The Chikamori Selfacy (A Reboot)
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-451kWfI6hzI/X8bPPtEyeVI/AAAAAAAAk54/KB3_SyRJ73IFG8EkSAmOkYAyCBOz1giwgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/ChikamoriSelfacyReboot_banner.png Prologue: June 12, 1970; Sacred Spleen Hospital...
Forum Discussion
The Chikamori Selfacy Generation One
Chapter One: Life in Sunset Valley
A Long History
Chapter One (Part 4)
On other days, Haruo went swimming with River at the rec centre and it was nice to get in the cool water during the hot day. They splashed each other and challenged each other to breath holding contests which River usually won. The pool was nice on a hot day which served to cool them off. La Petite Shark Swimming Pool in town was a place to go if one wanted to go swimming and it was always fun to dive in and do laps of the pool.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u6oY_Ao6o04/X74WH0uJSgI/AAAAAAAAkkY/pVU6u848ULUQ3sS8GDxIxLMVpveYTSXoACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-310.jpg
River would usually end up getting splashed in the face with pool-water by Haruo and River woudl playfully return the favour which always resulted in a water fight with more water getting splashed out of the pool and a reprimand by the pool safety monitor.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JUWhurKj8F8/X74WOh-yX5I/AAAAAAAAkkg/gyrh4XqLvWsOFeBO3lZS85N1_prdtWctACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-317.jpg
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And their breath holding contests were legendary insofar as length of time that River was able to hold her breath underwater. Nearly every time that they had an underwater breath holding contest, River won the match. Haruo always felt his lungs burning with the need for oxygen and he'd claw his way up to the surface, gasping for air when his face broke the surface.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wREb1B4jJVo/X74XFn8fYlI/AAAAAAAAkks/mOGLaMWJMJ4ALM36RZBnvvoO_hnMjoO8QCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-320.jpg
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...and it would be a very smug River McIrish that would break the surface, her hair drenched and a wide smile on her face, going, "I won..." and Haruo would gladly give his friend the win since his lungs were on fire.
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Famished, they both would head for Hogan's Diner, a little Sunset Valley based family owned chain of restaurants, which resembled the very early stages of McDonald's in its inception almost thirty-seven years earlier. The proprietor Demetrius Hogan was reputed to have made his first million simoleons as a result of franchising his sit-down concept restaurant as opposed to the drive-ins that dotted the landscape of 70s North America.
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After they ate, River and Haruo would have long conversations about what they were going to do the next day and made the most of every day that they had, whether it was summer holidays or whether it was during the school year. They would often do their homework outside of the school after classes in order to maximize the amount of time that they had together.
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The Summer Festival was usually in full swing just after school let out so spending time at the festival together was a must do for both. If Haruo was lucky he would get enough simoleons to get a decent amount of food at the fair. And of course Fiona would give her daughter plenty to enjoy the day. Haruo never asked to borrow any but River, being the generous soul she was always bought him an extra meal so that he wouldn't go hungry.
Elementary school often was a hotbed for bullying and as one of only a few Asians in the school, he received a few mean glances as River always seemed to hang out with him by the swings offering them no opportunity to make their own introductions as River simply had no interest in any of them.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wy36-KF6yP4/X8Ducml3J_I/AAAAAAAAkso/9bHOyw6M_jwAEGBfr7ICSdT18SBuzllogCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-70.jpg
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Worst of the delinquents was VJ Alvi who was more than happy to try to beat him up. So that's when Yasunobu decided to send him to martial arts classes. It certainly didn't do well for his son to always feel as though he wasn't able to defend himself.
Yasunobu was trying to develop a gardening business so he was not earning as much as the women in the house...and Mayumi made it a point of telling him so every single day. As usual Mayumi didn't care that her son was getting picked on and beaten up so she kept telling him what a spendthrift that Yasunobu was for wasting money on Haruo to take those martial arts lessons.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xWGXa7DPsS4/X74sjUemT5I/AAAAAAAAkmA/V08TFweIhaw3SRi7ksIa_KDpgm139d4wgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-281.jpg
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It didn't matter that he was keeping the household running by cooking dinner and making sure that everything was clean and on top of that trying to make sure that his business got up off the ground. No, for Mayumi, it was who was bringing in the greater number of simoleons and to her, since he couldn't match her teacher's salary, Yasunobu, for all intents and purposes was a financial eunuch.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gH4K3zRAmWw/X74tZPNXD_I/AAAAAAAAkmQ/_ePehRnQjiUPrXDTguawVUwJwtV2pe5kQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-287.jpg
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So Yasunobu went ahead and headed to the bookstore and got gardening, cooking and handiness skillbooks so that he was able to do whatever he needed to do, all the while ignoring his shrew of a wife, who went and did as she wanted; haranguing anyone that she could get away with abusing.
The years went by and elementary school was left behind as high-school beckoned. Haruo and River started high-school at an eight-twelve high-school which mid-way during the year transitioned to a 1-12 format (not true in Canada in real life as the social dynamics between elementary school and junior high are far to great to intermingle the age groups) and Sunset Valley High School became Sunset Valley Combined Educational School. Their school had the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the walls of each classroom and well, “O Canada” was sung at assembly “O Canada, our home and native land, true patriot love in all our sons command” No, it was truly “sons command” no political correctness had invaded the land during the 80s.
VJ Alvi had tried his same old stunts again...to try and gain street cred with the new kids in the school who had joined them from the feeder schools to create his own little gang to terrorize the school and of course the kids were bigger and tougher. However that wasn’t a good choice for VJ since Haruo had started training in kung fu; he was now a blue belt and those who had picked on him were loath to try it after seeing a rematch between Haruo and VJ and observing VJ get his rear end thoroughly beaten and handed to him. It had pretty much gone like this.
“Hey, whatchoo lookin’ at...” VJ had mouthed off at him. “Do I have to turf ya again, eh?”
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“Try it, VJ...and you’ll measure your length in the dirt.” Haruo had warned him.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qnentilz5dI/X7-1ZjQqTtI/AAAAAAAAkoI/tInNM6jhrMor3BrRUBPjPS3DopflhUfNACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-20.jpg
“Kick your tail-feathers, man...chicken-poop.” VJ scoffed as he strutted towards him with an attitude, fists balling up.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7bLbc_mFrTM/X7-12rjNj2I/AAAAAAAAkoU/0cUbwgh9jd0tX6LRjJtw1XsOjRepEcvTwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-25.jpg
“Ya made of spare parts? Bud.” Haruo taunted him. “You’re so stupid you couldn’t roll a tire down a hill.”
“Nice hair...your father cut it with a bowl?”
“Haha...VJ...ya got more yaps than a Hong Kong telephone directory. Too bad your brain hasn’t caught up with your mouth, eh.”
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qvFUH0DFMkk/X7-2ArcP-1I/AAAAAAAAkoY/rkf0iUjUrOIAva7POud_LFzCjy_4ipMgQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-21.jpg
It wasn't certain who swung first, but after the first swing, it was all over.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bP92vIs8qEo/X7-5ZItNNhI/AAAAAAAAkow/jf3lNE1dajszqwiygeZcjjfa6usFDt3jACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-27.jpg
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VJ may have been good with his fists, but Haruo made him understand in no uncertain terms via physical reinforcement that he tired of VJ's baloney. It was also a brutal warning to guys like Parker Langerak and Ethan Bunch that he was capable of putting those two on their derrieres should they attempt to try to start anything with him. It also had the added effect of nullifying the instances of anyone attempting to pick on him as they knew if they started something with Haruo; Haruo would end it.
End part 4
Chapter One: Life in Sunset Valley
A Long History
Chapter One (Part 4)
On other days, Haruo went swimming with River at the rec centre and it was nice to get in the cool water during the hot day. They splashed each other and challenged each other to breath holding contests which River usually won. The pool was nice on a hot day which served to cool them off. La Petite Shark Swimming Pool in town was a place to go if one wanted to go swimming and it was always fun to dive in and do laps of the pool.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u6oY_Ao6o04/X74WH0uJSgI/AAAAAAAAkkY/pVU6u848ULUQ3sS8GDxIxLMVpveYTSXoACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-310.jpg
River would usually end up getting splashed in the face with pool-water by Haruo and River woudl playfully return the favour which always resulted in a water fight with more water getting splashed out of the pool and a reprimand by the pool safety monitor.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JUWhurKj8F8/X74WOh-yX5I/AAAAAAAAkkg/gyrh4XqLvWsOFeBO3lZS85N1_prdtWctACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-317.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lqs38QpaNzo/X74WOkymAuI/AAAAAAAAkkc/5seY0-wsTEwZaUAb69jC7CAzvgFwUChwQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-318.jpg
And their breath holding contests were legendary insofar as length of time that River was able to hold her breath underwater. Nearly every time that they had an underwater breath holding contest, River won the match. Haruo always felt his lungs burning with the need for oxygen and he'd claw his way up to the surface, gasping for air when his face broke the surface.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wREb1B4jJVo/X74XFn8fYlI/AAAAAAAAkks/mOGLaMWJMJ4ALM36RZBnvvoO_hnMjoO8QCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-320.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e2uqkQEBeAc/X74XFsYzcsI/AAAAAAAAkkw/08C4o1yfDUsCuyO0mLCPxacJotqUoDJbwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-321.jpg
...and it would be a very smug River McIrish that would break the surface, her hair drenched and a wide smile on her face, going, "I won..." and Haruo would gladly give his friend the win since his lungs were on fire.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--xLhmg5jx9U/X74XFvoOm2I/AAAAAAAAkk0/wh4CvKBpqOAYv8BDj2Yder9SpUYsP6XqQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-322.jpg
Famished, they both would head for Hogan's Diner, a little Sunset Valley based family owned chain of restaurants, which resembled the very early stages of McDonald's in its inception almost thirty-seven years earlier. The proprietor Demetrius Hogan was reputed to have made his first million simoleons as a result of franchising his sit-down concept restaurant as opposed to the drive-ins that dotted the landscape of 70s North America.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ym9nVq4H-J4/X74ZdPJyTYI/AAAAAAAAklU/ORO1Y_xFyLgTho_wvprQdfTyfnSyRimPACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-303.jpg
After they ate, River and Haruo would have long conversations about what they were going to do the next day and made the most of every day that they had, whether it was summer holidays or whether it was during the school year. They would often do their homework outside of the school after classes in order to maximize the amount of time that they had together.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LCNeSMOUQzM/X74bL-S0ixI/AAAAAAAAklg/UIVBO-KeutUacDAlnc1lokjcS5u365TUACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-307.jpg
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The Summer Festival was usually in full swing just after school let out so spending time at the festival together was a must do for both. If Haruo was lucky he would get enough simoleons to get a decent amount of food at the fair. And of course Fiona would give her daughter plenty to enjoy the day. Haruo never asked to borrow any but River, being the generous soul she was always bought him an extra meal so that he wouldn't go hungry.
Elementary school often was a hotbed for bullying and as one of only a few Asians in the school, he received a few mean glances as River always seemed to hang out with him by the swings offering them no opportunity to make their own introductions as River simply had no interest in any of them.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wy36-KF6yP4/X8Ducml3J_I/AAAAAAAAkso/9bHOyw6M_jwAEGBfr7ICSdT18SBuzllogCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-70.jpg
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Worst of the delinquents was VJ Alvi who was more than happy to try to beat him up. So that's when Yasunobu decided to send him to martial arts classes. It certainly didn't do well for his son to always feel as though he wasn't able to defend himself.
Yasunobu was trying to develop a gardening business so he was not earning as much as the women in the house...and Mayumi made it a point of telling him so every single day. As usual Mayumi didn't care that her son was getting picked on and beaten up so she kept telling him what a spendthrift that Yasunobu was for wasting money on Haruo to take those martial arts lessons.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xWGXa7DPsS4/X74sjUemT5I/AAAAAAAAkmA/V08TFweIhaw3SRi7ksIa_KDpgm139d4wgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-281.jpg
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It didn't matter that he was keeping the household running by cooking dinner and making sure that everything was clean and on top of that trying to make sure that his business got up off the ground. No, for Mayumi, it was who was bringing in the greater number of simoleons and to her, since he couldn't match her teacher's salary, Yasunobu, for all intents and purposes was a financial eunuch.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gH4K3zRAmWw/X74tZPNXD_I/AAAAAAAAkmQ/_ePehRnQjiUPrXDTguawVUwJwtV2pe5kQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-287.jpg
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So Yasunobu went ahead and headed to the bookstore and got gardening, cooking and handiness skillbooks so that he was able to do whatever he needed to do, all the while ignoring his shrew of a wife, who went and did as she wanted; haranguing anyone that she could get away with abusing.
The years went by and elementary school was left behind as high-school beckoned. Haruo and River started high-school at an eight-twelve high-school which mid-way during the year transitioned to a 1-12 format (not true in Canada in real life as the social dynamics between elementary school and junior high are far to great to intermingle the age groups) and Sunset Valley High School became Sunset Valley Combined Educational School. Their school had the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the walls of each classroom and well, “O Canada” was sung at assembly “O Canada, our home and native land, true patriot love in all our sons command” No, it was truly “sons command” no political correctness had invaded the land during the 80s.
VJ Alvi had tried his same old stunts again...to try and gain street cred with the new kids in the school who had joined them from the feeder schools to create his own little gang to terrorize the school and of course the kids were bigger and tougher. However that wasn’t a good choice for VJ since Haruo had started training in kung fu; he was now a blue belt and those who had picked on him were loath to try it after seeing a rematch between Haruo and VJ and observing VJ get his rear end thoroughly beaten and handed to him. It had pretty much gone like this.
“Hey, whatchoo lookin’ at...” VJ had mouthed off at him. “Do I have to turf ya again, eh?”
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jvhT4fvgX6Y/X7-1K_qYIRI/AAAAAAAAkoE/MCvUpEa9WxAffMoi4l7VIuBYW0B6oym4wCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-23.jpg
“Try it, VJ...and you’ll measure your length in the dirt.” Haruo had warned him.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qnentilz5dI/X7-1ZjQqTtI/AAAAAAAAkoI/tInNM6jhrMor3BrRUBPjPS3DopflhUfNACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-20.jpg
“Kick your tail-feathers, man...chicken-poop.” VJ scoffed as he strutted towards him with an attitude, fists balling up.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7bLbc_mFrTM/X7-12rjNj2I/AAAAAAAAkoU/0cUbwgh9jd0tX6LRjJtw1XsOjRepEcvTwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-25.jpg
“Ya made of spare parts? Bud.” Haruo taunted him. “You’re so stupid you couldn’t roll a tire down a hill.”
“Nice hair...your father cut it with a bowl?”
“Haha...VJ...ya got more yaps than a Hong Kong telephone directory. Too bad your brain hasn’t caught up with your mouth, eh.”
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qvFUH0DFMkk/X7-2ArcP-1I/AAAAAAAAkoY/rkf0iUjUrOIAva7POud_LFzCjy_4ipMgQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-21.jpg
It wasn't certain who swung first, but after the first swing, it was all over.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bP92vIs8qEo/X7-5ZItNNhI/AAAAAAAAkow/jf3lNE1dajszqwiygeZcjjfa6usFDt3jACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-27.jpg
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VJ may have been good with his fists, but Haruo made him understand in no uncertain terms via physical reinforcement that he tired of VJ's baloney. It was also a brutal warning to guys like Parker Langerak and Ethan Bunch that he was capable of putting those two on their derrieres should they attempt to try to start anything with him. It also had the added effect of nullifying the instances of anyone attempting to pick on him as they knew if they started something with Haruo; Haruo would end it.
End part 4
