A/N: It's been quite a while. Nightmare started again (aka school), but I guess it's okay. I saw my friends again. Just keep reviewing, hai? Pretty please (beautiful eyes)? LOL! So like I said before, review your comments and suggestions for this fic. Here's the second chapter!
Dedications: For AmanoAndin, Moronicius and lady cristina (I hope I got your names right). And for everyone else who reviewed.
Standard disclaimers apply.
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Yume o Miru
Chapter Two: Hormones and the Like
Ban happily ate his ice cream, but failed to notice Juubei's indignant expression.
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Juubei pushed Ban against the wall, quite harshly.
"Don't you understand, Mido Ban?!"
"Understand WHAT?"
"Kazuki is dying! Don't you even understand those three words?!"
"No, I don't. So please leave me alone." Juubei punched Ban squarely in the face, obviously irritated by Ban's words and actions.
Juubei lifted Ban by his collar, "Look, you may not believe this, Mido Ban-sama," Juubei said in a mocking tone, "but Kazuki… he… he likes you, okay?" Ban was taken aback by Juubei's revelation, but didn't show it.
"So what? I don't care." Juubei gritted his teeth.
"Because he's dying," Juubei explained, calm this time, "and back at the ice cream parlor, y-you have no idea how you made him happy."
Ban said nothing. "Fine," he said, letting go of Ban's shirt. "I'll leave."
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"What the hell? Kazuki dying? Kazuki likes me? Heck, that was probably the last thing he'd do!" Those were the thoughts on Ban's head as he made his way to Honky Tonk.
When he entered the café, Kazuki and chibi Ginji were there, talking about something. "Kazuki," the two people looked at Ban. "Hai?" Ban approached Kazuki, then harshly lifted him by the arm. Ban was physically stronger than him, so he was able to drag Kazuki out of the chair.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Kazuki seemed confused, "What are you talking about…?" Ban tightened his grip around Kazuki's arm, causing him to wince slightly, "You know what I am talking about, dimwit!" Kazuki seemed hurt, then Ban widened his eyes, realizing what he just said. Then he let go of Kazuki's arm.
"Sorry. Forget what I said."
Ban left Honky Tonk, leaving Kazuki and Ginji confused.
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Ban leaned on the headrest of his Ladybug. He had been thinking about what Juubei said all day. It was already 11 in the evening, and all Ban could hear was the closing of… car… doors? Ban quickly changed to defensive mode, looking at the seat beside him. "Eh? Kazuki?"
Kazuki nodded. "Sorry for surprising you," he said. "I didn't mean it." Ban sighed then leaned again on the headrest, "What do you want at this hour, itomaki?"
"I just wanted to ask… how did you---"
"Juubei."
"Aah…" Kazuki looked at the floor, finding it very interesting. "Why didn't you tell us?" Kazuki looked up, "I didn't want to worry everyone," he said. "What's your… you know…"
"Brain cancer."
"I'm sorry," Ban replied.
"Why say sorry, Ban? Everyone is gonna die someday anyway."
Ban nodded. "Fine… Do you have any wishes that even for once, you wanted it to actually happen?"
Kazuki smiled, "Of course I do. Ever since I was a child, I wanted to have stars on my room. That's my first wish," he said, "my second wish is… to find out who gave me these bells," Kazuki said, giving his hair a light tug. "My third wish… I wanted the person I love, love me back. But that couldn't happen."
Ban shot his eyes open. Ban still didn't believe that Kazuki actually liked him, but he still felt slightly conscious when Kazuki mentioned about that. When he realized that Kazuki stopped talking, "What's your fourth wish?" he uttered.
"to die happy." With that, Kazuki left the car. Ban didn't know why, but he felt sadness the moment Kazuki said that. But at the same time very, very confused. "What in the name of fuckers…? 3 of those wishes are similar to the wishes of my "friend" from 6 years ago… Come to think of it… those bells look somehow familiar… Could Kazuki possibly be…?"[1]
It was only when Ban was about to lock the door when he noticed a neatly folded piece of paper on the seat. He picked it then opened it, eyes full of curiosity. Then he read the paper…
Ban
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Ban grunted. Someone was knocking on the car window. He cursed under his breath then shouted, "Will you just goddamn be care---" then he stopped in mid-sentence.
It was Kazuki.
Ban opened the lock of the door. He told Kazuki to go inside. "Ban. I'm sorry for leaving just like that yesterday evening." Kazuki said, while sitting down the seat. "It's okay."
"Anyway, Ban---"
"Kazuki," Ban said, cutting Kazuki's speech, "may you please explain to me what this may be?" with that, he picked the piece of paper and shoved it in Kazuki's outstretched palms.
Ban and Kazuki locked eyes for a moment, but when the latter opened the paper, his eyes grew wide. "How do you explain that… itomaki?" Ban waited for an answer. Then after a minute or so, Kazuki looked up to meet Ban's eyes.
"I-I didn't write this, you know! I h-have no idea who placed this in your car!"
"Well then, how did you know that I found it on my car?"
"Why I…! Well I… I mean, y-you were in your car overnight, right?"
"You've been stalking me?"
"N-no!"
"Then how did you know?"
"W-well… Ginji-san was with me all night…"
"And the conncection?"
Kazuki placed both of his hands on both of his ears, "Please just shut up!" Ban 'oohed' and 'aahed'. "Sorry, Kazuki. I as just kidding, you know." Kazuki felt his cheeks grow hot. "Gomen… I'm just… a little jumpy and nervous these days…" Ban laughed and patted Kazuki lightly on the back. "I know, I know. It's my fault. Sorry."
Kazuki chuckled and sneezed. Ban thought, "Even his sneeze sounds like a woman!" Ban couldn't help but laugh hysterically. Kazuki pouted then after a while, he laughed with Ban.
After a quarter-of-an-hour of laughing and sharing jokes, they both fell silent. Someone broke the silence. But this time, it was Ban who sneezed.
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Somewhere inside Japan…
"I wonder why Ban-chan forgot to pick me up today…"
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Ban chuckled lightly, so he only could hear it. "C'mon, itomaki. Let's go to Idiot's Ice Cream."
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This time, Kazuki treated Ban in ice cream. Kazuki smiled slightly at Ban who was slurping his ice cream. "I didn't know Ban liked ice cream." He thought out aloud. He quickly covered his mouth. "Nani, itomaki?" Kazuki waved his hands. "Nothing. Just continue eating." Ban shrugged. Kazuki, too, continued eating his mint chocolate chip.
Ban felt Kazuki's eyes on him for quite a while. "I didn't know Ban liked ice cream." He heard Kazuki say, but pretended not to hear it, "Nani, itomaki?" He waved his hands. "Nothing. Just continue eating." Then Ban shrugged. "Itomaki is eating ice cream," Ban thought. "He's cute that way." Then Ban suddenly remembered something he forgot. "Oh, shit! I forgot to pick Ginji!" Kazuki laughed. "I already told Juubei to pick him up a while ago, Ban." Ban frowned. "Gomen," Ban shook his head then smiled. "No problem. No need to say sorry."
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Bgan and Kazuki finished their ice cream then went back to Honky Tonk. On the way there, Ban suddenly spoke up, "Remember yesterday, Kazuki?" Kazuki looked up, "Hmm?"
"You wanna know who gave you those bells, right?"
Kazuki shook his head, "I already know who gave them to me."
Ban blinked, "Who?"
"You, Ban."
Ban blinked again, but this time, twice. "Why do you say so?"
"It was from the picture Ginji-san made me see just a few hours ago. It was a picture of you, from 6 years ago. He said that you gave it to him because you wanted him to remember that, 'Mido Ban is the coolest and most good-looking guy in the world!' It was the same guy that gave me these bells."
Ban nodded. Then he pulled out a picture from his pocket. He stared at it for a while, then snorted. He threw it at Kazuki. It took a moment to make Kazuki register the picture in his mind.
Then he turned red all over.
Steam came out from his head.
It was a picture of Kazuki taking a bath at Juubei's house, frowning. A picture from 6 years ago.
"I got it from Juubei. It looked like the person who I gave the bells to. But I didn't believe it at first until you told me."
Kazuki pouted. "You shouldn't have laughed."
Ban hugged (oh gosh! Oo LOL!) Kazuki. "Sorry!"
"But Ban… why do you still have the picture with you?"
Ban froze. He had to find an excuse. A good excuse. How could he say to him that--- "I-I forgot to give it back to him," then he snatched the picture away from Kazuki. "I'll be the one who'll give it to him." Then Ban realized that he was still hugging Kazuki. He quickly pulled away.
"Anyway, itomaki. What were you doing in the picture?"
Kazuki looked embarrassed for a moment, "Well… I just had my haircut at that time," he said, "and I was all itchy all over. Juubei offered me to take a bath at his house. Then he took a picture of me. Naked. So I frowned before he even took a picture."[2]
Ban laughed. "I see."
They were silent for some time, but all of a sudden, Kazuki fainted.
"Kazuki!"
tbc
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A/N: Finished the second chappie. Success! The chapter three would be about… it's a secret .. Oh, you're probably wondering, eh? Sorry I didn't explain this earlier. Let's just think that Kazuki had no bells before he met Juubei, hai? So you'll understand. :) Tell me if there are some typos, or if you want to make any comments and suggestions. Please review to make a 13-year-old childish girl happy.
[1] I'm estimating here. In the manga, Kazuki is 20 years old while Ban is 21. So… six years ago, meaning Kazuki- 14, Ban- 15 and Juubei- 15. Yep, Juubei plays a slightly bigger role next chapter. Oh btw, those ages of Juubei and Kazuki indicate that it was before they left for Mugenjou. And Ban… before he met Raitei.
[2] Kazuki absolutely looked adorable when he had a haircut. He probably took a haircut when he was 15. But for the sake of the next chapter, let's say he got his haircut when he was 14. Wanna see him? E-mail me and I'll give the URL to you. Btw, Juubei looked so kawaii too. He had big eyes. XD
