Kiss Goodbye

Toshiki had always loved Kazuki. But what if someone who is almost exactly like him comes along?

Chapter 1: Coral Sea

Jubei stood in front of the hospital door. His eyes were bright once again. He looked at the person in front of him, his best friend, Kazuki. He smiled at him as Kazuki flung his arms around his neck. Toshiki watched the painfully beautiful scenario. Suddenly, his phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hello? Spiky blonde, is the yarn ball there?"

"Yeah, Jubei's surgery's done and it's really successful. Kazuki's tending to him. Why, Mido?"

"I received a call from Natsumi. A customer of Honky Tonk, a girl who seems to be a relative of the yarn ball, was kidnapped. Yohan Kokuchoin is the culprit according to Paul. Yarn ball should go to Warehouse 87 in order to save the girl. Apparently, they held her hostage so that the yarn ball would show up."

"Kazuki doesn't have any living relatives. That's absolutely a fraud."

"I don't think it is, spiky. According to Natsumi, the girl looks exactly like yarn ball. The mannerisms are also the same. It's hard to conclude that she's a fraud."

"Kazuki won't be able to attend to her. He's busy."

"Just send in anybody! The girl is going to die any minute now, spiky! Any minute now, do you hear me? Ginji and I can't go because we're in the middle of a job!"

"Okay, I'll go save her, Mido. If she turns out to be a fraud, I'll sue you!"

"Great! You're useful sometimes, spiky."

Toshiki hung up the phone. What trouble he had himself into, he thought.

"Toshiki," a voice said. It was Kazuki. "Is something the matter?"

"No, nothing. There's just something I need to attend to. I'll see you later."

"Take care, won't you?"

"Yeah."

Toshiki rushed out of the hospital and rode a taxi to reach Warehouse 87. He told the driver a hundred times to drive faster. Finally, they were able to reach the warehouse, which was already on fire. "Oh, crap!"

He ran off to the warehouse, forgetting to pay the driver. He broke the door with his strong fists and ran up the flight of stairs, discovering an unconscious young lady. Her hands and feet were still tied up; there was duct tape on her mouth. He carried her in his arms, and then proceeded to run towards the door. Part of his cheek was burnt, and his arm was burnt, too. After some more runs, a few more burns, and several bruises, he finally reached the door and was able to walk out safely with the young lady in his arms.

He looked at her sleeping face; long lashes ringed her eyelids, just like Kazuki. Yes, she looked just like Kazuki, except that her hair was a bright color of red-orange, while Kazuki's was chocolate brown. He took off the duct tape which concealed her lips. They looked so soft and sweet, so tempting he closed his eyes and bent down so that his own pair would meet hers. But he woke up from his little fantasy when the taxi drive he forgot to pay yelled at him.

"I'll pay you. Drive me to the hospital." He reached for his pockets, realizing that they were empty. Crap, he thought. He saw that the young lady had a handbag. He opened it and saw quite an amount of money. I'm saved. He rode the taxi and arrived at the hospital. He paid the taxi driver with the lady's money.

"Thanks, young man. Quite a pretty girlfriend you have over there."

"She's no girlfriend of mine, old man."

He entered the hospital; he was in a total mess. Kazuki saw him.

"Toshiki! What in the world happened to you? Your cheek, is it painful? And who is she?"

"This girl, she looks just like you. Is she your relative?"

"Ah-I…"

Before Kazuki could answer, the girl woke up.

"W-where am I?"

"In the hospital," Kazuki replied. "Do you feel okay?"

"I was kidnapped by a person named Yohan Kokuchoin. I thought that I was still in the warehouse." She noticed how Kazuki looked so much like her. "You're Kazuki Fuchoin, right? The waitress in Honky Tonk told me to look for you. She said that it's possible that we might be related to one another. I just discovered recently that I was adopted. I wanted to consult the Get Backers, but they were having a job. I also saw this birth certificate of a person named Kazuji Fuchoin. Do you think that this person could possibly be me?"

Kazuki took the birth certificate. He looked at the girl with a confused look in his eyes. The girl understood that he was confused. "I'm sorry, Fuchoin-san. I think I confused you in one way too many. It's okay if you doubt that I'm your sister. But I want you to know that I'm very happy to meet you." She turned to Toshiki. "Thank you for saving me-oh, your cheek and your arm are burnt! Your clothes are ruined, too. I'm so sorry for all the trouble I caused you." She looked at him with concern. "Your cheek, is it painful? Tell me where it hurts. I'm very sorry for all these." She touched Toshiki's burnt cheek. Toshiki winced a little. It was painful, bit her hand felt so tender and gentle, just like Kazuki's touch.

He turned his head away.

"My name is Kazuno. I'm really very sorry."

"Be careful next time, won't you, Toshiki? I'll just go see if Jubei is sleeping already. I'll see you around, Kazuno-san."

"As usual, it's always Jubei whom he looks after," Toshiki murmured. "When is he going to look after me?"

"You're feeling jealous, right, Toshiki-san? Uh-I didn't mean to interfere or something."

He went to a nurse who assigned a room for him. Kazuno followed him. She asked the nurse for some bandages and cotton. He went straight to the bed and ignored Kazuno. Kazuki…nobody could ever be like him. He is like a pearl amongst a deep coral sea, a princess from the stars, great upon the earth. Now, this lady comes into the scene. It's like the pearl has been copied by the very best copycat in the world. Kazuno… who are you? How could you be so much like him? How could you be so much like my princess? He closed his eyes as he searched for an answer.