Kiku could hear the blonde coming before he even arrived at the floor he was in. It wasn't that he was psychic and knew where his best friend was at all times, but just the fact that the American was loud. It was as if Alfred had a giant megaphone with him always. With so much warning, Kiku had more than enough time to stuff the pages he was working on into his bag and out of sight.
"KIKUUUUU!!!" Alfred yelled as he burst through the library doors, looking for the Asian.
"Mr. Jones!" The librarian scolded and held a finger to her lips, telling him that he should be quiet.
"Right, right, sorry Miss." He said as he flashed her an apologetic smile. "Where's Kiku sitting at?" The Japanese boy was always sitting at a different place each day and Alfred never had the patience to look around the room for him.
"The back of the room, Mr. Jones." The librarian said with a sigh. "You've got fine eyes, why don't you use them?"
"I'll do it next time! Thanks!" Alfred said, seeing Kiku sitting at a table in the back, working on his homework. As he walked over to join his friend, he past by a group of girls who stared slightly before bursting into excited giggles.
Kiku knew that reaction very well. He had seen it happen many times when he was with Alfred. Alfred was popular and good looking. It was only natural that many girls were interested in him. "Yes, Alfred? What did you need me for?" Kiku said, looking up from his homework, pretending that he had been working on that problem the whole time.
"Kiku." Alfred said with a serious look on his face. "I can't believe it. ...Why on earth did he choose the other girl?!?" He yelled, slamming a manga book and leaning back on his chair, covering his face with his hands.
Kiku smiled nervously, he knew that Alfred would react like this. He had introduced the American to the series a few months ago, when they first met. "...Well, maybe the author had something else in mind?" He said softly, not wanting to upset Alfred.
"But...But...Arghh!" Alfred yelled in annoyance as he sat up straight again. "Still! She was getting along with her so well...!"
Kiku sighed and looked at the cover of the book. At most ten people knew his secret. They were his family, editor, company boss, and a few other manga artists. He was the author of this series. He had started it not long ago, it was only the third volume. So far into it, the main character, Sakura, was a new girl in the school. She was quick to become best friends with a girl named Daisy, who was an Italian. The problem arises, however, when they both meet Alexander. Alexander was also new in the school, he had just moved to Japan from Germany. The three were great friends and Sakura could tell that Alexander and Daisy had something between them. Despite that, Sakura could not help but fall in love with Alexander as well.
The third volume was what Alfred was complaining about. Sakura found out that Alexander and Daisy started going out. He wasn't sure how he wanted to express that, they were his very own feelings. The whole series was based on his high school life and he ended up making Sakura do the very thing he did, cry her eyes out the moment they were out of view.
In reality, Daisy and Alexander were boys named Feliciano and Ludwig, real people in this very school. And he, of course, was Sakura.
[America/Japan] A Comic is Worth More Words than Pictures [1b/?]
anonymous
May 2 2010, 03:25:45 UTC
"Kiku!" The American suddenly said, snapping Kiku out of his thoughts. "Were you listening to me?!" He demanded.
"H-Huh? O-Oh, I'm sorry, please repeat yourself?" He asked.
"Geez! Listen, will ya?" The American pouted. "Any ways, I was thinking, since you're Japanese, you must have some connection to this author! So set us up so I can talk some sense into her about this scene! I mean, really!"
"W-Wha?! No! I can't do that!" Kiku said quickly, suddenly nervous and worried that Alfred might have figured out his secret.
"Come on~ You have to know lots of people in Japan..." Alfred mumbled, resting his chin on the table as he stared up at Kiku.
"N-No! I don't! I only lived there seven years of my life! How could I have met the author?"
"...I guess you have a point there." Alfred said with an exasperated sigh.
Kiku mentally let out a sigh of relief. "Is that all you have to ask about? Because I still have homework..."
"No, actually, its not."
Eh? Its not? Kiku nearly groaned out loud. He still had the rest of those pages to finish! The deadline was tomorrow! And he absolutely could not do them in front of Alfred since this next chapter was on the meeting between Sakura and...well, the very American before him.
"I need help with my math homework."
"...Can't you ask someone else?" Kiku said, willing the desperate sound away from his voice. "Like Yao, maybe? He's much better at math than I am." Yao was his roommate. This high school was pretty far away from where many of the students lived and provided dorms for them to stay in.
"No way. I'm not talking to him."
"Alfred...! Don't be like that! You can't just hate him because he became friends with Ivan!"
"I so can." Alfred retorted stubbornly. Great, Kiku just knew that he wasn't going to get any work done.
"Ok. Give me your books." Kiku asked, giving up.
Alfred perked up immediately. "Oh, thank you, Kiku!" He said, taking out a couple of notebooks from his bag. "I'll be back in an hour, ok?" He said, standing up and checking his cell phone for the time.
"Wait, what? I thought you wanted me to help you..."
"Yea, but I've got practice. So, um, just write down all the explanations for me? Right, thanks!" Alfred said and ran off before he gave Kiku a chance to say anything.
Kiku groaned. He wasn't going to get any work done today.
--
Title comes from the saying "A picture is worth more than a thousand words"
reCaptcha: gazes her ...You planning to stalk a girl, Captcha?
Re: [America/Japan] A Comic is Worth More Words than Pictures [1b/?]
anonymous
May 2 2010, 04:14:30 UTC
This makes me squee. Oh Kiku, using your manga to express yourself. Oh Al, you oblivious idiot, using poor Kiku as your math slave. ... That came out funny. >->;;
The beautiful irony that Al doesn't realize he's freaking out at the manga-ka is the funniest thing in quite a while. *snerk* It's made especially hilarious that most fanpeople in existance seem to have had that sentiment at one point. XD
Wow I'm loving it so much! Gosh darn, Al is so adorable! XD
"Any ways, I was thinking, since you're Japanese, you must have some connection to this author! So set us up so I can talk some sense into her about this scene! I mean, really!"
I was laughing so hard reading this line! XDD Alfred makes it sound like Japan's a small town ;D
It amuses me how Kiku tries to hide his manga character's real identites without revealing too much but by dropping obvious hints who they realy are.
[America/Japan] A Comic is Worth More Words than Pictures [2a/?]
anonymous
May 3 2010, 20:46:41 UTC
Kiku sat in the lunchroom, prodding his food listlessly, his head nodding up and down. He barely got any sleep last night. Yao was annoyed by the noise he was making, shuffling papers here and there that he told the other to go to the library to finished whatever he had to do. Kiku was upset at that, but he couldn't blame Yao who had put up with it until 1 AM in the morning. He was lucky that the library was opened for students 24/7.
"...Kiku?" Kiku quickly snapped his head up at the sound of his name.
"I'm awake! I'm awake!" He quickly said before making out two people in front of him. "Eh? Ludwig? Feliciano? ...What is it?" He asked as he rubbed his eyes.
"We were wondering if you wanted to sit with us."
"Yea, you haven't done so in weeks... Ve, are you ok, Kiku? You look so tired?" Feliciano asked in a worried voice.
Kiku smiled. "Yes, I'm fine. I'm waiting for Alfred." He then looked over at Ludwig. He was able to get over the German quickly, in a couple of hours actually, thanks to the American.
"You sure hang out with him a lot these days, huh?" Ludwig said with a smile. "Alright, let's go, Feliciano."
"Ve? ...Alright then..." The Italian mumbled in disappointment before following Ludwig to another table.
Kiku watched the couple walk away. He wondered when Alfred would get here. He wasn't often late, his stomach can become his brain despite the fact that the cafeteria food often tasted like crap. The American manages to eat everything.
"Sorry I'm late, Kiku!" Alfred said, arriving and sitting down across from Kiku. "I was getting that new magazine for the new chapter!"
"Eh? I thought you said you like to wait for the tanboken to come out and buy that?"
"...Er, what's tanboken again?"
"Um, never mind." Kiku said with a shake of head, deciding not to pursue the fact any further. "So what do you think of the new chapter?"
"Nothing that I expected!" Alfred said excitedly. "I didn't think that the author would make a new character appear so late in the series!"
"Neither did I." Kiku agreed with a yawn.
"...Kiku? Is something the matter?"
"I'm just tired." Kiku admitted as he took a bite of his burger.
"That's not good! You need to maintain a good health."
"...I don't want to hear that from someone who eats at least 10 heart-attack-between-buns everyday." Kiku mumbled softly.
"Did you say something, Kiku?" Alfred asked, looking up from his magazine.
"...Just go back to reading the magazine, Alfred."
--
Three months ago, Kiku stood in front of Feliciano and Ludwig. They were holding hands. "Ve! Kiku, we're going out!" Feliciano said happily as he hugged Ludwig's arms. They didn't know, but at that moment, Kiku felt as if something broke inside.
"A-Ah, I see. That's nice to hear." Kiku said with a smile. He couldn't tell either of them that he's had a crush on Ludwig since the first week they met each other at the school.
"Right, we'll see you tomorrow, Kiku." Ludwig said with a smile and turned around with a wave. Neither of them had a clue of how Kiku felt.
Kiku watched them leave, the same smile still plastered on his face. It wasn't until they were long gone that he allowed himself to cry. He just stood there, letting the tears fall down. Sobs and hiccups escaping his throat as the tears dripped down to the floor.
"...bye, see you tomorrow!" Kiku ignored the voice and footsteps that were advancing from around the corner.
Alfred rounded the corner and saw someone standing in the middle of the hallway, trembling slightly with his head bowed down. He was about to walk past him when he heard the sobs and hiccups. "Hey! Hey! Are you alright?" He quickly asked, gently patting the boy.
"I-I'm fine." Kiku said in between hiccups.
"No! You're clearly not! Why are you crying?" Alfred asked as he led Kiku to a nearby bench. Sitting down, Kiku shook his head, refusing to tell Alfred. "You don't want to talk about it? But it'll make you feel better!" Not to mention he was the nosy type anyways. Kiku shook his head again and Alfred frowned. "...Fine then, do you want to lean on my shoulder to cry?" Before Kiku can shake his head, Alfred put an arm around Kiku and pulled him closer so that he could cry on him.
[America/Japan] A Comic is Worth More Words than Pictures [2b/?]
anonymous
May 3 2010, 20:47:48 UTC
Only a long while later did Kiku stop crying.
"Feeling better now?" Alfred asked with a smile as Kiku's tears stopped and all that remained was the hiccups.
Kiku nodded. "...Thank you." He mumbled. "Why did you stay with me? I don't even know you." Well, not exactly true. He did know Alfred, but only through rumors. He was quite popular in the school.
"Um... Well..." Alfred cocked his head to the side as if thinking of a reason. "I guess I felt like it was the right thing to do." He said with a shrug. "And a hero always does the right thing!" Alfred said, striking a pose and Kiku couldn't help letting out a soft chuckle.
"Hey! You smiled!" Alfred said brightly.
"H-Huh?"
"Well, you've been crying so long, I haven't been able to see you smile." "...A-Ah, I-I see..." Kiku stuttered as his face turned slightly pink. He quickly bit his lip to prevent himself from smiling.
"Hey! Don't stop smiling!" Alfred said with a pout. "Come on! Smile some more~!" He said, poking at the corners of Kiku's mouth, trying to get him to smile.
"S-Stop it. I don't feel like smiling." Kiku said, gently pushing Alfred's hands away.
Alfred frowned, crossed his arms and let out a determined growl. "Fine. By the end of this day, I'm determined to make you smile!" And without warning, he grabbed Kiku's arm and started racing down the hallway and out the school.
"W-Wait, where are you taking me?"
"Anywhere! Why stay stuffed in a building all day?"
Alfred had taken Kiku to many places that day, to the mall, a movie theater, the park... Kiku had smiled more times than he could remember, but it seemed that Alfred had forgotten his original objective. By the time they went back to the school, it was already night time.
"Ah! I had a good time today!" Alfred said, stretching his arms upward as they walked through the glass doors to the lobby.
Kiku nodded. "Me too." He said as they boarded the elevator.
"Oh, we're on the same floor." Alfred noted when they both stepped out of the elevator at the same floor. "Which side of the hallway...?" He pointed to the right and Kiku pointed to the left. "Aww...I knew it wouldn't be so lucky that we'd be next door neighbors, huh?" Alfred said with a pout. "Its no worries, I'm not that far down the hall." Kiku said with a chuckle to the American's expression. "Thank you for having me today." He said politely with a bow.
"Eh? Oh, it was no big deal. I was bored today anyways. I was supposed to meet Mathew at... OH!" He suddenly exclaimed. "Shit! I was supposed to help Mattie with a project."
"W-What?! I-I'm so sorry!" Kiku quickly apologize.
"No, no, its not your fault... I just hope he won't be too mad. ...I guess I should go find him now!" Alfred said as he took out his cell phone and started typing in a number. He waited impatiently for Mathew to pick up and when he did, he gave a quick excuse and the Canadian let out a sigh, knowing that he should've expected this.
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow at school...Um..." Alfred paused for a moment to think. "...I just realized I haven't asked for you name the whole time..." "...It's Kiku. Kiku Honda." Kiku said with a slightly pained sigh. How did he manage to forget to ask that...? Not that he remembered telling the other either.
"Right, sorry!" Alfred said, flashing an apologetic smile. "My name's Alfred F. Jones! Hero at your service!" He said before checking the time. "...Ah! I have to go and finish my homework!" He said and hurried down the hall. "See you tomorrow, Kiku!" He repeated.
Kiku waved goodbye quietly before going back to his own dorm. Yao was doing his homework. "Dinner's in the fridge. Just reheat it, aru."
Kiku nodded and went to retrieve the food. "So why are you so late today, aru?"
"...I met someone today." Kiku said with a small smile.
[America/Japan] A Comic is Worth More Words than Pictures [3a/?]
anonymous
May 8 2010, 03:57:58 UTC
"Wow! This guy's like..." Alfred paused midsentence to think of a word. He was only 10 minutes into the chapter and was probably around the part when 'John' was trying to cheer 'Sakura' up. "...Awesome!"
"Did someone say awesome?" A voice penetrated into their conversation before Kiku could respond and both their heads looked up in time to see Raivis bump into Gilbert who had stopped in front of their table.
"Oh, hey, Gilbert. What are you doing here...?" Kiku asked. He didn't talk with the German much. Only a few 'hello's when he visited Ludwig for a project once.
"I heard the word awesome."
"And its not directed to you." Alfred said with an air of superiority.
"Oh, I am so going to beat you next time we have a swim contest!" Gilbert declared.
"Haha, sure. Whenever you'd like." Alfred said with a smirk that said he wasn't worried at all and was certain he could beat him many times over. "G-Gilbert? Can we please get to the table so M-Mr. Ivan won't g-g-get m-m-m-mad at u-us?" Raivis stuttered before the argument can continue any longer. His stuttering got extremely bad at the 'get mad' part that it was hard to hear what he was saying.
"Tch. I can care less of what he thinks." Gilbert said with a roll of eyes, but continued walking to his table.
"...Right, so I was saying." Alfred turned his attention back to Kiku. "This guy is pretty awesome with girls! He has to be my new hero!" That statement wasn't something he'd say normally since he considered himself a great hero.
Kiku raised an eyebrow at this.
"I mean! He totally knows how to treat girls and he's all chivalrous with Sakura..." Alfred continued to rant and Kiku did his best not to laugh at the fact that Alfred was admiring his own traits. He couldn't help to let a smirk show through. "What are you smirking about?" Alfred asked mid rant.
"N-Nothing..." But after Kiku had opened his mouth, he couldn't help snickering.
"You're definitely smirking about something! Tell me now!" Alfred said and frowned when Kiku shaked his head 'no'. "Tell me now!" Alfred got up from his seat, walked behind Kiku and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Tell me or else~!"
"No. I'm not frightened of you, Alfred. You're not very sca-aaah!!" Kiku nearly fell off his chair as Alfred started tickling him. "S-Stop! A-Alfred!"
"Then tell me!"
"Ok! Ok! ...You..." Kiku couldn't tell the truth. His editor would screw him over and he might end up loosing his friendship with Alfred or something. He was far too worried that three little words might mess everything up between them. "...You've got some ketchup on the side of your mouth."
"Whaaaat?!" Alfred whined in dismay as he ran off to the bathroom. When he came back, he had a pout on his face. "Why didn't you tell me? I looked so stupid all the while..."
"I'm sorry." Kiku simply said. ...He wasn't really. It had been somewhat amusing to watch.
--
"Alfred, I'm pretty sure that it wouldn't take you that long to read one chapter in that magazine." Kiku said as he finished the last math problem for both his and Alfred's homework in the library. Alfred had been reading the same chapter all day. He was certain the American was not that slow of a reader.
He wasn't worried about deadlines today. Sure, he had to pace himself to at least finish a certain amount of pages each day, but Yao had told him he would be home late tonight (something about a date, he didn't press for details). He had lots of time to work on his manga in his dorm.
"Well, um, I've finished the whole thing a long while ago." Alfred muttered, eyes still glued to the magazine. He looked really intent on it. "...Its just that...This scene." He looked up and put the magazine down on the table so they would both be able to see. He was up to the point of where 'John' managed to make 'Sakura' smile and took her out on a date, an amusement park in his manga. "...I just can't help but to feel that...its so... familiar." Alfred said the sentence slowly and thoughtfully, dragging out the words at a few parts. It was odd for him to think so hard about something with his air headedness.
[America/Japan] A Comic is Worth More Words than Pictures [3b/?]
anonymous
May 8 2010, 04:01:50 UTC
In his seat, Kiku froze and he started freaking out on the inside. On the outside, he appeared fine, just as he always was. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. I shouldn't have made it too obvious. Was it too obvious? I didn't think it was that obvious... My editor didn't say anything. Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. If he figures this out, this'll be so embarrassing! Alfred will probably find me strange for doing something like this and stop being friends with me!
"Oh yea, I think I know now!"
Kiku nearly fainted right there in his seat.
"That new drama that came out!"
...What?
"There was a scene kind of like this! A guy cheered up a girl by taking her out on a date!" Alfred said enthusiastically.
Kiku's fear quickly melted into anger. Was he calling his stuff unoriginal?
"Why are you glaring at me like that, Kiku?"
"No reason." He answered coldly. Stupid, oblivious idiot. Kiku thought as Alfred stared at him dumbly. "Here, I'm done with everything." He said as he passed the notebook back to the American. He packed up all of his stuff and started walking to the exit.
"Wait, Kiku! Wait!" Alfred yelled, following the Japanese boy out the door and down the hall. "Kiku! What are you so mad about?"
"I'm not mad. Why would you think I'm mad? I just want to hurry back to my dorm."
For anyone else, there was no way of telling when Kiku was mad. There was no change in his tone or facial expressions. "I can tell, Kiku." Alfred stated with a frown. Kiku raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "I don't know!" Alfred said with a dramatic wave of arms. "I just...know it, ok? I just do!"
"Alfred, please, that doesn't even--"
"Uh, Alfred?" The two looked up at who interrupted them.
"Er, yes, Ludwig? What, do you need some help with money or something again?" Alfred asked with a bright smile again. ...He can be too bipolar sometimes. Kiku thought with a bit of annoyance that he didn't dare let show on his face.
"Have you talked with Bruder recently?" Ludwig asked with a somewhat suspicious tone.
"Er..."
"Yes, he did." Kiku answered for him, knowing the American had a rather short term memory with anything that did not have to do with McDonalds. "At lunch today."
"Oh." Ludwig simply answered. "Well, uh, he said he wanted to see you. Er, both of you. Outside the school."
[America/Japan] A Comic is Worth More Words than Pictures [4a/?]
anonymous
May 12 2010, 22:25:13 UTC
Kiku didn't understand why Gilbert would want to see the two of them. Or either of them for that case. He was lost in thoughts of situations as he followed Alfred out of the school.
Gilbert was waiting by the gate. He appeared to be yelling at Antonio who was texting in his sidekick.
"What is it, Gilbert?" Alfred asked with an annoyed voice. " I don't really want to talk to anyone who sits with Ivan at lunch!"
Gilbert turned around, eyes flaring with anger and for a moment, Kiku was afraid a fight would break out. "The only reason I had to sit there was because of..." The rest was lost in some annoyed grumbling. The only words Kiku managed to make out were 'stupid teacher', 'picking partners for us', and 'owed money'. "Whatever. I didn't sit there of my own will. I mean, who'd want to watch that bear share lovey-dovey looks with Wang?" Gilbert said and rolled his eyes in disgust. It was so hard for Kiku not to run back to his dorm and draw a comic with this new piece of gossip.
"Ah, ok. If you're bad-mouthing him then I can assume you're not one of his lackeys." Alfred said with a shrug. "So why'd you call me here for again?"
"Porque Gilbert es un perdedor." Spain said with a smirk. Kiku and Gilbert gave him a questioning look while Alfred cracked up. Having lived near a Mexican for a while, he knew more than just a couple of Spanish insults.
"I see what this is about. So, Gilbert, you're ready for me to kick your ass at this again?"
Gilbert glared at Antonio. "...What did you just say to him?" He asked with a somewhat venomous tone.
"Nothing." Spain answered with his usual sunny, bright smile. "Just what you had planned to say all along."
"Well, if that's the case, I'll start speaking German in front of other people next time!"
"Oh, Romano wants me to meet him in the lunchroom. See you, Gil. Good luck on your competition!"
"Hey! Don't ignore me!"
"Um, ahem?" Alfred cleared his throat to get Gibert's attention again. "So, ok, I have some time tomorrow, I'll whup your ass then. 'Kay? Alright, let's go, Kiku."
"What?! No, there's something else and more importantly, I'll win!" Gilbert said as Alfred was about to push Kiku back into the building. "Why don't we make a prize of sorts?"
"Prize?" Alfred asked, turning his attention back to Gilbert.
"If you win, I'll buy you McDonald's every day." Kiku didn't have to look to know that Alfred had an idiotic grin on his face at that suggestion.
"I'm totally going to win, but what'll happen if I lose?"
[America/Japan] A Comic is Worth More Words than Pictures [4b/?]
anonymous
May 12 2010, 22:27:23 UTC
Kiku couldn't remain silent this time. "What?!"
--
The elevator opened with a 'ding' at their floor. "Kiku~!" Alfred whined. "Don't be mad!"
"No, I'm absolutely not mad at all at the fact that you're willing to trade our friendship over a couple of burgers."
"...You're not?"
"No, of course not. I'm furious." Kiku said as he stepped into his room and slammed the door. I am never speaking to him again! He thought to himself as he took off his jacket.
"Kiku... I'm sorry." Alfred said through the door. "I only made the bet because I thought I would win..."
I will not open the door. I will not speak to him.
"Please forgive me?"
Alfred heard the lock unclick from the inside and beamed with a smile when Kiku opened the door a crack.
...Stupid, oblivious fool... Kiku thought. He didn't like going back on his word, but he couldn't stay mad at Alfred. The tone of voice he used really made him feel guilty too. "I forgive you." Kiku stated.
"Yay! I love you Kiku!" Alfred said loudly and hugged Kiku tightly. Kiku was so focused on keeping his balance that it took him a moment to realize what Alfred said. "W-Wait?! Alfred?! Y-You mean that...?!"
"Of course! You're like my best friend!"
Kiku didn't think he could get mad at the same person so many times in a day.
--
"You're reading the newspaper, Bruder?" Ludwig asked when he saw his brother in the living room with the paper in his hands. He expected the albino to have been playing some sort of electronical toy instead.
"Was? Awesome can't read newspaper?" Gilbert asked with a tinge of annoyance.
"Er...No, just that..." Ludwig wondered how to finish the sentence. Its unnatural? Should I bring you to the hospital that you'd rather read the 'boring' newspaper instead of playing exciting games? "...Are you looking for a job?" He said, noting that his brother was reading the classified section.
"Was? Awesome can't look for a job?"
Ludwig rolled his eyes. It was pretty clear that his brother didn't want to talk with him. "If you want money, just call dad. I'm sure he'll send some over if its reasonable."
"...Ah, its not something I can ask dad for." Gilbert mumbled as he flipped the page.
"...Why's that?"
"Well, it has to do with school, er...beating up this kid, grades, and uh, in other words, a huge debt."
"What?! Just what happened?!"
Gilbert looked up from the paper for the first time. "Look, don't worry, bro! I got this! I mean, my first stage of the plan is already in action!" "...Plan? Do I want to know what you planned?"
"No."
--
Porque Gilbert es un perdedor - Because Gilbert is a looser Was - What?
Sorry for making Kiku somewhat OOC... But everyone gets mad sometimes, right? ...right? >.>''
--
Kiku could hear the blonde coming before he even arrived at the floor he was in. It wasn't that he was psychic and knew where his best friend was at all times, but just the fact that the American was loud. It was as if Alfred had a giant megaphone with him always. With so much warning, Kiku had more than enough time to stuff the pages he was working on into his bag and out of sight.
"KIKUUUUU!!!" Alfred yelled as he burst through the library doors, looking for the Asian.
"Mr. Jones!" The librarian scolded and held a finger to her lips, telling him that he should be quiet.
"Right, right, sorry Miss." He said as he flashed her an apologetic smile. "Where's Kiku sitting at?" The Japanese boy was always sitting at a different place each day and Alfred never had the patience to look around the room for him.
"The back of the room, Mr. Jones." The librarian said with a sigh. "You've got fine eyes, why don't you use them?"
"I'll do it next time! Thanks!" Alfred said, seeing Kiku sitting at a table in the back, working on his homework. As he walked over to join his friend, he past by a group of girls who stared slightly before bursting into excited giggles.
Kiku knew that reaction very well. He had seen it happen many times when he was with Alfred. Alfred was popular and good looking. It was only natural that many girls were interested in him. "Yes, Alfred? What did you need me for?" Kiku said, looking up from his homework, pretending that he had been working on that problem the whole time.
"Kiku." Alfred said with a serious look on his face. "I can't believe it. ...Why on earth did he choose the other girl?!?" He yelled, slamming a manga book and leaning back on his chair, covering his face with his hands.
Kiku smiled nervously, he knew that Alfred would react like this. He had introduced the American to the series a few months ago, when they first met. "...Well, maybe the author had something else in mind?" He said softly, not wanting to upset Alfred.
"But...But...Arghh!" Alfred yelled in annoyance as he sat up straight again. "Still! She was getting along with her so well...!"
Kiku sighed and looked at the cover of the book. At most ten people knew his secret. They were his family, editor, company boss, and a few other manga artists. He was the author of this series. He had started it not long ago, it was only the third volume. So far into it, the main character, Sakura, was a new girl in the school. She was quick to become best friends with a girl named Daisy, who was an Italian. The problem arises, however, when they both meet Alexander. Alexander was also new in the school, he had just moved to Japan from Germany. The three were great friends and Sakura could tell that Alexander and Daisy had something between them. Despite that, Sakura could not help but fall in love with Alexander as well.
The third volume was what Alfred was complaining about. Sakura found out that Alexander and Daisy started going out. He wasn't sure how he wanted to express that, they were his very own feelings. The whole series was based on his high school life and he ended up making Sakura do the very thing he did, cry her eyes out the moment they were out of view.
In reality, Daisy and Alexander were boys named Feliciano and Ludwig, real people in this very school. And he, of course, was Sakura.
Reply
"H-Huh? O-Oh, I'm sorry, please repeat yourself?" He asked.
"Geez! Listen, will ya?" The American pouted. "Any ways, I was thinking, since you're Japanese, you must have some connection to this author! So set us up so I can talk some sense into her about this scene! I mean, really!"
"W-Wha?! No! I can't do that!" Kiku said quickly, suddenly nervous and worried that Alfred might have figured out his secret.
"Come on~ You have to know lots of people in Japan..." Alfred mumbled, resting his chin on the table as he stared up at Kiku.
"N-No! I don't! I only lived there seven years of my life! How could I have met the author?"
"...I guess you have a point there." Alfred said with an exasperated sigh.
Kiku mentally let out a sigh of relief. "Is that all you have to ask about? Because I still have homework..."
"No, actually, its not."
Eh? Its not? Kiku nearly groaned out loud. He still had the rest of those pages to finish! The deadline was tomorrow! And he absolutely could not do them in front of Alfred since this next chapter was on the meeting between Sakura and...well, the very American before him.
"I need help with my math homework."
"...Can't you ask someone else?" Kiku said, willing the desperate sound away from his voice. "Like Yao, maybe? He's much better at math than I am." Yao was his roommate. This high school was pretty far away from where many of the students lived and provided dorms for them to stay in.
"No way. I'm not talking to him."
"Alfred...! Don't be like that! You can't just hate him because he became friends with Ivan!"
"I so can." Alfred retorted stubbornly. Great, Kiku just knew that he wasn't going to get any work done.
"Ok. Give me your books." Kiku asked, giving up.
Alfred perked up immediately. "Oh, thank you, Kiku!" He said, taking out a couple of notebooks from his bag. "I'll be back in an hour, ok?" He said, standing up and checking his cell phone for the time.
"Wait, what? I thought you wanted me to help you..."
"Yea, but I've got practice. So, um, just write down all the explanations for me? Right, thanks!" Alfred said and ran off before he gave Kiku a chance to say anything.
Kiku groaned. He wasn't going to get any work done today.
--
Title comes from the saying "A picture is worth more than a thousand words"
reCaptcha: gazes her ...You planning to stalk a girl, Captcha?
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The beautiful irony that Al doesn't realize he's freaking out at the manga-ka is the funniest thing in quite a while. *snerk* It's made especially hilarious that most fanpeople in existance seem to have had that sentiment at one point. XD
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"Any ways, I was thinking, since you're Japanese, you must have some connection to this author! So set us up so I can talk some sense into her about this scene! I mean, really!"
I was laughing so hard reading this line! XDD
Alfred makes it sound like Japan's a small town ;D
It amuses me how Kiku tries to hide his manga character's real identites without revealing too much but by dropping obvious hints who they realy are.
This is really great anon! Please continue!
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This is off to a great start and I look forward to the updates!
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"...Kiku?" Kiku quickly snapped his head up at the sound of his name.
"I'm awake! I'm awake!" He quickly said before making out two people in front of him. "Eh? Ludwig? Feliciano? ...What is it?" He asked as he rubbed his eyes.
"We were wondering if you wanted to sit with us."
"Yea, you haven't done so in weeks... Ve, are you ok, Kiku? You look so tired?" Feliciano asked in a worried voice.
Kiku smiled. "Yes, I'm fine. I'm waiting for Alfred." He then looked over at Ludwig. He was able to get over the German quickly, in a couple of hours actually, thanks to the American.
"You sure hang out with him a lot these days, huh?" Ludwig said with a smile. "Alright, let's go, Feliciano."
"Ve? ...Alright then..." The Italian mumbled in disappointment before following Ludwig to another table.
Kiku watched the couple walk away. He wondered when Alfred would get here. He wasn't often late, his stomach can become his brain despite the fact that the cafeteria food often tasted like crap. The American manages to eat everything.
"Sorry I'm late, Kiku!" Alfred said, arriving and sitting down across from Kiku. "I was getting that new magazine for the new chapter!"
"Eh? I thought you said you like to wait for the tanboken to come out and buy that?"
"...Er, what's tanboken again?"
"Um, never mind." Kiku said with a shake of head, deciding not to pursue the fact any further. "So what do you think of the new chapter?"
"Nothing that I expected!" Alfred said excitedly. "I didn't think that the author would make a new character appear so late in the series!"
"Neither did I." Kiku agreed with a yawn.
"...Kiku? Is something the matter?"
"I'm just tired." Kiku admitted as he took a bite of his burger.
"That's not good! You need to maintain a good health."
"...I don't want to hear that from someone who eats at least 10 heart-attack-between-buns everyday." Kiku mumbled softly.
"Did you say something, Kiku?" Alfred asked, looking up from his magazine.
"...Just go back to reading the magazine, Alfred."
--
Three months ago, Kiku stood in front of Feliciano and Ludwig. They were holding hands. "Ve! Kiku, we're going out!" Feliciano said happily as he hugged Ludwig's arms. They didn't know, but at that moment, Kiku felt as if something broke inside.
"A-Ah, I see. That's nice to hear." Kiku said with a smile. He couldn't tell either of them that he's had a crush on Ludwig since the first week they met each other at the school.
"Right, we'll see you tomorrow, Kiku." Ludwig said with a smile and turned around with a wave. Neither of them had a clue of how Kiku felt.
Kiku watched them leave, the same smile still plastered on his face. It wasn't until they were long gone that he allowed himself to cry. He just stood there, letting the tears fall down. Sobs and hiccups escaping his throat as the tears dripped down to the floor.
"...bye, see you tomorrow!" Kiku ignored the voice and footsteps that were advancing from around the corner.
Alfred rounded the corner and saw someone standing in the middle of the hallway, trembling slightly with his head bowed down. He was about to walk past him when he heard the sobs and hiccups. "Hey! Hey! Are you alright?" He quickly asked, gently patting the boy.
"I-I'm fine." Kiku said in between hiccups.
"No! You're clearly not! Why are you crying?" Alfred asked as he led Kiku to a nearby bench. Sitting down, Kiku shook his head, refusing to tell Alfred. "You don't want to talk about it? But it'll make you feel better!" Not to mention he was the nosy type anyways. Kiku shook his head again and Alfred frowned. "...Fine then, do you want to lean on my shoulder to cry?" Before Kiku can shake his head, Alfred put an arm around Kiku and pulled him closer so that he could cry on him.
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"Feeling better now?" Alfred asked with a smile as Kiku's tears stopped and all that remained was the hiccups.
Kiku nodded. "...Thank you." He mumbled. "Why did you stay with me? I don't even know you." Well, not exactly true. He did know Alfred, but only through rumors. He was quite popular in the school.
"Um... Well..." Alfred cocked his head to the side as if thinking of a reason. "I guess I felt like it was the right thing to do." He said with a shrug. "And a hero always does the right thing!" Alfred said, striking a pose and Kiku couldn't help letting out a soft chuckle.
"Hey! You smiled!" Alfred said brightly.
"H-Huh?"
"Well, you've been crying so long, I haven't been able to see you smile."
"...A-Ah, I-I see..." Kiku stuttered as his face turned slightly pink. He quickly bit his lip to prevent himself from smiling.
"Hey! Don't stop smiling!" Alfred said with a pout. "Come on! Smile some more~!" He said, poking at the corners of Kiku's mouth, trying to get him to smile.
"S-Stop it. I don't feel like smiling." Kiku said, gently pushing Alfred's hands away.
Alfred frowned, crossed his arms and let out a determined growl. "Fine. By the end of this day, I'm determined to make you smile!" And without warning, he grabbed Kiku's arm and started racing down the hallway and out the school.
"W-Wait, where are you taking me?"
"Anywhere! Why stay stuffed in a building all day?"
Alfred had taken Kiku to many places that day, to the mall, a movie theater, the park... Kiku had smiled more times than he could remember, but it seemed that Alfred had forgotten his original objective. By the time they went back to the school, it was already night time.
"Ah! I had a good time today!" Alfred said, stretching his arms upward as they walked through the glass doors to the lobby.
Kiku nodded. "Me too." He said as they boarded the elevator.
"Oh, we're on the same floor." Alfred noted when they both stepped out of the elevator at the same floor. "Which side of the hallway...?" He pointed to the right and Kiku pointed to the left. "Aww...I knew it wouldn't be so lucky that we'd be next door neighbors, huh?" Alfred said with a pout.
"Its no worries, I'm not that far down the hall." Kiku said with a chuckle to the American's expression. "Thank you for having me today." He said politely with a bow.
"Eh? Oh, it was no big deal. I was bored today anyways. I was supposed to meet Mathew at... OH!" He suddenly exclaimed. "Shit! I was supposed to help Mattie with a project."
"W-What?! I-I'm so sorry!" Kiku quickly apologize.
"No, no, its not your fault... I just hope he won't be too mad. ...I guess I should go find him now!" Alfred said as he took out his cell phone and started typing in a number. He waited impatiently for Mathew to pick up and when he did, he gave a quick excuse and the Canadian let out a sigh, knowing that he should've expected this.
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow at school...Um..." Alfred paused for a moment to think. "...I just realized I haven't asked for you name the whole time..."
"...It's Kiku. Kiku Honda." Kiku said with a slightly pained sigh. How did he manage to forget to ask that...? Not that he remembered telling the other either.
"Right, sorry!" Alfred said, flashing an apologetic smile. "My name's Alfred F. Jones! Hero at your service!" He said before checking the time. "...Ah! I have to go and finish my homework!" He said and hurried down the hall. "See you tomorrow, Kiku!" He repeated.
Kiku waved goodbye quietly before going back to his own dorm. Yao was doing his homework. "Dinner's in the fridge. Just reheat it, aru."
Kiku nodded and went to retrieve the food. "So why are you so late today, aru?"
"...I met someone today." Kiku said with a small smile.
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Man, Kiku is so lucky, Alfred is the type of best friend I would easily like!
It was so sweet to how they met~
Just... Mmpf! X3
Anon, I want more of that please~
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"Did someone say awesome?" A voice penetrated into their conversation before Kiku could respond and both their heads looked up in time to see Raivis bump into Gilbert who had stopped in front of their table.
"Oh, hey, Gilbert. What are you doing here...?" Kiku asked. He didn't talk with the German much. Only a few 'hello's when he visited Ludwig for a project once.
"I heard the word awesome."
"And its not directed to you." Alfred said with an air of superiority.
"Oh, I am so going to beat you next time we have a swim contest!" Gilbert declared.
"Haha, sure. Whenever you'd like." Alfred said with a smirk that said he wasn't worried at all and was certain he could beat him many times over.
"G-Gilbert? Can we please get to the table so M-Mr. Ivan won't g-g-get m-m-m-mad at u-us?" Raivis stuttered before the argument can continue any longer. His stuttering got extremely bad at the 'get mad' part that it was hard to hear what he was saying.
"Tch. I can care less of what he thinks." Gilbert said with a roll of eyes, but continued walking to his table.
"...Right, so I was saying." Alfred turned his attention back to Kiku. "This guy is pretty awesome with girls! He has to be my new hero!" That statement wasn't something he'd say normally since he considered himself a great hero.
Kiku raised an eyebrow at this.
"I mean! He totally knows how to treat girls and he's all chivalrous with Sakura..." Alfred continued to rant and Kiku did his best not to laugh at the fact that Alfred was admiring his own traits. He couldn't help to let a smirk show through. "What are you smirking about?" Alfred asked mid rant.
"N-Nothing..." But after Kiku had opened his mouth, he couldn't help snickering.
"You're definitely smirking about something! Tell me now!" Alfred said and frowned when Kiku shaked his head 'no'. "Tell me now!" Alfred got up from his seat, walked behind Kiku and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Tell me or else~!"
"No. I'm not frightened of you, Alfred. You're not very sca-aaah!!" Kiku nearly fell off his chair as Alfred started tickling him. "S-Stop! A-Alfred!"
"Then tell me!"
"Ok! Ok! ...You..." Kiku couldn't tell the truth. His editor would screw him over and he might end up loosing his friendship with Alfred or something. He was far too worried that three little words might mess everything up between them. "...You've got some ketchup on the side of your mouth."
"Whaaaat?!" Alfred whined in dismay as he ran off to the bathroom. When he came back, he had a pout on his face. "Why didn't you tell me? I looked so stupid all the while..."
"I'm sorry." Kiku simply said. ...He wasn't really. It had been somewhat amusing to watch.
--
"Alfred, I'm pretty sure that it wouldn't take you that long to read one chapter in that magazine." Kiku said as he finished the last math problem for both his and Alfred's homework in the library. Alfred had been reading the same chapter all day. He was certain the American was not that slow of a reader.
He wasn't worried about deadlines today. Sure, he had to pace himself to at least finish a certain amount of pages each day, but Yao had told him he would be home late tonight (something about a date, he didn't press for details). He had lots of time to work on his manga in his dorm.
"Well, um, I've finished the whole thing a long while ago." Alfred muttered, eyes still glued to the magazine. He looked really intent on it. "...Its just that...This scene." He looked up and put the magazine down on the table so they would both be able to see. He was up to the point of where 'John' managed to make 'Sakura' smile and took her out on a date, an amusement park in his manga. "...I just can't help but to feel that...its so... familiar." Alfred said the sentence slowly and thoughtfully, dragging out the words at a few parts. It was odd for him to think so hard about something with his air headedness.
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"Oh yea, I think I know now!"
Kiku nearly fainted right there in his seat.
"That new drama that came out!"
...What?
"There was a scene kind of like this! A guy cheered up a girl by taking her out on a date!" Alfred said enthusiastically.
Kiku's fear quickly melted into anger. Was he calling his stuff unoriginal?
"Why are you glaring at me like that, Kiku?"
"No reason." He answered coldly. Stupid, oblivious idiot. Kiku thought as Alfred stared at him dumbly. "Here, I'm done with everything." He said as he passed the notebook back to the American. He packed up all of his stuff and started walking to the exit.
"Wait, Kiku! Wait!" Alfred yelled, following the Japanese boy out the door and down the hall. "Kiku! What are you so mad about?"
"I'm not mad. Why would you think I'm mad? I just want to hurry back to my dorm."
For anyone else, there was no way of telling when Kiku was mad. There was no change in his tone or facial expressions. "I can tell, Kiku." Alfred stated with a frown. Kiku raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "I don't know!" Alfred said with a dramatic wave of arms. "I just...know it, ok? I just do!"
"Alfred, please, that doesn't even--"
"Uh, Alfred?" The two looked up at who interrupted them.
"Er, yes, Ludwig? What, do you need some help with money or something again?" Alfred asked with a bright smile again. ...He can be too bipolar sometimes. Kiku thought with a bit of annoyance that he didn't dare let show on his face.
"Have you talked with Bruder recently?" Ludwig asked with a somewhat suspicious tone.
"Er..."
"Yes, he did." Kiku answered for him, knowing the American had a rather short term memory with anything that did not have to do with McDonalds. "At lunch today."
"Oh." Ludwig simply answered. "Well, uh, he said he wanted to see you. Er, both of you. Outside the school."
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WHAT DOES GILBERT WANT? A FIGHT BY THE FLAG POLE? WHAT?! D:
:D cant wait for the next one
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C'mon that's totally it. Right? Right? Totally.
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Its seriously cute XD
But I can understand Kiku for being mad at Alfred to what he just said about the scene although it wasn't on purpose err... he didn't know either way
But-but Kiku you should be glad your secret is safe... for now >;3
I'm curious, what is Gilbert planning to do.
ReCaptcha: assume Carolina
What the--? A state is going to be involve Captcha? XD
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Gilbert was waiting by the gate. He appeared to be yelling at Antonio who was texting in his sidekick.
"What is it, Gilbert?" Alfred asked with an annoyed voice. " I don't really want to talk to anyone who sits with Ivan at lunch!"
Gilbert turned around, eyes flaring with anger and for a moment, Kiku was afraid a fight would break out. "The only reason I had to sit there was because of..." The rest was lost in some annoyed grumbling. The only words Kiku managed to make out were 'stupid teacher', 'picking partners for us', and 'owed money'. "Whatever. I didn't sit there of my own will. I mean, who'd want to watch that bear share lovey-dovey looks with Wang?" Gilbert said and rolled his eyes in disgust. It was so hard for Kiku not to run back to his dorm and draw a comic with this new piece of gossip.
"Ah, ok. If you're bad-mouthing him then I can assume you're not one of his lackeys." Alfred said with a shrug. "So why'd you call me here for again?"
"Porque Gilbert es un perdedor." Spain said with a smirk. Kiku and Gilbert gave him a questioning look while Alfred cracked up. Having lived near a Mexican for a while, he knew more than just a couple of Spanish insults.
"I see what this is about. So, Gilbert, you're ready for me to kick your ass at this again?"
Gilbert glared at Antonio. "...What did you just say to him?" He asked with a somewhat venomous tone.
"Nothing." Spain answered with his usual sunny, bright smile. "Just what you had planned to say all along."
"Well, if that's the case, I'll start speaking German in front of other people next time!"
"Oh, Romano wants me to meet him in the lunchroom. See you, Gil. Good luck on your competition!"
"Hey! Don't ignore me!"
"Um, ahem?" Alfred cleared his throat to get Gibert's attention again. "So, ok, I have some time tomorrow, I'll whup your ass then. 'Kay? Alright, let's go, Kiku."
"What?! No, there's something else and more importantly, I'll win!" Gilbert said as Alfred was about to push Kiku back into the building. "Why don't we make a prize of sorts?"
"Prize?" Alfred asked, turning his attention back to Gilbert.
"If you win, I'll buy you McDonald's every day." Kiku didn't have to look to know that Alfred had an idiotic grin on his face at that suggestion.
"I'm totally going to win, but what'll happen if I lose?"
"Oh, nothing big. Give me Kiku."
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--
The elevator opened with a 'ding' at their floor. "Kiku~!" Alfred whined. "Don't be mad!"
"No, I'm absolutely not mad at all at the fact that you're willing to trade our friendship over a couple of burgers."
"...You're not?"
"No, of course not. I'm furious." Kiku said as he stepped into his room and slammed the door. I am never speaking to him again! He thought to himself as he took off his jacket.
"Kiku... I'm sorry." Alfred said through the door. "I only made the bet because I thought I would win..."
I will not open the door. I will not speak to him.
"Please forgive me?"
Alfred heard the lock unclick from the inside and beamed with a smile when Kiku opened the door a crack.
...Stupid, oblivious fool... Kiku thought. He didn't like going back on his word, but he couldn't stay mad at Alfred. The tone of voice he used really made him feel guilty too. "I forgive you." Kiku stated.
"Yay! I love you Kiku!" Alfred said loudly and hugged Kiku tightly.
Kiku was so focused on keeping his balance that it took him a moment to realize what Alfred said. "W-Wait?! Alfred?! Y-You mean that...?!"
"Of course! You're like my best friend!"
Kiku didn't think he could get mad at the same person so many times in a day.
--
"You're reading the newspaper, Bruder?" Ludwig asked when he saw his brother in the living room with the paper in his hands. He expected the albino to have been playing some sort of electronical toy instead.
"Was? Awesome can't read newspaper?" Gilbert asked with a tinge of annoyance.
"Er...No, just that..." Ludwig wondered how to finish the sentence. Its unnatural? Should I bring you to the hospital that you'd rather read the 'boring' newspaper instead of playing exciting games? "...Are you looking for a job?" He said, noting that his brother was reading the classified section.
"Was? Awesome can't look for a job?"
Ludwig rolled his eyes. It was pretty clear that his brother didn't want to talk with him. "If you want money, just call dad. I'm sure he'll send some over if its reasonable."
"...Ah, its not something I can ask dad for." Gilbert mumbled as he flipped the page.
"...Why's that?"
"Well, it has to do with school, er...beating up this kid, grades, and uh, in other words, a huge debt."
"What?! Just what happened?!"
Gilbert looked up from the paper for the first time. "Look, don't worry, bro! I got this! I mean, my first stage of the plan is already in action!"
"...Plan? Do I want to know what you planned?"
"No."
--
Porque Gilbert es un perdedor - Because Gilbert is a looser
Was - What?
Sorry for making Kiku somewhat OOC... But everyone gets mad sometimes, right? ...right? >.>''
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