The Search
Disclaimer: I flat out refuse to write these anymore. There are only so many ways you can make them funny and I've tried all of them. If you really want to read one, look at the earlier chapters.
Venus, FishyKittie, Skippy, Chibi and Ayatsuriningyo, thank you. I'm glad you like the story.
Tobias had once thought he hated school. After all, he was teased ruthlessly by every faction, even the Computers and Chess Club which had only two members, both suffering major acne and thick tortoiseshell glasses. However, he now knew the truth.
He didn't mind school itself. The building was rather nice, and the lessons were even okay most of the time. Not, it wasn't school Tobias hated. It was the people there.
This thought had occurred to Tobias after one particularly bad day in which sixteen people had referred to him as 'faggot', and one had tried to punch him in the head. He owed Ryuuen for the favour in slamming the year nine into a nice cement wall.
His exams were on and Tobias was as stressed out, as all are students during that time. He spent his days studying. About the only break he had was sleeping. Even Mia was starting to show the strain.
Sitting down at the cold and rather unwelcoming desk, Tobias started his English exam. Only two more to go... he thought to himself.
Tobias stared out the window on the bus home. Mia was staying with Jenna for the day. Tobias supposed they were going shopping with Mia's money which she had gotten for her birthday.
"Tobias?" Ryuuen asked tentatively. "You're in one of your moods again." The rose-eyed boy tapped Tobias on the shoulder gently. He normally liked being with the seventeen year old, but when Tobias was like this he was hard to put up with and it was testing even Ryuuen's patience.
Tobias turned around sharply. "Eh? Oh... sorry Ryuu-chan."
Ryuuen sighed. "That's alright, Tobias," he said. "Hey, have you booked the tickets yet? The holidays are in a few weeks."
"Yes!" Tobias yelled, suddenly animated. "We're going on Qantas* on the eighteenth. That means we'll be spending Christmas in Japan, Ryuu-chan! Aren't you excited?"
The former Suzaku seishi, far too used to Tobias' mood swings, smiled. "Of course," he said. "My father isn't too keen on the idea, but Mum is ecstatic."
"The time's going to go by so slowly, isn't it?" Tobias asked happily. Suddenly he looked worried. "Oh, I have to do so many things... lets see... where he lives... what it's like there... where exactly his school is..."
Ryuuen, suddenly remembering *why* Tobias was dragging him off to Japan, felt his stomach sink. It must have shown on his face, because Tobias stopped going on about the weather abruptly.
"...Ah," he said. "Ryuu-chan, I... if you really don't want to come..." Tobias trailed off, unsure of how to put what he wanted to say. Ryuuen shook his head, however.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world, Tobias," said Ryuuen. He smiled, but it wasn't his usual sunny grin. "Honestly."
Tobias nodded. There was a long and uncomfortable pause in the conversation. Thinking quickly, he changed the subject. "Uh... how were your exams?"
"I'm still alive, so I guess they were okay," joked Ryuuen. "Anyway, I've finished all mine now. No more school for me!"
"I'll need to hire a new bodyguard," Tobias remarked.
Ryuuen laughed. "What about you?" he asked.
"Fine," answered Tobias. "I have two subjects to go, English and Jap."
"Well, I hope you do well," Ryuuen said. "Good luck."
"I'll need it," said Tobias. "Hey... wasn't that your stop?"
Ryuuen nodded, a smile playing around his lips. "I'm coming to tutor you in Japanese, remember," he said.
Tobias hit his head with a hand. "I forgot... sorry. Ryuu-chan, I do have to warn you, I'm hopeless at Japanese."
"You though Akira was hopeless at English, right?" asked Ryuuen. "... Well, you probably didn't, but he was, anyway. He was pretty good after I'd taught him though!"
"He was fantastic before you taught him. He just became better at English. Anyway, even when he could speak he was rather quiet," mused Tobias. He became lost in memories again and this time Ryuuen didn't bother to bring him back to Earth.
It was a cold day in the grounds of Omi Senior High. Most of the students were performing the usual teenage rituals of 'hanging'. Some were playing baseball against all logic. One, however, was performing a rather unusual activity.
Akira Roberts was fast asleep, snoring happily on an abandoned seat near the music rooms.
"Akira, wake up!" Makoto whispered in his ear. Makoto was Akira's best friend, a rich son of a prominent millionaire who had made it big in the early days of mobile phones.
"Tobias..." muttered Akira. "Aishiteru... but I'm tired..."
Makoto ignored this random babbling, he was used to it. Poking Akira gently, he soon forced the boy awake.
"Please tell me I didn't say anything perverted," Akira pleaded, blue eyes snapping open.
Makoto laughed. "I didn't understand you anyway. Half of it was English."
"Ah... well, can you repeat it?" Akira asked. Makoto nodded, and told Akira what he'd said. "Just as I'd expected..."
"What did you expect, Akira-kun?" Makoto didn't take English, so he didn't understand what his blonde friend had said. "I mean, I know you were talking about him, but..."
Akira snorted. "Of course I was talking about him... what else do I talk about in my sleep?" He translated what he had said into Japanese, and blushed a little. "Uh... I suppose you can guess what it was about..."
Makoto smiled. "It's okay, you really are in love... ah, what does it feel like?" he asked, sighing.
"Like... ask a girl, Makoto, I'm not good at words," Akira said, embarrassed.
"But you're gay!" protested Makoto.
Akira looked annoyed. "You've known me for... about six years, isn't it? Have I ever been good with words?"
Makoto shook his head. "... No," he said, unsure of where to conversation was going.
"And you think that suddenly because I find out I love another guy I'll become a poet?"
"You're right. Sorry," Makoto said. "Akira-kun, you know about me, right?"
Akira laughed. "You mean you and that Houki girl?" he asked. "She's nice and all, but you don't love her, do you?"
"Yes... Hey, Akira, can you keep a secret?" Makoto waited for Akira's nod, the continued. "Uh... to tell you the truth... I... well, there's someone I love already."
"And that would be?"
"Um... he's sweet, and funny, and totally selfless, and he - " Makoto started.
"Wait a second. He, Makoto?" interrupted Akira.
Makoto nodded. "You hardly have any right to judge, Akira."
"I wasn't judging, I was just saying I thought you didn't like dating guys because they were... what was it again?"
"There's too much bias against it," Makoto explained. "But this guy... he's perfect. He's gorgeous too, with this amazing purple hair and pinky brown eyes..."
Akira's jaw dropped. "Ryuuen..." he said. "Chou Ryuuen. I know him. But... hey, Makoto, he's Australian."
"His name! Ryuuen! I'll remember it forever!" Makoto exclaimed. "... he's Australian?"
"You made this guy up?" Akira asked in disbelief. "Or did you see a photo of him somewhere?"
"No... he's weird... I think I made him up, but then I remember something totally about him... come to think of it, his name wasn't Ryuuen. Noriko? Was that it?"
"Noriko's a girl's name, baka," Akira stated.
"Then... he did look like a girl... and he wore dresses... but he was male, I know it," Makoto said.
"You're in love with a crossdresser who you think is probably from your own mind... what did I do to deserve a friend like you... actually, cross that, I know... damn you, Seiryuu," muttered Akira. "Anyway, that's the bell. Back to class, lover-boy."
"Oh, not like you can talk."
*Basically the major Australian airline. It stands for Queensland and Northern Territory Airline Service, I think.
Disclaimer: I flat out refuse to write these anymore. There are only so many ways you can make them funny and I've tried all of them. If you really want to read one, look at the earlier chapters.
Venus, FishyKittie, Skippy, Chibi and Ayatsuriningyo, thank you. I'm glad you like the story.
Tobias had once thought he hated school. After all, he was teased ruthlessly by every faction, even the Computers and Chess Club which had only two members, both suffering major acne and thick tortoiseshell glasses. However, he now knew the truth.
He didn't mind school itself. The building was rather nice, and the lessons were even okay most of the time. Not, it wasn't school Tobias hated. It was the people there.
This thought had occurred to Tobias after one particularly bad day in which sixteen people had referred to him as 'faggot', and one had tried to punch him in the head. He owed Ryuuen for the favour in slamming the year nine into a nice cement wall.
His exams were on and Tobias was as stressed out, as all are students during that time. He spent his days studying. About the only break he had was sleeping. Even Mia was starting to show the strain.
Sitting down at the cold and rather unwelcoming desk, Tobias started his English exam. Only two more to go... he thought to himself.
Tobias stared out the window on the bus home. Mia was staying with Jenna for the day. Tobias supposed they were going shopping with Mia's money which she had gotten for her birthday.
"Tobias?" Ryuuen asked tentatively. "You're in one of your moods again." The rose-eyed boy tapped Tobias on the shoulder gently. He normally liked being with the seventeen year old, but when Tobias was like this he was hard to put up with and it was testing even Ryuuen's patience.
Tobias turned around sharply. "Eh? Oh... sorry Ryuu-chan."
Ryuuen sighed. "That's alright, Tobias," he said. "Hey, have you booked the tickets yet? The holidays are in a few weeks."
"Yes!" Tobias yelled, suddenly animated. "We're going on Qantas* on the eighteenth. That means we'll be spending Christmas in Japan, Ryuu-chan! Aren't you excited?"
The former Suzaku seishi, far too used to Tobias' mood swings, smiled. "Of course," he said. "My father isn't too keen on the idea, but Mum is ecstatic."
"The time's going to go by so slowly, isn't it?" Tobias asked happily. Suddenly he looked worried. "Oh, I have to do so many things... lets see... where he lives... what it's like there... where exactly his school is..."
Ryuuen, suddenly remembering *why* Tobias was dragging him off to Japan, felt his stomach sink. It must have shown on his face, because Tobias stopped going on about the weather abruptly.
"...Ah," he said. "Ryuu-chan, I... if you really don't want to come..." Tobias trailed off, unsure of how to put what he wanted to say. Ryuuen shook his head, however.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world, Tobias," said Ryuuen. He smiled, but it wasn't his usual sunny grin. "Honestly."
Tobias nodded. There was a long and uncomfortable pause in the conversation. Thinking quickly, he changed the subject. "Uh... how were your exams?"
"I'm still alive, so I guess they were okay," joked Ryuuen. "Anyway, I've finished all mine now. No more school for me!"
"I'll need to hire a new bodyguard," Tobias remarked.
Ryuuen laughed. "What about you?" he asked.
"Fine," answered Tobias. "I have two subjects to go, English and Jap."
"Well, I hope you do well," Ryuuen said. "Good luck."
"I'll need it," said Tobias. "Hey... wasn't that your stop?"
Ryuuen nodded, a smile playing around his lips. "I'm coming to tutor you in Japanese, remember," he said.
Tobias hit his head with a hand. "I forgot... sorry. Ryuu-chan, I do have to warn you, I'm hopeless at Japanese."
"You though Akira was hopeless at English, right?" asked Ryuuen. "... Well, you probably didn't, but he was, anyway. He was pretty good after I'd taught him though!"
"He was fantastic before you taught him. He just became better at English. Anyway, even when he could speak he was rather quiet," mused Tobias. He became lost in memories again and this time Ryuuen didn't bother to bring him back to Earth.
It was a cold day in the grounds of Omi Senior High. Most of the students were performing the usual teenage rituals of 'hanging'. Some were playing baseball against all logic. One, however, was performing a rather unusual activity.
Akira Roberts was fast asleep, snoring happily on an abandoned seat near the music rooms.
"Akira, wake up!" Makoto whispered in his ear. Makoto was Akira's best friend, a rich son of a prominent millionaire who had made it big in the early days of mobile phones.
"Tobias..." muttered Akira. "Aishiteru... but I'm tired..."
Makoto ignored this random babbling, he was used to it. Poking Akira gently, he soon forced the boy awake.
"Please tell me I didn't say anything perverted," Akira pleaded, blue eyes snapping open.
Makoto laughed. "I didn't understand you anyway. Half of it was English."
"Ah... well, can you repeat it?" Akira asked. Makoto nodded, and told Akira what he'd said. "Just as I'd expected..."
"What did you expect, Akira-kun?" Makoto didn't take English, so he didn't understand what his blonde friend had said. "I mean, I know you were talking about him, but..."
Akira snorted. "Of course I was talking about him... what else do I talk about in my sleep?" He translated what he had said into Japanese, and blushed a little. "Uh... I suppose you can guess what it was about..."
Makoto smiled. "It's okay, you really are in love... ah, what does it feel like?" he asked, sighing.
"Like... ask a girl, Makoto, I'm not good at words," Akira said, embarrassed.
"But you're gay!" protested Makoto.
Akira looked annoyed. "You've known me for... about six years, isn't it? Have I ever been good with words?"
Makoto shook his head. "... No," he said, unsure of where to conversation was going.
"And you think that suddenly because I find out I love another guy I'll become a poet?"
"You're right. Sorry," Makoto said. "Akira-kun, you know about me, right?"
Akira laughed. "You mean you and that Houki girl?" he asked. "She's nice and all, but you don't love her, do you?"
"Yes... Hey, Akira, can you keep a secret?" Makoto waited for Akira's nod, the continued. "Uh... to tell you the truth... I... well, there's someone I love already."
"And that would be?"
"Um... he's sweet, and funny, and totally selfless, and he - " Makoto started.
"Wait a second. He, Makoto?" interrupted Akira.
Makoto nodded. "You hardly have any right to judge, Akira."
"I wasn't judging, I was just saying I thought you didn't like dating guys because they were... what was it again?"
"There's too much bias against it," Makoto explained. "But this guy... he's perfect. He's gorgeous too, with this amazing purple hair and pinky brown eyes..."
Akira's jaw dropped. "Ryuuen..." he said. "Chou Ryuuen. I know him. But... hey, Makoto, he's Australian."
"His name! Ryuuen! I'll remember it forever!" Makoto exclaimed. "... he's Australian?"
"You made this guy up?" Akira asked in disbelief. "Or did you see a photo of him somewhere?"
"No... he's weird... I think I made him up, but then I remember something totally about him... come to think of it, his name wasn't Ryuuen. Noriko? Was that it?"
"Noriko's a girl's name, baka," Akira stated.
"Then... he did look like a girl... and he wore dresses... but he was male, I know it," Makoto said.
"You're in love with a crossdresser who you think is probably from your own mind... what did I do to deserve a friend like you... actually, cross that, I know... damn you, Seiryuu," muttered Akira. "Anyway, that's the bell. Back to class, lover-boy."
"Oh, not like you can talk."
*Basically the major Australian airline. It stands for Queensland and Northern Territory Airline Service, I think.