ISSHO NI - Together
Chapter 1: The Invitation
It was cold one night; the wind blew hard and shook the leaves of the trees. Little branches of trees nearby tapped into the window of Kikuchi's room. Kikuchi tossed and turned in his bed as he couldn't get to sleep. After several times of trying to sleep, Kikuchi gave up and stood up instead. He walked over to his computer and turned it on. After wearing his glasses that he often put in his side table, he took one of the books that were piled up on his desk, walked back to his computer, and sat down on the chair. Not bothering to turn on the lights in his room, Kikuchi turned the chair around, not facing the monitor. Only the light from the computer and the lamp made the place a little bright. Facing his computer, he connected to the internet He was already online in a matter of seconds and Kikuchi decided to check his e-mail messages. As Kikuchi looked back at the monitor, he was surprised to see 52 unread e-mail messages. Kikuchi sighed and began to read one by one. Most of them were from his old friends, sending him chain messages. He deleted them one by one after taking a quick glance at the subjects. After the first 10, he got bored and decided to just delete them all at the same time. As he was about to delete all of them, one message caught his eye and he quickly opened it. It was from his old classmate, Murai Kunio. It was sent the day before, he quietly read the message.
'Kikuchi, as soon as you read this, call me ASAP, ok? It's important.' The message ended there.
Kikuchi checked the time; it was past 11 in the evening but he thought that Murai was definitely still awake. He snatched the phone and dialed Murai's number. As the phone rang, he thought, asking himself why he still memorized Murai's phone number. Kikuchi seldom called Murai, that, was as he recalled. The phone continued on ringing, and finally, "hello?" Murai's voice answered.
"Murai? This is Kikuchi. I..."
"Kikuchi? Ha Ha! It's been so long since I last talked to you!" Murai cut in, shouting loudly, which forced Kikuchi to move the phone away from his ear.
Kikuchi frowned, "uh... You don't sound sleepy..."
"Eh? Why would I? It's still early!" Murai replied with the same sound.
"Okay, okay... Just do me one favor... keep your voice down!" Kikuchi told Murai right into the speaker.
"Fine! So Kikuchi, how's life?" Murai asked.
Kikuchi responded, "Pretty good. I'm accepted in every university I took an entrance examination from."
"Heh, just like Kanzaki. I took a test in 5 universities and only 1 accepted me." Murai muttered.
"Don't compare me with Kanzaki! She's a genius. No one here can match her intelligence." Kikuchi said solemnly.
Just the thought of Kanzaki made his mind drift. 'Kanzaki...' he thought.
"I wish I could see her again soon..." Kikuchi murmured.
"Huh? See who?" he heard Murai's curious voice questioning endlessly.
"Nobody... And mind your own business!" Kikuchi answered quickly and loudly.
Murai didn't answer, Kikuchi began to wonder but he heard sounds from the other line. He smirked. Murai was playing videogames.
"Murai..." Kikuchi called.
"Ssshhh!! Wait a second! I'm fighting the boss!" Murai cried loudly, while jamming the buttons in the controller.
After a minute, Kikuchi grinned. And the reason is that Murai lost. Kikuchi heard the electronic voice coming from the computer saying 'GAME OVER'.
"Darn! I never finish this game!" Murai told Kikuchi, disappointedly.
Kikuchi's grin grew wider, "that's just how it goes... Maybe you ought to get a walkthrough. But the question is... Why are you still playing these kinds of things? Videogames are for children."
"Hmph, Yoshikawa was addicted to them in junior high." Murai answered back, defending his hobby.
"Oh come on, we were fifteen at that time." Kikuchi fought back. In the corner of his eye, he saw the e-mail message Murai sent him. He remembered the reason why he called Murai and quickly asked him, "By the way Murai, what was the important thing you were going to tell me?"
"Oh, right. 'That.' Well, you do know that it is Onizuka's birthday next Wednesday. I was wondering if you could help me prepare a party for him and invite everyone from our class before. You know he's important to our class... He changed all of us. That's why I'm thinking about having this party. Ms. Fuyutsuki is also invited." Murai explained. "So, are you in?"
Kikuchi smiled. "Count me in," he said while turning off his computer.
"Thanks Kikuchi!" Murai shouted through the phone.
"No problem." Kikuchi started. "But wait... Isn't Onizuka in California?"
Murai kept quiet, then quickly supposed, "you can find out right?"
"Maybe... I'll try my best. I'll inform you tomorrow." Kikuchi replied through his wireless phone and clicked the mouse connected to his computer. Kikuchi went to see the scheduled flights, from and to Tokyo. "Aha..." he whispered to himself, a smile crossed his lips.
"I'll make sure he'll be there..."
Kikuchi went out of his room and took a glass of water from his refrigerator in the kitchen then walked back to his room. This time, as he went through his bedroom door, he turned the lights on using the switch on the wall near the entrance of the room. Kikuchi walked towards the window with the glass of water still in his hand. He gazed to the sky and whispered, "Hope everyone will be there..."
"Specially..." he smiled sheepishly at the thought of that 'someone' whom he wants to see. Kikuchi saw his reflection in the glass window and laughed at himself.
'Why is my expression different whenever I think about... her?' he thought, asking himself.
Kikuchi then walked back to his chair that was in front of the computer and continued reading his book. Suddenly, he got an idea and began key stroking in his keyboard.
The next morning, Kikuchi dialed Murai number and told Murai to meet him at a local coffee shop within an hour. Kikuchi sat down at one of the tables facing the shop entrance. After a few minutes, a yellow-haired young man walked into the coffe shop.
"Murai!" Kikuchi called.
Murai faced him and rapidly ran to him. "Kikuchi! You still look the same as before!" Murai exclaimed.
"Uh... Thanks for that remark." Kikuchi replied sarcastically. "What happened to you? You look manlier now... but you still play videogames." Kikuchi teased.
Both of them laughed and Murai sat down opposite Kikuchi.
"I had a research last night." Kikuchi informed Murai. "I know where Onizuka lives now and what his phone number is." He added.
Murai nodded excitedly, "so, there's no problem in having a party!!! Only that... We still have to invite our classmates."
"That's no problem; we'll just divide the class." Kikuchi grinned.
"Alright! I'll invite the boys! Bye now!" Murai said and ran out of the shop.
"Hey wait! Why am I... stuck with girls...?" Kikuchi demanded loudly, putting both his hands in the table and standing up.
Kikuchi walked home after paying for the coffee that he ordered. As he reached his house, he opened the door and hurriedly went up to his room and grabbed his wireless phone. He also took his old phonebook from one of his drawers in the cabinet. Kikuchi dialed some numbers and waited for someone to answer the phone on the other line. He didn't need the phonebook for this particular phone number because he memorized it like his own. Because the number belongs to...
"Hello. This is Kanzaki Urumi speaking. May I know who this is?" a somewhat familiar voice answered.
Kikuchi suddenly felt nervous, but he ignored it.
"Kikuchi?" Kanzaki called.
"Uh... Yes. How'd you know it was me?" Kikuchi asked.
"I just supposed," came the reply.
Kikuchi started a conversation with her, "so... You're back... I haven't talked to since we graduated from junior high."
"Well, I didn't want to study in another country. And since Onizuka is gone, I don't think school will be interesting again..." Kanzaki spoke softly.
"Oh yeah, about Onizuka. We're preparing a party for him and we're inviting everyone from our class before. You're invited, naturally. So, are you coming?" Kikuchi queried.
"Hmm... Sure, why not?" Kanzaki answered.
"Great! I'll tell you the date, time and location..." Kikuchi said excitedly.
"Oh before that, who else is coming?" Kanzaki cut in.
"Murai is in charge with the boys, so I don't know yet... Also, you're the first one I called." Kikuchi responded.
"Oh... Okay. Anyway, I'll be there."
"Thanks... Well, I'll just talk to you there, alright? I have to invite others, too." Kikuchi decided.
"Sure... And Kikuchi... I missed you."
Kikuchi became silent. And after what seemed like hours of pausing, "I missed you, too, Kanzaki."
Kanzaki giggled, "Bye."
"Bye. See you."
Kikuchi sighed. 'Good. She's back from the US... Now I can see her again...' he thought as he dialed another number from his phonebook.
[A/N: Sorry if it's short, I was matching it with the chapter title so... Please forgive me for the shortness and errors. About the 'boss' that Murai was saying in the videogame, it means the main enemy in a game, get what I mean? Please read and review, also criticize if you want... Those who read and reviewed The Lost Love/Secrets, I'm very sorry for removing the story...]
Chapter 1: The Invitation
It was cold one night; the wind blew hard and shook the leaves of the trees. Little branches of trees nearby tapped into the window of Kikuchi's room. Kikuchi tossed and turned in his bed as he couldn't get to sleep. After several times of trying to sleep, Kikuchi gave up and stood up instead. He walked over to his computer and turned it on. After wearing his glasses that he often put in his side table, he took one of the books that were piled up on his desk, walked back to his computer, and sat down on the chair. Not bothering to turn on the lights in his room, Kikuchi turned the chair around, not facing the monitor. Only the light from the computer and the lamp made the place a little bright. Facing his computer, he connected to the internet He was already online in a matter of seconds and Kikuchi decided to check his e-mail messages. As Kikuchi looked back at the monitor, he was surprised to see 52 unread e-mail messages. Kikuchi sighed and began to read one by one. Most of them were from his old friends, sending him chain messages. He deleted them one by one after taking a quick glance at the subjects. After the first 10, he got bored and decided to just delete them all at the same time. As he was about to delete all of them, one message caught his eye and he quickly opened it. It was from his old classmate, Murai Kunio. It was sent the day before, he quietly read the message.
'Kikuchi, as soon as you read this, call me ASAP, ok? It's important.' The message ended there.
Kikuchi checked the time; it was past 11 in the evening but he thought that Murai was definitely still awake. He snatched the phone and dialed Murai's number. As the phone rang, he thought, asking himself why he still memorized Murai's phone number. Kikuchi seldom called Murai, that, was as he recalled. The phone continued on ringing, and finally, "hello?" Murai's voice answered.
"Murai? This is Kikuchi. I..."
"Kikuchi? Ha Ha! It's been so long since I last talked to you!" Murai cut in, shouting loudly, which forced Kikuchi to move the phone away from his ear.
Kikuchi frowned, "uh... You don't sound sleepy..."
"Eh? Why would I? It's still early!" Murai replied with the same sound.
"Okay, okay... Just do me one favor... keep your voice down!" Kikuchi told Murai right into the speaker.
"Fine! So Kikuchi, how's life?" Murai asked.
Kikuchi responded, "Pretty good. I'm accepted in every university I took an entrance examination from."
"Heh, just like Kanzaki. I took a test in 5 universities and only 1 accepted me." Murai muttered.
"Don't compare me with Kanzaki! She's a genius. No one here can match her intelligence." Kikuchi said solemnly.
Just the thought of Kanzaki made his mind drift. 'Kanzaki...' he thought.
"I wish I could see her again soon..." Kikuchi murmured.
"Huh? See who?" he heard Murai's curious voice questioning endlessly.
"Nobody... And mind your own business!" Kikuchi answered quickly and loudly.
Murai didn't answer, Kikuchi began to wonder but he heard sounds from the other line. He smirked. Murai was playing videogames.
"Murai..." Kikuchi called.
"Ssshhh!! Wait a second! I'm fighting the boss!" Murai cried loudly, while jamming the buttons in the controller.
After a minute, Kikuchi grinned. And the reason is that Murai lost. Kikuchi heard the electronic voice coming from the computer saying 'GAME OVER'.
"Darn! I never finish this game!" Murai told Kikuchi, disappointedly.
Kikuchi's grin grew wider, "that's just how it goes... Maybe you ought to get a walkthrough. But the question is... Why are you still playing these kinds of things? Videogames are for children."
"Hmph, Yoshikawa was addicted to them in junior high." Murai answered back, defending his hobby.
"Oh come on, we were fifteen at that time." Kikuchi fought back. In the corner of his eye, he saw the e-mail message Murai sent him. He remembered the reason why he called Murai and quickly asked him, "By the way Murai, what was the important thing you were going to tell me?"
"Oh, right. 'That.' Well, you do know that it is Onizuka's birthday next Wednesday. I was wondering if you could help me prepare a party for him and invite everyone from our class before. You know he's important to our class... He changed all of us. That's why I'm thinking about having this party. Ms. Fuyutsuki is also invited." Murai explained. "So, are you in?"
Kikuchi smiled. "Count me in," he said while turning off his computer.
"Thanks Kikuchi!" Murai shouted through the phone.
"No problem." Kikuchi started. "But wait... Isn't Onizuka in California?"
Murai kept quiet, then quickly supposed, "you can find out right?"
"Maybe... I'll try my best. I'll inform you tomorrow." Kikuchi replied through his wireless phone and clicked the mouse connected to his computer. Kikuchi went to see the scheduled flights, from and to Tokyo. "Aha..." he whispered to himself, a smile crossed his lips.
"I'll make sure he'll be there..."
Kikuchi went out of his room and took a glass of water from his refrigerator in the kitchen then walked back to his room. This time, as he went through his bedroom door, he turned the lights on using the switch on the wall near the entrance of the room. Kikuchi walked towards the window with the glass of water still in his hand. He gazed to the sky and whispered, "Hope everyone will be there..."
"Specially..." he smiled sheepishly at the thought of that 'someone' whom he wants to see. Kikuchi saw his reflection in the glass window and laughed at himself.
'Why is my expression different whenever I think about... her?' he thought, asking himself.
Kikuchi then walked back to his chair that was in front of the computer and continued reading his book. Suddenly, he got an idea and began key stroking in his keyboard.
The next morning, Kikuchi dialed Murai number and told Murai to meet him at a local coffee shop within an hour. Kikuchi sat down at one of the tables facing the shop entrance. After a few minutes, a yellow-haired young man walked into the coffe shop.
"Murai!" Kikuchi called.
Murai faced him and rapidly ran to him. "Kikuchi! You still look the same as before!" Murai exclaimed.
"Uh... Thanks for that remark." Kikuchi replied sarcastically. "What happened to you? You look manlier now... but you still play videogames." Kikuchi teased.
Both of them laughed and Murai sat down opposite Kikuchi.
"I had a research last night." Kikuchi informed Murai. "I know where Onizuka lives now and what his phone number is." He added.
Murai nodded excitedly, "so, there's no problem in having a party!!! Only that... We still have to invite our classmates."
"That's no problem; we'll just divide the class." Kikuchi grinned.
"Alright! I'll invite the boys! Bye now!" Murai said and ran out of the shop.
"Hey wait! Why am I... stuck with girls...?" Kikuchi demanded loudly, putting both his hands in the table and standing up.
Kikuchi walked home after paying for the coffee that he ordered. As he reached his house, he opened the door and hurriedly went up to his room and grabbed his wireless phone. He also took his old phonebook from one of his drawers in the cabinet. Kikuchi dialed some numbers and waited for someone to answer the phone on the other line. He didn't need the phonebook for this particular phone number because he memorized it like his own. Because the number belongs to...
"Hello. This is Kanzaki Urumi speaking. May I know who this is?" a somewhat familiar voice answered.
Kikuchi suddenly felt nervous, but he ignored it.
"Kikuchi?" Kanzaki called.
"Uh... Yes. How'd you know it was me?" Kikuchi asked.
"I just supposed," came the reply.
Kikuchi started a conversation with her, "so... You're back... I haven't talked to since we graduated from junior high."
"Well, I didn't want to study in another country. And since Onizuka is gone, I don't think school will be interesting again..." Kanzaki spoke softly.
"Oh yeah, about Onizuka. We're preparing a party for him and we're inviting everyone from our class before. You're invited, naturally. So, are you coming?" Kikuchi queried.
"Hmm... Sure, why not?" Kanzaki answered.
"Great! I'll tell you the date, time and location..." Kikuchi said excitedly.
"Oh before that, who else is coming?" Kanzaki cut in.
"Murai is in charge with the boys, so I don't know yet... Also, you're the first one I called." Kikuchi responded.
"Oh... Okay. Anyway, I'll be there."
"Thanks... Well, I'll just talk to you there, alright? I have to invite others, too." Kikuchi decided.
"Sure... And Kikuchi... I missed you."
Kikuchi became silent. And after what seemed like hours of pausing, "I missed you, too, Kanzaki."
Kanzaki giggled, "Bye."
"Bye. See you."
Kikuchi sighed. 'Good. She's back from the US... Now I can see her again...' he thought as he dialed another number from his phonebook.
[A/N: Sorry if it's short, I was matching it with the chapter title so... Please forgive me for the shortness and errors. About the 'boss' that Murai was saying in the videogame, it means the main enemy in a game, get what I mean? Please read and review, also criticize if you want... Those who read and reviewed The Lost Love/Secrets, I'm very sorry for removing the story...]