Chapter Twenty-three

*Flashback

The pain was cutting into his body, making him cry out with anger and frustration. When he finally turned into his own driveway, he stopped, falling to his knees and gasping shallowly for breath.

Is this the way it's supposed to be? he raged at himself, his fists curling into balls. Is it?! The tears came then. He seemed to crying a lot lately, and it was funny how the hot salty trails still stung despite how many times he felt them on his cheeks. The strangest of all was how his memories seemed to swell and overtake him when he was alone like this.

So close

I believe you're holding me now

In your hands

I belong

You'll never let me go

"Houjun," he rasped, his grief making his throat hurt as he murmured the familiar name. This is never going to end. I thought it would be fine as long as we—as long as I—didn't pay any attention to it. But these feelings go beyond everything in this place, in this world. I wish I could break the rules, and just run back to you…but that would lead to nothing. Nothing at all.

He stood, brushing the grass off his clothes and the tears off his heart, before heading calmly for the front door.

It's best we end this way, Houjun. It's best.

Opening the door, he was greeted by the smell of cooking from the kitchen, and hurried in, giving his mother a small smile. The event of many weeks ago had passed as simply a phase in their household. Oddly enough, it only made him more certain he had done the right thing, the only thing that could have been done at this point in time.

They always say love changes everything, that it surpasses all boundaries and brings everything to life and hope. It's not true, is it? What can we do in a place, and a time, such as this? Forsake everything we've ever known, for the sake of an uncertainty? Leave behind the expectations and dreams of your parents, of your family? It's not possible. Even knowing this…it's funny how it still hurts inside.

@@@

That year, he topped his class and was presented as valedictorian, as well as put forward as one of the candidates for the various scholarships.

*End of Flashback

Genrou smiled slightly to himself as he alighted from the plane and walked towards the direction of the arrival hall. Behind him, Kouji was screaming with another boy in their class who had been with them the whole time, Sou Kishuku. Sweeping into the warmth of the building, he headed for the luggage department, his gray sports jacket moving quickly through the ranks of people milling about the area. Spotting Kouji's lemon yellow bag, he reached over the shoulders of a tiny old lady and swooped it, throwing it laughingly at his best friend.

"HEY!"

He ignored Kouji and snaked his way past the old lady with an apologetic smile as he grabbed his navy blue bag and heaved it onto the ground. Slapping high fives with all the other students who had come back with them, they gathered at one corner to wish each other the best and to laugh about the memories they shared.

"Here, everyone pose!" Kishuku flashed his tiny silver camera at them. There was a mad scramble for places, before Kishuku set the camera down and hopped into the picture. There was a bright flash, and Kishuku scrambled off the protesting Genrou, grinning wickedly and claiming his camera.

"I'll send one to all of you!"

"Sayonara, Kou-kun!"

"Aieee it's cold!"

"Wait, Kishuku, I just changed my mailing address!"

Genrou gave Kouji a last hug and promised to contact him by the end of the week before he pulled his bag out of the waiting area. He spotted his parents immediately, beaming at him and waving. Laughing, he moved towards them. It was good to be back.