Disclaimer : The Takumi-kun Series belongs to Shinobu Gotoh and Kazumi Ohya.. I'd very much like to thank them for this wonderful BL series.
Note : Here I pictured Hamao Kyousuke as Takumi and Daisuke Watanabe as Gii, not their manga counterparts.
That includes Takiguchi Yukihiro as Syozo (XD), Baba Ryoma as Misu Arata (XDD), etc.
Tsuki no Namida : Tears of the Moon
Chapter 10
Elbows resting heavily on his tabletop, Misu Arata had his forehead firm against his interlaced fists, his eyes squeezed shut in pain. He would have loved to be able to call it a day at this point - had he not been seated at his make-shift work desk in his father's office at the hospital, studying the medical reports of a certain Hayama Takumi, anxiously waiting for any form of signal from Akaike Syozo should Hayama suddenly wake up.
That's right, just waiting, not being able to do anything..
He had been waiting for more than a year, now - waiting, convinced that what he firmly believed in was not just a timely lie to help him out of his sorrow. Even if he knew that what he believed in might very well be false, there was no way for him to put it down or to walk away; not when his entire life and reason for existence was built upon this lie.
That person will definitely come back, he had always believed - because he believed it when he was told that in this world, there were 3 other persons who were exactly like you.. Be it by looks, by character, or both. The proof was that that person had once again returned, and had been right by his side for the past whole year and now.. He just never took notice, because they looked nothing like each other.
Habitually, Misu allowed his eyes to explore the familiar layout of his father's office, taking in the neatly arranged furniture and shelves of books and files.. Until his vision finally came to rest on a single photograph on his own desk, framed and propped up in a simple, cream-hazel photo frame.
It had been that person's favourite colour.
Before he knew it, his cellphone was in his hand, and he was dialling away urgently at a number he had memorised so long ago; within a few rings the call was picked up, and it was answered by a familiar voice - although it was not the voice he longed to hear.
"It sure has been long, Arata-kun."
"Ah, it sure has been, Sagara-senpai," Misu answered quietly, careful to keep the trembling out of his voice as he spoke.
"It has been a while since we last conversed, hasn't it? Although I would have expected you to call me on my own cellphone instead if you needed something from me, Arata-kun.."
"I'm sorry," replied Misu smoothly, though he was no longer able to contain the tremors wrecking through his entire frame. "I must have dialled the wrong number by habit. Perhaps you could have simply not answered the call, Sagara-senpai, if you knew it was going to be me."
"Would you be happier if I had left this phone unattended, Arata-kun?"
Unable to answer that question honestly, Misu fell silent with his head lowered. Sagara-senpai seemed to be in no rush for him to continue speaking, so the silence was held stiff across the phone.
"Say, Sagara-senpai," Misu managed finally, his voice breaking from its lack of use. "Do you remember that last letter left for me by that person last autumn, when we parted for the last time..? The letter where that person mentioned how there were 3 other persons in this world who were exactly like you..?"
"Of course I do," Sagara-senpai replied quickly, although he sounded wary; almost faraway. "What about it?"
"I think I've found someone - a person just like who that person had been talking about."
"Arata.."
Sudden footsteps - loud and urgent - approached the office Misu was in; in the next moment, the door was wrenched open to reveal a nurse who had been working together with Misu for the treatment of Hayama Takumi. Raising his head in irritation, Misu shot a glare in the direction of the door - on the other side of the line, Sagara-senpai fell silent, as though able to picture the situation across the phone line. Surely the staff members of this hospital his father was managing were taught better manners than this; she could have knocked on the door at the least.
However, as the nurse matched their gaze, he knew immediately something was wrong.
"Misu-sama," she heaved, panting heavily as she half-collapsed by the frame of the door - it was evident she had been searching all over for him. "It's Saki-sama, we have been informed that he is currently on his way here.."
"Please excuse me Sagara-senpai, I have to go-" said Misu as calmly as he could manage, slamming the phone down with unnecessary force before he even received a reply from his senior. "What is his expected time of arrival at the hospital?" he growled in frustration as he hurried to fetch his white coat from the coat stand.
"3 minutes.." was all the nurse had managed to say before she watched Misu dash down the hall and disappear around the turn to the emergency stairs.
Beep.. Beep.. Beep..
The shouting began from all the way down the hallway, and it caught the attention of everyone in the room immediately. Loud but muffled voices reached them at irregular intervals, but they were unable to properly identify any of the voices shouting outside. Casting away their distractions, Syozo, Toshihisa and Shingyoji found themselves tensing where they sat; anxiously staring at the door as though it they fear it would suddenly be knocked opened.
It was only until the shouting outside slowly approached the room they were in were they able to confirm that it was definitely Gii who was among the crowd - just as Syozo had speculated.
"Move out of the way!" they heard, and almost jumped at how anxiety and anger had torn through, and had distorted Gii's voice.
"Lock the door!" Another familiar voice yelled at them from right outside the room, and they heard someone slamming his body - or a body being slammed, actually - against the door. Bolting up from his seat at once, Shingyoji flung himself at the door, and double snapped the lock in place, trembling on the spot after he did.
The noise made by the lock snapping into place had been too awfully loud, they realised a heartbeat too late.
Beep.. Beep.. Beep..
He was lying in a bed again; only this time, he was in a bed he was unfamiliar with. Bounded at his wrist and ankles by a strong and rough force, he twisted against the restrains with all his strength, but they wouldn't budge - he was held against his will - again..
"Let me go!" he cried out - fidgeting - thrashing out in fright.
"Don't be a spoilsport, Hayama-san.. Just relax," Uzuki-kun laughed, and tugging at the sheet wrapped around him playfully. "It'll be fun.."
As his only form of protection fell aside nosily, he felt a pair of hands snaking down his trembling frame.
"No.."
His pleas were ignored, and he felt his captors dancing fingers towards his sensitive regions.
"Please.."
Beep.. Beep.. Beep.. Beep..
For a moment, a rude silence swept through everyone - inside, and outside of Hayama's room. Shingyoji was still shivering, standing right by the door; Syozo and Toshihisa were standing at their individual seats, anxious and upset by the development of things.
It was then did the real shouting start.
"Move out of my way, Misu!" Gii had arrived outside the room; his enraged yell was echoing in the otherwise silent room so loud, he could have been yelling inside the room, they all thought.
"I have no obligations to obey you, Saki," Misu replied clearly in a cold voice, and the boys inside the room realised that Misu was standing right before the door, shielding the only entry to the room with his own frame. "Now get out of here."
"I'm not leaving until I see Takumi!"
A loud bang - it sounded like Gii had punched something really solid, like someone, or the wall.
Beep.. Beep.. Beep.. Beep..
Vaguely, Syozo tired picturing Misu Arata standing before a door with his hands out stretched to his side; blocking the door from Gii's entry. It was entirely out of Misu's usual behaviour, but in a situation like this..
"Look at yourself! You are in no state to see Hayama now!" Misu snarled, agitated as well - as though Gii was finally getting on his nerves.
"Please calm down, Saki-sama," another voice outside of the room added weakly.
"This is a hospital.." The reasoning sounded hollow in comparison to Gii's rage.
"Come back when you've calmed down," Misu finished with a growl.
That seemed to Gii's last straw; it completely angered him.
What reached the teenagers in the room next was a terrible ensemble of chaos: a yell that sounded barely human; the loud thud of a body against the door, the creak of the door against the strain it was withstanding; high-pitched screams, no doubt from the surrounding nurses, accompanied by frightened cries and shouts. Then, as quickly as it started, the sounds of confusion died away, and it was deathly silent outside again.
"I know you're in there, Syozo," came Gii's voice, deep, calm and almost controlled. "Open the door."
Beep.. Beep.. Beep.. Beep..
He recognised the strong pair of hands forcing his legs apart, for it was a touch that haunted him in nightmares since young - he had memorised this feeling from experience, and had tried to shy away from everything that was remotely similar..
It was none other than his own brother which was staring down at him right now, with those eyes filled with nothing but lust.
"Nii-san.. Please.. Let me go.."
"I've been searching so hard for you, Takumi.." the older male replied in a breathless voice, eying him with a smirk he did not like. "Now that I've found you, we should do some catching up with each other.."
The clear slap on his bottoms was loud and sharp in the quiet room, but he could not feel the pain; his heart was paralysed with sorrow from digesting his brother's words. Every nightmare he had tried to deny was coming true - even his brother, whom he had believed was sincerely sorry about what had happened, was betraying his trust..
"I beg you, Nii-san.. Please don't.. Please stop.."
The sudden, crazed laughter from behind him told him that he was the only person who wished for this to end.
Beep.. Beep.. Beep.. Beep.. Beep..
Staring in uncertainty at his companions, Syozo bit down hard on his lips, and shied away from the door. He did not want to doubt Gii regarding Hayama's issue, nor did he want to betray his best friend's trust; but he did not have the strength to stand in between Misu and Gii, nor did he have the strength to expose Hayama to the enraged Gii right now.
What could he do? He had never seen Gii this angered before.
"I'm sorry, Gii.. But I can't." Syozo did not expect to be able to get away with just that - but if his friendship with Gii was the cost he had to pay for protecting Hayama..
"I have no time for this nonsense Syozo, OPEN THE DOOR!"
"I cannot do that, Gii, not with you in this state." Syozo straightened his voice as best as he could, hoping to be able to calm his best friend through the door. "Please, cool down and we can talk, alright?"
Another loud bang, and Syozo knew Gii had probably punched the wall again. "I just need to see Takumi, Syozo, I'm only asking this favour-"
"Don't open that door no matter what-" came Misu's pained voice, but he was silenced quickly with a loud, dull thud - as though Gii had chosen to shut the other boy up with violence. Exclamations of shock and pain erupted from the other side of the door. "Misu-sama!" they heard a female voice call out in fright, and the sound of people scrambling where the boys in the room could not see.
"Gii-senpai, please stop hurting Arata-san!" Shingyoji whimpered, unable to contain himself anymore, struggling to keep himself from wrenching the door open just for Misu's sake.
"Open the door and this will stop-"
"Stay where you are and don't listen to him-"
There was a sudden, sickening crunch, followed immediately by a pained howl that was unmistakably from Misu; then everything fell silent, apart from the rushed breathing of Misu in pain.
"Open the door if you want this to stop," came their final threat from Gii, in the coldest voice they've heard by far.
Beep.. Beep.. Beep.. Beep.. Beep..
When a hard object was shoved into his body from behind, Takumi arched his back reflexively in shock and pain; then as the hardness started to move in and out of him, Takumi felt nothing but waves after waves of disgust crashing through his body.
He thought that it couldn't possibly get any worse than this - until he looked up, only to find his lover studying him and the entire action from a corner of the room.
Disbelief was a strong, sour taste in his mouth, and he almost choked despite his situation.
"Gii.. Please.. Help me.." Make this stop..
His lover gazed at him calmly, not a single trace of urgency as he shifted his weight from one foot to another.
"Why.. Gii.. Why are you.." Why are you just standing there, watching me..
Yelping as the hard object was jerked into him for one last, eternal time, Takumi shuddered as he felt a warm liquid flow down the inside of his thighs, and raised his head to bring his lover into view again.
It stabbed at his heart as he found his lover standing at the exact same spot, glaring at him through narrowed eyes - as though in dislike, in disgust.. Or both.
"Gii.. Why.."
He no longer resisted as his frame was pulled upright for another continuation.
Beep.. Beep.. Beep.. Beep.. Beep..
Before he knew it, Shingyoji had been reduced to a shivering, formless pile on the floor right by the door. He could see neither Akaike-senpai nor Toshihisa-san from where he knelt, but he knew that neither of his seniors was in as much pain as he was in right now.
Another series of sharp, snapping crunch sounded from outside the room; Shingyoji looked up immediately, his eyes moist with tears. Then, a loud thud followed by the creaking of the weakened door hinted that someone was sent flying straight at the door again; this time, the incoherent moan issued from the other side told them that its owner was no longer able to fight against this violence.
Recognising the moan and its owner, Shingyoji whimpered, and threw himself against the door - as though he would somehow be able to feel the other boy through the wooden barrier.
"Arata-san.." He didn't really have the strength to care anymore - not about his broken voice, and not about the stares he knew he was getting from Akaike-senpai and Toshihisa-san.
"Don't.. 'm fine.. Hayama.. Protect.."
"Arata-san, why.."
Shingyoji had not noticed the footsteps approaching him until they reached him, and then a gentle pair of hands was helping him up while steering him away from the door. When he looked up, he saw Toshihisa-san's small, saddened smile, and found Akaike-senpai standing with his hand on the doorknob, his expression resigned.
The three of them inhaled in unplanned unison, and Akaike-senpai opened the door inwards so it wouldn't hit whoever was right outside of the door (mainly just Misu-kun), stepping away from the entrance slightly as he did so.
"Why.."
Shingyoji watched as Gii-senpai rushed into the room without a further prompt, without paying even the slightest bit of attention to anyone of them at all; his eyes were fixed in the direction of Hayama-san's bed. However, Shingyoji's eyes lingered for barely a second before they caught sight of his favourite senior on the floor, trying his best to push himself up into a more dignified position. Hurrying forward, Shingyoji caught hold of Arata-san's arm, and helped pull the older boy up with him as he stood.
Weakened from the continuous attacks from Gii-senpai, Arata-san was unable to stand on his own; Shingyoji had the older boy lean heavily on himself for support, while he held the older boy's waist gingerly. Only after they had steadied themselves, standing outside of the room, did the both of them realise the state of complete silence the room was in.
Following everyone's line of sight, Shingyoji eventually found himself staring in the direction of Hayama-san's bed; although Hayama-san was no longer lying down, lost in unconsciousness. At this very moment he was seated up and staring ahead, straight at Gii-senpai, his eyes wide in fright, his covers gathered at his mouth in tightly clutched fists.
It was a bizarre reaction to see from Hayama-san, seeing that how it was the couple's reunion after such many days of not seeing each other - and apparently everyone in the room thought so - everyone, including Gii-senpai.
"Takumi," he called out softly, finally reacting to the strange scene - in a manner entirely different from just a moment ago, slowly stepping closer to the other third year with his hands stretched out. "It's me, I-"
"Stay away from me!" Hayama-san cried out, his voice high-pitch with apparent fear, tugging the covers over his head and hiding himself from view.
"Eh! ?" "Takumi ? !"
"Don't come any closer to me!" the third year whimpered, sounding like he had burst straight into tears.
The first person to react was Akaike-senpai; he inhaled sharply, loud enough to distract most of everyone in the room, and tackled Gii right out of the room, almost knocking Shingyoji and Misu off their feet in the progress. Toshihisa followed out of the room quickly, reaching out to close the room door as he hurried out.
"Stabilise Hayama's condition- then lock the room door and let no one else enter until further instructions," were the last orders Misu had the time to give the rest of the staff surrounding them before he was rushed forward by Shingyoji to join the bunch of wrestling teenagers down the corridor.