Title : 奇人KI-JIN III (The Test)

Disclaimer : I do not own Saiunkoku Monogatari. It belongs to Sai Yukino.

Rating : T for theme only

Warnings : Yaoi, but no action takes place

Pairing : Reishin/Kijin

Summary : Reishin and Kijin, as fellow students, are fast friends. In Reishin's words, "three meals a day and every minute together, adjacent hostel beds, and hip to hip in the lavatory". Will The Test change their relationship?

Notes :

(1) This was originally posted as a one-shot story. I'm re-posting it here, as part III of Ki-Jin. Please read it for contnuity! Or, if you prefer, skip to Ki-Jin IV.
(2) This was written in response to the LJ Saiun_Challenge prompt "Endurance and Strength"

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"A TEST?"

All the students in the Archives turned around to look at the young man who had just jumped up from his seat. Almost in slow-motion, the chair teetered, and fell over with a crash. The young man flushed a deep crimson; made all the more obvious by his alabaster complexion and raven black hair.

The murmurs started.
"Who's that?"
"What's happening?"
"Is that the weirdo?"
"Who?"
"Haven't you heard?"
"Is he the one who had his name changed to K-I-J-I-N?"
"Oh, him! Pity, he's so beautiful!"
"So what if he is, he's weird."
"Even if he's not weird, he's out of circulation."
"Really? Why?"
"Don't you know?"
"Nah, he wouldn't know, he never notices anything!"
"Notice what?"
"That the weirdo is spoken for."
"Really? Who wants a weirdo?"
"Reishin."
"Yeah, the equally beautiful Reishin."
"What do you expect? The beautiful always stick together."
"Who's Reishin?"
"That guy sitting at the same table as him."

That guy cleared his throat and spoke in a voice just loud enough to carry throughout the Archives.
"Yes, the test on the Four Classics next week. How is it you do not know about it, Kijin?"
As he spoke, he got up from his own chair, picked up Kijin's fallen chair, set it right, and placing his hands on Kijin's shoulders, forced him down into it. Walking past Kijin to get to his own seat, he hissed into Kijin's ear.
"We'll talk about this later."

"So you don't want to take the test?"
Reishin turned to look at Kijin.

Kijin stopped breathing.

The golden evening light picked out the warm hazel of Reishin's eyes, making them glow with an unearthly, or rather, a VERY earthly, seductiveness.
"No! Yes! Dammit, Reishin, since when do people have to take a test to qualify as a lover?"

Reishin shrugged.
"It's up to you."

"And what if I fail? Can we still be the way we are now?"

Reishin smiled.
"Yes, exactly the way we are now, three meals a day and every minute together, adjacent hostel beds, hip to hip in the lavatory. Nothing will change. The only real difference is … sex."
Reishin lingered over the last word, stretching it out, caressing it.

Kijin capitulated.
"Alright, I'll bite. What qualities are you testing for?"

"Endurance and Strength."

A flush spread across Kijin's features. Into his hairline. To his ears. Down his neck.

"Do you think you are purchasing a horse?
Are you going to check out my teeth next?"

Reishin raised one fine brow.
"I DO need you to go the whole distance, you know."
He smirked.
"As for checking out, I already did, in the bath-house. You passed, by a very wide margin."

Kijin struggled.
I'm going to KILL him!
Until this moment, I've never been properly grateful to be born well-endowed.
What am I thinking? STOP! STOP!
I refuse to be put through such humiliation!
I don't care!
I WANT him!

Close to tears, Kijin's voice cracked.
"What do I have to do?"

Reishin looked at Kijin for a long moment.
"Do you know what to do?"

"Huh?"

"We're both virgins. It's your job to find out what to do."

Kijin blinked. Twice.
"What about the test?"

"You passed."
Reishin put his hands on Kijin's muscled waist.
"Strength, you have more than enough."
Reishin drew Kijin in close. All that separated them were four layers of fine silk. Kijin gasped at the contact.
"Endurance. Well … I think you have endured enough."

Reishin brushed his lips lightly against Kijin's.
"Until you find out what to do, we'll just have to make do with kisses."
Their lips touched, tentatively, exploring their new status as lovers.

[The End]