A/N: It's been a while since I actually wrote something besides essays.
This is my UtaPuri fanfic debut (after watching the anime a year ago), and the first time writing something that's out of my usual comfort zone as well. Please excuse poor grammar, spelling mistakes, the excessively long dialogues and possibly lame plot.
I'll give it to you straight, this story is inspired by Yamane Ayano's Love Lesson. The plot is very similar to it, but of course, I added my own twist to it.
Standard disclaimer applies [the usual I-do-not-own-UtaPuri stuff], and I'm sorry if this sucked (I might have overdone it). Please read and take 30 seconds to review, let me know if it really sucked.
It was lunch time at Saotome Academy.
During that hour-long period, every student on campus would automatically rush to the cafeteria, and even the princes of the school were no exception to that rule. As per usual, a flash or red and gold can be seen running through the large cafeteria in order to get to the front of the queue ahead of everyone else, arguing about reached the counter first. Their friends watched them with a mixture of both boredom and amusement on their faces before moving over to their usual table.
Everything was just as normal and as typical as you can get in that academy.
"Syo-chan, don't you and Otoya get bored doing the same thing everyday?"
"Che, Natsuki… Someone like you won't ever understand. The man who gets his food first wins," Syo beamed proudly, pleased the fact that he had won again today.
"Hmph, if this was a challenge on heights, I wouldn't have lost at all." Otoya pouted.
"Shut up, I got over that long ago. I'm afraid of nothing now."
"Oh, is that so Ochibi?" Ren drawled with an amused look on his face.
"Positive… And stop calling me Ochibi!"
"Then, would all of you care for a little story of mine?"
The others sitting at the table said nothing which probed Ren into continuing.
"About 30 years ago, before this academy was built, a different school stood on this very ground. Here, there were two lovers who were very much in love with each other. However, their relationship had to be kept a secret as one of them was an heir to a very important family. Of course, this was an all-boys school back then, so naturally the both of them were boys. When their relationship was found out, the lovers were torn apart by the heir's parents and they did everything in their power to keep them from meeting each other. And yet, their love was stronger than anyone could imagine and the lovers kept on meeting each other in secret. When the father of the heir found out that the both of them were still meeting each other in secret, he ordered some students to teach his son's lover a lesson. So one evening, the hired students dragged the boy into the underground storage below the school and I don't have to explain what happened next. However, they somehow went overboard with their task and when they saw the boy lying motionless on the floor, they panicked and ran, locking the door of the underground storage with the boy inside it."
Ren paused to assess his friends, with the looks on their faces ranging from curiosity to anticipation, and even downright boredom.
"And then, what happened?"
"They found the lover's remains inside the storage a while later. It was said when they found him, they found blood stains and scratch marks behind the door, meaning that he was still alive for quite a while when the locked him in."
Ren saw Haruka wince at his last sentence but said nothing. Syo however, burst out of his seat. "Huh, that was it? Your story is really lame, Ren."
"I'm not finished yet but are you sure you want me to continue? Don't come banging on my door tonight when you're too scared to go to the bathroom on your own." Ren taunted his friend, knowing exactly how to rile him up.
Syo of course, rose up to his bait. "Bastard, as if I'll do that!"
"Fine, fine. When the heir found out about his lover's death, he was distraught. He suspected his own father had a hand in his beloved's death, but given his position, he couldn't say or do anything about it. So, one evening, he dragged himself to the school's music room where he and his lover would meet secretly and then, he committed suicide. A couple of years later, the school was renovated and Saotome Academy was built in its place. However, it seems like the underground storage still stands, it's right underneath the main building. I believe our teachers keep some teaching materials there but the door is always locked and only staff members have the key to it. Rumour has it that sounds of frantic knocking and scratching on the door can still be heard at night, which is why no one ever goes down there. Not even the bravest of students would dare to venture below, for the fear of getting trapped without anyone noticing, just like the dead lover."
Haruka's face turned pale with fear, her mind immediately conjuring images of a door covered with blood stains and scratch marks.
Masato immediately put a reassuring hand on her shoulders, trying to calm her down. "Jinguji, stop your ridiculous story. You're scaring the girl."
"Hey, none of you said anything earlier, so I went ahead. Little Lamb, if you're scared, you can always come to me. I swear I'll protect you with my life."
"J-jinguji-san…"
"Nanami, you should stay away from idiots like him. You'll catch his stupidity."
"Then Hijirikawa, what happened to you? You do share the same living space as me…"
"I trust myself enough to withstand your nonsense, and it's worked for years now."
"Oh, how heartless of you Hijirikawa, to treat your onii-chan like that." Ren smirked when he saw Masato flinch a little after being reminded of their shared past.
"Wait… you seriously called him onii-chan?" Syo asked in disbelief.
"Hmph, I was nine then."
"By the way Ren, what happened to the heir who committed suicide? The one in the music room…" Otoya asked curiously.
"Well, the music room is still being used of course, as one of our many practice rooms. In fact, it's just a couple of rooms away from the one we always use. Now this one is my own personal experience. Ryuya-san set us some lyric assignment again the other day but I left it in the practice room. Of course, I could have just ignored it and head back to my room but that day, I just felt like doing something, so I went back to pick it up. It was getting late, so the hallways were practically empty beside myself. After picking up my assignment, I heard someone playing the piano in one of the practice rooms nearby, which was strange since everyone should have gone back to the dorms long ago. The music this person was playing was beautiful but incredibly sad, almost like the music itself was weeping for someone. Feeling curious, I stopped at the door where the music was coming from and I pushed the door open just a little to take a look. Someone was at the piano but this guy was wearing a gakuran. He seemed to be absorbed in the music he was playing and he didn't notice me at all. I thought my imagination was acting up then but I think I saw blood dripping from his wrist. I closed the door as softly as I could and I hurried back to the dorm."
The rest couldn't resist laughing at the blond. "Hahaha, the great Jinguji Ren, afraid of a ghost... What a joke!"
"Ren, are you sure it wasn't someone who wanted to play a prank on you?"
Ren scowled at the others.
"Laugh all you want, but I'm not lying. A couple of days later, I went around asking about that practice room and some students told me that they experienced something similar. It's always the same hauntingly sad music playing from the music room, and it's always a boy in a gakuran."
Masato thought about this for a while. "Come to think of it, you did come back to the room one evening looking quite pale."
"So my guess is, the guy playing the piano in the music room is the heir, still mourning his lost love."
Everyone at the table was silent, mulling over the details of Ren's story.
"Actually, I think this story is more on a tragic side rather than scary. I guess it must be painful being separated like that. Even in death, they still yearn for each other." Otoya said, feeling nothing but sympathy for the pair.
"Yes, it's sad but it was also a foolish thing to do." Ren drawled.
"What do you mean by that?"
"The heir might think he was doing the right thing by not demanding an answer from his father, but it actual fact it was nothing but cowardice. Maybe if he had confronted his father earlier, his lover wouldn't have to suffer such a tragic end. If I were him, I would have went against my family and do everything I can to be with the one I love. Worst case scenario, I'd just abandon my position as heir and elope with my lover. With him by my side, nothing is going to stop us from loving each other." Ren announced, all the while eyeing Masato as he said those words.
"As warped as Ren's logic is, he has a point." Tokiya agreed.
"Ghost story my ass! As if something like that ever happened here…" Syo snorted.
"Then Syo-chan, let's stick together all the time, so we won't have to be afraid of the ghosts." Natsuki wrapped his arms around the shorter boy, hugging him tight and potentially choking him.
"Stupid Natsuki! Let me go…" Syo struggled, trying to get out of Natsuki's death hug while the others watched on with amused smiles on their faces.
-x-
The final bell of the day rang just as Tsukimiya-sensei was done giving out instructions for A Class' assignment.
"Yes, that's all for today. Everyone, please don't forget that this assignment is due next week Friday"
"Yes!" The entire class chorused before everyone began packing their things while chatting with their friends, excited that another weekend was upon them.
"Finally, the weekend is here. I can't wait to get back to my room and sleep for the next twelve hours." Otoya smiled, his mind already wandering back to his dorm where his bed was.
"Me too. This week was tough."
Otoya turned to face his roommate, who was already ready to leave the classroom. "Tokiya, wanna head back together?"
"Ahh, Ittoki-kun… A moment if you please."
Otoya was confused why his teacher wanted to see him, but he went over to him anyway. "Yes, sensei?"
"The thing is, I was supposed to go down to the underground storage to get out some music scores for next week's lesson but I have a staff meeting in 10 minutes. Would you mind going down there and getting it for me, please?"
"Well… I don't mind, but tell me, when you say underground storage, you don't mean the one under the main building, do you?"
"Yes, that's the one."
Otoya's face paled a little when he heard that.
"Somehow, every student I asked turned me down the moment I told them the location but I have no idea why. But you'll do it for me, won't you Ittoki-kun?"
"Of course, sensei."
"Good boy. Now, here are the keys to the store room. The music scores are in this huge yellow box sealed in red tape. When you're done, you can leave both the keys and the box on my table at the staff room."
"Alright."
"Otoya, you ready to go?"
The red head turned and saw his roommate already standing at the door waiting for him.
"Sorry Tokiya, sensei asked me to do something for him. You should go on without me."
"You sure you don't need me to accompany you?"
"I'm good. I'll see you back at the dorm."
"Oh, okay then."
Otoya watched the receding figure of the blunette before turning in the direction of the main building. Ren's story had left a sense of unease in him, but since it was still daylight, nothing of that sort can happen, right? It was better to get this over with as fast as possible.
The red head made his way slowly down the stairs leading to the storage. Even though it was still day time, the hallway leading to the store room was dark as not much natural light could reach the basement. Otoya paused when he reached the door of the storage, with a lump that was probably the size of his fist stuck in his throat.
"I-it's just a story right? There's no need to be afraid of something like that in broad daylight…" Otoya muttered to himself, trying his best to calm himself down.
With shaking hands, he inserted the key into the keyhole before turning it. The door unlocked with a soft 'click' and Otoya pushed the door open.
He was expecting something like bats or dark shadows when he flipped on the light switch, but there was nothing. In fact, the whole place seemed pretty tidy to him. With a sigh of relief, he went off to search for the yellow box that Tsukimiya-sensei was talking about. He did find it, on a dusty shelf full of boxes of who-knows-what.
The red head smiled to himself. Maybe this job could be finished easier than he thought…
Just as he tried to pull the box off the shelf, he accidentally pulled another box down as well, this one hitting him in the head and causing him to fall backwards. The red head landed on the floor on his back. The blow he took the head made his vision a little blurry and he could feel himself slowly losing consciousness. Just before everything black out, he felt a strange breeze blowing through the room and the door closed on its own, with the key still stuck in the key hole outside.
-x-
When Otoya woke up, he found himself alone in the room. Still feeling woozy from being knocked out, he got himself back on his feet and surveyed his surroundings. The door seemed … different somehow. The shelves were gone and the room seemed darker than it originally was. And more importantly, Otoya remembered that he'd left the key outside and now, the door sealed from the outside. The red head quickly ran to where the door was and he tried turning on the knob. It was useless, and the door would not budge an inch.
He was really trapped inside!
Otoya cursed himself for not telling Tokiya where he was going. He should have accepted when the blunette offered to come with him.
"It's useless. The door is locked from the outside." An unfamiliar voiced called out to him.
Otoya turned around and saw a boy in a gakuran sitting in the corner. Strange, he could have sworn that he was alone just now. How long has it been since that guy's been here?
"Excuse me, but where am I?"
"To be honest, I don't even know myself. This place doesn't exist in the first place. You came in here by mistake and you got lost."
"Wait, what do you mean this place doesn't exist? How do I get out then?"
"I'm afraid there's no exit. If there was, I wouldn't be here."
Then, a thought struck Otoya. Ren's story of the lover who was left to die in a locked basement…
"But it's strange that you found your way here. No one ever does. All this while, it's just me, alone in this cold darkness…" The boy trailed off.
Otoya was silent. Ghost or not, he must have been really lonely, spending all these years alone in the dark.
With a determined look on his face, he ignored the cold feeling that seemed to invade him with fear went over to sit by the other boy's side. "I'll stay with you then, that way you won't feel so lonely anymore."
"You don't have to do that. Someone will come looking for you soon."
"But I want to. The least I can do is keep you company here."
The other boy seemed to smile a little. "Alright then, would you care to listen to a little story of mine? It's not very exciting I'm afraid, but it'll make time easier to pass."
With nothing else to do, Otoya nodded for him to go on.
"The day I entered this school was the first time I ever laid eyes on him. He was the freshmen representative, and the moment he opened his mouth to give his speech, I was already captivate by him. Later, I got to know him as one of my classmates. He was a friendly person who loved to laugh and make others laugh with him, which was something you won't see from people who come from important families. Status didn't matter to him, and he made friends with everyone, from the ones who came from wealthy families like him or even the poorest, scholarship student like me. It wasn't like I paid any special attention to him, but he was someone who you can't help but keep your eyes trained on him. You must think it's weird isn't it, for a guy to see another guy in that kind of way?"
"Actually, I don't mind at all. I guess… you could say I'm in the same situation as you are in."
"Is that so? You remind me of him you know…"
"What?"
"I don't mean your appearance. You have that same warm and friendly look in your eyes that gives of a sense of ease and familiarity to others… Anyways, eventually our relationship grew stronger and stronger with each passing day and of course, things escalated quickly into love. We'd spend our days talking and laughing. He was quite an exceptional piano player and I would frequently ask him to play for me. He would tell me about his family and all their expectations on him as heir and I, in return would tell him stories of my own childhood to cheer him up a little. Everything then was perfect, until his father found out about us. He did it everything he could to separate us, buying me off with money, threatening me and my family, sending other students to beat me up, everything. But as you know, being young and stupid, the idea of forbidden love seemed really exciting and I couldn't bring myself to end it with him. We continued meeting in secret, in places where no one would ever find us like the gardens behind the school grounds or our favourite, the music room where I'd listen to him play for hours and hours on without anyone catching us."
Otoya kept his eyes closely trained on the other boy. He was smiling, as if he was reliving all the smiles and laughter he shared with his loved one. That smile made him look younger, just like the carefree teenager he ought to be.
"One day, I received a note from him telling me to meet him at the underground storage. I thought it was strange, since we've never gone to that place before, but I didn't think much of it. When I arrived, my lover was nowhere in sight. I was about to turn and leave when I felt a heavy blow to the back of my skull. I don't even remember much about what happened next, just the countless kicks and punches raining down every part of my body and at some point, I blacked out completely. When I woke up, I found myself alone in the darkness, bleeding and under immense pain. Those bastards must have thought I was dead and bolted. I tried my best and crawled towards the door, hoping by some miracle that it wasn't locked, but of course, no such luck. I waited, for my lover to turn up and save me but no matter how many times I called his name, he never came. And I've been alone ever since."
Otoya was unsure of what to say to him, he couldn't even imagined what he felt when he stay in the same place all these years waiting for someone who would never show up.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean…" Otoya tried to apologize.
"No, I should be the one saying that. I'm sorry for hanging this on you."
Without warning, the boy wrapped his arms around Otoya, who was too shocked to respond.
"I'm sorry but can we stay this way for a while? Your body is warm and it feels good. It's been a while since I've felt a warmth like this…"
Otoya felt sad for the boy. Even with all the clothes they were wearing, the red head could feel how cold the other's body was. "It's okay, I don't mind at all."
After a while, the boy gently pushed him away.
"Thank you."
"If you don't mind me asking, what is your name?"
"Right, we've been talking all this while and I haven't introduced myself. I'm Kou."
"My name is Ittoki. Ittoki Otoya."
"It's nice to meet you, Otoya-kun. I hope you don't mind me calling you by your first name."
"Oh, I don't mind at all Kou."
"Now, I've said enough about me. What about you?"
"M-Me?" Otoya stammered.
"Yes. Didn't you say you were in the same situation as I am in?"
"Ahh, yeah… His name is Tokiya, and he's my roommate."
The other boy was confused. "Roommate?"
"Yeah, we have dorms now in this school, so I'm sharing a room with him."
"Things certainly have changed, huh?"
"They certainly have. Anyways, Tokiya is a rather different type of guy. He keeps to himself all the time and he doesn't really hang out with people, but he's actually a really nice guy. Everyone thinks he's just cold and blunt, and the fact that he doesn't really smile much isn't really helping, but if you know him long enough, you'll see how kind he is. He ignores me all the time and calls me noisy but I know he's actually listening to everything I say. When our friends are in trouble, he'll help without any reservations. Furthermore, he has so much talent in music that I can't even begin to compare with. Personally, whenever he sings, it feels like a charm washing over you, telling you that everything is going to be alright. Tokiya is a really special person."
"I see. Well, I'm glad you have a lover like him."
Otoya smiled softly. "Ahh, I'm glad it was him too."
"But, what happens if you get found out?"
"Well, we'd get expelled naturally, since our school has a strict 'love is forbidden' policy but aside from that, nothing. My mother passed away long ago and I never knew who my father was, though I'm not sure about Tokiya, since he doesn't like talking about his family. But at least our friends are supportive enough, since they're in the same boat too."
Kou's eyes widened. "Same boat? All of them?"
"Except the girls that is. Everyone in this school is crazy competitive with each other, so we don't really mix around with people much, or rather they don't like mixing around with us. Syo and Natsuki are not officially together, but most of the time, they act like they already are. Syo really hates it when Natsuki comes too close to him or when he dresses him up in all those cute stuff, but they really do care for each other. I don't think it'll be long before one of them confesses. Ren and Masato however, are a complicated business, since they're both childhood friends and rivals. Masa is the heir to an important family while Ren is the third son of another important family. Ren has a reputation as a flirt around campus and Masa just pretends to turn a blind eye, but it's plain as day to everyone else that they're both in love with each other. Ren is kind of obvious about it and he's willing to do anything for Masa, but the latter has his own pride and he's torn between his heart and his family. I just hope that everything works out for them."
"You have interesting acquaintances."
"They sure are."
"I wish that I have friends like those. If I did, maybe things would have turned out differently, for the both of us…"
"About that… Your lover didn't have it easy too you know."
"What do you mean?"
"Although I'm not sure what really happened or how true the story is, but I guess he was brokenhearted after he found out about what happened to you. He was sad for a long time after that and when he couldn't take it anymore, he committed suicide, right in the music room where you used to meet."
Kou was floored. "He… committed suicide?"
"That's what they said. From what I heard, he's still around too. Some of the students have been hearing someone playing the piano in the evenings when no one is around, and the song is always a sad melody. I think that song was meant for you, to mourn his lost love."
"That idiot… After all these years…"
Tears began to pool in Kou's eyes, threatening to overflow. All these years, he'd been thinking that his lover abandoned him without even knowing he died because of him. The emotions he thought he lost long ago were coming back to him. There's a chance that they might be together again once more.
"Kou, I think you should go look for him. He's been waiting for you all along as well." Otoya encouraged.
"But I've been stuck here for years and not once I was able to leave. The door is always locked."
"Maybe the issue here isn't the locked door, but yourself. You've stayed here all these years waiting for someone who never showed up, that's probably what kept you trapped here. But now that you've broke free of what binds you here, maybe you could leave this basement. You'll be able to see him soon."
Kou was quiet for a while before getting on his feet.
"I've never thought about it that way, maybe the problem was me all along. I guess I should go, now that I know. I'm not sure if I'll actually be able to find him, or even leave this room to start with, but I'll have to try. I have to apologize, for all the pain I've caused him."
Otoya smiled as he gave the other boy a 'thumbs up' sign. "I'm sure you will. I have a good feeling about it."
Kou couldn't help but smile in return. "You're a good man, Otoya-kun. Thank you, for everything..."
Kou's words seem to echo throughout the room, before everything around them faded into darkness.
-x-
"Otoya! Otoya, wake up!"
Otoya felt something or rather, someone shaking him vigorously, calling his name. A familiar voice…
"Otoya! Come on, wake up!"
Otoya managed to force his eyes open and the first thing he saw was Tokiya's face. Although he was still drowsy, he could clearly see the relief spreading on his boyfriend's face.
"Oh, thank god you're alright!"
"Tokiya…" Otoya rasped.
"Don't just disappear like that, you idiot. Do you have any idea how worried I was when you didn't return?"
"How did you know where I was?"
"When you didn't return for 2 hours, I got worried, so I went and asked Tsukimiya-sensei. He told me you went on an errand for him but he hasn't seen you since class ended. I ran all the way here once I found out."
"T-thank you, Tokiya…"
"Next time, when I say I'll follow you, you accept with no questions asked, understand?"
Otoya managed to give him a weak salute. "Yes, sir!"
Tokiya was about to reprimand his lover about his carelessness when he saw blood stains on the latter's blazer. His annoyance once more gave way to worry. "Otoya, did you injure yourself anywhere?"
"Besides the fact that I have a headache the size of Mount Fuji, I don't think so."
"Now is not the time to be joking. Then, why are there blood stains on your blaze?"
"Blood stains?"
The red head checked his blazer and found that he indeed several dark red stains on his sleeves. Then, he remembered that he had given Kou a hug. The blood must've been his and it caught onto his blazer.
"I'm fine, Tokiya. Believe me."
Tokiya eyed the red head skeptically, unsure of what to make about his words, before giving up.
"Well, the important thing is that you're safe. Let's go home, shall we?" The blunette then reached his hand out to Otoya, which the latter grabbed onto with a smile.
"Yes."
-x-
"Ren, you good-for-nothing liar!" Syo's voice echoed throughout the cafeteria, causing the students to stare curiously at the princes' table.
"What is it now Ochibi?" Ren drawled with a bored tone.
"You were totally lying the other day, weren't you?"
"Hmm, depends on what you're talking about really. I lie too often for me to keep track of them."
"That story you told us about the practice room, the one where you said there was some ghost playing the piano…"
"What about it?"
Syo plopped down on the nearest chair (which happened to be far, far away from the reach of Natsuki) furiously.
"Last week, I was running away from Natsuki and I somehow I found myself at the practice rooms. Then, my mind started conjuring your idiotic story. I don't quite believe that kind of thing, so I decided to find out for myself. I waited for a full hour without hearing as much as a peep coming from the practice rooms. So, I went back every evening until yesterday to make sure, and I was right. There wasn't any ghost, or piano music anywhere, so your story was a complete lie!"
"Oh, you went to the same place for an entire week? How brave of you…" Ren smirked, the amusement evident on his face.
Syo gritted his teeth together. "What are you implying Ren?"
"Are you sure you didn't scare the poor ghost away with that attitude of yours…?"
"Damn you Ren, are you picking a fight with me?"
"Sure. I'll let you pick the time and place."
Otoya watched as his friends bickered among each other with a smile, but for a very different reason. Although he wasn't a hundred percent sure, but it seems that Kou is finally reunited with his lost lover. Now, there will no longer be a brokenhearted heir playing that sad melody in the music room or his lover waiting for him in vain in the darkness, and Otoya hoped with all his heart that the both of them are happy wherever they might be.
Tokiya caught sight of his own lover smiling at the scene before them but his face had a faraway look. The blunette raised his eyebrow over his actions, but the red head merely shook his head and sent him one of his 'inside joke' smiles.
Otoya never told his boyfriend or anyone else about his supernatural encounter in the basement. Maybe he would one day but for now, it'll be his own secret to keep.
-owari-
A/N: I sincerely hope it's not too cheesy, not too out of character or too lame for you guys, and I'm so, so sorry if I disappointed you guys.
Constructive criticism is seriously welcomed!
Peace out XD