Totoro Boy

Disclaimer : Tadatoshi Fujimaki, Miyazaki Hayao

©minnieharis

[author's note] I love Kiyoshi Teppei and imagine a story of his middle schooler days and pair him with my original character, Tamara Levre-Kannou. She is the same age as Kuroko and Kagami. I got this idea from listening to My Neighbor Totoro theme many times and Totoro is my most favorite chara from Studio Ghibli. This is my first fanfic I decide to publish, I hope everyone can give me feedback! I'll improve my English more since English isn't my native language. Happy reading!

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It was a rainy day when the two met for the first time.

Levre-Kannou Tamara was twelve when she met Kiyoshi Teppei. She came to Japan to hold her father's funeral, Kannou Yutaka. Her beloved father passed away in airplane crash when he was on his way to go back to Toronto from business trip.

The cloud was dark and the rain poured as if the world was grieving with the small girl. Her mother, Marissa, held her in her arms and silently cried. Beside her was Kouji, Tamara's older brother. Tamara couldn't bear to see her father's cremation, she ran away from there.

She stopped somewhere on the road, stood still all alone and wet. Tamara managed to catch her breath, as she felt the rain wept herself away. She wanted to cry but she couldn't. The small girl's thought was blank she didn't realize she wasn't alone. Next to her stood a tall guy with an umbrella, turned it onto her. She turned her head, gazed at the tall guy who covered her with his umbrella.

"You'll get sick if you keep yourself under the rain," he said softly.

Tamara was flustered. The boy used black suit, she assumed he came to Yutaka's funeral. Having the feeling of someone treated her kindly she couldn't hold back her tears. In front of the stranger she wept. The tall boy was surprised to see Tamara cried so suddenly, he panicked. She sobbed because the boy warmly gave her attention. It was just like that, but maybe since he was a stranger that Tamara could let her grief out. Slowly, the boy reached her, unconsciously put her head on his chest. She pretended to be stronger for her mother and Kouji, but in the end she wanted someone to be the shoulder she could cry on. That was a time when she saw the boy wasn't a stranger but a boy she got warmth from.

Tamara had settled her feelings and the rain stopped. She wore the tall boy's handkerchief to wipe her tears. Her eyes were swollen and her nose was red. She glanced at him who calmly sat beside her. She took quite long time to weep and still, the boy was there with her.

"Umm, I'm sorry for troubling you," Tamara muttered.

He turned her head and gave her a smile. "That's alright."

She held his handkerchief. "I'm sorry for your lost," he said carefully. It seemed that the boy knew she was the one who lost the father, Tamara nodded. "Thank you," she smiled gently. "Your handkerchief, I'll wash it then I'll return it."

"Nah, you don't have to," he chuckled.

"No, please let me."

He shrugged. "Well, you can return it anytime. I live quite near from your grandparents' house."

"Really?" she looked surprised. He nodded. "I knew your grandmother. She is a nice lady. And your grandfather, too."

Tamara never really came to Japan before this. Mostly her father's parents would come visit her to Canada, but she was never come here before.

"I'm Kiyoshi Teppei," the boy introduced himself.

"Kannou-Tamara," she mumbled.

"Kannou-chan," Kiyoshi called her name.

"Tamara is fine," she corrected.

Kiyoshi was in thought a while, but then he beamed. "Tamara. Then you can call me Teppei."

Tamara bowed at him. "Please treat me kindly." Teppei bowed, too. "I also want to apologize for crying spontaneously on your chest," she blushed a bit.

Teppei chuckled. "I thought I made you scared, but then you went into my arms and actually I relieved you didn't scared of me."

Tamara flustered. His reaction was quite unusual for a stranger whom she cried on to. They barely knew each other before and mostly people wouldn't put their effort to cheer up another stranger, yet this guy was happy to know she wasn't afraid of him. For some time the half Japanese and Canadian girl thought Kiyoshi was weird.

"You're warm…" Tamara mumbled.

"Warm?"

"Like Totoro," she said without thinking. Quickly Tamara shut her mouth, regretting what she had said. Teppei looked at her confused, then cracked up.

"So I'm Totoro? Then you are Sanae? Or Mei?" he laughed.

"Umm, I said, I was only giving you example. That you are weird…and nice," Tamara blushed.

"As long as I don't make you scared then I'm okay being Totoro."

She raised her eyebrows and chuckled.

Teppei was surprised, the girl laughed for the first time. Both of them gazed at each other awkwardly and then giggled together. It was the first time Tamara smiled again since taking care of Yutaka's funeral. She met Teppei, who was strangely made her laughed and forgot her sorrow. Tamara found his image was a bit like her father. His warm and aura fitted quite the same. She probably thought this guy was her Totoro.

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[p.s.] this is one-shot, but i think of making the continuation to make Tamara interacts more with other Kurobas' characters! And surely I wont put her in Seirin if I continue the story. Seirin already has Riko ^^ I may lead her to Kaijou, since Kasamatsu is my second favorite lol please kindly give reviews to my first ff! Thank you~