Open Broke and Broken

[Yamamoto Akira]

With the weekend rolling by it seemed that Akira had finally found himself some downtime, and he was going to use that. As he looked at the shrapnel in his hand, the smell of food in the air, and the hustle and bustle of a busy weekend in the streets of Konoha, he tried to figure out what to do with himself at that moment. As he walked around he noticed that his stomach was growling at him in those few minutes, it was of course natural living in a big household he had never really had much luck with pocket money, or anything really.

"Well, I guess I should check out somewhere to eat, after all, it's getting busy by the minute"

His thoughts were out allowed in a moment of thinking, walking down the streets he stopped outside the famous ramen shop of Leaf, however, bitterness sank back in for a few seconds as he looked at the prices, it seemed that with fame it would of course come with the expected price rise in the goods. Of course, he understood how a business would work, and knew full well that this should have been expected. Rattiling the change in his pocket, he instantly knew that even with what he had been given it would not be enough to get him a bowl or ramen.

He felt his stomach rumble once more as his hand reached down and held it for a few seconds, annoyance coming over his features as he quickly composted himself, guessing that today like most days in his life, his luck was just not going to be with him.

[MFT: 275]

 

[Kiriyomi]

Kiriyomi was walking through the Red Oak District, glad to finally have a break from training this weekend. He had been mercilessly preparing for the exams coming soon, and decided to take a break to walk around and just take some time to himself. Perhaps he would even get something to eat. Hey! Kiriyomi, why don't we get some dango! You know how much I love me some dango, can we PLEASE get some? I've been behaving a lot lately, and I think that I deserve a treat for not attacking everyone. You know that little shit Shusuke really gets under my chitin, but I have been holding myself back from tearing out his throat. And what the hell is up with that kid Keniwa? Your brother?! What about me! I come first...

Kiri shakes his head as his buddy rants on and on into his head, trying to push the ant's rambling from his mind. Today was about relaxation, he wasn't going to listen to anyone else. Following his nose, Kiri ends up outside of Konoha's famous ramen shop. Jingling the yen in his pocket, Kiri begins to step towards the front door when he hears a rumbling sound coming from behind him. Turning, he sees a small child standing there holding his stomach. "Hey kid. You go to the Academy, right? I think I've seen you there before. What are you doing out here by yourself? What's your name? I'm Aburame Kiriyomi, wanna share a bowl of ramen and swap some stories about the Academy? I can give you some pointers if you need them, I'm actually taking my exams soon."

[Topic Entered]
[MFT: 272]

 

[Yamamoto Akira]

The small boy looked up at the approach, it seemed like he was already spotted even inside of the busy crowd he knew full well that it was strange for two young people to run into each other this way, he considered the chances but decided not to get into it right now. As he looked at the boy it was clear he must have been experienced and above him inside of the Academy. After all his body showed that much and the strength, even the aura that came from him was already causing him to tremble slightly, it was a lot to take in.

"I think I can just scrape by....My name is Yamamoto Akira, I haven't even had my first day at the academy, only just being allowed inside this year. It is a pleasure to meet you and of course, I would love to hear any of the experience or advice that you can give, I really am just at the very bottom starting out."

Akira glanced around the crowds, in those few seconds he waited to watch what Kiriyomi would do, and also took note of his stance and build, as well as the fact that he did drop the name Aburame with his name, he tried to think what that meant but really couldn't actually figure it out. As he allowed himself a few moments he waited to follow the boy in deciding to leave everything down to him in those few moments, he would give way to seniority its what he did all his life and today seemed to be no different.

[MFT: 268]

 

[Kiriyomi]

Kiriyomi smiles down at the small boy, walking over closer to him as his Kikai pour out and create his prosthetic arm. Kneeling down, Kiri extends a hand towards the boy in an offer to shake his own. He gets the sense that this boy is rather nervous, glancing around at the crowded streets around them. Realizing how demanding he had been in his line of questioning, he decides to take on a more gentle tone when speaking this time. "Well, don't just sit there. I promise, they won't bite. You can shake my hand without worrying about that. Also, I'm sorry if the way I came across was rather abrupt. I'm used to speaking to other kids my own age, but you can't be more than... what, 6 or 7? Starting at the Academy early? Not bad, congratulations to you. Anyway, come on in and let's grab a seat. My treat. I'd love to hear more about what you hope to get out of the Academy and what your goals are as a shinobi! There are so many different paths, I'm always interested to learn of someone else's goals."

Kiri would stand up and turn back towards the ramen shop, checking behind him to make sure that Akira was following. Inside, it was rather packed, and he motioned to the host that there were going to be two of them, and she nodded. She led Kiri back towards a small table in the back of the shop, where it was a little quieter but also warmer as they were closer to the kitchen. The smell wafting out through the swinging door made his mouth water, and he looked over to see if Akira had followed him to the table or not. He wasn't going to force the boy to eat, but he just couldn't, in good conscience, leave the boy out on the street with a growling stomach.

 

[Yamamoto Akira]

Looking back at the hand coming out, it was the very first time that someone had even tried such a thing. Normally he was always the one that opened the door for someone to come in and speak to a family member but no this time it was him that was getting the attention, he tried to fathom that but still, he took the hand and that small face, allowed a warm welcoming smile as he listened to the man speaking.

"Small for my age, but eight actually, first day in the Academy soon, and I really don't know what is expected of me all I know is it's expected I join the man branch, family pushing their dreams and ambitions on me and not really giving much thought to what I want.."

Listening he nodded as he followed the boy into the back of the tables and grabbed a seat opposite him, the warms allowing him to get out of the cold that had been consuming him, as he allowed himself to sit there, pondering in those few moments on what to order, he had never been taken out for a meal, really his life was pretty bad when he considered it, and now the Academy gave him that freedom, to see and explore to learn and understand, all of it was his for the taking if he wanted, but he needed to learn, knowledge was going to allow him to understand the truth later down the line.

"So tell me, what are your goals, this place is amazing, who knew that such a restaurant existed, I really don't get out much so I apologize for being all over the place, any recommendations?"

It seemed his brain was racing with questions, but for now, he would need to calm them down and control them not letting himself get ahead of what he was talking about at the time.

 

[Kiriyomi]

Kiriyomi looks at the boy in surprise when he reveals his age; Akira was definitely a little scrawny for his age. The boy could definitely do with a good meal or three. Kiri also understood the pressure of his family pushing their dreams and ambitions onto him. Satsu and Suniwa had both been pushing him to join the medical branch, since Suniwa had been a medic, because it was the safest option for him. Staying in the village and taking a position at the Byoin, rather than going out on mission and being a field medic. He wasn't quite sure that he wanted to do that, though; what path lay ahead of him, the Aburame boy wasn't sure of anymore.

"So tell me, what are your goals, this place is amazing, who knew that such a restaurant existed, I really don't get out much so I apologize for being all over the place, any recommendations?"

Kiri chuckled as the boy's train of thought bounces around all over the place, glancing down at the menu. He hadn't actually been out in quite some time, usually eating a bento that his mother made for him and grabbing some dango on his way home. So what would be a good recommendation, especially for a child that didn't get out very often? He smiled at a passing waitress, who stepped up to the table with two glasses of water. "Hi. So it's been a while since I've been here, and I notice the menu has added some new items. Could we get two orders of whatever is most popular? Everything will be on one check, by the way. Also, could we get an order of today's special to go when we finish our meals? My friend here doesn't get out often, so I'm treating him to a day on the town. He's actually starting at the Academy soon!"

"Of course, sir! We can do that for you, and congratulations! My little brother will actually be trying to enter the Academy in a couple of years, so if you meet him, please guide him on his path. I'll have that out as quickly as I can."

Turning back to Akira, Kiri flashes him a grin not unlike one that Akio was often seen wearing. "As for my goals, well, they've actually changed as of late. I was focusing on Genjutsu to begin with, but I have recently found that my affinity really lies in Ninjutsu instead. Thankfully I have some friends that make up for the areas that I lack. I don't know if I am going to follow my father's footsteps and join the main branch, or my mother's and join the medical branch. My father actually passed a few years ago, and I'm just lucky to be able to continue on my path towards being a shinobi. I lost my arm on a mission because I was careless, thinking that my skills were strong enough to protect my friends... So I would say that my main goal is getting strong enough to protect my friends and family, and by that I mean the whole village. As we are basically one large family."

 

[Yamamoto Akira]

Akira listened to the boy as he looked at the menu trying to figure out any specialties or anything like this, though from what he could tell everything was new and had that wonderment of unknown in his eyes, he had never really been inside any of the food places around. As he listened to the boy speaking to the waitress, he stayed quiet deciding to not respond or interrupt until he had the opportunity to speak, after his first encounter he would not be called someone who interrupted and caused issues or was rude, that wouldn't due for any reputation he had.

"I will do that, I cannot wait to start, see the world, and see what everyone has to offer, the future seems bright, and right now making friends is just a new step in life, thank you!"

He was very enthusiastic as the waitress walked away, bringing his attention back to Kiriyomi as he spoke tilting his head as he listened to the boy speaking, and the talk about Genjutsu, and the swapping of focus. Of course, the more interesting part was his future and what he had to go through as he listened to the boy speaking of his trials, so young and already through so much he pondered for a few moments what this would mean for his own future, as it seemed the Shiobi life was a lot harder than he even thought about, or even considered possible for those of the Academy to go through.

"It seems like you have been through so much, even for such a goal as protecting everyone, I have to ask, and do not take this wrong, it means no offense, but why protect everyone? I have seen what Shinobi do when they take this life as a career, the coldness, the sidetracking, the ones they cast out or just let get on with it, why not just give love, and be kind to those closest to you? Having that in someone's life would be the best thing, just knowing that someone was there for you, or that your friends are reliable, not just protecting you, but helping you isn't that worthier?"

Akira hoped that he had not overstepped the mark with his comments but he would wait to see what answer would be given to him from the boy, after all, he was here to learn as much as he could.

 

[Kiriyomi]

Kiriyomi smiles at the boy seated across from him, surprised by his take on the shinobi of the village. He'd never considered that point of view before; his father never succumbed to the coldness that so many others had. Satsu shared the same views as Kiri: the village is one large family and everyone in it deserved protection. "I can't speak for all of the shinobi in this village. I have seen this coldness that you speak of, and have been on the receiving end myself. When my father died, many of his acquaintances never showed up to the funeral. Some of them came by in the weeks following, but most of them just ignored us. My mother explained that this was natural, as death is just a part of the natural order in the shinobi world. But I refuse to condemn myself to a life like that. I want to share my life with as many people as possible, trying to brighten their lives if even for a moment, in a meaningful way. I'm not going to push away my friends; I will make sure that those closest to me know that I will always defend them and help them in their darkest days. However, I also want the rest of the village to know that I am there for them if they need it as well."

Kiri sits back and takes a sip of his water, pleased with the answer that he gave. Perhaps the boy would have a rebuttal; he had an intelligence far beyond his years, and Kiriyomi was pleased to have this discussion with him. It wasn't often that he got to do this, lately. He was so caught up with the exams and school that it was nice to just sit and have a conversation. As he was thinking this, their food arrived and the bowls were placed before them. As usual, the swift service was something to be commended. "Here you go boys! Two bowls of tonkotsu ramen! Enjoy your meal, and let me know when you would like for us to prepare your extra bowl to go. We'll whip it up for you so it's fresh before you go!" With that, the waitress bounced off to another table to greet them. Kiri smiled at Akira again, gesturing for the boy to dig in, as he prepares his own chopsticks and turns his gaze down to his bowl.

 

[Yamamoto Akira]

Akira sat there listening to the man speaking, it was clear that he did at least have experience, and had seen a lot, his story seemed to go quite deep but Akira stayed silent it seemed that his experience has also given him that eye-opening time to understand and see how Shinobi worked.

"It does sound sensible to try and make sure your friends are important, and that your ideas stick to the village as well, those are things that are truly worth their own Shinobi dream. You have to keep your core values and make sure that you never let them go, after all, that is what we really need in this world. Shame I have never had a friend to really protect, anyone to look after me, I just scrounged around my life I mean isn't that just how this works, I'm expected to follow everyone and follow the plan, never to change from it or detour from what is expected."

Before he finished his words the woman arrived back with the boals, Akira smiled and didn't even think this was the first time eating out for him in his life, and the food looked amazing, instead of saying the normal manners or waiting, the chopsticks were in his hands and he was devouring the bow, the noodles coming as he slurped on them, savoring the taste of the noodles that they gave. It was only enhanced by the smell as well. He really couldn't fathom that food like this existed in the world no he was experiencing so much and only on one day out.

[MFT: 268]

 

[Kiriyomi]

Kiriyomi's heart hurt as he listened to the boy say that he has never really had a friend, anyone to look after him, and that he was expected to just follow along with someone else and their plans for him. That didn't sound like a way to live, and that was when he decided to take the boy under his wing. No matter what happened, he was going to leave this restaurant today with a friend and the best meal that he's probably had in quite some time. This belief was solidified as Akira dug right in, slurping up noodles and clearly enjoying every bite that he shoveled into his mouth. Kiri couldn't help but laugh at him. The enthusiasm he was showing for something as simple as ramen was sad, but at the same time pure and something to be protected.

In between bites of his own meal, Kiri would try and tread lightly by asking some personal questions. "So, you said that your family is in the Main Branch, right? Is that really what you want to do? Or have you thought of maybe joining the Medical Branch? There are tons of options with either one, of course. You have plenty of time to figure it out. Don't let someone else pressure you into doing something that you don't want to do. Once you become a shinobi, you have all the power to decide things for yourself. I know it may not feel like it now, but trust me. I still don't really know where I'm heading either, and I'm about to graduate. So don't think that you have to have it all figured out right now. You can forge your own path one day at a time. Also I know what it's like, not having many friends growing up. Would you like to meet my best friend?" As he speaks, Kiri reaches up to his hair and holds out a finger. A small ant comes crawling out, looking at Kiri's hand then across to Akira. He steps down onto the proferred finger, all the while staring at Akira.

[MFT: 350]

 

[Yamamoto Akira]

Akira looked at the boy as he spoke, between ramming his face full of the food it seemed he had an understanding of what would be required of him, but even now he was still trying to understand what he wanted to do, no-one had really asked him what he wanted to do, the thought even of this stopped him eating in his tracks, the noodles still hanging from his mouth as he remembered were he was an brought them back inside of his mouth quickly and pondered the question for a few moments. He finished his mouth full as he listened to the other boy speaking to him, it seemed that he did have an opinion, or rather he understood what the path he took could actually mean.

"Honestly, the first person to ever ask me that question, and the truth is much worse, I don't know is the simple answer, I have noth path that I have ever considered walking myself, hell normally I am the one on the swings once everyone has gone home, I hate being in the house, its always your brothers did this better than you, why couldn't you be more like them. I just know that for now, I don't know what I want."

Listening to the end he looked at the ant for a few moments trying to figure out what to make of it, before a smile spread across his lips as he pondered how much easier life would bein that world, after all hard as it was, they had one purpose and goal.

"Hey little dude, nice to meet you"

[MFT:269]

 

[Kiriyomi]

Kiriyomi chuckles to himself as Akira stops eating for a moment, a noodle hanging loosely from his mouth before slurping it up and finishing chewing. There was an ache in his chest as he listened to the boy continue talking, saying that the Aburame was the first person to ever ask him what he wanted to do. How hard his life must be, if people were just thrusting their own expectations onto him and thinking that he was going to blindly follow what they wanted rather than allowing the young boy to explore and make his own decisions. Kiri shakes his head sadly as Kohara flies over to land on Akira's hand, tapping it in greeting.

"You know, there's nothing wrong with not knowing what you want yet! I still don't know what I'm going to do either. My mother was part of the Medical Branch, and would like me to safely join the Byoin and not go out into battles against bandits and rogue shinobi so that I'm safe. But I want to be able to better protect the village! I actually recently met someone that caught my interest; he was dressed kinda funny too. He was wearing a black cloak and had this funny looking mask, so I don't know who he was or what branch he belongs to. But he was really strong, working with his Ninken to protect some people inside the Forest of Death when this massive tree started to attack everyone. Oh, but don't go out into the Forest of Death. That's not allowed for Academy Students... I shouldn't have been out there either, but the sound of the battle drew my attention and I wanted to make sure that everyone was okay. Thankfully nobody was severely hurt, but these two masked figures pretty much saved the day. I really want to learn more about them and maybe join them one day!"

 

[Yamamoto Akira]

Akira allowed himself to listen to the words of Kiriyomi, as he finished off what was left of the food in what would have been considered record time by most people, of course, the fact that it just tasted so good and it was not something he usually experienced probably allowed him to also finish it a lot quicker than he normally would have. As he got some advice on what to do he tried to think about the options, or even what experiences he had in his life that would have changed who he was, and what he would want to do. But considering this was still his first time out of the house, all of that was completely new to him.

"I see, so maybe when things at the Academy start, and I find teachers and start learning everything will just come to me, there won't be a need for me to have to worry about which path to take and what option suits me so much, instead it may be that my experiences really do show me what I need to do in the future."

Akira finishing his bowl placed his chopsticks down across the bowl for a few moments and pondered though he knew full well that most of his assumptions, or his reasoning was just around the fact that he had not been to a lesson yet, he had not experienced his own way of the world and still had to learn everything. He knew the potential for his future was out there, but just didn't know how that would lead him or what path that would lead him on. Inside his head, as he twiddled with the chopsticks the pleasant smile he had learned to hide his real emotions from was on his face, he understood that only time would tell.

[MFT:310]

 

[Kiriyomi]

The waitress stops by the table, picking up the empty bowls of the two boys before refilling their glasses of water and pouring each of them a cup of tea, which Kiriyomi thanks her for. She heads back to the kitchen to gather the second meal that he had purchased for his new friend, and Kiri smiles at him. "That's exactly it! Don't let anyone pressure you; life will tell you which path you're supposed to be on as you experience it. Just go with the flow, keep your head above water, and surround yourself with like-minded individuals that will support you through whatever it is you decide to do. I'd be happy to call myself your first friend, if you'd allow me to be that for you. I know that we're years apart and I'm about to graduate, but it doesn't hurt to have someone as a friend that can help guide you through some of the harder parts of life. I'd be more than happy to introduce you to some more of my friends when you have the time, as well. They're all really nice and I'm sure they'd be happy to be your friend as well!"

Kiri smiles at Akira as he sips his tea, sighing happily as it hits just the right spot. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, Kiri notices the waitress coming back over to the table with the bagged meal for Akira to take home. Reaching into his pocket, he slips out some money and hands it to the waitress as payment for their meals and slides a little extra into the bag that he hands to the boy sitting across from him before Akira could notice. Taking in the boy's clothes as they sat at this meal together, Kiriyomi quickly gathered that he likely wasn't wearing anything new. It appeared that the clothes that he was wearing were hand-me-downs, and if that were the case, Kiri felt like the boy rarely wore anything of his own. If his standing outside the front of the ramen shop hungry were any indication, then it was likely that the boy had no pocket change. With the missions that Kiri had been taking lately, along with still living with his mother, he had a surplus of funds and didn't feel bad whatsoever at slipping some to his new friend.

 

[Yamamoto Akira]

Akira had without fail successfully demolished the entire bowl of food that he had been given, it tasted amazing and as he felt filled to the brim and ready to burst with food. Leaning back he took the tea that was on the table and allowed himself to take a sip, it was refreshing and of course allowed him to taste and experience a new thing. As he listened to Kiriyomi talking he wondered what it would be like trying to graduate, and of course the open offer to be introduced to other people of a similar age, he was never really going to complain at that offer.

"So it seems that you have been very kind this trip, and its nice to walk away with a friend and not having to be the punching bag of a conversation for once. Its a change, and shows that not all Shinobi are just looking for a way to walk over people this has been an eye opening experience to say the least, so I would like to thank you for that at least."

He smiled and watched the meal being put down in front of his face, he knew fully well that he would have to find somewhere that wasn't at home to eat this, but honestly the longer he was out of that house the better, the more time he found himself away the less he found it as an issue. He allowed himself a smile of joy as he leaned back wondering what would come from the end of this meal, or if their would be anything else the two of them would do on this day.

[MFT: 278]

 

[Kiriyomi]

Smiling down at Akira, Kiriyomi stands up and stretches his arms over his head before reaching down and rubbing at his stomach. "I don't know about you, but I'm stuffed! That was a great meal, thank you for joining me! A meal is always better shared rather than eating alone. Now, let's go for a walk, shall we?" As the two boys head out of the ramen shop, Kiri takes a left and wanders down the street in silence for a bit, just admiring the trees and the beautiful weather that they were having. A warm breeze blows down between the shops on either side, cooling the bit of sweat that is gathering as a result of the sun beating down as it normally does in Konoha.

"You mentioned that you were happy not to be a punching bag for once... Does that happen a lot? I never really interacted with many kids my age before joining the academy, so I don't have much experience regarding that. But I will say, if you find the biggest bully and take him down, the others are likely to fall apart without him. Normally I wouldn't advise fighting back, but it is necessary at times like this. You have to show them that you aren't going to be pushed around any longer." Kiri places a hand on Akira's head and ruffles the younger boy's hair. Kohara flies ahead of them, darting directly for a stand off to the left and Kiri chuckles to himself. Well, the ant surely knew what he wanted and when he wanted it. Why the hell not. "I hope you saved room for dessert! We're getting some dango!" He rushes forward to get in line, and after a few minutes wait returns back to his friend carrying two sticks of tricolor dango. Leading them to a bench, he sits down and hands one stick to Akira before letting Kohara land on his hand. The ant crawls forward to the white dango, takes a huge bite, and flies up on top of Kiri's head to enjoy his snack.

 

[Yamamoto Akira]

Akira watched Kiriyomi stretching, as he nodded eagerly agreeing on the fact that the meal was amazing, it was probably the best food he has ever eaten, and having the company of someone to do that with was truly a new experience for him. He listened to the boy speaking as he walked beside him down the street, it was a great day to be out and about, and even walking was just a fun experience in his eyes of Akira.

"I agree, that the food was amazing, and it's great to finally see around the place, I am used to just staying at home, but being out and about is a massive change to what I am used to."

Akira continued to walk listening to Kiriyomi talk about how he never really had those problems, and the way in which he would deal with the situation, it was an interesting take but not one that he would be able to really accept or undertake on himself. Feeling his hair ruffled slightly he watched as the bug flew in front, and watched as the boy ran to get in line, the quick shift of movement left Akira in the dust, as he followed around the bench and grabbed the stick offered to him, he was looking at the food as he had never experienced it, before trying it. Everything was legitimate and exciting for Akira after all he was having the best day of his life even at his age he hated to admit that. Pausing for a second he looked down at the floor.

"Thank you Kiriyomi...."

 

[Kiriyomi]

Kiriyomi gently shakes his head at Kohara's obsession with dango before taking a bite for himself, closing his eyes and savoring the flavor for a moment. Then he turns to his friend, seeing how the boy likes the treat. Akira is sitting there quietly, looking down at the ground, before thanking him. Kiri can't help but feel sympathy for the young boy, who likely hadn't had many people show him a simple kindness such as this before. It makes him think of how shy and quiet he was, when he first started at the Academy, before he made friends with Keniwa and Akio. They brought him out of his shell and helped shape him into the person he was today. Kiri hoped that Akira would be able to make friends and memories like he had.

"Akira... Are you okay? At home, I mean. Are you treated alright? You mentioned being bullied before, and I don't mean to pry, but do you have siblings? Are they nice to you?"

 

[Yamamoto Akira]

Akira looked at the food before starting to eat it, he had experienced so much and so many new things in one day being out and about, it was amazing how much he had changed from the kid that was washing the floors of the family home daily, and being banned from going outside, oh how much his life had gotten better in only these few hours that he had spent with Kiriyomi, he wondered why he had been having it so rough, maybe he had done something to them or offended them in some way, it allowed a small sigh to escape his lips, before being snapped out of it with the more serious question that was asked his way.

"I mean, I think everything is fine at home...... it's the job of a child to do everything their parents ask for is it not? As for the bully, I never ask really, is it not just how siblings are, they pick on the youngest and then fall back on me when anything goes wrong. I am just the one that hasn't got a job, doesn't work and thus I am the one that does the house work, cleaning, cooking, hand-me-downs save money on clothes and is ignored by the family due to them being busy. This is just normal though, so I guess it's just what is expected of me."

He paused with his sentence, seeming unfazed by what he had said, after all, Akira had never been outside the house bar today, so he knew nothing of anyone else or how anything else worked in the world.

[MFT: 270]

 

[Kiriyomi]

Kiriyomi's hand halts on the way to his mouth, which is hanging open, as he listens to Akira explain about his life at home. That didn't sound like a way to live at all. He couldn't imagine not having any attention from his parents. While they both worked when Satsu was alive, they still set aside time for Kiri at the end of every day. They would go out as a family and have little adventures, exploring forest or playing in a park. They always bought him new clothes when his old ones got too worn down. He couldn't imagine having to wear hand-me-downs and never own anything new. Glad that he had slipped Akira some money, he closes his mouth and offers the rest of his dango to the boy.

"Akira... I don't know how to say this, but that doesn't sound like living to me. That sounds like being the whipping boy for you siblings, and being a work horse for your parents. Sure, I have chores to do at home; my parents still paid me an allowance, though. With that, I was able to go out like this and buy myself a little treat like some ramen or dango. I can't believe this is your first time experiencing anything like this. I don't mean to speak ill of your family, but it sounds to me like they're taking you for granted. I just want you to know, if you ever need a place to stay, you are more than welcome to come to my house. Oka-san would understand, and we have a spare room that you could stay in for as long as you'd like. Just say the word, and it's yours."

[MFT: 285]