A/N: Hello Minna-san! I'm soooo sorry for making you wait that long for this update, but many things are happening in my life right now. I have been busy not only with work but with job hunting as well. Luckily I have already found a new position and I will move to Tokyo next February. Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter and please let me know what you think.
Announcement 1: Some of my dear readers who have read one of my other fanfics, "Feel Your Way", have asked me to write a sequel to reveal what Takumi's sexual phantasy is. I will do it, but you have to do your part...Leave me a comment or send me a message with your idea regarding Takumi's erotic phantasy and I'm going to choose one or maybe even several. Don't be shy, I'll curiously await your messages.
Announcement 2:I just finished my very first Dai x Mao fanfic and I'll post it on my LJ account. If you want to have a look at it please check my profile here on . The link to my LJ account can be found there.
To Lady Xyenia:You can expect to find something here soon! :)
To Skysplits19: The Shingyouji x Misu story you requested is in progress
Disclaimer: Well...I still don't own them!
Chapter 6
Takumi found himself on a long, winding and deserted path its surroundings plunged in darkness and an almost oppressing silence being the only sound. Black, lowering clouds veiled the moon, stealing its pale silver light and cold wafts of thick mist were creeping over the lane. Shivering the ebony-haired youth wrapped his arms around himself in an attempt to stave off the cool air and straining his eyes he scanned the area. The unlit, graveled path he was standing on was framed by what the boy could vaguely make out were trees and bushes, the blackness that surrounded them as well as the mist that was wafting slowly through their branches giving them strange, eerie shapes.
The atmosphere was discomforting, somehow ominous and with a pounding heart Takumi began to walk. His feet made no sound on the graveled path and only one single thought occupied the boy's mind. 'Away, I need to get away from here.' Quickening his pace he strained his eyes again and stared exerted into the looming blackness. There, in the farthest distance he could at last make out something that was looking like buildings and he let out a sigh of relief.
"Yokatta," he mouthed and wrapped his arms tighter around his middle as he continued on his way, his gaze fixed upon the blurry shapes of the edifices. How long he had been walking the ebony-haired student couldn't say since his feeling for time had vanished completely, but strangely enough it seemed to him that he couldn't get closer to his destination, no matter how much he wanted to and no matter how long he kept on walking. Slowing down his pace momentarily he turned his head to look over his shoulder, but all he could see was the mix of mist and darkness that had swallowed the path not far behind him.
An uneasy feeling overcame him that began to clench his stomach and even though Takumi knew that something wasn't right he found himself left with no chance but to continue walking. With growing anxiety he cut his way through the eerie duskiness straining his ears trying to hear anything but even the leaves of the trees that were moving in the wind made no sound. All of a sudden the boy saw something move in the misty shadows of the thicket and wide-eyed with fear he tried to quicken his pace, but to no avail. For some reason his legs and feet had suddenly become incredibly heavy, refusing stubbornly to move any faster.
Then several dark, minatory somehow goblin-shaped figures emerged from the gloom and began to close in on him. The ebony-haired youth wanted to run, wanted nothing more than to get away, but found himself unable to move and soon he was surrounded. One of the ghostly faceless figures stepped forward and grabbed him by the shoulder, snickering evilly as he squeezed it so hard that Takumi couldn't help but to gasp out in pain. He struggled desperately, trying to free himself from the cold, hard grip of the creature but failed miserably. Laughing and sneering the other figures moved closer as well and suddenly a lusty push sent him to the ebony-haired boy to the ground. With fearful eyes he stared at the faceless creatures that were now towering over him. He tried to scream, but no sound came over his lips, cold, long fingers reached out for him and then there was nothing but pain…
"Kyaaaaahhh!" Takumi shot up in his bed with a bloodcurdling scream, trembling violently and Gii's bedside lamp flickered to life instantaneously. Bathed in cold sweat, panting and drenched in tears the ebony-haired student frantically scanned his surroundings, his beautiful chocolate-colored orbs wide with fear while Gii scrambled quickly out of his covers and rushed to his beloved's side, worry written all over his face when he perceived the boy's unseeing and panic-fueled eyes.
"Takumi…Takumi," he exclaimed urgently and sat down on the edge of his fiancé's bed. "Takumi can you hear me? Look at me!" Without thinking the handsome upper-class man reached out and grabbed the other boy's shoulder only to be sent to the ground immediately with a hard, lusty push. "No…no…stay away from me," Takumi screeched in sheer panic and lashed out wildly around himself, his chest heaving rapidly as he gasped for air. "Don't…Don't touch me!" "Takumi please calm down," the amber-haired boy exclaimed desperately and scrambled into a kneeling position in front of his one and only. "Nobody is going to hurt you! Look at me! It's me, it's Gii! Everything is alright."
For several long moments the ebony-haired student stared motionlessly at his roommate, breathing heavily, silent tears spilling from his wide fearful eyes before realization slowly sank in at last and his vision began to clear. "G-Gii," the boy stammered shakily, sobbing repeatedly as his tears stubbornly refused to subside. "Ssshh Takumi, it's alright…it's alright. You only had a bad dream" the handsome upper-class man whispered soothingly and his heart started to bleed at the pitiable sight of his beloved, the knowledge that there was basically nothing he could do for the boy tearing him up inside. Gii wanted nothing more than to pull the ebony-haired youth into his arms, to cradle him against his chest while whispering soothing words into his ear and to hold him close until the break of dawn, making him feel safe and secure.
However, Takumi's reaction from before had clearly shown that the boy wouldn't allow anybody including his roommate to get close to him, let alone touch him and that was paining the handsome upper-class man more than he could say. With a sad sigh escaping his lips and a grieved expression on his handsome features he did the only thing he could think of in that desperate situation. In order not to alarm the other he reached slowly for the big teddy bear that was sitting near Takumi's pillow and pushed the stuffed animal gently into his beloved's arms. "Here Takumi, take it," he whispered brokenly. "If you can't or don't want to hold on to me for comfort, then at least hold on to your precious Dai-chan. He will definitely make you feel better."
"G-Gomenasai, Gii," Takumi sniffed meekly and quickly averted his gaze. "Gomenasai." "Ssshh, it's alright, don't worry," the amber-haired student replied and shook his head, a mild but somewhat sad smile gracing his lips. "Lay down Takumi and try to go back to sleep." The other boy hesitantly did as he was told and pulled his teddy bear tightly to his chest. "I will leave my bedside lamp on for the rest of the night and stay with you until you have fallen asleep," Gii stated as he tugged his lover in gently, careful not to touch him by accident before sitting down on the edge of the mattress. "You are a really kind guy," Takumi sighed softly and closed his eyes. "Thank you Gii, thank you." "No matter what is going to happen I will watch over you," the handsome upper-class man breathed in a hushed voice as he watched his beloved slowly drifting into slumber. "Always."
oOo
When Takumi entered the classroom the next morning murmuring a barely audible "Ohayo gozaimasu" Misu, Akaike as well as Toshihisa looked at him with worried and questioning expressions on their faces. The ebony-haired student was almost as white as a sheet and his eyes were bloodshot, red and puffy. As he noticed the looks his friends and classmates were giving him he quickly cast his eyes and scurried to his desk in the back of the room before anyone had the chance to address a word to him. Once he had arrived at his school table he slumped into the chair with a sigh of desperation and let his head droop.
Gii arrived only a short while later, looking not much better than his ebony-haired roommate. The dark circles the handsome amber-haired boy had under his eyes spoke of a sleepless night and an astonished whisper went through the room which caused Takumi to look up. Unimpressed by stares he was receiving from the other students as well as from his friends the handsome upper-class man scanned the rows of tables, slightly squinting his tired eyes, finally riveting them on his fiancé who quickly averted his gaze and by then Misu, Akaike and Toshihisa knew beyond any doubt what they had already apprehended the moment they had laid eyes upon their two friends. The previous night something serious had to have happened between them.
Sighing dejectedly Gii trudged over to his desk, glancing repeatedly at his lover who kept his eyes down. Thus morning classes began, but for several reasons neither Akaike, Misu and Toshihisa nor Takumi and Gii were able to concentrate on the lessons. The handsome upper-class man couldn't focus due to the facts that his mind was full of his beloved and that he tried many times to somehow get the boy's attention. The ebony-haired students found himself unable to follow the lectures because he was too busy ignoring his roommate's endeavors to be acknowledged by him while the other three boys couldn't pay attention to the teachers because they desperately wanted to know what was going on and were literally dying of curiosity.
As soon as the lunchtime bell started to ring Takumi hastily packed his bag and fled the room without so much as looking at Gii or his friends. "Hayama is avoiding us," Misu grimly stated the obvious and narrowed his eyes, "just like he did yesterday after the opening ceremony." Something has happened between the two of you, hasn't it Gii," Akaike asked carefully. "The atmosphere between you and Hayama was very awkward and quite tense this morning."
"Well, Takumi had a very bad nightmare last night," the amber-haired student explained with a deep sigh. "A nightmare," Toshihisa inquired genuinely concerned and nodding almost imperceptibly Gii told the others everything that had happened the previous night. "Takumi didn't tell me what the dream he had has been about, but one doesn't have to be a genius to guess that he must have dreamt of the night he was attacked, especially if we take into consideration what doctor Asano told us in regards to dissociative amnesia."
"I see," Misu stated thoughtfully. "Have you noticed anything strange concerning Hayama's sleeping habits prior to last night?" "Nothing in particular," the handsome upper-class man replied truthfully and narrowed his eyes in thought. "I noticed that, starting some nights ago he seemed to have a little trouble falling asleep. As soon as I had noticed that I made an effort to stay awake as long as possible so that I could observe him closely, but once Takumi had drifted off to sleep everything seemed to be normal. There haven't been any signs of nightmares or disturbing dreams like tossing and turning, sweating, moaning and whimpering prior to last night. Why are you asking?"
"No particular reason. I was just curious," the head of the student council admitted. "But if this goes on you should consider to contact Hayama's physician to get some advice." "When is Hayama due for his first counseling and therapy session with Asano-sensei," Akaike chipped in. "This Saturday I think," Gii mused. "And I think Misu had a good point with what he said just now. I've been asking myself the whole morning if I should call doctor Asano and inform him about what happened last night, regardless if the nightmares continue to recur or not. What do you think?" "Well, since Takumi's physician asked you to work closely together with him in order to heighten Takumi's chances of a speedy recovery I see no harm in telling him about last night's incident," Toshihisa stated thoughtfully. "How about you guys?"
"I agree with you," the president of the disciplinary committee replied while Misu nodded silently in agreement. "Just make sure that Asano-sensei doesn't accidentally tell Hayama that he has already heard from you about the nightmare his charge had. Our friend seems to be very sensitive and touchy when it comes to anything that is related either to his phobia or his amnesia. If he should hear from his physician that you have informed him about the incident last night Hayama might feel that you have overstepped a boundary which would hamper your endeavors to reestablish his trust in you."
"Of course, that goes without saying," the handsome upper-class man stated with sincerity. "I won't take any risks when it comes to that issue. It's decided then. I will contact doctor Asano to inform him about the news and entreat him to keep the fact that I forwarded this piece of information to him secret from Takumi." "We might be overreacting a bit, but it's better to be safe than sorry," Misu added sternly and the others nodded in agreement. "Well, now that this is settled I have to excuse myself," Gii said smiling mildly. "I think I should better go and look for Takumi to have a private chat with him. Ja ne, see you guys after lunch break!" With that the amber-haired let out a slightly pained sigh and turned to leave, his friends staring compassionately after his retreating back. "Good luck Gii, good luck," Toshihisa whispered softly and felt Akaike's hand gently squeezing his shoulder only a second later.
oOo
Takumi sat on the leads of the school's roof terrace sighing dejectedly once in a while as he let his eyes travel over the campus. He felt bad for the way he had behaved earlier towards his friends, not to mention embarrassed and stupid. From the expressions their faces had been holding after the boys had first laid eyes on him that morning he could tell that they had been genuinely worried about him. Yet he had not been able to entrust them with the events of the previous night and had chosen to avoid them and to run away instead. And then there was Gii…
"A penny for your thoughts," the warm, gentle voice of the very boy he had just been thinking about brought him back to from his gloomy musings. "G-Gii," the ebony-haired boy stammered wide-eyed as he perceived his roommate who was standing only a couple of meters away from him smiling mildly. "How did you find me? How did you know that I would be here?" "Takumi, we have been roommates for a long time and I got to know you pretty well," the handsome upper-class man explained calmly and stepped closer.
"I know that you usually go somewhere quiet when you are upset about something or need to think. I also know how much you like this terrace because it offers a beautiful view and other students hardly ever come here. In the past you often spent your break times on this terrace and after we had become friends I used to join you regularly. Amnesia or not, I figured that old habits die hard and here you are sitting on the leads just the way you used to do, staring into the distance. May I sit beside you?" "Sure," Takumi replied shyly and cast his eyes.
"Why did you avoid Akaike and the others this morning," Gii asked carefully after several moments of silence. "Was it because of what happened last night? They were all pretty worried you know?" "I know Gii," the ebony-haired student sighed. "I know, but I just didn't feel like answering any questions." "And why are you avoiding me," the handsome upper-class man continued. "Ano…Gii…I," the other boy stammered clumsily, fidgeting a little. "Didn't I tell you last night that everything is alright, that there is no need for you to worry about the things that happened," the amber-haired youth explained softly and offered his beloved a warm encouraging smile before he became serious again. "Takumi, no matter what may happen between us don't run from me." The so addressed boy nodded and smiled shyly at his friend and roommate.
"Good," Gii stated with a sigh of relief and rose to his feet. "Then let's go back to our classroom. Lunch break is almost over and we don't want to be late for afternoon classes and risk to get detention, do we?" "Do we have enough time to stop at the lockers on our way back," Takumi asked as he followed the other boy's example and stood up as well. "I'd like to have a look at the one that belongs to me and see what items are stored in it. Maybe I'm going to find something that might help me remember. Do you know the number of my locker? It seems that can't recall it." His voice trailed off and he smiled sheepishly at the handsome upper-class man. "I do and I will show you which of the lockers is yours," Gii replied as they made their way through the school's corridors.
"At the beginning of our second year here at Shidou the old lockers were replaced with ones using a combination lock," he explained when the lockboxes came into view. "Since we had become not only roommates but friends as well we decided to use each other's birthday as a combination. Here we are. Locker number 42 is yours." "I see, thank you Gii," Takumi said smiling mildly and tried to set the first digit of the combination, his eyes widening in confusion and astonishment when the knob didn't budge. He tried again and upon taking a closer look he noticed tracks of a solidified substance around the area where the knob was connected with the door. "Gii, I think someone…," he stammered and gazed helplessly at the other boy. "Someone has…"
"Someone has glued the lock," the handsome upper-class man stated grimly once he had closely inspected his beloved's locker. "If I get my hands on the guy or guys who are responsible for that I'm going to…" "Please don't make a fuss over it," his tirade was interrupted by the ebony-haired youth. "I don't know what's in this locker anyway and I guess it doesn't matter if I have to wait a little longer before I can take a look at the stuff I keep in there," he explained forcing a smile. "Besides, the books I need for the afternoon classes today are in the pocket of my desk and my bag, so I won't get into trouble." "After the final class today I will inform our head teacher about this," Gii stated with determination. "I will ask him to assign a new locker to you and to make the janitor break the lock of this one somehow, so that you can take out all your belongings. Let's go back to the classroom. For the present there's nothing we can do about this problem." Takumi nodded almost imperceptibly and sighing dejectedly he followed his friend and roommate down the corridor.
By the time they arrived at the classroom Misu, Akaike and Toshihisa were already waiting for them and smiling shyly Takumi apologized to the boys for his rude, unreasonable behavior that morning. "Don't make yourself uneasy Hayama," Akaike stated casually, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. "No harm done and no offence taken." The others nodded in agreement and smiling gratefully Gii's lover breathed a sigh of relief before excusing himself to take his seat since classes were about to start. The rest of the group followed his example while he was taking out his math book from the pocket of the desk and a minute later the bell rang upon which Yamada-sensei, the strict, grumpy math teacher entered the room. Once the students had bowed respectfully to the man in his late fifties they were allowed to sit down and the lesson began.
When the boys were asked to open their books on a particular page Takumi suddenly began to fidget nervously, which didn't go unnoticed by the keen eyes of the teacher. "Hayama, what is the answer to question number 5," he addressed the ebony-haired student sternly and the boy went pale as he slowly rose to his feet. "Hayama do you need a special invitation?" "I…I'm s-sorry sensei, I c-can't answer the question," Takumi stammered clumsily. "M-My book, it's…" "What's wrong with it," the middle-aged man growled impatiently and approached Takumi's desk while Misu, Akaike, Toshihisa and Gii exchanged alarmed glances.
"WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS," Yamada-sensei roared as he lifted up the math books whose pages were messily cut out in the center and the students ducked their heads. "Whoever the culprit is will be punished severely! I don't tolerate such vicious behavior in my class! You all know the strict rules regarding any kind of bullying at this prestigious academy! Hayama, take your chair and sit down next to Saki and share books with him for the remainder of this lesson." "H-Hai sensei," Takumi whispered meekly and did as he was told, trying to ignore the odd glances his classmates were shooting him as well as the genuinely concerned once he was receiving from Gii and his other friends.
oOo
Once classes had let out for that day Gii reported the incidents to the head teacher and afterwards called Misu, Akaike, Toshihisa to a private meeting in room 300, the room he was supposed to use as a counsel room should any of the students he was responsible for as dorm head wish to talk about any problem. "Gii, how is Takumi," Toshihisa asked genuinely concerned. "He seemed to be pretty cast down after classes." "He was, although he desperately tried to hide it and to brush those incidents off as nothing serious," the handsome upper-class man replied and sighed deeply as he massaged his temples. "After all the whole situation is difficult enough for him as it is and now to be bullied without knowing the reason…I informed Shingyouji of what happened and asked to keep Takumi company. I hope he can cheer him up a little."
"Now that it has already come to this and considering that he started to dream about the night of the attack we should probably tell Hayama some part of the whole story," Akaike mused. "We don't have to mention any names since we can't prove who is behind all this anyway, although we can all guess who is most likely responsible for the glued lock and the ruined book, but maybe Hayama should know that many freshmen are pretty jealous of his relationship with you, now even more so than before because the two you have become roommates again. What do you think Misu?"
"I agree with you. Hayama about to remember things related to the night of the attack and that's why he should know at least to some extent what's going on around him and we could explain things to him without revealing his true relationship with you Saki," the so addressed boy spoke up and locked gazes with his former rival. "Besides, Hayama is not stupid and if there should be any other incidents in the future he will start to ask questions and will notice that we are hiding something from him." "You have a point there guys," Gii replied thoughtfully and sighed once more. "Alright, I will tell Takumi everything he needs to know for now within the next couple of days as soon as an opportunity arises and once he has calmed down a little. Right now he is upset and distressed enough as it is and I won't add to that." The other boys nodded in agreement and for a brief moment silence settled between them.
"I feel so sorry for Takumi," Toshihisa sighed. "But at least we know now what Kurokawa is planning to do. It's him who is responsible for the glued locker and the ruined book, isn't it?" "I'm pretty sure that it was his, I should say his minions' work. Since he knows that we are watching him he will keep a low profile and will let others carry out his orders." "And once again that little weasel proves how cunning he is," Misu added grimly. "He will continue to bully Hayama, hoping that he is going to break down under the psychological pressure and leave Shidou in the end. Also the method to strike out of the blue and unexpectedly is quite effective. He knows damn well that we will get busier with every passing week of this term and that it is going to get more and more difficult for us to watch over Hayama from morning to night."
"Then what are we going to do," Toshihisa inquired with a discouraged look on his face. "Now that we know that Kurokawa is going to play the game this way we have to be especially cautious. There isn't much we can do except for keeping our ears and eyes open and hope that we can prevent anything from happening to Hayama," Akaike explained and gently placed his hand on the other boy's shoulder. "Somehow we will find a way to outsmart Kurokawa, so don't worry too much, ok?" "That's right and I swear that from now on I will stick closer to Takumi than ever before," Gii added with determination. "I won't let him out of my sight, not even for one single minute!" The other three boys nodded once more and with that the meeting ended. A short while later Gii returned to room 310 where Takumi was sitting on the window still, staring into the distance.
"How are you feeling Takumi," the handsome upper-class man asked gently which caused the ebony-haired boys who had been lost in thought to jump. "G-Gii," he stammered and smiled shyly at his roommate. "I didn't mean to startle you, I'm sorry," Gii said softly. "Are you feeling better?" "I'm alright, don't worry," Takumi replied, smiling reassuringly though it seemed a little forced. "But it seems that commoners like me aren't exactly welcome here at Shidou and that most of the other students look down on me."
"Unfortunately many of the students, especially the first and second year ones are nothing but spoiled brats who come from rich, influential families and those guys tend to be contemptuous towards those not of their own station," the amber-haired youth explained and sighed deeply. "In addition some of the students don't exactly like the idea that you and I get along so well and they would love to be in your place, but don't worry Takumi I will look after you and so will Akaike, Misu, Toshihisa and Shingyouji." "I know Gii and I promise that I will become stronger and that I won't let those kinds of incidents like the ones today or the nagging comments of other students get to me in the future," the ebony-haired boy declared with sincerity and determination and Gii smiled encouragingly at him in response, his heart swelling with pride at his beloved's display of strength and bravery.
oOo
The next day arrived quickly and true to his word Gii remained as close to Takumi as possible, making an effort not to leave his fiancé's side unless it became absolutely necessary. He also hoped that an opportune moment to address the issue concerning the freshmen and their jealousy and to explain the whole situation in a more detailed manner would arise, but much to the handsome upper-class man's dismay it didn't. Whenever he had found a quiet moment to speak to Takumi and was about to tell him something came up, so that in the end he was forced to put that important conversation off again and again. Thus the first week of classes went by and even though Takumi didn't become the victim of any other vicious or cruel pranks his mood seemed to darken with every passing day which was worrying Gii greatly and by the end of the week he simply couldn't take it anymore.
"What's wrong Takumi," he asked genuinely concerned once he and his beloved had arrived at their room after the final class on Friday afternoon. "What's up with that grim expression on that cute face of yours?" "Nothing," Takumi murmured snippily and sat down at his desk to get started on his homework. "Don't give me that," the handsome upper-class man replied somewhat sternly. "I know your habits well. I can tell that you are definitely upset about something. You know that you can confide everything to me, don't you?" Seeing that his friend and roommate wouldn't drop the subject the ebony-haired youth sighed deeply before finally turning to face the other boy.
"If you really want to know…it's you who has been bothering me these past few days," he stated straightforwardly, his voice that was usually soft, laced with a hint of annoyance. "T-Takumi," Gii muttered wide-eyed, clearly taken aback by his beloved's statement. "W-What have I done that's upsetting you so?" "Ever since the incident with my locker and my book on Tuesday I haven't been able to take a single step without you following me. I appreciate the fact that you are concerned about my wellbeing and I know that said that you would look after me, but it's not necessary to become my shadow just because some guys played a couple of stupid pranks on me."
"But Takumi, you need…," the handsome upper-class man began hesitantly only to be interrupted almost instantaneously by his lover. "Listen Gii," Takumi said forcefully. "I don't need a bodyguard twenty-four hours a day and I don't want one! Didn't I say that I would be going to be alright when we talked on Tuesday night about the incidents that had happened that day and I am! I might have amnesia as well as human contact phobia, but I believe that I'm perfectly able to look after myself!" "I only mean well," Gii whispered meekly and hung his head, the words his beloved had spoken affecting him deeply. "I'm only trying to protect you." "Protect me, from what," the ebony-haired boy exclaimed desperately, slowly getting irritated at his friend's stubbornness and his behavior he couldn't understand. "No other incidents have been happening so far!"
"Takumi you don't understand," the handsome upper-class man tried to explain, but was immediately cut off. "No, it's you who doesn't understand," the other boy shot back angrily. "I don't want you to follow me around wherever I go. It makes me feel terribly nervous, not to mention uncomfortable and I want some privacy! I don't need some knight in shining armor! You are my roommate and friend Gii, that's it!" "I…I'm sorry Takumi," Gii whispered brokenly after a moment of almost deafening silence and quickly turned away from his beloved in order to hide the tears that had started to burn in his eyes. Takumi's rather harsh words had stung greatly and the amber-haired boy was hurting deeply because them.
"I'm sorry if I made you feel discomforted. I never meant to oppress you and I want you to know that the things I did were for your own good. Please forgive me." With that Gii picked up his mobile phone and quickly made his way to the door without looking at his one and only. "I will leave you alone for a while," he whispered hoarsely and took his leave, closing the door quietly from the outside before Takumi had the chance to say anything.
oOo
"It's almost time," Shingyouji sighed and glanced dolefully at his watch. "I have to be at the library by four o'clock. Thank you so much for taking this short afternoon walk with me Arata-san." "Don't think too much of it," Misu replied in the cold demeanor that was typical for him and from the corner of his eye he glanced for a brief moment at the boy who was smiling radiantly as they continued their walk. "I had some time to spare, that's all." "I understand," the second-year student replied with sincerity, even though he couldn't help but smile at his lover's behavior because inside his heart he that the things Misu said when it came to his feelings and what he truly felt were two totally different issues. After all it had been the older man who had called him after the final lesson that afternoon and had invited him to take a walk which had made Shingyouji, amongst other things, incredibly happy.
The whole week had been like a dream for him. Ever since the day he had become Misu's roommate he had rarely spent a night in his own bed and within five short days the raven-haired boy had discovered so many new sides of his beloved Arata-san, sides the dark handsome man had successfully hidden from him up to that point. "What time will you be done at the library," Misu asked casually. "Sometime around seven o'clock I think," Shingyouji replied truthfully. "Why are you asking Arata-san?" "I have a meeting with the other council members at eight o'clock," the dark handsome man explained nonchalantly. "That means I won't be back in our room until curfew, but I thought we could at least have dinner together." "I'd love that," the younger boy beamed and Misu couldn't help but smile at his lover's exuberance. It had always amazed him how Shingyouji could get so excited about such small, seemingly insignificant things, but it was one of the reasons why he had fallen in love with the boy because thanks to him he had learned to see the world with different eyes.
For a while the two lovers continued their walk in comfortable silence and once they had come close to the greenhouse Shingyouji, like he always used to do, let his eyes wander, admiring the beauty and serenity of the place only to widen them in astonishment as they came to rest on someone who was occupying one of the wooden benches inside the gazebo, appearing to be a picture of perfect misery. "Ano, Arata-san isn't that Gii-senpai over there," he addressed his beloved and mentioned towards the pavilion. "It is him," Misu confirmed and narrowed his eyes in concern at the sorry sight of the young man. "He looks pretty downcast," the raven-haired boy stated, his voice laced with compassion. "Do you think that something has happened between him and Hayama-san?" "It's most likely something of that sort," the head of the student council replied quietly. "Listen Shingyouji, would you mind to go back to the main building by yourself?" "No, not at all," the second-year student said smiling mildly, knowing what the older man was about to do. "I'll see you at seven o'clock in front of the cafeteria then. Ja ne!"
With that he flashed his boyfriend another loving smile and turned to leave. He didn't get far however, for suddenly he felt Misu's hand around his wrist and was forced to halt in his steps. "Arata-san?" "Haven't you forgotten something," the dark handsome man asked velvet-like. "When leaving a pet should bid its owner properly goodbye…" It took Shingyouji a short moment to understand what his lover was hinting at, but once he had finally caught on the raven-haired boy stepped closer, rose to his tiptoes and placed a sweet lingering kiss onto Misu's lips before taking his leave, almost skipping because of the happiness he was feeling. Slightly shaking his head in amusement Misu kept his eyes fixed on the retreating back of the younger student but as soon as Shingyouji was out of sight he shifted his gaze to the lonely, seedy looking figure in pavilion and taking a deep breath he made his way over to the handsome upper-class man.
"If we weren't underage Saki I would suggest that we go somewhere to have a drink because you definitely look like you could need one," the voice of his former rival ripped Gii out of his gloomy thoughts and he slowly raised his head to face the other student. "Misu? When I came to the greenhouse earlier I didn't notice that you were here as well, I'm sorry," he stated, smiling apologetically, but the smile didn't reach his eyes as it used to do. "No need to apologize, Saki," the head of the student council replied casually and took a seat next to Takumi's lover. "I was on my way back to the main building and saw you sitting here, being a picture of misery. Did you have a fight with Hayama because something that makes you thus unhappy must definitely be related to him?"
"Kind of," Gii replied sighing dejectedly and cast his eyes again. "What happened? Do you want to talk about it," Misu asked cautiously. "I'm not exactly an expert when it comes to comforting people, but I can at least listen to your story and it might make you feel better." "Thank you," the handsome upper-class man whispered hoarsely and closed his eyes for a moment, the other boy waiting patiently for his former rival to begin his account of what had happened. "You might have noticed that Takumi was in a really somber and bad mood for most part of the week," Gii finally began hesitantly and the head of the student council nodded quietly. "Needless to say that I was worried, so once we had returned to our room after the final class this afternoon I asked him if something was wrong and…well…" The young man's voice trailed off momentarily and he took a deep breath before telling Misu about the quarrel he had had with Takumi.
"…and then I left, telling him that I would leave him alone for some time. I didn't know what else to do. I just had to get out of Takumi's presence or I would have lost control over my emotions." Gii fell silent once more and a desperate sigh escaped his lips. "I see," the other boy replied thoughtfully. "This is a difficult situation indeed. We all agreed that Hayama needs protection because even though there haven't been any other incidents so far since Tuesday we know that Kurokawa is definitely planning his next move already and will strike again sooner or later, but I guess none of us has taken into consideration how Hayama would be feeling about all this. I can understand that he wants to have some privacy and although I don't like the idea I think we have no chance but to oblige him." Gii nodded slowly, a grim expression on his face. "So it would seem and for the sake of Takumi's happiness I'm willing to do it, even though I already know that from now on I will be in constant worry every time I'm not by his side."
"But there is more Saki, isn't there? It's not just the fight you are distressed about," Misu asked carefully and the other boy nodded again. "It's not the fact that we had a fight but Takumi's words that are upsetting so much that I can barely take it," he explained brokenly. "I know that he doesn't remember our true relationship, but to hear that Takumi thinks of me as his roommate and school friend only was a hard blow. It really hurt Misu, it hurt and broke my heart."
"Saki, like I said before I'm not good at offering consolation, but let me tell you this," the head of the student council began, his stern voice being unusually soft and full of sincerity as he placed his hand on Gii's shoulder. "I'm certain that nor Akaike, nor Shingyouji, nor Toshihisa nor me are able to fully relate to the great distress you must be going through right now, but I want to let you know once more, just like when we talked the other day, that we are there for you. After Hayama had been attacked all five of us agreed to do everything in our power to help and to support the two of you in every possible way and that includes listening to your troubles as well as cheering you up. So, come and talk to us when you are feeling down like now."
"Misu," Gii stammered huskily, touched by the sincere and affectionate words of his former rival. "It might be strange that I'm the one saying this Saki, but don't keep your feelings bottled up inside you," the other boy continued and squeezed the handsome upper-class man's shoulder. "From my own experience I know that it takes a lot of willpower and energy to keep feelings hidden from others, energy you should use to support your one and only. Thanks to him and Shingyouji I have learned that even for the most strong-willed people among us it's impossible to remain strong all the time and that it's not necessary. Your fiancé and my boyfriend made me realize that it's perfectly alright to cry from time to time, to let it all out because it's relieving and that afterwards, once the tears have subsided, we can often see clearer and stand up again, so don't force yourself too much. It won't do anybody any good if you do."
With that Misu gave Gii's shoulder another reassuring squeeze and when he noticed that it began to tremble slightly he quietly took his leave. With silent tears running down his cheeks Gii let his eyes follow the other boy's retreating back until it was out of sight before he buried his face in his hands and finally broke down into heavy, heart-wrenching sobs.
oOo
At the same time Takumi was sitting in the lobby of the dorm, his conscience giving him a hard time. He felt bad for the harsh things he had said to Gii in the heat of the moment because he knew that the amber-haired boy had only acted out of genuine worry and that he had meant well, but somehow he just hadn't been able to hold himself back. No matter how hard he tried the ebony-haired student simply couldn't understand why his friend and roommate was being so overprotective all the time. "What is it with that guy," he whispered to himself and sighed deeply. "What are his motives for acting the way he did?"
"Hey Takumi, what's with that long face," he was ripped out of his thoughts by Toshihisa who sat down beside him, smiling mildly. "Where is Gii? Shouldn't he be with you?" "Gii…I…I don't know," the ebony-haired student replied hesitantly after a brief moment of silence and from the dejected sigh that followed Toshihisa could immediately tell that something had to have happened. "What's wrong Takumi," he asked gently. "Did you and Gii have a fight?" "I guess so," the so addressed boy sighed. "It wasn't really a fight though. It was more like I was upset about something and ended up snapping at him."
"Do you want to tell me what happened," Toshihisa offered smiling compassionately. "I'm a great listener you know?" Takumi nodded almost imperceptibly and once he had taken a deep breath he told his friend everything that had happened between Gii and himself earlier that afternoon. "I didn't mean to snap at him like that and I think that my words have really hurt him. I could see it in his eyes when he left the room, but I just wasn't able to hold back. Gii really confuses me with his behavior and it often happens that I can't understand him and the way he is acting, especially when it comes to issues that are related to me." "I see," the other boy stated softly. "You might not fully understand his motives, but believe me when I say that everything Gii does he does for your sake."
"What do you mean," Takumi inquired slightly confused. "Before he left, Gii said the exact same thing." "Well, how should I say this," Toshihisa began thoughtfully and fell silent for a moment, carefully pondering his words in order not to reveal too much. "As your friends Misu, Akaike, Shingyouji and I are all worried about you and we all are protective of you, each one of us in his own way," he finally explained quietly. "However, when it comes to Gii it's a slightly different case. Because of the fact that the two of you used to be really close in the past he might be a little more protective compared to the rest of us, even overprotective at times, but he has his reasons."
"What reasons," the ebony-haired boy pried curiously. "Do you know them?" "Yes, I do," the other student replied truthfully. "But I think it's not my place to tell you the reason why Gii is acting the way he does. It's probably best if you ask him directly. Gii doesn't have a resentful temper, so if you apologize to him once he is back in your room and then talk things over with him, you will definitely get the answers you are so desperately looking for right now and everything will come out right."
"Thanks Toshihisa, I'm feeling much better now," Takumi stated and rose to his feet. "I'm going to get some fresh air," he explained when he noticed the questioning look on his friend's face. "Could you tell that to Gii in case he should be looking for me? I won't take long and I won't leave the dorm grounds, but I need to clear my head." "Sure," the other boy replied, his voice laced with concern. "Just be careful alright?" He didn't like the idea of Takumi going out by himself at dusk, but he knew that there was nothing he could do since the boy had made it clear that he wanted and needed to be alone. "I will be, don't worry," the ebony-haired student promised and smiled reassuringly at his friend before taking his leave.
He strolled down the main path for a couple of minutes and finally settled on a bench that was placed under one of the old majestic trees that were seaming the lane. The fresh evening air was not only soothing and reviving, but it helped him as well to calm his confused and occupied mind. And so he sat for while thinking about Gii, the life he was sharing with the handsome upper-class man as well as about Toshihisa's words. He couldn't tell how long he had been sitting in silence on the small wooden bench, but when he heard a bell tolling in the distance, announcing six o'clock, Takumi rose from his seat to make his way back to the dorm in order to get ready for dinner.
He had just arrived at the wide staircase and was about to climb it when a younger student, seemingly a freshman, approached him unexpectedly. "A-Ano, excuse me, are you Hayama Takumi," the fragile looking boy asked shyly. "Yes, I am," the so addressed third-year student replied softly. "Is there anything I can help you with?" "I…I was asked to give this letter to you Hayama-senpai," the freshman explained hesitantly and with shaky hands he held out an envelope towards the older boy. "Thank you," ebony-haired youth said politely as he accepted the letter, trying to hide his astonishment and curiousness behind a mask of calm indifference. "You're welcome senpai," the younger boy replied, bowing respectfully and once he had left Takumi opened the envelope and too out a single sheet of paper which had only a few lines in large, bold characters printed on it. He let his eyes scan over the short message and all color drained from his face as he read the words over and over again, unable to believe what they were saying. "What's the meaning of this, what the hell is going on here," he muttered and began to shake, Gii's words echoing in his ears. 'I'm only trying to protect you.'
oOo
That evening Takumi went to the community room to seek some divertissement and to escape from the tense, awkward atmosphere in his and Gii's room. After he had received the letter his mind had been so occupied with its contents that he hadn't been able to talk thinks over with the handsome upper-class man. By the time he had returned to their room Gii had already been waiting for him, but had been quiet and rather taciturn. For most part of the evening, including dinner, there had been a grave uncomfortable silence between the two boys and at one point Takumi hadn't been able to bear it any longer.
As he made his way down to the ground floor the ebony-haired student was still dwelling on the mysterious, unsigned letter, countless questions entering his mind, questions that needed answering. Takumi knew that the only way to get them was to talk to Gii and he was determined to do so, but at the same time he was equally determined to keep the ominous letter secret from the handsome upper-class man as well as from his other friends. "Enough already," the ebony-haired student whispered to himself as he reached the door of the community room. "I came here to divert my thoughts. I'll resolve the issue with Gii first thing tomorrow and ask him straight forwardly about what's going on." With that he took a deep breath and pushed down the lever.
The community room was quiet that night, which was not unusual for a Friday. Two younger boys were sitting at one of the tables chatting animatedly but in low voices while another boy was occupying one of the reading chairs. Takumi let his eyes wander over to the TV corner and his face lit up instantly as he spied Shingyouji sitting on the small sofa watching a movie. "Konbanwa, Shingyouji-kun," he greeted the second-year student softly as he approached him. "Oh Hayama-san, konbanwa," the younger boy replied and paused the movie before turning to face the new arrival.
"What happened to you," Gii's fiancé asked, his voice laced with deep concern when he noticed that the other student's right temple was patched up. "Did you hurt yourself during Kendo practice?" "I didn't have any practice today because I was on library duty this afternoon," Shingyouji explained smiling sheepishly. "I can be pretty clumsy sometimes and I had a little accident." "A-Accident," the older boy stammered his eyes growing wide in alarm as the words of the letter began to echo in his ears.
To Hayama Takumi,
Don't you dare tell anyone what happened to you the night of Tanabata or who was involved should you come to remember anything. Should you lose one single word about the events of that night we will make you bitterly regret it. Also for the sake of your worthless commoner-friends, if you value their safety and wellbeing, it would be wise to keep silent. Talk and they will get to feel our wrath just as well as you.
"What happened exactly," Takumi finally asked after a moment of silence, struggling to keep his composure. "You know several boxes of books were delivered to the library earlier this week and before these new books can be made available to students they have to be categorized, classified and cataloged, so that they can be found in the library's online database," the younger boy explained calmly. "I helped Akino-sensei with that along with some first- and second-year students and I don't know if the boxes were not neatly stacked or if I accidently bumped against them, but suddenly the upper half of the stack toppled down. Luckily I was only hit by some of the books that fell out and I merely got more than a little scratch, nothing serious."
"I s-see," Takumi stuttered, his heart pounding so hard against his ribcage that it became painful and he quickly sat down so that his friend wouldn't realize how violently his knees were shaking. Judging from the contents of the letter he had received the ebony-haired youth was absolutely certain that what had happened to Shingyouji had not been an accident but design, a kind of warning from the writer of the message to show that he was dead serious and meant every single word he had written.
"Hayama-san you are suddenly looking a little pale. Are you alright," Shingyouji inquired, concern written all over his face. "I'm fine," Takumi replied hastily. "I was just a little shocked to hear that you had an accident. You were really lucky that nothing worse happened." "I guess I was, but I'm alright. So, please don't worry Hayama-san," the younger boy stated and flashed his friend an encouraging smile. "Besides, thanks to my clumsiness which is most likely responsible for this accident I got off duty earlier because Akino-sensei sent me to the infirmary to get some treatment and ordered me to return to the dorms after that to take a good rest. I was quite happy about that because truth be told I enjoy reading, but I dislike being on library duty." "Alright, but what did Misu say about your injury," Gii's beloved asked nervously. "As usual Arata-san scolded me for being such a klutz, but I'm pretty much used to that," Shingyouji answered truthfully. "It's just his way to show that he's worried about me."
"I see," Takumi replied quietly and forced a mild smile onto his lips, trying to hide his uneasiness and to keep his countenance. "Anyway, what are you watching," he asked quickly, trying to change the topic of the conversation in hopes that his friend wouldn't notice that he was feeling anything but calm and at ease. "I'm watching a movie called 'Ren Ai Shindan'. It's a Boys' Love story," the second-year student explained and couldn't help but blush. "Generally I'm not into this kind of movies but one of my classmates recommended this one and I have to say that it's quite interesting so far." "I've never watched a Boys' Love movie before I think. However, considering my present condition I might be wrong," the older boy stated thoughtfully. "What's the story about?"
"The story revolves around two art students who fall in love with each other, but encounter many difficulties," Shingyouji replied. "One of the guys is bullied, both of them have kind of a dark past and according to my classmate there even is a love triangle of some sort. Do you want to stay and watch the movie together with me? I've only watched the first fifteen or ten or fifteen minutes of the DVD so far, so you won't have any trouble to get into the story and to understand what's going on because you haven't missed anything important." "Sure, I'd love to," Takumi said with a smile and made himself more comfortable on the sofa.
"Does Gii-senpai know that you are here," Misu's boyfriend inquired, trying to sound casual. "Otherwise he might get worried, especially if you stay out too long." "I told him, so it should be alright," the older student answered quietly and a barely noticeable sigh escaped his lips. "Shall we start or rather continue with the movie because if we don't we might not be able to see all of it before curfew." Shingyouji nodded, pressed the 'play' button of the remote control and for the following hour the two friends kept their eyes fixed on the TV screen, completely drawn in by the story. They giggled at times or gasped and blushed at others, highly enjoying themselves as the followed the two main characters on their journey to find love and happiness.
However, things changed all of a sudden towards the end of the movie when one of the main characters was threatened by two other guys and taken by force to the roof of the school building. Takumi grew tense and paled visibly as he watched the two guys closing in on the one who was crouching on the ground, but Shingyouji was too excited to notice the change in his friend. As they continued to watch the scene which ended with the two protagonists being beaten up badly by the other guys, images began to flood Takumi's head, images similar to the ones the boy had seen in his nightmare only a few nights past and his eyes grew misty and distant.
Pictures of a gazebo bathed in soft candlelight, of a barely lit path and of figures suddenly emerging from the darkness flashed up before his inner eyes and breathing heavily Gii's fiancé jumped up from his seat which startled Shingyouji and finally caught his attention. "Hayama-san," what is it," he asked urgently, worry written all over his face when he noticed his friend's complexion. "Are you alright?" The words had barely left his mouth when it suddenly struck him like lightning. "Could it be that…," he whispered and within seconds he was on his feet as well. "Hayama-san, can you hear me? Look at me…Hayama-san!" But the boy's words didn't reach the older one's ears for different voices were echoing in them. 'Scum…worthless commoner…lowlife…we will teach you…!"
With wide but unseeing eyes Takumi pressed his hands hard against his ears, trying to shut out the nasty voices, the cruel and heartless laughter, but to no avail. A sharp, stabbing pain shot through his head as a new flood of images, pictures of him being defenseless on the ground and of feet kicking him over and over again, flashed up before his eyes and he doubled over. "Hayama-san…Hayama-san," Shingyouji exclaimed repeatedly, panic beginning to rise in his throat. "Hey you, don't just sit there and stare," he bellowed at the two students who had stopped talking and were looking on in curiosity as well as confusion instead. "Run to the infirmary to get the nurse here at once and fetch Gii as well! What are you waiting for?"
Nodding eagerly the two friends shot up and darted out of the room. "Hayama-san, hang in there," the raven-haired student exclaimed in despair, not knowing what to do. "Help is on its way!" Takumi however didn't perceive anything of the commotion around him. He couldn't hear the voice of his friend who kept desperately calling his name. He hadn't seen the other boys rushing out the door with shock written all over their features. The only things he could perceive were the endless flood of images that kept running through his head and the cruel voices that kept ringing in his ears and he groaned in agony as the pain in his head became almost unbearable. All of a sudden everything became blurry, his world started to spin and then there was darkness. Wide-eyed with fear Shingyouji jumped forward and was quick enough to safely catch his unconscious friend before he could hit the ground.
A/N: What a long chapter! I hope you enjoyed reading it. I have to apologize however because I left you guys with a cliff-hanger again.
What is going to happen next? How much did Takumi remember? What will Kurokawa's next move be? Questions, Questions!
If you want the answers you know what you have to do, nothing new here!
I'll try to update as soon as possible and I'm looking forward to your thoughts and comments about this chapter!