Chapter 5A

**Chapter 5A** is the sixth chapter of the *Honto Yajuu* series by Yamamoto Kotetsuko, and the third chapter of Volume Two. The chapters of *Honto Yajuu* lack titles, and are thus known simply by number order.

## Overview

Ueda's younger brother, Natsuki, runs away from home to Ueda's apartment and is introduced to Aki. In the course of getting to know each other, Natsuki runs into traffic, and Aki is injured in saving him.

## Plot

Aki and Ueda are eating dinner together at a yakitori restaurant. As they finish their meal, Ueda passes Aki a key to his apartment, so that in the future it's unnecessary to steal Ueda's key. Although Ueda had anticipated an obnoxiously enthusiastic reception, the understated reception he receives instead proves almost too much for him to handle, and he invites Aki to spend the night.

The next morning, Ueda is surprised to notice that Aki remains sluggishly in bed past when he usually would be awake. When he finally does get up, he complains that his hips hurt, and that Ueda needs to take it easy. When Ueda makes to leave for work, Aki continues watching TV and proudly displays his key, then happily sees Ueda off.

Shortly later, at work, Yamase complains about the over-protective mother of a fellow policeman at the dorm where he lives, and expresses the belief that Ueda likely had strange parents. Ueda retorts that had a perfectly normal upbringing with unremarkable parents and a little brother.

Sometime later, Aki walks toward Ueda's apartment, eager to let himself in with his newly acquired key, and frightens a young boy sitting outside. As he lets himself in the boy stands up abruptly and asks if the apartment belongs to Ueda Tomoharu, and at that moment Ueda himself arrives at his door, and identifies the boy as his brother Natsuki.

Aki is shocked to learn that Ueda has a brother at all, but Ueda ignores this in favor of asking Natsuki why he's here - Natsuki replies that he's run away from home. After calling their mother to confirm Natsuki is safely with him, Ueda begins to ask after Natsuki's reasoning for running away. Natsuki answers that their mother was always harping on him to focus on school work. Although Aki claims understanding, really he was never in the same situation, and thus offers misguided advice. Natsuki is, reasonably, distrustful of such an odd-looking stranger (whom Ueda introduces as a friend), and thus avoids interaction with Aki. Due to Natsuki's discomfort, Aki decides to return to his home for the night, and Ueda apologizes for calling him a friend. With Aki gone, Natsuki grows slightly more comfortable, and asks about Aki. Ueda explains that he is, as suspected, a member of the yakuza, and Natsuki reflects that befriending such a person is very much within Ueda's personality.

The next morning, Aki visits Ueda at work, and both he and Natsuki are mutually unhappy to see each other again. In order to get Natsuki out of Ueda's way, Aki forces Natsuki to accompany him out, which Ueda figures will be a good way for Natsuki to relax (Yamase disagrees). A short time later, Natsuki is embarrassed by the degree of attention Aki's looks are attracting. Aki notices Natsuki's discomfort and, while Natsuki is initially hesitant, he eventually confesses that walking with Aki is embarrassing, and Aki agrees to buy a new outfit. After rejecting Aki's selection, Natsuki (with the help of the store clerk) chooses a more sensible outfit, and Aki feels a sort of deja vu, and wonders whether Ueda, too, was embarrassed by his clothes. In his new clothes, Aki is once again the object of much positive attention. While eating in a cafe, Natsuki opines that Aki dresses the way he does because, once dressed normally, he loses his intimidation factor.

Aki and Natsuki grow more comfortable, they begin to ask about each other. Natsuki eventually asks what led Aki to befriend Ueda, and recalls how, even when he was younger, Ueda would readily befriend even those others were afraid of, despite Natsuki's worries that Ueda would somehow get hurt by the association. In the wake of this revelation Aki feels like he can hardly tell Natsuki about how he and Ueda met, and thus redirects to Natsuki's schooling, telling him to study. After a brief pause, Natsuki redirects and asks Aki whether Ueda has a girlfriend. At a loss as to what to say, Aki replies that Ueda most likely does not, but that he himself does. When Natsuki becomes to inquisitive along this avenue, Aki redirects, claiming that it doesn't matter, because Natsuki is too young to be thinking about girls, and needs to return home and study.

Angry about hearing this - the same sort of thing he hears at home - from a stranger, Natsuki runs out of the cafe. In his distraction, he runs directly into oncoming traffic. He is almost hit by a car, but Aki pushes him out of the way, hitting his head on the ground.

## Appearances

* Gotouda Aki
* Ueda Tomoharu
* Yamase Yasuyuki
* Ueda Natsuki