Real (A Suzu/OC Story) Chapter 16 Now Up

[DanjaDoom]

Please please PLEASE capitalize the word I. For fucks sake, I'm not trying to offend you but god damn, I just hate seeing uncapitilized I's.

Uhhh...ok

[The O.H.L.]

Please please PLEASE capitalize the word I. For fucks sake, I'm not trying to offend you but god damn, I just hate seeing uncapitilized I's.

Uhhh...ok

Yeah, random criticism but it's just really annoying.

[DanjaDoom]

So, as some of you (*cough*Meal*cough*) have pointed out, the last chapter wasn't my best. I happen to agree.
Hopefully this chapter will be a good return to form
Anyway, comments and critiques are GREATLY appreciated
My jimmies won't be rustled, it's cool.

Chapter 4: She Said She Said
I awake to the sound of rapping on wood and muffled sunlight in my face. With a grunt, I pull myself up from the carpet into a standing position. My muscles are thoroughly sore from a night on the hard floor, and my arm has a telltale streak of carpet burn on it. I take a look around Suzu’s room, and it looks even dirtier than last night, if that’s even possible. I suppose I was more tired than I thought last night. That may explain the whole Literature club thing...

The noise seems to have awaken Suzu as well. She jolts awake, a small gasp escaping her lips.

Our eyes lock for a few seconds, and she seems to have forgotten that I was even here last night. I half-expect her to run out screaming, though thankfully she settles for just looking confused.

Another series of knocks breaks us from our stupor, this time accompanied by a voice.

“Suzu, get your butt up, class is gonna start in twenty minutes!”

Molly sure seems to get grumpy in the morning.

Suzu looks frantically between the door and me; she looks at me once again and nods toward the bed. Taking the hint, I not-so-gracefully crawl underneath; it’s a tight fit, but I manage to squeeze through.

If anything, the area underneath her bed is even worse than her room. Wrappers and various crumpled articles of clothing dot the area around me, including, to my discomfort, a bra.

I hear the click of a door lock as Suzu allows Molly inside, a metallic gleam shining off of her prosthetics as the sun hits.

“I’ve been knocking on your door for the last hour and you never answered! I swear, you’re a handful sometimes,” Molly chides. Suzu shifts her feet in embarrassment.

“S-sorry, I had another...episode.”

She says the last word quietly. I’m no expert on narcolepsy, so I can’t decipher whether she’s telling the truth or just trying to cover her ass.

There’s a short pause, and it’s Molly’s turn to shift uncomfortably.

“Erm, right, sorry...” she says regretfully. A few seconds later, she visibly perks up and begins leading Suzu outside.

“Well, it’s good you slept in your clothes, I suppose. Now you’ll just need to do your hair and straighten your outfit a bit.”
She says something else, but by that time they’re already in the hallway. Molly closes the door behind her, and I crawl out from my hiding place.

Now comes the hard part.

Accessing my inner Solid Snake, I silently make my way towards the halls.

The dorms are luckily largely devoid of people; they must have gotten out to class earlier.

Thank God for Japanese studiousness.

Not wanting to try my luck by heading out of the main entrance, I head towards a nearby staircase and find a back exit. It’s a much longer walk towards the main building, however, and I practically have to jog to get to the main building.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, not even my olympic sprinting is enough to beat the clock, and I walk into class a few minutes late.

I flash an apologetic smile towards Mutou, who luckily only punishes me with a disapproving glance. It looks like they’re pretty lenient about tardiness here, though when a good amount of your student body is wheeling themselves around, I guess that makes sense. I lock eyes with Lelouch and Akio on my way to the desk. They say nothing, but their looks speak volumes.

"Don't talk about last night"

Fine by me.

I take my seat and the lesson continues.

Science was always my worst subject, and here at Yamaku it’s no different. Most of it goes in through one ear and shoots out of the other in one glorious and presumably messy shot. No offense to Mutou, of course, he seems like a nice enough guy. Maybe I’ll catch him someday at the pub and we could share a round; or not, he really looks like the type to drink alone.

I glance over at Suzu, whose making a (pretty poor) attempt at feigning listening, and is instead scribbling lazily in her notebook. At first glance it appears to be a random series of thick, random zig-zags strewn haphazardly around the page. Upon closer inspection, it turns out to be a forest, the trees leafless and jutting out at violent angles. In the center, surrounded by a small sphere of white light, is a small, Charlie Brown-esque girl, smiling and holding a flower.

Suzu catches me staring and hurriedly switches to another page.

I mutter an apology and turn back to the board, where Mutou is in the process of explaining electron diffractions.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The day goes on without much incident, bar Miki’s usual matchmaker antics, including goading Suzu and I to put our straws into one milk carton and drink while Molly takes a picture.

After lunch ended, however, Suzu was nowhere to be found in the afternoon classes. I chalk it up to her just being tired after a long night with me.

Wait, that came out wrong...

I can’t say I really blame her for wanting some alone time, last night was pretty awkward for both of us. I can’t help but wonder where are we headed with this. Maybe Suzu is just taking pity on the newest schmuck to get carted off here. Maybe this whole thing is just a big elaborate prank that’ll go horribly wrong and end up with a field trip to the hospital.

I shake off these cynical thoughts and decide to go for a walk around campus.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The school is relatively free of people around this time. A few of the sports clubs and various study groups linger around the grounds, enjoying the beautiful spring weather. At first glance, it’d be easy to mistake Yamaku for a park, what with the abundance of fauna and forest life nearby.
It’s a great place to kick back, chat with friends, read a book, all sorts of things.

Book...

It occurs to me that I haven’t been to the library once in my time at Yamaku. My textbooks were dropped off to my room while I was in class (apparently as a part of my ‘isolationist’ program), and I do all my studying on my laptop in my room. Reading a manga out in the spring breeze definitely sounds like a relaxing time.

Off to the library it is then.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The library has a certain air of refinement to it, and I can tell it’s probably one of the older areas here at Yamaku. Despite that, a few modern elements exist, including a line of computers among the walls, a few of which are already occupied. Still, I expect there to be the classic old librarian, glaring at you if your voice rises above a whisper.

I hear a shuffling behind the wooden counter nearby. Thinking it’s most likely a library worker, I decide to ask for help.

“Excuse me, do you ha-”

BONK

A solid something hits underneath the counter, hard enough to shake the computer and a mug of coffee on top.

“Ow,ow,ow!”

Contrary to my expectations, it’s not an old lady, but a young, bespectacled redhead. She’s pretty cute too, though she looks a tad too old to be a student.

“C-can I help you?” she asks politely, rubbing the top of her now bruised cranium.

“Sorry about that, didn’t mean to disturb you,” I begin.

“No,no, it’s fine, honestly, really! It was my fault for neglecting my duties, I should’ve been more attentive! “ she stammers, seemingly horrified at the thought of me being inconvenienced.

“Uhm, right, you wouldn’t happen to have a manga or comics section here, would you?”

Her expression falls again once again. It’s like she’s in a perpetual state of depression.

“We don’t I’m afraid, sorry...”

She says it as though she’s telling me my puppy got run over by an eighteen wheeler.

“Well, thanks anyway for the help, Ms....?”

Yuuko begins to bow her head at a pace that that would put most heavy metal bands to shame.

“I-I’m so sorry, that was incredibly rude of me! I’m Yuuko, I’m the librarian here. I take care of the books,” she announces.

“Well, that’s generally what a librarian does,” I joke, trying to lighten the mood a bit. “I’m Aaron Fukui, I transferred here a few weeks ago.”

It seems to work a bit, thankfully, as Yuuko produces a nervous smile.

A loud thud from nearby causes us both to jump. A woman with medium length hair and half-moon glasses is bent over a cardboard box stuffed with a multitude of old books.

“Dammit, sorry about that, Yuuko, these things weigh a ton,” calls a female voice.

“Keiko, please, watch your language...” Yuuko announces trepidly, now aware of the students looking back at us from their computers. The woman rubs the back of her head and laughs nervously, ruffling her auburn hair. Wait, that hair looks familiar...

“Ms. Tanaka?” I ask.

Sure, enough, the familiar face from my face day of school looks in my direction and looks me over for a second. Her face then breaks into a smile.
“Oh, I remember you! The wrestler guy, right? It’s been a while.”

“It’s only been a few weeks, but it’s good to see you too,” I say with a coy smile. I don’t know where she gets the idea that I’m a wrestler, though.

She laughs and brings the cardboard box she dropped to the counter. Seeing she’s struggling a bit, I go over to help her.

“Thank you, guess my old back’s not what it used to be,hah!”

I wink at her. “You can’t be that old, I’m sure you get love letters from all the boys here.”

She chuckles, and we set the box down on the countertop.

Yuuko looks somewhat flustered by Ms.Tanaka’s rather frank manner of speech, especially with a student.

“So what are you doing down here in the library?” I ask.

Ms.Tanaka loosens her arms and back out before answering.

“It was my day off, Yuuko needed help to restock the shelves, so I figured I’d come down to lend a hand. Considering my deadbeat boyfriend ditched our dinner date to go to an ‘office party’, I needed something to do today...” she answers.

I’m not entirely sure that last comment was needed, but it was certainly humorous.

“Have you two known each other long?” I inquire.

“We both arrived here around the same time. We were around the same age, we started to chat after school, and I guess we just clicked,” Yuuko says.

Ms. Tanaka smiles mirthfully before turning her attention back to me.

“So, is a big guy like you going to sit back and make us girls do all the work?” she teases.

I move from my slumping position and assist Yuuko and Tanaka with the remaining boxes. I can’t blame Tanaka for cursing, these boxes are much heavier than they let on. The process of lifting the boxes from the lounge in the back to a nearby moving cart takes about ten minutes. The last box is let down with a grunt, and a layer of sweat begins to form on us. Tanaka wipes perspiration
from her brow and leans her body against the counter.

“How’s about joining us in the lounge for a drink or two?” she asks me, a friendly smile on her face .

I raise an eyebrow at her suggestion, and Yuuko looks like she’s ready to keel over.

“K-Keiko, you can’t ask a student that, are you insane?!” she asks indignantly.

Her yelling seems to be attracting more attention to us, ironically.

“Yuuko, come on, I’m talking about a couple sodas. I’m not gonna throw this kid down and shove Kissui down his throat.”

The librarian thinks this over for a second before giving a very reluctant “fine.”

Well, it’s not like I was planning on doing much today. A couple drinks should be fine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now on my fourth bottle of Ramune, my inhibitions have largely dissipated. I’m convinced the drinksspiked with something, but I’m not complaining.

Ms.Tanaka, or as she likes to be called, “Ms.T” (leading to a very humorous mental image of her with a mohawk and gold chains), is happily sipping away at her flask, which she assures me isn’t filled with what I think it is. Even Yuuko appears to have let her hair down a bit, metaphorically speaking.

“Having fun?” Tanaka asks.

I shrug a bit and chuckle.

“Yeah, but I guess I’m kinda curious why you invited me back here. This seems like the start to some weird doujin or something.”

I just made a sex joke to a couple of faculty members didn’t I?

Predictably, Yuuko goes molten red, while Ms. Tanaka laughs uproariously.

“Sorry, son, you’re a bit too young for my tastes!”

My mortification lessens a bit and I laugh along with her.

After cooling down a bit, she answers my previous question.

“You just have this look about you, I suppose. Like you’re an easy guy to get along with, to talk to.”

This sounds about right. My whole life I’ve listened to people I know tell me their life problems. They never expect an answer in return; they just talk, and I just sit there.I’ve never quite understood it. Maybe it’s a special gift, or a mutant power.

Maybe it’s just my lot in life. To be an ear. Or a wall for people to shout their problems at.

Either way, I’m born to be a listener it seems. It’s not too bad, really. Everyone needs someone to listen, after all.

“Something on your mind?” Yuuko asks.

I look up from my lap and towards the two women. I think back to a certain green-eyed, blue-haired problem swimming around in my head. It seems a bit silly to bring up girl troubles to the librarian and a school counselor; on the other hand, they are girls, and no doubt Ms.Tanaka will give me an honest answer.

Hail Mary time.

“There’s this girl...”

“You knocked her up?”

“KEIKO!”

“Just kidding, Yuuko...”

“No, it’s not that thankfully, it’s just...I don’t really know what to think of her.”

Ms. Tanaka and Yuuko lean forward. It’s pretty nice having someone else listen to me for a change. I probably shouldn’t get used to it though.

“I mean, she’s pretty friendly...I think. She’s pretty upfront, except she...isn’t. Hell, she’s just sending out mixed signals at this point. I’m no expert on the female mind, I was hoping you two could help me out?”

My thoughts have not only managed to confuse me, but the two women listening.

“So, you like her, right?” Yuuko questions.

“Well, I suppose...”

No. No more doubts, no more introspection. It’s about time I be honest with myself.

“Yeah...yeah, I do.”

“You could, maybe, tell her then?”

“I don’t know if it’ll be that easy. Besides, I haven’t known her for that long, wouldn’t it be a bit strange to admit how I feel?” I rebuke.

Tanaka takes one last swig from her flask and sighs.

“A love hidden is a love that never blossoms.”

Yuuko and I are unable to hold back a groan at this cheesy line.

“Give me a break here, I’m a counselor, not a romance writer!” Tanaka defends.

Yuuko ignores her pouts and continues the stream of advice.

“Maybe she’ll understand your feelings, maybe she...won’t. To be honest, there’s really no way to tell how these things will go. But, better to have tried and failed than never tried at all and all that ,right?”

“Thank you, Yuuko dear, for repeating what I just said.” Tanaka interrupts, a hint of playful bitterness in her voice. Yuuko returns with a sheepish grin before both start giggling.

Ms.T adjusts her spectacles on her nose and stands up in her seat.

“Well, it’s been fun, but it’s about time for me to be off.”

We share quick goodbyes as she makes for the door. She suddenly stop at the threshold and
turns to me.

“One more piece of advice.You should cut the Holden Caufield stuff.”

Seeing my look of confusion, she gives me a warm smile.

“You think too much,” she answers. With that, she exits, leaving me and Yuuko alone in the lounge.

Without warning, I laugh, catching Yuuko off guard. It’s not polite, subdued laughter, but a genuine, from the gut laughter.

“Y-you shouldn’t laugh at Ms.Tanaka, it’ll encourage her,” she says.

I finally cease my chuckling and smile apologetically.

“Sorry, Yuuko, it’s just...she’s right,” I say.

Yuuko gives a knowing smile, despite her obvious puzzlement.

“Kei-I mean, Ms.Tanaka is a very smart lady, if a bit...unorthodox. She knows what she’s talking about.”

I nod. “She’s definitely smart, and definitely unorthodox.”

“It’s nice to have someone you care about, you know. Even if things don’t go how you plan, well, you always have your friends, right?” she continues. There’s a hint of melancholy in her voice. Perhaps she’s had some personal experience in all this?

She seems to catch on to her change in mood, and perks up in an instant.

“Well, good luck with Suzu!”

I feel my throat go dry, and Yuuko clamps her hands over her mouth so tight I fear she may crush her jaw.

“U-uh-” is all I can manage to spit out. I’m sure my face looks downright comical about now.

Yuuko laughs sheepishly and explains.

“I always see you two at lunch, so I just figured...was it a lucky guess?”

I regain my composure and confirm her suspicions. Her face takes on an uncharacteristically vivacious smile, almost like a schoolgirl gossiping with friends.

Her grin falters as she catches sight of a nearby clock on the wall.

“Wah! Has it been that long already?! You better head back before curfew!”

Not wanting to get my new favorite librarian in trouble, I give a quick bow before rushing off through the double doors and back towards the dorms. A few faculty members are already outside patrolling, and I give them a polite nod as I pass by, which they return in kind.

By the time I get back to my room, more students are shuffling in like hermit crabs.
I get inside and plop down almost immediately on the comforter. I still have clothes I need to fold from the washer, but screw it, my arms are still sore from all that box lifting.
I may have let off some good bravado back there, but in reality I’m scared shitless. For a 5’4 narcoleptic, Suzu’s pretty damn intimidating. For all I know, there’s a silent rage built up that’ll unleash itself upon the nads of the next sap who tries to hit on her. My hands move to cover my nether regions at the thought.

I lay my head down on the pillow and let sleep drift over me. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a long day.

[DanjaDoom]

So, as some of you (*cough*Meal*cough*) have pointed out, the last chapter wasn't my best. I happen to agree.
Hopefully this chapter will be a good return to form
Anyway, comments and critiques are GREATLY appreciated
My jimmies won't be rustled, it's cool.

Chapter 4: She Said She Said
I awake to the sound of rapping on wood and muffled sunlight in my face. With a grunt, I pull myself up from the carpet into a standing position. My muscles are thoroughly sore from a night on the hard floor, and my arm has a telltale streak of carpet burn on it. I take a look around Suzu’s room, and it appears even dirtier than last night, if that’s even possible. I suppose I was more tired than I thought last night. That may explain the whole Literature club thing...

The noise seems to have awakened Suzu as well. She jolts up, a small gasp escaping her lips.

Our eyes lock for a few seconds, and it looks as though she's forgotten that I was even here last night. I half-expect her to run out screaming, though thankfully she settles for just looking confused.

Another series of knocks breaks us from our stupor, this time accompanied by a voice.

“Suzu, get your butt up, class is gonna start in twenty minutes!”

Molly sure seems to get grumpy in the morning.

Suzu looks frantically between the door and me; she looks at me once again and nods toward the bed. Taking the hint, I not-so-gracefully crawl underneath; it’s a tight fit, but I manage to squeeze through.

If anything, the area underneath her bed is even worse than her room. Wrappers and various crumpled articles of clothing dot the area around me, including, to my discomfort, a bra.

I hear the click of a door lock as Suzu allows Molly inside, a metallic gleam shining off of her prosthetics as the sun hits.

“I’ve been knocking on your door for the last hour and you never answered! I swear, you’re a handful sometimes,” Molly chides. Suzu shifts her feet in embarrassment.

“S-sorry, I had another... episode.”

She says the last word quietly. I’m no expert on narcolepsy, so I can’t decipher whether she’s telling the truth or just trying to cover her ass.

There’s a short pause, and it’s Molly’s turn to shift uncomfortably.

“Erm, right, sorry...” she says regretfully. A few seconds later, she visibly perks up and begins leading Suzu outside.

“Well, it’s good you slept in your clothes, I suppose. Now you’ll just need to do your hair and straighten your outfit a bit.”
She says something else, but by that time they’re already in the hallway. Molly closes the door behind her, and I crawl out from my hiding place.

Now comes the hard part.

Accessing my inner Solid Snake, I silently make my way towards the halls.

The dorms are luckily largely devoid of people; they must have gotten out to class earlier.

Thank God for Japanese studiousness.

Not wanting to try my luck by heading out of the main entrance, I head towards a nearby staircase and find a back exit. It’s a much longer walk towards the main building, however, and I practically have to jog to get to the main building.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, not even my olympic sprinting is enough to beat the clock, and I walk into class a few minutes late.

I flash an apologetic smile towards Mutou, who luckily only punishes me with a disapproving glance. It looks like they’re pretty lenient about tardiness here, though when a good amount of your student body is wheeling themselves around, I guess that makes sense. I lock eyes with Lelouch and Akio on my way to the desk. They say nothing, but their looks speak volumes.

“Don’t talk about last night.”

Fine by me.

I take my seat and the lesson continues.

Science was always my worst subject, and here at Yamaku it’s no different. Most of it goes in through one ear and shoots out of the other in one glorious and presumably messy shot. No offense to Mutou, of course, he seems like a nice enough guy. Maybe I’ll catch him someday at the pub and we could share a round; or not, he really looks like the type to drink alone.

I glance over at Suzu, whose making a (pretty poor) attempt at feigning listening, and is instead scribbling lazily in her notebook. At first glance it appears to be a random series of thick, random zig-zags strewn haphazardly around the page. Upon closer inspection, it turns out to be a forest, the trees leafless and jutting out at violent angles. In the center, surrounded by a small sphere of white light, is a small, Charlie Brown-esque girl, smiling and holding a flower.

Suzu catches me staring and hurriedly switches to another page.

I mutter an apology and turn back to the board, where Mutou is in the process of explaining electron diffractions.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The day goes on without much incident, bar Miki’s usual matchmaker antics, including goading Suzu and I to put our straws into one milk carton and drink while Molly takes a picture.

After lunch ended, however, Suzu was nowhere to be found in the afternoon classes. I chalk it up to her just being tired after a long night with me.

Wait, that came out wrong...

I can’t say I really blame her for wanting some alone time, last night was pretty awkward for both of us. I can’t help but wonder where are we headed with this. Maybe Suzu is just taking pity on the newest schmuck to get carted off here. Maybe this whole thing is just a big elaborate prank that’ll go horribly wrong and end up with a field trip to the hospital.

I shake off these cynical thoughts and decide to go for a walk around campus.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The school is relatively free of people around this time. A few of the sports clubs and various study groups linger around the grounds, enjoying the beautiful spring weather. At first glance, it’d be easy to mistake Yamaku for a park, what with the abundance of fauna and forest life nearby.
It’s a great place to kick back, chat with friends, read a book, all sorts of things.

Book...

It occurs to me that I haven’t been to the library once in my time at Yamaku. My textbooks were dropped off to my room while I was in class (apparently as a part of my ‘isolationist’ program), and I do all my studying on my laptop in my room. Reading a manga out in the spring breeze definitely sounds like a relaxing time.

Off to the library it is then.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The library has a certain air of refinement to it, and I can tell it’s probably one of the older areas here at Yamaku. Despite that, a few modern elements exist, including a line of computers among the walls, a few of which are already occupied. Still, I expect there to be the classic old librarian, glaring at you if your voice rises above a whisper.

I hear a shuffling behind the wooden counter nearby. Thinking it’s most likely a library worker, I decide to ask for help.

“Excuse me, do you ha-”

BONK

A solid something hits underneath the counter, hard enough to shake the computer and a mug of coffee on top.

“Ow, ow, ow!”

Contrary to my expectations, it’s not an old lady, but a young, bespectacled redhead. She’s pretty cute too, though she looks a tad too old to be a student.

“C-can I help you?” she asks politely, rubbing the top of her now bruised cranium.

“Sorry about that, didn't mean to disturb you,” I begin.

“No, no, it’s fine, honestly, really! It was my fault for neglecting my duties, I should have been more attentive! “ she stammers, seemingly horrified at the thought of me being inconvenienced.

“Uhm, right, you wouldn't happen to have a manga or comics section here, would you?”

Her expression falls again once again. It’s like she’s in a perpetual state of depression.

“We don’t I’m afraid, sorry...”

She says it as though she’s telling me my puppy got run over by an eighteen wheeler.

“Well, thanks anyway for the help, Ms....?”

Yuuko begins to bow her head at a pace that that would put most heavy metal bands to shame.

“I-I’m so sorry, that was incredibly rude of me! I’m Yuuko, I’m the librarian here. I take care of the books,” she announces.

“Well, that’s generally what a librarian does,” I joke, trying to lighten the mood a bit. “I’m Aaron Fukui, I transferred here a few weeks ago.”

It seems to work a bit, thankfully, as she produces a nervous smile.

A loud thud from nearby causes us both to jump. A woman with medium length hair and half-moon glasses is bent over a cardboard box stuffed with a multitude of old books.

“Dammit, sorry about that, Yuuko, these things weigh a ton,” calls a female voice.

“Keiko, please, watch your language...” Yuuko announces trepidly, now aware of the students looking back at us from their computers. The woman rubs the back of her head and laughs nervously, ruffling her auburn hair. Wait, that hair looks familiar...

“Ms. Tanaka?” I ask.

Sure, enough, the familiar face from my first day of school looks in my direction and looks me over for a second. Her face then breaks into a smile.
“Oh, I remember you! The wrestler guy, right? It’s been a while.”

“It’s only been a few weeks, but it’s good to see you too,” I say with a coy smile. I don’t know where she gets the idea that I’m a wrestler, though.

She laughs and brings the cardboard box she dropped to the counter. Seeing she’s struggling a bit, I go over to help her.

“Thank you, guess my old back’s not what it used to be, hah!”

I wink at her. “You can’t be that old, I’m sure you get love letters from all the boys here.”

She chuckles, and we set the box down on the counter top.

Yuuko looks somewhat flustered by Ms. Tanaka’s rather frank manner of speech, especially with a student.

“So what are you doing down here in the library?” I ask.

Ms. Tanaka loosens her arms and back out before answering.

“It was my day off, Yuuko needed help to restock the shelves, so I figured I’d come down to lend a hand. Considering my deadbeat boyfriend ditched our dinner date to go to an ‘office party’, I needed something to do today...” she answers.

I’m not entirely sure that last comment was needed, but it was certainly humorous.

“Have you two known each other long?” I inquire.

“We both arrived here around the same time. We were around the same age, we started to chat after school, and I guess we just clicked,” Yuuko says.

Ms. Tanaka smiles mirthfully before turning her attention back to me.

“So, is a big guy like you going to sit back and make us girls do all the work?” she teases.

I move from my slumping position and assist Yuuko and Tanaka with the remaining boxes. I can’t blame Tanaka for cursing, these boxes are much heavier than they let on. The process of lifting the boxes from the lounge in the back to a nearby moving cart takes about ten minutes. The last box is let down with a grunt, and a layer of sweat begins to form on us. Tanaka wipes perspiration
from her brow and leans her body against the counter.

“How’s about joining us in the lounge for a drink or two?” she asks me, a friendly smile on her face .

I raise an eyebrow at her suggestion, and Yuuko looks like she’s ready to keel over.

“K-Keiko, you can’t ask a student that, are you insane?!” she asks indignantly.

Her yelling seems to be attracting more attention to us, ironically.

“Yuuko, come on, I’m talking about a couple sodas. I’m not gonna throw this kid down and shove Kissui down his throat.”

I recognize the name of that particular sake drink, thanks to a few "office parties" held by my family, similar to the one Ms. Tanaka's boyfriend's attending.

The librarian thinks this over for a second before giving a very reluctant “fine.”

Well, it’s not like I was planning on doing much today. A couple drinks should be fine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now on my fourth bottle of Ramune, my inhibitions have largely dissipated. I’m convinced the drinks spiked with something, but I’m not complaining.

Ms.Tanaka, or as she likes to be called, “Ms.T” (leading to a very humorous mental image of her with a mohawk and gold chains), is happily sipping away at her flask, which she assures me isn’t filled with what I think it is. Even Yuuko appears to have let her hair down a bit, metaphorically speaking.

“Having fun?” Tanaka asks.

I shrug a bit and chuckle.

“Yeah, but I guess I’m kinda curious why you invited me back here. This seems like the start to some weird doujin or something.”

I just made a sex joke to a couple of faculty members didn't I?

Predictably, Yuuko goes molten red, while Ms. Tanaka laughs uproariously.

“Sorry, son, you’re a bit too young for my tastes!”

My mortification lessens a bit and I laugh along with her.

After cooling down a bit, she answers my previous question.

“You just have this look about you, I suppose. Like you’re an easy guy to get along with, to talk to.”

This sounds about right. My whole life I've listened to people I know tell me their life problems. They never expect an answer in return; they just talk, and I just sit there. I've never quite understood it. Maybe it’s a special gift, or a mutant power.

Maybe it’s just my lot in life. To be an ear. Or a wall for people to shout their problems at.

Either way, I’m born to be a listener it seems. It’s not too bad, really. Everyone needs someone to listen, after all.

“Something on your mind?” Yuuko asks.

I look up from my lap and towards the two women. I think back to a certain green-eyed, blue-haired problem swimming around in my head. It seems a bit silly to bring up girl troubles to the librarian and a school counselor; on the other hand, they are girls, and no doubt Ms.Tanaka will give me an honest answer.

Hail Mary time.

“There’s this girl...”

“You knocked her up?”

“KEIKO!”

“Just kidding, Yuuko...”

“No, it’s not that thankfully, it’s just...I don’t really know what to think of her.”

Ms. Tanaka and Yuuko lean forward. It’s pretty nice having someone else listen to me for a change. I probably shouldn’t get used to it though.

“I mean, she’s pretty friendly...I think. She’s upfront, except she...isn’t. Hell, she’s just sending out mixed signals at this point. I’m no expert on the female mind, I was hoping you two could help me out?”

My thoughts have not only managed to confuse me, but the two women listening.

“So, you like her, right?” Yuuko questions.

“Well, I suppose...”

No. No more doubts, no more introspection. It’s about time I be honest with myself.

“Yeah...yeah, I do.”

“You could, maybe, tell her then?”

“I don’t know if it’ll be that easy. Besides, I haven’t known her for that long, wouldn’t it be a bit strange to admit how I feel?” I rebuke.

Tanaka takes one last swig from her flask and sighs.

“A love hidden is a love that never blossoms.”

Yuuko and I are unable to hold back a groan at this cheesy line.

“Give me a break here, I’m a counselor, not a romance writer!” Tanaka defends.

Yuuko ignores her pouts and continues the stream of advice.

“Maybe she’ll understand your feelings, maybe she... won’t. To be honest, there’s really no way to tell how these things will go. But, better to have tried and failed than never tried at all and all that, right?”

“Thank you, Yuuko dear, for repeating what I just said.” Tanaka interrupts, a hint of playful bitterness in her voice. Yuuko returns with a sheepish grin before both start giggling.

Ms.T adjusts her spectacles on her nose and stands up in her seat.

“Well, it’s been fun, but it’s about time for me to be off.”

We share quick goodbyes as she makes for the door. She suddenly stop at the threshold and
turns to me.

“One more piece of advice. You should cut the Holden Caufield stuff.”

Seeing my look of confusion, she gives me a warm smile.

“You think too much,” she answers. With that, she exits, leaving me and Yuuko alone in the lounge.

Without warning, I laugh, catching Yuuko off guard. It’s not polite, subdued laughter, but a genuine, from the gut laughter.

“Y-you shouldn't laugh at Ms.Tanaka, it’ll encourage her,” she says.

I finally cease my chuckling and smile apologetically.

“Sorry, Yuuko, it’s just... she’s right,” I say.

Yuuko gives a knowing smile, despite her obvious puzzlement.

“Kei-I mean, Ms.Tanaka is a very smart lady, if a bit... unorthodox. She knows what she’s talking about.”

I nod. “She’s definitely smart, and definitely unorthodox.”

“It’s nice to have someone you care about, you know. Even if things don’t go how you plan, well, you always have your friends, right?” she continues. There’s a hint of melancholy in her voice. Perhaps she’s had some personal experience in all this?

She seems to catch on to her change in mood, and perks up in an instant.

“Well, good luck with Suzu!”

I feel my throat go dry, and Yuuko clamps her hands over her mouth so tight I fear she may crush her jaw.

“U-uh-” is all I can manage to spit out. I’m sure my face looks downright comical about now.

Yuuko laughs sheepishly and explains.

“I always see you two at lunch, so I just figured... was it a lucky guess?”

I regain my composure and confirm her suspicions. Her face takes on an uncharacteristically vivacious smile, almost like a schoolgirl gossiping with friends.

Her grin falters as she catches sight of a nearby clock on the wall.

“Wah! Has it been that long already?! You better head back before curfew!”

Not wanting to get my new favorite librarian in trouble, I give a quick bow before rushing off through the double doors and back towards the dorms. A few faculty members are already outside patrolling, and I give them a polite nod as I pass by, which they return in kind.

By the time I get back to my room, students are shuffling in like hermit crabs.
I get inside and plop down almost immediately on the comforter. I still have clothes I need to fold from the washer, but screw it, my arms are still sore from all that box lifting.

I may have let off some good bravado back there, but in reality I’m scared shitless. For a 5’4 narcoleptic, Suzu’s pretty damn intimidating. For all I know, there’s a silent rage built up that’ll unleash itself upon the nads of the next sap who tries to hit on her. My hands move to cover my nether regions at the thought.

I lay my head down on the pillow and let sleep drift over me. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a long day.

[Guestimate]

You doubled up. Besides that, another good chapter. I do have to wonder, with his condition (blind left eye, right?), how long it will be before something quite literally hits him out of left field. Could make for a small bit of humor in the right context.

[DanjaDoom]

You doubled up. Besides that, another good chapter. I do have to wonder, with his condition (blind left eye, right?), how long it will be before something quite literally hits him out of left field. Could make for a small bit of humor in the right context.

I'm definitely thinking of doing something along those lines. I've been kinda avoiding his condition a bit, so I'll be addressing it a little later on.

And yes, blind left eye, heh.

[Daitengu]

Sure, enough, the familiar face from my face day of school looks in my direction and looks me over for a second. Her face then breaks into a smile.
“Oh, I remember you! The wrestler guy, right? It’s been a while.”

[DanjaDoom]

Sure, enough, the familiar face from my face day of school looks in my direction and looks me over for a second. Her face then breaks into a smile.
“Oh, I remember you! The wrestler guy, right? It’s been a while.”

d'oh

[griffon8]

Sure, enough, the familiar face from my face day of school looks in my direction and looks me over for a second. Her face then breaks into a smile.
“Oh, I remember you! The wrestler guy, right? It’s been a while.”

d'oh

You corrected the error in the second post. You have two posts that are identical except for that corrected error in a row. I suggest deleting the contents of the first one.

[DanjaDoom]

Hey all. I was away from the forums for week for a reason I probably shouldn't say, heh.
Anyway, this chapters a bit short, but I was worried that I wasn't giving enough time to Suzu(a.k.a the reason you're reading this story).
As always, comments are GREATLY appreciated, so say what you have to say . Enjoy!

Chapter 5: Blues

A hammerfist puts an abrupt end to the banshee wail of the alarm clock. I may have overdone it a bit and broken the thing, but oh well.

I check the time on the thankfully still intact alarm. Jesus, 6:00 in the morning? I can’t remember the last time I woke up that early.

Falling back to sleep proves to be impossible, much to my dismay. The dim hallway light is seeping through the crack under my door, and early morning light is breaking through the linen curtains. Already I hear faint footsteps from students off to their club meetings. I’ll never understand how these people do it so early in the mornings.

Well, it’s about time to tap into the Japanese side of me that’s been pushed away for so long.

Resigning myself to the fact that I’m not falling asleep anytime soon, I push my raggedy carcass from the bed, grab some clothes, and head for the showers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My shower schedule can be broken down thusly: five minutes of washing, twenty minutes of life contemplation.

Letting the warm water cascade over my body, I scrub thoroughly with a sponge around my left eye. The scarring is especially susceptible to infection, according to the doctor, and requires at least five minutes of scrubbing every other day. It’s annoying, to say the least, but I suppose it’s better than walking around with a pus spewing abomination on my face.

After a while, I start to think about Suzu again. Even after these two weeks, there’s still so much I don’t know about her.

What if this whole thing is a mistake? Maybe Suzu was intentionally avoiding me, trying to steer clear of the creep who likes to fall asleep in girls’ laps. My stomach lurches at the thought. If there’s one thing high school girls are good at, it’s gossiping. For all I know, I may have ruined my entire life here at Yamaku.

“You think too much.”

Ms. Tanaka’s words echo through my ears.

I breathe in the steam of the hot shower and steel my resolve. I have to tell her.
Even if things go up in smoke, I at least need to tell her how I feel. I’ve never been good with sappy stuff, but I suppose there’s a first time for everything.
Exiting the bathroom, I’m met with glares from other dorm occupants apparently waiting for their turn in the bathroom. Fuck them, they don’t have to confess their love to a girl today.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The lunchroom fare isn’t any better than usual, but I nonetheless find myself wolfing it down like a last meal on death row. It’s one of the odd traits I adopt whenever I’m nervous.

Miki looks up from her chicken scratch hell she calls a notebook. “You know, you are going to eat again in a couple hours.”

“Building up my carbs,” I answer through a mouthful of curry. It’s a pretty moronic excuse, but it’s the best I could come up with off the top of my head.

Miki raises an eyebrow at my obviously bullshit explanation.

“For what, exactly?” she asks, her tone ripe with playful suspicion.

“What, a man can’t get hungry once in awhile?”

It comes off as more defensive than intended, and now my lunchmates appear more suspicious than ever.

Well, at least one of them. Molly is staring off towards the far corner of the cafeteria, her pen tapping absentmindedly against her notebook. I follow her line of sight and end up at a table occupied by a few male students, including the blonde art student from our class. Miki takes notice as well, and decides to give up on pursuing the reasons for my gorging.

“How’s the Takashi today?” she asks, barely able to contain her devilish giggle.

Molly lets out a squeak similar to a field mouse, and returns to her notepad with a rose blush in her cheeks. It reassures me a bit to see someone else struggling with teenage love, as mean as that sounds. It also serves to remind me of a certain task that I’ve been putting off all day today.

“Have you guys seen Suzu around?” I ask.

Their faces fall slightly, as if an unpleasant memory suddenly popped into their heads. It’s disconcerting.

“I saw her a few hours ago, she said something about reading in the old auditorium,” Miki answers. Her tone is pretty level, but the impish edge to her voice is gone.

A comical picture of Suzu wearing a white mask and cape, stirring around in the rafters pops into my head. Something tells me that Miki and Molly don’t find this situation all too funny, however.

“I didn’t even know we had an auditorium here...” I answer.

Miki shrugs and feigns interest in her Algebra textbook. Next to her, Molly is engrossed by a sticky substance on the far corner of the table. This whole thing is fishy, to say the least. Knowing Suzu’s condition, it could be hazardous for her to be in an unknown place without any people around. The three girls are almost never separated, so why now?

“Is there something you’re not telling me?”

They both jump a bit, perhaps under the impression that their attempts to dodge the subject would work. They didn’t, unfortunately. I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I know when someone’s not telling me something.

Molly is the first to break the silence. “Today is... a special day for Suzu. Well, maybe not ‘special,’ but she likes to be alone whenever this day comes.”

“For what?” I ask, though I don’t particularly want the question answered.

Miki chimes in this time. “It’s...”

She pauses. Her tongue twists behind her teeth in a serpentine manner, measuring her words.

Ultimately, she resigns to stay silent. “It’s not really my place to say. You should just ask her yourself if you really want to know.”

Miki the gossip hen not talking? It really must be important. I nod respectfully before rising up out of my seat.

“Where are you going?” Molly asks.

“To ask her.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Looking back, it probably would have been a good idea to ask where the freaking auditorium is.

The theatre department itself was easy to find, but its sheer size and complexity make it next to impossible to find your way around without some beforehand knowledge. Not to mention that nearly every request to point the room out was met with hurried refusals from the various students scampering place to place.

Eventually, I come across a hallway devoid of life, a multitude of faded props and tables stacked around. At the end of the hall, a lone double door. Above the double door, a sign reading “Auditorium.”

My past experiences with long and empty hallways have led to some pretty disturbing experiences, so I’m naturally apprehensive going down.

A ghostly chill emanates from the doors, and the scent of old wood polish assaults my nostrils.
The interior of the theatre is deceptively large and surprisingly ornate. Aside from the tell-tale frays at the bottom of the curtains and the faded murals dotted along the walls, it seems to have aged quite well.

The familiar mop of blue in the front row sticks out like a sore thumb among the dull reds and browns.

“Suzu?” I call, trying to not sneak up on her.

She shakes her head a bit and glances back, her hair frazzled in all directions.

“Mind if I sit down?”

She nods and pats a seat next to her. The auditorium looks downright foreboding from the front row. A previously unseen mural depicting a grand Shakespearean battle comes into view, resting above the crimson curtains like a mighty overseer.

“I come here when I want to be alone,” Suzu muses nostalgically.

A bit of guilt settles in my lower abdomen.

“If you want me to leave I can-”

She places a slim finger against my lips, promptly shutting me up.

“No talking.”

She says it with an authoritative yet gentle air, like a mother scolding her offspring.

She takes her finger away from my mouth, and I suddenly feel very hot in my seat.

“It’s quiet here.”

Way to point out the obvious, Aaron.

She smiles a little, a subdued and respectful smile, as if this auditorium was a hallowed sanctuary deserving of reverence.

“I always come here. It’s a good place to think, to reflect. Nobody bothers you... mostly.”

She smirks at me, apparently pleased with her ribbing.

I offer her a smirk in kind. “Seems like a long way to go for some peace and quiet.”

She shrugs. “Maybe. Something about this place, though, just feels right. Like a piece of pie that warms up your stomach.”

Suzu points her chin up and closes her eyes, apparently imagining said piece of apple pie. Admittedly, it's making me pretty hungry.

“How long have you been here?” I ask.

She glances over at me, her chin still vertical.

“Since this morning. I was going to class, but something in my head told me to come here. It just seemed right, especially toda-”

She stops abruptly, and her lips tighten ever so slightly. I flash her a reassuring grin. She meditates on her words for a bit, biting her lip in thought.

Sighing, she reaches into her bag on the next seat over and produces a book. It’s a rather unremarkable sight; its pages are markedly yellowed, their corners ripped and dog-eared. Reading the cover, I find that it’s a poem book.

Suzu’s wispy voice conducts through the heavy air. “This was my mothers. She gave it to me when I was about six or seven. She read it to me every night, before dad came home... he didn’t like me reading.”

Her voice seems to turn a notch quieter every syllable. By the time she speaks again, it’s barely above a whisper.

“She was nice. She always cooked my food, did my laundry, cleaned up after me. Whenever I became tired, she would always hold me. If she wasn’t there, I would fight off the sleep until she was. ”

The “was” in the sentence puts the puzzle together. The reason Miki and Molly were so subdued when I mentioned Suzu earlier. The reason I haven’t seen Suzu these past few days. The drawing...

“So... what happened to her?” I ask.

“She’s alive, if that’s what you’re asking.”

The tightness in my throat gives way to some degree, though I still remain doubtful that this story will end on a bright note.

“We left my father when I was twelve. He worked as a banker, dawn to dusk. I couldn’t shake the feeling that he didn’t really... care. I was a burden to him, the useless girl he had to slave away for every day. He never yelled at me, never hit me. Sometimes I wish he did. It would have been better than just acting like I wasn’t there.”

I reach my chilled hand over and place it on top of hers. It almost completely envelops it. I’m not sure what force is making me so brave, but I don’t dwell on it.

She looks startled at first, but continues her tale nonetheless.

“My father made all the money in the family. Everything around us was about tradition. They never said it out loud, but many of the business people we knew would never hire a woman, especially one who disgraced her husband by leaving him. If I stayed with her, we would have ended up on the street. So I left.”

She says it matter of factly, no melancholy in her voice. The years have ostensibly softened the hardships a bit, but it’s obvious Suzu has yet to fully come to terms to it. How could she?

“You just up and left one day?”

“It... it was hard. Very hard. I didn’t look her in the eyes that day. She was crying in the corner. I picked up some of my toys and clothes and left. We were staying in a motel in some town I can’t remember. I ran out of the door, ran until my feet were blistered. Once the sun went down, I cried. I cried so hard I haven’t been able to since.”

She finishes with an exhale. There are a million things I want to say, but I’m not sure how to say them. It seems Suzu has the same problem.

She caresses the worn volume in her hand with a gentle love.

“I kept the book though.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Identity is what I make out of my given chance
Identity is what I accept and what I deny
No one else has control over me
Life is about me, and what I identify.”

“Who did you say wrote that again?” I ask through a mouthful of kit kat I bought from the vending machine outside.

“Some guy from Mumbai. I’m not sure how to pronounce his name.”

This is the sixth poem she’s read to me. They’re as varied as the people who wrote them. They span all decades, all ethnicities, all societies. Suzu said she adds new ones whenever she can. She says it’s the least she can do for her mother.

“What was that one about the cabin in the snow, the one by Robert Frost?” I ask, discreetly licking chocolate away from my gums.

“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening?”

“Yeah, that one. I think that one’s my favorite. Plus, I mean, the guy's name is Frost, and he’s writing about snow? That’s just comedy.”

Suzu chuckles. “Why do I have a feeling you just like it because it’s the only one you understand?”

I clutch my chest in mock offense. “That was a low blow, Suzuki!”

“Maybe you should go back to reading picture books, Fukui.”

We smile at each other's vitriolic back-and-forths. Suzu turns to one of the earlier pages and points out a poem.

“This was my mother’s favorite.”

I read the title to myself: Dreams by Langston Hughes.

Suzu’s serene voice carries like a breeze.

“Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.”

Looks of nostalgia and melancholy project across her face as she closes the book shut.

“Do you ever regret leaving her?” I ask.

Suzu’s face contorts into a grimace, her body locking uncomfortably.

If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she was about to cry.

Sure enough, a lone tear traverses down her cheek. She wipes away at the salty liquid, staring down her now wet finger like it sprouted tentacles.

I guess I don’t know any better.

She’s struggling to keep it together, but eventually slumps her shoulders in defeat.

“Every day,” she mumbles. Her tears now flow calmly and freely, a catharthis she’s been deprived of for years.

With a grunt, I hoist myself up and kneel in front of her seat. Even on my knees, I’m more or less at eye level with her. She doesn’t seem to notice me at first, still caught in a state of bewilderment.

For reasons I can’t seem to understand fully, I hug her. My face plants firmly into her shoulder, my arms entangle her like a spider. She says nothing, and for a second I think she doesn’t notice me. After a pause that seems like an eternity, she returns the embrace.

It’s more than a little awkward, and wholly uncomfortable for both of us.

“She sounds like a wonderful person Suzu.”

It comes out in a whisper, a weak and pathetic whisper.

“She is. But I’m not.”

The self-loathing just barely cuts through her pained whispers. It’s enough to take me aback, though. “Suzu, you did what you did because you cared about her right?”

She looks up for a second, bitterness still in her eyes.

“I did it because I was selfish. Stupid. I gave up the one thing that still cared about me out of some misplaced sense of honor. I was stupid then and I am now.”

“Suzu, stop that, you’re no-.”

“Yes I am! How would you even know? You don’t even know me!”

I feel like I’ve been kicked in the gut. A pang of regret overcomes Suzu’s face, and she hurriedly turns to avoid my gaze. She quickly settles herself and moves to pack up her things. She takes one last look around her sanctuary and heads for the exit.

I make no effort to stop her.

Only a few rows up, she turns back to face me.

“Sorry.”

It’s barely audible, even in the silence of the auditorium.I can only nod in understanding. There’s nothing more to say at this point.

I glance around at the murals upon the walls. Their faces are twisted into effigies of laughter, anger, fear, resolve, pain. I fail to spot any “having girl trouble” faces. It depresses me a bit. I’d at least have someone to relate to then.

By the time I look back up, Suzu’s long gone. The afternoon sun is beaming through the translucent window panes.

It’s a beautiful sight, all things considered.

[nemz]

Very interesting stuff!

I do have to wonder though how she's managing to pay tuition if she's a runaway... is she a ward of the state like Hanako? Step parents? Surely she didn't go back to her dad.

[DanjaDoom]

Very interesting stuff!

I do have to wonder though how she's managing to pay tuition if she's a runaway... is she a ward of the state like Hanako? Step parents? Surely she didn't go back to her dad.

That'll be explained in a later chapter (in other words,I have no idea right now, lol)

[DanjaDoom]

Unfortunately I was suffering from a debilitating illness known as writers block for the better part of a week.
Luckily I completed a chapter before everyone forgot about me! On a side note, I've been thinking abut a one shot story featuring Miki and Molly, since they're kinda pushed to the side in this story. If you'd like to see it, lemme know! Anyway, comments and critiques are greatly appreciated, so let them at me!

Chapter 6: Moving Pictures
“So how are things at home?”

“Ahh, the usual. Your father still can’t make Lemon and Garlic Roast chicken without smoking up the house. I’m starting to worry...”

I laugh wearily. It’s good to hear from my mother after all this time, but I find myself wishing it could have come at a better time.

“How’s Japan? Your father’s been promising to take me one day, but so far I’m stuck here in Austin. Gah, I’m so jealous!”

She goes silent over the line, evidently realizing the crudeness of her words.

“Well, not jealous, but-”

“Mom, it’s fine, you know it doesn’t bother me. It never has, honest.”

That last line as a subtle dig at my constant therapy sessions before coming here. I know my parents meant well by sending me, but that doesn’t help stop the bitter feelings from creeping their way through every once in a while.

“So, you’re sure you’re ok?”

“Perfectly, wonderfully, sunshine and unicorn shit happy.”

She laughs over the line.

“Your jokes still suck!”

“I learned them from the best.”

Another laugh, which subsides after a while.

“Are you sure you’re alright? You sound a bit down.”

I bite down on my suddenly bone dry lower lips. Mom’s always been the type to see right through bullshit arguments. That, or I’m just a bad liar.

“Just some girl issues, nothing too major.”

I’m cut off by a squeal of delight from the other end.

“My boy’s finally going to get lucky!”

“Mom, for God’s sake, I’m not going to bone every girl I talk to! Seriously...”

“Oh, calm down, it’s just a joke! Well, look, girls love to have someone to talk to. Just listen to what she has to say. Things’ll work out, trust me.”

It’s pretty cliche advice, admittedly, but it’s good to hear my mom supporting me either way. “Thanks, mom, it was good to talk.”

“Anytime, honey. Now go out there and get me some grandchildren!”

I laugh along with her.

“No promises.”

"And remember to wipe your scars every other day!"

"Sure, mom."

And always be extra careful with your left side, remember what happened with the softball!"

"Yes, mom..."

"And always use protection!"

"YES, MOM."

She chuckles over the other end, pleased that her mischievous plans have payed off.

“Love you.”

“Love you too.”

The dull tone signals the end of our conversation. My stomach feels unsettled, like it always does when I finish speaking to my parents over the phone. Even cool kids like me can get homesick once in a while.

A quick succession of knocks catches me off guard. Grumbling, I make my way over to the door. If this is that freaky feminist nutjob I swear...

“Listen, I told you before I don’t want any of your pamphlets so just get the-”

As opposed to a bespectacled nuisance, I'm instead greeted with the scrawny frame of Suzu, looking a bit worse for wear; her hair and clothes are strung with twigs, branches, and other outside flora.

“Surprise!” she slurs, collapsing into my arms not a few seconds later.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Did you get mugged by a raccoon or something?” I ask, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

“I was w-walking over and this bush just came out of nowhere! Bumped right into me, and I was all... I was all 'HEY, WATCH IT ASSHOLE!'”

Her words are slurred and frankly don’t make any sense. They are pretty funny though.

"So, you got attacked by a bush?" I query, only barely managing to stifle my laughter.

"Yep," she answers. "Fuggin... pushed me over so hard it h-hit my narcolepsy switch and I fell asleep..."

"I wasn't aware there was a narcolepsy switch."

"Well, there is! It's very dangerous you know!"

“Why come all the way over here? You could call me you know, you have my number.”

Suzu stays quiet for a bit. Apparently this thought never crossed her mind.

“I w-wanted to talk to you..”

The stench coming from her mouth whenever she speaks is a familiar one to me, and brings to mind various “business meetings” my uncle’s have held over the years.

“Suzu... have you been drinking?”

Suzu answers me with a rather amusing look of indignation.

“W-what the hell bro?! you just g-go ask every broad that, y-you...”

An expertly-timed hiccup interrupts her unintelligible ramblings. I shake my head and assist her in picking leaves out of the folds of her blouse. After the cleanup's done, I pull a bottle of water out from the mini-fridge and place it gingerly in her hands. She chugs half of it down in one sip, leaving some excess moisture dripping from the edges of her lips.

It both amuses and impresses me that I’m not freaking out more than I thought I would. Maybe it’s my body’s coping mechanism to seeing a drunk girl covered with leaves knocking at my door? That must be it.

“Y-you really suck, you *HICCUP* know that..”

I stop wiping her off at this, confused by her words. Is she still mad at me for the other day?

“I g-got home last night... drank a glass... then the next night I drank a... c-couple and then tonight I drank a few three of four or five glasses-”

She stumbles over her last words until they become nothing more than gibberish.

“So what, you’re a lightweight. What does that have to do with me?” I ask in defiance.

She jabs me in my chest, which in her drunken state comes off a bit weak.

“Sh-shut up your face! I’ve just been th-thinkin’ alot...’bout stuff...”’

“Your parents?” I ask.

She shakes her head firmly, and grabs at her cranium after the subsequent headache.

“Just my m-mom...my dad can go F-FUCK himself...”

It’s the first time I’ve heard Suzu use such strong language. The alcohol must be loosening her inhibitions. Which may mean...

Get those thoughts out of your head son!

Yes, conscience...

“You remind me...of him...” Suzu says after a while. Her speech is finally beginning to clear up a bit, at least as far as her stuttering goes.

“Of who?”

She laughs like a child, bringing me in closer to her face. Her breath is hot against my face, and before I can register what’s happening, I feel her lips on mine.

The cheers of a thousand men reverberate through my ears. My father is standing off to the side, a proud tear in his eye. Trumpets blare fanfare and confetti flows through the sky.

Back on Earth, my mind goes blank from the shock, but I find I can recover fairly quickly. I kiss her in return, stopping just short of bringing my tongue into the equation.

After a while, my pesky conscience acts up, and as much as I try to ignore it, I can’t. I love Suzu...but not like this. I break away abruptly, with as much gentleness as I can.

She’s confused for a second, but giggles once again.

“You’re like Jin...”

Before I can ask who exactly “Jin” is, Suzu lets out a mighty yawn and falls unceremoniously back onto my bed, an inebriated smile over her face. She looks like an adorable drunken angel.

I look down at her. Her blouse has hiked up a bit, revealing a bit of her abdomen. It’s tantalizingly soft and pale, with a nice dip at the sides. I gulp a bit, but fight off any animalistic male urges that may want to rear their ugly heads.

With a sigh, I reach for my cell phone. My talk with my mom drained my battery quite a bit, but I luckily have enough to make one more call.

“Answer the damn phone Miki...”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“What the hell was she doing in your room anyway?!” Miki grunts.

Suzu’s heavier than she lets on. I probably could have carried myself with a little effort, but the sight of a boy carrying a girl into her dorm room alone would cause more trouble than it’s worth.

“You tell me, she was the one who was drunk! What the hell goes on in those dorms anyway?” I hiss.

We’re both making an effort to speak in hushed tones to avoid arousing suspicion. By some stroke of luck, we’ve managed to avoid any mishaps so far.

“I didn’t give her anything!” Miki responds defensively. She falters a bit at my accusatory glance, however.

“I didn’t give her much...”

“Aha!”

“It was a gift from my cousins, ok! Suzu asked for a bottle so I let her have it! We’re both adults, it's no big deal! It’s not like I stripped her down and took pictures of her...”

“Did you?”

“NO!”

She says this a bit too loudly, and we attract the attention of a few students wandering back to their dorms. A couple of shit-eating grins from Miki and I is enough to send them on their way, thankfully.

“So, we’re taking her back to her dorm room?” I ask.

Miki stops to readjust Suzu’s arm around her shoulder.

“Nah, we’ll take her to Molly’s room, it’s closer.”

“Does she know about this?” I ask.

She shuffles her feet around uncomfortably.

“I’ll fill her in when we get there...”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After a five minute tongue lashing from Molly about the “irresponsibility” of bringing alcohol into a school and getting a friend drunk, we’re finally allowed inside Molly’s dorm room. Compared to the pigsty hellhole that is Suzu’s room, Molly’s is refreshingly girly. We lay Suzu down upon Molly’s dozen or so stuffed animals, then sit down to rest our weary muscles.

“Aaron, you didn’t do anything to her while she was asleep did you?” Molly asks accusingly.

“Don’t be stupid, I’m not some crazed sex maniac,” I say. I keep my fingers crossed behind my back nonetheless.

“You can never tell. The mind of a teenage boy is a base and barbaric one,” she says sagely, finger pointed upward for that extra scholarly kick.

I elect to not tell them about the kiss Suzu and I shared. I'm not sure how the both of them would take it, but I doubt it'd be good either way.

“So what was she doing at your place anyway?” Miki asks.

“I told you, I don’t know! I could barely understand what the hell she was saying. Said she wanted to talk to me, something about a guy named ‘Jin,’ or whoever.”

A familiar disquietness overcomes the two of them. I can tell the name is a familiar one to them, but they don’t seem to be willing to talk, either out of respect for Suzu or some other reason.

Suzu suddenly begins to stir from her nap and props herself on her elbows. She takes a second to get her wits about her and survey the room. After a while she locks eyes with us, adopting the same confused glance as she had when she discovered me standing in her bedroom that morning.

Molly gets to her feet with impressive speed, leading Miki away by her sleeve.

“Miki, I, uhm, have to pee.”

The crassness coming from Molly of all people elicits a raised eyebrow from everyone else in the room.

“Can’t you just go yourse-?” Miki can barely finish her sentence before Molly forcefully tugs her out the door.

“Don’t go anywhere you two!” she says, peeking her head in through the doorway. Catching on to her intentions, I give her a wink before she heads out.

Suzu, understandably, looks a mess; her bow is crumpled like cloth bacon, her hair is plastered to her face, and her blouse is wrinkled all to hell.

I take a seat next to her, eager to get some answers. My mind tells me interrogating my drunk crush who I just dragged halfway across campus is a bad idea. My guts, meanwhile, cheer me on like drunk frat boys at party.

Fuck it, sometimes it pays to listen to your guts.

“Morning sleepyhead,” I tease.

She says nothing, but judging by the look she’s giving me, that’s probably a good thing.

“How’d I get here?” she asks groggily. Her drunken slurring has been replaced with regular old tiredness it seems.

“Miki and I carried you across campus after you passed out drunk in my room.”

I figure I should be honest if I want honest answers.

“Oh...” is all she manages.

“I don’t think night walks are really your thing,” I tease.

She pouts cutely, straightening out her bow and rubbing out the wrinkles in her skirt.

“I was out at the auditorium, and I fell asleep again...I think it was the alcohol.”

“Why were you drinking it in the first place?” I ponder.

She shrugs half-heartedly. “Because I had it.”

I scoff at her straightforwardness.

“Why come to my room? From where I could see, the girl’s dorm is closer to the auditorium.”

She seems to deliberately be avoiding my gaze. I can see the faintest tinge of red in her face, a fact which gives me a sense of undue pride.

“I wanted to apologize for what I said...”

I move to tell her not to worry about it, only to be met with a finger to my lips.

“No talking,” she says with an authoritative tone.

“You were right. I’m not a bad person. I’m just a person who made a bad choice.”

It seems like she’s admitting this to herself more so than me. Nonetheless, I grasp her hand in support, offering her the warmest smile I can muster. Her cheeks are still a bit flustered from her drunken escapades earlier. For a moment, I can’t even register just how close we are. I can smell the sweet tinge of fruit on her breath, the coolness from the water I gave her earlier.

I want nothing more than to lean closer, to seal in stone my feelings for her. But I don’t.

I’m a coward.

I sit back in frustration, hands gripping the bed comforter. Suzu plays with a loose strand of her hair. She exhales, releasing chilled, fruity breath into the air.

“And I’m sorry I kissed you.”

A bemused smirk appears over my face.

“You don’t have to apologize for that.” I chuckle. It’s one of those jokes you tell girls that are supposed to test how they would react, but I have a feeling it’s gone over her head.

My amusement soon gives way to a grim foreboding.

“Who’s Jin?” I ask her.

Her face scrunches a bit, like she just drank orange juice after brushing her teeth.

“Jin...was my boyfriend,” she answers suddenly.

I feel like an anvil is dropped into my lower abdomen. Even if she said “was,” the thought that someone else-Shit, no, what am I thinking?

Suzu is Suzu. She’s not “my woman” or whatever bullcrap hyper-masculine schtick I was thinking of. She’s perfectly allowed to have dated other men.

“I’m guessing he’s not anymore then?” I ask, erring on the side of caution with my tone.

She nods solemnly.

“It was after I left my mom, a few years back. He found me one day. I was sitting at the bus stop, my clothes were dirty, ragged. He offered to take me to his parents; they were wealthy, they could help me. We just...went together. Like pieces of a puzzle.”

Hearing Suzu, the girl I have a crush on, talk about her past love is more than a little uncomfortable, but I suck it up and hear her out.

“He wasn’t lying. His parents were well off. Even more so than mine. I told them everything. About my home, my narcolepsy, my mom...They didn’t judge me. They just smiled. They just took me in, gave me food, water, shelter, love.”

She brings one of Molly’s animals, a yellow bunny, into her lap. Evidently this story brings up some sour thoughts for her.

“He was always so nice to me. Every time I was with him there was something in his eye, a spark. He watched over me like a guardian, every minute of the day. When I would turn, he would be there, smiling. He always smiled.”

A shiver runs through my spine. Whether it’s due to Suzu’s confessions or the coldness of the room, I can’t tell.

“I don’t know how I was so blind. It was so obvious he loved me. I loved him too...I told myself that lie for two years.”

She elaborates. “ I didn’t feel deep down that I felt the same way he did. One day, Jin’s parents brought me into the living room. They told me that they found a high school just for me, a place that would give special attention to my narcolepsy. They offered to pay my tuition and everything.I wanted to tell them that I was doing fine staying with them. But I just ended up smiling and nodding my head. I didn’t dare disagree with them. Not after all they’d done for me.”

“Jin was devastated,” she continues. “He grew more distant from all of us. It confused me so much, I thought it was my fault. He told me that if I really loved him I wouldn’t go, that I would stay with him. He asked...told me to become his girlfriend, to always be there with him. I said yes. I knew that it wasn’t right, what we had wasn’t right. But I stuck by him, out of some misaimed sense of duty. After all he had given me, what kind of person would I be to say no to him?”

A silence hovers like a cloud over the two of us. We have so much to say to each other, but neither of us want to say anything. I suppose we’re just cowardly like that.

I take the initiative and speak up first.

“So when did you finally break it off?”

She pulls the stuffed rabbit even closer, taking shelter in its warmth and safety.

“A week before I came here, my first year. It just...came out one day. No flair, no dramatics. I just told him that I didn’t love him. Not in that way.”

“How’d he take it?”

“He wasn’t happy, obviously. But he understood, I think. He gave me that smile one more time. A month later, I was off to Yamaku. We didn’t say much before that. We just nodded, said our goodbyes. I miss him sometimes.”

A light drizzle has formed during our conversation. It splatters against the window frames, leaving ghostly trails in its wake. Like a spectre, Suzu moves towards the windowsill, captivated by the pitter patter of the sky’s tears. I make to join her, but relent at the last minute. She’s in her own world right now, a still photo in a moving picture. She breathes into the glass and traces a smiley face with a dainty finger. She turns to speak to me, and her voice sounds more tired than ever.

“I miss a lot of people.”

[DanjaDoom]

Sorry for the double post here, but I just want some opinions. I'm writing a Miki and Molly side story that probably won't be canon with this one. Question is, would you guys rather see a "friendship" version or an "explicit" version?

Feedback for that idea and this story is appreciated

[nemz]

...both?