Ren ran quickly, his youthful body breathing evenly in and out as he kept an even pace around the asphalt track at his highschool. He was the only one out on the field, the other students having gone home nearly an hour ago.
Ren often stayed late after school. Running alone on the track was his favorite activity, the physical effort helped him calm his mind and forget the stress of the day. It also satisfied his nostalgic need for the freedom he used to have in Canada, running wild and barefoot in the mountains as a young boy.
He checked his watch as he rounded the corner of his twentieth lap. It was nearly five o'clock, only ten minutes left until he had to catch the train back to the suburbs. The sun was setting behind the Tokyo skyline, casting rays of orange light off the sides of the glass and steel buildings underneath a cloudless sky, which faded from blue to light purple on the horizon.
He sped up his pace for the next couple laps, his white sneakers slapping rythmically against the hard surface. When he reached his twenty-fifth lap he stopped at the finish line, panting to catch his breath, which blew like white mist in the rapidly cooling air.
Ren picked up his backpack from the turf next to the track and slipped through the partially open back gate. He made his way down the evening street to the metro station a few blocks away. Traffic and people, the never ending bustle of Tokyo life, filled the streets, crowding around him as he walked.
Ren pulled his grey sweatsuit hood over his dark hair, weaving through the dense throng, trying not to touch or bump into anyone, or make eye contact. Definitely not eye contact. If he did someone might want to speak with him, and who knows what could happen from there?
Strangers made him nervous, but living in the city there was no way to avoid them. Ren took a deep breath of damp air to calm himself down as he proceeded down the concrete steps of the metro amid the strangers. He scanned his pass and climbed into the train that would take him home, standing as close to the door as he could.
The metro car jolted to a start, speeding down the dark tunnel, lights flashing by the windows as it went. The train lurched to a stop as quickly as it had started at the next station. The doors opened and the crowd began piling out, pushing past Ren onto the platform. Ren moved towards the door when a large man bumped into him hard, knocking the slender boy out of the train.
He banged against the concrete platform outside the door, dropping his backpack as he landed on his right arm, scraping his hand on the rough surface. The crowd continued stepping over him as he tried to stand up, beginning to panic.
"Here" a tall brown-haired teen, slightly older than him and wearing a school uniform, stood over him offering his hand. He was holding his backpack.
Ren reached out and grabbed his hand, letting the teen pull him up to his feet.
"Thanks" Ren said, holding his scuffed hand gingerly against his sweatshirt.
"I think this belongs to you" the teen said, handing him back his backpack. Ren slipped it over his shoulder.
"You really should pay more attention, people can get hurt in a crowd like this."
"I was paying attention" Ren said, "I just dont like being around strangers, and besides, that man bumped into me"
"Well lets not be strangers then" the teen replied, sticking out his hand. "whats your name?"
Ren hesitated a moment before returning the handshake, nice people always threw him off a bit. "Ren" he said, "Ren Kaidou"
"Nice to meet you Ren, I'm Light Yagami"
"Glad to meet you Light," Ren said, turning around and following the crowd towards the stairs up to the surface.
Light followed along next to him. "do you take this train often?"
"Usually" Ren replied.
"I don't come to Tokyo very often" Light said, as they stepped out into the twilight street. "I'm looking for a cafe called White Fang, its supposed to be one of the best in this part of town."
"That's my brothers cafe!" Ren exclaimed excitedly, "Im on my way there right now!"
"Really?" Light said, "I guess we're going the same way then."
They walked down the busy road under the street lamps, the constant stream of red and white headlights unbroken except for an ambulance which drove through the intersection, turning its lights and sirens on suddenly, making Ren jump, before racing down the street in the opposite direction.
When they reached the cafe, Ren opened the door and Light followed him into the small, brightly decorated establishment.
The counter was filled with patrons, mostly women, being served by a lanky dark-haired college student wearing round glasses and a white apron.
"Hi Ren" he said when they approached.
"Hi Aki" Ren replied, "This is Light Yagami"
Aki looked startled, then amused. "Did he come here with you?"
"Yes" Ren said, "he came to see the cafe"
"Hey Shima!" Aki called towards the kitchen, "Come out here quick! Something incredible happened!"
Another man emerged from the kitchen, carrying a bowl of batter in his arms. He looked exactly like Aki, except for the glasses. They must be twins, Light thought.
"What is it?" Shima asked
"Little brother made a friend!" Aki announced loudly. The patrons at the counter, mostly regulars familiar with the brothers, began laughing loudly.
Ren's face blushed in emarrassment. "He's not a friend!" He said defensively "he just wanted to go to the cafe!"
"Well, either way its nice to meet you Light Yagami" Aki said, coming out from behind the counter. "Ive heard a lot about you"
"You know him?" Shima asked Aki.
"Of course, dont you? He's only the number one honor student in all of Japan, he got a perfect score on the placement exams"
"Only a bookworm like you would know something like that, Aki" Shima said as Aki bowed to Light.
Light bowed back, slighty annoyed at the fuss they were making.
"Where would you like to sit?" Aki asked Light, eager to serve.
Ren walked into the kitchen as Aki escorted Light to the best booth in the house.
"How was your day?" Shima asked when they were alone.
"It was ok" Ren answered, "Im going to get changed"
"Whoa hang on! " Shima said as Ren turned to leave. "What happened to your hand?"
He put the bowl down and took Ren's right hand in his own, inspecting it gently. It was bruised and had several large scratches. "Brother's going to flip out when he sees this, you know how protective he gets."
"Its nothing" Ren sighed, "someone just bumped into me while I was getting off the train"
"Well Id better take care of it" Shima said, turning on the faucet and moving Ren's hand under the cold water.
Ren winced as the water cleaned the dirt off his hand. "its fine, really"
"There, now go home and put a bandage on it" Shima said.
Ren gathered his backpack and walked out the backdoor of the cafe, down the path leading up to the large apartment he shared with his brothers.
When he got inside he took off his shoes and socks, and walked across the hardwood floor and up the carpeted stairs to his room.
"Is that you Ren?"
Haru, his eldest brother, was home. He was usually working at the cafe or out running errands in the evening.
"Hi Haru" Ren said as the tall blond haired man walked into the hallway, wearing pajamas. He followed Ren down the hall to his room.
Haru leaned against the door frame as Ren turned on the light.
"How was your day.." Haru stopped short. "What happened to your hand!"
He rushed into the room and began carefully inspecting Ren's injury, a dark frown on his face.
"Its nothing, Shima already cleaned it" Ren sighed, Haru could be so over protective. "A guy bumped into me on the train and I fell over"
"What guy!" Haru nearly shouted.
"Calm down Haru" Ren said, "I dont even remember what he looked like."
Ren took off his grey hoodie, throwing it into the hamper. Haru leaned back in the doorway, his frown relaxing as Ren pulled his shirt over his head.
He stopped and looked at Haru, "Are you just going to stand there?"
Haru just smiled as Ren undid the cord of his sweatpants, pulling them off, and standing in his underwear.
Haru admired his delicately featured and well porportioned body, he wanted him so much, his dark hair complementing his smooth fair skin, is brown deep eyes that seemed to peer into his heart everytime he looked at them. His heart began racing as Ren hesitantly took off his underwear, leaving him naked in the soft lamplight.
Whats the matter with me! Haru thought, he's just a kid, and my brother too! I'm a terrible adult.
Haru wanted to rush over and caress his young naked body. Instead he said "You're cute Ren"
Ren blushed red, he hated being called cute. "No I'm not!" he shouted, slamming the bedroom door in Haru's face with one hand while covering himself with the other.
"Oh well" Haru said to himself, walking back down the hall as he heard Ren turn on the shower. "Maybe some other time"
When he finished showering, Ren put on pajamas and collapsed into bed, exhausted from the long day. His small white dog, Tanuki, who had been sleeping quietly in the corner of the room, climbed up on his bed and curled next to him.
Haru was watching the news downstairs, the faint sound of the TV echoing up through the floor, the announcer's distant voice recounting the details of a man who had fallen into the path of an incoming train at a subway station.
Thats the same station I was just at... Ren thought as he dozed off.