Chapter 22: Blind to the Truth: Part 1
Ryuku couldn't believe what he'd heard. It couldn't be true. Gashu had just declared he was going to become friends with Ayano. Ryuku's gaze hardened on the other redhead before him, he was wearing the most irritating determined expression. Unfortunately, the few moments that had passed in silence between them seemed to solidify Gashu's proposition. Still, even if everything was as clear as day, Ryuku wasn't about to back down. He glared at the double, waiting for a reaction beyond the silent moment. Hoping for some remote glimmer that Gashu's poker face would shatter and a wide grin would replace the stern look about his face. Once again, there was no change. Just silence. Why did Gashu want to be friends with her? Ryuku agonized over the thought of the two becoming close, if Gashu wanted to be friends with anyone in Nerima — putting aside Takumi or any other idiot in this Tokyo ward — Ryuku would've gladly let it slide.
The silence had to be lifted. Ryuku broke the silence with his first word, "What?" he managed to say through clenched teeth. "What did you say?" he reiterated.
Of course the question wasn't necessary, even one bit, but it was only thing that popped from the teenage boy's mouth. Perhaps he needed to hear Gashu, himself, clarify what was currently happening himself.
"You heard what I said," Gashu said.
The corner of Ryuku's mouth twitched. "No, I didn't," he snarled, his vein pulsed strongly at his forehead. "You aren't going to do anything. You're not going to be anyone's friend, especially not hers," he knew Gashu would disregard any of his demands, but this needed to be said: "What you are going to do is stop meddling with my life."
There was an almost unnoticeable shift in Gashu's demeanor. Ryuku's words seemed to have affected the double, at least on the surface. Then the whole structure began to crumble upon its own weight. The look of determination had completely vanished from Gashu's visage. The double's eyebrows furrowed, disbelief marring his features. Ryuku recognized that expression too well. He'd worn it himself far too many times. "You expect me to just stay here and," he stopped, his head faced away from him. "Do nothing?"
Ryuku brushed his hair aside, looked away from Gashu and instead at the wall. "I'm not saying that," Ryuku finally said, after a brief pause. Why are people so quick to jump to conclusions?
"Then don't bother sugarcoating it! You might as well say that, Red!" Gashu paused, before abruptly throwing his hands in the air, sputtering out a muddled curse. "Or whatever the hell you want to be called! Right now, I honestly don't care! I'm, I'm going to do this, okay? You can bitch and complain all you want. Nothing's going to change," Ryuku glanced back, noticing that Gashu had stepped into his personal space. He was now face to face with the boy. "You can't stop me."
"I can't let you do whatever the hell you want!" Ryuku exclaimed, using just as much energy. Gashu turned, walking a few paces away. "How many times do I have to remind that you don't belong here?"
Gashu whirled back towards Ryuku, a crazed glint sparked in his blue eyes. "You don't think I get that?" he screeched, so much emotion fueled his voice that his voice cracked. "It's not like that comment isn't always being drilled into my head! I know I'm not home! I don't need the constant reminder!" his head lowered, his hair shielded the fury of passion clearly displayed in his eyes. "It's not like I'm doing anything bad, you know."
Ryuku exhaled through his nose, attempting to sooth his anger. Someone needed to have a clear state of mind. It wouldn't do either of them much good, if they were both trying to beat each other unconscious. "You'll be leading her on, making her hang onto a fake person."
A snide snort came from the double. "And you're not doing the same thing?" Gashu asked, using an innocent tone.
"I try not to talk to her!" Ryuku lashed out harshly, his attempt to tame his rage proved to be pointless. Yeah, like that's surprising."If you encourage this — this fantasy! She'll never be able to — she'll find out eventually."
"She'll never find out," Gashu laughed half-heartedly. "Plus, even if she did, wouldn't that be a relief? You wouldn't have to keep hiding this anymore."
Again, Ryuku tried breathing exercises. "It's my business, remember? We just said this!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, taking another quick breath he calmed down. "Why do you want to be friends with her anyway?"
"I just do. I don't have to give reasons for everything."
"Yes, you do! Every time I let you leave this house, I'm letting you run my life! How many times do I have to tell you this, before you finally fucking get that?"
Gashu's head whipped upwards, his eyes locked onto Ryuku's unfaltering stare. "You were perfectly fine with letting me do that before, while you were letting your sorry ass mope in here!"
"That was," There was no point being reasonable anymore. Gashu would never, ever listen to reason. "That was different!"
Ryuku saw Gashu's fingers ball into a tight fist. His knuckles appeared to be bleached white. "I won't even be you," he reminded Ryuku. "I'll be Ryoko."
"I don't care who you'll be! You'll still be associated with me!"
"I'm not doing anything bad!"
"Yes, you are!" Ryuku shouted overpowering Gashu's words. "You don't realize it but you are! She's not some play thing. I don't know what you want from her but she's not someone or some… thing to use for you entertainment."
"You can't say that! You can't fucking say anything! You, you don't know how I am with my friends!" Gashu shook his head, his jaw clenching and unclenching. "I'm not going to be using her. I just want… to have someone depend on me."
Right when the question left his mouth, Ryuku knew it was stupid. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh, come on, you know what I mean," the double had the same bitter laugh he did. "Obviously you're not the only one unhappy about me being here. I haven't even spent much time around Ryota or Ryou, whatever you call him, but he already hates my guts. Misaki's a nice kid… she has… don't get me wrong, she's a nice kid," Ryuku would've asked him to elaborate – what was wrong with Misaki? – But the timing would've been inappropriate. "You won't let me anywhere near your ma. I've got no one, nothing here. I'm all alone, Ryuku."
And it was bizarre, hearing yourself call yourself by your name. It was also unsettling, hearing yourself use such a defeated tone when you were speaking to yourself.
"It's not like you'll be the one talking to her. You're both avoiding each other anyway. I don't see what the big deal is."
The previous night's discussion hadn't exactly ended on a pleasant note. Nothing was resolved. Everything had simply ended when the long silence between them stretched to the point where what was left of their conversation could no longer be salvaged. They withdrew to their respective rooms. It was rare for Ryuku to catch sight of his double when he left for school. Gashu wasn't a very fond of waking up early, unless he planned to take a morning jog – or perhaps wake himself up with an early training session. That morning, Ryuku didn't see Gashu at all. Normally, he was unfazed by this. He didn't care what his double was doing, unless he was doing something annoyingly stupid. Today, a disconcerting sensation had formed in his stomach and had decided to deepen rather than gradually fade into nothingness.
Sitting in his homeroom class, Ryuku's mind was restless. He found himself gazing outside the window, blankly studying the students running around the track. It proved to be an excellent distraction, as it prevented him from listening to Hair Gel's disengaging lecture. However, the distraction only provided him with so much. His thoughts were cluttered with Gashu's exclamations, as if it were a horrible song you couldn't get out of your head. What is that idiot thinking? There was no way he was letting him do anything with that Ayano girl. It was too risky. If he let Gashu become too comfortable, there was no telling what kind of trouble he'd bring to his already complicated and hectic life. The last thing he needed was for Gashu to add anything else to his plate.
"Mr. Saotome?"
Ryuku leaned closer to the window; he glanced up at the clouds. Today looked like a good day to be outside.
"… Mr. Saotome?"
"Um," a small voice rudely intruded his hearing. "S-Saotome?"
Why was everyone saying his name all of a sudden?
"Sao –"
Clenching his teeth, Ryuku reluctantly forced his gaze elsewhere, instead targeting an annoyed glare at his classmate seated in front of him. "What?"
His classmate's face paled from the intensity of Ryuku's glare. He sank down in his seat. As if that wasn't enough, a balled up piece of paper bounced off Ryuku's head and landed on his desk. Ryuku blinked, looking over the classroom to see who had thrown the paper. The culprit turned out to be his best friend, who was making ridiculous physical gestures and facial expressions. Puzzled, Ryuku raised his eyebrow, before he came to the frightening realization that the classroom had gone silent. Hair Gel had stopped in the middle of his lecture, staring at the redhead.
Reluctantly, Ryuku returned Hair Gel's stare. Said teacher wasn't exactly expressing displeasure of his student's lack of attention during class. This didn't make Ryuku feel any better. "Forgive me, Saotome," Hair Gel started. Ryuku was unnerved by the blank expression his teacher wore. "I don't want to interrupt your daydreams. If my lesson isn't grabbing your attention, perhaps you'd rather do something for me instead?" he pulled out two metal buckets from underneath his desk. "It requires two buckets and you standing in the hallway."
After fetching and filling two buckets with water, Ryuku found himself dutifully standing outside his classroom, in an empty hallway. Using a firm grip on the flimsy handles, he leaned against the wall behind him. This was the first time that he'd been given an actual punishment for something so petty. Sure, he had received more than his fair, or not so fair, share of slips for detentions, but it wasn't for being distracted during class. It wasn't like he was: sleeping, sneaking a snack, or looking at a dirty magazine strategically placed behind a textbook (like some other students). What was wrong with being distracted? Of course he should've been paying attention to the lecture, but how many people were actually listening in there? Before he left the class, he saw plenty of his classmates asleep, yet they weren't the ones standing in the hallway, like some sort of prisoner.
A brash burst of light flashed upon Ryuku's face. In that instant, he blinked away from his thoughts and into the pale boy before him. The snide young man was holding a camera in his hands, coddling it against his chest. His lips formed a smug crescent, with a low chuckle accompanying his composure.
"Gosunkugi," Ryuku grumbled, with what little tolerance he had left was barely a thread that would snap – and if it did snap, Ryuku would gladly drench his classmate with the contents of the pails.
"It must be my lucky day," Fumio announced, touting his shiny new camera. "I never thought I'd see the day when Bloody Knife Saotome, of all people, would be standing in the hall," he gestured at the buckets, brimming full of water. Droplets had already landed on Ryuku's shoes. "Kind of an old fashioned punishment, don't you think?"
"Are you done talking?"
"I still can't believe how lucky I am. To have gotten such a memorable moment in Furinkan history on film," Fumio positioned the camera, adjusting the lens just slightly. "I'm going to need plenty of material to document this event perfectly. Why don't you give us a smile, huh?"
Within a second, Ryuku quickly balanced the bucket against his foot, freeing his hand, which he then used to pilfer the camera. "Do you really want me to break another camera?" he spat, bringing the camera closer to inspect it. "This one looks expensive, too. How'd you bullshit your way into getting this?"
"What's wrong Saotome?" Fumio sneered, calmly reclaiming his property with a swift grab. "Pissed that you're finally being treated like the rest of us common folk? Should I be bowing down right now? I don't want you to pull your knife out of me. All that blood must be a pain to wash off," he finished with a pompous laugh.
Ryuku bared a toothy grin. "I wouldn't even need a –"
Abruptly, the door swung ajar silencing the two teens' quarrel. A dark brown mop of hair popped through the gap, before the male bore his face. "Ryuku, Mr. Hair Gel says you can come back inside now."
"Hibiki," Fumio was the first to greet the lost boy. "Glad to hear you're able to finally form complete sentences now."
Ryou gave him a tight-lipped smile. "It's always a pleasure to talk to you, Gosunkugi," he told his classmate. "I hate to interrupt your conversation, but Ryuku needs to return to class."
"I'm sure Saotome can spare a few more minutes," Fumio insisted, clapping his hand over Ryuku's shoulder. "Isn't that right? Besides, I was just about to mention our conversation the other day. You know the one where you threatened me?"
Unexpectedly, the door swung fully open, blasting the bucket free of Ryuku's balance act. Water cascaded all upon the tiled floor, some to the two friends' pleasure, had drenched Fumio's upper body – to which the boy swiftly jerked his camera out of harm's way. "Hibiki, what's taking so long?" a monotonous voice boomed behind Ryou. The owner of the voice made his appearance known. Of course it would be Hair Gel. "Saotome, are you ready to return to class?" his yellow eyes then landed on Fumio. "Why are you not in class?"
"Sorry, sir," Fumio apologized, bowing respectfully, although he couldn't hide the disdain of the actions of a teacher. Or perhaps he was even intimidated by Hair Gel. "I was just on my way back to class. Unfortunately, Saotome distracted me. He wanted to look at my new camera. I'll be going now." Without wasting another second, Fumio waved goodbye to both Ryuku and Ryou, acting as if they were the best of friends, and left.
Hair Gel glanced at the empty pail and then turned his focus onto Ryou. "You may return to your seat, Hibiki," there was a pregnant pause, while the teen departed from the scene. "You've missed a significant piece of the lecture. I suggest you ask one of your classmates for their notes. You'll need this information. In the meantime, you'll depart to the facilities and clean up this mess, before you rejoin the class."
This was your fault to begin with! Ryuku's mind screeched, but he resigned in defeat. With a heavy sigh, he replied. "Yes, Mr. Hair Gel. I'm sorry about this. It won't happen again."
"I'd be careful with that water if I were you," Ryuku felt himself tense, as these words flew from Hair Gel's lips. "After all, wouldn't it have been a shame if you drenched yourself like your classmate?"
Ryuku gave a mental sigh of relief. "Yes, of course, that wouldn't be very good."
Hair Gel nodded as he closed the door behind him, leaving Ryuku to his task.
X
After all the years Ryou had known his best friend, there had always been something bothering him. However, it had been increasingly difficult to connect with Ryuku for the past few days. Of course this wouldn't stop the lost boy's attempts to rekindle their tight-knit friendship, and what better time to do so than at lunch? Ryuku was completely out of it. With his bento box on his thigh, Ryou continued to eat his lunch peacefully, eyeing his best friend's blank expression. The very expression was so unchanged that even statues would envy it. Sighing, Ryou set his lunch beside him, before waving his hand a few feet in front of Ryuku, which only garnered a mere blink from the boy. Ryou's lips formed a darkened scowl, as if on impulse he swiped his hand with a loud snap of his fingers. The same exact frown had appeared upon the redhead's visage. But, still, Ryuku uttered no words. It was the last straw; Ryou snatched a piece of his lunch and flung it onto Ryuku's hair. The food slid off of Ryuku's red hair and slid down his face and onto his uniform.
Remnants of rice and sausage were left on Ryuku's cheeks. He cleaned himself with a napkin Ryou handed him. "Are you done?"
"What's up with you today?" Ryou asked; he picked at his food with his chopsticks, his appetite diminishing. "You've been acting… stranger than normal. It doesn't make me want to eat when there's something bothering you."
"There's nothing bothering me," Ryuku snarled, greatly contradicting his statement.
Ryou's frown deepened. "Why can't you give me a straight answer for once? I don't understand why you don't trust me. Are we best friends or not?"
The redhead cocked his head to the side, his expression baffled. "I'm just thinking about something."
"Thinking about what exactly?" Ryou pressed on urgently. "Can we stop going around in circles?"
"Ryou," at this point, he expected a retort from his friend. A short worded exclaim which would abruptly end their talk. Instead, Ryuku cupped the back of his neck, looking anxious. "This is a weird question. I think it's stupid that I'm even thinking this, but it's really bothering me."
A grin broke the frown set on Ryou's lips. He couldn't help suppressing the excitement that was bubbling inside him. They were getting somewhere. "What is it?"
Ryuku flopped onto his back, outstretching his arms on the grass. This was alright. His best friend was getting comfortable. There was nothing wrong with that. "Do you think I'm being too," his lips curled into a light frown. "Hard on Gashu?"
"What kind of question is that?" Ryou retorted. "You're not being hard on anyone. What you're being is practical," the lost boy shook his head. "You're right. That was a stupid question."
"I know. I don't know," Ryuku threw his arm over his eyes, his fingers dug into his palm. "It's just, if I was the one in his place I'd… go crazy being stuck in the house all day. I can kind of understand where he's coming from."
"Wasn't that why you let him be you for the last few weeks?" Ryou questioned, doing his best to keep the snappy tone from his voice. "I think that was a pretty nice gesture."
From under his arm, Ryuku snuck a peek at Ryou. "Partly," he mumbled softly. "It was also so I wouldn't fall behind in my classes. Honestly, I wasn't planning it for him… it was more for my own sake, if anything."
"What do you want me to say, Ryuku? Do you want me to tell you that you were wrong? You should've treated him better? That – come on, Ryuku! Do you know how ridiculous all this sounds? He doesn't belong here. We're lucky nothing bad has happened yet. We're messing with some serious stuff, letting him be here."
"… He's alone."
"What?" Ryou blinked. "What do you mean by that? How is he alone?"
Ryuku shifted into a seated position. There were strands of grass stuck in his hair, but no one cared enough to do anything about it. "I hate that feeling," he murmured. "He's alone here and I'm not making him feel any better. The last thing I should do is make things worse, but I, I don't know what I'm supposed to do, Ryou. I keep yelling at him, keep picking fights with him. He makes me so pissed off and I hate him," a startled laugh escaped his mouth.
"Where's all this coming from?"
"I feel kind of crappy now," Ryuku mumbled, rubbing his hand over his face. "Maybe… maybe I should get some sleep, before lunch is over? I couldn't sleep very well last night."
"Yeah," Ryou agreed softly. "Maybe you should. I'll wake you up when the bell rings."
"Thanks."
After all that prying, all this accomplished was the feeling of uselessness. Ryou buried his face in his hands, releasing a soft sigh, before resting on his back. What are friends for?
X
During her lunch breaks, she spent her time at her desk, where she'd follow a specific but short schedule: she spent an estimated ten minutes or less on lunch, for the next five she would daydream, and then she'd spend the rest of lunch scribbling in her notebook. It was less of a hassle, if she remained where she was. Why would she bother leaving when she had nowhere to go? No one (she liked) was waiting for her.
Languidly fishing inside her schoolbag, her fingertips brushed onto the plastic container of her lunch box. She replaced her notebook, textbooks, and other essentials with everything she would need for lunch: a small water bottle, a pair of chopsticks and a handkerchief (both her favorite color, pink), her favorite bento (which was garnished with hearts and sparkles). The lid was removed, revealing a homemade meal prepared specially for her. For today's lunch, her mother had gone out of her way to make all her favorites. She unwrapped her utensils, placing the handkerchief across her lap. Before she dug in, she murmured a few words of gratitude. Her eyes blankly stared at the whiteboard, wiped clean and awaiting for the next lesson after lunch. She slipped some rice into her mouth, as she chewed thoughtfully; she surveyed the activity in the classroom. At one side of the room, there was a mixed crowd of boys and girls smothering Sakurako with the utmost adoration. Since the girl didn't believe in modesty Miss Popular greedily ate every bit of consideration thrown her way.
Fortunately, the classroom had the pleasure of housing not one but two of the most well-liked students in her class. While Sakurako reigned supreme in her specific area, there was – a loud laugh attracted Misaki to glance to another sector of the room. The laugh hadn't belonged to Sakurako or any of her many admirers. The source of the laughter had come from a boy. This boy, like Sakurako, was found in the middle of a group. However, unlike Sakurako, the boy wasn't surrounded by her adoring servants but by his friends.
Misaki pressed the tip of her chopsticks over her bottom lip, watching with rapt attention as the boy continued to laugh and laugh. The boy was hunched at his desk, fingers furiously jamming buttons on a handheld device. Obnoxious sounds erupted from the gadget. Accompanying the boy's laugh were his friends, who all wore big happy grins. Every now and then, they would nudge the boy aside to point at the screen, or playfully shove each other to get a better look at what was happening. Misaki's heartbeat thudded in her ears; she couldn't handle much more of the boy's jubilant mirth. Her cheeks were going to burst into flames. How could anyone be so happy?
And like a light switch, Misaki's wishes were answered, when the boy became silent. "No way!" he cried out. "Game over already?" he faced the boy closet to him, on his right side. "That's not fair! Gimme another chance! Please?"
The boy's friend, apparently the owner of the game, shook his head. Wearing a grin, he attempted to grab his game from the boy's hands. "No way, Kouhei, you've been on the same level ever since lunch started! You're getting nowhere. It's time for someone else to try."
Letting out a groan, Kouhei reluctantly relinquished his temporary ownership of the game. He handed it to someone else, a childish pout tugging at his lips. However, his sour mood didn't last very long. As he watched his friends try to play, he started to join in the playful shoves and shouted encouragement whenever he could. Misaki swallowed a startled squeal when, somehow, Kouhei glanced in her general direction. Immediately, she averted her gaze elsewhere. Otherwise, something would've surely happened: their eyes would've accidently met. She couldn't handle that. At a hurried pace, she resumed eating the rest of her lunch, while she focused on the handkerchief rested over her thighs. It was safer this way.
"You're really obvious."
Misaki picked at a loose string of thread on her handkerchief.
"Kouhei doesn't have time for weird girls like you," Of course, she wasn't the only one to notice the boy. Miss Popular had already sunken her teeth into him. "It'd be better for all of us if you forget about him. He's way too good for you."
Misaki turned her head, finding something else to look at. Unlike her previous encounter with Kouhei, her eyes rested on a lounging figure located in the back of the class. Takumi had his desk balanced on its back legs, teetering dangerously on a source of balance. The young Hibiki was idly munching on a sandwich, half wrapped in saran wrap. At the beginning of lunch, Takumi had gotten into the habit of leaving for several minutes to grab a quick lunch from the cafeteria. He'd be back in a flash, already back at his desk. This wasn't always what Takumi did during his lunch time. He used to walk around campus, deliberately starting fights – doing anything to cause some sort of trouble. But now for some strange reason, Takumi was like Misaki, he had nowhere else to go.
At the moment, Takumi hadn't noticed her gaze on him. All of the positive emotions Kouhei unintentionally elicited from her died the very instant her eyes landed on the monster. What was a worse sight to behold? The tragedy of the most admired girl lost in her own ignorance and supposed beauty? Or the terrible monster, who brought endless fear and pain towards others for his own sick enjoyment? Takumi adjusted the studded choker on his neck. The sunlight trickling in the classroom lit the silver embedded in the black leather, casting a brief sparkle in the classroom. He chewed his mouthful of food, choosing now to move away from the window to meet Misaki's stare. With a noisy screech, Takumi's desk landed on the tiled flooring and he hopped onto his feet. Within a matter of seconds, he rushed out of the classroom, retreating to wherever he declared best suited for his lair of misery. His choice of path involved violently shoving Sakurako and several of Kouhei's friends out of the way.
Misaki's lips pursed. She didn't bother to finish her lunch; instead she capped the container, wiped her chopsticks off on her handkerchief and put everything away. She daydreamed about spending a lovely afternoon with her cousin at the ice rink – Misaki was rather fond of ice skating, after all.
X
Anyone could tell he was a Saotome, the true heir to Anything Goes Martial Arts. From where he was standing, at the doorway leading into the dojo, Ryuku wordlessly watched his double move. The dojo was barely recognizable, since someone (named Gashu) had taken the initiative to clean up. It made sense. Someone was actually using the dojo now. Why should Gashu have to train in a messy training hall? While Gashu wasn't wear official practice attire, he seemed perfectly comfortable in what he'd thrown on: a loose white tank top and baggy black basketball shorts. Since Gashu had broken out a sweat, his top clung onto his midsection. His disheveled hair was matted down onto his face. Droplets of sweat flew whenever he struck the training dummy, which was placed before him. After receiving a particularly powerful punch, the wooden platform for the dummy scraped against the wooden floor. A swift chain of punches was targeted on specific parts of the dummy's torso. Letting out a battle cry, Gashu's final attack snapped the dummy's head around, the head tipped backwards, hanging on a thin strip of rubber.
Heaving a loud sigh, Gashu slicked his damp hair back. "Are you gonna keep staring at me all day?"
For a split second, Ryuku was suddenly shoved back into the illusion. He was, once again, staring at the teenage version of his father. His father who had asked him the same exact thing, when he'd been caught watching him. Shaking his head, Ryuku forced himself back to reality.
"Well?" the double leaned his forearm against the tattered dummy, shooting Ryuku an expectant look. "You have somethin' to say or what?"
Ryuku avoided Gashu's stare, instead focusing on the double's pigtail, which was curled over Gashu's left shoulder. "I've been thinking."
"Should I be concerned?"
"About your stupid decision," Ryuku said in a rush. "Which is beyond ridiculous, but," he tugged at the hem of his uniform jacket. "After some thought," he stopped again, noticing Gashu's staring intently, waiting for him to finish. "I guess it wouldn't be so bad if you were friends with her."
A grin instantly brightened Gashu's face. "Really?" he sputtered, excitement enhancing his toothy grin. "You're being serious right now?"
Ryuku shuffled his feet. "Well, it's not like it'd affect me really," Ryuku replied, shrugging. "She'd only be talking to Ryoko. It's not like you'd be blabbing anything to her."
"Why would I do that?" Gashu snorted, he flicked his pigtail over his shoulder. "She doesn't like you remember?"
"Yeah, I know," Ryuku grunted back. "But before you go all crazy about your 'new friendship', I need you to remember a few things."
Gashu blinked. "Do you have a set of rules for me to follow?"
"A few. Ayano may have something to call my girl form, but she's not the only one who's seen Ryoko," Ryuku told his double. "Try not to let it spread that Ryoko is my 'sister'. No one at the Cat Café really knows who she is and I want to keep it that way. With my… reputation, it's hard to do some stuff around here. Ryoko is kind of my way to get around things."
"That makes sense," Gashu agreed, bobbing his head. "I get what you mean. I can do that. No problem."
Ryuku scoffed. "That's reassuring."
"Ah, come on, can't you trust yourself?" Gashu hopped over to Ryuku, playing nudging his bicep. "You can totally trust me this time! I'm really happy you're letting me do this! I thought I would've had to, like, do something behind your back," he wavered slightly from Ryuku's warning glare, but recovered fairly quickly letting out an amused chuckle. "Now I don't have to do that! Isn't that great? We're finally building a friendship between us, you and me."
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves."
"Say what you want," the double beamed. "I can tell this is the start of something beautiful," and the next word that left Gashu's lips ruined everything. "Cherry!"
Ryuku gave him a sour look. "Cherry?"
Gashu giggled, he actually giggled. Ryuku flinched. Such a bubbly sound should never be allowed to leave his mouth. "You're not the only one who's been thinkin' around here!" Gashu informed him matter-of-factly; he plopped his hand over his hip. "I've been racking my brain over the whole nickname situation you've got goin' on."
"It's not a situation. You were supposed to drop it."
"Red made you super grumpy. So, I was thinking –"
"Cherry would make me thrilled?"
"What other things are red?" Gashu finished, acting as if he hadn't been interrupted at all. "And when you think about it they're a lot of damn things that are red! Isn't that awesome? Do you know what this means for you, Cherry? We have plenty of things to call you, until we find the perfect nickname!"
Ryuku flicked Gashu's forehead. "Call me Cherry again and I'm taking everything back."
Huffing, Gashu rubbed where Ryuku had struck him. "Okay, fine. Be that way, spoilsport."
In what he believed to be a subtle manner, Ryuku gave the dojo once last look over. "That's all I had to say," he started. "I'm heading to my room. Have fun with your… training."
The double's hand shot out, he seized Ryuku's wrist, giving him a squeeze. "Hey, do you wanna join me?" his lips curled into a light smile. It was an encouraging one. "We could have ourselves a nice sparring match. I've been itching to fight another living, breathing person! 'Sides, I've been here for awhile now, shouldn't we have sparred already? How many chances do you ever get to fight yourself?"
He didn't even entertain the thought, before giving his answer. "Some other time," Ryuku mumbled, taking his arm back out of Gashu's hold. "I had a long day."
Gashu's response was quick. "That's cool," his smile widened, the disappointment flickered in his eyes briefly. "I'll take that as a rain check, then?"
"I'm looking forward to it." It'll never happen.
"Better get back to it," Gashu moved back to his spot. "I'm looking forward to it, too, Cherry."
Ryuku's hand flew into the air, his middle finger extended and directed towards his double.
Gashu's laughter followed him all the way back to his room.
X
There was undeniable proof that their homeroom teacher was a cruel man.
What kind of sick man would give so many quizzes during the course of one week? Or force their students to take a quiz when it was clear the majority of the class wasn't even paying attention. This was cruel and unusual punishment.
Ryuku gripped at his hair, gazing intently at the sheet of paper on his desk. Hair Gel's quizzes were supposed to take about ten minutes, yet it felt as if an eternity had past. He could barely focus on anything. His pencil clattered on the desk. Now, his free hand closed into a fist. He pressed his fist against the side of his head, hoping the action would somehow conjure the answer he was desperately searching for. Unfortunately, it did very little to ease his anxiety and frustration. In fact, the only thing the action did accomplish was further add to his growing headache. Losing all hope, Ryuku checked on his best friend seated several rows away from him. What he saw wasn't unexpected. Ryou was doing more than fine. With his pencil scribbling furiously across his paper, Ryou was well on his way on writing a novel. The lost boy would never cease to be an overachiever.
If their old homeroom teacher hadn't been replaced, Ryuku would've lobbed a spit ball or tossed an eraser at his best friend. Their old teacher tended to doze off during tests or even quizzes, which made it almost too easy to target Ryou. Considering Hair Gel watched his class like a hawk, Ryuku wasn't willing to take any risks. If daydreaming got him sentenced to holding buckets, who knew what spits ball and erases would get him. Scowling, Ryuku tore his gaze from Ryou, instead turning his attention back to his own pathetic excuse of a paper. What's the point on trying anymore? He scrawled a half-assed response and slammed his pencil down.
The wait for everyone else to finish was fairly short. He leapt onto his feet, after the last person turned in their paper. When he stood at Hair Gel's desk, he almost expected Hair Gel to say something. But the homeroom teacher simply spared him a quick look, his lips quirking into a slight frown, before he removed his glasses and cleaned them with a purple silk cloth. Ryuku placed his paper with the others and returned to his desk.
The rest of class went by, surprisingly, quickly. Perhaps Hair Gel was having an off day, not that Ryuku was complaining. Ryuku balanced his pencil over his nose. Under his breath, he whistled a rhythm-less tune. He could see Hair Gel taking his time to gather his belongings. The teacher shut his briefcase, tucked his glasses case in his jacket and (this was the part where he'd leave) sauntered over to where Ryuku was seated.
Ryuku snatched the pencil off the bridge of his nose, swiftly adjusting his posture. "Yes, Mr. Hair Gel?"
"Saotome," Hair Gel regarded him. "Perhaps you'd like to have our meeting afterschool today?" his lips pursed, before he added. "That is, if you're not already attached to other engagements."
Ryuku tapped the pencil against his palm. "Oh, uh," he bit his bottom lip. "We can have that meeting. I'm not busy."
"Very well," the teacher murmured, nodding curtly. "I look forward to meeting you."
Unsure of how to respond, Ryuku returned his nod. It wasn't long before Ryou replaced where Hair Gel stood moments earlier. "What was that about?" he questioned his best friend with concern. "Were you in trouble? Did someone make another stupid excuse about you cheating again or was it –"
"It's nothing like that," Ryuku cut in gently, twirling his pencil with his fingers. "He just wanted to talk to me."
"That's all it was? It wasn't anything serious?"
Ryuku nodded. "Nothing serious," he confirmed. "We're having a meeting afterschool today."
"You don't think that's serious?"
"I hope it's not serious," Ryuku grumbled. "Teachers never really want to talk to me."
"It probably isn't anything bad," Ryou assured him, smiling. "But how can you meet him afterschool? Don't you have work?"
"It's fine. I can take care of it." Unfortunately, this meant he had to resort to that.
"How can you take care of it? Isn't your boss impossible to negotiate with?"
"Don't worry, Ryou," Ryuku said, reaching inside his uniform jacket for his phone. He flipped it open, going to his phone book and searching for the last person he wanted to text. But it needed to be done; he had no one else to turn to. "I'll be at work."
X
When Ryuku couldn't pick her up afterschool, she'd go to the grass fields to watch the soccer team practice. She was seated at the stands, a safe distance placed between her and the small group that had gathered for the team. The stands were uncomfortable, the coolness of the stiff dented metal doing little to provide any source of comfort. But she could deal with the horrible seats, if it meant she could see him. Her schoolbag was next to her, while her elbows were propped on her knees. She cupped her cheeks, looking very much like a little kid watching their favorite TV show, as she watched the team in awe. Her eyes followed a specific team member running across the grass. He was the "Star Athlete" of the team. Unlike the other popular kids at Chuushinten, he didn't let his popularity cloud his judgment. He was friendly to everyone. He had an enjoyable sense of humor and he was kind to everyone. His schoolwork needed drastic improvement. However, his talent in other areas made up for everything else. All of these things could only describe: Kouhei Sonoda.
The breeze mussed his short chocolate brown hair about. There was always a sparkle in his friendly brown eyes. His entire face lit up whenever a smile played over his lips. Anyone could tell he was an athlete. His build wasn't frail or bulky; he had enough muscles to defend himself. But he wasn't violent or cruel. He didn't have any evil bone in his body. He was beautiful.
She believed she could hide her true feelings, but it seemed she hadn't done as well as she thought, since Sakurako figured it out. As long as Takumi remained ignorant, she could handle anything Miss Popular did. Sakurako, on the other hand, didn't care who knew how she felt about the soccer player. However, she wasn't the only one after Kouhei. Plenty of girls had crushes on him. Plenty of girls confessed their feelings to him. Plenty of girls desperately desired to be able to call themselves Kouhei Sonoda's girlfriend. But no girl possessed the power to catch Kouhei's attention. He was far to invested with sports, videogames, hanging out with his friends – boy things.
"I never thought I'd catch you here, Miss Mute," Miss Popular greatly enjoyed disturbing her silence. Sakurako's scoff invaded Misaki's ears. "I was just on my way to see if Kouhei needed anything. He tends to overwork himself, even when the team's only practicing. He's such a hard worker."
She ignored the girl, staring after Kouhei's moving figure. He raced across the field at such an impressive speed, dashing after the ball as if he were a cheetah after the kill.
"I don't think you should keep doing this. Watching Kouhei," Sakurako told her. "You're an eyesore, a distraction. You're running Kouhei's focus and we can't have that. The soccer team's reputation would be ruined. Our school would be ruined. Do you really want to be one responsible for that?"
How could Kouhei move so fast?
"Are you even listening to me?" Sakurako complained. "Jeez, why do I even bother wasting my breath? You never listen to anyone! All you do is sit by yourself and stare off into space or creep people out with that dull stare of yours. No wonder everyone thinks you're a freak. Freaks like you should stay away from Kouhei… and everyone else."
"Hey, heads up!"
Misaki tilted her head back, eyes trailing after the soccer ball soaring over the stands, over their heads.
On the field, one of the older boys shouted. "Sonoda, you made that kick! That's your ball!"
"Aye, aye, captain!" Kouhei exclaimed earnestly, giving the older boy a mock salute. He darted off the field, running towards the stands, his eyes locking onto the two girls. Wearing a grin, he vigorously waved at them. Misaki hung her head. Next to her, she heard Sakurako eagerly returning Kouhei's greeting. Misaki could hear Kouhei climbing up the stairs. She could see the stained white socks stretched over his calves, the special shoes the players were required to wear. "Hey you two, did you happen to see where our ball went?"
"No, I didn't see where it went," Sakurako said, giggling. "You're doing great as always, Kouhei."
"Thanks, Sugiyama!" Misaki pressed her hand over her racing heart. His modest chuckle was driving her crazy. Without warning, Kouhei's face was blocking her vision. Misaki's mouth dropped in shock. Her body reacted faster than her brain; she immediately scooted to a safe distance. Kouhei had knelt down to look into her eyes. He was smiling at her. "How about you?"
Sakurako yanked at the back of his grass stained soccer uniform. "You don't have to talk to her."
Kouhei's smile stretched into a warm grin. "Did you see where our ball went?"
Misaki's mind was blank. All the blood rushed to her face, coloring her cheeks a dark red. Her teeth nipped at her lip, she couldn't look away. She couldn't answer.
Sakurako childishly stomped her foot onto the stands. "Just leave her alone, Kouhei. She's not worth your time."
Kouhei was insistent. "Maybe she knows where our ball went."
"She doesn't know anything!" Sakurako told him, harshly pulling Kouhei onto his feet. "Would you get away from her?"
Kouhei brushed Sakurako's hand off him. "Calm down, Sugiyama," he said. "You can't say that. I bet she knows something. I catch her watching us all the time," Misaki's eyes widened. "You're, um, Ono, right?"
Hesitantly, Misaki nodded her head. He saw me? She shielded her face with her hands. H-he knows who I am?
"Over here!" Misaki's heart sank. She recognized that voice. Misaki lowered her shield, feebly peeking over her fingertips to confirm what she already knew. There he was walking towards them, holding the – she held back a terrified gasp – soccer ball. A cold smirk was on his lips. No. No. No. Go away. Go away. "You're looking for this, right?"
Misaki turned to Kouhei, she needed to reach out, stop him from leaving. But she didn't. It was Sakurako who did something. "That Hibiki is such a creep," she said to Kouhei."You don't have to get that ball from him."
"The captain is waiting for the ball," Kouhei said. "I needed to get it. Thanks for the help, Sugiyama," he smiled at Misaki. "Thanks Ono."
A dreamy sigh came from Sakurako. "Isn't my boyfriend the nicest guy ever? He's even willing to give you and Hibiki a chance. Even though you both don't deserve it," she ran her fingers through her long hair. "I better get back to my friends. They're probably worried about me."
Misaki hadn't noticed Sakurako's departure. She was focused on watching Kouhei meet Takumi. They hadn't strayed far from the stands and the field. They weren't far enough that Misaki could no long hear their conversation. Still wearing that smirk, Takumi held the ball out for Kouhei. The ball was flattened.
"Sorry about your ball," His apology wasn't authentic. "It was like this when I found it."
"That's all right. We have an air pump! Thanks, Hibiki!" Kouhei reached for the bell, but Takumi moved it out of his reach.
"I don't think it'll be that easy to fix," Takumi said stiffly. "When I found it, I saw a few holes in it. Now, I wonder who must've done that. Guess we'll never know."
"I guess so," Kouhei agreed meekly, glancing over the flat ball. "But that's nothing some duct tape can't fix. Or, hey, some super glue could work."
Takumi snorted. "Watch where you kick that thing idiot," the middle schooler spat. "The stupid ball hit me right in the face."
Kouhei cocked his head to the side, confused. "I thought you said you found it."
Takumi stepped forward, invading Kouhei's personal space, and glared at him coldly. "I did," he stated firmly. "I also found it with holes. Now take the stupid thing, before I rip it apart and ground the pieces in your face."
"Thanks, Hibiki. We'll just, uh, go grab another ball or something," Kouhei picked up the flattened soccer ball from Takumi, "Thanks again." He broke into a sprint to rejoin his team on the field.
Takumi hadn't glared after Kouhei's departing figure. Instead, he turned to look in Misaki's direction, immediately sharing eye contact. The middle schooler scowled, he averted his gaze, jamming his hands into his pockets and stepped forward. If things had been different, he would've taken a seat at the stands – attempted some sort of talk with her but they both knew better. When Takumi stopped he was dangerously close to her, but he kept away at a distance, kicked at the grass.
His stare was burning holes into her chest.
X
It was fifteen past three.
Another minute passed, a frustrated curse left her mouth. She snapped her phone shut, hastily shoving the device into her pants pocket, and quickened her pace down the railing of the fence. While she was quite a bit faster in female form, her normal form's legs covered more distance. It was such a pain to jog as a girl, at least when there was an actual destination set in mind. She yanked down the knitted beanie, she'd found the headgear in Akane's room – it was much better suited on her than if she were a guy. Her hands held onto her backpack straps, as she leapt onto off the fence and scrambled past Furinkan's front gates. When she neared the school building, she plucked her phone back out, once again checking the time that wouldn't stop on her account.
An annoyed grunt escaped her lips. "He just had to send me a text, asking me to cover for him at work!" she huffed. "How the heck am I supposed to work without the uniform, that dolt!?"
Stomping into the building, Gashu slipped off her slippers and tucked them under her arm. She didn't want to deal with the disapproving glances if she wasn't wearing the appropriate shoes to wear inside. She dealt enough with that back home. It wasn't long before she reached the staircase. She began her long climb up the stairs, mumbling obscenities under her breath the whole time. Once she reached the fourth floor, she was already sprinting down the hallway, and unfortunately, once again, ran into her favorite couple.
"Ryoko," Ayano excitedly waved her over. "Whenever I see you you're always in a hurry!"
Standing behind his giddy girlfriend, Togo gave Gashu a small smile. "It's always good to see you –"
Ayano cut in. "Are you looking for –"
Gashu's eyes flew to Togo. "My boyfriend!" she interjected with an anxious, bubbly giggle. "Of course, I'm looking for my boyfriend!"
"R-Ryoko, I had no idea!" Ayano squeaked, her hands cupping over her mouth. Her hands grasped onto Gashu's, her face brightened. "Wow! You never told me you had a boyfriend! Of course, you have a boyfriend! I'm so happy for you! I bet you two look adorable!"
"Oh, yeah, we're… really cute," Gashu wore an impish smile. "Uh, but we're probably not as cute as you two!"
"You're just saying that!" Ayano giggled, her cheeks flushed. "And here I thought you only came here for –"
"My boyfriend's probably waiting for me! I better get going," Gashu said, letting out an uneasy giggle. "Um, how about you two wait here? I'll be right back!"
X
Things were going to be different this time around. He was actually going to talk to Hair Gel. This time he had left for the bathroom, not because of habit, but because he needed to calm himself down. A splash of (warm) water on his face, or something along those lines, should be able to calm his nerves. He wasn't going to be leaving. They were going to talk as teacher and student. He was actually having a meeting with a teacher. Ryuku twisted the water nozzle, testing the water with his fingertips to test out the temperature. The liquid was luke warm. Good enough. Cupping his hands under the stream, he splashed water over his face. He leaned against the sink, blankly looking over his reflection in the smudged mirror.
"It's probably nothing bad, right?" he asked, for some reason expecting an answer back. With a groan, he threw some water at the glass, momentarily clouding his mirror image. "You should've told him you were busy again, you stupid idiot."
After a pointless staring contest with the bathroom mirror, Ryuku reluctantly exited the restroom. Waiting around wasn't going to change anything. He told Hair Gel they were having the afterschool meeting today. The redhead deliberately strolled down the hallway at a slow speed. It was petty, moving so slowly to prolong the inevitable but he didn't care. Ryuku had no idea what was going to happen. He was merely preparing himself, both mentally and physically, for whatever Hair Gel meant by his strange comments.
"'I look forward to meeting you'," Ryuku mumbled softly to himself, using the same exact dull tone Hair Gel used. "Why can't he talk like a normal teacher? Or better yet, a normal person," he shook his head, letting out an amused snort. "Right, like he was normal in the first place."
"Giving yourself a pep-talk, Ryuku?" an unexpected voice rung in front of him.
Ryuku blinked. He could've sworn he wouldn't make it back to the classroom for at least three minutes. Minutes didn't go by that fast. "Ryou, why are you still here?"
His best friend rolled his eyes. "Were you planning on ditching me?"
"I was planning on talking to Mr. Hair Gel," Ryuku said. "Why would I ditch you?"
"Like you've never ditched me before?" Ryou drawled, he quirked an eyebrow. He continued to speak, preventing Ryuku from protesting. "We're still walking home together. I'm capable of waiting. Unlike you, I can be very patient. Just try not to talk too long."
"Believe me. I don't want to stay here too long. I'll go crazy."
"Try not to look like you don't want to be there," Ryou said, noting how tense his best friend was. "Just take it easy. Remember Mr. Hair Gel's just a normal guy, like you and me," the lost boy extended his hand out. "Here, let me take your duffel bag."
"Thanks."
Releasing a deep sigh, Ryuku entered the classroom. As he shut the door behind him, he heard Ryou dropping his bag onto the floor. Hair Gel always had impeccable posture. Even when he was sitting at his desk, Hair Gel sat like a gentlemen. He didn't slouch or stretch out. The teacher was perusing through the papers, magazines, photographs – it looked like there were all sorts variety of something spread across the surface of his desk. Didn't he ever have anything school related to do afterschool? Normal teachers would've been grading tests or their annoying quizzes. Hair Gel was far too engrossed in his work to notice Ryuku's presence.
Ryuku cleared his throat. "Uh, Mr. Hair Gel? Did I catch you at a bad time?"
"That's alright, Saotome. You're timing was perfect," Hair Gel set his glasses down. "I was in the middle of finishing. Please, won't you take a seat?"
It was strange, seeing the classroom so empty. Whenever he arrived at school in the mornings, the majority of the class was already seated with a few late students gradually trickling in. He wasn't fond of being early, despite the ideal student showing up early for the school day. Tentatively, Ryuku slipped into a desk in the front row. He never enjoyed sitting front and center, where everyone had their eyes on you, watching every little move you made, heard every single word you said or could tell every time you breathed. It was unnerving. His normal seat was better. He should've headed for his assigned seat, even if it would've been strange to yell across the room, during their arranged meeting.
Everything was put back into Hair Gel's briefcase. He shut it soundlessly, before he clasped his hands together. "Saotome," he began smoothly. "How are you?"
"… I'm okay."
"That's good to hear," Hair Gel replied. "I'm glad to hear that."
"Uh, yeah," Ryuku said. "How are you?"
"I'm fine, thank you for asking."
Their conversation came to an abrupt end. Ryuku fidgeted. It was easier to avoid Hair Gel's stare when he was in his normal seat. "Mr. Hair Gel," Why was he talking? He wasn't supposed to be talking. If Hair Gel asked him something then it was his time to speak. But here he was, initiating something on his own. Well, it's too late to take anything back now. He had Hair Gel's undivided attention. "About your, um, comment the other day."
"Yes?"
"What did you mean by that?" Ryuku asked. "About me finally deciding to join the class?"
"Oh, that?" was Hair Gel's reply. He clucked his tongue. "I don't mean to sound unprofessional, but Saotome, I'm afraid I'm not an idiot."
Ryuku's jaw dropped. W-what was that?
"Shall we move on?" Hair Gel suggested nonchalantly. "How are you doing in your classes?"
As their discussion dragged on, it turned out the topics Hair Gel had in mind were rather plain. These were the types of talks people had when they were talking to an acquaintance. If this was what every teacher talked about with their students he had absolutely nothing to worry about. He had gotten worked up over nothing. Ryuku released the breath he wasn't aware he was holding. Gradually, he began to calm down.
Or, at least, he remained calm until he heard Ryou scream: "What the hell are you doing here?!"
"I wonder what that's about," Hair Gel mused. "Didn't that sound like Hibiki?"
"He's probably just getting a little impatient," Ryuku chuckled uneasily. "We're supposed to walk home together."
"He won't have to wait for you much longer. We're almost done here," Hair Gel reopened his briefcase, taking out a manila folder. He flipped the folder open, leafing through the papers inside. "Would you like to see how you did on your quiz today?"
Ryuku warily eyed the door. He could still hear Ryou's voice, despite the lost boy lowering his volume. "Sure."
Hair Gel plucked a sheet of paper out of the folder. "Here you are."
Hurriedly getting on his feet, Ryuku's hand reached out for his quiz. Hair Gel leaned forward, close enough to murmur. "Saotome, allow me to elaborate my earlier statement. What I meant," he paused, slipping Ryuku's paper into the teen's fingers. "Is that I'm not as easily fooled as you might believe."
Ryuku stumbled back a few steps, startled. "Mr. Hair Gel, I –"
"You better go. I don't think you want to keep Hibiki wanting much longer. His patience must be running thin."
"Y-yeah," Why does he talk so strange? "You're right."
"I need your quiz back," Hair Gel commented, gesturing towards the paper in Ryuku's hand. "I haven't recorded your score yet."
In response, Ryuku gave a jerky nod, choosing now to look at his grade. Inwardly, he flinched at the failing mark written in angry red ink, and then returned his quiz back to his teacher. "I'll do better next time."
Hair Gel slipped his paper back into the folder. "I never really liked mirrors," the teacher said offhandedly. "You never know what you're really looking at."
Warning bells sounded in Ryuku's head. "W-wha," Ryuku sputtered, both startled and baffled by the man's words. "Do you," the rest of his sentence faded. He couldn't think of a proper way to respond, without fumbling.
"Weren't you about to leave, Saotome?"
Stammering a weak departing message, Ryuku immediately left the classroom. The scene that welcomed him on the other side of the door was, in a way, refreshing than the uneasy atmosphere he'd experienced with Hair Gel. Although, Ryuku wasn't sure if he was pleased with the available alternative: his best friend was currently in the middle of an intense glaring match with Gashu. Since it appeared neither of them was going to budge any time soon, Ryuku bent down to pick his duffel bag off the floor, slinging the strap over his shoulder. The arrival of Gashu had worn off on Ryuku a long time ago, yet he still couldn't shake off the strange feeling of seeing himself interacting with other people. He doubted he'd ever get used to looking back at his own face, girl form or not. Ryuku knew his height was drastically changed as a girl, but was Ryou really that tall when he was in his cursed form? The absurdity of it all was enough to sooth what had just happened with Hair Gel.
It was Gashu who broke away from the glare session first. Her hand thrust out to Ryuku's best friend, who in return threw a suspicious glance her way. "Whaddya say we start over?" the double opted, finally deciding to take a mature route to settle their problem. "Truce, Ryota?"
"If you're going to announce a truce," Ryou began, the corner of his smile twitched. "Don't you think you should call me by my actual name?"
"Okay, how about this?" Gashu gritted out, her own smile twitching. "Truce," she repeated. "You pig squealer?"
"That's very mature," Ryou's hand overlapped Gashu's tiny one. "But I'll accept your truce," he lowered down to Gashu's eye level to add. "It's funny that you'd call me a squealer. All the times we've spoken, I could've sworn you were the one who wouldn't stop whining."
Gashu's grip tightened. "Like you never whine?"
"Not as much as you do, imposter," Ryou tightened his grip. "You're the whiniest whiner in all of Nerima."
"Do you know how stupid that sounded? I thought you were the smart one around here."
"Wow, did you come up with that retort yourself? Or did you look over at someone else's paper?" a smug grip went over Ryou's lip when Gashu's eyes widened. "You think I wouldn't notice something like that? Ryuku would never resort to cheating. You're such a lousy impersonator."
The double hung her head, sniffling.
"What are you doing now? I didn't really hurt your feelings, did I?"
"Y-you're hurting me!" when Gashu lifted her head, Ryuku hadn't thought the double would start crying. Ryou was painfully aware of how dangerous his strength could be. But there were times when Ryou couldn't restrain himself, especially if his emotions were involved. At the moment, Ryuku could actually sympathize with Gashu. He was heavily involved during the period when Ryou had to learn how to control his monstrous strength. "I-I didn't mean to make you m-mad! Honest!"
Ryou dropped Gashu's hand. "I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to hurt you! Does it hurt? Should I take you to the nurse or, crap, maybe the nurse isn't here. How about we go to the clinic?"
Gashu closed the distance between them – perhaps to reassure Ryou she was fine? – And promptly slammed her shoe down on Ryou's foot. A pain yelp echoed in the hallway. Ryou responded back with instinct, swinging his arm to land a hit of his own on the double. However, Gashu was too fast, ducking under Ryou's outstretched arm. With a haughty whoop, she twisted around to stick her tongue out at the fuming lost boy. In the middle of her victory, she bumped into Ryuku. It was then when the pair finally noticed that Ryuku had joined them in the hallway.
"Cherry!" Gashu took hold of Ryuku's uniform, grinning up at him. "What took you so long?"
Ryuku glanced at Ryou, who was hopping towards them. "I see you two are getting along."
"Of course," the double laughed, she slung her arm over Ryou's shoulders. "We're best buds now!"
"Spare me the act," Ryuku said. "I saw everything."
Gashu laughed. "Did you enjoy the show?"
Growing, Ryou removed Gashu's arm off his person and shoved her backwards. "Did everything go okay in there?" he asked his best friend. He blocked Gashu's path, preventing her from further disturbing the two with her unwanted company. "It wasn't anything serious, right?"
"Hey!" All of Gashu's efforts to sidestep Ryou were proving to be unsuccessful. "What'd you guys talk about in there?"
Ryuku covered his mouth, feeling his stomach flip and twist. They completely distracted me from what happened. He stared at Gashu. He knows something. He knows about the – a hand prodding his uniform jacket startled him. Ryuku's eyes flew to Ryou, who was now clutching his stomach. Gashu must've elbowed him in the gut in order to reach him. Gashu's hand lightly smacked his cheek. "Whoa. You okay? You don't look so good."
"Would you leave him alone?" Ryou snapped, he seized the beanie off Gashu's head, grabbed onto the pigtail and yanked hard. "Maybe he'd feel better if you weren't slapping him."
Gashu shot the lost boy a glare, slapping Ryou off her braid. "I'm just seeing if he's okay! What'd you expect me to do? He just clocked out!"
Ryuku looked down at his double as she recovered her beanie. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, you asked me to take your shift, which I'm totally gonna do," Gashu assured Ryuku. She carefully adjusted her hair and pigtail, before slipping the headgear back upon her head. "The problem is: I kind of need the uniform."
"Oh," was what Ryuku said, deadpanned. He unzipped his duffle bag, reaching inside to retrieve the waitress uniform. "I forgot about that."
The double waved off his comment. "That's fine," she said, taking the uniform. "It must've slipped your mind. You were probably too busy freaking out about talking to that weirdo. I can understand that. I'd forget things, too."
Suddenly, Ryou reentered the scene. "Wait a second," he interjected. "Don't tell me you're letting that thing go to the Cat Café."
"Hey! Where do you get off callin' me a thing? I'm every amount of person you are, Porky!" Gashu exclaimed indignantly. "Anyway, if you're worried about your pay, I called up the café. Lotion said she'd take care of it. Isn't that girl such a sweetie pie?"
At the mention of the Amazon, Ryou's cheeks flared pink. "If that's the case, I-I'm going with you!"
Gashu blinked, she curiously sized up the flustered boy. "Why?" she cocked her head to peer behind Ryou at Ryuku, mouthing the word: weirdo.
Ryuku reminded his friend. "I thought you wanted to go home, Ryou."
Ryou's face fell. "I do, but," he turned to Gashu; a scowl permanently set his lips. "You trust that with your job? What if you get fired?"
"Go stick your nose in a book," Gashu chirped. "I hate to leave, what with all the fun we're having, but Ayano's waiting for me."
"You better get going then," Ryuku said dryly. "You don't want to keep her waiting."
Sneaking a sharp jab in Ryou's side, Gashu proceeded to leave the group, but not without saying goodbye. "I'll see you back home, Cherry!"
Now equipped with a pained expression, Ryou held onto his side. "Ayano? Why does that name sound so familiar?" It didn't take him long to figure it out. "This isn't the same Ayano from before, is it? The one you tried to talk to?"
Ryuku crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Fine, you can play dumb," Ryou said, mimicking into Ryuku's stance. "Mind telling me what that was about Saotome? You trust him with your job? You trust him hanging around Lotion?"
"Can we start walking? Don't you want to get home?"
"You can still talk to me while we're walking."
"I'll talk once we're out of here."
X
Choosing to stay at Ryou's house for the last few hours was a last minute decision. Ryuku had intended on heading back home right after he'd drop Ryou off. However, his best friend insisted he stay, saying Ryuku needed to catch up on his schoolwork (he hadn't been very thrilled to hear Ryuku hadn't done very well on Hair Gel's quizzes). Ryou's father wasn't home. According to the lost boy, his father hadn't been home for the last three weeks. It wouldn't be until at least two weeks later, when Ryou's mother would pack a bag of needed essentials and look for her husband. Fortunately, Ryou's delightful little brother was absent during his stay at the Hibiki household as well. If Takumi had been, it would've taken Ryou a much long time to persuade his friend to enter the front door. While they studied or goofed off, the smell of okonomiyaki wafted throughout the house.
When the pair opened the door, Ryou's mother was quick to usher teenagers inside, promising a delicious dinner soon. Like the good mother she was, Ukyo invited Ryuku to stay for dinner. With every dinner invitation offered, Ryuku politely turned it down. He never felt comfortable sitting at the Hibiki dinner table, being the only one idly picking at his food, while Ryou and his father wolfed down their meal with such vigor. Ukyo was disappointed at Ryuku's persistence to avoid a home-cooked meal, but she wouldn't let Ryuku leave her home empty handed.
Walking along the streets that would eventually take him home, Ryuku held the container Ukyo had forced into his hands. The okonomiyaki inside was still warm; it was a pleasant feeling on his palms against the cool breeze that followed after the darkening sky above. Turning away from the scenery hanging overhead, Ryuku eyed the fence beside him. For some strange reason, an image of his double darting down the railing invaded his thoughts. His father would walk down fences. Even Lotion did the same thing. Ryuku's lips pursed, as he focused onto the pavement underneath his feet. What was wrong with walking like a normal person?
But his eyes betrayed him, looking back to the fence and then his feet weren't fall behind, a brief pause to his stride. Then his brain supplied the thought, before he quickly squashed it. No way, he shook his head. Walking on the fence doesn't do shit.
He cursed the part of him that had ignored him, still wanting to try. "I don't need to look 'awesome'."
"Yo!"
Ryuku blinked. And now I'm hearing things. His walk came to a halt, as he checked his surroundings. There was nothing behind him. He checked his left and right. There was no one on either side of him. It wasn't until he faced back ahead, when he caught his double jogging towards him. Of course, Gashu was on the fence. It looked awesome. But Ryuku gawked at him, disbelieving what his eyes were presenting him. His reason for doing so was not due to Gashu being outside. Ryuku knew he wouldn't be home for awhile, what with him taking his shift. The cause of his gawking was because Gashu was no longer in female form.
Gashu leapt off the fence, doing a fancy flip in the air, before he landed on his feet. "I'm glad I saw you Cherry!" the double grinned. "It looks like we can walk home together, best bud!"
"Why aren't you a girl?"
"What kind of greeting is that?" Gashu removed the blue baseball cap off his head, letting his pigtail free. "I know you always change back after work. Today, I wasn't planning on going home as a guy, but I didn't want Lotion's hard work to go to waste. She went out of her way to wash some clothes you left behind," he lifted the front of his shirt, taking a loud sniff. "Mm, it smells just like her! She smells really nice you know."
In response, Ryuku glared at him.
"Jeez, would your relax? It's not like anyone will see us."
"Fine," Ryuku hissed, reluctantly. "Let's get going."
Gashu fell into step next to Ryuku. "I'm guessing you stayed at Ryota's house for awhile?"
"I didn't feel like coming home yet."
"That's good," although, once this was said, the double quickly added as an afterthought. "That you were at your buddy's house, not about the home part."
Ryuku shrugged. "I guess. I don't really spend at much time at his place as I used to."
"You should break that habit then. It's good to spend time with your friends," Gashu said. "Speaking of friends, aren't you curious about how things went between me and Ayano?"
There wasn't a moment silence for Ryuku to reflect over his response. "Not really."
"Fine, even if you begged me, I wasn't gonna tell you squat," the double plopped the baseball hat on Ryuku. Having fiddled with the size of the hat, Gashu was able to pull the cap over the top half of Ryuku's face. "I'll just say it was nice."
Ryuku threw the hat back at his double's face. "Are you hungry?"
Gashu moved the headgear under his arm, he patted his belly. "Working does work up quite an appetite."
"Take it," Ryuku thrust the container at his double. "I'm not hungry."
Suspiciously eyeing the white box, Gashu hesitantly accepted it from Ryuku. "You're not trying to poison me, are you?" he joked lamely, but he couldn't fight off a smile. "Thanks! It smells great!"
"It's okonomiyaki, specially made by Ryou's mom."
Gashu ripped open the plastic flaps. He didn't waste any time tearing into some okonomiyaki. Around his mouthful of food, he contently said. "You learn something new every day. I didn't even know she could make this stuff."
Ryuku looked at Gashu, as if he was an idiot (which he was). "Why wouldn't she know how? Okonomiyaki's her specialty."
"Then why the heck is she taking care of pigs?" Gashu asked in bemusement. "She might as well be working at Ucchan's!"
"Considering she owns Ucchan's Okonomiyaki, why wouldn't she work at her own restaurant?"
Gashu's strides gradually slowed down. "Are you telling me that Ryou's ma is," he made a face. "Auntie Ucchan?"
"Are you pretending to be this dense to annoy me or –"
"No! I honestly thought that," suddenly, a groan came from the double. "No wonder Ryou got pissed at me! Shit! I did insult his ma!"
"What are you talking about now?"
"Well, I kind of, uh, you know, assumed Ryou's ma was the same as Ryota's ma," Gashu fiddled with his pigtail. He spun the container on his index finger nervously. "How the heck was I supposed to know this stuff? Back home, Ryota's Pops married… there's nothin' wrong with her. I mean, she's really nice and whatever. She's just kind of… really obsessed with pigs. I mean, she freaking sobbed tears of joy when she found out Ryota got the same curse as his Pops!"
Ryuku sighed. "It's not like you meant to insult his mom. You didn't know."
"That's how he found out about me too," Gashu confessed weakly. "My big mouth was blabbering on and on about his pig loving ma. Ugh, I'm such an idiot."
"Again, you didn't know," Ryuku said. "Are you trying to make me side against you?"
Gashu laughed. "It's weird though, imagining Ryota's Pops with Auntie Ucchan."
"How is it weird?"
"When I was a little kid, Pops used to take me to Ucchan's for some free okonomiyaki," Gashu started, releasing a wistful sigh. "For the longest time, I thought Auntie Ucchan was a guy. She never really dressed up. She wore stuff the guys would wear. Her hair wasn't pretty like Ma's. It was always, I don't know, just up and out of the way? Like she didn't really care about it? Maybe 'cause she was too busy with her restaurant to really care about appearance? Anyway, when I found out she wasn't a guy, it took me awhile to get used to the fact that she was a chick. But she was a really nice lady!"
"What's wrong with her being a tomboy?"
"That's not what I have a problem with," Gashu said. "It's the fact that she's, uh," the rest of his sentence was inaudible.
"Do you really expect me to understand that? Come on, what'd you say?"
"Gay! Lesbian! Whatever!"
Ryuku stared at Gashu, speechless.
Gashu groaned, hastily shoving another okonomiyaki his mouth. "Her wife was really, really pretty," he muttered. "Man, I thought Auntie Ucchan had the best taste! I never told this to Ma, but I thought Auntie Ucchan's wife was a little prettier than her. Just a little. She was kind of… spacey and gave me more than my share of burnt okonomiyaki but she meant well."
"I don't know what to say."
"She was nice to me," Gashu said dreamily. "Whenever I visited Auntie Ucchan's with Ryota, she'd give me extra okonomiyaki when Auntie wasn't looking. It was pretty awesome. Man, what was her name again? Oh! Her name was Konatsu. Yeah, they were a nice couple. Konatsu took Auntie's last name. For obvious reasons, they didn't have any kids. Guess they were happy enough with having me there."
"The next time you see Ryou, you should apologize to him."
"For what?"
"Didn't you just tell me you insulted his mom?" Ryuku asked. "I mean, I know you made a mistake, but," he threw his hands in the air. "I don't know! You unintentionally insulted Mrs. Hibiki!"
"It was an accident! I didn't mean it! I was talking about Ryota's ma!"
Ryuku pinched the bridge of his nose. "I-I'm sorry, I'm just having trouble imagining Mrs. Hibiki having… a wife."
"Now you understand how I feel."
"Let's just talk about something else."
Gashu gasped. "You actually want to talk to me?"
"If we don't talk, I'll keep thinking about," Ryuku groaned. "Just say something. I don't care what it is."
"I'm sorry, Cherry, but my mind's drawing a blank right now and –"
"Call me Cherry one more time and I'll shove that container down your throat."
"Are you trying to start a fight? I am so up for a fight right now!"
Surprisingly, the two carried a rather lengthy conversation all the way back home. Ryuku wouldn't admit it to himself or his double, but he believed that Gashu was capable of being not too annoying at times. If Gashu, somehow, discovered this piece of information he'd let it get to his head. Ryuku inserted his key into front door, ignoring the student grin Gashu wore. Maybe the double was aware of what he was thinking – then again, Ryuku didn't care to find out what was running through Gashu's head. Ryuku rolled his eyes, swinging the door open. He stepped aside to let Gashu inside first. Of course, the gesture wasn't left without comment ("What a perfect gentlemen," the double had quipped). They took off their shoes with Ryuku tossing his on the floor and with Gashu carrying his shoes with him. Still entangled in a heated discussion, the pair was unaware of what or who was expecting them back home. Then again, whoever was home was only expecting one of her sons to return.
Ryuku was enveloped in an affectionate, welcoming embrace. It was then he should've realized, no, he should've noticed his mother's shoes at the entryway. "Ryuku," his mother welcomed her son warmly. "Did I surprise you? They let me come home early today!"
He glanced over his shoulder, while his mother was still momentarily oblivious – the grin on Gashu's face was gone now. What do I do? When Akane began to move away, his hands encircled around her, bringing her close to him. "M-mom," he clenched his eyes, swallowed, hoping it would remove the tremor in his voice. "You did surprise me. Welcome home."
"I'm supposed to welcome you home!" was what his mother was supposed to answer.
But all he was given was a hushed silence.
"Ryuku," his mother's eyes weren't looking at him anymore. She was staring, gawking at Gashu. Her hold on Ryuku tightened immensely. "Am I seeing things right now, Ryuku? P-Please tell me this isn't real."
What do I do?
"Why aren't you saying anything?"
