Authoress: me (OfficiallyObsessedwithPyro, or just plain Pyro)
Inspiration: for the chapter…listening to music and reading a bunch of books today…Mostly the books…
Summary (or, in other words: "What the hell is this about, anyway?"): A little thing on Tanpopo's friends back in Hokkaido. Right... Also some references to other people and some random pairings. A friend on friend battle...thing...Note that the characters may be a bit ooc because of my mood…
Notes for this chapter (for cultural stuff) AKA CULTURAL LESSON THING PART NUMBER ONE: In Japan, usually the students are required to wear uniforms to school and take turns for clean up duty.
As I live in the states, (and have visited a lot of places), I've found out that there are certain schools that let their students eat out in the quad (like a picnic area, but some are merely benches and others have tables), while some have open-lunch days, where the students are allowed off campus to eat. (So that explains the eating arrangements, because I'm mixing stuff up so much, nothing will be totally culturally correct all the time.) Next, with the honorifics.
Honorifics used so far (the rest will be explained as the story progresses):
-sama: used as meaning that you have great respect for the person, higher than –san. (Example: Yama-sama)
-kun: suffix used at the end of boys' names to express familiarity. Also could be used by men among friends or when talking to someone younger. (Example: Yama-kun, Kazu-kun, etc.)
-chan: used to express endearment, mostly towards girls. All about the childish cuteness. (Example: Momo-chan, Tan-chan)
-(none): the lack of an honorific basically means that the speaker is allowed to address the person in an intimate way. Usually only family, spouses, or very close friends. If intimacy has not been earned, it can be considered insulting. (Example: Tanpopo calls Kazutaka, "Kazu" or "Kazutaka." She also addresses Yamato as "Yama" or "Yamato." Sometimes, the honorific will not be added onto last names in this story, so if that is the case, it probably means that I've somehow forgotten it. When there are non-speaking parts, and it is the "author's POV" then the honorific will not be used. However, if it were in a certain person's point of view, for example, Koki, then he would address Tanpopo as either "Tanpopo-kun" or "Yamazaki" as it is her last name. Got it?)
Other important notes AKA CULTURAL LESSON THING PART NUMBER TWO:
"Tan-ga" and "Ya-ku" (etc.): These pet names the people choose for one another aren't actually honorifics. Even though they have a similar meaning to –chan, they are usually invented by young women who want to appear cute and add cute sounds to the names of people in their inner circle (close female friends and boyfriends). These syllables make the name sound almost babylike, so when given to a gruff character (most times male) is massively inappropriate.
ONWARD!
Rating: Orange juice
Review Responses:
Artee and Sporky (YOU REVIEWED FIRST! YOU ROCK! And yeah, I think that was a cool conversation too. And I know what you mean, about the Christmas present thing – me too. Technically, I'm not allowed to read any more manga (as I'm grounded), my presents have been placed in a safe for safe-keeping (ha, I know the combination anyway), and I'm on Christmas present duty – which means I have to get things for spoiled cousins and evil uncles and aunts…grrr… Thanks for reviewing!), Kurama-obsessed (I LOVE YOUR NAME! I'm obsessed with Kurama too, but Pyro is my num. 1 bishie, so I'm gonna go with that. I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for reviewing!), bee bee (The pairing is a secret. I usually do something stupid that ends up sounding kind of weird, but I'm taking my time on this one (that's why I "never" update…wracking the brain for ideas, y'know…). –evil laugh- you can't know the pairing yet, but it'll come. I'm trying not to put too many other side characters in as main characters, so maybe it will be someone like…-whispers-…umm…you'll have to guess! Thanks for reviewing!), Kai Minomono (Sorry it's out so late, I've been working my butt off trying to update things (ha, that's not going well). Thanks for reviewing!)
Imadoki: Don't Cry
Chapter Two
By OfficiallyObsessedwithPyro
Next Day
DONG. DONG. DONG.
The five-minute warning for school rang loudly over the campus. Students began to hurry towards their classrooms so that they would not be tardy.
Tanpopo smiled a bit as she and Yamato walked into Meio High School. The blonde boy had been holding onto her hand since after breakfast that morning – a way of making her feel secure.
Although Tanpopo had never truly cared for the principal of the school, she did know that Yamato could get into serious trouble if he did not wear his uniform. Of course, she had told him of this shyly, he shrugged and thanked her for her concern, but he would be fine.
Yamato's attire did not help her feelings of insecurity.
He wore all black – black baggy jeans, a black shirt, black sneakers, black wristband…He even wore a black necklace or two with a cross on one. His messy hair was left untamed, but a bit pulled into a small ponytail at the nape of his neck under which a tribal tattoo could be seen briefly.
Yamato glanced to Tanpopo, who turned away quickly when he caught her looking at him.
"What is it, Tan-ga? Something on my face?" He teased.
"Nuh-uh." She said while blushing prettily.
"Well, then, we should be getting to class now, ne?" Yamato gave her a sly smile and his gray eyes twinkled in mischief.
Tanpopo resisted the urge to groan. "Yama, what are you planning?"
He shakes his head and begins to pull me closer to the school. "Nothing, nothing. I was just wondering what kind of pranks we could pull…"
Tanpopo smiled and hit his arm playfully. "Not another one! Aoi is already scary enough."
"Oh, that computer geek you were telling me about?"
"Yes, that's him. Wait! He's not a computer geek!" Tanpopo exclaimed.
"Ha, ha. I'm just kidding, Tan-ga."
Koki sat at his desk, tapping his mechanical pencil up and down on his notebook.
He hadn't heard from Tanpopo all weekend – she hadn't even showed up for the gardening committee in the morning.
Tsuki finally got up from her desk and walked toward Koki's. Slamming her fist down on the notebook, she demanded, "Have you seen Tanpopo?"
Koki looked startled for a moment, then as he recovered, he replied, "No…is something wrong?"
"No," Tsuki stated sarcastically, "Nothing is wrong. She just happened to forget that I needed her help on Saturday. All Saturday."
"Maybe she got sick," Erika said from the desk next to Koki. The dark haired girl smiled briefly before turning back to her work and muttering just out of the other's hearing range, "Good riddance."
As the final bell rang, Tsuki went back to her desk to sit down.
The teacher walked into the room, and just as the automatic door was closing, a hand shot out from the outside and stopped it.
Curious, many of the students turned their attention on the door, as well as the teacher.
"He's not a computer geek!" A girl's voice exclaimed.
"Ha, ha. I'm just kidding, Tan-ga." The boy said as he pushed the doors open.
The girls in the classroom stared at him in awe. He was gorgeous!
Even Erika was looking at him with a sly smile.
He didn't seem to notice, though. He closed his eyes briefly as he talked to the other person, pulling them inside the room as well.
"Yamazaki? Why are you tardy?" The teacher snapped, angry that the class had been disrupted.
"Uh…"
"That would be my fault, sensei." The boy said with a small smirk. "I forced Tan-ga here to show me around before heading to class. Seems I don't know the school grounds as well as I used to."
"And you are?" The teacher snarled, unaware as how unfazed the boy was.
"Yamato Tenou. Pleasure to meet you." He said, his eyes flashing.
"T-T-Tenou?" The teacher stuttered. "As in the corporation of-,"
The guy cut him off, "Yes, yes. All of that." He paused. "I'm the eldest."
"The- the eldest?" The teacher stuttered once more.
"Yes. Can we sit, or what?" Yamato said as he rolled his eyes.
"Oh, of course." The teacher muttered.
Tanpopo whispered something to the guy, and as he nodded, she led him towards her seat in the back, and motioned to the seat next to her.
The both sat, but the boy moved his desk closer to hers.
Only then did Koki notice that they – super rich Yamato Tenou and Hokkaido born Tanpopo Yamazaki – were holding hands.
"Come on, Ya-ku. Let's sit down." Tanpopo whispered hurriedly as she led the boy to her seat.
As she sat down, he pulled his desk towards hers so that they were touching. Loosening her grip on his hand, she got out her notebook and began taking notes on the teacher's lesson.
About halfway through the lesson, Yamato moved a piece of paper over to her desk.
It read:
Do you know the answer to number seventeen? I think it might be E.
Smiling slightly, she wrote back,
No idea. My best guess is E, too. I'm hopeless in this class.
He chuckled and wrote, No you're not, Tan-ga. You just need some help. I'm sure Shinogu would love to tutor you. He's going to university already – highest scores I've ever seen.
Tanpopo was fiddling with her skirt when Yamato passed the note back to her, and after she read his writing, she quickly furrowed her brow and answered with a set smile.
But Shinogu is so busy. He works and attends university. I don't want to be a bother.
Oh, don't worry so much, Tan-ga. I'm sure it'll be fine.
But isn't he already tutoring Aaya-chan?
Yeah, him and Akane.
The teacher eyed them as they passed the note back and forth, but did not stop them. "And so, when the…" He went on with the lesson once more.
I really don't want to bother him about it, Yama. He works so hard.
All right. How about you ask Nao? He probably wouldn't mind.
Yama, Nao lives in Hokkaido…
Ha, ha. That's right… Yamato drew a little smiley face next to this, including a sweat drop and a label that read, "dufus" under it.
You amaze me sometimes, Ya-ku.
As Tanpopo finished writing and handed Yamato the note, the bell rang, signaling lunch.
Tanpopo stood, then waited as Yamato gathered his books. The walked out to the hallway to stash their books in her locker.
After that, they began their walk to the quad where everyone ate lunch.
Tanpopo heard her name being called and turned to see Arisa running up to greet her.
"Arisa, hello." Tanpopo said with a bright smile.
As Arisa began to speak, Yamato gave Tanpopo a look that clearly stated, "your acting skills suck."
"…have you been?" When Arisa stopped, Tanpopo frantically searched for an answer, but was saved by a small sound protruding from Yamato's pocket.
Blii blii blii blii, blii blii blii bli, blii blii blii blii bliii blii blii blii blii bli…Flipping his cell phone open, he paused for a moment, reading the screen slowly before blinking once and handing it to Tanpopo.
It was a text message reading:
Subject: Ruri
Tanpopo, it's Kazu. I just got the news that Ruri got into an accident. Something about her immune system?? I'm on my way to the hospital now. I'll keep you posted.
There was yet another text message right after that one, reading:
Subject: Hurry
Tanny, me again. Ruri just got transferred to Tokyo Central Hospital. I'll probably be over there in half an hour. Could you go see her? I tried calling, but they won't let me have any information if I'm not there in person. Hurry. Take care of my sister, Tanny.
Tanpopo's heart nearly stopped.
Ruri was in trouble.
"We have to leave." She stated as she grabbed Yamato's hand and dragged him out of the quad. Tears were starting to flow down her cheeks. "Ya-ku, Ruri's at the hospital…"
Yamato put his arm around her before leading her over to his black car, making sure she had her seatbelt on and she wasn't totally breaking down, jumping into the driver's seat and flooring it all the way to Tokyo Central Hospital.
Koki observed as Arisa ran up to Tanpopo and began chatting away happily while eyeing the boy beside her friend like a piece of meat.
Tanpopo and that guy seemed to have a silent conversation before Tanpopo turned her attention back to Arisa with a guilty look of, "I didn't hear a word you just said!" But before Arisa could demand an answer, that boy – Yamato Tenou – pulled out a cell phone from one of the various pockets of his jeans and after studying it for a moment, handed it to Tanpopo.
Koki could see realization and horror flick across Tanpopo's face as she read what was on the phone. Ignoring Arisa's protests, the girl grabbed Tenou and pulled him towards the parking lot.
"Not this time," He thought worriedly, "If Tanpopo won't talk to me, I'll have to find out what's wrong myself."
He stood, despite Erika's quiet protests, and headed in the direction of the parking lot as Tenou and Tanpopo had done moments before.
His eyebrow rose slightly as he saw Tenou strapped Tanpopo into the seatbelt and gave her an assuring kiss on the forehead before getting into the driver's seat and driving away quickly.
"What is going on with them?"
Just as the words left his mouth, he turned around to find that Aoi, Tsukiko, Arisa, and Erika, all curious, were coming over to investigate what was wrong.
"It's nothing." Koki told them quickly.
"Right, Koki, like I'll believe that." Arisa said with a scowl. Looking around confusedly, she asked, "Where's Tanpopo? I coulda sworn I saw her coming this way."
Koki shrugged before stuffing his hands in his pockets and starting to walk away.
Tsuki followed close behind Aoi, while Arisa lagged back a bit, as she wasn't keen on going back to class.
Koki did not notice that Erika stayed behind, a scowl set on her face, glaring at his back.
Erika gave an angry expression when Koki began walking back after placing his hands in his pockets.
The others of the group had already left, so she stood alone – angry.
"If I can't have him, Tanpopo Yamazaki," Erika whispered, "No one can."
Everything's changing when I turn around,
All out of my control, I'm a mobile
Everything's changing everywhere I go,
All out of my control, I'm a mobile
Start back at this life
Stretch myself back into the vibe
I'm waking up to say I tried
Instead of waking up to another TV guide
It's time now to turn around
Turn and walk on this crazy ground
Oh, oh, oh…
Everything's changing when I turn around,
All out of my control, I'm a mobile
Everything's changing everywhere I go,
All out of my control, I'm a mobile...
Yes, I know it's shorter, but I'm still experimenting with this. Ha, ha.
If you can guess what the ring tone was for Yama's phone, you get the next chapter dedicated to you!
Here it is again:
"Blii blii blii blii, blii blii blii bli, blii blii blii blii bliii blii blii blii blii bli…"Well, I'm off now to do boring stuff…like scarf down some food and watch TV. P.S. the song above is "Mobile." I think it fits (and no, it isn't the ring tone).
I know, I need a life. U
Pyro
December 20, 2004