Gravitation
Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation. Maki Murakami does.
Angel Eyes Kiyone: Hey everyone! Here is the next chapter! I hope you enjoy it. Honestly, I think it sucks. I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote that crappy…thing! You'll find out. Anyways, enjoy!
The Shindou household was silent. It had been that way for the past few months. The neighbors would stop by to see how they were doing. Yuji, Hiroshi's older brother came by a lot, mostly to sit down and talk for hours on in. But they enjoyed his company. He would often refer to them as mom and pop; most likely because his parents had disowned both him and Hiroshi.
For now, it was just silent. Mr. and Mrs. Shindou had been quarreling back and forth about what to do about their son. It had been over a month before they made their decision. Poor Maiko was thrown in the middle of all of this. Her big brother was lying in a hospital bed, unaware of the decision their mother and father had made. She hadn't gone back to school since the accident. She hardly ever answered her cell phone anymore. Her friends had dropped by her house more than once to ask where the hell she's been. Maiko didn't care though. She wouldn't go back, at least not now.
There was a knock at the door. It was probably just more neighbors just checking up on them. Their refrigerator was packed with food that had been offered to them; out of pity of course.
"Honey, can you answer that, please." Mrs. Shindou asked her husband in a low voice.
"Sure." He replied getting up from the couch. He looked through the peep hole to see who it was. His eyes grew wide in shock. "Well I'll be damned."
"What is it?" Mrs. Shindou asked getting up from the couch.
Without answering, Mr. Shindou opened the door. Mrs. Shindou was taken aback. She had thought that she would never see these people again after their last argument.
"Mr. and Mrs. Nakano." Mr. Shindou said in utter disbelief.
"Hello, Mr. Shindou." Mrs. Nakano said in a low voice.
"May we come in?" Mr. Nakano asked.
Mr. and Mrs. Shindou looked at eachother for a brief moment before deciding to let them in. The two families had not been on good terms with each other since Shuichi and Hiroshi finished high school. The Nakano family had blamed Shuichi for Hiroshi's decision in becoming a rock star instead of a doctor. They had said that Shuichi was a bad influence and a distraction. That was the last time they had spoken since then.
"Come in." Mr. Shindou said opening the door wider to let them in.
"Thank you." Mrs. Nakano said bowing before she and her husband entered the house.
The couple removed their shoes and coats as they entered the house. Mr. Shindou ushered them over to the couch. Mrs. Shindou had offered them some tea, but they refused. Now the two couples sat on opposite ends facing each other. Both were silent for a moment. It was Mr. Nakano who broke the silence.
"We know about the accident." He said out of nowhere.
"All of Japan knows about the accident." Mr. Shindou replied.
"Is he going to be alright?" Mrs. Nakano asked.
"The doctors told us that he's not going to wake up." Mrs. Shindou said. "We had to make a decision as to whether to keep him on life support. We're taking him off on Friday."
Mr. and Mrs. Nakano said nothing. They both looked down in sorrow. Guilt was building up inside of them. Mrs. Nakano opened her purse and pulled out an envelope. It was a letter.
"We kept this for quite some time now." She said handing the envelope to Mrs. Shindou. "It's a letter that…Shuichi wrote to us a few days after the argument."
"Shuichi," Mrs. Shindou said surprised. She took the envelope and opened it quickly. No doubt it was Shuichi's handwriting. She read it out loud.
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Nakano,
Please forgive me. I know that I deserve to be blamed for the decision Hiro has made. And I know that the argument was my fault as well. I accept full responsibility. Please don't blame my mom and dad for this. It was selfish of me to convince Hiro to be in the band with me. But the truth is, I was afraid. He's been the only solid friend I've had my whole life. I really have no idea where I would be without him. I know you've said before that I am a bad influence. It probably is true. I don't mean to be a bad influence on anyone. I try not to be a bad person. I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me. And if not, then at least forgive Hiro. The only thing he is guilty of is being a good friend and the brother I never had. He's the person that kept me out of trouble and on my feet. He's the person that gave me the best advice he could; though I didn't always take them. But most of all, he's been my strength. So thank you both for creating such a person, my best friend.
Sincerely,
Shuichi Shindou
Mrs. Shindou folded the letter and placed it on the coffee table. By this time, her face was covered in tears. Mr. Shindou was in awe.
"Shuichi…wrote you that letter?" He asked the couple sitting across from him.
"Yes." Mrs. Nakano said. "We were just as shocked as you are now. We couldn't believe that all this had actually come from your son."
"But you can definitely tell that it's him." Mr. Nakano laughed. "It's beautiful, yes, but the spelling is hideous."
"Ssh!" Mrs. Nakano nudged her husband in the rib.
"No no." Mr. Shindou said. "He's right. Shuichi's handwriting…is hideous!"
"Have you…shown this to Hiroshi?" Mrs. Shindou asked.
"No not yet." Mrs. Nakano replied. "Should we?"
"It's up to you." Mrs. Shindou said handing the letter back to the other woman.
"We would have come by a lot sooner," Mr. Nakano said, "but we weren't sure…how you would react if we just showed up at your door right after that arguement."
"We understand." Mr. Shindou told them.
"Um…where is Maiko?" Mrs. Nakano asked.
"She's in her room sleeping." Mrs. Shindou told them.
"No, I'm not." Came a voice from the top of the stairs.
Everyone in the living room turned their attention to the voice coming from the stairs. There was Maiko. She looked exhausted. Her hair was a loose mess and there were dark circles under her eyes. She descended the stair case and joined her parents on the couch. Mr. and Mrs. Nakano looked at her with pity.
"How are you, Maiko?" Mrs. Nakano asked.
"Miserable." Maiko replied dryly.
"She hasn't been back to school in a while now." Mr. Shindou said.
"Though, she really needs to soon." Mrs. Shindou said rubbing her back.
"That's going to be a while." Maiko said with a blank stare.
"Why do you say that, dear?" Mrs. Nakano asked.
"My brother might die soon." She said without emotion.
"Maiko…" Mrs. Nakano tried to reassure her.
"Why did you come here?" Maiko asked coldly. "Is it because you feel sorry for us?"
"Maiko, that's enough." Mr. Shindou scolded.
"I bet you're actually happy that he's dying, aren't you?" She spat.
"I said that's enough!" Mr. Shindou snapped. "Go to your room, young lady!"
Maiko got up off the couch and stomped up the stairs to her room. Both Mr. and Mrs. Shindou looked at the Nakano couple in embarrassment. They themselves couldn't believe their daughter's behavior.
"We apologize for Maiko's behavior." Mrs. Shindou said. "She's not herself."
"She's upset about her big brother's accident." Mrs. Nakano said softly. "We understand."
"We know we disowned our own two boys," Mr. Nakano said, "but even we wouldn't want something to happen to them."
"Now that you mention it," Mrs. Nakano went on, "what were Hiroshi and Shuichi doing out on the street so late?"
"They went for a walk." Mr. Shindou said plainly.
"For a walk," the Nakano couple said in unison.
"Yeah," Mrs. Shindou responded. "Shuichi was upset. He wanted to go for a walk. So Hiroshi said okay and the two went out."
"Oh." Mrs. Nakano responded in a bit of surprise.
"Of course if Shuichi's so called- boyfriend hadn't kicked him out, he wouldn't be lying in a coma right now." Mr. Shindou snorted.
"How often has that happened?" Mrs. Nakano asked.
"Well from what Hiroshi has told us," Mr. Shindou replied, "quite often."
"And Shuichi still went back to him?" Mr. Nakano asked.
"Apparently so," Mrs. Shindou replied. "I was in utter shock when Hiroshi told me."
"Yeah, Hiroshi can't stand the guy." Mr. Shindou chimed in.
"Well, he looks like a decent young man." Mrs. Nakano said.
"Mm, yeah…decent," Mr. Shindou said in mock sarcasm.
"Until you meet him for the first time," Mrs. Shindou added.
"The guy has playboy written all over him." Mr. Shindou chuckled.
"I agree." Mr. Nakano added. "I mean with a face like that, women probably throw themselves at him constantly."
"That's the other thing that Hiroshi told us." Mrs. Shindou said gesturing with her finger. "Eiri was also cheating on Shuichi with different woman."
"Oh, God," Mrs. Nakano gasped.
"You know it's funny," Mrs. Shindou continued, "because we taught Shuichi not to take any kind of crap from anyone and stand up for what he believes in."
"We're surprised that he stayed with that bastard for so long." Mr. Shindou added.
"So he pretty much treated Shuichi like garbage?" Mr. Nakano asked.
"Pretty much," Mr. Shindou replied.
"And it was Eiri Yuki himself that told us that at the hospital." Mrs. Shindou said.
"Really," Mrs. Nakano said with wide eyes.
"Yes ma'am," she replied shaking her head. "He found out about the accident and showed up at the hospital with his baby brother."
"Baby brother," Mr. Nakano said surprised, "I had no idea he had siblings."
"Oh, you think that's surprising?" Mr. Shindou continued. "He has an older sister who is married to the president of NG Records."
"What," the Nakano couple said in unison.
"So that…would make Tohma Seguchi…his…" Mr. Nakano stuttered.
"His brother-in-law," Mrs. Shindou finished for him.
"You know, I never liked that Tohma Seguchi." Mr. Shindou said staring off into space. "There's just something not right about him."
"I got that too." Mr. Nakano replied. "There's just something evil about him."
"So, what were you saying about Eiri Yuki?" Mrs. Nakano asked getting back to the matter at hand.
"Well," Mrs. Shindou went on, "he told us that he knows he hasn't been treating Shuichi the way he should have."
"'Oh, Shuichi has shown me nothing but pure love,'" Mr. Shindou mocked, "'and I just threw it back in his face.'"
"He really said that?" Mrs. Nakano asked.
"Yes." Mrs. Shindou replied.
"Oh, but you should have seen the look on Hiroshi's face!" Mr. Shindou laughed. "He wanted to murder that bastard! Ha! If that gaijin hadn't held him back, he probably would have."
"Honey, that's not funny." Mrs. Shindou said nudging her husband.
"Of course it is!" Both Mr. Nakano and Mr. Shindou said in unison.
There was a moment of silence before both men burst out laughing like maniacs. Both women looked at each other and rolled their eyes. When was the last time they laughed like this? Little did they know, a certain someone was watching them from the top of the stair way. Quietly, she watched as they laughed. She watched as they shook hands. She watched as Mrs. Nakano comforted her mother as she began to cry for her son. Maiko knew that she had no right to judge them the way that she did. She let her anger get the best of her. That was one trait that she and Shuichi shared. Tears began to form in her eyes as she began thinking about her big brother again. Never again would she hear his voice. Never again would they yell and scream at each other from across the hallway while calling each other names.
The tears spilled. Though she would never see her brother again, Maiko knew that Shuichi would not want her to continue on with anger in her heart and regrets in her mind. She got up and went down stairs to face her parents and Hiroshi's family. They all stopped and looked at her. Mr. Shindou folded his arms over his chest. Before he could say anything Maiko bowed before both sides.
"I'm sorry." She said turning to the Nakano couple. "I shouldn't have lashed out at you guys like that. It was stupid of me."
Mrs. Nakano smiled at her and went over to give her a hug. "It's alright, dear. We know you're hurting. It's okay to be angry. It's the only way to relieve you of sorrow."
Maiko hugged her back and continued to cry. Mr. Nakano joined them in that warm embrace. The doorbell rang. Mr. Shindou went to answer it. He looked through the peep hole first. This time he winced.
"Uh oh," he said.
"What is it?" Mrs. Shindou asked.
Mr. Shindou turned to the Nakano couple who looked a little worried. A sweat drop formed on his forehead and he began rubbing the back of his head.
"Um…if you guys had to choose one son, which one would, you want to show up at your doorstep?"
"Hiroshi." The Nakano couple responded in unison.
"Not quite." Mr. Shindou said quickly before flinging the door open.
The Nakano's eldest son, Yuji stood in the doorway. He looked just as surprised to see them too. Everyone, in both families knew about the argument. And Yuji supported the Shindou family's decision. Shuichi and Maiko were taught to follow their heart and dreams. Though, there was a time when Mr. Shindou tried to convince Shuichi to be a lawyer instead of a rock star. But the boy only did what he was taught. He followed his dreams.
"Yuji!" Mr. Shindou greeted the boy cheerfully. "Come on in, buddy!"
"Um…thanks." He said as he stepped inside. "What's…going on?"
"Oh, just a little chit chat is all!" Mrs. Shindou said in a perky voice.
"Uh-huh," Yuji replied not at all convinced.
"So, Yuji," Mrs. Nakano said turning to her eldest son, "what brings you here?"
"Well, Mrs. Nakano, I could ask you the same question." Yuji shot back mockingly.
"Hey, now," Mr. Shindou said sternly.
"Yuji, don't speak to your mother and father like that." Mrs. Shindou said in a gentle voice.
"They disowned me." He replied coldly. "They're not my parents anymore."
"Yuji!" Mrs. Shindou shouted in shock.
"Okay, Maiko, why don't you and your mother go make some tea." Mr. Shindou said grabbing his wife by the arm and pulling her off the couch.
"Okay." The girl said walking towards the kitchen; her mother close behind her.
"Yuji, we didn't come here to argue." Mr. Nakano reassured the boy. "We only came to apologize to Shuichi's family."
"Why, because you feel sorry for them," Yuji shot back.
"No, Yuji," Mr. Nakano said sternly, "Because we were wrong."
"What?" Yuji said dumbly.
"We were wrong to judge Shuichi the way we did." Mrs. Nakano told him.
"Show him the letter." Mr. Nakano told her.
Mrs. Nakano pulled out the letter to show Yuji. He took the letter from her and read it to himself. The boy was in shock. He folded the letter and handed it back to his mother.
"Shuichi wrote that?" He asked truly shocked.
"Yes." Mrs. Nakano replied. "It was a surprise to us too."
"How long ago did he write this?" Yuji asked.
"Right after the argument," Mrs. Nakano replied.
"I had no idea." Yuji said sorrowfully. "They told you that they're taking him off of life support on Friday, right?"
"Yes they did" Mrs. Nakano said softly.
"So, what are you guys going to do?" He asked.
"All we can do is to be there for them when it happens." Mr. Nakano said.
"Well…I'm glad you guys are being so supportive." Yuji said softly.
"Thank you, Yuji." Mrs. Nakano replied glancing at her husband who rolled his eyes.
"Oh yeah, I forgot something." Yuji said reaching into his jacket for something.
"What is it?" Mr. Nakano asked.
"My roommate recorded something I think everyone should see." He said seriously.
"Who wants tea?" Mr. Shindou asked emerging from the kitchen with his wife and daughter in toe.
'That was fast,' the Nakano family thought to themselves.
"Me!" Yuji yelled jumping up and down like a little kid. "Oh boy oh boy!"
"Down boy," Maiko said jolting back playfully.
Mrs. Shindou set the tea tray on the table and poured the first cup for Yuji. She was taken by surprise when Yuji said, "Thank you, Mommy!" She glanced at the Nakano couple who had blank expressions on their faces. Not a single hint of jealousy or anger was present. Maiko poured tea for them next. Though they refused the first time, they decided to accept it this time. Then she poured one for herself. Mrs. Shindou gave her husband his tea and they all sat in silence for a moment.
"Um, Yuji," Mrs. Nakano said breaking the silence, "isn't there something you wanted to show everyone?"
"Oh yeah," Yuji replied setting his tea on the table. He pulled out the VHS tape from inside his jacket. "My roommate recorded something I think everyone should see."
"What is it, exactly?" Mr. Shindou asked as he watched Yuji turn on the television and flip to a blank screen.
Yuji turned to face them with a serious expression. "It's from the accident." He turned back to what he was doing. The VCR was set to go. He placed the tape inside and pushed it in, then hit the play button.
Everyone focused their attention on the television screen. The news reporter was speaking to a raven haired woman and her husband. The couple seemed to be in misery. The woman's lips were trembling. Her husband held her with tears in his eyes. He had dark brown hair that had been slick back with gel. He looked like he was in his early forties. The woman's voice trembled as she tried to speak.
"We just…wanted…er…wanted to say," She stuttered, "how incredibly sorry…we are…for what happened. We accept full responsibility for our son's actions. He should not have…been out on his own…in the middle of the night."
The woman was too distraught to speak any further. So the news reported turned her attention to the woman's husband. He held her as she cried into his chest.
"We've come to realize that…we can no longer look the other way." He said with tears streaming down his face. "Shuichi Shindou saved our son's life. And for that, we say thank you; we are forever grateful and we hope that…his family can find it in their hearts to forgive us."
The scene switched back to the anchor.
"Well, there you have it, everyone," he said in a low sorrowful voice, "those are the parents of twelve year old Takashi Isawa, the boy who supposedly caused the accident which sent Bad Luck's lead singer, Shuichi Shindou to the hospital two months earlier, and left three people dead. The boy is being interrogated by the police regarding the accident. This scene shows Takashi being questioned by authorities.
"What were you and your friends doing outside so late that night?" The officer asked him.
"We were just…messing around." Takashi replied nervously.
"Why?" The officer asked. "Were you and your friends aware that it was way passed curfew?"
"Yeah, but…" he said fidgeting with his fingers, "we snuck out of our houses because… … …"
"Because what?"
"We…thought it would be fun, I guess."
"You thought it would be fun?" The officer replied calmly. "Do you realize that sneaking out of the house just to have fun left three people dead and the person that saved your life in the hospital?"
Tears were welling up in the boy's eyes. The officer eased off just a little bit. But he still had to tell the kid the truth.
"The truck driver that died was a family man." The officer told him. "He had a wife and three kids. He was the one working to support them all. His wife was a stay at home mom. Now, she's the one who has to work to support them because their dad won't be coming home anymore."
"… … …"
"The driver of the yellow car was a woman on her way home from work." The officer went on. "She didn't have any children, but she had a husband who had gotten off work before she did. He was waiting for her. But now, he has to come home to a quiet house. His wife is gone. He has no one else."
"… …*sniff*…"
"As for the person in the red car," the officer went on, "that was a gaijin. Sadly, we know nothing about him or which country he came from. But I'm sure his family is wondering where he is and why he hasn't returned home yet."
Takashi put his head down on the table and cried silently. He wanted all of this to be a bad dream. He wanted to wake up and find everything back to normal again. But this was reality. His stupidity has caused grief and sadness.
"I'm sorry." He squeaked.
"Look," the officer went on, "we can't throw you in jail for this. I know you didn't mean to hurt anyone. However, you can end up in juvenile detention for sneaking out passed curfew. The judge will consider you a runaway and it will go on your permanent record."
"Okay." Takashi mumbled.
The screen switched back to the anchor again.
"Wow." The man said. "I can't imagine what that boy must be going through. Um…it's not quite certain whether or not Takashi Isawa will actually be placed before the judge or not. But we will keep you posted when we have more information. Till then, this is Tetsuo Yamada on news channel seven."
They all sat there in silence. Yuji looked around at everyone in the room. Maiko had tears in her eyes. His mother was sniffling and Mrs. Shindou had her face buried in her husband's shoulder. It was like before. The Shindou house was quiet; too quiet.
~Meanwhile~
Eiri and Tatsuha sat side by side on the couch in silence. It was the first time they had seen it. The boy that caused the accident was seated before a police officer; being interrogated. The boy's parents in tears because their son had broken the rules, were pleading for forgiveness. Eiri picked up the remote and turned off the television screen. They were both silent for a moment.
"So, that was him, huh?" Tatsuha said to himself.
"It wasn't really his fault." Eiri said out of nowhere. "It was mine. I should be the one sitting in his place."
"Eiri, don't…don't say that." Tatsuha said soothingly.
"Why?" He asked. "It's the truth. This was my fault." He got off of the couch and started pacing back and forth.
"Well, when do you want to go and see him?" Tatsuha asked watching his big brother pace back and forth.
"I-I was thinking Friday." Eiri said unsurely. "But now I'm not so sure I should wait that long."
"You should-"
Tatsuha's statement was cut off by a knock at the door. Eiri stopped pacing. Tatsuha got up and went to answer the door. Without asking who it was, he opened the door. His jaw nearly dropped to the floor when he saw who it was.
"Um…bro," Tatsuha called still in shock.
"What is it?" Eiri said coming to the door. He was taken aback at seeing who it was. "Nakano; what are you doing here?"
"Can we talk?" Hiroshi asked in a rather reluctant tone.
Tatsuha didn't look all that pleased to see or hear Hiroshi considering everything that happened at the hospital.
"You've got balls showing up here like this." He said in a bitter tone.
Without a word, Eiri stepped out from his apartment which took Tatsuha by surprise. Before his younger brother could say another word, Eiri closed the door which caused Tatsuha to pull back in surprise. Now the boy stood in the apartment facing the door. What was Eiri thinking?
On the outside, Eiri stood with his arms folded over his chest and a blank expression on his face. Hiroshi looked the older man up and down. He could tell he wasn't doing so well by the way he looked.
"Man, you look like shit." Hiroshi said shaking his head.
"I feel like shit." Eiri admitted. "What else is new?"
"Did you see the news?" Hiroshi asked.
"Yeah, I just caught it a few minutes ago." Eiri replied. "To tell you the truth, I don't blame the kid at all."
"What does that mean?" Hiroshi asked a little baffled.
"Come on, Nakano," Eiri said looking away, "we both know who's really to blame for this. If I hadn't thrown him out, he'd be okay and none of us would be going through this shit."
"Wow, you certainly know when to get to the point when you want to." Hiroshi said sarcastically.
"What else did you want to comment on?" Eiri asked rolling his eyes. "Or are we done here?"
"Now hold on a minute." Hiroshi said taking a step forward. "Ayaka told me about what you said to Shuichi at the hospital."
"How the hell did she find out about that?" Eiri asked completely confused.
"How do you think?" Hiroshi asked gesturing towards the door.
Eiri turned his head towards the door and narrowed his eyes further. "It figures." He said.
"So is it true?" Hiroshi asked in a soft tone. "Do you really love Shuichi?"
"Yeah," Eiri confessed in a low voice. "I have for some time now. I just wasn't ready to tell him that."
"Well, you don't have a whole lot of time you know." Hiroshi said a little uneasy.
"I know." Eiri said.
"No, I mean you really don't have a whole lot of time." Hiroshi said again. "His parents are taking him off of life support on Friday."
"What?" Eiri said with wide eyes.
Eiri felt his heart sink. He had been completely unaware of this. In a few days, he would lose the one person who meant something to him forever.
"It took them a while to decide," Hiroshi told him, "but after a month, they finally came to an agreement."
"And you're okay with this?" Eiri asked now glaring at the younger male. "You're okay with losing your best friend for good?"
"Look," Hiroshi said defensively, "I didn't agree with their decision, okay? But I don't have a say in this. They're his parents! They make the decisions."
"Like hell they're going to pull the plug without me seeing him." Eiri hissed as he turned to go back inside his apartment.
Hiroshi went in after him. He ignored the raven haired boy who was standing near the door the whole time they were outside talking.
"You want to go now?" Hiroshi asked. "Visiting hours are long passed over."
"Well then when?" Eiri asked turning to the red head.
"Shuichi's family usually doesn't come to see him until the evening." Hiroshi explained. "It's probably best if you go in the morning."
"Fine," Eiri said already making up his mind. "I'm going tomorrow morning."
"Wow." Hiroshi said with wide eyes. "You certainly know how to make up your mind when you want to."
"Wait a minute." Came Tatsuha's voice. He entered the living room and stood next to his big brother. "Why are you helping him all of a sudden? Weren't you the one that blamed him for what happened to Shuichi? Weren't you the one that said 'this isn't over yet, Eiri Yuki?'"
"Mm, yeah I did." Hiroshi said rubbing his chin. "Then I spoke to Ayaka who told me everything that you told her." Hiroshi smiled menacingly at the younger male.
"You and your big mouth," Eiri said glancing at his younger brother.
Tatsuha began to blush in embarrassment. He curled up in a ball on the couch. Though he was only looking out for Eiri, he had no right to go telling Ayaka about the incident at the hospital.
"Hm. So tomorrow morning," Hiroshi asked, "what time?"
"About nine-thirty," Eiri told him.
"Alright," Hiroshi replied, "I'll stop by at about eight-thirty."
"See you then." Eiri replied.
Hiroshi turned to leave the apartment. He turned to take one last look at the boy curled up on the couch. Now was not the time to bring it up. He would ask him about it tomorrow at the hospital.
After Hiroshi left, Eiri went back to the living room and sat down next to Tatsuha.
"You can come out of your hole now." Eiri teased. "I'm not mad at you."
"You're not?" Tatsuha asked looking at Eiri with big beady eyes.
"No." Eiri said rolling his eyes.
"Do you still want me to go with you?" He asked.
"If you want to," Eiri told him. "I'm going to bed."
"Well, see you in the morning then." Tatsuha said yawning.
"Yeah, good night," Eiri replied.
Tatsuha curled up on the couch and went to sleep. As for Eiri, he laid there in bed staring up at the ceiling. His emotions were running wild. He was happy that he was finally going to see his lover, but devastated that he was going to lose him in a few short days. Silent tears fell from his eyes. Eiri was going to have to spill his guts to his unconscious lover. But it would take a miracle to wake the boy from his slumber. The blonde turned over on his stomach and buried his face in his pillow; feeling utterly defeated.
~In the Horizon~
Shuichi sat in front of the line and drew in the sand. He felt confused. The faces he saw in the water were faces of people who cared about him. But the helpless blonde had turned against him. Now he was reaching out for help. Shuichi searched his mind for reasons why he should help the boy.
"You need to decide, sweetheart." The woman told him.
"I don't know what I should do." Shuichi told her. "Even if I helped him, how do I know he won't turn against me again?"
"That's just it." The woman replied. "You don't know if he will or not. But it's your choice to either be the bigger person and help him, or let him suffer."
"Perhaps we can help you just a little bit, son." The man told him. "Take a look at him again."
Shuichi looked back at the blonde haired boy in the water. Bloody; bruised; limping; helpless; eyes pleading.
"That's not a teenage boy who's been beaten up by the bullies in school." The man went on. "That's a poor, naïve soul who's been manipulated, used, and betrayed."
"Betrayed?" Shuichi repeated. "But why? What did he do to deserve that?"
"Let's put it this way, son," the man went on, "you know how pimps operate, right?"
"Um…not really," Shuichi said a little uneasy at hearing the word pimp.
"They go after young children that look or at least seem as though they have no direction." The man explained. "They go after the ones that don't fit in; the ones that are made to feel bad about themselves. They tell them how special they are. They make them feel like they're important. They say "Let me take you away from here and go somewhere where we belong."'
"I see." The boy replied.
"The innocent child is given nice things." The man continued. "They're pampered and before they know it, they're standing on a street corner waiting for johns to come their way. And what's worse is that they don't have a choice."
"So then...someone filled his head with promised lies." Shuichi said nodding his head.
"Yes." The woman replied. "They did it to have their way with him, or at least tried to."
"Tried to?" Shuichi repeated. "What do you mean?"
"Well, let's just say that those who survive the ordeal often end up like him." The man said gesturing to the boy in the water.
"They call it post-traumatic stress." The woman stated.
"Oh." Shuichi said dumbly.
"They also develop trust issues." The man added. "They keep their guard up at all times. And it would take a miracle to bring it down."
"Of course, a person's guard can come down without them even realizing it." The woman said.
"Really," Shuichi asked.
"Yes, really," she replied.
"In coming," Sanyo yelled.
The man and woman looked at each other in somewhat of a shock. Three people were headed in their direction; an elderly man with a white beard, a woman with no hair and no breasts, and a little girl who's skin was a sickly yellow color. The couple shrouded in darkness would often see Sanyo and Jessica in tears when people crossed over. But here they were warning them. It was a sign. They were getting used to seeing this.
"How much longer until they wake up," the woman asked.
"Not long now," the man told her. "Just wait until they start feeling the pull."
"What was that?" Shuichi asked confused.
"It's nothing, honey." The woman said. "Why don't you go spend some time with Sanyo and Jessica?"
"Okay!" Shuichi replied dusting off his hands.
He ran passed the three people who were now crossing the line. Silent tears fell from his eyes. He ran to the other side of the beach and found the twins playing near the jagged boulders; their usual spot.
Meanwhile, the woman helped all three spirits get to the other side. She returned to her position on the rock. Her mate in life sat next to her. Their thoughts went back to the matter at hand; Shuichi.
"I still find it strange that we are helping this boy." The woman said. "Considering his situation in life…"
"I know." The man said. "But the fact of the matter is that boy has a good heart. He risked his life more than once. And that poor soul in the water is in need of an Angel. So to sum it up, he's being pardoned for his sin."
"And if he doesn't help that boy, then…" She said unsurely.
"Then he will continue to suffer from his past." The man stated.
Sanyo and Jessica dodged in different directions as Shuichi ran after them. The three of them laughed together as though they were childhood friends. The Horizon was so beautiful. They felt safe. They felt free. But sometimes freedom was only temporary. Both girls stopped in their tracks. Shuichi bumped into Sanyo's right shoulder blade.
"Uh-oh," she said looking down at her hands.
"What's going on?" Jessica asked feeling her chest getting heavy.
"What's the matter?" Shuichi asked them with concern.
"I feel strange." Jessica said wincing.
"Me too," Sanyo said squeezing her eyes shut.
"S-Sanyo," Shuichi said panicking, "Jessica? What's the matter?"
"Shuichi," the man called after him.
Shuichi turned around and ran back to the couple. He hoped there was something that they could do for the girls. But as he ran, he heard both girls scream. He stopped and turned around. They were gone.
"S-Sanyo," He said seeming rather confused as to what he saw. "Jessica…where is you?" He walked back to where the girls were standing just before they disappeared. Their foot prints were in the sand. Tears fell from his eyes and he fell to his knees. "Where are you?"
The couple sat silently as the boy sat in front of the line sobbing. He was alone again. Sanyo and Jessica vanished before his eyes and he had no idea what happened to them. Slowly but surely, Shuichi started to calm down. But he was feeling utterly sad and lost.
"You shouldn't be grieving for them, son." The man told him. "They're not dead."
"They're n-not? *hick*" Shuichi asked wiping his tears away.
"No, sweetheart," the woman said soothingly. "They went back to their bodies. They're alive."
"Really," Shuichi asked.
"Yes." She replied.
"If it was their time to cross over," the man said, "they would have just stopped what they were doing, turned around, and walked this way without stopping."
"Oh." Shuichi said sadly. It still pained him to see them go. "What do I do now?"
"Go take a walk." The man told him. "Take some time to sort this all out. Besides, you still a decision to make, remember?"
"Right," Shuichi said getting up.
He turned and walked back to the other beach. This time it was quiet. No Sanyo. No Jessica; just him. He walked over to the jagged boulders and sat beneath them. The sea shells that the girls once used were still there. Shuichi picked one up and pressed it to his right ear. There was no ocean. Instead, he heard something else. He listened closely.
"You're here because of me," Said a strange yet familiar voice.
"What?" He said sounding baffled. He blinked in shock.
He pressed the shell to his ear again and listened. The voice came again.
"Please don't leave me." It said sadly.
Shuichi could feel pressure being put on his left hand. This made him drop the shell. He looked at his hand. It looked as though it were being squeezed by something. But there wasn't anything there. The boy twitched his fingers slightly. He heard a sound coming from the sea shell. Once again, he picked it up and pressed it to his ear. The voice came once more.
"You better not die on me, brat." The voice said with what sounded like hope.
"Huh?" Shuichi said dumbfounded. "Brat?" he blinked in shock. He didn't know whether he should be happy or upset at being insulted. Was it even him that the voice was insulting?
Out of nowhere, the wind blew. Shuichi felt a wave of emotions flowing through him. They were all too familiar. They were the emotions he felt due to the boy he saw in the water. The voice from the sea shell came again. This time it was right in front of him; in the ocean. Shuichi got up and walked slowly up to the gigantic body of water. An image appeared before him; the same image as before; the boy who had betrayed him. He reached out to Shuichi, begging for help.
Another wave of emotions came over the pink haired boy. This time they were different. It wasn't shock or heartache. It was sadness and pity. Tears once again fell from his eyes as he gazed at the boy in the water. Suddenly, something caught his eye. There was something behind the struggling boy. Shuichi looked closely. It looked like three men. They were taller than the blonde haired boy. Something about them made Shuichi shiver. The expressions on their faces changed. They went from neutral to malicious. Shuichi flinched. The look in the boy's eyes changed as well. They went from pleading to desperation.
"Help me." The boy said with desperation in his voice.
"Take my hand!" Shuichi said out of nowhere. He reached his right hand out to the boy. "I won't let them hurt you. Come to me."
The boy reached out his hand. But as he did, the image faded. Shuichi stood there for a moment. Another tear fell from his eye. He wiped it away. He straightened himself out and walked back in the direction he had come. This time, he had come to a decision. He knew what he had to do. When he approached the purple line, the couple greeted him.
"How do you feel, son?" The man asked him.
"Better." Shuichi said with seriousness that even took him by surprise.
"You look like a man who's determined." The man chuckled. "Have you made your decision yet?"
"Yes." He replied with the same seriousness.
"What will you do then, sweetheart?" The woman asked softly.
"I'm going to help him." He said and sat down in the sand. "Tell me what I should do."
OwarI~
Angel Eyes Kiyone: Sorry for not updating in a long time, guys. I've been so busy with stuff and searching for a new job as a pharmacy technician. But no such luck. *sniff* I'll have to wait till fall or winter when things pick up. Plus, this chapter was so long, it took me forever to finish typing it. Hey, anyone here a fan of J-pop or K-pop? I found a fanfiction site where you can write about your favorite bands. It's called . It's so much fun. If anyone decides to check it out, look me up. Blue_Bunny_Zelo. Anyway thanks for reading and reviewing and look out for the next chapter.