Thanks to everyone who reviewed!
I'm really enjoying this... I haven't written fan-fiction in SO long!
Okay... insert generic disclaimer here... oh... and some hints of shounen-ai this chapter!
And without any further ado... part 2!
Why Shinobu Doesn't Drink
Part 2: Soy Sauce
When Mitsuru woke up, Shinobu was already gone.
No surprise there. After all, Shinobu had said that he had a Student Council meeting this morning. Saturday meetings were out of the ordinary, but they did happen occasionally, and Mitsuru had grown used to not always seeing his roommate Saturday mornings.
Nothing about the room was out of place. As usual, Shinobu's desk was completely cleared off, while Mitsuru's own was a wreck. The curtains on Shinobu's bed were closed, as usual, and his own curtains were open (after all, it was still hot out. How Shinobu could stand having the curtains closed at night was beyond him.) Everything was in its place... nothing was out of the ordinary...
Well... actually... one thing was slightly off.
There was a red head standing at the door.
"Oy! Suka. What are you doing here?" And how did his kohai get up the courage to come into the older student's room uninvited. Not that anyone ever did, but Hasukawa was normally the hardest to convince to join them. And Mitsuru could count on one hand how many times someone had entered the room uninvited before he was awake.
Oh well... guess I have to get up then, he thought.
"Um..." said the younger boy as Mitsuru half jumped, half fell out of the top bunk. "I was hoping you could speak to me about Shinobu-sempai." Mitsuru straightened up and walked over to his desk where he kept a small hand held mirror.
Mitsuru looked in the mirror. His hair was an absolute wreck! No one but Shinobu is supposed to see me like this! he thought angrily. That idiot. Coming in this early in the morning.
Regardless of the fact that it was ten o'clock.
Mitsuru wasn't sure why, but lately impressing Shinobu had become very important to him. Maybe it was because Shinobu was so perfect! Mitsuru had never noticed anything that Shinobu couldn't do. He could deal with just about anything in the dorms, he was a genius for sure, and despite the fact that Mitsuru had never seen him work out, Shinobu defiantly had a nice body...
What!? Where had that thought come from? If Suka hadn't been there he would have slapped himself in the face. Why does it matter if Shinobu is attractive anyway?
He dismissed the subject, and moved on to the matter at hand.
"What about Shinobu?" he asked, trying not to sound gruff. He didn't want Hasukawa seeing him vulnerable. Where was Shinobu when he needed him.
Oh, of course, the Student Council meeting. Shimatta.
Suka took a deep breath and spoke. "I mean... don't you think he's kind of... I don't know... weird?"
Mitsuru spun around, bemused. "Why whatever do you mean?" He laughed. "Of course he is. He's just like that." Mitsuru had never seen anyone quite as strange as his roommate. He'd never forget Shinobu's suggestion just this summer to freak Suka out by pretending they were gay. Sure, Mitsuru had taken the first move in that, and had found it quite entertaining, but he couldn't think of anyone else who would think to do that.
But for a moment he had thought that Shinobu might actually...
"No... I mean... he doesn't drink."
Yet again, Mitsuru was inspired into a fit of helpless laughter, almost completely forgetting about his earlier tangent. "Of course he drinks. Everyone drinks."
"I mean... alcohol... he didn't drink at the party last week and..."
Mitsuru stopped laughing. The kid had a point. Even if he was wrong. "Suka... listen. Shinobu drinks, just not beer. Only sake."
The younger boy stared at Mitsuru. "But that's even more alcohol, right? It's stronger."
"Yeah. Like I said. He does drink."
"But there was Sake at the party..."
"Yes. He had some. I guess you were just too drunk to remember."
"I WASN'T DRUNK!" Suka yelled emphatically. "I was perfectly fine."
Mitsuru loved to tease this kid. "Yeah... you just keep telling yourself that."
But after all, Shinobu did have some weird eating habits. He didn't eat certain things... soups, certain noodles, etc., but Mitsuru had always assumed that it was just because of his upbringing. Even some of the more fancy stuff, like quinoa (how do you get a Native American grain to Japan anyway?), he could say it was because Shinobu was rich. But sometimes... like with the soy sauce....
When Hasukawa finally regained his composure, several minutes later, Mitsuru was dressed. After all, it was Saturday, and he had some shopping to do. He wore his normal black tee and blue jeans. He glanced at the clock. Almost eleven. Shinobu should be here any minute, and then we can go downtown for lunch. Maybe we can go to that cute new café....
"Anything else?" asked Suka, startling Mitsuru, who had almost forgotten his kohai was there. "I mean... is there anything else he doesn't eat?"
Mitsuru considered his response carefully. After all, Shinobu had expressly told him that he didn't want everyone knowing about some of his habits. But he hated not to tell Suka. Maybe he could finally figure out what exactly Shinobu was hiding.
"Well... he eats pretty much everything... but he brings his own soy sauce when he goes to the cafeteria." Okay... only a partial lie. Better than nothing.
Suka gave him a look. "What exactly is THAT supposed to mean?" he asked.
"I don't know... why don't you ask him?" said Mitsuru. Now he didn't have to ask Shinobu himself. Great!
"Well...."
"Mitsu." The door had opened and Shinobu stood there in his normal, not so casual, casual clothes. A polo shirt and khakis. A light blue polo shirt and khakis. The combined outfit and the nickname, obviously for the benefit of Suka, who was already sputtering in embarrassment, were almost enough to crack Mitsuru's shell. But still, he couldn't get all exited around Suka... or Shinobu. "Are you ready?"
"Of course. See you around, Suka!" He hoped he imagined the tremor in his voice, as he followed his roommate into the hall.
And the two sempai left as Kazuya began some serious thinking.
To be continued...
Next time: Shun notices something out of the ordinary...