Hanabi 34/?? - ReitaXRuki
Title: Hanabi
Chapter: 34/??
Author: chuu ( akichuu)
Fandom: JRock, Gazette
Pairings: ReitaXRuki. Some other pairings in the background that you might find later on...
Overall Rating: PG
Genre: Drop dead fluffy.
Warnings: n/a. Un-beta-ed mistakes.
Summary: Back to school! Reita had a lot of adjustments to do, apparently... Not just with his school activities and such, but also involving a chibi-blond that, oddly enough, started to act a little differently toward him...
Comments: Another mass-action comment replying??? Aww... I suck. XDDD But thank you (999x) for all the appreciation, I DID read them all and I love them... And I'm sorry for keeping this chapter a little bit delayed, I guess I needed a vacation from it? And my computer decided to act against me, but it's fixed now (I screwed up the VGA or something *shrugs*). But here's chapter 34. I personally love this chapter, I hope you do too :D
Hanabi : 34
There were a lot of times in his life when Reita wished he could go back in time and re-do some of the things he had done, fix the matters he had screwed up, and put his course back onto its rightful direction. He wished he could have a second chance in some events in his life (events that might include second grade exams and stuffs...). Some people had told him: that's what deja vu was for. Now, he wouldn't know if it was true, that when a person went through that thing called deja vu, they were actually given a second chance. It was hard to believe that a person could go through the exact, same event twice, and personally, Reita had never experienced such thing.
But he thought he was experiencing something just like it now. Deja vu. Everything was closely the same: the shoe-locker, his awaiting pair of linen shoes, Ruki by his side... and an envelope. It suddenly occurred to him that maybe, just maybe, he was finally given a chance to re-do this part of his life. And to recall the mess that had gotten him so devastated in the last couple of months, he wouldn't mind going right back to that moment and do it all over again, setting things straight where they were supposed to be -- or rather, where Reita wanted them to be.
It wasn't a deja vu afterall, though, because when he pulled out the envelope from inside his locker, he noticed the difference: the envelope was blue. And it didn't smell funny. Oh... how could he ever forget the 'smelly-pink-envelope' trauma? Reita had washed his bag a couple of times, but he swore it still smelled so sickeningly sweet like that envelope had never left the inside of his bag at all.
"Another letter?"
The voice made him turn his sight to his side, at the chibi-blond who was looking up at him. Reita couldn't miss that pout and frown on his face.
Reita shrugged. "Yeah," he answered, flipping around the envelope to see the back. No names, no nothing. Only the fact that the envelope was placed inside Reita's locker signified that it was addressed to him. He bent down to reach for his bag and opened it to put the letter inside, having no intention to read it right then and there.
"You're not going to read it?" asked Ruki again.
Reita shook his head, carefully slipping the envelope between his textbooks before he lifted his gaze at Ruki. "No, the bell rang already, Ruki, we should be heading to class," he reminded, "Anyways. It's probably just Matsushima again."
For a reason Reita wasn't familiar of, Ruki pouted even more, pursing his lips tightly together and in the same time inflating his cheeks into two pink-colored buns. Nothing else but this sight could ever remind Reita of an easter bunny he had seen in coloring books when he was of kindergarten age. Forgetting about picking up his bag from the floor, he raised his healthy arm and poked his forefinger onto one of those buns. Ruki protested immediately, of course, but Reita only laughed and poked again and again. If the blond only knew, that aggravated look on his face was only adding up to Reita's delight; the more he pouted, the cuter he looked.
"Stop it, Reita!!" he yelled, probably trying to sound strict enough, but he failed miserably when Reita changed his target and poked on his waist instead, making Ruki squeal non-so-maturely. The blond became busy slapping Reita's hand away, chaotically throwing his pair of linen shoes to the floor. It really was an adorable sight how he kept squirming and how his hands were busy flailing at random places. Reita suspected Ruki kind of liked being tickled, since he wasn't trying all that hard to escape. Being healthy and all, it would've been easy for Ruki to simply push Reita away and dart off, if he wanted to. But who was Reita to complain, when all he ever wanted was to watch this little sunshine giggling oh-so-very-merrily?
"Hey, you two!!" a shout coming from the hallway stopped the two boys from moving; a teacher was beaming at them, both hands on his waist as he scolded, "Hurry up and get to class!!!"
Reita was caught off guard by the teacher's scolding, and Ruki used the chance to his benefits; he slipped from Reita's grip and, grabbing his shoes from the floor, ran away as fast as he could without slipping over the floor and fall. Reita stood and laughed; he would love to go and chase the blond, but he knew his current condition wouldn't allow him to. He knew he'd get his chance later. It's not like that blond could ever survive lunch break without him -- or his mother's bento box, whichever.
He didn't feel petrified at all when he heard Ruki shout, "I'll get you later, Reita!! You just watch it!" The blond could've made it sound more like a decent threat, if only he hadn't been half-laughing while muttering it.
~
Stupid-looking cat number one flew up into the air, swiftly like a jet-plane, and aiming his foot on his target, it plunged right back down to earth in a deadly speed. The purpose was of course to kill its opponent: stupid-looking cat number two, or... what was its name? Masao. Yes, Reita remembered that. And so, as a result of the fatal hit, Masao was now lying on the floor, seemed to be defeated.
But wait! He rose up again! He hadn't given up! It seemed like Masao still had some hidden strength left in him.
"Ruki," Reita called out, giggling as the name slipped out of his mouth.
"Huh?" Ruki replied, but kept his focus on those cats. He was now making Masao lift up a fist and aim it to its opponent; a payback attack, of course. And when the fist collided with stupid-looking cat number one, the blond made a 'POW' sound with his pouty mouth. Stupid-looking cat number one was thrown back from the power of the blow, it landed on the floor, slid against it for a few centimetres before it stopped dead; would've been gushing blood from his nose probably, if it had known how.
"Ruki, why are you carrying those two up here?" Reita asked, curious and amused in the same time.
"What? Them?" the battle was delayed when Ruki lifted those cats with his hands, "Because I can't leave them back in class."
Reita furrowed his brows together, "Why not?"
"Some of the girls in my class have had their eyes on these two," Ruki explained, the as-a-matter-of-fact tone in his voice was simply adorable, "Those girls had stolen things from me before, you know. I really have no idea why they would be interested in my pencils or erasers. But I really can't let them steal Masao and Ryuuji."
"Masao and... Ryuuji?" Reita repeated unsurely.
"Yes," Ruki lifted the newer cat -- the one Reita had won in the ring-throwing booth, back then at the festival. "This one is Ryuuji," Ruki said, flailing the so-called Ryuuji in his hand, "Ryuuji, say hello to Reita." He changed the tone of his voice to what Reita guessed was Ryuuji's tone of voice, muttering: "Hello, Reita!"
But of course, why should Reita be so surprised? He knew it all along that Ruki liked naming just about everything he met on the streets, including Reita. Some of the names Ruki came up with never made sense to Reita, just like 'Reita' itself. What kind of a name was that? And why did Ruki think Akira would be better off called Reita? And 'Ruki'! Where did that boy get that name from? It wasn't a common name, it was more like something that came out of a kid gurgling water in his throat. Reita had once thought it was English the very first time he heard the name, but then again, how could a kid of four year old know English?
That was Ruki, or at least one abnormal side from the many that he had; for the rest of the world, he might just be an annoyance, a disturbing little insect (well... Reita honestly thought of him as one too, sometimes...). But for Reita, he was just adorable that way. Ruki could call him anything he wanted if that would make the chibi happy -- with an exception of some names, of course. Reita was only happy that Ruki didn't pick out the names from animals names or any other indecent words that would definitely offend if they were used to call a person.
He huffed, knowing it would be endless if he wanted to sort out Ruki's weirdness one by one, he could start now and end up late tonight, while lunch break hour wasn't going to last all that long. He still had something to do: read the letter he had found this morning. But after he extracted that blue envelope from inside his blazer, Reita frowned. Now... how was he supposed to wreck open an evelope using one hand? Well he could hold down the envelope with his foot, and tear it with his hand, but then it would be dirty...
"Need help?"
Reita lifted his head from his confusion, gazing at Ruki, considering the offer the blond had just made, and then nodded. He saw Ruki shift up and walk toward him, and then sat himself down right next to Reita. Reita handed him the envelope, watching every bit of Ruki's expression while the blond started to rip the envelope on its edge. When it was opened -- which, to Reita's surprise, was quite neatly done -- Ruki pulled out the folded paper from inside the envelope and gave it to Reita.
Reita smiled and muttered his thanks.
The letter was even longer than the previous one, now that he had seen what was written in it. Yes, it was from Matsushima again, this was her writing as Reita was familiar of it.
Dear Suzuki-san,
Oh, she started with the very same heading.
How are you, Suzuki-san? If you have received this letter, then you'd be out of the hospital already. Congratulations. The doctors and nurses treated you well, didn't they? I hope your injuries are healing quick enough. Well now... welcome back to school.
Suzuki-san, I write this just incase I'll be gone before you are let out from the hospital, and also because I could barely say anything in front of you, I guess this is a better way.
First of all: thank you so very much.
Of course you know why I am thanking you for. Thank you for saving me that day. I regretted why you had to get hurt instead of me, I really feel sorry. But thank you... thank you so much.
After that day... that day when you got hurt, I realized that... I really couldn't stay the way I was. I was a coward, I hated myself for being one, so I decided I had to change that. For the first time ever, I had the courage to come forth and tell the truth, to let everyone know what really happened, and if you ask me how I could be strong enough, I thought of you along the way. I thought of how bravely you jumped in to the scene and fought for me, saving me from those people and getting yourself hurt instead. I thought that... if you could do that for someone like me, someone you've only known for merely a month, why couldn't I do anything for you? You that I have admired from months before...
I hope the police or the school board give those people some proper punishment. I don't really care what they've done to me, but they couldn't just hurt you and run away with it.
My father, as you might have heard about him already, has been released from charges weeks ago. That was supposed to clear his name in public, but apparently that just wasn't the way with the people in our school. They all just wanted someone to beat up, I think, someone weak that wouldn't have the courage to tell anyone. Unfortunately I have given him them that priviledge for many months, and it has become my biggest regret in life.
After coming to visit you, that day at the hospital, my family decided we should move out of town. I suppose this was something they had been thinking about for a while, and I wasn't surprised when they told me about it. I personally had thought about moving away myself. Days and days of getting tortured really would make you feel like running away, Suzuki-san, believe me.
The hardest thing about leaving this place... is the realization that I might not be able to see you again. I can try to write to you regularly, but that is only if you don't mind.
There will be a lot of adjusting to do, I know, but maybe in the new town I can finally live my life normally. I can only hope that I'll meet anyone half as nice and gentle as you, in the town I'm moving in...
I know I could never thank you enough for everything that you've done for me. I owe you a lot, and I don't know if I'll live that long to pay it back to you. It's not just the fight recently. It is even for being my friend... while the rest of the school were shutting me away, you stayed around, and I owe you for that. Before you came along, for a while already, I didn't know what it was like to have a friend...
I appreciate you for staying around and being my friend, Suzuki-san, I really do. Maybe I don't look so grateful, that is because I didn't know how to express my gratitude. If only there were more people like you in this school, I would've been a happier person. But even you is enough. You have made me a happier person. I just wished I'd known you sooner.
Thank you again, Suzuki-san. And my whole family says the same thing too, they asked me to tell you that. You're probably the kindest person there is on earth, and I know that you will live happily among friends that love you for who you are. I will always cherish the friendship you agreed to give me, and I know you'll be in my heart forever. You really deserve that special place.
Hereby I enclose my new address, just incase you need it, or maybe you'd like to visit me, someday?
So then... Until we meet again, Suzuki-san.
With love,
Matsushima Yuri.
As he reached the last line written on that paper, Reita sighed. His heart felt like it was swelling inside of him... It wasn't the kind of feeling that he was familiar with, but then again, it's not everyday that he got someone writing him a letter and thanking him excessively like this. The day he agreed to be Matsushima's friend, he wasn't thinking so much of where this new relationship would take him. He thought she was simply a new friend, and for Reita, new friends could come any day, there really was nothing extraordinary about it. Not that he didn't appreciate his friends, no; on the contrary, new friends, old friends, Reita held them all close to heart.
Throughout his life, Reita had always believed that it would be best to treasure what he had, and that would include his family and friends. Reita knew what it was like to lose someone close; it had hurt very much the day he found out he wasn't going to have a father anymore. Experience was always a strict teacher, and Reita had figured it out the hard way, he should be grateful with what he had and he should hang on the best that he could to the people he loved.
You never know what you've got until it's gone.
And now that Matsushima's gone, Reita knew he was going to miss her, no matter how shortly he had known her.
A breath was caugh in his throat when he felt something -- a pair of arms -- encircling him and a blond head suddenly filling his whole sight. It wasn't until a stinging pain throbbed on his injured shoulder that he realized what was going on.
"Ruki...?" he mumured confusedly. Why was Ruki suddenly hugging him?
He could feel Ruki tightening his hold just a little bit more, making Reita cringe in pain (although, amazingly, he managed to stay quiet about it), before the blond spoke: "It's true, Reita-chan... You are the kindest person there is on earth. Everybody will want to be your friend the first time they meet you, because you're so very nice, and sweet, and caring. You're just... everything good and more. It's no wonder why they all love you..."
The pain on his shoulder was definitely something, but Reita could barely feel anything else but this constriction growing in his chest.
"You make everybody around you happy," Ruki continued, "And - and me... You make me happy... very happy..."
Reita swore he could hear something liquid trickling inside his chest and he wondered if his heart had melted. Nothing that Matsushima said in her letter could've made him feel this touched, nothing that anyone else in the universe might tell him could've had the same effect as this. The world could thank him by presenting many gifts or an amount of money that he hadn't even known existed, but nothing of that sort could make him fly and float above the clouds like now.
Carefully, Reita lifted Ruki's head from his (injured) shoulder. He wanted to grin when he saw Ruki's face that looked so red and messy, but cancelled it the minute he realized Ruki was crying. "Ruki..." he whispered, rubbing a tear that fell down Ruki's cheek. The action only made Ruki hitch his breath and sob, his lips quivering while he seemed to be holding back to keep his sobbing to minimum. The sight was making the tight constriction in Reita's chest become even tighter. Screw it, he thought; and, closing his eyes, he kissed Ruki's cheek, feeling the warm surface flinch just a little bit under his lips. He pressed his lips there once again, before finally sliding and closing them on Ruki's pouty ones, couldn't care less of what consequence he would get by doing this. He really couldn't think of anything else, nothing but the feeling of Ruki being so close, so willing to be in his arms. And of course, above all... the feeling of these lips again...
Although they were quivering, they still felt as soft as the first time Reita kissed him... Which happened to remind him, this was exactly where that event had taken place: the rooftop.
When Reita pulled back, he was kind of ready to see Ruki get all angry and run away from him again, but no. That wasn't what the blond did. Ruki stayed, defying all that Reita was afraid of when he clutched on Reita's sides instead, apparently was going to lean his head on that same shoulder again. But Reita stopped him. "Wait, wait," he said, "Not there." He cradled Ruki's head in his hand and guided him to lean it on the healthy shoulder. He could hear Ruki mumbled a rather-shaky "sorry" before he clung his arms tightly around Reita. Reita only responded by pulling the blond even closer, holding onto him the best that he could with only one arm.
Not once in Reita's life had he felt so amazing, so undescribable; it was as if every single organ in his body was exploding into a million butterflies and they were all fluttering their colorful wings inside of him now. It was overwhelming. It was everything and more that he had been praying for in those nights in a dark, deserted hospital room, this was closely what he had wished for... He hadn't been able to sleep without uncertainties filling up his brain, uncertainties that he had endured after Ruki kissed him that night, uncertainties that he had had to suffer because the blond hadn't said a thing about it afterwards. Reita waited and waited, but nothing else happened. Not another kiss. Not a single word about it.
But Reita had no questions anymore now. He had never felt more content than he was now, and the skies were never as clearer, as brighter. This alone was enough: he had kissed Ruki and Ruki surely had kissed him back, and afterward, Ruki stayed in his arms, and the whole thing was like it was all meant to be. Yes, this was certainly enough, even if there was no confirmation or anything of the sort said between them.
There was no scientific explanation for why Reita was now feeling like he could ditch the whole world, forget everything and just live in this moment forever; there was no other word... but 'love'.
And now he only prayed that time would just stop so that the bell wouldn't ring...
=====
previous chapters and other titles
Chapter: 34/??
Author: chuu ( akichuu)
Fandom: JRock, Gazette
Pairings: ReitaXRuki. Some other pairings in the background that you might find later on...
Overall Rating: PG
Genre: Drop dead fluffy.
Warnings: n/a. Un-beta-ed mistakes.
Summary: Back to school! Reita had a lot of adjustments to do, apparently... Not just with his school activities and such, but also involving a chibi-blond that, oddly enough, started to act a little differently toward him...
Comments: Another mass-action comment replying??? Aww... I suck. XDDD But thank you (999x) for all the appreciation, I DID read them all and I love them... And I'm sorry for keeping this chapter a little bit delayed, I guess I needed a vacation from it? And my computer decided to act against me, but it's fixed now (I screwed up the VGA or something *shrugs*). But here's chapter 34. I personally love this chapter, I hope you do too :D
Hanabi : 34
There were a lot of times in his life when Reita wished he could go back in time and re-do some of the things he had done, fix the matters he had screwed up, and put his course back onto its rightful direction. He wished he could have a second chance in some events in his life (events that might include second grade exams and stuffs...). Some people had told him: that's what deja vu was for. Now, he wouldn't know if it was true, that when a person went through that thing called deja vu, they were actually given a second chance. It was hard to believe that a person could go through the exact, same event twice, and personally, Reita had never experienced such thing.
But he thought he was experiencing something just like it now. Deja vu. Everything was closely the same: the shoe-locker, his awaiting pair of linen shoes, Ruki by his side... and an envelope. It suddenly occurred to him that maybe, just maybe, he was finally given a chance to re-do this part of his life. And to recall the mess that had gotten him so devastated in the last couple of months, he wouldn't mind going right back to that moment and do it all over again, setting things straight where they were supposed to be -- or rather, where Reita wanted them to be.
It wasn't a deja vu afterall, though, because when he pulled out the envelope from inside his locker, he noticed the difference: the envelope was blue. And it didn't smell funny. Oh... how could he ever forget the 'smelly-pink-envelope' trauma? Reita had washed his bag a couple of times, but he swore it still smelled so sickeningly sweet like that envelope had never left the inside of his bag at all.
"Another letter?"
The voice made him turn his sight to his side, at the chibi-blond who was looking up at him. Reita couldn't miss that pout and frown on his face.
Reita shrugged. "Yeah," he answered, flipping around the envelope to see the back. No names, no nothing. Only the fact that the envelope was placed inside Reita's locker signified that it was addressed to him. He bent down to reach for his bag and opened it to put the letter inside, having no intention to read it right then and there.
"You're not going to read it?" asked Ruki again.
Reita shook his head, carefully slipping the envelope between his textbooks before he lifted his gaze at Ruki. "No, the bell rang already, Ruki, we should be heading to class," he reminded, "Anyways. It's probably just Matsushima again."
For a reason Reita wasn't familiar of, Ruki pouted even more, pursing his lips tightly together and in the same time inflating his cheeks into two pink-colored buns. Nothing else but this sight could ever remind Reita of an easter bunny he had seen in coloring books when he was of kindergarten age. Forgetting about picking up his bag from the floor, he raised his healthy arm and poked his forefinger onto one of those buns. Ruki protested immediately, of course, but Reita only laughed and poked again and again. If the blond only knew, that aggravated look on his face was only adding up to Reita's delight; the more he pouted, the cuter he looked.
"Stop it, Reita!!" he yelled, probably trying to sound strict enough, but he failed miserably when Reita changed his target and poked on his waist instead, making Ruki squeal non-so-maturely. The blond became busy slapping Reita's hand away, chaotically throwing his pair of linen shoes to the floor. It really was an adorable sight how he kept squirming and how his hands were busy flailing at random places. Reita suspected Ruki kind of liked being tickled, since he wasn't trying all that hard to escape. Being healthy and all, it would've been easy for Ruki to simply push Reita away and dart off, if he wanted to. But who was Reita to complain, when all he ever wanted was to watch this little sunshine giggling oh-so-very-merrily?
"Hey, you two!!" a shout coming from the hallway stopped the two boys from moving; a teacher was beaming at them, both hands on his waist as he scolded, "Hurry up and get to class!!!"
Reita was caught off guard by the teacher's scolding, and Ruki used the chance to his benefits; he slipped from Reita's grip and, grabbing his shoes from the floor, ran away as fast as he could without slipping over the floor and fall. Reita stood and laughed; he would love to go and chase the blond, but he knew his current condition wouldn't allow him to. He knew he'd get his chance later. It's not like that blond could ever survive lunch break without him -- or his mother's bento box, whichever.
He didn't feel petrified at all when he heard Ruki shout, "I'll get you later, Reita!! You just watch it!" The blond could've made it sound more like a decent threat, if only he hadn't been half-laughing while muttering it.
~
Stupid-looking cat number one flew up into the air, swiftly like a jet-plane, and aiming his foot on his target, it plunged right back down to earth in a deadly speed. The purpose was of course to kill its opponent: stupid-looking cat number two, or... what was its name? Masao. Yes, Reita remembered that. And so, as a result of the fatal hit, Masao was now lying on the floor, seemed to be defeated.
But wait! He rose up again! He hadn't given up! It seemed like Masao still had some hidden strength left in him.
"Ruki," Reita called out, giggling as the name slipped out of his mouth.
"Huh?" Ruki replied, but kept his focus on those cats. He was now making Masao lift up a fist and aim it to its opponent; a payback attack, of course. And when the fist collided with stupid-looking cat number one, the blond made a 'POW' sound with his pouty mouth. Stupid-looking cat number one was thrown back from the power of the blow, it landed on the floor, slid against it for a few centimetres before it stopped dead; would've been gushing blood from his nose probably, if it had known how.
"Ruki, why are you carrying those two up here?" Reita asked, curious and amused in the same time.
"What? Them?" the battle was delayed when Ruki lifted those cats with his hands, "Because I can't leave them back in class."
Reita furrowed his brows together, "Why not?"
"Some of the girls in my class have had their eyes on these two," Ruki explained, the as-a-matter-of-fact tone in his voice was simply adorable, "Those girls had stolen things from me before, you know. I really have no idea why they would be interested in my pencils or erasers. But I really can't let them steal Masao and Ryuuji."
"Masao and... Ryuuji?" Reita repeated unsurely.
"Yes," Ruki lifted the newer cat -- the one Reita had won in the ring-throwing booth, back then at the festival. "This one is Ryuuji," Ruki said, flailing the so-called Ryuuji in his hand, "Ryuuji, say hello to Reita." He changed the tone of his voice to what Reita guessed was Ryuuji's tone of voice, muttering: "Hello, Reita!"
But of course, why should Reita be so surprised? He knew it all along that Ruki liked naming just about everything he met on the streets, including Reita. Some of the names Ruki came up with never made sense to Reita, just like 'Reita' itself. What kind of a name was that? And why did Ruki think Akira would be better off called Reita? And 'Ruki'! Where did that boy get that name from? It wasn't a common name, it was more like something that came out of a kid gurgling water in his throat. Reita had once thought it was English the very first time he heard the name, but then again, how could a kid of four year old know English?
That was Ruki, or at least one abnormal side from the many that he had; for the rest of the world, he might just be an annoyance, a disturbing little insect (well... Reita honestly thought of him as one too, sometimes...). But for Reita, he was just adorable that way. Ruki could call him anything he wanted if that would make the chibi happy -- with an exception of some names, of course. Reita was only happy that Ruki didn't pick out the names from animals names or any other indecent words that would definitely offend if they were used to call a person.
He huffed, knowing it would be endless if he wanted to sort out Ruki's weirdness one by one, he could start now and end up late tonight, while lunch break hour wasn't going to last all that long. He still had something to do: read the letter he had found this morning. But after he extracted that blue envelope from inside his blazer, Reita frowned. Now... how was he supposed to wreck open an evelope using one hand? Well he could hold down the envelope with his foot, and tear it with his hand, but then it would be dirty...
"Need help?"
Reita lifted his head from his confusion, gazing at Ruki, considering the offer the blond had just made, and then nodded. He saw Ruki shift up and walk toward him, and then sat himself down right next to Reita. Reita handed him the envelope, watching every bit of Ruki's expression while the blond started to rip the envelope on its edge. When it was opened -- which, to Reita's surprise, was quite neatly done -- Ruki pulled out the folded paper from inside the envelope and gave it to Reita.
Reita smiled and muttered his thanks.
The letter was even longer than the previous one, now that he had seen what was written in it. Yes, it was from Matsushima again, this was her writing as Reita was familiar of it.
Dear Suzuki-san,
Oh, she started with the very same heading.
How are you, Suzuki-san? If you have received this letter, then you'd be out of the hospital already. Congratulations. The doctors and nurses treated you well, didn't they? I hope your injuries are healing quick enough. Well now... welcome back to school.
Suzuki-san, I write this just incase I'll be gone before you are let out from the hospital, and also because I could barely say anything in front of you, I guess this is a better way.
First of all: thank you so very much.
Of course you know why I am thanking you for. Thank you for saving me that day. I regretted why you had to get hurt instead of me, I really feel sorry. But thank you... thank you so much.
After that day... that day when you got hurt, I realized that... I really couldn't stay the way I was. I was a coward, I hated myself for being one, so I decided I had to change that. For the first time ever, I had the courage to come forth and tell the truth, to let everyone know what really happened, and if you ask me how I could be strong enough, I thought of you along the way. I thought of how bravely you jumped in to the scene and fought for me, saving me from those people and getting yourself hurt instead. I thought that... if you could do that for someone like me, someone you've only known for merely a month, why couldn't I do anything for you? You that I have admired from months before...
I hope the police or the school board give those people some proper punishment. I don't really care what they've done to me, but they couldn't just hurt you and run away with it.
My father, as you might have heard about him already, has been released from charges weeks ago. That was supposed to clear his name in public, but apparently that just wasn't the way with the people in our school. They all just wanted someone to beat up, I think, someone weak that wouldn't have the courage to tell anyone. Unfortunately I have given him them that priviledge for many months, and it has become my biggest regret in life.
After coming to visit you, that day at the hospital, my family decided we should move out of town. I suppose this was something they had been thinking about for a while, and I wasn't surprised when they told me about it. I personally had thought about moving away myself. Days and days of getting tortured really would make you feel like running away, Suzuki-san, believe me.
The hardest thing about leaving this place... is the realization that I might not be able to see you again. I can try to write to you regularly, but that is only if you don't mind.
There will be a lot of adjusting to do, I know, but maybe in the new town I can finally live my life normally. I can only hope that I'll meet anyone half as nice and gentle as you, in the town I'm moving in...
I know I could never thank you enough for everything that you've done for me. I owe you a lot, and I don't know if I'll live that long to pay it back to you. It's not just the fight recently. It is even for being my friend... while the rest of the school were shutting me away, you stayed around, and I owe you for that. Before you came along, for a while already, I didn't know what it was like to have a friend...
I appreciate you for staying around and being my friend, Suzuki-san, I really do. Maybe I don't look so grateful, that is because I didn't know how to express my gratitude. If only there were more people like you in this school, I would've been a happier person. But even you is enough. You have made me a happier person. I just wished I'd known you sooner.
Thank you again, Suzuki-san. And my whole family says the same thing too, they asked me to tell you that. You're probably the kindest person there is on earth, and I know that you will live happily among friends that love you for who you are. I will always cherish the friendship you agreed to give me, and I know you'll be in my heart forever. You really deserve that special place.
Hereby I enclose my new address, just incase you need it, or maybe you'd like to visit me, someday?
So then... Until we meet again, Suzuki-san.
With love,
Matsushima Yuri.
As he reached the last line written on that paper, Reita sighed. His heart felt like it was swelling inside of him... It wasn't the kind of feeling that he was familiar with, but then again, it's not everyday that he got someone writing him a letter and thanking him excessively like this. The day he agreed to be Matsushima's friend, he wasn't thinking so much of where this new relationship would take him. He thought she was simply a new friend, and for Reita, new friends could come any day, there really was nothing extraordinary about it. Not that he didn't appreciate his friends, no; on the contrary, new friends, old friends, Reita held them all close to heart.
Throughout his life, Reita had always believed that it would be best to treasure what he had, and that would include his family and friends. Reita knew what it was like to lose someone close; it had hurt very much the day he found out he wasn't going to have a father anymore. Experience was always a strict teacher, and Reita had figured it out the hard way, he should be grateful with what he had and he should hang on the best that he could to the people he loved.
You never know what you've got until it's gone.
And now that Matsushima's gone, Reita knew he was going to miss her, no matter how shortly he had known her.
A breath was caugh in his throat when he felt something -- a pair of arms -- encircling him and a blond head suddenly filling his whole sight. It wasn't until a stinging pain throbbed on his injured shoulder that he realized what was going on.
"Ruki...?" he mumured confusedly. Why was Ruki suddenly hugging him?
He could feel Ruki tightening his hold just a little bit more, making Reita cringe in pain (although, amazingly, he managed to stay quiet about it), before the blond spoke: "It's true, Reita-chan... You are the kindest person there is on earth. Everybody will want to be your friend the first time they meet you, because you're so very nice, and sweet, and caring. You're just... everything good and more. It's no wonder why they all love you..."
The pain on his shoulder was definitely something, but Reita could barely feel anything else but this constriction growing in his chest.
"You make everybody around you happy," Ruki continued, "And - and me... You make me happy... very happy..."
Reita swore he could hear something liquid trickling inside his chest and he wondered if his heart had melted. Nothing that Matsushima said in her letter could've made him feel this touched, nothing that anyone else in the universe might tell him could've had the same effect as this. The world could thank him by presenting many gifts or an amount of money that he hadn't even known existed, but nothing of that sort could make him fly and float above the clouds like now.
Carefully, Reita lifted Ruki's head from his (injured) shoulder. He wanted to grin when he saw Ruki's face that looked so red and messy, but cancelled it the minute he realized Ruki was crying. "Ruki..." he whispered, rubbing a tear that fell down Ruki's cheek. The action only made Ruki hitch his breath and sob, his lips quivering while he seemed to be holding back to keep his sobbing to minimum. The sight was making the tight constriction in Reita's chest become even tighter. Screw it, he thought; and, closing his eyes, he kissed Ruki's cheek, feeling the warm surface flinch just a little bit under his lips. He pressed his lips there once again, before finally sliding and closing them on Ruki's pouty ones, couldn't care less of what consequence he would get by doing this. He really couldn't think of anything else, nothing but the feeling of Ruki being so close, so willing to be in his arms. And of course, above all... the feeling of these lips again...
Although they were quivering, they still felt as soft as the first time Reita kissed him... Which happened to remind him, this was exactly where that event had taken place: the rooftop.
When Reita pulled back, he was kind of ready to see Ruki get all angry and run away from him again, but no. That wasn't what the blond did. Ruki stayed, defying all that Reita was afraid of when he clutched on Reita's sides instead, apparently was going to lean his head on that same shoulder again. But Reita stopped him. "Wait, wait," he said, "Not there." He cradled Ruki's head in his hand and guided him to lean it on the healthy shoulder. He could hear Ruki mumbled a rather-shaky "sorry" before he clung his arms tightly around Reita. Reita only responded by pulling the blond even closer, holding onto him the best that he could with only one arm.
Not once in Reita's life had he felt so amazing, so undescribable; it was as if every single organ in his body was exploding into a million butterflies and they were all fluttering their colorful wings inside of him now. It was overwhelming. It was everything and more that he had been praying for in those nights in a dark, deserted hospital room, this was closely what he had wished for... He hadn't been able to sleep without uncertainties filling up his brain, uncertainties that he had endured after Ruki kissed him that night, uncertainties that he had had to suffer because the blond hadn't said a thing about it afterwards. Reita waited and waited, but nothing else happened. Not another kiss. Not a single word about it.
But Reita had no questions anymore now. He had never felt more content than he was now, and the skies were never as clearer, as brighter. This alone was enough: he had kissed Ruki and Ruki surely had kissed him back, and afterward, Ruki stayed in his arms, and the whole thing was like it was all meant to be. Yes, this was certainly enough, even if there was no confirmation or anything of the sort said between them.
There was no scientific explanation for why Reita was now feeling like he could ditch the whole world, forget everything and just live in this moment forever; there was no other word... but 'love'.
And now he only prayed that time would just stop so that the bell wouldn't ring...
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