Rikkaidai's twin-headed dragon

Chapter 2-spending time with the Echizen's

"If you don't get up now you'll lose breakfast privileges for a week" a man's voice yells from down the hall. At that the quilts are flung to one side and we are racing out of the room, down the hall and into the dining room where the Echizen family is sat watching the clock "forty-six seconds." We got here a week ago and by 'here' I mean the Echizen residence in Los Angeles. The first day here Ryoga showed us around and introduced us to each of them. The ex-tennis player Nanjiroh Echizen; the kind mother who is a lawyer, Rinko Echizen; Ryoga reintroduced himself as Ryoga Echizen their older son; and finally he introduced the younger son Ryoma Echizen. The second day Nanjiroh handed us a Japanese vocabulary sheet and a daily timetable for what we would be doing and at what time and on what day it would be done on.

"Morning" I mumble sitting down next to Ryoga and eating the two slices of toast as quick as possible but Rosie beats me. she puts her plate in the sink then goes down to the bathroom to wash, brush hair and to brush her teeth. Ryoma and Rinko leave the table next as Ryoma needs to go to school and Rinko to work. Getting up I take my plate to the sink and submerge it in the soapy water before turning on my heel and running down to our bedroom and changing into a polo shirt, socks & trainers. A knock at the door and Rosie barges in and pushing me out of the room and so I quickly slip into the bathroom and finish the getting ready process.

"Twenty seconds remaining" Ryoga says lazily from the hall closest to where I am. Pushing him out of the way I grab a tennis racquet, pull open the sliding porch door and bound into the tennis court where Nanjiroh stands with a smug, knowing look on his face as every day since we have started this routine I have been the first to arrive at the court followed by Rosie and lastly Ryoga. At lunch the three of us go down to the lake and swim a couple of laps before eating a packed lunch Rinko prepared for us before leaving this morning. At 2pm we all get changed into a more casual every day wear and head out on the hour long walk to pick Ryoma up from school.

Ryoma looked at us and lets out a sigh "mom still at work" in sync we all nod as an answer "let's go home. Last one home is cleaning the dishes when we get in" Ryoma says with a smirk before bursting into a sprint with the four of us chasing after him. He lost the lead when turning at a street corner where everyone but Rosie and Nanjiroh passed him by. Collapsing onto the floor in the door way everyone laughs at me the winner of the race that took us a mere twenty minutes in the end the one who lost the race was the one who initiated the race and the bet, Echizen Ryoma.

"Looks like the dishes are calling to you chibisuke" I wink at him playfully using the nickname Ryoga gave him but he doesn't see the humour in what I said as he scowls in response, getting up onto my feet I make my way to the living room and collapse on the sofa "can someone bring me some water?" closing my eyes I cover my eyes with my arm and smile at the progress that's been made with rehabilitation of my arm and the fact that it hardly ever hurts now.

The weight on the sofa shifts as someone takes a seat beside me, lifting my arm slightly and cracking an eye open a fraction I see Ryoga looking at me concerned with two glasses of water in hand. Blinking twice he remembers the two glasses of water in his hand and holds one out to me "your drink princess" he coos I scowl and quickly sit up straight and raise the glass to my lips and quickly empty the glass of its contents, placing the empty glass down on the table in front of me "if your arm is hurting you then-" slamming my hand over his mouth I muffle his words as truth be told the Echizen family doesn't know and I don't want them to know as to pity me would be to infuriate me "if it keeps going on I am telling them" he says sternly as soon as I remove my hand.

"Trust me it won't continue" getting to my feet Ryoga matches my movements and we both make our way to the tennis court out back to start our afternoon rounds this time a mixture of double and single matches while constantly changing up the order of the teams "looks like we are a team this time, Ryoga" nudging him in the side with my elbow he bounces off to one side and picks us up a racquet and three tennis balls "oh so we are going serious?" he nods and I show a sharp toothed grin "lets beat them, Ryoga." we continue these bouts until late into the evening as per usual we had lost track of time and five hours had passed, if not for Rinko we would have kept going even though our bodies where exhausted. Ushering us into the house the alluring odour of dinner catches us and our stomachs off guard as in turn all our stomachs growl.

Laying on the sofa with my head resting on Rosie's lap as she strokes her fingers through my hair while all of us but Ryoma watch television in the living room. Nanjiroh and Rinko sit on the two seater sofa while me and Rosie are on the three seater and Ryoga leans against it eating an orange as per usual. Nanjiroh keeps looking over then whispering things to Rinko who looks at the three of us with a smile on her face "say Haruka, Rosie what would you say about going to Japan?" at the sudden outburst I shrug my shoulders and Rosie just sits looking startled "the school I attended as a child was in Japan and my old coach is still there, we are moving over in the next couple of month for Ryoma to start up his tennis over there" nodding my head slowly I slowly piece together what he is saying "Ryoga here won't be coming but I'd like for you two to come to Japan and to become a rival for Ryoma by attending a different school. You don't have to answer today but before the end of the month I'd advise you to give me a reply" then Nanjiroh once again falls silent.

Watching out for Ryoga's head I get up from the sofa "I'll be back soon" quickly and quietly I leave the safety of the house and make my way down to the lake where I lean against the railing and look up at the moon "Japan? Never once did I think about going to my homeland" I mutter to myself enjoying the night air and lost in thought.

A hand on my shoulder makes me jump and look up into the hazel eyes of Ryoga Echizen "take this opportunity and use Japanese middle schools as a stepping stone towards a brighter future. Listen Haruka there is something I want to tell you but it will have to wait till I'm confident enough to say it, alright?" I nod and we stand there doing idle chit chat until our eyes grew heavy and we retire back to the house and go to bed.

"Japan it is" I say with a smile as I drift off to sleep. The next morning after phoning the scout I tell Nanjiroh that Rosie and I will go to Japan and study over there after telling him of the school I picked he makes arrangements and the next couple of months fly by with the same old routine, Christmas comes and goes and so does Valentine's day and Rosie's birthday. The year 2008 is upon us and it's about time for Rosie and I to go and get the plane to Japan. The Echizen's are going a couple of days after us so Ryoga is the one who sees us off with a sad look in his eyes. Japan here we come!