The Bunny Book
Kazahaya calls it that.
It was a children's book, a very creepy children's book if one was to see it, and Kazahaya would gladly second the motion.
It was never a habit of his to buy books; he was never the reading type after all.
But Rikou decided that Kazahaya should wait for him while he goes finishing their grocery- much to the dismay of the blond. So Kazahaya went around, staying in one place didn't interest him, after all, his nature was that of the wind.
Blown into different directions; drifting off where his kind pleases.
He was like the zephyr breeze passing by people and disappearing before they have a second chance to look at him. Kazahaya was here, in a sweet shop, his eyes went wide as he sees candy houses and little bread people. Kazahaya was there, in a toyshop, with all the toys, he laughed at the sounds that came from a baby doll and went 'oh' as he sees another boy play with an electronic car.
It was that very character of his that had him drifting to a bookstore.
Kazahaya heard the jingling of bells indicating his entrance.
He looked around and around. There were so many books, he never been in a bookstore before, from where he grew up it was no surprise.
Kei would love to be here, there were so many books. Kei loves books. Especially the ones with lots of pictures and colors; Kei would love this place.
Kazahaya never felt so alone.
Kei
Kei
Kei
His mind whispered her name over and over; he would give everything away just to see his baby sister's face.
He was so alone.
And as he wanders across the store, he saw it.
There was the bunny book. He called it that because he knew Kei would call it that.
The cover had a blue background, and there was the silhouette of a city farther off. A spotlight was trained upon the main character.
This was also the other reason for the nickname 'Bunny Book'.
She, it has to be a girl; the main character was wearing a dress. She looked like a bunny creature with humongous floppy rabbit-like ears. She was wearing a pink dress; no it was a bit of light violet… no, a mixture of both.
Kazahaya smiled. Kei and he would argue about that, a very small detail, but it would always end in compromise.
He picked the book up and the bunny looked at him with two black, beady eyes.
The title told him its name was 'The City with No People'. Kazahaya smiled at the name.
Kazahaya opens the book.
In this city
There are no people
The lights are on in all the houses
But, there is nobody in the streets
Little bunny girl walks across the streets, true to her words, the lights are on yet not one soul was out of their houses.
Are there people inside?
I peek in a window to find out
There are people
But they are with 'Them'
I look in their houses,
These people are with 'Them', too
Kazahaya raised a brow. It was a bit… 'different'. A bit profound for the mind of a child, Kazahaya thought.
This city is just like all the rest
Being with 'Them' is fun
More fun than being with people
Kazahaya could feel the sadness in the little bunny. It feels sad to be alone. That was how he felt when he first arrived in this city, this defiled city.
If he wasn't careful, he could've cried.
He pushed back the tears in his eyes.
Closing the book, he walked to the cashier. He had enough money.
Feeling lucky he held the book close to his chest as he walked out of the door. The tinkling sound tickled his ears.
He likes the book.
-- Daily Use of Drugs May Cause Poisoning--
Rikou raised a brow at the item in Kazahaya's arms.
He asked the smaller boy where he got the book. It looked like a children's book, by the cover's simplicity and childish design.
'A bookstore' was the reply.
Rikou thought of it as stupid.
Kazahaya frowned.
But he didn't scream.
Rikou called him stupid because he bought a children's book instead of something more comprehensive.
Kazahaya snapped.
That's more like it.
-- Daily Use of Drugs May Cause Poisoning--
Little bunny girl walked through the city, passing by houses and peeking in one or two.
Nobody comes outside anymore
There are no people in this city
I will leave this city and go to another one
I hope that I will meet someone
Someone just for me
Kazahaya snapped the book shut. Someone just for me
He looked up and a ceiling stared down at him.
He can't help but feel a sense of familiarity with the book.
I will leave this city and go to another one
Maybe it does sound like him in a way.
He showed the book to Kakei the other day; the clairvoyant gently took the book in his hands as if it was a precious weight in his hands and graced the pages with light fingers.
Interesting book, he smiled.
Kazahaya feels a bit happy; at least not everyone thinks it's a stupid choice.
Rikou smirks behind him.
Kazahaya was too happy to notice.
-- Daily Use of Drugs May Cause Poisoning--
He feels so sad when he reads the book. Bunny girl, he started calling her that for lack of better names, doesn't deserve such isolation. She doesn't deserve to be left alone.
If she was real, Kazahaya would stay by her side. Protect her from people that would threaten to leave her like that.
But she was real…
Kazahaya heard a voice, he looked around. It must be in his head.
You left her, don't you remember her? Have you forgotten her name?
Kazahaya gripped the book tight in his hands. Kei
How can he forget? Kei has been everything to him. She was the one who made him smile. She helped him in her little ways.
How could he forget her?
He left her.
And as he remembered it, he felt heavy as if he committed the most grave of all sins.
The book disappeared and the world disappeared, they melted into oblivion.
He felt hands slip around his waist, and a soft alluring voice whispered in his ear. Or was it the product of a sleep derived person and his imagination?
Too bad, you had your chance.
I had my chance.
He feels his head going drowsy; maybe it was lack of slumber. They recently did some stock inventory the other night; it took some precious sleeping hours away.
He closed his eyes.
I'll protect you
It seemed so real. It almost felt as if the very words were whispered on his very lips. Then he felt those lips on his.
He was being kissed.
His eyes snapped open.
There was no one there.
-- Daily Use of Drugs May Cause Poisoning--
Kazahaya walked silently as he can with Rikou as they sneaked around. Their job today was consisted of nicking a mirror.
They were in a mansion, an old Victorian mansion. One that is not located in the busy bustles of Tokyo city, but hidden away in one of its beautiful forests.
They had to take a train to get here. Kazahaya, not much to his surprise but much to his chagrin, was to pretend to be a maid. It really annoyed him to no ends that he was to wear this black and white costume that has a puffed up skirt which was also above his knees.
He snapped at Rikou who was in the process of letting out a laugh.
Rikou wore a tux, in other words, he had a normal position and played the role of a butler.
It was dark, the attic, so mysterious and exotic.
Kazahaya tripped on something and Rikou helped him up. Of course, the larger of the two took this opportunity to slip in the word 'careless' between them.
Kazahaya glared at him. His mouth was open for a retort but when his eyes fell on the object that they were looking for he dashed forward. In the procedure, he pushed Rikou away. Rikou wasn't at all that happy being pushed around and wanted to demand compensation for that offense. But, he spotted Kazahaya with the mirror in his hands and decided to shove down any nasty comments on his part because Kazahaya would just ignore them anyway.
But Rikou remembered something Kakei told them; Kazahaya wasn't supposed to touch anything.
Kazahaya was already falling to the floor when he remembered.
-- Daily Use of Drugs May Cause Poisoning--
Kazahaya felt hands intertwining his fingers, cold fingers.
Like ice
Like death
Yet, he didn't shake it away.
He opens his eyes slowly and he sees himself, a reflection of himself or his twin to say the least.
His other self was wearing a coat with lots of belts.
Green eyes glinted in sweet evil.
"I've been waiting for you" he says to Kazahaya.
He helped Kazahaya stand and that when Kazahaya noted that he too was wearing the same clothes. Each detail was perfectly copied from the belts to the cape except they differ only in color. His mirror image wore black, red and silver; Kazahaya was wearing violet, white and gold.
He pulls Kazahaya to him, in that process Kazahaya did a stupid pirouette as he came crashing into his twin's arms.
"Who are you?" Kazahaya asked.
"Who are you" he asked back, the tone more of a statement than question.
Kazahaya feels cold rather than warm in his arms. "You can't be me… I can't be this cold…"
He almost feels like death.
"I'm inside of you" Dark Kazahaya lifted his chin and they looked at each other's eyes.
Green upon green
"He doesn't want you" the other says out of the blue.
Kazahaya, in a way, knew who this 'he' was. But he wasn't sure if it really was him, but he retorted back anyway, "It doesn't matter to me if he doesn't want me, if he doesn't then why does he protect me?"
Dark Kazahaya grinned at him, "He's just doing what he must, in truth he hates you. Loathes you even"
"Am I to believe you?"
But Kazahaya took those words, they didn't exactly hit home but it was close.
"I'll protect you"
Kazahaya shook his head.
This annoyed the other, "He'll leave you"
Then he took this break to kiss the other. He had caught his Light at the right time; he didn't know it was coming. He used this chance to slide his tongue inside his mouth, he tasted Kazahaya.
He tasted like honey, innocently sweet. He took in as much of the other as he can.
Kazahaya didn't like it at all; he gripped the black covered shoulders and begged for release.
He tasted like death, intoxicating poison. Kazahaya felt the tears fall by his cheeks.
They both couldn't take it, they needed to breath.
Kazahaya knew he should break away but he was being held with such iron force that he couldn't move. Dark Kazahaya smiled at him, holding him close and he whispered in an ear:
"You're too naïve" and then he added in a soft voice contradicting his earlier tones, "Someone… someone just for me"
Kazahaya's head dropped on one of his shoulders.
He, somehow, had fallen asleep.
-- Daily Use of Drugs May Cause Poisoning--
Kazahaya, heaven be thanks, was all right.
When he awoke, Rikou noticed, he stopped reading the book. He left it alone and never mentioned its existence.
Any topics concerning the book, Kazahaya would avoid.
Rikou would love to know why, but he was sure he'd be ignored if he tries. So he doesn't persist that much.
It had been a week from the mirror accident, and much to his dismay, Kakei was being himself and didn't bother explaining anything at all. He knows something was amidst, but the psychic was being his secretive nature and smiled that Paradox smile of his.
-- Daily Use of Drugs May Cause Poisoning--
Kazahaya read it in the book.
Nobody comes outside anymore
There are no people in this city
I will leave this city and go to another one
I hope that I will meet someone
Someone just for me
But if that special someone falls in love with me
I will have to leave that someone
That's what he did to Kei.
Would he do the same to Rikou?
He keeps restocking the shelf only to be told that it was the wrong place. He took the aspirins and moved to the other aisle.
Saiga then poked him aspirins were supposed to be on aisle nine beside the cough drops.
Kazahaya realized he was in aisle three.
-- Daily Use of Drugs May Cause Poisoning--
They walked back to the drugstore. It's been a while since they had an assignment and this was the recent.
Just find some sort of note and go home. End of story.
But Kakei would never give them that kind mission, that's just too easy and predictable. All missions given by Kakei were supposed to be unpredictable. Where's the fun if it would be that easy?
So they had to break in the house, that wasn't the tricky part. Said note was in the master's bedroom and who would've thought that the room was riddled with heavy security?
Rikou didn't like to look back.
They were too tiring and all he wants is a nice coffee and his newspaper right now.
They walked in silence.
Or Rikou believed they walked in silence.
"… One, sixty two, sixty three, sixty four…"
"What're you doing?"
"… Seventy two… Counting, seventy four…"
They made a turn and walked across an empty street.
"Why?"
"No reason… Eighty, eighty one, eighty two…"
"You sound very childish" Rikou chides.
"… Eighty seven, eighty eight, eighty nine, ninety!" he completely ignored the last comment.
Rikou sighed as he started counting to ninety and above.
-- Daily Use of Drugs May Cause Poisoning--
Rikou didn't know how Kazahaya kept track, but he somehow reached a thousand or so. Maybe he was counting in his head.
They were at the entrance of the store; Kazahaya was to open the door for both of them when he paused.
Rikou wondered what the matter is.
Musing over the fact he must've miscounted their steps, he wanted to say the thought out loud when Kazahaya was the first to break the silence.
"Kei and I would do that… counting" he mumbled to himself.
Rikou saw Kazahaya's reflection on the glass of the door.
"Oh…"
For a moment they stayed like that outside the store.
"… There is another me…"
Rikou didn't catch the last sentence. He wanted to know what the boy said but he disappeared inside the drugstore.
Damn that boy, he said it in such a low voice that even a person a meter away couldn't hear.
But Rikou wasn't the one to ask. He knew he'd be ignored if he tries. So he doesn't persist that much.
-- Daily Use of Drugs May Cause Poisoning--
When he went inside Kazahaya's room later that night, Rikou observed that the boy had the book in his arms.
Kazahaya was fast asleep when Rikou came in.
He plucked the book off from the boy's arms.
He read the part where Kazahaya stopped.
I hope that I will meet someone
Someone just for me
But if that special someone falls in love with me
I will have to leave that someone
Even so, I want to meet that special person
This is what I think as I leave the City with No People
Bunny girl looked at him with her beady, black eyes.
Rikou doesn't understand it at all.
But somehow, he has a bit of an oversight on what has been going on inside the boy's head.
So he drops the book and it fell to the floor with a small thud. Kazahaya stirs a bit, but stirs some more when he felt someone hold him tight.
He feared that it was his Dark side again; but later realized it Rikou who took him in his arms.
Kazahaya asked and all Rikou could reply was, "Don't leave me. Never leave me. Don't even think about leaving me"
Kazahaya was silent.
He saw the book on the floor.
He smiled.
"Okay"
And things were a bit different then on.
End