A Case Of Mistaken Identity
|
Post by Otomo Kojiro on Oct 28, 2011 23:59:46 GMT -6
Date: April 29th 2003 Tuesday Time: 9:35 PM
So this was it. The do or die moment. It seemed a little rushed, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Koji didn't want to come off as desperate. Approaching an area seldom-visited by men, the azure-eyed teen rubbed the back of his elbow, as it itched with nerves. He had found himself picking a time not too long after lights out to make his move. He had dressed as smartly as he could, in a comfortable pale blue button-up, with a plain white tee underneath. He wasn't dressing to meet the Imperial Family, though he might as well have been. He treaded lightly across the polished, traditional wooden floors cloaked in almost complete darkness, save for the reassuring, soft green glow of a very out of place vending machine.
He stopped at the glowing mechanical device, and his thoughts drifted to it's cool, refreshing bounty. Sugar to keep him alert? Ice-cold liquid to keep him cool, and his throaty thirst quenched? No. He didn't have any money with him. His coins would rub and clatter against each other. Too noisy. It would alert the staff. As would the sudden rush of air escaping a plastic bottle, or the audible snap-hiss of a canned drink opening. He kept sucking up his saliva to help his throat from drying up, leaving his words trapped in that biological desert forever.
Shrugging off such thoughts he passed by the girl's lavatories. He doubted anyone was in there to come out of and bump into him. Besides, the flush of a toilet would mask his own noise and give him ample time to seek a hiding spot. Thus, Koji continued on his stealthy quest to seek out and find a certain room. Armed with the knowledge his junior cousin, Aizawa Shouko, had provided him, he stepped, ever fastidiously across the hardwood. Soon, it would be time. Soon he would be face-to-face with her. Soon he would open his mouth, and let the true words and feelings flow out before he lost her to him. There was no resent. No jealousy. Just... Worry. Worry that she would still reject him, even if she knew the truth. He had Shou to thank. Though a little rushed to conclusions, he was certain what he felt for the girl he was bound to meet tonight, was love, and not a mere high-school crush as he had been thinking.
"Time to launch the attack!" That was how his hyperactive, and overbearing relative had put it. Shou was a little too big for her britches, though her military analogies for relationships were quite fitting. Love was supposed to be a battlefield, was it not? Together, he and the tanzanite female would brave that minefield... Together.
Turning a corner, Koji's heart leapt. Lit very dimly, were the directions. Rooms 127-151 to his left, and Rooms 152-175 to his right. Going back was a no-no. it had to be done, or he might lose her foerver. He would rather know if she didn't feel that way about him, than not know, and see her be with his love rival. Though, would he even act? Could he rather? So many questions. And the answer of answers lay just ahead. Room-131. Temporary hot springs residence of Fujibayashi Kyou.
Tentatively, Koji knocked, lightly upon the solid oak door. His heart was smashing itself against his chest, to the point where it almost pained the incredibly nervous young man, about to confess, to the girl he loved. He could hear footsteps, and voices. It had started. Now there really was no turning back. Swallowing hard, and plucking up all the courage he could, Otomo Kojiro waited, to lock eyes with that beautiful girl, and tell her that he loved her.
|
|
|
Post by Fujibayashi Ryou on Oct 29, 2011 1:35:32 GMT -6
The lavender-haired girl was entirely unprepared for what would be coming for her. To be more accurate, who, but apparently a whole large mess would be accompanying her unannounced visitor.
What had she been doing before the boy had ventured to knock? Well, at around eight o'clock, she had partaken of the benefits of the hot springs yet again; it had been just a little after dinner, and she'd finished before it was nine... she wasn't sure what the exact time was. She was making good progress with her little dilemma, and at the very least it did not bother her that much anymore, although she still was looking for that elusive answer to it. She didn't think about it as much, so that was good. Perhaps not seeing Haru-kun and Okazaki-kun as frequently as she did in school helped.
She was alone in Room 131. She did not have an assigned roommate, because her roommate was supposed to be her elder sister, her twin, Fujibayashi Kyou. But her oneechan had backed down in the last minute... she didn't really understand why, but perhaps she simply wasn't in the mood. Besides, their grandmother's age was catching up with her... so maybe the older Fujibayashi had merely wanted to take care of Grandma, who had taken care of them for so long. She had so many things she wanted to talk to her about; she had only managed to ask for her advice regarding Haru's confession, but besides that, she had been busy. She should try pestering her when this trip was over... and perhaps she could even surprise her, if she managed to have her feelings resolved.
She had her hair up, so she didn't look as usual; she had had it wrapped in a towel, and had tied it up at the back of her head. The towel-wrapping was so that her wet hair wouldn't get water all over her clothes, or, fortune forbid, her cards, or her notebooks. The tying-up, however, was completely experimental. She had a small mirror hung on the wall of her temporary residence, and there she observed how she looked like. "I guess I look a bit like Oneechan..." she said to herself, stating the obvious, "...provided, of course, that she wear her hair this way... and this angle... since her hair's longer than mine..."
Her little vanity was interrupted by that inevitable tapping, the signal of a disaster that was to come. Ryou had done some fortune-telling for herself a little while ago, in connection with the stuff about Haru-kun, though she had already done it when she had randomly asked for Fuuko-chan's advice. To be more honest, she did it because she was having problems sleeping; she'd been doing a bunch of things because the bed wouldn't let her drift off to dreamland. The fortune she interpreted was thus... 'a visitor will come with tidings of joy'... or something. It was a Jack... she couldn't remember fully.
She rubbed her bleary eyes and made for the door, opening it a bit. She was immediately startled, and went for rubbing her eyes some more. THERE WAS A BOY IN THE GIRLS' DORMITORY! And... and... he looks... familiar. Where had she seen him before? Her sleepy-but-couldn't-sleep mind was frazzled and having problems processing the arrival of this sneaky guest. "Wh-wh-wh... she stuttered, actually trying to say 'Who are you?' or 'What are you doing here?' or something else, but her tongue got all twisted. What she accomplished was making clear, if her expression didn't, that she was taken completely by surprise, by this one who was not supposed to be here. And why my room, of all rooms?
A small corner of her mind, that had remained calm, noted that it was starting to make sense why her sister called her fortune-telling a little off, though it also noted that with its owner's current level of silent, fidgeting panic, she would probably forget all about it later. Fujibayashi Ryou's hand made to close the door, but her reflexes were dulled...
|
|
|
Post by Otomo Kojiro on Oct 29, 2011 23:37:13 GMT -6
The thought had occurred to Otomo to turn on his heels and make a bold dash down the halls, and hopefully back to his room before any staff, or teachers discovered his presence. The fight or flight response kicked in, and Koji was left flat-footed and foolish as he fidgeted about. The door slowly crept open, spewing trace amounts of light from a window against Koji's features. His eyes, sensitive to this sudden intrusion of light snapped downward, squinting through the beams of brightness until they adjusted.
There she was. Wearing her hair up. Unusual for Kyou, who normally let her thick amethyst locks trail down to her lower back. Koji noted that it was a good look for her, despite it being hidden under layers of soft fabric. She appeared to be a little hazy, and almost tired as she squeaked out a sleepy trio of not-words.
"Wh-wh-wh..."
Koji, his entire face tingling, rubbed at the back of his head, feigning an itch as his lips creaked up into a nervous, toothy smile. To call the boy sheepish in front of Kyou was an understatement. To his credit however, he had improved, and was not a complete stuttering wreck around his maiden fair. Thankfully he was more composed tonight. Everything was riding on it. All bets were in. It was time to see if it would land on black or red.
"I'm sorry for barging in on you at this hour, but I have something very important to tell you. It had to be now, so please... Listen." Koji started, keeping his composure as best he could. As always, his face began to flush red with embarrassment. Though there was no need to be embarrassed. Not right now at least. The young boy took one of the deepest breaths he'd taken, exhaled, and repeated the process four more times until he deemed himself all oxygened-up and ready to continue.
"Fujibayashi-san... I... I love you. Please, if you would, will you be my girlfriend?" Koji declared with tightly clenched eyes, and his stiffened upper body reduced to a curved mess of a bow. He had rapidly spat out his declaration of love, and following request of Kyou to begin dating him, as a couple. Shou wasn't here to give him the colossal pat on the back she would undoubtedly think he deserved, nor was Kyou's twin sister Ryou. He gulped hard, and stood, patiently waiting for Kyou's answer.
His thought process kicked into overdrive. Would they still be able to remain friends if she rejected him? Would she even say yes? Or would he have to fight ever harder for her heart. The two did know each other better ever since his blunderous attempt at hiding a note in her shoe locker. He could see it now. Shou renting out Sun Tzu's Art of War. To forgo his sword and armor in favor of the rifle and mortar. The target? Okazaki Tomoya. She seemed to take an unhealthy interest in his love life, when she herself had no-one. Regardless of the outcome, he would be happy to remain friends, rather than do nothing.
|
|
|
Post by Fujibayashi Ryou on Oct 31, 2011 0:26:15 GMT -6
She was very, very confused.
Okay, that was a very, very big understatement. Fujibayashi Ryou was extensively flabbergasted. While most people have found out that it was rather easy to elicit a response of surprise from the younger twin, (there was, though, still the risk that if the surprise wasn't savory, the perpetrators would be getting something informative lodged onto their faces,) this level of shock was specifically rather hard to get. The class representative was, due to the speed and the incredulity of the past moments, having a difficult time processing just what was happening.
Wait. Waitwaitwaitwaitwait.
First, apparently, there was this boy, who had chosen to make a night visit to the girls' side of the sleeping quarters, despite possible dangers and rumors.
Second, he apparently did this to get to a specific room; her room, that is, and it didn't seem like he made a mistake; he even knocked.
Third, and this was probably the kicker, since without this particular aspect of the scenario Ryou would have reacted more quickly, he had come to declare his... love... for her. As if she did not have any more love problems to deal with.
"Uhh..."
The magnitude of the event was such that the girl found herself mostly gaping, her mouth slightly open, even after a sizable portion of a minute has passed after her unannounced visitor had delivered his lines. Perhaps she was waiting for someone to wake her up.
She waited, and then it became apparent that no matter how sleepy she was, she was awake, all right.
So this was part of the waking world, not some product of her overactive imagination, not a result of her overly-extended worrying regarding Okazaki-kun and Haru-kun?
"Uhh..."
Did she just get confessed to, again? Was there something in the air that people were confessing to each other... and did they confess to her here because her sister wasn't around, in this field trip? And she even got confessed to by a stranger... wait. She... she knew this guy. She blinked, trying to clear her head and her vision. He was... he was in the same class as hers... what sort of class representative would she be if she didn't remember who he was... a sleepy one.
"Who... wha... why..."
In a quandary on what to do, how to respond, the girl merely wore a bewildered expression. Ryou bit her lip and her cheeks flushed. She gave no coherent pronouncement, even as her addled thought processes tried to remember who this guy was, and figure out some reason why he was confessing to her. Before she completely implodes into a stuttering wreck, that is.
|
|
|
Post by Otomo Kojiro on Nov 23, 2011 19:15:30 GMT -6
*bows to Saz* Forgive my great lateness.
"Uhh..."
Peculiar. Usually Fujibayashi Kyou was far more composed than that. But. It was undeniable, even in the less than adequate lighting. This was indeed Kyou of 3-E. The indefatigable violet-haired young woman from Hikarizaka. Scourge of those who would prey on her sweet little sister's good manner. Her hair was bundled, quite obviously, beneath a soft towel. One could easily mistake the girl for Ryou. Koji found himself shivering nervously as the seconds proceeded onwards. How did his stepfather Ken, declare his love for the boy's mother? Flowers? A box of confectionery? The gift shop was both closed, and rather devoid of anything like what he had in mind. It was bare, save for some towels, bathrobes, and the usual small things one might find in an establishment such as this.
"Uhh..."
A repeat of the first time. Was something like this, so truly earth-shattering, that even the usually unflappable maiden he was head over heels for could utter little more than declaration of shock? Had any boy even dared to confess his love for her? Given the bulk of fan mail she supposedly received from the female student body, and her searing-hot nature, it seemed likely. Only one gargantuan obstacle in his way. Koji bared no ill to Tomoya, but whether he reciprocated them or not, Kyou still had feelings for the lad. Koji simply could not lose to him. Even if it was a losing battle. He'd rather go down fighting like a man, as opposed to sitting back, and letting someone else take the opportunity he would be passing up.
"Who... wha... why..."
Of course. The lighting. For all Kyou knew, he was some phantom, lazily looming in the shadows to declare his undying affection for a lover once lost. Such ghost stories were a staple to late-night antics on a school trip. A test of one's courage. Or foolishness. He was going to rectify that. He stepped to one side, leaning his head into the reassuring glow of the light glaring at him from the electronics. The cool, green glow gave shape to his features, which were now affixed into a warm smile.
"It's me Fujibayashi-san. Otomo Kojiro. I'm in your sister's class? We're friends. We had lunch together a few weeks ago." He explained, revealing unto his beloved his identity as former school crusader, Otomo Kojiro. Venerable defender of the victims, and targets of ruffians and bandits. A modern-day Knight of justice. Tonight, he was forgoing his shining armor and steed to sweep the swooning Fujibayashi off her feet, and onward to a Camelot-esque castle, as many girls fantasized about in their early youth. He let out a minute giggle, at his friend's, and hopefully soon, his girlfriend's bewilderment.
"Did you forget about me already?" Koji joked, trying to ease the situation with humor, keeping the noise decibels to a hushed whisper, lest he wake anyone. Anyone other than Kyou that was. Wiping his goofy grin away after it became frightfully apparent that no-one was laughing, Koji's visage took on a more serious look.
"I know that... Well, I know i-it's sudden and all, but," He paused mid-sentence, trying to come up with a suitable way to explain how he felt about their relationship, and how Okazaki slotted into this jigsaw, "I don't want to lose you to him. You're my friend Kyou, but... I think of how... Happy, I want you to be. How happy I want to make you be, if you'll let me."
Koji had his fists tightly clenched, threatening to pop the tiny bubbles of nitrogen between his digit bones in an awkward crack. He'd shown his hand. There was no more bets. His eyes burned furiously. He was intent on getting his answer. Thus, came his next statement.
"I want you to know. Whatever happens, I'll always be your friend. You won't get rid of me, even if Tomoya accepts your feelings!" He continued, bearing his heart; In one hand, a key, the other, a hammer "but... Despite wanting to be patient, I want to know sooner, rather than later. But not tonight... Not tonight. I... I-I have to let this sink in for you. I just want you to say something... Anything!" [/b][/blockquote][/size]
|
|
|
Post by Fujibayashi Ryou on Nov 26, 2011 1:25:55 GMT -6
"O-otomo-san?" she squeaked, and with that revelation the amateur soothsayer began piecing together just what was happening, the details of this rendezvous that had been hidden from her. She clasped her hands before her, trembling, in a manner that was very much unlike her twin.
She squinted, even as the boy moved himself to be illuminated, to be seen more clearly. She made out his features, the light glinting in his eyes, the outline of his mouth both nervous and smiling. It was indeed her classmate, Otomo Kojiro, who she had heard of, from a few unsavory rumors that she had dismissed, and who she had encountered, as a class representative in her current senior year.
They were not much but acquaintances, but he had heard about his efforts towards her sister, though Ryou had not yet the pleasure of hearing the full details from her oneechan, unfortunately. Her mind, which now struggled to pull itself together, began scribbling a hypothesis...
K-kyou? she thought, even as the male rambled on and she retreated a bit. She made herself look smaller, as if doing so would hide her from the misinformed orator before her. Ryou might have been taken by the whole metaphorical blitzkrieg that Otomo had staged, but she was definitely not stupid. She was starting to see what this situation really was, now that the covert tumult had decided to die down, and her heart had managed to pace itself. She knew who she was, she knew who Otomo-san was, and most importantly, she knew who Otomo-san thinks she was...
She shambled into her bed, sitting on it. She was still a little panicky, but at least now she had a clear view of the situation... while she was still scrounging in his mind for the right words, the right actions, to convey to he who had confessed that he was... he must be... mistaken, she was definitely not so much in the dark as before. She exhaled, trying not to look frightened, though in the pallid light it would have been hard to see her expression.
Even though she knew the words were not meant for her, being confessed to was still an ordeal... and it did not help that one of the two people she had been thinking of was mentioned. She frowned, her eyes flickering, almost tearing up. Even if it was a... misunderstanding... she could not say that she was not affected. After all, Otomo-san was serious... dead serious. That made it even harder to decide what to say to him. All possible explanations seemed blunt, insensitive... inadequate...
"Um... I think you're getting something wrong..." she began, tentatively.
"You're... " she twiddled her fingers, blushing furiously.
This was such a strange situation! First a real confession, then a misdirected one. Both popping up like jack-in-the boxes into her easily reddened face. Fate must have decided to put her into an emotional pressure cooker. What was she supposed to say? Life should have a manual for these sorts of constricting moments.
"Your... confession... uh..." she stuttered, saying sentences half-formed in her brain.
"...I'm... " she ventured again, steeling herself.
"I'm not oneechan--" she gritted her teeth, looking down, as if asking for forgiveness for not being her ever-better sister, as if apologizing for being there instead of the one the boy had been looking for...
"I'm not... Kyou."
|
|
|
Post by Otomo Kojiro on Nov 28, 2011 19:33:30 GMT -6
"O-otomo-san?"
Something in the way the young woman uttered his name, sent Koji's composure swiftly down the hall with a thunderous dropkick. He was not expecting such a jarringly timid tone of voice from Kyou. He kept in mind, that a confession of love was a considerably higher megaton bomb to drop on someone as opposed to a casual announcement of interest in someone. Even if his 'announcement' came after being caught in the act. He wanted nothing more than for Kyou to break down in joyous years and fall into his chest, willingly accepting his emotions. Thinking more realistically, he hoped the sincerity and honesty would at least make the girl consider his proposal. The killer question was; could she accept and then return his emotions in kind? The poor senior student was likely taken aback to have this young man swoop in under cover of darkness, rap on her door, and declare his love for her.
His expression contracted and squashed into a half-worried, half-confused look, as Kyou backed away, coming to land on her bed. Unable to observe her reactions from both the distance, married with the spartan light ebbing off the veneered wood. He'd struck a chord. That much was certain. He bit his tongue, pressing down on it with his incisors to give way to focusing on something else, namely the light discomfort he was now feeling.
"Um... I think you're getting something wrong..."
"Eh?" Koji perked, releasing his fleshy oral muscle. Something was wrong? The rude awakenings after hours perhaps. Or perhaps the sudden shift in feelings? Girls were rather sensitive when it came to affairs of the heart. Even the volcanic Fujibayashi had a softer, more placid nature underneath her shell. Koji found himself thinking about how adorable such a sight would be, peering into the sparsely-lit room where she sat. The girl was obviously thinking things over. He'd pegged Kyou to either flatly reject his feelings, and commend his brave vim, remaining friends, or finally cave in an give the young man a shot. He doubted even she would wait forever for Tomoya, a man well-known for his inaction.
"Your... confession... uh..."
Koji nodded expectantly, the faintest traces of a smile. She was taking uncharacteristically log pauses between her words. That meant... Something. Was she considering it?
"You're... "
"Yes?" Koji mouthed, silently, the edges of his mouth rising up gloriously. He was almost certain she was going to say yes. What was it his grandmother had said? A good man is hard to find? Was he now, that good man?
"I'm not oneechan--"
Koji still stood, vacantly smiling. He tilted his head, a little bit more than puzzled. Oneechan. She was not oneechan. Oneechan. Kyou. Then that would have meant.
"I'm not... Kyou."
He could feel it. His mouth. His face, his eyes. All of them twitching. He was confused. Bemused, bu confused. He had fallen victim to the evident fact that Ryou Fujibayashi, the young, blushing girl sitting on her bed, mere feet from him, was not her identical sister Kyou. Beside their hair length, and curious difference in eye color (Ryou's being an azure shade, while Kyou's a rare violet hue) the two were indistinguishable. Then he laughed. He laughed, and laughed until his sides ached. His laugh was a quiet one, but he still found amusement at his own stupidity. Once he had concluded his short bout of giggling, he dabbed a tear from his eye, straightened up, and clasped his hands together apologizing for his grievous lapse in sensibility.
"I... I think I've made a foolish mistake and ended up being a bother." He opened with, his eyes darting about the black room. He was only now beginning to realize that Kyou could possibly be hiding in the dark, ready to pounce on him, and squeeze the life out of him in a stranglehold.
"So... Is your sister around? I'd... Like her to know how I feel," He started, scratching away at the back of his neck, "that is to say... That... I... Maybe she'd... Want to go out, like, together... A-as a couple. A real couple. Not friends."
Once again, Otomo Kojiro was flustering over the prospects of dating Fujibayashi Kyou. He was merely taking Okazaki's advice, and being more bold in his actions. He required a little more confidence around the girl. Even talking about it to someone who knew her better than anyone on the face of the Earth. Lots of people looked up to Ryou, as a class representative, and as an oracle of fortune. What would her cards say about his fortune? Was he really just rushing into this at his younger cousin's behest?
|
|
|
Post by Fujibayashi Ryou on Nov 29, 2011 23:36:11 GMT -6
It felt agonizingly long, even if in reality it was only for a couple of minutes.
She could not give him an answer for the question that he had proposed, a question that she felt he wanted very much the answer to, for a simple reason; she was not the question's recipient, even if she knew much about the person it should have been directed too.
Her face, which had only been flushed a while ago, now was painted a ludicrous shade of red. She felt so many things at once; she felt befuddled, perhaps even a bit scorned, embarrassed in the shameful way and not the awkward way, and some more feelings in that jumble that she wasn't exactly sure she could give a name to. She avoided his eyes, blinking furiously as her own instinctively watered.
She felt a little annoyed at his laughter, though she guessed he was probably as shaken of the events as she was. Now that she had revealed the truth, in what she thought must be the most unseemly way possible (although she couldn't really think of graceful ways to make light the mistake), she was not very sure of what should come next, in that she would not have preferred this sequence of events, if she had been given a choice. She frowned, her eyelids fluttering a little more, even as she raised her head; she had to face him, no matter how distressed she was.
"Anou... oneechan..." she began.
Her sister had not accompanied her on this trip, which was a rarity; she could understand why Otomo would have made a mistake, but she wondered if it never occurred to him that the two Fujibayashis would probably share a room, or at least that Fujibayashi Kyou would have a roommate. She had only been alone because her twin had backed out on the last minute.
"She... she didn't come." she said, sounding a little apologetic again.
She was still mostly flustered, but she guessed she should speak more to him... perhaps ask him to leave, though she wondered if she had enough nerves intact to just drive him out. The boy seemed to have shifted to asking her to relay the message, or something... or perhaps he was just as flabbergasted about the recent events, and couldn't think of much else to say; it was not like she didn't get what he had been attempting to do. She gathered her remaining scraps of courage.
"...I don't think... that going to a girl's room... at nighttime..." Is a good sort of love confession... is what she neglected to say, as she trembled a little.
She had to remind herself to get it together. She might be overreacting, but Otomo's arrival and continued presence had been uncomfortable... to her. She wondered if she should tell this to her sister... then again... certain details should come from the person himself...
"Maybe you should tell her yourself... when we go home..." she muttered.
She clumsily tried to wipe her eyes, even as she tried to look at him evenly.
|
|
|
Post by Otomo Kojiro on Dec 18, 2011 18:09:37 GMT -6
"Anou... oneechan..."
Kyou was becoming an increasingly elusive person to find on this night. Ryou would know where her Olympic sibling could be, so there was still hope for today. Hope for the trip, where she would be around friends, somewhere she could give him a definite answer without being able to retreat. A place where rumors came and went like the changing winds.
"She... she didn't come."
That made sense. It made perfect sense. He hadn't seen her enter a bus to ferry her to the hot springs, nor had he seen her at the dining area. Feeling a little deflated from the whole thing, maybe even a little ill, Koji let the air out of his lungs. He was inconveniencing quite a few people with everything. Kyou, Ryou, his cousin, even Tomoya, whom he'd foolishly stalked to try and find out what made Kyou so attracted to him (and so he could then mimic that)
Alas, the poor boy founding himself unsure as what to think of this plan to be bold. Okazaki had suggested he increase his boldness, improve his confidence around her. He needed to work a little more on the loss for words and the stuttering problems for that. There would be time later for that.
"She didn't come..." He repeated, as if he was expecting a problem like this to occur. He could rush out into the open and scream it to the heavens. She wouldn't hear it though. It to come from his lips, and be heard by hear ears. Not anyone else's. He realized that now. One thing was certain. this event was another thing he could look back on in years to come, and laugh at.
"...I don't think... that going to a girl's room... at nighttime..."
"Eto... I'm really sorry about that. I was a little desperate to tell your sister before... Well, before it was too late. I'm sorry for imposing." Koji blurted, realizing how impolite he was being barging in on a frightened young woman in the middle of the night, cloaked in shadows. He hung his head in shame. He could've been anyone lurking in the blackness.
"Maybe you should tell her yourself... when we go home..."
Raising his lowered head, the young man was on the cusp of saying something in response. Something to rekindle that determination of his. Something else, in the back of his mind stayed his tongue. Just what the hell was he doing? More importantly, why was he thinking it necessary to go to all these extremes? He was likely coming off as a weirdo, instead of keeping to himself, and going about it his way. Was it a case of taking what his little cousin had urged him too seriously? Shou was tenacious about it, refusing to let it slide. Why was she so concerned? She'd never taken much of an interest in his love life before. Koji found himself confused now, more than anything.
"I should..." he began, struggling to find the correct words for this situation, "to be honest, I don't even know what I should do anymore. I like your sister, a lot, I really do. I have done since freshman year, when I saw her take down two idiots who started harassing you. But..."
Who was he going to blame for this? Himself? His cousin? The world? Or why not, for a change, blame no-one, and forget this ever happened, and leave Fujibayashi Kyou to her life? He was being a bother to her, and her sister. Cursing his actions, he regretted even putting the stupid pseudo-heartfelt letter in her locker.
"Fujibayashi-san... I think I'm making a terrible mistake rushing into all this. I... I barely know your sister as a person. Here I am, at your door, pouring out my heart like some idiot. I'm always acting like an idiot around Kyou." He explained, on the cusp of crying himself. He pulled his head back into the inky dark to dab away the forming moisture in the corners of his eyes. Now he was calmer. Now he had a new request.
"Fujibayashi-san. Would you mind if I came in for a few minutes and talked? About me. About your sister, and about Okazaki-san."
|
|
|
Post by Fujibayashi Ryou on Dec 23, 2011 2:55:27 GMT -6
She fidgeted some more, but slowly the tremors in her psyche were subsiding.
"Too late?" she breathed softly, yet audibly.
While Otomo-san had rubbed her in the wrong way with his impromptu outburst, she was starting to be a little less wary, a little less hostile, of his appearance. It was true that it would be much better for her ringing nerves, the younger Fujibayashi thought, if the boy had exited promptly after his mistake, at least in the short term. But he had apologized when he had realized his transgression, as soon as he had recovered from the shock, and perhaps Otomo-san was not so... rude, after all, merely misguided. He seemed politely embarrassed, even.
Just the other day she had been acquainted with his cousin, who had attempted to slip in a good word or two for him, though of course she did not know what to do with such opinions. Now it was he himself who had appeared before her, by a twist of fate, echoing his younger relative's observations. She was not very sure what he could do for him, as even her own relationship problems have her in a mess. Earlier she had been more inclined to decline, too. However... maybe she could tolerate him for a few more minutes. Even if he was making her remember about Okazaki-kun.
She inhaled, and then exhaled; apparently she could not get herself to be more steady. She remained sitting upon her bed; she was not confident she could summon the strength to stand. "You've let yourself inside already, Otomo-san." she joked, though the shadow of discomfort still encroached upon her face. He looked as troubled as he was... that had been what made her reconsider. Not how she was troubled with a guy entering her room, but how she was troubled with a friend confessing to her... except it was he who had the urge to confess, and who had been wondering what to do with it.
"I'm not sure if talking to me would help..." she expressed, as she attempted to fix the crooked bits in her smile, which should have been reassuring (but of course, when you weren't reassured yourself, that is a tall order). She reached for the handle of a nearby cabinet shelf, and inside it was her trusty deck; she took it. Perhaps she was making a mistake with this; after all, it went against sense.
"But... okay." she decided, hoping that her choice was not as misguided as Otomo-san's little raid. She readied her ears to listen, even as she clasped her cards in her hand.
|
|
|
Post by Otomo Kojiro on Dec 27, 2011 11:56:58 GMT -6
Great. I never cease to amaze myself.
"I'm not sure if talking to me would help...
Once again the class representative was right. Talking wouldn't solve very much at this point. Ryou was here. Her sister was not. The emotionally-charged statement intended for other ears. All talking would serve to do, is give the young lad an opportunity to ease his rattled nerves. These past weeks, days even, had been rolling by, packed to the brim with events. A little push from a family member resulting in social snowball, rolling down a hill, gathering complications on it's journey to the bottom. But perhaps he needed to peace of mind before he went completely mad.
"But... okay."
Koji was silently thankful. Another round of apologies for imposition and rudeness would begin to sound like a broken record if he kept it up. Letting his legs and feet do the talking, he took another few steps into Ryou's deathly silent room He stood off to one side, unsure of whether it proper for him sit or remain standing until offered a seat. His silence was more deafening than any shrill noise concocted by nature. He had stopped being nervous minutes ago. Nervousness gave way to his shame. How crossed were his wires? Why did he not act upon these feelings he professed to have for this girl's sister much sooner? it almost felt like he was late for a party, and had forgotten to buy a present. Now he was rushing around looking for something appropriate after seeing another guest to the party bring a sizable offering. It was a decent, if a little crude an analogy. Useful in this situation.
"It's like... Someone's birthday party," Commenced the boy holding his hands out as if to say he were holding an imaginary box, "It's like a party... And I haven't got the present yet. Someone else has already got a fantastic present to give, and I just do nothing, because I won't go and get it."
Koji shook his head. No. That wasn't quite right. He'd hit the nail on the head. Just not hard enough. Not wishing to insult Fujibayashi Ryou's intelligence, he dropped the current explanation in favor of something slightly newer. Something more direct. Something understandable.
"This whole mess I've started with your sister. It's like it's her party. Okazaki-san's suddenly got a big, amazing present for her. No-one else thought to give her this. It's thoughtful, and she'd love it. But," Koji continued, swallowing hard to rid himself of a lump forming in his throat, "I think I'm starting to think that... Oh, how can I put it? Like the thing I decide to get, I thought it wouldn't be as good, or better at first... But now. Now it's like I don't want to get her anything. Like I just want to wish her well and be a friend to her. Nothing more."
Koji leaned against the wall, folding his arms across his chest, the rise and fall of it echoing the only noise he made; his slow, steady breath.
"Oh, I don't know what to think about it anymore. I feel like I let myself get talked into doing something drastic and outlandish." He explained, mentally thinking back to the first things that had attracted him to the sister of the girl before him. Then all the way up to his like/love conflict, and his cousin's statement about the matter, almost like a call to arms rather than a suggestion. Shou was a rather manipulative and boisterous little woman. Koji likely needed but a little push to run off on his idealistic crusade.
|
|
|
Post by Fujibayashi Ryou on Jan 1, 2012 1:53:14 GMT -6
after the storm... "In certain respects, you might be mistaken, Otomo-san."
The cards in her hand gave her strength, she imagined, just like in some of her fortunetelling sessions.
She backtracked, and realized that she had encountered certain things of this sort before... there had been people who, when they asked for her to tell what would happen to them, had rather heavy questions... or questions that lacked abstraction. (Amusingly, some of her answers lacked the usual abstraction soothsayers usually spread upon their replies.)
Of course, there were a dozen differences that set this apart; for one, she had all the facts at her face, in her face, even. There was the fact that the one who was pouring his feelings was a boy, and well, besides the confessions, boys didn't usually go pour their feelings out. And, well, last but not the least, she was very involved in this, as well.
She endeavored to continue, to explain. For one thing, our birthday's still some ways off... okay, I won't say that. She remembered something she had talked about with Otomo's cousin, she who seemed to have been behind this rather troubling series of events. "Oneechan might want Okazaki-kun's present..." she trailed.
(It seemed she was to be forced to deal with the idea of her crush as she dealt with Otomo-kun. Oddly, it didn't seem as... uncomfortable anymore. Just a dull thudding... did it mean something?)
"But is Okazaki-kun going to give that present to her?" she said, after a long pause. It was a present I had coveted... She had followed Otomo-san's metaphor... she wondered if she should have stated it more clearly. She wondered if she should have not said it at all. But she could not think of anything else. She could not assure him that he would have a chance, because she honestly did not know.
To his second set of statements she apologetically smiled, shrugging. She almost wanted to share her own dilemma right now, but she did not know him much, even if he had been so open of himself, because of this certain twist of fate. She wondered if it would comfort him to know she was similarly troubled; she wondered if talking about it would comfort her.
"How about not thinking about it?" she said, not really knowing what she was saying. She offered the deck in her hand, now outstretched, offering the stack for the boy to shuffle... OC: I'm becoming Koji's therapist. X.X
|
|
|
Post by Otomo Kojiro on Jan 3, 2012 21:25:28 GMT -6
"In certain respects, you might be mistaken, Otomo-san."
Mistaken. Koji didn't doubt that for a second. At this stage every fight or flight though fleeting across his neural pathways were a mixed bunch. Did he really love Ryou's sister? He didn't not love her, and certainly cared for the girl, that much was certain.
"Oneechan might want Okazaki-kun's present..."
A disheartened sigh. Kyou liked Tomoya. It was clear as crystal. Perhaps she even loved him with all her heart, and it was killing her not to know how the young man felt about her. Who could know what went on inside her head? The anticipation for the delivery of her 'present' from Okazaki.
"But is Okazaki-kun going to give that present to her?"
Before Koji could give thought to it, Ryou had already declared the flip side to his pondering. Would Tomoya even give that present to Kyou? Would he return her feelings if he knew?
"I wonder if Okazaki-san is the type of person to give someone such a present." Koji whispered near-silently, not wishing to sound cruel, but alas, it did sound cruel, no matter what way he said it in. Dredging up his past. The hushed murmurs of a less-than-adequate home life, a drunk father, a deceased mother. Koji's heart sank. He was saddened greatly to think that the lack of love in Tomoya's life could lead him to lack the capacity to love in return. If one did not know, nor feel something, then how could one hope to show it to someone else?
Koji noticed Ryou's smile. That was something bright to see. It blew his argument out of the water. Even if there was no love in his home life, he still had loving friends who cared about him, did he not? It wasn't that he was incapable of showing love. It was likely that he had simply forgotten how to in it's temporary absence. It was quite a startling epiphany.
"How about not thinking about it?"
Koji smiled. His analogy was not wasted on this bright young girl. He had suddenly stopped thinking about things. It was... Strange. Strange not to think about it. Not to pick apart the pros and cons of a situation mentally. As strange as it was, Koji felt liberated. To not think about something, and just take a leap of faith... Was that what Tomoya was suggesting before? Take a lover's leap and see where he'd land. With a little luck, it'd be a safe landing. If not, he'd impact hard and break something. Perhaps he'd find something he wasn't looking for.
Willingly taking the deck of cards from Ryou's hands, Koji split them in two, and began a slow, clumsy shuffling of the cards. He repeated his clunky process for five repetitions before straightening the deck up neatly, and passing it back to Ryou. He'd purged all thoughts from his head by picturing the long, descending network of wood, metal and nylon that made up the neck of a guitar. A simple construct for the boy to imagine. He didn't even notice he was merrily grinning.
"Do the cards say anything about the presents, or what I could possibly give your sister?" Koji asked, this time without thinking. Ryou hadn't offered to tell his fortune of course, but it didn't stop him from taking his first, if small, leap of faith without putting second thought to it.
|
|
|
Post by Fujibayashi Ryou on Jan 9, 2012 9:43:17 GMT -6
oracles are colorblind. "Yosh." the younger Fujibayashi whispered to herself. This was her battlefield.
She had realized, as Otomo-san had been fiddling with her cards to randomize the order, that her advice to the boy could just as well be applied to herself. She had... she had been thinking quite a lot, even asking people outright about her quandary. Perhaps things would be clearer if she paused to not think, and so, she did.
For a moment she had watched the parts of her deck switch from one of her classmate's hands to the other, until he seemed satisfied, and handed it back to her. She smiled. Maybe Otomo-san's visit was not as much as a nuisance as she had assumed it to be. (It would help if he would be less abrupt the next time, though.)
Now, however, she was in her element, in her battlefield. She did not know any other way to deal with the young man's concerns; she had just about as much experience in matters of love as he. So she came up with the way she dealt with troubling, unforeseeable things. She pretended she could foresee them. And in so doing, she might just actually be... foreseeing them.
Chance, chance.
"Seven of clubs." she intoned, as she drew the card. This represents... him. Otomo-san. "You have been given many things, perhaps too many. You might have to choose, to make yourself clear. You cannot have too many flowers in your hands." Ryou frowned a bit with the last sentence, as if she was unsure just why she said the last one. Oh well. With these sort of things, what I say, is what I say.
"Eight of spades." she revealed next. Oneechan? Hmm... "Of course, when you give, you shall receive... but you may not be able to give enough. You might be forced to read more books?" Her brow wrinkled, her eyes squinted, as if she were reading the stuff she was saying from somewhere. Perhaps she was. "Or perhaps none at all."
"Queen of Diamonds." The conclusion. "You might think others better than you, but just as they have something you don't have, so do you have something they don't." She inhaled. Maybe she was lengthening the sentences too much. "Your princess might be in another castle, even as you peer at the moat. Check first."
She exhaled, as she finished. She backtracked, recalling everything that she had said. She did not think she made sense all of the time, but those who came to her thought she did. Well, fortunetelling did not have to make sense. Just like life.
"I'm sorry, I might have made it even more confusing for you." Ryou apologized. I hope it helped.
(She might have been too... dramatic. Maybe she should have gone with making it more mundane, more tangible... although some people said it turned creepy when she did so, but they never really explained why...)
I really hope it did, because that's all I can do... for now. OC: Cards brought to you by random.org.
|
|
|
Post by Otomo Kojiro on Jan 9, 2012 17:02:30 GMT -6
"Seven of clubs."
Koji looked on as Ryou revealed the seven of clubs, presenting it to him. It was refreshing for the young man to see what yet may be without having to think about it, and certainly not to the point of giving himself a headache. Ryou was quite obviously in her element, and thus she continued on, with Koji giving his full attention.
"You have been given many things, perhaps too many. You might have to choose, to make yourself clear. You cannot have too many flowers in your hands."
'You might have to choose' That one line stuck out. The rest of Ryou's explaination to what this particular significance the seven of clubs held, was also important. The concept of choice was not alien to him. A large choice with consequences. He was given a choice once. To live with his mother and brother, or to seek out his father and live with him. He had made his choice. Needless to say he chose to live with his heartbroken mother. It would have been selfish to leave the poor woman who brought him into this world alone with the inevitable moving out of his brother.
The choice here eluded him somewhat. He cared a great deal for Kyou, but was there another person? The only other girls he knew were Furukawa Nagisa, and Sakagami Tomoyo. Whilst Nagisa was a sweet and earnest girl, he didn't feel that way about her. Could Ryou be alluding to Tomoyo? He was quite good friends with her, and they seemed to have things in common. Koji couldn't deny that the junior was a very charming person. But she was running for Student President. If Ryou possibly meant the two of them were connected by the red string of fate, then her duties could get in the way.
"Eight of spades. Of course, when you give, you shall receive... but you may not be able to give enough. You might be forced to read more books?"
Koji nearly laughed. Though he wasn't very good at gauging his fortune from these cards, he knew exactly what this one meant. Kyou's notoriety for attacking with a book blitzkrieg. Or maybe he was wrong Maybe it was that strange girl in the library that people had talked about.
"Or perhaps none at all."
Ryou set out her third, revealing it to be the Queen of Diamonds. Ryou's unique predictions were both fun and interesting to be a part of, and up until now, he'd merely been an observer. Now it was his turn to be privy to her sagely fortunes. Koji was pleased with them thus far.
"You might think others better than you, but just as they have something you don't have, so do you have something they don't. Your princess might be in another castle, even as you peer at the moat. Check first."
"There is... There is this friend of mine. Maybe she's the princess in the other castle. Someone I might have missed when I wasn't paying attention." Koji responded after minutes of silence. Tomoyo was nice girl, but he'd never given any thought to her in that way, or for her to feel that way about him. In keeping with his new idea of not thinking about things as Ryou suggested, he simply acknowledged the possibility.
"I'm sorry, I might have made it even more confusing for you."
Koji shook his head. Ryou was quite wrong. If anything she'd opened up a new road for him. When he had the chance, he would ask Sakagmi what she thought of him. And who knew? Perhaps something might be there. He needed only to take a leap into the unknown.
"No need to apologize. You made more sense than you think. As for me, I think I have an idea on what to do next..."
|
|
|
credits
Clannad is a product of Key. Dango Daikazoku holds no legal rights or claims to the images or the characters that are used on the site. No materials on this site are used for commercial purposes.
Site code provided by ProBoards and modified by Karu. Skin created by Karu. Site created by Whammy of RPG-D. Please do not copy without consent.
Site banner made by Pixiv id 13750517.
Background image by Cynnalia-stock.
Cafeteria image by Pixiv id 202175.
|
|