Chapter 7: Love

Things were not getting any easier since the day he confessed his feeling to Nokoru and... Nagisa eventually. Suoh got the feeling both of them were trying to avoid meeting him. He tried to contact Nokoru in his boardroom by phone, but Yudaiji always answered it. Same thing to Nagisa, every time he called her home, Nagisa was not able to receive his call.

Did he make a mistake?

How come to be honest with your feeling was a hard thing to do?

He was worried for both of them...

Nokoru and Nagisa...

There were so many similarities on both of them...

Both of them were very beautiful... Yet so fragile...

That might be the reason he was attracted to Nagisa at the first time, since she was so similar with Nokoru...

Now... he was losing both of them...

***

'Nokoru?'

The blonde didn't move at all.

'Nokoru?'

He was startled. 'Ump? Yes?'

Idomu gave him a strange look into his eyes. He sighed. 'You're not eating your food...' He looked at Nokoru's full plate.

'I'm...' Nokoru had just realized he was playing with his spoon making a mess on his own plate. 'I'm not hungry yet...'

'But you need to eat... It's lunch time anyway...' Idomu cleaned his mouth. 'It took you more than an hour to finish a plate of food... What is it? You don't like the food?'

He shook his golden head. 'No. It's just fine. I just...' Sighed. 'Don't feel hungry...'

'But you still have to eat...' Idomu was really worried with Nokoru's eating habit. 'You look pale, don't you know that?'

'I...' He coughed. Badly. His body was shaking greatly while he was coughing.

'Nokoru?' Idomu rose from his seat to approach him. 'Are you alright?'

Nokoru was still coughing. He was covering his mouth with both of his hands. 'I'm fine. I think I catch a cold.'

'I go get you some drink.'

When Idomu was away, Nokoru slowly lowered his hands, and to his surprise he saw fresh blood wet his palms. //Idomu can't see this.//

Immediately he took out his handkerchief to clean his hands, right before Idomu returned with a glass of water in his hands.

'Here. Drink it up.' Idomu placed the glass in his hand.

'Thank you.' He smiled.

'How's the reunion?'

'Reunion?' Nokoru's eyes were widened as he drank the water from the glass.

'Yes... It had been four days since, and you haven't told me the story. Was it fun?'

'Yes... It was fun; we had a dinner in Akira's place. It's a pity you cannot join us...' Nokoru smiled to him wishing Idomu couldn't sense his lie.

But Idomu wasn't a fool. He caught a glance of sadness in the blue eyes. He knew Nokoru was lying. 'Nokoru...'

'Ah...' Nokoru rose in a sudden. 'I have to go now. I have an appointment...' Nokoru wanted to avoid him.

'Appointment?'

'Yes. Look at the time. I'm almost late.'

'With who?'

He stunned. 'With...' His eyes were wandering in their place. 'With one of my friends...'

'May I come with you?'

'I don't mind, but I'd better go by myself.'

'I see. Will you be back to the boardroom?'

'Yes, of course. I still have paper works to do, right?'

Idomu nodded. The blonde waved his hand and fled away through the door. Leaving the Yudaiji heir with his curiosity.

***

Nagisa was sitting all alone in the campus park. Though her body was there, but her mind was wandering around. She couldn't think of others except for her Takamura-san. The memories she had with him... Then the fact he didn't love her the way she did...

She should had known that...

Takamura-san loved Nokoru-sama... All these times they'd been together, they shared every thing, more than she did with him...

//How could I compete with Nokoru-sama?//

//He was so perfect... Every body would prefer him than me...//

Her thoughts were melting into the air as she felt a gentle touch on her shoulder.

'Nokoru-sama?' She was startled.

'I'm sorry I'm late. Have you been waiting for a long time?'

Nagisa shook her head, smiling. 'No, you're not late at all. You're on time.'

'Thank you for your willingness to meet me.' The blonde gave her his sweetest smile. 'May I sit beside you?'

She nodded.

Nokoru sat himself beside her, and looking around the park. Searching for something. 'It's a pity the ice-candy man is not here anymore. I would like to treat you...' His smiled grew wider. 'Nagisa-jyou, do you want something to eat? Or drink perhaps?'

'No, thank you.' She smiled.

Nokoru sighed. 'You know why I want to meet you here?'

Nagisa shook her head. She had no idea why he wanted to see her in this place. She even had no idea why he wanted to see her on the first place.

'This is the place where I first met Takamura Suoh... about nine years ago...'

Nagisa gasped.

'He disliked me when I met him the first time. I bought him an ice candy, and we ate together here. It was funny, since we'd never met before, but I got the feeling he would be beside me in the future.'

Nokoru closed his eyes. Tried to remember the memories he had. 'Then he met you.' He looked at the girl. She was so nervous. Her face was so pale. Undoubtedly, she was distressed. 'Unlike me, he liked you from the first time he saw you. It was love at the first sight.'

Nagisa blushed. 'I still remember how he was acting strangely since he saw you. He became quieter than ever, he even didn't scold me for delaying the paper works.' He giggled, which made the girl smiled as well.

'Since then I know you're belong to each other. I do my best to unite you. And I succeeded. This time... I would the same as well... And I will succeed too... Just like before. I'll unite the two of you again...'

Nagisa shocked. She couldn't believe her ears. 'Nokoru-sama... But... Takamura-san...' She paused.

'Yes?'

'Takamura-san only loves you...' Nokoru could see the pond of tears blurred her lovely eyes. 'He didn't love me at all... To him, I'm only his sister, not more than that...' She started to sob.

'Nagisa-jyou?' Nokoru hold her shoulders. 'Do you love him?'

Nagisa could not answer him, she was sobbing.

Nokoru sighed. 'I know you love him so much... I could see it in your eyes. Even until now. I could feel the love in your eyes, and there was no other love on this world could defeat that...'

'But even though I love him so much, he doesn't feel the same way like I do...'

'That's because he was confused. Confused between me as his 'One', and you as his 'True Love'.'

'I don't understand...'

'When he met me the first time, he swore he would be beside me all the time, protecting me as his 'One'. I remember very well his words by that time. But that's all... To him, I'm only someone to protect. I'm his 'One'...'

He looked in the girl's eyes. 'But you... You're different. You're his 'Love', not me. There's nothing on this world he wanted the most than to make you happy...'

'But Nokoru-sama... What about you? Don't you love him?'

Nokoru sighed. 'I do. I love him. But not the same love you had for him... I thank him for being beside me always, protecting me, supporting me, and sometimes pushing me to do my work...' He smiled. Nagisa smiled too.

'But there is something he cannot give me...'

'What is it?'

'I don't know either, but I keep feeling there was something missing in us.'

Nagisa was silent. She looked at the face of the man who was sitting beside her. Even if Takamura-san fell in love with this man, she could understand why. A man who was not selfish at all. Always thought someone else before himself. Even if it was true Takamura-san loved this man, she wouldn't mind.

'Nagisa-jyou, trust me... There's nothing on the world I want more than to see both of you happy... Just wait... The time will come when Suoh realized who his true love is...'

She smiled. 'Nokoru-sama, thank you. You care about us.'

He smiled in return. 'You are my family. I have no one but you. Suoh, Akira, Ohkawa-kaichou, and you are my family. Before, now, and always.'

Nagisa was touched by his words. She couldn't stop her tear from falling down again. How lucky they were to have a friend like Nokoru-sama...

'I have to go now. I promised Idomu to come back to the boardroom on time. I'm sorry to leave you here.'

'I'm fine. I can go back by myself.'

'See you then. Take care.'

The blonde left her alone. Somehow the words from Nokoru had made her comforted.

She would wait...

Things would get better... somehow...

She didn't notice there was someone who had been watching and listening to their conversation since then...

Idomu shook his head. He hated the way Nokoru solved this problem. He moved away, when he sighted Nokoru finished his talking to Takamura's girlfriend.

Why he had to sacrifice himself all the time for his friends' happiness?

Didn't he have enough suffering?

Stupid Nokoru...

***

Nokoru was out of breath when he reached the boardroom. He was panting. But he couldn't find Idomu anywhere in the boardroom. Was he late? Idomu must had gone home...

Oh well... he would have to work alone then...

Just as he seated himself on his chair, he heard the door was opened. Idomu was there, leaning against the door, looking at him deeply. Nokoru didn't like the glare in his eyes, it seemed that he was very disappointed of something.

'Idomu-san?' He greeted him. 'Where have you been?'

Idomu didn't move from his place. He kept on staring at him.

'What happened? Are you alright?' Nokoru got up from his chair, and approached him.

But before he could come any closer, Idomu suddenly rushed to him, grabbed his arm, and pulled him to the couch. He threw the blonde's body to the couch before he could understand what was happening.

'I-I- Idomu, what are you doing?' He was scared.

Idomu pulled his coat. 'Tell me where have you been...'

'I've told you. I have an appointment.'

'With who?'

'Some one!'

'Tell me who was it!!!' He pulled the boy's coat higher.

'Let me go!! What happen to you anyway?!' Nokoru started to fight back.

Now Idomu lost his patience. He let go the boy's coat; instead he pushed him till the blonde's body was laying on the couch with his own body on the top of him.

'Idomu!!! Don't you realize what are you doing??!!' Nokoru began to panic.

'You were meeting that girl of Takamura, right?'

Nokoru was startled. He was surprised. How did he know that?

'Tell me!!!'

'Even if I did, so what? You have no rights to stop me to do it!'

'Damn you!!!' He rose his body and moved away from the couch. 'Why you did it?'

Nokoru didn't say anything. He rose his body slowly into a proper sitting position. His body was trembling with fear now.

'I heard everything you've said to her...' Idomu looked at him. 'What are you trying to play here? Are you trying to be her hero?'

Nokoru still stayed in his silence. But Idomu could see tears coming down from his eyes.

'It was obvious Takamura loved you. And you loved him...'

'I don't love him...'

'STOP LYING TO ME!!!' Idomu screamed. 'Do you think I'm a fool?'

Idomu kneeled before the blonde boy, and aiming his eyes to him.

'Till when you have to torture yourself? Till when you'll have to hide yourself?? I know you very well... I love you... I want you to be happy... I know you love him so much... and I don't mind you love Takamura more than you love... me...' He paused. 'But I hated to see you have to sacrifice so much for your friends...'

'I hate to see you and Takamura, but somehow I'm happy when I see you with him. I wish I could replace him, but I know I can't.' He stroked the boy's golden hair. 'Don't you see I want you to be happy... I want to see you genuine smile... and you've never show me that smile...'

'Idomu-san...' Nokoru was tearing apart. 'I'm sorry I've hurt your heart...'

'No... You haven't... You never will... You just tried to make me happy.'

'Don't you see... I have to do what I have to do... Because of me they're breaking up... Because of me, such a lovely bond had gone... Because of my 'fault'...' He was crying now. 'If only Suoh didn't have to choose me as his 'One', he would never lose Nagisa...'

Idomu was broken to pieces to hear these...

'She's a good girl, gentle and kind... She doesn't deserve any of this... I'm the one who deserved all of these... It's my fault two people were hurt... I'm the one who hurt them both...'

Idomu couldn't bear it anymore. He stood up and backed away from him, tried to hide his own tears. 'But don't you want to be happy?'

'Idomu-san...'

'Yes?' He turned to him again.

'Do you love me?'

'I do...'

'Then... will you stay beside me?'

'I will.'

Nokoru smiled. 'Thank you. Then I will be happy...'

Idomu didn't understand him... But one thing he understood...

He would never leave him alone...

Never...

***

//I have to do what I have to do...//

He was standing in front of the Junior High Student Council boardroom. He knew he had no reason to be there, and all by his own in particular, but he couldn't stop his feet not to head there.

He had been thinking all the way to the Junior High Division. Things he wanted to say or do... He prepared them very well the day before, but when he was there... they all disappeared into the thin air...

The door before him was so huge, he never realized before it was so big and heavy... He was not ready to enter it... He would never be ready...

But he had to do what he had to do... He had to finish this matter once and for all... so nobody could be hurt...

He knocked at the door twice, waiting for someone to respond...

'Come in, please...' It was Suoh. He recognized that voice.

His hands were quivering as he opened the handle. As he opened the door, he could see Suoh was there, on his desk, busy working his paper works. He was too busy with his works that he didn't even glance at him.

'Ijyuin, thank God you're early today. You can help me finishing the report on Christmas celebration now. Rijichou has...' He stopped. To his surprise he saw an unexpected figure was there, looking at him deeply.

He was not Ijyuin Akira, as he suspected before, he was...

'Kaichou?' He shook his head to have a clearer view. Was he dreaming? He realized he was imagining things, and was this one of his illusion as well?

'Konnichiwa, Suoh.' Nokoru smiled. Forced smile.

'It's you? It's you... It's really you...' He was excited that he rose immediately from his seat to approach him.

Nokoru closed the door behind, and he turned his back again to face him.

The look on the blonde's face forced the ninja to stop few steps before him. Nokoru's face was in a great seriousness. His usual smile had gone, and wherever it was hiding, Suoh hoped it would return soon. But it was useless...

Suoh would hear things he would never want to hear...

Things that unquestionably would hurt his heart...

Their heart...

To be continued -