Reply to reviews:
Silverly Heart: Yup. I like everyone thought that there was a limitation of girls in the show. And that's so not cool! (And Harry Potter TOTALLY rocks! One of my all time favourite series!)
Once Upon A Purple Rose: It was long? Hahahaha! I actually split the previous chapter in two parts! This chapter below was originally supposed to be a part of the previous chapter! How ironic you mentioned it XD
Beautifly18: Takuya's just getting started! ;D
Lustful Desires
9th April '08, Wednesday
%H0tstUfF% says:
- Heyy!
*G!rlOfSt3el* says:
- Aw man. What do you want Takuya?
%H0tstUfF% says:
- Need ur help!
*G!rlOfSt3el* says:
- You couldn't've mentioned it at school today?
- Now I have to listen to you when I'm home also?
%H0tstUfF% says:
- Yes u do. Now tell me
- Wht do gurls h8 d most abt guys?
*G!rlOfSt3el* says:
- Correction Takuya.
- You're supposed to ask me what do girls like the most about guys.
%H0tstUfF% says:
- Jus answr me wht I askd u
*G!rlOfSt3el* says:
- Is that how you're supposed to talk to the person you're supposedly asking for help?
%H0tstUfF% says:
- R U GONNA HELP ME OR NOT?
*G!rlOfSt3el* says:
- Well, I guess I should be glad that a guy is showing interests in what girls hate and not pigging only about themselves for once. You're different than I thought you were Takuya. I'm proud of you. There aren't many guys out there who actually take the time to think what they're doing is appropriate or not or what the girl with them is thinking about their harkat (habits).
%H0tstUfF% says:
- Yeaaahhh… I dun want u lecturin me abt ur principls or whteva. I cant care less seriously.
- Jus tell me wht is d thng a gurl h8s d most abt a guy besides his existance like you do?
*G!rlOfSt3el* says:
- There are a lot of things actually.
- Like this certain guy being really rude to this girl who's just trying to help!
%H0tstUfF% says:
- Oh sw8 Buddha Li jus tell me!
*G!rlOfSt3el* says:
- Hmmm… Ok… You wanna know about stuff in relationships or in general?
%H0tstUfF% says:
- Boyfrnd-girlfrnd
*G!rlOfSt3el* says:
- Well, ummm…
- We hate it when guys hide stuff from us. It seriously pisses us off.
- But I guess that the absolute worst thing about a guy is when he:-
i: lives
ii: breathes
iii: walks
iv: talks
sex.
%H0tstUfF% says:
- U serious?
*G!rlOfSt3el* says:
- Absolutely. Like we don't want to be pressured you know? And it feels like the guy is only with us is coz we're a walking sex doll or something.
- We want to be noticed by them for who we are, not because he's wondering how we are in bed.
%H0tstUfF% says:
- I dun get it. Gimme an exmple.
*G!rlOfSt3el* says:
- Ok… Take JP and Zoë for example. JP is a guy who loves sex more than his love for chocolates. And seriously, it's beyond me how has he has been able to go for so long without it. He must be taking a lot of cold showers.
- Anw, Zoë is actually happy about it, because you see, for once he is thinking stuff other than sex for once. Like about her and what she wants and all that shit.
- Got it?
%H0tstUfF% says:
- Couldn hav askd 4 a betta example. Thnx a ton!
*G!rlOfSt3el* says:
- May I know the name of the unlucky girl? ;)
%H0tstUfF% says:
- Dream on Li :(
*G!rlOfSt3el* says:
- Awww… Best of luck!
Takuya drums his fingers on the desk. He knew what to do now. The mission he had given Aqumi was long term, and Takuya was never the patient type of person and he didn't think he could really wait. The sight of Junpei and Izumi together just made him nauseated. He went to put his new plan to action. He suddenly saw someone who was online and who could help.
%H0tstUfF% says:
- Heyy!
$u|-f3R dUd3 says:
- Sup Takuya?
%H0tstUfF% says:
- Howx it goin wiv Delilah?
$u|-f3R dUd3 says:
- Swell! Jus hope dont get caught by her brothers again. Ouch!
%H0tstUfF% says:
- Jason still pissed?
$u|-f3R dUd3 says:
- Since when he's not pissed?
%H0tstUfF% says:
- True
- Need a favour dude (hey tht rhymd!)
$u|-f3R dUd3 says:
- Ask away buddy
- (no it didnt rhyme)
%H0tstUfF% says:
- (who cares)
- Need a box of condoms!
$u|-f3R dUd3 says:
- Really? Who're u Doing?
%H0tstUfF% says:
- No 1 as of yet. Need it 4 screwing JP's chances with Zoë instead
$u|-f3R dUd3 says:
- How'll u do dat?
- Isn't that providing ammunition instead?
%H0tstUfF% says:
- At caf tomoro. Watch the show! ;D
$u|-f3R dUd3 says:
- Really? Cant wait then :-P
10th April '08, Thursday
Corridor in K.I.L.L.S:
"I'm not sure this will work Takuya," Russell says.
"Sure it will. Once Zoë sees the box of condoms in his bag, and we all know he keeps that one for "emergencies" in his wallet, she'll think that he's going around screwing so many girls that he just have to keep so much back-up. Or, she'll think that he's such a sex freak that that's all he thinks about and he can't wait to lay her. This will give Zoë the idea that he's just waiting for the chance to Do her so he can get rid of her soon. Girls hate that above all else right?"
"Some girls I've dated only even dated me for some good fuck. My rep preceded me they said. Next day they were like, who the hell are you? Seriously. And from what I've heard about Zoë is that she's no cock tease."
"Whatever. I've heard from sources that she's very secure in these matters," Takuya says confidently.
"Well, that's your stuff I guess. If you want her why don't you just tell her?"
"Hey hey hey! I know you're supposedly the Love expert but I don't want her OK? I just want that JP doesn't have her. We know how he is and I don't want him to use Zoë like that."
"And why don't you want him to use Zoë like that?"
"Coz… coz… She's my best friend!" Takuya stammers.
"So's JP," Russell reminds him.
"Look whatever! Don't fuckin lecture me alright? I'll do what I want."
"Sure you will. And how is it you're planning on exposing him?"
"Yes," Takuya says satisfied to finally get back on the topic. "That's where you come in. You have to put the box in his bag during your class just before break so he doesn't have a chance to find it out. He never looks at his bag twice when the lunch bell rings."
"Aw come on! Why do I even have to help you?"
"Coz I'm giving you and Delilah a place this weekend remember?"
"Aw man!"
The bell rang just then. Takuya thumps Russell on his back.
"Go for it Tiger!"
"Fuck you Takuya."
Takuya winks before he turns to run off to his class, skipping assembly as usual.
Shimotsumaki (12th graders), Urabe section:
Russell sat in his class, clicking and unclicking his pen. He had yet to put the box of condoms in JP's bag and the bell would ring within five minutes. Things I do for love, he mutters to himself, sounding like Courage the Cowardly Dog.
Delilah Beacon is three to four years younger than him, and she is Tomoki's and Shinya's classmate. He had met her hanging around with her best friend Charlotte in summer camp where he was counsellor in Manhattan a year ago. She had laughingly and coldly brushed off his advances. What Russell hadn't realised at the time was that she was the same Delilah his best friend Jason was dating, who was staying at Russell's home at the time only for the sole reason of visiting his long-distanced girlfriend. How was he to know it was her? For Russell, it was love at first sight. And Jason had never called her Delilah in front of them; he only ever referred to her as Dolly.
Jason had requested Aqumi to pull some strings and let "Dolly" get in the scholarship list at K.I.L.L.S so that they could be together in Tokyo. And then when a month ago he saw her again arm in arm with Jason, he didn't get depressed. As a Warrior of Love, he believed in Destiny and he believed it was Fate which had brought them together again.
And if Delilah had ever loved Jason as deeply as Jason had loved her, she would never have finally accepted his proposal, he believed. He didn't believe in keeping his feelings bottled up inside him, and because of that, he had Delilah, even if he had alienated Jason in the process. But Jason would get over it. Russell just couldn't let it pass up. Delilah had brought out feelings in him which he had last felt back in the Digital World when he was Ophanimon's servant and trusted protégé. The feeling when he had first transformed into a Warrior of Love. He had had girlfriends before, but Delilah was different since the first moment he laid eyes on her. She was his One. He had even been beaten by Delilah's brothers two times, but he still couldn't imagine a life without her and wouldn't leave her. He had tried to explain this to Jason but he had just snarled.
And he had tried explaining to Takuya in the morning time that he shouldn't keep his feelings bottled up. He should tell her, he'd be surprised at how things turn out when you open your mouth for once. He'd feel the relief of getting his feelings out in the open. But he thought he was just having lustful desires and not the real thing. Russell believed that Takuya was suffering a severe case of living-in-denial-itis.
Two minutes for the bell to ring. Russell pretended to be putting his things back in the bag in preparation for lunch period, but it was an excuse to eye JP's bag. JP was sitting right beside him with his mouth wide open and rubbing his stomach. His fingers began itching towards the bag… But he was interrupted by the shrill noise of the wall clock type bell ringing two minutes earlier.
In the ruckus of the lunch time and Russell's head still being bent, he was hit numerous times as students rushed out of the class in happiness. Amidst them was JP, who screamed, "Lunch!" and ran out with the crowd, leaving all his books out on his desk and bag discarded besides his chair. He stopped by the door to look back, but was unable to stop his legs, which continued with their jogging motion like he was doing a cardio exercise.
"Zack, get my bag, I'll get yours tomorrow I swear!" he calls out. And not being able to stand still jogging for another second rushed out again.
"That's what you said yesterday!" Zack yells, shaking his fist but JP was already gone.
"That fat asshole," Zack mutters.
He suddenly spots Russell looking at the scene, bemused.
"Get JP's bag," he says, before vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Standing alone in the classroom which had taken no longer than ten seconds to completely empty, Russell wondered why the fuck he had even bothered wasted precious neurons thinking this would be hard.
K.I.L.L.S cafeteria:
"Samosas for Li and ramen for Takuya, kebab roll for Kōji, sandwich for Kōichi, fries for Tommy brownies for me and chow mein for my sweet sweety lovely lickin' Zoe-yums!" JP says, putting down the tray and kissing Zoë.
"Eww! Yuck! Pthewy" Lili cries. "Tommy, give me your hat."
"No way hozay!" Tomoki says, pulling down his hat over his ears to avoid it getting pulled off or snatched.
Takuya sizzled in his chair. He got up and sat beside Junpei so that it'll be easier for him to put his plan into action. Have fun while you can, it won't last!
While he tried hard to ignore, Junpei and Izumi started eating the chow mein Lady and the Tramp style.
Where the hell is that damn Russell? Takuya thought. More importantly, where is JP's bag?
As if in answer, Russell comes and knocks Junpei on his head with his bag.
"Here's your bag dum-dum! You are so picking mine tomorrow. How the hell do you expect me to be able to squeeze into that line?" Russell whines, pointing at the huge mass of students surrounding something invisible from their vantage point.
"Sit and eat with us," Junpei invited.
"Oh, don't mind if I do," he says, looking meaningfully at Takuya, trying to hide a grin. As soon as he sat down, he took out his cell phone from his pocket and began texting.
Izumi tries to peek. "Who're you texting?"
"Delilah," he says. "Telling her I'll be a bit late."
"Oh," Izumi mutters tastelessly, not having forgotten what Myakka and Aqumi had told her about them yesterday and feeling sorry for Jason. "You really like her don't you?"
"She's my life," he says unashamedly, his face breaking into a huge grin just by the mere thought of her.
"Does she know that?"
"Of course," he says, looking at her like she was a bit slow. "I tell her that almost every day."
"But," Izumi tries to reason, "You've only been dating…" she does a quick head count. "Two weeks."
"Actually, it's been eleven days. And besides, you shouldn't call this dating. You should say we've been together for this or any length of time. Dating is for people who're immature to commit or settle."
"What do you mean?" Izumi says impatiently, not liking being called immature.
"It means, I already know she'll be the mother of my children," he says smiling at her.
"But," Izumi says, unable to control her tone now being really impatient. "You can't know that yet. You've only been dating eleven days!"
"First of all, I've already told you it's not "dating". Secondly, why can't I know that? I love her, she loves me. The world can't come between us. I want to see it try to."
Izumi opens her mouth to argue further, but Junpei grabs her hand.
"Forget it," he tells her, trying to make a joke out of it. "You cannot argue about such kinds of things with a Warrior of Love."
"But what about poor Jason?" she says venomously. "What about what you did to your best friend?"
He runs a hand through his hair. "I don't know," he says softly. "I'm still trying to make it up to him."
"And will he ever get over this, his best friend breaking him and his girl-friend up, who were strong enough to survive long distance by the way? Answer truthfully Russell, from what you know of him."
Russell looks at her for around ten seconds in the uncomfortable silence surrounding them.
"No," he says softly. "I don't think so."
"So there," Izumi says triumphantly. "So what you did is not..."
"But that doesn't mean I won't keep on trying," he interrupt her.
"But your best friend's girlfriend or ex-girlfriend is supposed to be off-limits to you!" Izumi shrieks. "As long as you are with her, you can forget it!"
"No," he says, shaking her head. "I won't. I'll do something. Delilah is a part of my life. And so is Jason. I'll do something. I know I can. And I'll keep on trying no matter what. I won't let either of them go so easily."
Takuya was getting really really uncomfortable with this discussion. This topic was serving to be very interesting to him. However, looking at Izumi's reaction to Russell's following his heart; he knew he could kiss his chances with her goodbye. She will never even consider him an option, because Junpei is Takuya's best friend, and she just said that kind of thing is off-limits. And she was quite hysterical too.
Wait. Whoever even said such nonsense, Izumi and him? That was too good to even imagine. He was just breaking Izumi and Junpei up to protect Izumi! So where did the "consider" thing come from? Oh, he was just thinking of it as an example. Yeah, that's it. Just as an example of the friend and relationship complication.
Kuso (Shit)! Takuya refrained from saying this out loud. Why do I feel this way about Zoë WHY? Why can't life be easier for me for once?
Russell was looking at Takuya as if he knew what he was thinking. And his expression also spoke to him that he had even bothered to argue with Izumi about this was for his ears only, so that Takuya could learn or something.
What does he know about me anyway? Takuya thought angrily. I might as well take advantage of Zoë's bad mood.
"How much money do you have left JP?" Takuya says, pulling Junpei's wallet out of his pocket right in the middle of him spoon feeding Izumi so it wasn't like he could do anything.
Takuya opens JP's wallet. He feels for the condom checking to see if it's still there. It is. Perfect. He then pulls it out just a little, so that the edge would become a little visible. He then begins laughing at JP's photo, which was taken a few years ago and looked like JP was sitting on an electric chair.
"Hey Zoë, Look at this photo of JP!" he says, shoving the wallet to her. Curious, Izumi reaches for it. JP tries to snatch it away, but Takuya shoved him too.
"Takuya," he hisses in his ear. "You don't know what you're doing!"
Izumi was looking at it intently. Then her eyes wandered to the piece of something shiny sticking out. She slowly pulls it out and looked at it closely… Before shrieking and throwing it at the table where it fell on the ketchup Lili, Tomoki and Kōji were sharing.
"What is it Zoë?" Takuya asks innocently.
"That's a condom!" she shrieks, and glared at Junpei.
"What!" Lili cried, knocking the ketchup away from her side. Tomoki however, takes it out and studies it, ketchup dripping from the packet and all.
"So?" Takuya says. "I'm sure that the box JP carries in his bag and the other in the dashboard of his car are just coz he needs extra protection…"
"WHAT?" Izumi cries flabbergasted.
"No! It's not like that!" Junpei cries.
"You love sex this much JP?"
"Well, yeah, I'm not going to lie about that, I do enjoy it a lot, but… But it's not what you think! I don't carry anything in my bag!"
Izumi takes his bag and goes through it. She extricates an open box of condoms and holds it up to him.
"No!" Junpei yells. "No! No! How did those get in there? It… It must mean… I'm being hunted! The condoms want me! They're out to get me and they want what makes me a male! Somebody save me! It's the condom monster!"
"Shut UP JP!" Zoë yells.
"Come on Zoë," Takuya says. "Don't be so hard on him. I'm sure he just thought he was doing it for your own good. I'm sure he thought it was better to hide stuff from you."
"Shut up Takuya!" Then she glared back at Junpei, getting up. "JP. Corridor. Now."
"Come on Zoë, breaking up with him is totally not necessary," Takuya calls out after them. "I'm sure they're just the emergency stock he always keeps handy whenever he runs out."
"Are you trying to give Zoë ideas Takuya?" Lili asks suspiciously.
"Why would I do that?" Takuya replies innocently while Russell bursts out laughing.
Out in the corridor, Junpei was attempting to somehow rectify the situation.
"Look Zoë, I…"
Izumi however was not listening. She continued walking sternly. When they exited the cafeteria and came by the corridor, she rounded up on him.
"What is this all about Shibayama Junpei?"
"I don't know! It's not what you think! Takuya's lost it! I have no…"
"I understand," Izumi says softly.
"Seriously, it's all Takuya's fault! I don't know… wait. What?"
"I understand you feel awkward about bringing this topic up JP."
"Topic? Condoms?"
"Yes. I know how much you enjoy sex. You used to keep telling us about it anyway. And I know that when you started dating me you didn't know what you were getting yourself into, but you cared about me so you hadn't brought this topic up yet."
"…." Junpei looked at her blankly.
"I can't tell you how much this means to me JP," Izumi says softly. "And I'm glad this topic somehow came up without you having to make me feel even more awkward about it. I was actually dreading the moment that would happen."
"I don't get it," Junpei declared, even though he did. "I didn't wanna pressure you baby, coz you're special, my baby doll. Not before you were ready. I was waiting for you, and I'll keep on waiting girl for as long as it takes you to get comfortable around me. I know the transition from friend to boyfriend still hasn't sunk in completely yet for you. So it's for you to say the word whenever you want."
"Right… JP… I have a confession to make."
"I hope you don't have cooties," he says taking her hand and kissing the back of her palm.
"It's…" Izumi blushes crimson. Junpei holds her.
"Tell me," he whispers in her ear.
"You must promise not to tell the others."
"I wouldn't for the world," he swears, running his finger over his heart.
"It's… Don't freak out OK? It's just that… I've…"
He waits for her to take a few deep breaths before continuing.
"I… I'm a virgin JP."
"What?" Junpei stares blankly.
"Yes. It's just… I am waiting for the right person. I know it's crazy and something Li would say as an excuse for her celibacy but… I… I wanted my first time to be special. Different."
"But," Junpei says, still in shock. "All those guys you told us about… Enrique and all…"
"Well… I lied. I didn't want any of you to call me a freak or think I am a freak for not enjoying even talking about sex, like you do to Li."
"We don't call Li a freak… At least not to her face anyway," JP says, not knowing what else to say in his shock. This was big news. Not just big but huge news.
"I want my first time to be something out of a fairy tale," she tells him animatedly. "With my Prince Charming who would carry me in and a bed of roses and low candle lights with incense and soft music and…"
She could see she had lost Junpei. This was just something guys were too insensitive to fully grasp. Besides, he was still in shock with the news of her big revelation.
"What I want to know is how did you get so many of the uhhh… details… right?" Junpei says, referring to her mild dirty stories.
"I've spent half my life in Italy JP," she says matter-of-factly.
"Oh yeah, Casanova and everything," JP says.
Izumi laughs, hitting him playfully. "Of course you'd know."
"Hey, you can't blame me for appreciating the wonders of the opposite sex," he says shrugging.
"So… You're not gonna dump me or anything for making you wait? It could take long you know, and this is you we are talking about…"
"Nah, I'm ok. In fact, now you've got me fired up to be your "fairy tale prince" so that I could be the luckiest man on earth to be your first."
"Sweet of you," she says smiling, and kisses him lightly. They broke off as a floor attendant rounded a corner and headed back to their table. Junpei's face was contorted a bit, thinking his balls would explode if Izumi made him wait too long.
It was that expression Takuya and the others saw as they came back. Before JP could sit, he turned to Takuya.
"Takuya, I want a word with you."
Shimatta! Takuya thinks, knowing that somehow Junpei found out it was him and now he was gonna get it.
Junpei takes him out of earshot of the others.
"You did that condom thing on purpose didn't you?" Junpei says seriously.
"Well, I uh…"
"Arigato (Thank you)!" Junpei says, shaking Takuya's arm by both his hands. "I don't know how I can thank you dude!"
Whaaaat? Takuya wanted to say. Instead, he tactfully just dropped his mouth open.
"You see, the topic of sex had never come up between me and Zoë. This was the perfect way of bringing it up without it making her feel awkward to the extreme!"
"But… But…" Takuya stammers, not believing his ears.
"I don't know how you figured it out that I didn't know how to bring the topic up Takuya, but you totally helped me out! You made it a hell lot easier for me! It worked perfectly!" Junpei thumps him hard on the back, almost knocking him over.
"I owe you one Takuya," Junpei says as they began walking back to their table.
Takuya couldn't believe it. His plan had totally backfired. Instead of creating controversies, it had brought Izumi and Junpei even closer. Now the topic of sex even was out between them.
Kuso kurae no sekai (Eat shit world)! Takuya mentally screamed. But I'm so not giving up. Time for a plan B.