Clannad

Then He Kissed Me Softly

Chapter VI

Passing Rain: Three Days Ago

The sound of rain pounding on the window is enough to make Youhei stir in his sleep. Each single rain drop that beat down on the window felt like a tiny hammer hitting his temples. He groans turning his numb body over on the soft mattress, the only thing pleasure in his sleep is the scent of fresh bread. However all of things he is experiencing felt out of place for him. He didn't have a soft mattress nor did his room smell like fresh bake bread.

His eyes slowly open to see a blur of a man in the corner on the room sitting down on the floor reading an article of a newspaper; even from his hazy vision Youhei recognize the headings of the sports section and the man sitting across of him in discomfort, Akio Furukawa. The man frowns, not at Youhei but more towards the newspaper in his hands in front of him, the cigarette in his mouth already out but his eyes flame up he continue staring down on newspaper.

"You know what I hate about sports kid?"He asks his glaze still on the paper. "How a game can go so well for a team, but something unpredictable happens making them off guard and thus with the moment of weakness they lose," he answers his own question before Youhei can answer it himself.

Youhei blinks a few times wondering what just happen, the only thing he remembers is crawling out of that muddy ditch and walking his way home...but nothing after that. His eyes wander around the room that he's in, it was a normal cozy room, in fact it look like any other room you would see in house. Then he realize, the only that felt out of place... was himself, his eyes turn to his own body, the clothes were wore was far too big for him, and he felt a few bandages on his chest and some on his face.

"So can you talk kid or is your jaw to numb?" Akio crosses his arms after tossing the news paper in disgust like a die hearted baseball fan.

Youhei took several seconds to answer after his mind finally registering on what just happen, his body drain and his mind kept phasing in and out of consciences. Pain set in when he starts to breathe a normal pace and he could still taste the dried blood in his mouth.

"Well? Talk to me kid are you alright?" he asks, his frown grew stronger.

Youhei nods slowly avoiding and pain of the tension of his neck. "Ye-," he couldn't finish because as soon as his mouth opens, his jaw throb extremely to the point where he felt like throwing up. The only thing that he can now see through his blurry vision is Akio holding a small cup in front of him, the overpowering aroma of green tea and something else bitter fill his nostrils.

"Here drink," he offers that sounded like more of a direct order of a captain of a military squad. "It helps the numbing with your mouth," he explains.

The very bitter smell from the hot beverage is enough to make him adamant on drinking the mysterious tea, to which he can only assume is tea, not being a fan of tea certainly isn't a way to convince him, but the cold stare that he felt when Akio stare is enough to convince him to gulp down the entire cup.

It tastes worse than it looks.

He almost coughs out the liquid out as it scratches the surface the back of his throat but he covers his mouth forcing it down.

"So you mind telling me what happen to you?" Akio asks sitting down next the bed looking at the blank expression of the young man face. "You were walking by my shop when I happen to be outside closing for the night," he pauses noticing Youhei rubbing his forehead. "Then you collapse down right in front of me, you look like shit, in fact you still do," he smiles down at him.

Youhei replies with a smile as well.

"Yeah, well I'm use to this by now," he whispers though his crack voice, the medicine working as his jaw started to go normal.

"Use to by now?" he crosses his arms resting his back on the wall.

"Yeah..."

Akio nods. "Hmm, so I can tell that you are not really a delinquent, and I know you are not a gang member, so you mind telling me why you look like that and why are you 'use to this by now'?" he points to Youhei's bruise face.

"Well I just like getting to fights that all," Youhei lies with a grin but it quickly disappears with another cold expression from Akio.

"Listen kid, my wife treated your wounds after I drag you sorry ass in here, so the least you can do is tell me the damn truth or else I throw you out of here," he threatens him, his words enough to convince Youhei to tremble in fear.

"Um, I don't really know or why I am like this," he paused starting at the window. "I never ask to be everybody's punching bag, it just happen. I always keep to myself all the time and trouble seems to find me," he answers resting back on the soft mattress.

"You going to cry about it kid?"

"No, there is no point in crying about it," he tightens his hand into a fist. "I should be happy for what I have, you know, after all not everyone deserves happiness so I should take this as it good thing."

"Kid... follow me," he orders after noticing the rain have stop.

After a few seconds, he followed the Akio out the room.

Youhei follows him down the silent low lighten hallway of the house, the smell of bread fill his nostrils and he sighed with a small amount of pleasure. Despite all what happen recently, the smell of bread still brought a smile to his face. He closed his eyes taking everything in, until he his body hit something really soft and very warm.

His eyes snaps open to see a girl in front of him staring up at him.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going," she bows.

"No I'm sorry," he bows as well but he actually bumped his head on hers.

"Ouch," both of them rubbed their forehead.

"Now, now my wonderful daughter, would you like to create further injury to our guest?" Akio chuckled as he glanced back.

"No of course not, I was just on my way to see if he is well," she snaps back.

"Well that's my girl it seems that Fuko-chan s toughing you up" he gave her the thumbs up. "But this is the time for man talk Nagisa, let's go kid," he nods.

"Umm yeah," he nods then eventually facing towards the girl name Nagisa. "Yeah sorry again," Youhei repeated himself as he walks pass Nagisa to continue to follow Akio up the stairs of the house. He eventually found himself sitting on the rooftop with Akio as they both stare at the darken clouds in the star night.

"So what do you think of my daughter?" Akio finally asked after a moment of silence between them.

"She seems nice," he replies quickly also wondering why he would ask such a question.

"That's good, to be honest I was quite worry about her, she didn't really cope well since the beginning of high school, every time she walk in the doors I ask her 'How was your day?' and she always answers 'It was good!' but she didn't smile when she did it." He explains

"Really?"

"Yeah she had a hard time making friends, she clearly wasn't happy; however she did eventually make a friend, a cute one." Akio answers.

"Are you meaning Fuko?" Youhei remembers that name mention from the very man beside him a few minutes ago.

"The very one," he nods smiling. "Those two really hit it off and now every time I ask her 'How was your day?' she answers with 'It was good!" and then she smiles."

"I'm sorry but is there a point to this?" Youhei ask with a tone of more of a curiosity then harsh. "It's not that I don't care or anything but I want to know why you are telling me this."

"It's simple; you are actually like her before she met Fuko-chan. My daughter actually believes that she wasn't met to be happy," he pauses and shakes his head. "I'm not good to give lectures, so I'm just going to say this...Fight for your happiness, my daughter is doing it."

"Well it's easy for her, she actually does have a friend, "he comments.

"Well then why not become friends with my daughter?"

Youhei eyes snaps wide open as he rose to his feet and shudders in shock.

"What is with that reaction kid? It's not like I'm asking you to marry my daughter because I would never let her marry a scrawny kid," Akio sighs as he grabs Youhei's arm pulling him down to sit. "Besides you owe me a favour since I save you tonight," he adds patting Youhei sore shoulder.

Youhei fell silent, just when he started to have a full understanding on what has happen to this day; from finish up work, buying bread, getting into a fight, waking up in a more or less a strangers house and somehow opening up to him. In fact, he never really open up to anyone for the longest time, it felt very uncomfortable.

"What do you want me to do?" Youhei finally asks not wanting to make this situation already uneasy as it already is.

"Be friends with my daughter, and look out of her will ya? I'm sure she able to help you get out of whatever slump you're right now," he asks.

"I'll try, but I'm not really that resourceful." Youhei shrugs his shoulders. "I should go."

"Hmm? You sure kid? You're welcome to stay the night here," Akio offers.

Youhei simply shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders; this act of kindness is far more then he feels like he deserves. He couldn't help but feel that this isn't a place for him at all; he didn't belong here or anywhere for that matter.

"No, but I need to go somewhere to think, thanks for helping me," Youhei answers politely.

"Okay then fine, but remember what I ask for. There two people in this world, people who run towards something and people who run away from something," Akio yawns stretching out his arms from his body.

Confusion hit Youhei. "What does that mean?"

"You needed to go somewhere and think, you think about that answer..."

Thankfully he manage to sneak back into his dorm room unnoticed, if Misae caught him returning here after hours she would have a major fit. A smile escape his lips, she meant well, even if the only way that she would express herself is through violence and verbal abuse. In fact Misae really reminded him on what Kyou might grow up into becoming. That thought made him blush a little, but he shakes the image of and older Kyou out of his head rather disappointed in himself for thinking of her that way. They used to be friends yes, and he would be clearly lying to himself if he was a bit least physically attracted to her.

Youhei sighs in relief being able in place that he is really familiar with; his room was simple and small yes. But it was his simple and small room and no one can take the same feeling he had every time he steps in. One object did catch his attention in the center of his room on top of the small table, a large cardboard box. He clearly remembers not being their when he left in the morning, after all that happen, this little distraction he welcomes.

A package came for you, Sagara

The note idling on top of the box read as he open the box up, and the first thing he saw was the head of a bear costume staring up at him. Youhei blink a few seconds before remembering why it was here to begin with, he promise Tomoyo that he would wear this thing for that Kite Flying Event in a couple of days from now for student council. He honestly didn't know why he accepted to do such a task; in fact he didn't know why he manages to make it into student council to begin with, at first he applies by request by a first year teacher. His exact words were 'It will teach you about being responsible' or something like that. He only did it because to get away from the consent abuse he would get from the same students every day as much as possible.

The plan didn't work however, but for some reason he remain a member of student council for a number of months now, despite his increasing missing attendance and his below average grades. He took the head of the bear costume and put it on. As soon as he did for some distinct reason he really felt that he shouldn't be wearing this and somehow picture Tomoyo in it.

Tomoyo, one of the few girls in that school that treated him like a normal person, she also unbelievable strong, and for some reason he always had the sudden urge to tease her about it. Thankfully he was smart enough not to do so, that may be the reason why he was on her good side, a list where men very seldom make it to. They weren't friends in the slightest though, Tomoyo treated him like some sort of cohort or comrade, and the feelings were mutual to say the least.

He yawn and eyes begin to get heavy, it was still late at night and he still needed some much needed rest. The last thing he thought was the words that came out from Akio.

'There are two people in this world, people that run towards something and people that run away from something.'

He honestly didn't know which one he is, after all he has nothing to run toward or away to begin with.

While he slept many images clouded his mind and here could hear distinctive voices and they all seem happy. However these images and voices were like fragments of a window, nothing seems clear the only visible thing was a single orb of light, it touches his hand and everything turns into a white.

When his senses finally begin to fade in, he found himself in a large chapel room full of people, but all of them were ghostly images of their former selves'. Youhei glance around confuse wondering what type of dream this is, or even if he was actually dreaming at all until a woman standing in front of him in a wedding dress grabs his attention. He could not tell who this woman is as her face was completely out of focus.

"Youhei..." the voice calls out to him sweetly.

"Kyou?" Youhei tries to focus his eyes on the woman.

Youhei eyes face blush deeply as the ghostly woman standing before him become whole in front of his every own eyes. She is beautiful, there was no question to it, and she was no longer a senior from high school but more of a mature woman in her mid twenties, but there was something very radiant about her and the smile she gave him did not help but to make him very shy towards her.

He gulped slightly; he couldn't move or say anything he couldn't not for the life of him understand why. It's not like it was a complete surprise to him since he knew that Kyou will become a very beautiful woman, she even beautiful when she was just a teenager. Shyness really over took him as he look away to the side avoiding her glance.

"Youhei what's wrong?" Kyou ask with a strong tone of worry.

"It nothing," he shakes his head.

Youhei close his eyes just wishing that this would all disappear, or that he would just disappear whatever came first, he didn't care which. Then he felt a soft warm kiss on his cheek which made him look into her eyes.

"Youhei, thanks for being here today, you have no idea how much this means to me?" she smiles.

"Today?" was the first think that came out of his mouth.

Kyou tilts her head to side trying to understand him.

"Did you blank out during the whole ceremony?" she asks him lightly punching him in the shoulder. "Can't really blame you, but you definitely owe me a huge gift like a huge television or something like that," she grins widely but disappears as she notice the confuse look on Youhei's face. "Youhei, do you even know where we are?" she asks him worryingly.

He shakes his head.

"Youhei...it's my wedding day," her eyes gone teary as she starts to cry right after.

"Wedding?" Youhei's heart started to beat very fast.

"Yes..my marriage with Tomoya," she smile despite the tears running down her eyes, "I know you two had your differences but I wanted you to be here to have your blessing," she explains. "Youhei, Tomoya makes me happy now, the happiest I may ever become, so please give me your blessing..."

"Get me out of here..." Youhei close his eyes and hissed to himself.

When he open his eyes the sunlight hit him from the window next to his bed, sitting up he found himself being his dorm room again. He sighs as he pulls the curtains aside as the room lit up in the suns aura; he stares blanking out the window not really seeing anything.

"Tomoya makes me happy, the happiest I may ever become..." Kyou voice echoed in his mind.

"So what does that make me, a toilet seat cover?" he eyes start to tear up, his heart was broken.

To be continued

Preview of next chapter

Passing Light: Two Days Ago

"I'm trying to find my place in life," he replies.

"So you're running away then?" the older man chuckled as he scratch the back of his black hair.

"Yeah..."

"Running away...I consider that from time to time," the man chuckled again.

"Excuse me but who are you?" Youhei asks rather annoyed from the man.

"I get straight to the point," he turns to face him. "I'm you...and I here to get your sorry ass in line, it's my job as a guidance teacher after all," he grins.