Takako No Hibi: A Different Love Story

A Midori No Hibi Fanfiction

By Cheshire Grin

Disclaimer: I might own Midori no Hibi…I might not…I'll never tell!

Days One: Really?

Ayase Takako sighed as she watched the photocopy machine turn out printout after printout. She didn't mind being class representative so much. In fact, she actually liked it after a fashion, but some of the inherent responsibilities her position entailed were such a drag.

Still, she felt good today. She'd given that delinquent Sawamura a piece of her mind by standing up to him and his moron friend. That should count for something. A proud little smirk popped onto her face as she remembered her classmate's awed glances after that fiasco. Initially, she had cursed her luck at first when she'd ended up sitting next to that particular scumbag, but the first month of school had passed and the resentment had finally faded. Now she saw it as a personal responsibility to see that he cleaned up his act. She was class representative after all - so why shouldn't Sawamura fall under her jurisdiction? And the first order of business was to make him realize exactly what a scumbag he was. With any luck, she'd accomplished that today.

Takako smiled as she finished the last of the photocopying and headed home. She paused midway out of the school building to drop the photocopy sheets of at the teachers office and headed out into the yard, where she met a large crowd. Looking over the heads of the other students, she discovered the cause of this particular ruckus.

In the middle of a circle of students stood three young men wearing different uniforms than the regular Sakuradamon High school students. One carried a wooden sword and was smirking at the attention the three were getting. The other two were scanning the school courtyard and yelling.

"Come out Sawamura, you bastard!" seemed to be the gist of it. Somewhere inside Ayase Takako was the rough equivalent of a thermometer with anger marked on it at the top. In about three seconds flat this thermometer rose all the way before bursting. The students watched her angry face and moved aside for her as she came striding through to where the delinquents stood.

"What do you people want?!" She said in as loud a voice as she could manage.

"Don't you know that you're in our way! Hurry up and move!"

The three invaders looked incredulous and then confused. Takako smiled. They never knew what to do when someone actually stood up to them.

"This is our school. If you don't go here you should leave!" She continued, giving the trio her most menacing glare.

But the world doesn't always work the way you expect it to. This is where things started to go wrong for Ayase Takako. Years afterwards she still found herself regretting the words she had just spoken and it would be months afterwards before the last of the nightmares went away.

For a moment the three delinquents just looked at Takako, mouths open, their faces registering nothing less than total disbelief. Then they laughed.

"She's a spunky one." Crowed one, laughing so hard he almost fell over.

"Yeah, we're really scared now. Hahahaha."

Takako's inner rage thermometer hit critical.

"WHAT'S SO FUNNY?" She shouted. At least it was meant to be a shout but to her it sounded more like a scream.

The three stooges didn't seem fazed in the least.

"Hey how about we leave Sawamura for later and have some fun with her instead" one suggested.

"That's a great idea." Another chimed in, grabbing her by the arm. She tried to shake him off but found herself unable to. The guy was strong. Fear started to blossom inside her chest.

"No… No stop it!" It was more of a murmur than anything else.

"It's cool. You were just gonna go home anyway right?"

"Yeah. Let's go".

The fear was growing stronger by the second, spiraling up inside her, pushing a full-blown rage ahead of it. It was hard to think rationally. Fear and anger warred inside her, each growing stronger and stronger until she exploded. She found her self yelling, no screaming at the three.

"YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! I ABSOLUTELY DESPISE DELINQUENTS LIKE YOU! LET GO OF ME OR I'LL CALL THE POLICE AND…"

But before Takako could get any further a sharp and sudden pain buried itself in her right cheek, so heavy and forceful that she staggered and almost fell over. It was several seconds before she realized that one of the three delinquents had just slapped her hard across the face. She heard him speak and struggled to make out the words, so terrified now that she could barely think.

"Sorry about that. You see, my hand gets a mind of its own when I'm upset so you should watch what you say."

"Now then, it's time to think of a good place to go, isn't that right?"

He grabbed her more firmly by the shoulder and began to drag her out of the schoolyard. The terror was screaming shrill and harsh inside her now, forcing huge gulps of air in and out of her lungs. Over the top of this she could hear herself, by more instinct than anything else murmuring "No…please…someone…". But as she looked at the student body they turned their heads away, muttering refusals she couldn't hear but recognized nonetheless. No one was going to help her. No one would stop them. The thought crushed her under its weight. Fear turned into despair as she imagined what they might do, could do, were going to do to her. Tears, long fought back, streamed from her eyes. No one was going to help her.

As utter despair filled her, she heard a loud thud and a swish of air next to her head. The arm holding her pinched cruelly for a moment and then fell away. Turning around she saw a long leg descend and the thug who had been holding her fly backward and hit the ground hard, blood streaming from his face. Her surprise was absolute. Takako watched blankly as Sawamura, glaring like the Devil himself turned on the other two.

"You're in my way!" he growled.

She watched the fight, her mind a blank at first until relief struck her from some place above, so powerful that she almost fell over. She was saved. Sawamura had just saved her. An enormous fatigue fell on her suddenly, making her shoulders heavy and her heart patter. She had never before realized just how draining fear could be. But as tired as she was she could not keep herself from watching Sawamura as he fought (fought for her, said a small voice in the back of her head). When it was over, the three thugs were lying motionless on the ground and Sawamura looked battered and bloody, his head was bleeding from where one of the gang members had hit him with the wooden sword, he headed toward her.

"You okay Ayase?" he asked, incredulously, impossibly speaking to her after all that.

Takako just looked at him, completely and utterly unable to speak.

"I…I…" she managed somehow. He smiled down at her wearily before remembering that he should be frowning. And somehow that one little smile changed everything. Something that she had no name for exploded inside of her and for just an instant, Sawamura became the centre of her universe. She needed to speak but again could not do so. Not wanting this moment to end, she forced out his name.

"Sawamura…I…uh…"

"Hmmph." He said, remembering to frown now. "It's not like I did it to save you. Don't start flatterin' yerself."

He turned and walked out the gate, making sure to step on one of the ruffians on the way out. Takako sat down hard, all her strength and bravado taking leave suddenly. She picked herself up and walked slowly toward the school library, the murmurs now beginning behind her. When she got there she sat down at an empty desk and cried for a long time.

"I…I'm sorry Sawamura-san…but I already…you see I… I already have someone I like…so…umm… Goodbye."

Sawamura Seiji sighed and slumped in defeat. He watched morosely as the girl hurried down the steps away from him. Shot down for the… what was it… twentieth time now? Life really sucked. Was he really that much of a loser? He sighed again, the sigh of one who was totally and utterly hopeless, and began the march home. Seventeen and a half years of girlfriendless-ness. However you looked at it, it spelled loser. Goddammit… it wasn't even as if he was asking for all that much. Just for someone to like him for a change. Dammit… Twenty rejections and counting. Heh… the poor girl he'd asked today had been polite enough but a rejection was a rejection. She was probably scared of him. He sighed for a record-breaking third time and kicked at an empty soda can. Having the Devil's Right Hand was all fine and good when it came to fighting but it was pretty goddamn lousy as a lover. Weren't chicks supposed to go for strong guys? Wasn't that how it was supposed to be? The irony kicked in all over again. Here he was the strongest guy in town and he couldn't get a date to save his life.

And to top it all off, today that bitch Ayase had given him the lecture of his life, telling him exactly what she thought of his so called delinquency. Just his luck to get stuck sitting next to THAT cow all year. Some how it was weighing on his mind more than it should. He suspected that it was because he knew that she was somehow right. But it wasn't as if it was his fault that he got into fights regularly. People just seemed to come to him and demand them. Well, maybe she'd be singing a different tune tomorrow. After all, he'd just saved her ass from the Dekults gang. He probably should have let the bastards have her but bitch or no, you just couldn't let that sort of thing happen to girls. It was part of his private 'A Man's Code' philosophy. Still the look on her face had been pretty damned funny when she'd realized what was about to happen to her. Well, maybe she'll have learned her lesson. But no matter what had happened, her words still burned. They may as well have been the deciding vote from every female on the planet. Delinquent, huh? Crap.

The self-pity was wearing out, turning into anger. Damn, he thought. Damn Damn Damn. It wasn't enough. Spying another soda can, he delivered a mighty kick which sent it flying. It ricocheted of a wall and hit an elderly tomcat broadside.

"DAMN!" he shouted at the top of his voice, defying the universe to contradict him. A shrill voice giggled behind him.

"Girlfriend troubles again, Onii-chan?" the voice asked cheerfully. "I'll comfort you if you like." The voice giggled again. Seiji groaned inwardly. Shiori. The one date he could get was the one he didn't need. Just try explaining to the maitre'd at a restaurant why you're dating a ten year old.

"What do you want, brat?" He grumbled.

"Hmmpf" she sniffed, managing to look offended for almost three quarters of a second. Shiori smiled up at him once more. "Rejected again huh?"

"Shut up!"

'He he he. Well, one day you'll understand that I'm the one for you.' She ran up the hill ahead of him, pausing only to laughingly call back 'Bye bye Onii-Chan'.

Seiji watched till she was out of sight and started walking again. Well, he was popular enough with the ten year olds. There was something so cosmically unfair about that. Shiori was cute and all but she was seven years younger for God's sake. What wasn't even an option. Why couldn't he attract chicks his own age? He scowled down at his Devil's Right Hand, somehow knowing whose fault that was. The scowl gradually faded to a wry grin.

"Guess it's just you and me again tonight buddy."

Sawamura Seiji slumped his way home

Takako headed home. Some part of her was still shuddering. Another was still crying. She was beginning to realize just how close she had come to not just being hurt but being badly hurt. She found herself unable to concentrate, found herself walking up the wrong roads on the way home before suddenly realizing she was not sure where she was and having to backtrack.

She found herself thinking of Sawamura; how he had fought for her, how angry he had seemed while he did so. How he had said that he hadn't done it for her sake. Oh, how those words hurt. She found herself surprised at just how much they hurt, even though she knew they were not true. After all, that weary smile had proved that. The way he had asked if she was alright. Nothing else made sense. Despite the grilling she had given him earlier that day… Scum…she had called him scum…Despite everything; he had seen her plight and rescued her. And she hadn't even said "Thank you".

She tried to focus on walking, just walking straight home. I'll get home, take a shower and go straight to bed. Homework can go to hell. But it didn't work. Her thoughts kept turning to Sawamura. That terrifying look on his face as he fought, the huge sense of relief that had come when he had won, that weary smile. I didn't even say 'Thank you'. She coughed suddenly, aware that a huge dam was about to burst, that her built up fear and despair and relief had not quite dissipated yet, that she was about to burst into tears once again. She fought it back angrily. Soul of ice. Soul of ice. She focused fiercely on keeping a straight face for several minutes. Then she began to jog home, feet hitting the pavement faster and faster before she could break down and begin sobbing again.

Back at home, Sawamura Seiji slumped on his bed, flicking through the latest copy of Milk! but not really looking at it. He was feeling mildly depressed. Ok, so that was an understatement. Totally depressed was more like it. Fighting, sometimes it seemed like that was all he ever did. And the thing was that it was all so goddamned useless. What was the point of it all? Beat up a few gang members and what happens? They just bring their mates and attack you again. So you beat them up and an even bigger bunch appears. It was just so goddamn repetitive that it made him sick. And it was all for nothing. Just where did it get him? He didn't want to fight. It just kinda happened. Look at the case today. If he had of walked off and let Ayase fend for herself, what would've happened. Knowing those Dekult bastards, it could have been anything. And so he had fought, inadvertently giving the whole damned student body of Sakuradamon High just one more reason to fear him. They are all terrified of me, he reflected morosely. It was obvious in the way their desks in class seemed to get further and further away from his. And the way they avoided looking at him as he walked past. The way they muttered fearfully behind his back.

He didn't want this…any of this. After all, all he really wanted was to live his life like any normal student, going out with his girlfriend and having fun in the rose-colored days of his youth. But that dream just seemed to get further and further away. That girl he had asked out today had probably been terrified of him. Dammit… at this rate he'd wind up never having a girlfriend. His only lover would be his right hand. He could just about cry at the futility of it all. The bottled up anger came pouring out.

"Dammit! What should I do!!! I don't care who it is, please give me a girlfriend!!!"

Nothing happened, of course.

God never listens, he thought just before everything went black. As he passed out Seiji thought that he heard a deep and rather solemn voice say, "Really?"

Takako was in the bath. She always took a bath after a rough day. And this day had been rougher than most. Smiling somewhat ruefully at the ridiculousness of it all, she realized that she had cried more today than anytime since her Grandfather had died five years before.

She relaxed in the bath. Most of the whirlwind of emotions that had assaulted her earlier in the day had left, bringing a sense of deep confusion. She found that her feeling had changed somewhat in the last few hours. Her feelings for Sawamura had changed just a little. No, not just a little. Drastically. She recalled what she could of him and discovered that he had never seemed the type to bully or frighten anyone. He just seemed to be constantly in and out of fights with gang members. Was he just a delinquent or maybe something more? It was that something more that her heart was considering at the moment. A hero maybe, someone who stood up for people in trouble. She was aware of how fanciful these thoughts were but couldn't stop them. She found herself desperately wanting to know what Sawamura was doing, wanting to be near him because those feelings of fright hadn't quite dissipated yet and she felt naked and unprotected. She wanted the sense of security that having him near would provide.

But more than that somehow. That was what was puzzling. She wasn't sure what she wanted. The feelings she was having were big and strange and a little frightening. They weren't charted on any spiritual map. They roared and prowled about inside her, leaving her scared and confused and not knowing much except that being near Sawamura would somehow make things better.

"I wish… I wish…" But she still didn't know what she wished so she decided to leave it at that.

"I wish…" She whispered, lying back in the bath as a wave of dizziness passed over her. She thought she heard a deep voice say "Really?" before she passed out.

Sawamura Seiji woke up and looked around his room. Now that was weird. Did I pass out or what? He brought his hand up to brush his hair out of his eyes and blinked at what he saw there. At first impression, there appeared to be a gnome peering blankly out of his sleeve. He closed his eyes, quite deliberately counted to ten and then opened them again. The gnome was still there. What the hell? What was more, the gnome appeared to be waking up. It looked at him blearily.

"Huh?" It said. Seiji blinked. He knew this gnome.

"A…A…A…A…"

"Where am I?" Said the gnome.

"A…A…A…A…A…A…"

The gnome looked up at Seiji and its eyes widened.

"A…A…A…AYASE!!!"

"Sawamura!"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING ON MY ARM!" Shouted Seiji.

Ayase reeled from the shock and looked around her. She looked back to Seiji who was suddenly looking very big indeed. Her eyes widened even further. Seiji looked back at her, face still blank. They both had the same reaction.

"ARRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"

END CHAPTER ONE

Author's Note:

For LinBean who edited this for me… Eventually! Winks And who also has a magical talent of inspiring me to write:D

There are a number of reasons why I am writing this. One is that I really like Takako. She's a lot like me and I always felt a bit sorry for her, the way she tried so hard and never got anywhere. Think of this as a second chance for her in a multiverse where she gets stuck on Seiji's arm rather than Midori. Another is that I always have a bit of a spot for the underdog. Those of you who have read my previous fanfics will have noticed this. I really like the idea of a Takako x Seiji fic. There is only one other on and it is very short.

One thing that saddens me is that very few fics have been written about this show/manga. This is such a pity as it is a great series so get writing guys! This particular fic is most likely going to be based on the manga rather than the anime so expect some of the extra characters to make an appearance. For you diehard Seiji x Midori fans out there, sorry but this is strictly a Takako x Seiji fic. Midori will make an appearance but as this is an AU fic, she will be a little different from usual. Also, the names here are preserved in original Japanese format so Ayase Takako means that Ayase is the family name and Takako is the given name.

One last thing, please let me know what you think! It always helps! Every review gives me a lovely little tingle deep inside:)

Ja Ne.

Cheshire Grin :D