Hello readers! This is my first fiction for an anime! oO I wrote this quite late...like every story I do. Weird way to gain inspiration, huh? Enjoy!
Daisuke's stomach growled. He moaned in reply.
Why did I have to land myself in canteen duty? And with Mrs. Chiko, too…
He glanced to his side where a plump, short, blonde-haired woman was busy with the cash register serving a student who'd wanted two cheeseburgers, a sandwich and an Iced Tea.
Daisuke recalled only a few moments before when Mrs. Chiko had scolded him for not wiping his shoes clean on the doormat of the canteen. It was a sunny day. It's not like anywhere was wet or muddy…
Mrs. Chiko was bossy and picky. The children in this school did not exactly treat her like they would when meeting another fellow student's mother or alike. She worked in the school, therefore she had the same classification as most horrible teachers had. 'Monster.'
And Mrs. Chiko was not patient. If children yelled at her, she'd instinctively yell back. If they tried to steal any of the lollies in their opened boxes displayed on the countertop, she slapped their hand. If someone ran off without appropriately applying certain manners, she made sure the whole school knew that particular person was going to have their food poisoned as punishment; guaranteed!
Luckily, Daisuke was exceedingly nice for his own good, so he had not been an unfortunate victim of Mrs. Chiko's wrath. But he had witnessed this.
Saehara got pulled up by Chiko the most. Daisuke could recall an event occurring a long time ago where Saehara had stealthily snuck a Chocolate and Vanilla lollipop into his pocket. Daisuke had been standing beside him, gaping. When Saehara winked back at his friend, the room erupted with a loud, hoarse yell.
"TAKESHI!"
Saehara, not knowing how she had attained eyes at the back of her head, had promptly thrown the lollipop back into the plastic container on the counter and fled. Sighing, Daisuke had decided to buy the lollipop for him anyway. Chiko had shot him a distinctive glare as he walked off with the same flavoured sweet that his friend had almost escaped with.
Back in the present, Daisuke continued distributing food to the students. A long brown haired, hazel-eyed boy, who was one grade younger than him, was helping him. His name was Hose and he wasn't exactly a favourite of Daisuke's…more like a 'dislike,' that is, if people could be classed as 'likes' and 'dislikes.'
His ponytail made him look older than he was, additionally adding to his ego. A ladies man in his grade, the older females considered him a perverted queer. Although this boy was straight, his dainty hand gestures and hip swaying walk made things suspicious. Daisuke, too, believed he was a homosexual. Being a straight and in a relationship, he knew what being straight was about.
Almost on cue at that thought, Hose turned to look at Niwa. He giggled, winking.
Daisuke let out a sickened noise and turned away. Let me out soon.
"OI! YOU THERE! WANT THAT DIM SIM UP YOUR—"
Daisuke had heard rumours, but he had never thought Chiko would be so crude.
The clock chimed. One o'clock.
Freedom! Daisuke's shift was over. After grabbing his freebie for his work (a pizza pocket) he flung his satchel bag over his shoulder and took off without a well-mannered farewell.
"WHAT HAPPENED TO 'GOODBYE' IN YOUR LANGUAGE?" he heard a voice bellow. He was already outside, smirking.
Wonder what Riku will think…
Since the event of The Black Wings being sealed away, Daisuke and Riku had not parted their own separate ways. The two were a genuine couple; nothing like the rest who pashed six times a day at school. In fact, they had made a secret pact not to follow that stupid trend within the school.
Clichés were also not in their agenda. They dared to be different as long as they still had their friends in tow, and their studies at a reasonable level.
Daisuke and Riku's relationship had spread like a fierce bushfire; they had undeniably become an item. The majority of the school knew and acknowledged them. No one really abused them, unless that counted Hose trying to flirt with Riku (who told Hose to stick his head in his locker and search for his brain in there) and Saehara snapping photographs whenever he got the chance ("All for the cover story! The newsletter will be a big hit!").
Daisuke and Riku naturally got flustered with all the attention. But they were grateful nothing held their closeness back inside of school.
Even Riku's twin sister, Risa, enjoyed how well they accepted their mainstream status. She herself had started dating Satoshi Hiwatari (who really was Hikari, but decided to forget that name along with the events tied to it and start living normally).
Hiwatari had made the move first, which personally shocked Daisuke. He didn't even suspect the two of them to be fancying each other.
He wondered why Saehara never aimed the camera lens at them instead. Girls loved Hiwatari a lot more than he, but Saehara would shrug it off and tell him that "you're too modest, Niwa!"
Daisuke concluded that Saehara simply disliked Hiwatari.
He found Riku talking to Hiwatari soon after he left the tuckshop. Finding this odd, he approached them.
"I survived," he said, proudly.
Riku and Hiwatari stared at him. Daisuke laughed at them, Riku joining in shortly.
"We heard her tell you off, you know? When you didn't bid her farewell?"
"Niwa, Niwa…" Hiwatari said, coolly. "I'd never thought you'd do such a thing…In Grade 10 and still being a nuisance."
"Hmm…you jealous?" Daisuke asked him. "My reputation goes far and wide…"
"You wish, dear, you wish…" Riku patted Niwa on the shoulder. Niwa felt for her hand and held onto it.
"So, how's that speech coming along, Daisuke?" Hiwatari asked, intentionally changing the subject to stop Niwa from being so ironic. "Riku and I were discussing it not a moment before…"
"Ugh, don't remind me," Daisuke groaned. "It's due in four days and I haven't even started."
"As always," Riku affirmed. Daisuke glared at her, playfully.
"So, who's the one who neglected her Visual Arts Process Diary and stayed awake until four in the morning to complete it?"
Riku scowled, defeated. Hiwatari gasped.
"Really, Riku? Never suspected THAT…"
Daisuke smirked, victorious. Riku growled so ferociously, Niwa could've mistaken her for a wild lioness. This was an odd habit of hers.
"Riku, you shouldn't do that, it's so…unfeminine."
Everyone turned around to see Risa Harada walking slowly towards them. She gave Hiwatari a gentle smile and he returned the gesture. When she reached him, she gave him a peck on the cheek.
"Unfeminine? UNFEMININE?!" Riku bellowed.
"You just proved my point," she answered, cheekily.
Riku suddenly clasped her hands together and put on a puppy-dog expression. She turned to Daisuke. "Oh, Niwa! Will you copy down these Geography notes for me? Pretty please?"
She was obviously imitating her sister.
Niwa laughed, and then played along, pulling a guilty face. "Umm…well…okay," he replied.
"Yeah, Niwa. You are such a doormat," Riku told him. Daisuke flushed as Riku now faced her younger twin.
"That's the second time you've mimicked me doing that!" Risa fumed.
Satoshi looked confused. "When was the first time?"
"Oh, we were in the bathroom, going to switch—"
"RIKU!" Risa interjected. Daisuke and Satoshi now gave each twin curious glances.
"Switch?" Daisuke inquired, tilting his head.
Riku looked at her sister pleadingly, as if wanting to tell the boys something important.
Risa sighed. "Fine," she merely said.
"Daisuke, remember that time you and Risa had to shred cabbages for Mr. Kaseda after school?" Niwa nodded at Riku, not sure what this had to do with a 'switch.'
"Well, whinge here wanted to get out of the detention, so we switched positions. We sort of cross dressed as each other. So, Risa was me and went to after-school sport, while I was her and joined you at detention."
Daisuke gasped at her, wide-eyed. Back then, his uncontrollable feelings for Risa forced him to turn into Dark. While he had been shredding cabbages, he didn't feel his heart pound by ten-fold when he was, well, supposedly in Risa's presence. Instead his heart raced when he saw Riku. So…
"No wonder you were so good at cabbage shredding!" Risa and Riku were astounded by his simple-mindedness.
"I can't believe you two went unnoticed! See, you truly are twins," he smirked, knowing that the two would bicker constantly about this, that is, doubting the undeniable fact that they were twins.
Riku finally asked him something after the laughter from that last comment had settled. "Niwa…when Sir complimented Risa's apron and asked your opinion on it, you said you…liked me very much."
"R—really? When was—? I don't remember—" He had an exceedingly clueless expression drawn on his face. Now everyone, the sisters and Hiwatari, looked at him suspiciously. Daisuke looked back at them and recalled the event.
I had detention…and then I said I had to go to the restroom and—oh! With!
The realisation was something he didn't want to share, but with the knowledge that the twins had just confessed their own hidden story, he had no choice.
"I had to go thieving as Dark that evening, so I had to get out early. I used With to transform into me; an exact copy of me, minus the voice. I was teaching him to say my name before I sent him up to cabbage shredding, but he kept saying, 'I like you.'
"Ohh!" The others chorused. Riku, meanwhile, giggled. "Wow! With can actually do that? But still…you, I mean, With, made me blush so badly!"
Daisuke chuckled. "Yeah, that silly With," he said, shaking his head. "Despite all that, I love him a lot."
"Mmhmm, he's so cute!" Riku exclaimed. "Remember when he fell in love with that rabbit from the pet store?"
"Oh yeah…he had me worried," he recalled that event, remembering With had literally climbed to great heights to seek his beloved with strawberries firm in his mouth.
Risa and Satoshi looked at each other and nodded. They turned to the other couple.
"We're going to the library," Satoshi told them.
"To leave you two by yourselves," Risa added.
"To have your private moments," Satoshi concluded. Daisuke and Riku glared at them.
"You're probably off to do the same thing!" Riku retorted, but they didn't answer her. With a wave of goodbye, they'd left.
Daisuke looked at Riku. "I agree with you," he told her. Riku smiled.
"Hey, do you want to go to the Art Room?"
Daisuke, looking mildly surprised, nodded.
On their way to the art room through the innumerable corridors, Daisuke couldn't avoid looking at his companion from the corner of his eyes. Her auburn hair was growing longer; it was below her shoulders now. Niwa found it remarkable that Riku was taking into account the way she presented herself.
Normally she couldn't care less, but now her hair would be curled at the ends and occasionally (when she was bothered), she would pamper herself with make-up and perfume.
What Daisuke admired most was not only her attractiveness, but also the fact that she continued partaking in sports and activities during and after school. To him, she was still the classic tomboy. He loved her dearly.
She was unique, she was approachable, she was bold, and she was kind, compassionate and witty.
Most of all, she loved him back. He couldn't be happier.
Riku couldn't restrain herself from glancing at Daisuke now and then as well. His growth spurt was evident. He was probably a head taller than she. His red hair was still as wild as ever, sticking out at all ends.
She loved his red eyes especially. She assumed it might have to do with the family's inherited 'curse' of possessing half of The Black Wings, that is, Dark Mousy. Yet, those eyes were rare and precious.
At the thought of Dark, she remembered when the Phantom Thief himself had descended upon her balcony one evening and kissed her (regrettably) to cease her screams of fright. For a split second, she had thought she'd seen Daisuke looking back at her after the embrace, blushing with remorse and embarrassment.
Back then she had experienced confusion. Now it all made perfect sense. Daisuke had taken the physical form of Dark, but in Dark words, Daisuke was himself and Dark was himself.
He didn't need to be Dark to be courageous, though.
Even when he was a child he braved to leap over the gate to that large mansion to get her teddy bear back.
When With had fallen from the top of the fountain's windmill, he had recklessly leapt over to catch him.
He climbed all the way back up the cliff when they had fallen down. He'd climbed up while carrying her on his back!
And what about that time inside his painting? He'd unlocked hers and her sister's handcuffs, then drawn a picture of her room as a portal back to the real world. He also stayed behind to find out his reason for being dragged into the artwork in the first place…
Finally, on Christmas Eve…he'd held her tight as they were falling. Falling to their deaths…
And he screamed out for wings.
The agony from his voice would still ring in her ears every time she remembered those moments of terror. That was the time she saw her innocent partner change into Dark.
Daisuke had truly suffered, and she truly didn't know until that night.
But if it weren't for that endurance, then she wouldn't be walking next to him right now.
Don't—worry! I'm—going—to—protect you! I—promise!
Eternal Love…it didn't seem selfish to Riku anymore. It was REAL.
You've done so much for me…more than I could ever give you. I'll never leave you, Niwa…I'll always love you.
The couple reached the Art classroom. Daisuke opened the door for Riku, who gratefully stepped inside. Daisuke followed after her and shut the door behind him.
"Déja vu, huh?" Niwa finally spoke. Riku looked at him, nodding. "The last time we were in here…"
"You'd finished painting that sweet, snowy landscape for the Cultural Festival," Riku finished for him. Daisuke merely nodded in reply, his face reddening slightly.
"I miss it," she added. "Your artwork. It disappeared after Freedert and Elliot—"
"Yeah," he said, sadly. Riku fell silent. It was an awful memory for Niwa so she felt it was not her place to continue.
"Riku," Daisuke said, quietly. "If…if something happened to me…and I died…what would you do?" Riku froze. For the first time in two years she felt uncomfortable in Daisuke's company. The question was so unexpected; she didn't have an answer straight away. But she had a feeling why he'd asked.
"I—," she began, but stopped to choose her words carefully. Daisuke continued to look at her gravely. "I…don't know. I think I'd cry until my tears ran dry and I'd prepare you the most beautiful funeral one could want. Uh…cremation or burial?"
Niwa smiled. "Burial."
"There we go. I guess after that…" she pondered. What WOULD she do? Would they have been married? Would they have split up somehow? She hoped not for the latter. Either way, she couldn't say. It was a tough call.
"Well, no matter what the circumstances are," Niwa intervened her thoughts, as if reading them. "Would you…you know, feel like you have no reason to live anymore?"
Riku saw this coming and was already considering it. The one I love is dead. I kill myself and have a premature death, without knowing for certain what will become of me, yet knowing I've wasted the rest of what life I had left to live…
It hit her like a ton of bricks.
"No," she replied, gently. "I would continue to live, never forgetting you, and enjoying the many other pleasures of life; friends, family, leisure…there's so much in life that I can't even list them all! I don't want to waste it intentionally. You understand, right?" She closed her eyes, smiling serenely. "As much as I desire for you to be standing beside me, you'll always remain in my heart and mind, Daisuke."
Daisuke was rarely called by his first name by Riku. When he was, it meant something deep. He saw a tear trickle down her cheek. He walked up to her and wiped it from her face with his thumb, her head in the palms of his hands.
"I'm very glad you gave me that answer," he told her quietly. "Because I'd wanted you to do just that. I never want to be the reason for your demise."
"Likewise," Riku answered, croakily. In a matter of seconds their lips locked for a passionate kiss.
"Hey…" Riku asked once they'd released. "Why did you ask me this question, anyway?"
"I thought of Freedert and Elliot," he replied, modestly.
"I thought so." They were now holding each other's hands tightly.
"I'm sorry I made you upset," he turned away with guilt.
"It's fine, you know I'm a sucker for such things. Remember when you confessed you loved me and not Risa?"
"Right," he nodded. "You are a sucker."
"Hey, you weren't supposed to agree!" she playfully punched him on the shoulder.
"I'm kidding! I'm kidding" he held his hands up defensively. Both of them grinned.
At that moment, the bell rang. Groaning in unison, they headed outside the classroom.
"I'm here for the next class," Daisuke informed her. She winced. "I'm at the other end of the school. Math…"
"Have fun, dear!" he teased. She stuck her tongue out at him.
After pecking each other on the cheek, Riku left, breaking into a dash.
Daisuke sighed in contentment. Watching her turn the corner, he saw no reason to commit suicide upon her departure.
It would be like her running along the corridor, thinking of him as she turned that last corner.
END