Hello Readers,
Well, I am taking a brief period of time to start my creative engines once more, and in order to achieve this I am writing a fiction on another great duo Tsuzuki Asato and Kurosaki Hisoka from Yami No Matsuei. I have always wanted to write a nice AU fiction for this anime series (and manga consequently) and so please allow me the liberty of altering a wonderful Shojo series to my own personal tastes. I feel that since I am keeping about half of what is Yoko Matsushita's (the author of YnM) and half of what is mine (Haru's Doppelganger) I should add the copyright caution that I did not add to my other fics…er, chem (getting my reading glasses, pulling out slip of paper from behind podium I always wanted one!)
"I do not own any of Yoko Matsushita's works, characters, plots, etc…what I am going to do is change character composition but not their essences, change the circumstances of their work but not their job descriptions entirely, change the scenery but it is still in Honshu and Kyushu respectively, I will change instances of the past but the core of the characters' emotional experiences will still be there, nor will I change any names at all…personally, it bothers me and I find it distracting to the process of reading and keeping track of the story plot."
Hopefully you will like my story and please I encourage all forms of reviews even flames if you feel it necessary…sometimes people just have to be yelled at. For the most part, I will not write in any other language besides English unless it is necessary…that is another pet peeve of mine. The only Japanese words I support using in this genre of fanfiction are proper names, proper titles (like meifu or enma chou), given nicknames used over and over again in the manga or other author's fanfictions (like Bonboy, or sempaisuperior/upper classman like in a school), proper names for Japanese products that have no real English translation (like kimono or yukata), the ever-endearing "baka" or idiot, and Tsuzuki's cuddly English butchering "Sankyuuu" or thank you. I also ignore all honorifics…it's just another bothersome factor I have to edit and constantly keep track of.
Otherwise, I find slipping in Japanese phrases here and there is a distraction since it halts the mental processing of the story, and confuses those of us who do not know any Japanese and are unfortunate enough to come across an author who does not even translate when it is important to the plot. For those of you who think I am being ignorant or spiteful toward the Japanese language, on the contrary I am a student of Japanese for the past 3 years and am studying in Japan for a year very soon. I understand exactly what is said during those instances of Japanese, and mistakes also…well, grate my cheese so to speak and I can imagine how flustered other readers may be. Anyways, I went on a rant…all right then, to the story? Let's go! Haru's Doppelganger
Copper in the WaterThe dense and expansive forest of thick bamboo trees lay in an early morning hush; that quiet point at the start of every day when the nocturnal creatures have been lulled into slumber and the diurnal ones have not yet opened their eyes. The sky was dark in the pre-dawn sense of the word, indigo still coloring the heavens but a faint light could be made out in the far distance. The dawn's rays close to pouring over the peaks of distant mountains and flooding across this part of the Land of the Rising Sun. A light breeze tussled the fallen bamboo leaves on the forest floor and wove its way in between the hardy stalks of the trees. Mists wavered out from the warm pools scattered over the ancient wooded land and a distant waterfall was the only audible sound to be heard…well, save for the jostling tune of "You Are My Sunshine" that suddenly burst forth, succeeding in disturbing more than a few slumbering squirrels and birds! This, however, was remedied with a quick slap of the hand followed by the sound of an alarm clock breaking over a hard surface.
Groggy, yet dazzling eyes of amethyst opened to find a hand lying limply on the floor where a little alarm clock should have been sitting.
'Who's in my house…oh wait, that's my hand…' thought the young looking man as he continued to lie stomach down on his futon. He closed his eyes and stretched outward with a slight groan, padding the ground with his right hand to feel for his brand new alarm clock. When his hand found nothing he opened his eyes perplexed as to where it could have gone.
'Where's my…oh damn…not another one!' He thought, rolling over onto his back clasping his right hand over his eyes in frustration. This scenario had occurred too many times in the past to make him further wonder about where his clock could have gone. He knew it was most likely smashed upon the stone path just outside the back porch of his house. Rather than search for it at the moment, he pulled his hand away from his face and looked at his wristwatch for the time.
'6:00…great, not only did I set the damn thing too early but I destroyed, what's this? The fourteenth alarm clock I've owned since living here! Tatsumi is gonna kill me!' He groaned in his head, berating himself for even asking his former partner, and not to mention fiscally retentive office superior, to give him money for a clock each time the last one went mysteriously missing.
Tsuzuki had never told Tatsumi about actually breaking any of them himself…they just conveniently and inexplicably went missing not long after they were purchased. If Tatsumi had ever bothered to look when he occasionally dropped into see Tsuzuki for some casual tea, he would have noticed a nice pile of clock parts brushed underneath the porch of the house. The amethyst eyes chuckled at this thought and Tsuzuki began to push the blankets away from his body.
'Well, if it's this early it means I have more time to get ready so I can leave at seven, not be late to work for once…and maybe think of a story, 'cause I need a new clock!' Tsuzuki sat up rubbing hands over his eyes to wipe out the sleepy. He was clad in a loosely tied, dark blue yukata robe reaching all the way down to his ankles. The sleeves hung half way down his forearms revealing the only other article he wore, his wristwatch. He tried to run a hand through his hair, only to find that the elastic had come out in his sleep and his once finely brushed coif was now reduced to a muddle of tangles.
'Ohh, just what I need…where is that brush? At least my bangs are intact,' Tsuzuki thought as he finally stood up, amongst a pool of blankets and cushions. His hair was quite lengthy falling down to the middle of his backside, though he often tied it up with an elastic or a clasp in order to keep from sitting on it. Numerous times he had found himself sitting down, pretending to concentrate on his work…while actually daydreaming…but when he would try to turn his head Tsuzuki was stuck leaning back, his hair caught underneath.
At one point, he had been taking a nap at his desk during lunch break and awoke quite abruptly to find his hair tied to the back of his office chair! He started running after Terazuma, dragging his chair with him, crashing into nearly every desk and cabinet…only stopping after he had knocked over the water cooler and flooded that section of the office.
Both he and the offending co-worker had gotten an ear full from Tatsumi that afternoon: Tsuzuki for wearing his hair unkempt in a professional place of business, losing his temper, and rampaging through the office, costing Enma Chou even more money for dry cleaning the carpets; Terazuma got a lecture for pulling something like that with one of his superiors when he knew quite well that Tsuzuki's hair was not something to toy with…for numerous reasons.
Afterward Terazuma had grumbled about Tsuzuki just cutting it all off and avoiding the nuisance. Tsuzuki had said nothing in response and instead had started brushing his hands through as was his habit…Terazuma, and everyone else in the office for that matter, knew exactly why Tsuzuki kept his hair this length. It wasn't something they went about contesting and Tatsumi maintained keeping it tied in a bun, but had never suggested cutting it off…well, they all thought they new the whole truth behind his hair, but…
Tsuzuki unconsciously had been brushing his hand through his long, recently brushed, and disentangled hair, lazily looking off into space. But his revelry ceased as he felt something cold and wet travel down his front. Looking toward his feet his eyes widened and he jumped back with a yelp. Tsuzuki had been, at least attempting to pour chocolate milk into his extremely sugary marshmallow infested cereal. After filling the bowl, and failing to notice, the whole mess of sugary bits and dairy product spilt over the counter coating his legs and robe. Muttering a curse about hating Mondays, Tsuzuki pursed his lips in an adorable display of frustration and snatched a pair of Pop tarts off the counter. He popped them into the toaster, then marched off to his room to change out of the dirty robes, wipe off the brown milk, and dress into his work clothes.
Another conflict of interests, besides his hair, that Tsuzuki had with Tatsumi was the dress code. Technically there wasn't one at Enma Chou…Wakaba wore her schoolgirl uniform and some workers wore jeans or other dressed down ensembles. But Tatsumi insisted that Tsuzuki not wear his usual kimono or hakama pants Japanese martial arts pants to work.
"Not only could you trip over those lengths of fabric and fall, wasting more money by having to get more clothes and repair whatever it is you would crash into, but you also look like a Noh theater actor. This is an office not a feudal era historical recreation troupe, my friend," Tatsumi had said firmly when Tsuzuki first tried wearing his more traditional clothes to work so many years ago. Tsuzuki had cried and cried, even slipping into his cute puppy mode…but nothing could penetrate Tatsumi's decrees once they were issued.
He liked wearing his kimono…he felt so much more open and comfortable. Business suits had collars and felt constricting since the fabric clung to Tsuzuki's body; it felt so…unnatural. In fact, he did not remember wearing anything but a kimono or hakama unless at work or someplace where it was starkly inappropriate for someone as western looking as Tsuzuki to wear Japanese clothing. As for the tripping, Tsuzuki was always the first to admit that he often had a clumsy streak, but even more often he would run through his forest of towering bamboo…he would just keep running and jumping off of the sturdy bamboo stalks like sideways trampolines. Tsuzuki's choice in apparel had never kept him from running, whether after a perp or just…to run. Besides, he had been wearing kimono and hakama since he was fourteen years old, and he was not about to change over completely now…even if Tatsumi could be really scary!
Tsuzuki now looked glumly into his closet at the three business suits he owned. All of the jackets were black, ties were black, and all of the pants were black to match. 'Boooooooooring…' Tsuzuki mentally droned with a pout. The only existing variations could be found in the colors of his three, collared shirts: white, peach, and blue. Tsuzuki grimaced and started crying crocodile…well, puppy tears at how Tatsumi was a "big meanie head". He then sighed and resigned himself to the white shirt combination.
"Grrr…it's toooo tiiiiiiight…" he whined loosening the collar and the tie so that it hung more than it fastened the neckline, as it was supposed to. He hated ties, especially fumbling to put them on right. Tatsumi was always fixing them when he came to work.
Then there was the trench coat, which Tsuzuki did not mind at all, unless it was hot outside, which was often the case in the district of Kyushu where he was in charge. 'Or at least…it's where I used to be in charge…' Tsuzuki thought sadly. After so many months, the man still had no partner as was required in his department in order to do field work. He had been stuck in the office pushing papers for Tatsumi for the last seven months, and going to work was like having his teeth pulled…slow, painful, and no amount of sugar could make it more than tolerable. The only real advantage was the free breakfast sweets, to which Tsuzuki always helped himself plentifully.
As Tsuzuki fumbled with his tie, to loosen it even more, he walked out of what was supposedly his bedroom, though he rarely slept there. He preferred sleeping near the paper sliding doors of his living room that lead to the porch, since they were open to the vast and beautiful forest he had chosen as his home long ago. Hence why the clocks always shot through the doors, over the porch, and onto the flat rocks below! But Tsuzuki could not bring himself to close the doors, except in the winter, not with such a refreshing and wonderfully scented breeze…on that note Tsuzuki took a deep inhalation, only to cough.
"What's that smell?" he said aloud. After cutely spinning a few times to get a whiff from every direction Tsuzuki finally looked down and frowned. "Aw damn it!" He stomped across the living room and into the bathroom, cursing at himself for forgetting to take a shower after being drenched in chocolate milk and taking nearly a half hour to put on all of his uncomfortable office clothes.
After forty-five minutes of showering, since his mass of hair took up most of his time (and shampoo!), Tsuzuki hopped out from under the water to grab a towel. Just as the soft fabric wound about his waist, Tsuzuki took another strong whiff and smiled approvingly. "Aaaaall cleeaaan!" he sang happily as he began drying himself…at least until another smell caught his nose. Running a hand through his hair to push it out of his eyes, Tsuzuki perked his head up to get a stronger smell.
"Hmmm…(sniff, sniff)…sugar…(sniff)…burning?………………..uh oh!" Tsuzuki sped off with naught but a towel and his wristwatch, to find the kitchen billowing with puffs of smoke. Skidding across the linoleum floor to try and find the extinguisher, he hit the counter with an "oomph" and promptly fell down with a "thud". The floor was soaked with shower water, the ceiling was turning gray, the toaster was close to exploding with Pop tart bits, and Tsuzuki lay naked in the midst of it all...his towel hanging on the ceiling fan after being thrown rather unceremoniously. Yep…an average Monday morning for Tsuzuki Asato. "Well…it can't get any wor…"
'Ding-dong'.
"………what'd I do to deserve this?"
'Ding-dong, ding-dong!'
"….(groan)."
"Umm…hello? Mr…uh…Tsuzuki? I've come to get you for work…" Tsuzuki's ears perked up as he continued to lie on the floor. 'I don't recognize that voice…' he thought quizzically trying to pinpoint the young man's identity. "I'm new to Enma Chou in the accounting section…" the voice offered.
Tsuzuki's brow wrinkled, 'Huh?'
"…Mr. Tatsumi sent me over…" At this Tsuzuki's pupils constricted to nothing and he swerved his right wrist to look at his watch. It read 7:55! 'Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap!' Tsuzuki jumped up nearly slipping again in the pool of water on the floor. He yanked his towel down from the fan and in a blind panic ripped the toaster's plug out of the wall (to stop the smoking appliance), dashing for the door where the young man still stood speaking.
"…and well, he figured you would be…" The door slid open so fast it broke against the wall causing the young man at the door to jump from fright and fix his gaze on the man before him. "…ACK, NAKED!" He started covering his eyes yelling about this not being mentioned in the job interview. Tsuzuki blushed, furiously rearranging his towel to cover…erm, more of him.
"You can look now, I'm covered up," Tsuzuki said a nervous smile playing in his voice. The young man was hiding his eyes with numerous note cards and had his back turned to the older man. After another second the dark haired young man cautiously pivoted his body and peeked through his fingers. After sighing with relief at seeing a towel rather than Tsuzuki's…er chem…the young man stood up and straightened his work suit. As he brushed himself off, Tsuzuki took this time to size the young man up. He had dark, nearly black hair and brown eyes, standing only half an inch shorter than Tsuzuki.
'He's looks very Japanese…ha ha, almost like a minnie Tatsumi minus the glasses!' Tsuzuki thought to himself before the young man met his gaze with a professional, but nervous smile.
"Good morning Mr. Tsuzuki, my name is Inoue Minoru," he said with a respectful bow. "And as I said earlier I am new from accounting in the Summons Division. Um…"
"Yeah?"
"Pardon my unprofessional question but…why are you wet, nearly naked, AND holding a smoldering toaster, which is still sparking a little, with…are those Pop tart crumbs falling out of it?" Minoru questioned quirking his eyebrow.
'Hm, I guess Tatsumi finally found someone to take over this part of his job…making sure I even leave my house in the morning!' Tsuzuki chuckled mentally.
"Oh this? This happens at least three times a week." Minoru cringed inwardly. 'So this is my job? Oh dear…'
Tsuzuki continued, "I was done taking a shower and my toaster starting burning my breakfast and I ran out and fell down and the door bell rang and you came and…"
While Tsuzuki rambled Minoru looked him up and down thinking, 'So this is what they all meant by "Good luck" when I left the office…does he ever finish a sentence?' "…and here I am practically naked before you with a toaster!" Tsuzuki finished with a grin. Minoru sighed, but it ended with a smile; he had a hard time not liking this man despite his eccentricities.
"Say Minoru…do you think my Pop tart is salvageable!" Tsuzuki said, just realizing that it had been reduced to charcoal. Minoru looked at the blackened sugar and then at Tsuzuki's near to tears face.
Not wanting to deal with a crying superior worker Minoru decided to pick the middle road between yes and no. "Uh…maybe you should just get something at the office to eat…if you like sweet things they have apple pie and…" Minoru stopped, noticing the toaster fell to the floor with a "clang" and a puff of smoke hovered where Tsuzuki had once been standing. Daring to peek around the broken door into the house, Minoru heard drawers slamming and clothes being wrenched over skin hastily…in other words, Tsuzuki trying to get dressed as fast as he could so he would get to the sweets at Enma Chou. 'Guess he likes pie,' Minoru thought as he ventured to step into the house after removing his shoes. He began looking around the living room, noticing the distinct blend between traditional elements with all of the modern clutter. Not that Tsuzuki's home was unkempt but modern luxuries, like the television and heater, were strewn amongst the tatami mats and a few old style lanterns. Before he had time to further analyze the modest accomodations, Minoru's attention turned to Tsuzuki prancing out of his room trench coat and all, obviously eager to dig into some apple pie.
"So…" Minoru started as Tsuzuki came to stand in front of him. As Tsuzuki stood there he became perplexed by the look on Minoru's face. It was calm and collected, but held a question…not one he felt very comfortable asking at that.
"Yes?" After further hesitation Minoru exhaled heavily.
"So…are you…alive or dead?" To any other person that question would seem out of place and especially rude. But for those involved with the Summons Division and Guardians of Death, this inquiry often came up in conversation at one point or another.
"Oh me? I'm still alive. Have been for a long time. And you, Minoru? Oh, if you don't mind me calling you that…or even asking, that is," Tsuzuki said easily with an understanding smile. 'So that's what he was nervous about…well, he is new to the division after all.' Minoru's face unclenched and he relaxed seeing that Tsuzuki was not offended.
"You may call me that if you prefer and no, I don't mind the question. I died a few months ago; an earthquake took down quite a few buildings where I lived," he answered easily.
"I'm sorry." It was the sad answer Tsuzuki always gave in that situation…and he always meant it. Minoru starting waving his hand, in dismissal of the apology, as he turned to put on his shoes, seeing that Tsuzuki was finally ready to leave.
"No no. Do not bother being sorry. It was not hard to adjust…" Minoru suddenly stopped with one foot in a shoe and turned quickly to look at Tsuzuki as if he had never seen the man before. Minoru's penetrating gaze and furrowed brows took Tsuzuki aback. Minoru's face moved closer to Tsuzuki and he squinted at the taller man's eyes.
"Wait…if you're alive…and working for Enma Chou, then you're a…" Minoru's eyes widened at his realization and he stood back in an erect position to look at Tsuzuki as a whole. "You're one of them, aren't you?" At first Tsuzuki looked confused until realization hit and he smiled. Now Minoru was the one taken aback by the fact that Tsuzuki just grinned and took no offense what so ever to the stare or the inquiry.
"Hm, you got me," Tsuzuki said playfully. Minoru then sputtered realizing his own rudeness and backed up to bow low, forgetting his other shoe in the process.
"I…I am sorry Mr. Tsuzuki! You must think me so rude! I am sorry for staring but…I have just never seen one of…well, your kind before and you look just like anyone else I would see, and please don't think me intolerant, this is just so new and…(sigh) I'm not making a very good impression am I?" Minoru said, fearing he had insulted his new superior. Now it was Tsuzuki's turn to dismiss an apology.
"You're fine! Don't think anything of it! I thought Tatsumi had either told you or that you would figure it out on your own. I mean it's not often someone doesn't comment on my eyes immediately after they meet me," Tsuzuki chuckled, smiling brilliantly at the young man. Minoru couldn't help but stare. 'He's not mad or anything of the sort…and smiling like that who could be mad at him! No wonder Mr. Tatsumi told me I would like him.' Catching himself staring again, Minoru regained his composure, straightening his suit jacket, and finally put on his other shoe.
"Well, Mr. Tsuzuki, shall we proceed to work? I can imagine Mr. Kachou is wondering where we are."
"Sure no problem," Tsuzuki replied still grinning. The sun was now up and beaming down upon the forest, illuminating it in a soft green and golden glow. Tsuzuki almost lost himself again before he heard Minoru's voice.
"Um, Mr. Tsuzuki…are you really going to the office without any shoes?" Minoru asked pointing to Tsuzuki's bare feet on the ground. 'Ah, yet another thing me and Tatsumi don't agree on.' Tsuzuki thought to himself. As far back as Tsuzuki could remember, he had always preferred going bare foot whenever and wherever he could.
"Awww, shoes smell and they're tight and they crunch my toooooes," Tsuzuki whined, his head hanging low dejectedly. Minoru tear-dropped at the sight of a grown man whining over shoes like a four year old. 'O…kay…no wonder Mr. Terazuma seemed so perturbed with Mr. Tsuzuki.'
"But Mr. Tsuzuki, Mr. Tatsumi will not be happy if you go bare foot. He strictly instructed me to make sure you had shoes on your feet when we left…and I need to show him I can be an efficient assistant," Minoru half instructed and half pleaded. Tsuzuki sunk lower and started to pout. Then Minoru felt a light bulb go off over his head.
"You know Mr. Tsuzuki, the sooner you get your shoes the sooner you can eat your p…" With another dash of smoke Minoru did not need to say anything more. He watched, grinning slightly as Tsuzuki ransacked his house looking for a pair of office shoes. 'No not there! Not here either! Waaaaaa, where are they!' Tsuzuki cried in his head, now realizing that his shoes really weren't in the house at all. He checked his watch and saw it was already 8:30! Suddenly Tsuzuki felt his own light bulb go off.
"Wait! I had them after work on Friday, and I carried them home in my hands…walking barefoot…" he said, trying to piece together the events of that day. Tsuzuki started walking backwards toward his porch and then turned around to spot his scuffed, black shoes sitting on a patch of moss near his little garden stream. His eyes bulged with happiness at the prospect of the sweets to come.
All Minoru heard after that was the pounding of feet, a loud yell, some expletives, and finally a splash. Sighing he removed his shoes and stepped up into Tsuzuki's house once more. 'No wonder everyone in the office snickered when I said I was getting Mr. Tsuzuki for work today.'
"Mr. Tsuzuki?" he called out, walking across the living room to the open porch doors. Minoru then performed a classic anime fall down at what he saw in the garden. Tsuzuki lay face down in the small stream, his right hand on his shoes and his left hand clutching his foot. Apparently after being so excited about apple pie, Tsuzuki had dashed over the edge of the porch, not remembering that the remnants of his clock still sat on the stone walkway, only to step right on the sharp bits of plastic and metal. Then he had yelled in pain, grabbed his foot, cursed for good measure, and fell into the stream trying to bend down and pick up his shoes. Minoru tear dropped and sighed in frustration at seeing a supposedly elite member of the Summons Division, lying in a stream.
"Are you alright Mr. Tsuzuki?" The man in question sputtered and picked his head up out of the water.
"Well, found my shoes," Tsuzuki offered trying to sound cheerful. "Ooooh, but now I have to change…again!" Just as Tsuzuki was about to pick himself out of the stream he stopped short, his eyes widening and brows clenching together. He tentatively licked his lips. After tasting the water around his mouth he bent his head down once more to look at the water. Taking his right hand Tsuzuki scooped some of the liquid from the stream and drank, swishing it in his mouth. Just as Minoru walked up to where Tsuzuki lay, the man sputtered and spit the water out like it was poison.
Minoru furrowed his brows in confusion. 'The water looks fresh to me.' Tsuzuki then stood up, all traces of playfulness and inconsequential whining gone. He turned to Minoru with another handful of the water offering him a taste.
"Here, taste this and tell me what you think," Tsuzuki said seriously. Minoru was even more confused by this gesture but complied with Tsuzuki's request, taking the water into his own hands. After a slight sip Minoru tapped the top of his mouth with his tongue to get the full affect. Tsuzuki watched as the younger man's face grimaced slightly. After dropping the rest of the water to the ground, Minoru wiped his mouth and hands with his handkerchief.
"Tastes like American pennies…copper? In fresh water?" he asked simply enough. Tsuzuki turned to look upstream and narrowed his eyes.
"No…it's blood…" a deepened voice answered. With that Tsuzuki dropped his shoes to the ground and turned to Minoru's stunned face. "Keep up with me if you can" was all Minoru heard as Tsuzuki sped off into the dense woods, following the stream.
TBC…sorry this was so slow moving, but like I said things in this story have changed and some stayed the same so I am trying to establish those changes…like Tsuzuki's hair…just picture his bangs then when it meets the rest of his hair behind the ears it goes really long…change in clothing preference (though I think he always hated ties), and his house (which I will describe in much more detail next chapter…think Japanese style with modern stuff like Shigure's in Fruits Basket…very similar though only one story with a small attic) Tell me if you think I have destroyed the character so far! Okay review and bye for now!