Picture Book
Raven: Hey, school's almost over! And dang it, finals are coming up! If I don't raise my math grade up or I get my other grades down, I'm cooked in the water, flushed down the toilet, MURDERED! Okay…I'm keeping sane….. Now, here's the second chapter, I forgot to mention that the "SAD" part doesn't happen until the 3rd chapter, I'm also adding an epilogue. I never knew that the story will get 4 reviews at just the first chapter, I only get up to one review on the first, but hey, it seems like the story is worth it! Okay, as you all know, Kouji and Izumi met each other and Kouji offered to fix Izumi's wheelchair. Izumi's mom even said that Izumi could come and stay with him and his grandpa until the wheel chair is fixed. I hope you guys like this chapter! NO FLAMES AND NO STUPID CRITICS!
"Talking"
'Thinking'
(ME)
Disclaimer: Yes, I don't own Kouji and Izumi, just Izumi's mom and Kouji's grandfather.
X Chapter 2 X
As if I've Known You for Years
Kouji was in his workshop; his grandfather built it for him and gave him the supplies, giving Kouji a hobby to occupy himself with. Since he spent most of his time in the workshop, Kouji was an expert at fixing things and great at handicrafts. He even learned how to carve figurines out of wood, each figure representing something he seen through his dreams and heart.
After Izumi left yesterday, Kouji went back to the bottom of the ledge and got the wheel chair, it was a wreck, but easy to fix, he took the broken chair and carried it back to his work shop, before he went to speak to his grandfather about Izumi.
Kouji sighed; he doesn't want to think on what will happen when Izumi gets here, because his grandpa practically loves to see cute girls once in a while. He carefully detached a wheel from his old bicycle; it was close enough to the wheel on the chair.
"I can't believe I even volunteered to help her out with this thing, I just met her!" He then remembered her child like attitude she gave him yesterday, "I guess it was how she acted which captivated me to do this." He flashed backed to the time he told asked his grandfather about Izumi staying with them.
Flashback
Hi-ken-mo Minamoto was inside the house sipping a cup of green tea "Ah, nothing relaxes you more then a nice warm cup of green tea after prayer!" He sighed. He then heard the metal gate clashing and the sliding door open and close-his grandson was home.
Kouji took of his shoes, placed them onto the floor. He looked around the house for his grandfather, "Knowing him, he'll be in the room at my right drinking tea again." Kouji suggested. He pulled open the door and saw his grandfather, who didn't even turn to look him in the eye, sitting there with the cup of tea in his hands. 'Typical Hi-ken-mo always ends up drinking something after prayer, this time, I'm glad it's not Sake.' Kouji thought, rolling his eyes at his grandpa.
"Welcome back Kouji, got a glimpse of any guests walking around the garden?" He asked, not turning away form his tea.
"Yes, I did, but she wasn't walking-"
"She?"
"She was crashing down the trial like am insane driver in a wheel chair, good thing I saved her." He heard his grandfather chuckle, "What?"
"Thee, Kouji Minamoto, saved a GIRL?" He chuckled some more, "it's hard to believe, that thee lone wolf of the Minamotos has gone soft!" He took a few more sips of tea.
"I never said anything about me going soft, I saved this girl, and her wheel chair ended up getting busted. She's paralyzed, so I asked if I could fix it for her, her mother even agreed I could. Also, she asked if, her daughter could stay with us tomorrow until the chair is fixed!" Kouji explained.
"Tell me about this girl…"
"Her name is Izumi Orimoto; she has long blonde hair and emerald green eyes."
"Her personality, a girl needs a personality?"
"I don't know, ANNOYING maybe?"
"Now, now Kouji, don't judge the girl from first meeting. You probably start to like her after a while, a few weeks maybe."
"Yeah right…" Kouji murmured. "Now, I'm guessing she lost the ability to walk?" Kouji nodded.
"Well, we probably should help her get back on her feet!"
"Are you saying that we should get her to do a rehab?"
"Her mother would be grateful that we helped her poor daughter out!" Hi-ken-mo took a long sip from his cup. Kouji sighed, "So is she goanna stay with us or what?"
"She's staying…" The 56 year old man took more sips from his cup.
'Great…tomorrow is going to be a LONG day…' Kouji thought.
X End of Flashback X
"I wonder when she's coming. It's an hour walk to her from the city, maybe longer" Kouji said to himself, has he took off the broken wheel. He looked at the figurines sitting right by the window ceil. They were finished, but remained with the color of brown-yellow wood, it was all just plain. Kouji wasn't much of the painter, so didn't bother to ruin his handcrafts with his stupidity in art.
There was a knock on the workshop's wooden door; it opened to reveal his grandpa who had a smile plastered on his face.
"Kouji, we have a visitor, and I believe you know who it is!"
Kouji and his grandpa walked out of the wooden casita and back into the temple like house. When Kouji walked in, he was surprised to see Izumi sitting down on a wooden chair right beside a table, on her lap was a paint pad, and on the table stood watercolor paints and brushes dipped into a cup of water. His grandpa kneeled toward his ear and whispered "I'll leave your two alone; I'll speak with her mom outside the house." Then Hi-ken-mo left tehm.
He rolled his eyes as Kouji took off his shoes and walked toward Izumi. She looked up to him and smiled, "Hi Kouji, nice to see you again!"
"Yeah, whatever," He looked at the picture she was painting it was a picture of a girl with a sad expression on her soft face, she was facing a man who had his back facing away from whoever was looking at the picture.
"What's that picture supposed to be about?" He asked. Izumi looked at him with a 'what' face then looked at her picture, "Oh this, it's nothing, it's just a picture for the picture book I'm publishing."
"You're publishing a book?" She nodded, "See, after the accident that got me to go on a wheelchair, I stayed inside my house for 2 whole years, and since I spent most of my time inside, I painted a lot. I soon became an artist; I even painted my own story once. My mom was so proud of me, that she showed it to this editor, you know, Mr. Koura-he?"
"That famous guy who nearly got thousands of children's books published, and also the judge for the young picture book writers competition?" Izumi nodded once more.
"He said he had faith in me, that I could become a real author for a book if I just keep on working harder, he even entered me into the competition. My deadline is 5 weeks form now, and I need 10 more pages."
"Wow, that's pretty neat, so what's the story about."
"It's about a young girl who meets a boy one fine day; you could say love at first sight when they caught each other. But the girl was a princess and the boy was a peasant, and the father wanted her to marry the prince she was engaged too. Knowing that he wouldn't be aloud inside the castle, the boy climbed to the top of the girl's window every night and talked to her. They are so in love, but the girl found out that the peasant and his family were being sent to another kingdom, because the dad knew about the boy sneaking into the castle. The boy comforts her on the last night they are together, and promised her this, that one day they'll meet each other again. He said, that they'll meet under a cherry blossom tree one day, and that he'll be an entirely new person on the outside, but in the inside, will still be the man she loves."
"You like painting romance, that's typical for a girl..." Kouji answered, "Anyways, how long are you planning on staying here?"
"I don't know, till my mom is done with her business here, she said we may be staying here for a couple of weeks. Around four or five weeks I guess."
"I can probably get your chair fixed by then."
"Speaking of my wheel chair, were is it anyways?"
"A workshop my gramps built for me, it's at the back, so you want to go see it? It's not that far." Izumi said yes with a pleasant smile on her smooth face. She tried to stand up herself but almost ended up falling back into the chair, good thing Kouji caught her by the waist. They looked into each others eyes, one sapphire blue and the other emerald green.
"You okay?" She nodded slowly, "If you can't walk you could at least have asked me to carry you." She lightly got red form embarrassment, "Well, I was just seeing if I could try standing up by myself. The doctors said I might be able to walk again, as you can see, I'm not getting the hang of this!" She answered. "I can see that," Kouji mumbled. They heard the sliding door open, "Um, Kouji, if you want to do it with her, then don't do it were someone can see you." They heard his grandpa speak. Kouji blushed and growled a little, "If you don't want to get hurt old man, then please don't just barge in! And we weren't do anything but talking!"
"Okay, okay, I get it. I just came to tell Izumi that she has to try and walk again, I'll make an obstacle for you so that you can practice." Hi-ken-mo said.
"Thank you Mr. Minamoto!" Izumi thanked gratefully. "Please, just call me Hi-ken." With that, the old man closed the sliding door and walked off.
"Your grandpa seems like a nice guy Kouji!" Kouji snorted a little, "Yeah, but wait till you see him when he drinks Sake, that's why I always keep a kendo stick everywhere I go." Izumi chuckled a little. The two went with Kouji giving Izumi a little piggyback ride toward the wooden house. After entering the workshop, Kouji sat Izumi down on a chair near the window.
"So this is your workshop, seems like you spend a lot of time here." Izumi spoke, looking around the room.
"He said I needed a hobby, other then walking around the garden, so he built me this place. I got the hang at fixing and making stuff, because I come here often, so I'm the one who is responsible for fixing the stuff my gramps breaks." Kouji walked over to the wheel chair and started to screw in the bolt for the wheels with a screwdriver. Izumi looked around some more, and spotted the little wooden figures sitting by the window beside of her. She picked up one of them, it was carved to look like a woman standing, she seemed tall and had her hands placed against her lap. Her hair was carved to make it look as if she had long black hair tied in a ponytail and two small side bangs sticking out form the side. She was smiling if you looked closer at her face. Her cloths were carved to be a long skirt and blouse.
"Did you carve these Kouji? It's really good!" Izumi complimented, Kouji turned his head away from his work so that he could look at her. He stood up, put down the screw driver on a table, and walked over to her. "Yeah, I took up the hobby of carving wood when I was 6. I carve what I imagined some things would look like." He explained to her, she showed him the carving she was holding, "Who's this woman?" She asked with curiosity.
"That's my mom, or what I think she looks like, I don't really remember much when I was 5."
"Doesn't your grandpa have pictures?" Kouji shook his head, "He is from my dad's side, and only has pictures of my dad, he said that he has pictures of my parents wedding some were around the house. His memory isn't very good when it comes to placing things around here."
"Oh-Hey, can you tell me, about your parents…Can you tell me, how they died, I'm just curious. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Kouji looked at her in small surprise, and then looked down.
"They were killed. I was only five years old, and I was there to see what happened, the day they died. I had a twin brother, his name was Kouichi, and he got very sick. My parents took him to see a doctor, and when we got there, I fell asleep; they didn't want to disturb me, so my dad stayed in the car with me while my mom went inside with Kouichi. On the way out off the doctor's office, my mom was attacked, that's when I woke up. They were almost shot getting out of the office, my mom taking the hits that were aimed at Kouichi; my dad had a gun that he carried around, so he left the car, trying to protect me, Kouichi, and my mother. The person then tried to yank my brother out of my mother's grasp. Not able to get his hands on Kouichi, the killer got out the gun and shot my mother, grabbing Kouichi away. Since my brother was screaming and crying, he knocked my brother unconscious. I screamed at my mom, yelling at her to wake up, but she was just lying there, lying motionless in the pool of blood. My dad wasn't able to do anything, with Kouichi in the killer's hands, how was he supposed to get the killer? The killer then shot my dad a couple of times at his chest, before my dad's body slumped against the car's open door and slid down, leaving a trail of blood. The killer quickly ran away with Kouichi, now I was all alone. It took me a while to realize they were gone, that my parents had left me in the world. I ran outside when I lost sight of the killer, I kept on shaking my parent's body; too see if they were alive. They weren't, and I didn't even know it. That was until; I looked up toward the night sky. As the stars appeared one by one, I realized that; I didn't have a family anymore." Kouji explained, trying not to let one drop of water go down his face, "I was later on sent to my grandfather, who treated my as if I were a young version of my dad."
Izumi now felt VERY guilty for letting him tell her, "I'm sorry that you had to tell me that."
"It's okay; you're the first person I have ever talked to about this." Kouji smiled at her, a smile that he never showed anyone. A smile that he has never smiled ever since his parents left him and his brother taken away from him .A smile full of love. Izumi blushed slightly and smiled back, "I understand, but the only person I have ever lost was my dad. The accident he got into was the same accident that got me paralyzed."
"So I guess we're kind of alike huh?" Izumi giggled, "You can say that, I guess. I kind off secluded myself from others, or rather, they secluded me. I then got into an accident, and you know the rest, about me staying inmy house."
"There was no one to even bother to talk to you, nor even call you to see how you were doing?"
"Nope, the guys at school didn't even know I was staying at home."
"So, I guess this is your very first conversation with a person outside from your family?"
Izumi nodded, "And I'm grateful for it, I think we'll be real good friends Kouji-kun!"
"Oh really, then I better find some were where I won't get annoyed!" Izumi hit him slightly on the shoulder, causing him to chuckle.
'It's funny, but, I just met her and it already seems like; I've known her for years.'
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Two whole weeks passed by after Izumi started staying with the Minamotos. Each day, Izumi practiced walking; Kouji's grandfather connected a steady rope to two trees that were far apart, so that Izumi could try walking by hanging onto the rope while taking steps to the end of the rope. At the same time, she painted the pictures for her picture books, since the deadline was coming. And also, each day Kouji and her kept on becoming closer friends.
Outside, under the clear sky of afternoon, Izumi was doing her rehab. She took sluggish steps toward the end, holding on to the rope for support against the pain in her legs. She was sweating a little from the pain, but she still tried to keep going. Kouji watched her as he leaned against the wall of the house. He couldn't help but smile, Izumi was getting better at walking, if you didn't include falling on the ground a couple of times.
Izumi kept on taking steps; she was halfway through the rope. Then she plopped on the ground from exhaustion, panting. It was so hard to rehab, form all the pain you'll experience. Kouji quickly ran over to her and placed his hand over her shoulder.
"You okay, Zumi?" Kouji asked, calling her the nickname he made up for her, she even got him a pet name, but he doesn't really like it, so she only calls him "Kou-kou" when during better moments, a.k.a, when he's in the right mood.
"I'm fine Kouji, just a little tired." Izumi said reassuringly. Kouji carried Izumi to the small wooden porch were he sat her down.
"Maybe you should take a break for a while; it'll do you some good." Kouji handed her a water bottle, which she took and drank down some water. Suddenly, her pink cell phone rang; it was located on the table inside the house. "I'll get it," Kouji walked over to the table and answered the ringing phone.
"Hello?"
"Hello? Is Miss Orimoto there?"
"Yeah, hold on." Kouji walked over to Izumi and handed the phone to her. She put it beside her ear and answered.
"Izumi speaking, who is this?"
"Izumi, its Koura-he's assistant, Mr. Yuma. I was wondering if your book was almost done."
"I'm sorry, but it's not finished yet, the deadline is still pretty far. I only need 6 pages now."
"I don't mean to ruin your story kid, but I have a suggestion."
"Yes, what is it?"
"Stop with all the gooey romance, the only thing that gets a story going is the way some animal dies or something. No one's into those gushy romance stuff, it's all the same, a girl and a boy meet, and they fall in love, they live happy ever after, the end. See it's all boring, go for something else, will ya?"
"I'm sorry, but no. this is my story Yuma, and I'll only pain what I have in my dreams and heart. I'm not goanna make someone's death happen just so people would like it more, if I thought making someone die will bring more people into it, I would have added it, but I didn't. So go tell someone else your idea!" Izumi yelled at him, but not so loud. She hung up on the guy.
"What was that all about?" Kouji, who was able to hear the conversation, asked.
"Just the stupid assistant of the editor, he always says that what he thinks is a better idea then what the authors think, mainly because he's the assistant!" Izumi said angrily, "I don't care what he thinks, this is my story and I'll make it anyway I want."
'Who knew she was so independent and serious about things." Kouji thought. "So, you want to have another try with rehabbing?" He asked.
"Sure, I'll give it a shot!" With that, Izumi kept on trying to rehab, taking each step as if she was on the stairs to achievement. Kouji was right by her side, making sure she'll make it, or catch her before she falls onto the ground.
Kouji's grandfather watched from behind the sliding door. "Those two are nearly meant for each other." Hi-ken-mo mumbled to himself.
X Night time X
Kouji walking outside the house toward his workshop, his grandpa said that he took Izumi there before Kouji went to take a bath. Now in a sleeveless black shirt and blue boxer shorts, Kouji opened up the door to find the light turned on. Izumi was sitting by the window, admiring the carved figures. She turned to face him, and smiled.
"So what are you looking at?" Kouji asked, walking over to Izumi. Izumi held up the figurine that was carved to make a boy who looked like Kouji. His hair was shorter though, and looked like he was just wearing a shirt, pants, and shoes. He was standing and head was turned slightly to the side with a smile on his face.
"I guess this is how you thought your twin looked like, huh? You know, if you gave him long hair, he'll look exactly like you. I guess that's how people can tell the difference, I guess." She ran her thumb against the well carved figure.
"Yeah, I don't remember what he looks like. Gramps said that when we were babies, he couldn't even tell who was who, so he just gave us the nicknames 'Kou1' and 'Kou2'. He said I was kou2 since Kouichi was born first." Izumi giggled, "I wish you could have spent more time with your brother, I guess you really miss your family. I bet your brother is still alive though, you said the killer took him, so that must have meant he just kidnapped Kouichi. Your brother might have run away or something and is now trying to look for you." Izumi explained, Koji smirked, she was trying to encourage him that his brother was still alive, and he believes her.
"I guess, there's a chance you can be right, Zumi." Kouji answered, leaning against the table, looking outside the window, outside to the blue sky and the crystal stars that were shining upon them. "Um-Kouji?"
"Hm?"
"You think I could try and paint one of these figures? They look so dull with just the color of wood; I'll try it first with the one of the wolf. Okay?" Izumi asked, putting down the figure she held and picking up the one carved to be a wolf.
"Uh-yeah-sure, I guess that will be good. I was kind of sick with their color." Izumi gave him a smile, "I'll try not to mess up, these are very good, and I don't want to ruin them."
"I can make another one when you mess up."
"Hey, are you saying that there might be a chance I might mess up?"
"A fifty to fifty chance yes, that you'll mess up, unless you can get the details right, Miss Izumi." Izumi stuck her tongue out at him. Kouji smirked once again, this time at her child-like attitude. They started talking about what they like and do, and sometimes had a small argument about things.
Since it was getting late, Kouji had to carry Izumi to her room, which was the guests' room. He carried Izumi on his back as he opened the sliding door, carefully so that he won't drop the girl. He placed her on the bed, "So, I guess you're goanna spend more time working on your book" Izumi nodded, sitting up on the bed.
"I guess so…." They stayed silent for a couple of minutes, Izumi just sitting there and Kouji sitting beside her on the edge of the bed. They looked at each other, once again looking at each other's eyes. That's when Izumi acted, she slowly leaned herself toward Kouji and gave him a small kiss on the lips. When she parted, she muttered a soft "Good Night…" before snuggling into the bed, quickly covering herself with the white blanket. Kouji just sat there, stunned from what she did. Kouji felt his face burning up. He turned toward Izumi, as he carefully moved a strand of hair away from her face, "Night, Izumi-chan." He blushed for what he just called her, and then Kouji got this strange feeling that they were being watched, and it was obvious who. The dark haired boy stood up and opened the sliding door, causing his grandfather to fall right onto the floor
"What are you doing here?" Kouji grumbled at his Grandpa.
"I was-uhhhhh- just checking if Izumi was already in bed!" Hi-ken-mo answered, sweat dropping, "Oh sure, and eavesdropping is another word for checking?" Kouji said sarcastically, before walking out off Izumi's room, followed by his Grandfather.
"I wasn't eavesdropping, young man!" His gramps lied.
"Right, so you weren't POSSIBLY leaning against the door with your ear ready to hear anything, and you couldn't have POSSIBLY had fallen when I slid the door open!" Kouji said the word "Possibly" in a sarcastic way.
"Are you being sarcastic again?" Kouji snorted at his grandpa who laughed "Oh Kouji, I guess you're too embarrassed to admit you're starting to like that girl!"
"Like her? How can I like her if I just met her, and that she only stayed with us for two weeks?" Kouji asked the old man angrily.
"I guess it's in the Minamoto family to fall in love so quickly, your father fell in love with your mother the first time they met, and they only spent time with each other once every month because your mother couldn't afford to live her nor visit everyday." Kouji looked down, "I can tell you're gaining feelings for that girl, especially when I heard you call her 'Izumi-chan' back there!" Hi-ken-mo walked past Kouji.
"You could really help Izumi out with her paralyzed problems, and she can help you with your social life and how to handle losing people you love. I guess you two really are meant for each other!" The old man laughed all the way down the hallway; Kouji touched the sliding door to his room, and looked toward the sliding door of the room Izumi was in.
"I guess I am falling for her… But she's form Tokyo, it's not like her mom would agree to move here, and my grandfather would never move away from the Minamoto's shrine. How can I make sure she won't leave me for someone else, and is just being nice to me? Seeing someone you care about once in a while is not really enough for some people." Kouji sighed and entered his room, shutting the sliding door behind him before entering his bed and falling asleep.
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Raven: Yes 2nd chapter done! I hope you all like this chapter, NO STUPID CRITICS! NO FLAMES EITHER! R and R my story everyone! PLEASE! The next one is the last Chapter and the epilogue will also come in. PLEASE REVIEW!
CLICK THE DARN BUTTON DOWN THERE! Okay, I'm keeping sane……