Slip Roads 23-31
Slip Roads 23-31 (complete)
Previous chapters 17-22
-------23 Nov/the end of the world seems much more likely now-------
With a bit of trepidation, Takumi slowed at the entrance of the French restaurant. Almost immediately, the automatic doors slid open, and he took a reluctant step inside. There was a man standing there wearing a suit--they always did--who bowed, not even blinking at Takumi's casual outfit of T-shirt and jeans. "Good afternoon, sir," he said. "Would you like a table?"
That level of politeness only served to make Takumi more self-conscious. He cleared his throat, wishing he was wearing something better. "I'm looking for-" he paused to clear his throat again. "Kuwabara-sensei's party."
The man nodded, not seeming to be surprised at all. Then again, Takumi knew from experience that the staff at such places were supposed to act as though everything was expected. "Ah. This way, please," he bowed again, stretching his arm to the side towards the door behind him.
Takumi had to resist the urge to bow back, and only followed the man into a private function room, where he saw with relief that Shindou, Touya and Kuwabara were seated.
"Fujiwara-san!" Shindou said when he saw Takumi, waving. "Good, I was afraid you wouldn't get here before they served the food!"
"We ordered the daily special on your behalf," Touya quickly added. "The chef is putting it together right now. I hope that's all right."
Takumi nodded awkwardly. "Yes, it's fine," he said. It wasn't as he knew what food to order anyway, at foreign restaurants. He usually asked for recommendations, trusting the waiter to tell him what the food actually was, behind its fancy name. He sat down, thinking of the times he had come with department heads at auto companies. This was much better company, in a way. "Kuwabara-sensei," he said in greeting.
He wasn't actually sure how he was to take the old pro. He liked Shindou and Touya, and thought they were interesting, but he had been truly taken aback to receive a phone call from the old man the day before.
What was more, after introducing himself, the old man had all but ordered him to act as chauffeur to him, Shindou and Touya, and Takumi had found himself agreeing, out of sheer curiosity. He had driven into Akagi to pick the trio up, and driven them some more to Maebashi, just so that they could go and challenge a Go salon.
Maybe he really ought to get a life, outside of cars...
"And don't worry about the bill," Kuwabara said. "The two of them are paying."
"I hope you weren't bored all morning, Fujiwara-san!" Shindou said, making a face at Kuwabara's remark.
That was a not-too-obvious way to ask what he had been doing, Takumi thought. He relaxed enough to smile; Touya had mentioned once that outside of Go, Shindou displayed as much tactical awareness as a game of Tetris. "As it happens, I had an appointment to speak with someone about a job. So it's a good thing that I had to come to Maebashi after all."
"What kind of job?"
"It's a short-term consulting position," Takumi said, a bit embarrassed. He got many of them these days, and sometimes, even the police pulled him in when they needed an expert in racing accidents. He didn't feel like a consultant, especially when he recalled his near-total ignorance when he first started racing.
"Ooh, sounds really serious, Fujiwara-san!" Shindou teased.
"Shindou!" Touya said, before his attention turned back to Takumi. "It must be something important."
"Ah..." Takumi thought about it for a moment. "Actually, this might involve the two of you," he said to Shindou and Touya.
"Us?" Shindou pointed at himself, then at Touya.
Takumi nodded. "It's about the accident we almost ran into," he said. "One of the victims' brother is conducting a private investigation into it, and a friend of a friend recommended me."
Their reaction was not what he had expected. Shindou and Touya turned to look at one another, plainly dismayed. Even Kuwabara's eyebrows were raised. "Was... it something I said?"
There was a pause, and Shindou spoke first. "Excuse me, Fujiwara-san, but is the person hiring you named-" he comically stopped as it became obvious that he had forgotten the name, and his face fell.
Unwillingly amused despite himself, Takumi prompted, "Yes?"
"It's just at the tip of my tongue!" Shindou said. "Give me a minute." He squinted into empty air and muttered, "Fuku... no, not that. Ponta... nope. Don't think it's Yuji either..."
"It's Fuji," Touya said, though contrary to Takumi's expectations, he didn't give Shindou that exasperated look, but one of indulgence--what had happened here?
Shindou snapped his fingers. "Right! Fuji!" Then he turned to Touya. "I would have remembered it, Touya," he said reproachfully.
"Oh, sure," Kuwabara said, with just the right amount, it seemed, of sarcasm that made Shindou stick out his tongue at him.
Takumi hid a chuckle, then grew serious again. "How did you know the name? I only met Fuji-san this morning."
"Um..." Shindou glanced at Touya. "It's like this-"
Kuwabara interrupted, "Stop hesitating, punk," he said, and looked directly at Takumi. "It's like this. My younger grandson, Keisuke, had a contract to be part of Fuji's investigative team. Fuji's brother, as I understand it, was a victim in that accident. Early this morning, Fuji seemed to have fired Keisuke, saying he had found someone better."
Takumi blinked, pointing the flaw he could see immediately. "But early this morning, I hadn't even met Fuji-san yet."
Kuwabara scoffed. "You were involved in the accident, however lightly. Would you have refused Fuji's request?"
Well, that was true, and the old man had seen to the heart of the matter almost immediately. Takumi shook his head.
"Good."
"That's not very fair, old man," Shindou protested. "Your grandson's out of a job because Fuji-san changed his mind, you know."
Kuwabara gave a shrug. "He deserves it."
Takumi gave a start at the careless tone--he didn't think that Kuwabara disliked his grandson--before his mind caught up with the old man's reasoning. He drew breath to explain on Keisuke's behalf, then caught Shindou and Touya nodding in unison at each other. It was suprisingly cute.
"Oh, I see," Shindou said. "But you aren't sympathetic at all, old man. Where's the family feeling?"
Kuwabara snorted, showing what he thought of that.
It was at the end of the meal--something with cured salmon and fruit, something else with foie gras and beef, then a bowl of something that smelt like tofu had gone bad, and then dessert, a blessedly simple vanilla ice cream--that Takumi realised something. He must have made a sound, for both Shindou and Touya looked up.
"What's the matter, Fujiwara-san?"
Takumi noticed that Shindou, for all his casual manners, was usually the first to express concern and curiosity. "I've just thought of something," he said apologetically. Three expectant looks faced him, and Takumi forced himself to elaborate. "I know you think that Takahashi-san did not do a good job of being a consultant for the accident," he started haltingly, wanting to buy time to get his thoughts in order, "because he didn't even talk to you or Touya-san, and you two were witnesses."
"Yeah. I mean, the police called us up twice," Shindou said.
"But I know Takahashi-san from years ago, when we were racing for a team called Project D."
"I know that!" Shindou said, brightening. "Ryousuke-san told me about it! He said you were his downhill specialist and Keisuke-san was his... uh-oh."
Takumi nodded at the knowing tone in his voice. "We were rivals," he agreed, and frowned. "Even though Takahashi-san's a professional driver now--he's way ahead of me in terms of racing. And people ask me to be consultant just because I'm more familiar with roads in Japan, while Takahashi-san has been away from Japan..." he stopped, helpless.
Shindou nodded. "Bet he's going to be out for your blood when he knows."
------24 Nov/alibi school--------
Ryousuke only knew that Keisuke had been refused admission to see Yuuta when he arrived at the hospital. His first stop was Yuuta's room and Yuuta had informed him of the aborted attempt.
"You better talk to him," Yuuta said.
He had nodded, hurrying to his office. His brother had already made his way there, having charmed his way past the nurses, and now sat opposite, informing him of that fact. Ryousuke tidied the files on his table for the third time, before he made a decision. "I can't override Fuji-san's wishes unless Yuuta says he wants to see you, Keisuke," he said. "And I think Fuji-san's actions are a clear indication that he no longer wants you to investigate the accident."
All that Keisuke did was scowl, however. "You're on his side. Why, are you afraid that I'll threaten your boyfriend or something?" he asked.
The question took Ryousuke by surprise. "Threaten Yuuta?" he said. The idea that someone would try to threaten Yuuta seemed ridiculous, as was the notion that Yuuta could be intimidated. The Tokyo doctor radiated steadiness and determination, sometimes in an extremely boyish way when he played tennis, and the rest of time in a way that reminded Ryousuke of mountain climbers. He was not someone who took kindly to being threatened.
Having met Fuji Syusuke, Ryousuke could see why.
"It's not that?" Keisuke asked. His voice grew low with hurt. "Don't tell me you're not worried about him, lying in that bed all weak, asking you to kiss him-"
Ryousuke snorted. "He kissed me," he declared, and was suddenly glad that he had closed the door to his office. This was not the way he wanted the hospital to find out that the boss' son liked men.
"Excuse me?"
Ryousuke shook his head, and contemplated his tidied stack of files. He pushed them aside with a wince. "Yuuta is not a weak person who needs to be protected. If you try to threaten him, he'll probably punch you out." He eyed Keisuke's puzzled reaction, and sighed. "Just because we dated doesn't mean you need to think of him as someone who is afraid of scandal, or someone who is weak." Because while Yuuta had plenty of misgivings about incest, he had none about relationships with a man.
"Then why can't I talk to him?"
"Because he has agreed to speak to the other investigator," Ryousuke said, remembering how Yuuta had grumbled about his brother's high-handed actions.
"I'm sorry for putting your brother out of a job," Yuuta had said, after explaining that Fuji Syusuke had gone off for a meeting with a potential investigator.
"Don't worry about that," Ryousuke said. It was too bad, but really, Keisuke was supposed to be back in Japan for a break, not running around chasing witnesses for their statements.
"Yeah... just tell him sorry for me, okay?" Yuuta made a face. "Though he might not care to hear it from me. I saw his face when he spotted us."
Ryousuke shrugged. He had expected a bigger reaction from Keisuke, actually. But Keisuke seemed to be trying to come to terms with it. "How about your brother?" he retorted. "He looked furious."
"Worried he's about to come for you with a shotgun?" Yuuta chuckled. "Don't worry, he knows I grabbed you the same moment I spotted him at the door, deliberately. It's just seeing the two of us kissing that sets him off. Of course, now he thinks I did it to get him jealous, and he's been..." he made a gagging sound.
"That-" Ryousuke struggled for words. "Sounds worrying."
Yuuta shook his head. "Oh no, this is an improvement from the first time he found me lying in a hospital bed. Don't worry about it. But I'm afraid I can't speak to your brother. It'll be quite meaningless, firstly, since Aniki wants to hire someone else, and secondly, I don't want Aniki to think he's not in control of the situation. That'll just make his brother-
complex worse."
Sometimes he forgot that Yuuta was every bit as intelligent as he said Fuji Syusuke was.
Ryousuke nodded at Keisuke, pushing the encounter with Yuuta to a corner of his mind. "It'd be useless, anyway, since Fuji Syusuke has already hired someone," he told Keisuke.
Keisuke's eyes narrowed at that. "When did you hear this? Who is it?"
Ryousuke said, "I don't know who it is, but Yuuta says it's someone who came highly recommended and has years of experience." He studied his brother for a few seconds, before he shook his head. "Give it up, Keisuke. Forget about the job and investigating alibis and all that. Go home and enjoy what's left of your break."
Keisuke had finally agreed to leave, still looking mutinous.
-------25 Nov/uninnocent these conversations start---------
Ryousuke was not surprised to find the lights in the kitchen still on. It seemed that, whenever he came home after the afternoon shift, Shindou would already be in the kitchen, making himself instant ramen. It seemed almost homely, he thought, then told himself that Shindou and Touya were guests and would not stay long--he had already heard plans about how they planned to return to Tokyo together with Ryousuke's grandfather soon.
He slipped into the house, his ears pricked despite himself, listening for Keisuke's presence. No one came around the corner at the end of the hallway, murmuring softly 'Aniki', and Ryousuke paused to give a sigh that mingled relief and despite himself, a tinge of regret. He really hoped Keisuke had thought things out, but the dreamlike scenarios of 'could-have-beens' were--best kept to himself, Ryousuke said to his mind firmly.
"But even if Keisuke-san was involved? We're talking about Ryousuke-san here, Touya. He's not that sort," Shindou's voice came through clearly.
Ryousuke paused, his hand against the closed kitchen door.
"Ryousuke-san may not be that sort, but I can't say the same for Keisuke-san." That was Touya. "He's impulsive and used to getting what he wants. He assumes that Ryousuke-san will be on his side, and he'll make use of it." His pronouncements seemed to have the gravity of a judge's statement.
Ryousuke felt a chill going down his back. He thought Touya had said he would never say anything about him and Keisuke, but what they were discussing sounded very much like it. Maybe Touya had no qualms about confiding in Shindou, given their closeness, but he had thought better of Touya.
Shindou's voice was low, distressed. "But still... that would be dishonorable."
Ryousuke echoed his sentiments to himself.
Shindou went on, "All's fair in love and war, but this... Fujiwara-san, what do you think?"
In his surprise, Ryousuke found that his arm had pushed the kitchen door open, even as his mind went: Fujiwara?
Shindou was the first to look up from where he was showing a cup ramen to Fujiwara Takumi. He was also the first to speak. "Ryousuke-san!" he greeted, then glanced around the room's inhabitants. "I can explain this-" he began.
"We were talking about how Fujiwara-san took over Keisuke-san's position as investigator for Fuji-san," Touya said, his eyes knowing as he looked at Ryousuke.
Shindou nodded fervently, "Right, and I said Ryousuke-san wasn't the type to pressure Fujiwara-san to give it up... huh? I was going to explain why Fujiwara-san is here, Touya. You're confusing me!" he complained.
Ryousuke was glad for Touya's timely explanation, though he didn't say. "It's all right, I was about to ask about that anyway."
Shindou grinned, and launched into a garbled explanation about driving to Maebashi, challenging Go players there and returning in time for dinner, and insisting that Fujiwara stayed. Somehow that segued into a Go teaching session for Fujiwara, and staying until it was so late that Kuwabara ordered him to stay overnight.
Touya, Ryousuke noticed, wore a familiar long-suffering expression, while Fujiwara seemed to be avoiding Ryousuke's gaze, as though he felt embarrassed.
"-and then I said we should have ramen to celebrate!" Shindou ended brightly. "Do you want any, Ryousuke-san?"
Ryousuke studied the label on the cup Shindou was holding out. It was red and orange, and it took a while for his eyes to focus on the mix of English and katakana written in yellow on it. "'Carrot curry and fish roe'? No, thank you."
"No?" Shindou looked deflated, then perked up again. "Then how about-"
"Shindou!" That was Touya, of course.
"Oh, all right." He made such an exaggerated mournful expression that Touya rolled his eyes.
Fujiwara chuckled, then ducked his head. "Sorry. But that's a terrible flavour, Shindou-san."
"But-"
"Quite right," Touya said. "Let's find if there's anything better in your stash, all right?" he placed a hand on Shindou's shoulder, and propelled him towards the other end of the kitchen, where Shindou's (steadily diminishing) bag was placed.
That left Fujiwara still facing Ryousuke.
"Fujiwa-," Ryousuke started.
"Sorry for the intrusion," Fujiwara said at the same time.
"What?" Ryousuke said, then shook his head. "Please, don't worry about that. You're welcome here." For some reason, he could feel the back of his neck heat up. "Come to think of it, we spent a lot of time on Project D, but I've never even invited you into my home, not even to thank you for your help."
Part of that had to do with the fact that his parents only tolerated his racing activities, but there had been something... decisive, about the idea of seeing Fujiwara inside his home, as though he was really moving on from Keisuke. And that was not a decision he had wanted to make at that time, Ryousuke realised. "You must have been appalled at my bad manners," he continued, hearing his own voice come out soft and apologetic.
"Oh, no, Ryousuke-san!" Fujiwara exclaimed, then looked shocked at himself. "I mean, Takahashi-san. I never thought that," he said earnestly, nodding his head as though to emphasise his words. "I was already very honoured that you asked me to join Project D, and helped me so much when we were challenging other racers."
"That was because you are a good racer," Ryousuke said firmly. "One of the best I've ever seen."
"Ah..."
Fujiwara didn't deny it, Ryousuke noticed, obscurely pleased.
"...then it's all right with you that I take over as consultant in Fuji-san's investigation?"
With a silent apology to Keisuke, Ryousuke nodded. "Yes. But you don't need my permission, and you don't have to worry about what I think." Or what Keisuke thought, his mind added.
"Uh..." Fujiwara hesitated, then nodded. "Thank you for being so understanding, Takahashi-san. I've always admired you for that."
Ryousuke realised that the blush was spreading from his neck to his face.
------26 Nov/ say hello and refuse goodbye---------
"Takahashi-san."
"Fujiwara-san?" Ryousuke said in response, feeling his neck grow warm again. He held his cellphone a little tighter. After the night when Fujiwara had spent at his home, Ryousuke had found that his mind started to wander whenever he thought about the other driver. In the past, he had always been able to order his mind to stop before his imagination ran away, but
now, it seemed as though his mind--and his blushes--were not under his control at all. "What is it?" he prompted, when it seemed as though Fujiwara had stopped.
The voice on the other end hesitated, then said, "Takahashi-san, it's-"
"It's 'Ryousuke-san'," Ryousuke reminded him. "You used to call me that before, but at my place that night-"
"It was because-" Takahashi sounded like he might be blushing, "Shindou-san and Touya-san were there as well, and I..." he trailed off and seemed decisive all of a sudden. "Ryousuke-san, I'm sorry to bother you, but is Keisuke-san at home?"
Gratified at the easy capitulation yet taken aback at the sudden change of topic, Ryousuke had to think back to dinner, when his father had asked about Keisuke's absence. "No. He's been out all day, my mother said, and he hasn't returned yet." If there was one thing that he could not control, it was the habit of keeping an ear out, listening for Keisuke's car. "Is
something the matter?"
Fujiwara was silent, and Ryousuke had to prompt him. "Fujiwara-san? What happened?"
"It's probably nothing..." Fujiwara began.
An unnamed anxiety stirred in Ryousuke's chest. "Please tell me."
"I think I've found out who the driver is."
He meant the driver behind that accident, Ryousuke realised. "Oh, that. Well, that's good-"
"The problem is, I think Keisuke-san may have just gone to talk to him."
"...what?"
Fujiwara spoke, his voice lower than before, "I didn't tell you before, but Keisuke-san has been following the investigation by himself these few days. I thought it was harmless to let him do it, he was so angry when he learnt about my role-"
Ryousuke interrupted, his mind rolling out scenarios. "How sure are you? That this person Keisuke went to see is the driver?"
There was a pause, then Fujiwara spoke. "Fairly sure. He has the same car registered, and the tyre marks near his home match the ones found on the road," he said. "I was going to inform Fuji-san and the police before I found out about Keisuke-san."
"Where does he live?"
Fujiwara paused again, and recited an address, plainly from memory.
"I'll drive up and check if Keisuke is there," Ryousuke said, deciding to act immediately. The idea of Keisuke talking to the driver, perhaps even confronting him, filled him with dismay. This was a matter for the police!
To his credit, Fujiwara did not say anything to dissuade him. He only said, "I'll meet you there."
Ryousuke was forced to stop at the emergency police blockade that had been set up at the road to Ishida Hajime's house, and he was only a little surprised to see Fuji Syusuke, and a moment later, Fujiwara. "You called the police," he said to Fujiwara. "Is Keisuke in there?" he asked, feeling too numb to panic.
"Yes," Fujiwara said.
"Then why are we waiting here?" Ryousuke asked.
Fujiwara frowned, and even Fuji Syusuke looked a little sympathetic. "When the police went to the door, they found that Ishida had locked all the doors and windows to his house. Keisuke-san's car is still outside," Fujiwara said, nodded in the direction of the road. "There are more police over there. But they're a bit concerned because Ishida seems... agitated."
Ryousuke bit his tongue. "So Keisuke just went in to see him first, and then wouldn't let him leave," he said, seeing the scenario in his mind, before he turned to regard Fujiwara directly. "You mean he might hurt Keisuke."
Fujiwara said nothing, but he avoided Ryousuke's eyes.
--------27 Nov/ you say love is a chemical reaction--------
"What did you say to him?" Ryousuke asked Fujiwara, looking at the man sitting inside the police car, bowed over his handcuffs. Ishida Hajime--the driver who had caused a five-car pile-up, killing his girlfriend, then tried to push the blame to her by moving her body to the driver's seat before running away--looked far older than his reported age of thirty-six. He
had the look of someone who wasn't sure he was dreaming a nightmare, or living one.
They had simply waited him out. It had taken more than five hours before Ishida finally surrendered himself, and it turned out he had not done anything more dangerous to Keisuke other than to tie him up. But Ryousuke was still coming down from his fear, and while the police questioned Keisuke he had found himself drifting over to where Fujiwara was.
"Excuse me?" Fujiwara looked befuddled.
"Just now." Ishida had wanted to talk only to Fujiwara at first when he finally agreed to surrender. It had only been a few words, as Ryousuke and the rest of the police watched from a distance, but it had changed Ishida's mind.
"Oh." Fujiwara's expression cleared. "He asked me what love was," he said.
Ryousuke frowned. "What?"
"He's been feeling guilty since the accident," Fujiwara said. "Making it look like his girlfriend was responsible... He said no one will believe that he really loved her. That was when he asked..." He trailed away.
"And you told him love was a chemical reaction?"
Fujiwara looked up. "Of course not! Ryousuke, do you-"
Ryousuke was regretting his attempt at teasing Fujiwara. With his eyes shadowed from insufficient sleep and a lips that looked almost--if he squinted--as though Fujiwara was pouting, Ryousuke was starting to find rational thought leaving him. "No," he said, gathering his thoughts. "I was just teasing you. What did you say to him?"
"I said, love was not letting her take the rap for the accident."
Ryousuke managed not to groan. Sometimes Fujiwara was so very straightforward that it hurt. "Ahh. It worked."
Fujiwara nodded. "Excuse me, Ryousuke-san," he said, standing up. "I think one of the officers wants to talk to me." He nodded at Ryousuke and stepped away.
Ryousuke stared after him.
"You and him... well, it's certainly more socially accepted."
Ryousuke turned to see Fuji looking at him, his eyes nearly closed. "Shut up, Fuji-san," he said pleasantly, and went to check on Keisuke.
-------28 Nov theme/ oh! most beautiful darling-------
"You're selling your car?" Ryousuke finally asked, after long moments of being tongue-tied. He stared at Keisuke's beloved FD, remembering when it had been so important to him--when it had symbolised the last golden moment between the two of them. He now knew why Keisuke had asked him to come on a drive up to their usual spot.
Keisuke patted the side of the car, a fond gesture that nevertheless reminded Ryousuke of a goodbye wave. "Yes," Keisuke said. "I should, don't you think? I'm outside Japan for such long periods..." he shook his head. "My plane's tomorrow, and I'm going to be very busy with the new season. It's meaningless to go to the expense of maintaining it all that time."
"Don't sorry about the expense, I-" Ryousuke found himself silenced as Keisuke snorted.
"It's my car, Aniki," Keisuke said. "We've had good times together," he went on, looking into the distance, "but it's time to put it behind me." He turned to face Ryousuke. "Isn't that what you've been telling me?"
Ryousuke nodded before he realised he was doing it, then gave a sigh.
"Regrets, Aniki?" Keisuke asked.
Ryousuke realised his brother was now smiling at him, a little wistfully, it seemed, but without the anger that he had been visibly carrying around during the previous weeks. "No," he said, returning the smile, trying to tell Keisuke with his eyes that he knew what Keisuke was finally--finally!--giving up and was proud of him for it. "Just that it feels funny, to say goodbye to the idea. It's a bit scary."
Keisuke shook his head. "I could never imagine you being scared, Aniki," he said, then opened the car door with a flourish for Ryousuke to get in. "Last chance, Aniki," he said.
"What?"
"We can still run away together," Keisuke said, but he was teasing now, a way to reassure himself that they hadn't ruined the most important tie between them, that of brothers who would automatically stand up for the other. After that night with the hostage situation, both of them realised that of all the things they could lose in that moment of crisis, that fraternal link was not among them.
They had made it through to the other side, Ryousuke thought, and teased back, "I'd just get in the way of you picking up a cute boy."
"Girl, surely," Keisuke said, his eyes downcast, pretending to be shy.
Ryousuke felt his eyebrows rise. "Really?" He was amused to see Keisuke fidget. "Really, Keisuke?"
Keisuke closed the car door. "Yeah. Frankly, Aniki, except for you and me..." he made a random gesture to symbolise them, "...I like women."
Ryousuke opened his mouth to tease Keisuke again, then closed his mouth. Thought it through. "I'm not sure I like the implication of this," he said. He eyed Keisuke up and down, thinking of all the would-be girlfriends Keisuke had turned away years ago. He had assumed that Keisuke rejected them because he wanted to concentrate on racing, in addition to... them. "You don't like men. You like women. But you liked me. So what you're saying is-"
"I'm not saying you're a woman!" Keisuke exclaimed, panicked. "Or in any way like a woman. It's just that, I can't imagine doing that with a man, except for you, and since we aren't going to do that, I find that actually I like women, because-" his voice died away.
Ryousuke couldn't remember a time when he felt like laughing about any reference Keisuke made to their forbidden romance, but Keisuke's expression, caught between guilt, horror and helplessness, made laughter rumble up from inside him, so that he had to lean on Keisuke's car while he gasped for breath.
"Aniki!" The sound of a little boy, indignant at being teased. "It's not that funny!"
Ryousuke got himself under control. "Yes, it is," he said. "I'm glad-"
"What?" Aggrieved little boy this time.
Ryousuke staggered a few steps towards Keisuke, his shoulders still shaking. "I'm glad there's something funny in this mess, Keisuke," he said, punching Keisuke lightly on the shoulder. "Something that we can look back together. By all means go and find that woman who is out there for you. I look forward to meeting her." And he would, too, despite a spike of
jealousy at the thought of Keisuke being in love with someone else. Keisuke's happiness would make up for it, he told himself.
-------29 Nov theme/ doing it for science: geeks in their natural habitat-------
"Please thank your parents for us," Touya said, standing by the car. "They've been very kind to take care of Shindou and me these few weeks."
Ryousuke shook his head. "Don't mention," he said. "Really. In fact, my parents asked me to thank you for coming all the way to spend time with Grandfather."
"Oh, not at all, it was our pleasure."
The most surprising thing was, Ryousuke thought, Touya and Shindou were probably the only people in the family who thought that, without an ounce of irony. These two really did enjoy the company of Ryousuke's grandfather. "Y-es," he managed to say. "We're very glad," he went on and managed not to blurt out an invitation to visit again the next year. "No one else in the family plays Go; I'm afraid it would have been rather boring for Grandfather if it weren't for you."
It was late morning; both his parents had already left the house--his father for the hospital and his mother to visit an ill friend. Ryousuke would be leaving for the hospital himself after driving Shindou, Touya and his grandfather to the train station. It occurred to him that it was going to be very lonely when he came back in the night; Keisuke had already gone,
and soon, so would Shindou (and his ramen), Touya and even his grandfather.
"Found it!" Shindou's exclamation rang through the air, and he came towards them waving a bag at them.
Touya looked resigned. "That was what you were looking for? More instant ramen?" he asked. "No wonder you wouldn't let me join you in the search."
"Hah!" Shindou said. "You'd probably take the opportunity to throw them away. These are classics, Touya! I've personally tried each one of them and arranged them chronologically, according to the first time they were released: Chicken-flavoured ramen, curry-flavoured ramen, wasabi-flavoured ramen, cherry-flavoured ramen- Hey!" he cut off his recitation of the
list when Touya pulled the bag from his arms. "Wait, you can't put that in the back, it-"
Touya closed the trunk firmly. "Nothing will happen to it, Shindou. Now get in the car."
Shindou looked mutinous. "Bossy," he said. "That's not the boyfriend I signed up for."
"Shindou!"
"Are you kidding?" Kuwabara, who was carrying a suitcase, said as he came out. Ryousuke rushed to help him with it and put it in the trunk.
"You like it when he's bossy," Kuwabara continued, opening the door to the passenger seat in front, but he didn't get in. Instead, he only smirked at Shindou.
"I do not!"
"And have the two of you gone beyond that little kiss?" Kuwabara asked.
Shindou growled. "None of your business, you perverted old man!" He opened the car door at the back and got in, crossing his arms as he sat down.
Touya too got in and sat down beside him.
Ryousuke blinked. "When did-" he began to ask, then closed his mouth. He held the door for his grandfather, and then got into the driver's seat himself, figuring he could ask them on the way.
But the moment the car started moving, all three of them started to discuss a game played by someone called 'Touya-sensei' (by Shindou), 'Father' (by Touya) and 'Touya Kouyo' (Ryousuke's grandfather) with someone called Zama.
Ryousuke drove, letting their conversation about attacks and defences drift through his mind. It was suprisingly peaceful, and he noticed as he drove downhill that nearly all the trees were now red and yellow, turning the once-green landscape into something glorious.
By the time they reached the station, Shindou and Touya were so wrapped up in the discussion that they didn't even notice it.
Ryousuke's grandfather did, however. He eyed Ryousuke speculatively.
"Grandfather?" Ryousuke asked.
"You should settle down too, you know." He glanced in the rearview mirror, where an image of Shindou and Touya facing each other, almost nose to nose in their argument, could be seen.
"W-what?"
"I hear your mother say that the nurses at the hospital all have crushes on you; you should date a few of them."
"But-"
"Ah, so it's a doctor you fancy-"
"No!"
Ryousuke's grandfather was grinning. "A patient then?"
Thoughts of Fuji Yuuta jumped through Ryousuke's mind, but Ryousuke dismissed that immediately. "No."
"Ah." Ryousuke's grandfather nodded to himself, and got out of the car.
That exclamation instantly drew Ryousuke's alarm, and he got out as well. What deductions had his grandfather made now? Besides being a scary grandfather simply due to a forbidding expression that he seemed to be able turn on at will, the biggest reason Ryousuke and Keisuke feared their grandfather was that he appeared to be the only one who suspected about their awkward fumblings with each other.
Ryousuke's grandfather rapped sharply on the window at the back. "Hey, we're at the station. Stop making out in there and come out."
A choking sound came from inside, before Shindou opened the door and shot out. "Listen to me, old man, what right do you-"
Touya got out and dragged him to the back of the car to get to the trunk.
"Fujiwara Takumi."
Ryousuke jumped at the sudden pronouncement from his grandfather's most dictatorial voice. "What-"
Ryousuke's grandfather counted on his fingers. "Not interested in cute nurses, or doctors. Or patients."
It occurred to Ryousuke that it said something about the Go world that romance seemed to sprout only among like-minded individuals, or at least individuals that inhabited the same world. "That's not-"
"Pharmacists," his grandfather nodded to himself. "Maybe, maybe not."
"Grandfather..."
"Radiologists?"
"Grandfather, not-" Ryousuke reminded himself not to shout. "Not them."
His grandfather said, "That's why I said 'Fujiwara Takumi'. That one needs a boyfriend, and so do you. Shindou said you already knew each other. You both like cars. You were in the same racing project. It's a match made in heaven!"
Ryousuke felt desperate. "He likes women-" he began.
"And men." Ryousuke's grandfather smirked. "Bet you didn't know that."
Ryousuke felt his mouth fall open. "How-"
"I asked him, of course," his grandfather said. He turned towards Shindou and Touya as the door to the trunk slammed shut, and nodded at the pair who were carrying armfuls of luggage. "Hurry up, you two," he said.
"Grandfather!" Ryousuke was trying to imagine how his grandfather had asked Fujiwara something as private as that, but he couldn't think of the words to do so.
Shindou rolled his eyes. "How can we hurry when we're carrying your things? It feels like you've packed a Go board in there, it's so heavy."
"You wish," Ryousuke's grandfather said. "Are the tickets with you?"
"I have them," Touya said. He glanced towards them, and nudged Shindou with a shoulder. "We'll go in first and let Ryousuke-san say his goodbyes to Kuwabara-sensei."
"But-" Shindou looked as though he wanted to argue further.
Ryousuke looked with amusement as Touya leant closer and said in a lower tone, in Shindou's ears, "No eavesdropping, Hikaru!"
Shindou jumped, turned red and looked guilty. "Oh, all right," he said, but still he hesitated, before he nodded at Ryousuke. "Ryousuke-san, thank you for your hospitality."
Before Ryousuke could reply, his grandfather snorted. "Manners from you, punk?"
Shindou aimed a glare at him. "Stop interrupting, old man."
"Such politeness. My heart can't take it."
Shindou pointedly ignored him. "And please thank your parents for me," he said, before he turned and followed Touya into the train station, stumbling only a little from the bags he was carrying.
Ryousuke was left staring at his grandfather. "Grandfather, please take care on the journey," he said, bowing.
"Che! I know you were well brought up, unlike that brat. You don't have to show it off to me." His grandfather regarded him for a moment. "I used to think it was a waste, that you didn't play Go at all."
Ryousuke tried not to twitch. Of course, he and Keisuke had known that. He had always thought that his grandfather disliked them, and kept away from them whenever he visited, but as he got older, he realised that part of the reason for that dislike was the old man's disappointment in them.
"First it was cars, then it was medicine," his grandfather continued, before he shook his head. "But maybe it isn't a waste."
Ryousuke blinked. "So... you approve?" he asked, not really caring about the answer, but curious about what his grandfather would say. He had started out studying to be a doctor only because his father expected it, but once he started working, he had found himself loving it: the basic human gladness of seeing once-ill people recover, the sense of purpose that it gave him, and even the thrill of having that brief power over life and death. It was something he would choose all over again, if need be.
His grandfather gave one of his characteristic snorts. "If you need my approval for something you've already done, then you aren't too smart, are you?"
Ryousuke managed not to roll his eyes, the old man's digs hitting home as usual. Well, good to know that at least that hadn't changed.
His grandfather went on. "But there's something else you haven't done yet, and that is ask the Fujiwara kid out. Or someone that you like, if not him." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "It gets cold in the mountains during the winter."
Ryousuke, trying not to think about what his grandfather had just suggested, blurted, "But-"
His grandfather simply looked pleased at his reaction. "Tell your mother I'll phone when I reach Tokyo," he said, and turned to go inside the train station.
Ryousuke found the bag of ramen left in the trunk when he got home.
---------Nov 30/an absent-minded lover's apology-------
Ryousuke was not someone who felt disheartened easily, but even he had to brace himself when he stopped outside the half-opened door. It seemed as though there had been so many goodbyes already. With Keisuke, Shindou and Touya gone--not to mention his grandfather--the emptiness at home got to him when he got back late at night. And today he was going to say another goodbye.
He pushed the door open to Yuuta's room, and saw with relief that they hadn't left yet.
"Ryousuke!" Yuuta looked up in the middle of what seemed to be a disagreement with Fuji Syusuke, his eyes crinkling immediately with a welcoming smile. "I'm so glad to see you!"
Ryousuke noticed that Fuji Syusuke's eyes were fully open, making his expression even more sinister than the half-lidded look he seemed to have habitually cultivated. But he was no pushover either, Ryousuke told himself, and returned the look with interest as he said, "I wanted to see you," to Yuuta.
After a moment Fuji Syusuke sat back, his shoulders stiffening in a way that made Ryousuke think that if it were in other circumstances, he would be crossing his arms.
Yuuta rolled his eyes at Ryousuke, glanced at his brother, and said even more loudly, "I was so worried that you wouldn't be coming!"
"Ah-" Ryousuke came forward, located a chair and sat down.
"It wouldn't have been right not to say goodbye to you before I left!"
"Yuuta." Despite himself, Ryousuke felt his lips twitch. "Don't bait your brother." From the corner of his eyes, he was aware of Fuji Syusuke's jerk of surprise.
Yuuta hung his head, but looked up at Ryousuke a moment later. "Sorry," he said, the word aimed at both Ryousuke and his brother. But it was obvious from his tone that he did not feel the least apologetic. He sounded as though he was more interested in throwing something heavy at his brother.
Hoping to diffuse the tense mood, Ryousuke said, "How are you feeling? All ready for the journey home?"
With a grim laugh, Yuuta shook his head. "I'm actually feeling all right. But I'm not sure I'm ready for the journey home, because someone thinks I need a nurse to take care of me on the train."
His sour tone made Ryousuke chuckle despite himself. He had nearly forgotten how belligerent Yuuta could get, he thought as he turned towards Fuji Syusuke. "He's fine, Fuji-san," he reassured. "He's more than capable of taking the train."
Fuji Syusuke raised his eyebrows. "That's what you say, but you aren't his doctor."
Ryousuke felt like retorting that he was relieved he wasn't, not if he had to deal with someone as overprotective as him. (No wonder Kumiho-sensei looked as though he was on the verge of homicide some days.) Then he glanced back at Yuuta before he trained his serious gaze at Fuji Syusuke. "From one big brother to another, Fuji-san," he said. "Yuuta will be all right."
There was a snort from Yuuta at his reassurance, but Fuji Syusuke studied Ryousuke in turn, before he gave a final nod. "All right," he allowed. He stood up. "I'll go and see if the car is ready," he said, before he left the room, leaving Ryousuke alone with Yuuta.
Yuuta began to chuckle. "Don't go all 'big brother' at me now, Ryousuke. I'll laugh and tear a stitch for sure."
Ryousuke retorted, "They removed all your stitches yesterday." He gave a short laugh himself, before he said, "It's just that... I know how a big brother feels. Even without all the baggage."
"Yeah," Yuuta said. "I know he means well. But you have not encountered hell until you have enountered Aniki when he is like this. I think he forgets that I'm an adult." He looked at Ryousuke speculatively. "I can't see you being all Mama Bear at Keisuke-san."
The expression made Ryousuke laugh. "Keisuke... would take my head off," he said. "He ran wild with a motorcycle gang when he was in high school, did I ever tell you that? Not someone I can coddle."
"That, and the fact that you aren't Aniki. I ran away to another school when I was in high school, but did that stop Aniki?"
Ryousuke made a gesture of surrender. "All right. He has a worse brother-complex than I do."
"Damn right," Yuuta said. He was silent for a while. "Keisuke-san has gone back to Australia?"
"Yes."
"And the two of you-"
"We sorted it out."
"Ah."
There was no need to explain things further; they both understood. Yuuta only nodded thoughtfully. "It's painful, giving up," he said in a soft voice.
"Yes," Ryousuke agreed. "But I can take a bit of pain. I wouldn't be able to take it if I caused him more trouble and grief, which is what would have happened if I hadn't given up."
"Yeah." Yuuta sighed, then shook his head. "It's getting late. I don't want to miss the train. Let's go down to the lobby before Aniki comes looking." He looked longingly at the crutches at the side of his bed.
Ryousuke pushed the wheelchair towards him.
"I always tell my patients I know how they feel," Yuuta said as he settled himself in the wheelchair, "and now I actually know: being hospitalised sucks."
They made their way down, stopping by Kumiho-sensei's office for Yuuta to thank him (and apologise for Fuji Sysuke). Then they reached the lobby, and Ryousuke froze.
"See something you like?" Yuuta asked, looking up at him.
Ryousuke swallowed. "But why-" he didn't go any further, but only stopped and stared at Fujiwara in conversation with Fuji Syusuke, while a very familiar car was parked at the side.
They hadn't been noticed yet.
"Freak weather on the mountains," Yuuta said in a conversational tone. "Winter coming, you know. Temperatures have been dropping below zero at night. Icy roads. Very dangerous to drive on."
Ryousuke said in a threatening tone, "Yuuta-"
"Really. Aniki asked Fujiwara-san a favour, to get us to the train station, because word is that Fujiwara's the best driver on dangerous roads around here. Between you and me, I think Aniki's just fascinated by the idea of a person he can't intimidate."
"Really?"
"Fujiwara looks mild-tempered and laid-back, like Aniki on his good days, but it's like nothing fazes him. I might be uncharitable and say that he isn't even all there, if you know what I mean-"
"Yuuta!"
"Now look what you've done. They've noticed us. Now give me a kiss so we can properly irritate Aniki, and we might even get a reaction out of Fujiwara if we're lucky-"
"No." He pushed the wheelchair forward, meeting first Fuji Syusuke's eyes and then Fujiwara's.
"Ryousuke-san," Fujiwara said, blinking as he stared at Ryousuke. Ryousuke belatedly realised that this was probably the first time Fujiwara saw him in a doctor's white robe.
Fuji Syusuke had already taken over the wheelchair and was trying to convince Yuuta that he should be carried into the backseat of the eight-six.
"By you? I'm taller and heavier than you, Aniki," Yuuta was saying, using his crutches to propel him forward, into the car.
But Ryousuke only paid them the briefest of attention. "It's good to see you," he said to Fujiwara. He could feel himself about to start babbling from sheer panic, and quickly said, "I shouldn't interrupt you at work-"
"Ryousuke-san." Fujiwara's voice was calm and even, just as Ryousuke remembered.
"...yes?"
"Would you like to go out for dinner?"
Ryousuke stared in amazement. There was no expression on Fujiwara's face--or rather, no expression other than the usual--to indicate that this was an occasion worthy of special note.
Fujiwara frowned. "I thought I should apologise for getting Keisuke-san in trouble. If it's not convenient-"
"No, it's fine!" Ryousuke said. "I get off work at six, I have an early shift today. How about..."
Fujiwara said at the same time, "What would you like..."
They paused, staring at each other. For all that he looked his usual self, Ryousuke thought Fujiwara looked a little flustered. Or perhaps it was his imagination: his heart was beating faster than usual. He had not expected to see Fujiwara so soon; he had counted on having time to plan his next meeting with the other man, when he could finally talk to him without worry.
"...to eat?" Fujiwara finished, and smiled.
Ryousuke's mind blanked, before he remembered what Shindou left behind. "...ramen?"
-----31/no theme, just epilogue and omake--------
Ogata slammed on the brakes, narrowly avoiding the ignominy of riding the kerb in the middle of Tokyo and causing more than one pedestrian to shoot him dirty looks. In the privacy of his car, Ogata muttered deprecations that were better suited to a bar brawl than the very respected, traditional Go ceremony he was on his way to attend.
Where had that car come out of?!
It was white and of an old make, slightly dusty with words stenciled at the side that seemed to indicate that it was some kind of goods car. At first appearance, it seemed as graceful as a sack of hammers, especially when it drew up beside Ogata's sports car. But it slid in and out of traffic like an eel in a manner that Ogata, seasoned as he was to Tokyo's busy streets, had never before encountered.
His competitive instincts getting the better of him, Ogata had tried to keep up with it, only to see it leave him in the dust and leading him to miss mowing down pedestrians by mere inches. A teenager who couldn't have been more than eighteen, his hair arranged in bright blue spikes all over his head, shouted at him, "Learn to drive properly, old man!"
Oh, how he hated kids. Ogata reversed out into the road again, pretending he hadn't heard, and headed for the Go Institute, feeling a little as though he had just been checked in an unexpected move when he tried to advance on the Go board, by someone like Shindou.
Shindou and Akira had returned from a holiday where they said they had been, of all things, staying with Kuwabara's family, including his grandchildren, causing their friends and acquaintances to regard them with incredulity. While more than a few pros knew about Shindou's unusual friendship with Kuwabara, it was difficult to believe that Kuwabara had a family--much less grandchildren.
Ogata tried to imagine the old pro patting small children on their heads and giving them sweets, but only found that the attempt made his head hurt.
No, Shindou and Akira had gone somewhere, that was for sure, and something happened on their holiday to make them start to look at each other with lovelorn eyes (for all that they tried to hide it), and then they had tried to explain the development away by illogically bringing Kuwabara into it. It was Shindou's fault, Ogata was sure.
He calmed down as he reached the Go Institute. There was limited parking at the Institute, but as one of the guests of honour, there was a space reserved for him, of course. He reversed into the marked slot in the parking lot, relishing the quick, efficient way his car responded to him. Many people thought that he had been vain to buy a sports car in a city where traffic usually moved like a snail at peak hours and where parking was at a premium. But while driving was a thrill unlike Go, it satisfied him much the same way a good game of Go did.
He got out and heard voices arguing. Shindou. And Akira. Of course. Being a dating couple had not lessened their propensity to jump into disagreements that usually ended with grade-school insults and increasingly tense declarations of "Shindou!" and "Touya!"
"It's all right," Shindou was saying, his voice carrying through the air. "Don't be such a stick-in-the-mud. They were supposed to reserve a space for the old man anyway, remember?"
"Kuwabara-sensei told them he wasn't coming in his own car this year. He said he was taking a cab." That was Touya, at the 'I'm more reasonable' stage.
Shindou's snort could be clearly heard. "Yeah, well. He changed his mind, right? So there's no problem if we park here."
"It's labeled 'Reserved', Shindou."
"Yup, reserved for us."
"Shindou!"
A new voice spoke up. "Are the two of you lovebirds done yet?" Kuwabara said. "You're in my way, Shindou. Move."
Ogata watched as Shindou moved back enough for Kuwabara to emerge from the back of a car... a car that looked very familiar.
Akira, too, moved back as the driver's door opened and a young man, only slightly older than Shindou and Akira from what Ogata could see of him, emerged.
"Fujiwara-san," Shindou said.
"Is it all right to leave my car here?" the young man asked. "I could come back later-"
"Oh no," Shindou said, raising both hands to wave an energetic no. "You don't have to. It's perfectly okay, don't worry about what Touya says; people here are scared of the old man and they won't dare to move his car. Um, your car."
Kuwabara gave a sharp bark of laughter at that. "That means you have to explain everything upstairs, Shindou."
"Leave that to me," Akira said. "Fujiwara-san, you're welcome to join us at the ceremony, but-"
"But it'd be as interesting as watching paint dry," Kuwabara said.
"I don't mind," the young man said, then coughed. "I mean, I'm sure it's not boring. I'd be interested in seeing what this is like."
"Are you sure? You don't have to humour the old man, you know." Shindou said. "You're here for business, not to drive him around. And as for going to the ceremony... It's not going score to points with Ryousuke-san, any- ow, Touya!" He rubbed his stomach, where Ogata had seen Akira elbow him. "This relationship's getting more violent by the day," Shindou grumbled.
A smile appeared on the young man--Fujiwara?--as he watched them. "It's all right," he said. "I'm sure Ryousuke would be interested in what happens at such a ceremony."
"Let's go up then," Akira said, blatantly not responding to Shindou's words, and suited action to the words, walking ahead of them towards the doors that led into the Institute proper.
***
By a quirk of fate, Ogata found himself seated next to another young pro. He searched his memory for the boy's name. "Uchiha Sasuke. Right?" he asked.
Uchiha 5-dan nodded, wide-eyed. "Yes, and-" he hesitated, and visibly tried to read the name tag on Ogata's jacket.
Ogata let him.
"Ogata-sensei," Uchiha said. "Good afternoon."
"Good afternoon, Uchiha-san." The name stirred up more memories. "You have a brother, I think. His name is Itachi?" he asked.
"How did-" Uchiha nodded. "Yes, Ogata-sensei. But he quit Go years ago." He shook his head. "He never said why."
Ogata refrained from informing Uchiha the younger that his brother had lost a game to him in the Honinbou qualifying rounds and had tendered his resignation thereafter. He shrugged to indicate that he was equally mystified, and they watched as the new pros were introduced, then various awards given out (longest winning streak, presentation of minor and major titles). He went up on stage to accept the titles of Juudan, and retook his seat to see the Uchiha boy's eyes widen with surprise.
When Touya went onstage to accept the title of Meijin, the boy fainted.
(the end)
approx 35,000 words
Previous chapters 17-22
-------23 Nov/the end of the world seems much more likely now-------
With a bit of trepidation, Takumi slowed at the entrance of the French restaurant. Almost immediately, the automatic doors slid open, and he took a reluctant step inside. There was a man standing there wearing a suit--they always did--who bowed, not even blinking at Takumi's casual outfit of T-shirt and jeans. "Good afternoon, sir," he said. "Would you like a table?"
That level of politeness only served to make Takumi more self-conscious. He cleared his throat, wishing he was wearing something better. "I'm looking for-" he paused to clear his throat again. "Kuwabara-sensei's party."
The man nodded, not seeming to be surprised at all. Then again, Takumi knew from experience that the staff at such places were supposed to act as though everything was expected. "Ah. This way, please," he bowed again, stretching his arm to the side towards the door behind him.
Takumi had to resist the urge to bow back, and only followed the man into a private function room, where he saw with relief that Shindou, Touya and Kuwabara were seated.
"Fujiwara-san!" Shindou said when he saw Takumi, waving. "Good, I was afraid you wouldn't get here before they served the food!"
"We ordered the daily special on your behalf," Touya quickly added. "The chef is putting it together right now. I hope that's all right."
Takumi nodded awkwardly. "Yes, it's fine," he said. It wasn't as he knew what food to order anyway, at foreign restaurants. He usually asked for recommendations, trusting the waiter to tell him what the food actually was, behind its fancy name. He sat down, thinking of the times he had come with department heads at auto companies. This was much better company, in a way. "Kuwabara-sensei," he said in greeting.
He wasn't actually sure how he was to take the old pro. He liked Shindou and Touya, and thought they were interesting, but he had been truly taken aback to receive a phone call from the old man the day before.
What was more, after introducing himself, the old man had all but ordered him to act as chauffeur to him, Shindou and Touya, and Takumi had found himself agreeing, out of sheer curiosity. He had driven into Akagi to pick the trio up, and driven them some more to Maebashi, just so that they could go and challenge a Go salon.
Maybe he really ought to get a life, outside of cars...
"And don't worry about the bill," Kuwabara said. "The two of them are paying."
"I hope you weren't bored all morning, Fujiwara-san!" Shindou said, making a face at Kuwabara's remark.
That was a not-too-obvious way to ask what he had been doing, Takumi thought. He relaxed enough to smile; Touya had mentioned once that outside of Go, Shindou displayed as much tactical awareness as a game of Tetris. "As it happens, I had an appointment to speak with someone about a job. So it's a good thing that I had to come to Maebashi after all."
"What kind of job?"
"It's a short-term consulting position," Takumi said, a bit embarrassed. He got many of them these days, and sometimes, even the police pulled him in when they needed an expert in racing accidents. He didn't feel like a consultant, especially when he recalled his near-total ignorance when he first started racing.
"Ooh, sounds really serious, Fujiwara-san!" Shindou teased.
"Shindou!" Touya said, before his attention turned back to Takumi. "It must be something important."
"Ah..." Takumi thought about it for a moment. "Actually, this might involve the two of you," he said to Shindou and Touya.
"Us?" Shindou pointed at himself, then at Touya.
Takumi nodded. "It's about the accident we almost ran into," he said. "One of the victims' brother is conducting a private investigation into it, and a friend of a friend recommended me."
Their reaction was not what he had expected. Shindou and Touya turned to look at one another, plainly dismayed. Even Kuwabara's eyebrows were raised. "Was... it something I said?"
There was a pause, and Shindou spoke first. "Excuse me, Fujiwara-san, but is the person hiring you named-" he comically stopped as it became obvious that he had forgotten the name, and his face fell.
Unwillingly amused despite himself, Takumi prompted, "Yes?"
"It's just at the tip of my tongue!" Shindou said. "Give me a minute." He squinted into empty air and muttered, "Fuku... no, not that. Ponta... nope. Don't think it's Yuji either..."
"It's Fuji," Touya said, though contrary to Takumi's expectations, he didn't give Shindou that exasperated look, but one of indulgence--what had happened here?
Shindou snapped his fingers. "Right! Fuji!" Then he turned to Touya. "I would have remembered it, Touya," he said reproachfully.
"Oh, sure," Kuwabara said, with just the right amount, it seemed, of sarcasm that made Shindou stick out his tongue at him.
Takumi hid a chuckle, then grew serious again. "How did you know the name? I only met Fuji-san this morning."
"Um..." Shindou glanced at Touya. "It's like this-"
Kuwabara interrupted, "Stop hesitating, punk," he said, and looked directly at Takumi. "It's like this. My younger grandson, Keisuke, had a contract to be part of Fuji's investigative team. Fuji's brother, as I understand it, was a victim in that accident. Early this morning, Fuji seemed to have fired Keisuke, saying he had found someone better."
Takumi blinked, pointing the flaw he could see immediately. "But early this morning, I hadn't even met Fuji-san yet."
Kuwabara scoffed. "You were involved in the accident, however lightly. Would you have refused Fuji's request?"
Well, that was true, and the old man had seen to the heart of the matter almost immediately. Takumi shook his head.
"Good."
"That's not very fair, old man," Shindou protested. "Your grandson's out of a job because Fuji-san changed his mind, you know."
Kuwabara gave a shrug. "He deserves it."
Takumi gave a start at the careless tone--he didn't think that Kuwabara disliked his grandson--before his mind caught up with the old man's reasoning. He drew breath to explain on Keisuke's behalf, then caught Shindou and Touya nodding in unison at each other. It was suprisingly cute.
"Oh, I see," Shindou said. "But you aren't sympathetic at all, old man. Where's the family feeling?"
Kuwabara snorted, showing what he thought of that.
It was at the end of the meal--something with cured salmon and fruit, something else with foie gras and beef, then a bowl of something that smelt like tofu had gone bad, and then dessert, a blessedly simple vanilla ice cream--that Takumi realised something. He must have made a sound, for both Shindou and Touya looked up.
"What's the matter, Fujiwara-san?"
Takumi noticed that Shindou, for all his casual manners, was usually the first to express concern and curiosity. "I've just thought of something," he said apologetically. Three expectant looks faced him, and Takumi forced himself to elaborate. "I know you think that Takahashi-san did not do a good job of being a consultant for the accident," he started haltingly, wanting to buy time to get his thoughts in order, "because he didn't even talk to you or Touya-san, and you two were witnesses."
"Yeah. I mean, the police called us up twice," Shindou said.
"But I know Takahashi-san from years ago, when we were racing for a team called Project D."
"I know that!" Shindou said, brightening. "Ryousuke-san told me about it! He said you were his downhill specialist and Keisuke-san was his... uh-oh."
Takumi nodded at the knowing tone in his voice. "We were rivals," he agreed, and frowned. "Even though Takahashi-san's a professional driver now--he's way ahead of me in terms of racing. And people ask me to be consultant just because I'm more familiar with roads in Japan, while Takahashi-san has been away from Japan..." he stopped, helpless.
Shindou nodded. "Bet he's going to be out for your blood when he knows."
------24 Nov/alibi school--------
Ryousuke only knew that Keisuke had been refused admission to see Yuuta when he arrived at the hospital. His first stop was Yuuta's room and Yuuta had informed him of the aborted attempt.
"You better talk to him," Yuuta said.
He had nodded, hurrying to his office. His brother had already made his way there, having charmed his way past the nurses, and now sat opposite, informing him of that fact. Ryousuke tidied the files on his table for the third time, before he made a decision. "I can't override Fuji-san's wishes unless Yuuta says he wants to see you, Keisuke," he said. "And I think Fuji-san's actions are a clear indication that he no longer wants you to investigate the accident."
All that Keisuke did was scowl, however. "You're on his side. Why, are you afraid that I'll threaten your boyfriend or something?" he asked.
The question took Ryousuke by surprise. "Threaten Yuuta?" he said. The idea that someone would try to threaten Yuuta seemed ridiculous, as was the notion that Yuuta could be intimidated. The Tokyo doctor radiated steadiness and determination, sometimes in an extremely boyish way when he played tennis, and the rest of time in a way that reminded Ryousuke of mountain climbers. He was not someone who took kindly to being threatened.
Having met Fuji Syusuke, Ryousuke could see why.
"It's not that?" Keisuke asked. His voice grew low with hurt. "Don't tell me you're not worried about him, lying in that bed all weak, asking you to kiss him-"
Ryousuke snorted. "He kissed me," he declared, and was suddenly glad that he had closed the door to his office. This was not the way he wanted the hospital to find out that the boss' son liked men.
"Excuse me?"
Ryousuke shook his head, and contemplated his tidied stack of files. He pushed them aside with a wince. "Yuuta is not a weak person who needs to be protected. If you try to threaten him, he'll probably punch you out." He eyed Keisuke's puzzled reaction, and sighed. "Just because we dated doesn't mean you need to think of him as someone who is afraid of scandal, or someone who is weak." Because while Yuuta had plenty of misgivings about incest, he had none about relationships with a man.
"Then why can't I talk to him?"
"Because he has agreed to speak to the other investigator," Ryousuke said, remembering how Yuuta had grumbled about his brother's high-handed actions.
"I'm sorry for putting your brother out of a job," Yuuta had said, after explaining that Fuji Syusuke had gone off for a meeting with a potential investigator.
"Don't worry about that," Ryousuke said. It was too bad, but really, Keisuke was supposed to be back in Japan for a break, not running around chasing witnesses for their statements.
"Yeah... just tell him sorry for me, okay?" Yuuta made a face. "Though he might not care to hear it from me. I saw his face when he spotted us."
Ryousuke shrugged. He had expected a bigger reaction from Keisuke, actually. But Keisuke seemed to be trying to come to terms with it. "How about your brother?" he retorted. "He looked furious."
"Worried he's about to come for you with a shotgun?" Yuuta chuckled. "Don't worry, he knows I grabbed you the same moment I spotted him at the door, deliberately. It's just seeing the two of us kissing that sets him off. Of course, now he thinks I did it to get him jealous, and he's been..." he made a gagging sound.
"That-" Ryousuke struggled for words. "Sounds worrying."
Yuuta shook his head. "Oh no, this is an improvement from the first time he found me lying in a hospital bed. Don't worry about it. But I'm afraid I can't speak to your brother. It'll be quite meaningless, firstly, since Aniki wants to hire someone else, and secondly, I don't want Aniki to think he's not in control of the situation. That'll just make his brother-
complex worse."
Sometimes he forgot that Yuuta was every bit as intelligent as he said Fuji Syusuke was.
Ryousuke nodded at Keisuke, pushing the encounter with Yuuta to a corner of his mind. "It'd be useless, anyway, since Fuji Syusuke has already hired someone," he told Keisuke.
Keisuke's eyes narrowed at that. "When did you hear this? Who is it?"
Ryousuke said, "I don't know who it is, but Yuuta says it's someone who came highly recommended and has years of experience." He studied his brother for a few seconds, before he shook his head. "Give it up, Keisuke. Forget about the job and investigating alibis and all that. Go home and enjoy what's left of your break."
Keisuke had finally agreed to leave, still looking mutinous.
-------25 Nov/uninnocent these conversations start---------
Ryousuke was not surprised to find the lights in the kitchen still on. It seemed that, whenever he came home after the afternoon shift, Shindou would already be in the kitchen, making himself instant ramen. It seemed almost homely, he thought, then told himself that Shindou and Touya were guests and would not stay long--he had already heard plans about how they planned to return to Tokyo together with Ryousuke's grandfather soon.
He slipped into the house, his ears pricked despite himself, listening for Keisuke's presence. No one came around the corner at the end of the hallway, murmuring softly 'Aniki', and Ryousuke paused to give a sigh that mingled relief and despite himself, a tinge of regret. He really hoped Keisuke had thought things out, but the dreamlike scenarios of 'could-have-beens' were--best kept to himself, Ryousuke said to his mind firmly.
"But even if Keisuke-san was involved? We're talking about Ryousuke-san here, Touya. He's not that sort," Shindou's voice came through clearly.
Ryousuke paused, his hand against the closed kitchen door.
"Ryousuke-san may not be that sort, but I can't say the same for Keisuke-san." That was Touya. "He's impulsive and used to getting what he wants. He assumes that Ryousuke-san will be on his side, and he'll make use of it." His pronouncements seemed to have the gravity of a judge's statement.
Ryousuke felt a chill going down his back. He thought Touya had said he would never say anything about him and Keisuke, but what they were discussing sounded very much like it. Maybe Touya had no qualms about confiding in Shindou, given their closeness, but he had thought better of Touya.
Shindou's voice was low, distressed. "But still... that would be dishonorable."
Ryousuke echoed his sentiments to himself.
Shindou went on, "All's fair in love and war, but this... Fujiwara-san, what do you think?"
In his surprise, Ryousuke found that his arm had pushed the kitchen door open, even as his mind went: Fujiwara?
Shindou was the first to look up from where he was showing a cup ramen to Fujiwara Takumi. He was also the first to speak. "Ryousuke-san!" he greeted, then glanced around the room's inhabitants. "I can explain this-" he began.
"We were talking about how Fujiwara-san took over Keisuke-san's position as investigator for Fuji-san," Touya said, his eyes knowing as he looked at Ryousuke.
Shindou nodded fervently, "Right, and I said Ryousuke-san wasn't the type to pressure Fujiwara-san to give it up... huh? I was going to explain why Fujiwara-san is here, Touya. You're confusing me!" he complained.
Ryousuke was glad for Touya's timely explanation, though he didn't say. "It's all right, I was about to ask about that anyway."
Shindou grinned, and launched into a garbled explanation about driving to Maebashi, challenging Go players there and returning in time for dinner, and insisting that Fujiwara stayed. Somehow that segued into a Go teaching session for Fujiwara, and staying until it was so late that Kuwabara ordered him to stay overnight.
Touya, Ryousuke noticed, wore a familiar long-suffering expression, while Fujiwara seemed to be avoiding Ryousuke's gaze, as though he felt embarrassed.
"-and then I said we should have ramen to celebrate!" Shindou ended brightly. "Do you want any, Ryousuke-san?"
Ryousuke studied the label on the cup Shindou was holding out. It was red and orange, and it took a while for his eyes to focus on the mix of English and katakana written in yellow on it. "'Carrot curry and fish roe'? No, thank you."
"No?" Shindou looked deflated, then perked up again. "Then how about-"
"Shindou!" That was Touya, of course.
"Oh, all right." He made such an exaggerated mournful expression that Touya rolled his eyes.
Fujiwara chuckled, then ducked his head. "Sorry. But that's a terrible flavour, Shindou-san."
"But-"
"Quite right," Touya said. "Let's find if there's anything better in your stash, all right?" he placed a hand on Shindou's shoulder, and propelled him towards the other end of the kitchen, where Shindou's (steadily diminishing) bag was placed.
That left Fujiwara still facing Ryousuke.
"Fujiwa-," Ryousuke started.
"Sorry for the intrusion," Fujiwara said at the same time.
"What?" Ryousuke said, then shook his head. "Please, don't worry about that. You're welcome here." For some reason, he could feel the back of his neck heat up. "Come to think of it, we spent a lot of time on Project D, but I've never even invited you into my home, not even to thank you for your help."
Part of that had to do with the fact that his parents only tolerated his racing activities, but there had been something... decisive, about the idea of seeing Fujiwara inside his home, as though he was really moving on from Keisuke. And that was not a decision he had wanted to make at that time, Ryousuke realised. "You must have been appalled at my bad manners," he continued, hearing his own voice come out soft and apologetic.
"Oh, no, Ryousuke-san!" Fujiwara exclaimed, then looked shocked at himself. "I mean, Takahashi-san. I never thought that," he said earnestly, nodding his head as though to emphasise his words. "I was already very honoured that you asked me to join Project D, and helped me so much when we were challenging other racers."
"That was because you are a good racer," Ryousuke said firmly. "One of the best I've ever seen."
"Ah..."
Fujiwara didn't deny it, Ryousuke noticed, obscurely pleased.
"...then it's all right with you that I take over as consultant in Fuji-san's investigation?"
With a silent apology to Keisuke, Ryousuke nodded. "Yes. But you don't need my permission, and you don't have to worry about what I think." Or what Keisuke thought, his mind added.
"Uh..." Fujiwara hesitated, then nodded. "Thank you for being so understanding, Takahashi-san. I've always admired you for that."
Ryousuke realised that the blush was spreading from his neck to his face.
------26 Nov/ say hello and refuse goodbye---------
"Takahashi-san."
"Fujiwara-san?" Ryousuke said in response, feeling his neck grow warm again. He held his cellphone a little tighter. After the night when Fujiwara had spent at his home, Ryousuke had found that his mind started to wander whenever he thought about the other driver. In the past, he had always been able to order his mind to stop before his imagination ran away, but
now, it seemed as though his mind--and his blushes--were not under his control at all. "What is it?" he prompted, when it seemed as though Fujiwara had stopped.
The voice on the other end hesitated, then said, "Takahashi-san, it's-"
"It's 'Ryousuke-san'," Ryousuke reminded him. "You used to call me that before, but at my place that night-"
"It was because-" Takahashi sounded like he might be blushing, "Shindou-san and Touya-san were there as well, and I..." he trailed off and seemed decisive all of a sudden. "Ryousuke-san, I'm sorry to bother you, but is Keisuke-san at home?"
Gratified at the easy capitulation yet taken aback at the sudden change of topic, Ryousuke had to think back to dinner, when his father had asked about Keisuke's absence. "No. He's been out all day, my mother said, and he hasn't returned yet." If there was one thing that he could not control, it was the habit of keeping an ear out, listening for Keisuke's car. "Is
something the matter?"
Fujiwara was silent, and Ryousuke had to prompt him. "Fujiwara-san? What happened?"
"It's probably nothing..." Fujiwara began.
An unnamed anxiety stirred in Ryousuke's chest. "Please tell me."
"I think I've found out who the driver is."
He meant the driver behind that accident, Ryousuke realised. "Oh, that. Well, that's good-"
"The problem is, I think Keisuke-san may have just gone to talk to him."
"...what?"
Fujiwara spoke, his voice lower than before, "I didn't tell you before, but Keisuke-san has been following the investigation by himself these few days. I thought it was harmless to let him do it, he was so angry when he learnt about my role-"
Ryousuke interrupted, his mind rolling out scenarios. "How sure are you? That this person Keisuke went to see is the driver?"
There was a pause, then Fujiwara spoke. "Fairly sure. He has the same car registered, and the tyre marks near his home match the ones found on the road," he said. "I was going to inform Fuji-san and the police before I found out about Keisuke-san."
"Where does he live?"
Fujiwara paused again, and recited an address, plainly from memory.
"I'll drive up and check if Keisuke is there," Ryousuke said, deciding to act immediately. The idea of Keisuke talking to the driver, perhaps even confronting him, filled him with dismay. This was a matter for the police!
To his credit, Fujiwara did not say anything to dissuade him. He only said, "I'll meet you there."
Ryousuke was forced to stop at the emergency police blockade that had been set up at the road to Ishida Hajime's house, and he was only a little surprised to see Fuji Syusuke, and a moment later, Fujiwara. "You called the police," he said to Fujiwara. "Is Keisuke in there?" he asked, feeling too numb to panic.
"Yes," Fujiwara said.
"Then why are we waiting here?" Ryousuke asked.
Fujiwara frowned, and even Fuji Syusuke looked a little sympathetic. "When the police went to the door, they found that Ishida had locked all the doors and windows to his house. Keisuke-san's car is still outside," Fujiwara said, nodded in the direction of the road. "There are more police over there. But they're a bit concerned because Ishida seems... agitated."
Ryousuke bit his tongue. "So Keisuke just went in to see him first, and then wouldn't let him leave," he said, seeing the scenario in his mind, before he turned to regard Fujiwara directly. "You mean he might hurt Keisuke."
Fujiwara said nothing, but he avoided Ryousuke's eyes.
--------27 Nov/ you say love is a chemical reaction--------
"What did you say to him?" Ryousuke asked Fujiwara, looking at the man sitting inside the police car, bowed over his handcuffs. Ishida Hajime--the driver who had caused a five-car pile-up, killing his girlfriend, then tried to push the blame to her by moving her body to the driver's seat before running away--looked far older than his reported age of thirty-six. He
had the look of someone who wasn't sure he was dreaming a nightmare, or living one.
They had simply waited him out. It had taken more than five hours before Ishida finally surrendered himself, and it turned out he had not done anything more dangerous to Keisuke other than to tie him up. But Ryousuke was still coming down from his fear, and while the police questioned Keisuke he had found himself drifting over to where Fujiwara was.
"Excuse me?" Fujiwara looked befuddled.
"Just now." Ishida had wanted to talk only to Fujiwara at first when he finally agreed to surrender. It had only been a few words, as Ryousuke and the rest of the police watched from a distance, but it had changed Ishida's mind.
"Oh." Fujiwara's expression cleared. "He asked me what love was," he said.
Ryousuke frowned. "What?"
"He's been feeling guilty since the accident," Fujiwara said. "Making it look like his girlfriend was responsible... He said no one will believe that he really loved her. That was when he asked..." He trailed away.
"And you told him love was a chemical reaction?"
Fujiwara looked up. "Of course not! Ryousuke, do you-"
Ryousuke was regretting his attempt at teasing Fujiwara. With his eyes shadowed from insufficient sleep and a lips that looked almost--if he squinted--as though Fujiwara was pouting, Ryousuke was starting to find rational thought leaving him. "No," he said, gathering his thoughts. "I was just teasing you. What did you say to him?"
"I said, love was not letting her take the rap for the accident."
Ryousuke managed not to groan. Sometimes Fujiwara was so very straightforward that it hurt. "Ahh. It worked."
Fujiwara nodded. "Excuse me, Ryousuke-san," he said, standing up. "I think one of the officers wants to talk to me." He nodded at Ryousuke and stepped away.
Ryousuke stared after him.
"You and him... well, it's certainly more socially accepted."
Ryousuke turned to see Fuji looking at him, his eyes nearly closed. "Shut up, Fuji-san," he said pleasantly, and went to check on Keisuke.
-------28 Nov theme/ oh! most beautiful darling-------
"You're selling your car?" Ryousuke finally asked, after long moments of being tongue-tied. He stared at Keisuke's beloved FD, remembering when it had been so important to him--when it had symbolised the last golden moment between the two of them. He now knew why Keisuke had asked him to come on a drive up to their usual spot.
Keisuke patted the side of the car, a fond gesture that nevertheless reminded Ryousuke of a goodbye wave. "Yes," Keisuke said. "I should, don't you think? I'm outside Japan for such long periods..." he shook his head. "My plane's tomorrow, and I'm going to be very busy with the new season. It's meaningless to go to the expense of maintaining it all that time."
"Don't sorry about the expense, I-" Ryousuke found himself silenced as Keisuke snorted.
"It's my car, Aniki," Keisuke said. "We've had good times together," he went on, looking into the distance, "but it's time to put it behind me." He turned to face Ryousuke. "Isn't that what you've been telling me?"
Ryousuke nodded before he realised he was doing it, then gave a sigh.
"Regrets, Aniki?" Keisuke asked.
Ryousuke realised his brother was now smiling at him, a little wistfully, it seemed, but without the anger that he had been visibly carrying around during the previous weeks. "No," he said, returning the smile, trying to tell Keisuke with his eyes that he knew what Keisuke was finally--finally!--giving up and was proud of him for it. "Just that it feels funny, to say goodbye to the idea. It's a bit scary."
Keisuke shook his head. "I could never imagine you being scared, Aniki," he said, then opened the car door with a flourish for Ryousuke to get in. "Last chance, Aniki," he said.
"What?"
"We can still run away together," Keisuke said, but he was teasing now, a way to reassure himself that they hadn't ruined the most important tie between them, that of brothers who would automatically stand up for the other. After that night with the hostage situation, both of them realised that of all the things they could lose in that moment of crisis, that fraternal link was not among them.
They had made it through to the other side, Ryousuke thought, and teased back, "I'd just get in the way of you picking up a cute boy."
"Girl, surely," Keisuke said, his eyes downcast, pretending to be shy.
Ryousuke felt his eyebrows rise. "Really?" He was amused to see Keisuke fidget. "Really, Keisuke?"
Keisuke closed the car door. "Yeah. Frankly, Aniki, except for you and me..." he made a random gesture to symbolise them, "...I like women."
Ryousuke opened his mouth to tease Keisuke again, then closed his mouth. Thought it through. "I'm not sure I like the implication of this," he said. He eyed Keisuke up and down, thinking of all the would-be girlfriends Keisuke had turned away years ago. He had assumed that Keisuke rejected them because he wanted to concentrate on racing, in addition to... them. "You don't like men. You like women. But you liked me. So what you're saying is-"
"I'm not saying you're a woman!" Keisuke exclaimed, panicked. "Or in any way like a woman. It's just that, I can't imagine doing that with a man, except for you, and since we aren't going to do that, I find that actually I like women, because-" his voice died away.
Ryousuke couldn't remember a time when he felt like laughing about any reference Keisuke made to their forbidden romance, but Keisuke's expression, caught between guilt, horror and helplessness, made laughter rumble up from inside him, so that he had to lean on Keisuke's car while he gasped for breath.
"Aniki!" The sound of a little boy, indignant at being teased. "It's not that funny!"
Ryousuke got himself under control. "Yes, it is," he said. "I'm glad-"
"What?" Aggrieved little boy this time.
Ryousuke staggered a few steps towards Keisuke, his shoulders still shaking. "I'm glad there's something funny in this mess, Keisuke," he said, punching Keisuke lightly on the shoulder. "Something that we can look back together. By all means go and find that woman who is out there for you. I look forward to meeting her." And he would, too, despite a spike of
jealousy at the thought of Keisuke being in love with someone else. Keisuke's happiness would make up for it, he told himself.
-------29 Nov theme/ doing it for science: geeks in their natural habitat-------
"Please thank your parents for us," Touya said, standing by the car. "They've been very kind to take care of Shindou and me these few weeks."
Ryousuke shook his head. "Don't mention," he said. "Really. In fact, my parents asked me to thank you for coming all the way to spend time with Grandfather."
"Oh, not at all, it was our pleasure."
The most surprising thing was, Ryousuke thought, Touya and Shindou were probably the only people in the family who thought that, without an ounce of irony. These two really did enjoy the company of Ryousuke's grandfather. "Y-es," he managed to say. "We're very glad," he went on and managed not to blurt out an invitation to visit again the next year. "No one else in the family plays Go; I'm afraid it would have been rather boring for Grandfather if it weren't for you."
It was late morning; both his parents had already left the house--his father for the hospital and his mother to visit an ill friend. Ryousuke would be leaving for the hospital himself after driving Shindou, Touya and his grandfather to the train station. It occurred to him that it was going to be very lonely when he came back in the night; Keisuke had already gone,
and soon, so would Shindou (and his ramen), Touya and even his grandfather.
"Found it!" Shindou's exclamation rang through the air, and he came towards them waving a bag at them.
Touya looked resigned. "That was what you were looking for? More instant ramen?" he asked. "No wonder you wouldn't let me join you in the search."
"Hah!" Shindou said. "You'd probably take the opportunity to throw them away. These are classics, Touya! I've personally tried each one of them and arranged them chronologically, according to the first time they were released: Chicken-flavoured ramen, curry-flavoured ramen, wasabi-flavoured ramen, cherry-flavoured ramen- Hey!" he cut off his recitation of the
list when Touya pulled the bag from his arms. "Wait, you can't put that in the back, it-"
Touya closed the trunk firmly. "Nothing will happen to it, Shindou. Now get in the car."
Shindou looked mutinous. "Bossy," he said. "That's not the boyfriend I signed up for."
"Shindou!"
"Are you kidding?" Kuwabara, who was carrying a suitcase, said as he came out. Ryousuke rushed to help him with it and put it in the trunk.
"You like it when he's bossy," Kuwabara continued, opening the door to the passenger seat in front, but he didn't get in. Instead, he only smirked at Shindou.
"I do not!"
"And have the two of you gone beyond that little kiss?" Kuwabara asked.
Shindou growled. "None of your business, you perverted old man!" He opened the car door at the back and got in, crossing his arms as he sat down.
Touya too got in and sat down beside him.
Ryousuke blinked. "When did-" he began to ask, then closed his mouth. He held the door for his grandfather, and then got into the driver's seat himself, figuring he could ask them on the way.
But the moment the car started moving, all three of them started to discuss a game played by someone called 'Touya-sensei' (by Shindou), 'Father' (by Touya) and 'Touya Kouyo' (Ryousuke's grandfather) with someone called Zama.
Ryousuke drove, letting their conversation about attacks and defences drift through his mind. It was suprisingly peaceful, and he noticed as he drove downhill that nearly all the trees were now red and yellow, turning the once-green landscape into something glorious.
By the time they reached the station, Shindou and Touya were so wrapped up in the discussion that they didn't even notice it.
Ryousuke's grandfather did, however. He eyed Ryousuke speculatively.
"Grandfather?" Ryousuke asked.
"You should settle down too, you know." He glanced in the rearview mirror, where an image of Shindou and Touya facing each other, almost nose to nose in their argument, could be seen.
"W-what?"
"I hear your mother say that the nurses at the hospital all have crushes on you; you should date a few of them."
"But-"
"Ah, so it's a doctor you fancy-"
"No!"
Ryousuke's grandfather was grinning. "A patient then?"
Thoughts of Fuji Yuuta jumped through Ryousuke's mind, but Ryousuke dismissed that immediately. "No."
"Ah." Ryousuke's grandfather nodded to himself, and got out of the car.
That exclamation instantly drew Ryousuke's alarm, and he got out as well. What deductions had his grandfather made now? Besides being a scary grandfather simply due to a forbidding expression that he seemed to be able turn on at will, the biggest reason Ryousuke and Keisuke feared their grandfather was that he appeared to be the only one who suspected about their awkward fumblings with each other.
Ryousuke's grandfather rapped sharply on the window at the back. "Hey, we're at the station. Stop making out in there and come out."
A choking sound came from inside, before Shindou opened the door and shot out. "Listen to me, old man, what right do you-"
Touya got out and dragged him to the back of the car to get to the trunk.
"Fujiwara Takumi."
Ryousuke jumped at the sudden pronouncement from his grandfather's most dictatorial voice. "What-"
Ryousuke's grandfather counted on his fingers. "Not interested in cute nurses, or doctors. Or patients."
It occurred to Ryousuke that it said something about the Go world that romance seemed to sprout only among like-minded individuals, or at least individuals that inhabited the same world. "That's not-"
"Pharmacists," his grandfather nodded to himself. "Maybe, maybe not."
"Grandfather..."
"Radiologists?"
"Grandfather, not-" Ryousuke reminded himself not to shout. "Not them."
His grandfather said, "That's why I said 'Fujiwara Takumi'. That one needs a boyfriend, and so do you. Shindou said you already knew each other. You both like cars. You were in the same racing project. It's a match made in heaven!"
Ryousuke felt desperate. "He likes women-" he began.
"And men." Ryousuke's grandfather smirked. "Bet you didn't know that."
Ryousuke felt his mouth fall open. "How-"
"I asked him, of course," his grandfather said. He turned towards Shindou and Touya as the door to the trunk slammed shut, and nodded at the pair who were carrying armfuls of luggage. "Hurry up, you two," he said.
"Grandfather!" Ryousuke was trying to imagine how his grandfather had asked Fujiwara something as private as that, but he couldn't think of the words to do so.
Shindou rolled his eyes. "How can we hurry when we're carrying your things? It feels like you've packed a Go board in there, it's so heavy."
"You wish," Ryousuke's grandfather said. "Are the tickets with you?"
"I have them," Touya said. He glanced towards them, and nudged Shindou with a shoulder. "We'll go in first and let Ryousuke-san say his goodbyes to Kuwabara-sensei."
"But-" Shindou looked as though he wanted to argue further.
Ryousuke looked with amusement as Touya leant closer and said in a lower tone, in Shindou's ears, "No eavesdropping, Hikaru!"
Shindou jumped, turned red and looked guilty. "Oh, all right," he said, but still he hesitated, before he nodded at Ryousuke. "Ryousuke-san, thank you for your hospitality."
Before Ryousuke could reply, his grandfather snorted. "Manners from you, punk?"
Shindou aimed a glare at him. "Stop interrupting, old man."
"Such politeness. My heart can't take it."
Shindou pointedly ignored him. "And please thank your parents for me," he said, before he turned and followed Touya into the train station, stumbling only a little from the bags he was carrying.
Ryousuke was left staring at his grandfather. "Grandfather, please take care on the journey," he said, bowing.
"Che! I know you were well brought up, unlike that brat. You don't have to show it off to me." His grandfather regarded him for a moment. "I used to think it was a waste, that you didn't play Go at all."
Ryousuke tried not to twitch. Of course, he and Keisuke had known that. He had always thought that his grandfather disliked them, and kept away from them whenever he visited, but as he got older, he realised that part of the reason for that dislike was the old man's disappointment in them.
"First it was cars, then it was medicine," his grandfather continued, before he shook his head. "But maybe it isn't a waste."
Ryousuke blinked. "So... you approve?" he asked, not really caring about the answer, but curious about what his grandfather would say. He had started out studying to be a doctor only because his father expected it, but once he started working, he had found himself loving it: the basic human gladness of seeing once-ill people recover, the sense of purpose that it gave him, and even the thrill of having that brief power over life and death. It was something he would choose all over again, if need be.
His grandfather gave one of his characteristic snorts. "If you need my approval for something you've already done, then you aren't too smart, are you?"
Ryousuke managed not to roll his eyes, the old man's digs hitting home as usual. Well, good to know that at least that hadn't changed.
His grandfather went on. "But there's something else you haven't done yet, and that is ask the Fujiwara kid out. Or someone that you like, if not him." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "It gets cold in the mountains during the winter."
Ryousuke, trying not to think about what his grandfather had just suggested, blurted, "But-"
His grandfather simply looked pleased at his reaction. "Tell your mother I'll phone when I reach Tokyo," he said, and turned to go inside the train station.
Ryousuke found the bag of ramen left in the trunk when he got home.
---------Nov 30/an absent-minded lover's apology-------
Ryousuke was not someone who felt disheartened easily, but even he had to brace himself when he stopped outside the half-opened door. It seemed as though there had been so many goodbyes already. With Keisuke, Shindou and Touya gone--not to mention his grandfather--the emptiness at home got to him when he got back late at night. And today he was going to say another goodbye.
He pushed the door open to Yuuta's room, and saw with relief that they hadn't left yet.
"Ryousuke!" Yuuta looked up in the middle of what seemed to be a disagreement with Fuji Syusuke, his eyes crinkling immediately with a welcoming smile. "I'm so glad to see you!"
Ryousuke noticed that Fuji Syusuke's eyes were fully open, making his expression even more sinister than the half-lidded look he seemed to have habitually cultivated. But he was no pushover either, Ryousuke told himself, and returned the look with interest as he said, "I wanted to see you," to Yuuta.
After a moment Fuji Syusuke sat back, his shoulders stiffening in a way that made Ryousuke think that if it were in other circumstances, he would be crossing his arms.
Yuuta rolled his eyes at Ryousuke, glanced at his brother, and said even more loudly, "I was so worried that you wouldn't be coming!"
"Ah-" Ryousuke came forward, located a chair and sat down.
"It wouldn't have been right not to say goodbye to you before I left!"
"Yuuta." Despite himself, Ryousuke felt his lips twitch. "Don't bait your brother." From the corner of his eyes, he was aware of Fuji Syusuke's jerk of surprise.
Yuuta hung his head, but looked up at Ryousuke a moment later. "Sorry," he said, the word aimed at both Ryousuke and his brother. But it was obvious from his tone that he did not feel the least apologetic. He sounded as though he was more interested in throwing something heavy at his brother.
Hoping to diffuse the tense mood, Ryousuke said, "How are you feeling? All ready for the journey home?"
With a grim laugh, Yuuta shook his head. "I'm actually feeling all right. But I'm not sure I'm ready for the journey home, because someone thinks I need a nurse to take care of me on the train."
His sour tone made Ryousuke chuckle despite himself. He had nearly forgotten how belligerent Yuuta could get, he thought as he turned towards Fuji Syusuke. "He's fine, Fuji-san," he reassured. "He's more than capable of taking the train."
Fuji Syusuke raised his eyebrows. "That's what you say, but you aren't his doctor."
Ryousuke felt like retorting that he was relieved he wasn't, not if he had to deal with someone as overprotective as him. (No wonder Kumiho-sensei looked as though he was on the verge of homicide some days.) Then he glanced back at Yuuta before he trained his serious gaze at Fuji Syusuke. "From one big brother to another, Fuji-san," he said. "Yuuta will be all right."
There was a snort from Yuuta at his reassurance, but Fuji Syusuke studied Ryousuke in turn, before he gave a final nod. "All right," he allowed. He stood up. "I'll go and see if the car is ready," he said, before he left the room, leaving Ryousuke alone with Yuuta.
Yuuta began to chuckle. "Don't go all 'big brother' at me now, Ryousuke. I'll laugh and tear a stitch for sure."
Ryousuke retorted, "They removed all your stitches yesterday." He gave a short laugh himself, before he said, "It's just that... I know how a big brother feels. Even without all the baggage."
"Yeah," Yuuta said. "I know he means well. But you have not encountered hell until you have enountered Aniki when he is like this. I think he forgets that I'm an adult." He looked at Ryousuke speculatively. "I can't see you being all Mama Bear at Keisuke-san."
The expression made Ryousuke laugh. "Keisuke... would take my head off," he said. "He ran wild with a motorcycle gang when he was in high school, did I ever tell you that? Not someone I can coddle."
"That, and the fact that you aren't Aniki. I ran away to another school when I was in high school, but did that stop Aniki?"
Ryousuke made a gesture of surrender. "All right. He has a worse brother-complex than I do."
"Damn right," Yuuta said. He was silent for a while. "Keisuke-san has gone back to Australia?"
"Yes."
"And the two of you-"
"We sorted it out."
"Ah."
There was no need to explain things further; they both understood. Yuuta only nodded thoughtfully. "It's painful, giving up," he said in a soft voice.
"Yes," Ryousuke agreed. "But I can take a bit of pain. I wouldn't be able to take it if I caused him more trouble and grief, which is what would have happened if I hadn't given up."
"Yeah." Yuuta sighed, then shook his head. "It's getting late. I don't want to miss the train. Let's go down to the lobby before Aniki comes looking." He looked longingly at the crutches at the side of his bed.
Ryousuke pushed the wheelchair towards him.
"I always tell my patients I know how they feel," Yuuta said as he settled himself in the wheelchair, "and now I actually know: being hospitalised sucks."
They made their way down, stopping by Kumiho-sensei's office for Yuuta to thank him (and apologise for Fuji Sysuke). Then they reached the lobby, and Ryousuke froze.
"See something you like?" Yuuta asked, looking up at him.
Ryousuke swallowed. "But why-" he didn't go any further, but only stopped and stared at Fujiwara in conversation with Fuji Syusuke, while a very familiar car was parked at the side.
They hadn't been noticed yet.
"Freak weather on the mountains," Yuuta said in a conversational tone. "Winter coming, you know. Temperatures have been dropping below zero at night. Icy roads. Very dangerous to drive on."
Ryousuke said in a threatening tone, "Yuuta-"
"Really. Aniki asked Fujiwara-san a favour, to get us to the train station, because word is that Fujiwara's the best driver on dangerous roads around here. Between you and me, I think Aniki's just fascinated by the idea of a person he can't intimidate."
"Really?"
"Fujiwara looks mild-tempered and laid-back, like Aniki on his good days, but it's like nothing fazes him. I might be uncharitable and say that he isn't even all there, if you know what I mean-"
"Yuuta!"
"Now look what you've done. They've noticed us. Now give me a kiss so we can properly irritate Aniki, and we might even get a reaction out of Fujiwara if we're lucky-"
"No." He pushed the wheelchair forward, meeting first Fuji Syusuke's eyes and then Fujiwara's.
"Ryousuke-san," Fujiwara said, blinking as he stared at Ryousuke. Ryousuke belatedly realised that this was probably the first time Fujiwara saw him in a doctor's white robe.
Fuji Syusuke had already taken over the wheelchair and was trying to convince Yuuta that he should be carried into the backseat of the eight-six.
"By you? I'm taller and heavier than you, Aniki," Yuuta was saying, using his crutches to propel him forward, into the car.
But Ryousuke only paid them the briefest of attention. "It's good to see you," he said to Fujiwara. He could feel himself about to start babbling from sheer panic, and quickly said, "I shouldn't interrupt you at work-"
"Ryousuke-san." Fujiwara's voice was calm and even, just as Ryousuke remembered.
"...yes?"
"Would you like to go out for dinner?"
Ryousuke stared in amazement. There was no expression on Fujiwara's face--or rather, no expression other than the usual--to indicate that this was an occasion worthy of special note.
Fujiwara frowned. "I thought I should apologise for getting Keisuke-san in trouble. If it's not convenient-"
"No, it's fine!" Ryousuke said. "I get off work at six, I have an early shift today. How about..."
Fujiwara said at the same time, "What would you like..."
They paused, staring at each other. For all that he looked his usual self, Ryousuke thought Fujiwara looked a little flustered. Or perhaps it was his imagination: his heart was beating faster than usual. He had not expected to see Fujiwara so soon; he had counted on having time to plan his next meeting with the other man, when he could finally talk to him without worry.
"...to eat?" Fujiwara finished, and smiled.
Ryousuke's mind blanked, before he remembered what Shindou left behind. "...ramen?"
-----31/no theme, just epilogue and omake--------
Ogata slammed on the brakes, narrowly avoiding the ignominy of riding the kerb in the middle of Tokyo and causing more than one pedestrian to shoot him dirty looks. In the privacy of his car, Ogata muttered deprecations that were better suited to a bar brawl than the very respected, traditional Go ceremony he was on his way to attend.
Where had that car come out of?!
It was white and of an old make, slightly dusty with words stenciled at the side that seemed to indicate that it was some kind of goods car. At first appearance, it seemed as graceful as a sack of hammers, especially when it drew up beside Ogata's sports car. But it slid in and out of traffic like an eel in a manner that Ogata, seasoned as he was to Tokyo's busy streets, had never before encountered.
His competitive instincts getting the better of him, Ogata had tried to keep up with it, only to see it leave him in the dust and leading him to miss mowing down pedestrians by mere inches. A teenager who couldn't have been more than eighteen, his hair arranged in bright blue spikes all over his head, shouted at him, "Learn to drive properly, old man!"
Oh, how he hated kids. Ogata reversed out into the road again, pretending he hadn't heard, and headed for the Go Institute, feeling a little as though he had just been checked in an unexpected move when he tried to advance on the Go board, by someone like Shindou.
Shindou and Akira had returned from a holiday where they said they had been, of all things, staying with Kuwabara's family, including his grandchildren, causing their friends and acquaintances to regard them with incredulity. While more than a few pros knew about Shindou's unusual friendship with Kuwabara, it was difficult to believe that Kuwabara had a family--much less grandchildren.
Ogata tried to imagine the old pro patting small children on their heads and giving them sweets, but only found that the attempt made his head hurt.
No, Shindou and Akira had gone somewhere, that was for sure, and something happened on their holiday to make them start to look at each other with lovelorn eyes (for all that they tried to hide it), and then they had tried to explain the development away by illogically bringing Kuwabara into it. It was Shindou's fault, Ogata was sure.
He calmed down as he reached the Go Institute. There was limited parking at the Institute, but as one of the guests of honour, there was a space reserved for him, of course. He reversed into the marked slot in the parking lot, relishing the quick, efficient way his car responded to him. Many people thought that he had been vain to buy a sports car in a city where traffic usually moved like a snail at peak hours and where parking was at a premium. But while driving was a thrill unlike Go, it satisfied him much the same way a good game of Go did.
He got out and heard voices arguing. Shindou. And Akira. Of course. Being a dating couple had not lessened their propensity to jump into disagreements that usually ended with grade-school insults and increasingly tense declarations of "Shindou!" and "Touya!"
"It's all right," Shindou was saying, his voice carrying through the air. "Don't be such a stick-in-the-mud. They were supposed to reserve a space for the old man anyway, remember?"
"Kuwabara-sensei told them he wasn't coming in his own car this year. He said he was taking a cab." That was Touya, at the 'I'm more reasonable' stage.
Shindou's snort could be clearly heard. "Yeah, well. He changed his mind, right? So there's no problem if we park here."
"It's labeled 'Reserved', Shindou."
"Yup, reserved for us."
"Shindou!"
A new voice spoke up. "Are the two of you lovebirds done yet?" Kuwabara said. "You're in my way, Shindou. Move."
Ogata watched as Shindou moved back enough for Kuwabara to emerge from the back of a car... a car that looked very familiar.
Akira, too, moved back as the driver's door opened and a young man, only slightly older than Shindou and Akira from what Ogata could see of him, emerged.
"Fujiwara-san," Shindou said.
"Is it all right to leave my car here?" the young man asked. "I could come back later-"
"Oh no," Shindou said, raising both hands to wave an energetic no. "You don't have to. It's perfectly okay, don't worry about what Touya says; people here are scared of the old man and they won't dare to move his car. Um, your car."
Kuwabara gave a sharp bark of laughter at that. "That means you have to explain everything upstairs, Shindou."
"Leave that to me," Akira said. "Fujiwara-san, you're welcome to join us at the ceremony, but-"
"But it'd be as interesting as watching paint dry," Kuwabara said.
"I don't mind," the young man said, then coughed. "I mean, I'm sure it's not boring. I'd be interested in seeing what this is like."
"Are you sure? You don't have to humour the old man, you know." Shindou said. "You're here for business, not to drive him around. And as for going to the ceremony... It's not going score to points with Ryousuke-san, any- ow, Touya!" He rubbed his stomach, where Ogata had seen Akira elbow him. "This relationship's getting more violent by the day," Shindou grumbled.
A smile appeared on the young man--Fujiwara?--as he watched them. "It's all right," he said. "I'm sure Ryousuke would be interested in what happens at such a ceremony."
"Let's go up then," Akira said, blatantly not responding to Shindou's words, and suited action to the words, walking ahead of them towards the doors that led into the Institute proper.
***
By a quirk of fate, Ogata found himself seated next to another young pro. He searched his memory for the boy's name. "Uchiha Sasuke. Right?" he asked.
Uchiha 5-dan nodded, wide-eyed. "Yes, and-" he hesitated, and visibly tried to read the name tag on Ogata's jacket.
Ogata let him.
"Ogata-sensei," Uchiha said. "Good afternoon."
"Good afternoon, Uchiha-san." The name stirred up more memories. "You have a brother, I think. His name is Itachi?" he asked.
"How did-" Uchiha nodded. "Yes, Ogata-sensei. But he quit Go years ago." He shook his head. "He never said why."
Ogata refrained from informing Uchiha the younger that his brother had lost a game to him in the Honinbou qualifying rounds and had tendered his resignation thereafter. He shrugged to indicate that he was equally mystified, and they watched as the new pros were introduced, then various awards given out (longest winning streak, presentation of minor and major titles). He went up on stage to accept the titles of Juudan, and retook his seat to see the Uchiha boy's eyes widen with surprise.
When Touya went onstage to accept the title of Meijin, the boy fainted.
(the end)
approx 35,000 words