give it to him. He stared at his wall for a moment to muster up the courage to walk out of his door and towards his brother's with his school materials under his arm. He was so reluctant to knock on the wood door that separated him from Kou, but when he finally did, he swore he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand.

[Coffee-Tastic]

(oooh man! Party monster ;D )

 

That smile wasn't too confident. Well, it was math... still something didn't feel right, but he'd start asking questions when he got other conclusions on his behavior. For now, Kou nodded at what Hiroto said, coming in and letting him go off to his room while he locked the door and settled down into his own space. He took the necessary things out of his bag and set them to the side of his bed, because he had some work to be doing as well. Just because he was more smart than the other kids in class, that didn't mean he was exempt from having the same homework as them. He would explain the math work and let him hack at it while he quickly finished his assignments. They wouldn't take long since the material was from a section of the book he already read on his own last week.

 

Kou also changed out of the uniform, putting on a pair of soft pajama pants and a striped shirt with sleeves that went up to his elbows. He even switched his current white socks with a different pair of whites. Comfort was necessary in his room... Opening the door for his younger brother, he stepped aside to let him in, but not without pressuring him with a short stare when he noticed the nervousness in his eyes, "Yeah. Just take your stuff to the table again and take a seat." Taking his eyes to somewhere else now, he further explained what they'd be doing, "I'll help you understand the steps of the math problems and the questions they give afterwards. Before moving on, I'm also going to give you questions I make up myself just to give you extra practice. Because you're not going to be able to get it right off the bad, I know that for sure not just because you've neglected math for a while, but its more complex than what you did before so..."

 

He closed the door out of habit after Hiro came in and let out a sigh, "Time to get started. We'll be at it for quite a while, its best not to waste the day away by a slow start."

[grizzly]

(Back!)

 

Taking a seat by the table, he immediately opened the book a couple chapters in. He was behind, but he wasn't completely clueless to the material. He understood the basics, but that was pretty much it. And with just that much, he really couldn't progress through the next chapter since the material seemed so utterly out of reach. It was like he jumped an entire book ahead from just the last chapter. He took to his work like last night and skimmed through the book to review the section before working on the questions the book provided. He saw Kou working on his own homework, and he was curious on just how ahead Kou was from him. But he also wanted to avoid any confrontation or even interaction with his brother. He just needed Kou to help him with his work, because there was no sense in backing out now just because of a stupid little dream.

 

Simple algebra he had down pat. However, he was reviewing calculus, which he never exposed himself to until now. "Um, Kou?" He asked while tapping his pencil on the desk. He could see his brother was busy with his own work, but he was sure he could handle being away from it for just a moment. "I need help with this question." He pointed to a graph of a quadratic formula, but he couldn't make sense of the graph or how he was supposed to make a formula from it. When he was in class earlier that day, he had seen much more complex graphs, and he had no idea what to make of the formulas. Knowing how terrible he was with math, it could take a lot of time and patience away from Kou.

[Coffee-Tastic]

(Did you party like a rockstar or what??)

 

"Sure," he put his own pencil. He was around to be used specifically for help, so he didn't mind putting his tasks to the side. And anyways, his work only took writing, no other efforts. It was so relaxing being the smart one. Kou stood and leaned by Hiroto to be able to quickly look over the graph there and the instructions, nodding when he processed it into his system, "Okay, so... Given the naked parabolic graph at the right, you are told that the x-intercepts and y-intercept are integer values. Since we know that the x-intercepts are integer values, we can read them off the graph to be. Since we know that the x-intercepts are integer values, we can read them off the graph to be (-3,0) and (4,0). If the x-intercepts are (-3,0) and (4,0), we know that the roots (zeros) of the equation will be..." He continued explaining, using the tip of his finger to point and then going as far as to take Hiro's pencil and paper to slowly go through the steps of the problem.

 

Kou was in his zone again, so he showed no bias of what Hiro was unable to do and he didn't give any kind of sarcastic remarks about anything. He didn't need to... He was supposed to be the good tutor that got his 'pupil' out of the danger line in school. "And so," he said, putting down the pencil after circling the answers, "The formula that correctly satisfies the graph is y = (x + 3)(x - 4) or y = x² - x - 12." He stood up straight again and put his hands on his hips, "Do you understand? The next problem is just like that, so there you can try doing it yourself. If anything you can use what I just did as a base."

[grizzly]

(I still taste tequila... So maybe? Lol How'd your weekend go?)

 

When Kou knelt down, he held his breath momentarily until he realized he was only instructing him. Kou had made it seem so easy, but it was commendable that he explained it as thoroughly as he could for Hiroto. Yeah, he had to dumb it down, but Hiroto really needed it. Watching that pencil in his brother's hand and how it traced along the paper was revelation enough for him to understand the formula right away. It was like a light went off into his head and he grabbed the pencil to re-do the formula to test it out again, just to get the process properly implanted into his mind. He used the same method on other questions, only to have correct answers throughout the chapter. Though, he did get lost after a couple of questions, just because he absolutely hated worded questions.

 

After a while, the silence of the room got to him once again. He rested his hand into his palm while tapping the desk with his pen with his free hand. "So," he said while drawing out the word. "How was school today?" He was curious if Kou actually tried to talk to anyone today. Unlike his brother, he never could keep tabs on him, especially at school. If Kou was the valedictorian of the school, he sure as hell didn't know, though such a title would fit him he thought. He worked harder than anyone he knew, including their father. He was always being told that he was working, but now that he's crashing at a "friend's", he wasn't sure how much truth that claim actually held.

[Coffee-Tastic]

(Weekend was good! I got a taste of what gym exercise is ;w; and I don't like it xD I'm skinny enough, I don't need to be in a festering playground of older men panting and groaning to themselves in a sweat)

 

Kou was getting more impressed with Hiroto's ability to keep trying his best at the problems he was given. He thought that it would be a lot harder to teach this dog tricks, but he was proven wrong. It made him feel kinda proud of him actually... At this rate, he might be able to get things done that he would of had to be doing in summer school. With that in mind, it was more reasonable to think of Hiro as his blood brother. Someone wouldn't even be able to tell if they were brothers, they were just too different in how they showed themselves. Rest assured, same mother and same father.

 

Raising his head from looking at his book, Kou looked at his brother and then focused back on writing, "Normal I suppose," he said, not sounding very interested in the topic of school that Hiro choose, "I met with the counselor and she let me stay in her office for lunch. She bought me food, but it was one of those greasy burgers from down the road... She had good intentions though, so that was fine." Avoiding other students during lunch was a chore sometimes. They'd hang around some classrooms and he'd have to find a teacher that would let him be by himself. If there was no other options, he'd be forced to go to the feeding grounds of the rest of the student body. "How was your day? You're the one who hasn't been around in classes very much."

[grizzly]

(Lol, I hate when they take selfies on the bench press. As if they're making gains by lifting their phone in the air.)

 

"It was alright I guess," Hiroto said with just as much disinterest. "Nobody really recognized me, they all assumed I was in the wrong class." He had a slight frown on his face when he resumed writing in his journal. He was expecting a flock of people welcoming him with warm smiles and the like, but classes were always dull and boring. Just how Kou was able to find entertainment out of studying, he would never know. It was hard enough that he had to work hard enough to catch up on the class, but now he was also estranged from his classmates. There was more to school than just work, after all a human needed company every once in a while. Well, Kou was another case; he could be an astronaut lost in space and still be able to handle himself he imagined.

 

"What are you going to do after high school?" He asked while twirling some of his hair between his fingers. He didn't have a plan after high school other than hanging out with his friends. No matter what, a person was willing to have someone crash at their place and eat their junk food. For money, he thought about joining some band his friends were starting up. His piano skills were rusty from when he was a child, but he knew how to play the drums somewhat after he dated a drummer for a while. She was his first "love", or so he thought. He had many heart breaks after her, so it was a general rule for him to never consider going steady with someone.

 

Now that he was considering school, he wasn't even sure of what job he would want. He was curious about what his brother had in mind for his own future. Maybe his brother wanted to work for some big-time company, wearing a suit to work everyday. Such a mundane picture bored him, he could never imagine doing the same thing day after day and call it work.

[Coffee-Tastic]

(They might loose a calorie or two just because one picture 'isnt enough' or 'it isnt perfect' Its like they'll be clicking pictures for forEVERR)

 

Hiro telling him that nobody recognized him, Kou chuckled to himself a little and shook his head. What else would he have expected? Hopefully for his baby brother, his face would be remembered and be seen doing the hardest at the tasks that he has to do. It's better to be remembered as a failure that pulled his weight back above water rather than being just a failure. That was for sure. Kou can gladly live with that and so could Hiroto.

 

"Easy. I'm going to go to medical school and I'm going to become a surgeon. And on the side, I'll also be a scientist because I want to also make new medicines with fewer side effects." He rolled his life in a reel in his head many many times. More times than children replayed the movie Frozen on their home television. "If things are going okay being a surgeon, I'll stay as that. If I find more interest in being medical science, I'll just do that. Either way, I want to be able to make a lot of money. Recognition as well, that including having my name come up on Google." Because wouldn't that be something? Glory. He loved being glorified. It was frightening how much he loved it.

 

That was only because he never really got that from his parents. Kou never showed that it mattered, if he did, it was barely enough for anyone to worry about him, that his family was broken. Hiroto acted out because of it, the brunet's pain turned into the manifestations of selfish human desire. But nobody can tell him it was a bad thing. After all, Kou was in fact, the good brother.

[grizzly]

Being a surgeon and saving countless lives seemed commendable to Hiroto. It was a tough job that would always keep Kou busy and eager to learn more, so it seemed more suiting to him than being in a suit sitting in front of a screen all day. However, he was more than just ambitious. It was like he sucked all of the motivation and energy away from Hiroto, which would explain why they are practically polar opposites. He didn't understand the being famous all too well, but he too did want to be on television. He wanted the limelight when he would strike that home run next to his favorite baseball player Ichiru Suzuki, but that was all when he was a child. If he had to really think about what he personally wanted to pursue, it would have to be something that would leave his imprint on the world as well. But not for the sake of fame, but just to make the world a better place, as ironic as it sounds.

 

Hiroto was a punk that did nothing to progress the world in any way. Maybe he wanted to compensate for that, so he had a sudden thought of being something heroic like being a police officer or fire fighter. Even joining the military was taken into consideration, though he loved his hair too much to shave it all away.

 

"I can see that," Hiroto said in response to Kou's answer. "I'm thinking of being a police officer-maybe even a fire fighter." He cupped his cheek, hoping Kou wouldn't point out how out of the blue his goals were. Who would imagine a delinquent that had partaken in underage drinking everyday would be the neighbor's newest police officer? It too unrealistic, but he was beginning to get set on the idea. In a sense, Hiroto resuming school was impossible, yet he overcame that barrier. He just had to keep his sights on the future like Kou, and eventually he'll get there he thought.

[Coffee-Tastic]

It was probably cruel to think like this, but Kou wasn't too surprised by his choices of paths. If he wasn't going to be a phoney rockstar or something, of course Hiroto would contemplate doing such a basic go-to job. Being a police officer had you go to some classes, pass some tests on fitness, and they give you a badge and you're a hero. Being a firefighter had you take classes, pass some tests on fitness, and they give you a helmet, assign you someplace and you're a hero. There wasn't anything special about that. It was so simple of a career plan that any kindergarten class would have 50 percent of the kids wanting to do the same thing. The other 50 percent would say they wanted to be a doctor, which they might not ever do, be a model, which they might not ever do, or be a phoney rockstar, which they'd never do.

 

Wow, his thoughts got very mean very fast... But what else is new.

 

He coughed and held his tongue from saying any of what he thought in his head, "Those are very doable for someone like yourself. I wish you the best of luck."

 

And well, if Hiroto didn't make it to being either of them, he could use his looks and be the kind of firefighter or policemen that call in for house calls by lonely women...

 

Stop! He's trying to actually do something for once! Kou frowned at himself and turned his head away slightly, "I think being a firefighter would be more suitable because there's many laws you'd have to remember."

 

Hiroto wouldn't even be able to remember ten laws a policeman had to follow...

 

Kou, stop it! Shut up! "And being a firefighter relies more on your strength. And there's equipment to protect you from fire."

 

Except Hiroto already has a cancerous amount of tar in his lungs from smoking so much....

 

Kou sighed heavily and covered his face. He was a horrible brother. Kou couldn't stop thinking of rude things to say in response to him. "Just... Just do whatever you want. I wish you luck."

[grizzly]

(I gotta disappear this weekend again lol)

 

"Something up?" Hiroto asked when he saw Kou cover up his face. He knew his choices were nothing comparable to a full blown surgeon. Being a firefighter and police officer took physical strength, and anything else he could improvise on the way like he always did. Being an officer could be heroic, if he wasn't a patrol officer in the outskirts of a city that hardly sees any crime. Being a surgeon would be more heroic in comparison, but it wasn't like he could work that hard. He could have all the motivation in the world, but he just couldn't reach that level of intelligence.

 

"If you have something to say, just say it," he said, biting his lip to try to hide his growing distress. Maybe he was just worried because those were potentially dangerous jobs? Hiroto knew that wasn't the case. He knew Kou since the day he was born, so it was clear to him what Kou was thinking. But, he was keeping it to himself, or at least he was trying to. He picked his pencil back up to put his attention back into his school work. If he fought with Kou now, there was no telling what could happen.

[Coffee-Tastic]

( aw ;~; Thats okay though! Hope to continue when you're available!)

 

No he wasn't going to say it, not even if his brother persisted harder. It was in his nature to just say something mean about it. It was the kind of rudeness that only siblings could experience. In twenty years, they were sure to say things they don't mean and start fighting about it, he predicted that. He wasn't sure if it was just him, but Kou felt good when he spoke bad about others, inducing Hiro. The feeling was like carrying off the lid of a steaming pot. Releasing bad things was always good, that was a scientific fact, but in the brunet's case, that release wasn't a very healthy form of it. Kou was quite the evil boy deep inside.

 

Seeing that Hiroto probably knew what was on his mind, he put down his hand and mumbled, "Its better if I didn't." Hey, but at least Kou was learning some self control too! Kou didn't want Hiro to say anything about his comment, so he laid his back on the headboard of his bed and picked up his legs so he could continue to write, "You've been doing really good lately so I'm trying not to say anything I might normally say... That was a part of the promise too wasn't it? That I'd 'nag' less... So I'm nagging less." He tapped the eraser side of his pencil on the paper, "Instead you can tell me what you want for dinner. I'll make whatever it is you want for your valiance in studies."

[grizzly]

(Sorry for the late reply. I'm never on the weekends since I play D&D like a nerd all day.)

 

Hiroto secretly appreciated his brother's honesty, a trait he lacked plenty of. He decided not to pry too much into it since he would have wanted the same. So he relaxed and turned the page in his book to make it seem like he was at ease. "I might change my mind later on what I'll want to be after I figure out what my strengths are," he said to reassure Kou. He wasn't no Denton Cooley with a scalpel like what his brother might be, but he knew he wanted to bring meaning to his life.

 

Hiroto perked up to the idea of food though, since he thoroughly enjoyed his brother's cooking. He would have to ask him on some pointers if he was to survive without Kou when he moved out. He didn't know the basics like laundry, cooking, or how to do something like balance a check book. It was scary to think that he was close to being an adult since he was still mentally a child.

 

"Could you make tonkatsu?" He asked. Pork cutlets were one of his favorite dishes since it was so easily prepared, but he hoped to watch his brother prepare it just so he could make it on his own later. He remembered asking Kou to make it almost every other day which obviously annoyed the hell out of his brother, so he wouldn't be too surprised if he was sick of the dish.

[Coffee-Tastic]

(Nerd power xD Its okay. I understand~ I had MtG nerd club tournaments in school and I never backed out for anything >:3 )

 

And now Hiro was thinking better. Who knows what his strengths might actually be when he dives deeper into being taught new things? What if he was surprisingly good at reading the periodic table of elements and mixing together chemicals or understanding literature? Both of those wouldn't come to Hiro quickly at all, but he'd figure it out... But he better not come out outshining him. Kou might be the kind of person to poison his drink just to make sure he was the star child of the two of them. Cruel, but he'd be damned if all his had work was beaten by him. Highly unlikely, but in a world of possibilities, there was always a small chance for the impossible... Nah. He doubted it.

 

"Of course I can make tonkatsu," he grinned and shook his head. Kou enjoyed the dish as much as Hiroto did... Maybe not exactly the same, because he wouldn't have made it his choice to eat it every other day like his brother did back then, but he liked it. "Tonkatsu it is... Hiro gets tonkatsu for being a good boy." He said that as if he were praising a dog. This dog, Hiroto, was doing good at training! His learning ability and eagerness were both a surprise to Kou since before this mutt never behaved and he always went around humping the all pretty girls. In no time, he'd be proud to wear a collar with a gold star on it. Kou might actually get him gold star stickers if he had the chance. It would be a nice gag, wouldn't it?

[grizzly]

(I could've sworn I posted a reply in this thread the other day. Do you play Hearthstone?)

 

"Yes!" He exclaimed with the raise of his arms. "I'll help you with making it. I was thinking of trying to add cheese to it this time, if we even have some." He was more than esctatic to make his favorite meal of all time, but he had to keep his distance from Kou. It was as though if he touched Kou, he would shrivel up and die. He avoided Kou like the plague before he was interested in giving school another shot, but him avoiding Kou now was for a completely different reason. Whenever he looked at his brother, he had a sudden urge to play with his soft hair more, then to run his fingers down neck and shoulders to his back, then... He could already feel a blush forming on his face.

 

Immediately he stood up from the floor and used his knee for support before stretching. The blood rushed to his head and he almost fell over with how stiff his legs were from sitting down for so long, but it was mostly his back aching from when he hunched over the table all day. He could really go for a massage, but a hot bath sounded just as good.

 

"Let's get started then, I'm starving." He placed his pencil in the center of the book to save his place and gently closed it to make sure nothing would get marked or creased on accident before he walked towards the kitchen.

[Coffee-Tastic]

(X3 that's okay, don't worry! I don't play Hearthstone, the Gathering was the last kind of fantasy game I've played :/ )

 

Kou also kept his eyes on the book, making sure Hiroto still treated it with his kind of TLC. When he mentally approved of its care, he also went for the kitchen. However he wasn't blind to something else either. He must really want that cheese with his cutlets if he was starting to blush. Kou was happy his brother was starting to change his ways, but he didn't ask for him to start becoming defective in other ways. He could just be getting embarrassed for them starting to act like real brothers... Helping him cook it? That certainly wasn't common.

 

"This is a fairly easy thing to do, so just pay attention and you'll probably be able to do it yourself the next time you wanted to do it..." He paused, taking the ingredients out of the fridge, the chicken and the eggs, "... Maybe not the next time. I don't know if I can trust you with my kitchen yet." The thought of Hiroto making a mess and getting things burned wasn't a good image in his head. When he said this was his kitchen, he meant it. Since there was no mother to be cooking and doing the dishes, Kou took those jobs and deemed the kitchen his. The stove, the pots, the pans... Those were all his. "Especially if we're going to deal with cheese. That burns and can mess up the bottom of the pan."

 

Flour, eggs, breadcrumbs... He put them on the counter and went to get the oil, "Do me a favor. Get a three containers out and crack three eggs in one of them, then stir it... But wash your hands first." Kou gave him a glance, wetting his own hands in the sink with some soap. His hands always kept a high level of cleanliness since he liked to use sanitizer, but since it was cooking, there was no excuse not to wash your hands...

 

Cooking with Hiro... It was a lot less necessary than doing school work with him, but it was a relaxing thing to do, so it was a good thing to share. Hiroto wasn't going to start cooking that was for sure, but all this teaching made him feel like a good big brother. Not the big brother who constantly had been bashing his sibling in his head.

[grizzly]

(Eh, honestly Hearthstone isn't that great. I'm just looking for more people that play the same games as me.)

 

"I think I could handle grabbing a couple things from the fridge," he said while raising his brow. "Just make me do the simple things, like... Uhhh." He didn't even know where to being with. But really, it couldn't be so hard that he couldn't be bothered to even try. "If I do make a mess, I'll be sure to clean it up." He hoped that would be enough to reassure Kou, but he wouldn't be too upset if Kou really did kick him out. He was still lazy at heart, and it took a lot out of him to stay motivated to just not nap in his room at the moment. But, he had to keep reminding himself the bonuses that would come if he really did stick around to learn. If he knew how to cook, then not only would he impress Kou, but he wouldn't have to beg him to make every dish he wanted for the night.

 

When Kou finally got over Hiroto invading his kitchen, he went straight for the sink to wash his hands. He was eager to please and washed all the way up to his elbows with a grin on his face. "Hands are clean!" He announced while he walked over beside Kou with a slight bounce in his step. He grabbed the containers and eggs and moved over to the sink. That way, if he really was awful at doing something as simple as cracking an egg, at least he wouldn't have to clean it. But he managed to crack the first egg alright, it just got all over his hands. The second egg and the last were cracked with less complications. He sprayed his dirty hand real quick with water and grabbed a spoon to mix the eggs, trying to mix the egg whites and yolk together until they were one solid color.

 

"Is this alright?" He asked while handing Kou the container. Some of the yolk had dripped down the side of the bowl, and it wasn't thoroughly mixed, but he had managed to make sure no egg shell worked its way into the bowl.

[Coffee-Tastic]

( @_@ You just reminded me I needed to add you on my ds!! I will literally do that after I reply and find the code you gave me! I found the ds, but then I started to play it again until I had to go somewhere else xD )

 

Kou was ever so carefully laying out the flour in one container, leveling the white powder to the bottom, then laying out the bread crumbs in the next one, also leveling out the crumbs perfectly... but then he was given Hiro's container and... he wasn't proud. Kou looked at it with a grimace and then looked up at his brother, with a fake smile, "No. But you could have done worse." Being the cook around here, you'd think he'd be okay with touching some egg yolk, but Kou hated the texture of eggs the most. It was so gooey and just... yuck! But as punishment, he picked up the yolk on his finger and smeared it on his brother's nose, "And don't waste any of the ingredients. Keep everything in the container you mix with. I understand you're a brute, but it is possible to beat the eggs without making a mess, you know." He took the container from Hiro and waved him off, "Go get a big plate then wash each cutlet while I do the eggs properly... then put them down on the plate."

 

"And by wash, I mean with just water. Don't actually wash it with soap." He felt like he needed to be clear on that one.

 

He smirked, taking the eggs and put the spoon in the sink, "Also, don't whisk eggs with a spoon. We're trying to beat them, not move them around in the bowl." Kou took a fork to finish Hiro's incomplete egg soup. With his brother's egg skills, he was seriously wondering if he ingested some air pockets of pancake mix when he had made him pancakes. Salmonella wasn't fun. And Hiro wouldn't be having a fun time if he got sick because of him.