The Zukiman Adventures - Kazuki x Manabu - Oneshot
Title: The Zukiman Adventures
Chapters: Oneshot
Author: paranoiascreams
Genre: fluff, Angst, AU
Warning: Un-Beta'd
Rating: PG - 13
Pairings/Characters: Kazuki x Manabu
Synopsis: Kazuki takes a few steps back on his past as he awaits the only friend he ever had to return.
Disclaimer: I do not own Screw, story is mine. ALL MINE.
Comments: This the POV of Zukiman. If you dont know Zukiman, read My Little Superhero please. Be warned that some conversations were taken from the first story, so i hope no one finds it redundant.
Kazuki wakes up late again after another late night drinking in their local pub. It's the cold season but Kazuki still slept half naked, his pajama top on one side of the bed. He yawns, his head hurts from the hangover, he also stretches his arm lazily to the bedside table to grab a cigarette stick to start his day.
He sits upright and hazily looks outside the window.
He can hear some kids playing outside, screaming and laughing.
He shakes his head. He turns to the TV he forgot to turn off last night.
An old cartoon is playing.
A man in a red cape. Kazuki smiles.
Just like that day...
------
"Kazuki."
"Yes mama?" Kazuki turns his attention away from the television and to his mother, who was smiling before him.
"You have to leave tonight. Just until dinner time."
"...Ok." Kazuki turns the television off, he was watching the late afternoon cartoon where a man with a red cape flies and save a girl from falling off the building.
"Dont wander off too far, baby." His mother advises him, she gives him a kiss on the cheek, Kazuki just nodded and left.
Kazuki starts walking to the door, when he opens it, a man is on their door, wearing a suit, he looks a little old. The man gave Kazuki a glare, which sent shivers on his spine, the little boy hurriedly walks out their home and he heard the man close their door with a loud bang.
He hates it when his mother asks him to leave before dinner time. It just means another visitor will be coming over and he needs to leave the place.
It's 5:30, it's getting a bit dark now. He kicks some small stones as he walks around their small town. He has no friends he can visit , so most of the time he just tries to amaze himself with all the alleys he can suddenly walk into and be surprised on where he'll end up. Although he stopped doing that after he memorized all the alleyways and it didnt surprise him anymore.
He sees the playground. He has always shunned away from this place, trying to not be with any kids, scared they might run away from him. He clenched his fists, and exhaled deeply. He tries to gather a lot of confidence and walked to where the other kids are.
"Can I join you?" Kazuki asks the nearest kid he saw when he entered the place, the kid walked away a bit scared.
"NO! You're dirty!" One of the little girl screams from a short distance. Kazuki kept silent and walked up to the slide. He slides down silently and realized that no one has followed him.
"Why aren't you using the slide too?" Kazuki asks naively to the kids that are staring at him.
"Because you used it! You're dirty! Now this place is dirty too!" A young boy shouts, then runs out the playground. One by one the kids started walking away, leaving Kazuki alone.
Kazuki slumps on the ground, curling up like a fetus and starts crying like a lost child. Kazuki has never felt so alone than what he's currently feeling. Even in school, no one would go near him, he's also often insulted all the time, making his teachers hate him for hurting the kids who do so.
"BUT I'M NOT DIRTY!!!"
Kazuki screams, but was surprised to see a little boy looking at him from the playground's entrance. He has never seen this boy with glasses. What surprised Kazuki more, was that this boy was smiling at him. Kazuki steps back and starts running away.
-----
Kazuki walks out of his apartment, it's around 4 in the afternoon, with one cigarette in hand, he walks around town.
He laughs at how stupid he must have looked in front of him when he ran away. He got scared. It was the first time other than his mother, that genuinely gave him a smile. He wasnt used to it. And he knew, at that time, he really shouldnt be used to it. At his young age, that boy will hate him too.
-----
"Mama, do I leave before dinner tonight?" Kazuki asks his mother who was sweeping the floor.
"Not tonight baby. Oh, your birthday's coming soon, do you want a party?" Kazuki's mother asks, stops what she's doing and sits beside her only son.
"No need. Nobody's gonna come anyway." Kazuki answers casually as he flips through the channels of their small TV screen.
"Then.. how about a present?" His mother asks with a slight tone of sadness on her voice.
Kazuki points to the TV screen, specifically to the man with a red cape flying in the sky. "I want that. But I also want a mask."
"... You want a red cape and a mask?"
Kazuki nods vigorously, a look of excitement is plastered on his face, his mother gives him a tight hug.
"Mama...?"
"Yes, baby?"
"The kids dont go to the playground anymore because i played there and they say I'm dirty. Am i dirty?"
"No. You're not. You're the cleanest kid here."
"Then... why wont anyone play with me...?"
"Because... you're clean and they're not. They just dont understand yet. Dont worry baby, one day you'll find a person who'll be a true friend to you."
"Someday..." Kazuki pulls himself away from his mother and watches intently on the TV screen where the man in red cape has saved another helpless victim.
-----
Kazuki lights up another cigarette. The playground's still deserted as it always has been when he was a child. This time though, it's abandoned not because of him but because it's old and rusty to even be safe for kids to play with.
He walks towards the slide, touching the cold metal, he smiles.
It's been more than a decade now since this very slide has become his watchtower. He looks above his head, the sky has gotten cloudy.
Looks like rain.
-----
"Kazuki..."
"Yes, mama?"
"I know it's your birthday, but..."
"Ok. Before dinner time?" Kazuki asks casually, not letting his mother finish what she had to say.
"I-I'm sorry baby."
"...It's ok mama."
His mother then gives him a box wrapped in a shiny red paper. "You can have your present now."
"Thank you!" Kazuki takes his present and opens it happily, his eyes widen when he sees what's inside.
"My mask and cape!" Kazuki gleefully hugs his mother and gives her a kiss. Their moment was disturbed when a loud knock on the door was heard.
"I'm leaving now, mama..." Kazuki takes his small back pack, shoves his presents inside and darts out of the door.
He climbs up the top of the slide the moment he arrives at the playground. He sighs, there really never anyone who came back there. For the reason that he was 'dirty' he drove all the kids out of that place.
"Give that back! Please!"
Kazuki turns to see the same glasses wearing boy reaching helplessly for a blue stuffed toy held up high by a bigger boy.
He hurriedly takes out the gifts his mother gave him and puts it on. The rain has started falling, so he slides down in a hurry as to not let the bully get away. He picks a small rock from the ground and throws it at the bigger boy, luckily it hits his head.
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" He shouted as he runs towards the commotion.
“Have no fear, little one! Zukiman is here! You! Fat lard! Give that back to him!”
“AND WHO ARE YOU?!”
“Didn’t you hear me, stupid? Zukiman! Give that back!”
“Why should I?”
“Because I said so!”
“If I don’t?”
“I’ll make you!”
Kazuki kicks the bigger boys crotch, making him yelp in pain, the stuffed toy falls to the ground, Kazuki takes the toy and grabs the other boy's hand, running as fast as they can so that the bigger boy wont be able to catch them. The rain has started falling harder and they find shelter to the bus stop a small distance away from the playground. Kazuki releases his hand from the boy and returns his toy.
“Here’s your toy back. It’s wet and a little dirty now though.”
“T-thank you. I’m Manabu. Who are you?”
“Zukiman. Protector of the playground!”
“Thank you, Zukiman.”
------
Manabu. I havent seen you in such a long time. I wonder how you look now...
Kazuki opens up his umbrella when the first drop of rain fell, he starts walking around town for a bit.
A number of teenage girls smile and giggle when he passed by. He knows that it's not because he's 'dirty' that he's getting that reaction, but he has actually grown up to be a beautiful man if he could say so himself but there's just something in him that holds him back from involving himself romantically to other people.
He is waiting for someone to return.
And this person is the only one that matters.
-----
Kazuki was glad to know that Manabu is studying in their school as well, and being the only kid he knows by name, as Zukiman, he made sure that he, as Kazuki, can look after him even from a distance.
Sometimes when Manabu was playing on the sandbox, when Kazuki sees anyone who looks like they will do something to trick the 'new' kid, he distracts them by throwing little stones at them, but still making sure he's not caught. He's glad Manabu's made some friends too in school. At least he wont be a loner like him.
Unfortunately it ended a little too soon.
One lazy morning while he was eating his sandwich alone near Manabu during recess, one of the older boys from the higher class has insulted his mother.
"Your mother sleeps with many men, doesnt she?! Who's your daddy, little bastard? Oh right. You dont know, coz your mother dont either!" The older boy and his companions laugh, making Kazuki's blood boil and in a moment, he threw his sandwich to the boy who gave the remark, tackling him, punching him repeatedly on the face.
"My mother is not like that! I'll kill you! I'll kill you!" He kept on punching the boy, his companions stunned to even help their friend out of the situation. He was crying in rage, that he had to be pried away by two teachers to stop him.
"Kazuki! Why do you always do this?!?!" His teacher asked as she forcibly let Kazuki sit outside the principal's office.
"Because no one is allowed to talk about my mother that way!" Kazuki screams, eyes filled with rage. His teacher gives Kazuki a hug, "Kazuki... you're still young, you cant always protect your mom, not at this age, you're too young to understand..."
"I'm not too young to hear the whispers of the adults, i dont even have to pretend to not hear anything when the other kids say we're dirty..."
"Kazuki...."
-----
He never went back to school after that, even if his mother asked him to do so everyday. Kazuki told her it was no use, that he's tired of seeing her cry everytime she picks him up from the principal's office, and that he's tired of constantly beating up kids everytime they pick on her.
All Kazuki needed can be found in the playground, at least Manabu stays there.
He steps out of the house before dinner time even if his mother didnt tell him to, he just wanted to go to the playground as fast as possible, and as often as he can, if it means seeing his only friend again.
"Zukiman!!!"
"Ah! Little Manabu!" Kazuki smiles and immediately slides down from where he's been to meet his friend.
“Zukiman! May I ask you something?”
“Go ahead but make it quick.”
“Do you know that boy Kazuki?”
Kazuki felt his heart drop, he's not ready to be hated by Manabu.“…What about him?”
“What ever happened to him? He stopped coming to school. I should have been friends with him before he left.”
“You want to become his friend? But isn’t he a bad kid?” For some reason, he felt a small lump on his throat, he was feeling overwhelmed.
“My parents said it’s not his fault. I don’t know what he did but they said I’ll understand soon. When is soon anyway?”
“He’ll be happy to know that your parents think of him that way.” He was thankful to the mask he was wearing, somehow it hid the tears that were welling up on his eyes.
“So you know him?”
“Yes. I know everyone here!” he sniffs, gave his nose a proud rub to stop the snot that might fall.
“When you see him, tell him to come here sometimes. Maybe we can all be friends.”
“Maybe.”
“Zukiman?”
“Yes?”
“When do I know who you truly are?”
“When the time is right. For now, let us play!” Kazuki isnt too sure when he wants to tell Manabu who he was even if the younger boy showed interest in knowing him personally, he's scared that even if Manabu wont hate being Kazuki, he might hate Zukiman for being a liar.
-----
“Little Manabu, you look sad! Why so?” Kazuki asks the moment he saw Manabu weakly walked towards him by the swings.
“I’m leaving this town soon. My papa was promoted.”
“…When do you leave?” He felt his heart sink to his stomach, he's gonna be alone again.
“The day after tomorrow. Mama said the trucks will take away our stuff tomorrow for Tokyo.”
“… Who do I play with then?” Kazuki kept his words short, any more will make him start crying. His eyes widen when Manabu sets his backpack on the ground and takes out his blue alien stuff toy.
“Stitch. I’ll give you Stitch.”
Kazuki slightly breaks down, he wipes the snot that are starting to fall out from his nose, “I’ll take care of him.” Kazuki takes the stuff toy from Manabu. “Will you come back?”
“I don’t know. Tokyo seems so far.”
“… If you do. I’ll be here. Always before dinner time.”
“Ok.”
-----
Kazuki has been running alleys to alleys, trying to find Manabu's house. He never knew where it was, and kind of regrets not going with him when the young boy invites him for dinner, it would have made looking for Manabu's place easier, and time isnt a friend at the moment.
“LITTLE MANABU!!!” Kazuki screams so loud despite being a little out of breath, he smiles when Manabu turned around.
“ZUKIMAN!!!”
Kazuki runs as fast as lightning as he makes his way in front of Manabu’s house, he stops in front of Manabu, panting. Beads of sweat have settled on his forehead, in between catching his breath, he said, “Zukiman had a hard time looking for your house.”
“Because you never went here!”
“I have to tell you something before you leave!”
“What is it?”
“You have to come back here.”
“Why should I?”
“Because I said so!”
“And if I don’t?”
“You’ll never know who I truly am. You have to remember because Zukiman never forgets.”
“Ok. One day I’ll come back.”
-----
But he still hasn't come back...
Kazuki walks around the playground, nodding to the girls who kept smiling at him and giving him flirtatious smiles, he's grown beautifully not just physically, but mentally as well, at least after the incidents in his school at that time. His mother sent him to a neighboring town's school, after he refused to no end to leave town, saying that he needs to be in this very town or else Manabu wont ever find him again. His mother eventually gave in, taking him to school and picking him up until he was old enough to do it on his own.
Kazuki is actually impressed with his convincing powers, since the mayor actually wanted to take down the playground saying it was the only eyesore in this town, upon hearing this, Kazuki, then 17 years old, stormed to the Mayor's office, and told him his story, in the most beautiful way he can, because he knew he can convince him to wait before removing the deserted place, and Kazuki was right, he was given a contract to sign that the playground will only be removed once Manabu returns, even if there will be changing of mayors. Lucky for Kazuki, their town isnt so interesting that his story actually stands out from any thing that happens here everyday.
He checks his watch, it's 5 in the afternoon, before dinner time. He sighed and took his place by the slide, standing against it, partly hidden from plain sight.
His eyes widen and his heart starts fluttering when he saw someone enter the playground, he's undoubtedly smaller than him, even from a short distance, has pale white skin, and very dark hair, and he's wearing glasses. Like he always had.
"Be careful there." Kazuki speaks when the boy he saw tried to sit on the swings, the boy turns around, a bit surprised while he looks around to where Kazuki's voice is coming from.
“If you try sitting on that swing it might break. This place hasn’t been touched for years.”
“Really? Then why is it still here?”
Kazuki steps out of his hiding place, he walks closer to the boy, and he was right on how small the boy is, he's got a labret stud, but that's the only apparent piercing he's got, aside from that, to Kazuki's belief, he's just grown older, but he was still the same.
“Because it needs to be here.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m waiting for someone.”
“…What do you mean?”
“Zukiman never forgets, Manabu.”
Kazuki just stared when Manabu’s eyes widen, dropping his bag on the ground. Kazuki just smiled, waiting for Manabu to speak.
“How do you know it’s me? And how do I know it’s you?”
“I know because no one comes here anymore. I would know. I’ve been here for more than 10 years. You will know because…” Kazuki takes something out of his bag and shows Manabu the very same stuffed toy he gave him before the younger boy left for town.
“Why only now? You could’ve revealed to me who you were when we were younger. Why did you hide behind the mask?”
“I wasn’t ready. And I was scared you’d leave me.”
“Why?”
“Because everybody hates me when we were kids. I was afraid that the only person who cared for me and I cared for will leave me too.”
“But I won’t.”
“Really? Would you believe me that even when I am not in costume I’ve been near you? That even from a distance I’ve watched over you?”
Manabu stared at Kazuki for a while, before asking, “Why?”
“I wanted to protect you. No. I want to protect you and be as close as I can possibly be with you.”
“Who are you Zukiman…?”
Kazuki pulls Manabu close, locking him tight in an embrace, he whispers, "My name is Kazuki."
Manabu hugs him back, "I was hoping it was you... I always wanted to be friends with you, i just never knew how... If you told me earlier, then maybe i would have been able to protect you too..."
Kazuki pushes Manabu a litte and faces him, meeting his eyes, "Dont regret it, you're here now, finally. That's all that matters."
"I must have made you wait such a long time, I'm sorry for not returning earlier..."
"It doesn't matter anymore. Let's go, time for dinner." Kazuki smiles and takes Manabu's hand, they step out to the road, giving the playgound another glance before walking away completely from the place that started their story, almost ending it and now starting it all over again.
--------------------------------
Author's Notes: IT TOOK SUCH A LONG TIME BEFORE I COULD ACTUALLY FINISH THIS! (i started writing this last November, come on!) This isnt exactly a sequel but i added some conversation in the end. And i still ship Kazuki x Manabu. I dont hate Rui, but please, stay away from Manabu. LOL. Comments are love. ^_^
Chapters: Oneshot
Author: paranoiascreams
Genre: fluff, Angst, AU
Warning: Un-Beta'd
Rating: PG - 13
Pairings/Characters: Kazuki x Manabu
Synopsis: Kazuki takes a few steps back on his past as he awaits the only friend he ever had to return.
Disclaimer: I do not own Screw, story is mine. ALL MINE.
Comments: This the POV of Zukiman. If you dont know Zukiman, read My Little Superhero please. Be warned that some conversations were taken from the first story, so i hope no one finds it redundant.
Kazuki wakes up late again after another late night drinking in their local pub. It's the cold season but Kazuki still slept half naked, his pajama top on one side of the bed. He yawns, his head hurts from the hangover, he also stretches his arm lazily to the bedside table to grab a cigarette stick to start his day.
He sits upright and hazily looks outside the window.
He can hear some kids playing outside, screaming and laughing.
He shakes his head. He turns to the TV he forgot to turn off last night.
An old cartoon is playing.
A man in a red cape. Kazuki smiles.
Just like that day...
------
"Kazuki."
"Yes mama?" Kazuki turns his attention away from the television and to his mother, who was smiling before him.
"You have to leave tonight. Just until dinner time."
"...Ok." Kazuki turns the television off, he was watching the late afternoon cartoon where a man with a red cape flies and save a girl from falling off the building.
"Dont wander off too far, baby." His mother advises him, she gives him a kiss on the cheek, Kazuki just nodded and left.
Kazuki starts walking to the door, when he opens it, a man is on their door, wearing a suit, he looks a little old. The man gave Kazuki a glare, which sent shivers on his spine, the little boy hurriedly walks out their home and he heard the man close their door with a loud bang.
He hates it when his mother asks him to leave before dinner time. It just means another visitor will be coming over and he needs to leave the place.
It's 5:30, it's getting a bit dark now. He kicks some small stones as he walks around their small town. He has no friends he can visit , so most of the time he just tries to amaze himself with all the alleys he can suddenly walk into and be surprised on where he'll end up. Although he stopped doing that after he memorized all the alleyways and it didnt surprise him anymore.
He sees the playground. He has always shunned away from this place, trying to not be with any kids, scared they might run away from him. He clenched his fists, and exhaled deeply. He tries to gather a lot of confidence and walked to where the other kids are.
"Can I join you?" Kazuki asks the nearest kid he saw when he entered the place, the kid walked away a bit scared.
"NO! You're dirty!" One of the little girl screams from a short distance. Kazuki kept silent and walked up to the slide. He slides down silently and realized that no one has followed him.
"Why aren't you using the slide too?" Kazuki asks naively to the kids that are staring at him.
"Because you used it! You're dirty! Now this place is dirty too!" A young boy shouts, then runs out the playground. One by one the kids started walking away, leaving Kazuki alone.
Kazuki slumps on the ground, curling up like a fetus and starts crying like a lost child. Kazuki has never felt so alone than what he's currently feeling. Even in school, no one would go near him, he's also often insulted all the time, making his teachers hate him for hurting the kids who do so.
"BUT I'M NOT DIRTY!!!"
Kazuki screams, but was surprised to see a little boy looking at him from the playground's entrance. He has never seen this boy with glasses. What surprised Kazuki more, was that this boy was smiling at him. Kazuki steps back and starts running away.
-----
Kazuki walks out of his apartment, it's around 4 in the afternoon, with one cigarette in hand, he walks around town.
He laughs at how stupid he must have looked in front of him when he ran away. He got scared. It was the first time other than his mother, that genuinely gave him a smile. He wasnt used to it. And he knew, at that time, he really shouldnt be used to it. At his young age, that boy will hate him too.
-----
"Mama, do I leave before dinner tonight?" Kazuki asks his mother who was sweeping the floor.
"Not tonight baby. Oh, your birthday's coming soon, do you want a party?" Kazuki's mother asks, stops what she's doing and sits beside her only son.
"No need. Nobody's gonna come anyway." Kazuki answers casually as he flips through the channels of their small TV screen.
"Then.. how about a present?" His mother asks with a slight tone of sadness on her voice.
Kazuki points to the TV screen, specifically to the man with a red cape flying in the sky. "I want that. But I also want a mask."
"... You want a red cape and a mask?"
Kazuki nods vigorously, a look of excitement is plastered on his face, his mother gives him a tight hug.
"Mama...?"
"Yes, baby?"
"The kids dont go to the playground anymore because i played there and they say I'm dirty. Am i dirty?"
"No. You're not. You're the cleanest kid here."
"Then... why wont anyone play with me...?"
"Because... you're clean and they're not. They just dont understand yet. Dont worry baby, one day you'll find a person who'll be a true friend to you."
"Someday..." Kazuki pulls himself away from his mother and watches intently on the TV screen where the man in red cape has saved another helpless victim.
-----
Kazuki lights up another cigarette. The playground's still deserted as it always has been when he was a child. This time though, it's abandoned not because of him but because it's old and rusty to even be safe for kids to play with.
He walks towards the slide, touching the cold metal, he smiles.
It's been more than a decade now since this very slide has become his watchtower. He looks above his head, the sky has gotten cloudy.
Looks like rain.
-----
"Kazuki..."
"Yes, mama?"
"I know it's your birthday, but..."
"Ok. Before dinner time?" Kazuki asks casually, not letting his mother finish what she had to say.
"I-I'm sorry baby."
"...It's ok mama."
His mother then gives him a box wrapped in a shiny red paper. "You can have your present now."
"Thank you!" Kazuki takes his present and opens it happily, his eyes widen when he sees what's inside.
"My mask and cape!" Kazuki gleefully hugs his mother and gives her a kiss. Their moment was disturbed when a loud knock on the door was heard.
"I'm leaving now, mama..." Kazuki takes his small back pack, shoves his presents inside and darts out of the door.
He climbs up the top of the slide the moment he arrives at the playground. He sighs, there really never anyone who came back there. For the reason that he was 'dirty' he drove all the kids out of that place.
"Give that back! Please!"
Kazuki turns to see the same glasses wearing boy reaching helplessly for a blue stuffed toy held up high by a bigger boy.
He hurriedly takes out the gifts his mother gave him and puts it on. The rain has started falling, so he slides down in a hurry as to not let the bully get away. He picks a small rock from the ground and throws it at the bigger boy, luckily it hits his head.
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" He shouted as he runs towards the commotion.
“Have no fear, little one! Zukiman is here! You! Fat lard! Give that back to him!”
“AND WHO ARE YOU?!”
“Didn’t you hear me, stupid? Zukiman! Give that back!”
“Why should I?”
“Because I said so!”
“If I don’t?”
“I’ll make you!”
Kazuki kicks the bigger boys crotch, making him yelp in pain, the stuffed toy falls to the ground, Kazuki takes the toy and grabs the other boy's hand, running as fast as they can so that the bigger boy wont be able to catch them. The rain has started falling harder and they find shelter to the bus stop a small distance away from the playground. Kazuki releases his hand from the boy and returns his toy.
“Here’s your toy back. It’s wet and a little dirty now though.”
“T-thank you. I’m Manabu. Who are you?”
“Zukiman. Protector of the playground!”
“Thank you, Zukiman.”
------
Manabu. I havent seen you in such a long time. I wonder how you look now...
Kazuki opens up his umbrella when the first drop of rain fell, he starts walking around town for a bit.
A number of teenage girls smile and giggle when he passed by. He knows that it's not because he's 'dirty' that he's getting that reaction, but he has actually grown up to be a beautiful man if he could say so himself but there's just something in him that holds him back from involving himself romantically to other people.
He is waiting for someone to return.
And this person is the only one that matters.
-----
Kazuki was glad to know that Manabu is studying in their school as well, and being the only kid he knows by name, as Zukiman, he made sure that he, as Kazuki, can look after him even from a distance.
Sometimes when Manabu was playing on the sandbox, when Kazuki sees anyone who looks like they will do something to trick the 'new' kid, he distracts them by throwing little stones at them, but still making sure he's not caught. He's glad Manabu's made some friends too in school. At least he wont be a loner like him.
Unfortunately it ended a little too soon.
One lazy morning while he was eating his sandwich alone near Manabu during recess, one of the older boys from the higher class has insulted his mother.
"Your mother sleeps with many men, doesnt she?! Who's your daddy, little bastard? Oh right. You dont know, coz your mother dont either!" The older boy and his companions laugh, making Kazuki's blood boil and in a moment, he threw his sandwich to the boy who gave the remark, tackling him, punching him repeatedly on the face.
"My mother is not like that! I'll kill you! I'll kill you!" He kept on punching the boy, his companions stunned to even help their friend out of the situation. He was crying in rage, that he had to be pried away by two teachers to stop him.
"Kazuki! Why do you always do this?!?!" His teacher asked as she forcibly let Kazuki sit outside the principal's office.
"Because no one is allowed to talk about my mother that way!" Kazuki screams, eyes filled with rage. His teacher gives Kazuki a hug, "Kazuki... you're still young, you cant always protect your mom, not at this age, you're too young to understand..."
"I'm not too young to hear the whispers of the adults, i dont even have to pretend to not hear anything when the other kids say we're dirty..."
"Kazuki...."
-----
He never went back to school after that, even if his mother asked him to do so everyday. Kazuki told her it was no use, that he's tired of seeing her cry everytime she picks him up from the principal's office, and that he's tired of constantly beating up kids everytime they pick on her.
All Kazuki needed can be found in the playground, at least Manabu stays there.
He steps out of the house before dinner time even if his mother didnt tell him to, he just wanted to go to the playground as fast as possible, and as often as he can, if it means seeing his only friend again.
"Zukiman!!!"
"Ah! Little Manabu!" Kazuki smiles and immediately slides down from where he's been to meet his friend.
“Zukiman! May I ask you something?”
“Go ahead but make it quick.”
“Do you know that boy Kazuki?”
Kazuki felt his heart drop, he's not ready to be hated by Manabu.“…What about him?”
“What ever happened to him? He stopped coming to school. I should have been friends with him before he left.”
“You want to become his friend? But isn’t he a bad kid?” For some reason, he felt a small lump on his throat, he was feeling overwhelmed.
“My parents said it’s not his fault. I don’t know what he did but they said I’ll understand soon. When is soon anyway?”
“He’ll be happy to know that your parents think of him that way.” He was thankful to the mask he was wearing, somehow it hid the tears that were welling up on his eyes.
“So you know him?”
“Yes. I know everyone here!” he sniffs, gave his nose a proud rub to stop the snot that might fall.
“When you see him, tell him to come here sometimes. Maybe we can all be friends.”
“Maybe.”
“Zukiman?”
“Yes?”
“When do I know who you truly are?”
“When the time is right. For now, let us play!” Kazuki isnt too sure when he wants to tell Manabu who he was even if the younger boy showed interest in knowing him personally, he's scared that even if Manabu wont hate being Kazuki, he might hate Zukiman for being a liar.
-----
“Little Manabu, you look sad! Why so?” Kazuki asks the moment he saw Manabu weakly walked towards him by the swings.
“I’m leaving this town soon. My papa was promoted.”
“…When do you leave?” He felt his heart sink to his stomach, he's gonna be alone again.
“The day after tomorrow. Mama said the trucks will take away our stuff tomorrow for Tokyo.”
“… Who do I play with then?” Kazuki kept his words short, any more will make him start crying. His eyes widen when Manabu sets his backpack on the ground and takes out his blue alien stuff toy.
“Stitch. I’ll give you Stitch.”
Kazuki slightly breaks down, he wipes the snot that are starting to fall out from his nose, “I’ll take care of him.” Kazuki takes the stuff toy from Manabu. “Will you come back?”
“I don’t know. Tokyo seems so far.”
“… If you do. I’ll be here. Always before dinner time.”
“Ok.”
-----
Kazuki has been running alleys to alleys, trying to find Manabu's house. He never knew where it was, and kind of regrets not going with him when the young boy invites him for dinner, it would have made looking for Manabu's place easier, and time isnt a friend at the moment.
“LITTLE MANABU!!!” Kazuki screams so loud despite being a little out of breath, he smiles when Manabu turned around.
“ZUKIMAN!!!”
Kazuki runs as fast as lightning as he makes his way in front of Manabu’s house, he stops in front of Manabu, panting. Beads of sweat have settled on his forehead, in between catching his breath, he said, “Zukiman had a hard time looking for your house.”
“Because you never went here!”
“I have to tell you something before you leave!”
“What is it?”
“You have to come back here.”
“Why should I?”
“Because I said so!”
“And if I don’t?”
“You’ll never know who I truly am. You have to remember because Zukiman never forgets.”
“Ok. One day I’ll come back.”
-----
But he still hasn't come back...
Kazuki walks around the playground, nodding to the girls who kept smiling at him and giving him flirtatious smiles, he's grown beautifully not just physically, but mentally as well, at least after the incidents in his school at that time. His mother sent him to a neighboring town's school, after he refused to no end to leave town, saying that he needs to be in this very town or else Manabu wont ever find him again. His mother eventually gave in, taking him to school and picking him up until he was old enough to do it on his own.
Kazuki is actually impressed with his convincing powers, since the mayor actually wanted to take down the playground saying it was the only eyesore in this town, upon hearing this, Kazuki, then 17 years old, stormed to the Mayor's office, and told him his story, in the most beautiful way he can, because he knew he can convince him to wait before removing the deserted place, and Kazuki was right, he was given a contract to sign that the playground will only be removed once Manabu returns, even if there will be changing of mayors. Lucky for Kazuki, their town isnt so interesting that his story actually stands out from any thing that happens here everyday.
He checks his watch, it's 5 in the afternoon, before dinner time. He sighed and took his place by the slide, standing against it, partly hidden from plain sight.
His eyes widen and his heart starts fluttering when he saw someone enter the playground, he's undoubtedly smaller than him, even from a short distance, has pale white skin, and very dark hair, and he's wearing glasses. Like he always had.
"Be careful there." Kazuki speaks when the boy he saw tried to sit on the swings, the boy turns around, a bit surprised while he looks around to where Kazuki's voice is coming from.
“If you try sitting on that swing it might break. This place hasn’t been touched for years.”
“Really? Then why is it still here?”
Kazuki steps out of his hiding place, he walks closer to the boy, and he was right on how small the boy is, he's got a labret stud, but that's the only apparent piercing he's got, aside from that, to Kazuki's belief, he's just grown older, but he was still the same.
“Because it needs to be here.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m waiting for someone.”
“…What do you mean?”
“Zukiman never forgets, Manabu.”
Kazuki just stared when Manabu’s eyes widen, dropping his bag on the ground. Kazuki just smiled, waiting for Manabu to speak.
“How do you know it’s me? And how do I know it’s you?”
“I know because no one comes here anymore. I would know. I’ve been here for more than 10 years. You will know because…” Kazuki takes something out of his bag and shows Manabu the very same stuffed toy he gave him before the younger boy left for town.
“Why only now? You could’ve revealed to me who you were when we were younger. Why did you hide behind the mask?”
“I wasn’t ready. And I was scared you’d leave me.”
“Why?”
“Because everybody hates me when we were kids. I was afraid that the only person who cared for me and I cared for will leave me too.”
“But I won’t.”
“Really? Would you believe me that even when I am not in costume I’ve been near you? That even from a distance I’ve watched over you?”
Manabu stared at Kazuki for a while, before asking, “Why?”
“I wanted to protect you. No. I want to protect you and be as close as I can possibly be with you.”
“Who are you Zukiman…?”
Kazuki pulls Manabu close, locking him tight in an embrace, he whispers, "My name is Kazuki."
Manabu hugs him back, "I was hoping it was you... I always wanted to be friends with you, i just never knew how... If you told me earlier, then maybe i would have been able to protect you too..."
Kazuki pushes Manabu a litte and faces him, meeting his eyes, "Dont regret it, you're here now, finally. That's all that matters."
"I must have made you wait such a long time, I'm sorry for not returning earlier..."
"It doesn't matter anymore. Let's go, time for dinner." Kazuki smiles and takes Manabu's hand, they step out to the road, giving the playgound another glance before walking away completely from the place that started their story, almost ending it and now starting it all over again.
--------------------------------
Author's Notes: IT TOOK SUCH A LONG TIME BEFORE I COULD ACTUALLY FINISH THIS! (i started writing this last November, come on!) This isnt exactly a sequel but i added some conversation in the end. And i still ship Kazuki x Manabu. I dont hate Rui, but please, stay away from Manabu. LOL. Comments are love. ^_^