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 Four): BE THERE OR BE SQUARE!
There was something truly unsettling about all of this.
Shishido had to admit that although Mizuki Hajime's fashion sense was disturbing, the way he was acting now was downright scary. Of course who wouldn't throw some sort of tantrum after being sent away for the night when there was a HUGE date planned – complete with smooches and other icky stuff. He knew firsthand the greatest of pains Mizuki had taken just to preserve this weirdly perverse relationship. Maybe he was a masochist. But that aside, he couldn't help thinking that maybe, just maybe, he was into loving Fuji Syusuke more than he loved himself.
Yes, it was truly disturbing, however, come to think of it, shouldn't that be the norm when a person is truly in love?
And yet, even though his sentiments ran exactly like his flatmate, he couldn't help thinking that the way he was acting was very disturbing. Yes, he had been repeating that thought in his head for the past five minutes, and it did not seem to want to go anywhere.
"I HATE Syusuke's sister!" Mizuki ranted. "It's as if she's doing everything she could to ruin my plans every single night!"
Fuji Yumiko visited without any warning just when Mizuki and Fuji were having a hot session, it seemed. Ouch. Imagine how that would have felt. Imagine how painful it must have felt down there... unfulfilled passions and all that crap. Shishido sighed in relief. At least, Mizuki was not wounded emotionally or something.
That was, at least, good.
And Fuji's sister was... Actually, Shishido had no idea if he wanted to kill her for making his friend miserable, or hug her for preventing his friend from delving deeper into her younger brother's... he shook his head. It was not the time to think of such things. He had to appease Mizuki's ruffled feathers if he wanted to sleep quietly tonight.
"Just think of it this way Hajime." He murmured, plopping down beside him noisily.
"What?"
"You'll get to sit beside me while drinking hot chocolate in front of the TV."
It was the unexpected smile that made Shishido's heart lighter...
And then he remembered that there was no chocolate in the fridge at all.
X o X o X
"Die."
Mizuki muttered as he lugged a humongous grocery-filled bag, sweat beading his brows even in the middle of autumn.
"You're the one to talk." Shishido huffed, panting slightly, hefting two just as huge paper bags in his arms. He was feeling with his feet... he couldn't even see a thing... the bags were in the way. "I'm the one suffering more here."
"Well, you, Oh-Great-One,are the reason why we're shopping at this hour and carrying this huge bags home!" They were truly thankful they found a grocery store open at this time of night. Seven-Eleven™ stuff was pretty expensive than usual.
"Stop it, will you?" Shishido conceded after a moment's hesitation. "Fine, I'm sorry, alright? I didn't mean to, I just forgot, that's all."
KRRRR.
Shishido reddened.
KRRRR.
Silence.
And then Mizuki chuckled. "Seems like someone's hungry."
Shishido scowled. "Of course someone is! ME!" he grated out in annoyance. "I haven't eaten anything because I thought Loverboy had a hot date with someone who got rainbows for eyes!"
"They are beautiful eyes, I tell you." Mizuki snickered, infuriating his flatmate even more. "You're missing out a lot."
"Yes. Like dinner."
"Just admit it, it's not my fault. You just don't know how to cook!"
"Yes I do!"
"Grilling doesn't count when the only thing you use for marinade is ketchup! Ugh. That creation of yours tastes nasty!"
"You're the one to talk! You make beef stew with fruit cocktail!"
Mizuki was about to make another cutting remark when the smell of something fishy wafted under his nose. No, it was not fishy, fishy... it was the smell of something resembling that of fresh seafood. "Food." He muttered, eyes scanning the place until he saw a familiar sight. His eyes lit up and he turned to his friend. "I have a solution to our problem!" He announced, hefting the grocery bag once more.
"What?" Shishido asked behind the stuff he toted.
"Sushi." Mizuki crowed triumphantly.
"Ha-ha." The doubtful flatmate replied. "It's too late for a sushi shop to be open around here you nut!"
"No, I'm serious! It's still open! Trust me!"
Shishido was about to protest when his stomach sounded once again. It was truly embarrassing. "Fine. I give. Just make sure I get food, that's all I ask." He sighed, shuffling forward... still feeling with his feet... and...
"Ryo – you're going the wrong direction!"
Curse these bags...
X o X o X
It was only when Shishido set the bags down that he realised where he was.
He was in Kawamura's shop.
"Ah, Kawamura-san!" He greeted, bowing respectfully, hair sliding down the sides of his face.
"Shishido-san!" Came the owner's equally happy response. "You're lucky that we're still open tonight! And you too, Mizuki-san! Come, sit down while I – "
"You know them Takashi?"
It was the unhealthy gruff tone that made Shishido's insides squirm. Maybe he was still dreaming. However, the sight of pure white hair shocked his senses. No. He was obviously not dreaming. Mizuki was seeing the walking nightmare too, because he stiffened, alert, for reasons he couldn't even begin to comprehend.
His own reasons though, Shishido could comprehend.
This guy was the worst person ever to walk the face of the earth. The monster in his dreams and the irritating rebel in his waking days. The one who had assaulted him, even though verbally, before he stepped into college. It was just his luck that they studied in the same university. If he knew about it sooner, he might have upped and ran away, changing his course in order to be housed in a building far, far away from where the guy was.
"Yes." Kawamura grinned, creating culinary masterpieces with his bare hands. "We faced off with Hyoutei Gakuen in junior high, and Shishido-san with his doubles partner defeated Sadaharu and Kaidoh-kun."
"Sadaharu?" The evil guy asked clearly aghast. "And Kaidoh? Defeated? By this guy?" There was something truly irritating about the way he uttered disbelieving words.
"Oi, oi..." He started, only to be cut off by Mizuki's chuckling.
'Fu, fu, fu' He went, covering his mouth in an effort not to let go of the laughter reverberating inside his throat. Shishido glared at him.
"Ah," Kawamura smiled indulgently. "He's quite capable, you know... he's really fast once he's in the heat of the game."
"Feh!" Came the doubtful answer. "I don't think so. He's kinda girly, so he must be slow."
"Jin..."
"No he's not." Mizuki suddenly spoke up. "He's a competent tennis player, that I assure you."
The guy named Jin scowled. "You're not being talked to. Stay away from this conversation." It was a tad bit frightening for Shishido, so it was no surprise that his friend's mouth snapped immediately shut. There was a moment of tense silence...
And then Mizuki spoke up once again.
"You are just projecting your weakness, are you not?"
And the war broke out.
X o X o X
"Owww..."
Shishido sighed, brows furrowing in concentration. "You shouldn't have said that." He murmured as he dressed the bruise purpling away happily on Mizuki's cheek. There was another one on his temple, the nastier one where the skin actually broke. He winced, remembering the hostility that erupted from the Jin guy. He felt guilty, and he couldn't form words to say how sorry he was for all the trouble he had caused. Of course it was not technically his fault, but then, his friend was just protecting him.
Mizuki Hajime was a good friend, he had to give him that. Whatever had possessed him to sacrifice Fuji's brother's arm was beyond Shishido's comprehension. Maybe he did that out of sheer competitiveness? Or was that the real him? He did not know. If the second option were the case, then he would have to say that the one he was seeing now, the one whom he was friends with... was a changed man.
And he felt happy knowing he had someone like that as a friend. Minus the arrogance and slyness... and the deviousness as well, he was just like Ohtori. They would become very good friends once they get to know each other. Then Shishido's life would be more than perfect, save for that evil guy who made existing in the university very difficult.
"Well, I wanted to." Mizuki declared, waving a hand in the air dismissively. "I don't like it when people trample on my friends... and you are my friend, so... owww..."
"Sorry." Shishido did not know what he was saying sorry for, landing his friend in trouble or pressing the gauze too hard on the sensitive skin.
"Don't worry about it." Mizuki smiled nonchalantly, eyes quirking a bit as the bruised muscle stretched. "I have just one complaint though..."
Shishido steeled himself for an onslaught of complaints that would surely stream out of the smaller man's mouth.
Mizuki sighed dramatically, slouching in his seat even further. "We left the grocery bag with my precious chocolates in Kawamura-san's shop..."
It only took a couple of seconds to sink in, and Shishido started laughing.
X o X o X
Morning found Shishido and Mizuki tangled up in bed. For a short while, he panicked, eyes staring in shock at the sleeping face of his friend. Then, memories came rushing back.
/"Ryo..."
"Hajime, please go back to bed... I'm sleepy and I'm hungry..."
"I'm not going to molest you, you know..."
Shishido sighed, lifting the covers of his bed in invitation. "So, why are you still up at..." He glanced at his alarm clock. "Three in the morning?"
"I can't sleep." Mizuki declared, sighing. "Do you think I'm ugly?"
Shishido couldn't help laughing. "What are you saying, you nut? You are not ugly!" his arms closed around his friend as he snuggled. "Never think that you are, okay?"
"I don't know Ryo... I might have been semi-okay before, but now, with these on my face..."
Shishido was, once again, wracked with guilt. "I'm sorry, because of me, you..." He started, only to be cut off by a hand clamping on his mouth. In the dim light of his nightlight, he could see Mizuki's dancing eyes.
"Stop saying that dummy." He grinned. "Friends stand up for each other. I know you'll do the same thing for me when time comes and it's my turn to get hurt by others."
Mizuki somehow seen through him... just like Ohtori did when Shishido was in one of his brooding fits. He smiled wanly and touched the bandaged bruise on his friend's temple. "Aa."
He watched Mizuki close his eyes in sleep.
And he closed his own in satisfaction. /
Shishido smiled, lying motionlessly back for a short while before gently untangling himself in a flurry of entwined limbs. It seemed as obvious as ever that Mizuki was a fitful sleeper.
Once free, he got off the bed and stretched.
For the first time, he did not open the window curtains.
X o X o X
RING!
Annoyed, Shishido flipped open his phone and growled. He had just bombed his last exam and was ranting inwardly about evil professors and equally evil drafting measurements. He was in no mood for any kind of chitchat.
"What?" He grumbled.
"Shishido-san?"
He felt like he was doused with cold water. He flushed in embarrassment. It was Ohtori. "Ah – Choutarou!" He greeted back quite enthusiastically. "Why did you call?"
"Ah, did I catch you in a bad time?" His best friend asked in concern. "You sound troubled."
Tell me about it. He thought crossly, remembering the gloating face of his professor. That old man finally won over us. Chikusho... "Actually you did. I just failed my exam, so I'm being bitchy about it. But, no, you're not bothering me the least. So, why did you call?"
"Ah, Shishido-san... I think I have enough credit to take an exam in your university..."
"YOU WHAT?"
"Ah, I'm going to take an exam in K University next month, Shishido-san!" Shishido could almost see Ohtori's proud smile at the other end of the line.
Shishido's smile would have rivalled that of the brightness of the sun. Just imagine, his best friend had a shot at entering the university next year! His bleak day finally became better.
Just imagine!
Ohtori!
Together with him in the university!
X o X o X
Atobe soon got wind of it through one of Oshitari's phone calls. It seemed that he was as welcoming as Shishido was, and for that, he was glad. "Ahn... good, good! Then this place would be more lively, don't you think so?"
"Of course!" Shishido said enthusiastically, gobbling up his dinner. It seemed that Atobe had taken a liking at eating together with him. It was okay; since Mizuki was finally back with his beloved Fuji Syusuke... bruises and all. "We'll have such fun together! Ha! We'll conquer the tennis club doubles!"
Atobe snorted. "Heh, that is if he gets in. What if he doesn't?"
"He will." Shishido said with finality. "He surely will."
Atobe gave him a chiding look. "Seems as if you know him all too well, hmm? Maybe the rumours were true after all?"
"Shut up Atobe."
Atobe just gave him this knowing look that made the blood in his veins boil. Why was he being so suggestive today? Why was he pushing about the rumours all the time? Was it because he was just enjoying teasing him, or was it because he was actually hoping that it was true? One could never get the truth out of those sealed lips, that, Shishido was sure. He was about to say something when he saw Atobe's eyes shift to a point behind him. Curious, he turned around –
And proceeded to scowl.
It was the Jin guy.
Carrying the groceries he and Mizuki left at Kawamura's sushi shop.
How weird was that?
"What do you want this time?" He called out gruffly, eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"You want your stuff back, don't you? Because if you don't, I'm taking them all for myself. You can afford to buy them again anyway."
"Why don't you just come over here and give it to me?"
"You come over here, these are yours."
Shishido's temple began to throb painfully. Why was everyone ganging up on him? He took a deep calming breath in an effort to calm his ill temper and stood up, eyes focused angrily at his aggressor. Must not punch his lights out or I'll be slapped with offences. Must keep calm. Must keep calm. Must keep calm.
As he reached him, he held out his hands. "Give the bag to me."
The wind blew then, ruffling the man's already dishevelled hair. It was the first time he noticed that his hair was fine. He was an artist and he focused on detail, and as much as he did not want to admit it, the guy had the perfect bone structure... and his eyes were almost golden.
He possessed dominant features that could make anyone lose their breath just staring at him.
Now, as he stood there, speechless for once, Shishido couldn't dispel one glaring fact.
He's staring at me as well...
TSUZUKU
A/N: Sorry for the delay guys, nyargh, the Holiday Bug got into me. ; But, here it is, hope you enjoyed it!
