TITLE: Painful Interjections

PART: Side Story 3 to Who Says College is Easy?

PAIRING: Akutsu Jin x Shishido Ryou

GENRE: Shounen-ai (Humour/ Continuation/ Angst / Romance)

DISCLAIMERS: The series I'm referring to does not belong to me… only this weird story does.

NOTES: Blah or Blah is for emphasis. /Blah/ is for conversations over the phone or flashbacks (if any). /Blah/ is for the conscience or whatever inner voice there is talking. Blah is for thoughts or random Japanese words. Some of these words are footnoted at the end of every page (I'm beginning to understand the need for footnotes in fiction. Thank you dear friend, you know who you are. XD).


Side Story 3 (Part Two): Akutsu the Mighty


Kawamura Takashi couldn't help but laugh at the weirdness of it all.

"How could you say such thing?" He asked his friend as he polished one of his shop's low-rise tables. "You like long hair! Didn't you say that you would like it better if your mother would grow out her hair?"

"Feh." Came the snarky response. "That's nice – for a girl... but that guy is, well, a guy... it doesn't suit him."

Carefully, he scrutinised his friend, eyes crinkling at the corners in amusement. "You're lying." He remarked simply, smiling fondly as he did so. "You like his hair, don't you, Jin?"

Akutsu Jin could have snorted if not for the single glaring fact that if he did that, he would be discovered. Well, okay, so he did like the girly-guy's hair. So what? Did that mean that he liked him as well? That was a ridiculous notion, coming from someone as levelheaded as Kawamura. Of course he did not directly say it like that, but his friend implied it, and somehow, it was eating his brains out.

"So... you do like his hair!" Kawamura crowed triumphantly.

Akutsu glared at him and looked away instantly. "Fine." He huffed, crossing his arms across his chest. "I like his hair... but just that – nothing else, happy?"

His friend chuckled, a knowing sort that made him turn back to him and glare some more. It was patronising, he knew... and he did not like it. It was like Kawamura knew something he didn't. Why was it such a big issue to him anyway? It wasn't as if he was affected in any way, right? After all, it was his life, not Kawamura's... it was his!

He glared some more and was gratified by the sight of a lone trickle of sweat that slid down his friend's temple. It wasn't a concrete measure of how much he was affected by his glare, Akutsu knew, but at least – he felt something... or maybe it was because he was exerting too much effort on scrubbing tea stains on the table he was working on for ten minutes now... he groaned inwardly. Who was he kidding? This was Kawamura Takashi – the guy with perpetual tolerance for everything out of the ordinary... so how could he even feel fear, especially if the source was his long-time friend? It was ridiculous.

Finally, he sighed.

"Takashi... I hate you."

X o X o X

His brain was still aching. As far as he could tell, it was still hurting from all the thinking he did during the college entrance exam a few days ago. He did not even know what possessed him to take it in the first place... and he was still thinking how in heaven's name he got those grades as well... wasn't he supposed to be a high school rebel? It was puzzling... just as his intelligence was debatable... but he actually pulled through? What had he done to deserve such... punishment?

He shook his head and groaned loudly – a sound that did not escape the ears of his mother. His... mother. The one who gave him birth... the same person who had begun attending several of the recent miai... She was actually thinking of getting married again. It wasn't as if he cared about her and her private life – it was just disturbing. Disturbing in a sense that he was already what, nineteen years old... turning twenty and his mother was getting married to a single guy who absolutely had no idea of what her son was like.

How twisted was that?

"Jin? Is something wrong?" Came the voice of his mother from downstairs.

"Nothing!" He yelled back, not bothering to open the door, not caring if she heard it or not. Why should he, when she did not even consult him about something more serious... like her impending marriage?

Okay, so everything boiled down to his resentment over his mother's remarriage... what's so wrong with that? He was still her son!

He waited with bated breath as he listened for the familiar footsteps of his mother rushing up to his room. Thankfully, it did not come... and yet, he was disappointed. So, it was clear now – he was not the first in her list anymore.

Now, the idea of passing the exam was becoming very appealing.

The sooner he got the result, the sooner he was out of the house.

X o X o X

"Yo! Jin!" Sengoku Kiyosumi greeted cheerfully as he walked beside him, all smiles. It was quite irritating, Akutsu could practically feel the threads of said emotion lacing onto his veins already, but it was a refreshing way to start his morning from the usual frown his mother often showed him. Not to mention a semi-welcome sight after a long sleepless night.

"Kiyosumi." He grumbled, slipping his hands in his pockets.

His friend must've seen the darker than usual cloud that was hanging just above his head for he gave him a concerned look, eyes pleading for him to open up. "Is something wrong?"

"What made you think something's wrong?"

The corners of Sengoku's lips turned up a notch. "You're grumpy."

"I'm always grumpy." He countered, turning away, wishing for all he was worth that he kept his mouth shut this time. Sengoku had a way of coaxing your deepest darkest secrets out of you. He did not have enough barriers to make him stay out. They had been together for so long now that they practically knew if something was wrong or something was terribly right... sort of what twins have.

The unbidden image of him and Sengoku being twins entered his mind. To be like that, he would have bright auburn hair. And then they would both have golden eyes... and he – Akutsu – would be smiling all the time. He shuddered inwardly.

It wasn't pretty.

At all.

"But you're grumpier than usual." Sengoku reasoned out, fully smiling now, eyes glittering with mischief as if he knew what it was that made him especially crabby today – not that he was admitting it.

"Drop it."

"It's about your mother."

It was a statement, not a question. Something that irked Akutsu to no end. Why won't he get off his case and leave him be? He was trying to cope with being second best all his life and now this? What was next, he would be arrested for something he did not even do?

It did not merit an answer, so he didn't give any.

They walked in silence.

And the silence lengthened – even more so when a hand slipped inside his pocket and grasped his hand. It was a bold move, and yet...

Akutsu did not have the heart to wrench himself away.

Strangely, he felt comforted.

Ah... the miracle that is Sengoku Kiyosumi...

X o X o X

He did not know why he was watching tennis practice. He quit back in junior high and did not have any motivation to join the senior high team. In fact, he had mutilated his old racket right after Kawamura quit before the senior high enrollment began. He was in a fit of madness then... a hand was clutching his racket and the other a scissor. Not long after he cut through the nylon strings and his once-precious possession retired permanently.

He swore never to set foot in a tennis court again.

And yet... here he was, waiting like some random woman for her man to finish practice. It was a ridiculous notion, but it was exactly that way. He did not like it... he did not like it one bit. Groaning inwardly as his feet remained stuck on the ground, he tried to get away... all to no avail. It was downright aggravating.

"Jin!"

He had been doing this for several years now, and still he couldn't seem to get used to the weird looks people gave the two of them. Oh, he had a vague idea of what was going on in their heads... something that went along the lines of 'how could those two be friends?' and 'Amazing! The oni actually has a long-term friend!'. It was pretty predictable, really.

Why did Sengoku call out to him in such fashion anyway?

He called him using his given name and waved both his hands in the air as if they hadn't seen each other for fifty years... what with the huge grin plastered permanently on his face at such time.

And then Sengoku was running. When he reached him, the smile was still there – even broader now that he could see it clearly. What was wrong with him? What was wrong with both of them? Were they going insane? "What are you doing here?" Sengoku asked enthusiastically.

Akutsu growled – as per usual. Why was he asking such stupid question almost every time when he knew the answer to it? "Waiting for you, you idiot." He snapped irritably.

"Why are you waiting for me then? Is something the matter?"

Akutsu's blood boiled over. "Why do you keep asking stupid questions?" He barked, turning away irritably, a huge frown marring his forehead.

It would have been the same as always...

If only Sengoku did not have the look of utter pain in his face.

As what he had deduced before, he knew what was happening... and somehow he did not have the stomach to stop it, emotional coward that he was. Or maybe there was another reason... one that he felt deep in the pit of his gut. He ignored it once again.

Akutsu did not want any more problems.

X o X o X

They had dinner together, Akutsu and Sengoku. They relived a lot of the past, such as the days when they endured the sickeningly sweet smile of their coach in junior high, Muromachi's stupid sunglasses, which could pass off as water goggles, and Minami-buchou's ultra-lenient brand of training...

And of course, who could forget the little kid trailing behind him for what seemed like forever? Dan transferred to Seishun Gakuen, in senior high, determined to be equals with Echizen Ryoma. He was the overly polite kid who looked up to him so adoringly anymore... he was someone who had his own style – he was his own person. And somehow, even if there was a slight feeling of disappointment over the fact that he wasn't being worshipped so openly anymore, he was glad he told him to look up to someone like the gaki. He was better off that way.

"That Momoshiro from Seigaku..." Sengoku groused. "He had been beating me since junior high... and now, I am finally graduating in a few weeks' time... I still haven't beaten him!"

Akutsu was sympathetic. Momoshiro Takeshi of Seigaku was indeed a great player. He was sure that he would be captain next school year. Yamabuki should start polishing its act; they would have more problems next year. It would have been harder if Tezuka Kunimitsu were still playing. But he had to leave for Germany again, God knows why.

As for the rivalry between Sengoku and Momoshiro, he couldn't blame anyone. They were both good and very resourceful... it was just the fact that Momoshiro had more stamina than Sengoku that clinched it.

"You have to build up your stamina." He said gruffly.

Sengoku glared at him under the low-hanging technicoloured lamp between them. "I know that. You told me before." He snapped in annoyance. "And I am building it up! I practice everyday!"

"Not enough."

"Do you want to get me killed?"

Akutsu sighed noncommittally. "Your problem." He shrugged, taking a huge gulp of his cola. Sengoku just glared at him some more before easing up and sighing as well.

"It happens." He said, humour seeping back into his tone. "I just hope I would get the best of him in college – if we are in different schools that is."

Akutsu's golden eyes surveyed his friend as the latter stuffed his face silly. "You would." He murmured encouragingly. "I'm betting on it."

Sengoku stopped, his cheeks bulging from all the food he crammed in his mouth. It only took a few seconds...

He smiled.

X o X o X

If there was one thing that Akutsu hated, it was the perky look on someone's face in a very early morning. If there was one thing that Akutsu hated more than that was a perky look on a person's face in a very early morning – of exam result distribution day.

He hated waiting for the postings.

He hated waiting for the postings with eerily nervous people fidgeting in their seats as if they just had their asses filled with scum.

He hated waiting for the postings with eerily nervous people fidgeting in their seats as if they just had their asses filled with scum, pasted smiles on their faces like cheerleaders during a pep rally.

"Relax, Hajime." Akutsu heard one say consolingly to his... girlfriend? "Don't be so nervous, you know you did well, so there would be no question of you passing.

It was not until the girlfriend spoke that he knew he was wrong. The girl was in fact... a guy – albeit a girly one. A girly guy with long locks tied at his nape. A girly guy with long locks tied at his nape and with fingers twisting, almost involuntarily, his bangs.

Come to think of it, those two were the only ones not smiling. The dark guy was solemn and the girly one was frowning a bit. There was a tug at the back of his mind. Those two looked kind of familiar. Then it hit him. Or rather, the uniform logos hit him.

St. Rudolph Gakuen. He mused. Ah yes, the darker one is the former junior high captain and the other is the creepy playing manager. They took the exam too huh. He couldn't keep the humour that twisted in his mind. They looked like a couple. He snickered.

However, his amusement was short-lived as a board official came through the swinging doors, carrying a huge roll of white paper. His heart jumped. Why wouldn't he feel nervous? It was his ticket away from his lovey-dovey mother and her equally lovey-dovey husband-to-be!

Taking a deep breath, he got up and shuffled, letting the other students scuttle past him. Yes, he was indeed wary of what the result would be, but he wasn't very eager to do so... or he did not want others to see him so eager to know if he passed or not – it was bad for his reputation.

"Yoshirou..."

"You passed, Hajime!" Came the joyous response.

Akutsu wondered if they both made it. Then, he shook his head. Why was he thinking of other people anyway? He shuffled a little closer, thankful for the gradual thinning of the once huge crowd. He could see the posts now, and slowly, his eyes scanned the rows of names and their corresponding grades. Let's see now... Akazawa... Ah, there it is!

Akutsu never felt more relieved in his whole life.

Then, he winced.

Now, if only someone stopped stomping on his foot...

Veins almost popped in his temples. No, it was not as if the one stepping on his foot was heavy. It was just... well, annoying. He was trying to be cool here, and here was some guy doing his best to counter it.

An annoying guy with such long girly hair...

It was the seeming coincidence that the guy that was constantly in his thoughts was right before him now. He swore he looked familiar to begin with, and now his interest was piqued. Who was this guy anyway?

"OI." He growled, narrowing his eyes as the shorter of them stiffened in surprise. "OI." He repeated, eyes narrowing even more as the other slowly turned to him, bristling at his tone.

"I have a name – it's you!" Came the shocked response.

"Yes, it's me."

Silence. "Who are you?"

Akutsu wanted to strangle him. "Nevermind." He muttered, turning away, cheeks, somehow warmed by something he could only deem as embarrassment. Nothing ever embarrassed Akutsu Jin... not even Sengoku's constant cooing in public places. Incensed, he turned back, just in time to meet the annoyed glare of the longhaired nuisance.

"I know you!" He yelled, making him become even more incensed. No. No one ever yelled at Akutsu Jin. Why? Need ask why?

"Yes. But you still don't know my name, do you?" He retorted sarcastically. "Wait, do I know you? Or should I call you The-Guy-Who-Accosts-People-On-The-Way-To-School?"

Somehow, it made him feel better to retaliate. Especially when the guy got all flustered, resembling a huge red tomato... with long dark hair flowing behind. That long, shiny hair...

He kicked himself mentally.

"Yaro..." The guy growled darkly, fists clenched as if spoiling for a fight. "How dare you..."

"Shishido-san!"

It was when he saw the guy's relieved features that he finally knew who he was. His memory did not fail him after all. He knew he looked very familiar. He chuckled in amusement, laughing even more inwardly as his mere voice made Shishido bristle. If he were a cat, his hair would've stood out on end, that Akutsu was sure.

"Ah, yes. That Shishido Ryo." He said casually, slipping both hands in his pockets, enjoying the look of utter dread on the other's face. "The one who had such an undignified loss to Tachibana Kippei of Fudomine back in junior high."

A splash of red coloured Shishido's cheeks. He was embarrassed as well. Of course, who wouldn't be? After all, many saw it, and he had almost been shot off the team because of it. It was truly a huge defeat – one that Akutsu couldn't help but rub in.

Yes. Revenge is one tricky thing.

No one ever embarrassed Akutsu Jin.

Need ask why?

Smirking, he turned and walked away, leaving a livid, embarrassed and undoubtedly homicidal Shishido Ryo behind.

Perfect hair or no perfect hair, no one embarrassed Akutsu Jin.

Need ask why?

Because he was Akutsu JinThe Mighty!


TSUZUKU


A/N: I had fun writing this. XD I think by now you've seen why. XD