chapter 39: Will You Dance With Us

And so he waited, playing a few songs, nothing too hyped. Until about a half hour into the festival, that's when he played a song trending on tiktok, he turned the volume up and just when people started to look up, he began to mix in another song trending, adding his own effects, proving that he's doing this live.

People nearby began to gravitate towards us in groups, until there was enough to fill a dance floor and they danced, young and old. 

KJ faded the music down and grabbed his mic, "Alright everybody hope we're having a wonderful night. I am your DJ, Thing One, and if you have a song that your heart desires, let me know. You name it, I got it, and if I don't got it," he grinned into the mic saying, "I got my Dad's credit card." He started mixing, going into a song that everyone knew and could not resist as he said, "Alright, now lets get this party started right!" His voice rang so smooth over the mic and Alright, girl were swooning over him. This mystery, teen DJ. "Thing One?" Girls whispered, "What's his real name? Look him up!" They urged, only making Hana grin. 

She's been working closely with the Hitachiin marketing team, and she decided to take on KJ's DJing hustle as her own personal challenge. To build his brand as DJ, Thing One. 

"Why Thing One?" Bokuto asked as he wrapped an arm around me. 

I let out a laugh explaining, "When aunt bri first met uncle Kaoru and uncle Hikaru, she called them thing one and thing two. Guess he wanted to keep the tuition going."

"Also," Hana began, "makes it easy for cooperation work, because for an evening, anyone can become thing two." She let out a sigh saying, "It just so happens that tonight, I'm thing two."

"Better you than Z," Bokuto said as he took my hand, "She'll be with me on the dance floor."

He pulled me towards the crowd of dancing bodies. He didn’t let go as he started moving to the music. He pulled me closer, as close as publicly acceptable. More a little closer than publicly acceptable, but he didn't care. 

Nothing was a big deal, so I didn't care. Or so I thought.

I saw Hina's face, anger resting on it as she looked at me. As she looked at everyone. As she looked at KJ, who the growing crowd was loving. 

"Ignore her," Bokuto whispered into my ear, before backing up and standing tall with his arm waving through the air, "Hey, hey, hey! It's Aimi and Akaashi!"

I looked behind me and saw them pushing through the crowd to get to me and Bokuto. 

"Hey guys," Akaashi said, "Everyone started rushing back here when they heard the music."

"KJ is really good," Aimi said, rocking to the music as he seamlessly mixed to the next song. 

It wasn't long before he spotted Aimi on the floor, dancing along with me and Bokuto, while Akaashi went off to talk to Hana. 

I guess dancing isn't really his thing.

Too bad Hana’s about to be up, or I should say, "Everybody give it up for my twin, Thing Two!" KJ announced. 

Hana looked up from her phone, sighed and started for the DJ booth. She grabbed a case as she walked over. More like glided. She moved as though she were above everyone here. And let's be real. She is. 

She doesn't try to pretend to be average like KJ. But, KJ never did before. I'm sure it's only for Aimi's sake. Maybe a little of mine as well.

Hina disappeared behind the DJ booth and KJ smiled wide and leaned into the mic, "Looks like she got a treat for you all." KJ, switch around the music, and turned to the table on his left, where his keyboard sat. 

We heard the click of something being plugged into an Amp. KJ reached to his DJ station, turning the music down until there was nothing. And everyone looked up at the DJ booth. Mumbled started about, everyone wondering what happened to the music. 

"Don't worry," KJ smiled into the mic, with his left hand on his keys, "Me and my sister breathe music. We got you." His fingers guided over a few keys, playing the melody of some well known chorus, that's been sitting at the top of the charts for too long.

Just from a few notes on the keyboard, people began to gasp. Asking their friends to confirm that they heard correctly.

KJ fell into the background music and the unseen strings, began to ring through the speakers taking the place of the song's lyrics. And the crowd went nuts.

Hana stepped up to the platform as she played, showing everyone her skills as she passionately played her electric violin.

KJ kept a rhythm they could dance to with his keys and they played through the song with KJ, adding some more to the end, to blend the music back to a song that he and Hana weren't playing live.

Hana went to the mic saying, "Alright everybody, I'm Thing Two for the evening and you'll be rocking with me for a while. My brother seems to have an itch to scratch." She rolled her eyes as he hopped down from the DJ booth.

He ran into the crowd, saying thank yous as girls grabbed his arms and shoulders telling him how amazing he was. Still, he managed to push his way to me. 

He grabbed me by both my shoulders forcing me to face him, "You ready?" He grinned excitedly.

"Ready for what?" I asked nervously.

He didn't answer me, just looked over my shoulder, nodded, "Hey Aimi," then, the music began to change, to a song that I listened to a million times with KJ, because we had to get this routine down. He wouldn't stop until we did.

He held his hand out to me and I took it, right on beat as rehearsed. And moved just as practiced. Started out moving in a wide circle, forcing people to back up and make room. 

Everyone circled around us, oooing, ahing, and cheering as we danced until the song ended. Once the next song started, KJ laid some simple, repetitive moves that fit the beat of the music. I caught on at the third time he repeated the moves and watched as others tried to mimic. 

KJ watched too, he found someone who seemed to have it down and ran over to her, smiling as he took her hand and pulled her into the circle.

He started again, watching her as she joined him, and he smiled wider when she got it down. Bokuto jumped into the circle dancing beside me, but I've as well, pulling people into the circle to dance alongside us.

KJ stuck to the ladies, blushing as he took their hands in his. For a moment he danced with each of them, stepping close and smiling with his smooth host club grin. He can charm any girl here. Well any girl besides Hina. 

He danced and smiled in the arms of at least 7 girls before turning to Aimi, and held out his hand, just like he did for everyone else.

This just seemed like the typical job of a hype man at this point. KJ even seemed like a bit of a flirt. No one would think anything of it once he gets to Aimi. But still, Aimi looked over to Hina. She looked nervous. She searched in fear for… for what? Approval?

KJ's smile, shifted. From his fun true smile, to his fake it till you make it smile. It's only slightly different, and only I could tell. 

Even when she did take his hand, his true smile didn't return. And it wouldn't, for the rest of the evening.

The song shifted and everyone went back to their individual dancing. Aimi and KJ danced close to me and Bokuto and Aimi seemed like she were having fun. She doesn’t notice the fake smile on KJ's face.

But her smile dropped once Hina's voice sounded behind us, "Sure, turn the whole school into Nigger lovers. Why not?"

Aimi gasped, and shrunk, and stepped back muttering, "It's… it's not -"

"Hina, will you shut up and have some fun already," Bokuto laughed, stepping closer to me, "If you don't like what you see, leave. There's a whole festival you could be enjoying." She wrapped his arms around me from behind and kissed my cheek. 

"So much for preserving the species," Hina rolled her eyes at Bokuto.

He only laughed saying, "Well, the species is human so I think it'll be alright. Besides," He looked around at a the girls lurking just a few feet around KJ, "Seems like you're the only one problem. Right, Aim-" we looked back to where Aimi stood and she was gone.

Hana smiled, "The only one, uh?" She turned and walked away. To which, Bokuto only shrugged. 

KJ's smile dropped now, as he backed away, "Let me get back to my job." 

By the time he made it back to the DJ booth, his smile was back. And he did his job and rocked the party until it was time to go.

I had planned to go to aunt Bri's house for the weekend. Bokuto, Aimi and Akaashi were coming too. 

Mostly everyone was gone by the time we finished loading up the SUV. KJ sat up front with Jay, our driver. Bokuto and I sat in the two seat in the second row of the three row SUV. And Hana and Akaashi sat in the back, with an empty space back there for Aimi. Who just ran to the SUV and quickly hopped in. 

"Okay, ready," she breathed in relief as she passed me to the back of the SUV. 

KJ's voice rang calmly as he said, Jay. We'll be dropping Aimi off at her home before heading to the house."

"No," she said with a nervous laugh, "I'm going to your house this weekend."

"No," KJ said, "You're not. You are going home and we are done. I do not wish to further inconvenience you."

"Kaoru?" She gasped, "What… what are you saying?"

KJ sighed, "You're too weak to be with us."

"Kaoru," I breathed this time.

"Jay."

"Yes, young master." Jay said and pulled off.

The car was silent for a while, before KJ sighed, "You left."

"Hina said something, she-"

"She said something," KJ scoffed from the front seat, "She said something so you ran. She said the same thing to Bokuto, you know and he didn't run. Because he didn't care, because fucking Hina has nothing to do with him and Z."

"KJ, you don’t understand," I tried to defend my friend.

He laughed, "I don't understand? I assure you, the only thing I don't understand is what it's like to be a mediocre copy of everyone around you. We never had the luxury of fitting in so sorry we don't value it like you." His voice got more serious as he went on, "My family have brown skin in a land that praises models of purslane dolls. My twin and eye have red hair that curls and kinks in every direction, with these cat-like eyes. We look like we escaped from the fucking freak show but we had to work with what we had. We had to build ourselves up.

You might think that because we have money, it's easier for us, but when everyone around you has money too, it makes no difference. A bully is a fucking bully and when you deal with it as long as we have, you realize that you don't need weak allies. You realize that not everyone is strong enough to be your friend. 

And, you aren't."

Jay pulled up to Aimi's house and KJ said, "My cousin is more patient than I. If she invites you around, I will noapposed, but know this. How you treat me in public, is how I will treat you. 

If you want something to change, start with yourself."

I looked back at Aimi, her head was down again as she sat between Hana and Akaashi. But even with her head down, I could see the tears falling from her eyes.

"Goodnight Aimi." KJ said finally. 

She nodded and began to move forward and out of the SUV. We sat and waited for her to get inside.

The moment she was inside I said, "That was harsh."

"He's not wrong," both Bokuto and Hana said together. 

"Baby Bird, you defend her all the time. But when was the last time she defended you?"

I knew the answer was never. So I said, "She's scared."

"Scared to put up with a fraction of what you're going through. If it takes an ounce of pressure off of you, then it's worth it to me." Bokuto said. 

"It's different."

"It's not," said everyone in the car.

And they're not wrong. But Aimi is my friend, I don’t want her to take on any of my pain.

But now, KJ's in pain now. I see his reflection on the side mirror. I see his tears. He tried to do things her way. But in the end, she could be there for him there for us. And, it does hurt.

She's not strong enough to be our friend.

But, I want her to be.