Welcome to chapter sixteen!
I have such loyal readers! Your kind words really helped me out today. As a thank you, here's a longer chapter! (Is that really such a great reward? I'm not even sure if this constitutes as a long chapter but, it is longer than the previous one by a lot.) I can't really tell if it's a happy chapter or not. I guess it depends on what you are rooting for.
What do you guys think of Marie and Mitsuki? Do you like them or not? Personally, I don't like Marie but, I think Mitsuki is cute. At least, I didn't like Marie previous to this chapter. Now I think she's kind of cool. I think I failed terribly at making original characters that people really love. People tell me I did well at it with Shinji in my Fruits Basket fic. He was an adorably cute bundle of… adorable cuteness…
Speaking of my Furuba fic, I am going to continue it once this story is done. If you like Fruits Basket, please check it out! It is called Lost Answers. I think that, even if you aren't a KyouxTohru fan, you can enjoy it. I tried hard to make a story that would be appealing to all Furuba fans.
Hisoka is eighteen! Woooo! Can anybody out there draw well? I'm wondering what Hisoka would actually look like with shoulder length hair.
And so! Here it is! Enjoy!
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Chapter Sixteen: Broken Promises
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Hana threw open the door and smiled. "Hoshi-chan! Haruko-chan! Hisoka-kun is back!" She entered the house and led Hisoka in.
Hoshi ran up to them. "Welcome back, Hisoka-niichan!" She smiled and hugged him.
"Thank you…" Hisoka gazed around the room. Haruko was nowhere in sight. "Hoshi-chan, where is Haruko?"
"She's grumpy. She said that something made her sad and went to your room." Hoshi huffed. "Every time we play lately she gets this way."
"Thank you…" Hisoka steadied himself and walked forward. He was still feeling a bit lightheaded from the attempted exorcism. He leaned against the door to his room and opened it. Haruko was sitting on the floor in the corner of the room.
"You liar…" Haruko's voice was wavering. It was clear she had been crying.
Hisoka knelt next to her. "What do you mean?"
"You promised that you'd find the person you loved when you got bigger…" Haruko turned to him. Her face was red. "But instead you're giving up. You broke our promise."
"What? How did you…?" Hisoka blinked.
"I felt it in my heart. I felt that you lied and it hurt." Haruko sniffled. "I hate you!" Haruko jumped up and ran from the room.
Hisoka sat in the room stunned.
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Tsuzuki scrawled the notes on the chalkboard and stood behind his podium. "I don't feel like talking today, so just write this stuff down. When you're done, you can leave."
"Um… Are you sure that's okay?" One of the boys questioned. The rest of the students groaned and threw papers at him.
"I just don't feel like teaching. Anything I did today would just do more harm than good." Tsuzuki sighed. "Just hurry up, okay?"
The students hushed and quickly wrote down the notes. Tsuzuki leaned against his podium and closed his eyes. He had told Hisoka to forget about him but, now that he was actually doing it, he could feel the pain.
Students gradually left the room until only Tsuzuki and Kana were left. She walked up to him. "Is something wrong? I won't tell anybody, I promise."
"I just had to give up on somebody to save his life." Tsuzuki picked up his briefcase and waved. "Go home. Enjoy your day off."
Kana watched Tsuzuki leave. She pulled her cell phone out and dialed her sister.
"Hello?" Mitsuki's voice answered.
"Aki, there's a problem with Tsuzuki-sensei." Kana sighed. "He said that he had to give up on somebody to save that person's life."
"Was he talking about Hisoka-kun?" Mitsuki's voice went silent for a moment. "He was in the hospital a few days ago but, nobody will tell me why. I assumed it wasn't serious if he's already back."
"I wish I knew more about this. I'd like to help him." Kana paused. "Take care of Hisoka-kun, okay?" Kana hung up and put her phone away.
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Hisoka opened the door. Mitsuki stood in the rain with a concerned look on her face. He motioned her in and closed the door.
"What's wrong?" Hisoka's strength was back. He assured Hana that he was okay to be left alone and, although she was reluctant, she went to work. She had taken five days off to stay with him.
"I got a phone call from my sister yesterday. I had to go to class and then work, so I didn't have a chance to talk to you about it. She said that sensei had to give up on you to save your life… What did he mean?"
"I took Tsuzuki's advice. I'm shutting my memories of him from my mind." Hisoka paused. "Wait, how did he know?"
"Huh?" Mitsuki scratched her head. "That's right. He can't talk to you so how did he know you were hurt?"
"I… wonder…" Hisoka sighed. "But it doesn't matter. Starting tomorrow, Tsuzuki Asato doesn't exist."
"I wonder if it is really going to be that easy…" Mitsuki sighed. "Either way, your birthday is in two months, right? You'll be eighteen. Why give up on him so close to when you can be with him?"
"He made it obvious that he wants to move on. After what has happened, I'm sure going through anything else together would be more painful than anything else." Hisoka smiled a tired, sad smile. "He told me not to brood on the past. So I won't. I'll move on and live as normal a life as I can."
"I don't believe you for a second." Mitsuki slowly moved closer to him. "You said… that touching hurts you, right?"
"Yes, if the person touching me has strong emotions at the moment." Hisoka cringed as Mitsuki hugged him.
"So, what I'm feeling now you feel as your own as well?" She whispered into his chest. Hisoka nodded. "Then… do what your heart is telling you to do right now…"
Hisoka closed his eyes. He took Mitsuki's head in his hands and kissed her.
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"Marie-san?" Tsuzuki popped his head into the library. He saw Marie behind the counter check out a student's book. He smiled and walked up to her. As the student walked away, he leaned on the counter. "Marie-san, Marie-san, let's go out tonight."
"Eh? It's a weeknight." Marie raised an eyebrow. Tsuzuki had a dorky smile plastered across his face. "Are you already drunk?"
"How mean! I meant out to dinner anyways, not drinking." Tsuzuki huffed.
"Either something really good happened or something really bad."
"Perhaps a little of both. So? What do you say?" Tsuzuki leaned back and examined his fingernails. "This is a one time offer. Turn down now and I'll just go find that pretty, young English teacher.
Marie smirked. "You mean the pretty, young, lesbian, English teacher?"
"No way! Really?" Tsuzuki blinked.
"I suppose I can accept a date with the amazing Asato." Marie smiled.
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"So, spill it. What happened?" Tsuzuki had avoided the subject all night, so finally Marie had to flat out ask.
"Hisoka is moving on. Just like I told him." Tsuzuki smiled and finished his piece of cake.
"You know, normally a girl would be offended being told this was an 'I have to fill the void,' date. However, for a guy as nice as you, I'll let it pass."
"No wrath of Marie-san? Lucky, lucky!" Tsuzuki took the check from the waitress. "We should do this again soon."
Marie looked into Tsuzuki's amethyst eyes for a moment then smiled. "I don't think so."
"Huh? But, I thought…"
"I am interested in you but, I don't want that type of relationship with you. I can see it in your eyes. You aren't over him." Marie stood. "I would suggest, Asato-san, that you don't ask girls out until you are over the person you were with before. You may end up in a position you aren't ready to handle." She picked up her purse and left Tsuzuki alone at the table.
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"Happy Birthday, Hisoka-kun!" Ryu, Mitsuki, and Yui jumped up and yelled in unison as Hisoka entered the house.
"Birthday?" Hisoka looked at his watch. Sure enough, it read October 18. He brushed back his shoulder length hair and tied it in a rubber band.
"Baaaaka!" Ryu smirked. "Forgetting your own birthday. That's sad."
"Hisoka-kun has had a lot on his mind! It's not his fault!" Mitsuki huffed.
"Hmm? Do you mean college hunting or your date?" Yui smirked.
"Th… That's…" Mitsuki blushed.
"I hope you don't mind a party, Hisoka-kun." Hana was setting various plates of food on the table. "I know you don't like parties but, we all have happy emotions today."
"Thank you…" Hisoka looked around. Kei, Hana, Ryu, Yui, Mitsuki, and Hoshi were all putting up decorations. "Where's Haruko-chan?"
"Oh… She said she didn't want to be here… I'm sorry, Hisoka-kun." Hana frowned.
"It's fine. She has avoided me for two months anyways." Hisoka attempted to help decorate but, was quickly shooed away by Mitsuki.
"What kind of hosts would we be if we let you work at your own party?" She smiled. "Sit down. We're almost done anyways."
Hisoka sat on his usual floor pillow and sighed. As he leaned back, he noticed an envelope sticking out from under the pillow. He pulled it out and opened it. Inside was a single paper with an address and phone number.
"Looks like you found your first gift." Hana leaned down and smiled. "If you don't want it you can throw it away. I think you know what it is."
Hisoka nodded. There didn't need to be a name on the Kyoto address for him to know whose it was.
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Tsuzuki smiled as he read the letter from Hana. She had sent him a letter about how Hisoka's birthday had been spent. She included a picture of him with Ryu, Yui, and Mitsuki. The sight of Hisoka's smile nearly brought a tear to his eyes. Hana explained that, following the party, Hisoka had gone on his first official date with Mitsuki. The first time he read the note, his heart hurt but, after a couple times, he smiled.
"There's no point in both of us suffering over this. If I can take your pain away, then I'll be glad to do it, even if it means doubling it up for me." Tsuzuki folded the letter and placed it in a small wooden box he had designated "The Hisoka Box."
"You're too hard on yourself." Marie set a piece of cake on the table in front of Tsuzuki.
"We weren't together for too long but, I knew how I felt was something that I couldn't just turn off." Tsuzuki finished the cake in three bites.
"At least you are a lot better off than you were when I first met you. I've even seen you give an honest smile a few times." Marie smiled.
"Even if he forgets me, I'll never forget him. I decided that. I'd hurt more with that void in my heart than with the sad memories." Tsuzuki smiled. "Anybody who falls in love with me is going to have to deal with that now."
Marie wrapped her arms around Tsuzuki's neck from behind the couch. "You are such a great person that, even though knowing they are not your number one, anybody would be glad to be around you."
"I'm not great at all. I'm a sinful hypocrite." Tsuzuki closed his eyes.
"And you're honest. Another thing to love."
"You're a strange woman…"
"I'm a gaijin, I don't think like you." Marie ran a hand through Tsuzuki's hair. "I'm going home now. Good night."
"Night…" Tsuzuki looked down at the wooden box and ran a hand across it.
