(A/N: I swear to God, someone needs to handcuff me to a desk for, like, three hours a day with limited access to the internet. Not just for this story's sake, but for my sake as well. Maybe then I'll actually be productive. But, hey, at least it hasn't been a year—or almost (depending on your definition). That's like the one thing I've done right. The one. Ugh, at this rate, I'll never be finished with the story. Perhaps I should've started off with a smaller fic, but this one's my favorite. Need to pick up the pace. Anywho, welcome to the chapter where Gakushuu finds funerals to be nuisances. Not really, but, at the same time, it basically is. Honestly, this boy's too much. I actually feel pretty bad about titling this chapter what it is, but it's very appropriate, what with the Asano family being who they are. Oh, and one more thing. My "beta-reader" usually complains about my chapters being too descriptive and not having enough dialogue, but I didn't understand what she meant. That is, until now. I enjoyed writing it, but it does seem a bit excessive, so, err, take that as you will. Can you believe I had the exact opposite problem a few years ago?)
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Gakushuu thrummed his fingers against black wood, creating sounds that echoed in the otherwise quiet room. He stood near a corner, left alone, undisturbed—free to examine the rather large room before him. His eyes wandered about each and every thing it had to offer.
The exit—and entrance—of the room was at the exact opposite corner from the boy. In front of him, quite a few columns of chairs with even more rows faced him, a sizeable split separating them in two. The chairs themselves weren't particularly special, all made from the same black wood and cream padding. That said, Gakushuu did find the amount to be questionable. He didn't expect much people would show up today. Tomorrow, perhaps, but he doubted all the chairs would be filled even then.
However long of a distance, Gakushuu didn't exactly think his relatives had lived close by. It had taken Karma at least, what, nine, ten hours to arrive? Sure, he had to pack his things, but he probably did that the night his parents died—maybe even before then. What with his parents in the hospital, surely Karma couldn't be expected to stay in his house all by his lonesome. Perhaps if he was Gakushuu, but Gakushuu…well, for him, that was almost a given.
Back to the point: Karma was presumably already on his way when Gakushuu was informed. It was likely that most of the friends of the elder's parents were from that area. Perhaps Gakushuu was a cynic, but he doubted many would travel all that way for a funeral, much less a wake. Just for a friend? The strawberry blonde surely wouldn't.
Hmm, no, actually scratch that. Gakushuu was not a cynic. No, instead he was precisely the person a cynic would have in mind. Not that he minded.
There was the case of family, however, and that piqued the teenager's interest. He wondered if there would be other members showing up. He couldn't think of any, but, clearly, he wasn't supposed to. Just how much did his father neglect to inform him?
Speaking of relatives...His purple eyes shifted directly to his right, studying the table and its adornments. The table was a rather bulky but long piece of furniture, vaguely reminiscent of a dresser. Personally, he would have gone with something slimmer, but it didn't look awful or out of place, and it did its job; there wasn't much room for critique.
The top of the dark wood was somewhat busy, and at both edges of the accumulated items sat two tall candles. Among the items, Gakushuu let his gaze rest on the two elegant tablets, polished black in color. He eyed the golden accents in particular but quickly moved onto another object, ignoring the gold characteristics etched into the place cards.
Finally, Gakushuu turned to the most obvious structure in the whole room. Behind the black table sat an extravagant display of white flowers—carnations, he believed, but they could've easily been any other species. Forgive him for not being well versed in the art of frilly flowers.
Two large pictures stood at the center of it all, their frames engulfed in tiny buds. He paid them no mind, however, refusing to focus on the figures. Curious as he was, he wasn't yet prepared to see his aunt and uncle.
Now that that was that, Gakushuu had run out of things to observe; in other words, he had run out of distractions. He was quite uncomfortable, and no amount of diversions could eliminate that fact. The temperature of the room told him he should feel cool, but all he felt was the warmth radiating off of him. The heat surrounding his neck was near suffocating, and he had a mind to rip off his tie and collar. The only thing stopping him from doing so was simply that he wouldn't allow himself to look so unsightly. Of course, he could just undo a few buttons and loosen his tie, but even that he found disagreeable.
Standing certainly didn't help his case, and there was a bountiful supply of chairs just before him. Gakushuu, however, was too busy trying to prove a point to himself that he was not what it looked like he was. Obviously, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't lie to himself, but Gakushuu was nothing if not stubborn, and his pride didn't help. Gakushuu would only admit that he was warmer than usual, and nothing more. And, yes, perhaps he was somewhat lightheaded, but that was being commonplace nowadays. He was already getting used to it.
So he stood there determinedly, straight and tall, tapping his fingers away, sometimes his feet, and only squirming every now and again. Every couple of minutes, the strawberry blonde would check his watch, gauging how much time was left until visitors would start arriving (That, and how long he lasted from his last check. He was on a record of seven minutes).
Ten minutes.
Ten minutes before visitors were expected did Gakushuu's resolve quiver. He thought of numerous people gathered in the same room as him, and the barely tolerable warmth suddenly became unbearable. Instead of opting to sit down, Gakushuu headed straight for the exit. He was heading for the bathroom.
As he was heading out the door, Gakushuu nearly crashed into his cousin. The two paused in their steps, but Gakushuu had no time for awkward encounters. One second waiting was one second wasted, and he didn't have the time. He quickly moved out of the way and was walking down the hallway in a fast but dignified pace.
Upon stepping foot into the restroom, Gakushuu immediately found himself in front of one of its many sinks. He twisted the faucet to the coolest setting and then brought both his hands, cupped, into the running water.
The first splash was entirely reckless, but his body very much appreciated the resulting chills. In the next few rinses, however, Gakushuu took care to avoid getting any more water on his clothes. Afterwards, he let the water run over his hands for a few seconds before lightly shaking them. He then rubbed his damp hands all around his neck.
Gakushuu sighed, closing his eyes for a bit and enjoying the world of a difference. He opened them and closed the sink, then let his hands rest on the cold, shiver-inducing porcelain.
Amethyst stared at the mirror image of his black and white attire, searching for noticeably wet cloth. Thankfully, he seemed to be dry enough, so he let his gaze rest on himself. It was the first time in a while that Gakushuu looked at his reflection—actually looked; not a glance, not a peek—a proper inspection. And, oh, was it long overdue. His facial expressions went from surprised to scrutinizing and slightly confused to irritated.
The first thing he noticed was his eye bags.
He knew he grew more tired as of late, but it still came as a surprise. He hadn't realized just how dark they'd gotten. Perhaps it didn't help that he spent the whole night awake, but could one really blame him? His schedule was all over the place what with yesterday's disaster and then today's wake. There was also tomorrow to adjust to, too, so an overnighter was mandatory. And besides, he was getting enough naps as it were, far more than any regular day. If anything, the bags ought to be gone.
What irked Gakushuu more so than the eye bags was something that lay atop his head. He had found a single strand of white hair resting among his strawberry blonde locks. Maybe one would think nothing of it—after all, it's just a strand of white in a sea of light ginger. The bags sounded far worse. But, first of all, they weren't that bad. They just gave Gakushuu a more tired appearance. Not exhausted quite yet. A mere blemish on his otherwise perfect face.
That wasn't the point, though. The point was that the white hair was a stress hair. It signified a failure in maintaining stress. It meant whatever Gakushuu was going through right now, he apparently found it too stressful. Gakushuu could handle restlessness, but he did not overstress. He did not find things too stressful. The white hair was an insult to him.
He plucked it out without so much as a second thought. He glared at it disdainfully before throwing it away.
An exasperated sigh came from the teenager's lips. It seems as though he had run out of excuses. No matter. It could be dealt with later. Just until after the funeral.
Gakushuu glanced at his watch. It was about time to go back now. He checked his appearance once more and straightened what needed straightening. He ripped away a decent-sized sheet of paper towel from the dispenser on the wall, drying his face and hands. Finally, he left the stalls and made his way down the hallway.
Thankfully, when Gakushuu walked back into the room of the wake, there were only a few people inside. He silently made his way over to his seat—near his cousin's and right next to his father's—somehow managing to ignore the portraits once more.
The visitors were speaking with Gakuhou, exchanging pleasantries and condolences. They left the room after a while longer, but Gakushuu had already lost interest in the conversation by then. He had begun observing the surroundings once more, taking note of a few envelopes laid on top of the black table. He stared at them a while longer before finally addressing the elephant in the room. He readjusted his crossed legs, and his eyes lingered on the pieces of paper for a second more before finally glancing up.
Gakushuu never quite realized how unnerving it was to see dead people smiling. In fact, it was probably his first time ever thinking so. What made it worse was that the two pictures he saw before him wouldn't be the only visuals he'd see of his aunt and uncle. Oh no, he was likely to see the real deal tomorrow, all in their postmortem glory. What a visual. Forcing himself to ignore that for now, Gakushuu took to observe the pictures more closely.
His gaze fell to the leftmost portrait first, taking in the visuals of his aunt. The resemblance between her and Karma was extremely obvious. She shared the same bright hair and eyes as him for goodness sake. Any other similarities between her and Karma, however, were more subtle. One thing for sure, however, was that she did not have his eyes nor his smile. Her eyes were round and kind, and her smile was brilliant. He couldn't imagine Karma with any of that.
Shifting over to his uncle was a bit of a different story. It was clear that the mother's genes were more dominant than the father's. He had brown hair, darker than Gakuhou's, and his eyes were a cold silver. They were slightly droopy but were nothing like his son's. The man's expression, however, was reminiscent of the redhead: cocky and mischievous. Of course, it was toned down, but such is the work of maturity.
Glancing at the boy a chair away from him, Gakushuu pondered on the idea he had only touched upon in previous thoughts. He felt surer that either was a sibling or close relative of his father. Not entirely, but he felt as though he was justified. Gakushuu and Karma shared a similar appearance, and Gakushuu had on many occasion been told of how much he resembled his father. Using simple logic, Karma looked like Gakuhou. A equals b, b equals c, ergo a equals c.
Taking another glimpse toward the pictures to be sure, the strawberry blonde deduced that neither quite had the features that would encompass all the ones Karma possessed. If one had close ties to his father, that would account for the traits that didn't add up. Of course, that didn't have to be the case. Genetics work in weird ways, and different combinations can produce similar results. Still, due to their blood relation, Gakushuu believed his theory more probable. It wasn't as though he would actually get an answer anyhow—what? And ask one of the two who possibly had answers? Oh, no. He was free to believe what he wanted.
Gakushuu adjusted his collar and tie a little, his salvation from the heat long gone. He mentally sighed, wondering when the evening would get a move on.
Perhaps he shouldn't have.
After more visitors arriving, the envelope pile increasing, and Gakushuu being occasionally acknowledged, a priest had finally arrived, and with his arrival, all the guests accumulated into the current room. Just as Gakushuu predicted, the room had gotten hotter, but he couldn't just leave it now, could he?
Instead, he took notice of the occupants of the room; there were a few more people than the teenager had anticipated. None of them looked like potential relatives, and that fact perplexed Gakushuu. It wasn't as though he actually expected any to show up, but he certainly didn't think as many non-relatives as there were would be present. Just for a wake? He had found it interesting, to say the least. The strawberry blonde would have to reconsider the number of arrivals tomorrow.
For the third time, Karma had brought Gakushuu out of his musings once more. It wasn't words, however, that had broken his train of thought, nor was it anything directed at him. It was the simple action of the redhead getting up and walking over to the table that had caught his eye, and there his eye remained. He watched as the other idled before the portraits a bit, the elder directing a blank gaze at his parents. A moment longer, he then bowed toward them, and Gakushuu noticed his movements seemed stiff, insincere. Throughout every action, the elder was scrutinized by the younger, and Gakushuu took more and more notice of how detached it all seemed. Like he'd rather be anywhere than here. Like he couldn't care less.
By the time Karma sat back in his chair, Gakushuu's sole focus on him ended. Rather, his eyes repeatedly shifted from the boy to the setup, awaiting his turn. It was a mystery as to why the strawberry blonde was even interested in the redhead. His expression remained constant, with that stoic and, dare he say, bored look plastered on his face, but for some reason, Gakushuu couldn't keep himself from glancing.
Before long, it was the teenager's time to address his relatives, so he proceeded to get up and stand in front of them. Immediately, his nose slightly crinkled, wincing at the strong scent of incense. He gave a small bow, glancing up at the pictures before looking down, finding the floor to be more interesting. Quickly offering an incense stick, Gakushuu feigned a prayer, lingering for a bit longer than he probably needed to. He'd never felt more awkward and out of place in his life. Thankfully, after another quick bow, Gakushuu was free to sit back in his chair. As he did so, he gave a slight sigh. He was just about done with it all. All he had to do was wait for all of the guests to do their part, and he would be out of there.
For just a fraction of a moment, Gakushuu thought about how all of them seemed to care more than the deceased's family members.
The next day was much the same as the last, but of course, it was also quite different.
For starters, Gakushuu decided he wanted a nice, cold brew before the evening started. He relinquished the air-conditioned indoors for the warm air outside, remembering there was a vending machine nearby. Honestly, Gakushuu wasn't much of a coffee person. More often than not, he avoided the drink. It just wasn't to his tastes. He did, on occasion, drink coffee when he felt it would benefit him in his tired state, and there he preferred it black. It wasn't as though he liked it bitter, but rather he did so because he didn't. It was a shock to his system, and he liked to think he became more aware quicker because of it.
So that's what he purchased from the machine. He held the can in his hands, knowing he'd have to drink it quick. Before he opened it, however, he'd go inside. He'd been out for long enough.
He ended up in a room near the main one, where dinner would be served later. There were no visitors present as of the moment, and Gakushuu took advantage of that. He opened the can, ready to down the drink. He was oh so thankful that it was that: a drink. Liquid. Nothing he'd have to chew on. Once he was finished with it, Gakushuu made it to the room the funeral would be held in, the same one as the wake.
Somehow, he had forgotten today's main attraction.
As he entered, Gakushuu paused in his steps as he eyed the two caskets by the black table. His eyes then drifted to his chair which was among the closest to the two coffins. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Of course. Of course, it would be. Of. Course.
Gakushuu carefully made his way over to his seat, pointedly ignoring the wooden structures a few feet away from him. He watched as, once again, visitors would enter and leave the room, and this time around, more acknowledged him. He plastered a polite smile on his face, returning their small talk and relieved when they ended it.
During his exchanges, he had noticed that quite a few of the visitors didn't look Japanese, and he wondered how they could be here on such short notice. It was possible, but it was most definitely inconvenient. Not that conveniency matters for a funeral, but it was something Gakushuu would keep in mind.
Then, another thought came to mind. Perhaps they were originally going to visit his aunt and uncle in the hospital. He had no idea how long they'd been hospitalized for, only of when they died. Still. That didn't feel like a good enough reason. It's not like it mattered, though. It was their choice to make, not his.
Sooner or later, the priest had shown up again, and Gakushuu waited in his seat, pretending he was not bothered even in the slightest. When his turn came up, he gave a slight inhale and went through the motions once more. By the time he sat back down, he exhaled, unknowingly holding his breath the whole time. It took a far longer time for everyone to finish their prayers, and throughout all that time, Gakushuu mentally prepared himself to view his relatives' corpses. So concerned was he that he didn't so much as glance at his cousin and the uncomfortable warmth all but left his mind.
Finally, his turn had come to view his dead relatives. His legs felt heavy as he walked over to them, but he had somehow managed to reach them. He glanced once more at their portraits before taking one more step, their faces now directly in his line of vision. More unsettling than their smiling pictures were their blank faces, almost like they were asleep. He didn't give himself time to reflect upon it, however, and stared only for a moment longer. He plucked out two white flowers and carefully placed them in the coffins. He thought it was all over after that, but he was wrong. When others went to view the bodies, he'd heard weeping, and he couldn't be more uncomfortable than he was now. Selfishly, he wished they would just get on with it, but he knew that wasn't how it worked.
(A/N: I feel the ending is a bit too abrupt, but my "beta-reader" and classmate said it was fine, so I took their word for it. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this. Certainly no excuse for taking this long. I really want to work on the later chapters so much. If you're looking for interactions, considering the lack thereof of any in this chapter, I do have good news. Not the next chapter, but the chapter after that will have quite a bit. And if you want to see more of Karma, look forward to the next chapter. When they'll come out, we'll see. Hope I get it together. Thanks for taking the time for reading, and any follows/favorites/reviews are extremely appreciated, as is constructive criticism. You guys honestly make my day. ~Thorn)