A/N: Hello Minna! I'm happy to be able to finally present you with the latest chapter of "Remember Me". It was supposed to go online by the end of April, but I caught a nasty cold including a fever which prevented me from leaving my bed and getting soem writing/editing done.
But I have recovered and worked hard these past three days to finally update this story. I hope you will enjoy reading this chapter!
And once more I'd like to thank everybody who is following this story and those who ahve taken the time to leave me a little comment with their thoughts. Those reviews and comments are the best motivation and reward for me!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for this story and the characters I introduced.
Chapter 11
"T-Takumi," the most popular student of Shidou Gakuin gasped in a shaky voice, his hazel-colored eyes growing wide in both, utter shock and sheer disbelief at the scene that was unfolding before them and within a couple of painful seconds the boy's whole world came crashing down as he stood there, thunderstruck, witnessing his one and only accepting a kiss from none other than Ichikawa Mamoru, his friend from junior high school. "T-Takumi," the handsome upper-class man repeated his beloved's name brokenly and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, the meaning of what he had just happened to see slowly registering with him. "Takumi."
Upon hearing his name being called by the soft, warm baritone voice that was only all too familiar to him a wave of heat washed over the ebony-haired youth and whatever little color had been left upon his already pale face up to that very moment instantly drained from it. "No…oh God…please no, anything…anything but that," a voice started screaming in his head while Gii's continued to echo in his ears at the same time and with panic rising in his throat Takumi tried once more to move, to free himself and to finally get away from the more than unwanted touch, not to mention the kiss that was being forced upon him, but to no avail. His petrified body simply refused to obey and even though the boy eventually managed to move his arms to a certain degree, which had been a most strenuous effort for him, there was no escape for Ichikawa was using all his weight now to keep him pinned against the wall.
After another couple of agonizingly long seconds had passed the ebony-haired student felt the pressure against his lips ease up at last. "Good afternoon Saki, I hadn't noticed you were here," Ichikawa stated once he broken the kiss and pulled away from Gii's beloved, a smug, victorious and slightly sneering smile playing about his mouth as he silently thanked Lady Luck for the coincidence which had played right into his hands. He knew only all too well what the whole scene had had to look like from the amber-haired boy's perspective.
As expected he and his words were completely ignored by the handsome upper-class man who rooted to his spot continued to stare wordlessly at his beloved. Ever so slowly Takumi lifted his gaze to face his handsome friend and an awkward silence settled between the two students once their eyes had met. For several long moments they simply stared at each other, neither of them saying a single word while Ichikawa watched on from the side, sneering contently to himself, clearly enjoying his triumph. "G-Gii," Takumi finally whispered shakily into the oppressing quiescence, the hurt and the pain he could see were dulling the other's hazel-colored, usually sparkling orbs making his heart ache so badly that he thought it would burst. "G-Gii…I…"
"Wakattayo…Takumi…wakattayo," the so addressed boy replied weakly, trying hard to keep his composure and drawing in a sharp, painful breath he slowly bent down to pick up the books he had dropped earlier before he faced his one and only once more. "Gii," the ebony-haired youth began a second time only to be instantly interrupted by the other. "You don't have to explain yourself," the handsome upper-class man breathed shakily. "I understand. You promised me an answer and I guess I finally got it. " And with that he turned on his heels and walked away before Takumi was given the chance to say anything.
'No Gii, you don't understand! This isn't what you think,' his mind screamed frantically and the boy opened his mouth to call out the amber-haired student's name, to make him stop in his tracks, so that he would get the chance to explain himself, to clear up the grave misunderstanding at once, but his voice betrayed him and he found himself unable to utter a syllable. 'If you don't hold him back now you are going to lose everything,' his mind screamed desperately and with panic washing over him Takumi tried again to say something, tears of desperation springing to his eyes as he failed again and could do nothing but helplessly stare after Gii's retreating back that was soon out of sight. "G-Gii," he whispered hoarsely and hung his head when the handsome upper-class man's name eventually came to his lips a few moments later. "Oh Gii."
"Takumi," Ichikawa, who was silently rejoicing inside because his rival had reacted exactly in the manner he had hoped for, spoke up softly. "It's alright, don't worry about that guy." The so addressed boy remained silent for a while, but at last raised his head to face the other again, tears cascading down his pale cheeks. "A-Alright…n-nothing is alright," he sobbed accusingly his eyes blazing with anger. "K-Knowing about m-my phobia you…you forced a k-kiss upon me…and…and G-Gii…he…he s-saw it. Y-You caused him to t-think that…that I…that you and I b-became an item. H-How could you Motoki? H-How could you d-do such a t-thing to me?"
"Because I love you, that's why," the brown-haired student replied matter-of-factly. "Please be with me Takumi. Become my boyfriend and prove Saki's assumptions right. I would treat like the treasure that you are and I would do everything in my power to make you happy and I know I would succeed." "M-Motoki…I…I don't," Gii's beloved stammered weakly, but was immediately interrupted by his friend. "Don't say anything now," Ichikawa demanded and stepped closer again. "Take some time to think about it. I'm serious about you Takumi. I love you and I want you, you and no one else. That's why I couldn't conceal my feelings for you any longer and had to tell you. I don't want to have any regrets."
With that the brown-haired student fell silent for a brief moment and placed his hands gingerly on Takumi's shoulders upon which the boy began to tremble, his breath speeding up once more. "You don't dislike me, do you," Ichikawa asked noticing his friend's reaction to his touch, but chose to ignore it. "You don't hate me, right?" He waited a few seconds for the ebony-haired youth to say something, but when Takumi only kept wordlessly staring back at him, breathing hard and with an unreadable expression on his beautiful, delicate features Ichikawa finally released the boy from his hold.
"It's alright Takumi. You don't have to say anything," he stated softly and offered his friend a mild smile. "I understand that all of this came very sudden for you and that it must therefore be quite overwhelming. As I said before, take some time to think about everything. I will try to wait patiently for your answer, but please don't make me wait too long, okay?" Takumi blinked rapidly a few times, still unable to believe what had happened during the past few minutes and at last he almost imperceptibly nodded his understanding. "Alright then, I see you later," the brown-haired student said in response and bestowed another mild, affectionate smile onto the boy he had just confessed to before taking his leave.
Rooted to his spot at the wall Gii's beloved stared after his friend from junior high school in shock and disbelief, his feelings being in hopeless turmoil and once Ichikawa had disappeared from his view Takumi's knees which had been shaking the whole time buckled and finally gave in. With a pained sigh of desperation tearing from him and fresh tears beginning to cloud his vision the ebony-haired youth slid down the wall, hugged his knees to his chest and buried his head in his arms, rocking slowly back and forth while some of Motoki's words kept ringing in his ears. 'I want you, you and no one else. I don't want to have any regrets,' his friend's voice echoed in his head, a voice that gradually changed into a warm, much more familiar baritone as images of a dark, wide but empty room, a stage defined by carved pillars and large windows decorated with red, velvet curtains began to flood his mind.
"You are finally awake," Takumi perceived the warm, soothing voice of his roommate and slowly rose into a sitting position, rubbing his neck and blinking his eyes in the attempt to clear his head and to get his bearings. "You were out for so long that I started to get worried. I'm glad that you finally regained consciousness." With that he offered the boy an encouraging smile and placed his hand softly on the other's shoulder only to be pushed away so roughly that he tumbled to the ground. "I'm… I'm sorry," Takumi stammered immediately. "I…I didn't mean it!"
"If you mean to apologize, you shouldn't push me in the first place," the amber-haired student replied, rubbing his now stinging wrist. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry," the other boy repeated and lowered his head in shame. "Forget about it," Gii stated good-naturedly as he noticed his roommate's discomfort and distress. "After all, touching you thoughtlessly when you have 'human contact phobia' was my fault." His voice trailed off and silence settled for several long moments between the two students.
"Gii? Where are we and what happened," the ebony-haired youth finally asked softly as he let his gaze wander to take in his surroundings. "We are in the concert hall," the handsome upper-class man replied with a mild but guilty smile. "It looks like we are locked in and that's without any doubt the work of Takabayashi's fan club." "Eh," the other boy exclaimed rising to his feet and his eyes went wide in confusion. "Then let's try to find another way out of here."
"Don't run," Gii said with determination and slammed the palm of his hand resolutely against the wooden pillar Takumi was leaning on, right next to his head thus effectively blocking the boy's way. "This is all my fault and I'm sorry Takumi for having dragged you into this." "Gii please move away a little," the ebony-haired youth stammered, visibly discomforted and intimidated by the handsome upper-class man being so close to him. "What happened to you this morning was my fault," Gii explained calmly ignoring his roommate's plea. "You got harassed by Takabayashi and his stupid followers because Takabayashi knows that I like you instead of him."
"Eh," Takumi, who had been staring somewhat fearfully at Gii's outstretched arm until that moment, gasped once more and turned his head to gaze at the other with confusion evident on his beautiful face. "Takabayashi wants me to be with him, to love him but I'm not interested in that guy. However, since you and I are to become roommates I was sure that he would try to do something to you, so I was on the lookout." "I'm sorry Gii," the ebony-haired youth stated hesitantly, "but I don't really understand what you are talking about." "Takabayashi knows that I like you and he is jealous," the other boy explained slightly raising his voice and gazed intently at the object of his affection.
"…that you like me…," Takumi repeated and his eyes went wide as the meaning finally registered with him. "EH?! Y-You like me? That can't be…Takabayashi is so much more handsome than me and more popular and…" "Don't be ridiculous," Gii exclaimed and slammed his other hand against the pillar as well when he noticed that Takumi tried to dive to the side in order to get away thus trapping the ebony-haired youth between his arms. "I love you Takumi," he said softly to the boy who was gaping at him, a mix of fear and bewilderment reflecting in his deep, chocolate-colored orbs.
"I want you Takumi, you and no one else," the handsome upper-class man continued with sincerity. "I don't want to have any regrets. I love you Takumi." And with that Gii leaned in to claim the other's lips, Takumi only staring back at him, unblinking, as if he were frozen. "You don't hate me, do you," the handsome upper-class man asked softly once he had pulled away from the boy who hadn't responded at all to the kiss that had just been bestowed upon him. "You don't dislike me, right," the amber-haired student repeated his question before he leaned in once more to capture Takumi's lips a second time.
"Gii," Takumi whispered softly and raised his head. "What is the meaning of all this? What were we in the past?" And as he mouthed these questions over and over again understanding concerning the possible nature of the relationship he had had with Gii, prior to his memory loss, began to ripen deep down inside of him.
oOo
Occupying a seat in one of the resting and eating spaces outside the main building Toshihisa held out a piece of chocolate towards the boy who had only recently become his boyfriend, smiling widely. "Here Akaike, have another one," he said sweetly and when the president of the disciplinary committee nodded with and equally wide smile upon his face Takumi's former roommate gently shoved the sweet treat into the raven-haired boy's mouth. "Thank you," Akaike stated softly once he had swallowed the chocolate, savoring its rich flavor that was still remaining in his mouth to the fullest and gazed affectionately at the other student.
"It's ironic somehow," he began after a brief moment of silence. "I always used to make fun of Gii whenever he did something so affectionate like feeding each other with Hayama. I can't count how many times I teased him about it and look at me now. Here I am, in a public area, allowing myself to be fed by my boyfriend and I don't mind at all, quite the contrary actually." "Yokatta," Toshihisa sighed, smiling happily. "The last thing I want is to make you feel discomforted or embarrassed." "That's very sweet of you," Gii's best friend breathed endearingly and cupped his partner's cheeks before he leaned in to place a soft, innocent kiss on the boy's forehead.
"The president of the disciplinary committee being publicly lovey-dovey with his new found love, I never thought that I would ever see that day," a familiar voice rang in his ears just as he had barely pulled away. "The same goes for you my friend," he replied and turned to face the new arrival with a smug smile playing about his mouth. "Who would have thought that the cool, unapproachable Misu Arata would one day be so taken in by someone that he begins to show the feelings of affection he harbors for that person openly." "Blame it on that pet of mine that showers me with love and affection. My pet's habits are clearly rubbing off on me," the so addressed boy smirked in response and lightly squeezed the shoulder of his companion whose face had turned pink.
"It's truly amazing what love can do to you," Akaike chuckled upon which Misu wordlessly nodded his agreement. "Anyway, is there anything I can do for you?" "Well, not exactly," the head of the student council replied and became serious. "I just wanted to inquire if you have already looked over the outline of the program for the upcoming autumn festival I handed in a few days ago. I need your feedback as soon as possible so that I can either start on making the necessary preparations or changing the points of the program you and the committee don't approve off."
"Well, the vice president and I have given the outline our full approval and I have already forwarded it to the head teacher and the principal," the other student explained. "I think they will definitely get back to you within the next couple of days. Has Hayama agreed to perform on stage at the festival?" "I haven't had the chance to ask him yet," Misu answered truthfully. "Recently so many things have happened that I couldn't find a good moment to speak to him about it, but I will do it as soon as I can." "Knowing Takumi and his disposition I dare say he might need some persuasion and encouragement," Toshihisa piped in, "so maybe you should team up with Gii if you really want our ebony-haired Mozart to agree to this special performance."
"You might have a point there, but with Gii's and Hayama's relationship being quite difficult at the moment…," Akaike began thoughtfully only to be interrupted by Shingyouji all of a sudden. "Hey guys look, isn't that Gii-senpai over there? He looks very troubled," the younger boy stated and pointed towards the amber-haired student who was literally storming out the main building with his head drooped and without paying attention to some other students he would have run into had they not quickly stepped out of the handsome upper-class man's way.
"It is Saki," Misu commented matter-of-factly and pinched the bridge of his nose with a desperate sigh. "Something serious must have happened and I bet the issue is related to Hayama." "Recently Gii's mental strength is waning because of the burden he is carrying, so we had better follow him," Akaike stated worriedly and rose to his feet Toshihisa following his example. "I think I have a pretty good idea where he is heading off to." The other three boys nodded in agreement and only a minute later the group was on its way to the greenhouse. "I wonder what is wrong this time," Shingyouji mused, his voice laced with genuine concern. "Gii-senpai seemed to be really beside himself." "We will know soon enough," Misu replied in his usual collected manner as they left the main path and turned into the narrower one that led to the conservatory with its wooden pavilion.
"Oh my, that doesn't look good," Akaike sighed, his voice barely more than a whisper when he and the others came closer to the gazebo for there, huddled against one of the wooden pillars crouched the most popular student of Shidou Gakuin with his knees pulled up to his chest and his head buried in his arms. "Let me go and talk to him first," the president of the disciplinary committee whispered and when the others nodded in agreement the boy quietly climbed the few steps that led into the pavilion. As he slowly approached his best friend he noticed that the handsome upper-class man's shoulders were trembling and soon he could perceive faint sobs, an unmistakable sign that the amber-haired student was crying.
"Gii," Akaike whispered and hunkering down he gently placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "What's wrong?" "S-Shouzo," the handsome upper-class man breathed, his voice tear strained as he slowly lifted his head to face the new arrival. "H-How did you k-know I was here," he sniffed ignoring his best friend's previous question. "H-How did you f-find me?" "The guys and I saw you storming out of the main building and because we were worried we decided to follow you," the president of the disciplinary committee explained calmly and motioned for Misu, Toshihisa and Shingyouji to step closer. "Minna," Gii stammered overcome with emotion as he beheld the worried expressions on the faces of the boys and furiously brushed away his tears before he accepted Akaike's outstretched hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet.
"Gii-senpai, what happened," Shingyouji asked cautiously. "Why are you crying? What affected you so much that it brought such desperate tears to your eyes?" The so addressed remained silent for a moment and sighing deeply he stepped over to the wooden seats, four curious stares following him. "T-Takumi," he finally whispered brokenly as he sank onto the bench. "B-Because he said this m-morning that…that he wanted to study at the library after lunch I d-decided to go there as well…just to make sure that everything is alright with him and t-that he has none of Kurokawa's minions on his tail…" "What came about next," Toshihisa asked carefully when the other's voice had trailed off. "Did you guys have a fight?" "N-no," the handsome upper-class man sniffed and shook his head, fresh tears beginning to cloud his vision once again. "O-On my way to t-the library I happened upon Takumi i-in the c-corridor…h-he was with Ichikawa a-and they were…t-they were kissing…"
"EHH…," Toshihisa and Shingyouji exclaimed in unison, shock written all over their faces as they glanced highly alarmed at Misu and Akaike whose features were holding a similar expression. "T-That can't be true," Misu's boyfriend finally spoke up, utterly perplexed. "I know for sure that Hayama-san doesn't feel that way about Ichikawa-senpai…ne Arata-san?" "This is surprising indeed and to be honest I find it hard to believe," the head of the student council replied thoughtfully, giving his younger lover the assurance he had required. "B-But it's the truth f-for I have seen it w-with my own eyes," Gii sobbed and hung his head dejectedly. "I…I will never forget that image."
"That's not what I meant Saki," Misu replied in the most serious manner. "Try to think about it for a moment. Hayama suffers from human contact phobia and according to his physician its degree has heightened as a result of the attack on Tanabata. Hayama doesn't allow any of us to touch him. So far he has only one permitted you to touch him occasionally, but when you attempted to kiss him he pushed you away and even struck you in the face. Taking all that into consideration I find it hard to believe that Hayama would kiss Ichikawa out of his own free will or allow himself to be kissed by that guy without objecting. I don't mean to imply that your eyes deceived you and that this kiss didn't happen, but the way I see it there is a good chance that what you think you saw and what actually happened could be two totally different things."
"Misu has a good point there Gii," Akaike piped in before the handsome upper-class man could say anything in return and patted the boy's shoulder reassuringly. "Ichikawa publicly declared that he would try to steal Hayama away from you. What if he has finally decided to put his words into actions and made a move on your one and only, but without Hayama's consent?" "You mean he might have forced himself onto Takumi," Toshihisa inquired, his voice laced with anger and disgust, "that he used Takumi's phobia to his advantage?" "If he really did that it would be despicable and absolutely unforgivable," Shingyouji muttered under his presence.
"Did Hayama say anything to you when he noticed your presence," Akaike asked curiously. "N-No, he didn't," Gii answered quietly, sadness written all over his handsome features. "And to be honest I didn't really give him the chance to do so. After I had witnessed that kiss I just wanted to get away from Takumi and Ichikawa as quickly as possible." "I can well imagine that," the president of the disciplinary committee mused and offered his best friend a compassionate smile. "It must have been very painful to witness that scene." "Yeah," the handsome upper-class man sighed dejectedly. "I never thought that one day I would have to witness Takumi kissing someone other than me or accepting a kiss from another guy and it was heartbreaking."
"I can understand your feelings and your reaction, but what it boils down to is that you saw a kiss and didn't stay long enough at the scene to allow Hayama to explain himself," Misu concluded matter-of-factly. "So you don't know for sure what the true meaning behind this kiss actually is. My advice would be not to jump to any conclusions. Talk to Hayama, confront him and find out the truth." "I know that I should," Gii replied meekly, avoiding to make eye-contact with his former rival or any of the other boys. "It's just that I'm afraid of the answer. Besides I think that this time Takumi should be the one making the first move. Ever since his dismissal from the hospital it was me chasing after him, but after what happened today I feel that he should approach me first if he has anything to say regarding this incident."
"I'm sure that he will and that everything will turn out right in the end," Shingyouji said and offered the amber-haired student an encouraging smile. "I'm sure that there is no need for you to worry." "Thank you minna for your support," the handsome upper-class man breathed softly. "Takumi and I are sure giving you guys a lot of trouble these days." "You most certainly do Saki," Misu huffed, "and if things like these continue to happen, Akaike, Toshihisa and I will look like our grandfathers by the end of this school year. If that happens we will make you pay for the cosmetic surgery." "Fair enough," the so addressed boy replied and the edges of his mouth curled up slightly. "Finally a smile," Akaike exclaimed relieved, "a tiny, barely noticeable one, but a smile none the less."
"Ano, now that we know what happened, shouldn't we check on Hayama-san," Shingyouji piped in. "I will go and look for him," Toshihisa offered good-naturedly and turned to face Gii. "No matter if the kiss was forced upon Takumi or not, the fact that you witnessed it must have been quite a shock for him, especially because he still owes you an answer to your confession. He probably is very confused right now which makes him vulnerable and thus an easy prey for Kurokawa and his fan club. Where would Takumi go to seek solitude or shelter or both?" "Thank you Toshihisa," the handsome upper-class man answered quietly which the brown-haired boy acknowledged with a nod and a smile. "Apart from the greenhouse there are only two other places I can think of, the leads or his room."
"Wakatta," Takumi's former roommate stated, rubbing his hands. "What are you guys going to do?" "We will stay here for a while," Akaike replied and glanced at Shingyouji and Misu who were nodding their consent. "That's not necessary guys," Gii objected in a hushed voice. "I'm not exactly good company at the moment." "Stop talking nonsense Saki," Misu answered sternly. "You shouldn't be alone right now because if we were to leave you, you would only dwell on your dark and depressing thoughts. So we will stay with you whether you agree to it or not." "It seems that I have no choice in the matter," the handsome upper-class man finally sighed after a brief moment of silence, the determination that was evident on the faces of his friends telling him that they boys wouldn't book any opposition. "Good boy," Akaike stated smiling mildly and breathed another sigh of relief as did the others. "Well then, I will get going," Toshihisa announced. "I don't like the idea of Takumi most likely being by himself and unprotected. I will catch you guys later."
And with that the brown-haired boy turned on his heels and flew down the steps. "I hope that everything is alright," he muttered as he jogged back to the main building. Following Gii's suggestions concerning Takumi's whereabouts he first checked the leads, but found them deserted upon which he quickly headed to the dorm grounds. With a pounding heart Toshihisa knocked at the door of room 310 and breathed a deep sigh of relief when Gii's beloved answered it only a short moment later.
"Toshihisa," Takumi exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing here? I thought you would spend the afternoon with Akaike-kun, but please come in. Is there anything I can do for you?" "I received a message from him earlier saying that he needs to meet up with Gii and Misu on a short notice because they have some important things to discuss regarding the autumn festival," the so addressed boy explained as he followed his friend into the room, convinced that, in the current situation, a white lie would serve his purpose best. "It's been quite a while since you and I had a nice chat, so I thought I'd stop by if you are in and have some time to spare."
"That's very sweet of you," Takumi answered motioning towards the cushioned bench that sat under the window and occupied by a certain teddy bear. "I'm glad that you decided to pay me a visit. I'm feeling a bit lonely ever since Gii moved out, especially today…" His voice trailed off and the ebony-haired youth sank onto the seat with a sigh of desperation, hugging his beloved Dai-chan tight while his chocolate-colored eyes turned misty. "Takumi, what is it," Toshihisa asked innocently and sat down next to his friend, hiding the fact that he already knew what had come to pass only a short while before. "You look very distressed and your red puffy eyes are telling me that you have cried. Did anything serious happen?"
"I guess you can say that," Gii's beloved sighed after a moment of silence, "and this time it's really bad." "If you should feel like easing your mind, I'm more than willing to listen," the other boy replied and offered his friend a mild, encouraging smile. "I…I told you this morning that I wanted to go to the library after lunch to catch up on my studies, didn't I," Takumi began hesitantly and when he received a nod from Akaike's boyfriend he continued. "On my way there I was joined by Motoki and he offered to help me with my studies which I refused. I told him that I wanted to master the assignments on my own and when I mentioned that I could always turn to Gii for help with my studies Motoki got incredibly angry all of a sudden and then…"
"And then," Toshihisa repeated cautiously when his friend had fallen silent once more. "What happened? What did Ichikawa do?" The so addressed boy gazed silently at the other for a moment and a painful sigh tore from him before he at last spoke up again and told the brown-haired student everything that had happened earlier. "…and then Gii simply left without looking back. "I wanted to get away from Motoki and stop Gii from leaving. I tried to call his name, but my body and voice betrayed me because I was frozen with fear," Takumi finished sniffling, tears trickling down his cheeks and with another pained sigh he buried his face in the soft fur of his teddy bear. "Stupid…stupid h-human c-contact phobia."
"Oh Takumi, I'm so sorry for what you have endured," Akaike's boyfriend whispered and clenched his fists in anger. "This Ichikawa is the worst. Forcing himself onto you in such a contemptible way…and yet he still calls himself your friend. I'm truly at a loss for words." "S-So was I," the ebony-haired youth sobbed and slowly raised his head again. "I…I was t-totally t-taken by surprise. I n-never t-though that M-Motoki could act in s-such a w-way. H-He even e-expects an answer f-from me."
"I see, but you shouldn't blame yourself Takumi," Toshihisa stated with soft determination as he noticed the expression of guilt on his friend's face. "What happened today wasn't your fault. It was entirely Ichikawa's." "I…I k-know…however, I j-just can't help b-but feel guilty nonetheless," Gii's beloved stammered breathy and furiously wiped away the tears that continued to fall with one hand while he kept holding on to Dai-chan with the other. "Y-You should h-have seen the look on G-Gii's face, t-the pain and t-the sadness in h-his eyes. I h-hurt him deeply a-and worse, he must t-think that I'm with M-Motoki now. H-How am I s-supposed to f-face him now? What must h-he t-think of me after all t-this, especially s-since I promised h-him not long ago t-that he would g-get my answer t-to his c-confession v-very soon."
"Listen Takumi, this is a serious misunderstanding indeed and there is only one way to clear it up," Toshihisa explained softly. "You know what you have to do, right?" "You m-mean I must g-go and talk to Gii, don't you," Takumi whispered breathy and drew in a sharp breath. "Yes, because if he really thinks that you chose Ichikawa over him he definitely won't approach you in order to ask you anything about the incident he witnessed this afternoon. His pride won't allow it, you know," Akaike's boyfriend replied, playing along in hopes that his words would give his devastated friend the push he needed.
"I understand that I should be the one making the first step to dispose of this misunderstanding since I'm the one who caused it," the ebony-haired youth sighed, "but will Gii be disposed to listen to me?" "If you go and ask him to listen to your story, I he will definitely oblige you. I'm sure of it," Toshihisa replied and offered the other boy a reassuring smile. "Gii loves you and that's why he would never turn you down. You simply need to wait for a good opportunity to speak to him and more importantly you need to calm yourself first, so going to see him tonight might not be the best idea. Tomorrow morning we all have to attend an assembly because the autumn festival is coming up in a few weeks as well as some special homeroom classes, so you could try to catch him either before or after the morning meeting or during lunch break. Courage Takumi, courage."
Gii's beloved nodded weakly and smiling nervously at his friend he tried to calm his emotions, his raw and frayed nerves. 'I can do this,' he repeated over and over again in his head and hugged his teddy-bear closer to his chest for support as well as for comfort.
oOo
Moaning Takumi tossed and turned in his bed that night, tears occasionally escaping his eyes, seeping into Dai-chan's soft fur and like so often during the past few weeks his sleep was anything but regenerating. Despite Toshihisa's comforting and encouraging words guilt was lying heavy on the heart of Gii's beloved and doubt kept gnawing at him as the events of the past day replayed in his mind over and over again. Would Gii really listen to him? Would the other believe his story and most importantly, even if he did, would the handsome upper-class man be able to forgive him or had this incident hurt him too deeply? Those questions haunted the ebony-haired youth in his dreamless slumber and when he was woken by the sound of his alarm clock the next morning he felt drained and exhausted. After he had switched off the annoying beep he groggily dragged himself out of bed to get ready for breakfast and the student assembly a little later that morning.
By the time he entered the lobby of the dorm Akaike and Toshihisa were already waiting for him. "Ohayo," he was greeted in unison by his two friends and returned the greeting with a mild, but tired smile that didn't reach his eyes. "The day has just begun and yet you already look quite done for," the president of the disciplinary committee remarked, his voice laced with concern. "You obviously have trouble sleeping at night these days, so you should go to the infirmary and ask the nurse to give you some medicine. You need to rest properly because if you don't, you are definitely going to collapse again sooner or later due to physical exhaustion."
"I know Akaike-kun, but there is no need to worry," Gii's beloved replied quietly. "I'm quite alright. Have you guys been waiting for me?" "Yes, we have," Toshihisa stated matter-of-factly. "After the last stunt Kurokawa and his brainless fan club pulled we won't let you out of our sight anymore." "Gii mentioned the other day that, after I got trapped in the restroom, all of you expressed their wish to guard me more closely again," Takumi sighed dejectedly. "I don't like the idea of being sentineled once more from morning to night, but I guess since it's for my own good it can't be helped." "All of us know that you are less than fond of the idea, but for now that is the only thing we can do to guarantee your safety," Akaike explained calmly, Toshihisa nodding his head in agreement. "So please try to bear with it."
"Well then, shall we go or are we waiting for Misu and Shingyouji," Gii's one and only inquired, another sigh tearing from him. "Misu and Gii already left about one hour ago to join the preparations for the assembly," the president of the student council replied truthfully. "And you know Shingyouji. He follows wherever his master…sorry I meant to say his boyfriend leads." That remark caused Takumi's and Toshihisa's lips to curl up in a bemused smile and soon the three boys were on their way to the cafeteria. After a quick breakfast they headed for the main building and when they arrived at the assembly hall many students had already gathered. Takumi immediately let his gaze wander in search for a certain amber-haired student and a sigh of defeat escaped his lips as finally spotted the handsome upper-class man who was, like so often, surrounded by a large group of freshmen vying unremittingly for his attention.
"There is no way I can find any opportunity to speak to him prior to the start of the meeting or during the course of the morning, not as long as these guys keep following him around," he murmured to himself and hung his head in disappointment. "Come on Hayama, let's take our seats. It's almost time," Akaike stated thus ripping Takumi out of his thoughts and nodding almost imperceptibly the ebony-haired youth followed his friend's lead. They were joined by Shingyouji only a couple of minutes later while Misu and Gii who were both to speak at the assembly took their seats on the stage together with the head teacher and some other educators. Soon afterwards a signal rang through the hall, announcing the official beginning of the meeting and everybody rose to their feet as the principal stepped to the podium to greet the students and to give his opening speech.
Once he had finished more speeches and presentations followed, but Takumi didn't pay any attention. He only kept his eyes riveted upon Gii and after two hours that had seemed like an eternity to him he and all the other students were finally dismissed. He followed Akaike and his other friends outside and soon the four boys were occupying one of the corners in the waiting area where they began to chat in hushed voices. Misu consorted with them only a short while later and when he had finally gotten away from his persistent admirers Gii followed his former rival's example and joined them as well. However, once the handsome upper-class man had exchanged greetings with his one and only an awkward silence settled between the two boys and unable to hold Gii's pained gaze Takumi soon averted his eyes.
"You did well my friend," Akaike at last spoke up in the attempt to ease the tension by starting another casual conversation and patted the amber-haired student's back. "Your presentation was great." "Thanks Shouzo," the most popular student of Shidou Gakuin replied forcing a smile. "I didn't have much time to prepare, so it wasn't as good as I wanted it to be." "It was perfect. You are just being modest Gii-senpai," Shingyouji answered back and the others nodded in agreement.
"Well whatever, shall we all go to the cafeteria and have lunch together before we have to join the afternoon meetings and a certain someone has to go to town for his weekly therapy session at the hospital," Toshihisa piped in slyly, putting a little emphasis on 'all' and glanced conspiratorially at Takumi from the corner of his eye who returned the gesture with a nervous smile. "That's a good idea," Misu replied, immediately catching on and suppressing a smirk he tugged on Shingyouji's sleeve. "Let's go then before the best places are taken." Nodding the sophomore joined his boyfriend's side and they quickly turned to leave, Akaike and Toshihisa immediately following their example thus depriving Gii of any chance to object and leaving him as well as Takumi with no chance but to deal with each other as they made their way over to the cafeteria.
"A-Ano Gii…about yesterday…I…there is something I really need to…," the ebony-haired youth began hesitantly after they had walked for a while in grave, almost oppressing silence only to be interrupted by the voice of the one person he wanted to see least of all for the time being. "Takumi!" Groaning inwardly the so addressed boy glanced instantly at Gii without slowing down in his tracks and drew in a sharp breath when he noticed that the handsome upper-class man's face had visibly darkened.
"Takumi, do you have a moment," Ichikawa inquired casually once he had fallen into pace with his friend from junior high school, completely ignoring the boy's companion. The ebony-haired youth was just about to say something, determined to turn the other down when Gii spoke up. "It seems that the two of you have something private to discuss," he stated in a business-like manner. "I see you later." And with that the handsome upper-class man quickly took his leave before Takumi was given the chance to hold him back.
With a sigh of dejection he riveted his eyes on Gii's retreating figure until the amber-haired student was out of sight, silently cursing Ichikawa for the interruption that had caused him to lose the perfect opportunity to tell Gii the truth about the incident he had witnessed the previous day and to put things into the right perspective. "What you just did wasn't very polite Motoki," Gii's beloved addressed the brown-haired boy rather coolly avoiding to make eye-contact with him. "Is there anything you need?" "Yes, there is," Ichikawa replied unperturbed. "I need an answer."
"Motoki, please…I…," Takumi began, but was once more interrupted in midsentence by the other. "Listen Takumi, I'm going to town tomorrow to meet my father, but I will be back here around four o' clock in the afternoon," he explained calmly. "Let's meet at the wooden terrace in the coppice around four-thirty. You can give me your answer then and we can talk things over. The last thing I want is that things become awkward and tense between us or that you start avoiding me because of what happened yesterday. So, what do you say?" "Alright, four-thirty at the wooden terrace," the ebony-haired youth answered somewhat offish, his face holding an unreadable expression and once he had bid his counterpart goodbye he rushed to the cafeteria his faint hope to find Gii eating with Akaike and the others being crushed as soon as he entered the room.
The very moment Takumi and Ichikawa had left someone who had, unbeknownst to the either of the two boys, overheard the whole conversation took out his mobile phone and smirking evilly to himself he selected a certain contact from the directory and pushed the 'call' button. "I have some interesting news for you," he murmured in a hushed voice as soon as he was greeted by the person at the other end of the line and proceeded to report every detail of the conversation he had just happened to overhear.
oOo
'Dear Gii, I'm really sorry for what happened yesterday after the assembly. If you have some time to spare maybe you and I could meet for dinner at the cafeteria tonight. There is something I would like to speak to you about, something you must know and it's very important. Takumi'
The handsome upper-class man re-read the message he had received on his mobile phone only a few minutes before a couple of times, his heart beating so hard against his ribcage that it became almost painful. After he had stared at the display of the device for another long moment he finally typed an answer and unconsciously holding his breath he pushed the 'send' button. "This is it," he murmured and sighed deeply when he received the notification that the message had been transmitted successfully. "It's going to be alright."
Sighing once more he recalled the short conversation he had had with Toshihisa on Friday evening just a few hours after he had witnessed the kiss between his beloved and Ichikawa, a conversation that had taught him to hope. Even though Akaike's boyfriend had refused to reveal any details of what he had learned during his chat with Takumi in the afternoon that day, his words "you shouldn't worry too much" had somewhat comforted and encouraged Gii. "I might still have a chance with Takumi," the handsome upper-class man whispered into the stillness of his room. "Ichikawa might not yet have succeeded in stealing him away from me."
And while the amber-haired student was trying to think positive and to calm himself as best as he could, the object of his affection was almost dancing in his room. "He agreed to meet up with me Dai-chan, he agreed," Takumi exclaimed aglow with happiness and pulled his teddy bear into a tight hug as he read the short message again.
'I'll be waiting for you in the entrance hall of our dorm at six forty-five tonight. Don't be late. Gii'
"Isn't that wonderful Dai-chan," the ebony-haired youth beamed, "I was so afraid that Gii would turn me down after what happened yesterday on our way to the cafeteria, but he didn't and now I'll finally get the chance to tell him the truth about the kiss with Motoki, the chance to clear up this terrible misunderstanding." Smiling wildly he quickly typed another message which simply stated 'I'll be there' and once he had pushed the 'send' button, he pressed the phone against his chest with a blissful sigh. "Gii," he breathed softly and flopped onto his bed where he rested his head comfortably on Dai-chan's chest, trying to imagine how the handsome upper-class man would react upon hearing what had truly happened two days before when the PA system went off and ripped the ebony-haired youth out of his thoughts. "Hayama Takumi, you have a phone call. Hayama Takumi, you have a phone call."
Raising his eyebrows in surprise Gii's beloved immediately hopped off the bed and hastened downstairs where the phones were located. "Moshi, moshi," he said somewhat hesitantly once he had picked up the receiver, wondering who the caller would be. "Moshi, moshi…Hayama-kun? This is Taniguchi Naoko from the student affairs office," a female voice greeted him. "I have a message for you." "A message…from whom," Takumi asked curiously. "The message is from a friend of yours, Ichikawa Motoki," the secretary explained. "He just called the office from some public phone in town. He explained that he needed to contact you, but couldn't do it directly because he forgot his mobile phone in his room. So Ichikawa-kun asked me to tell you that he would be back on campus earlier than expected and that he would like to meet you at the wooden terrace at three-thirty instead of four-thirty this afternoon if possible." "I understand. Thank you Taniguchi-san for giving me the message," the ebony-haired youth replied, bid the secretary goodbye and ended the call.
"It's just after twelve, so I still have about three hours," he murmured as he made his way back upstairs, the plan of using the time until the meeting for a little catnap causing his lips to curl up in a mild smile and as soon as he had closed the door of his room from the inside Gii's beloved made himself comfortable on his bed. Only a few minutes later the boy had drifted off to sleep with his arms wrapped around Dai-chan's middle and when the sound of his alarm clock woke him about two and a half hours later he felt refreshed and invigorated.
After he had freshened up a little Takumi quickly changed out of his sweat suit into a pair of jeans and a casual T-shirt and by the time the bell in the tower of the main building began to ring announcing three o'clock he was already outside the dorm building. "I'm going to be a little early, but this way I will get some time to get my thoughts in order before Motoki arrives," he murmured to himself as he made way to the terrace, his heart beating a little faster as usual. "And once I have cleared up the misunderstanding with Gii, I will have two problems less to worry about."
Smiling to himself at that thought as well as the idea of finally having, after a long time, a private dinner with the most popular student of Shidou again Takumi entered the coppice in which the terrace was located. Knowing that he wasn't exactly pressed for time the boy slackened his pace to enjoy its quiescence, its soothing serenity. Eventually he stopped in his tracks and closing his eyes for a moment he took a deep breath of the fragrant air while he listened to the sound of the leaves rustling softly in the light afternoon breeze and the birds chirping, the beautiful music of nature that never failed to calm, soothe and comfort him.
"Shidou's campus grounds are truly beautiful," he whispered opening his eyes again and with a sigh of contentment Gii's beloved slowly continued on his way. He had almost reached his destination when the sound of wood cracking suddenly disrupted the peaceful silence and caused the boy to halt his steps a second time. He turned his head and carefully scanned the surrounding area, but couldn't detect anything unusual or suspicious. "It must have been an animal. I sure have become jumpy these days," he sighed breathy and once he had taken one last look over his shoulder he resumed his walk. He shouldn't get far though. He had only walked another few meters when the sound of dried branches breaking reached his ears again and only a few mere seconds later three figures jumped out of the shadows of the trees and tackled him from behind which caused the boy to tumble to the ground, his mobile phone slipping from the pocket of his jeans in the process.
With the realization that he had been lured into a trap hitting him instantly Takumi desperately fought back as hard as he could, panic beginning to rise in his throat because he knew that against a group of three he was clearly at a disadvantage and despite his efforts he was soon restrained by his assailants. "Long time, no see Hayama," one of the freshmen hissed dangerously, using all his body weight to keep his struggling senpai down on the ground thus giving him no chance to escape. "Still trying to fight back, are you," one of the other boys growled and twisted Takumi's arms painfully behind his back where he bound them tight. When the task was finally done he and the last member of the group yanked the ebony-haired youth roughly to his feet and the leader of the three approached his captive with a menacing sneer.
Determined not to surrender to Kurokawa's minions Gii's beloved struggled violently once more in hopes he could manage to break free and even attempted to kick the freshman who was standing in front of him, but the younger student had anticipated such a reaction. "You always have to make things difficult, haven't you," he growled as he jumped aside only to lunge out again a few mere seconds later and to ram his fist hard into Takumi's stomach. Groaning the ebony-haired youth doubled over in pain and tears began to cloud his vision as his hair was gripped tightly by one of the boys who were restraining him and then yanked in such a rough manner that he was forced to look up again or he would have hurt his neck.
Wincing he faced the leader of the group once more his eyes widening in shock and desperate fear when he noticed that the other had begun to pour a colorless liquid onto a piece of cloth. As soon as he was done the freshman stretched out his arm and smiling sardonically he pressed the wet rag tightly over his victim's mouth and nose. Takumi tried to hold his breath as long as he could, but eventually the lack of oxygen which made his lungs burn forced him to inhale. A pungent smell immediately penetrated his nostrils, his vision began to blur, his surroundings to spin and just before his world went black he managed to breathe two words that faded unheard into the soft summer breeze. "Gii…tasukete."
oOo
"So, basically what you are saying is that you are going to go on a dinner date with Hyama tonight," Misu stated smirking and leaned back against the rest of the comfortable sofa in room 300 while Akaike, Toshihisa and Shingyouji tried their best to hide their amusement. "Good for you Saki. It's about high time that the two of you get closer again." "It's not a date," the handsome upper-class man replied firmly. "We meet for the purpose of having a talk, that's all." "You are going to pick Takumi up at six forty-five in the lobby, you will go to the cafeteria together to have dinner and I assume that you will accompany him back to the dorms as well afterwards. That sure sounds like a date to me," Toshihisa added grinning from ear to ear. "But it isn't," Gii contradicted his beloved's former roommate. "It really isn't."
"Speaking of Hayama-san, do you guys think it's alright to leave him to himself until tonight," Shingyouji piped in. "Shouldn't at least one of us have an eye upon him?" "Well, when we had breakfast together this morning he hasn't mentioned anything about going out today," Akaike explained and according to the records in the student affairs office which I checked yesterday Kurokawa won't be on campus through the whole of today. "He applied for permission to go to town today as did Ichikawa and both requests got granted, so Hayama should be safe, even without any of us guarding him." "I see," the sophomore replied and a small sigh of relief tore from him.
"Well then, back to the topic," Toshihisa picked the original conversation back up again. "What are you going to wear for tonight's meeting Gii?" "Actually I haven't thought about it yet," the amber-haired student answered quietly, "and to be honest my attire is the last thing I'm concerned about." "What is it then that worries you," Akaike asked carefully, even though he could pretty much imagine what the answer would be and his assumption should be proven right only a moment later. "The reason why Takumi asked me to meet him is beyond any doubt because he wants to speak with me about the kiss I witnessed between him and Ichikawa the day before yesterday," Gii explained quietly. "I'm afraid that he is going to tell me something that I don't want to hear, if you know what I mean. Tonight is the night, the moment of truth, the night that will decide if still stand a chance to win Takumi's heart a second time or if I have lost the one I love to another."
"I mentioned it before, but I'll gladly say it again. You shouldn't worry too much. Everything will turn out just fine," Toshihisa spoke up and offered his friend a mild, reassuring smile. "I really hope so," the handsome upper-class man sighed and drew in a deep breath to calm his nerves. "It's just a shame that you can't go anywhere else except for the school's cafeteria," Shingyouji mused. "You might not consider tonight's meeting with Hayama-san as a date, but it's been a while since the two of you had a private meal together, so it would be nice if you could go to a place that's a little fancier."
"Speaking of the cafeteria, how about…," Misu began nonchalantly, but a knock on the door that sounded rather urgent interrupted him in midsentence and upon Gii inviting the visitor inside with a clear and firm "come in" a lean, rather distressed-looking boy burst into the room. "Gii-senpai, I'm so relieved that you are in and that your friends happen to be here as well," the younger student exclaimed without bothering to greet anyone in the room. "I'm really sorry to barge in like that, but it's urgent! Your friend, Hayama…he might be in terrible trouble." "What do you mean, speak" the so addressed dorm head demanded jumping from his seat, his eyes wide with alarm and within seconds Misu and the others were on their feet as well.
"Ano… about one hour ago or so I had a late lunch at the cafeteria and I happened to overhear some of my classmates who were talking about having a bad surprise for Hayama," the boy explained with urgency in his voice. "Apparently Hayama was supposed to meet a friend at the wooden terrace later this afternoon and somehow these guys have found a way to lure him there earlier using some pretext. Someone will be waiting for Hayama on that terrace, but it won't be a friend." "Who are you," Misu asked sternly when the underclass man's voice had trailed off.
"My name is Nakanobu, I am or, I should better say, was one of Kurokawa Minoru's followers. To make a long story short, for several reasons I lost his trust and what I happened to overhear wasn't meant for my ears," the freshman explained truthfully, his voice ringing with desperation. "Kurokawa is obsessed with the idea that he is the only one worthy enough to be with Gii-senpai. He is equally obsessed with getting rid of Hayama of whom he thinks of being not only being his rival but as his arch-enemy and since his original plan of pressuring Hayama into leaving Shidou didn't work he has decided to revert to a different method, the same one he already used once before on Tanabata. My fear is that this time he won't content himself with injuring Hayama. Kurokawa mentioned several times before that he would be willing to go as far as killing Hayama should he refuse to leave Shidou and cut all ties with you voluntarily and I have been with Kurokawa long enough to know that he won't have any scruples to put his words into action."
"Oh my God," the older students exclaimed in unison, completely aghast, all color draining from their faces and a second later everybody in the room was in motion. "Shouzo, go with Nakanobu and to the teacher's room! Get some teachers or whomever you can find there," Gii half-shouted as he bolted for the door. "Misu, Toshihisa and Shingyouji follow me! Hurry, we don't have an instant to lose!" Nodding the so addressed boys sprinted after the handsome upper-class man who had broken into a desperate run and within record time the whole group was outside the dorm building.
They had just left the dorm grounds behind them when Gii's mobile phone suddenly went off and without slowing his pace the handsome man yanked the device from his pocket, astonished when he saw the caller ID. "Takumi," he gasped as soon as he had pressed the 'accept call' button, "Takumi, are you alright?" "This is Ichikawa," the voice on the other end of the line murmured urgently. "Takumi is in deep trouble. We were supposed to meet at the wooden terrace in about one hour, but he is already here and so is a group of seven other students, one of them standing watch or so it appears. They have taken Takumi captive and tied him to a tree. He seems to be unconscious!"
"We are on our way," Gii panted. "Stay where you are and try to record a video of what's going on. Don't show yourself and interfere unless you have to. Those guys are dangerous! Do you understand?" His voice trailed off and once Ichikawa had assured him that he would follow his instructions the handsome upper-class man ended the call and turned his head to face the other boys. "Things are getting worse," he shouted over his shoulder. "It seems that there are seven guys including Kurokawa. You can take on any of the guys, but Kurokawa is mine!" And with that he mobilized whatever energy he had left and forced his legs to move faster than they already were. "Please Takumi, be alright," he screamed in his mind over and over again as he dashed towards the coppice whose first clusters of trees could be already seen in the far distance.
oOo
"Wake him," Kurokawa ordered growled and snickering evilly he stepped aside to make way for one of his minions who walked forth and splashed a bucked of icy water into Takumi's face. Moaning faintly the ebony-haired youth began to stir slightly and finally his eyes fluttered open. Dazedly he let his gaze wander for a few seconds and as soon as it landed on the face of Gii's most ardent admirer the boy's mind cleared at once. The memory of what had happened earlier returned immediately and he tried to move, fear gripping his heart when he realized that he was tied to the massive trunk of a tree.
"It has been a while since our last meeting Hayama. Have you missed me," the icy voice of the freshman rang in his ears and he began to tremble. "K-Kurokawa," he stammered hoarsely, "w-what do y-you want from m-me?" "Oh Hayama, why do have to be so extremely troublesome and make thinks difficult for the two of us," the so addressed boy sneered. "What do I want? I think you know that very well, don't you? I want you to disappear from this school and from Gii-senpai's life, so that I can take your place and be with him." The freshman's voice trailed off for a moment and glaring daggers at Takumi the student stepped closer and roughly gripped his defenseless senpai's mandible. "I gave you so many chances to leave voluntarily, but it seems that you either didn't get the hint or that, in case you got it, you are too stubborn to do what is wise," he growled, his voice dangerously low. "I thought that after Tanabata you had learned your lesson, but it seems that you need another one…guys!"
Upon hearing their leader's command two other freshmen stepped out of Kurokawa's shadow and planted themselves in front of Gii's beloved who couldn't do anything but stare at them, wide-eyed with fear. "Do you remember us you lowly commoner," one of them hissed menacingly and a second later a fist connected hard with Takumi's jaw while another was rammed into his stomach. All the air left his lungs momentarily and groaning in pain the ebony-haired youth doubled over a little, the bonds that were holding him cutting sharply into the soft flesh of his wrists, but his head was immediately yanked back in the roughest manner by his assailants. Snickering they hauled out and punched their victim a second time.
"That's enough for now," Kurokawa exclaimed when a piteous whimper tore from Takumi's bruised lips. "I want to do this slowly. Revive him!" Nodding one of minions picked up another bucket and splashed its contents into the face of Gii's beloved, leaving the boy who was still gasping for air spluttering. "See Hayama, that's what you get for forgetting where your place is and where the likes of you stand in society compared to Gii-senpai and us," Kurokawa growled grinning evilly and grabbed his victims jaw once more thus forcing tear-veiled chocolate-colored eyes to meet his own cold, intimidating gaze.
"I'm basically a nice guy, so I will give you one last chance to save your pitiful life and do what's expected of you," the freshman explained in a dangerously low voice, clearly enjoying what he was doing. "However, taking your disposition into consideration I do think you might need some persuasion." And with that Gii's most ardent admirer pulled a long, sharp knife from the inside of his jacket. "I want you to disappear Hayama," he hissed, his eyes blazing with hate, fury and a hint of madness as he pressed the blade against Takumi's throat. "Swear to me that you will leave Shidou within the next three days and that you will cut all ties with Gii-senpai and I will let you go."
"W-What if I…if I refuse," Gii's beloved managed to gasp out despite the panic that had risen in his throat and was choking him. "If you should refuse to oblige me I'm going to make sure that, by the time I'm finished with you, you will wish you had never come to Shidou Gakuin," Kurokawa snarled and pressed the edge of the of the knife harder against the ebony-haired student's throat. Almost instantaneously Takumi felt a burning sensation followed by the feeling of something warm trickling down his sensitive skin and he knew that he had been cut by the other. Fresh tears of fear and desperation welled up in his eyes, but nonetheless he was determined to face up to the crazy freshman until the bitter end. "E-Even if I w-were to leave, d-do you really t-think that it w-would c-change anything," he stammered in a tear-stained voice that was barely more than a whisper. "D-Do you really t-think Gii is so f-fickle that h-he would start dating y-you as soon as I'm gone? G-Gii loves me with all h-his heart and I believe that…t-that if I were to leave t-this school he would c-come and look for me b-because his feelings f-for me are sincere and p-profound."
"How dare you talk to me like that you worthless scum," Kurokawa screamed infuriated and took down the knife for a moment only to ram his knee hard into the other boy's abdomen. "Gii-senpai belongs to me, me only and I won't ever allow anyone else to have him, especially you," he roared and placed the blade once more against the throat of his victim. "Your life hangs by a threat Hayama, so you better watch your tongue. I could cut your jugular and leave you here. You would have miserably bled to death before anyone could come to your aid." "D-Do that a-and you will make G-Gii your mortal e-enemy," Takumi panted his tears now streaming freely down his cheeks.
"Kurokawa, Hayama is right about that," one of the other freshmen piped in, trying to reason with his leader. "Don't do anything you might regret later. Look at Hayama, his deplorable condition. Haven't we done enough already?" "Stay out of it you," the so addressed student bellowed. I didn't ask for your opinion. I decide when this is going to be over and it won't be until this lowly commoner is gone for good!" "No m-matter what you d-do, y-you will never win Gii's h-heart. E-Even when I'm gone y-you will never get h-him to feel the s-same way for you h-he does for me…" "That's enough," Kurokawa screeched seething with rage and clutched the knife tighter. "I'm going to end your worthless life and make you disappear for good! Say farewell, Hayama!"
"Noooo," Ichikawa screamed from the top of his lungs and jumped out of his hiding place the moment the freshman raised his arm to strike the fatal blow, all of Gii's previous warnings forgotten. Startled by the sudden yell Kurokawa stopped short, threw a quick glance over his shoulder upon which two of his minions lunged at the intruder and then things went haywire. While the brown-haired boy tried to defend himself against the attackers, Kurokawa turned his attention back to Takumi and had just raised his arm a second time when, practically out of nowhere, Gii jumped onto the terrace and tackled him roughly before the freshman had the chance to stab the handsome upper-class man's beloved.
At the same time Misu, Shingyouji and Toshihisa lunged out at the rest of Kurokawa's minions and soon screams as well as insults filled the air as fists flew and bodies clashed. Dazed from the hard and unexpected tackle that had send him flying to the ground Kurokawa blinked a few times and tried to reach for the knife that had slipped from his hand, but Gii didn't give him the opportunity. "Don't even think about it," he growled as he jumped onto the freshman like a lion, grabbed him roughly by collar of his shirt and punched him hard in the face before pushing the weapon out of the boy's reach.
"Gii-senpai," Kurokawa croaked miserably as he was roughly yanked to his feet by the other, the handsome upper-class man's hazel-colored eyes burning with rage and disgust. "You are going to pay dearly for what you did, Kurokawa! It's over," the amber-haired student hissed. "You will never hurt my Takumi again!" Upon hearing those words from the object of his obsession the freshman's resolve strengthened once more. He wouldn't surrender and go down without a fight, even if his opponent was his senpai, the one person he wanted more than anything else. In the attempt to break free from Gii's firm hold he began to struggle violently when he finally got the opportunity he quickly raised his knee.
The handsome upper-class man however had anticipated the assault and letting go of the boy with a lusty push he sidestepped him. The freshman's kick went into nowhere and while Kurokawa tried to regain his balance Gii took advantage of the situation. He lunged at the younger student and slammed his fist hard into the boy's face and then into his guts. "How does it feel Kurokawa? How does it feel to get a taste of your own medicine," he half-shouted as he watched the freshman double over in pain and finally sink to his knees, clutching his stomach and groaning in agony.
"C-Come on…senpai, come on and finish me, isn't that what you want," the first-year student gasped and raised his head to glare evilly at the handsome upper-class man who was towering over him. "Kill me and show your little worthless lover how great you are." "And lower myself to your level," Gii asked, disgust evident on his features and in his voice. "I'm not like you Kurokawa. You are a sick bastard and as much as I would love to finish you, I will leave that to the authorities. You and your bunch of vicious followers are going to pay the proper price for your deeds. However…," And with that, unable to resist the temptation, the handsome upper-class man punched the freshman once more hard on the jaw, aiming for a certain spot. Kurokawa's head snapped back and he collapsed onto the wooden planks of the terrace, unconscious.
"That's for all the pain you caused my beloved Takumi," Gii growled before he rose to his feet to check the situation. The noises of the fight had died down and Misu, Shingyouji, Toshihisa and Ichikawa were towering over Kurokawa's minions who were cowering on the ground, defeated. The head of the student council caught his former rival's gaze and wordlessly nodded his head to signal the other that everything was alright. Gii breathed a sigh of relief and was just about to approach Takumi in order to free him when Akaike and Nakanobu arrived with the head teacher as well as some other educators in tow.
"Saki, I couldn't believe my ears when I listened to Nakanobu's and Akaike's report," Shimada spoke up sternly and let his gaze wander over the terrace. "What happened here?" "A fight," the handsome upper-class man stated the obvious and stopped momentarily in his tracks to face the middle-aged man. "In order to save Takumi we had no other choice." And while he was left with no option but to briefly explain the circumstances to the head teacher and the others, glancing repeatedly over his shoulder towards his beloved, he noticed that Ichikawa had already approached the boy and was in the middle of untying his bonds.
"It's alright Takumi, you will be free in a second," the brown-haired student told his friend who was drenched in tears and whose eyes were wild with fear. "Here, that's it." The words had barely left Ichikawa's mouth when the rope loosened upon which Takumi slid down the tree, sobbing heavily and trembling like a leave. "Come here Takumi," Ichikawa said softly and stretched out his arms to pull the object of his affection into a comforting embrace, but he failed miserably. As soon as the ebony-haired youth felt the touch he began to thrash around wildly, desperately trying to fight the other boy off. "No…no, don't touch me…no," he screamed, blindly lashing out in sheer panic. "Get…get away…from me…let go!"
Hearing the screams of his beloved Gii, who was still in conversation with the head teacher, but had repeatedly glanced at Ichikawa from the corner of his eye, rushed immediately to Takumi's side and everybody's eyes riveted upon him as he resolutely shoved Ichikawa aside, which caused the boy to lose his balance and to tumble onto the ground. "Who do you think you are," he bellowed, but immediately fell silent when the most popular student of Shidou Gakuin gave him a death glare and in the end couldn't do anything but watch as the handsome upper-class man crouched down in front of the panic-stricken boy whom they both given their hearts to. "Takumi, Takumi," Gii repeatedly called the name of his beloved with urgency and took the ebony-haired youth into his arms, just like Ichikawa had done only a few minutes before and just as before Takumi began to scream bloody murder, struggling frantically and lashing out.
"Let go of him Saki," the other student demanded sternly, but his words were ignored. Without paying any heed to his rival Gii continued to talk to Takumi as pulled the boy even closer instead of releasing him from his hold. "Calm down Takumi. Nobody is going to hurt you," he repeated over and over again in the most soothing voice. "It's me Takumi, it's Gii. You are safe." "Let…go…get away f-from me…," the ebony-haired youth panted, thrashing and struggling with vehemence. "D-Don't touch m-me…it…it hurts…let go of me!"
"No, I won't," the handsome upper-class man replied firmly. "I can't. Please Takumi, come to your senses!" And while he kept talking to the trembling and screaming boy he was holding tight he let one of his hands roam caressingly over the other's back in a soothing manner. But despite Gii's ceaseless efforts to calm him down Takumi kept struggling, the handsome upper-class man's words barely reaching his ears as he desperately gasped for air and while he greedily drew in the much needed oxygen a scent that was vaguely familiar began to fill his nose, a beguiling mix of coffee and the sweetness of chocolate. In his state of panic it took him a good while to register that the scent he was inhaling was the odor of the person holding him and as the ebony-haired youth continued to draw in gasps of air the blurred voice that had seemingly come from the farthest distance gradually became clearer, a voice that turned out to be just as familiar as the scent he was breathing in and at last a breathy sigh escaped his lips. "G-Gii…"
Upon hearing his beloved utter his name the handsome upper-class man reacted immediately. "Yes Takumi, it's me. I'm right here," he said softly and leaned back a little, just enough so that he could place his hand under the other boy's chin to force misty, fearful eyes to meet his own. "Look at me. Everything is alright." For several agonizingly long moments the so addressed boy who was still shaking from head to toe simply stared at amber-haired student, gasping for breath. Carefully pulling his beloved closer again Gii kept calmly repeating his words in the most soothing voice, at the same time never ceasing his caresses or averting his gaze and eventually he noticed a change in the other's behavior.
"G-Gii," Takumi stammered once more and his trembling began to cease, his breath slowly evened and his eyes eventually cleared. "Gii." "Takumi," the handsome upper-class man asked anxiously, his voice gentle and laced with hope. "G-Gii…it's you…it's really you," the so addressed boy gasped and a sigh of relief tore from him. "You finally recognize me," Gii breathed hoarsely as he ran his hand tenderly over his beloved's cheek. "Yokatta." "Oh Gii…I…I was so scared, so incredibly scared," the ebony-haired youth sniffed, fresh tears beginning to spill from his eyes and whispering the other's name once more he broke into heart-wrenching sobs and buried his face in the curve of Gii's neck, holding on to the handsome upper-class man for dear life.
"I'm right here Takumi and I won't leave you, so don't fear," Gii breathed soothingly into his beloved's ear and as he tightened the embrace his own eyes began to cloud over with tears while the teachers, Akaike, Misu, Toshihisa, Shingyouji and Ichikawa looked on, trying hard to keep their countenances. "This is the first time I have ever seen Takumi like that," Toshihisa stated hoarsely and tried to suppress a sniffle upon which Akaike gently but wordlessly placed his arm around his boyfriend's middle, afraid that his voice would betray him. "It's heartbreaking to see Hayama-san like this," Shingyouji whispered and furiously blinked away the salty drops that threatened to escape from the corner of his eyes. "It's alright now," Misu replied huskily and placed his hand on the younger boy's shoulder, squeezing it lightly in reassurance. "It's alright now." The young man's voice trailed off and for several long moment silence settled on the terrace, the soft rustling of the leaves and Takumi's faint sobs the only sounds that could be heard.
"Saki," the head teacher finally approached the handsome upper-class man and his beloved. "The other teachers and I should return to the office and put these guys under arrest," he explained and motioned towards Kurokawa who had regained consciousness but was guarded closely by another teacher as were his minions. "Can I leave Hayama to your care?" "But of course Shimada-sensei," Gii replied with sincerity. "I will watch over Takumi." "That's settled then. I will stop by your room later to get your and Hayama's statements for the report I have to write," the so addressed man went on. "Please take Hayama to the infirmary once he has calmed down a little more. The nurse should have a look at him. Are you sure you are going to be alright?" "Yes I am, sensei," the amber-haired student stated truthfully. "Please don't worry, I can handle this. Takumi and I are going to be fine."
The head teacher nodded quietly in response and after he had bent down to pick Kurokawa's knife up with a handkerchief he turned his attention back to the other teachers and the students. "Let's head back to the teachers room. Akaike, Misu, minna, please accompany us to the office as well, so that we can take down your statements regarding this incident." With that the middle-aged man fell silent for a moment and once the boys had voiced their understanding and consent the group turned to leave.
"Gii, if you don't mind the others and I will pay Hayama and you a little visit after we are done with the paperwork to check on the two of you," the president of the disciplinary committee addressed his best friend. "Sure Shouzo," the handsome upper-class man replied and offered the other student a mild smile. "I see you later then," Akaike said returning the smile and quickly took his leave to catch up with the teachers, thus leaving the amber-haired student and Takumi who was still lying sobbing in the other's arms to themselves.
A/N: This is it for now and I'm leaving you with a cliffhanger again, though it's not such an evil one compared to the previous chapters.
What do you think will happen next? Will Kurokawa and co get the punishment they deserve or will they find a way to get out of this because of their wealth and social status? Will Gii and Takumi get closer again ? Will Takumi finally give Gii an answer to his confession and what kind of answer will it be? What about Ichikawa?
Questions over questions...Find the answers in the next chapter of "Remember Me".
I hope you enjoyed reading this rather eventful chapter!
Please be so kind to leave me a little comment with your thoughts. It's much appreciated because your comments are the best motivation for me. I always love to read about your thoughts, what you liked about the chapter, what made you smile, sad etc.
THANKS MINNA!