DR. KAREN: All right, before the chapter begins, I'm going to clear things regarding the sequel to this story. Now, because of the rewrite, I am going to change a lot of things about the sequel to it, including the character in it known as 'Trevor' because that character is not mine and the person it belongs to dropped off the face of the internet, therefore, all the ideas he wanted for it, went with him too. So I can't use a character that belongs to someone I haven't talked to in almost five to six years. It gets nixed. I'm sorry. If he was still around and I was still talking to him, I would but he's not so his character will be taken out of the sequel. Now, in the author's note, I posted in the sequel, I am open to ideas for NEW original characters from you all so long as they can contribute to the plot, which will have a lot of supernatural themes in it, I've already decided on that. There will still be some humor and romance but because of the ex-girlfriend's sister stirring up trouble, the plot is mainly supernatural theme. Kind of like, most of the show anyway, without all the … not sure what the right word to use here.
FP: Without all of the elements of the series that 4Kids dubbed and changed around that made no sense. That includes killing off the lead character. (rages on the inside)
DR KAREN: Well, that is one way to put it. I'm going to try and make the story sound sensible and hopefully, you all will enjoy it. But right now, concentrating on the rewrite of the original story, which some of you seem to like so far as I've not gotten any complaints about it. So here is chapter four and hope you all enjoy it.
FP: Ooh, ooh, do we get to see some sexy time in this chapter too? (grins widely)
DR. KAREN: (crickets chirp) ... You pervert ...
CHAPTER 004: ON THIS HALLOWED DAY
At the Osiris cafeteria, Sho and Hayato were already there, eating dinner and conversing about random topics along with the rest of the students that stayed in the dorm doing the same as well. Of course, the topic of conversation for them was girls and which ones were hot and all that while others were talking about the new girl 'Mizuki Jikan' who they thought was very cute. However, a lot of them were jealous of the fact that 'Mizuki' was hanging all over Judai. The moment Manjoume had entered the cafeteria while holding hands with Judai, all eyes were directly on them, making him start to think that coming here was a bad idea if all the guys were going to be staring at them the entire time. He didn't see what the big deal was. He was a girl and suddenly, the guys just turn completely stupid overnight. Made him almost ashamed of the fact that he really was a guy.
Folding his arms across his chest, he sighed, narrowing his eyes. "Stop staring, it's disrespectful," he replied as he walked over to the table where Hayato and Sho were sitting and sat down across from them, crossing one leg over the other under the table. "Geez, it's like guys haven't seen a girl before. Am I really that much of a big deal around here?" he asked.
Judai sweatdropped at the fact that all his Osiris classmates were staring at them. He couldn't tell if they were angry or just surprised but he decided not to let it bother him and just went on to the table where his friends were, following behind Manjoume and sat down at the table beside him. The brunette rubbed the back of his head in a sheepish manner as he tried to think of something to say that would make this moment not so incredibly awkward. And again, telling the truth was out of the question. Now that Manjoume had told him what happened and why, he felt bad for him but at the same time, he wanted him to know that he would be there for him no matter what. His secret was safe with him. He placed his hand on Manjoume's underneath the table, blushing at the same time as he'd done so, looking away in slight embarrassment.
Manjoume jumped a bit as Judai placed his hand on his own, he too blushing and looking away, causing the other two to look at one another in confusion before focusing their attention back on them.
"Well yes, you are, Mizuki-san. You're the new cute girl here at the academy. It can't be helped. Plus, you're also the only new girl who isn't in the Obelisk Blue dorm that's talking to us and sitting with us. So, I'd say for some, it's quite a big deal," Sho said, laughing a bit. "But of course, we all know that you and Aniki together. Still, wish you had told me. It's not fair you kept something like this a secret. You don't trust me enough with such an awesome detail, Aniki?" he asked.
"I-Iie, it's not that I don't trust you, Sho. It's just … well … I don't make a big deal out of things like this and besides, I don't think I really have to announce to the entire world that I have a girlfriend, do I?" Judai asked, looking at Sho.
"Well, no but knowing would've still been cool and plus, Mizuki-san's pretty cool too now that we've finally gotten to know her just a little bit," said Sho.
"Y-Yeah, I apologize that we got off on the wrong foot, Sho. But you see, I wasn't ready for everyone to know that I was dating someone from the Osiris dorm. So, I had to keep up appearances while Judai-kun and I sneak around together," Manjoume replied, giving Judai a wink. "And anyway, it's not something everyone needed to know at the time. Like how everyone is acting right now … is why I wasn't ready for anyone to know yet."
Judai saw Manjoume wink at him out of the corner of his eye and his turned a bright shade of pink. He was good at coming up with stuff spar of the moment whereas the brunette was not. He had no clue as to what to say, let alone explain how he somehow came about having a girlfriend without revealing to the others that Mizuki is really Manjoume. Maybe he'd already planned for such a situation just in case it ended up happening. He couldn't be sure. One thing he was sure about is that he was starving, and the smell of food was calling his name. "Mizuki has a point but now, I think we should let it go and eat, don't you?" he asked, looking down at Manjoume as he stood up. "Is there anything specific you want to eat? I mean, we don't get the best food here but it's still pretty good."
Manjoume smiled up at Judai and giggled. "Anything's fine so long as it's edible and not mystery meat."
Judai laughed. "All right then. Then I'll be back momentarily with our food," he said, taking his leave from the table but not before placing his hands on Manjoume's shoulders and planting a kiss on his cheek, something he normally wouldn't do but for once he decided to just be a little bold for a change.
As for Manjoume, his face turned completely red at such an action from Judai. He raised his hand to the side of his face where Judai had kissed him and his heart had begun to pound against his chest as it'd done earlier. He wasn't torturing him anymore after telling him everything earlier and yet he was still willing to play the part of being the boyfriend of Mizuki Jikan, the name that he'd created for his female persona he'd been cursed with for so long. 'I think … I think that I may be falling for you, Judai,' he thought to himself.
"That's really sweet of Aniki. You're lucky, Mizuki-san. Aniki's a great guy so you shouldn't have any problems being showered with so much affection from him," Sho said while taking a bite from the corn dog he was eating.
"Yeah, Judai's cool and it's also cool that you're hanging around us because like in the beginning, only Asuka-san in her friends were the only girls that actually would say anything to us and hang with us. Asuka and her friends are cool too. Though Sho's just afraid to take the plunge and go out with Dallas," Hayato joked while nudging his friend slightly in the arm.
Sho began to laugh nervously as Hayato nudged him. "I-Iie, it's not that I don't like her or anything. She's just one of those eccentric girls you must find out more about. However, right now, the only thing I really know about her is that she likes cats … a lot and she has a habit of asking boys to go out with her but none of them will. And you want to know why they won't?" he asked.
Manjoume laced his fingers together and rested his chin on the back of his hands. He already knew the answer to this question but to humor Sho, he was going to hear the repeat of the story again. Granted, he had nothing against Asuka's friends, but he did think that Dallas could've chosen better guys to ask out on a date that weren't complete dick bags. "Why won't they, Sho? I am quite curious after all," he said with a smirk.
"The moral of the story is that they all tell her no and that they would rather go out with Asuka because she's hotter and has bigger breasts." Sho sweatdropped at the superficiality of some of the Obelisk and Ra students. He wasn't sure if the girl had given up on asking any of them to go out with her or not but somehow, he'd managed to become her latest victim? Target? He didn't know what it was that caused her to suddenly like him.
"That's just pretty mean though. Poor girl. See? I say you should give her a shot. Dallas-chan isn't a bad girl. So, she likes cats. It's not as if they're evil, they're just cats." As much as Sho wanted to have a girlfriend, Hayato was kind of surprised by Sho's hesitancy in wanting to date Dallas. If she wasn't his type all he had to do was just say so but not in the same way most guys have told her why they won't go out with her. That's just plain rude and cruel.
"Aw, that's so sad. I didn't know that. Heh, there's nothing wrong with wanting to find love at fifteen. Hell, we're all too young to know the true meaning behind it but there's nothing stopping us all from trying. And at least she's still trying and hasn't given up. So, I'd have to say good for her. So long as she doesn't keep asking dick bags out, she'll be fine," Manjoume stated bluntly.
"Well, that's a little easier said than done considering how a lot of students here think but I suppose I could give her a shot. There's nothing not cute about her. Dallas is pretty cute and liking cats isn't so bad." Though Sho kind of hoped that she had sort of a different interest besides cats but if he gave hanging out with her a shot, he might find out that she does like other things. What's the worst that could happen if he did?
Manjoume laughed, giving Sho a thumb up and a wink. "Good for you, Sho. I'm sure that Dallas will be happy to know that you're willing to go out with her. Unlike most of the idiot guys here, she deserves someone that doesn't just think of her as a piece of meat or overlook her because they think her friends are hotter." Which was stupid and an illogical way of thinking, but humanity has yet to evolve from being superficially idiotic, so nothing could be done about that, except pray the reproduction of idiots wouldn't continue. 'Thanks, science,' Manjoume thought with a roll of his eyes while resting his arms on the table.
As for Judai, he finally came back with two plates of food, one for himself and the other for Manjoume. Considering that the Osiris dorm didn't get the same treatment when it came to food as the other dorms did, they had to settle for what they had. What was presented on the plate was fried shrimp with tater tots and honey mustard dressing. At least on his plate, on Manjoume's he'd put ranch dressing. The brunette wasn't sure what he liked to eat but he'll figure it out eventually. Unfortunately, this wasn't a five-star restaurant so what they had is what they had to offer in terms of food. It was either eat it or starve. Smiling, he sat the plate down in front of the raven-haired teen and then took a seat beside him.
"This was what was being served. I know it's not much but it's something. I hope it's alright, Mizuki," Judai said, then looked across over at his two male pals and grinned. "So, what all did you guys talk about while I was gone?" he asked.
While they talked, Manjoume zoned out, eyeing the plate of food that Judai had brought for him. He was grateful for it, he really was but, to be honest, he wasn't used to being given this sort of attention. Not in this manner. And while he should hate the idea of being touched by another male, he was starting to not mind it when it came to Judai. In the beginning, the very idea repulsed him and that was only because of what his older brother had done. He'd start to feel that he was unworthy of having a happier life whether it was having friends or a significant other. He didn't think he'd be able to function mentally if he tried. With so much that's happened to him, he was surprised that he never lost his mind sooner or maybe he had, and he just didn't realize it yet. He wasn't quite sure. He wasn't sure what to think anymore.
From the time he'd met Judai, he disliked the brunette very much. Dueling just came so easy for him and he always found joy in the game, not like himself who always relied on power and winning. They had very different ways of thinking and while he'd come to finally accept that when he came back, he still kept his distance. Not just because of that but because of his secret too. Now that Judai knew about it ... things felt so different now. He hadn't even thought all that much about Asuka like he normally did when he was around. Resting the side of his face against the back of his hand, his mind wandered again as he moved the food on his plate around with his fork. 'Am I really falling for him? Is that why I'm feeling this way? Why my heart ... feels like it's so tight against my chest?' he wondered.
Manjoume's lengthy period of silence had caused the three boys at the table to worry about him and he hadn't realized for the past three minutes they'd stopped talking and they were all staring at him. When he did, he blinked a few times, sweatdropping at the fact that they were staring at him like he had two extra pairs of heads but since he wasn't male now, he had to play it off to avoid suspicion. So he sat up straight, put on a smile while pushing back some of his long hair out of his face. "Guys, I thought we talked about this, it's quite rude to stare and not talk," he replied.
"You got quiet, so we were just making sure you're okay. You kind of zoned out there for a pretty long time, Mizuki-san," Sho said, Hayato agreeing with him with a nod of his head.
"Don't worry, I'm fine. I tend to just have moments where I think too hard about something. My mind wanders a lot. Don't take it too personally. Gomen nasai, guys," Manjoume apologized while laughing in a sheepish manner.
Though this caused Judai to place a hand on his shoulder while slightly frowning as he eyed Manjoume. After everything he'd told him, he wanted to make sure that his mind hadn't wandered onto those dark secrets he'd told him that he kept to himself for so many years. He knew that talking about them had to be tough, especially since the memories themselves would never go away and would remain forever. But he wanted the other to know that everything will be okay, no matter what happens no and in the future. "Are you sure, Mizuki?" Judai asked in a serious tone.
Manjoume looked Judai's way, acknowledging the concern he displayed by placing his own hand atop the brunette's. It was hard to deal with everything but as of now, it didn't seem so bad and that was because he had someone to finally talk to about it. He didn't want to bring down the mood so to get their minds onto something else, he poked Judai in his side which caused him to jump a little in surprise. "I'm fine, you big goof. Stop worrying so much about me. If anything, I should be worried about you with all this food you eat. I mean really, the carbs, the calories, the fat? It's like a slow death waiting to happen." He pushed the plate away from him and folded his arms across his chest.
"But it's tasty food. Sure, it's not healthy but we manage in the Osiris dorm. At least we get fed is what I'm saying," replied Hayato as he ate some of the tater tots off his plate to prove a point if one could call it that.
"Hayato's right. Plus, your stomach did growl very loudly before we came. You must eat something. We don't need you passing out during a duel or anything," Judai joked lightly, giving Manjoume a smile. He had to hand it to him, he didn't stay sad for long so that was a good thing. He was starting to try and make the best of what he had now instead of dwelling on the past. None of it was his fault and he shouldn't continue to blame himself for it.
Manjoume blushed when Judai mentioned the fact that his stomach had growled earlier. "Don't tell people that! That's embarrassing, baka!" he scolded him while smacking him upside the head.
"Ow!" Judai rubbed the back of his head, trying to figure out how or why what he said was a terrible thing. Using his head outside of dueling, was not his strong suit, especially when it came to the opposite sex. Although, he looked at it in a way as they were both teaching the other something they didn't know about. So, he took his "beating" in stride and playfully pouted. "Gomen nasai, Mizuki," he apologized, "I only said it because I was worried about you, that's all. Plus, I don't believe you've eaten a single thing all day and that's not good for your health."
Sho couldn't help but snicker. "Don't let Aniki try and butter up to you. He's only doing it so he can get your food," he joked.
"I am not," Judai swore as he defensively held up both of his hands. "I just think she needs to eat. Not good to let food go to waste like that."
"You practically eat everything as it is. All you have to do is ask and not beg," Manjoume joked as he slid the plate of food towards Judai. "I'm fine, really. Thanks anyway but I think a sandwich will suffice better for my appetite. I'm not feeling all that hungry anyway, but I'll eat something. That way, I don't worry you three. That good enough for you?" he asked as his gaze shifted from Judai to Sho, then Hayato.
The three boys looked at each other and then at Manjoume, nodding their heads at the same time. For some reason, Manjoume found this to be a little humorous. He always thought that hanging out with Osiris students were beneath him. In the beginning, he felt that way but now, it was completely different. Manjoume didn't think he would feel right at home here. Like he could be himself without being judged no matter what he said or did. Personally, he still desired to be the best duelist out there and Judai would always be his rival no matter what but to get to such a point, he knew he had to earn it by working hard and doing it the right way. He didn't want to get ahead due to his family's name and background but on skill and intelligence alone. Yes, he was starting to remember the personal goals he'd set for himself when he came to Duel Academia but because he listened to his brothers, he strayed away and became someone that he didn't like. In the end, it'd caused him to be lonely and misunderstood by many.
The only one that tried to understand him was Judai. He saw that he had potential to be a great duelist and a better person. It's funny how things work out in a way that everyone doesn't expect them to. Right now, he couldn't help but feel happy on the inside, which was a first in years. At that moment though, that's when Professor Daitokuji came into the cafeteria, holding onto his cat Pharaoh in his arms and like always when he showed up, the Osiris cafeteria was bustling with conversation. He was, however, surprised to see Manjoume there sitting with Judai and his friends. Judging by the conversation between the four of them, they were having an enjoyable time. He had to admit, that would probably be the first time he'd seen Manjoume smile, let alone have fun. As nice as that was though, and he was happy for the boy, unfortunately, he couldn't stay the night here as it would raise too many questions. And so, he headed over towards the group and smiled.
"Good evening students. Enjoying ourselves, are we, nya?" he asked.
"Hai, Daitokuji Sensei! This has probably been the most entertaining dinner we've had. We've Mizuki-san to thank for that," Sho said with a small laugh.
To hear a compliment like that coming from Sho was surprising to Manjoume. He always thought the little runt hated him. If he knew it was really him, chances are he wouldn't have said that, but he wasn't going to be mean and not accept what the boy had said to him. Plus, he couldn't lie to himself either. He did have fun tonight. More fun than he'd had in a long time. And so, Manjoume looked over at Professor Daitokuji, smiling and said in a cheerful tone, "Sho is being too kind. I haven't done anything at all except hang out with them. I totally didn't mind it though as they provided me with a lot of company and stimulating conversation."
"We provide stimulating conversation?" Hayato asked with his brow raised.
"I always thought girls hated it when we talked about how much we liked them," replied Sho jokingly which caused the three of them to join him in laughter.
"Funny, funny. He knows what I mean, Sensei. After all, nothing wrong with hanging out with friends now is there?" Manjoume winked, chuckling as he crossed one leg over the other and placed his hands in his lap.
His comment, however, had surprised Judai as he didn't think Manjoume would ever consider Sho and Hayato friends. He still didn't know what the two of them were. Even if they couldn't be more than, he was fine with just Manjoume's friendship but that's if he truly wanted it. He didn't want to see the other boy alone anymore when he did have people around that cared about him. He could tell that Manjoume was having fun tonight, which caused him to smile a bit as he looked over at him. He took that as a good sign that maybe there was hope for him yet. Though as his eyes had gazed upon Manjoume when the other had crossed his legs, it'd caused the skirt he wore to rise just a little and the brunette saw this, making his cheeks become stained pink. Immediately, he shifted his eyes to look away, coughing into his head to pretend he didn't see anything before Manjoume could question what was wrong with him. 'How inappropriate. What was Manjoume thinking when he brought that outfit here? Ah well, I'm going to lie and say it doesn't look good on him,' Judai thought to himself.
Unfortunately for him, Manjoume did notice the blush and the look on his face and knew that something was up. Whatever he was thinking, he just knew it was possibly perverted and was unable to resist pinching the brunette in his side while he wasn't paying attention. And in doing so, he grinned.
"Ow! What the hell!?" Judai swore as he grabbed his side while looking at Manjoume in confusion.
"I know that look on your face and it screams that you're thinking about something dirty. Well, I can't say I blame you, but I better be the only girl you're having those dirty little thoughts about," Manjoume teased, his grin growing increasingly bigger which made Judai's blush spread across his face.
All Sho could do was laugh and poke fun at his friend. "Haha, Aniki's been caught thinking things that he shouldn't."
"I was not!"
Manjoume pinched Judai in his side again.
"Ow! Why?!" He scooted away from Manjoume to avoid being pinched again, the other teasingly holding up his fingers and wiggling them in that 'I'm gonna get you' manner.
"Because you're lying and it's not good to lie. Isn't that right, Daitokuji Sensei?" asked Manjoume.
Professor Daitokuji himself was amused by the antics of his four students. But as humorous as it was, unfortunately, it was going to have to come to an end with it getting so late and everyone would have to retire to bed soon. He'd hate to have to ruin the fun, but they couldn't hang out all night in the cafeteria. How painful it was to be a teacher and enforce the rules. "Miss Jikan is right, nya. It's not good to lie and with that being known, you shouldn't probably do it unless you wish to suffer punishment," he said jokingly. "Anyway, I hate to have to do this to everyone, but it is time to head back to your dorm rooms for the night as the cafeteria will be closing up, nya." He looked to Judai who was trying to avoid being pinched by Manjoume again. "Judai-san, since you seemed to be the one that's helped Miss Jikan to fit in, perhaps you'd like to help her get her things situated in her dorm room. She and Miss Saotome-san are the only females in the Osiris dorm, but Miss Jikan has requested her own space as she doesn't like to share it. Would you mind making yourself useful in helping her get settled in, nya?" he asked of the brunette kindly.
Judai blinked in surprise, wondering how Manjoume even managed to get a room all to himself here in the Osiris dorm. The rooms were small enough as it was, and more than one person could room in them sure but upon thinking about that idea when Professor Daitokuji mentioned Rei, it was probably a wiser idea that he did have his own room. He didn't want to hear about the two of them getting into some bizarre cat fight in the middle of the night. Rei looked like she was just itching for it and it wouldn't be good to give her any sort of push in the direction that would cause her to just be set off. Collecting himself, he stood up from the table and held his hand out to Manjoume, smiling as he did so. "Of course. I don't mind at all. I'd be happy to help her get settled in," he said.
Professor Daitokuji nodded in approval. "Wonderful. I know you all are having fun together but try not to stay up too late now. Miss Jikan, your dorm room is downstairs, and it is the very last one. You all know you have classes so please try and get some rest and be prepared for tomorrow's lessons. Oyasumi nasai, minna-san!" The man waved goodnight to his students before exiting the dorm cafeteria.
As for Manjoume, he took Judai's offered hand, standing up as well, though he looked over at Sho and Hayato and said, "I feel bad that Judai has to help me get settled in. I feel like I'm stealing him away from the two of you."
Sho stood up too but shook his head. "Iie, Mizuki-san! It's quite alright. Besides, you're Aniki's girlfriend. It's normal that you'd be stealing him away from his friends for a little while. But don't worry, we'll put on a movie and keep it running until you're finished getting settled in. I'm thinking comedy movie tonight. No horror. Yeesh." Sho cringed, showing his obvious dislike for the horror movie genre. He couldn't get over just how pure computer animation made something so fake look so realistic. That was terrifying enough as it was. Yeah, he was good on watching a funny movie tonight.
Hayato, on the other hand, was not in favor of watching a funny movie. Well, a movie with more than just comedy in it. "We watched a comedy movie last time. Let's mix it up and watch a comedy horror movie. I got the perfect one in mind too."
Sho looked as if he was going pale, causing Manjoume and Judai both to blink, looking at their classmate's color leaving his complexion ... More so than it usually looked. "You okay, Sho? You don't look so good? Don't tell me you're one of those people that have nightmares after watching a scary movie, are you?" The raven-haired teen couldn't help but laugh a little at that. He seriously didn't know anyone who still had nightmares after watching a scary movie. Well, he was learning little by little more about Judai and his friends just by hanging out with them and this would be one of those things he learned about Sho.
"Iie! I don't! I just don't like scary movies! I'd rather not be scared out of my wit's end by some terrifying horrendous creature that shouldn't exist!"
"Aw come on, Sho, it's not a big deal. We all know you don't like scary movies. Besides, I think I know the movie Hayato's talking about. It's funnier than it is scary. It's basically like a scary documentary made by some guy that's basically freaking his own self out when he hears the littlest things. It's a spoof more than anything. I think you'll be alright." Judai gave Sho a comforting pat on the shoulder before leading Manjoume out of the cafeteria behind him but not before he'd poked his head back inside and added, "Oh and if you do get freaked out, try not to scream so loud because we seriously don't need anyone banging on our door again about you being loud."
"Uresai, Aniki!" Sho shouted angrily in embarrassment as he grabbed a half-eaten corn dog off a plate and threw it at Judai, but he ducked out just in time to avoid getting hit with it and it ended up being thrown against the door instead. He was now left there with Hayato as many of their Osiris classmates had already begun to clear out of the cafeteria for the night.
"He's got a point, you know. About the screaming and the movie. You're gonna be fine. This movie's a really good laugh in might opinion as it's hilarious to watch this guy freak himself out," Hayato explained to him to give Sho some sort of reassurance. What good it would do since he'd still not want to watch it.
"Fine, whatever. Let's just put it on and hope they come back in time before the movie ends," said Sho, heaving a defeated sigh as he knew this was a fight he wasn't going to win when it came to movie night. If they've already watched one thing repeatedly then it was time for something different. Even if it was a lame spoof of a guy scaring himself shitless.
Meanwhile, Judai had walked in silence alongside Manjoume to his dorm room. Today, he could honestly say had been an emotional roller coaster. Not just for him but for Manjoume as well. Judai had already come to terms with his feelings for the other but he wasn't in any way going to rush him to make any decisions he was unable to make. Being there for him was enough, even if he were to remain stuck like this for the rest of his life, he'd be there for him no matter what. At best, he would try to make things a little easier, but something told the brunette that if he knew Manjoume's secret, things were hardly going to be easy.
Upon reaching Manjoume's room, the raven-haired teen wasted no time going inside, flipping on the light switch to reveal a desk and a bed. None of these things were in the room, which he didn't expect that but at least he could sleep here temporarily without having to walk all the way to the Obelisk boys' dorm. He didn't mind it, but it was way too late to be doing that, plus he was also emotionally exhausted. Things may have started out weird but surprisingly, they turned out alright. He had Judai there to help him through it and that was saying a lot since he'd never wanted anything to do with the brunette. His mind started to wonder as he sat on the edge of the bed, kicking his shoes off his feet.
Judai, on the other hand, was looking around the room, in amazement, making Manjoume raise his brow questioningly. "Wow, this is a lot of space with just one bed in here. Be nice if our room was expanded this much. Wouldn't have to worry about tripping over Sho's shoes anymore," he laughed.
'That answers my question. Was wondering why he was skulking about the room like he was looking for something,' Manjoume thought as he laid back on the bed, his arms outstretched. "You're so weird, dropout boy. You find amazement in the smallest things that others could care less about. How is it that you can do that, and others can't?" he asked, merely curious to hear the answer he would give.
"Hm? I really don't know. I just am. Having a roommate for so long makes one forget what it's like to have their own room sometimes. I sure miss my room, but it'll still be there for whenever I return home." He tilted his head to the side as he looked over at Manjoume, his hands rested behind him on the desk that he was leaning up against. "You're more than welcome to come home with me during any of our vacations we have coming up. I know my family would love you."
Manjoume's eyes widened slightly as the color in his cheeks became noticeable as he sat up partially on the bed, using his elbows to prop himself up. He was surprised at Judai's words, but he also frowned rather than appearing to be excited at such an offer. A better offer than spending his vacation with his family around his brothers. "I ... You really don't know if your parents are going to like me, Judai. If I am going to be stuck switching genders for the rest of my life, then more than likely I'm not going to look the same if I were to go home with you. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I don't want to it's just ... this whole thing with this curse. I'm tired of dealing with it. I want it to be broken and I know it won't happen and that's because I've not made up my mind on who I'm in love with. Right about now though, you're the only person that's been on my mind for the past two days. I'm not really sure if that's supposed to be a good thing or not."
All Judai could do was chuckle as he pushed himself to stand up straight and headed towards Manjoume only to gently place his hands on the sides of the others face, lifting his head up to where he could clearly see his face. A smile was clearly upon his while Manjoume's was covered in a faint yet noticeable blush. He didn't push Judai away but instead placed his own hand against the brunette's, finding his touch, the feel of his hands to be so comforting, so warm. Judai just looked down at him lovingly, pressing their lips together in a small kiss. "That is a good thing, Manjoume. At least it should be. You've no idea how hard it is right now for me to control himself when I'm around you but you of all people know that I wouldn't do anything to hurt you. I've made that perfectly clear to you. I will not hurt you. I, in fact, am in love with you, Manjoume. I have been for the longest time. You don't have to give me an answer regarding this but feel that it's appropriate for you to know because I don't want to lie to you anymore."
Manjoume's heart felt as if was going to fall out of his chest right now with the way it was pounding so hard. He was aware that Judai had liked him as more than a friend, but this was something he'd not expected to hear from him. He was in love with him. Someone was in love with him. Why him? After everything that he'd told him, how could he love him? Had he really forgiven him for how he'd asked when they first met during their freshmen year? That would be way too easy. It just seemed too good to be true. Yet, Manjoume could tell there weren't any hidden subliminal messages behind his words. He did, no he was in love with him. The only problem was, he didn't know how he felt about Judai. Granted, he thought of him as nothing more than an idiot, still did but in others, when he really needed someone to be there, to talk to, he was there to listen and to comfort him.
So many emotions were overwhelming him all at once that he disliked how he was feeling. It was the man reason why he disliked being female because of the emotional side that came with it. Despite that, he did care for Judai and accepted his feelings even if he couldn't tell him his own right now. He knew Judai would never hurt him as he wasn't that type of person. But just hearing him say that he loved him was enough to make him feel so happy inside and he wrapped his arms around the brunette's neck, kissing him while leaning back against the bed, pulling Judai along with him. Judai eagerly returned it while carefully caressing the left side of Manjoume's body with his hand, until he reached just high enough to gently grab one of his breasts and started to massage it through the shirt he wore. He wasn't sure how comfortable Manjoume would be with the idea of him touching his exposed skin, so he kept just at this, steady kissing him as he continued to massage him, he himself releasing a moan in the process.
Hearing such a sound coming from Judai was something Manjoume never pictured. He was still very much innocent and unless he told him otherwise, he wouldn't do anything further unless he wanted him to. The raven-haired teen was glad the brunette respected that and because he had, he felt like he could trust him, more than he'd ever trusted anybody in his entire life. He didn't want to be afraid any longer. The kiss between them lasted a few moments longer before Manjoume had broken it, softly panting along with his face painted red due to Judai's hand still present on his breast. He didn't stop him, but he decided to be a little daring to see the others reaction and thus he'd placed his own hand atop Judai's as he stared up at him. "Judai ..." he whispered breathlessly, taking Judai's hand from his breast and placing it on his stomach as sort of a hint. Though this was Judai, so he figured he wouldn't get it. However, he was willing to take that chance.
Judai was taken by surprise since such activity was still new to him. He was willing to take things slow for Manjoume's sake. Though as he'd broken their kiss, he'd assumed he'd done something wrong when Manjoume had moved his hand down to his stomach but the tone of his voice and how he'd spoken his name indicated that he hadn't. That it was possible that he wanted to … He quickly pushed the thoughts he had as his eyes never left Manjoume's face. "Manjoume … are you sure?" he asked him. He wanted to touch every part of him, yes but he felt it was just too soon for that. Plus, they may have been alone, but the walls weren't exactly thick.
He nodded, giving the brunette the reassurance that he needed. "Hai … I trust you, Judai ..." he spoke breathlessly.
Manjoume trusted him. Judai was surprised to hear him say that but happy as well. As happy as he felt, he was still wary of doing anything that the other may not have felt comfortable with. But he was given the okay and thus the brunette slowly began to move his hand up under the shirt that Manjoume wore, soft moans escaping from the dark-haired teen, making his body tingle at the feeling of Judai's hand against his skin. Judai then leaned forward to kiss Manjoume but unfortunately had been interrupted by the sounds of a knock at the door of Manjoume's temporary dorm room, along with opening the door. Manjoume heard it as well and both quickly sat up to avoid being caught in such an uncompromising position, though not without their heads colliding with one another in the process. As for the one that interrupted them, it was none other than Sho who had been wondering what was taking so long for the two of them to return.
Like earlier, he'd walked in on the scene of Judai and Mizuki together but instead of laying together, they were rubbing their head in pain and the young bluenette just stared at them with his brow raised, wondering what was going on before he'd gotten there. "I'm gonna say that I came at a really bad time, didn't I?" he asked, sweat dropping while laughing in a sheepish manner.
"No shit, short stack," Manjoume spat out in annoyance, steady rubbing his head.
"Gomen, gomen. I did knock though," said Sho which caused Manjoume to glare at him but given that he was Judai's friend, he decided to let it go. Since it was probably for the best they'd stopped before things got further. As for Sho, he just chuckled innocently while trying to keep his mind out of the gutter, since he figured that the two of them were in the middle of doing something this time. As fun as it would be to tease, he thought it best not to. Instead, he brought up the movie. "Anyway, we put the scary movie on. Just waiting for you two. Didn't want it to get too far ahead before you guys showed up and such."
"Ah, so that's why you're here," Judai replied, rubbing his head as well. He rose to his feet while clearing his throat in the process. "We were on our way. You didn't have to come get us, Sho. But hey, since you're here we might as well get going, huh?" He looked to Manjoume who displayed a disappointed look on his face. Judai could tell that Manjoume wanted things to last just a little while longer between them. He wanted that too but there was no such thing as privacy since he'd been here at Duel Academia. He did feel bad and carefully took Manjoume's hand into his own, pulling him to stand up with him. "Hey, maybe next time, okay?" he said to him, placing a kiss on his cheek which the action caused the two of them to blush.
Manjoume didn't know if they would get a "next time". Next time would have to mean that he'd finally come to terms with his own feelings for Judai. He had … until the end of tomorrow night to figure that out. Otherwise, he would be stuck with this curse forever. The thought annoyed him but at least he didn't have to hide it from Judai who has been more than supportive and understanding about it. 'As much as he is, I just … I just can't say it to him. Why though?' There were so many conflicting emotions running through him, but he didn't want to ruin the rest of tonight thinking about it. For now, he wanted to forget about them and just have a little bit of fun, even if it was with people he originally found to be nothing more than annoying losers that would never amount to anything.
"Yeah, maybe next time," Manjoume finally said after a long moment of silence. He then turned to Sho, surprised that he let Hayato put on the scary movie he mentioned earlier during dinner or it could've been something else. "So Sho, you caved in on a fright night huh?" he joked.
Hearing that made Sho go pale and sighed in defeat. "Yeah, yeah. I caved and we're watching a scary movie. It's Hallow's Eve after all so it's only fitting. Eh, Hayato thought so. Anyway, we got the movie on if you two are ready. He picked a horribly gruesome one. I'm not going to be able to sleep for a week," he whined as he exited the room to make his way back to their dorm.
"Haha awesome. A good horror movie never hurt anybody," said Judai excitedly.
"Yeah, this should actually be fun. I haven't watched a good horror flick in forever. And Hayato's right. It's fitting for the night so hey, why not enjoy it?" Manjoume shrugged his shoulders, then placed his hands behind his head as he'd begun to leave the room, Judai followed suit beside him, glad that Manjoume wasn't letting what was going on with him, take away his ability to just live. 'This is my last night. Tomorrow … I will have to figure out my feelings. Am I in love with Judai … or not?'
As everyone on campus had retired to their dorms, sleeping or awake entertaining themselves and such, what was once a calm night became disturbed with the howling sounds of the wind. Wind and … a very unsettling laughter that came with it. The wind became fierce, the leaves that flew and a cloud of darkness had begun to take form on the academy docks. That very dark cloud taking the form of a tall beautiful woman, that wore a variation of the faculty uniforms but with a hood attached to it that was draped over her head. Her lips formed into a wickedly cruel and sadistic smile as she held her hand out before her and summoned a mirror. It showed no reflection but rather the restless souls that were sealed within it, screeching and wailing to be freed. The wind may have settled but the grounds were now coated in a menacing atmosphere. Just how the woman wanted it to be. "Soon you all will have another soul joining you before tomorrow night ends. It is time … to collect." She chuckled darkly, willing the mirror away as she began heading to the school. "I am coming for you, Manjoume Jun!" The woman cackled, her evil laughter traveling throughout the grounds of the school.
Duel Academia … was in for a dark night …
DR. KAREN: Yay! I finally had the inspiration to finish the rewrite of chapter four … and plus I entered this story into a Halloween newsletter thingy so … that also would do it too. ^^
FP: We still had some stimulating sexiness going on in this chapter. Aww yeah. … Then Sho ruined it. Dammit Sho! (shakes fists)
DR. KAREN: You pervert. Anyway, it's been three years and I'm sorry for that. Life happened which is why I hadn't really worked on the rewrite or had the muse for it. But to give you a small heads up on some changes in the coming rewrite chapters. The evil witch Izanami will still be present just with a new name. That is one change. Chapter five will be different from its original counterpart which is what I am going for and I promise it shall be entertaining for you all. Though I feel like this chapter was ended cheaply but the ending part where "Izanami" appears and takes form is another change too. What insanity will ensue? Well, you'll just have to wait for chapter five to be rewritten.
FP: WHOO! More evil stuff! Yes! Alright! All the evil! Evil for days!
DR. KAREN: …. Yeah, no comment. (rolls eyes) That is all for now. Be on the lookout for chapter five!