Furuba
"The Piano"
Chapter 1
Vocabulary:
Kitanai: adj. dirty, foul.
Cultural Note:
In Japan, the older and more traditional meaning of the "OK" hand sign is "money." – Mangajin's Basic Japanese Through Comics Part 2
***
Flashback
***
"I hope you two don't have plans for Friday afternoon," Shigure said after hanging up the phone. Kyou was passing thru with a toothbrush in his mouth.
"Huh? Naze?" he asked, sending a fleck of foam flying.
"You're so unsanitary," Yuki said from the dining room doorway. Kyou removed the toothbrush.
"Ged ova id, guso nezumi," he managed to say.
"It's not that I mind, but I didn't think you'd want Honda san to see you looking like a rabid cat." Kyou clenched his fists, but Shigure took a firm hold on his shoulders and pointed him in the direction of the downstairs bathroom. Kyou took the hint and went to spit out the toothpaste. But really, what gave the mouse the right to say that? He had been on his way to the downstairs bathroom since Tooru needed the one upstairs! Stupid, stupid rat.
"Well, as I was going to say before you and Kyou kun got into that little spat, we're going to be doing some babysitting for a while."
Yuki cocked his head to one side.
"Babysitting? Who?"
"Not who- what. A piano."
"Piano. . . okay. Any reason?"
"Momiji kun's father is buying Miji kun's mother a grand, so he's getting rid of the upright."
"I thought you said we were only going to be, er, 'babysitting' the piano."
"We are. Until we can find a new home for it and hopefully make a little money off it!" Shigure said, making an "OK" sign.
"You know what our history of taking in orphans is," Yuki said with a smile.
"Hai, but I doubt a piano could have Tooru chan's charm."
"What about Tooru?" Kyou, having just returned, asked loudly.
"She's cuter than a piano," Shigure said.
"Nani?" a very confused orange cat demanded.
"We're taking in a piano. Momiji kun's father is driving it over Friday afternoon, so I hope you aren't busy. I'll need your help to get it into the house."
"Oh. Whatever." Kyou shuffled his way into the kitchen. "Where's Tooru?"
"Probably still upstairs," Yuki said.
"Geez, she's slow today. Her hair couldn't be that messed up," Kyou muttered. Shigure put a cupped hand by his mouth and called, "Tooooru chaaaan. . ."
"Coming!" she called back, and they heard quick footsteps heading towards the stairs.
"Hey inu, where do you get off calling her 'chan'?" Kyou said angrily, leaning in close to Shigure's face.
"Yes, that is a new thing with you," Yuki, having woken up enough to joke around, said. "You're being awfully casual with her."
"Come on, she's lived here for over a year! It's time to loosen up a bit."
"Not with Tooru!" Kyou said vehemently.
"Baka neko, are you actually upset?" Yuki asked. "It's not like you ever show her any respect. You could at least call her 'Tooru kun.'"
"Well, it's different! I don't call her 'chan' in that perverted tone!"
"But Tooru chan doesn't mind," Shigure said, emphasizing the "chan" just to anger Kyou. "Do you, Tooru chan?"
"Uh, oh, no, not at all," a somewhat flustered Tooru said as she reached the bottom step. Before Kyou could tell her how much she ought to object, she started in on her apology.
"I'm very sorry for not being down earlier. I'm sure you're all starving! Uo chan is bringing her new digital camera today and I wanted to look nice for the pictures," she explained while rushing around the kitchen, flipping switches and opening cupboards. "And wouldn't you know it, I slept on my hair funny! But I shouldn't have been so selfish when you're all down here hungry! If I make us late to school, I'm very, very sorry!"
"Eh, well, it was worth the extra time," Kyou said. "You don't look ugly or anything."
"Ah." Tooru nodded and smiled slightly.
"Honda san always looks very nice," Yuki quickly added.
"Arigatou." Tooru blushed.
"Shut up, nezumi! Stop trying to be better than me!"
"I wasn't! I was simply complimenting Honda san!"
"Right after I did!"
Tooru smiled as she measured the rice. Everything was as it should be.
***
End flashback
***
Now Kyou paced around the living room, occasionally casting particularly dark glares at the piano. It seemed that Tooru and Yuki had been growing so much closer lately, becoming more and more casual with one another in a way Kyou couldn't seem to manage. When Tooru had seen his horrific true form and had still wanted to be around him, still cared just as much for him as before, he felt overflowing tides of love from her- and for her. Yuki hadn't even interfered after he'd helped Kyou to. . . calm down. But now, especially after that piano incident he had been idiotic enough to help cause, it was just as before. Yuki was always a step ahead of him in telling Tooru how he felt about something, in taking her hand, even in being in the same room as her! Most of the time, anyway. But most was too much.
Kyou finally sat down at the piano bench. He and Shigure had moved the piano up against the wall and brought the bench in after Hatori had given his analysis – bruised ribs – and Hatori and Shigure had helped Yuki to bed. For some stupid, unknown reason he felt awful about Yuki's injury, but then he realized something that made the situation even worse. With Yuki needing so much extra help, Tooru would be near him – alone with him in his room – more often!
Speaking of Tooru, where was that girl? She'd been gone for a while now.
Kyou stuck his head out the door in the direction of the dining room, but he heard only Shigure's chewing.
Maybe she's in the bathroom, he thought, but he knew she had gone up to feed the rat. That's just what he was. The title fit him perfectly.
Kyou flopped back down onto the piano bench and it squeaked a little at the impact. He hit a key. Kuso nezumi. Another key. Baka nezumi. And another. Kitanai nezumi. Stopping for a moment, he stared at the black and white keys and wondered how difficult it was to learn to play the piano.
"I didn't know you were musical," he heard Shigure say. Kyou spun to find him leaning against the doorframe.
"Is it hard to play?" Kyou asked.
"Is it hard to learn martial arts? Is it hard to cook dinner? It all depends."
"Hnn," was his only reply as he turned to face the piano.