Summer Disaster... or is it? [3/?]

[churro_b32]

Title: Summer Disaster... or is it? [3/?]
Author: churro_b32 
Pairing: Yamachii, previous Daichii
Side Pairings: Okajima
Rating: G
Summary: Chinen's life couldn't be better -- until Daiki breaks up with him. Over a year passes but Chinen refuses to be with anyone else, turning down dates from pretty girls and boys. Chinen's mom decides to sign him up for summer school courses to help him "get ahead in school and not sulk around for another summer." He must walk to the school where classes will be held, three blocks away, and Chinen couldn't think of a worse way to spend his summer. On his first day he wakes up late, his hair a muss, and gets lost in the building while trying to find his classroom. He takes a seat in the middle row of three, near the back corner. He watches the students pour in and sees someone he vaguely recognizes. Yamada Ryosuke. Yeah, that was his name.

Previous:


Chapter 3

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Ryutaro's father offered to drive each of the boys back to their houses which Chinen was grateful for, he wasn't feeling up to walking any more long distances. When they arrive before Chinen's home, he climbs over an energetic Yuto who was bobbing his head to music apparently only he could hear. Chinen gave a polite thank you and waved goodbye at his friends. His three friends. Ryutaro hadn't been hard to get along with at all. If more people were like him, Chinen would have made tons of friends by now. Chinen nodded at his own thought and walked through his front door.

The house was empty, as it always was early in the day. His parents wouldn't be coming for a few more hours which meant he had the precious television all to himself. Chinen plopped himself onto the couch in his living room before realizing that the remote on the small table no longer worked. He stared at the TV as if he could turn it on without moving, but he gets up and pushes the buttons on the TV after a minute of the screen remaining blank. He picks a random channel and stares blankly at the screen until his mother comes through the door, three hours later.

"Hi, Yuri! How was your day?" She smiled cheerfully at him. She was always hoping her happiness would rub off on Chinen.

He looked at her with glazed eyes from watching TV so long. "It was okay. I met up with some friends. It was… fun."

It was the first time he had spoken more than two words to her since Daiki's disappearance. She beamed, thinking that her son, even though slowly, was beginning to move on. Then something caught her eye and her hopes wavered. "You're still wearing that." She said flatly.

Chinen knew immediately what she was talking about and looked down at the ring. He had not thought of Daiki today, but now, looking at the ring, a wave of sadness crashed down hard. He couldn't keep the stray tear from gliding down his cheek.

His mother sat down next to Chinen and wiped away the single tear. Chinen could see her own sadness of seeing Chinen this way. He felt guilty. Guilty for putting her through this, but he didn't know how to stop.

"That ring…" She began reluctantly, as if this was something she was hoping she wouldn't have to say. "You need to stop wearing it. It's not helping you move on, it's just bringing back memories that will not let you get over this. Please, Yuri, please listen to me when I say that keeping this with you all the time is just not good for you. Daiki… Daiki isn't coming back. Don't hurt yourself more. If I see you… If I see you wearing it, I'll have to take it away myself. Don't make me do that to you, Yuri, please don't."

Chinen took in his mothers words but made no response. He looked at the ring he'd worn every day since he got it and fresh tears spilled from his eyes. He removed the ring but held it tightly in his hand. His mother seemed to be saying something but Chinen couldn't tell what. He wasn't listening, he stood up and walked to his room, leaving her behind.

He closed his door behind him and crumpled on the floor, letting each of the wonderful memories cut into his heart. More tears, heavy tears, uncontrollable tears gushed from his eyes until nothing came out. Chinen crawled into bed and wished desperately to be back with Yuto and Keito. He didn't want to be alone. His emotions were overwhelming when he was alone. He couldn't prevent his thoughts from wandering, making up reasons for why Daiki had to leave. Giving himself false hope that one day, Daiki would come back.

Chinen carried on like this for the first week of his vacation, sulking in his bedroom. The ring his mother and instructed him not to wear was tucked safely into the pocket of his shorts. He wasn't going to give up on Daiki that easily. He would come back. He would come back and hold Chinen one more time, tell him he was sorry but it would be like nothing happened. They would be together again, forever like Daiki had always said. They would be -- Chinen shook his head to make the thoughts stop. As perfect as they seemed, it only hurt him.

Yuto hadn't contacted him at all, not once, and Chinen felt forgotten. He would have very much liked a distraction from his own emotions. Chinen opened his door slowly and walked toward the kitchen. He was glad to find it empty and fixed himself cereal. He sat at the table and ate slowly, staring out the window at the foreign neighborhood.

His parents had apparently came in and began fixing themselves breakfast without him noticing. Chinen concentrated on eating, knowing that the tension in the room was his fault. His parents took the seats across from him and neither said a word for a few tense moments.

"This needs to stop, Yuri." His father broke the silence. "You acting this way… it's just not normal. It's been a year. A year of you sulking, of you being someone you're not. What happened to the cheerful boy? Where did he go? This depression phase you're going through… I understand. It's hard to lose a friend. It's hard but you get over it. It's not fair to make the people around you suffer, especially when they can't do anything to help you. Please, Yuri, let this end."

"Your father's right," His mother's warm voice filled the room. It always seemed to make him feel a little better. "This can't be healthy for you. Honey, we only want what's best for you. Seeing you this way… it's hard. Waiting for you to accept this and stop grieving is difficult. We love you, Yuri. We only want to help.

Chinen can't find his voice to respond, but he doesn’t have to. His mother speaks again, "I've signed you up for summer classes. I know school is important to you and I think this would be a perfect opportunity to get ahead. It'll give you something to do and you'll make more friends! And I'd rather you be at school than at this house alone for another summer…. Class starts at 8 o'clock on Monday morning, well tomorrow morning. You'll have to walk from here, I'm afraid we won't be able to take you."

"Where is it?" He finally speaks

She smiles, glad that he hasn't refused to go. "Just down the street! I'll get a map for you, I have your new uniform, also." She begins eagerly discussing the benefits of the class to his father and Chinen tunes her out.

He thinks about going to school, it sounds like a terrible idea. The last thing Chinen wants to do it spend his summer in a classroom full of people he doesn’t know. Though, he realizes, it would be a good way to distract himself.

He stares down at his empty bowl for a few moments before rising and washing the bowl in the sink. He sets it to dry and sits back in his seat, pretending to be listening to his mother's ramblings about how great this opportunity is and that Chinen would enjoy himself. She leaves briefly to get his uniform and the map. Chinen looks down at the piece of paper trying to make sense of it. He looks up at his parents, "I think I'm going to walk there today, to make sure I know where I'm going tomorrow."

"Great idea!" She clapped her hands together, obviously excited that he would be getting out of the house for once.

Chinen nodded and then left the table to shower and get dressed, after which he set out trying to find this new building where the summer sessions were held. He was glad it wasn't at his actual school, or else the walk would have been brutal. He followed the map and surprisingly didn't get lost. A school, smaller than the one he attended came into view. Chinen turned around to make his way back home, hoping that it wouldn't rain the next morning.

~~~

Chinen opened his eyes sleepily and looked at the clock next to him which read 7:30 AM. He nearly rolled off his bed. He was late. It had taken him twenty minutes to walk to the school building the day before, he was cutting it close. Chinen hopped in the shower and was out in four minutes flat. He put on his uniform quickly and was out the door, jogging the whole way. He had forgotten his cell phone so he had no way to tell what time it was, so he decided it was better to be safe than sorry. He sprinted to the building, slowing only when he got to the stairs leading up to the front doors.

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A/N: Gomen ne~ I promise there will be Yamachii in the upcoming chapters!!! Lots and lots, I just need to work up to it :3