10
Hotsuma has been on edge lately. He doesn't know why. He feels he should be happier than he is, considering he can see his friend again but…
Wait… My FRIEND? Shusei? Can I really consider him that only just having met him?
Regardless, the unease he feels is suffocating. He keeps looking over his shoulder and catching glances in window reflections to see if he's being followed.
God… I'm paranoid!
He jumps when his cell phone goes off. He checks the caller ID and sees it's Tsukumo calling. He debates for a moment on whether or not to answer it, but after remembering how he was short with him before, he answers, "What's up?"
"Oh, Hotsuma!" Tsukumo was surprised, "I didn't think you'd answer!"
"Yeah, well, you know…"
"Did you want to meet up today perhaps? Just you and me. At the café by the shopping center?"
Hotsuma wants to immediately decline, but remembers he upset his whole basketball team and is now running really low on friendships. He better not lose Tsukumo too.
"Sure. When?"
Again, Tsukumo was surprised, "Oh, how about twenty minutes? Toko is shopping now, so we have plenty of time to sit!"
"Alright, I'll see you soon then." Hotsuma says, and starts walking to the café.
...
"Wow! He agreed to come! He must be feeling pretty bad!" Toko says.
"He does seem out of it…I'll feel better when I can talk to him. You sure you'll be ok, Toko-chan?" Tsukumo asks, full of concern.
She puts on a brave face, "Of course! No worries! I won't be far anyway! Just keep me updated with your God's Ears, I want to know how he's doing."
"Alright, I will. Take care!"
Toko walks away to the nearby stores, careful not to stray too far in case her brother or Hotsuma needed anything. She quickly ducks behind a shelf when she sees Hotsuma pass by on his way to meet up with Tsukumo.
...
Shusei groans, turning over in his bed. He's sore, dazed and full of the medicine Steele had given him.
I've got to be more careful. At this rate, I'm not sure I can go on…
Just then a girl walks in, startled by Shusei's presence, "Oh! I'm sorry Shusei! I didn't expect to find you here. I just wanted to drop this off!" She is holding his uniform.
"It's alright, you can set that over there." He points with his head to the coat rack.
"Ok." She says.
Shusei can tell she is trying to avert her gaze from his bruised face, "Thank you." He tells her to ease the tension.
She nods in response and leaves the tent.
Shusei falls back on to his bed, sighing.
The show must go on ...
He closes his eyes, allowing the medicine he's taken to lull him back to sleep.
...
The café is crowded with loud conversations on either side of Tsukumo and Hotsuma.
"You've been really out of it lately, Hotsuma. Sure everything is fine?" Tsukumo asks.
Hotsuma hearing Tsukumo, turns to him in a daze, "Huh?"
"That's what I mean." Tsukumo says sipping his soft drink, "Your mind is a million miles away."
"I guess…"
Tsukumo doesn't know how to approach Hotsuma and uses his powers to reach out to his sister for some advice.
Toko-chan… How do I talk to him? I thought it'd be easy but… I'm afraid I'll trigger something I shouldn't…
She responds immediately.
Don't worry! He's your friend, one of your best even if he doesn't know it! He'll open up to you if you give him the chance.
"Hotsuma…" He tries again.
The blond looks him in the eye.
"Don't be afraid to tell me anything if you need. I won't judge you or harass you, but whatever is bother you is really taking its toll."
"I know, it's just…"
Tsukumo waits patiently for Hotsuma to gather his thoughts.
"Things have been weird lately." Hotsuma averts his gaze, staring at the floor.
"How so?" Tsukumo tilts his head questioningly.
"Weird dreams for one." Hotsuma stares off trying to recall the dreams, "There was one where...This is gonna sound so stupid… but there was fire. I was on fire! Or something. I don't know. Forget I said that."
Tsukumo stared blankly, realizing this isn't a dream but a memory from the time he attempted suicide. Again he reaches out to his sister.
Toko! He's dreaming about his past life!
She responds
This isn't good! If he thinks about it too much he could activate another memory. Like Takashiro-sama says, he can't remember yet!
"What are you so nervous about?"
Tsukumo perks up at Hotsuma's question, "Nothing at all. I'm fine." He regains his composure, "I'm sure it's just an overactive imagination getting the better of you."
"Probably, but…" Hotsuma thinks about telling Tsukumo about Shusei, but decided against it.
"But what?"
"Nothing, nevermind." Hotsuma diverts his attention, another way of telling Tsukumo to drop the subject.
Curious and worried now, Tsukumo uses his power to listen in on Hotsuma's thoughts, something he typically avoids for the sake of Hotsuma's privacy. He hears a bit of everything at once, tuning out the usual thoughts and is immediately alarmed when he hears a very familiar name:
Shusei.
But…
Shusei Tanaka? That can't be right. Shusei's family name has always been Usui. Could it be the same Shusei?
Tsukumo, having kept Toko enlightened on the conversation hears her voice enter his mind.
Tsukumo, I think it's best you leave the conversation there. You may accidentally trigger a memory. Even our presence alone could do that. Let's call it a day.
"Hotsuma, why don't you go home and get some rest. You're looking a little pale. We can talk again later." Tsukumo stands up with Hotsuma following his lead, "Plus, if I let Toko shop anymore, she'll spend all of my money." He smiles.
"Yeah, alright, I'll see you around then." Hotsuma waves goodbye, walking in the opposite direction.
...
"You heard all that, right?" Tsukumo asks Toko, who is behind him with a few shopping bags in hand.
"Yeah…"
"Did you also-" He begins to ask but Toko cuts him off.
"Yeah, I've got the same feeling." She shivers, "Something isn't right."
"Us or him?" Tsukumo points with his head to Hotsuma off in the distance.
"We should at least make sure he gets home alright." She asks.
"Of course. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if anything happened to him." Tsukumo is clearly worried. Toko lays a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "This whole situation, it's not his fault. "
"I know, but Takashiro-sama says-"
"I know what he says, but it isn't right. He could be in danger if he doesn't know what he really is. And how could he know Shusei?" He looks to his older sister, "Could they have met?"
"I would think Hotsuma would have felt something, like he would just, know." She could only guess.
Tsukumo nodded slightly in agreement, "Let's make sure he gets home."
...
The walk back home seemed long and tiresome. The tension in the air thickened to the point Hotsuma felt like he was choking. The paranoia came back in full force and his eyes flickered left and right tirelessly to make sure no one was around aside from the few passerby's.
Eventually Hotsuma passed through a quiet part of town without a person in sight and suddenly a growl came from behind the blond. He turned around expecting a stray dog but instead was confronted with a demonic wolf like creature with glaring red eyes. The fur of the beast was a shining black and looked as if each strand of fur would cut up anyone who touched it.
"What the hell?!" He called out in surprise. He took a few steps backwards.
The creature followed his pace and for every step back Hotsuma took, the beast to one towards him.
Baring its teeth and focusing its gaze on him, the wolf lunged forward ready to attack.
Hotsuma could see the creatures claws extend, aiming for him. He prepares to jump out of range and manages to dive out of the way instinctively,narrowly avoiding the attack.
Unable to recover from the dodge quickly enough Hotsuma cusses under his breath. He braces for the pain that is surely to come as the wolf turns around and prepares for another assault. Hotsuma manages to come to a kneel and sees the creature coming towards him at a supernatural pace. Just when it was a breath away from making contact a gun shot rang out and the beast fell sideways.
Now, more startled by the gun shot, Hotsuma looks over to the source of the blast.
"Ts..Tsukumo?!" He said incredulously, lowering his gun.
"Hotsuma, are you alright?" He asks.
"What the hell… Toko?" He sees Toko standing by her brother with a large sword in her hand.
Tsukumo's gun dissolves into thin air, as well as Toko's sword. "It looks like we have a lot to talk about, Hotsuma."
So this is the last chapter I have written out, now I actually have to find time to sit down and write some more. I am writing out a specific chapter that I need to be able to finish in order to continue this story so updates will probably be slow for a while. That being said, I found another story on my computer that's inspired by the anime Psychic Detective Yakumo (yes, another Hotsu and Shusei fic) I'm thinking of uploading that one next and maybe work on that one while I figure out the rest of this story. I'll probably upload the prologue soon so I hope you'll give it a shot!