Hello!! Here I am again. It's been some time, since I did the last update… Well, I hope you are really liking this fic. And thanks to everyone that sent heir comments. I cherish each one.
And not this is only a new chapter but a special occasion!
Meet my beta-reader: Lobsters-chan!
So, now I think that the English will be spelled correctly. If not, blame, this time Lobsters. I am now just the writer. ^_~
tezuka eiri – I know, this fic has a sad narrative, but I like the things this way. Hum… but I can't guarantee that if this will end bad or good. Usually I prefer happy endings. Let's see, it's too early to decide on anything like this.
And this chapter will be in honor of my beta Lobster, since she likes those cute moments when Ran, Ken, children and soccer mix in a tentative to make our dear boys to become close to each other.
Good reading!
2 – Sweet afternoonsAlmost two months had passed since that maddening night and Ran never came back there neither saw that man with enticing hazel eyes. It seemed almost as if all had been a dream. A crazy dream that sometimes he would sometimes hope to never occur again, yet other times he would crave for this. Nevertheless, being so close to the students' finals kept him completely occupied, not giving him an opportunity to ponder the events of that night.
Right now he was at the café, correcting some tests his students finished earlier. Some girls were bold enough to let him little declarations of their "undying love". Adolescent infatuation. Soon they would find real boyfriends and forget him. Just like everyone. He didn't have anyone to remember him. Judging by the way that things were, it seemed he would never have.
"Fujimiya-san…", the café owner's voice interrupted him from his depressive thoughts. He lifted his head to see the mid-forties woman with piercing, black eyes and matching, which she had tied back in a ponytail. She had a disconcerted smile on her face.
"How may I help you, Hanaoto-san?" he asked, looking away from the tests.
"Sorry for disturbing you, Fujimiya-san, but someone let something here for you earlier this afternoon."
"For me? Are you sure?", he was surprised. He barely knew anyone – let alone to receive something without asking…
"Yes, I'm pretty sure about this, Fujimiya-san. It was a man about your age or so. He asked me if you were a regular customer in our house, and described you perfectly to me. Then, he let this package to give to you, saying he was returning the gentleness..."
"Package?" Ran asked without understanding, eyeing the neatly wrapped package that rested in the woman's hands.
"Is it alright to give it to you?" she asked again.
"Well… since it was for me…", he said while taking the packaged object from the woman. "I'm a bit curious… I don't remember…" he opened the package to see a perfect copy of the book he had forgotten at that house. Or better yet, he gave to that beautiful prostitute with hazel eyes.
He felt his hands tremble and the woman eyed him, asking if he was all right. He nodded and dismissed her, leaving him alone again with the book. Laying the object on the table, he only contemplated it without touching, trying to think if it was really that man who sent this book or if it was another person who knew about Ran's two escapades.
With trembling hands, he opened the velvety, blue hard cover with printed silver letters to peer inside. It was the same book, only that this was new. It smelled like something fresh, as if it was just recently bought from a bookstore. His eyes lay on the envelope, containing a small text written in neat calligraphy.
"I'm sorry for being too forward by sending you a present, but I had to express my gratitude by giving you something valuable. Since I know nothing of you, this was the best way to say that your present is my most cherished possession. I love every word inside this book and I am assuming you have the same feeling for it, too.
I waited these past months for your presence, but I know you must have another personal matters to occupy yourself. By chance, I saw you yesterday at this café and assumed you must be a regular visitor. I don't want anything from, I only desired to return your gentleness.
Sincerely
Hidaka Ken"
Hidaka Ken…
A name he never heard before but it sounded almost too familiar to him. The name of the man with hazel eyes. Giving his name was more than a present for Ran, since he had no friends whom gave him presents like this to name.
Ran closed his eyes, trying to make his racing heart stop. He repeatedly read that written message and could almost hear that voice speak those heartfelt words. He almost didn't notice when tears escaped through his eyes. Immediately he gathered his things and left the café, so he could be cry alone in peace.
***
An internal turmoil followed the next couple of days. Ran couldn't think straight due to the present he received from someone who apparently cared for him. It was so unreal for him to believe, that he read that small letter in blue paper every time.
The good sensation of being remembered by someone soon was replaced by a kind of fear. A fear that the only thing that man wanted was to threaten him, because of knowing who he was, and extort him in exchange for his silence. He didn't know what to think. If only he could meet that man again… But he didn't have courage enough to return to that place again.
Waving to some of his students, he went to the teachers' lounge, where some of his colleagues talked with each other. They rarely paid any attention to him, since he was so closed to the others. But in reality, they had some kind of grudge against him, since he came from a traditional family and the director always used his good example to compare them to. He didn't like this attention and didn't have the confidence to talk to them, and the teachers always ended up thinking that Ran was a kind of snob, who never would direct his "precious" words to some bunch of common teachers.
"I heard you received a promotion from the director Sakurada, Fujimiya-sensei…" one of his colleagues acknowledged him.
Ran looked to the man who said those words: blond, short hair and blue eyes that held a subtle contempt. He was one of the most popular teachers at the school, since all of the girls liked him for his cool attitude towards the students. On the other hand, Ran never did anything to gain the sympathy of the students and was idolized for the girls the same way. Perhaps this brought jealousy and anger by the other man's part.
"Yes, I think so… However, other teachers were contemplated too, not only me. It's because of the good student's grades in our teaching subjects during the finals last week" he answered while opening the locker with his name and picking up some books.
"Are you saying I don't teach well, Fujimiya-sensei?" he asked in an almost defiant tone.
Ran only looked at him and shook slightly his head.
"It is you that are assuming this, Amano-sensei. I never said anything about your teachings, which I presume must be good, since the students have great regard for you."
Irritated, the man took him by the tie, forcing Ran against the lockers, making a loud noise, which brought the other teacher's attention and some fearful comments.
"Repeat what you said right now, Fujimiya-sensei! Repeat and I break your bones!" said the man, almost screaming, while Ran only tried to get himself out of Amano's grip.
"Amano-sensei! Let him go!"
"This is a school, for God's sake! If you have something against Fujimiya-sensei, do it off school grounds."
"We have students whom could show up at the door at any moment!"
"What will the director think if he sees something like this happening?"
The other teachers were trying to dispel Amano's desire to initiate a fight, while Ran didn't have motives to begin. He didn't understand why all this aggression was targeted for him.
"Please, Amano-sensei. I don't want to fight against you, nor did I mean to offend you. If it was the case, I'm sorry. I didn't measure my words." Ran said, looking into the other man's eyes and holding back the hand that griped his tie.
"I don't believe anything you just said!" he growled, irritated. "But you'll pay if this gets to the director's ears." With a brute gesture, he let Ran go, almost knocking him off balance.
"You'll pay for your insolence, Fujimiya Ran!" he called back while exiting the room.
"He's having some problems at home with the wife sick and all…" said one of the teachers.
"We hope you made the right discretion, Fujimiya-sensei…"
"You don't need to ask me that, Shimada-sensei. I know how to be discreet." he said to a man with gray hair. "Sorry, but I have to go now." Catching the books on the floor, he recomposed himself again and exited through the door.
He really didn't understand why Amano-sensei directed so much enmity at him. He never said anything rude or vaguely offensive to the man, so why does his colleague apparently hate him so much? He only wanted to be in peace, never thought to offend anyone – much less a teacher, a fellow worker. So Amano-sensei was married and the wife was sick… Why didn't anyone tell him this? Did they think he was insensitive to their problems? On the contrary, he was preoccupied! Mostly now, for the man became so aggressive against him. If he needed something, Ran would be glad to help him in anyway necessary. Maybe even get beaten by him, if it would ease the problems Amano-sensei was having.
He never saw what happened straight away, because the force of the ball hitting him sent Ran and the books he was carrying to the ground. He heard some children's voices and saw the mark on his suit of from the dirt the ball was carrying.
"I'm sorry, sir! We didn't see you coming this way, but you came onto our soccer field..." It was a strange voice and at the same time oddly familiar. When Ran lifted his face, his eyes immediately locked onto the intense brightness of hazel eyes that widened with the same feelings of surprise and disbelief.
"Ken-niichan! Aren't we gonna continue the game?" A child's voice broke that almost infinite moment of recognition and the man – Ken-niichan – looked at the boy and smiled to him while waving.
"I'm coming, Masaru-kun! Just wait a moment!" he said in an almost cheerful voice, turning towards Ran and smiling almost too shyly at him. "I'm sorry, sir…" he helped Ran to collect the things his ball had scattered when he saw the book.
"I-Its not a problem…" Ran answered looking to him who, in turn, was looking at the book. "Thank you", he said when the man looked at him again. A light smile spread over his trough his flushing face and Ran almost smiled, too.
When Ran got up, he was preparing to go home again, the man's voice stopped him.
"Would you mind waiting for me?" he said, facing the field. "I-I just wanted to talk to you. But if you don't want to, I can understand…"
"It's not a problem". Ran said, trying to clean the stain the ball had left.
The man smiled openly, which made Ran feel a slight pain in his chest.
"Thank you, sir. There are some benches there." he said, pointing to the place at the side of the field. "Our practice is almost finishing."
Ran nodded and went to the place where the man indicated. Off in the distance, he saw the children, mostly boys and some girls ask him something, since Ran couldn't hear he only saw the shy smile that formed on those lips. Ran spent the next minutes watching him run up and down the field, giving orders and teaching the children the game, which he seemed know by heart. The children appeared to be fond of him, since he always gave a smile or an encouraging word to them with their efforts at the game.
When the game finished, some parents appeared to get their children and speak with him. He almost acted like one of the children, with his sincere smiles and shyness. When the last children waved his goodbyes to him, he took the ball under his left arm and started in Ran's direction.
"I'm sorry to make you wait, sir."
"You seem to like being with the kids…" said Ran, without realizing he did, widening his lone, violet eyes. The other man only smiled to him in that so shy way.
"Thank you. I really like to be with them. It makes me forget…" he answered, sitting beside Ran, letting the ball fall on the ground, rolling it between his feet.
"Hm." Was the only thing Ran could bring himself to say before an uncomfortable silence fell between both men. He couldn't understand why he had waited for the man. He didn't want him to know that the book and the letter meant so much to him. He didn't want the other to know that that single initiative could affect Ran so much. He didn't want the other suspect that Ran was a vulnerable person.
Immediately Ran got up, preparing to leave, but a gentle hand gripped his wrist, making him stop and turn back. Pleading hazel eyes seemed to look through him, as if they knew his deepest secrets, almost as if he knew what his presence caused to Ran.
"So-sorry… I… I didn't want to make you uncomfortable" said the man letting Ran's arm go lightly. "I know it is somewhat bold for me to ask… but I hope you liked the book…"
Ran sighed lightly and closed the eyes, opening them again only to focus at the expecting face the other presented. "Yes. I am thankful. It was something I never expected…"
"Neither was I, when you gave me something so precious."
The smile on his face was distant and Ran couldn't let himself look the other way. Now the silence was bearable. It was as if they had known each other for a long time, but Ran wanted to know more about him. And at the same time didn't want to know him.
"I wanted to ask you something, sir…" said the man, breaking the silence for the second time.
Ran looked at his face almost desperately. He knew that he would certainly ask something, like money, or threaten him about their past encounters. If Amano-sensei knew about this, certainly he would relate it to the director and soon Ran would be out of the school.
"Please… you never said you name…"
"Wh-why do you want my name?" asked Ran, frightened.
The other man only smiled serenely.
"Because I'd like to know the name of the person who was so gentle with me for the first time in my life."
For this Ran wasn't expecting. What could he say?
"Fujimiya Ran" his tongue formed the answer without his consent. His brain wasn't working well with his heart racing so fast. Especially when he smiled that way with his response.
"Fujimiya Ran… A beautiful name. Just like you, Fujimiya-san" he said, looking at Ran for a long, who didn't know what to do. Glancing at his watch, the man collected the ball under the arm and straightened himself up.
"Sorry… I wanted to stay here and talk to you the rest of the afternoon, but it's my time. I need to go. Will we see each other again?"
"I-I don't know… Maybe… You're here everyday?"
"Yes. If you like, come to see the children play" he said, smiling sweetly. "I'll make sure you never get boring. They're full of surprises."
"I'll try."
"Okay. I'll wait for you tomorrow, Fujimiya-san!" He waved, smiling almost too brightly and went to the opposite path Ran would take to go home.
When he disappeared from his view, Ran got himself up and took the books he left on the bench. Sighing heavily, he let his legs take him back to home, where he knew he'd never get to sleep.
***
Just as he had thought during all of his classes that day, his feet took him to the same place where he saw that man – Hidaka Ken or Ken-niichan like the kids call him – the day before. He got to arrive a little earlier than the previous day and could see the children gather around him, while he was smiling at them a spontaneity Ran never thought he was capable. He seemed freer than their last encounters – he really seemed to belong there.
When their eyes met, Ran felt a heat going up and down his body, sufficiently enough to make his face flush, as if he was just an adolescent. On the other hand, he could see a faint tint of red on that sun kissed face. He waved to Ran and was repaid with a nod from the silent redhead who took his seat from the day before.
The children again addressed him, and this time Ran could hear some of their questions, curious to know who was the strange they met yesterday and who was coming to watch the game today. They wanted to know if Ran was a father, who wanted to put his child in the team or if Ran was a friend of "Ken-niichan", which he promptly answered as a "yes". Immediately Ran felt his face grow hot and just concentrated on watching the game begin, instead of pondering that declaration.
Just like the day before, some children went to their houses alone or their parents appeared to take them. One or another talked with their "coach", is what they would address him when couldn't call him "Ken-niichan". After the field cleared, both he and Ran were alone again.
Sweating, he wiped the face with the towel on his shoulders and came, jogging a little in Ran's direction. He was smiling.
"Could you wait a moment, please?" he asked. "I need to take a shower" Without more explanations, he went to the showers and Ran waited patiently for him. Minutes later, the man with bronze skin emerged properly dressed and fresh from a cold shower after the game.
"Thank you for your patience" he said, smiling to Ran. "The children today were quite agitated with your presence. Some of them asked if you was a 'looker', searching for new soccer talents."
Ran didn't know what to say. He wasn't used to have simple conversations. Since her death, he never interacted with anyone, closing himself to the people and the world, not wanting to feel again.
"Fujimiya-san?" his name pronounced by that voice made him almost jump.
"So-sorry… I wasn't paying attention…" he apologized.
"I hope I'm not being a burden…"
"No, no, please. I… I like to talk to you, Hidaka-san."
He smiled at this statement.
"Really?" he asked, in which Ran just nodded in a "yes". "Thank you. When the kids asked about you, I wasn't lying when I said you were my friend. You're the first person I can talk to properly after all these years."
"I-I think I can say the same…"
"Do you consider me as a friend?" he asked with an almost shy smile.
"Ye-yes… If you don't mind…"
"Thank you Fujimiya-san" he said, inclining to kiss Ran's face chastely. "Call me Ken, please. I'd like to hear my name coming from the mouth of a friend."
"Sure… Ken." He felt something heavy leaving his consciousness when said that name. For the first time that day, he looked to those eyes and discovered how much comfortable he was at Ken's presence. Without removing his eyes of him, he said:
"I think I'd like to reciprocate the gentleness. It would be good to hear someone calling me by my name again. Please."
"I am more than honored to have so great consideration from you, Ran…" said Ken, getting close to him and smiling childishly. Getting up from the bench immediately, Ken went back to Ran, who was just watching his sudden movements.
"I almost forgot! I wanted to invite you to eat a cake in a bakery nearby. Mainly now, that we became friends. Would you accept my invitation?" he asked with that same smile.
"Yes. If it won't be a problem…"
"Of course it won't! I have your company during all the rest of the afternoon and a part of the night. We can talk and talk and eat delicious things. I was thinking to get out of my diet someday. Today would be a great opportunity."
While he was talking, he helped Ran to get himself up and walked with the silent redhead by his side on the path to the cake shop. Ran just content to hear him speak and Ken just satisfied to chatter to Ran.
The next days were the same. Ran finished his classes, almost anxious to meet Ken at the soccer field in the park at the route from his house. He never lost time again at the teacher's lounge, giving them more speculations about him, mainly after the incident with Amano-sensei. Besides, he never cared what they would think about his actions. He only wanted to meet Ken, the only person that could make him feel almost human again.
With his smiles and his sweet conversation, Ran let himself stay in his company until it was time for Ken to go to work. He had compromises during the nighttime and Ran knew exactly what these compromises were, but he never said anything about this neither did Ken. It seemed that their briefs encounters in the past weren't more than a dream. Forgotten dreams that they both never wanted to bring again, fearing to shatter the fragile relationship of mutual companion they had developed.
And Ken and his conversation were always sufficient to distract Ran from thinking about those unsettling things that could make them distant from each other. He could hear the hazel-eyed man talk about soccer, one of his preferred topics and talk about the children he coached. He knew every one of them and knew all his wants, almost as if he was a kind of a collective older brother. Ken knew that Ran was a teacher, and choose that path instead of a banker like his father, wanting to follow his mother's path, who was an exceptional teacher and taught at the same school he was teaching. However, he never let himself tell Ken about their deaths and his sister death. He couldn't bring himself to talk about it. Not that he didn't trust Ken, but he didn't trust himself, to fall again in a shell of loneliness, emptiness and distance from Ken, who had become the only thing that really did mean something to him in the world. A part of him that Ran liked and never wanted to separate from it now that he had found it.