Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction ❯ Freedom Comes at a Price ❯ ~Discarded Advice~ ( Chapter 2 )

by: AniDragon, aka Riona-chan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ryuuen frowned as he walked into the living room to see Kourin sitting on the couch watching her favorite television show. However, she didn't seem to really care what was going on in it. Even when she laughed at certain parts, it didn't reach her eyes. She had been like that ever since she had become a full member of the Sharing two weeks prior.
"Imouto-chan," He said, and she looked at him with the same smile that she'd been giving these past two weeks.
"Yeah?"
"I'm leaving to see Genrou. When mom and dad get home, you wanna tell them that I'll be back around 10 tonight?"
"Sure," His sister answered half heartedly.
He bit his lip as he turned his back to her. It was getting harder and harder to just ignore her behavior change and to not ask any questions as Genrou had advised him to.
He sighed as he left the house. To be completely honest, he didn't know if he should be saying that her behavior had changed. After all, she was still acting and speaking the same way she always had. Yet to anyone who paid attention, it became obvious that there was something different. Her eyes were cold and distant, and she just seemed to care less about everything that was going on. Not only that, but she had become obsessed with the Sharing. Before she became a full member, she only went about once every two weeks or so, but now she was starting to go every two or three days. When their mom had suggested just the other day that they go for a camping trip in the mountains for a week, she had insisted that she couldn't leave for that long. Their parents didn't seem to notice, but to him, it was obvious that the Sharing had changed her. How, he still didn't know....
But he had a feeling that Genrou did...
Genrou had warned him to stay away from the Sharing. He knew something bad was going to happened to Kourin, but refused to tell him what it was. When Ryuuen had asked him about it on the phone, Genrou changed the subject with a warning to never mention anything about it on the phone again. Phones could be tapped, he had said.
Ryuuen sighed as he arrived at the park where he was supposed to meet Genrou. He was so confused about everything that was going on. He couldn't wait to see Genrou. Things just seemed to clear up whenever the other boy was around. He sighed again and leaned against a tree as he waited. He was a bit early...
As he checked his watch, he heard some snickering behind him, recognizing it automatically as the two who had been bothering him at school when he had first met Genrou. They were getting worst lately, and his patients was running thin.
He wasn't surprised when he saw them emerge from behind the tree and lean on it near him.
"So, Ryuuen, was it?" One of them, tall and blonde, asked him.
"What's it to you?" Ryuuen spat.
The other boy, this one with bluish green hair, took him by the collar and pushed him against the tree, "Don't give us that attitude! We know all about you!"
Ryuuen tried to squirm free of the boy's grasp, "And? Who doesn't? Why does that matter, anyway?"
The boy pushed him further on the tree, "C'mon, now, you know why. Wouldn't want to give our school a bad reputation by having someone like you there! It was bad enough with just Genrou, but your 'type' is starting to spread too far!"
Ryuuen finally got a grip on the boy's arm and managed to push him away enough to get away from the tree, "Oh, please. You're the one who's gonna give the school a bad reputation for picking on people just because they're different. Honestly, you should hear yourself, you sound like some homophobic American[1]!"
This, apparently, was too much of an insult for the boy, who pulled his fist up, then slammed it into Ryuuen's jaw. Just when he was getting ready to throw another punch, a loud voice was heard.
"Back. Off."
Ryuuen turned and smiled when he saw Genrou and called out cheerfully, "Konichiwa!"
The boy dropped his fist at the sight of a very pissed off Genrou, then him and his friend quickly sped away. Genrou ran up to Ryuuen and gently touched the bruised cheek, "Are you okay? They didn't hurt you too badly, did they?"
Ryuuen laughed, "Don't worry about it, I'm used to it! Bullies have been picking on me all my life! I think I can handle a punch or two!"
Genrou frowned, "Why didn't you try to fight back? They'll stop if you do."
Ryuuen shook his head, "I used to, but then I learned that if you don't fight back they get bored with you. If you do, then you usually come out a lot worst."
"Well... Maybe, but so do they...."
Ryuuen smiled and patted Genrou on the arm, "Don't worry about it! It's just a little bruise! The only thing I have to worry about is the speech I'll get from Kourin when I get home!" He tried not to think of the way Kourin had been acting lately. Surely he was only imagining it because of what Genrou had told him at the Sharing meeting...
Genrou bit his lip, then said in a low voice, "How has Kourin been? Has she been acting any differently since she's become a full member?"
Ryuuen's smile melted and he turned so that he wouldn't have to look Genrou in the eye, "She's fine, I don't see why you're worried," He lied.
Genrou took his shoulder and forced Ryuuen to look at him, "I can tell that you're lying. If you deny it, it'll just be more painful later. You might as well face the facts now. Kourin's different. I wish I could tell you more, but I really can't."
Ryuuen pulled away, "There's nothing wrong with her! I wish you'd stop saying that!!!"
With this, he turned and ran off in the direction of his house. He slowed down only once he was sure Genrou wasn't following him, thankful that his house wasn't far away. He forced himself to smile when he got to his driveway. Surely Kourin would see the bruise and give him a speech as she always did, always in a joking tone. He reassured himself with that thought. Kourin was fine, Genrou was just making his imagination run wild. There was nothing wrong with her.
He quickly ran in and called out, "Imouto-chan! Tadaima!"
Kourin turned to look at him, "That was fast. Hey, what happened to your face?"
Ryuuen smiled, "Yeah, a bunch of stuff happened... It's kind of a long story.... Anyway, some bullies were trying to beat me up, but Genrou scared them off..."
Kourin turned back to the TV, "Oh...." She said carelessly, "You know, one of these days those bullies are gonna land you in the hospital."
This was it. Same speech as always. He sighed inwardly. He had just been imagining things. Kourin was the same as always.
"Well, at least I have Genrou to protect me now!"
"Not like you need him. You could beat those people up no problem, and you know it. I don't see why you don't..."
Ryuuen put his hands on his hips, "Hey, at least this way they eventually get bored and leave me alone."
Kourin sighed, "Fine, see if I care."
Ryuuen frowned. Sure, the speech was the same. But the tone of her voice was way different. It was as if she really didn't care. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He was imagining things again. He went up to his room and sat at the computer, checking his email. Still, he couldn't shake off the cold tone Kourin had used with him.
"Damn it," He muttered, "Why did he have to be right?"
He sighed as he deleted all the trash in his e-mail inbox. Suddenly, though, an idea came to him. He clicked on 'compose' and put in the address of his best friend, Houjun. Then he began to type...

Konichiwa, Houjun-kun!

It's me, Ryuuen. I just thought I'd give all of you guys an update on me. It sure has been a while now, hasn't it?

Anyway, I'm doing good. I'm finally starting to get to know the people here, and I even have a boyfriend now. ^^. His name's Genrou. He's really nice, but also a bit... I don't know... Strange.... He warned me to stay away from some club called the Sharing that he's part of.... Kourin's in that club too. It's really weird.... Ever since she's become a full member, she's been really distant and cold.... I don't know what's wrong, but Genrou keeps telling me not to bring it up or mention it to anyone else, but I know I can trust you and the others. You guys are my bestess best friends, after all. ;)

Well, not much else is new. E-mail me back soon, I'd like to hear more from you guys! Is Saihitei still going out with that Houki girl? And what about Doukun and Juan, how are they doing?

You have a lot of updating to do, mister!

~Ryuuen~ ^_~.

Ryuuen hesitated a bit before hitting send, then sighed. Surely, it wouldn't hurt to tell Houjun about Kourin's strange behavior. Besides, it was probably all just some weird joke. He laughed to himself. Now that he thought about it, it seemed obvious that he was worrying for nothing. Houjun would probably laugh at him, but the e-mail was already sent....
He sighed once again and got ready for bed. It was still early, but all this confusion made him tired...
He had just slid under the covers when he heard the dinging sound that advised him that he had new mail. Frowning, he went up to the computer and opened it, only to see that Houjun had already answered.
And his answer only brought back all the panic.

Ryuuen,

Listen to Genrou, stay away from the Sharing. Come visit us some time soon, and bring Genrou with you. We need to talk, and email isn't safe.

Most importantly, don't trust Kourin. And be careful around Genrou, too...

~Houjun~

A sinking feeling filled Ryuuen's stomach. What in the world was going on? If this was a joke, there's no way Houjun could be aware of it. And even if he was, he probably wouldn't go along with it...
He shook his head. It was starting to be a bit too much. He turned off his computer and finally went to bed, drifting off into a dreamless sleep....

~End of part 2~

Footnotes:

[1] This is not meant to be an offense or insult to any American. I just figured that with all the bad dubbing that's out there, Japanese people would probably get the impression that most Americans are homophobic.

~AniDragon, aka Riona-chan~