So, how does Miaka know Ryuuen from the second grade? Easy! She went to the same elementary school as him, but not the same middle school, then the same high school! Miaka didn't really remember him from her childhood, but he remembered her when they met in high school, and of course, by then it seemed to Miaka like he had a big fluorescent sign above him proclaiming, "SEISHI SEISHI SEISHI!"
I just made that up right now. :P
Brownie Points:
Athena: 5
Shadow@ngel: 5
Sarri-chan: 5
Nen-chan: 5
yanagi-shuku: 8
Lys: 10 imaginary points, because I luv ya ~^;
Kourin was studying quadratic equations ~^ But that's algebra, so that answer was fine, too. Eheh. The song was "1/3 True Feelings" from Rurouni Kenshin.
Disclaimer(s): I /still/ don't own Fushigi Yuugi, and this is getting rather redundant. I also don't own... umm... baseball. Though that's up for debate.
Warning(s): Internal commotion, weird dreams, cafeteria food, shy freshman, and eventual shounen-ai. But not yet.
This Time Around
[Chapter Three: In Which Kouji Talks to a Girl]
Kourin and Gen-chan were merciful; the next day at lunch, they didn't mention my little melting episode to the others -- even if Kourin did keep giving me this "Ahaha, I'm a matchmaker" look.
After Kourin had uttered her little anecdote and Gen-chan had finished laughing his stupid head off, they had assured me -- with much winking and nudging -- that they wouldn't tell anyone that, as Gen-chan so eloquently put it, "Our little Ryuu-chan fancies the fuckin pants off Mr. I-have-a-Ferrari Pretty-boy Saihitei Seishuku."
At which point I turned about seven shades of red and informed him I don't fancy the pants off anyone, thankyouverymuch.
"But you have to agree that he's absolutely gorgeous, ne, Niichan?" Kourin said, smiling. I mumbled indistinctly. My mind was whirling.
Gaahh, Ryuuen! Stop acting like giggly school girl! Yes, he's gorgeous and nice, but that doesn't mean you have to melt into the carpet!
But he's... he's...
He's what?
I don't know. But he's something. And he's gorgeous.
You're hopeless.
I know.
"Hellooo? Earth to Ryuuen?" Gen-chan was waving a hand in front of my face. Apparently, I had spaced out. I decided to put my internal commotion on hold.
"Er," I said intelligently.
Kourin latched herself around my waist, giggling. "Don't worry, Niichan. I won't tell Saihitei-sempai you think he's gorgeous."
"I don't--"
"Oh, yes you damn well do." Gen-chan rolled his eyes. I stuck my tongue out at him.
"Fine," I admitted, exasperated. "He's gorgeous. Happy?"
"Yes!" Kourin chirped, pecking my cheek and bouncing upstairs. "Don't worry; it'll be our little secret!" she called over her shoulder. I flopped onto the couch with a sigh.
"Three can keep a secret," I admonished to a sniggering Gen-chan, "if two of them are dead."
Ahaha. Right. Knowing them, they'd come back and haunt me.
Gen-chan burst out laughing. "You're a fuckin piece of work, Ryuu-chan, you know that?" He sat on the couch next to me. I leaned against him fondly.
"But you love me anyway." I grinned at him.
"Keep thinking that," he said gruffly, but then reached over and hugged me in a rare moment of sappiness. Gen-chan really is a very sensitive person, he just chooses to ignore that facet of his personality most of the time. It's actually rather cute.
I wonder if Saihitei is sappy, some inane corner of my brain wondered.
I giggled, and he pinched my cheek. "Aww! Widdle Ryuu-chan's got a crush! He's a fuckin big boy now!"
I had been overtaken by a mad fit of giggling.
Now, though, we were gathered around our table in the cafeteria and, aside from Kourin's Looks, I was leading a relatively normal day. Miaka and Taka were sitting across from me, making lovey-dovey faces between bites. Kourin was scrutinizing her math homework. Genrou was facedown on the table, either sleeping or agonizing about whatever class he had next. Kouji wasn't anywhere in sight -- no, scratch that: he was near a corner table talking animatedly with Kaen, a pretty girl I knew from Biology last year.
So, we were all eating/sleeping/studying in companionable silence, when Kourin-chan said, "I had a weird dream last night."
Gen-chan turned his head, looking mildly interested. I detached myself from my food. My mind automatically recalled her dream of me dying, so I was mildly worried. It couldn't have been that bad, though; Kourin didn't seem distraught at all.
In sharp contrast to Gen-chan's and my rather subdued reaction, however, Miaka and Taka snapped up from their quiet conversation. Miaka even dropped her fork onto her tray.
Whoah. What the heck is up with them?
Gen-chan looked similarly confused, but we didn't pry; Miaka was already pressing Kourin for information about her dream.
"Well..." My imouto looked thoughtful. "There was this really weird guy with a head like a potato chip."
"Really?" asked Miaka excitedly. "Was he--" But Taka cut her off with a hand over her mouth.
"Let the girl finish her story, Miaka-chan," he said, a note of amusement in his voice. Miaka giggled and nodded.
Kourin rolled her eyes at them. "Anyway, I think Pringle-head and Taka-san were bartering, but I don't know what kind of money they were using -- I couldn't really understand it. But they were bartering over Miaka-san, so I was confused."
Taka laughed. "Don't worry. I don't think I would really sell my Miaka-chan. Some things are priceless."
Miaka kissed his cheek. "Aww, you're so thoughtful."
But Kourin was eyeing Taka strangely. "That's exactly what the Taka-san in my dream said," she told him. "Miaka-san got really mad 'cause she thought Taka-san was gonna sell her, and socked Pringle-head. Then Taka-san beat a bunch of guys up and said what you just said. About pricelessness and everything.
"I was watching everything. But it wasn't really me, so I couldn't go help you. I think Niichan was there, but I'm not sure. 'Sides, if he was there, he would've helped you." She paused. "Taka-san had really cool clothes. Like from ancient China or something. But Miaka-san looked normal."
Miaka and Taka laughed, as if there had been a joke that no one else understood. "That's cool, Kourin-chan," Miaka said, grinning a little too much.
I never got to find out exactly what was cool about it, though, as at that moment I heard a a very quiet "Anou...". I turned around to find a boy standing rather uncomfortably behind me.
He had chestnut-brown hair that hung raggedly, brushing the tops of his shoulders. A large, faded green sweatshirt hung loosely over his torso, the sleeves falling over his hands and hiding them from view. He was pale. The dark circles under his eyes seemed painfully prominent.
"Um... Are you Ryuuen Chou?" he asked shyly.
Oh! I realized. This must be the kid Ms. Capizzi was talking about. What was his name again? Er...
"I'm Doukun Ou," he continued even more hesitantly, if that were possible.
Oh. Right. That was it.
I summoned a large grin and stuck out a hand. "Nice to meetcha!" I practically bubbled, then mentally kicked myself. Yeah, lets make him think you're some kind of hyper freak. That will really go over well with the teachers.
The poor kid looked slightly taken aback by my enthusiastic response. A pale hand emerged from his overly large shirt and barely brushed mine. He cleared his throat.
"Um... You're supposed to tutor me, right?"
"That's the plan," I replied. "In sociology, right?"
A confused expression crossed his face. "Ms. Capizzi said it was for history..."
I blinked. Okay then, whatever he says. I guessed it didn't really matter. "Well, that's all good too," I told him.
Doukun shifted uncomfortably. "Actually... If you don't want to tutor me, it would be okay, because I'm sure you have better things to do and it would probably be a waste of time anyway." He said all this very fast, then looked away and walked quickly toward the cafeteria doors.
I turned back to the table to meet several bemused expressions.
"Er... Who was that?" Miaka asked, eyes wide.
I shook my head to clear it. "Some kid I'm supposed to tutor. Apparently he's... very... shy."
Miaka bounced in her seat. "Well, go after him! Poor child looks like he could use some friends!" Kourin nodded, her eyes wide. I don't think she'd ever seen anyone except Gen-chan that unkempt before.
"Right-o," I agreed, and hurried to catch Doukun -- a successful endeavor that was stopped for only a second as I passed Kouji and he grabbed me to tell me that our second baseman had broken his ankle. I shrugged him off, but mentally added "have a nervous quasi-breakdown" to my agenda for today.
"Doukun!" I called to the retreating figure's back as I slipped out of the cafeteria. He paused, and turned sheepishly towards me. I strolled up to stand next to him. "What was that all about, eh?"
"Well, I- I just thought you might--" He stammered.
"Might nothing," I cut in, dropping a friendly arm around his shoulders, noting with concealed shock how thin and bony they were. "Tell you what. Meet me by the flagpole after school and we'll got to my place and work on that history stuff."
Doukun looked up at me, surprised. "Um," he said, brows furrowing. "I'm supposed to come straight home--"
"You can call your house with my phone," I told him. "Okay?" I smiled. He returned the expression, albeit somewhat nervously.
"Okay."
I grinned at him. "Right. See you then!" He nodded and wandered vaguely toward the library.
What a weird kid, my brain said. He's so... something. And painfully shy. Why am I doing this again?
But something in me was telling me that there was something about this kid, and because of that something, I had to help him. I wanted to help him.
Gahhh.
I returned to our table, where Kouji had finally decided to take his designated seat. As I approached, I could hear Gen-chan spazzing out.
"Whaddaya fuckin mean Kou broke his ankle?!" he was roaring. "What in hell possessed him to do something that goddamn stupid?!"
"It's a broken ankle, Gen-chan," I said exasperatedly as I took my seat. "I don't think he really had much choice in the matter."
"It was still a fuckin stupid thing to do!"
Kouji nodded emphatically. "And Shun has two fuckin broken fingers and sprained wrist. I think he got in a fight or some shit like that."
"Gaahhh!" Gen-chan slammed his forehead on the table, moaning, "We're fucking doooomed!" Kouji heaved a sigh and followed his example.
"Niichan," Kourin piped up beside me, "I'm going to Reirei's after school, 'kay? We have a science project."
"'Kay." I poked Genrou. "Taka's driving me home today."
Taka looked at me. "I am?'
"Yep," I chirped. "Me and Doukun. The kid I'm tutoring," I added at their confused looks.
"Okay. But no--"
"--food or drink. I know." I giggled and rolled my eyes. I poked Gen-chan again.
He made a noise. I took it as "Sure, whatever you say."
-------
Sure enough, that afternoon when the last bell rang, I found Doukun perched precariously on the bench under our school's flagpole. He clutched a pile of books to his chest, looking around nervously.
I gave Gen-chan one last "Be nice" Look, and he rolled his eyes.
"Oi! Doukun!" I called, and his head snapped around to look at us. He hastily stood up and made his way over to us.
"Um..." he said.
"C'mon!" I said, barely containing the bubbliness them always tries to overtake me when I'm talking to shy people. "Taka doesn't like to wait." I pulled him in the general direction of the student parking lot.
"Um..." he said.
"This is Gen-chan. Er, Genrou." I amended. Gen-chan gave a fangy grin. Doukun looked faintly afraid, and I couldn't help but giggle. "Don't worry. He's fairly harmless."
Genrou looked slightly wounded. "Gee, thanks," he said.
"You are, and you know it."
Doukun made a noise that could have been a cough or a giggle. "It's very nice to meet you, Genrou-san."
Gen-chan ruffled his hair. "Feeling's fuckin mutual. Anyway, there's Kouji. We're gonna go visit Kou an' Shun, ask'em when they're gonna fuckin heal."
I laughed. "Okay. See you!" I called as he ran off. Taka waved at us from his car, and we hurried over. Doukun climbed in the back and I slid into the passenger seat.
"Onward!" I commanded. Taka did a double take at Doukun, looked mildly satisfied for some unfathomable reason, and fired up the engine.
Akai ito Karamatte iru / Achikochi de tsunagatte 'ru ne
O-tagai ga tsuyoku Hippatte / Motsureru ayatsuri-ningyou
[We're tangled in a red ribbon / Joined together here and there
Pulling hard at each other / Entangled puppets]
[End Chapter Three]
Let me just say that the plotbunnies were being very elusive while I was writing this chapter. Bahh, humbug. This chapter wouldn't have been posted so soon, but I'm sick today and had nothing better to do than type. Wheee. Oh. And the Dixie Chicks have officially become my background music when I'm writing this fic.
Brownie points to people who know the lyrics, of course. And to those who can tell me who originally said Ryuuen's "Three can keep a secret" line. Also, points to people who make particularly intelligent comments. :P
The Making of Chapter Three:
Lys: "I was still a fuckin stupid thing to do!"
Lys: 'It' dearest darling dear
B-chan: LOL
B-chan: ^^;;
B-chan: Okay
Lys: ^_^
B-chan: fixed that :P
Lys: Then it's all good love
B-chan: Whee, fun stuff
Lys: ...But I think you missed a "Lys is the most cool and incredible person in the world" in there somewhere
B-chan: Ah! I /knew/ there was something missing! ~^
Many reviews makes B-chan a happy writer.