Title: Falling is something painfully wonderful
Fandom: Fuma no Kojiro
Characters/Pairing: Kojiro, Kouu, Shoryuu, Ryoma/Kirikaze, Ryuho/Kurojishi, Reira/Yosui
Rating: K+? at least this part.
Summary: Kirikaze grew up in an African village with his older sister and his parents as christian missioners. Now, his family is moving back to Japan, and he is the new student at the known school Hakuo Gakuin.

When Kirikaze was a child, his mother and father, both missioners, had decided to go to Africa to work there, to try and convert people, and help where it was needed. They brought their children, Kirikaze and his older sister Kirimi, with them. So Kirikaze grew up there, learning both the language spoken in a small village in Benin, as well as Japanese and English, to be able to talk with as many people as possible. Not that he really talked to many since he returned to Japan, though. He felt a bit.. left out. As he listened to the conversations of the people of his age, he heard popular idols being mentioned, movies, and stuff he just didn't know anything about. He knew about books, because his parents had noticed he liked reading, and had gotten him new books once in a while. But since the only TV they had in Africa was to watch news from around the world, and Kirikaze didn't really like the electronic device, he was something of a secluded boy. He'd just been too busy running around exploring in and around the village, playing football with his friends in the village in the northern parts of Littoral, and when he was home, he either helped with the housework or read.
So when they returned to Japan it was a shock to him. All the technology, the people in fashionable clothes and just everything. He was not used to it being so big and boisturous.
They had moved into the house that Kirikaze could vaguely remember from his previous stay in Japan, with Kirikaze's and Kirimi's grandparents.
And now he was going to a new school, where he didn't know a living soul. And it was in Japan. How did things even work at this place?

The school was smaller than he'd thought, but still very big compared to the small village-school he'd gone to in Africa. And the uniform he was forced to wear - a black thing that stuck tightly to his throat - was not comfortable at all, since he was used to loose clothing and shorts and t-shirts and stuff, because of the heat in what he saw as his home-country.

He tugged at the throat to his blazer and settled for unzipping it a little. I can breathe... he sighed inwardly and finally walked through the gates to the school-building. He stepped forward and as he didn't notice the floor rising to higher levels to the shoe cubbys, he tripped, but managed to regain his balance by getting his hands on the floor and making a graceful jump, landing on his feet. He looked up when he saw stares, and almost blushed when he saw several students stare at him. Don't blush, idiot, it's just.. uhh.. right, it's just because they were... it's because you're new! Right, that's it! He stood up and pulled off his shoes. His parents had mentioned something about shoes and slippers and changing between the different footwear... Now where to put them...?
"Hey!"
He spun around, ready to strike, and saw a brownhaired teen with a newsboy cap and his blazer unbuttoned. He didn't wear any shirt underneath it, either. "Yes?" Kirikaze put on a mask of indifference, and looked down at the smiling boy.
"You're new, right? That trick was awesome! D'ya wanna join th-"
"Kojiro-kun!" Another boy hurried up to them, a boy with brownblonde hair and a kind smile on his face as he turned to Kirikaze. "Sorry, Kojiro-kun is a bit loud. There are empty shoe cubbys over there." The boy pointed towards the end of the set of shelfs furthest away from them. Then he grabbed the collar of Kojiro's blazer and dragged him off. Kirikaze could hear him lecture the other boy. "Geez, Kojiro-kun. You're not even in any clubs, how can you try to recruit him?"
"But Reiraaa! I'm in a club!"
"The 'Detention Club' is not a acknowledged club, and will never be." Reira bointed out. The last Kirikaze heard of their conversation was another "But Reiraaaaaa!" and then he went to look for an empty shoe cubby.

At the teacher's office, he met his homeroom teacher, Suzuki-sensei, as well as the headmaster's assistant, Yagyuu Ranko. The headmaster's got an assistant in my age? Or maybe she's older than she looks...? And then he was led to the classroom. 2-E. Right, so that was his class? Not just "2", or anything like that? So he supposed there were many students at the school.
"This is your new classmate, Nakamura Kirikaze-kun. Nakamura-kun, would you please wright your name on the blackboard?"
Kirikaze turned to look at mentioned blackboard, searching for anything to write with. He soon found a crayon, and quickly wrote his name.
"Kanji?" he heard someone say. "People use that these days?"
"When I heard it'd be an african, I thought he'd be brown and dark-haired." another commented.
"And have a weird name."
It wasn't those comments that bothered Kirikaze, though. It was the cooing and sqeals from the girls that did. Were all Japanese girls like that?
"Silence in the classroom!" the teacher shouted, and suddenly, it was raining erasers over them. Kirikaze quickly avoided the small flying projectiles, and Suzuki-sensei took cover behind his desk. How pathetic..
It was a cough from the back of the classroom that stopped the rain of gums, and eyes turned to a boy with long black hair that was tied into a low pony-tail. Kirikaze felt his heart jump in his chest, and he widened his eyes in shock. Wa-wa-wait a moment..? Why did I just..? No- Wait.. I did not just...
"You are disturbing the class, please quiet down."
"Saito."
"Right.. Your seat is over there." Suzuki-sensei said.
Kirikaze ripped his eyes from this Saito and located his seat. It was by the window. Well, he supposed that was good. Though, he was sitting right in front of... Saito.. This will be hard... he thought to himself as he sat down. He could feel Saito's aura radiate from behind him. Too. Close.

When the bell rang for lunch, Kirikaze wondered what to do. Well, he had recieved a lunch-box -no, bento, he corrected himself- from his mother, but he didn't know where he was supposed to sit. He saw students walk out of the classroom, and some stayed, so he stood up and wandered out the hall. After walking a little while, past some classrooms and turned a corner, he heard a shout. "Kirikaze? !" He looked up, and spotted faces that looked vaguely familiar. "...Kouu, Shoryuu? What are you doing here?"
"What we're doing here?" Kouu - he thought it was Kouu at least, it had been such a long time since he'd seen and heard their voices in real life. "We're students here, first years. But what are you doing here? You didn't tell us you were moving back!"
"Yes I did." Kirikaze replied. "Just before I left."
"Oh." Shoryuu nodded. "That explains stuff, we haven't gotten your letter yet."
"Ryuho's a student here too." Kouu then said. "In another class, but he's captain in the judo-club. Isn't that awesome?"
"..he is? You didn't mention that." Kirikaze was not surprised, he had heard about Ryuho's rapidly growing skills in judo, and his family did have a judo- and karate-dojo, after all.

Kouu, Shoryuu and Ryuho were Kirikaze's friends from when he last lived in Japan, they'd caused a lot of mischief together, he supposed, and from what he had heard, the twins hadn't exactly stopped with that. Kouu and Shoryuu had been writing letters to Kirikaze, and told him what was going on in their lives, and Kirikaze had told them about Littoral.

"I moved here just recently, into my grandparents house." Kirikaze said.
"There again? I remember when we stayed over, it was fun times. This guy's boring all the time, lately." Kouu pointed at Shoryuu, who crossed his arms.
"Just because I said that I won't marry you, nii-san. You don't have to be so annoying all the time."
"See? He's like that all the time. And he said he'd marry me. Right? He did, right?"
"He did." Kirikaze agreed.
"We were five, damnit!" Shoryuu shouted.
"And you were in love with your brother." Kirikaze pointed out.
"Love is love." Kouu said. "You getting along with your class, by the way?"
Kirikaze shrugged. "I haven't talked with anyone yet. Do you know who that Saito is?"
"Yeah, there's no one who doesn't. Ryoma-san's the Stuco Pres." Kouu said. "What, y'like him?"
"..No." Kirikaze stated, feeling how he got nervous, for some reason. "So he's called Ryoma?"
"Well, most call him Saito, Saito-kun or President." Shoryuu informed. "We know him, since he's in the judo-club. He's the ace, you could say."
"And not captain?"
"He turned down the offer and suggested Ryuho instead. Ryuho got really happy, because he really respects Ryoma-san."
"It's possible you've seen his little brother, too."
"Little brother?"
"Kojiro. We hang out with him and Reira from time to time, those two're practically joined at the hip."
Kirikaze raised an eyebrow. "'Joined at the hip'?"
"People say they're an item. They're just best friends though. Kojiro's head over heels with the headmaster, she's in first year, before you ask. And Reira's dating this guy from Seishikan."
"He's got funny hair." Kouu added. "Red and blonde and it looks like he's got a flower on his head."
"If Reira hears you-" Shoryuu was cut off by a shout, and he mouthed 'too late' to Kirikaze.
"Koouuu-kuuuunnnn!" a shout was heard, and the boy with blond-brown hair ran up to the older twin and grabbed the front of Kouu's blazer. "Kou-kun! Don't insult people!"
"You don't have to be so protective of Yosui, you know Reira." Kouu laughed nervously. Then he looked over Reira's shoulder. "Hey Kojiro! Come get this guy, will ya? We have to show Kirikaze around the place!"
"Eh? Who's Kirikaze? By the way, have you seen Anchan?" Kojiro asked as he appeared by them. "Ah, you're the guy from this morning! Wanna join-"
"I've said there's no club for detention-sitters!" Reira said and spun around to look at Kojiro. He poked a finger against Kojiro's chest. "You're so stupid, Kojiro-kun!"
"I'm older than you, stop calling me 'kun'!" Kojiro protested. "And I'm not an idiot!"
"We've been through this before." Reira said. "And No, I have not seen Ryoma-san."
"Kojiro, what did you want?" a voice spoke from behind Kirikaze, and the teen looked over his shoulder when Kojiro exclaimed "Anchan!"
"Ryoma-san," Kouu said and ignored the sputters that Kojiro let out. "this's Kirikaze, I heard you're in the same class."
"Ah, yes." Ryoma nodded to him. "Nice to meet you, Nakamura-kun."
"Ah, Kirikaze's fine." Kirikaze said, then thought about Ryoma being shorter than he'd thought when he saw him before.
"I see, Kirikaze, then."
"Neh, Ryoma-san, d'you have meetings after? We wanted to make sure this guy gets to know people, so d'you wanna come with us?" Kouu asked. Shoryuu raised an eyebrow and Kirikaze squirmed inwardly. That did not sound.. well, not bad, but not good, either. He felt nervous being around the other teen, for some reason.
"There's no meetings today, no." Ryoma replied. Kojiro made some weird sound as he picked up his bento and sat down on the floor. He gobbled some rice into his mouth and he said something that went unheard by the amount of food in his mouth. Ryoma glanced over at him. "Behave, Kojiro." Kojiro protested loudly and pushed more food into his mouth. Shoryuu crouched down and pulled at his cheeks. "You're spitting food everywhere, idiot!" Kirikaze gave a low chuckle at the face Kojiro made.

Kirikaze fell down on top of his unmade bed and stared into the cieling for a while. The light boards on walls, cieling and floor shone in their bareness. It was empty, except it really wasn't. There stood boxes along one wall and there were a desk and several bookshelves and a closet. Kirikaze just hadn't had the urge to pack up yet. Only one box was opened, the most important; a few t-shirts and shorts, a thick dried leaf that he had used as a fan back in Africa, a few books and a stack of letters, all from Kouu and Shoryuu. And a photo album that were overfull of photos of him, the twins, Ryuho, his friends from Littoral and random blurry pictures of anything around the village. Those were from when he had found the camera once when he was small and ran around with it until the whole film was used up and he returned to ask his mother Why don't it woooork? To say that they'd gotten angry at him was an understatement.
He flipped through a couple of pages and smiled at the faces Kouu and Shoryuu made at the camera, at his own attempt at keeping his face straight and Ryuho's toothy grin. He laughed at the pictures of himself and Kouu shoving Ryuho and Shoryuu into the baby-pool, the following when Kouu pushed in him as well, and the one where Shoryuu grabbed Kouu's arm and pulled him in as well. All fully dressed.
Once he placed the album on his bed, he wore a huge grin and flte ready to unpack. "Heave ho~!" He chuckled as he used a phrase his father often had used while working in their small garden back in Littoral and emptied the already open box over the floor.

Books, notepads, clothes and items he had gathered during his childhood was going to get into proper places.

To be continued~

It's been a while~ Since I wrote Fuma, I mean. ^^ This's something I've been working on to and fro, when I was bored during class. *grin* I had thought of making it into a longer one-shot, but it'll be a shorter (?) chapter-fic.