As Fuji awoke, his body felt nice and rested and had a comfortable numbness about him that made him feel fresh and pure. That feeling quickly ended once he recollected yesterdays events, and the way his stomach angrily growled from neglect.
Fuji sighed and sat up rubbing his eyes and smoothing out his bed hair. He had to go see Tezuka right away. Fuji jumped out of bed and immediately went to go take care of his morning needs before quickly leaving the house, his sister yelling at him for not properly taking care of his body; complaining that food gives him energy.
Fuji decided he would just get something at Tezuka's, he was in too much of a rush to stop and having breakfast.
As he ran up in the direction of Tezuka's house, feeling the cool morning air rub against his skin, he saw it. A splotch of reddish hair in the distance. His heart immediately sped up, he grin and began to run.
'It's Marui! I knew I could find him, I'll figure out what's wrong!' Fuji thought as he ran closer to the other. "Marui!" Fuji yelled, the other turned around, a blank expression on his face, that unsettled Fuji, but of course, if he was having problems at home, he probably wouldn't be all sparkles and sunshine. "Marui, there you are! Everyone has been so worried." He continued to stare. "Is something wrong at home? Oh.. I'm sorry, I know I may come off a little fast, but I'm sort of in a rush and I was just excited that I finally found you, but you know, if you need someone to talk to, I always love to help." Marui continued to stare, Fuji, trying to ignore it, looked more at the spot in between his eyes instead of directly into the orbs themselves.
After a couple more minutes of staring, a frightened look came upon Marui's face, it was disturbing, Fuji, in all his years of living, in all the movies or books or… just anything in general, he has never seen a face like that before, one that looked so frightened, it was almost unbearable to look at.
"Fuji!" He spoke, "Don't! Get away!" Fuji was confused, Marui was just talking, the only thing that moved were his lips, not a single sign of body language. "Don't take it! Leave him there!" "Keep out! Don't think!" Fuji's felt his palms begin to sweat. Did something happen to him? Was he scarred somehow to completely mess up his mind? "Stop thinking."
"Fuji-san!" Fuji's breath was caught in his throat. He slowly turned around to see Jirou, running up to him. How? Did… did he even live on this street? Fuji wanted to step back, he wanted to run for his life. He wasn't even sure why, fear was just taking over him. He looked back, wanting at least a little comfort from knowing there was someone else nearby… but once he looked back, Marui… was gone.
"Mar-," he was interrupted by the feeling of another body collide into his back. Fuji, in panic, thrashed his arms around and jumped away. Jirou laughed.
"Sorry Fuji-san, didn't mean to scare you! I was just happy!" Fuji stared at him, breathing heavily.
"What… what are you doing here?" Fuji asked, he immediately regretted it, that sounded so rude, and not like himself at all! Jirou tilted his head to the side… still smiling widely.
"Ah, I was just taking a walk before school~ I never come this way so I decided why not? And what do you know, you live on this road!" Fuji did not like the other's observation, not one bit. "So! Do you think we could walk to school together?" Jirou continued to smile. Fuji looked away from him.
"Ah… why? I mean, why would you want to walk to school with me?" Jirou grinned and ran up to him, wrapping an arm through Fuji's so that they were interlocked.
"Because Fuji-san, I like and respect you~" Fuji blinked.
"Huh?" Jirou continued to smile but started walking.
"There's a lot of people I like and respect, and people I want to become friends with, you're one of them for example, the other is Marui," Jirou sighed, "But since he ran away… I don't think I can respect him anymore…" Fuji blinked.
"Ah, b-but, you know, I just saw Marui… I don't know where he went but… I saw him." Jirou seemed to stop smiling for a split second, but once again, it was only for a split second, hardly noticeable.
"Is that so?" Jirou tugged his arm, almost pulling Fuji off his own two feet. "Well, maybe he'll come back soon… then I'll be happy again, I'll have two of my favorite people to be with me! It will be fun, won't it?" Fuji smiled, and nodded.
"Oh um… I'm supposed to meet up with Tezuka… his house is this way so…" Fuji tried to pull away and get the other's arm out of his own, but Jirou didn't want to comply.
"Well, we can all walk together can't we?" He continued to smile… the wide, innocent smile that sent chills throughout Fuji's body.
"Ah… sure…" Fuji began walking in the direction of Tezuka's house, trying his best to speed up his pace, but somehow, Jirou always stayed at the same pace until the two were practically speed walking through the neighborhood.
"Wow Fuji-san! It seems you're healthy, with as fast and far as we've been walking, you're not even panting heavily in the slightest!" Jirou said in awe. Fuji didn't care for the compliment.
A golden ray of sunlight seemed to come down from in between clouds as soon as Tezuka's house was in sight. Fuji sped up even more, causing Jirou to laugh.
"You must be really excited to see Tezuka, Fuji-san!" Jirou spoke. Fuji grunted a little at the feeling of a tightness on his arm, Jirou seemed to be squeezing it, so Fuji slowed down to let the other catch up to him. There was a passing second before the other finally loosened his grip on Fuji's arm.
"Ah yeah… he's my best friend." Fuji spoke, just wanting to get to him already.
"Really…? Then… do you think he could be my best friend too." Fuji wanted to give the other a weird look but decided against it. Why did Jirou make that sound like a statement? Wasn't it a question on whether or not he could be his friend? Fuji shook his head, not wanting to think about it anymore.
"Tezuka!" Fuji yelled as the two got up into Tezuka's yard. The door was already open, waiting for Fuji's arrival.
Fuji went in, Jirou still trailing behind with that same smile still plastered on his face.
"Tezuka." Fuji spoke, calming down now that his friend was within reach.
"Fuji?" Tezuka was obviously confused by the newcomer. Fuji looked back.
"Ah, Tezuka, you know Jirou, Jirou, Tezuka." As the two shook hands, Fuji sat down in front of Tezuka once again while Jirou awkwardly stood.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Came a voice from the doorway behind Jirou. Jirou turned and his smile widened. Tezuka's mom stood in the doorway. "Kunimitsu! You should have told me you were having another guest! I would have put out an extra chair!" She turned towards Jirou. "I'm sorry, I'll be right back." Jirou respectfully bowed.
Fuji, watching all of this go on at the edge of his seat turned his attention back to Tezuka, talking to him with his eyes. Tezuka closed his. Fuji once again, chuckled at Tezuka's attempt to be amusing.
))0 o I 0
"Are you sure you don't want any breakfast, Fuji-kun?" Tezuka's mother asked with a worried expression on her face.
"I'm fine, I'm not hungry, thank you for asking." Fuji bowed to her as the three students began to head out to get to school.
"Oh alright, have a safe trip!"
The three then began to walk in the direction of their high school. Fuji trying to stay as close to Tezuka as possibly, and attempting to get a decent amount of space from Jirou, unfortunately it didn't work. Once Fuji moved, so did Jirou, he was like a shadow.
"Ah Fuji-san, I almost forgot!" Fuji looked over at Jirou with an expression of distrust. "You like black coffee right? I got you one!" Jirou brought out a black coffee can out of his book bag and handed it to Fuji, who carefully took it; it was still cold.
"Ah… thank you." Tezuka gave the can an odd look before gazing forward once again.
"You're welcome Fuji-san! You don't have to thank me, I just like making people happy!" Fuji smiled at him then quickly looked away, his stomach was still hurting, if this kept up he would surely starve before the week was over with.
"Jirou!" The group of three looked over, Mukahi and Shishido Ryou, Jirou's other friend, were waiting by a tree. Jirou gave a sheepish look to Fuji.
"Sorry, I guess I have to go now." Jirou waved and ran over to the two that were waiting for him. Fuji sighed, the feeling of fresh air feeling good to him.
Tezuka said absolutely nothing until they finally got into the school, as soon as they did, Tezuka took the can and threw it in the trash. Fuji blinked in confusion.
"The can has been tampered with." Was all he said before the bell rung for first period, they had arrived later than usual.
Fuji stared at him then at the trash bin Tezuka had threw the can into.
"… What the hell…?"
))0oI 0
Once again, Fuji was biting his pencils eraser, looking at everyone throughout the class. There was no way he could concentrate on his work now, not knowing that Jirou, his supposed, admirer, tried to give him a poisoned coffee. He had seen Tezuka in the hallway after first period again, he told Fuji not to worry about it, maybe it wasn't Jirou but just someone else, which only confused him because thinking back on his face, he looked so happy and excited to give him the drink, there was not a single flash of hatred or evilness anywhere on his face.
Then Fuji thought about the note again, 'He's not who you think he is.' and 'it's all a façade' Now Fuji didn't know what to believe! He just wanted all of this over with, he was beginning to wish he never even found the note.
Fuji's eyes widened. The note! The note! Was that why Jirou was all of a sudden attacking him? Did Jirou know about the note? And know that Fuji had it? Fuji grinned to himself. So that's why! All he had to do was give the note back to Jirou, and tell him that he'll pretend he'd never seen it, then everything will go on like normal! Now… where was it? Tezuka! Yeah, Tezuka still had it from when Fuji showed it to him yesterday morning.
'So all I have to do is get the note, and give it back to Jirou!' Fuji let out a sigh of relief at his plan, finally, he would be able to go on, and live his life like it used to be!
0 (( I o ))0
As soon as lunch came around, Fuji ran high speed to Tezuka, practically throwing himself onto the other.
"Tezuka, where's the note?" Fuji asked, yelling more than he should have been. Tezuka looked confused.
"Note?" Fuji got himself together and brought his voice down to a whisper.
"Yeah, the note about Jirou, where is it?" Tezuka sighed.
"Fuji, I thought I told you to just forget about-,"
"Yeah I know, but I think, this may be the key to stop Jirou from practically stalking me! He probably wants the note back! And I'll just pretend I never read it, then everything will go back to normal!" Tezuka frowned at hi. "So… do you have it?" Tezuka sighed once again, probably feeling annoyed by this whole thing but went over a table and put his bag onto it.
"Tezuka!" Tezuka looked over to see Oishi run up to him, holding a stack of falling papers in his hands. "We need you in the classroom, it's urgent!" Tezuka blinked at how Oishi seemed so unusually unorganized and frantic.
"Okay." Tezuka turned back to Fuji, "it's in the front pocket.. And Fuji." Fuji stared at him, waiting for what he had to say, "Don't let your guard down." Fuji smirked as the other walked off with the frantic Oishi that immediately dug in the front pocket of his bag.
"Got it!" Fuji yelled, pulling out the crumpled, weary paper. Now all he had to do was find Akutagawa! Grabbing Tezuka's bag to give back to his friend later, he set off.
Fuji first quickly walked through the cafeteria, he wasn't there. Then in certain classrooms that he picked from random, he wasn't in any of the ones he picked, and he even asked around, strangely, no one has seen him. Then finally, after just about giving up, he saw Atobe Keigo. He should know where he was!Fuji usually saw them hanging out in the same group together.
"Atobe-san." Fuji spoke, jogging up to him, he had to get on the rich boy's good side, so of course, why not butter him up with a respectful honorific? Atobe turned, and irritated expression on his face.
"Hmm?"
"Do you know where Akutagawa-san is?" Atobe looked a little confused by the sudden question but answered anyway.
"He's usually sleeping on the rooftop about this time." Atobe said, "I think he's probably about to get up though, since lunch is almost over." Fuji was surprised, Atobe was said to have a huge ego, but he didn't seem to be quite that bad. At least he complied.
"Ah thank you." Atobe didn't respond, he only walked away grumbling to himself. Well… he may not have been so arrogant but he was still rude.
Fuji ran down the hallways, wanting to get to Jirou before he left the rooftop. He ran up the steps, his heart pumping, glad that he would finally be able to stop all this madness. He had just got to the door, with a confident expression, he opened it a crack.
"You're insane Akutagawa!" Fuji blinked, it seemed he walked in on an argument?
"I'm not insane, I just don't like you touching my property."
"He's not your fucking property!"
"Oh but I'm afraid he is, I've already claimed him, you're too late~"
"You Fucking-!"
Fuji's eyes widened, there was Niou, who was now grabbing onto Akutagawa's shirt, looking quite angry, Marui was there too! He was in the background, staring with scared eyes, the same scared face that he saw this morning, and Jirou… Jirou was still smiling.
"Niou stop!" Niou stopped what he was doing, looking back at Marui.
"Are you fucking serious Mar? After everything he di-,"
"Shut up. You don't know anything!" Niou immediately quieted, there was a long pause. Before Niou looked back over to Akutagawa once again with a harsh glare.
"What the hell have you done to him you bastard!" This time, Niou punched him sending Jirou flying backwards. Marui got up and grabbed Niou holding him back, yelling at him to stop.
At this point, Fuji was shaking… what exactly was going on? What happened?
"Marui! Why are you letting him take control of you like this? You're like a fucking puppet! Get it together!"
"Shut up Niou!" Tears were running down Marui's face, "Just shut up… you never should have came… you never should have…" everything grew quiet, Marui had fell limp onto Niou who stared in shock.
"Stop touching him." Jirou spoke walking over quickly and taking Marui into his arms. "If you know what's best, I would say listen to him, he obviously doesn't want your help, maybe there's a reason… for you know, maybe, his family's…. friend's… your life could be at stake." Fuji's eyes widened as Jirou brought out a small knife holding flipping it around with his fingers.
"You bastard!" Niou snapped, his hands clenching with anger.
"I would watch you tongue, you wouldn't want to lose it~" Jirou turned and started walking away, his direction still towards Niou so that he was walking backwards to the door. With the feeling of panic over taking him, Fuji ran, ran faster than ever, he practically jumped the stares jumping over the railings doing everything in his power just to get away.
He ran into a bathroom, catching his breath. He walked to the sink and began to throw water onto his face, trying to cool himself down. He couldn't breath, his heart was racing, his head was throbbing, and… his shoulder… felt oddly… lighter…?
Fuji looked down, and he choked. Tezuka's book bag! It must have fell!
"Oh no, oh no, oh no!" From the note and what Fuji saw on the rooftop, Akutagawa Jirou was defiantly not someone to mess with.
Fuji walked to the entrance of the bathroom and looked out both ways. Maybe… maybe no one would notice the bag? Fuji gulped, wanting to cry. He should have just listened to Tezuka, he should have never put himself into other people's business. He should have just stayed on track and lived his life. Maybe then none of this would have happened!
-0-
The bell for the last period rung, but Fuji still hadn't moved, he stayed curled up in the corner of the bathroom, he hated this, it's only been two days and he's already living in fear! He sobbed beginning to feel sick to his stomach again. This was too much. He slowly stood up, shaking.
'Tezuka's bag… he's going to be in trouble for not having it! It's all my fault! I should have left in the cafeteria! Why? Why did I not just leave it in the cafeteria?' Fuji wiped away a tear with a shaking hand and started out the bathroom, slowly, and shakily going back up the steps to the rooftop.
Once he got up there, he fell to the ground, he began to sob once again, Tezuka's bag wasn't there! Fuji turned and ran back down the stares, wanting to just get away from the rooftop as quickly as possible. He should skip altogether! Just go home! He stopped. What about Yuuta? Jirou knows what road he stays on, what if he follows Yuuta? What if he hurts him? Fuji fell against the wall, beginning to cry again.
He didn't understand it, how could one bubbly student, make him lose his mind like this? How was it possible? He slid to the ground. Tezuka… what if-! Fuji stood up with a sharp gasp. What if Jirou thinks Tezuka was spying on that whole event on the rooftop? Will he hurt him? He has a knife! Fuji took in deep breaths. He had to stop this, he would not let anyone he cared for get hurt. Hopefully Yuuta is safe since he really has nothing to do with Akutagawa, but he definitely would not let Tezuka get hurt, over his own mistake!
With this glued to his brain, Fuji walked down the hallway in the direction of Tezuka's classroom.
_ I _ o
After the last bell of the day rung, Fuji waited outside Tezuka's classroom, ignoring the odd looks he got from others.
Fuji gave a nervous smile to Tezuka as he walked out of his classroom, Tezuka cocked an eyebrow.
"Fuji?" Fuji immediately stepped closer to him, not wanting the other out of his sight. Tezuka gave him a disappointed look. "Fuji, I had notes in my bag that I needed." He spoke. Fuji looked down.
"I'm sorry Tezuka, really, I'm so sorry, but please, let me explain later on; as a matter of fact, do you want to spend the night at my house tonight?" Tezuka gave him a strange look.
"…?" Fuji looked up at him, his eyes still wet and red from his tears of worry, Tezuka, seeing this, sighed and decided to just go along. Tezuka began to whisper.
"Is it about Akutaga-," Fuji quickly placed a hand over his mouth.
"Don't say his name… just… just don't speak about him at all… please?" Tezuka was surprised but complied and didn't talk about him.
As soon as the too got outside, Fuji dragged Tezuka over to his brother and told him about their plans of Tezuka sleeping over tonight.
"I just have to go tell my mother." Tezuka spoke, constantly squirming, feeling strange without the weight of his bag.
"Okay, do you mind stopping off at Tezuka's house, Yuuta?" Fuji asked. Yuuta shook his head.
"No, I don't mind," He leaned to the side, "but it's kind of bothering me Tezuka-san, where's your bag?" Tezuka gave a glare to Fuji, but Fuji just gave a look in response, mentally telling him that he'd explain later.
"Okay let's go." Fuji spoke, not walking until Tezuka started. It was easy for the tensai to keep up with Tezuka's pace since he's used to walking with him every morning, it was just a little troublesome now with Fuji practically hanging on the other.
"Aniki.. Are you okay? Is your leg hurt?" Yuuta asked, noticing his older brother leaning on his friend, the two constantly stumbling over each other's feet.
"Ah… yes."
"Fuji." Fuji sighed and hesitantly moved off of Tezuka, walking on his own now. Yuuta shook his head at his silly older brother's antics.
"Okay, wait here." Tezuka spoke, walking up his lawn. Fuji and Yuuta stayed out, Yuuta trying to make small talk with his brother, when there was a loud thump that came from inside Tezuka's house. Fuji quickly turned his attention to the house.
Tezuka had ran out, a hand over his mouth and falling down onto the ground. Panic once again arose in Fuji and he immediately ran over to his best friend, asking what was wrong. He was paled, there was an expression of fear, and sadness, and what's worse, there were tears in his eyes.
When you practically never see someone with any other expression other than a stoic bemused face, seeing something like this, was definitely heartbreaking. Fuji wanted to cry all over again. Instead, he ran inside, just to see what was wrong that caused Tezuka such distress.
When he ran in a strange smell was the first thing he noticed, as he got deeper into the house, the smell got stronger, and by the time he entered the living room…
Fuji slid to the ground, tears now rolling down his cheeks. There laid Tezuka's mother, lying in a pool of her own blood, dead; and sitting next to her, was Tezuka's book bag.
