楽しい事や悲しみ事など。。。
Tanoshii koto ya kanashimi koto nado
Fun Things, Sad Things, and Such
By: Jaha Canon
Disclaimer: I own none of these characters.
It's been yet another disgustingly long wait again, hasn't it? Oooh, boy. I'm not as reliable as I was in the old Ed, Edd, n Eddy fandom in the ol' days (not that any of those people are going to read this.) Next month it will have been a year since I've started this story. Anywho, if we're talking about time anyways, I hope you all had a great holiday and are enjoying 2006 thus far.
Chapter 10: 暗くて、変な人。
The Dark, Strange Person
It was clearly easy for Izumi Koushirou to be solemn when an occasion called for it. The redheaded boy, surprisingly, had learned to accept the occasions when it fit better to be emotional.
He stood in the crowd, wearing his black suit, his face close to emotionless. His dark eyes watched the ceremony and he did not react to the biting coldness around them.
Akiyama Ryou stood next to him, his face also portraying a certain uncharacteristic staleness. The service for their departed friend had just begun and obvious bursts of depair had yet to be seen from any of the people standing in the cold weather.
In the center of the group, there stood young, lost looking Ichijouji Ken holding a picture of his brother. He stood there, numbly still as the local Buddhist priest talked.
The Ichijouji parents stood not too far behind Ken, standing close to each other in a vain attempt to chase away the sharp chill in the air.
Time passed and people began to sob quietly among themselves.
At this point, Ryou glanced at Koushirou and was startled to see that he did not look upset, he was staring at something. Ryou followed Koushirou's eyes- no, he was staring at someone.
A man stood among the mourning friends and family. It wasn't anyone that either Koushirou or Ryou had seen before. He stood there, clad in a dark blue trench coat.
And on his face was an absolutely sinister expression. His lips were curled up into a disgustingly smug expression. His eyes watched Ken like a villain would admire it's secret and most powerful weapon.
Koushirou felt bad for not paying attention at the funeral for his own best friend. However, there was something more at stake. Hadn't he told Osamu that he would watch out for Ken? Along with Ryou, he watched the man through the ceremony, trying to pick at what this man had in mind and trying to figure out just what about him in particular made him so distinctly evil.
Suddenly, at one point, the man looked directly at Koushirou. The computer prodigy froze and felt an insuppressible shudder run through him. This wasn't the cold. This man was someone…. No, something familiar.
The memorial ended and people began to disperse. It was getting more and more difficult for the two boys to keep their eyes on the suspicious looking man. They had completely lost sight of him until they found him finally speaking a few words to Ken and then walking away.
Seeing the purple glow appear once again, a little stronger, on the back of Ken's neck only confirmed their suspicions and they took off after the man.
---
"Can I help you?" the man asked politely.
Ryou cut right to the chase. "Who are you?" he demanded.
The man feigned confusion. It was a poor act, obviously just to annoy the children.
"Oh, just a co-worker of the deceased's father." he said, "It's truly tragic to see someone die so young."
"What is your business with the deceased's younger brother?" Ryou replied sharply.
"Protective, aren't we?" the man said, smirking at Ryou.
"Of course we are." Koushirou answered, his voice coated with uncharacteristic defiance. "Tell us who you are."
"That, young Izumi Koushirou-kun, is for another day." he replied as he drove off.
"…you've never met him before, right Koushirou-kun?" Ryou asked carefully.
"Not that man. I think I met something." Koushirou replied slowly, trying to figure it out while he was talking.
"In any case," Ryou stated, "he knows your name."
"That means it likely has something to do with the digital world," Koushirou thought out-loud, "and obviously having to do with that spore in Ken-kun's neck."
Ryou nodded. "Well," he said sighing "there's no more we can do here, should we see if we can collect Ken-kun and go somewhere else?"
"Sounds like a good idea," Koushirou replied. "Let's continue trying to keep him sane and with us for as long as we can."
"His memory is still choppy and he's becoming more and more prone to mood swings." Ryou noted, "It's not going to be much longer from here on."
Chapter 10-end
Hmmm… you know what, I think I'll start working on the next chapter now… I can't seem to upload this one at the moment now anyways.
じゃあ～！またチャピッタあげるね～！