Cursed Love: Cursed (1)
Title: Cursed Love
Pairing: Sho/Nino, Aiba/Nino, Jun/Ohno
Genre: Highschool AU, mystery, supernatural
Summary: inspired by the manga LOVE SICK by Morie Satoshi.
The Four Suns of Kitagawa Academy are the school’s most popular and wealthiest students. A poor new transfer student, Ninomiya Kazunari finds out that their parents may have been connected in the past. In the attempt to unravel the mystery around their parents and his unexplainable acceptance to Kitagawa Academy, Kazunari discovers the secret unique illnesses of the Four Suns.
A/N: Sounds very similar to Hana Yori Dango, right? I thought so too when I started reading the manga.
Warning/Rating: R for theme (mention of incest, violence, animal abuse, mental illness) although not necessarily dark or in depth
Length: 5 chapters
Chapters (5):
Cursed
Illness 1: Asylum
Illness 2: Sacrifice
Illness 3: Monster
Redemption
Cursed
They had only one old fashioned black and white color television, which had only five channels, that was kept in his mother’s room. After a long shift at work in a western restaurant and a hasty dinner at home, she’d retire to her room each night and watch the news as she fell asleep. He’d creep into her room later to turn the television off and sleep on a futon in the sitting room, the only other room in their shabby two room apartment.
Although a second year high school student, he worked a part-time job at the nearby grocery store in the late evenings and weekend. He brought home old vegetables, meat, and canned goods that the store could no longer sell. His wages paid for his tuition, student fees, and his mother’s medication. With her wages, his mother paid their bills. This was their system.
* *
One autumn night, his mother had already retired to her room when he returned from the grocery store. He ate a cup of ramen while he pored over some homework and a frustrating chapter from his biology textbook. He heard as he often did the quiet mutterings of the newscaster spilling from his mother’s room. Exhausted, he moved the empty ramen cup from him and stretched across the hard, wooden floor. As was his habit, he unconsciously rubbed at an X-shaped scar on his forearm near his elbow; a friendship scar he had inflicted in his childhood for an imaginary friend he ironically couldn’t recall. He allowed the comforting, low tone of the male caster to wash over him.
“...from the Aiba group...in his office...dead,” he heard the male newscaster said, in and out of his focus.
He was just about to sit up to continue his studies when a crash from his mother’s room shook him. He thought she was having another asthma attack. His pulse pounding in his ears, he rushed to her room. The television lay broken by the end of her bed and she curled next to it, one hand over the cracked screen while the other clutched her chest. Her expression distorted with pain.
“Mom!” he screamed.
* *
Heart attack, too young to die, such a pity, a hard worker they said, but no one knew aside from him his mother’s true virtue. She had singularly raised him without the aid of his nameless, anonymous father and his cold, absent relatives. They did not know that his mother had struggled to make ends meet, often times forcing them to take extreme measures, and that she usually sacrificed her health for his. His mother’s few colleagues went in and out of their apartment, spending just a few minutes at the altar and then a few seconds consoling him. He refused to reply to their condolences.
He was an orphan. The uncle he never knew came and pompously announced that despite his orphaned status, he was not welcomed back into the Ninomiya family. He was old enough at sixteen years of age to fend for himself. As the bastard son of the disgraceful daughter who had not been able to achieve anything, he was her shameless burden that the extended family did not want. He knew his mother loved him, though, and he loved her. He shut the door firmly behind his uncle.
He was alone and without options, and not until a regal man in a stiff black suit came the next afternoon to deliver an envelope containing a letter addressed to him did he find a life-line. The letter announced a scholarship from the Headmaster Johnny Kitagawa giving him a full-ride to Kitagawa Academy, prestigious school for the privileged rich. Believing he had been saved from a harsh life on the streets, he accepted the offer without further contemplation. He transferred from his third tier high school to Kitagawa Academy and moved into the dormitory a week later.
While he settled into his new living quarters, he met with the janitor, an elderly man called Mr. Kagawa, in charge of cleaning the hall outside his dorm room. The man welcomed him and generously offered assistance if he required any during his stay there. The kindness of even the staff made him feel reassured about the place.
In the private space of his dorm room that first night in his new setting, he relaxed after a long, chaotic week. As he settled snugly in his first ever mattress, he rubbed his scar and his mind wandered. He wondered if his mother could be happy for him; somehow alone he had found a play to stay. Then his eyes snapped open to the dimness of his room. Surrounded by the darkness of night, he worried that all of this had been a mistake on someone’s part. Who, in their right mind, would welcome a poor nobody into such a privileged and outstanding school? And yet, they had had one week to realize their mistake. No one had stopped him in the office and he was sure his name had been correctly printed on the numerous documents processed.
Shaken, he moved off his bed and went to grab a water bottle from the small fridge in his room. As he passed his door on the way, he saw the now familiar school crest stamped across the wood. His eyes moved passed the crest, but he paused when a vague image from his memory loomed to the forefront of his mind. He redirected his steps to the door and examined the distinguishing symbol of his new school. He thought the crest similar to one he’d seen before in his childhood.
Mystified, he dug through his last unopened trunk for the chest containing the meager keepsakes of his mother and pulled out a ragged folder where his mother had kept his birth certificate and other important documents. He rifled through and came to the last sheet with his mother’s name printed in the center in big cursive letters; her high school graduation diploma. The crest embossed on the paper was not only similar to the one on the door, it was the exact same. The name of her school scribbled below was more than familiar. His mother had graduated from Kitagawa Academy.
He sat back on his heels, the thin sheet of paper still clutched in his hands. His mother was an alumna of Kitagawa Academy. Yet, how had she ended up on the rough edges of Japan without anyone to support her? At which point of her life had his mother made her mistake and was abandoned by everyone around her? He realized his mother might have been the sole reason he had been accepted into the school, but that did not single-handedly explain the mystery wrapping its tentacles around him. Why did this school want him, the bastard son of a woman who had been disinherited by her own family? How was he, and how was she, connected to this place?
Kazunari Ninomiya, orphaned son of the late Kazuko Ninomiya, wondered if the mystery of his mother’s life could ever be uncovered.
* *
The Headmaster’s assistant in charge of guiding him through a tour of his new school stopped every so often to explain the rules and traditions of the academy. Kazunari initially pretended interest, but as the assistant dragged on he started to provide less verbal cues to indicate that he was listening. Instead of focusing on the useless chatter of the loquacious Assistant Sasaki, Kazunari observed his new surroundings in silence.
The ceiling of his new school extended high above him. Velvet curtains framed the numerous large and arching windows. The floors were of a deep violet marble. Oil paintings set in gold frames decorated the inner walls of the long and wide corridors. A few of the students that crossed their paths paid him no attention. He thought they’d at least be interested in a new face, but he unfairly judged that money made people different; spoiled and self-centered. He found the fashionable cut of his expensive new uniform uncomfortable and the laced flowing dresses of the girl’s uniform too gaudy. He guessed his classmates were used to such luxurious wear. The Assistant Sasaki had told him they called the students here “Stars” and he was sure he was the least fitted for the term.
They reached a spacious foyer that branched into four separate corridors. The Assistant Sasaki stopped their progress to explain the different routes. “We’ve reached the heart of the school. The hall to your left leads to the West Wing where you can find the commons and special rooms. The hall to the right leads to the East Tower, but that section of the school is off limits to Stars who do not have permission to enter.”
“Why is the East Tower off limits?” Kazunari asked, bored with the other details rather than specially curious.
“The East Wing is a section of this academy dedicated to the private use of the Four Suns. No one, not even the faculty, can enter without their permission.”
The privileged treatment among already privileged students surprised Kazunari. He turned to address Sasaki with another question and saw the assistant suddenly bow from the waist. Kazunari’s eyes followed the direction of the assistant’s bow and saw two impossibly handsome students standing where the hall had previously been empty. They were of similar height and build, although one boy had a slightly thinner waist accentuated by a long coat that was fitted to his slender figure. Despite their beautiful appearance, Kazunari felt an instant chill down his spine. He knew they were different from the other students he had come across. Not only did the individual cut of their uniforms set them apart, the dignified way they stood spoke of absolute authority.
“You must be the new student, Kazunari Ninomiya,” the first boy stated. His cold eyes roamed over Kazunari condescendingly before they settled on Kazunari’s face. “The special star.”
“Today is his first day here,” Sasaki hurriedly explained their presence. “I am giving him a tour of the school.”
“For what reason?” the one who had spoken continued, while his silent companion scrutinized Kazunari through piercing, sharp eyes. “He only needs to scamper from one class to another like the inferior sewage rat he is.”
Kazunari glared at the boy who had insulted him. His previous wariness turned into boiling fury and immediate dislike curled in his chest. Cautioned by Sasaki’s fear, he controlled his rage from exploding.
“M-m-master Sakurai,” the assistant stuttered out. “Th-that is classified in-fo-fo-formation. Th-the Headmaster wants his background to be k-kept a secret. Th-they told me n-n-no one was supposed to know. Th-the Headmaster w-wanted him to have a f-fair chance here.”
The boy who had spoken approached them slowly, the sound of each step magnified throughout the foyer. He never took his icy glare off of Kazunari. “Kitagawa thought I wouldn’t find a way into the new system, but he underestimated me. He ignored our objections by allowing this scum to mingle with us, so I’ve come up with the perfect way to deal with our undesirable classmate.”
“Sho,” his companion growled in low warning. A flash of irritation seared the second boy’s expression as his eyes flickered sideways to the Assistant whom he now addressed. “We’ll guide him from here. Leave.”
Sasaki hesitated only a split second before he threw a sly glance at Kazunari and retreated down the hallway they had come. Kazunari felt his departure with envy and bitterness. He mentally noted that he could not depend on the adults here if they were to react the same way the Assistant had; scampering for dear life at every opportunity.
“Be more careful,” the second boy reprimanded the boy he had called Sho in a crisp tone. “Sasaki snitches to Kitagawa about every little thing we do. He’s most likely on his way now to call the Headmaster.”
“I’ll deal with him later,” Sho said dismissively and stepped forward until he was only a foot away from Kazunari. He undid the ribbon tied around Kazunari’s neck. The thin, black accessory fluttered to the floor at their feet. Sho leaned in closer, slightly towering over Kazunari who continued to stand seething on the spot. “This does not suit you. I know of a position that is perfect for you. As I recall, the Four Suns are in need of a new maid.”
Kazunari balled his hands into fists, but did not raise them. He was smart enough not to resort to violence. “Shows how high class you really are, threatening a poor transfer student. Your attitude makes you less than scum.” He pieced together the information he’d heard in the last few minutes and muttered under his breath, “Just because you are one of the Four Suns doesn’t make you impotent. I know your weakness.” He figured that the Four Suns were at odds with the Headmaster of Kitagawa Academy. His very attendance at the school meant the Four Suns hadn’t been able to stop his arrival. The Headmaster had wanted him there and even considered giving him a fair opportunity without the discrimination from his classmates.
Kazunari was caught off guard when Sho snatched him up by the collar. He was pulled to his toes until their faces were mere centimeters apart. The coldness of Sho’s eyes burned into him.
“I expected no less from that slutty mother of yours. She’d never keep our secret. A bitch would teach her bastard how to cheat.”
Kazunari blinked his shock into Sho’s hate-filled eyes at such close proximity. All of a sudden, his fury dissolved. “You knew my mother,” he whispered.
His hands shaking, Sho threw Kazunari down. Kazunari did not even notice that he landed on the hard, marble floor. He did not stand. His gaze fixed on Sho who had stepped back to rejoin his companion. Sho sneered down at him. “Not in the disgusting way the previous Three Suns did.”
He turned aside towards the hall heading to the East Wing. “We are superior not because we are of a higher social class than you. Your mother’s status as our fathers’ whore makes you trash. You may know the nature of my illness, but scum like you will never be worth anything.” He stormed out of the lobby, the heels of his loafers clicking against the floor.
The second boy did not immediately follow. Instead, his direct gaze burned into Kazunari as Sho’s had done. “I don’t care what you do with our secret,” he started, “but if you reveal my illness to anyone, I’ll make sure you go to hell before I do.” He stalked away down the same hall Sho had disappeared.
Alone, shocked, and more confused than before, Kazunari idled on the floor in astonished incomprehension.
* *
Kazunari did not meet any of the Suns in the following days. Aware of his ignorance about them and the influence of their families, he gathered as much information as he could from the other students. He learned that members of the multi-billionaire Ohno, Aiba, and Sakurai groups sat on the school board and even butted heads with the Kitagawas often, although the survival of the Kitagawa group depended greatly on the investment of these three families. Only the heirs of the big three reknown corporations held the title of Suns at Kitagawa Academy. The current Four Suns were the fifth generation at the academy while their fathers had been the previous fourth generation.
Satoshi Ohno, the oldest of the Four, and Jun Matsumoto, the boy who had been the companion of Sho, were in fact brothers, but Jun had been adopted by his maternal grandfather to be raised as the future head of the distinguished Matsumoto group that were lacking competent heirs from their mother’s main branch. The Sakurai and Aiba group were huge rival corporations, but despite the competition between their families Sho Sakurai and Masaki Aiba were best friends.
He learned that Satoshi, nicknamed the Little Prince by his admirers, rarely came to school. If he did, he came surrounded by a hoard of bodyguards. He never went anywhere without them or the Four. Rather than find his behavior paranoid or egocentric, the students sympathized with him. Satoshi had been kidnapped and held hostage once as a child and they reasoned since then he could never have been normal. His younger brother Jun, nicknamed the Emperor, was his opposite. Jun exuded confidence and strength. He had been trained in several martial arts since young and had earned proficiency in all of them. He required and demanded no bodyguards. Not only was he known as the most athletic, he was also the most stylish in dress and fashionable.
Sho, viewed as the brain behind the Four, was the top student of every academic subject at Kitagawa Academy even if not the most athletic. He was often cold and aloof to the other students, Kazunari not the exception. In stark contrast, Sho’s best friend Masaki was known as the angel for his friendly behavior and heart-warming smiles. Masaki was popular with all of the students, even those not within his faction of admirers. Whenever Kazunari mentioned the Aiba group, the other students expressed their sorrow over the recent tragedy of Chairman Aiba’s untimely death. Masaki had been excused from school in order to mourn.
Although they were eager to talk about the Four Suns, when Kazunari dropped subtle hints to his classmates about each of the Sun’s supposed illnesses, no one understood his implications. He figured no one knew that the Four Suns had such an ominous secret. He even started to doubt its existence; if only both Sho and Jun hadn’t threatened him he would’ve thought himself disillusioned. They didn’t have to warn him anyway. Kazunari determined to stay out of their way until graduation. He only had to make sure he led an invisible existence for another one and a half years. Invisibility didn’t seem so hard especially when his classmates were content to ignore him, all of them preferring to preen over themselves or the Four Suns.
When not interrogating his classmates or his janitor-friend Mr. Kagawa, Kazunari spent the majority of his time out of class in the academy’s vast, usually deserted, library. During his first day there, he couldn’t kill his curiosity and went through the yearbooks. He found his mother two years behind the fourth generation of Suns, which only increased his dread that her connection to the previous Three Suns was possible. He then made up his mind to disbelieve Sho’s accusations about his mother and determined to forget their terrible first meeting. He knew his mother. Her past did not change who she was to him.
The rest of his time he raced to catch up with the school work his credits transferred over from his previous school couldn’t cover. If he took his time to understand the work and ask questions from his teachers, he was able to finish each assignment, though that often forced him to stay until the library’s closing hours. He couldn’t afford to bribe the teachers to look the other way with his school-work like his peers and so of all the students he struggled the most with the increasing workload. His first and second week at Kitagawa Academy passed under a storm of papers and projects.
The weasel Sasaki, as Kazunari thought him as, met him a few times to ask about his well-being and to convince him that the Headmaster Kitagawa, unlike the Suns, cared about his progress and successful assimilation into the school. Unsure of his motive, Kazunari only forced a smile at him and assured his perfect state of mind, but his lie was more than far from the truth. He was completely, utterly swamped.
* *
In his third week, Kazunari sulkily made his way from a dull morning in class to the library once again. He had no more classes in the afternoon and planned to use the remaining time before dinner to go through the research he had already done for his history project. As he walked through the path he had become accustomed to in just a few days, he wondered if the rest of his school life would be spent walking back and forth from classes to the library. Every student at this school lived an easy life; everyone but him.
Inside the library, Kazunari saw a few men moving packed boxes out from different book sections, but he ignored them and headed straight to the front counter. He signed out a laptop from the librarian and sat at a table to go through the articles he had bookmarked. As soon as he pulled up his student drive, he saw that his drive was empty of everything. Even his previous login dates had been erased. He gaped at the empty drive for a moment before logging off and onto his student account again. His drive was still empty although it now mentioned that his first login date had been mere minutes before. Kazunari took his laptop to the counter and acquired the librarian’s attention. “Excuse me, but I can’t access any of the materials I’ve bookmarked. My student drive seems to be empty.”
The librarian bowed his head and profusely apologized. “I’m sorry, Star, but just yesterday a malicious virus invaded the library system. Most of the files linked to an external source are fine, but entire categories have been deleted. Access to online library materials is temporarily unavailable until the bug has been cleaned. We have special permission to redirect Stars to a different e-library at the moment.”
Start all over? “But my whole drive has been restarted,” Kazunari pointed out.
“I’m sorry,” the librarian apologized again. “I’ll call for a technical assistant from the media hub to see what could be done.”
Kazunari glumly returned the laptop while he waited for the technician to arrive and went over to the bookshelves to find the books he had previously looked through. One of the men carrying the boxes out from the sections stopped him.
“I’m sorry, Star, but access to this part of the library’s printed materials is temporarily unavailable,” he said.
“For how long?” Kazunari demanded, frustrated.
“A few weeks at least.”
“I only need a few books. Can’t I take those?”
“My sincere apologies, Star,” the man said.
“Why? What are you doing?” Kazunari looked passed the shoulder of the man and saw the other men pulling books off the shelves and packing them into boxes. They were removing entire sections from the library, most notably from the bookshelves he’d sifted through. “Why are you taking these books down?”
“Master Sakurai has bought these materials from the library and replaced them with new editions. The new materials have to come in and be organized before Star access can be resumed.”
Kazunari clenched his mouth shut and spoke no more. He immediately identified Sho as the culprit behind everything; after all Sho had, during their first meeting, claimed to have illegally accessed the school’s system. Sho must have realized Kazunari was working his butt off to make ends meet and had taken measures to prevent him from succeeding in his studies. Kazunari was at the very edge of a dead end. He stormed out of the library.
Previously, he had not gone near the East Wing again in fear of coming across the malicious Suns, but right then he recalled the path to the foyer from his first day and stormed down to the East Wing without a second thought. Despite Star prohibitions into the private wing, there were surprisingly no security. Kazunari knew the lack of security meant that no one had defied the unquestioned prohibitions before and their obedience angered him even more. Cold fury propelled him through the empty hall of the East Wing to the double doors at the end.
He pushed open the huge doors and entered a gigantic, circular chamber. Three-fifths of the wall was not a wall at all but a large window overlooking one of the school’s many courtyards. A staircase wound along the remaining part of the wall leading up to a terrace and upper floor that was closed off from his view. Two doors, one ajar, were tucked under the arch of the staircase. Beneath his feet, thick fur rugs layered over smooth black marble. All the furniture seemed to have been designed for the space. Kazunari gaped openly into a luxurious empty room.
Concluding that at least one of the Suns was here, he steeled himself, went for the open door beneath the stairs, and stepped into a bare room with no windows. The room was undeniably soundproof, compactly covered from the floor to the walls. A single metal pole, padded with foam, extended from the ceiling to the floor. Kazunari felt afraid to step into the small room. He had seen no light fixture or switch. The dimness and dead silence unsettled him.
He turned to leave when groans from inside the soundproof room that should not have existed stopped him. Goosebumps formed along his skin and believing he had disturbed something he reached for the door to pull it shut behind him, but when the groans persisted he subdued his fear and took a closer look around the bare room. The homogenous appearance and dimness had caused him to miss another camouflaged door along the inner wall that was slightly ajar. He realized that the groans came from the connecting room beyond.
Cautiously and against his instincts, he entered the soundproof room to the second door. It opened to an adjacent bedroom, sparsely furnished, with only a king sized bed pushed against a wall, a bedside table, and a lamp. One lone window covered by heavy curtains were set in the opposite wall. The groans that Kazunari had followed issued from a lump on the bed. He moved in for a closer inspection and saw to his horror a disheveled Sho sprawled on the mattress, his eyes shut, his face pale, and his expression distorted with pain. Blood, cuts, and bruises marked the wrist of one hand that was bound by a shackle while the knuckles of his other hand were torn and bloody.
Uncertain of what to think upon finding Sho in a situation he’d never thought possible, Kazunari climbed onto the bed and moved over on his hands and knees until he reached Sho on the other end by the wall. He pressed two fingers to the base of Sho’s neck and was assured to find the pulse still strong and steady. He was about to lift his hand when Sho’s eyes fluttered open. Sho recognized him instantly and his recognition turned into hatred.
“I’m not dead yet,” he growled in a strained, hoarse whisper. He winced as he struggled to sit up and kicked Kazunari from him. “I won’t die so easily.”
Kazunari’s fury returned. He was stupid for ever feeling concern for Sho; such a person could never feel grateful for someone else’s kindness. He righted himself and stood on the bed, staggering as he did so. “Next time someone tries to harm you, I’ll make sure to keep out of their way.”
“What are you talking about? No one tried to har--!” Sho stopped mid-sentence and understanding momentarily replaced the hostile hatred on his face. “It can’t be… You don’t know?”
Kazunari realized by Sho’s expression that he might have revealed too much, although what he did not know. He stood towering over Sho, silent, and just as he made a decision to leave, Sho fell back on the mattress and emitted a roar of laughter.
“You don’t know,” he chortled, as if he found something in those words funny.
Feeling more of a fool every prolonged second in Sho’s company, Kazunari stepped over him and lifted a foot off the bed, but Sho tugged him back. As Kazunari fell his breath was knocked out of him and he did not have a chance to regain his composure. Sho turned him over and twisted his arms behind his back. His face was pressed against the bed covers and for a moment he couldn’t draw in air while Sho straddled his back. As he choked and gasped, his arms began to hurt. He struggled to push Sho off of him, but his strength failed him. To his horror, he felt Sho’s other hand at his waist undoing his belt and then the button of his pants.
“What the fuck are you doing!?” he shouted, half the words muffled.
“You can’t be that different from your mother!” Sho loosened the front of Kazunari’s pants and inserted his hands under Kazunari’s boxers until his fingers wrapped around soft flesh.
“Get the fuck off me!” Kazunari kicked his feet backwards, but they met empty air.
“Your mother destroyed our families. Did you think I’ll let you off so easily?” Sho’s fingers felt along Kazunari’s cock.
Heat seared through Kazunari’s body and he screamed as fury, revulsion, and shame washed over him.
“Sho, what are you doing?” a new voice interrupted.
For a split second, Kazunari felt the grip on his arms lessen and he used the opportunity to break out of Sho’s hold. His elbow slammed into Sho’s chin. His arms were freed as he threw off Sho who was clutching the lower half of his face. Kazunari righted himself, pulled back a fist, and slugged Sho in the stomach. Sho doubled over with a grunt of pain. Kazunari ignored the loosened front of his pants and headed for the immediate exit, the second door leading into the circular room he had first entered. The new boy who had interrupted them stood in that doorway, but he did not act as Kazunari zoomed passed him.
“Stop him!” Sho shrieked.
Kazunari halted outside the bedroom just inside the circular chamber. Jun and a shorter boy blocked the double doors to the hall and unlike the other newcomer they seemed prepared to follow Sho’s order. Surrounded, Kazunari ran to the stairs, up the steps, to the terrace and second floor.
“Stop!” the first newcomer shouted.
Kazunari went on passed the landing to the lone door on the second floor. The door was made of steel and when Kazunari hastily pushed the only button available in the wall, it slid open. The alarming footsteps on the stairs behind him propelled him forward and he stepped through into the highest point of the East Tower; he stood in another circular chamber with blue painted walls and no windows. The room imitated an ecosystem. Artificial trees and grasses grew from the dirt ground. A light fixture imitating the sun hovered above in the ceiling. Different animals popped their heads out of their hiding places at Kazunari’s entrance and erupted into a chorus of discontented screeches and calls. A small ferret-like animal broke free of a bush and ran at him hissing.
Kazunari jumped aside and slammed into an undetected tree. Searing white light burst in his mind. His strength faltered. His vision stuttered. He lost control of his body and fell into darkness.
* *
Kazunari woke to the sounds of pounding on metal. Through the fuzzy pain in his head, he heard two people shouting at each other.
“Open the door!” Sho ordered from outside the room. His voice, still hoarse, barely penetrated through the steel door.
“No can-do, Sho!” the voice of the boy who had interrupted Sho earlier said from somewhere near Kazunari. “Stay out there obediently. And quietly. You’re scaring my friends.”
“Then throw that bastard out here and get this over with!”
“Shhhh! I mean it. Go away, Sho. I won’t help you if Lucy and the others attack you, too.”
Sho cursed from behind the door and a moment later his thundering footsteps were heard fading away down the stairs.
Kazunari groaned. The persistent throbbing in his head reacted to every one of those footsteps. A warm towel had been laid over the knuckle-sized lump near his forehead, but it did not do him much good. He turned on his side on the grass underneath him and tried to push himself into an upright position.
“Hey, you’re awake!” the boy shouted and added to Kazunari’s headache. Then he lowered his voice. “Sorry about Lucy. If you remember, you were scared by her and ran into a tree.”
Kazunari found his balance and sat cross-legged next to the boy who was cuddling the offensive ferret. He scooted away from the animal and gently touched the swelling on his head. “How long have I been out?”
“About half an hour. Satoshi and I tried to wake you, but we couldn’t. So Satoshi left the towel after he shooed Jun out of the room. Don’t worry, we didn’t let Sho near you.”
Kazunari considered this boy naive to think he would feel relief at the small assurance. He raised his chin and blinked at the surprisingly bright room into the smiling face of the boy next to him. He immediately guessed who this person was. “Masaki Aiba,” he said aloud, therefore the shorter boy who had been with Jun at the door must have been Satoshi.
“Yes?” Masaki said, still smiling as he caressed the ferret he had called Lucy.
“Why did you help me? Aren’t you best friends with Sakurai?” Kazunari measured the distance to the door. Masaki blocked his path, which assured that his escape would be difficult. He didn’t even know if he could stand.
“I think you are mistaken about Sho. He doesn’t hate you like that.”
Kazunari snorted. It sent a surge of nausea through his head. “I’m sorry, but you are mistaken. He’d strangle me if he could.” He tried to stand, found his legs unsteady, and decided to not make a fool of himself. He sat back down glumly. Escape was impossible.
Masaki set Lucy on her feet, much to Kazunari’s dismay, but the ferret left him alone and darted into the artificial forest around the room. Masaki turned to face him. To Kazunari’s surprise, his eyes were full of warmth, like his smiles, and very different from the hatred of Sho and Jun’s. There was nothing artificial about his kindness.
“That’s not true,” Masaki denied, the cheerfulness in his voice gone. “Sho doesn’t really hate you. I know because he’s just like me.”
Kazunari doubted him. What Masaki said was the complete opposite of what he’d experience so far. He remembered Sho’s accusation from earlier in the midst of his attempted rape and said, “All of you knew my mother. Sakurai said she destroyed your families.” Sho had also called his mother a whore during their first meeting, but Kazunari refused to voice that insult.
“Do you not really know about your mother?” Masaki asked him instead.
“I wouldn’t ask you if I did,” Kazunari replied. Raising his voice caused the throbbing in his head to worsen and he winced.
Masaki noticed and stood. He went to the door. “I’ll go check if Sho is downstairs. If not, you can leave and go to the infirmary.”
“Wait!” Kazunari demanded, holding back another wave of nausea. “Tell me about my mother first.”
“But your injury,” Masaki objected.
“I won’t die from something like this!” He winced again.
Masaki’s shoulders slumped and the light went out of his expression. Kazunari recalled the Aiba group’s recent tragedy and instantly regretted his words. “I’m sorry. I forgot,” he apologized.
“You’re mistaken again,” Masaki muttered and he looked down at his fingers that had curled into clenched fists until his knuckles turned white. “I was glad when my father died.”
Unsure of how to respond, Kazunari held his tongue at his surprising confession.
“He destroyed our family,” Masaki said. “It’s true that your mother was as much to blame. My father had an affair with your mother. He and Uncle Sakurai fought over her. My mother suffered. Although my father eventually left your mother, my own mother couldn’t step out from her shadow. I hated your mother and I hated you, and Sho understood my feelings; but that was until two weeks ago when my father died.
“At my father’s funeral I realized it wasn’t your fault, or even mines. It was theirs: my father, Uncle Sakurai, and your mother. I couldn’t forgive any of them, but I decided I could try to be civil towards you.
“I haven’t told Sho,” he said. “I didn’t have a chance to, but if I can change, I know Sho can, too. If you knew him, you’d understand the reason behind his actions.”
But Kazunari did not know Sho and he was not so certain that someone like Sho could change. He did not think Sho had faked the hatred in his eyes. Kazunari knew their hatred was misguided because he didn’t believe Masaki’s story. The adultress Masaki described was not his mother at all. His mother was not a person who could cause others such heartache and pain. He knew the hardworking, unselfish person who had raised and loved him unconditionally for sixteen years. But it didn’t matter what he knew or what Sho thought he knew because obviously Sho was not going to leave him alone no matter what.
Masaki left the room and as the steel door soundlessly slid shut behind him Kazunari heard his footsteps on the stairs. He sat in silent contemplation and denial until something warm pressed against his leg. Kazunari looked down to see Lucy staring curiously up at him. Grunting, he jumped away, this time avoiding the tree, and fell into a marsh. A dozen baby ducks toddled away from him, their small wings flapping in their haste. Kazunari swore at his wet pants, his legs half submerged in the pond. He could feel his new loafers sinking into the mud and knew he’d never get them clean ever again. His uniform had been given him by the school and he didn’t have the money to replace anything.
“This is your fault,” he said to the ferret watching him from the shore.
Lucy cocked her head, but did not move. She settled down by the water’s edge, as if waiting for him to return. Her eyes remained on him. Wary of her attention, Kazunari waded to the other side of the pond and climbed out. He reached the blue painted walls and leaned against it to squeeze as much water as he could out of his pants. He saw with disgust the slabs of mud caked on his shoes. Then his gaze moved up and caught sight of them beyond the line of trees; horrified, his eyes took in the rows of gravestones scattered throughout the inner forest. His legs gave way and he fell on the ground again, but he did not have the strength to stand despite the jarring pain to his head. He made out the pet names engraved on each of the stones. There were at least a dozen of them on each one.
“Masaki loved all of them,” a new unfamiliar voice murmured.
Kazunari turned his head and saw the short boy he’d seen with Jun from earlier; Satoshi. He scrambled to his feet and faced the new boy standing behind Lucy across the pond. Satoshi crouched and rubbed the ferret’s head affectionately, then locked eyes with Kazunari.
“You’re awake,” Satoshi belatedly observed.
Kazunari knew Sho and Jun hated him. As Jun’s older brother, he wasn’t sure if Satoshi did not hate him as well. Then why had Satoshi helped Masaki take care of him earlier? Kazunari warily assessed the boy across from him.
Understanding Kazunari’s silence and cautious stance, Satoshi said, “As long as you do not hurt Jun, I will not hurt you.”
Kazunari found his warning misguided. “Why would I even want to hurt him? How?”
Satoshi stood and pursed his lower lip as he in turn assessed Kazunari. “Jun said you knew about our illnesses, that your mother hadn’t kept it a secret like she promised. You could use it to blackmail us to revenge for the way our fathers treated your mother.”
Frustration and exasperation overwhelmed Kazunari again. Why did everyone seem to know the relationship between the previous Three Suns and his mother except him? Despite the Four Suns’ accusation, his mother seemed to be the only one to have kept her mouth shut. That only convinced Kazunari every single one of them was wrong about her. “What did your fathers do to my mother?”
Satoshi shrugged and looked down at Lucy now clinging to his leg, begging for attention. He bent down and picked her up. She snuggled into the crook of his arm. Patting her gently as he turned to head back the way he had come, Satoshi said, “Jun took Sho outside. Masaki said you can go to the infirmary now.”
“Wait!” Kazunari called, but Satoshi did not wait. Satoshi turned into the forest and disappeared into the green foliage.
Pairing: Sho/Nino, Aiba/Nino, Jun/Ohno
Genre: Highschool AU, mystery, supernatural
Summary: inspired by the manga LOVE SICK by Morie Satoshi.
The Four Suns of Kitagawa Academy are the school’s most popular and wealthiest students. A poor new transfer student, Ninomiya Kazunari finds out that their parents may have been connected in the past. In the attempt to unravel the mystery around their parents and his unexplainable acceptance to Kitagawa Academy, Kazunari discovers the secret unique illnesses of the Four Suns.
A/N: Sounds very similar to Hana Yori Dango, right? I thought so too when I started reading the manga.
Warning/Rating: R for theme (mention of incest, violence, animal abuse, mental illness) although not necessarily dark or in depth
Length: 5 chapters
Chapters (5):
Cursed
Illness 1: Asylum
Illness 2: Sacrifice
Illness 3: Monster
Redemption
Cursed
They had only one old fashioned black and white color television, which had only five channels, that was kept in his mother’s room. After a long shift at work in a western restaurant and a hasty dinner at home, she’d retire to her room each night and watch the news as she fell asleep. He’d creep into her room later to turn the television off and sleep on a futon in the sitting room, the only other room in their shabby two room apartment.
Although a second year high school student, he worked a part-time job at the nearby grocery store in the late evenings and weekend. He brought home old vegetables, meat, and canned goods that the store could no longer sell. His wages paid for his tuition, student fees, and his mother’s medication. With her wages, his mother paid their bills. This was their system.
* *
One autumn night, his mother had already retired to her room when he returned from the grocery store. He ate a cup of ramen while he pored over some homework and a frustrating chapter from his biology textbook. He heard as he often did the quiet mutterings of the newscaster spilling from his mother’s room. Exhausted, he moved the empty ramen cup from him and stretched across the hard, wooden floor. As was his habit, he unconsciously rubbed at an X-shaped scar on his forearm near his elbow; a friendship scar he had inflicted in his childhood for an imaginary friend he ironically couldn’t recall. He allowed the comforting, low tone of the male caster to wash over him.
“...from the Aiba group...in his office...dead,” he heard the male newscaster said, in and out of his focus.
He was just about to sit up to continue his studies when a crash from his mother’s room shook him. He thought she was having another asthma attack. His pulse pounding in his ears, he rushed to her room. The television lay broken by the end of her bed and she curled next to it, one hand over the cracked screen while the other clutched her chest. Her expression distorted with pain.
“Mom!” he screamed.
* *
Heart attack, too young to die, such a pity, a hard worker they said, but no one knew aside from him his mother’s true virtue. She had singularly raised him without the aid of his nameless, anonymous father and his cold, absent relatives. They did not know that his mother had struggled to make ends meet, often times forcing them to take extreme measures, and that she usually sacrificed her health for his. His mother’s few colleagues went in and out of their apartment, spending just a few minutes at the altar and then a few seconds consoling him. He refused to reply to their condolences.
He was an orphan. The uncle he never knew came and pompously announced that despite his orphaned status, he was not welcomed back into the Ninomiya family. He was old enough at sixteen years of age to fend for himself. As the bastard son of the disgraceful daughter who had not been able to achieve anything, he was her shameless burden that the extended family did not want. He knew his mother loved him, though, and he loved her. He shut the door firmly behind his uncle.
He was alone and without options, and not until a regal man in a stiff black suit came the next afternoon to deliver an envelope containing a letter addressed to him did he find a life-line. The letter announced a scholarship from the Headmaster Johnny Kitagawa giving him a full-ride to Kitagawa Academy, prestigious school for the privileged rich. Believing he had been saved from a harsh life on the streets, he accepted the offer without further contemplation. He transferred from his third tier high school to Kitagawa Academy and moved into the dormitory a week later.
While he settled into his new living quarters, he met with the janitor, an elderly man called Mr. Kagawa, in charge of cleaning the hall outside his dorm room. The man welcomed him and generously offered assistance if he required any during his stay there. The kindness of even the staff made him feel reassured about the place.
In the private space of his dorm room that first night in his new setting, he relaxed after a long, chaotic week. As he settled snugly in his first ever mattress, he rubbed his scar and his mind wandered. He wondered if his mother could be happy for him; somehow alone he had found a play to stay. Then his eyes snapped open to the dimness of his room. Surrounded by the darkness of night, he worried that all of this had been a mistake on someone’s part. Who, in their right mind, would welcome a poor nobody into such a privileged and outstanding school? And yet, they had had one week to realize their mistake. No one had stopped him in the office and he was sure his name had been correctly printed on the numerous documents processed.
Shaken, he moved off his bed and went to grab a water bottle from the small fridge in his room. As he passed his door on the way, he saw the now familiar school crest stamped across the wood. His eyes moved passed the crest, but he paused when a vague image from his memory loomed to the forefront of his mind. He redirected his steps to the door and examined the distinguishing symbol of his new school. He thought the crest similar to one he’d seen before in his childhood.
Mystified, he dug through his last unopened trunk for the chest containing the meager keepsakes of his mother and pulled out a ragged folder where his mother had kept his birth certificate and other important documents. He rifled through and came to the last sheet with his mother’s name printed in the center in big cursive letters; her high school graduation diploma. The crest embossed on the paper was not only similar to the one on the door, it was the exact same. The name of her school scribbled below was more than familiar. His mother had graduated from Kitagawa Academy.
He sat back on his heels, the thin sheet of paper still clutched in his hands. His mother was an alumna of Kitagawa Academy. Yet, how had she ended up on the rough edges of Japan without anyone to support her? At which point of her life had his mother made her mistake and was abandoned by everyone around her? He realized his mother might have been the sole reason he had been accepted into the school, but that did not single-handedly explain the mystery wrapping its tentacles around him. Why did this school want him, the bastard son of a woman who had been disinherited by her own family? How was he, and how was she, connected to this place?
Kazunari Ninomiya, orphaned son of the late Kazuko Ninomiya, wondered if the mystery of his mother’s life could ever be uncovered.
* *
The Headmaster’s assistant in charge of guiding him through a tour of his new school stopped every so often to explain the rules and traditions of the academy. Kazunari initially pretended interest, but as the assistant dragged on he started to provide less verbal cues to indicate that he was listening. Instead of focusing on the useless chatter of the loquacious Assistant Sasaki, Kazunari observed his new surroundings in silence.
The ceiling of his new school extended high above him. Velvet curtains framed the numerous large and arching windows. The floors were of a deep violet marble. Oil paintings set in gold frames decorated the inner walls of the long and wide corridors. A few of the students that crossed their paths paid him no attention. He thought they’d at least be interested in a new face, but he unfairly judged that money made people different; spoiled and self-centered. He found the fashionable cut of his expensive new uniform uncomfortable and the laced flowing dresses of the girl’s uniform too gaudy. He guessed his classmates were used to such luxurious wear. The Assistant Sasaki had told him they called the students here “Stars” and he was sure he was the least fitted for the term.
They reached a spacious foyer that branched into four separate corridors. The Assistant Sasaki stopped their progress to explain the different routes. “We’ve reached the heart of the school. The hall to your left leads to the West Wing where you can find the commons and special rooms. The hall to the right leads to the East Tower, but that section of the school is off limits to Stars who do not have permission to enter.”
“Why is the East Tower off limits?” Kazunari asked, bored with the other details rather than specially curious.
“The East Wing is a section of this academy dedicated to the private use of the Four Suns. No one, not even the faculty, can enter without their permission.”
The privileged treatment among already privileged students surprised Kazunari. He turned to address Sasaki with another question and saw the assistant suddenly bow from the waist. Kazunari’s eyes followed the direction of the assistant’s bow and saw two impossibly handsome students standing where the hall had previously been empty. They were of similar height and build, although one boy had a slightly thinner waist accentuated by a long coat that was fitted to his slender figure. Despite their beautiful appearance, Kazunari felt an instant chill down his spine. He knew they were different from the other students he had come across. Not only did the individual cut of their uniforms set them apart, the dignified way they stood spoke of absolute authority.
“You must be the new student, Kazunari Ninomiya,” the first boy stated. His cold eyes roamed over Kazunari condescendingly before they settled on Kazunari’s face. “The special star.”
“Today is his first day here,” Sasaki hurriedly explained their presence. “I am giving him a tour of the school.”
“For what reason?” the one who had spoken continued, while his silent companion scrutinized Kazunari through piercing, sharp eyes. “He only needs to scamper from one class to another like the inferior sewage rat he is.”
Kazunari glared at the boy who had insulted him. His previous wariness turned into boiling fury and immediate dislike curled in his chest. Cautioned by Sasaki’s fear, he controlled his rage from exploding.
“M-m-master Sakurai,” the assistant stuttered out. “Th-that is classified in-fo-fo-formation. Th-the Headmaster wants his background to be k-kept a secret. Th-they told me n-n-no one was supposed to know. Th-the Headmaster w-wanted him to have a f-fair chance here.”
The boy who had spoken approached them slowly, the sound of each step magnified throughout the foyer. He never took his icy glare off of Kazunari. “Kitagawa thought I wouldn’t find a way into the new system, but he underestimated me. He ignored our objections by allowing this scum to mingle with us, so I’ve come up with the perfect way to deal with our undesirable classmate.”
“Sho,” his companion growled in low warning. A flash of irritation seared the second boy’s expression as his eyes flickered sideways to the Assistant whom he now addressed. “We’ll guide him from here. Leave.”
Sasaki hesitated only a split second before he threw a sly glance at Kazunari and retreated down the hallway they had come. Kazunari felt his departure with envy and bitterness. He mentally noted that he could not depend on the adults here if they were to react the same way the Assistant had; scampering for dear life at every opportunity.
“Be more careful,” the second boy reprimanded the boy he had called Sho in a crisp tone. “Sasaki snitches to Kitagawa about every little thing we do. He’s most likely on his way now to call the Headmaster.”
“I’ll deal with him later,” Sho said dismissively and stepped forward until he was only a foot away from Kazunari. He undid the ribbon tied around Kazunari’s neck. The thin, black accessory fluttered to the floor at their feet. Sho leaned in closer, slightly towering over Kazunari who continued to stand seething on the spot. “This does not suit you. I know of a position that is perfect for you. As I recall, the Four Suns are in need of a new maid.”
Kazunari balled his hands into fists, but did not raise them. He was smart enough not to resort to violence. “Shows how high class you really are, threatening a poor transfer student. Your attitude makes you less than scum.” He pieced together the information he’d heard in the last few minutes and muttered under his breath, “Just because you are one of the Four Suns doesn’t make you impotent. I know your weakness.” He figured that the Four Suns were at odds with the Headmaster of Kitagawa Academy. His very attendance at the school meant the Four Suns hadn’t been able to stop his arrival. The Headmaster had wanted him there and even considered giving him a fair opportunity without the discrimination from his classmates.
Kazunari was caught off guard when Sho snatched him up by the collar. He was pulled to his toes until their faces were mere centimeters apart. The coldness of Sho’s eyes burned into him.
“I expected no less from that slutty mother of yours. She’d never keep our secret. A bitch would teach her bastard how to cheat.”
Kazunari blinked his shock into Sho’s hate-filled eyes at such close proximity. All of a sudden, his fury dissolved. “You knew my mother,” he whispered.
His hands shaking, Sho threw Kazunari down. Kazunari did not even notice that he landed on the hard, marble floor. He did not stand. His gaze fixed on Sho who had stepped back to rejoin his companion. Sho sneered down at him. “Not in the disgusting way the previous Three Suns did.”
He turned aside towards the hall heading to the East Wing. “We are superior not because we are of a higher social class than you. Your mother’s status as our fathers’ whore makes you trash. You may know the nature of my illness, but scum like you will never be worth anything.” He stormed out of the lobby, the heels of his loafers clicking against the floor.
The second boy did not immediately follow. Instead, his direct gaze burned into Kazunari as Sho’s had done. “I don’t care what you do with our secret,” he started, “but if you reveal my illness to anyone, I’ll make sure you go to hell before I do.” He stalked away down the same hall Sho had disappeared.
Alone, shocked, and more confused than before, Kazunari idled on the floor in astonished incomprehension.
* *
Kazunari did not meet any of the Suns in the following days. Aware of his ignorance about them and the influence of their families, he gathered as much information as he could from the other students. He learned that members of the multi-billionaire Ohno, Aiba, and Sakurai groups sat on the school board and even butted heads with the Kitagawas often, although the survival of the Kitagawa group depended greatly on the investment of these three families. Only the heirs of the big three reknown corporations held the title of Suns at Kitagawa Academy. The current Four Suns were the fifth generation at the academy while their fathers had been the previous fourth generation.
Satoshi Ohno, the oldest of the Four, and Jun Matsumoto, the boy who had been the companion of Sho, were in fact brothers, but Jun had been adopted by his maternal grandfather to be raised as the future head of the distinguished Matsumoto group that were lacking competent heirs from their mother’s main branch. The Sakurai and Aiba group were huge rival corporations, but despite the competition between their families Sho Sakurai and Masaki Aiba were best friends.
He learned that Satoshi, nicknamed the Little Prince by his admirers, rarely came to school. If he did, he came surrounded by a hoard of bodyguards. He never went anywhere without them or the Four. Rather than find his behavior paranoid or egocentric, the students sympathized with him. Satoshi had been kidnapped and held hostage once as a child and they reasoned since then he could never have been normal. His younger brother Jun, nicknamed the Emperor, was his opposite. Jun exuded confidence and strength. He had been trained in several martial arts since young and had earned proficiency in all of them. He required and demanded no bodyguards. Not only was he known as the most athletic, he was also the most stylish in dress and fashionable.
Sho, viewed as the brain behind the Four, was the top student of every academic subject at Kitagawa Academy even if not the most athletic. He was often cold and aloof to the other students, Kazunari not the exception. In stark contrast, Sho’s best friend Masaki was known as the angel for his friendly behavior and heart-warming smiles. Masaki was popular with all of the students, even those not within his faction of admirers. Whenever Kazunari mentioned the Aiba group, the other students expressed their sorrow over the recent tragedy of Chairman Aiba’s untimely death. Masaki had been excused from school in order to mourn.
Although they were eager to talk about the Four Suns, when Kazunari dropped subtle hints to his classmates about each of the Sun’s supposed illnesses, no one understood his implications. He figured no one knew that the Four Suns had such an ominous secret. He even started to doubt its existence; if only both Sho and Jun hadn’t threatened him he would’ve thought himself disillusioned. They didn’t have to warn him anyway. Kazunari determined to stay out of their way until graduation. He only had to make sure he led an invisible existence for another one and a half years. Invisibility didn’t seem so hard especially when his classmates were content to ignore him, all of them preferring to preen over themselves or the Four Suns.
When not interrogating his classmates or his janitor-friend Mr. Kagawa, Kazunari spent the majority of his time out of class in the academy’s vast, usually deserted, library. During his first day there, he couldn’t kill his curiosity and went through the yearbooks. He found his mother two years behind the fourth generation of Suns, which only increased his dread that her connection to the previous Three Suns was possible. He then made up his mind to disbelieve Sho’s accusations about his mother and determined to forget their terrible first meeting. He knew his mother. Her past did not change who she was to him.
The rest of his time he raced to catch up with the school work his credits transferred over from his previous school couldn’t cover. If he took his time to understand the work and ask questions from his teachers, he was able to finish each assignment, though that often forced him to stay until the library’s closing hours. He couldn’t afford to bribe the teachers to look the other way with his school-work like his peers and so of all the students he struggled the most with the increasing workload. His first and second week at Kitagawa Academy passed under a storm of papers and projects.
The weasel Sasaki, as Kazunari thought him as, met him a few times to ask about his well-being and to convince him that the Headmaster Kitagawa, unlike the Suns, cared about his progress and successful assimilation into the school. Unsure of his motive, Kazunari only forced a smile at him and assured his perfect state of mind, but his lie was more than far from the truth. He was completely, utterly swamped.
* *
In his third week, Kazunari sulkily made his way from a dull morning in class to the library once again. He had no more classes in the afternoon and planned to use the remaining time before dinner to go through the research he had already done for his history project. As he walked through the path he had become accustomed to in just a few days, he wondered if the rest of his school life would be spent walking back and forth from classes to the library. Every student at this school lived an easy life; everyone but him.
Inside the library, Kazunari saw a few men moving packed boxes out from different book sections, but he ignored them and headed straight to the front counter. He signed out a laptop from the librarian and sat at a table to go through the articles he had bookmarked. As soon as he pulled up his student drive, he saw that his drive was empty of everything. Even his previous login dates had been erased. He gaped at the empty drive for a moment before logging off and onto his student account again. His drive was still empty although it now mentioned that his first login date had been mere minutes before. Kazunari took his laptop to the counter and acquired the librarian’s attention. “Excuse me, but I can’t access any of the materials I’ve bookmarked. My student drive seems to be empty.”
The librarian bowed his head and profusely apologized. “I’m sorry, Star, but just yesterday a malicious virus invaded the library system. Most of the files linked to an external source are fine, but entire categories have been deleted. Access to online library materials is temporarily unavailable until the bug has been cleaned. We have special permission to redirect Stars to a different e-library at the moment.”
Start all over? “But my whole drive has been restarted,” Kazunari pointed out.
“I’m sorry,” the librarian apologized again. “I’ll call for a technical assistant from the media hub to see what could be done.”
Kazunari glumly returned the laptop while he waited for the technician to arrive and went over to the bookshelves to find the books he had previously looked through. One of the men carrying the boxes out from the sections stopped him.
“I’m sorry, Star, but access to this part of the library’s printed materials is temporarily unavailable,” he said.
“For how long?” Kazunari demanded, frustrated.
“A few weeks at least.”
“I only need a few books. Can’t I take those?”
“My sincere apologies, Star,” the man said.
“Why? What are you doing?” Kazunari looked passed the shoulder of the man and saw the other men pulling books off the shelves and packing them into boxes. They were removing entire sections from the library, most notably from the bookshelves he’d sifted through. “Why are you taking these books down?”
“Master Sakurai has bought these materials from the library and replaced them with new editions. The new materials have to come in and be organized before Star access can be resumed.”
Kazunari clenched his mouth shut and spoke no more. He immediately identified Sho as the culprit behind everything; after all Sho had, during their first meeting, claimed to have illegally accessed the school’s system. Sho must have realized Kazunari was working his butt off to make ends meet and had taken measures to prevent him from succeeding in his studies. Kazunari was at the very edge of a dead end. He stormed out of the library.
Previously, he had not gone near the East Wing again in fear of coming across the malicious Suns, but right then he recalled the path to the foyer from his first day and stormed down to the East Wing without a second thought. Despite Star prohibitions into the private wing, there were surprisingly no security. Kazunari knew the lack of security meant that no one had defied the unquestioned prohibitions before and their obedience angered him even more. Cold fury propelled him through the empty hall of the East Wing to the double doors at the end.
He pushed open the huge doors and entered a gigantic, circular chamber. Three-fifths of the wall was not a wall at all but a large window overlooking one of the school’s many courtyards. A staircase wound along the remaining part of the wall leading up to a terrace and upper floor that was closed off from his view. Two doors, one ajar, were tucked under the arch of the staircase. Beneath his feet, thick fur rugs layered over smooth black marble. All the furniture seemed to have been designed for the space. Kazunari gaped openly into a luxurious empty room.
Concluding that at least one of the Suns was here, he steeled himself, went for the open door beneath the stairs, and stepped into a bare room with no windows. The room was undeniably soundproof, compactly covered from the floor to the walls. A single metal pole, padded with foam, extended from the ceiling to the floor. Kazunari felt afraid to step into the small room. He had seen no light fixture or switch. The dimness and dead silence unsettled him.
He turned to leave when groans from inside the soundproof room that should not have existed stopped him. Goosebumps formed along his skin and believing he had disturbed something he reached for the door to pull it shut behind him, but when the groans persisted he subdued his fear and took a closer look around the bare room. The homogenous appearance and dimness had caused him to miss another camouflaged door along the inner wall that was slightly ajar. He realized that the groans came from the connecting room beyond.
Cautiously and against his instincts, he entered the soundproof room to the second door. It opened to an adjacent bedroom, sparsely furnished, with only a king sized bed pushed against a wall, a bedside table, and a lamp. One lone window covered by heavy curtains were set in the opposite wall. The groans that Kazunari had followed issued from a lump on the bed. He moved in for a closer inspection and saw to his horror a disheveled Sho sprawled on the mattress, his eyes shut, his face pale, and his expression distorted with pain. Blood, cuts, and bruises marked the wrist of one hand that was bound by a shackle while the knuckles of his other hand were torn and bloody.
Uncertain of what to think upon finding Sho in a situation he’d never thought possible, Kazunari climbed onto the bed and moved over on his hands and knees until he reached Sho on the other end by the wall. He pressed two fingers to the base of Sho’s neck and was assured to find the pulse still strong and steady. He was about to lift his hand when Sho’s eyes fluttered open. Sho recognized him instantly and his recognition turned into hatred.
“I’m not dead yet,” he growled in a strained, hoarse whisper. He winced as he struggled to sit up and kicked Kazunari from him. “I won’t die so easily.”
Kazunari’s fury returned. He was stupid for ever feeling concern for Sho; such a person could never feel grateful for someone else’s kindness. He righted himself and stood on the bed, staggering as he did so. “Next time someone tries to harm you, I’ll make sure to keep out of their way.”
“What are you talking about? No one tried to har--!” Sho stopped mid-sentence and understanding momentarily replaced the hostile hatred on his face. “It can’t be… You don’t know?”
Kazunari realized by Sho’s expression that he might have revealed too much, although what he did not know. He stood towering over Sho, silent, and just as he made a decision to leave, Sho fell back on the mattress and emitted a roar of laughter.
“You don’t know,” he chortled, as if he found something in those words funny.
Feeling more of a fool every prolonged second in Sho’s company, Kazunari stepped over him and lifted a foot off the bed, but Sho tugged him back. As Kazunari fell his breath was knocked out of him and he did not have a chance to regain his composure. Sho turned him over and twisted his arms behind his back. His face was pressed against the bed covers and for a moment he couldn’t draw in air while Sho straddled his back. As he choked and gasped, his arms began to hurt. He struggled to push Sho off of him, but his strength failed him. To his horror, he felt Sho’s other hand at his waist undoing his belt and then the button of his pants.
“What the fuck are you doing!?” he shouted, half the words muffled.
“You can’t be that different from your mother!” Sho loosened the front of Kazunari’s pants and inserted his hands under Kazunari’s boxers until his fingers wrapped around soft flesh.
“Get the fuck off me!” Kazunari kicked his feet backwards, but they met empty air.
“Your mother destroyed our families. Did you think I’ll let you off so easily?” Sho’s fingers felt along Kazunari’s cock.
Heat seared through Kazunari’s body and he screamed as fury, revulsion, and shame washed over him.
“Sho, what are you doing?” a new voice interrupted.
For a split second, Kazunari felt the grip on his arms lessen and he used the opportunity to break out of Sho’s hold. His elbow slammed into Sho’s chin. His arms were freed as he threw off Sho who was clutching the lower half of his face. Kazunari righted himself, pulled back a fist, and slugged Sho in the stomach. Sho doubled over with a grunt of pain. Kazunari ignored the loosened front of his pants and headed for the immediate exit, the second door leading into the circular room he had first entered. The new boy who had interrupted them stood in that doorway, but he did not act as Kazunari zoomed passed him.
“Stop him!” Sho shrieked.
Kazunari halted outside the bedroom just inside the circular chamber. Jun and a shorter boy blocked the double doors to the hall and unlike the other newcomer they seemed prepared to follow Sho’s order. Surrounded, Kazunari ran to the stairs, up the steps, to the terrace and second floor.
“Stop!” the first newcomer shouted.
Kazunari went on passed the landing to the lone door on the second floor. The door was made of steel and when Kazunari hastily pushed the only button available in the wall, it slid open. The alarming footsteps on the stairs behind him propelled him forward and he stepped through into the highest point of the East Tower; he stood in another circular chamber with blue painted walls and no windows. The room imitated an ecosystem. Artificial trees and grasses grew from the dirt ground. A light fixture imitating the sun hovered above in the ceiling. Different animals popped their heads out of their hiding places at Kazunari’s entrance and erupted into a chorus of discontented screeches and calls. A small ferret-like animal broke free of a bush and ran at him hissing.
Kazunari jumped aside and slammed into an undetected tree. Searing white light burst in his mind. His strength faltered. His vision stuttered. He lost control of his body and fell into darkness.
* *
Kazunari woke to the sounds of pounding on metal. Through the fuzzy pain in his head, he heard two people shouting at each other.
“Open the door!” Sho ordered from outside the room. His voice, still hoarse, barely penetrated through the steel door.
“No can-do, Sho!” the voice of the boy who had interrupted Sho earlier said from somewhere near Kazunari. “Stay out there obediently. And quietly. You’re scaring my friends.”
“Then throw that bastard out here and get this over with!”
“Shhhh! I mean it. Go away, Sho. I won’t help you if Lucy and the others attack you, too.”
Sho cursed from behind the door and a moment later his thundering footsteps were heard fading away down the stairs.
Kazunari groaned. The persistent throbbing in his head reacted to every one of those footsteps. A warm towel had been laid over the knuckle-sized lump near his forehead, but it did not do him much good. He turned on his side on the grass underneath him and tried to push himself into an upright position.
“Hey, you’re awake!” the boy shouted and added to Kazunari’s headache. Then he lowered his voice. “Sorry about Lucy. If you remember, you were scared by her and ran into a tree.”
Kazunari found his balance and sat cross-legged next to the boy who was cuddling the offensive ferret. He scooted away from the animal and gently touched the swelling on his head. “How long have I been out?”
“About half an hour. Satoshi and I tried to wake you, but we couldn’t. So Satoshi left the towel after he shooed Jun out of the room. Don’t worry, we didn’t let Sho near you.”
Kazunari considered this boy naive to think he would feel relief at the small assurance. He raised his chin and blinked at the surprisingly bright room into the smiling face of the boy next to him. He immediately guessed who this person was. “Masaki Aiba,” he said aloud, therefore the shorter boy who had been with Jun at the door must have been Satoshi.
“Yes?” Masaki said, still smiling as he caressed the ferret he had called Lucy.
“Why did you help me? Aren’t you best friends with Sakurai?” Kazunari measured the distance to the door. Masaki blocked his path, which assured that his escape would be difficult. He didn’t even know if he could stand.
“I think you are mistaken about Sho. He doesn’t hate you like that.”
Kazunari snorted. It sent a surge of nausea through his head. “I’m sorry, but you are mistaken. He’d strangle me if he could.” He tried to stand, found his legs unsteady, and decided to not make a fool of himself. He sat back down glumly. Escape was impossible.
Masaki set Lucy on her feet, much to Kazunari’s dismay, but the ferret left him alone and darted into the artificial forest around the room. Masaki turned to face him. To Kazunari’s surprise, his eyes were full of warmth, like his smiles, and very different from the hatred of Sho and Jun’s. There was nothing artificial about his kindness.
“That’s not true,” Masaki denied, the cheerfulness in his voice gone. “Sho doesn’t really hate you. I know because he’s just like me.”
Kazunari doubted him. What Masaki said was the complete opposite of what he’d experience so far. He remembered Sho’s accusation from earlier in the midst of his attempted rape and said, “All of you knew my mother. Sakurai said she destroyed your families.” Sho had also called his mother a whore during their first meeting, but Kazunari refused to voice that insult.
“Do you not really know about your mother?” Masaki asked him instead.
“I wouldn’t ask you if I did,” Kazunari replied. Raising his voice caused the throbbing in his head to worsen and he winced.
Masaki noticed and stood. He went to the door. “I’ll go check if Sho is downstairs. If not, you can leave and go to the infirmary.”
“Wait!” Kazunari demanded, holding back another wave of nausea. “Tell me about my mother first.”
“But your injury,” Masaki objected.
“I won’t die from something like this!” He winced again.
Masaki’s shoulders slumped and the light went out of his expression. Kazunari recalled the Aiba group’s recent tragedy and instantly regretted his words. “I’m sorry. I forgot,” he apologized.
“You’re mistaken again,” Masaki muttered and he looked down at his fingers that had curled into clenched fists until his knuckles turned white. “I was glad when my father died.”
Unsure of how to respond, Kazunari held his tongue at his surprising confession.
“He destroyed our family,” Masaki said. “It’s true that your mother was as much to blame. My father had an affair with your mother. He and Uncle Sakurai fought over her. My mother suffered. Although my father eventually left your mother, my own mother couldn’t step out from her shadow. I hated your mother and I hated you, and Sho understood my feelings; but that was until two weeks ago when my father died.
“At my father’s funeral I realized it wasn’t your fault, or even mines. It was theirs: my father, Uncle Sakurai, and your mother. I couldn’t forgive any of them, but I decided I could try to be civil towards you.
“I haven’t told Sho,” he said. “I didn’t have a chance to, but if I can change, I know Sho can, too. If you knew him, you’d understand the reason behind his actions.”
But Kazunari did not know Sho and he was not so certain that someone like Sho could change. He did not think Sho had faked the hatred in his eyes. Kazunari knew their hatred was misguided because he didn’t believe Masaki’s story. The adultress Masaki described was not his mother at all. His mother was not a person who could cause others such heartache and pain. He knew the hardworking, unselfish person who had raised and loved him unconditionally for sixteen years. But it didn’t matter what he knew or what Sho thought he knew because obviously Sho was not going to leave him alone no matter what.
Masaki left the room and as the steel door soundlessly slid shut behind him Kazunari heard his footsteps on the stairs. He sat in silent contemplation and denial until something warm pressed against his leg. Kazunari looked down to see Lucy staring curiously up at him. Grunting, he jumped away, this time avoiding the tree, and fell into a marsh. A dozen baby ducks toddled away from him, their small wings flapping in their haste. Kazunari swore at his wet pants, his legs half submerged in the pond. He could feel his new loafers sinking into the mud and knew he’d never get them clean ever again. His uniform had been given him by the school and he didn’t have the money to replace anything.
“This is your fault,” he said to the ferret watching him from the shore.
Lucy cocked her head, but did not move. She settled down by the water’s edge, as if waiting for him to return. Her eyes remained on him. Wary of her attention, Kazunari waded to the other side of the pond and climbed out. He reached the blue painted walls and leaned against it to squeeze as much water as he could out of his pants. He saw with disgust the slabs of mud caked on his shoes. Then his gaze moved up and caught sight of them beyond the line of trees; horrified, his eyes took in the rows of gravestones scattered throughout the inner forest. His legs gave way and he fell on the ground again, but he did not have the strength to stand despite the jarring pain to his head. He made out the pet names engraved on each of the stones. There were at least a dozen of them on each one.
“Masaki loved all of them,” a new unfamiliar voice murmured.
Kazunari turned his head and saw the short boy he’d seen with Jun from earlier; Satoshi. He scrambled to his feet and faced the new boy standing behind Lucy across the pond. Satoshi crouched and rubbed the ferret’s head affectionately, then locked eyes with Kazunari.
“You’re awake,” Satoshi belatedly observed.
Kazunari knew Sho and Jun hated him. As Jun’s older brother, he wasn’t sure if Satoshi did not hate him as well. Then why had Satoshi helped Masaki take care of him earlier? Kazunari warily assessed the boy across from him.
Understanding Kazunari’s silence and cautious stance, Satoshi said, “As long as you do not hurt Jun, I will not hurt you.”
Kazunari found his warning misguided. “Why would I even want to hurt him? How?”
Satoshi stood and pursed his lower lip as he in turn assessed Kazunari. “Jun said you knew about our illnesses, that your mother hadn’t kept it a secret like she promised. You could use it to blackmail us to revenge for the way our fathers treated your mother.”
Frustration and exasperation overwhelmed Kazunari again. Why did everyone seem to know the relationship between the previous Three Suns and his mother except him? Despite the Four Suns’ accusation, his mother seemed to be the only one to have kept her mouth shut. That only convinced Kazunari every single one of them was wrong about her. “What did your fathers do to my mother?”
Satoshi shrugged and looked down at Lucy now clinging to his leg, begging for attention. He bent down and picked her up. She snuggled into the crook of his arm. Patting her gently as he turned to head back the way he had come, Satoshi said, “Jun took Sho outside. Masaki said you can go to the infirmary now.”
“Wait!” Kazunari called, but Satoshi did not wait. Satoshi turned into the forest and disappeared into the green foliage.