Kusare-en no housoku 2: Koi no balance by Yoshihara Rieko and illustrated by Shinba Rize
Kusare-en no housoku 2: Koi no balance by Yoshihara Rieko and illustrated by Shinba Rize is (obviously) the continuation of Triangle Love Battle: Kusare-en no housoku 1, which I'd reviewed a long time ago here. I adore this series so much, but stand by my opinion that the CD dramas are in many ways better. I listen to the dramas of the later books A LOT and gnashed my teeth doing the summary of this volume. Yoshihara-sensei just writes like crap. *sighs*
One thing that came through very clearly is how equal and sweet Tsubasa and Tetsushi are with each other. Yes, Tsubasa is pushy and very ore-sama but he is still considerate of Tetsushi's wishes. Tetsushi isn't a push-over and is very capable of saying what's on his mind. He just has more tact than Tsubasa. XD;
Ryuuhei rushes home after practice. He eats and takes a bath quickly, startling his mother and older sister Asuka. He calls Tsubasa's house and is surprised when Tsubasa answers instead of Tetsushi. Tetsushi always answers when he's home. Tsubasa tells Ryuuhei that Tetsushi had been confronted by and attacked by Tsubasa's so-called "followers." He will be settling the debt tomorrow. Ryuuhei can tell that Tsubasa is really, really mad. When he hangs up his sister and mother ask him what's going on. They are exasperated that Tetsushi is again being harassed because some stupid kids are jealous of Tsubasa's regard for Tetsushi. They'd seen the same thing happen over and over again year after year. The Ichimura family know all too well that Tetsushi isn't just a childhood friend to either Ryuuhei or Tsubasa. Asuka wouldn't have been surprised if Ryuuhei had said that he wanted to marry Tetsushi, frankly. They'd learned all too well how deep Ryuuhei's feelings go when he'd gone on the hunger strike. Asuka had been shocked at how desperate Ryuuhei had sounded when he'd cried out, "Don't abandon me!" Though you could laugh it off as a childish tantrum, it sounded like a confession of love to Asuka. At that point Asuka could only wish her brother happiness. There's no point in worrying about what society may think. She'd thought Ryuuhei would've be more upset when Tetsushi had joined Tsubasa's family, but Ryuuhei had been very accepting. He'd told her that he had her and their parents, but Tsubasa was alone most of the time since his father was very busy. He'd be even more lonely if Tetsushi had joined the Ichimura's instead of the Renjou's.
When Asuka remarks that Tetsushi is special to both him and Tsubasa, Ryuuhei agrees. He remembers how he'd bawled when Tetsushi's grandmother had died. Tsubasa had insulted him and called him a baby, but Ryuuhei said that he was crying in Tetsushi's stead since Tetsushi wasn't crying. He had been glad that Tsubasa had taken Tetsushi home and had hoped that Tetsushi could cry as much as he needed (in Tsubasa's arms if necessary). Ryuuhei hates seeing Tetsushi cry. He remembers when Tetsushi had last out and out cried, back in intermediate school...
When they'd entered intermediate school they'd all been harassed (as usual). For some reason Tetsushi's harassment was particularly persistent, despite Tsubasa thrashing the harassers each time. It was very worrisome because the teasing and harassment weren't from jealousy over Tsubasa. They were targeting Tetsushi specifically, teasing him about his "alien" blue eyes. Both Tsubasa and Ryuuhei stuck to Tetsushi closely. When the two were called out by their teacher one day for some reason, they tried to bring Tetsushi with them. They didn't want to leave him alone in the classroom. But their teacher got mad, saying that they were causing problems in the class with their attitudes. Both Ryuuhei and Tsubasa were disgusted that the teacher couldn't see what the real problem was, and Tsubasa demanded to know if the teacher would take responsibility if something happened. His attitude pissed the teacher off even more, and he grabbed Tsubasa to drag him out. Tsubasa tells him to let go of him. Both Tetsushi and Ryuuhei could tell that Tsubasa was close to exploding, so they interfered. Tetsushi told Tsubasa to go ahead, that he'd be okay. At the same time Ryuuhei stepped between Tsubasa and the teacher and told the teacher that they'd go. Ryuuhei asked a girl nearby to watch the class and let them know if something happened. The teacher lectured Ryuuhei and Tsubasa before getting into the reason he'd called them out of the class in the first place. The two bore it, wanting to get back as soon as possible. Just as the teacher had finished yelling about their attitudes, the girl entered the room. Tsubasa and Ryuuhei ran back to the class. The girls were out in the corridor looking in. The boys were inside. One sneering boy was on top of Tetsushi. Tetsushi had lost his pants and a sock and his shirt was torn open. Another boy was twirling Tetsushi's pants around. Ryuuhei kicked the boy on top of Tetsushi and checked on Tetsushi as Tsubasa just went at it at the boys and wouldn't let up until Tetsushi clung to Tsubasa's back and begged him to stop. He started sobbing. Tsubasa stopped beating the boys up, but he forced them to line up and grovel for forgiveness. After that Tetsushi began wearing colored contacts.
The next school day Tsubasa heads toward the building housing the first years. The first years marvel at Tsubasa's sheer presence and wonder why he's there. Tsubasa is very, very mad. Once again idiots with no sense have hurt the person he loves the most. They will pay. Oh yes, they will.
Even Ryuuhei was mad when they spoke on the phone the night before. Ryuuhei told Tsubasa that the leader of his so-called "Bodyguards" is a promising tennis player who'd refused a recommendation to another school to come to this one after falling for (in a manly, non-gay way, of course) Tsubasa at the school festival the year before. Tsubasa, as the top scorer on the entrance exam, had been forced to help out. He'd been made to sit at the entrance of the school to attract people to come in. Tsubasa remembers it being a really awful experience. Lots of people took pictures of him until Tetsushi had stuck a "no photography" sign up. Tsubasa can't think the tennis player, Saeki, could be any decent guy if he'd fallen for a super pissed off Tsubasa.
When Tsubasa stops, realizing he knows the name of the leader guy but not his class, two students timidly approach him and ask if he needs something. He ignores their "pitiful prey encountering scary predator" reaction to him and tells them to gather the guys calling themselves his bodyguard. They seem more scared, making Tsubasa think they are part of the bodyguard. He lowers and deepens his voice and orders them to get every last one of the bodyguards here right now. They run off. Two minutes later they all assemble, looking like prisoners being led to their execution.
Tsubasa asks who'd hit Tetsushi. One guy, looking straight at Tsubasa, asks if Tetsushi had snitched. He comments that Tetsushi is quite a tattletale. Tsubasa figures that guy must be the one, so he asks if he'd done it. The guy responds that he hadn't hit Tetsushi. He'd just accidentally smacked Tetsushi when he'd swung his bag onto his shoulder. He asks for and gets confirmation from the others. Tsubasa is disgusted at their obvious collusion. And what did they think, that'd he'd forgive them because it was an "accident?" What gave them that idea? He didn't want or need any apology. He was here to take these foolish kids down.
Tsubasa asks which one is "Saeki Shou." Turns out the guy who'd hurt Tetsushi is Saeki. Tsubasa notices Saeki's face light up and is disgusted. Of course the guy who'd been gaining self-publicity announcing his adoration for Tsubasa and the guy who'd hurt Tetsushi is the same guy. No reason to go easy, at all.
Tsubasa confirms that the incident had been an accident. Saeki responds that it had been. Tsubasa then says that he guesses it can't be helped. The guys all seem to breathe a sigh of relief. Then Tsubasa grabs the uniform jacket he'd taken off and hung on his shoulder earlier and whips it around, smacking Saeki in the face. Tsubasa apologizes, "Oh, did I hit you? Sorry." He'd just meant to swing his jacket around to put it on, he explains with very cold eyes. Tsubasa keeps talking with mild words but very frightening intent behind those words. The first years get the message very clearly. Tsubasa is not at all satisfied with just scaring the bejeezus out of them, but he doesn't want to get suspended and upset Tetsushi. He drops a couple of bombs before leaving. First, he tells them that their confrontation with Tetsushi is already the big news with the upperclassmen. Aren't they lucky? They're already famous! Of course, Tsubasa knows well that they don't have thick skins and will probably be very stressed about being gossiped about. He also mentions that a couple of students had taken the "accidentally" injured Tetsushi to the health room, and that they were the president and vice-president of the student council. He "kindly" tells them they probably ought to explain themselves before getting called out. He also "kindly" warns Saeki that athletes can get in big trouble for getting involved in violent incidents. He mentions an idiot who'd tried to take down an underclassman in his club but who'd instead gotten the tables turned on him and not been kicked out of the club. "Kindly" advising Saeki to be careful about ending up like him, Tsubasa leaves.
The incident Tsubasa mentions was actually an upperclassman on the basketball team who'd harassed Tetsushi (who'd come to see the team practice) until Ryuuhei snapped. The upperclassman had called Tetsushi a disgusting gay who'd seduced and was two-timing Ryuuhei and Tsubasa. He'd told Tetsushi to leave because he was smelly and icky and would spread his gay germs. Ryuuhei had told the upperclassman that even if he was a man-loving gay slut he had taste and would never in a gazillion years ever want to hold the upperclassman's filthy sweaty hands...Which had set the upperclassman off. They started to fight. Tetsushi had tried to stop it, but he'd only ended up being flung away into a chair. Which had set Ryuuhei off. After that, there was an unspoken rule in the basketball team: "Do not piss Ryuuhei off by harassing Tetsushi."
The rumors run amok in the school all week, including the bodyguards, Tsubasa and Tetsushi, and even Takatsukasa and Toudou. So when Tetsushi runs into Takatsukasa in the hallway on Friday, it's very awkward. But he wants to apologize for involving him into the scandal. Before he can, Takatsukasa tells Tetsushi there isn't anything for Tetsushi to be concerned about.
After school, Tetsushi is intercepted in the bicycle holding area by a bunch of first years. They are from one class. Their classmate Takayama had been a bodyguard. He has been absent from school for a while. Actually, every bodyguard except Saeki has been absent. Tetsushi wonders if they'd been scared by Tsubasa's take down or if they couldn't stand being the objects of gossip. In any case, he can't help but think they are pretty small fry if they can't take the heat. Takayama's classmates are worried he'll refuse to come to school anymore and they don't want that to happen. He's only been in high school for a month, after all. Tetsushi wonders what these classmates want with him. They ask Tesushi to forgive Takayama. Tetsushi can't help but sigh inwardly. These classmates do not understand the situation. First of all, the bodyguard hadn't even apologized. Second, he wasn't the direct reason the bodyguards had stopped coming to school. It was annoying to have this problem that totally wasn't his shoved at him, so he just tells the classmates that he's not the one to talk to. The classmates don't get it. Won't everything be okay if Tetsushi forgives Takayama? Tetsushi really doesn't want to bother explaining it all to these clueless kids, but they continue on and ask who they should go to. Not...Tsubasa, right? The classmates then ask Tetsushi to mediate with Tsubasa for them. Tetsushi doesn't want to bother telling them that if he could mediate with Tsubasa over such matters Tsubasa wouldn't have taken the bodyguards down in the first place, so he just tells them that he can't. When they press him for a reason, he just tells them that he can't and that they should so something else instead of coming to him like this if they really want Takayama to come back to school. They ask what this something else is. Tetsushi wishes they'd think for themselves a bit. Then they say that they'd come to Tetsushi to resolve things, so Tetsushi should cooperate. Besides, Tetsushi doesn't want to be gossiped about as the reason some underclassmen had stopped coming to school, does he? Tetsushi isn't going to take such a statement lying down, but another voice intervenes.
Another second year who happens to be in Tsubasa's class, Narumi, thinks the first years are idiots. He explains that Tsubasa had taken down the bodyguards because they'd called out Tetsushi in jealousy and resentment and had injured him using Tsubasa as an excuse. The bodyguards had stopped coming to school because they were gutless cowards. Why should Tetsushi do anything for them? Tetsushi is impressed that Narumi could so succinctly summarize the whole issue that he hadn't wanted to bother with.
The first years aren't done yet, though. They think the whole situation is a fight between Tetsushi and the bodyguards. Why would Tsubasa be the one to respond? They claim "everyone" thinks it's very cowardly for Tetsushi to ask Tsubasa to retaliate.
Tetsushi is very surprised. Fight? Retaliate? Cowardly? He realizes there's another (wrong) interpretation of the events at work here. There's really nothing he can say at this point, really. Narumi is pretty exasperated as well.
Narumi: You're a coward now, Sugimoto.
Tetsushi: Seems like it...
Narumi: Geez, you're rather calm.
Tetsushi: Nah...I'm just surprised.
Narumi: By that?
Tetsushi: I've been called all kinds of things, but it's the first time I've been called a coward...
Narumi: They are amazing, aren't they? Hurling reckless words like that at you. I'd be too scared of Renjou to say something like that.
Though Narumi isn't necessarily scared of Tsubasa (he's pretty intimidating and he's ranked in judo), his words scare the first years. Especially the girl who'd called Tetsushi a coward. Narumi then makes them realize just how stupid they are, courting Tsubasa's wrath by hassling Tetsushi. Tetsushi and Narumi continue to talk, basically calling the first years who'd stopped coming to school gutless and calling the first years bothering Tetsushi right then wanna-be crusaders who have no understanding of the situation. They wonder if Takayama would even appreciate his classmates' efforts. Tetushi then takes his leave, resigned to being gossiped about next week as well thanks to the many witnesses to the confrontation (students who'd wanted to get their bicycles but hadn't wanted to barge in and get involved in the situation).
That night Tetsushi goes to Tsubasa's room to tell him about the confrontation that day. He briefly explains the situation (which pisses Tsubasa off--why are these stupid kids bothering Tetsushi about their classmate's gutlessness?) but doesn't tell Tsubasa that he'd been called a coward or that Narumi had joined in.
When Tetsushi is about to leave, Tsubasa asks if he's not going to give him a goodnight kiss. Tetsushi realizes his mistake in coming into Tsubasa's room on Friday night. He'd gotten Tsubasa to agree to having full-blown sex only on weekends because he likes being able to stand on school days. Of course, Tsubasa still likes to fool around on weekdays. Tsubasa's idea of fooling around, however, is still pretty heavy for Tetsushi. The only difference is that he can at least stand straight afterwards...but that's better than nothing.
While Tetsushi doesn't dislike sex and it is Friday, Tsubasa's father had come home early. Tetsushi doesn't feel comfortable having sex with Tsubasa's father in the house, so he says he only will kiss. He walks up to the sitting Tsubasa and kisses him deeply. But that's not sufficient for Tsubasa, so he deepens the kiss.
Tsubasa pulls Tetsushi to him and kisses him all over, concentrating on his nipples. He's only kissing, right? When Tetsushi becomes aroused Tsubasa won't let him leave and jerk himself off. He'll take care of it. Tetsushi knows he can't resist, but he insists that they not have anal sex. Tsubasa had been planning on getting Tetsushi all worked up and just going for it because he so wants to, but he promises. He realizes Tetsushi is concerned about his father's presence. Tsubasa would totally go downstairs and come out to his father, but he knows it would result in the proper Tetsushi moving out. Tetsushi apologizes to Tsubasa. It's not that he doesn't want to have sex, but he knows he loses control during sex because it feels so good and he's worried he'll make too much noise. Tsubasa's sexual frustration is overcome by Tetsushi's adorableness in saying such a thing while beet red. But he doesn't want to give in so easily, so he demands that Tetsushi beg Tsubasa to make him feel good...which Tetsushi does. And Tsubasa does make Tetsushi feel good (in typical bad Yoshihara-sensei style -_-;).
On Saturday Ryuuhei and Tetsushi go shopping for new shoelaces for Ryuuhei. Ryuuhei is pretty picky, but after Tsubasa had totally insulted his taste way back in elementary school he has no confidence in his own opinions. He gets Tetsushi to help him out. Besides, he gets to spend the day with Tetsushi!
As Ryuuhei and Tetsushi happily shop, various people notice them. Some are basketball players from other schools, some who'd never seen Ryuuhei off the court and are thrown off by his honeyed sweetness. Yet others are girls who are excited by his princely good looks and take photographs. And then there are some members of Ryuuhei's basketball team who'd come to check out Ryuuhei's girlfriend...Or so they'd thought. They'd heard Ryuuhei asking their captain about the location of an Italian restaurant good for dates and had assumed he was going on a date. Instead, they find Ryuuhei with Tetsushi. On a "date." When one of them mentions the Ryuuhei is gay rumor, they all remember last year's incident that resulted in the "don't piss Ryuuhei off by harassing Tetsushi" rule and shiver. They all know Ryuuhei is not gay for Tetsushi. He otally looks like a huge dog wagging his tail and wanting attention.
Tetsushi senses someone glaring at him. Ryuuhei had gone off to buy something, and when he hears footsteps he turns around thinking Ryuuhei had come back. But instead of Ryuuhei, Tetsushi is surprised to see Saeki. Saeki starts insulting Tetsushi. Tetsushi decides not to bother dealing with Saeki and walks past him. He's on a date with Ryuuhei, right? Saeki has no idea how Tetsushi had seduced Ryuuhei and he's not about to comment on Ryuuhei's bad taste, but he wants Tetsushi to stop trying to seduce Tsubasa as well. Tetsushi stops in his tracks because he sees Ryuuhei (along with Ryuuhei's teammates). Saeki thinks Tetsushi has stopped because his words have hit home, so he goes on insulting Tetsushi even more. Tetsushi gets worried because Ryuuhei is obviously getting mad. He's expressionless and scary.
Ryuuhei suddenly asks one of his teammates if he can punch Saeki. His teammates are flustered. They remember his anger from a year ago and can tell this is leading to the same really bad situation. And this time it'd be in public so Ryuuhei would get in quite a bit of trouble. They try to figure out how to diffuse the tense situation, but it is Tetsushi who speaks. He tells Ryuuhei they should go get lunch because he's hungry. Ryuuhei's teammates eagerly agree that it'd be a great idea. Tetsushi tells Ryuuhei they should leave idiots alone. Hitting idiots will transfer their idiocy. Ryuuhei complains that Tsubasa does it all the time, but Tetsushi tells Ryuuhei that Tsubasa's actions are almost like involuntary reactions so they can't be helped. They depart, leaving Saeki behind.
Ryuuhei, Tetsushi, and Ryuuhei's teammates eat at the tasty Italian restaurant. Tetsushi is amazed at the amount of food everyone else eats, but they all claim that the crazy amount of food they are eating is "normal" and he's just not eating enough. Tetsushi finds out that Saeki had come to their school because of Tsubasa. He also learns that Tsubasa had known that fact and is amazed that Tsubasa hadn't done worse to Saeki. He knows Tsubasa had held back for his sake. Afterwards, Tetsushi goes over to Ryuuhei's house and eats dinner there. Ryuuhei asks to see Tetsushi's blue eyes, so Tetsushi takes his contacts out. Ryuuhei again expresses his unhappiness that such pretty eyes should be hidden. He likes them so much.
If anyone wants volumes 1 and 3 of this series please let me know! I'll mail them to you. I love this series, but really don't need doubles. XD;