Warnings- language
Disclaimer- Minekura owns all that is Kubotoki, in whatever incarnation.
Notes- ^^;;;;; My apologies for the long wait (again). I hope this chapter can in some way make up for it. Big Thanks to J for being the Super-Beta. And Big Thanks to everyone who has stuck through this and left reviews. They're very, very appreciated, as is all future feedback. Thank you very much. ^_^
Stay Here With
Across Platform C – Part 8
It was useless to have the lighter out, since his last cigarette lay crushed into the floor in front of the Principal's office, but Kubota still found himself fidgeting with it. He'd open it, click it until it sparked, then close it. But the repetition did nothing to lighten his mood. Instead, it somehow brought him more down, since every time he sparked it, he was reminded that he had nothing to light.
He leaned against the roof's edge and looked across the school's courtyard. His eyes fell on the bench directly below him. He squinted, but there were no signs of the cigarette he had dropped during lunch.
…Or had been made to drop. He smiled bitterly, remembering. Funny, now seemed so different from back then, and that was just a couple hours ago. Funny…how things change so quickly…
It was as if missing the train that morning had somehow derailed everything from normal to…something else, something completely different, something completely unexpected, something like…
A figure standing on the tracks as the train was bearing down-
He remembered the rush of papers that had blown across the platform in the wake of its arrival. He remembered hearing the second train coming and yelling out to the person he could no longer see, but he knew was still standing. He remembered the other boy's scowling expression as they looked at each other across the tracks.
The other's eyes had held his for one fierce moment, and it felt like…like he was challenging him, like he was standing right there and saying, "Do you wanna mess with me too? Then bring it on!" But he'd said this with only his eyes, and Kubota had wondered if his own responded in the way he'd felt like at that moment. "I do." Followed by "And I will."
But then the other was pulled away into the office, and he suddenly felt all alone on that platform even though the younger boy was still standing nearby, clutching his bag.
And as he stood there, listening to the officer's muffled shouts behind the office door, something was slowly clicking inside, like a lighter trying to ignite. With each paper he picked up off the ground, he could hear it, just click-clicking away. But he didn't really understand at that moment why it was clicking. Nor did he understand why he was stooping over, picking up someone else's bag, and why he walked into that office like he knew what he was doing. All he knew afterwards was that every time their eyes met, whether it was across the station, or out on the field, or in the nurse's office- him in the chair and the other boy sitting on the bed, scowling while still holding Kubota's handkerchief to his face- somewhere inside, he'd heard something click.
And he remembered the down look those eyes took on as the other boy followed the Principal out, as if all the energy they had a moment ago was suddenly gone.
As Kubota had watched him leave, it felt like the train was pulling out, and he wasn't on it. So he did the only thing he could think of. He reached out his hand and tried to stop it.
The other boy's eyes had traveled from his arm where Kubota was holding him, to his face, and they met for one brief moment, and inside, he heard it, the click. Kubota had smiled, and he'd wondered if his own eyes were speaking the words he wanted to say. He gave the arm a gentle squeeze, and he remembered the other boy's look then, a mix of earlier scowl and surprise and…something else.
And when he'd heard the door close, he suddenly felt all alone in that office, even though Matsumoto was standing right there with him.
And as he heard the Principal and the other boy walk down the hall, he understood what that something else, that something completely different, that something completely unexpected was.
I want you to stay. I want you to stay here.
And he heard something click-click inside, and then felt that unmistakable rush of flame igniting.
And he ran for that train, and somehow he managed to get on and stop it. But in the end, he hadn't done it alone.
He remembered Matsumoto's words. You owe me now...
He leaned further off the roof's edge and looked down at the cigarette he knew was there, but out of sight, and he wondered how much more things were going to change. How much did he owe Matsumoto now for his moment when he suddenly believed he could stop a speeding train?
He sighed, and as the air came out, it hardened into a laugh, and he stood there, staring down and laughing at everything that he had lost that day. Because it was not just one, not just two cigarettes, but also what freedom he had from the whims of the student council and their treasurer. His hand went to his pocket, and he laughed more. He had also lost his handkerchief.
Although he couldn't count that. It had been a gift after all.
He breathed back in, and the roof returned to its normal quiet. He looked around, and its peace somehow settled him in a way that reflection never succeeded at.
Because in the end, after everything, he still had his roof.
At least here, he could get away from the teachers, the students, and the council. He looked down at his lighter and slid his fingers softly across the top, but instead of opening it again, he just slipped it deep into his pocket, where it would be silent. Because here, there was a calm that could quiet all noise, even the ones on the inside that he couldn't explain.
He tapped the roof's edge with his finger.
"Well, at least this hasn't chang-"
His finger stopped in mid-tap as the door to the roof suddenly flew open. Kubota turned and looked back.
And somewhere inside, he heard something click.
-----
Tokitoh had already stormed through the door and was halfway across the roof when he realized suddenly that he was not the only one there. With his head bent down, he noticed the shadow first, and then looking up, saw the person attached to it. A familiar face squinted back at him.
Damn it! Can't he be alone anywhere? He rubbed his nose on his sleeve and then remembered how wet his face must look. He turned away and wiped his eyes. Shit, he must look like such a baby. Why's he got to be here and see this?
"You following me or something?" he asked, still looking away from Kubota.
"I don't think you can say that to someone who was here first," the other boy replied coolly. He leaned against the roof's edge and folded his arms across his chest.
"…Well," Tokitoh searched for any comeback. "If you came here to be all alone again, it's too bad 'cause I ain't leaving." And to add weight to his statement, he walked over to the edge of the roof and sat down on the ground. He sniffed and absently wiped his face with his sleeve again. He glanced sideways to see Kubota still looking at him.
"Shit, do something else, will ya?" he mumbled and dropped his head on his knees, covering it with his arms. Maybe if he just didn't see the other boy, he could fool himself into thinking he was alone, and that no one was looking at him like this.
A long minute passed where neither of them moved, and for a moment, Tokitoh almost could imagine that he was alone. With his eyes closed, all he could hear was the wind and his own breathing. His heart had been beating fast ever since he had left the bathroom, and he took slow breaths to try to calm it. But even as his mind started to clear up, his heart didn't slow down. It almost hurt, it beat so fast, and when he closed his eyes, more tears squeezed out, ones he didn't even know were there. He rubbed his face on his knees, smearing his cheeks and dampening his pants.
He wished the other boy would just leave, just go away and leave him alone. That's why he came up here, right? To be left alone?
Or to not fuck anything more up, said a voice inside his head. You're really good at that. At least here you can't mess up anyone else but yourself.
You go away too, he told his inside voice. I don't need you either.
He heard a scraping noise, and then the feel of the wind lessoned a bit on his left side. He peeked up to see Kubota's long figure now sitting next to him. He was looking away from Tokitoh and to across the roof. His lips twitched, as if they wanted something between them. And maybe because they seemed to want something, it was Kubota who spoke first.
"So, since the rest of the class isn't sitting here with you…shall I assume you're skipping?"
He swallowed. "What's it to you if I am?"
"Nothing. Just curious. Last time I saw you, you were heading in a different direction. So, I'm just…curious," he repeated.
"…You gonna report me now?"
"If you want me to, I guess I can. Would be a little silly though, since I would have to report myself too." Kubota leaned his head against the wall and waved his hand in the air. "Excuse me, Principal. While I was outside on the roof and not in class, I saw HIM outside and also not in class. Can you see my dilemma?"
Tokitoh did see it, but he didn't respond. Instead, he just kept his head down. After a moment, Kubota continued.
"So, I guess we'll just have to either report each other or…not say anything at all. Personally, I'm for the second choice since I've had my fill of the Principal's office for today." He nudged Tokitoh's arm. "My guess would be that you probably have too."
At his touch, Tokitoh pulled instantly back. He sat up then and suddenly didn't care what his face looked like. What Kubota had said set him off in a way he couldn't explain. "You don't know anything about me! You don't know what I want!"
Kubota just looked back at him with an eyebrow raised. "So…you haven't had your fill of the Principal's office today?"
"No! I mean- Yes! I mean-" Tokitoh squeezed his hands into fists as he tried to grasp at what he wanted to say. So much of that day was hitting him all over again- the train station, the fight, the nurse's office, the principal's…
"You can't guess what I want…" He clenched and reclenched his fists. "You don't know me. You don't know anything about me. Anything!"
With that out there, he dropped his head back down. He heard Kubota breathe slowly out, and then he spoke.
"You're right. I don't know you."
"You don't." Tokitoh repeated.
"I don't," he replied.
"So why do you…" He looked up. "Why do you keep helping me and stuff? Like today and everything? Why did you do that? You don't know me. So why the hell did you do all that stuff?"
Kubota chewed on his lip for a moment, thinking. "…I guess I did it…for the same reason that I think you did it."
"What are you talking about? Did what?"
"Well," he turned, facing him fully. "Why did you do everything today? Why did you jump in front of the train? Why did you go and stop that fight?"
Tokitoh was confused. Why was he bringing that up again? Hadn't he told him this already?
"I did it because- I just couldn't…"
"-not do it." Kubota finished his sentence. "It's the same for me. You asked why I helped you? It's because…I just did. No deep answer after that. Pretty boring, huh?"
Tokitoh rested his cheek on his knees and thought about what he had said. "But what about the stuff you do because…because you think you're helping someone, but then you just mess things up more? What about that?"
"What about it?"
"It's just- it's messed up!" He found himself yelling, and on the empty roof, it seemed so loud.
"Well, if you knew the outcome wouldn't be good, would you stop what you were doing?"
"Yeah, wouldn't you?"
"Dunno. Can't tell the future so I never think about things like that."
"Then, why did you ask me?"
"Because it seems like that's what you're saying. That you did something, and something bad happened, and now you regret it. Is that right?"
Tokitoh's eyes widened. How did he guess that? He turned away from Kubota. "You don't know anything."
"So, I'm wrong?"
"Yeah…you're wrong. You're so wrong." He ducked his head down and looked at his feet. "But…"
"…But?"
"But isn't it…messed up?"
"What? Me being wrong? Bound to happen sometime." Kubota laughed, a low sound in his throat.
"Nah, I mean, you doing something for someone, and it just makes things worse. It's messed up, right?"
"It's not perfect." Kubota nodded. "But what's important sometimes is not the outcomes but your intentions. You know?"
Tokitoh shook his head. Kubota continued.
"For instance- The outcome from this morning was that the officer caught you. Your intention, and correct me if I'm wrong because as you said, I don't know anything, is that you wanted to help out that kid. Yes?"
He nodded slowly. "Yeah."
"And today during the fight, the outcome was that you got hit." Kubota reached out and held his finger just over Tokitoh's nose. "And got in trouble with Takahata. But the intention was to help Sato out. Do you see? The outcomes weren't good, yes, but the intentions- the intentions weren't bad."
Tokitoh sat back and puffed out his cheeks. "But…" He closed his eyes. He couldn't believe he was going to talk about this, but Kubota's easy manner made him want to just tell him everything, even the things he just wanted to forget. "You know that kid this morning, from the station. I thought I was helping him, right? But then, like today, because of what I did, he got beat up. Really bad. And it's my fault because if I hadn't stopped those guys, it wouldn't have happened. But now…now it's really bad."
"And that's your fault?"
"Well, yeah. They did it to him because they were mad at me! But I wasn't there and he was!"
"So…are you saying that if you knew that was going to happen, that you would have just stood there with everyone else and not done anything while he got beaten up?"
Tokitoh swallowed and looked away. He thought back to the station, and to the bully holding the other boy up by his shirt, about to throw down his fist. He thought about how angry he was at that time, and how before he knew it, the trash bin was already on the floor, the cans spilling out across the platform. Everyone's eyes were on him, but his were only on the boys by the tracks. Without even thinking, he had moved.
But remembering the other boy's beaten face in the bathroom, he wished he had taken a second to think things over. Maybe one second would have helped him out more than him just diving in there.
"Maybe…maybe if I knew what was gonna happen. I mean, I didn't do anything for him, but fuck things up more, right?"
Kubota sat there silent for a moment and then slowly stood up. "Yeah, I don't really believe you would have stopped. Even if you knew what was going to happen."
Tokitoh looked up at him. "What the hell does that mean?"
"It means." Kubota spoke as he lifted one leg and climbed up on the roof's edge. "I don't think you can stop yourself. I think that's your way. You act because at that moment, you think it's the right thing." He stood up, and from his point on the edge, towered over Tokitoh. "But like you said, I don't know you, so I could be wrong."
Tokitoh got up from the ground. "What the hell are you doing?"
"You see, even if I don't know you, I still have theories, based on past experience from today." Kubota held up his arms, balancing himself. The roof's edge gave him enough room where both his feet could stand side by side together. "And my theory is that no matter what, you will act. Because you have to."
"What the- get the hell down from there!" Tokitoh shouted.
Kubota smiled at him. "Why do you care about what I do?"
"I don't. It's just- it's- you could fall!"
"So? Isn't that my choice?" He took a few steps to the side, still holding his arms out. "But what if," and he said this as he lifted one leg slowly in the air. "What if I did this, and I tripped? What would you do?"
Tokitoh just looked back at him with wide eyes. "What are you talking about?"
"Would you come up here and help me? Try to save me?"
He was speechless. This guy was nuts! He reached out and grabbed the edge of the roof with his hands. He was ready to jump up there just so he could knock him down and shut him up.
"But what if you getting up here," Kubota continued, "made things worse? Made me nervous. Made me more clumsy." He started to move the foot he held in the air. "But since you don't know the future, you don't know what will happen. So what will you do? Will you just stand there and look at me? Or will you come up here and try to help me?"
He gripped the edge tightly with his fingers and felt the concrete dig into his skin. His eyes were on Kubota's foot still high in the air. For a second, he looked down at the ground, four stories below them.
"…You are so fucking crazy," he said.
"Maybe so. But I don't think that will stop you." Kubota lifted his leg up higher. "Will you stand there and prove me wrong?"
Tokitoh just stared back at him. He was being dared to act one way or another. Either get up or shut up. He pursed his lips. Well, he wasn't going to play this stupid game.
"Go to hell." He turned and started to walk away.
"Well, that's a new one." He heard from behind him. "Leaving. Always an interesting choice. Now you can say you had no control over anything, because you weren't here to watch or stop. Good plan."
He kept walking, his anger building with each step to the door.
Shut up already! What the hell do you know? You're fucking crazy!
But I don't think that will stop you…
Yeah, it will! I'm not gonna go up and play your stupid-ass form of chicken. I don't need to prove anything to you!
"It was nice knowing you!" Kubota called out behind him. "Feel free to step over my body when you leave school today!"
His hand was on the knob of the door, and he gripped it so hard, it hurt. He could so turn away from this. He didn't have to do anything. This was just a stupid game to this guy. He threw open the door. Just a stupid game.
A strong gust of wind suddenly hit his back, and even though his mind screamed at him to not turn around, he couldn't help himself. He looked back. Kubota, teetering a little on one leg, waved at him and smiled.
He stopped and blinked, and something struck him hard inside. It was the way Kubota smiled…there was something strange…something familiar about it…something…
He gripped the knob, and went through his memory. It was back when…his arm…Kubota was holding it, and he was smiling like that…back at the nurse's office.
Kubota kept waving, but the movement affected his balance and for a second, he faltered.
Tokitoh sucked in his breath and took a step towards him, but the other boy caught his balance and steadied himself. He looked up, and their eyes met.
It hit him in flash, another memory, further back, from that morning when Kubota stood on one side of the platform, and he stood on the other. It was the same look then, with that same indescribable smile.
His fingers tightened on the knob, and he looked at the steps that led down into the school.
He remembered back before he saw Kubota, when he was just staring at the tracks and at the other boy's bag that lay across them.
Because…
Standing there on the roof, he was far away from any station, but somewhere, he heard the unmistakable sound of a train, and it was coming closer.
Because I just can't…
The sound of it seemed to surround him, confuse him, almost blind him. He remembered staring up at the faces as the train passed right in front of him, right where he was standing a moment ago. He was shaking so hard that it took everything to keep standing. And somewhere in that noise, he heard a voice.
Would you come up here and help me? Try to save me?
And with that signal, he jumped.
Because I just can not…not do it…
Another strong gust of wind, and the door slammed shut, but he was already gone.
His hands barely touched the edge of the roof as he jumped, and then he was standing and facing the other boy. He spread his feet apart sideways and brought up his fists.
"Don't think this means you know me," he yelled. "Because you don't!"
Kubota just smiled in response and brought his leg down. He then raised his own fists up. "I guess we'll just see about that, won't we?"
----
Kubota had to hand it to him. Even when he had him pegged, Tokitoh still did what he had predicted in a way he never thought would happen.
Maybe that's part of the fun of it all. That unexpected part of his expected nature. It was like you knew that a storm was coming, and you could even predict when the first drops would fall, but you had no idea how hard or how long.
Kubota, his fists raised, smiled at him. Tokitoh only glared back. They stood there motionless for several moments. He could feel the wind suddenly pick up. He looked down at the ground below and wondered how much longer before last period would end.
"I admit that this is interesting, but now what do we do?" he asked. "We stay up here too long, and someone's going to notice."
"That's your problem," Tokitoh shot back.
"Really? Then may I ask what your problem is this fine afternoon?"
"I'm looking at him." He took a careful step forward, closing their distance. "Your ass is gonna be so down there in a second," he waved his fist towards the floor of the roof. "That you're gonna wish you never got up this morning."
"Huh? You see, I would think it would be that if my ass was down there," Kubota nodded towards the courtyard below, "I would really wish I never got up this morning."
Tokitoh didn't laugh at his joke, but instead took another step closer. He was watching his feet intently, and Kubota glanced down. "Something on my shoes?"
"You stand really funny for a guy who doesn't want to fall." Tokitoh waved a fist at him. "Spread your feet out more."
"Are you giving me tips now? That's very sporting of you."
"Nah, just if we're doing this, we're doing this for real." He took another step closer. "None of this pussy-ass shit they teach us in gym. First one hit gets off. And I don't think I gotta tell ya to throw towards this way." He nodded towards the roof. "You got it?"
"Crystal clear." He spread his feet further apart and lowered his knees. This way they were almost at eye level with him just a little higher.
They bobbed a little bit then, watching each other's hands, feet, and eyes. Kubota noticed that Tokitoh bit his lip when he was concentrating, and squinted one eye more than the other. He wondered in the back of his mind which habits he was displaying at that moment. He moved one hand back to push up his glasses, and he noticed Tokitoh's left foot lift.
He moved his upper body back and spread his arms out to keep his balance as Tokitoh's fist met the air right in front of him. He took a breath in and prepared for the next move, but he realized then that part of the other boy's skill was his rebound speed. He had barely regained balance when Tokitoh's fist came down again.
He bent his knees and ducked, and it went over him. He reached forward, aiming for the other's legs, and for a second, he felt the fabric of his pants under his knuckles, but Tokitoh just bounced back a few paces, grabbing the roof's edge with his hand to steady himself.
Kubota took a slow breath and stood up. "You're really fast."
Tokitoh just wiped his nose on his sleeve. "Yeah, well…you're can dodge pretty good for a tall guy."
"They teach us that in tall guy school. Otherwise we hit every low tree limb." He smiled, and beckoned him with his hand. "Come on. Or have you lost your nerve already?"
His answer was first a low kick to his knees, and as he dodged it, then a fist towards his middle. He held his arm out, blocking, and the impact of it sent Tokitoh back, his steps faltering. Kubota started to reach out to catch him, but the other boy was able to straighten out and began again to bob on his feet.
"Thought you lost it there for a second."
"I didn't lose anything!"
"Oh, so was that dance," and Kubota mimicked the other boy catching his balance by throwing his arms out and waving them around, "Simply for my benefit?" He rather liked the red tint Tokitoh's face was taking on.
The other boy didn't seem as pleased though. "…Damn, do you talk through everything?"
"Not everything. I'm very quiet in the bathroom."
Tokitoh grimaced and took a step closer. "Just…shut up or get down."
"Why, is me talking make you nervous? Finding it hard to concentrate?" Kubota matched his steps, first back and then forward. He then looked down and took a wide step back. Keeping his eyes on Tokitoh, he bent his knee more, and then suddenly it gave out.
"No, it's just that I'm TIRED of listening to- shit!" Tokitoh dove forward, his hands out to grab him. He never noticed Kubota's smile.
Kubota's other knee fell on the edge, steadying him and he brought his arms up, catching the other boy. Tokitoh looked up at him, wide-eyed.
"Got you." Kubota winked and then threw him off the edge onto the floor of the roof.
Tokitoh lay there stunned for a few seconds and then looked up at him. Kubota smiled back and stood up, dusting off his knees.
"…That was a dirty trick," Tokitoh muttered, slowly getting up. "I thought you were gonna…"
"Fall? I know. That's why I did it." He folded his arms across his chest. "Because I knew that you would help if you thought I needed it."
Tokitoh just glared back at him and rubbed his sleeve across his face. 'Still…that's not cool."
"Really?" Kubota cocked his head to the side. "Because I think what would be not cool would be you not trying to help. So why don't you just stop worrying about the outcomes all the time and remember that your intentions were still good. You know, start working along the lines of 'it's the thoughts that counts'. And that's much better than a lot of other people who would never even think about moving towards me right now, let alone jump up here. Do you understand?"
Tokitoh just looked back at him and nodded slowly. "…yeah…but what do we do when the outcomes aren't good? We can't just sit around and say 'this sucks'."
We…huh? That's a good question. Kubota looked up and thought. He was playing this by the moment, and the other boy was giving him this look like he suddenly had all the answers. "I guess…we just keep going until things get-"
His words were suddenly cut off as a strong gust of wind came in from the east, blowing off the building. His eyes widened as he felt himself forced back. He started to move his arms out, but it was too late. He felt the wind pushing him, and at his back, he felt nothing but air, and to his slow realization, that was all that was under his feet, air.
As his eyes moved up to the sky, one thought struck him.
I wasn't expected this…
And he fell.
-----
He came to one sense at time. First he saw the clouds above him, and the sunlight that was peeking out from behind them. Then he felt the weight on his chest. Then he heard breathing…followed by swearing.
"Fuckin' A!" The voice was strained and cracking in at a higher pitch. Kubota moved his head and looked down to see Tokitoh splayed out on top of him and looking very angry.
"Hello?" he asked. Tokitoh glared back at him and slid off. He looked away, but Kubota caught the slight pink tinge his cheeks had taken on.
"Well…that was exciting," he ventured. "Wasn't expecting that to happen. Good thing you're so fast otherwise I really would have-"
Tokitoh didn't let him finish. "You bastard!" he yelled, starting to throw his fists down on him. "You stupid fucking bastard! What the hell were you thinking? Were you trying to get killed? Were you trying to get me killed? You- you- asshole!" He dropped his punches one after another. None of them were really hard, but Kubota brought his arms out to block anyways.
"Hey, hey, you're beating up someone with glasses on. Some EC member you are." He joked.
"Glasses my ass!" was his answer back. "Did your stupid glasses see what almost happened?"
"Yes, they did." He nodded and grabbed Tokitoh's hands. "So, can I say this one thing before you hit me again?"
The other boy stopped, partly because he was making him. Kubota could feel his arms shake underneath his grip. Tokitoh's breathing was hard and rushed, but he swallowed and waited for Kubota to go on.
"I just wanted to say that…" And he brought his face closer so they were only a few breathes apart. "…That I still won because I hit you first."
Kubota wished he had a camera to capture the other boy's expression then. It was the perfect mixture of wide-eyed surprise and confusion, and then anger. "You so did not win!" He launched himself forward again, and Kubota, laughing, covered his face with his hands, but both boys stopped as the sound of the bell rang through the school.
Tokitoh, his hands still in the air above him, turned back to the building. "Hey…is that-"
"-the last bell." Kubota sighed and got up. "Day's finally over." He looked down to see Tokitoh still sitting. "So are we done here? Or do you want to stay and yell at me some more?"
The other boy remained silent for a moment, looking at his hands. "…Let's go," he finally said. He went to lift himself off the ground when something moved into his field of vision. He looked up to see Kubota extending his hand out to him.
"Then let's go then." He smiled. Tokitoh just eyed him and his hand with a look of suspicion. "What? I'm not going to hit you. I won, remember?"
"You didn't win!" He grabbed Kubota's hand and allowed himself to be pulled up.
"Oh, yes I did." They started towards the door. Even from the roof, they could hear the noise of the students spilling outside down below.
"Then best two out of three!" Tokitoh countered as he grabbed for the door. He turned to see Kubota looking back at him. "…What?"
"Two out of three, huh?"
"Yeah. Then we'd really know who'd won." Tokitoh raised his fist up as if to solidify the deal.
Kubota looked from him and then to the roof's edge. A part of him could still feel the wind on his back when he was falling for that one brief moment, when all around him was air. Then suddenly, something else, something stronger then gravity, had pulled him down. It was a feeling as startling as him hitting the floor of the roof, as unexpected as the weight on top of him that followed. Something completely totally unexpected-
And then he heard something click.
His head whipped back, and he saw Tokitoh holding something in his hands. It was a small red lighter, and he clicked it until a flame burst forth. He looked at it for a moment before closing it and then held it out to him. "This is yours, right?"
"…Yeah." Kubota felt around in his pocket. It was gone.
"I think it came out when you fell." Tokitoh made to pass it to him and then stopped. "Wait. You're not getting this back."
"Excuse me?"
"Not until we rematch." The other boy smiled at the idea and pocketed the lighter. "Best two out of three gets it."
"…Well, shouldn't I hold it now since I won the first time?"
"You didn't win!" Tokitoh waved at him and opened the door. As he started to walk down the stairs, he stopped and gave a backwards glance. "You comin' or what?"
Kubota just shook his head. Once again, he was left surprised. He was getting used to it though. "Coming."
With his hand on the knob, he gave one last look over the roof. The wind was still strong, and he felt it blow passed him and into the school. He glanced up at the sky and at the sun that was just breaking through the clouds.
"Two out of three, huh?" He laughed. "We'll see about that."
"Are you coming?" He heard from down the stairs.
He raised his eyebrows at the sky and shrugged. Some things did pull harder than gravity. He closed the door and heard it click shut. And then he followed the voice back down into the school.
----
Neither of them had agreed aloud to walk together back to the station. It was just their natural direction, and they went with it. Tokitoh complained about their homework along the way, and Kubota listened, only stopping at a cigarette machine to buy another pack.
They rode the train back to the station where they had met that morning. It was filled with other students returning from school, and they stood along with crowd, Kubota's head high above them, and Tokitoh's just poking up.
"This is our stop," Kubota pushed forward, making a path towards the door. He didn't need to turn to know that the other boy was following him. They spilled out onto the platform and then watched as the train pulled back out. They stood there, quiet as the rest of its former passengers began to mill up the stairs.
"…I got to switch to another train," Tokitoh started.
"Yeah, well, this is my stop actually." Kubota said. They again remained standing.
"…I guess I'll…see you tomorrow then." Tokitoh offered.
"Yes. Tomorrow." He nodded.
"Well…bye." The other boy gave him a small wave and started to pass him towards the stairs. As Kubota watched him leave, he didn't even notice that his arm had moved.
Tokitoh looked down to see Kubota's hand on his sleeve. His eyes went up, and they met for one silent moment.
Finally. "…You have a light?"
"Huh?"
Kubota let go and reached his hand into his pocket, bringing out his pack of cigarettes. "I believe you have something that could help me out here."
Tokitoh looked down and then back up. "As if!" He scowled, and punched Kubota's arm. "The person who wins in the end is gonna be the one who gets this!"
Kubota shrugged in response. "Guess I'll just have to spend a hundred yen to buy another." He saw the other boy's face fall a little at that. "I mean, until we see who the real winner is."
Tokitoh's face brightened then, and Kubota couldn't help it. He smiled back.
"You bet your ass we'll see." He beamed and headed to the stairs towards the other platforms. Kubota turned and went in the opposite direction towards the exit. Just as his foot hit the first stair, a shout stopped him.
"Hey, Kubo-chan!"
He turned, his eyebrows raised. He saw Tokitoh standing at the opposite end of the platform. He was smiling and waving at him.
"That's to get back at you from this morning!" he shouted and then pointed. Kubota looked and then spotted the officer, the one that had pulled Tokitoh into the office earlier. He was glaring at them both from the other side of the tracks. Kubota held his hand up and waved, and the officer's expression darkened in response.
"See you tomorrow, Kubo-chan!" Tokitoh yelled and then ran up the stairs. Kubota watched until the last view of his sneakers were out of sight.
His eyebrows still up, he started on his own way home.
"I wasn't expecting that…" he murmured. But then again, that seemed to be the theme for the day, and from the sound of it, for tomorrow too.
But that didn't sound too bad though, just like his new name. "Kubo-chan…huh?"
A part of him couldn't wait to see Matsumoto's face when he would hear that one, and something told him he was going to very soon.
But that didn't sound too bad.
He left the station and headed down the street towards his building. Thinking about the treasurer, he realized one thing that Matsumoto would be happy about it. He probably wouldn't miss anymore morning meetings since it seems now that his new theme was going to make him get up earlier. A part of him mourned the loss of his extra hour of sleep, but then he shrugged and smiled to himself.
Because suddenly, getting to school on time didn't sound too bad either.
He fingered the pack of cigarettes he still hadn't opened yet.
Because after all…he did have a lighter to win back.
^^ - This ends Across Platform C. The next arc is Boys over Summer, where the Executive Committee realizes that their plans for the school culture festival have changed considerably, and Kubota finds a new roommate. Until next time. ^_^