A/N: Here is the new chapter of "Remember Me". I apologize for the long wait, but many things happened recently. As you I already mentioned I will move to Tokyo in February. That means that I'm not only busy with my workk now, but with looking for a new apartment and with moving preparations.
The other reason is that I went to Tokyo last weekend to meet Mao-kun and Dai-chan at the final meet & greet event for the Takumi-kun series. I was busy getting some presents as well as writing a letter of appreciation to both of them. The meeting itself was great and Mao as well as Dai-chan are really nice guys and I enjoyed talking to them.
Anyway, I hope you will enjoy this chapter. After all the things that happened in the last chapter I decided to give Gii and Takumi a little break in this one before things are starting to head for the climax from the next chapter onwards.
As always I would like to thank all tohose who left a comment and who added me to their 'favorites' lists here.
Disclaimer: I own the special collector's edition, exclusive photo sets I bought at the meet & greet as well as some beautiful memories, but that's it!
Chapter 7
It was dark and cold. He couldn't see anything in the murky duskiness, but from somewhere in what seemed the farthest distance he could hear voices, hushed and slurred, one of them sounding a great deal like Gii's warm, rich baritone and Takumi strained his ears. Ever so slowly the voices became clearer as the darkness gradually gave way to light. "He has been out for quite some time already." "Don't worry he will be alright." "I wonder what it is he remembered and how much of his memory he has recovered." "I was really shocked when he suddenly passed out like that."
With a faint sigh escaping his lips the ebony-haired youth slowly opened his eyes only to squeeze them shut again almost instantaneously, groaning in agony as he was blinded by bright, cold neon lamps and all conversation in the room died down momentarily. "Takumi," he heard the familiar voice of his friend, roommate and self-proclaimed protector which was laced with genuine concern. "Takumi can you hear me?" Moaning softly the so addressed boy carefully opened his eyes again, blinking rapidly a few times in the attempt to adjust his vision to the brightness of his surroundings. He tried to let his gaze wander a little and perceived that he found himself in a hospital room of some sort. He could make out some blurry shapes of medical equipment and more importantly of some faces that soon became clearer and he let out a sigh of relief when he noticed that the persons present at his bedside were indeed none others than his friends.
"Where am I," he asked groggily. "What happened?" "You are in the infirmary," Gii explained in a soft, hushed voice. "You fainted earlier in the community room and were brought here. Your therapist doctor Asano is here as well. He is next door with the school's nurse. I'll go and get them. I'm sure they want to have a look at you immediately." With that the handsome upper-class man turned to leave and Misu, Akaike, Toshihisa as well as Shingyouji stepped closer to the bedside of their friend. "Welcome back Hayama-san! I'm so happy that you finally woke up," the second-year student exclaimed, a relieved smile gracing his lips. "you gave me quite a scare when you suddenly jumped up from the sofa, your eyes distant and your breathing labored. I called your name countless times but got no reaction and then you just blacked out. Fortunately I was quick enough and caught you or you might have seriously hurt yourself."
"You weren't the only one who was scared Shingyouji," Akaike added quietly. "I guess the two guys you sent to fetch Gii and the nurse were just as afraid, not to mention how shocked we were when we heard about the incident." "Did Gii call you guys," Takumi asked meekly and slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position. "Saki called Akaike and Toshihisa," Misu stated calmly. "I heard the news directly from Shingyouji and we all came here immediately. You should have seen Saki's face. He was as white as a sheet."
"Minna, I'm really sorry," the ebony-haired third-year said hoarsely and cast his eyes. "I'm sorry for causing you to worry again and for ruining your evening." "Nonsense Takumi," Toshihisa spoke up with determination. "There is no need to apologize." "That's right Hayama-san," Shingyouji added, smiling reassuringly. "Asano-sensei told us before that things like a fainting spell are not unusual side effects for patients who are recovering from amnesia. It just took us all by surprise I guess because the incident was so sudden and unexpected. Just try to give us some sort of warning next time, ne?" "I'll try," Takumi replied smiling shyly. "I'll try."
"Well we all know that you must have had some kind of flashback," Akaike began carefully. "Would you mind telling us a little about it?" "A-Ano…I," the ebony-haired boy stammered fidgeting a little, trying hard to avoid the curious and expectant gazes of his friends and a short moment of silence settled over the room. "I…," he spoke up again, but before he could continue the door to the adjoining room opened and the nurse entered the sickroom, followed by Gii and Takumi's attending physician. "How is my patient feeling," doctor Asano greeted his charge good-naturedly. "Do you have any ailments to complain about?"
"I'm sorry for troubling you at such a late hour sensei," the third-year student returned the greeting. "I think I'm probably alright. I just have a light headache." "That's not unusual after experiencing a flashback like the one you had tonight, especially when the flashback was very intense," the middle-aged man explained calmly and turned to the nurse. "Natsuko-san, would you be so kind and prepare some light pain reliever for Hayama-kun?" The so addressed woman wordlessly nodded her understanding and disappeared once more in the neighboring room.
"Well Hayama-kun, I have to do a short check-up and I need to check your pulse as well as your blood pressure," doctor Asano addressed his young patient again, his voice soft and soothing. "That means I will have to touch you. I will tell you everything that I'm going to do in advance, just like I did when you were at the hospital and I'll try to keep the physical contact to a minimum. You know that I won't hurt you Hayama-kun, don't you? So please try to be strong and bear it."
Takumi nodded his understanding almost imperceptibly and taking a deep breath he tried to brace himself for what was about to happen and put up a brave front, but his big, beautiful eyes betrayed his true feelings. Reflecting terror and anguish they searched for Gii, silently pleading for help and it broke the amber-haired youth's heart to see his beloved in such a state, knowing that there was absolutely nothing he could do at that very moment to ease the other boy's fear and despair. Noticing his best friend's distress Akaike stepped quietly closer to him and placed his hand on the handsome upper-class man's shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly.
"Don't worry Gii, it's going to be alright," he whispered soothingly. "It's going to be alright." "Are you ready Hayama-kun," the doctor asked gently and sat down on the edge of his patient's bed. "First I will check your eyes and your ability to respond, so please look straight at me." Takumi did as he was told and his attending physician began his check-up. He shone a light into the chocolate-colored orbs of his young charge and finally asked him to follow its movements. "Very good Hayama-kun," he stated with a reassuring smile when he was done and inched a little closer.
"Alright, now I will check your temperature, then your blood pressure and finally your pulse." With that he reached out and placed his hand gingerly onto Takumi's forehead. As soon as he felt the touch the ebony-haired student stiffened visibly and he dug his fingers deep into the bed covers for support, his breath quickening. When doctor Asano had withdrawn his hand after what had seemed like ages to his patient and proceeded to carefully place the pressure sleeve of the blood pressure monitor around the boy's upper arm Takumi hissed. He squeezed his eyes shut whimpering softly and his shoulders began to tremble slightly. "You are doing great Hayama-kun," the physician encouraged the terrified youth while continuing the examination. "We are almost done."
The ebony-haired student nodded weakly and jumped when he felt the doctor Asano's hand closing around his wrist, the man's index and middle finger pressing gently against the artery. "Itai sensei…itai," he whimpered piteously and Gii who had kept his eyes riveted upon his fiancé throughout the whole examination couldn't take it anymore. Clenching his fists he turned his head to avert his gaze, unshed tears veiling his beautiful hazel-colored orbs and his face holding an expression of despair as well as genuine pain. When he had first heard from doctor Asano about the return of his beloved's phobia and the severity of the relapse, the heightened level of fear, it had already been hard to take, but to see it with his own eyes and being unable to do anything was almost too much for him to bear and he wasn't the only one. The expressions Misu, Akaike, Toshihisa and Shingyouji had on their faces portrayed their sadness about Takumi's situation, not to mention their concern for their friend openly.
"Alright Hayama-kun, that's it. We are done," the physician announced rising from his seat upon which Takumi slowly opened his eyes again and Gii shifted his gaze back to his lover. "You have done well. Take a moment to calm down a little while I put the results of this check-up in your medical record. The ebony-haired student nodded almost imperceptibly and took several deep breaths, the tension only slowly leaving his body. "Takumi are you alright," Gii asked gently as he stepped closer and sat down in the exact same spot that had been occupied by doctor Asano only a few moments before. "Is there anything I can do, anything you need?" "No, thank you. I'm okay," the so addressed boy answered quietly. "I'm sorry for worrying you guys."
"Hayama-kun here is your medicine," the nurse stated and approached the bed with Takumi's attending physician in tow before the boys could reply to the words their friend had spoken. "Thank you," Gii's beloved replied with a shy smile and obediently took the pain reliever while the doctor fetched himself a chair to sit down by his patient's side. "Have you calmed down a little," he inquired, smiling mildly when the boy quietly nodded his head. "That's good because I would like to ask you some questions concerning your fainting spell, if that's alright with you?" "S-Sure, I'll try my best to answer them," the ebony-haired youth replied somewhat hesitantly. "What would you like to know?"
"Could you please tell me as detailed as possible what exactly happened before you passed out," doctor Asano asked calmly. "I don't know if this is important, but some nights ago I had a nightmare. However, I couldn't make much out of it. I was somewhere in the middle of nowhere. It was dark, the surroundings menacing and I was all alone. Suddenly several strange goblin-shaped figures appeared and then there was pain." "I see, that was your sub-conscience showing first signs of a recovery of certain memories," the older man stated matter-of-factly. "In that case I assume that the actual flashback you had was related to that dream. Please tell me about this experience and try to be as specific as you can."
"Ano, actually I don't remember that much because everything came so suddenly and happened so fast" Takumi replied quietly. "The last thing I do remember clearly is that I was watching a movie with Shingyouji-kun. There was scene where the main character got into a fight and suddenly all those strange images started flooding my mind. My head began to hurt and the more images appeared before my eyes the more the pain increased until it felt like my head would explode and then, all of a sudden, everything went black. Shingyouji told me that he called my name many times before I passed out, but I don't have any recollection of it or of the things that were happening around me at that time."
"That's not unusual Hayama-kun," the physician explained quietly. "There is only so much input our brain can handle at one time. It seems that the flashback you experienced tonight was quite intense. Can you tell us what it is you remembered?" "You remembered something about the night when you were attacked, didn't you," Gii piped in softly, his voice laced with hope and Takumi nodded almost imperceptibly. "Yes, I did," he said meekly and cast his eyes. "Please tell me what you saw in that flashback," doctor Asano demanded in a soft and soothing voice. "Well I…I…, there was a gazebo," the ebony-haired boy stammered and looked back up. "I…I think it must have been the one here on campus, the one near the greenhouse and it was beautifully illuminated by what seemed to be hundreds of candles."
"Do you remember any other details concerning that place," Gii asked hoarsely, hope beginning to fill his heart, a hope that was at once sadly disappointed when the one he loved more than anything in the world shook his head. "I can't recall why the gazebo was illuminated in such a way and why I was there, if I was alone or with someone," Takumi continued quietly. "All I do remember is that I was walking away from it, back to either the main building or the dorms I presume, when I was suddenly grabbed from behind." The ebony-haired youth's voice trailed off and the boy closed his eyes for a moment, trembling slightly as images of the attack began to enter his head.
"Do you recall the faces of your attackers," Akaike asked carefully, trying desperately to remain his usual calm self. "Because if you do we can finally report them to the head teacher and they will receive the punishment they deserve." "I…I…d-don't know," Gii's fiancé stammered fidgeting a little and quickly cast his eyes again. "E-Everything happened so fast. The only thing I remember clearly is that, at one point, I found myself on the ground. I recall a chorus of indistinguishable voices insulting me and I recall pain, pain that kept growing stronger and stronger with every passing second, that's all. I'm sorry."
"Don't be Hayama-kun, you made a good start," doctor Asano stated, smiling encouragingly at his young patient. "I'm certain that within the next few weeks you will be able to recover many other memories and maybe even all of them. The only thing I'm sorry about is that the first memory you got back regarding your life as a student of Shidou Gakuin is a rather unpleasant one." "Yeah, so am I," Takumi replied with a sigh and kept his eyes bent down on the blanket.
"Don't be cast down," Gii added, hiding his own disappointment bravely behind a warm, affectionate smile. "I know for sure that there are many good and beautiful memories about your life here as well, we all do and I agree with Asano-sensei. From now on you will remember your past little by little. Just give yourself a little more time." "Thank you Gii," the ebony-haired student whispered and slowly raised his head to face his friend and roommate and the expression of tender compassion he could see on the handsome upper-class man's face made him feel all warm inside.
"Ano sensei, can we take Hayama-san back to the dorms with us," Shingyouji asked curiously. "He seems to be well enough." "I don't see anything wrong with that," Takumi's attending physician replied. "Natsuko-san, what do you think?" "I have no objection either," the nurse said once she had quickly studied the data the middle-aged man had written down in his patient's medical record. "I'd only like Hayama-kun to come in for a final check-up some time tomorrow morning to make sure that all is well concerning his physical condition." "I will do as you say," Takumi stated with sincerity, relief that he wouldn't have to spend the night at the infirmary evident on his delicate features.
"That's settled then," doctor Asano confirmed matter-of-factly and turned to face Gii as well as the rest of his charge's friends. "Guys, before I leave my patient to your care again I would like to speak to him alone for a moment. Would you all be so kind and wait next door because what Hayama-kun and I are going to talk about is related to his illness and therefore falls under the doctor-patient confidentiality." "But of course sensei," the handsome upper-class man answered, nodding his understanding and only a moment later he, the other boys and the nurse quietly took their leave.
"Well Hayama-kun, is there something else you would like to tell me," the middle-aged physician began carefully once the door to the adjoining room had been closed. "During your stay at the hospital I've got to know quite well and I can't help but feel that you haven't told your friends and me everything just know, that you actually remember more than you have acknowledged in their presence. Am I right?" Takumi remained motionlessly for a while, but then he finally nodded weakly and hung his head, biting his bottom lip in shame and embarrassment. "Please tell me everything," doctor Asano demanded softly, but with a determination that made it clear that he would book no opposition.
"If I do, will you tell Gii and the others about it," the ebony-haired boy asked meekly, genuine worry that almost bordered on fear written all over his face. "No, I won't," the physician assured his young patient with sincerity. "Everything you tell me is confidential and by law I'm not allowed to share any of that information with anybody, except for your parents, unless you authorize me to. Therefore you don't need to worry. Please tell me in detail what it is you withheld from your friends and me earlier."
"Ano…to tell the truth I clearly remember every detail concerning the attack," Takumi began hesitantly. "There were a total of eight attackers, the two guys who had grabbed me from behind and six others. I was punched, kicked hard into the stomach and was finally thrown to the ground. Then the whole group surrounded me and they started kicking me mercilessly, insulting me the whole time…" "Do you remember their faces," doctor Asano inquired gently when his patient's voice trailed off. "Yes, I do," the ebony-haired student answered truthfully and sighed deeply. "I even know the name of the leader." "Hayama-kun, I hope you don't mind me asking, but why do you want to keep such important information from your friends," the middle-aged man asked in astonishment. "Why are you so determined on keeping all this to yourself?"
"I'm really sorry sensei, but I'd rather not answer this question if it's alright," Takumi stated meekly. "Let's just say that I have my reasons." "I understand," the physician said, smiling mildly at his charge. "If you don't want to tell me about your motives you don't have to. The only thing I have to insist upon is that you are completely honest with me when it comes to your amnesia. In the future please tell me truthfully when you are able to recall something and how much. In order to treat you successfully and efficiently I need to know about these things." "I promise," Takumi replied with sincerity, "and please accept my apologies." "That's alright Hayama-kun," doctor Asano stated good-naturedly. "Don't make yourself uneasy. There was no harm done. And now let's restore you to your friends or they might get worried, especially Saki-kun."
"Thank you sensei," the ebony-haired youth breathed softly and offered the middle-aged man a relieved and grateful smile. "I see you at the hospital tomorrow afternoon for the first therapy session, right?" "I don't think that will be necessary," the physician explained after a short moment of thoughtful silence. "For now I know everything that I need to know and I think it would be best if you would take a good rest over the weekend. So, let's have the first therapy session next Saturday." "Alright," Takumi answered smiling mildly and hopped off the bed. "I see you next week then. Good night sensei." And with that he quickly made his way over to the neighboring room where Gii and the other boys were already waiting for him with impatience, just as the doctor had predicted.
oOo
The atmosphere in room 310 was downright superincumbent and depressing. An awkward silence had settled between its occupants, neither of the two boys knowing what to say or do after all that had happened throughout the day, the harsh and accusing words that had been spoken only a few hours earlier still being all to present both their minds. "Na Takumi how is your head," Gii finally asked softly, unable to bear the deafening silence any longer and shifted his gaze from the book he had been trying to read to his beloved. "Is the medicine you got from the nurse working?" "The headache is almost gone," the so addressed boy replied quietly and slowly turned to face the handsome upper-class man.
"Yokatta," the amber-haired youth stated smiling mildly, attempting to ease the tension that was overshadowing the conversation. "Isn't it great that you were allowed to leave the infirmary and return here? I was afraid the doctor Asano and the nurse would make you stay in the sickroom overnight." "I'm really glad about that as well," Takumi explained quietly. "Since my stay at the hospital I have somehow grown to dislike examination- and sickrooms. Over the past one and a half months I've spent far too much time in them." "That's true," Gii replied nodding, "and I perfectly comprehend your feelings." With that the conversation died down and for several long moments the room fell silent again.
"A-Ano…Gii," the ebony-haired youth finally spoke into the uncomfortable quiescence, hesitantly stepping closer to his friend and roommate. "A-About this afternoon…I…I really want to apologize for my behavior. I said some very harsh and unjust things to you without giving you the chance to explain the reasons for your actions to me. I know that my words have truly hurt you and I hope that you believe me when I say that I'm deeply sorry for what I did." "Takumi," Gii whispered hoarsely and his eyes became moist when the other boy bowed down to him. "Now that I can, at least to some extent, remember the night of the attack I can also understand why you are so very protective over me," the other boy continued, "why you have tried to remain as close to me as possible ever since my return to Shidou and I've been so ungrateful, so ungenerous to you. Please forgive me."
"Oh Takumi," the handsome upper-class man sighed. "I'm not angry at you, nor can I blame you for what you said. To tell you the truth, I think that it's partly my fault as well that we ended up having that stupid argument. I should have told you about my motives much earlier. During these past few days I have tried so many times to do so, but believe it or not, every time I was about to tell you something came up so that I was forced to put it off again and again." "The guys who attacked me on the night of Tanabata are students from Shidou Gakuin, aren't they," Takumi asked cautiously, careful to hide the fact that he already knew. "We all think that they are," Gii replied truthfully. "The only way to access the campus is through the main gate which is closed at seven o'clock every evening and from that time until curfew only people holding either a student ID or a special permit can enter the premises. That narrows the list of possible suspects down significantly, doesn't it?"
"But why did those guys, whoever they were, do something so terrible to me," the ebony-haired boy inquired meekly, his voice laced with confusion and desperation. "What could make them dislike or should I say hate me so much that they would go as far as causing me bodily harm? And it seems that it's not only the guys who attacked me. I have noticed the way most of the other students look at me, those glances filled with disgust, scorn and disdain I receive from them every single day."
"Well, how should I say this," the handsome upper-class man began hesitantly and ruffled his hair in despair. "The reason why you are disliked so much is me or rather it's the relationship you and I are having." "Eh," Takumi exclaimed totally perplexed, confusion written all over his face. "What do you mean?" "You might have noticed that I'm very popular among students and teachers alike," Gii explained smiling sadly.
"For most part this is related to my social status and my family background. I'm by far the richest student here at Shidou and being an only child I'm not only to inherit a vast fortune but I'm supposed to succeed my father as president of our family's international business empire. The student body of this school consists mainly of kids who come from very influential families and many of them have some kind of business connection with my father's company. Consequently the kids coming from these families try everything in their power to get close to me because they hope that they can gain some advantages in the future if they manage to become friends with me. Of course, if you ask them, they say that they like me, but the truth is that most of these kids know absolutely nothing about me except for the things that are commonly known. It isn't me they like. What they truly like is my status and what I will become one day."
"That must be very tough, to know that so many people out there want to become friends with you not because they like you as a person and for your character, but because of your wealth, status and connections," the ebony-haired boy stated commiseratively, his chocolate-colored eyes reflecting sincere sympathy, compassion and something Gii couldn't quite interpret. "It is hard and it hurts sometimes," he whispered hoarsely. "Over the years I have learned to deal with it though and because I know that most of the attentions I get from others are solely mercenary I choose my friends very carefully. It isn't easy to become friends or get closer acquainted with me and yet there is a big competition among those rich students to get my attention somehow. As a natural result of that rivalry there is also a lot of envy, jealousy and malevolence and that's where you come in."
"So what you mean is that the other students are jealous of me and envious because you and I are good friends," Takumi asked in disbelief. "I'm afraid so," Gii admitted meekly. "Compared to the majority of the students here including me you are, excuse the expression, a commoner and being members of the upper-class many of the guys think that you are not 'worthy' to associate with me because of this big difference in our social backgrounds. Most of the students didn't like it that you and I became roommates last year. In addition to that the fact that we became really close friends as well fueled their envy and jealousy even more, especially because it wasn't you trying to get close to me, but me trying to get close to you and having grown up in the United States I haven't been very discreet in my endeavors to become friends with you I guess…" His voice trailed off and with a deep sigh of dejection the handsome upper-class man cast his eyes.
"Then…that means the attack on me that night of Tanabata was nothing but an act of insane jealousy," the other boy muttered, his voice barely more than a whisper. "Yes," Gii sighed keeping his eyes bent on the carpet. "That you had to suffer and go through so much…that you are still suffering now is only because of me. I'm the one who is to blame for all this and if you tell me now that you want me to stay away from you in the future I wouldn't blame you. If it weren't for me you wouldn't…" The amber-haired student's voice broke and his shoulders began to tremble almost imperceptibly.
"Gii…are you…," Takumi said softly. "Look at me…please." For a brief moment the so addressed youth remained motionlessly, but finally did as he was told and slowly raised his head to face his beloved. "Gii," Takumi gasped when he saw the silent tears that were running down his friend's cheeks. "Since I'm the one who brought all this upon you I should be apologizing and asking for forgiveness, not you," Gii sniffed and averted his gaze once more. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything." "G-Gii, don't cry. What happened isn't your fault," Takumi said with sincerity, quietly stepping closer and when he saw that the other boy's tears stubbornly refused to subside he did something he had not expected himself to do.
The ebony-haired youth couldn't explain why, if it was his instinct or his inner voice guiding him, but before he knew it he found himself reaching out for Gii, despite his fear of human contact and with trembling fingers as well as slightly quickened breath he gently brushed away the handsome upper-class man's tears before placing his hand tenderly onto the boy's cheek. "T-Takumi," the amber-haired youth gasped, his eyes wide with surprise upon feeling the familiar touch he had been longing for so fervently during the past seven weeks. "D-Don't b-blame yourself Gii f-for what happened to me," Takumi stammered, trying hard to keep himself from shaking. "I m-may not be able to remember how w-we became friends, b-but I want us to c-continue being friends, n-no matter what. I'm not s-scared of your fan club."
"Oh Takumi," Gii whispered deeply moved, fresh tears welling up in his eyes and for a long moment the two boys gazed wordlessly at each other. "C-Can I hug you," the handsome upper-class man finally asked hoarsely into the silence of the room. "Can I hold you, just for a minute?" "A-Ano, I don't…I…," the ebony-haired youth stuttered clumsily unable to find the right words to express his feelings. Gii's request had truly taken him by surprise and he really didn't know how to react. His head clearly told him to refuse the other boy's plea for obvious reasons, but to his astonishment his heart was saying something completely different and as he continued to look quietly at his sadly grieved friend and roommate he understood that some soothing words and a few affectionate smiles were not enough to comfort the amber-haired student, that more was needed in order to relieve Gii from his dolefulness and sorrow, his remorse.
And then another thought suddenly crossed Takumi's mind. From the very moment they had met at the hospital the handsome upper-class man had always been there for him, had lifted him up, had encouraged and protected him selflessly without ever asking for anything in return. He on the other side, what had he done for Gii since their reunion? During all the time he had been hospitalized as well as after his release he had only taken, but never given anything back to the other boy and wasn't giving, in any relationship, just as important as taking, if not even more so, in order to make it work? Tonight Gii needed him and what kind of friend would it make him if he would refuse the amber-haired youth's request at such a moment?
"A-Alright, come here," Takumi finally breathed, his shaky voice barely more than a whisper. "Are you sure about this," Gii asked gently as he stepped closer, having a pretty good idea how is beloved had to be feeling at that very instant and the ebony-haired student nodded weakly. He took a deep breath, bracing himself for what was about to happen and bit nervously down on his bottom lip when the handsome upper-class man reached out for him. Not once breaking eye-contact with his one and only Gii slowly ran his hand over Takumi's cheek before wrapping his arms loosely around the boy's tiny waist. Upon feeling the touch Takumi grew tense and began to tremble, his breath speeding up significantly from one second to the next. "Is it really okay," the amber-haired youth's concerned voice rang in his ears. "You don't have to force yourself, you know? You are looking so scared."
"I…I'm a-alright," Takumi gasped. "G-Go ahead." Gii nodded quietly and ever so slowly he tightened his embrace before he finally buried his face in the curve of his beloved's neck. When he felt Gii's arms tightening around his middle Takumi's first impulse was to push his friend away, to escape from his hold, fear of the burning pain that would surely kick in at any moment like it had done almost every time he had been touched by someone during the past weeks curdling the ebony-haired student's stomach, but much to his surprise and confusion that pain never came.
On the contrary, as he stood there motionlessly in Gii's embrace, feeling the boy's warmth, breathing in his scent Takumi's fear and discomfort slowly began to fade. He ceased trembling, his breath evened a little more with every passing second and the tension gradually left his body. He had no idea why and he couldn't explain it, but there was something about that whole scene that felt very familiar, just as if he had been held by Gii many times before. What was even more confusing was the fact that it felt so right and before Takumi realized it his arms had begun to move on their own accord, slowly wrapping themselves around Gii's broad frame, his hands finally coming to rest on the handsome upper-class man's shoulder blades.
"T-Takumi," the amber-haired youth whispered hoarsely his voice laced with surprise and wondrousness when he felt his beloved's feathery touch. "Takumi," he repeated softly and instinctively pulled the other boy closer. For a brief moment Takumi slightly stiffened again, but didn't protest and soon he relaxed once more, marveling at how well his body matched Gii's as he melted further into the handsome upper-class man's embrace. For several long blissful moments the two boys remained quietly in each other's arms and thus a rather turbulent, eventful day came to its end.
oOo
"Ohayo Takumi," Toshihisa greeted his best friend cheerfully as soon as he saw him entering the cafeteria, Gii following suit smiling mildly to himself. "Ohayo Gii." "Ohayo," the two students replied in unison and walked over to the table their mutual friend was occupying. "Can we join you?" "Of course," Toshihisa beamed relieved to see that the two boys had obviously reconciled. "How are you feeling Takumi," he asked caringly once his best friend and Gii had taken their seats. "Does your head still hurt?"
"I'm fine, thanks for asking," the ebony-haired youth replied smiling warmly. "The medicine I got from the nurse worked well and Gii made sure that I would get a good rest. Once I had changed into my pajamas and gone to bed he literally tiptoed through the room in order to avoid making any noise." "I did no such thing," the handsome upper-class man protested hastily, blushing a light shade of pink and quickly turned to face Toshihisa. "Anyway where is Shouzo," he asked casually, eager to change the subject of the conversation before things would get more embarrassing for him. "I had a message from Akaike earlier saying that he would be a little later for breakfast than usual," the brown-haired boy explained, trying hard to suppress a bemused grin. "But he should be here any time soon." As if on cue the president of the disciplinary committee walked through the doors of the cafeteria only a few seconds later and approached the table with Shingyouji and Misu in tow.
"Ohayo minna," they greeted and sat down on the remaining chairs. "I trust Hayama that you are feeling better this morning," Gii's best friend inquired curiously. "Much better, thanks Akaike-kun," Takumi replied smiling mildly. "I'm sorry I caused you all to worry about me again." "Don't concern yourself about that," Misu answered nonchalantly. "What's far more important, do you have anything on your agenda today?" "No, not really," the ebony-haired student answered truthfully. "I only have to go to the infirmary after breakfast for a quick check-up. Asano-sensei canceled our therapy session because we talked for some time yesterday after the flashback and he thought that it would be better if I took a good rest over the weekend, so I'm free all day. Why are you asking?"
"I'm asking because Shingyouji here has been pestering me ever since you left the infirmary last night if we couldn't organize a little get-together," the head of the student council explained motioning towards his lover who had blushed slightly. "He thinks that we should celebrate because you started to remember your past, even though the first memory you recovered related to your life here at Shidou isn't exactly a pleasant one." "That's really sweet of you Shingyouji-kun," Takumi beamed which caused the younger boy to blush an even deeper shade of red. "I-It's nothing really Hayama-san," he stammered. "I just thought we might all get together to have some cake, coffee and tea or something of the sort."
"I'd love that," the ebony-haired third-year replied smiling warmly touched by his friend's kindness and thoughtfulness. "How about you, Gii?" "Do you really need to ask? Cake, coffee and tea, how could I say no to that," the handsome upper-class man exclaimed happily. "Shouzo?" "Count me in as well," the president of the disciplinary committee replied with a smirk. "And I think the same goes for Toshihisa, doesn't it," he added facing Takumi's oldest friend at Shidou who nodded wordlessly, his cheeks turning pink. "That's settled then," Misu commented casually. "We can use the student council room. We won't be disturbed there. Would three o'clock be alright for everybody?"
The rest of the group nodded in agreement and Shingyouji glanced affectionately at his boyfriend. "Thank you Arata-san, that's so kind of you," he beamed at the older student. "It's nothing, I'm just being rational," Gii's former rival replied factually. "If we were to go anywhere else on campus and are seen by other students several problems might arise for some of us because of that." "Gii has told me about the reason behind the attack," Takumi piped in. "Thank you minna for looking after me and for protecting me. If there is anything I can do for you in return please let me know." "Apart from recovering your memories as quickly as possible you mean," Gii mused, smiling encouragingly and the ebony-haired student nodded.
"Actually there is something," Toshihisa and Shingyouji exclaimed in unison after they had exchanged several glances. "Hayama-san, you could play the violin for us at the tea party this afternoon," Misu's lover explained and Gii's eyes began to sparkle. "It has been ages since we last had the pleasure of hearing you play." "That's an excellent idea," Akaike added and Misu nodded approvingly. "Will you grant us that request Hayama?" "I haven't practiced much recently, basically not at all," Takumi stated shyly, fidgeting slightly. "My fingers probably won't move as smoothly over the strings as would wish them to, but I'll stay true to my word. This afternoon at the tea party I will do my best and play a few tunes for you."
oOo
The remainder of the morning went by quietly and uneventful. Just before the lunch hour Takumi went to see the nurse accompanied by Gii who had insisted on going with him to the infirmary and the ebony-haired student had decided to oblige his friend and to give in to his pleas. After the short check-up which had brought nothing new the two friends stopped by the cafeteria to buy some sandwiches before returning to their room where they chatted comfortably about this and that until it was almost time for the meeting with the other boys.
"What are you going to play for us later at the party," Gii asked curiously when Takumi opened the violin case and took out the instrument in order to tune it. "I don't know yet," the ebony-haired youth replied truthfully and shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I'm going to play whatever comes to my mind or I could always try to improvise and simply play what I feel inside my heart." "That sounds quite intriguing," the handsome upper-class man sighed approvingly, the thought that he would soon see his one and only playing the violin again making him feel all fuzzy inside.
He had always thought, along with many others, that Takumi playing the violin was truly a marvelous sight to behold. His one and only already was a truly beautiful young man by nature and for Gii there was rarely anything more breathtaking and captivating than Takumi wrapping his long slender fingers gently around the neck of the violin, moving them graciously over the strings in an almost caressing manner while his eyes were half closed and his soft, delicate features held a serene, peaceful expression. The whole look of innocence and beauty the ebony-haired boy was having when he lost himself in the world of sounds and melodies always reminded the handsome upper-class man of that of an angel.
There were only a few other occasions when the Takumi was even more beautiful, more beguiling and enticing, but for the sake of his sanity Gii desperately tried to block out those not so innocent images which had begun to enter his head, especially because for the time being there was no relief for his burning desire, at least none that was truly satisfying. "Gii are you alright," the voice of his beloved brought him back from his reverie. "Your cheeks are red." "I'm fine, don't worry. I'm just very excited…about the performance, that's all," the amber-haired student replied hastily, determined to keep the other reason for his excitement to himself.
"I really love it when you play the violin and I don't think that I could ever grow tired of watching your performances." "I didn't know that you were such a great fan of mine," Takumi said smiling shyly. "How could I not be," Gii stated with sincerity. "You are an amazing violinist and I'm proud to declare myself your number-one fan!" "Thanks for the great compliment," the other boy replied and blushed an adorable shade of red, "but I think you are way exaggerating my talents." "Believe me, I'm not," the handsome upper-class man retorted. "You are truly gifted and I'm sure that you could go a long way if you should decide to make music your profession. Speaking of going, I think we should get ready to leave or we are going to be late for the party." Takumi nodded, his cheeks still crimson, placed the violin back into its case and only a few minutes later the two students were on their way to the main building.
By the time they arrived at the student council room the other boys were already waiting for them and soon they were all laughing and chatting animatedly over cake, cookies, coffee and tea. "Ano Hayama-san, you first week at Shidou is over," Shingyouji addressed his best friend. "How do you feel about it?" "It was…well…I would say it was very eventful," Takumi answered hesitantly. "Some very unexpected things happened and I won't lie to you saying that this week was easy because it really wasn't, but thanks to Gii and all of you guys I managed to get through." "That's good to hear," Toshihisa answered smiling warmly. "And no matter what will happen in the future just remember that you can always count on us." "I know and that's a very encouraging thought," the ebony-haired youth replied and returned his friend's smile with equal warmth. "I really don't know how to thank you."
"You could always take that precious violin of yours and start playing it for us," Misu suggested in his usual cool, business-like demeanor and Akaike as well as Gii nodded in agreement. "Please Takumi, go ahead," the handsome upper-class man said encouragingly, excitement evident in his voice. "Whisk us away into the magic world of melodies." "I'll try Gii," Takumi chuckled and rose to his feet, "but as I mentioned this morning, I'm a little out of practice so don't expect too much." With that he took up the violin and stepped away from the table. Under the excited and expectant gazes of his friends he placed the instrument on his shoulder and closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath before finally applying the bow to the strings.
He let it slide slowly over the chords, eliciting beautiful, clear sounds from them and soon the room was filled with an enchanting and captivating melody. Gii, Misu, Akaike, Toshihisa and Shingyouji sat motionlessly on their chairs as they listened completely entranced by the tune Takumi was playing. None of them dared to move, afraid that they would break the magic of the moment if they did. As the ebony-haired student continued his performance he occasionally glanced at his audience, curious to see his friends' reactions and the things he perceived turned out to be quite unexpected and surprised him a great deal.
There was Shingyouji who gazed adoringly at Misu, an affectionate, loving smile gracing his lips and there was Misu who pretended to ignore the looks the younger boy was giving him, but couldn't prevent a barely noticeable smirk of satisfaction and happiness from tugging at the corners of his mouth. Smiling shyly Toshihisa was stealing glances from Akaike and went beet-red when he was caught by the other student who then smiled warmly back at him. But the one who confused and astonished Takumi the most was none other than his closest friend, roommate and protector.
From the very moment he had started his performance the handsome upper-class man's eyes had been riveted upon him, a dreamy smile gracing the boy's flawless features at the same time. His hazel-colored orbs were shining with sincere admiration, tender affection and something Takumi couldn't quite interpret, but that strangely resembled a peculiar mix of deepest love, desperate sadness and wistful longing. 'Gii, why are you looking at me like that? At this very moment, what is going through your mind,' the ebony-haired youth thought as he played the last part of the tune and finally detached the bow from the strings thus allowing the melody to fade out.
For several moments the room remained silent before Gii and the others broke into applause. "That was amazing Takumi," the amber-haired student exclaimed, smiling proudly at his one and only, "stunning, absolutely breathtaking!" "Calm yourself Saki, will you," Misu spoke up sternly and rolled his eyes. "But I have to agree with you, that was a great performance. Well done Hayama!" Akaike, Shingyouji and Toshihisa nodded eagerly in agreement and Takumi couldn't help but blush. "Y-You are exaggerating guys," he stammered. "It wasn't that good and as expected I couldn't move my fingers as well as I had wished to. I really need to start practicing on a regular basis again." "You are too modest Hayama," Akaike commented with determination. "That performance was excellent. What's the name of the tune?"
"A-Ano, I don't really know…I…I just played what came to my mind just now, what I felt inside," the so addressed boy explained hesitantly and everybody's jaws dropped to the ground. "Sugoi, Hayama-san," Shingyouji exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "You really made everything we heard just now up on the spot?" Takumi nodded shyly, his cheeks slowly turning crimson. "That's amazing! You are definitely up to par with your great idol Sachi Inoue," Toshihisa added, his voice trembling with excitement. "I even dare say that you have already surpassed him, hasn't he Gii?" "He has, there is no doubt about it," the handsome upper-class man beamed, his heart swelling with pride for his beloved and finally flowing over.
"You really should try to write music Hayama, to compose a tune," Misu suggested, trying to keep his calm. "It could get you into one of the world's most renowned music academies after graduation from Shidou. Like Sachi Inoue you could start an international career, you definitely have what it takes to accomplish that." "D-Do you really thing so guys," the ebony-haired boy stammered and everybody nodded eagerly. "Could you play another piece for us," Shingyouji pleaded. "I really want to hear more." "Sure," Takumi replied smiling shyly and picked up the violin again. "Do you want me to play a classic piece or do you wish me to improvise again?"
"Improvise," the boys chorused and while the ebony-haired youth got ready for his second performance Gii secretly pressed the 'voice message recording' button on his mobile phone, smiling contently to himself as an idea began to form in his head. Oblivious to his friend's actions Takumi applied the bow to the strings of the violin again and fixed his gaze upon Gii the moment the first notes of another enchanting melody began to fill the room, curious to see if he would get the same reaction from the handsome-upper-class man as before. Something was going on and he was determined to find out what it was.
oOo
"Ohayo minna," Takumi and Gii greeted their friends upon entering the classroom on Monday morning, the handsome upper-class man stifling a yawn. "Why can't school start at a more civil time like eleven o'clock or something like that," he grumbled scrunching his nose. "Like I said so many times before, you are hopeless Gii," Akaike commented shaking his head, "absolutely hopeless." "I'm not," the amber-haired youth protested with determination. "I'm only saying what everybody else in this room is thinking." "If you say so Gii, if you say so," the president of the disciplinary committee replied sarcastically and turned his attention to his best friend's lover.
"Hayama, are you going to practice the violin after school hours are over," he asked curiously. "I'm still awestruck whenever I think of your performance the day before yesterday." "I'd love to practice today, but I can't," Takumi replied with a sad sigh. "You see, I'm on library duty this afternoon together with Yoshizawa-kun. That means I will be stuck here until dinner time." "I understand," Akaike replied with a compassionate smile. "But don't be downcast Hayama. You could always serenade Gii in your room after dinner. I'm sure he wouldn't mind." "Shouzo," the handsome upper-class man spoke up sharply, his cheeks turning pink, but before he could continue to reprimand his best friend the school bell rang and he went to take his seat muttering under his breath, Takumi following the boy's example smiling mildly to himself.
All of the students had just taken their respective seats when the homeroom teacher entered with a quite handsome, brunette boy in tow. "Ohayo minna," the middle-aged man greeted the students who rose to their feet and bowed respectfully as they returned the greeting. "I have an announcement to make," the teacher began once everybody had sat down again. "From today onwards a new student will be joining this class and he will remain with us until graduation. I trust that all of you will welcome him warmly and help him to adjust to the daily routine here at Shidou Gaukuin. Ichkawa-kun, please step forward and introduce yourself to the class."
Nodding almost imperceptibly the tall, athletic looking boy did as he was told and stepped in front of the teacher's desk, fixing his gaze for a short moment upon Takumi. "Hajimemashite," he began smiling warmly. "My name is Ichikawa Motoki and I just transferred here from a private high school in Shizuoka because of my father's work. I will be joining Shidou's track and field team and even though my stay here will be quite short I hope to become good friends with all of you. Yososhiku onegai shimasu." With that the boy bowed to the other students who applauded and the teacher stepped forward again.
"Well done, Ichikawa-kun," the middle-aged man stated approvingly. Please step down and take your seat next to Hayama-kun in the last row, so that I can begin with the regular lesson." The new student bowed slightly to the homeroom teacher and made his way to the back of the room, fixing his eyes once more upon takumi who began to shift uncomfortably on his chair. "Konnichiwa Hayama-kun," Ichikawa greeted Gii's one and only in a hushed voice. "Long time no see." "What do you mean 'long time no see'," the ebony-haired student repeated in astonishment, confusion written all over his beautiful features. "I have no idea what you are talking about. I don't know you."
"Really, but you should," the other boy replied confidently. "So drop the act and stop pretending already." "I'm not pretending," Takumi hissed, slowly getting irritated. "I have no idea who you are and I would appreciate it if you would stop talking, so that I can concentrate on the lesson." With that he turned his head to face the teacher, trying hard to ignore the searching looks the new student was giving him throughout the whole duration of the lecture and his discomfort grew with every passing minute. During the short breaks between the classes he tried his best to avoid the boy and occupied himself studying the notes he had taken during the lecture or with talking to Gii and the others.
When the lunchtime bell began to ring Takumi quickly packed his bag and literally darted out of the classroom without so much as looking at Ichikawa, informing his friends in passing that he would go ahead to the cafeteria to reserve a table, hoping that the new arrival would get the hint, that he would finally give up and leave him alone, but much to his dismay the ebony-haired youth proved to be unlucky. He had just taken a seat facing the wall at a quiet table, big enough for six people, in the far corner of the cafeteria when he suddenly heard Ichikawa's voice calling out his name. "Hayama-kun!" Groaning inwardly Takumi took a deep breath and slowly turned to face the student who was approaching him smiling widely. "What the hell is it with that guy," he muttered to himself and forced a polite smile onto his lips as he addressed the boy. "Can I help you with anything?"
"Ano Hayama-kun, I'm sorry for my straight-forwardness in class this morning," Ichikawa explained smiling mildly. "I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable or anything, it's just that I was very surprised at your reaction when I addressed you and to be honest I still can't understand it. When you told me this morning that you didn't know me I thought that you were only joking, but you were actually serious, weren't you? You really don't recognize me, do you? You truly have absolutely no idea who I am." "I'm sorry if I came across rude and ill-mannered this morning. I didn't mean to be impolite but I was perplexed and confused when you addressed me as if we had met before," Takumi replied quietly.
"That's because we have. I really can't believe that you don't remember it," the other boy exclaimed, clearly taken aback. "To tell the truth, the present me doesn't remember anything about the past," the ebony-haired youth explained with a deep sigh of dejection. "I got involved in an…well…let's say incident about seven weeks ago which resulted in a memory loss. I'm presently suffering from total amnesia and so far I haven't been able to recall much of my past." "Oh my God Hayama-kun, I'm really sorry," Ichikawa exclaimed compassionately. "In that case allow me to introduce myself once more and to enlighten you regarding our relationship."
oOo
"You are a genius Gii," Shouzo stated with admiration as the two boys made their way to the cafeteria accompanied by their other friends. "And he really has no idea?" "No, he hasn't," the handsome upper-class man replied smiling mildly. "I'm well aware that I'm kind of going behind his back by doing this, but you know Takumi. He is far too modest and self-critical to do it himself."
"That's true. Well done Saki, well done indeed," Misu complimented his former rival, Toshihisa and Shingyouji nodding in agreement. "I thought that, in a few weeks' time, I will ask Hayama to perform at Shidou's annual Christmas concert. I would like him to play a few classic pieces as well as something he created himself. Every year some very important people attend that event and using that occasion to give Hayama some exposure could prove to be beneficial for his future." "Thank you Misu," Gii said smiling gratefully at the head of the student council. "There is no need to thank me Saki," the so addressed boy replied factually and opened the door to the cafeteria. "Someone as talented as Hayama deserves to be supported in every possible way."
"Well said Misu, now where is Takumi," Toshihisa exclaimed and let his eyes wander over the crowded room. "There he is," Shingyouji stated, pointing to one of the corner tables in the back of the cafeteria. "Who is he talking to?" "Isn't that the new kid," Akaike whispered as the boys slowly made their way over to their friend. "It sure is and I don't know if you have noticed it, but that guy has been checking Takumi out all morning," Gii growled his face growing darker when he noticed that his beloved was actually smiling widely and cheerfully at the student who had just joined the class a couple of hours earlier.
"Hora Takumi, sorry that we have kept you waiting," he addressed the ebony-haired youth, forcing a mild smile upon his lips. "Would you be so kind and introduce us to your new friend?" "Certainly," Takumi beamed. "Ichikawa-kun, please meet my friends Akaike Shouzo, Misu Arata, Katakura Toshihisa, Shingyouji Kanemitsu and Saki Giichi who is not only my friend but my roommate as well. Minna, as you already know this is Ichikawa Motoki and it seems that he and I are old acquaintances." "Nice to meet you all," Ichikawa stated smiling politely. "Nice to meet you too," Akaike replied and the others, except for Gii, nodded in agreement.
"How do you and Takumi know each other," the handsome upper-class man inquired curiously. "Hayama-kun and I went to the same junior high school in Shizuoka," Ichikawa replied casually. "And we were not only classmates but really good friends as well." "Isn't that great," Takumi beamed. "Ichikawa-kun promised that he will help me to remember my junior high school days!" "That's great indeed and I'm really happy for you Takumi," Gii replied somewhat reservedly and forced another smile onto his face, the green snake of jealousy biting into his heart as he stood there at the table and perceived his one and only smiling brightly at Ichikawa as well as the way the other boy was returning those smiles.
A/N:What will happen next? Is Gii jealous with good cause or is he just overreacting? How will the relationship between Takumi and his old friend develop? Can Ichikawa really help and when will Kurokawa strike again? Questions over questions...
Find out in the next chapter and please take a minute to leave me a comment with your thoughts.