Hello. I know I take a while to update this chapter. For me it is very difficult to translate spanish to english.

Thanks to my beta Weirdgatina for checking this chapter. Thank you very much!

Thanks for your support, patience and reviews for the ones who took the time to do it. Hope you like this chapter amd continue reading this story. If I take too long please feel free to contact me and remind me that I have to update soon.

Puzzle

Chapter 4: No more

What could he do now?

Try to figure out who made that phone call?

But if he did then maybe that person would tell Ryoma about it and he would never come to trust him. Maybe it would be better to wait a little bit more. Maybe Ryoma would talk to him about it just before the end of the world.

When he came home from school his father was sleeping on the sofa with one of his magazines covering his face. He was dreaming of one of his girls with no clothes on while his brother was trying to reach one of the sodas at the top of the fridge.

"Be careful Chibisuke! You can hurt yourself if you are not careful!" – But Ryoma didn't care at all about that. He was thirsty and danger was nothing to him.

Ryoga tried to stay next to the chair just in case he fell, so he could catch him. Although Ryoma was trying his best to reach for his soda he couldn't even touch it with his fingers. All those of years drinking milk were a waste of time. He made his last effort standing on his toes he touched one of the cans for a few seconds. Being persistent was a good trait of his. With a single touch he moved it to the front, but his little hands were so tired that when he finally managed to grab the can it slid and fell slowly…

xoxoxox

"What happen here?" – His head hurts. That was a hard catch considering that the soda can fell from the very top of the fridge.

"Nothing bad I think" – Ryoma was standing by his side at that moment showing him a few of his fingers and putting them in front of his eyes. – "How many fingers can you see?" – But Ryoga couldn't understand what he was pretending to do. After waiting for a while for his big brother's answer he decided to carry the ice cubes to the sink.

"Ah?" – The can not only smashed his brain, it also reduced his capacity for thinking fast.

"Is this the way that you were planning to save me? Your reactions are bad. I'm glad that I was not the can" – the can exploded when it hit the floor and the soda was spilled all over the place.

"Couldn't you try to move me somewhere not so wet Chibisuke?" - says Ryoga who just noticed that his back was wet and the grape smell was getting stronger.

"Don't cry about that. It was the floor or you. I continue thinking that the floor should be first… if mom sees this mess…" – Ryoma ran toward the closet to take out the cleaning stuff and start cleaning the floor.

"Where's Oyaji?"

"He is still asleep… What were you waiting for?" – Ryoga tried to stand up because no one was going to help him. Oyaji was not a good father after all.

"Thanks for taking care of me" – Ryoma made a small noise like he didn't care.

"What happened here? Did you pee Seishounen? You know you have to go the bathroom. I thought that at your age you already know that" – Finally his dad appeared in the kitchen but Ryoma gave him a killer glance. – "Don't give me that face Seishounen, it was a silly question. We all know that those accidents happen so you don't have to be ashamed, I'm not going to tell this to your girlfriend…" – If Nanjiroh's plan was to provoke him it worked. The can that was on the floor flew to hit him in the face.

"Not even the can was planning to hear your lame excuses. Now I'm thirsty… Give me another soda!" – Nanjiroh noticed that his son was not for simple jokes. He threw him the can he was asking for. The difference between him and Ryoga was that he had better reflexes – "Now you have to finish with the cleaning because I have to go and do my homework"

"You don't give me orders!" – Nanjiroh tried to make him come back and finish the chores, chores always made him bored.

"Do you want me to talk with mom about this accident with the chair and how I almost got injured?" – Ryoma was quicker at attacks sometimes.

"But the one who got injured was your brother Ryoga!"

"I know that but I could have been in his place right?" – Nanjiroh couldn't reply that. Ryoma won this time and ran to his room.

"You are a bad son!" – He was trying to forget his bad attitude toward him. His youngest son had totally lost his respect toward him.

"Oyaji…" - Nanjiroh turn to his other son that was trying to stand up using the chair that was near him like a cane – "Your lesson for today is that next time you have to watch him when he climbs the chair, especially when he tries to reaches for soda cans. If you don't I'm going to sue you for injuries and child abuse".

"Are you making fun of me seishounen?"

"Yes, I am. This really hurt you know" – Ryoga kept trying to relive his pain. It was hurting him, but not to much. He only wanted to make his dad feel sorry for him or maybe bother him a little. He has to enjoy his time here with him because later he will not be able to do it.

"Why do I have such disrespectful sons? Did I do something wrong?"

Nanjiroh was starting with his questions about the attitude of his sons towards him. Listening to this was not fun so Ryoga preferred to go upstairs and rest a little bit.

But when his was walking by Ryoma's room he saw him in his chair and his face hiding in his homework. His face was too close to the book - that made him think that he needed glasses. He had a Ponta can open next to him. Even if it was cold outside the can kept sweating because of the high temperatures that Rinko set for the house.

It was funny to look him with his nose so close to the pages of his homework. But they were brothers after all, a few minutes later Ryoma lost his concentration and let his head rest in his folded arms.

"Oi Chibisuke! You are not going to solve any problem like that!" – Ryoma looked at him in a slow and lazy way.

"Ah… it was you. Can you try to make less noise and let me sleep?"

"Wow Chibisuke! What kind of attitude is that one? Your Ponta doesn't have enough sugar to keep you awake?" – Ryoga drank a little from Ryoma's can. When the liquid touched his tongue he felt the extra sugar immediately. – "How can you drink that Chibisuke? It's too sweet!"

"Nobody told you to drink from my can. Now I have to go back to the kitchen and grab another one. Hope Oyaji is sleeping by now…" – Ryoma stood up and got out of his room making noises with his shoes leaving Ryoga alone in his room. This was a golden opportunity that Ryoga was not going to leave behind. As soon as he thought he was far away he decides to check that homework.

He didn't like math problems, especially the ones that involved farmers, hens, trains, apples and magazines. Why do teachers have to create problems? But there were not only math problems in the top of his desk. Grammar homework was there too with the science homework. Ryoma didn't take to long to return to his room with the cold Ponta can against his cheek.

"Chibisuke… What happen with your face? Are you hot?" – But he didn't answer. He walked until he reached his night table. He left the can that was protecting his face from questions. If his eyes were seeing right that cheek was as purple as the soda can that he was going to drink from.

"Ryoma-chan! You know that was not on purpose!" - His father came into the room with a concerned face trying to be forgiven for something – "I told you to think fast! It was your fault that you didn't move or maybe try to catch it with your cute hands like you did the other day…"

"Baka Oyaji!"

"Oyaji? You've never talked to me like that before! Are you following in your big brother's steps? What a cute little boy!" – If his dad was trying to be forgiven he was making things worse. Ryoma kicked him out of his room.

After that he went through his room until he reached his night table. When he opens the last drawer Ryoga could see that he had a lot of stuff that a regular six year old kid wouldn't have. He had the entire emergency kit of the house in that drawer. Creams for bruises, band aids, cotton, and bandages. Why does he have all those things if he didn't practice that much? It was less than probable for him to use all those things. But if the problems were the bruises, those like the accidents that always happen, especially when he was near his dad. Maybe it was because of that that he always tries to be distant with him.

"What happened downstairs?" – But he didn't want to answer. His good manners, if he has them, were gone.

Probably his dad played something really stupid with him and without thinking he caught Ryoma spaced. Now Ryoma was lying in his bed with his eyes close and the Ponta can pressed to his cheek.

"What are you thinking now?" – No answer – "It's ok if you don't want to talk… it doesn't matter…" – Maybe this time he will have to use another tactic if he wants him to talk about it. He has never used that tactic before but he knows how to use it, after all his mother used it all the time with him.

"The other day I went somewhere. I like places were there's a lot of people, where you can talk and play a little. There is one of those places near here. If you want we can go there tomorrow. Are you free tomorrow?"

He stops there and tried to see his reaction but Ryoma didn't move. He was ignoring him.

"Nee Chibisuke… Can you hear me?" – Ryoga dares to approach him and even poked him with his finger but there was no reaction either. – "Do you like the idea?"

"Even if you talk all the night I'm not going to pay attention to you" – Ryoma moved his hands as he was trying to get rid of a flies. Ryoga took a step backward. Ryoma didn't like to share his air, he was not used to it – "I'm thirsty. I'll be right back" – and he left his room one more time.

"I will talk to you for a while and you will talk to me back. If I do it again then you are going to answer because you don't like flies. I' am a stubborn fly Chibisuke…" – mumbled Ryoga knowing that his brother was never going to hear him.

He went down to grab another can while having another one in his hand. He even has one on his desk beside his unfinished homework. People were right in saying that his brother was hard to understand most of the time. Was he eccentric or just childish? Does he really want to make a monopoly about the Ponta at home? Or was there something else? Someone has to tell him that it was not healthy to drink so much soda.

But putting aside this soda problem there was other stuff that he didn't understand at all about his brother. It was wrong to keep hiding things from his parents at his age. If it was like this now what was going to happen in a few years? It was so hard to understand him and in order to do it he has to think like him.

To think like him he has to try to know him better. He can't get to know him by trying to talk because it was hard to get a direct answer. The only simple and easy solution was checking his stuff. He will have to use this time while his brother was trying to get another Ponta.

Ryoga's first tactic was to assume Ryoma's bed position and look straight to the ceiling. Maybe there was something interesting. He always looked at the ceiling before falling asleep, maybe Ryoma did the same. But this ceiling didn't have anything interesting, it was smooth without shapes. With this kind of ceiling it was hard to fall asleep.

His second move was to make a quick inspection in his night table. He has already checked the second drawer and now the mystery of the first one was going to finish.

The first drawer was hard to open. Something was stuck inside. He also had problems sometimes opening his own drawers and gets angry about that… until he discovered the trick. He grabbed a ruler from his brother's desk and slid it inside the drawer. The ruler could move whatever was sticking the drawer from inside.

Anyone could say it was a very innocent drawer. A folder was sticking the drawer because of the huge amount of paper that was inside. Drawing papers. The street, the tree, a lot of dogs, flying birds, fishes in tanks and an absurd amount of cat drawings. Sleeping cats, paws up cats, climbing cats, sitting cats, playing cats…. A really huge list of activities cats can do.

"So Chibisuke like cats…"

Under the folder were a lot of coins and bills but it was not a huge amount of money for a kid. It was probably part of his weekly allowance. He also had pieces of something broken, used erasers, colored pencils, dirty sharpeners and a lot of dirt. He should clean this mess or at least get rid of his broken stuff; he could get hurt with that.

"Gott'cha Seishounen! So you are peeping in your little brother's drawer. If you are planning to find something interesting for blackmailing him you should look under his bed or in his closet. I'm sure he is hiding something!" – His dad scared him almost to death because he didn't hear him coming so close.

"Can you lower your voice? He is going to hear us!" – Ryoga tried desperately to silence him or at least lower his voice.

"Don't worry about it Seishounen. Your good for nothing brother went to buy more soda. He is wasting my money with that soda addiction he has. I can't understand how he can drink that much with that small body of his!" – It was amazing the amount of water that the human body can consume. He also drinks a lot but he prefers the orange flavor – "My wallet suffers every time your brother asks for more soda. He should learn to drink water from the sink"

"But he has two soda cans here…"

"Damn kid! If he stills have soda here how dare he ask for money for more?"

"Calm down Oyaji!"

"Calm down? But that was the money I was saving for my magazines! The new edition is on sale tomorrow!" – His dad was acting like a five year old spoiled kid.

"Where did he go, do you know?"

"How can I know? Maybe he went to the one that is a couple of blocks away from the courts, or maybe the one in the principal avenue or the one that is next to the park, that one is the closest one…"

That soda story was very fishy. He was taking the excuse that we didn't have soda to get out. Now there were three places he could go and look for him and find out what was going on here. But if he went to look for him to the wrong place he could miss the opportunity to know about him. He could pick by luck or he could think for another minute and guess the right place.

But what would happen if he really went there to buy soda? No, that couldn't be. Ryoma was to lazy about some things and one of them was walking without a reason. That means that he will never go to the one on the principal avenue because that was to far away from home.

Suddenly something clicked in his head. One of his friends spotted him playing near the courts. That place was quiet with not so many people around. He could bet his life he was there. And so he ran towards that place.

"Seishounen! Don't take so long! Rinko must be on her way!"

If she was on her way Ryoma needed to come home quickly; if not there would be problems. By the time he reached the store Ryoma wasn't there. Not in the street or any visible place. If he called his cell phone he could try to convince him to go back home. He dialed his number. It rang three times and on the fourth he answered.

"Who's this?"

"Nee Chibisuke… where are you? Oyaji told me that you were buying sodas and I followed you. I want an orange one please! Where are you? I can't see you?" – He didn't answer. He probably was thinking of a way to get out of this.

"Where are you? Maybe we are not in the same place" – this was the moment. Is he says where he is Ryoma could say he was in another place. But if they were in the same place he could hide from him and say that he was going home.

"Nee Chibisuke, I told you I followed you but I lost you. I'm outside the store now, get out so we can go home together"

"So you are in the street now? Are you sure you followed me? Because I'm on my way home right now…" – he knew he was going to tell him that.

"Really? How weird because I haven't see you around. It doesn't matter. Stay there, I'm going to reach you right now so we can go home together. Rinko-san is on her way after all"

"What? Mom is going to be home early?" – he was scared. This was not in his plans for sure. He has to make him feel some pressure.

"Hai! Oyaji told me that. That's one of the reasons I followed you Chibisuke"

"Ne, Ryoga-nii I'm kinda busy right now. I found some of my friends and…" – a sweet voice and words were not going to convince him, not now.

"Ok. If they are your friends it's ok. Did you ask Oyaji or Rinko-san about it?"

"No… but maybe you can do it for me… Ryoga-nii" – such sweet manners, it doesn't sound like him at all. It was like a different person but with the same voice.

"I would like to but those are your friends Chibisuke. You have to ask for permission" – he didn't answer – "By the way… Are you going to your friend's house?" – He didn't answer again.

But Ryoga kept walking down the street with his phone trying to hear any uncommon sound so he could figure out where his brother was. Detectives used to do that in the movies and it always worked. But he couldn't hear anything. He could only hear some distant voices. Not from any adults, they were kid's voices. From the school or somewhere else. But they were not the voices of kids of his age.

"Nee Ryoga-nii… can we talk later? I'm busy now. I'm not going to take long to go back home… tell mom I'm on my way and do me another favor…" – that didn't sound like Ryoma either, he sounded desperate.

"Are you ok Chibisuke? Do you need help? Where are you? If they have done something to you…!"

"Nee Ryoga-nii… leave my window open please" – he was going to make him talk and tell him his location but Ryoma hung up the phone and turned it off.

If something happened to him he was going to make those kids suffer.

xoxoxox

He got home very upset for not being able to help his brother. Hopefully Rinko wasn't home yet and his father was having to much fun with his own things to pay attention to him and realize that his other son was not there.

It was a strange request of his little brother to leave the window open. It was obvious that he was going to get home without his parents notice by the window. The question was why he couldn't use the door like everyone else? Sure there were other times when he didn't ask for permission and didn't care about it, not even saying sorry.

Ryoga went to his brother's room and opened the window as was requested. He sat on the bed. He could spend more time looking for him in the streets. He should have looked for him even under the rocks. That was better than staying home waiting for him, thinking about what the hell he was doing. But he couldn't think about bad things now. It would be better if he thought of a way to help him if he really was in serious trouble. What would be a serious problem for a six year old kid? The only problems he should have were math or some kind of fight with someone of his age.

He was thinking in that when he heard Rinko's car park outside, just at the same time that Ryoma was trying to get in through the window.

"Nee Chibisuke… what happened?" – Ryoga helped him get in. He pulled his arms with one hand and with the other pulled him by the pants. When both of them were on the floor tired from the effort, Ryoga asked him again. – "Chibisuke…" – but he couldn't continue asking. Ryoma was hiding his face in his waist – "Chibisuke… are you crying?"

To cry was something that he was not used to doing in his weekly schedule. He cried on rare occasions, most of them when he was alone in his room where no one could hear him. But he was crying now and Ryoga couldn't understand any single word from him. He needed water and to try to calm down, and maybe some air.

The jar of water was downstairs in the kitchen and he could hear Rinko's heels echo in the entire house. Time was running faster than usual and Rinko was going to notice Ryoma and the unknown reason of his crying. If she asked him Ryoma was going to feel a lot of pressure.

What he did first was leave Ryoma alone in his bedroom. Ryoga went to his room and grabbed his wallet with not too much money, his cap and a warm jacket. He returned to Ryoma's room to take him out for a long ride. He also grabbed the Ponta can that was long forgotten on the desk.

"Nee Oyaji can we go to the movies now? You don't need to take us there, we can go by walking" – saying that he cut the possibility that they could give them a ride. Now they needed permission to go outside.

"You two alone at the movies? What are you going to see?" – Nanjiroh never asked those kinds of questions – "You are going to watch kid's movies right?"

"What's the problem Nanjiroh?" – he was sure not to be able to convince Rinko so he needed to do something fast.

"Nee Oyaji" – Ryoga pulled his dad aside – "Actually I'm going to my friend's house to talk with her… you understand me right? But she has a little sister that is kinda annoying and doesn't leave us alone. That's why I'm taking Chibisuke with me… to keep her busy" – He didn't know if it was his imagination or what, but he saw his father's eyes sparkle and shine.

"I understand you! Go guys! Have fun! Enjoy your youth!"

"Nanjiroh…" – Rinko couldn't get the picture and she was going to ask but his father blocked her.

Both got out of the house quickly but not in the direction of any house. The other way was the sea. It was a very quiet place in winter but really noisy in the summer. But there was no one at that hour so it was a good place to talk as long as he wanted to talk, of course.

Ryoma looked a little calmer, but he was very quiet. They both sat on one of the benches. He gave him the Ponta can from his desk. How could he break this silence? It was not necessary to worry about that because Ryoma was not a fool. He knew he was going to ask him. There was no other reason why he would take him out when he just got in.

"Nee Chibisuke are you going to tell me what happened? What are you hiding from everyone? Who was with you when I called you?" – Ryoma closed his eyes and shook his head as if he was trying to forget something. Whatever it was, was making him suffer – "Did they do something? Did they hurt you? Who are they so I can go and…!" – but his words were not cheering him up. He was crying again. Ryoga hugged him trying to comfort him and make him feel better. – "Nee Chibisuke, if you don't tell me what happened how can I help you? At least tell me if everything is alright".

They stayed quiet again. Ryoma began shaking his head again and hitting himself with his little hands. He tried to stop him, grabbing both of his hands. With the hurry he forgot to pack the gloves. His hands were freezing, so were his.

"I couldn't do anything for him" – that sounds more like he couldn't help his friend or something like that – "He is dead and I couldn't do anything for him".

"Nee Chibisuke, we can't do anything against death, it was not your fault" – Ryoma was hitting himself with the can now. He takes the can from his hands to stop him but Ryoma was looking with his eyes for other thing to continue hurting himself – "Hey! It's not your fault so stop hurting yourself!" – Ryoga hugged him and didn't let him go until he calmed himself. Ryoma didn't want to be hugged. He was trying to set himself free from his big brother's arms but he wasn't strong enough.

"It is my fault! I should have done something for him; I was supposed to get more money…"

"Money? Your friend was asking for money?"

"No, he never asked me for anything. They want me to pay for him" – this story was getting even fishier. Someone was asking for money from his brother to stop hurting someone. What was this problem about? Child market? But he was also a kid!

"Who was asking you for money? His parents?"

"I've never met his family."

"So, who was asking you for money?"

"His owner, at least that was what he told he was."

"Owner? Chibisuke, what are you talking about? Who is this friend of yours?" – This story was really confusing and he understands less every moment.

"I never knew his name… but I have a picture" – he began to look for the photo in his cellphone until he remembered something and begin to cry again.

"Stop crying and finish with this" – Ryoga was loosing his control about this whole situation. Ryoma tried to stop crying and show him the picture he was looking for – "A cat. Your friend was a cat?"

"Yes. What were you thinking it was?" – Not even in his wildest dream he could have figure it out that his brother had befriended cats. It was one thing that he liked cats and another that he could talk with them. So that was the reason he didn't know his friends name.

"And how did they ask you for the money?" – Ryoga asked him. If he didn't understand the story from the very beginning how could he help him.

"It is a big story…" – maybe it was not big, maybe it was complicated or it became complicated by him. He was not going to fight that.

"We have a little more than an hour before returning home. You can begin now Chibisuke" – Ryoma didn't know where to start so he begin to tell him how he found the cat.

It looks like he found it when he was out of the house trying to look for a place to practice, just where his friend had spotted him. This cat has spots like a cow. Since no one was nearby he fed it with what he had in his schoolbag. After eating the cat left so Ryoma followed it down the street until went through a fence to a huge backyard full of broken and old objects.

"And what happen?"

"I met the owner and his friends. They were bullying the cat. They chased and scared him. They didn't see me but I ran out and tried to protect him. I got hit but it didn't hurt that much… but a ball hit my eye. That's why I got a bruise" – that explain the mocking of his father about Ryoma's clumsiness.

"Why didn't you tell that to your mother? She could have stopped that…"

"I thought about it too. I told them that my mom was a lawyer and that I was going to sue them" – that was a good trick to stop someone. No one likes to be sued. – "They told me that if I did that they were going to kill him" – and that was the best way for them to keep Ryoma quiet considering the love that he had for cats.

"Nee Chibisuke… I understand you but it was better to tell it to your mom or Oyaji. They were not going to kill the cat because if they did that they were not going to be able to get your money" – Ryoma was thinking of what he was hearing. Ryoga's words make sense now.

"If they were not going to kill the cat then why did they do it today? Why couldn't they give me the cat?" – Ryoga was not used to seeing these kind of baby faces. Ryoma was not a baby anymore.

"I don't know Chibisuke. But don't worry I can go there and make them talk… ne?"

"It doesn't matter anymore. The cat is not going to be alive again"

"Nee Chibisuke… did they let you see the cat?"

"If you think the cat is alive you are wrong" – To be that sure he must have seen it – "They didn't want to let me see it because they want me to give them the money. I've told them that if they didn't show me the cat there was not going to be money" – those were Ryoma's words when he really wants something – "And that's why they let me see the cat" – he remained quiet for a while – "Maybe it was better not to see him" – His face looked like he had seen something disgusting.

"Try to forget that Chibisuke, it's not good for you"

"I can't forget that, I just can't…" – Ryoga was about to say something funny to cheer him up but his phone began ringing. Oyaji had a bad habit of calling at bad moments.

"Nee Oyaji… What do you want now?"

"I'm sorry son to interrupt you in this special moment for you with your cute girlfriend but… can you ask your brother where he left those sodas that he was supposed to buy? Rinko and I are thirsty and we want soda."

"Nee Oyaji… you sure are annoying. Why do you have to call now? Let me ask him" – Ryoga cover the phone with his hand and pitched his voice to sound like Ryoma was far away from him. – "Nee Chibisuke! Where did you leave the sodas that you bought? Oyaji and your mom are thirsty…" – Ryoma was surprised at the question.

"Tell Oyaji that I have them here with me" – Ryoma told him in a low voice.

"Nee Oyaji … We have them here. Don't worry about it, Chibisuke and I are going home in a few minutes" – before his dad offered to pick them up he ended the call. – "Did you buy the soda Chibisuke?"

"No" – they can't go back home without the soda.

"Ok. We have to hurry before the stores close. How much money did Oyaji gave you?"

"Enough for ten sodas…"

"That's perfect. I can carry eight sodas and you can carry two of them. Let's go Chibisuke!" – Nanjiro's call made him forget about what they were talking about. Ryoga was always full of energy, he had energy enough to pull his brother all the way to the store but his brother didn't want to go. – "Is something wrong Chibisuke?"

"I don't have the money anymore"

"How are we going to buy the sodas if we don't have money? Wait… Where's the money?" – Ryoma sighed and looked at him again. With that look he remembered what they were talking about. They took the money away from him. – "Come here Chibisuke" – But Ryoma didn't want to go because he knew what was going to happen next. If the mountain wouldn't go there he would have to go to the mountain then.

Either way Ryoga blocked his escape and pulled him with his hand. With the other one he revealed what was under the jacket. He had bruises on his arm. He opened his jacket to check a little bit more. He was right. The bruises were not only on the arms, he also had some on his stomach and his back.

"I told you I didn't want to give them the money" – he confessed.

"Were you planning to show me these bruises?"

"Eventually, I knew you were going to be this angry"

"I am not angry"

"Yes you are. When you get angry your eyes turn a little red and your fingers move to much as if you are trying to control them but you can't. You raise your voice and close your eyes. When someone is angry they always react in the same way" – He was a little angry, no, he was furious. But not with his little brother, he was furious with the other guys.

"Ok, I'm cooling myself. I'm not angry, not anymore. Can you tell me what happened exactly?" – Ryoma was looking at his eyes trying to see if he was really cooling down.

"No, you are not calm enough. You are going to get angry again and we need to go back home because Oyaji is thirsty…"

"And how are you planning to give Oyaji the sodas that you never bought? Remember that we don't have enough money to buy them now" – Ryoma was biting his lips as if he was trying to figure it out how to tell him something.

"Don't worry about that, I have that part covered. I am not going to offer to buy something that I can't give back" – Ryoma really looked like he had everything in control.

"Ok, but you have to explain everything to me later Chibisuke"

"Mada mada dane".

xoxoxox

Ryoma's way of solving the problem was to run into the house giving any excuse. And Ryoga's only excuse was that he really needed to go to the bathroom,. But of course he didn't want to go to the bathroom; both of them went to Ryoma's room.

"Now what Einstein?"

"Open the closet, the solution is behind those boxes on the top" – Ryoga used the chair to get there and do what his little brother told him. Behind those boxes on the top was the secret and lost paradise of the soda cans piled one on the top of the other. This was probably the reason why Oyaji told him that he was hiding something in the closet. This was also the answer that proves that no kid is able to drink so many sodas a day. He never drank them all, he saved them for these situations.

He put the cans inside Ryoma's backpack while Ryoma was trying to solve a math problem on a piece of paper.

"What are you doing now Chibisuke? We have to take this downstairs, remember?"

"Hai! But I have to give Oyaji the change" – Ryoma opened the first drawer of his night table to get the 'change' for his dad.

While Ryoga was waiting for him a question slapped his brain. Why was he helping him to cover all this if the cat was already dead? Wouldn't this be easier if they confessed the truth?"

He could ask Ryoma about that later. Now they were going down to return the cans and act like everything was fine. But of the both of them the one who had to act more was Ryoma. He was not going to be able to hide those bruises for much longer and in order to hide them properly he needed to be extra careful, especially with his mom.

He was not going to be able to wear short sleeves for a long time and would have to stop his mother from entering the bathroom when he was taking a bath. Easier said than done. It would be easier for him to pretend he fell on the stairs like before. If he couldn't make it as professional tennis player like his dad, he could still be a great actor. To act was something that he did all the time.

"Nee Ryoma, why are you using those pajamas that your granny sent you?" – These was the only pajamas he had that could cover all his body and he really hates them. It was a one-piece pajamas that covers all his body letting no one see even a small part of his skin except his neck and head.

"You look like a mama's baby, spoiled grandma's baby Seishounen" – Oyaji was mocking him again. Ryoga in other circumstances would laugh about it, too.

"Baka Oyaji!"

"Are you feeling ok Ryoma?"

"Hai… I was just a little cold, that's why I'm wearing this" – He gave a wrong answer. Now his mom was checking his temperature.

"You are a little warm. I think it's better if you go to your room and rest. I'll bring you a pill in a while so we can stop the fever" – but he was feeling fine. He didn't have fever, it was his stupid clothes that were burning his skin.

"Nee Rinko-san… I can take that pill to Chibisuke. Why don't you see a movie with Oyaji? I'll take care of him!" – Rinko was not sure she should leave her only son in the care of his half brother. It was not that she didn't trust him; it was more like she felt the responsibility to take care of him.

"Go Seishounen and take care of that little, annoying and disrespectful chibi brother. Come on Rinko, let's have fun! Let someone else take care of that little monster".

xoxoxox

Ryoga took the pills to his brother's room. The plan was working perfectly but something could go wrong any moment or at least that was what he was thinking now.

Ryoma in the other hand was more worried about his pajamas, pulling them by the neck to stretch them. Ryoga used to have a set like that to a long time ago. He wore it once and then mysteriously the pajamas appeared in a bag for donations for kids that needed them more than him.

"Why don't you tell them the truth? You have nothing to lose now"

"That's what you think. Knowing my mom you can imagine her reaction. What she is going to do first is try to figure it out who did this to me"

"That's the right thing to do. You can't let people abuse you Chibisuke. You have to learn to defend yourself"

"It's going to be worse" – he was imagining all the things that could happen to him. For him it was better to leave things just like them were and if something ever happens tried to fix it as soon as possible. But someday he would finally understand that he has to solve his problems properly before they got worse.

"Don't worry Chibisuke, I'll take care of you. I'm going to protect you…" – nothing was going to happen to his brother, not if he was there.

"You are going to protect me? For how long? Two? Three weeks? And then what?" – he did look sad. Was he beginning to accept him? No, that couldn't be true.

But he was right. He hadn't thought about him. His plan was to gain his trust so they could have a good time while they were together. While gaining his trust he not only became his big brother, he also became his friend. He was going to depend on him.

Ryoma was not ignoring him at all or at least he was pretending that. He talked more to him than to his mom.

Ryoga was not used to being worried but he was starting to feel that. In a couple of weeks he was going to take a plane to return home with his own mother.

"If you don't want to tell it's ok but sooner or later you have to do it because they are going to notice. They are not fools, Chibisuke"

"Don't worry, I've got it under control" – How can a six year old have control? He had just learned how to ride a bike, how can he control everything in his house?

"So you have everything under control right? If that is right Chibisuke please explain me how you do that?" – Ryoma was looking for a way to tell him what he had on his mind.

"You can control everything except when people get violent. Every one wants to have it in their way, nobody wants to lose… You understand me right?"

"I don't think I can understand that at all. I think you should trust a little more in the others when you are in trouble, Chibisuke. You can count on me even if I'm not here. I can advise you by phone and if I can I will come to help you" – Ryoma understood that perfectly. He could trust him but the distance from him could never work.

How can he do to make his brother work like the control of the television? He has some ideas on his mind but he didn't know if they were going to work. Ryoga was the kind of guy that was loyal to his words no matter what. He didn't get mad easily because he was always looking for the positive things in live. He should learn that too but he didn't want to. It was not the moment to learn it. He was beginning to have a brainstorm until Ryoga interrupted.

"What are you thinking now Chibisuke? You are too quiet, that's not good. By the way… you haven't finished with your story. How did you get the money for the cat and how much were they asking for?"

Can his plan work or not? Ryoma was still thinking without paying attention to his brother's question.

"Nee Chibisuke… are you there?" – Ryoga began poking his face.

"I'm not going to tell you how much but it was much more that what I have in my piggy"

"So they asked you for a lot of money?" – there was something he didn't like about Ryoga. He was always interrupting his story. That made him lose concentration and forget what he was going to say.

"Something like that… I really needed money at that time and I didn't know how to get it. If I asked mom she was going to ask tons of questions and if I asked Oyaji he was not going to give me money".

"How did you do it Chibisuke?"

"The only way that came to my mind was to work" – to get a job was something normal for grown up people. To work for under age teenagers required parent's permission. Ryoga tried it once but his mom never let him do it, the store where he wanted to work asked for at least sixteen years. How did he get a job if he had half of the years he had?

"Did they let you work Chibisuke? How?"

"Humm I went to the tennis club but there was no empty court. While I was waiting I notice that the adults are too lazy to pick up their own balls so I offered to do it. They didn't give me that much money, they didn't like to give tips. I only made like five dollars that day and got tired".

Ryoma paused, waiting for Ryoga to interrupt him again, but he never did.

"I got bored picking up their balls and tried to figure it out another way to get money easy and fast. But someone called me to help him carry his stuff" – Ryoma paused again. Ryoga didn't interrupt him but he could read his mind and he knew what he was going to question. – "He offered me five dollars if I carried his things to his car".

"That's dangerous Chibisuke! Something bad could happen to you!"

"I know. You rescued me that time, remember?" – Ryoga tried to remember it.

Ryoma realized that his brother had a poor short term memory. It had to be that or maybe the soda that hit his head earlier smashed and damaged his brain.

"Are you talking about the guy that hit you Chibisuke?" – Ryoga was going to say something else about that time but he was not sure if Ryoma knew about the dangerous situation he was in then. If he hadn't come to rescue him maybe things would have been worse. His mother was right; children these days had more dangerous things to worry about than before.

"Yes. I carried his things and never get paid"

"Chibisuke, nobody told you not to talk to strangers? Something really bad could have happened to you…"

"Worse than his stinky breath?" – Ryoga was now completely sure that his little brother had never heard about crazy people and the dangers of the street. Hopefully he could inform him about it now.

"Chibisuke there are two things that you have to learn. The first one is never talk to strangers. And the second one is that you should not follow people that you don't know, don't get rides and never let anyone touch you" – He had heard those things before. Someone told him about these things before. His mom? The school? Definitely it was not his dad.

Now his mother's words and Ryoga's worries were getting him to reflect on it. Something worse than a simple hit and a bruise could have happen that time.

Now he was sure. He was going to make his plan work, no matter what.

Thanks for reading me.

Feel free to chase me until I update this story.

If you like this chapter please let me know, critics are also welcome.

Thanks again to Weirdgatina my beta and all the people who left a review before. I love reading you comments!