Ahahaha...Hi guys :D Sorry for the long long long break between the two chapters, got caught up in reality.
Anyways, thanks for the reviews for that pitifully short prologue, hope you enjoy this chapter!
(P.S Did anyone watch/read/hear about Nakamura-sensei's new (not so new anymore) series? IT IS SO SWEET :D)
(P.P.S: This chapter was supposed to be out in the first week of July. Then my idiot of a brother thought it'd be entertaining to DELETE ALL MY FILES, TAKE MY HARD-DRIVE AND LOSE IT. So again, sorry for the whole...wait :P If any of you has a voodoo doll in possession, I'd appreciate it if you use it to help curse my brother.)
Chapter 1:
Usagi's POV
After several excruciating seconds of forcing the bent key into the slot, I finally managed to get the door open. I really need to fix that lock, I thought to myself for the fortieth time in the past week as my hand searched blindly in the dark for the familiar light switch. I winced as the bright light flooded the doorway, swiftly taking off my shoes and putting down the large baggage at the side. I sighed and turned around, my eyes falling on the extremely wary boy who, for the past hour since I invited him to my house, had an expression that contained both curiosity and caution. His fingers clenched around his bulging backpack that he refused to let me carry earlier, his knuckles white with tension.
"Take off your shoes and wait here. I'll go look for some extra slippers."
He hesitated for a moment, glancing at the doorway, as if he was weighing the possibility of running. He sighed and nodded, quietly whispering the words "Excuse me," as he put down the bag and went about to untying his shoes. I smiled briefly and headed into the house, checking the pitifully stocked broom closets and, in the back of one finally found a pair of slightly dusty, fluffy blue slippers. I felt another painful pang in my heart as my mind conjured a previous memory of Takahiro, with the very same fluffly slippers, talking excitedly about his "adorable little brother" and his "magnificent cooking".
A sudden cry out and a loud 'thud' sound woke me from my reverie. I stood up and peered around the corner, surprised with what I saw. The boy, who seemed so slightly elegant before, was now lying face-down on the wooden floor, with half of his lower body still in the door area. His right leg was raised in a comically L-shape. I chuckled quietly for a moment. Then stopped, surprised at my own laughter. How long has it been since I've laughed like that? How long has it been since I've laughed at all? Since Takahiro's death? Or was it since he fell sick? But it wasn't like this before. Before, I laughed on a regular basis. Every time I met up with him, I'd return home with a wide smile on my face, stomach muscles tired from continuous laughter.
I was pulled back to reality by a 'thud' sound. The boy slowly beginning to sit back up, groaning quietly, his hand covering his nose.
"Are you all right?" I slowly walked over there and knelt down, glancing over him as I checked for injuries. His faced was flushed, and was scrunched up in an expression of pain and embarrassment. I struggled not to laugh and stood up, holding out a hand to him. He grabbed it and I pulled him up, marveling at how easy it was to pull him up. He stumbled before he managed to find his balance and muttered a 'thanks' under his breath. I nodded in reply and went back to the closet, returning with the same fluffy blue slippers that Takahiro liked to wear. I dropped it down in front of the boy, ignoring the loud 'thump' sound and the way both slippers upturned from the impact of the floor. I turned around, grabbed the luggage and pulled it up the step with a grunt. I glanced quickly at the boy, just to confirm that he had put on the slippers, and headed into room.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the boy ogling, his jaw dropping slightly and his eyes widening as he stepped into the room. Again, I was confused by this reaction. Certainly, my apartment may consist of two levels, but personally, I didn't find this particularly surprising. After all, in my childhood home, we had five levels, a whole one dedicated on antiques and treasures alone. We had a beautiful garden, though I can't take any credit for it - I hated getting dirty - and a pleasant glass greenhouse in the corner. In comparison, this apartment looks pathetically small. But nonetheless, this was my house, and I definitely prefer this quiet solitude to the irritating family pressure found in my childhood home.
Lost in my thoughts, I absent-mindedly walked towards the stairs, dragging the luggage behind me and paying no attention to the loud screeching sound caused by the edge. It wasn't until I arrived at the bottom step and turned around to grab the handle that I noticed that the boy had disappeared. I blinked in surprise, my eyes searching the room for him. Out of all things to lose in this tiny room, I somehow manage to lose a human being. I frowned in confusion and straightened up, before I caught sight of a dark shadow beside the windows. I took this moment to study the boy. Though I did glance at him earlier at the funeral, my mind was in too much chaos to absorb the image of him.
One thing was for sure: he was tiny. No, perhaps tiny is the wrong word to use. He was slightly shorter than an average boy, thin, but not scrawny, a pleasant combination. My eyes lingered for a moment on his thin waist, before looking up at his face. For a moment I was struck with his expression. The dull, childish lost look that had been pasted on his face was now gone, and an expression full of wonder had replaced it. His lips were curved slightly in a smile, his grass-green eyes sparkling with excitement. Even when Takahiro was excited, something that occurred very often, he never had sparkling eyes. I was suddenly cut short out of my reverie, feeling the same unpleasant sinking feeling in my stomach, as the same word resounded in my mind.
Gone.
How was I supposed to forget about Takahiro if everything about this...this...tiny boy, who didn't even look like Takahiro, reminded me of him? I frowned angrily at this thought.
"Hey, it's already really late, and I don't know about you, but I'm tired, so hurry up and grab your bag before I just leave you here." I winced slightly as my tone came out harsher than I expected.
The boy jumped, a flash of guilt crossing his face as he hurriedly shuffled towards me, grabbing his oversized bag and lugging it slowly up the stairs. I turned around and walked to the top, leaving the boy to slowly catch up with me as I considered which room to leave him in. I waited impatiently at the top as he struggled with his bag, and in a moment of frustration, I walked down to him, grab the bag and quickly set it at the top. Gesturing to him to hurry up, i went to the end of the corridor, and opened the door. The sweet smell of pine flooded out from the room. Since I had bought and renovated this house, this room was the only one that was not filled with my many possession. It was simple and, in my opinion, completely and utterly boring. There was a queen-sized bed in the corner, with sky blue bed sheets. A dresser stood on the other side with several stuffed toys on top. Beside the bed, there was a tiny table, with a digital alarm clock ticking away at the top.
I turned to the heavily-breathing boy, who had finally managed to get the luggage to the door of the room. "This'll be your room for now, feel free to do whatever you want with it, but don't break anything or you're paying for it." The boy nodded softly before muttering another thanks. I frowned at this. "And stop muttering, it's become extremely irritating." I turned and left, walking slowly back to my work room. Closing the door behind me, I sat down heavily on my chair and grabbed my packet of cigarettes, but as I brought the lighter up to the end of it, I glanced at the overflowing ash tray, and my mind flashed back to one of Takahiro's many lectures.
"You know, Usagi-san, if you keep smoking that many, you're going to get lung cancer. At least buy the mild ones"
"Those have no flavor. I need flavor."
"Then don't smoke so many, or one day I'll arrive here and see you spread across the floor looking like a grey fish."
"...grey fish?"
"You know...there's always grey fish floating dead in the rivers...I would say 'dead', but somehow I feel like that's cursing you."
"So you use grey fish instead?"
"well it sounded better inside my head..."
My lips curved in a small smile as I remembered his ridiculous descriptions and how every conversation we have ends up in a completely different topic. It wasn't in any means helpful, but they were fun, and great way of relaxing. Sighing, I bit hard on my cigarette and leaned back in my chair, allowing my mind to be consumed with the memories. This is going to be a long night.
Misaki's POV
I watched quietly as the silver-haired man closed the door, then sat down heavily on the comfortable bed, exhausted.
Three days.
Three days ago, I was still considered a normal high school student. Well, as normal as one without parents could be. But I didn't mind. Of course, I was sad about my parents' death, and knew that I forever will feel slightly responsible for their car crash, but I was happy. And that was because of my brother. Sure, he was overprotective, he was always so nice to everyone that sometimes it made me, the younger brother, worry about his safety, but he was cheerful, kind and protected me even though he needed to give up what he wanted most. He was my only family. But now that he's gone, the only one who really mattered.
Alone. This time, I was really alone. My heart beat painfully, but no tears came out. They were already dried out from the past few days. Sighing heavily, I turned to my baggage, slowly pulling things out. Things that I needed I slowly placed around the bed, not wanting to clutter up the room. The rest I left in the bag. I flinched as my finger brushed against a broken glass piece. I took my hand out and stuck my finger in my mouth, wincing as I tasted blood on my tongue.
Why the hell is there broken glass in my bag?, I thought furiously, irritation ripping through my sleep-deprived mind. I grabbed the bag and, with much difficulty, turned it upside down, watching as everything fell out with several loud noises. I paused for a second, staring at the broken picture frame. It was a photo of my seventeenth birthday, the day Nii-chan brought his girlfriend home for the first time, along with a large chocolate cake and a new watch. I was so excited that I nearly ate the entire cake and felt sick for the rest of the night. Nii-chan was so worried that he insisted on opening the futon and sleeping next to my bed.
Gritting my teeth, I carefully picked up the broken glass pieces and threw them in the trash bin that was hidden in the corner. I slid the picture out and carefully placed it beside the digital clock. I straightened up, yawning tiredly. Exhausted, I flopped down on the bed, my consciousness slipping away before I could crawl under the warm covers.
Ahahaha...I suck don't I? T_T sorry to make this chapter boring, it's more of a filler and 'setting-the-mood' chapter eheheh. I know it sounds depressing right now, but I swear the next chapter will get better, so please look forward to it! :D
And please review! :) I'd really like to know what you guys think, but no completely unjustified harsh responses. I don't mind criticisms, but no swearing please ~
REALLY REALLY DID APPRECIATE THE REVIEWS FOR THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER!
see y'all next time ^0^v
Lots of love
~CherryDecaf