Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ Scars ❯ Memories ( Chapter 9 )

-------Scars------

-Genrou -

Houjun blinked. "Did you say something? Oh, geez, have I been staring at you? I'm sorry..."

I smiled. "Hey, `s ok. I know I'm a good lookin' guy…" I was faintly disappointed that he hadn't reacted to the name `Chichiri.' Well, what did you expect, idiot? Chichiri's just some guy from a dream.

Houjun blushed, laughing a little. "Well, since you're obviously very confident about that, you don't need my reassurance, no da."

I laughed along with him. "Come on, an ego boost never hurts..."

He just smiled.

Glancing at the clock, I stood and set my empty coffee mug on the counter by the sink. "Hey, I told Kouji I'd meet him at th' park at ten-thirty. I'm gonna be headin' ta work after that, so I'll be gone fer a while." I looked at Houjun. He nodded.

"All right. What time does your shift end?"

"Six. I oughta be back here by...say, six-fifteen?"

He nodded again. "I'll see you, then."

"Try not ta miss me too much, `kay?" I laughed, opening the door.

Houjun shook his head, smiling. "Bye!"

--Houjun --

I frowned at the coffee mug on the countertop. I needed to get Genrou to take care of his dishes...Sighing, I picked it up and swished warm water around it. I'd just set it on the top rack of the dishwasher when the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Houjun. It's Hikou."

"Oh, Hikou! What's up?" I noticed a battered paperback lying on the floor a few steps away.

"Nothing. Genrou just stole Kouji from me, that's all. I'm bored."

"Come over, if you like."

"Thanks. I think I will." I could tell by the tone of his voice that he had been hoping for an invitation when he had decided to call me. "I'll see you in a few minutes then."

"All right."

I hung up the phone and somehow managed to maneuver my crutched so that I could pick up the book on the floor. Glancing at the cover, I saw that it was a much-read copy of Watership Down. I smiled. I hadn't read this for ages. I figured I was about due.

I was immersed in the book by the time Hikou arrived. I did manage to hear his knock, though, and I turned down the corner of an already dog-eared page before rising to get the door.

"Hey." I stood aside, holding the door open to allow Hikou inside.

He glanced around, smiling. "Nice to see that you haven't let Genrou make a mess of this place yet."

I laughed and wondered how much of a disaster Genrou's old apartment had been. Judging by the dishes he consistently left at the side of the sink, I thought I had a pretty good idea. "Yeah, I've managed to battle the clutter that springs up around him..." I joked, leading Hikou into the living room. "Sit down."

He did. "So, how's it going? With Genrou, I mean."

"Fine, no da, just like I said in the email."

"Well, I like to ask about this stuff in person. Emails don't give you tone of voice or facial expressions." Hikou smiled.

I grinned. "What facial expressions do you think you're missing?"

"I don't know, that's why I wanted to see them."

"Well? Did you see any important ones?"

"No." Hikou sighed, as though disappointed. "I was hoping you'd blush or something, but I guess I'm going to have to try harder to find proof that you've got a crush on Genrou."

My eyes widened and I blushed slightly before getting my face under control. Unfortunately, Hikou hasn't been my best friend since first grade for nothing. He can read my expressions-or lack thereof-better than anyone.

"You do like him, don't you!"

I shook my head, stuttering denials, while the flush on my cheeks gave me away.

Hikou laughed. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

I sighed and fell silent. Sometimes I wished Hikou didn't know me quite so well.

-Genrou -

Kouji thought it was hilarious.

At least, that was what I gathered from his laughter.

"Sorry, buddy," he chuckled. "But I called this one so quick it ain't even funny."

"If it ain't funny, then why are ya laughin'?" I asked, annoyed. "And what d'ya mean, ya called it?"

"Firs' thing I said ta Hikou when we left after helpin' ya move in was, `They'd make a cute couple, don'cha think?'"

I raised my eyebrows. "Oh, yeah? An' what'd Hikou say t'that?"

Kouji stopped laughing. "Well, he said that y'would, if ya could have a conversation withou' long, awkward pauses. An' now y'can! But..."

"What else did `e say?"

"Well, he said that...that Houjun's straight..."

"Jus' my luck, huh?" I sighed.

"Hey, 's like I said," Kouji started grinning again. "I never knew anyone, guy or girl, who could resist ya when ya liked `em."

I laughed. Anyone who didn't know me wouldn't have been able to hear the sadness I the sound. "Well, Houjun ain't like anyone I've ever met."

"Y' really are gone, ain'cha?" Kouji laughed too.

"Hey, Kouji, I gotta run. My shift starts in--" I checked my watch "-fifteen minutes. Catch ya later?"

"Sure." Hikou waved as I left. "Hey!" he called after me. "Good luck with Houjun!"

I shook my head, grinning. I seem to do that a lot around Kouji...

*****

When I got back to Houjun's apartment ("My apartment, too," I reminded myself,) I realized that I didn't have my key with me.

"Damn," I muttered.

I knocked on the door. "Houjun? It's me."

Fortunately, he wasn't in one of his dead-to-the-world thinking moments. He answered the door pretty quickly.

"Hey," I said, smiling.

"Hi," Houjun said cheerfully. "Do you feel like cooking, no da? Because I really don't."

"I c'n cook instant ramen, macaroni `n' cheese from a box, pancakes from a mix and French toast." I ticked the foods off on my fingers. "Oh, yeah, an' scrambled eggs." I looked at Houjun. "Any a' those sound good?"

Houjun laughed. "Want to just eat out? My treat."

"I c'n pay," I said, not wanting to impose on him.

"No, I want to." He said.

I blinked. "Okay..."

"So," he said. "Where do you want to go?"

We ended up at a small Chinese restaurant downtown. Over peapods and beef, orange chicken and pork fried rice, Houjun tried to convince me that tea is the only appropriate beverage to drink with Chinese food.

"But I don' like tea..." I muttered, as Houjun flipped over the small, rounded teacup that rested next to my plate. He filled the cup with tea, and I sighed resignedly, grabbing a sugar packet from the box on the table.

I was about to upend the open packet over my teacup when Houjun stopped me.

"Too much sugar will make the tea sickening." He warned me.

"Oh." I said, glancing down at his hand, which still rested on mine.

He noticed, too, and jerked his hand away, apologizing as his cheeks reddened. I smiled slightly.

The tea was still disgusting, but I managed to get through a cupful, which seemed to satisfy Houjun. The waiter came with the check and the fortune cookies. I took the one pointing at me and cracked it open.

Do not stop pursuing that which you desire, no matter how difficult the trials you encounter.

I blinked at it. "Right," I muttered, crumpling it and placing it in my pocket.

"What?" Houjun looked up from his own fortune.

"Weird fortune." I answered.

"Mine says that I should `be most affectionate today', no da."

I laughed and looked at my watch. "Well, it's 7:45 righ' now. Ya don' have much a' `today' left,"

He grinned and payed the bill. "Come on, let's go home."

I nodded.

The drive home was uneventful. We pulled into the parking lot of our apartment building chatting amiably about nothing. At the door, Houjun stopped and looked at me.

"Thanks for the date, Genrou. I had fun, no da." He paused, and then laughingly asked, "Do I get a goodnight kiss?"

I looked at him, my face serious. He met my eyes and stopped laughing. We stood that way for a few minutes, neither of us daring to breathe.

I couldn't tell you who moved first. Maybe we both moved at the same time. Slowly, both of us leaned inward until our lips brushed gently.

It was as though an electric shock had passed through me, and suddenly my mind was flooded with images.

And I remembered.

I remembered everything. Miaka and the warriors of Suzaku, the search for the Shinzahos, the fight against the Seiryu side...and Chichiri.

My Chichiri. The reserved, polite monk who always had a kind word and advice ready when I needed it. The reason I had spent years traveling after our ordeals were over. My soulmate, who had promised that no matter what happened, he'd find me in every life we lived throughout time.

But I remembered something else too. It wasn't from that life. It was from back when I was a thief, living on the streets.

He had blue hair. It stood out. Trying to take his wallet. He noticed. Caught, need to get away, grab the knife, quick slash. Knife frees itself with a jerk. Horrible scream.

Running, running, running. Getting away.

Getting away from the memory.

"Chichiri," I gasped.

Houjun looked up at me, his eye full of a love that tore at my heart. "I found you, Tasuki."

----To be continued.

The angst starts here. Hang on, it'll be a wild ride...Stick with me, though, I'm gonna try to make it happier. Geez, I always write things I don't like. Angst depresses me, and here I'm writing that. I can't stand Tasuki/Nuriko, and yet I wrote "I Just Want Him to be Happy".

Oh, and I did make up Genrou's fortune, but Houjun's is one I've actually gotten. Twice. In a row. You think I'm being told something?

~Ambika