Chapter Ten- Daydreams
~*~
"Aah, this is great," Hikou said. He stretched his arms over his head before falling back against the tree. "Finally it's warm an' dry enough for us to stay out here long as we like. I hate being inside."
"Me too," Houjun said with a nod. He joined his friend and sighed. "It's purdy out here."
"Hai. Can't wait till the water gets warm enough."
"Me neither."
Both grinned at the thought of swimming again, then shivered as a gust of cool March air blew on through. Then they returned to relaxing together outside.
"Ne, Houjun?"
"Hai?"
"Didja notice yer Mama's getting fat?"
Houjun gave his friend an offended look. "She's just a little bigger, she ain't fat!"
Hikou put his hands up in defense. "Demo, she's GETTING fat." He ducked a blow from his friend. "Houjun-kun! It's true! Stop hitting me!"
The blue-haired boy stopped after a moment, giving his friend a pout. "She ain't getting fat," he mumbled. "Mama said it's somethin' that happens when people have babies. She says they get all round and stuff to make room for the baby in their stomach."
"I still dun understand why it's in there in th' first place. Did she eat it or somethin'?" Hikou asked.
The two sat there for a while, considering this idea. Then Houjun shook his head. "Nah. Mama wouldn't do that. Sides, it don't make sense; why wouldja want ta eat a baby and let it grow in ya like that?"
"True."
Silence reigned for a good ten or so minutes as the boys let their minds drift, relaxing in the cool air and relishing the idea of being outside by themselves for the first time in a while. Hikou shifted against the tree and crossed his arms, obviously preparing to nap where he was. Houjun lay back on the grass, staring up at the clouds, deep in thought.
Finally, Houjun had to break the silence. "Ne, Hikou-kun?"
"Hai?" came the sleepy reply.
"Have you noticed... somethin' missing?"
"Eh?" Hikou blinked the sleepiness out of his eyes. "Whatcha mean, Houjun-kun?"
"I mean, it's been a while since we've been bugged by Kouran-chan..." Houjun trailed off.
"Hai, ain't it great? Maybe she finally learned we dun want her around and she decided t' act like a girl for once," Hikou said. He grinned and gave a little shrug.
"Yeah, it's nice, demo... it's weird."
"Got too used to having a girl following ya around?" Hikou asked.
Houjun nodded, then shrugged. "I dunno. It's just weird," he repeated. "Like, if we start talking about fun stuff I think she'll show up and make fun of us or tell on us or something. But she doesn't show up. Every time I see her she's out with that Akemi girl, and they always start laughin' when they look at us."
"Girl stuff."
"Hai, demo..." Houjun couldn't find the right words to describe the sense of foreboding he had about the two girls, so he decided to let the matter drop. "Guess you're right." He closed his eyes as a breeze played with his hair. "It's purdy."
Hikou started to laugh. "Ya said that already."
For some reason, both boys laughed at that, and got into a wrestling match. For a good fifteen minutes the pair rolled around, getting covered in dirt, grass stains, and other things. Finally, Hikou pinned his friend on the ground and Houjun couldn't get him off no matter what he tried.
"Surrender, Houjun-kun?" Hikou said, still laughing.
Houjun smirked as he felt a familiar warmth in his leg begin to grow. "Not hardly no da," he replied, and felt a burst of strength.
An instant later, it was Hikou who was pinned.
"Gotcha! Yosh!" Houjun said cheerfully.
"How'd ya do that?" Hikou asked. "That ain't possible."
"I dunno, it just happened," Houjun said, letting his friend up.
"Huh." Hikou shrugged. "Maybe you're doin' that growth sp- sp- that growth thing the grownups talk about."
"Ya mean when ya get real strong and real tall all at once?"
Hikou nodded.
"Demo, I thought Mama said that happened when we were older."
"Maybe we're special."
Houjun felt a swell of pride at the thought of being different, being special. "Hai, maybe. Ne, maybe we're Warriors!" he said suddenly.
"Ya mean the Suzaku Seishi?" Hikou asked, eyes wide and shining.
"Hai, why not? They ain't been found yet," Houjun declared. "Maybe we're two of 'em."
"Yeah, definitely two of us," Hikou agreed. "Cause if I was one, you'd haveta be one or I wouldn't help."
"Aw, Hikou-kun, you're the best."
The two settled down again and started to dream up adventures of being Warriors.
"Maybe I can fly!"
"An' maybe I could pick up really heavy stuff, y'know like houses!"
"Yeah! An' there'd be all these people we'd save! We'd get so rich and people'd know us all over the place!" Hikou's eyes shone.
"Hai, hai! An' we'd get all the food we wanted, and get to dress up all neat. Maybe we'd get as rich as the emperor."
"And then we could have all the honey cakes we wanted." Hikou stared into space dreamily. "And the sweetmeats, and people would have to do everything we told them! Even mean girls like Kouran!"
"Hai, cause she couldn't be a Warrior."
"Iie, no chance!" Hikou was warming up to his subject. "And then we could make her be nice to us, and she'd leave us alone unless we wanted something! Maybe someday we'd actually get servants to give us whatever we wanted, and after we save the world we could just go swimming or something!"
"Hai, no chores ever again!" Houjun grinned at the thought. "No cleaning up, no minding other people..."
"Who knows? It could happen!" Hikou said.
"Ne!" Houjun jumped to his feet and gave a victory sign and a pose. "I am Houjun, Suzaku Seishi!"
"Hai!" Hikou jumped up as well and stood beside his friend. "And I am Hikou, Suzaku Seishi as well!"
"We'll save the world!"
"And we'll get all the honey cakes we want!"
"And no chores!"
"And we'll be rich as the emperor!"
"Haaaai!"
The tree, which they had been sitting under, remained unresponsive and rather unenthusiastic about their declarations. However, the boys didn't seem to mind. They continued on with their games, pretending to save each other from risky situations (falling out of the tree, for example) and other people (they made nearby trees said people).
A little ways away, Yen was walking by with his fishing pole in hand again. He noticed the boys at play and smiled. He was about to walk over and see what they were having so much fun doing when he heard what they were saying. The smile became sad, almost wistful.
"Ah, if only you knew, Houjun-kun," he said. "Then again, maybe you do in a way." He sighed, not able to help but feel proud of Houjun. "My son."
Then he took up his bucket and went on his way to his favorite part of the river.
~*~
I'm sorry for the short chapter, everyone, but I wanted this part to stand out on its own. For one thing, I thought it was rather kawaii and deserved to stand on its own. And for another, the foreshadowing of events to come (Houjun pretending to be a Seishi) seemed important enough to me.
Oh, if you were wondering, Kouran's plans will be coming soon, in the next chapter or so. Keep an eye out for it! ^_~
Anyway, thanks for your time and I hope you enjoyed this. Until next time.
~*~
"Aah, this is great," Hikou said. He stretched his arms over his head before falling back against the tree. "Finally it's warm an' dry enough for us to stay out here long as we like. I hate being inside."
"Me too," Houjun said with a nod. He joined his friend and sighed. "It's purdy out here."
"Hai. Can't wait till the water gets warm enough."
"Me neither."
Both grinned at the thought of swimming again, then shivered as a gust of cool March air blew on through. Then they returned to relaxing together outside.
"Ne, Houjun?"
"Hai?"
"Didja notice yer Mama's getting fat?"
Houjun gave his friend an offended look. "She's just a little bigger, she ain't fat!"
Hikou put his hands up in defense. "Demo, she's GETTING fat." He ducked a blow from his friend. "Houjun-kun! It's true! Stop hitting me!"
The blue-haired boy stopped after a moment, giving his friend a pout. "She ain't getting fat," he mumbled. "Mama said it's somethin' that happens when people have babies. She says they get all round and stuff to make room for the baby in their stomach."
"I still dun understand why it's in there in th' first place. Did she eat it or somethin'?" Hikou asked.
The two sat there for a while, considering this idea. Then Houjun shook his head. "Nah. Mama wouldn't do that. Sides, it don't make sense; why wouldja want ta eat a baby and let it grow in ya like that?"
"True."
Silence reigned for a good ten or so minutes as the boys let their minds drift, relaxing in the cool air and relishing the idea of being outside by themselves for the first time in a while. Hikou shifted against the tree and crossed his arms, obviously preparing to nap where he was. Houjun lay back on the grass, staring up at the clouds, deep in thought.
Finally, Houjun had to break the silence. "Ne, Hikou-kun?"
"Hai?" came the sleepy reply.
"Have you noticed... somethin' missing?"
"Eh?" Hikou blinked the sleepiness out of his eyes. "Whatcha mean, Houjun-kun?"
"I mean, it's been a while since we've been bugged by Kouran-chan..." Houjun trailed off.
"Hai, ain't it great? Maybe she finally learned we dun want her around and she decided t' act like a girl for once," Hikou said. He grinned and gave a little shrug.
"Yeah, it's nice, demo... it's weird."
"Got too used to having a girl following ya around?" Hikou asked.
Houjun nodded, then shrugged. "I dunno. It's just weird," he repeated. "Like, if we start talking about fun stuff I think she'll show up and make fun of us or tell on us or something. But she doesn't show up. Every time I see her she's out with that Akemi girl, and they always start laughin' when they look at us."
"Girl stuff."
"Hai, demo..." Houjun couldn't find the right words to describe the sense of foreboding he had about the two girls, so he decided to let the matter drop. "Guess you're right." He closed his eyes as a breeze played with his hair. "It's purdy."
Hikou started to laugh. "Ya said that already."
For some reason, both boys laughed at that, and got into a wrestling match. For a good fifteen minutes the pair rolled around, getting covered in dirt, grass stains, and other things. Finally, Hikou pinned his friend on the ground and Houjun couldn't get him off no matter what he tried.
"Surrender, Houjun-kun?" Hikou said, still laughing.
Houjun smirked as he felt a familiar warmth in his leg begin to grow. "Not hardly no da," he replied, and felt a burst of strength.
An instant later, it was Hikou who was pinned.
"Gotcha! Yosh!" Houjun said cheerfully.
"How'd ya do that?" Hikou asked. "That ain't possible."
"I dunno, it just happened," Houjun said, letting his friend up.
"Huh." Hikou shrugged. "Maybe you're doin' that growth sp- sp- that growth thing the grownups talk about."
"Ya mean when ya get real strong and real tall all at once?"
Hikou nodded.
"Demo, I thought Mama said that happened when we were older."
"Maybe we're special."
Houjun felt a swell of pride at the thought of being different, being special. "Hai, maybe. Ne, maybe we're Warriors!" he said suddenly.
"Ya mean the Suzaku Seishi?" Hikou asked, eyes wide and shining.
"Hai, why not? They ain't been found yet," Houjun declared. "Maybe we're two of 'em."
"Yeah, definitely two of us," Hikou agreed. "Cause if I was one, you'd haveta be one or I wouldn't help."
"Aw, Hikou-kun, you're the best."
The two settled down again and started to dream up adventures of being Warriors.
"Maybe I can fly!"
"An' maybe I could pick up really heavy stuff, y'know like houses!"
"Yeah! An' there'd be all these people we'd save! We'd get so rich and people'd know us all over the place!" Hikou's eyes shone.
"Hai, hai! An' we'd get all the food we wanted, and get to dress up all neat. Maybe we'd get as rich as the emperor."
"And then we could have all the honey cakes we wanted." Hikou stared into space dreamily. "And the sweetmeats, and people would have to do everything we told them! Even mean girls like Kouran!"
"Hai, cause she couldn't be a Warrior."
"Iie, no chance!" Hikou was warming up to his subject. "And then we could make her be nice to us, and she'd leave us alone unless we wanted something! Maybe someday we'd actually get servants to give us whatever we wanted, and after we save the world we could just go swimming or something!"
"Hai, no chores ever again!" Houjun grinned at the thought. "No cleaning up, no minding other people..."
"Who knows? It could happen!" Hikou said.
"Ne!" Houjun jumped to his feet and gave a victory sign and a pose. "I am Houjun, Suzaku Seishi!"
"Hai!" Hikou jumped up as well and stood beside his friend. "And I am Hikou, Suzaku Seishi as well!"
"We'll save the world!"
"And we'll get all the honey cakes we want!"
"And no chores!"
"And we'll be rich as the emperor!"
"Haaaai!"
The tree, which they had been sitting under, remained unresponsive and rather unenthusiastic about their declarations. However, the boys didn't seem to mind. They continued on with their games, pretending to save each other from risky situations (falling out of the tree, for example) and other people (they made nearby trees said people).
A little ways away, Yen was walking by with his fishing pole in hand again. He noticed the boys at play and smiled. He was about to walk over and see what they were having so much fun doing when he heard what they were saying. The smile became sad, almost wistful.
"Ah, if only you knew, Houjun-kun," he said. "Then again, maybe you do in a way." He sighed, not able to help but feel proud of Houjun. "My son."
Then he took up his bucket and went on his way to his favorite part of the river.
~*~
I'm sorry for the short chapter, everyone, but I wanted this part to stand out on its own. For one thing, I thought it was rather kawaii and deserved to stand on its own. And for another, the foreshadowing of events to come (Houjun pretending to be a Seishi) seemed important enough to me.
Oh, if you were wondering, Kouran's plans will be coming soon, in the next chapter or so. Keep an eye out for it! ^_~
Anyway, thanks for your time and I hope you enjoyed this. Until next time.