Ch. 3: Realizations
It happened so fast that he couldn't explain it himself. It was like last year was
yesterday, when he was still happy and carefree and didn't worry about his feelings. They
didn't really show, but he let them out, once in a while. Now, he had to self-control
himself. It was hard, now. Youji had moved out, but they had remained close; Youji's
apartment was in his complex. It was hard not to miss him when he was passing his apartment
downstairs, or upstairs. In fact, it was impossible at all to do anything without Youji
noticing. It was almost like they were still living in the Koneko No Sume Ie. They were
still close friends, but Ken was exasperated in the way Youji seemed to tag wherever he was
going to go. It took a lot of pleading and persuasion to get the blonde out of his
business, but Youji usually took the hint and left matters alone when they needed to be
dropped. It had been more than half a year...and Youji still hadn't dropped Tamiko yet.
They were still going out, as far as the blonde was concerned, but Ken was starting to get
anxious. It was not a matter of if he was in love with Youji or not; it was a matter if he
could keep this masquerade up for any more time without Youji finding out, and hurting him
more than it would than if they had just been going out for only a week. He didn't want to
hurt his former WeiB comrade more than he had to.
Just a year ago, he mused. Just a year ago, I was happy and free and full of
life, without a care in the world. And now I'm desperately in love with a guy I used to
work with, a guy who I treat as a friend outwardly, but I know that our relationship has
changed, now that my outlook on him has changed as well. It's ironic...how he got me, hook,
line, and sinker. He really is a playboy.
No, this love was different. When he was in Yuriko, thinking he was in love, it had
been playful, almost happy, not really serious. This was different; Youji meant what he
said. He was teasing, but he was committed to the girl he was with. And as long as he or
the girl didn't give him a reason to dump him/dump her, he kept the girl. The blonde teased
both Ken and Tamiko when had the chance, but Youji was never really teasing. He meant
words, but Ken found he had to read the lines to find out what they really meant.
Confusing, but Youji really did love Tamiko. He himself had never seen Youji stick with one
person for that long, but it had been more than a year, a very fast-paced soccer-filled
world the world of Hidaka Ken, and the slow, relaxing, quietly comforting world he knew as
Tachibana Tamiko. It was a mind-portal that whirled and revolved as Tamiko, whose core was
her love, Kudou Youji. And now, he assured himself with a sinking feeling in his stomach,
he had fallen for Youji, but he faced the facts as well: it was doomed relationship from the
start.
It had gone too far. Youji never, never pushed Tamiko for anything, and perhaps he
had even sensed that this relationship was only for a little while, that this girl he had
been going out with for over a year was hiding something, but he didn't push it. He never
did. But he would have to tell the blonde soon, somehow, some lame way or the other, and
when he did, he knew he would regret it. A person inside of him would die, the shy,
submissive Tachibana Tamiko, the soft side of him he showed at night when he wasn't working.
It was the side of him that he didn't show, at least not when he was the handsome goalie
on the field, concentrating on the black-and-white soccer ball that tried to make its way
past him and bounce off the net behind. He and Tamiko were 2 separate entities in one body,
one a girl, one a boy. But somehow, they existed together, the creation of the same mind,
in the same body. But Tamiko would soon be dead, gone...there was nothing to be done about
it. Everyday, he told himself to walk up and tell Youji, but he was always afraid, always
afraid that he might lose Youji's long-lasting friendship and Youji's love, all in a few
words.
But it was not to be, as Ken would find out as they strode briskly towards their old
flower shop, Kitten in the House. He walked a few steps behind, not able to keep up with
the long, lanky figure of his blonde former comrade-in-arms. The door was swung open in his
face, causing him to take a step back, but as he frowned in the lack of manners, he
realized the door was still being held open by a concerned-looking Youji. He walked in, and
looked at the counter, where Nagi was sitting, half-floating, half-sitting perched on the
counter where Omi used to be. He smiled, if a little wistfully, almost expecting to see the
youngest member of WeiB bounce out of nowhere and ask how their day was. He cast his
glance behind the Japanese boy and saw, with unspoken disbelief, the almost hidden figure of
Brad Crawford, clad in an apron and pruning a potted plant. Nagi caught his eye for a
moment, and a smile uplifted the corners of the younger boy's mouth, just for a moment,
before setting back into their usual sober expression. A glance to the back saw Schuldich,
bombarded by girls and trying to get a pot off the shelf without falling down and smashing
the pot. He snickered as Youji glided towards the gaggle of girls, and watched as they
crowded towards the older man, now. Schuldich caught the blonde's eye, and grinned an "I-
owe-you-one" look, and took the pot safely off the shelf. He finally got it to Nagi, who
recognized and detached the girl who bought it in the first place out of the crowd around
Youji, and practically threw her out the door. Ken chuckled at this, remembering that they
had done the same thing, once. He looked past Youji and the enormous throng of girls, past
the table on the left, and froze as his eyes locked on a familiar-looking character near the
door.
No, he could hear Tamiko sigh in defeat. No...
A red mop of hair with 2 eartails hanging down, a long earring on the left ear,
white complexion that reminded him of porcelain...it was unmistakably Ran. Or Aya. It
didn't matter now, whether he told Youji or not. He didn't need to be reminded of the fact
that Youji and Aya/Ran...they had been together for that time, barely a year, but he hadn't
been in love with Youji then. He had almost envied them, having an anchor that they were
secure to, something that they could hang onto. But it had all ended when Ran had left,
just when Manx had told them to disband. Somehow, he had gotten the news earlier. That
day, they had opened the Koneko alone, just like before Ran had joined WeiB, and they were
doing it again. Of course, Ran's absence was marked by many of the customers that came into
the shop, but we broke the news to the customers. There would be no more Koneko No Sume
Ie. This news did not bother them as much as the fact that Ran had left. They waited,
waiting, waited even when Schwartz had come and started running the shop, but he never came.
Ken knew that even though Youji was dating him as Tamiko, he was still waiting, waiting
for Ran. And it hurt him, now that Ran had come back. Now Youji could never fully be his,
since Ran was back. Youji would not have forgotten their relationship. It was all over
now, no need to explain, no need to say anything now. At the thought, the color drained
from his face, and he could see that Youji had seen Ran as well, a strangely calm but
stricken look on his face.
As if in a dream, he absentmindedly excused himself from the rest of the girls (that
immediately crowded around Schuldich again), and walked over to Ken. The soccer player
looked up at the blazing tumult of emotions that hid behind the green eyes, and he almost
felt that he needed to do something. But he didn't, for then he saw hope in Youji's eyes,
and dared not make a move. He couldn't let Youji suspect, not now. He was sure, absolutely
sure, that that day was the day he would tell Youji. But the timing was wrong. He
couldn't tell Youji now; the older man was in a state of emotional pain. He could only look
from a distance.
The whole day they were there, the 2 avoided each other like the plague. Not even
when Nagi broke a pot and Schuldich stomped on the flowers and Youji and Crawford staged a
debate did they even murmur a greeting. They avoided all eye contact and didn't speak at
each other at all. It was as if they had turned invisible to each other, Ran and Youji.
Close speculation showed that Ran was more open, more open armed, more inviting. He even
chuckled when the debate was over, but it didn't last. The smile didn't last, nor did the
smile that uplifted Youji's face and Ken's spirits last. Nothing did. But just as he was
wondering if the redhead and Youji's love lasted, the answer was about to come.
Ran looked up, met Youji's eyes briefly, then swiftly took off the apron, put down
the shears, and walked to the back room. After a moment, Ken watched as Youji followed in a
trance-like state. He looked around, almost as if he were looking for a set of
instructions on what to do, and was met by 3 sets of eyes, one blue, one brown, one green.
All of them, somehow, knew his position, and they urged him to go. He needed no second
bidding before he walked as quietly into the back room, following at a distance.
At the top of the stairs, he paused, then walked to his old room. It wasn't empty,
even now, being the guest room if the need arose to have a room for a guest. He walked to
the bed and sat down. After a little while, he just lay down with his feet over the edge to
not get the bed dirty. He knew the walls were thin, but he could hear nothing in any of
the other rooms. Then, as if he were finally determined to do something, he opened the
door, and walked into the hall. One by one, he checked the rooms, and found no one.
Finally, at the end of the last one, he found Schuldich leaning on the handle of the
staircase, his face perfectly serious for once, and pointed to a door in the side of the
wall. It wasn't a room, and it wasn't a storage closet. It was the stairs to the roof.
For a moment Ken wondered why they would be up on the roof, but Schuldich, still solemn,
said quite firmly, "You do want to catch what they're saying, so hurry up."
Again, Ken needed no second bidding. He opened the door quietly, and tapped his way
up the stairs. He opened the door to the top silently, when a gust of wind almost blew it
back shut and lock in inside, but he reversed the lock, and held it until the gust stopped.
He opened the door, peeked around, and almost yelped. Aya and Youji were standing just on
the other side of the door, leaning on the box-like shape. He quickly turned and went back
in the door, closed it firmly, then backed down a few steps in the darkness. Putting an ear
to the wall, he waited.
It was a long time before Youji broke the silence between them, as he usually did.
His words were soft and pained. Ken could almost imagine the face as he spoke, stony,
impassive, but a mixture of love and anger inside. It made him feel almost relieved it
wasn't him.
"So it's over, isn't it?", came the soft voice that Ken loved.
"Aa", came the almost immediate answer from the redhead.
Ken almost sobbed with relief. Maybe, Tamiko's heart sang. Maybe there's a
chance...maybe he still loves me... But he squashed the thought as he turned his back to
the wall, his hands against the wood, and he closed his eyes. The relief washed over him,
but he knew that he could be relieved at home. He stumbled half-blinded down the stairs and
tumbled out the door. He was steadied by 3 pairs of willing hands, and he looked up to see
Schwartz, minus Farfello. He gave a weak smile, murmured something about leaving early
before Youji did, and practically fell down the stairs in his haste to get back to his
apartment. Vaguely he could feel 3 pairs of different colored eyes watching him with a hint
of amusement, but he didn't care. He burst through the crowds, muttering apologies left
and right, but he didn't care for the moment. All he could feel was Tamiko, crowing "I
still have a chance!" at the top of her lungs. He crashed into his bed once he was in his
apartment, and whether it was the bed or the couch he didn't care. Exhausted but riding at
the top of the world, he began to yell at the top of his lungs the words Tamiko couldn't
say, and was rewarded by the lasting echo around the house.
"I have a chance!"
* * *
He watched out of the window again, the smoke in his face, making a hazy screen to
the window. It was raining, no, pouring. Night had fallen a long time ago, but he didn't
care. His gaze searched and scoured the street below, watching, but nothing came. A soft,
almost inaudible sob of regret and pain crumpled what was left of his composture. He was
also thinking, but though it was partly on his roommate, concerned, but mostly on what had
been what he thought the evening would be like, versus what actually happened.
He had had a date. Not just any date, but a date with a girl he had been dating for
over a year. The most fascinating girl he had ever met, a girl who didn't giggle, who
didn't gawk at him, who showed hidden defiance in her eyes, somewhat familiar, but the most
strange and exciting he had ever seen. She was practically his, but somehow, he had known
that it wouldn't last. But while it did last, he wanted to enjoy, at the very least. But
she hadn't come that evening. Whether she planned it, or even bothered calling him after
this was her own choice. He wouldn't push it. She had her life, and this was not the first
time he had been dumped. But I gave my heart and soul into this, his mind protested.
He didn't move from the seat. Not until Ken came back. Then he would stop his
sobbing, look up, smile, and ask how the mission went. The brunette had been paired up with
Ran for the mission, which he could tell Ken was uncomfortable with. No one would be
comfortable with a comrade who just left in the middle of nothing and suddenly appeared
again. He couldn't blame Ken for that. But Ran...he had his reasons, as he realized as
they had stood, unspeaking towards each other on the roof of the Koneko No Sume Ie. No, Ran
had his reasons. He wouldn't push that issue either. It had nothing to do with Aya-chan,
he was sure. Aya-chan had been safe the whole time, as he had made sure, and he had been
more than willing to do such a favor for Ran, trying to hold onto the hope that Ran might
still love him. But the feeling slipped from his fingers, and he fell out of love. Ran had
been gone too long. He had started dating Tamiko, and found that Tamiko fit him more than
any Aya/Ran ever would. He had sensed the hesitation in Ran's voice, the quaver in his
voice as he said the confirming "Aa" that answered his statement with finalty. He couldn't
do anything now. He knew that the decision would hurt both Ran and him, but he realized it
was for the best. There was nothing else to be done. Love was over, time to close the
book, no second glances.
A muffled thump crashed against the door behind him for a moment, but he didn't need
any time before wire was coiled loosely in his hand, the end in his right hand, ready to
fling it. Another thump came, harder at the door this time, but he didn't release it; it
could be Ken, being beaten up. He would wait for the door to slam over. The 3rd thump
brought the door off its hinges and slamming against the carpet, and a dripping Aya -no, Ran
-walked in, a sodden bundle that matched his red hair plastered to his head in his arms.
The wire was gone in an instant, and he went forward and helped the bundle in his old
comrade's arms into the couch. All animosity was forgotten for a moment as they arranged
the bundle, now identifiable as a body, into a good position on the couch. Long brown hair
prevented him from seeing the face, but he could tell it was a girl. Ran glanced at him for
a moment, and he returned the look, and then the silence was back between them. The redhead
parted the hair, and wiped the face of makeup with a wet sleeve. Then he stepped back, not
saying anything and letting his former comrade register who it was.
"Tamiko!"
Grimly, he shot another glance from the blonde back to the brunette at the couch,
then lifted the wig from the head carefully. Shock registered on the blonde's face for a
moment, and he realized just WHY Tamiko seemed so familiar. He stepped back, and the
redhead laid a heavy hand on his shoulder, understanding every emotion that raced behind the
disbelieving green eyes. For a moment, he almost pitied and admired Youji for his
steadfast-ness, the ability to stand on his 2 feet in such a crisis.
"No, Youji", he said after a moment. "Not Tamiko. Ken."
Youji could only stare in shock at the sodden, limp figure of the couch, and wonder
what other secrets Ken hid from the rest of the world.
/ \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \
Author's note:
Finally done! I love this chapter...it seems my inspiration has come back. Keeps
you thinking, I think...I'm tired from all the graduating festivities at school, so I'm dead
tired. Still, I find time for this, because summer is here, and school's out. I'll write
more later. I'm already planning the next part of this multi-series, featuring a new
character that I haven't thought a name of yet. Any ideas, anyone?
Andrea Weiling
It happened so fast that he couldn't explain it himself. It was like last year was
yesterday, when he was still happy and carefree and didn't worry about his feelings. They
didn't really show, but he let them out, once in a while. Now, he had to self-control
himself. It was hard, now. Youji had moved out, but they had remained close; Youji's
apartment was in his complex. It was hard not to miss him when he was passing his apartment
downstairs, or upstairs. In fact, it was impossible at all to do anything without Youji
noticing. It was almost like they were still living in the Koneko No Sume Ie. They were
still close friends, but Ken was exasperated in the way Youji seemed to tag wherever he was
going to go. It took a lot of pleading and persuasion to get the blonde out of his
business, but Youji usually took the hint and left matters alone when they needed to be
dropped. It had been more than half a year...and Youji still hadn't dropped Tamiko yet.
They were still going out, as far as the blonde was concerned, but Ken was starting to get
anxious. It was not a matter of if he was in love with Youji or not; it was a matter if he
could keep this masquerade up for any more time without Youji finding out, and hurting him
more than it would than if they had just been going out for only a week. He didn't want to
hurt his former WeiB comrade more than he had to.
Just a year ago, he mused. Just a year ago, I was happy and free and full of
life, without a care in the world. And now I'm desperately in love with a guy I used to
work with, a guy who I treat as a friend outwardly, but I know that our relationship has
changed, now that my outlook on him has changed as well. It's ironic...how he got me, hook,
line, and sinker. He really is a playboy.
No, this love was different. When he was in Yuriko, thinking he was in love, it had
been playful, almost happy, not really serious. This was different; Youji meant what he
said. He was teasing, but he was committed to the girl he was with. And as long as he or
the girl didn't give him a reason to dump him/dump her, he kept the girl. The blonde teased
both Ken and Tamiko when had the chance, but Youji was never really teasing. He meant
words, but Ken found he had to read the lines to find out what they really meant.
Confusing, but Youji really did love Tamiko. He himself had never seen Youji stick with one
person for that long, but it had been more than a year, a very fast-paced soccer-filled
world the world of Hidaka Ken, and the slow, relaxing, quietly comforting world he knew as
Tachibana Tamiko. It was a mind-portal that whirled and revolved as Tamiko, whose core was
her love, Kudou Youji. And now, he assured himself with a sinking feeling in his stomach,
he had fallen for Youji, but he faced the facts as well: it was doomed relationship from the
start.
It had gone too far. Youji never, never pushed Tamiko for anything, and perhaps he
had even sensed that this relationship was only for a little while, that this girl he had
been going out with for over a year was hiding something, but he didn't push it. He never
did. But he would have to tell the blonde soon, somehow, some lame way or the other, and
when he did, he knew he would regret it. A person inside of him would die, the shy,
submissive Tachibana Tamiko, the soft side of him he showed at night when he wasn't working.
It was the side of him that he didn't show, at least not when he was the handsome goalie
on the field, concentrating on the black-and-white soccer ball that tried to make its way
past him and bounce off the net behind. He and Tamiko were 2 separate entities in one body,
one a girl, one a boy. But somehow, they existed together, the creation of the same mind,
in the same body. But Tamiko would soon be dead, gone...there was nothing to be done about
it. Everyday, he told himself to walk up and tell Youji, but he was always afraid, always
afraid that he might lose Youji's long-lasting friendship and Youji's love, all in a few
words.
But it was not to be, as Ken would find out as they strode briskly towards their old
flower shop, Kitten in the House. He walked a few steps behind, not able to keep up with
the long, lanky figure of his blonde former comrade-in-arms. The door was swung open in his
face, causing him to take a step back, but as he frowned in the lack of manners, he
realized the door was still being held open by a concerned-looking Youji. He walked in, and
looked at the counter, where Nagi was sitting, half-floating, half-sitting perched on the
counter where Omi used to be. He smiled, if a little wistfully, almost expecting to see the
youngest member of WeiB bounce out of nowhere and ask how their day was. He cast his
glance behind the Japanese boy and saw, with unspoken disbelief, the almost hidden figure of
Brad Crawford, clad in an apron and pruning a potted plant. Nagi caught his eye for a
moment, and a smile uplifted the corners of the younger boy's mouth, just for a moment,
before setting back into their usual sober expression. A glance to the back saw Schuldich,
bombarded by girls and trying to get a pot off the shelf without falling down and smashing
the pot. He snickered as Youji glided towards the gaggle of girls, and watched as they
crowded towards the older man, now. Schuldich caught the blonde's eye, and grinned an "I-
owe-you-one" look, and took the pot safely off the shelf. He finally got it to Nagi, who
recognized and detached the girl who bought it in the first place out of the crowd around
Youji, and practically threw her out the door. Ken chuckled at this, remembering that they
had done the same thing, once. He looked past Youji and the enormous throng of girls, past
the table on the left, and froze as his eyes locked on a familiar-looking character near the
door.
No, he could hear Tamiko sigh in defeat. No...
A red mop of hair with 2 eartails hanging down, a long earring on the left ear,
white complexion that reminded him of porcelain...it was unmistakably Ran. Or Aya. It
didn't matter now, whether he told Youji or not. He didn't need to be reminded of the fact
that Youji and Aya/Ran...they had been together for that time, barely a year, but he hadn't
been in love with Youji then. He had almost envied them, having an anchor that they were
secure to, something that they could hang onto. But it had all ended when Ran had left,
just when Manx had told them to disband. Somehow, he had gotten the news earlier. That
day, they had opened the Koneko alone, just like before Ran had joined WeiB, and they were
doing it again. Of course, Ran's absence was marked by many of the customers that came into
the shop, but we broke the news to the customers. There would be no more Koneko No Sume
Ie. This news did not bother them as much as the fact that Ran had left. They waited,
waiting, waited even when Schwartz had come and started running the shop, but he never came.
Ken knew that even though Youji was dating him as Tamiko, he was still waiting, waiting
for Ran. And it hurt him, now that Ran had come back. Now Youji could never fully be his,
since Ran was back. Youji would not have forgotten their relationship. It was all over
now, no need to explain, no need to say anything now. At the thought, the color drained
from his face, and he could see that Youji had seen Ran as well, a strangely calm but
stricken look on his face.
As if in a dream, he absentmindedly excused himself from the rest of the girls (that
immediately crowded around Schuldich again), and walked over to Ken. The soccer player
looked up at the blazing tumult of emotions that hid behind the green eyes, and he almost
felt that he needed to do something. But he didn't, for then he saw hope in Youji's eyes,
and dared not make a move. He couldn't let Youji suspect, not now. He was sure, absolutely
sure, that that day was the day he would tell Youji. But the timing was wrong. He
couldn't tell Youji now; the older man was in a state of emotional pain. He could only look
from a distance.
The whole day they were there, the 2 avoided each other like the plague. Not even
when Nagi broke a pot and Schuldich stomped on the flowers and Youji and Crawford staged a
debate did they even murmur a greeting. They avoided all eye contact and didn't speak at
each other at all. It was as if they had turned invisible to each other, Ran and Youji.
Close speculation showed that Ran was more open, more open armed, more inviting. He even
chuckled when the debate was over, but it didn't last. The smile didn't last, nor did the
smile that uplifted Youji's face and Ken's spirits last. Nothing did. But just as he was
wondering if the redhead and Youji's love lasted, the answer was about to come.
Ran looked up, met Youji's eyes briefly, then swiftly took off the apron, put down
the shears, and walked to the back room. After a moment, Ken watched as Youji followed in a
trance-like state. He looked around, almost as if he were looking for a set of
instructions on what to do, and was met by 3 sets of eyes, one blue, one brown, one green.
All of them, somehow, knew his position, and they urged him to go. He needed no second
bidding before he walked as quietly into the back room, following at a distance.
At the top of the stairs, he paused, then walked to his old room. It wasn't empty,
even now, being the guest room if the need arose to have a room for a guest. He walked to
the bed and sat down. After a little while, he just lay down with his feet over the edge to
not get the bed dirty. He knew the walls were thin, but he could hear nothing in any of
the other rooms. Then, as if he were finally determined to do something, he opened the
door, and walked into the hall. One by one, he checked the rooms, and found no one.
Finally, at the end of the last one, he found Schuldich leaning on the handle of the
staircase, his face perfectly serious for once, and pointed to a door in the side of the
wall. It wasn't a room, and it wasn't a storage closet. It was the stairs to the roof.
For a moment Ken wondered why they would be up on the roof, but Schuldich, still solemn,
said quite firmly, "You do want to catch what they're saying, so hurry up."
Again, Ken needed no second bidding. He opened the door quietly, and tapped his way
up the stairs. He opened the door to the top silently, when a gust of wind almost blew it
back shut and lock in inside, but he reversed the lock, and held it until the gust stopped.
He opened the door, peeked around, and almost yelped. Aya and Youji were standing just on
the other side of the door, leaning on the box-like shape. He quickly turned and went back
in the door, closed it firmly, then backed down a few steps in the darkness. Putting an ear
to the wall, he waited.
It was a long time before Youji broke the silence between them, as he usually did.
His words were soft and pained. Ken could almost imagine the face as he spoke, stony,
impassive, but a mixture of love and anger inside. It made him feel almost relieved it
wasn't him.
"So it's over, isn't it?", came the soft voice that Ken loved.
"Aa", came the almost immediate answer from the redhead.
Ken almost sobbed with relief. Maybe, Tamiko's heart sang. Maybe there's a
chance...maybe he still loves me... But he squashed the thought as he turned his back to
the wall, his hands against the wood, and he closed his eyes. The relief washed over him,
but he knew that he could be relieved at home. He stumbled half-blinded down the stairs and
tumbled out the door. He was steadied by 3 pairs of willing hands, and he looked up to see
Schwartz, minus Farfello. He gave a weak smile, murmured something about leaving early
before Youji did, and practically fell down the stairs in his haste to get back to his
apartment. Vaguely he could feel 3 pairs of different colored eyes watching him with a hint
of amusement, but he didn't care. He burst through the crowds, muttering apologies left
and right, but he didn't care for the moment. All he could feel was Tamiko, crowing "I
still have a chance!" at the top of her lungs. He crashed into his bed once he was in his
apartment, and whether it was the bed or the couch he didn't care. Exhausted but riding at
the top of the world, he began to yell at the top of his lungs the words Tamiko couldn't
say, and was rewarded by the lasting echo around the house.
"I have a chance!"
* * *
He watched out of the window again, the smoke in his face, making a hazy screen to
the window. It was raining, no, pouring. Night had fallen a long time ago, but he didn't
care. His gaze searched and scoured the street below, watching, but nothing came. A soft,
almost inaudible sob of regret and pain crumpled what was left of his composture. He was
also thinking, but though it was partly on his roommate, concerned, but mostly on what had
been what he thought the evening would be like, versus what actually happened.
He had had a date. Not just any date, but a date with a girl he had been dating for
over a year. The most fascinating girl he had ever met, a girl who didn't giggle, who
didn't gawk at him, who showed hidden defiance in her eyes, somewhat familiar, but the most
strange and exciting he had ever seen. She was practically his, but somehow, he had known
that it wouldn't last. But while it did last, he wanted to enjoy, at the very least. But
she hadn't come that evening. Whether she planned it, or even bothered calling him after
this was her own choice. He wouldn't push it. She had her life, and this was not the first
time he had been dumped. But I gave my heart and soul into this, his mind protested.
He didn't move from the seat. Not until Ken came back. Then he would stop his
sobbing, look up, smile, and ask how the mission went. The brunette had been paired up with
Ran for the mission, which he could tell Ken was uncomfortable with. No one would be
comfortable with a comrade who just left in the middle of nothing and suddenly appeared
again. He couldn't blame Ken for that. But Ran...he had his reasons, as he realized as
they had stood, unspeaking towards each other on the roof of the Koneko No Sume Ie. No, Ran
had his reasons. He wouldn't push that issue either. It had nothing to do with Aya-chan,
he was sure. Aya-chan had been safe the whole time, as he had made sure, and he had been
more than willing to do such a favor for Ran, trying to hold onto the hope that Ran might
still love him. But the feeling slipped from his fingers, and he fell out of love. Ran had
been gone too long. He had started dating Tamiko, and found that Tamiko fit him more than
any Aya/Ran ever would. He had sensed the hesitation in Ran's voice, the quaver in his
voice as he said the confirming "Aa" that answered his statement with finalty. He couldn't
do anything now. He knew that the decision would hurt both Ran and him, but he realized it
was for the best. There was nothing else to be done. Love was over, time to close the
book, no second glances.
A muffled thump crashed against the door behind him for a moment, but he didn't need
any time before wire was coiled loosely in his hand, the end in his right hand, ready to
fling it. Another thump came, harder at the door this time, but he didn't release it; it
could be Ken, being beaten up. He would wait for the door to slam over. The 3rd thump
brought the door off its hinges and slamming against the carpet, and a dripping Aya -no, Ran
-walked in, a sodden bundle that matched his red hair plastered to his head in his arms.
The wire was gone in an instant, and he went forward and helped the bundle in his old
comrade's arms into the couch. All animosity was forgotten for a moment as they arranged
the bundle, now identifiable as a body, into a good position on the couch. Long brown hair
prevented him from seeing the face, but he could tell it was a girl. Ran glanced at him for
a moment, and he returned the look, and then the silence was back between them. The redhead
parted the hair, and wiped the face of makeup with a wet sleeve. Then he stepped back, not
saying anything and letting his former comrade register who it was.
"Tamiko!"
Grimly, he shot another glance from the blonde back to the brunette at the couch,
then lifted the wig from the head carefully. Shock registered on the blonde's face for a
moment, and he realized just WHY Tamiko seemed so familiar. He stepped back, and the
redhead laid a heavy hand on his shoulder, understanding every emotion that raced behind the
disbelieving green eyes. For a moment, he almost pitied and admired Youji for his
steadfast-ness, the ability to stand on his 2 feet in such a crisis.
"No, Youji", he said after a moment. "Not Tamiko. Ken."
Youji could only stare in shock at the sodden, limp figure of the couch, and wonder
what other secrets Ken hid from the rest of the world.
/ \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \
Author's note:
Finally done! I love this chapter...it seems my inspiration has come back. Keeps
you thinking, I think...I'm tired from all the graduating festivities at school, so I'm dead
tired. Still, I find time for this, because summer is here, and school's out. I'll write
more later. I'm already planning the next part of this multi-series, featuring a new
character that I haven't thought a name of yet. Any ideas, anyone?
Andrea Weiling