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Like I Said I Would
By Asuka Ishida
Legend
~~~~~~~~ Flashback/End of Flashback
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"Oh..." the boy moaned as he looked at his calendar. "December 23... my birthday. Great, just great." he turned over. "Okaasan..." he looked at his room in silence. Clothes were everywhere: on desks, stereos, stacks of them across the room, and his closet was a mess. "She won't let me make a mess like this if I was still with her..." his muffled sniff could be heard across his deserted room.
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"Wake up, Ken!" a strong voice said as the sound of feet shuffled across the room. She nudged the lump on the bed. "Don't you remember what day it is?"
"Wha...?" the boy rubbed his eyes, then realized what was going on. "My birthday! It is December 23rd, right?! See, I cleaned my room, just like I said I would!"
"And I got us the tickets for the game, and a day off, like I said I would. Happy 14th birthday, Ken." she kissed him on the forehead. "C'mon now, get dressed. We need to get some shopping done."
"Okay!"
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"What are we going to buy here?" Ken asked as they entered a vase store. He moaned as he looked at all the different colours.
"Now, Ken. Just be patient. We're here to buy something for our neighbour, Kazama-san. She said she needed a vase for her flowers. Remember her son? He gave her a whole bunch of flowers for Christmas. He's also going to come visit her. She hasn't seen him for practically a year." Her mother looked at the different vases. "Don't you have some shopping to do of your own?"
"Oh yeah! I'll be back soon, don't you worry, okaasan!" The brunette rushed out of the shop. He quickly walked to the flower shop and entered. The scent of flowers embraced the boy as he breathed in the fragrance. He stared at the flowers for a long time, not knowing which one looks nice. Then, he saw a girl around his age looking at these red flowers, which he knew was roses. Ken approached the bunch of roses and looked at all the different colours.
"Hiya!" a sweet voice greeted the boy. Ken looked up as he looked at the blue-haired girl who was beside him. Sapphire eyes looked back at him, sparkling with light. Her blue hair shimmered in the lighting, her face filled with sweetness and innocence. "Are you buying flowers for your girlfriend?"
He blushed slightly. "No," Ken replied. "I'm buying some flowers for my okaasan. But I'm not sure which ones are right. The only one I know are roses."
The girl looked at him in return. "I'm buying flowers for my oniichan, since I don't know what else he would like. Plus, I love red roses." She smiled in return. "Maybe you should get your mother some too!"
"Thanks!" Ken beamed as he left the store with the girl, both holding a bouquet of red roses. "By the way, my name's Hidaka Ken! What's yours?"
"Mine is Fujimiya Aya! Nice to meet you, and I'll see you soon!" she raced off with the bouquet in her hand. Ken sighed as he walked back to the vase store, finding his mother paying for a vase. He put his bouquet in a paper bag, not letting his mother find out what it was.
"Are you finish with your shopping, Kenken?" his mother asked. Her son nodded in reply. "All right. Let's go and get some icecream, okay? Then we'll shop some more, eat dinner, go to the game, and eat your cake." They went to the icecream shop and bought some icecream. As they sat down to eat, Ken noticed the blue-haired girl walking with this boy with red hair. The girl waved as she saw Ken, while the redhead glared at him. The brunette looked back at his ice cream (Cookies 'n Cream, btw) and finished. His mother watched, and secretly smiled. "Ken, what's going on? You're pouting."
"Oh, nothing..." he sighed.
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"Ahhhh..." Ken collapsed on the couch as he watched his mother prepare his favorite dish, spaghetti. "I'm so tired~"
"A few hours of standing and you're already tired? If you want to be a soccer player, Ken, you'll be doing more than just standing. Running, kicking, chasing..." she went on.
"Don't worry! I'll be all right! I'll be the best soccer player you've ever seen! I'll play every single position, and everyone would want me to be on their team and..."
"Ken. Dinner's ready. Save your voice for the game, okay?"
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"Happy Birthday, Ken. I hope you liked your birthday." Ken's mother said as they entered the door.
"It was! This is the best birthday present any 14 year old boy would get!" The boy hugged his mother.
"Now, for your real present." The woman brought out a large box. Ken took it and slowly unwrapped the paper. "You deserve it, honey. Happy Birthday." The box opened, as a soccer jersey was laid inside, ready for a soccer game.
Ken gasped in delight as he flung the shirt into the air. "You remembered! After nearly half a year, you remembered that I wanted this jersey?! Arigatou!" he hugged his mother tightly. "You're the best mother ever!"
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He looked out into the messy place. Slowly, he got up, and started to pick up his clothes from the floor. "See, okaasan, this room would be clean, just like I said I would..."