2

TAKUMI WILLIAMS

The announcer blew the final whistle as the buzzer rang out, signifying the end of the match. The crowd immediately broke into an uproar, cheers arising as my teammates rushed to my side, slapping their sticks against each other before waving it in the air.

“And the match ends with a win from the Wolves! This is their first win against the Titans in months! Is the Titans streak finally over?!”

“It clearly is! And who do we give the credit? Takumi Williams? Wow, what an amazing way to mark his return to the team!”

“If I were Mason I wouldn’t feel so good about that. Oh look at that. I wonder what’s running through the Titans’ captain’s mind right now.”

A smile appeared on my face as I breathed in the familiar air, feeling good to be back in the country. Japan was nice, but after a year away, I'd started feeling homesick.

I looked around me, the crowd still roaring. The win must have meant a lot to them. After all, I'd heard the Titans had been beating my team every match since I left, so this victory was long overdue.

I continued my search into the crowd, looking for my mum. She was nowhere to be found but instead I caught sight of a cardboard with ‘Welcome back, Takumi’ written on it in Japanese. I smiled at the effort but couldn’t help but laugh at the error accidentally changing the meaning from "Welcome back, Takumi" to something much closer to "Please return Takumi."

Genuinely intrigued at all the possible wrong translations that could have raised with another wrong character, I continued to laugh. But the laughter didn’t last long as I turned around as suddenly locked gazes with Noah.

Noah Mason. Noah fucking Mason.

He had a frown on his face and I could swear it was the only expression I’d ever seen on his face even after knowing him for two years. He always looked angry like the corners of his lips were forbidden to stretch even a little.

My smile turned into a smirk as I desperately hoped to get even the slightest bit of emotion from him. But it didn’t work. The frown was permanently etched and just like I told myself two years ago, I reminded myself to give up on trying to get him to smile.

The first time I saw Noah Mason had to be on my first day of university. Out of love for the game, I’d gone to watch a hockey match between the university team and another university team. And that was when I saw him. The infamous Noah Mason.

He was just as the rumours described him. Short hair, muscular body and so good looking the permanent frown on his face never diminished his features. The rumours never included his eyes though— green piercing eyes that made me reconsider my favourite colour.

As the star player of the university official team, his arrogance was just as expected. His world orbited around him, his two friends and famous rich and single dad. I’d heard enough rumours about him to last a lifetime so when he barely paid attention to me in the crowd of dozens of people, I wasn’t surprised.

But when he still didn’t pay attention to me after I joined the university club hockey team, I was then surprised.

Our university had always had two hockey teams. The Harrington Titans, which was the team of all the elite players who were most likely going to join the NHL anytime soon and the Harrington Wolves, which was the team of all the people like me who played hockey as an hobby.

As the Titans captain, he sure had a reputation to hold which included overlooking every single member of the Wolves. And when for the first time since he became captain, the Wolves beat the Titans with an embarrassing score, he was finally forced to notice me.

And maybe, hate me.

But my mission was accomplished so who cared?

“What are you doing here?”

I’d gotten so lost in my thoughts I didn’t realize Noah had walked up to me. He was standing so close to me and out of the three years of knowing him, beating him and being his new stepbrother, there had never been that little distance between us.

“Nice to see you again too, brother,” I replied him, looking straight into those eyes I hadn’t seen in so long. His hair was still short and within a year, there was barely any changes in his physical features. “I know right? It has been so long.”

“What?” he shot me a glare and I almost burst into laughter. He was handling my sarcasm so terribly it made me fear hockey was the only thing he was good at. “Why are you back? I thought you left.”

“Oh, you noticed,” I simply smiled. “Well, yeah, it must have been hard not to since your team finally got a refill on that ‘luck’.”

“You—”

“Japan was boring,” I ran my hands through my hair as I replied. “That’s why I came back. So yes, brother, I am back. For good.”

He looked speechless for a second. But not longer than a second as he immediately turned around and skated away from me without replying.

“Mason,” I read the name stitched on his jersey as he slowly got out of my sight. “Oh, Mason.”

He had to be capable of uttering more than five sentences. And more than anything, I was willing to stick around to watch that happen. “See you in a bit.”

It’d been one week since I returned and finally, Jonathan had decided to invite Noah over for dinner. Whether it was his idea or my mum’s idea, I didn’t really care. I was just thrilled when they told me Noah would be coming over later tonight after our match.

So when he stormed off without replying me, I knew it was only a matter of time before he sat next to me again and finally get those words out.

I took my shower in a rush and got changed. My mum said he’d be here by 9pm and by 8:50, I was already. But I didn’t go downstairs until 9:15pm and Noah was still not present.

“He was probably a bit tired from the match,” my mum tried to console Jonathan. “I’m sure he’ll sure up. I promise.”

I raised my brow at the scene, Noah inevitably on my mind. Ever since my dad died, it had always been just us two until she met Jonathan. I didn’t know much about him but I knew my mum was a good judge of character. So when she said she wanted to get married to him, I was actually happy for her.

And no matter how hard I tried, still couldn’t figure out why Noah was the complete opposite.

“He’s here,” she rose to her feet as she heard the front door open. Excitedly, she rushed towards the entrance to usher him in, Jonathan clearing his throat a few more times than necessary. “Noah, nice to meet you again. How are you? How was today’s match? It’s so rare to see you these days. You should come home more often.”

She was overcompensating and I felt embarrassed on her behalf. Noah would see right through her and if he was anything like the man I’d spent three years trying to figure out, it’d only irritate him further.

“I’m fine, thanks.”

One sentence down.

He walked over to the dining, he and his father exchanging nothing but nods of acknowledgements. He took his seat, directly opposite mine, resting his hands on the table like he didn’t know what to do next.

I almost laughed. Hockey had to really be the only thing he was good at.

“Come on, let’s eat.”

Dinner was served and silence followed. The awkward kind I hated so much cause I’d never been one to keep my mouth shut for so long.

“How was today’s match?” Jonathan finally spoke up before I could die of boredom. “You played against each other, right?”

“Yes, we did,” I replied, Noah focusing on his food. “It was fun. More than decent for my comeback match.”

“Before I forget, my team won.”

I watched Noah’s grip on his cutlery immediately tighten, my lips curling in contentment. He still didn’t speak up, urging me to try even harder.

“Apparently, the Titans had been on a winning streak before I returned. Maybe I should just ditch the Wolves and join the Titans since I’m so good?”

Jonathan laughed at my words but all I got from Noah was a forehead crease.

“Before that, don’t forget you still need to get a new place now that you’re back,” my mum chipped in. “How’s that going? Found a dorm yet?”

“You need a place?” Jonathan spoke up before I could. “Noah lives alone in one of my buildings close to the university. It’s a duplex and it’s just him so why don’t you move in with him?”

I looked between him and Noah.

"There are plenty of empty rooms there," Jonathan continued. "You could stay with him. At least until you find somewhere else.”

Noah immediately looked up. "What?"

"I said Takumi could stay with you."

Two sentences. Followed by his cutlery immediately slipping out of his hands to fall loudly against the table.

“What do you mean by stay with me?”

"You've got the space," Jonathan replied calmly. "If you mind so much, it'd only be temporary until he sorts something else out."

"I prefer living alone."

"I know you do," Jonathan said. "But it's only for a little while."

“It doesn’t matter.”

"It does. You've got rooms sitting empty."

"And I'd like to keep them empty."

“You’re incredibly privileged, Noah,” Jonathan shook his head, letting out a slow breath. “When I was in university, I didn't have an entire building to myself. All I'm asking is for you to share one room you're clearly not using.”

“I didn’t allow even my friends move in when they asked me to.”

“Well, good, Takumi isn’t your friend. He’s your stepbrother.”

“Is that supposed to make this any better?”

I almost clapped my hands and jumped. My patience finally paid off and he broke his record of uttering not more than five sentences. Seven full sentences. From the one and only Noah Mason.

“Jonathan, it’s fine,” I broke into a smile. I turned to Noah and continued, “If Noah doesn’t want me to live with him, he must have his reasons. I’m sure it messes up his ego to have his rival suddenly return and now want to live so close to him.”

“You’re not my rival,” he fired at me. “Don’t be mistaken.”

“Okay, I’m just your stepbrother then,” I raised my hands in defeat. “You don’t consider me a rival. Or a threat. There’s absolutely no tension between us. I almost do not exist to you.”

I smiled sweetly then tilted my head. “Since that’s the case, can I move in then?”