{ FIC } If you could see me now
Title: If you could see me now.
Author: Falling_petal01
Paring: Akame
Rating: PG 13 + (will eventually go up)
Genre: Alternative universe, Romance
Beta’ by:
gaea_chan and also a special mention to wooden_button's (I'm glad that both of you are safe)
Disclaimer: I do not own kame or Jin, nor do I own their friends. Neither do I own some of the Kabuki performances mentioned.
Summary: One has been raised in the colorful and dramatic world of Kabuki, while the other a mayor’s son taught to inherit his fathers’ title. What would happen when fate steps in and binds them with a red string?
Warning: Slight cross dressing involved and slightly feminine Kame at times.
Author note: No harm intended for true Kabuki fans out there. Some kabuki performances used in this story are plays published during the 1700's till now. I also didn't have the heart to make both the leading men half bald, so yes they still have a head full of hair.
SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING FOR A VERY LONG TIME!!! ……… Real life has been slightly…… busy…….. (@_@)…. Hope you readers still remember the story. Hopefully you guys would continue to enjoy it. Thank you for reading. I really miss you LJ people (T^T).
Comments or constructive criticisms are welcome!
Chapter 5
The next day at the Akanishi residence.
Jin sat outside on the polished wooden veranda and gazed at the garden scattered with pale pink cherry blossoms. The trees gave an illusion of early winter as its delicate petals fell, fluttering to the ground when the calm wind blew. Jin held his right hand out to try and catch some of the pale pink petals that fell from the branches of a cherry blossom tree hanging over the railing of his veranda. He watched as two delicate petals swayed and drifted softly into his awaiting palm, when the petals landed on his palm, he closed them to protect it from blowing out of his hand.
He silently observed, as more petals fell onto the veranda and some were swept by the wind towards his small wooden table beside him that held a lonely tea cup. He continued to absentmindedly caress a wooden jewelry box with his left hand. One lonely petal drifted into his cup of tea, floating like a boat in a calm river, which Jin never noticed as his eyes followed another petal that drifted upwards, further into the blue sky.
His mind drifted away like the petals did as he remembered the conversation between him and Kame in Shitamachi. The moments before the younger boy fell asleep from the effects of the analgesia that Takahashi gave Kame to ease the pain from his stitched left upper arm.
Flashback…
“I’m sorry. If only I had not been silly, trying to catch that paper ball, than I would not have knocked into you by accident…. I’m very sorry to put you through this.” Jin remained leaning over the side of the young boy’s face and whispering his apology into the boy’s ear while holding firmly onto his uninjured hand.
Kame opened his teary eyes and stared directly into the older boys black orbs, he opened his dry mouth to say something but closed it again to moisten his mouth with saliva before speaking. Jin tried to hide his own uncertainty, as he continued to look into the boys brown eyes and waited to hear the younger boy’s response. Jin had grown accustomed to being reprimanded by people for every time he had done something foolish, but the younger boys soft reply was unexpected to his ears, “It was not your fault. I don’t blame you for my injured left arm.”
Jin continued to stare into the young boy’s brown orbs, to hide his surprise after hearing the boy’s words. Jin was unsure if he should believe the younger boy’s gentle reply as he felt certain that the boy was either being polite or the analgesia had started its effect in the boy’s mind.
Jin gave an uncertain smile and said “You are trying to comfort my conscience when I do not deserve it.”
Kame could feel that the older boy doubted his previous reply, so he gave a tired smile and replied “It was an accident like you said. Neither of us saw what was to come.”
Jin felt a loss for words as he stared at the beautiful young boy that was trying to reassure him. Kame continued to speak softly as he felt himself growing sleepy, “Thank you… for staying with me…”
Jin could see that the boy was tired when he started to close his eyes. So he asked the boy one last question, “I have not had the opportunity to ask you. What is your name?”
Kame tried to open his heavy eyelids but he couldn’t so he replied with his eyes closed in a tired voice, “Kazuya…. Kamenashi Kazuya.”
Jin repeated the younger boys name to himself with his lips curved into a smile. “Kazuya, Kamenashi Kazuya.”
By then Kame had already drifted into sleep, so Jin continued to stroke kame’s forehead and hair as he slept. He hummed the tune to a song that Kaoru always sang to him on stormy nights, while Kame slept.
End of flashback.
Yamapi sat with his legs crossed on the tatami floor as he watched Jin drift off into his own private world. He whispered to Ryo in a worried tone, “Ryo. Jin has been doing that ever since we got back from Shitamachi yesterday.”
When Yamapi received no reply from the person that he was whispering to, he turned his head to the left to look at his neighbor and hissed, “Are you even listening Ryo?”
Ryo, currently looked like he too was day dreaming, he had his left arm propped up against the wooden arm rest while his chin was supported by his left hand, his lips held a small distant smile and his eyes focused far away.
Yamapi waved his right hand in front of Ryo, who never flinched and neither acknowledged Yamapi’s hand trying to gain his attention. Feeling ignored, Yamapi dropped his right hand back to his side, and suddenly jumped into a standing position. Still the two other boys had not even noticed his sudden movements and they remained deep in their thoughts.
He walked past Ryo and slapped him hard on the shoulder, which earned him an annoyed “Oi!” from Ryo. Yamapi ignored Ryo and walked out to the verandah, towards Jin. Yamapi knelt beside Jin and took the wooden box out from under Jin’s caressing hand.
Jin’s attention returned when he could not feel the object beneath his hand anymore and stared at Yamapi who looked back at him with concern saying “Jin. You can’t sit here and continuously touch this wooden box. It is not going to change anything that happened in Shitamachi and that boy would still be nursing his injured left arm.”
“I know that Yamapi! By the way, his name is Kamenashi Kazuya-kun and the box you are currently holding belongs to him.” Jin said pointedly, while holding out his hands waiting for Yamapi to return the wooden box back to him.
When Yamapi did not move from his position, Jin snatched the box out of Yamapi’s hand and held it protectively to his chest. Yamapi observed Jin’s childish actions and wondered when the younger boy actually became so possessive over a jewelry box after just one night.
He sat in front of Jin and questioned Jin’s intentions in regards to the box, “So what are you going to do with the box now? Keep it or return it to the rightful owner?”
Jin sat there and thought for a while before replying “How am I suppose to do that Yamapi tell me? Kaoru-san forbids me to go anywhere until after my fifteenth birthday, especially AFTER she heard what happened in Shitamachi yesterday from YOU, when we returned home early.”
He paused and glared at Yamapi before continuing, “Luckily Kaoru-san had not informed my mother about what happened. If not, you and I would be in for a very long scolding.”
Yamapi lifted his hand to scratch the back of his head as he thought about what he was going to say to Jin. When he was ready to say what he had in mind. Ryo interrupted him and stepped out onto the verandah with his hand clasped behind his back, saying to Jin, “Have you forgotten me, my dear cousin? I could, help you send the box back to Kamenashi-kun, if you really wanted me to…”
Jin and Yamapi both looked at Ryo. Jin thought it was a rather good suggestion and why had he not thought about it in the first place. While Yamapi questioned Ryo’s real intentions, especially when it came down to one particular man they met yesterday in Shitamachi.
Hearing Ryo’s offer, Jin stood up excitedly still holding the wooden box in his hands and said joyfully to Ryo “Splendid idea Ryo. You can send the box and a message from me back to Kamenashi-kun. At the same time, you can meet him and tell me how his wound is healing.”
Ryo nodded rather eagerly and agreed enthusiastically “Exactly!”
“When can you leave Ryo?” Jin asked, as he walked past his cousin into his study room towards a small wooden chest that sat on his book shelf.
“As soon as you want me to” Ryo replied with a wide grin.
Yamapi walked up to Ryo and leaned his right arm casually against the shorter man and whispered into his ear, “You just wanted to see Ueda Tatsuya-kun again. Am I right?”
Ryo turned his head to look at Yamapi, who wiggled his eyebrows at him. Ryo felt himself blushing as Yamapi could see through his facade. So he narrowed his eyes at Yamapi and brushed the taller mans arm from his shoulder before replying casually “I have no idea what you are talking about Yamapi.”
“It’s okay to be attracted to a man. Lots of people in your position have the same gender lovers nowadays.” Yamapi said seriously to Ryo and gave him a knowing look, as most of the Samurai-class men also practiced their own custom.
This old custom was established centuries ago, it involves an older and more experienced samurai taking a younger one to be both their apprentices and lovers. In Ryo’s case it would be a young samurai taking on a middle-class man as his potential lover.
Ryo inhaled deeply and gave Yamapi a cold stare before ignoring him and walked towards Jin, who was sitting at the study table. Ryo watched as Jin grinded the Ink slab into the ink stone.
Yamapi sighed and felt uncomfortable for winding Ryo up, so he ran up to Ryo and gave him a playful hit on the shoulder telling him he was joking and not to take it to heart. Ryo acknowledged that his friend could be rather blunt at times, but never the less to Ryo, Yamapi was still a good and reliable friend.
When the ink was ready for use, Jin placed the ink slab back into its wooden container and unhooked a calligraphy brush from the wooden stand on his polished table. He dipped the tip of the brush twice into the ink stone and held it above the blank rice paper that lay in front of him.
There Jin sat trying to concentrate as a million words and thoughts about what he should say to Kame poured into his head. He sat in the exact same spot for the whole day, even after the sun had set and dinner had been served. Jin scratched his head and sighed in frustration as he scrunched and tossed another rice paper onto the tatami floor behind him. The paper ball rolled along the floor to join the other half a dozen littered around the same spot.
Ryo returned to Jin’s study room after dinner with his mother. He entered the study room with two servants following behind him as they carried trays containing different plates of food. When the servants had finished setting up the trays of food they took their leave and slid the study room door closed.
Yamapi looked at the food displayed on the trays and heard his stomach growl loudly protesting in hunger due to not eating lunch. Jin had not wanted lunch which meant Yamapi could not eat either.
He carried and placed a few different dishes in front of Jin, who waved his hand telling Yamapi to take the food away. Yamapi refused to do as he was told, so he left the trays sitting on the side of Jin’s study table and returned to sit in front of the remaining food trays. He grabbed a pair of chopsticks; gave thanks by clasping his hands together and bowing at the food in front of him. Then Yamapi proceeded to shove a chopstick full of rice into his own mouth.
Ryo sat beside Yamapi who continued to scoff down his food like he had not eaten for an entire month. He looked over at Jin who tossed another scrunched paper behind him. Ryo questioned Yamapi asking “Has he been doing that, since I left the room during lunch time?”
Yamapi nodded as he continued to take another mouthful of food. Ryo stared at Jin’s hunched figure at the study table disbelievingly, and said to Yamapi “I thought he was writing a letter of apology. If he has been sitting at the table the whole day… it would make anyone think that he was writing a love letter instead.”
After hearing Ryo’s unpredicted comment, Yamapis’ eyes widened at the last statement and choked on a mouthful of rice causing him to cough grains of white onto the floor. Ryo helped Yamapi cough as he hit the taller man on his back. Yamapi managed to swallow the rest of the rice in his mouth before gulping down a mouthful of water.
He stared at Ryo hesitantly and whispered “You don’t actually believe that he is writing a love letter do you? Jin is only fourteen, turning fifteen soon in July and Kamenashi-kun looks A LOT YOUNGER than Jin.”
“Who are you? His mother? Maybe he is writing a love letter, maybe he is not. Does it matter?” Ryo asked.
“He CANNOT AFFORD to fall for a young boy as his first love.” Yamapi hissed back at Ryo.
Ryo shrugged and replied “I am sure Jin would be intelligent enough not to fall in love with a young boy anyway Yamapi. He being Jin would most probably be writing a friendship letter to the boy. So stop your worrying.”
Yamapi felt his appetite disappear for the rest of the evening as he felt uneasy after hearing Ryo’s comments, so he placed his bowl and chopsticks back on the tray in front of him and sat silently alongside Ryo, watching as Jin continued to scribble words with his calligraphy brush.
Jin grinned to himself when he had finally completed his letter. He placed his calligraphy brush against the ink stone and stood up to stretch himself. When Jin looked towards the door he saw Yamapis’ sleeping figure resting against the wall closest to the sliding door. Jin smiled and grabbed a thick blanket to place over his best friend. He stepped back out onto the verandah and inhaled a breath of cold air before walking towards the end of the verandah. He slid open his bed room door to enter and climbed into his futon to sleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The next morning Yamapi was awakened by the cold morning breeze blowing in his direction. He pulled the thick blanket tighter around himself. Yamapi looked first at the study table for any sign of Jin, but he was nowhere to be found. He then looked past the open doors of the study room that led to the verandah. There he saw Jin sitting the way he did yesterday touching the same wooden box. Yamapi walked towards Jin and greeted his friend, “Good morning!” Jin smiled at the sight of his friend and replied the same greeting.
Yamapi sat beside Jin and asked “Have you completed your letter to Kamenashi-kun?”
Jin nodded and said “I have asked the servant to send for Ryo. He should be here any minute now.”
They both turned when they heard the sliding door open. There Ryo stood in his casual kimono waiting for Jin to hand the package over. Jin stood up and carried the box towards his study table, where he wrapped the wooden jewelry box into a plain dark-blue cotton cloth. He handed the package over to Ryo and told him specifically, “Make sure that Kamenashi-kun gets this and no one else. UNDERSTAND!”
Ryo replied playfully “I’ll guard it with my life!”
Jin rolled his eyes at Ryo and said in a rather serious tone, “YOU BETTER!”
Ryo grinned and bid both Jin and Yamapi goodbye before setting out on his mission to Shitamachi. Jin watched as Ryo disappeared down the sheltered corridor. He turned to Yamapi and said “Shall we have breakfast?”
Yamapi agreed with a wide grin, especially when it comes to the topic of eating. The two friends sat out in the verandah and enjoyed breakfast as they viewed the cherry blossoms in the garden before it completely faded.
-------------------
Continue to Part B
Author: Falling_petal01
Paring: Akame
Rating: PG 13 + (will eventually go up)
Genre: Alternative universe, Romance
Beta’ by:
gaea_chan and also a special mention to wooden_button's (I'm glad that both of you are safe)
Disclaimer: I do not own kame or Jin, nor do I own their friends. Neither do I own some of the Kabuki performances mentioned.
Summary: One has been raised in the colorful and dramatic world of Kabuki, while the other a mayor’s son taught to inherit his fathers’ title. What would happen when fate steps in and binds them with a red string?
Warning: Slight cross dressing involved and slightly feminine Kame at times.
Author note: No harm intended for true Kabuki fans out there. Some kabuki performances used in this story are plays published during the 1700's till now. I also didn't have the heart to make both the leading men half bald, so yes they still have a head full of hair.
SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING FOR A VERY LONG TIME!!! ……… Real life has been slightly…… busy…….. (@_@)…. Hope you readers still remember the story. Hopefully you guys would continue to enjoy it. Thank you for reading. I really miss you LJ people (T^T).
Comments or constructive criticisms are welcome!
Chapter 5
The next day at the Akanishi residence.
Jin sat outside on the polished wooden veranda and gazed at the garden scattered with pale pink cherry blossoms. The trees gave an illusion of early winter as its delicate petals fell, fluttering to the ground when the calm wind blew. Jin held his right hand out to try and catch some of the pale pink petals that fell from the branches of a cherry blossom tree hanging over the railing of his veranda. He watched as two delicate petals swayed and drifted softly into his awaiting palm, when the petals landed on his palm, he closed them to protect it from blowing out of his hand.
He silently observed, as more petals fell onto the veranda and some were swept by the wind towards his small wooden table beside him that held a lonely tea cup. He continued to absentmindedly caress a wooden jewelry box with his left hand. One lonely petal drifted into his cup of tea, floating like a boat in a calm river, which Jin never noticed as his eyes followed another petal that drifted upwards, further into the blue sky.
His mind drifted away like the petals did as he remembered the conversation between him and Kame in Shitamachi. The moments before the younger boy fell asleep from the effects of the analgesia that Takahashi gave Kame to ease the pain from his stitched left upper arm.
Flashback…
“I’m sorry. If only I had not been silly, trying to catch that paper ball, than I would not have knocked into you by accident…. I’m very sorry to put you through this.” Jin remained leaning over the side of the young boy’s face and whispering his apology into the boy’s ear while holding firmly onto his uninjured hand.
Kame opened his teary eyes and stared directly into the older boys black orbs, he opened his dry mouth to say something but closed it again to moisten his mouth with saliva before speaking. Jin tried to hide his own uncertainty, as he continued to look into the boys brown eyes and waited to hear the younger boy’s response. Jin had grown accustomed to being reprimanded by people for every time he had done something foolish, but the younger boys soft reply was unexpected to his ears, “It was not your fault. I don’t blame you for my injured left arm.”
Jin continued to stare into the young boy’s brown orbs, to hide his surprise after hearing the boy’s words. Jin was unsure if he should believe the younger boy’s gentle reply as he felt certain that the boy was either being polite or the analgesia had started its effect in the boy’s mind.
Jin gave an uncertain smile and said “You are trying to comfort my conscience when I do not deserve it.”
Kame could feel that the older boy doubted his previous reply, so he gave a tired smile and replied “It was an accident like you said. Neither of us saw what was to come.”
Jin felt a loss for words as he stared at the beautiful young boy that was trying to reassure him. Kame continued to speak softly as he felt himself growing sleepy, “Thank you… for staying with me…”
Jin could see that the boy was tired when he started to close his eyes. So he asked the boy one last question, “I have not had the opportunity to ask you. What is your name?”
Kame tried to open his heavy eyelids but he couldn’t so he replied with his eyes closed in a tired voice, “Kazuya…. Kamenashi Kazuya.”
Jin repeated the younger boys name to himself with his lips curved into a smile. “Kazuya, Kamenashi Kazuya.”
By then Kame had already drifted into sleep, so Jin continued to stroke kame’s forehead and hair as he slept. He hummed the tune to a song that Kaoru always sang to him on stormy nights, while Kame slept.
End of flashback.
Yamapi sat with his legs crossed on the tatami floor as he watched Jin drift off into his own private world. He whispered to Ryo in a worried tone, “Ryo. Jin has been doing that ever since we got back from Shitamachi yesterday.”
When Yamapi received no reply from the person that he was whispering to, he turned his head to the left to look at his neighbor and hissed, “Are you even listening Ryo?”
Ryo, currently looked like he too was day dreaming, he had his left arm propped up against the wooden arm rest while his chin was supported by his left hand, his lips held a small distant smile and his eyes focused far away.
Yamapi waved his right hand in front of Ryo, who never flinched and neither acknowledged Yamapi’s hand trying to gain his attention. Feeling ignored, Yamapi dropped his right hand back to his side, and suddenly jumped into a standing position. Still the two other boys had not even noticed his sudden movements and they remained deep in their thoughts.
He walked past Ryo and slapped him hard on the shoulder, which earned him an annoyed “Oi!” from Ryo. Yamapi ignored Ryo and walked out to the verandah, towards Jin. Yamapi knelt beside Jin and took the wooden box out from under Jin’s caressing hand.
Jin’s attention returned when he could not feel the object beneath his hand anymore and stared at Yamapi who looked back at him with concern saying “Jin. You can’t sit here and continuously touch this wooden box. It is not going to change anything that happened in Shitamachi and that boy would still be nursing his injured left arm.”
“I know that Yamapi! By the way, his name is Kamenashi Kazuya-kun and the box you are currently holding belongs to him.” Jin said pointedly, while holding out his hands waiting for Yamapi to return the wooden box back to him.
When Yamapi did not move from his position, Jin snatched the box out of Yamapi’s hand and held it protectively to his chest. Yamapi observed Jin’s childish actions and wondered when the younger boy actually became so possessive over a jewelry box after just one night.
He sat in front of Jin and questioned Jin’s intentions in regards to the box, “So what are you going to do with the box now? Keep it or return it to the rightful owner?”
Jin sat there and thought for a while before replying “How am I suppose to do that Yamapi tell me? Kaoru-san forbids me to go anywhere until after my fifteenth birthday, especially AFTER she heard what happened in Shitamachi yesterday from YOU, when we returned home early.”
He paused and glared at Yamapi before continuing, “Luckily Kaoru-san had not informed my mother about what happened. If not, you and I would be in for a very long scolding.”
Yamapi lifted his hand to scratch the back of his head as he thought about what he was going to say to Jin. When he was ready to say what he had in mind. Ryo interrupted him and stepped out onto the verandah with his hand clasped behind his back, saying to Jin, “Have you forgotten me, my dear cousin? I could, help you send the box back to Kamenashi-kun, if you really wanted me to…”
Jin and Yamapi both looked at Ryo. Jin thought it was a rather good suggestion and why had he not thought about it in the first place. While Yamapi questioned Ryo’s real intentions, especially when it came down to one particular man they met yesterday in Shitamachi.
Hearing Ryo’s offer, Jin stood up excitedly still holding the wooden box in his hands and said joyfully to Ryo “Splendid idea Ryo. You can send the box and a message from me back to Kamenashi-kun. At the same time, you can meet him and tell me how his wound is healing.”
Ryo nodded rather eagerly and agreed enthusiastically “Exactly!”
“When can you leave Ryo?” Jin asked, as he walked past his cousin into his study room towards a small wooden chest that sat on his book shelf.
“As soon as you want me to” Ryo replied with a wide grin.
Yamapi walked up to Ryo and leaned his right arm casually against the shorter man and whispered into his ear, “You just wanted to see Ueda Tatsuya-kun again. Am I right?”
Ryo turned his head to look at Yamapi, who wiggled his eyebrows at him. Ryo felt himself blushing as Yamapi could see through his facade. So he narrowed his eyes at Yamapi and brushed the taller mans arm from his shoulder before replying casually “I have no idea what you are talking about Yamapi.”
“It’s okay to be attracted to a man. Lots of people in your position have the same gender lovers nowadays.” Yamapi said seriously to Ryo and gave him a knowing look, as most of the Samurai-class men also practiced their own custom.
This old custom was established centuries ago, it involves an older and more experienced samurai taking a younger one to be both their apprentices and lovers. In Ryo’s case it would be a young samurai taking on a middle-class man as his potential lover.
Ryo inhaled deeply and gave Yamapi a cold stare before ignoring him and walked towards Jin, who was sitting at the study table. Ryo watched as Jin grinded the Ink slab into the ink stone.
Yamapi sighed and felt uncomfortable for winding Ryo up, so he ran up to Ryo and gave him a playful hit on the shoulder telling him he was joking and not to take it to heart. Ryo acknowledged that his friend could be rather blunt at times, but never the less to Ryo, Yamapi was still a good and reliable friend.
When the ink was ready for use, Jin placed the ink slab back into its wooden container and unhooked a calligraphy brush from the wooden stand on his polished table. He dipped the tip of the brush twice into the ink stone and held it above the blank rice paper that lay in front of him.
There Jin sat trying to concentrate as a million words and thoughts about what he should say to Kame poured into his head. He sat in the exact same spot for the whole day, even after the sun had set and dinner had been served. Jin scratched his head and sighed in frustration as he scrunched and tossed another rice paper onto the tatami floor behind him. The paper ball rolled along the floor to join the other half a dozen littered around the same spot.
Ryo returned to Jin’s study room after dinner with his mother. He entered the study room with two servants following behind him as they carried trays containing different plates of food. When the servants had finished setting up the trays of food they took their leave and slid the study room door closed.
Yamapi looked at the food displayed on the trays and heard his stomach growl loudly protesting in hunger due to not eating lunch. Jin had not wanted lunch which meant Yamapi could not eat either.
He carried and placed a few different dishes in front of Jin, who waved his hand telling Yamapi to take the food away. Yamapi refused to do as he was told, so he left the trays sitting on the side of Jin’s study table and returned to sit in front of the remaining food trays. He grabbed a pair of chopsticks; gave thanks by clasping his hands together and bowing at the food in front of him. Then Yamapi proceeded to shove a chopstick full of rice into his own mouth.
Ryo sat beside Yamapi who continued to scoff down his food like he had not eaten for an entire month. He looked over at Jin who tossed another scrunched paper behind him. Ryo questioned Yamapi asking “Has he been doing that, since I left the room during lunch time?”
Yamapi nodded as he continued to take another mouthful of food. Ryo stared at Jin’s hunched figure at the study table disbelievingly, and said to Yamapi “I thought he was writing a letter of apology. If he has been sitting at the table the whole day… it would make anyone think that he was writing a love letter instead.”
After hearing Ryo’s unpredicted comment, Yamapis’ eyes widened at the last statement and choked on a mouthful of rice causing him to cough grains of white onto the floor. Ryo helped Yamapi cough as he hit the taller man on his back. Yamapi managed to swallow the rest of the rice in his mouth before gulping down a mouthful of water.
He stared at Ryo hesitantly and whispered “You don’t actually believe that he is writing a love letter do you? Jin is only fourteen, turning fifteen soon in July and Kamenashi-kun looks A LOT YOUNGER than Jin.”
“Who are you? His mother? Maybe he is writing a love letter, maybe he is not. Does it matter?” Ryo asked.
“He CANNOT AFFORD to fall for a young boy as his first love.” Yamapi hissed back at Ryo.
Ryo shrugged and replied “I am sure Jin would be intelligent enough not to fall in love with a young boy anyway Yamapi. He being Jin would most probably be writing a friendship letter to the boy. So stop your worrying.”
Yamapi felt his appetite disappear for the rest of the evening as he felt uneasy after hearing Ryo’s comments, so he placed his bowl and chopsticks back on the tray in front of him and sat silently alongside Ryo, watching as Jin continued to scribble words with his calligraphy brush.
Jin grinned to himself when he had finally completed his letter. He placed his calligraphy brush against the ink stone and stood up to stretch himself. When Jin looked towards the door he saw Yamapis’ sleeping figure resting against the wall closest to the sliding door. Jin smiled and grabbed a thick blanket to place over his best friend. He stepped back out onto the verandah and inhaled a breath of cold air before walking towards the end of the verandah. He slid open his bed room door to enter and climbed into his futon to sleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The next morning Yamapi was awakened by the cold morning breeze blowing in his direction. He pulled the thick blanket tighter around himself. Yamapi looked first at the study table for any sign of Jin, but he was nowhere to be found. He then looked past the open doors of the study room that led to the verandah. There he saw Jin sitting the way he did yesterday touching the same wooden box. Yamapi walked towards Jin and greeted his friend, “Good morning!” Jin smiled at the sight of his friend and replied the same greeting.
Yamapi sat beside Jin and asked “Have you completed your letter to Kamenashi-kun?”
Jin nodded and said “I have asked the servant to send for Ryo. He should be here any minute now.”
They both turned when they heard the sliding door open. There Ryo stood in his casual kimono waiting for Jin to hand the package over. Jin stood up and carried the box towards his study table, where he wrapped the wooden jewelry box into a plain dark-blue cotton cloth. He handed the package over to Ryo and told him specifically, “Make sure that Kamenashi-kun gets this and no one else. UNDERSTAND!”
Ryo replied playfully “I’ll guard it with my life!”
Jin rolled his eyes at Ryo and said in a rather serious tone, “YOU BETTER!”
Ryo grinned and bid both Jin and Yamapi goodbye before setting out on his mission to Shitamachi. Jin watched as Ryo disappeared down the sheltered corridor. He turned to Yamapi and said “Shall we have breakfast?”
Yamapi agreed with a wide grin, especially when it comes to the topic of eating. The two friends sat out in the verandah and enjoyed breakfast as they viewed the cherry blossoms in the garden before it completely faded.
-------------------
Continue to Part B