Yamato Kougami Main Story (Part1)

Story 1

Samantha
"Then...I'll pick Yamato."
Yamato
"Obvious choice."

Even thought Yamato needed help, he didn't sound grateful. The other four were visibly disappointed.

Saeki
"I can't believe you'd pick Yamato over me."
Yuta
"No way! Don't make a rash decision, Samantha."
Takao
"It's too bad. I wanted you to pick me."
Ren
"Think it over..."
Yamato
"Say what you want, but her decision is made."
Samantha
"So...what is it that he needs my help with?"
Yamato
"..."

 Everyone including Yamato went quiet all of a sudden. They were obviously looking away and coughing.

Saeki
"When was my deadline for the next drama series?"
Takao
"Samantha, there are some things in life that are unreasonable."
Ren
"Good luck."

(What kind of horrible request am I getting myself into!?)
I started getting nervous when Yamato slapped my back really hard.

Samantha
"Ouch!"
Yamato
"There's no need to worry about the details. I just need you to accept what I'm gonna ask you."
Samantha
"So what is it?"
Yuta
"Hey, isn't it time?"
Samantha
"Huh?"

Yuta shouted and drowned out my voice.

Yuta
"Kuni, turn on the TV!"
Kunihiko
"Alright."

Uncle turned on the TV with the remote. The large screen showed a baseball game.

Yuta
"Oh, it started already! It's Ichiro's turn at bat, too!"
Saeki
"We forgot about it because of all the talk about his unnecessary request."
Yamato
"Is my request unnecessary?"
Kunihiko
"I wonder how far Japan will go this year."
Yuta
"We'll go all the way! We'll win it all!"
Ren
"I agree."
Takao
"How far do you think we'll go, Samantha?"
Samantha
"For what?"
Yuta
"The WBC! Duh!"
Yamato
"World Baseball Classic. It's the baseball tournament to determine the best team in the world."

Yamato explained it to me as he glanced over at the TV.

Yamato
"We all get together on the weekend to watch baseball here. If you're going to be with me, you will be coming here, too."

(What does he mean, "be with him?")
CRACK!
A brisk clear sound rang out from the TV. Everyone cheered at once.

Yuta
"Alright! A hit!"
Takao
"Ichiro always comes through when needed."
Kunihiko
"It's hard to keep a .300 batting average."
Saeki
"That's true. It's almost impossible to get 30 points in viewership for a primetime drama."
Samantha
"Um, Yamato. What do you mean by 'be with you?'"
Yamato
"Sorry."
Samantha
"Huh?"
Yamato
"I don't have time to chat with you right now."
Samantha
"What!?"

Yamato walked over to the front of the TV. He pushed the others away and stood right in front of the TV.

Yuta
"Hey, waht are you doing?"
Yamato
"Shut up and make room for me."
Takao
"Yamato hasn't changed at all."
Saeki
"He's always been bossy ever since second grade."
Ren
"Always the alpha male."

(Just tell me what he needs help with!)
No one bothered to look at me, as all their eyes were glued to the baseball game on the screen.

Yamato
"Oh, they're changing inning. It's Matsuzaka's turn."
Saeki
"Matsuzaka tends to choke on a big stage."
Yamato
"He's the opposite of me. I shine when everything's on the line."
Takao
"But Matsuzaka's been doing great lately."
Yamato
"Cause I gave him a talk. Daisuke can do it when he needs to!"
Yuta
"You're on a first-name basis!?"
Yamato
"There's no need for formalities between Daisuke and me!"

(These guys are like kids...)
Everyone sounded like they all had proper jobs. Yet in front of the TV, they were all like little boys in adult bodies.
(It looks like no one will talk to me. I guess I'll move my bags...)
I started to move my luggage to the back of the bar. Yamato noticed me and briskly walked over.

Yamato
"Hey, wait."
Samantha
"What is it?"
Yamato
"Those don't go back there. Over here."

Yamato grabbed my luggage and tried to take it towards his seat. So I...

Samantha
"H-Hey, wait."
Yamato
"Whoa!"

I pulled Yamato by his arm. Yamato almost lost his balance.

Yamato
"Why'd you grab me like that? I almost fell."
Samantha
"Cause you took my bags away."
Yamato
"Don't worry about it. Your baggage is my baggage."
Samantha
"Why are you being so self-centered?"
Yamato
"That's because..."

Yamato cut his sentence short. He looked at me as if he had something to confess.

Yamato
"..."
Samantha
"?"

I waited for Yamato to speak. We looked at each other in akward silence.  After staring at each other for a while, Yamato suddenly blushed.
(Huh? Why?)

Yamato
"You know..."
Samantha
"Yes?"
Yamato
"You know that starting today, you're..."

Just as Yamato started to say something. Uncle shouted out loud.

Kunihiko
"Man, I'm hungry!"
Samantha
"Huh?"
Kunihiko
"Yamato, I'm hungry! Make me something."
Yamato
"Why me? It's your bar, Kuni!"

Yamato complained to Uncle, but he looked relieved.

Yamato
"Why don't you make something, Kuni. I'm hungry, too."
Kunihiko
"Cuz you're a better cook than me."
Yuta
"I want to eat, too. Something that'll fill me up."
Takao
"It's a lot of work to cook for everyone here. Want me to help?"
Saeki
"Nah, he can do it himself."
Yamato
"Hey, don't decide for me."
Kunihiko
"Alright, it's decided! You'll make food for all seven of us."
Takao
"Samantha, come over here. Watch baseball with us."
Samantha
"Okay..."

I sat at the table, but I kept worrying about Yamato who was in the kitchen by himself.

Yamato
"Geez, those guys."

Yamato mumbled to himself as he loosened his tie. His gesture seemed so sexy...my heart fluttered.
(Yamato's hands are nice...)
I thought it was great when a man could cook. I wondered if Yamato could cook?
(And what was he trying to tell me earlier?)

Yamato
"Here you go!"
Yuta
"Wow, it looks delicious!"
Kunihiko
"See, Yamato. You're a great cook."
Yamato
"No need for praise, guys. I'm not doing anything else now."

Five minutes later. Yamato served shrimp pilaf to everyone. He made all that food in five minutes?
(It must be a frozen entree you just heat up on a skillet. Frozen pilaf isn't really cooking...)

Yamato
"Hey, were you admiring my cooking?"
Samantha
"Huh? I wasn't admiring anything..."
Kunihiko
"Sure looks good enough to admire."
Takao
"And he's quick, too."
Saeki
"He's quick with his hands in all sorts of ways."
Yamato
"Shut up. None of those are compliments."
Yuta
"Bon apetit! Actually, we're already eating."
Ren
"It's good..."
Yamato
"Here's yours."

Yamato placed a plate in front of me.

Yamato
"Eat up. Eat 'em all up."
Samantha
"Thank you."

I took a small bite of the steaming hot rice. The shrimp pilaf was full of flavor and incredibly good.

Samantha
"It's delicious..."
Yamato
"Of course. I made it."

(I didn't know frozen entrees were high- quality these days.)
I was hungry, so I continued to eat it all up. Yamato sat down next to me.

Yamato
"So, what about the game? What inning is it?"
Takao
"Top of the seventh. Score is 1-2, Japan is losing. Ichiro's up at bat."
Yamato
"For real? Go get 'em, Ichiro! You better cheer for him, too!"
Samantha
"Um, okay."

Everyone was engrossed in the game. The pitcher swung his arm around for a pitch...
CRACK!

Yamato
"Whoa!"
Samantha
"He hit it!"

Ichiro connected right in the sweet spot. It looked like a homerun!

Yamato
"Go! C'mon! Go over!"
Samantha
"Please!"

Our prayers were answered as the ball flew over the field and went into the right field bleachers.

Yamato
"It's gone! Homerun!!"
Samantha
"Alright!"

Everyone was excited. They started hugging each other and giving high fives.

Yamato
"Japan's gonna win! I know it!"

Yamato turned around to look at me. On impulse, I... I high fived Yamato.

Samantha
"Ow!"
Yamato
"I didn't use that much force. Do over! Put your energy into the high five!"
Samantha
"O-Okay!"

Our hands made a sharp clap as we high fived.
(Yamato is slender, but his hands are big. It's probably because he's tall.)
I thought to myself rather distantly. Yamato seemed not to be bothered by it at all. The game continued at the score of 3-to-2. It was the bottom of the ninth inning. Japan just needed to protect this inning and they'll win. The pitcher was their backup, Fujikawa.

Takao
"Yamato is a lot like Fujikawa."
Samantha
"What do you mean?"
Takao
"He's not a type to let the batter hit a pop fly and take an out. He prefers to strike them out."
Yuta
"That's true. He goes straight at them with full force."
Saeki
"He plays a type of game where he doesn't rely on his team."
Yamato
"Are you guys picking a fight with me?"

As we chatted, Japan got two outs. Fujikawa got two strikes from the batter.

Yuta
"One more strike! One more strike!"
Yamato
"Go Fujikawa!"

Everyone swallowed their breath as they watched the screen. A snarling fastball sunk into the catcher's glove!

Announcer
"Strike! Japan wins three to two!"
Yamato
"Yes!"

Everyone stood up and cheered. Uncle was smiling contently as he yelled out...

Kunihiko
"Let's toast to Japan's victory!"
Yuta
"Alright! I want beer!"
Ren
"Me too."
Takao
"Does everyone want beer?"
Saeki
"I want red wine."
Yamato
"I can't believe you'd drink anything but beer for a toast."
Kunihiko
"You can drink whatever you want. It's my treat."
Takao
"Then can I get shochu with water?"
Kunihiko
"Okay. What do you want, Samantha?"
Samantha
"I'd like shochu too."
Kunihiko
"The two shochu with water, coming up."
Samantha
"Oh, can I get it on the rocks? I prefer potato shochu too..."
Yuta
"What?! Are you serious? Potato shochu on the rocks for your first drink?"
Yamato
"You drink like a sailor."
Saeki
"You're quite a drinker, huh? You want to go drinking with me one of these days?"
Samantha
"I don't know if I'm a drinker...It's something my grandfather said. It's rude to the shochu if you dilute it with water."
Kunihiko
"Yeah. That grandpa would say something like that."
"Ren
"She's hardcore."
Takao
"You make me look like a wimp."
Samantha
"I'm sorry. I don't mean it like that."
Kunihiko
"Anyway, let's toast."

Uncle prepared everyone's drinks. We all took our glasses.

Kunihiko
"Then a toast to Japan's victory. And my lovely niece who came to Tokyo. Cheers!"
All
"Cheers!"

Everyone raised their glasses and clinked. We all started to gulp down our drinks.

Yuta 
"Ah, this is good! It's so good!"
Ren
"Excellent."
Saeki
"This is good wine."
Takao
"This shochu is pretty good too."
Samantha
"I feel it spreading though my body."
Yamato
"You sound like an old man."
Kunihiko
"And here are some munchies."

Everyone drank and talked. I waited until things settled down before standing up.

Samantha
"So...About my situation..."
Yamato
"Do you want another round of shochu on the rocks?"
Samantha
"I'll have some later."

I looked around at everyone. And I rested my eyes on Yamato.

Samantha
"Yamato..."
Yamato
"What is it?"
Samantha
"What did you need me to help you with?"
Yamato
"Huh?"
Samantha
"Shouldn't you tell me now? I think I have the right to know."

The room became quiet. The rest of the guys glanced over at Yamato.

Saeki
"Why don't you tell her?"
Takao
"You're going to have to tell her eventually."
Yuta
"Do you want me to tell her?"
Yamato
"No, I'll say it."

Yamato cleared his throat. He looked straight at me with intense eyes.

Yamato
"Samantha Smith..."
Samantha
"Yes?"
Yamato
"I want you to be my wife."
Samantha
"Huh?"

(What did he just say?)

Yamato
"You didn't hear me?"

Yamato yelled into my ears.

Yamato
"My wife! I want you to be my wife!"
Samantha
"...!"

My mind went blank. Yamato continued as I stood there in shock.

Yamato
"So starting today, you and I are..."
Samantha
"No, no, no, no, no!"
Yamato
"You don't want to?"
Samantha
"No, it's not that...huh? Are you guys punking me? Is this how you treat people who just arrived in Tokyo?"
Kunihiko
"Calm down, Samantha. Do you think we're all part of a prank?"
Samantha
"..."
All
"..."

No one was smiling. In fact, they all looked solemn. No one was joking around or teasing Yamato.
(So he really means it?)

Yamato
"I guess it finally sunk in."

Yamato said quietly.

Yamato
"I'm sure you have a lot of questions. But you're my wife now. And I'm going to be your husband."

Yamato bowed lightly. The ice in my glass clinked as it fell.