Disclaimer: Drug&Drop belongs to CLAMP, not me.

-o-o-o-o-o-

A frog in the well doesn't know about the ocean.
-Japanese proverb

-o-o-o-

Today Rikuou said something interesting to me.

We were stocking shelves and the topic of my naiveté came up. I can't even remember how the conversation moved to this particular topic. I think it had something to do with Saiga-san and his usual antics.

Anyway, after Saiga-san left us (presumably to sleep in Kakei-san's office) Rikuou mumbled something under his breath. I didn't quite catch it, but it sounded like it was supposed to be an insult, so I demanded he repeat what he'd just said.

"I said," He turned to me, looking annoyed. "That you're like a frog in a well."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

He turned his back to me, grabbed the now-empty cardboard boxes and started towards the back of the store. "Look it up. God knows you need the education."

I didn't have a comeback for that because, frankly, it hurt.

It wasn't my fault that my parents never sent me to school. It wasn't my fault that the tutors they hired didn't care that I didn't show up to half their lessons.

I felt tears prickling the corners of my eyes.

No.

I squeezed my eyes shut. I wouldn't cry.

It didn't matter that Rikuou thought so little of me. Why should I care if he thinks I'm stupid? I don't care.

A lone tear managed to slip out, past my barrier.

Maybe I did care…

"Kudou-kun?"

Ah! I whipped around with a smile plastered on my face. "Yes, Kakei-san?"

"Are you almost done? There's still a few unpacked boxes in the back."

I turned back to the shelves and resumed stocking at double pace. "Ah, sorry, I'll work harder, I promise!"

I felt Kakei-san's hand on my shoulder, gently turning me around again, to face him.

He looked concerned. "Are you crying?"

"Uh," He must have seen the tear. "No, no! Of course not! Why would I be crying?" I gave a nervous laugh. "I did get some dust in my eye earlier, so…" I trailed off, hoping that he would believe the lie.

"Oh, I see." He smiled. "That's alright, then. I thought that something was wrong."

I gave him the brightest smile I could muster. It wasn't even too forced, as talking to Kakei-san had pushed Rikuou out of my mind for a while. "Nah, I'm fine. Sorry for worrying you."

He gave me another warm smile, before starting towards the cash register.

"Ah, Kakei-san, wait!"

I'd clearly surprised him; I could see it in his eyes. "Is something wrong?"

I shook my head, "No, I was just wondering if you could tell me something…?"

Delicate brown eyebrows lifted slightly in a silent question.

"Do you know what 'a frog in a well' means?"

I surprised him again. He blinked a few times before turning his body fully in my direction. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, it's just something I heard, but I didn't know what it meant and I just remembered to ask you now." A little white lie, but he didn't need to know when I'd heard it, or from who.

He smiled again. He really does smile a lot. It's nice.

"It's an old Japanese saying. The full one goes like this: a frog in the well doesn't know the ocean."

"And what does that mean?"

"It's usually said to someone who had grown up sheltered or knows little about the real world. It's said that that person is like the frog; he only knows what it's like inside the well and doesn't know anything outside of the well."

"Ah, I see."

"Do you?"

"Yes, thank you, Kakei-san." I gave him another big smile, before getting back to work. He didn't ask anything further; returning to his own previous task.

-o-o-o-

"Itadakimasu."

I took my first sip of the miso soup that Rikuou had made and was once again amazed at how he could cook so well. I do suppose Tsukiko-san taught him. She must have taught him an awful lot about everyday things. And Rikuou reads the paper every day. He must know so much about the goings on in the world. Compared to him I know nothing.

I really am like a frog in a well.

I put the miso bowl down, half finished.

Rikuou looked up from his own food, alarmed.

"What's wrong?"

I shook my head. "Nothing, really."

He put his chopsticks down. "But…?"

"It's—" I stopped, not sure how to phrase what I wanted to say, and not even sure what it was, exactly, that I wanted to say.

Silence reigned.

"Kaz—"

"I have seen the ocean." We had both started talking at the same time, but my words silenced him efficiently.

Another silence followed, but this one was more shocked, rather than uncertain.

"Come again?"

I cleared my throat and looked him in the eye with determination in mine. "I said that I have seen the ocean." I blushed and quickly looked down. "I mean, I've seen it, but haven't really."

"What on Earth are you on about?"

"What you said earlier; the frog." I looked up again at his surprised face. "You said that I was like a frog in a well. I did find out what it meant and you're wrong. I have seen the ocean."

"You idiot." Now it was my turn to be shocked.

"Wha?"

"You're not supposed to take it literally."

I gave him an annoyed look. "I know that, but I'm just saying—"

"And what do you mean by 'haven't really?'"

I cast my eyes down again. "Well, I know what the ocean looks like and what it feels like, but I haven't actually physically been to the ocean or a beach…"

"So you saw it in someone's memory?"

I nodded. I could feel my face growing warmer.

Dammit, why did I have to phrase it like that? Now I'm just digging myself deeper.

"Whose memory was it?"

I mumbled the answer, but apparently Rikuou didn't catch it, as he asked me to repeat, so I did, "A crow's."

I swear my face probably rivalled the colour of a stop-sign.

"Kazahaya." My head snapped up, shocked at his soft tone. His eyes held something akin to sadness, but it wasn't the pitying kind that I had been expecting. It was like he was hurting.

I almost toppled over into the food between us.

Had I just been leaning in?!

My face grew even hotter and I quickly looked off to the side. What the hell?

"Hey." Carefully I moved my eyes back to Rikuou's dark green orbs. They were softer than usual, but hardened in determination at his next words. "The next time Kakei gives us a day off I'm taking you to see the ocean for real."

-o-o-o-o-o-

Just a short little thing that popped into my head when I was listening to a Japanese culture podcast. They were discussing the saying and I was reminded of Kazahaya (for obvious reasons).

Also, I'm currently experiencing withdrawal symptoms due to lack of activity on the D&D front…

Please leave a review! (I might even write a second chapter about their trip to the beach!)