Your One Stop { [A]isu [K]uriimu } Shop!

Meet Death

2009-06-29T20:35:37Z

I was searching my computer today for the .doc, and I couldn't find the file. I have no idea where the hell it is, but if I've ever sent it to anyone here, I would GREATLY appreciate you getting the file to me. It had all my notes for the story in it and now I don't know what the hell I'm gonna do. -___-

SPARE ME - Entry #13

2008-09-11T15:34:29Z

So then...

2008-09-11T15:31:23Z

Most of you read my works purely because you're part of the Akame fandom and you like the pairing, which of course is fine. However, I have moved on a bit from Akame and have started writing again with original characters...

So basically, the meaning of this entry? If you like my writing style, please follow me to my new writing journal. x]

>> Amnesic Touch <<

So far the only thing I've posted is a one-shot that has already been posted here; Alive in Death. In this version however are the names of my original characters. Feedback is still greatly appreciated, even if you've read it before. xD I will be using this journal to refer my English teachers to. There's a chance I'll still take some of the work from my new journal and Akame-ify it and bring it here if the transition is simple enough.

And... please no references to this journal if you comment in the other one. xD I wish to keep both separate from each other. x]

Also... if you have any questions about the works here -coughmeetdeathcough- I'll be happy to answer them in this entry. x]

SPARE ME - Entry #12

2008-07-01T18:35:24Z

Annyeonghasaeyo~ 안녕하새요~ :O

2008-06-24T14:57:22Z

Aisu's in Korea right now. o_o Has been since... the 8th. So that's why nothing's being written as of now. xD I've been wanting to write a lot while over here though, and I think I've been inspired to write Akame again. O_o So maybe you all will be in for a surprise when I get back.

Korea's SKDHSKJDHSK so far, if you know what I mean. o_o I kinda wanna go home. Maybe I'll make a post with more details on it when I get back. xD All I have to say for right now is that I WAS STALKED HARDCORE ON THE SUBWAY. DX This ass even had a video camera. -_-

Someone save me. Dx

SPARE ME - Entry #11

2008-05-29T15:49:30Z

To You.

2008-05-29T15:48:19Z

Aisu here~

I want to thank everyone and anyone who's ever read any of my stories. ♥ I truly appreciate your feedback and it really did fuel my desire to write. =]

First off, I just want to say that no, this is not a farewell entry. xD More like... a warning?

Akame doesn't quite inspire me to write anymore, which is the current reason for the lack of updates. >_>;; For those following Meet Death [ maybe other stories... but I know you're all waiting for MD mostly ._. ] I'm sorry for not updating soon. >_>;; Chapter 14 is at around 1400 words, but it hasn't moved in a while. -coughslackercough- I don't know if it'll get finished. I'd like to think it will but yeah. o_o I've made enough empty promises as you all know. :D I didn't know I loved to write until I discovered Akame though, so... maybe because I want to feel some sort of accomplishment derived from this fangirling for the past year or so I'll finish it. xD

Moving on~ There's a chance I will finish some of these other fics, though not with Jin & Kame as my main characters. :X But if you love my stories for the way they're written and not just because of Akame, then I'll gladly link you to my new works. <3

Not sure what brought about this sudden change. Wish my fandom wasn't so short-lived. x__x

Thanks for reading, as always~<3
~Aisu

SPARE ME - Entry #10

2008-04-08T03:06:58Z

Title: SPARE ME
Author: Aisu
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Akame
Genre: AU, comedy, romance
Disclaimer: Story = mine. :]
Summary: Quiet studious Kame meets loud playboy Jin through a series of flirtatious encounters.
A/N: Inspired by a true story.

[ 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 ]

ENTRY #10 // March 13th

Jin story of the day.
Our homeroom teacher wasn't in, so the sub had to call out our names for attendance...
{ ♥ }
"Kamenashi Kazuya."

Kame raised a hand so he wouldn't be marked absent, but apparently his name attracted another's attention.

"Hey Kame." Jin waved.
{ ♥ }
I decided to be nice, so I waved back.
But then he said, "Hey,"
and I had to resort to staring down at my desk again.
Why must he engage in conversation?

But of course, looking down at my paper doesn't work anymore.
Because right after his, "Hey," I saw him walking across the room toward my desk.
{ ♥ }
"Ne, is that paper due today?"

"I don't know." I swear if he asks to copy and then starts whining again, I'm going to rip out his voice box, Kame thought.

"Because it says review..." Jin pointed to the board behind Kame where all their assignments were neatly written, implying that because it was a review day, they would be able to keep their homework from the day before to study from.

"She's probably going to go over it and not collect it then," Kame concluded.

"What?"

"She's probably going to review it and not collect it then," Kame repeated himself.

"Okay then," Jin replied and walked back to his seat.

Wow, Kame thought, that was probably the most normal conversation I've ever shared with him. Ever. Maybe if he acted that way all the time, I'd have no trouble being friends with him.

{ ♥ }
But of course, there's first block.
Today, he just would not shut up.
I couldn't ignore him, because when I did, he became this motor mouth.
"Kame, Kame, Kame, Kame," etc.
{ ♥ }
"Kame, look at me," Jin commanded. His voice held a demanding tone; he sounded serious.

It was so funny, the way Jin had said it. Kame debated on whether or not he should finally give way to Jin's request. Since he was unable to achieve silence through disregarding Jin's constant calls however, he decided to give Pretty Boy a moment of attention. Jin's whining instantly came to a halt, now that he was content.

{ ♥ }
We sit with our backs facing the wall.
I always lean back on that wall.
The girl that sits between me and him, Aya,
she was leaning forward over her desk,
so Jin moved his head behind her back so he could see me.

I can't remember what he asked, but I said, "No," or something like that.
He made me repeat myself.
I guess he didn't hear the first time, so I said it louder the second time.
Whatever I said caused him to say, "Okay! Don't need to yell at me... Bipolar..."

Bipolar?! I didn't even yell, baka!

And then he started whining my name again.
You should hear him whine.
{ ♥ }
Kame couldn't help it anymore. He shifted forward in his seat and raised an arm to block his face off from Jin's view. Kame started laughing to himself, because Jin sounded so stupid. Jin remained leaning behind Aya, however. He kept his view of Kame's profile, whispering, "Kame, Kame, over here," because he wanted the boy to turn back around. Once he realized Kame had no intention of looking back again, Jin moved away from the wall and leaned forward as far as he could. He started whispering Kame's name over and over, repeatedly.

"KameKameKameKame," Jin rambled.

"What?!" Kame snapped, looking Jin full in the face. Kame wouldn't have minded leaving Jin sitting there calling uselessly, but he didn't want his classmates to have to endure the irate repetition of his name.

"Will you play a song for me?" Jin asked. "On your flute?"

"No."

"You do play the flute, right?"

"Yes."

Their dialogue overlapped. Jin barely left time for Kame to respond, which resulted in his own delayed reply to the, "No".

"But why?" Jin wondered. "Kame, I lo-"

{ ♥ }
Apparently something needed his attention right at that moment, because he just stopped mid-sentence for about ten seconds.
I couldn't believe what almost came out of his mouth.
Baka.

But then he just resumed the conversation like he had never stopped talking.
{ ♥ }
"But Kameeee," Jin complained, "I love you."

{ ♥ }
Like I said, he can joke about anything.
{ ♥ }
Kame disregarded the comment and Jin stopped talking. He didn't whine or speak to anyone else. He didn't bother Aya or ask the teacher any pointless questions. It wasn't until the end of class that he talked again, and it was only to Kame.

"Hey Kame, you should play the piccolo."

"I do."

"Oh, you do? I thought you played the flute."

"I play both."

"Oh, well, do you have a Picardo piccolo? Isn't that a brand for piccolos? Do you even have one?"

"No."

"Oh, well... I saw it from American Pie."

{ ♥ }
...

A/N (Aisu): Well obviously American Pie is an American film & all, but I couldn't cut this part. xD

Meet Death is comin' along...

Two Ways To Take A Picture - I Loved Yesterday

2008-03-28T06:05:57Z

Two Ways To Take A Picture
Title: I Loved Yesterday
Author: Aisu
Rating: G
Pairing: Akame
Genre: AU
Disclaimer: Story = mine.
Summary: Work, a universal pain in the ass. It’s done because it’s necessary, nothing more. However, as Kazuya passed time at work performing his usual tasks, he would have never expected something so rare and sought-after to find him. He learns that pictures tell so much more than a thousand words, but those words depend on how much insight the viewer holds.
A/N: For charcoalz, the spazztic sister I never had. ♥

Kazuya stood wearily behind the counter. A fake smile adorned his face, as always. This job was something he took just to make some money. That's why people work, he thought, to make money. It may not always be something you enjoy. If people didn't need money to live, then people wouldn't work. But if there was something you could do, and you truly enjoyed it, if there was something you could do, and you truly felt that your day would not be complete without it, if you find this special role that was meant solely for you, what a gift you would have discovered.

However, this rarely occurs.

Of all the people that drag themselves to work every day for the sole purpose of keeping a roof over their heads, their bodies clothed, and their stomachs filled, there are a handful that discover a form of enjoyment that comes along with their job, as there are often situations they can only find themselves in while at work. This handful could be considered 'lucky', because although they may not like their job, they have discovered something to make it worth their while. They are able to wait each day, content, waiting for this special moment to occur.

To be able to wake up in the morning and wear a genuine smile, to be so full of anticipation that your senses have sharpened to the point that you can hear and feel your own pulse beat as if your heart were held by your ear, it is then that you have found a way to live life to its fullest.

This is something most do not experience; this is something most can only ever dream of; and as Kazuya passed time at work performing his usual tasks and making the usual gestures, he would have never expected something so rare and highly sought-after to find him. He would have never guessed that bliss in its purest form would be presented to him, only to slip away so unexpectedly.

{ ♥ }
"How many sets do you want?" Kazuya asked.

"Uhm... How many do you think I should get?"

How many do I think you should get? Kazuya echoed the question in his head. How should I know? I don't even know what's on this roll of film. Probably more stupid poses of you and your boyfriend. Why do you keep flirting with me if you've got him? Trying to make me jealous? I really can't stand girls like you; I just want to do my work, get paid, and leave.

"That all depends on you," Kazuya answered. "If you think it's a bad roll then I'd just get one. You can always use the negatives to get reprints made later." Kazuya watched the brown haired girl contemplate the matter, a slender finger tapping against her cheek.

"I guess I'll just get one, then." She smiled.

"Right," Kazuya politely replied. He marked down a number one. "And your name?" He kept his gaze on the envelope, the pen hovering just above the name box.

"You don't know by now?"

Kazuya hesitated before writing her name out; he did not have to look up to know she was smiling all the while.

Kataoka Akahana; she was a regular customer. She would drop off a roll of film almost every week. She was the camwhore type, and very social. Her pictures generally had several people in them, group shots. If not, they consisted of her and her various boyfriends. Kazuya was debating whether or not she had picked up a new one. He actually found her quite cute. Her auburn locks spilled out over her shoulders and across her back; her bangs veiled a side of her pale face. She had big brown eyes and an innocent smile, child-like. Kazuya had treated her kindly during their first few encounters, however the girl seemed to receive that kindness in a way Kazuya hadn't intended it to be received. Now whenever he saw her figure approach the counter he would try and avoid her by running into the photo lab. On the more unfortunate days however, Kazuya would find himself looking up from the counter, and without meaning to, would establish eye contact with the girl, in which case he most certainly could not retreat into the lab. She took no notice of the change in Kazuya's behavior. This didn't surprise him in the least.

"When do you want these by?" Kazuya asked as he dropped the roll of film into the envelope.

"Not any time soon. I'll pick them up next week, when I finish off another roll."

"Of course."

Akahana turned and walked away from the counter as Kazuya tossed the envelope into a bin containing other rolls of film waiting to be developed. He guessed the number of envelopes the bin held, then began to count them silently. There wasn't much for him to do to pass time. There wasn't always a constant stream of people coming in to drop off their film. Sometimes it was hours before someone else came, sometimes it was five minutes. Yesterday only five people came in. Kazuya took his time. He processed all the film, and printed photos within an hour. He hated yesterday. He almost wished that Akahana would've shown up and tried to chat him up again.

Kazuya had been working at the photo lab for a little over two months now. He never held much of an interest in photography. It was just a procedure for him. Process the film, print the enlargements. He didn't take the additional time to make any adjustments. He could've cared less about the quality of the prints, just so long as they looked decent. If no one complained, why put in the extra effort? It's not as if he'd be paid more for it.

Kazuya read the ads placed on the countertop each day dozens of times as he waited to assist anyone that would come his way. His job was so dull. Waiting. That's all he did half the time; wait. He supposed that he shouldn't be complaining too much since he was still getting paid for doing nothing, but he couldn't help feeling restless. He didn't even have any coworkers stationed with him.

After half an hour, Kazuya found himself stifling a yawn. His elbows rested on the edge of the counter with his hands placed on either side of his head. Should go to the mini-lab, he thought. At least that way he could stay busy and prevent himself from falling asleep. He placed his hand on the cold doorknob, turned it, and took a step inside.

"Wait!"

What perfect timing, Kazuya thought sarcastically as he shut the door. He pursed his lips and faced the counter. The man that called for him to wait appeared to be in a rush, his dark hair slightly disheveled. He stood catching his breath and waved a film canister in his hand.

"Could you help me with this?" he asked.

What, you think I'm gonna say no or something? Kazuya entertained himself with the idea of actually saying this, curious as to what the response would be. He nodded his head as he pulled an envelope out from beneath the countertop. "How many sets do you want?" he asked, taking the pen up in his hand.

"Let's see... I guess... one?" he replied, unsure. "Or maybe I should get two... Yeah, I think I'll get two."

"What's your name?"

"Ah, Jin. Akanishi Jin," the man answered.

A-ka-ni-shi Jin, Kazuya repeated in his head as he wrote out the name. He had never seen this Jin character before. Must be new here, Kazuya thought. He hadn't seen the man in any pictures he printed before, so he assumed no friends or relatives of the man's frequented the drop-off store.

"When do you want these by?" Kazuya continued with his routine questioning, obtaining the usual information after receiving Jin's address and phone number.

"Tomorrow, please."

"Any idea around what time?"

Jin bit his lip as he pondered what times would be convenient for him.

"Never mind," Kazuya interrupted. "They'll be ready by tomorrow. You can pick up your pictures whenever you want."

"Thanks," Jin smiled.

Kazuya had not meant his words to sound as if he were doing the man a favor. The fact was that he could process all the film that had been dropped off today, so there was no need to ask for a time. All the pictures would be ready by tomorrow.

As Jin walked away, Kazuya remained behind his counter watching the man's back until it disappeared. After a few minutes, he lifted the bin from the floor and made his way back into the photo lab.

"Let's see... who should I do first?" Kazuya wondered as he sifted through the envelopes. "How about this one?" He pulled a random envelope and cringed at the name. "Akahana," he whispered to himself. "Just my luck."

Processing the film proved Kazuya's initial theory to be correct. Akahana posing with some other guy Kazuya had never seen. He couldn't understand her. She was so beautiful, why couldn't she find someone to keep longer than a week? Then again maybe she was just a flirt, not serious about anything. Maybe he should be sympathetic toward the guys in her photos instead of her. Kazuya didn't know. It's not like he could ask about it, either. He just developed the film. He didn't get involved in anyone's life. It wasn't part of the job.

Family portraits, sunsets, weddings, newborns, Kazuya had seen it all within the couple of months he was hired. Whenever he walked into the photo lab time flew by without him realizing it. Several scenes flashed by his eye as he watched the prints pile up. A glance toward the bin and he saw there were only three envelopes left.

"Almost done," he said to himself. My shift is almost over, he thought. Maybe I should just leave them for Charan...

Kazuya crouched down beside the bin. "Hmm," he mumbled as he playfully tilted the container, watching as the envelopes slid to one side. "Ah!" Akanishi Jin, he silently read. That new guy, he thought. "Ten minutes," Kazuya said gazing at his watch. "Not enough time," he sighed as he stood up and walked out from the photo lab. I don't work overtime for free, he thought.

The next day Kazuya found himself at the counter playing with a slinky some kid left there from another department in the store. He stared in boredom as the spring jumped from one hand to the other. Yesterday was boring, but at least Akahana had stayed a while. Even if he didn't like her company, anyone was better than no one.

"Having fun?"

Kazuya's eyes instantly darted to the familiar voice. It was that new guy. "Ah, sorry, I'll get your pictures," he apologized as he placed the slinky onto the counter. "What was your name again?" Kazuya asked as he reached for a bin beneath the counter only to realize it was empty.

"Akanishi Jin," the man answered.

"That's right," Kazuya remembered. "They must be in the back, hold on a minute." Kazuya made his way into the photo lab and found the bin full of developed photos on a table. "Couldn't even bring them out front," he muttered as he set the bin out on the counter. Jin was still there, waiting. This time he was the one tossing the spring from one hand to the other.

"Akanishi Jin," Kazuya repeated under his breath as he flipped through the envelopes. "Ah, here."

"I love these things," Jin laughed to himself.

"Hai," Kazuya said as he handed Jin his photos.

"Thanks."

"Anytime. Now give me back my spring." Kazuya held out his hand.

"Hai," Jin laughed as he placed the slinky into Kazuya's palm. "Thanks again," he said before turning to leave.

"Bye." Kazuya directed his gaze back to the spring; he carefully raised a hand, the spring gradually uncoiled itself and jumped to the lower hand. He caught himself smiling as he recalled what Jin said; I love these things. Childish, he thought.

The following days progressed in the usual manner. Kazuya waited to assist anyone that needed to drop off their film, and then he would make the enlargements until his shift was over. Akahana came back sometime during the next week to pick up her photos as she said she would; she also left another roll behind. I'll let someone else have the privilege, Kazuya had thought when he carried it into the photo lab.

A few days after Akahana's last visit, Kazuya encountered another familiar face. He was buried in his work, busy writing his name on the envelopes he developed the film for when his pen decided to die. "Come on," Kazuya mumbled as he shook the pen and pressed it against the envelope again, only to succeed in making an impression.

"Hey you."

"Do you have a pen?" Kazuya asked unconsciously before he looked up and realized where he was at and what he was doing. "Err, sorry, didn't mean to ask that," he apologized. It was Jin, standing there and smiling at his question.

"I got something for you," Jin said with an outstretched fist.

"Wonder what it could be... Oh, wait, let me guess. Film."

Jin flipped his fist palm-side up and opened his hand. There was nothing. Kazuya raised a brow in question.

"Just kidding," Jin said before reaching into a pocket and drawing out a canister.

"Akanishi, right?" Kazuya asked for confirmation as he pulled out an envelope.

"Hai," Jin answered. He leaned forward to rest his elbows on top of the counter, then watched with a knowing smile as Kazuya took up the pen.

"Ahh, stupid thing," Kazuya complained as he tossed the pen into the trash. "I know there's another one here somewhere," he said as he glanced around. Kazuya made his way into the photo lab, scanned the tables, then came back out with a frown on his face. Lying across the top of the envelope was a pen. He looked at Jin with a thoughtful expression before shaking his head, and then continued filling out the boxes.

"Do you work here by yourself?"

"Hai," Kazuya answered as he took the film from Jin's hand. "When do you want these by?"

"It must get boring, huh?"

"I'm sorry?"

"I mean working here alone, no one to talk to. It must get boring, right?"

Kazuya slowly nodded as he closed the envelope and slipped it into the bin. "Well, yeah. But it's work. The purpose of work isn't to have fun, right?"

"True," Jin agreed. "Though even so... Does it have to be so boring? Though, I'd rather be bored than alone."

Kazuya didn't understand what Jin was trying to say. "Yeah? Well I'm always alone, and for the most part, very bored. Lucky me."

"Ah, sorry, I wasn't trying to-"

"No, it's fine," Kazuya interrupted. "That didn't come out right. I'm not looking for pity or anything. I mean it's work, I wouldn't have it any other way." He laughed a bit.

"Right," Jin nodded with an unsure smile.

"So when did you want those by?"

"Ah, tomorrow, please."

"Of course."

When Kazuya went to the photo lab later that day, Jin's envelope was the first he pulled from the bin. He read the man's name and thought of their few brief encounters. He remembered the first day Jin walked toward the counter and said, "Could you help me with this?" to which he thought it would be amusing if he had said no. Now when he looked back on that day, Kazuya didn't think Jin would have done anything. Maybe frown a bit, maybe furrow his brow in confusion wondering why not, but he wouldn't have questioned it. He would have turned around and walked away. That's the kind of guy Kazuya saw in Jin.

Processing Jin's film revealed who Kazuya could only assume to be the man's girlfriend. There was one of those classic poses with the two of them kissing, the girl holding the camera out in a free hand to take the picture. Jin's face held an amused expression as he smiled into the kiss. There were several other shots of the girl alone, though they were all natural poses with an artistic view. They weren't the usual 'bull's eye' shots of people that Kazuya saw where the subject was centered in the middle of the frame. She was often placed to a side, the scenery around her creating a mood that accented her expression. Half the time she wasn't even looking directly at the camera. There were pictures of her back facing the photographer, profile shots, shots of her even sleeping like a child. Kazuya stifled a laugh when he saw a picture of Jin by her sleeping face throwing a peace sign, his other hand trying to steady the camera as he smiled like an idiot. Carefree and happy, that's how Jin appeared in all of his pictures.

When Jin came to pick up his photos the following morning, Kazuya was getting ready to carry a bin back into the lab.

"Hey you!"

Jin's greeting was met with a resonant crash. His eyes widened as he watched Kazuya's head lower, gaze at the ground littered with envelopes, then turn around to stare at him with a blank expression.

"Hey," Kazuya mumbled.

Jin's lips parted, but no words came out. He just stood there looking stupid, not sure what to do. Part of him wanted to laugh, or at least smile at the startled boy's reaction, but the other part felt sorry. Jin couldn't read Kazuya well. When he came back to his senses however, he quickly walked around the counter to help clean up the mess he caused.

"Sorry," Jin apologized. "Didn't mean to startle you."

"You're fine," Kazuya replied as he placed the bin back on a table. "I'll get your pictures for you."

"Nice out, huh?" Jin asked conversationally.

"Huh?"

"The weather, it's been nice."

He's talking about the weather of all things, Kazuya thought, the 'original' topic starter. He almost couldn't suppress the urge to smile at this attempt at a conversation. "Yeah, it has. Here," Kazuya said as he handed Jin an envelope.

"Thanks, Kame!"

"You're..." Kazuya looked down at his nametag and then back up at Jin who had already begun to walk away. "Kame..." he repeated to himself.

Jin became a regular customer and Kazuya found the man approaching the counter more often than Akahana within the next couple of months. Their conversations never lasted too long, but they were nice, short, pleasant moments for Kazuya that helped to make his day more enjoyable. Jin's lighthearted presence almost never failed to make Kazuya's heart smile in one way or another, be it from the man's playful personality or his childish gestures.

"You weren't here the other day," Jin pouted.

"I was, but you came in during the afternoon. I only work in the mornings," Kazuya explained. "I thought you knew that by now."

"Well I didn't."

Kazuya continued flipping through sealed envelopes trying to find the name 'Akanishi Jin'. "...Well, now you do."

"I guess so."

"I guess so." Kazuya's eyes flew up as he held out Jin's pictures and they exchanged an awkward glance. Jin made no move to take the envelope from Kazuya's hand, so it remained there, raised in the air until both started laughing at their stiff dialogue.

"It was weird," Jin said. "I'm always used to seeing you, but there was someone else. For a minute I thought I came to the wrong place."

Kazuya shook his head. "Nah, that's just the other part-timer. What's her name... Charan? Yeah, Charan."

"She's quite..."

"Ditzy?" Kazuya inquired. "She does seem out of it often. Finds everything funny, laughs for no apparent reason."

Jin nodded in agreement as Kazuya went down a list.

"Sometimes her boyfriend visits her while she's working. Some foreign guy... Yunho? I end up processing most of the photos." Kazuya grimaced. "But... she's not too bad," Kazuya finished. "She has a nice smile... Good with people..." Kazuya suddenly wondered why he was going on about his coworker; surely Jin didn't care about such things. He felt the need to talk about something though, like there should be an endless stream of chatter between them.

With the visits that followed, Kazuya realized that he didn't care what they talked about so long as it prolonged Jin's stay. At first he had thought this selfish, but then Jin himself would walk over and find a place to lean or sit as if implying his visit would be a lengthy one. It was always a misleading action. Jin never remained more than ten minutes, though the drop-off store did one-hour photo processing. He could have easily waited out the hour. Kazuya had taken note that not many people took advantage of this service however, and opted to retrieve their photos the next day.

Jin had once tried to follow Kazuya into the photo lab, though only to have the door slammed in his face. "Heeey, come on Kame," he had laughed, "let me in!" Kazuya just laughed back; "No way, you'd ruin everything in here. Go home or something."

There was one day, however, that Kazuya recalled the man's visit lasting three times longer than usual. Jin wasn't himself then, or at least not the Jin Kazuya knew. The man was abnormally quiet, and when Kazuya had handed over his pictures, Jin had said the most curious thing to him.

"I'd rather be bored and surrounded by people than be alone and have all the fun in the world."

Kazuya hadn't known what to make of the statement. He stared confusedly into Jin's dark eyes searching for something he couldn't find. Out of nowhere Jin smiled, and without another word, he took his photos, tapped Kazuya on the head with them, and walked out. After that day, Jin returned to his usual disposition. His pictures reflected nothing that could help Kazuya understand Jin's somber mood from then.

It had almost been a year since Kazuya had first processed film at the photo lab. Jin's photos continued to impress Kazuya; his favorite was still the one of a sunset. The warm, rich tones blended in a swirl of red and yellow and orange; silhouetted leaves were strewn across the sun. He has a real talent for photography, Kazuya had thought. The effort it took to capture each moment perfectly, the way everything was positioned in the frame so that it conveyed the intended meaning, it was all there.

Somewhere between all the camwhores and newborns, something hit Kazuya. These rolls of film people left him with, the latent images they paid to have revealed to them, they were priceless. They weren't just pictures, they were precious memories, things people never wanted to forget. Photographs have the ability to freeze time, to capture a single moment and preserve it for a lifetime. They were proof that someone had existed, that something had happened. They were so much more than he had previously thought.

Kazuya had started putting more care into his job without even realizing it. He surprised himself when he woke up the next morning not dreading the day ahead of him. Akahana's presence didn't even agitate him anymore; he actually grew somewhat fond of her. He wondered if this was because he didn't see her as much nowadays. Instead of every week, Kazuya was lucky to see the girl once a month.

Akahana's photos revealed less group get-togethers, and if Kazuya wasn't mistaken, the same guy had been in all her pictures for quite some time now. This suddenly reminded him of Jin; Jin always had a few shots of his girlfriend. Kazuya had never asked about her. He wasn't supposed to mention anything seen in the photos he processed. Whatever he saw wasn't his business unless it contained evidence of some criminal act.

Something strange began to happen, though. Kazuya wasn't quite sure when it all started. The changes were subtle; minor details had been overlooked. Smiles became less frequent, and when they were caught on camera, they were forced. It puzzled Kazuya. There were clear signs of distress upon the posed expressions. Was it as simple as a lover's quarrel? Jin never brought up the girl in his photographs, though it was obvious she was a significant part of his life. This is why Kazuya found himself immensely troubled when she disappeared wholly from Jin's pictures. He looked through the roll of film again thinking he must have missed it, that it was definitely in there somewhere. Two prints must've been stuck to each other and when he flipped through them the first time, he didn't catch it. That was all. No big deal. This wasn't the case, however. No matter how many times Kazuya looked through the photos, there was no sign of her. Maybe she's off having a vacation somewhere, Kazuya thought. Surely her face would come up later when Jin dropped off another roll.

Kazuya never realized how much one could learn about another just by looking at their photographs. Each picture captured a special moment that someone had thought important enough to want to save forever. Each picture had a story behind it, a reason behind it. A person could look at it and think one thing, yet another could look at the same picture and draw forth a different perspective. The people within the photo however, the person who even took the photo, who knows what thoughts crossed their minds at that moment in time? Who knows why the photographer wanted to see that moment forever? Who knows what the one photographed was feeling at that time? They may be smiling, but were they truly happy then?

Kazuya never saw Jin's girl again, and Jin never spoke of her.

"How many sets do you want?" Kazuya asked, though in his mind, he thought 'two'. Jin always wanted two sets.

"Two," Jin replied, though he furrowed his brow shortly afterward and changed his answer. "Actually, Kame... I think one will be enough."

"Oh?" Kazuya nodded and made the change.

"I don't think I'll need two sets anymore. Just one will be fine. No sense in keeping one for myself anymore." He smiled.

Kazuya of course wanted to ask why, but for some reason he felt the question inappropriate and kept it to himself.

Jin's words became rare. They meant nothing beyond the usual pleasantries. His smiles became like those in his photographs, forced. His eyes were always vacant. Something was going terribly wrong.

Beyond his photographs and their short conversations over the past year, Kazuya didn't really know Jin; yet, he couldn't help feeling connected to him. He practically watched over the man's life for the past year. It was only natural that he would feel concerned; this is what he told himself.

I should ask, shouldn't I? Kazuya didn't know. He didn't want to impose.

A month had passed and there was no sign of Jin. Kazuya spent his days wondering what the other was doing. For some reason, he felt worried. He wondered if he would ever see Jin again. Another month went by, and Kazuya figured that Jin must have dropped his hobby of photographing, or maybe he went somewhere else now. Kazuya hoped it wasn't the latter, though he couldn't see why it would be.

Most of the time he dwelled in the photo lab now and avoided the counter. He used to like how it isolated him from the rest of the store once he closed the door, but now the calming silence made him paranoid. He began to bring an mp3 player with him to work and blasted music through the headphones while he processed film. Sometimes he would walk out of the lab and find that Akahana or someone else had dropped by and filled out the information envelope themselves. Other times he never left the lab. He sat in a corner while prints were being made and fell asleep. Management rarely ever checked on him.

"Ne, Kamenashi," Akahana said one day. "You don't look so good. You okay?"

"Fine," Kazuya replied.

"You sure?"

Kazuya nodded. "Just tired. Haven't been getting much sleep lately."

"Well if that's all... See you later then." She waved.

Kazuya retreated back into the lab and found his corner before closing his eyes. A soothing melody flew from the headphones snug around his ears, and he drifted off to sleep. He didn't know what kept him from getting a full night's rest. He was always so tired lately, yet he would wake up in the middle of the night unable to fall back asleep.

Kazuya heard something in his sleep, some noise. It was insistent and continued to sound, but Kazuya wouldn't let it win. He ignored it and it died away, though soon afterward the left side of his face burned. He shuddered. He began to hear voices, but they were just the voices from his headphones. They're just the voices from my headphones, he unconsciously thought. Nothing to get worked up about. But since when was his name a part of the song? Since when did 'Kame' become the repetitious lyric that played over and over as if a broken record? The noises had left, but this voice wouldn't, this blazing touch wouldn't leave him.

"Kame, Kame, Kame..."

They're not voices, Kazuya thought to himself in his drowsy state, it's one voice. The music had stopped playing.

"Kame?"

"Hmm?"

"Is this a part of the job?"

"Mhmm."

"...Oh really, now?"

There it was again, that touch that burned. It was centered on his forehead and Kazuya raised an arm to push it away. He woke himself with the movement and found himself still on the floor, Jin crouching down before him with a smile on his face.

"You don't have a fever, do you?"

Kazuya blinked. He closed his eyes for three seconds and opened them; Jin was still there, he wasn't hallucinating. Jin was sitting right in front of him staring with his deep eyes and smiling.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!"

"You're not supposed to be in here," Kazuya lazily replied, though he knew Jin couldn't have missed the 'Employees Only' sign nailed to the door.

"I don't think you're supposed to be sleeping in here, either."

"You're wrong."

Jin furrowed his brow. "Huh?"

"I can sleep in here."

Jin cocked his head to the side and then laughed. "Come on, I need to drop off my film."

"You could just fill out an envelope on your own, you know. That's what other people do."

"I tried that. Your pen is dead."

Kazuya remained silent as he reminisced. "Give it here." He held his hand out and waited until Jin placed it into his palm. "There. Now you can go," he said as if he were granting Jin permission to leave as a parent would a child.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"I told you already, I'm tired."

"You didn't tell me that..."

"Ah, that's right. That was Akahana. Sorry about that."

"Ohh, her. So she still comes here?"

Kazuya nodded.

"I see. So you're not going to ask what I've been doing while I was gone?"

"What were you doing?"

"Secret! You'll know once you develop my film anyway." Jin smiled. "I think," he whispered under his breath.

"Why bother asking..." Kazuya mumbled as he stood up and moved around before leaving for the counter.

"You're so out of it," Jin laughed.

"What's your naaame?"

"Very funny."

"It's been a long time. I have other customers, you know."

Jin frowned. "But I'm special."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I talk to you every time I come in. I've known you for over a year now."

"So you're about up to par with Akahana."

Jin's jaw dropped. "You're comparing me to that woman you so strongly despise?" he said in a mocking voice.

"She's not that bad. One set?" Jin nodded and Kazuya marked the envelope accordingly. "You picking these up tomorrow?"

"You still have to ask?"

"I'm not going to be here all morning tomorrow, Charan might be here when you come for pickup."

Jin cringed. "How long you gonna be here in the morning then?"

"Hmm... About six till eight." Kinda stupid, Kazuya thought. Almost no one comes in that early.

"Ahhh, I wanted to sleep in," Jin moaned.

"Then don't come in," Kazuya smiled. "You can pick it up another day."

"Nope! I'll come in tomorrow. I always come in the next day, you know that. Besides, I want to see how my pictures turned out."

"Whatever you want. You're the customer."

"Exactly. And I will be here tomorrow. Maybe even before you."

"Right," Kazuya smirked.

"Right." Jin smiled.

Fake smiles, Kazuya thought. It was so obvious to him, to someone who had seen this man's smiles for the past year. There was still a tinge of sorrow in his expression. "I'll ask him tomorrow," Kazuya finally decided as he strolled into the photo lab. "Let's see what's on this," he sighed as he took out Jin's roll of film.

"Kame!"

"What the-" Kazuya jumped as he spun around. "Charan?"

"Ehhh? Your shift's over. Want me to finish that for you?" the girl offered.

"Nah, I've got it."

Charan stood in the doorway with widened eyes. "Working overtime? Are you okay?"

"Why does everyone keep asking me that today?"

Charan laughed. "I'll be at the counter then," she said, and the door shut leaving Kazuya to himself.

"Hmm... Shuffle, I think," he decided. Kazuya raised the volume of his mp3 player and left the headphones hanging around his neck as he listened. He went about processing Jin's film, occasionally singing along with whatever song that played. Charan only interrupted him once to see if it was really him she heard singing; apparently he had a talented voice. "Why did I think this room was soundproof?" Kazuya said to himself.

Once the film had been developed and the negatives were ready to be cut, Kazuya wondered if he had done something wrong, or if the lab equipment was defective. The roll of film only had three exposures. "What happened with the other photos?" he whispered, not wanting Charan to hear him and consequently barge in thinking he had lost it. Then again, he thought, "What kind of pictures are these?" Kazuya furrowed his brow. He was utterly confused.

In one negative he could see a girl; not the one that had been the subject of Jin's photos previously. Kazuya instantly took a disliking to her, wishing that Jin's former girlfriend was standing in her place instead. This new girl reminded Kazuya of Akahana when he first met her. She had one of those stupid poses. Her hands were held up in front of the camera, her fingers formed a heart. The way she was centered in the frame bugged Kazuya. Jin almost never centered his subjects. Why her?

In another negative was Jin himself, and what a surprise, he had another 'smile'. This one wasn't so much fake as it was unsure. He looked hesitant about something, almost worried. It looked like he was holding his hands behind his back, the way people try to restrain them from movement when they're nervous to prevent them from moving all over the place and making unnecessary gestures. It made him appear restless, just standing there like he wanted to shout out something that he had been holding in. Kazuya was often amazed at how much information could be contained in a single rectangular box. Pictures said so much more than a thousand words.

The last negative Kazuya raised a brow at. "Is he trying to make a joke?" He stared down at the picture that was so out of place, a picture of a turtle. Kazuya laughed, "This totally doesn't belong with these other two," he thought aloud. "How's this supposed to tell me what you've been doing? It tells me nothing, baka!" Kazuya laughed again, and then disposed of the negatives that held no exposures. After he made the prints, he left.

The next morning Kazuya arrived at six, and Jin was nowhere to be seen. Jin being who he was however, Kazuya wouldn't have been surprised if the man was there.

As Kazuya organized the counter, straightening stacks of envelopes and placing the bins in their proper spots, he could feel the seconds tick by. Time began to countdown as the anticipation built. It was already seven.

He flipped through envelopes until he found Jin's and glanced at the photos once more while shaking his head. "These photos suck," Kazuya commented. Maybe the girl took the random picture of the turtle, he thought. That would make more sense. It was such an amateur shot. Then again, assuming Jin was the one who took the picture of the girl, maybe Jin really did photograph the turtle.

Kazuya didn't know when he became so critical when it came to photographs. To see Jin's talent suddenly dissipate between the previous roll and the three shots he was looking at now though, it annoyed him.

So then, maybe there's another point to these photographs, Kazuya thought. Maybe it's not so much the positioning, the lighting, the emotion that Jin was so good at capturing with the click of a shutter button. Maybe it was something much more simple.

Kazuya felt the sudden urge to look at a clock. He didn't want to, fearing it would read eight. But if it did, and Jin still wasn't here, what could he do about it? He restrained himself and just focused on the door Jin always walked in through. When Charan made her way toward him however, he knew what time it was.

I'll wait another five, Kazuya thought. Maybe he's running late. Maybe his alarm or something didn't go off. Maybe there was an emergency and he's coming now. Kazuya continued thinking of all the excuses he could come up with until another hour had passed.

"Kame, is something wrong?" Charan leaned over the counter beside Kazuya.

"No... I'm gonna leave now," Kazuya replied.

"Okay, have a nice day!"

"I'm not one of your customers," Kazuya smiled.

I guess he really did sleep in, Kazuya thought as he slipped on his jacket and stepped outside. "I don't blame him," he said as he looked up into the sky, a light spring shower sprinkling over the paved parking lot. "I'll just ask him about his pictures another time."

Kazuya went in the next day and waited for Jin to pick up his photos, but Jin never came back. He disappeared again. Every day Kazuya went in and checked the bin for the man's photos thinking he may have picked them up when Charan was working, but they were always in the same spot he left them. The seconds, minutes, and hours, became days, weeks, and months. Kazuya returned to work with the same empty feeling he had when he first started the job. He hated yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that. He wished he could say differently.

But then Kazuya saw someone familiar. He saw someone he had never really seen, knew someone he didn't really know. "It's her...?" he had whispered to himself when he saw her unsure figure make its way toward him. What is she doing here, Kazuya wondered.

"Uhm, I would like some reprints made from these," she spoke.

"You... You, you're the girl from Jin's pictures," Kazuya said as though he didn't believe it himself. It really was her, the one Kazuya had seen so many times before.

"He came here?" she asked, her voice sounding hopeful to hear Jin's name.

"Yes," Kazuya answered. "He used to come here regularly..."

"I see... So then, you've probably already seen these," she said, referring to the negatives she had brought.

"Probably..." Kazuya reached for the envelope and wondered why Jin had given the negatives to her. "How many sets do you want?"

"Just one. Oh, and this..." She reached into her pocket and produced a roll of film.

"One for this, too?"

She nodded, again unsure.

"When do you want these by?"

"An hour?"

"Okay," Kazuya answered. "They'll be ready."

It wasn't until after Kazuya had entered the lab and the girl had left that he realized he didn't ask for her name. "Stupid," he told himself. He couldn't very well write 'Jin's girl' in the name box. But did it matter in this case? She would be back for them in just an hour. He didn't even need to put them in the bin.

She wants reprints... Reprints of what, Kazuya wondered as he lifted the flap of the envelope and removed the negatives. He carefully placed his fingers on the edges and held the strips up, letting the light fall through the translucent images to reveal pictures he had never seen before.

Jin, he was definitely in them, but where was he? Was he ill? Was that his family around him?

Kazuya quickly snatched up the envelope again and looked for a date. "Over a year ago..." The negatives had been processed in the very lab he stood. The envelope was from this photo drop-off store. He worked in this store when these photos were delivered. "So then..." Kazuya flipped the envelope around and his eyes easily found Charan's name scribbled in a margin. "So this is the roll that...?" Kazuya glanced at the negatives again in confusion. Why was Jin lying there? Did he make some sort of recovery? So that's why he was smiling then? What was it?

The film Jin's girl left behind completely rendered him speechless. Even as he watched the prints pile up, he couldn't believe what his eyes told him. Jin's name was staring straight at him, so boldly printed, so final.

He didn't want to be seeing this, he didn't want this to be real, because for once, he was actually thinking about the days before, back when he had first met Jin. For once, back then, he could have said, "I loved yesterday," and it would have been the truth. But now he couldn't. He didn't understand.

Kazuya was always left in the dark. He thought there was something there, but was all he saw an illusion? What was happening right now, exactly? He was so lost. "I didn't really know anything," Kazuya realized. He didn't know who Jin really was. Their conversations were never in-depth; they only scratched the surface.

In the days that followed, Kazuya tried to move on. The series of brief encounters were done with, over. He wouldn't see Jin anymore. He still couldn't understand why Jin would stay and chat with him, though. From the talk Kazuya had with his girl, he could only make an inference.

From day one, Jin had seen Kazuya; he had seen how dull the boy was standing at that counter, asking the same questions in the same order day after day in a monotone voice. He had taken note that Kazuya was always the only one around. But it wasn't out of pity that he kept Kazuya company, Jin wasn't that kind of a person. He really had enjoyed their regular chats. In fact, it was Jin himself who dwelled on Kazuya's company, dependant on Kazuya's presence, always hoping that it was Kazuya there standing behind the counter when he needed someone to talk to about the simplest of things. He needed someone that didn't know of his stress, someone that didn't know about him so they could speak freely without his condition in the back of their mind.

But Jin also wasn't one to do things purely for his own benefit. If he had thought for even a second that his extended visits troubled Kazuya, he would've left. Though Kazuya always talked to everyone in a distant voice, Jin knew all the boy really wanted was for someone to make his day. Kazuya wanted someone to show him how even the dullest parts of life could be viewed with anticipation and made into something he could take pleasure in.

Kazuya understood Jin's photographs. He understood why this girl had disappeared from Jin's life and why the sudden swing of emotions came into play. She had explained it before she took the pictures and left.

"What are these?" Kazuya had demanded to know. "What happened? What is this? Where's Jin?" The questions flew out from his mouth, and the answers, though reluctantly given at first, were scattered before him.

He was dying...

...said he couldn't be with me...
...said it was for my own good...

He was always afraid, though.

I could see it...

He's so transparent.

He was so afraid to be alone.

"That's what he meant," Kazuya whispered after seeking solace in the silent lab. "That's the reason he said that..." Kazuya went over everything she had said while it was still fresh in his mind.

Jin didn't stay around after he dropped off his film just for idle chatter. No matter how simple their conversations were, they had meaning, they served some purpose. Just from the way questions were asked or how things were stated, anyone could tell it meant something.

He didn't want me to be alone, Kazuya concluded. Because he was so afraid himself that he'd end up alone, he... He stayed and kept me company because he thought I was alone all this time. Even though he didn't know how long he could keep coming back... Instead of using every minute being with his family, his friends, he stayed. He didn't even really know me. He just decided all on his own. He just decided that he wanted to help me enjoy life. And for these past months, I've just been sulking. Has all his effort gone wasted?

Kazuya shook his head and slouched against the wall until he fell to the floor. The envelope he kept atop one of the tables was knocked over and three pictures scattered before him. Why would he do that? Kazuya wondered. I still don't understand. I don't get it. And why am I crying? This doesn't make sense; none of this makes sense to me. He wiped his eyes glanced at Jin's photos that lay around him. Jin, the heart, the turtle.

Kazuya wasn't sure what to make of his relationship with Jin, but he knew that Jin would no longer be coming to drop off photos. His days at work now passed by with a feeling of indifference. He figured at least he didn't hate work, and in the days to come, for some reason, he knew he'd grow to like it again, like before. One day he'd be able to wake up and say that he liked yesterday, and he loved today.

A/N (Aisu): I suppose I'm a bit obscure in parts of this, so feel free to clarify anything if you don't understand. Hopefully everyone knows what Kame saw in that last roll of film he developed. x)

Anyway, this is the first one-shot under the Two Ways To Take A Picture title, which will consist of... well, two one-shots completely unrelated to the other that involve pictures/photography.

Meet Death is the next to be updated~

SPARE ME - Entry #09

2008-03-27T20:18:18Z

Title: SPARE ME
Author: Aisu
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Akame
Genre: AU, comedy, romance
Disclaimer: Story = mine. :]
Summary: Quiet studious Kame meets loud playboy Jin through a series of flirtatious encounters.
A/N: Inspired by a true story.

[ 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 ]

ENTRY #09 // March 8th

It was an ordinary day just like any other...
Until this pretty boy walked into the room.
{ ♥ }
"Ne, Kame, did you do that blue sheet?"

Kame glanced across the room, a redundant action. He recognized Jin's voice instantly. Of course I did it, Kame silently said to himself, you wouldn't be asking if you thought otherwise.

Jin just wanted to copy; he asked if he could 'see' it.

"No you can't see it," Kame answered.

{ ♥ }
He wouldn't leave me alone after that.
For most of homeroom, he just hovered over my desk.
He really wanted my paper I guess...
{ ♥ }
"Why not? But you let me last time!" Jin whined. He had now relocated to Kame's side of the room and stood before his desk.

I really shouldn't have let him copy last time, Kame thought. Usually Kame didn't mind that sort of thing. Some people just forgot about their homework, or they really didn't have the time to finish it themselves. Jin kept coming back after the first time, however. Kame ignored him.

"Kame, you're making me sad. I'm going to go cut myself..." Jin pulled up his sleeve and Kame's glance involuntarily redirected itself to look over Pretty Boy's arm.

{ ♥ }
He actually had cuts!
But they weren't on his wrist.
They were on the side of your wrist where the veins aren't.
I don't know why he was showing them to me.
I don't know what he was trying to say, if anything.
{ ♥ }
"I got a concussion, too. Did you hear about that?" Jin asked.

Kame shook his head. "No," he replied, though he really had heard. Apparently it happened while Jin was out driving.

"Ne, Kame... do you hate me?" Jin stared expectantly, waiting for answer. The moment became unusually silent and Kame shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"I don't even know you."

"Yeah you do, everyone knows me!"

Yeah, yeah, of course everyone knows you, Kame thought, you're Jin!

"I need to pass this class or my dad will-"

"That's nice," Kame interrupted. "Maybe you should have done your homework."

{ ♥ }
He was whining.
He said, "I diiiid! I did most of it!
There were just a few I couldn't find..."
{ ♥ }
Kame continued to find more interest in the top of his desk than in Jin, and because the latter found that none of his attempts were successful he decided to try once more.

"Here, just wait a sec, I'll go get it and show you!" Jin rushed to his seat, fetched his blue paper, then went straight back and placed it on Kame's desk. Kame still didn't let him copy, and Jin began to lose his determination. "Kaaaameeeee!"

{ ♥ }
He started whining my name again...
and then he...
slowly reached forward and...
He touched my hand.
...
He was cold.
{ ♥ }
Kame instantly drew back from the contact and kept his gaze down on his paper trying to focus on finishing the work from his other classes.

"Kaaaameeeeee! Don't ignore me!" Jin lowered his head to Kame's desk and looked up so the latter would see him.

Kame spared him a thoughtful glance and was puzzled to find such a somber expression. Jin was such a child. The way he persuaded people into giving him what he wanted was so elementary, yet it worked on almost anyone he tried it on.

{ ♥ }
He was giving me this sad look.
He had a pouty face.
{ ♥ }
What am I gonna do, Kame wondered. I tell him to go away, he says, "I'm not leaving." I ignore him, he starts whining my name, or, "Pleeeease! I won't bug you anymore! I won't bug you for the rest of the year," or, "It'd mean a lot to me!"

Apparently Jin's whining wasn't only just annoying Kame, however. One of the girls finally turned around. "Don't give it to him," she told Kame before facing Jin. "You had yesterday!"

"No I didn't! Shut up! I was busy," came Jin's 'witty' retort.

"If you were working on it now, you'd be done already," Kame said.

Jin just said, "What?" right afterwards like all he heard was 'done already' and that Kame would let him copy. Kame just repeated himself. Jin left.

{ ♥ }
But the fun didn't stop there.
He's in my first block too, remember?
{ ♥ }
The bell rang and everyone was seated waiting for class to start. Noda-sensei explained that there would be a review game in preparation for the test the next day, and therefore everyone needed to be split into groups.

Aya ended up in Jin's group, and Kame was paired up with Shin along with a couple others. The teacher didn't even bother collecting the blue sheet.

"Hah Kame! All that work for nothing." Jin smirked.

The review game consisted of the usual simple questions. Anyone could get them if they just read the assigned chapters. Kame almost always answered correctly, however today his memory failed him. When it was his turn to provide an answer, he replied with the wrong one.

"That's what you get!" Jin playfully snapped so the entire class could hear.

Surprisingly enough, Kame hadn't expected Jin to carry the morning's incident this far into the day. He turned around to face the other and caught Jin sticking his tongue out at him. It was so childish, Kame smiled to himself as he turned back around.

"I like Kame," Jin suddenly said.

Kame let this random comment go. After all, it was something typical of Jin. What Kame hadn't expected however was the comment that followed.

"He's pretty."

{ ♥ }
What a terrible reason to like someone.

A/N (Aisu): ~~So I lied about posting to comms... XD~~

Meet Death - Chapter 13

2008-03-09T20:51:44Z

Title: Meet Death
Author: Aisu
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Akame
Genre: AU, comedy, romance
Disclaimer: I ~~don't~~ own Akame.
Summary: While Kazuya fights a losing battle for his life, a strange figure appears just as his heart beats for what should have been the last time. Introducing himself as Death, Kazuya is bound to the figure that brought him back from the dead.
A/N: For tia_junan; thanks for helping with the writer's block.

[ 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 ]

CHAPTER 13

"Ne, Sleeping Beauty," Jin called as he twirled his fingers in Kazuya's auburn locks. "How many hours do you plan on napping for?" An incoherent mumble was heard as Jin sighed. "I know you were studying all night, but... Is this really necessary?" he asked himself as he poked Kazuya in the cheek. "I thought eight hours of sleep was supposed to be sufficient."

"Looks like he's out," Jin's companion from The Underworld observed.

"Typical Kazuya."

"How about you just..."

"While he's sleeping? Hell no!" Jin shouted, though Kazuya showed no signs of stirring.

"You really think he'd agree to being possessed when he's awake?"

"He doesn't have to agree, I can just..."

"What's the difference between possessing him in his sleep and possessing him without his consent while he's awake? I can't even believe you want to do this. You're getting him too involved. He knows things he shouldn't. Jin, your parents don't believe that doctor, I told you this already. It might've been a nice thought at the time, but they haven't changed their mind. They probably think the hospital just wants more money out of them. It's been three years, and while you haven't shown signs of getting worse, you haven't shown signs of getting better, either. You know how it works. Either way, you know what's going to happen if you don't act fast. You've only put off the inevitable for a few days."

"No wonder everyone fails. There's always something stupid holding you back. A second chance? A second chance at what? Dying again? I get to die twice now instead of once? What the hell kind of 'privilege' is this supposed to be anyway?" Jin scoffed. "And I was the one asking Kazuya who the hell complains about getting a second chance to live."

"Jin..."

"I know, sorry, I can't help it."

"No, Jin…" The man nodded in direction of the bed.

Kazuya sat upright, his eyes wide, his lips parted. His gaze drifted between the others in his room before settling on Jin. "What's going on? And who is that?" he asked, looking at the unfamiliar man. "...And why is he in my room?"

"I... He's..." Jin glanced at the man beside him.

"I need to go now, actually." The man smiled at Kazuya. "The Grim Reaper; nice to finally see you," he introduced himself before he disappeared.

Kazuya silently pursed his lips before looking at Jin. "You're friends with the Grim Reaper?"

"Something like that," Jin said with a small smile.

Kazuya drew in a breath and pushed away his blanket as he digested his latest encounter. What was this all leading to anyway, he thought. Obviously it was that 'task' Jin had made a brief reference to before, but what was it? When would it take place? And why the hell was the Grim Reaper in his room?

"...Ne, Kazuya..."

Jin and his thousand questions, Kazuya thought. The boy stole a glance at Jin; he was staring hard at the floor, a thoughtful look upon his face. "...What is it?" Kazuya stretched his arms out as he yawned.

"...I need your help with something," Jin spoke softly.

Kazuya shot the man an inquiring glance. "What? What's going on? Is something wrong?"

"I'm gonna die. Kazuya, I'm gonna die if you don't help me." Jin listened to his own words; the reality of everything sunk into his mind. Time was running out, just as it had before.

"So I'll help you, and everything'll be okay," Kazuya comforted. "What is it? What's wrong? Tell me, Jin," he asked worriedly.

One week, Jin thought as he met the boy's eyes. That's what I'll aim for. If they give me at least one week, no matter what happens, I won't regret it. I've tried, that's more than some others can say. I'm not supposed to know the location of my body. I'm not supposed to know about my family. But if I didn't know about any of this I would already be dead, wouldn't I? I have to use all this to my advantage…

"You saw me in the hospital?" Jin asked.

Kazuya nodded.

"You know... I'm in a coma?"

The boy nodded again.

"You read that article... Have you figured out how it happened?"

"No." Kazuya shook his head.

Well that's good, Jin thought as he sighed in relief. If Kazuya discovered that, Jin wasn't sure the boy could succeed in his task at all. "You're gonna help me, right?" Jin asked for reassurance.

"Well, I'll try to..." Kazuya answered hesitantly, wondering what he had gotten himself into now.

"Let me borrow your body."

"Hah?" Kazuya's eyes narrowed as he recalled the previous use of that phrase. "Exactly what kind of help are we talking about here, Jin?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Jin asked. "Oh... No. Not that. I need to possess you."

"...Huh?"

"My parents are going to let me go," Jin explained. "I've been lying in that hospital room for three years. I'm stuck here, like this, as Death, but... I can't leave until you..."

"Until I what, Jin?"

"If I die in your world, I'll die in my world. I won't be here anymore. Not as Death, anyway. If my parents let me go..." Jin paused. If my parents let me go, I won't be the only one that dies, he silently thought as he looked at Kazuya's confused face. "I need to convince my parents to give me at least a week. I need to be here for at least one more week."

"I still don't understand; what do you need my body for?"

"I want to use your body when I go to convince them."

"...But why? What's the point in having a Human Form that doesn't look like you, then?"

"That's just it. You and I are the only ones that see me as me. If I look at myself, I don't see that other person... Look, I just want you to be there with me. I can't do it by myself, I'll get too frustrated at the fact that they can't see their own son standing in front of them."

Kazuya tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling. Doesn't want to go by himself, he thought. Could Jin be...? "Scared?" Kazuya asked; the word suddenly voiced itself. He found it to be an odd concept, Death afraid of death.

Jin himself had mentioned that he was once human. But truthfully, he had not died before. Not really. His body lie in another place, unconscious, while his soul wandered The World of the Living in search of something. This contract had to benefit both of them in some way, did it not? What was the point in giving Kazuya a second chance at life if Death could not gain something in return?

"Scared?" Jin repeated the question with a hint of amusement. If only you knew, he thought. "Does it matter? If I said yes, would you take pity on me and allow yourself to be possessed?" He smirked.

"Baka... Taking something so seriously and then acting like this," Kazuya muttered.

I'm more scared for you than myself, Jin silently thought.

"So... How does this work, exactly?"

"How does what work?" Jin asked.

"Being possessed... I mean, do I have any control over my body once you've possessed it?"

Jin smiled at the worry Kazuya expressed. "Nope," he answered.

Kazuya grimaced, second thoughts made their way into his head. "Don't think I trust you that much," he joked while looking out his window. "Then can I at least see through my own eyes?"

Jin shook his head. "I guess... It's like sleeping," he described. "You can't see, can't feel, can't remember anything." Jin watched as Kazuya mouthed his words.

"You're crazy," the boy concluded. At least you can remember things in your sleep sometimes.

"But you're going to do it anyway." Another smirk.

Kazuya hated how the other said it with so much confidence. "I don't have a choice, do I? If you die then I wouldn't be able to fulfill our contract and I would die as well. Isn't that how it would work?"

"Smart boy."

"When are you going to do it?" Kazuya asked.

"Now."

"Right now?"

"Right now."

"Wait!" Kazuya held his hands up. "Your parents aren't at the hospital right now, are they?"

"Probably not."

"Then how are you going to find them? I thought you only knew your name and how you became Death."

Jin's head angled downward as his dark eyes stared mischievously at the boy.

"Not going to tell me?" Kazuya sighed.

Jin shook his head.

"As expected," the boy mumbled. "How long is this going to take?"

"That depends," Jin replied as he neared Kazuya.

"You better not do anything weird, or say anything stupid, or ruin my reputation by doing anything I wouldn't normally do while you're 'borrowing my body', understood?" Kazuya waited for a confirmation before letting Jin wander any closer to him.

"Hai," Jin answered. "Now stand up," he instructed as he beckoned the boy to come closer.

Kazuya was tense, his steps unsure. He watched curiously as Jin's hands found his own and their fingers were interwoven. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Uh, holding my hands?" Kazuya said as he raised a brow.

Jin rolled his eyes. "Relax. This is really very simple, it'll all be over before you know it."

"Well of course, if I'm not there to witness anything that'll happen."

"You're ruining my concentration," Jin informed, "do you want your soul to pop out of you and roam The Underworld for all eternity while I inhabit your body?"

Kazuya's mouth gaped as if to say something, perhaps one of his smart aleck replies, then quickly shut as he shook his head.

"That's what I thought. Now just calm down and let me do this. I understand that you may have an idea as to how this will go based on some work of fiction, however, I assure you it's nothing like that. You feel nothing and it takes but a second. Okay?" Jin reassured the boy. "Now close your eyes. And don't give me that look."

The next time I open my eyes I better be alive, Kazuya silently said to himself as he waited for something, anything to happen. He was becoming impatient despite the fact that only a few seconds had passed and nothing appeared to change. He was tempted to open an eye, but refrained from doing so when the thought of wandering The Underworld crossed his mind. Before he could continue his internal rambling he felt himself being kissed, the grip that Jin had on his hands tightened and he could have sworn a rush of heat surged throughout his body; he could feel himself surrendering. This was it, he thought. A kiss? You can possess someone with a kiss? How simplistic, how ludicrous, how... obvious? But then something fell out of place. Suddenly Kazuya could feel a smile pressed upon his lips and his eyes snapped open, and sure enough, there was Jin stifling a laugh. It was all a joke.

"Calm down!" Jin insisted before the boy could vocalize any complaint.

"I can't believe you," Kazuya said as he slapped Jin over the head, the latter making no effort to evade Kazuya's hand.

"Come here." Jin pulled the boy into an embrace. Live each moment like it's the last, he thought. Every time he left Kazuya there was no guarantee that he'd be back, and all the times before this he had taken his time in The World of the Living for granted, something he thought he'd never do. Jin did not realize how easy he had forgotten the importance of time. He knew how crucial each second was, yet somehow it still managed to slip his mind. Kazuya, he thought. It's because of Kazuya that he would forget the essence of time, and it was because of Kazuya again that he remembered its importance.

"This has nothing to do with being possessed either, does it?" Kazuya spoke in a monotone voice.

"Nope."

"Is something wrong? Why don't you just get it over with?"

Jin let out long, dreary sigh. He rested his chin upon Kazuya's shoulder and glanced out the window thinking of all the things he had yet to experience. He would walk into a countless number of glass walls if he could have another week. He would take up the role of a real door-to-door salesman, whom Kazuya said people hated, just to have another week. This way of thinking would do nothing for him, though. Things did not work this way. With a heavy heart, Jin smiled his handsome smile. He backed away and reached out with his open hand, the palm directly in front of Kazuya's heart.

Kazuya felt as though every ounce of energy he possessed was being drained; his eyes fell shut, and Jin took a step forward to let his soul merge with Kazuya's body. This was normally a difficult task. If Jin's soul merged with a body too fast, he would experience a feeling of whiplash after he exited the body. If the body was unwilling to accept his presence, then he would be ejected, or there was always the possibility that the two souls would have an internal struggle over control. Usually if it was unexpected by the other party, then succeeding in a perfect possession was quite simple. Jin found no trouble when he stepped into the boy's body however, which is exactly what he had expected. Their souls were bound, after all.

Jin cocked Kazuya's head to the left, and then to the right. He clenched his fists a couple of times and rolled his shoulders to get a feel for the new body he possessed. "Definitely shorter than me," he said, taking note of the new perspective. "He's so small..." Jin glanced down at Kazuya's arms, and then his hands, turning them palm side up. He reached a hand up and placed it over the boy's chest, feeling the heart beat. He was alive. He felt Kazuya's blood flow through his body to the tips of his fingers. He wasn't trapped within some artificial life form; he was within a real live human. Jin loved this feeling, yet it always had a way of depressing him. Whenever he possessed someone he couldn't help but wonder if it was the last time he would truly feel alive.

"Time to visit the parents..." Jin sighed as he strode out from Kazuya's room through the front door of the apartment. One thing he didn't like about possessed bodies: No materializing.

x♠x
Walking at a brisk pace for well over an hour straight did nothing. Kazuya's body was in great shape, and he showed no signs of fatigue. Apparently running around school to make it in time for classes and working at Kazen as a waiter helped build his stamina.

"It's never impossible. You wouldn't be here if it was."

The Grim Reaper's words ran through Jin's head as he continued his walk. Every Death had the chance of successfully completing the task they were sent out to accomplish. The circumstances varied, but they had the same opportunity. That is what he had been told.

"It's no coincidence that your body was in the same hospital you found that boy in."

It was all set up, Jin determined. Everything was put into place the moment he passed into a coma and assumed the role of Death. His Savior was pre-chosen. It was destined that Kazuya would be his Savior three years after he entered The Underworld.

"This street..." Jin spoke as his eyes wandered down the road. His fast-paced walk quickly broke into a run, and Jin found himself flying down the street, the air rushing past his body. His eyes jumped from house to house, each one more familiar than the last. "I've been here before," he confirmed, his eyes widening in realization. The plain neighborhood was nothing special. Nothing about it stood out or made it great in any way, but Jin felt as if he were discovering a lost city. He felt a connection with this world, The World of the Living. For once, he recognized something. His head swung from left to right as he examined each side of the street. His legs carried him as fast as they could, as if what he was chasing after would disappear should he slow down for the briefest moment. Jin's lack of attention toward the pavement resulted in a setback, however.

"Shit," Jin cursed as he found himself sitting upon the ground. His scratched hands flew to a knee that would no doubt bear a darkened bruise within the next hour. "It hurts," he mumbled before he looked back up, stunned. His movements froze. Jin's eyes settled upon a pale blue house in the distance. His jaw dropped as he hurried to raise himself from the sidewalk, brushing the dirt from his hands and jeans.

When he reached the house, he didn't even need to check the address. He knew this was it. "I wonder if they're here," Jin said under his breath. He glanced around before he walked up to a window and peered inside.

The room he looked into had white walls and a brown-carpeted floor. Both chairs and the couch faced the TV placed in a corner. Various books and magazines were scattered across a table, and seated in one of the chairs was a woman. Her face was buried in the palms of her hands; her light brown hair fell over her pale shoulders.

"Mom," Jin whispered as he watched. His hand crept up onto the glass and he traced a finger around her figure. He couldn't tell if she was just resting or if she was really asleep. When she began to raise her head Jin felt Kazuya's heart jump; he should turn away before she saw him staring at her through the window. He shouldn't let himself be caught in such an awkward position. But Jin could not bring himself to move; he continued looking at her until he could see her peaceful face. It appeared that she too was lost in a world of her own. She took no note of Jin. "She's so beautiful," Jin said to himself. A smile had made its way onto his face, but it left as quickly as it had come. Someone was standing behind Jin; he heard them.

"Who are you?" a man asked.

"…Dad?" Jin guessed as he turned around. It would be you, Jin thought as he took in the appearance of his father. Apparently the man had heard Jin's comment; his brow was furrowed and there was a clear look of irritation on his face.

"Excuse me?" he snapped. "Who are you?" the man repeated as he suspiciously eyed Kazuya's figure. "And what do you mean by 'Dad'? I only have one son, and he's in a coma."

"I..." Shit, this isn't starting off well at all, Jin said to himself.

"Go away, you're trespassing," the man ordered.

"No!" Jin instantly shouted. "I-I can't leave," he said in a panicked voice.

"I'll call the police then."

"What?!" Jin yelled. "What for? I haven't done anything!"

"I've already asked you once, I won't ask again." The man pulled a cell phone from his pocket as he spoke to emphasize his point.

"You can't call the police, I have to talk to you!"

"About what?"

"About Jin!"

"I don't want to hear it. I don't know if you're a friend of his, or whatever, but it doesn't concern you. Leave—Now," the man instructed as he headed toward the front door.

"Dammit old man!" Jin shouted in frustration. Always so damn stubborn, Jin complained to himself. Never even frickin' listens to anyone, always does whatever the hell he wants. I'll just have to make you listen, then.

Jin strode toward his father, a short distance separating them. He grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt and reared back a fist, ready to impale his father when he found that he could not move. Kazuya's hand hovered in the space between them. In that mere second it was as if time had froze; Jin's father stared with fury in his eyes, unbelieving that this strange young man who appeared at his house dared to act in such a manner, and Jin himself had raised a brow before he realized what had happened.

"Bull freaking shit! Won't feel a thing?! You damn liar! It feels like you just took a hammer to my head!" Kazuya shouted. His eyes widened when he realized the one before him was not Jin; it was the man he had seen by Jin's hospital bed, his father. He instantly lowered his fist and looked around in panic.

"Shit!" Jin cursed himself, stomping his foot into the ground. I need to learn how to control myself, he noted. "Punch him Kazuya!" he ordered. "Right in the fucking jaw!"

Kazuya glanced at the man and drew in a quick breath as he took a step back. He felt a sharp pain in his knee, glanced down, and saw his jeans with traces of dirt. He then noticed the stinging pain from his hands, cut and bleeding. He looked at Jin again. "What the hell is going on?" he asked.

"Just punch him already!"

"I'm not punching him!"

"IF I CAN'T SOMEONE HAS TO!"

"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU DO IT WHEN-" Kazuya quickly took another glance at the man on his doorstep; he stared at Kazuya as if the boy were a psychopath.

"I'm calling the police," the man stated before he walked into his house and slammed the door shut.

"What the hell did you do?!" Kazuya demanded.

"Get in there!" Jin said as he walked through Kazuya's figure.

"What?!"

"GO IN! NOW!" Jin roared.

Kazuya's heart raced as he followed Jin into the house. He was still trying to figure out why Jin was in his Spirit Form. What was the point of the possession? Did something go wrong? Why didn't Jin just do his business like he said he would? Kazuya did not like this; he did not want to be the only visible one standing before these people, full of fury because of who knows what.

Kazuya found a woman staring at him the second he passed through the doorway. Jin's mother, he instantly recalled her.

"What? Are you breaking and entering now?!" Jin's father accused as his eyes fell upon Kazuya.

"Breaking? What?" Jin asked, confused. "What did you break?" He turned to Kazuya.

"Shut up," Kazuya growled, "that's not what he means."

"Who the hell are you talking to?!" the man demanded.

Kazuya's mouth gaped; he looked at the woman whose gaze bounced between her husband and himself, then shot Jin a questioning glare.

"Tell him you're not leaving until he listens to what you have to say," Jin instructed.

Kazuya relayed the message only to endure another unwanted shout of protest. Jin watched with widened eyes as his father started dialing on his cell phone.

Jin, Kazuya shouted in his head, what am I supposed to do?! The boy looked desperately at the only one who could offer any help, but Jin was lost. He was too caught up in his own thoughts. "JIN!" Kazuya yelled, waving his hands to catch the other's attention. It was no use. Jin was too occupied, watching as his last chance slipped away. "I can't believe this," Kazuya said under his breath.

"Why are you calling for him like that?" the woman asked in curious voice.

"Dammit." Kazuya took a step toward Jin's father, snatched the cell from his hand, and threw it upon the floor before turning back to the mother. "Because he's standing right there!" Kazuya shouted, pointing at a man who was nonexistent as far as anyone else was concerned, pointing at a man who he could see as plain as day, pointing at a man who would die if he just stood by and watched this mess continue.

The woman's eyes were filled with tears; her husband was filled with rage.

"Just ask something," Kazuya hurried to say. "Just ask something, one thing, anything. Ask about Jin, something that happened in the past, whatever."

"No, Kazuya!" Jin protested. "I can't remember anything, I can't help you..."

So now you're back, Kazuya glared. Shit, he's right, why'd I say that? "You have to remember something," Kazuya insisted. "There's got to be something."

Jin began to shake his head in response and then froze. He had recalled his house, his neighborhood, and his parents upon sight. He was not told of their significance, yet he remembered. Jin wandered over to his mother and glanced down at her. There's got to be something, he thought. He looked over her, studied her attire, any accessories she wore. He tried to find something that would be of significance, that would bring back some memory he could attach himself to and bring forth for evidence to prove Kazuya's ridiculous claim.

The couple exchanged a quick glance.

"Ah!" Jin pointed at his mother's hand. "Here, Kazuya," he called. "This scar, the one below the knuckle on her left hand. I gave her that."

"Do you remember how?" Kazuya asked.

"I was..." Jin furrowed his brow as he turned. There was a door connected to the dining room that led to the kitchen. Jin slowly approached the doorframe and peered in before he began nodding his head. "I was playing soccer in the house," he said. "I kicked the ball down those steps and scared her. She was making curry." Jin smiled. "She was cutting the carrots, and I startled her when I kicked the ball into the wall, and she cut herself."

"You have a scar on your left hand?" Kazuya asked the woman.

Jin's mother nodded, and then protectively covered the scar with her other hand.

"You were making curry? Cut yourself because Jin kicked a ball in the house and scared you?"

She nodded again.

"He could've told that to anybody," Jin's father interrupted.

"You prick," Jin said through gritted teeth. "You can be so stubborn." Jin swung his hand through his father in frustration.

"Damn..." Kazuya whispered.

"HAH! Got it," Jin shouted.

"What is it?" Kazuya asked.

"Ring, that ring, it's his wedding ring."

Kazuya blinked unbelievingly. "No shit," he mouthed.

"No, I mean, it's his wedding ring, but it's not the ring Mom gave him. He lost his and had to go out and buy an identical one. He told me to never tell her. And I didn't. But now you're gonna have to, and it serves him right because it's his own damn fault."

Kazuya sighed. Now he's getting me involved in his family affairs, he grumbled to himself. "Your ring..." Kazuya started.

The man looked down at the band encircling his finger and then glanced back up at Kazuya. "What about it?" he asked suspiciously.

"It's not the one your wife gave you..."

"Oh come on, say it with a more accusing tone, make him feel guilty about it," Jin complained as he looked for anything else that could help Kazuya win his argument.

Kazuya glared. "Shut up," he mouthed again.

"All that tells me is that my son can't keep his mouth shut," the man retorted.

Jin caught sight of something and walked over to Kazuya. "Let's try this again," he whispered to himself. "Let me possess you once more." He did not wait for an answer before doing so, and within seconds he was within the boy's body.

Ahh, shit, Jin whined to himself. His knee... hurts...

"Is that all you have?" the man asked in impatience.

"No, that's not all I have," Jin replied, resisting the urge to add a mocking 'father' at the end of his sentence. "The necklace around Jin's neck, the one he always wears beneath his shirt. The cross he got back in middle school. After he collapsed at the train station and was sent to the hospital, you picked it up during a visit. He used to wear it so everyone could see it, but some kid at school had one exactly like it. He accused me of stealing his and you had to come to the school to talk with my teacher. Remember? You stood up for me. You told me that day that you would've believed me even if the whole world were against me. You know I wouldn't lie. You know I wouldn't steal anything. You taught me not to be a liar. I never was. Err, well, you know what I mean... I'm here, I'm standing right here, you know it's me.

"I saw you holding it in your hand when you came back, on the day you were going to let me go. I saw the chain dangling from your hand. The doctor told you I had a chance, and you let me live a few days longer, but then you thought you were being played with. After all, it had been three years. Too long for anyone to really come out of a coma, right? You think you're just being played with. You think they just want your money, so now you're going through with what you had originally planned. You're gonna let me go." Jin paused to take a breath and watched his father process everything that had been said before resuming. "I don't care anymore. You can let me go—but after one more week. After one more week, okay? After that, you won't even have to decide. I'll either be back, or I'll die. You'll get a call from the hospital and that'll be it."

Jin's mother remained stationary in her chair. She did not miss the point in Jin's dialogue where every 'he' and 'him' became an 'I' and 'me'. The tone in which this strange young man before her spoke was anything but foreign to her. She knew, as any mother would. This was her son standing before her. Her husband's denial was hesitating; he too recognized the tone in which this boy spoke. Even as the 'Dammit old man!' phrase had left his lips earlier on the porch, he noted the eerie resemblance.

"Jin..." the woman spoke in a softened voice, "is that you?"

A/N (Aisu): Wow, I am such a quick updater. ;D C&C = ♥

SPARE ME - Entry #08

2008-03-07T22:28:27Z

SPARE ME - Entry #07

2008-03-01T04:18:10Z

Alive in Death

2008-02-24T21:21:03Z

Title: Alive in Death
Author: Aisu
Rating: G
Pairing: Akame
Genre: AU
Disclaimer: Story = mine.
Summary: Kazuya readies himself to attend an annual event, a moment he lived for, and if one thing went wrong, it would break.
A/N: For kish_bee & tia_junan ♥

The room was still. A deafening silence lingered as Kazuya stood before a mirror adjusting the collar of his white dress shirt. This was a routine for him. Once a year, Kazuya would wake up early and watch the sunrise, watch as the seconds passed until it was time for him to get ready. Once a year, he would find this passive expression of his staring back at him through the mirror as he tightened the black tie around his neck. Kazuya raised a hand and combed it through his hair a few times as he scanned his reflection. Nothing's different, he always thought on this day. He looked the same, wore his hair the same way, wore the same suit. It was like clockwork. He slipped on his suit jacket and lifted his hair out from beneath it. A glance at the window and he saw the sunlight that splashed over the floor of his room. Kazuya reached for the sunglasses that were placed on top of his dresser and suddenly found another hand had covered his.

"Don't wear them, I like seeing your eyes."

Kazuya let his gaze rest upon the other's hand as a small smile danced across his lips. "Okay," he answered in a faint voice. His eyes traveled up the arm until they reached a face. The beautiful man before him was impossibly still, just like the room; he did not appear to even breathe.

The man's expression was neutral, almost void of any emotion. Kazuya's eyes lingered on his full lips, then slowly wandered upward across the tanned skin until he met the dark eyes with a fixed stare. That look was so familiar. Kazuya felt butterflies in his stomach whenever he saw it, felt his breathing slow down as if trying to freeze time, to let the moment last just an instant longer, because maybe if he stopped breathing, the world would stop turning, and he would be lost in a timeless void.

Tempted as he was, Kazuya restrained himself from reaching out and running his hand through the dark silken locks of the man before him. He instead turned away, lost in the sight of his reflection once more. He could still feel the other's weighted stare upon him. He always felt transparent under that piercing gaze; he could hide nothing.

"You look good," the man commented.

Kazuya only smiled again, a slight twist of the corner of his lip. It was as though he were in a trance, unable to break away from this feeling of despair that plagued him. It was always there, stalking him in the shadows. It made him feel helpless, weak, vulnerable.

A soft click sounded throughout the room, and Kazuya's head instantly snapped in direction of the door; his heart throbbed against his chest. "Jin," he quickly breathed, eyes widened in fright. Worry consumed him. Just the thought of this man walking out from his sight horrified him.

Jin's hand remained on the doorknob as he turned. "Time to go, right?" he asked, waiting for confirmation.

He always speaks in such a soft voice now, Kazuya noted. Always kind, and reassuring. Kazuya calmed himself and then nodded. He strode over to where Jin stood and took hold of the knob, pulling the door toward him. Time to go, he repeated in his head.

Kazuya seemed to stroll down the pathway without meaning, as if it were just something to do. He had a ‘the glass-is-always-half-empty' attitude about him, a pessimist in every way. He appeared to drown himself in miserable thoughts. It looked as if he himself was approaching his own death with every forced step – but this was not true. Kazuya loved this day. It was sad, yet sweet; lonely, yet loving. He treasured it every year. It was a fragile keepsake, a moment caught in glass. He held it close to his heart, afraid it would fly away should he let go for even a breath.

No words were exchanged between Kazuya and the man beside him, whose presence Kazuya now seemed only vaguely aware of. The moment called for no words, however. Only they understood that. If too much was said, it would be ruined. It would shatter, as if something tangible, into countless pieces. So Kazuya walked on in the quiet morning, saying nothing, but thinking everything about the man beside him.

The sunlight washed over Jin's figure, highlighted his features, added a shimmer to his eyes. Kazuya wanted to reach out and hold the man's hand, but could not. He knew that if he did, the moment would break. Jin's presence was enough. Kazuya could go on living with just that. He put his hands into his front pockets and looked downward, watching as he placed one foot before the other. He smiled to himself, glad that Jin was with him – always.

These mornings were full of silence and stillness. The wind did not blow. People were nowhere to be found. It was just Kazuya and his Jin.

Kazuya continued looking at the pavement below him until he realized he could go on no further. He stared at the black dress shoes of the man that stood before him, blocking his way. He waited for something to happen. What are you doing, Kazuya silently wondered as Jin stood facing him. He did not dare to look up into those dark eyes once again; his effort was futile.

Jin bent over and tilted his head upward, staring Kazuya in the eyes. He wore a smile, sincere and full of care, but it quickly faded. "You stopped smiling," he sullenly remarked.

Kazuya averted his eyes, looking off to his left where a tall black fence blocked him from his destination. He did smile, didn't he? He had not even realized it. He didn't mean to do it. Why was it that he smiled again? He could not remember. He watched Jin out of the corner of his eye, and when the man approached, Kazuya jerked backwards to avoid the touch. Jin's gaze fell to the ground and he nodded. The two continued their walk, Kazuya a few paces behind the other.

Kazuya kept his head low, though his eyes remained on Jin's figure. They watched him take long, graceful strides ahead of him. He watched the back of his broad shoulders. He watched the hypnotizing figure walk on without looking back. Stupid, Kazuya thought to himself. He ran a few steps until he caught up with the other. He kept his gaze to his left, staring past the black fence. They walked in silence.

We're almost there, Kazuya repeatedly thought. His eyes had wandered down to the pavement again. There was a crack in the sidewalk that his eyes widened at; his body instantly froze. "We're here," he whispered. He looked up; Jin stood at the black gate waiting for him.

"Come on," Jin encouraged.

Kazuya looked thoughtfully at the man, through the dark fence, then walked through the gate with Jin. They followed a narrow pathway; it was a short walk. Kazuya caught himself stealing glances at Jin. The sunlight filtered through the trees; shadows danced upon the floor. This place was calm. Everything was at rest.

Kazuya spotted it in the distance and darted ahead, placing himself in front of the found object. He crouched down, hands over his knees, chin over his hands. Another small smile. He looked back at Jin as the man walked over. Kazuya made sure the other saw his smile; he had to try harder. Jin stopped at Kazuya's side, smiled back, waited for the other to stand again – but Kazuya did not want to. He was being childish. He wanted to prevent the inevitable but could not. He continued sitting and staring, but the longer he stared, the harder he found it to contain himself and hold back his tears. He had not been able to do it last year, or the year before that, or the year before that. Some people try to forget. They try to erase the pain and pretend nothing happened. Kazuya could not. He lived in those memories. What he has failed to discover is that it's okay. It's okay to let the tears fall, it's okay to look back and cry. It would make him stronger, and then one day, he would be able to look back and smile, just as Jin wished for him to do. No tears, no pain, just the fond memories that they shared together. But for now, the tears were okay.

Kazuya stood and turned to gaze at Jin, at those dark eyes. There it was, that look again. A look that said, "I love you."

Don't do that, Kazuya thought. Don't ruin it, he cried to himself. He turned away and stared down at the marble stone.

"It hurts you to come here..." Jin whispered, and Kazuya could feel the sadness in the man's voice. "It'll be okay," he said. "One day you'll be happy again; I know you will," he spoke with assurance. "You were smiling."

Kazuya continued looking down at the gravestone; Jin stood directly behind him. Through the corner of his eyes, Kazuya could see the man's arms reach over his shoulders. Jin held him in an embrace, and Kazuya embraced the warmth; a tear left his eye. The moment was almost over. Kazuya was held in an embrace he could no longer feel.

"Thank you," Jin whispered. "Thank you for not forgetting me. Thank you for letting me live in your memories."

SPARE ME - Entry #06

2008-02-02T03:45:39Z

Hidden Melody - Chapter 2

2008-01-30T03:50:01Z

Title: Hidden Melody
Author: Aisu
Rating: PG
Pairing: Kurosawa/Kame
Genre: AU, drama, mystery, romance
Disclaimer: I friggin' pwn this plot. <3
Summary: It's 2050; a man named Kurosawa Akihiko was just hired into an advertising agency. His job would require him to relocate to another city where he presumed he would be living life in his usual everyday manner. However, during his first break, he discovers a hidden paradise that feels almost as if it's isolated from the rest of the world. It is there that he meets a pianist by the name of Kamenashi Kazuya, and together they would uncover a secret of the past hidden within the notes of a song.
A/N: For langzhen ♥

CHAPTER 2

"There go you with that look again," Junno observed.

"How many other surprises do you have in store for me?" Kurosawa asked the waiter from his booth.

"Oh~ I suppose you'll just have to wait and find out." Junno smiled.

"Is he really blind?"

"Blind? What makes you think he's blind?"

Kurosawa studied the waiter, unsure of whether or not the confusion on his face was authentic. "Maybe the fact that he walked straight past me without so much as a glance," Kurosawa offered up as proof.

"I don't know what you're talking about Aki~" Junno said in an annoyingly singsong voice. "What else did you want with your order?" the waiter asked a couple sitting a table over from Kurosawa's. "Ah, gotcha. It'll be ready in a minute." After jotting a line onto his notepad, Junno redirected his attention to Kurosawa. "Kame can see perfectly fine, Aki. I don't know why he'd walk by you without saying anything." The slight pout Junno wore in sympathy seemed genuine enough, though Kurosawa was still hesitant in believing his words.

"I see," the office worker replied in disappointment.

When Kurosawa left Kazen that day, his mind kept pondering over the scene that had taken place in the music shop. He had walked in, watched Kame finish yet another beautiful rendition of his piece, and then as he stood hopefully waiting to engage in another pleasant conversation, the pianist walked a straight path from the bench to the door. He could be ignoring me, Kurosawa thought. But why would he do that? Junno says he's not blind, so then what could it be? He had to have recognized me... Maybe his mind was so cluttered with thoughts that he didn't even take note of me standing there? ...No. Kurosawa was blinded by confusion, uncertain on how to analyze Kame's behavior. Why would the young man encourage him to visit again if he intended on walking out?

Kurosawa took a stroll in an attempt to rid himself of the scene that plagued his mind. There were plenty of other subjects he could contemplate over, none of which concerned Kame or The Glass City. The problem was he couldn't find one that was as appealing as this. The gifted man was a work of perfection himself, though he wasn't exactly what one would refer to as the epitome of the human male. However, to Kurosawa, the young man's gentle appearance suited his role as a pianist. His soft features were as alluring as the pieces he played, his agile fingers made for dancing across the keys of a piano, his delicate voice as sonorous as the stricken strings. Kurosawa couldn't help being drawn to this man, and neither could any of the passersby. He came to the conclusion that Kame simply captivated him. He hadn't believed it at first when Junno told him, but now he was sure of it. Kame had charmed him with his composed appearance and remarkable talent from day one. He often wondered if he would still be frequenting Kazen if Kame hadn't been at the music shop across from the café that day.

These thoughts continued to circle within Kurosawa's head as he strolled along an unknown stretch of road. This part of the city was still foreign to him. He always took the same path when he traveled from his apartment to work, but now that he had some free time on his hands he decided to familiarize himself with the surrounding area, careful not to get too far off-course. He lifted his head from the pavement and began surveying the small shops, turning his head every which way and taking in everything his eyes lay upon. And then he saw it. In the far distance, a magnificent building several stories high. It was easily taller than the nearby establishments. Was it part of The Glass City? It looked like it could have been, with its windows stretching high and wide across the structure. The sun had begun to set just behind it, outlining it with a warm golden glow. Kurosawa spotted a large clock near the top of the building and tilted his head to the side, narrowing his eyes in a thoughtful expression. He couldn't imagine what the building was, what it was used for, why it needed to be so grand. Kurosawa wasn't feeling too ambitious at the moment however, and decided to save the answer for another time. He didn't know how long it would take to reach the tall glass tower, and he was feeling unusually drowsy. Since the sun was beginning to set, he assumed it was around five. Taking one last glance at the lofty building, Kurosawa headed home.

The weekend had gone by in a fleeting moment and Kurosawa was in the back corner of the office once again. Junno had called him Sunday since it felt unusual to not see him at least once a day, and apparently Kame wasn't at the music shop either. "Haha, you're lonely," Kurosawa had teased, though at the time he had been wondering if Kame's absence had anything to do with his visit the previous day.

Kurosawa tried to focus on work, and thankfully the day was moving by fast. However, today there were fewer jokes and more rumors. Apparently there was a new face to be seen. The latest gossip around the agency was that another part-timer was hired to Kurosawa's office, a pretty blonde American girl. Seeing as how there was only one available cubicle left in the office, she would be seated beside Kurosawa if the rumor proved true.

"What are you doing?" Ryo asked as he watched Kurosawa stare out the window. This seemed to be the man's favorite question.

Kurosawa quickly turned in his seat partly ashamed that he had been caught slacking off, but once he looked upon Ryo, he noticed the man seemed a bit restless. "Nishikido-san...?"

"Looks like you can't focus here, either." He laughed, indicating the windows. "So have you heard? About the part-timer? It's probably another intern, actually," he said to himself. "How the heck are all the newcomers ending up near the damn windows? And who the hell said it was an American? That's definitely a lie. Not even rumor-worthy. Do you think it's an American? I bet you it's all wrong. Watch it be your average Japanese guy."

Kurosawa sat back listened to his coworker rant. Something about the new part-timer or intern clearly disturbed him, and as Ryo's monologue continued, Kurosawa could tell it was because of the possibility that the newcomer was a female.

~ ♪ ~

"Now what did you say?" Junno asked as made one last check around the café, making sure that everyone was content before he took a quick break at Kurosawa's booth. The office worker described a towering building he had seen during his walk, and Junno almost instantly knew what he was referring to. "It's a library," he answered.

"...Library?" Kurosawa repeated in disappointment. "It's just a library?" That massive structure was nothing more than that? Just a place to keep books?

Junno nodded in confirmation. "It was built around 2000," he elaborated, "the man who paid all the expenses was also the architect. He was rumored to have lived in the topmost floor of the building for a few decades or so after construction finished. When he passed away, people said he left it to his granddaughter."

"Is his granddaughter still here?" Kurosawa asked. He appeared interested in the library, but at the same time he unknowingly turned his attention to Kame across the street.

"I've no idea." Junno glanced over at Kame and then back at Kurosawa.

"I'm not going to today. I don't care what you say."

"What?"

"Don't 'what' me, I know what you were just about to suggest."

Junno cracked a smile. "You really can't stand it, can you? You might as well confront him and..."

Kurosawa said nothing. He only continued to stare blankly, leaned forward with his palm pushed up against the side of his face.

"You're pouting," Junno teased sullenly.

~ ♪ ~

"...What?" Kurosawa arrived at the company on time, earlier than usual even, and as he sat with his hands working away at the keyboard, Ryo stared at him all the while. At first Kurosawa had waited expecting the other to explain his reason for lingering, but Ryo remained silent until acknowledged with a question.

"She's here..." Ryo announced with a grim expression. "I just saw her as I was walking in..."

Almost as if on cue, a tall man with grayed hair walked in with a young woman by his side. Whispers were heard quickly flowing around the room as everyone assembled near the entrance of the office.

Ryo sighed before he tugged Kurosawa's arm. "Come on," he said as he went to join the semi-circle of people that had formed.

The young woman's features were childlike, but her mature appearance made her look Kurosawa's age. She had adorable dimples as she smiled, her bangs falling in an organized fashion over the sides of her face hugging the bottom of her chin, the rest of the black hair spilling out over her shoulders. She was definitely Japanese.

"This is Matsura Rei," one of Kurosawa's employers introduced her. "She's here on an internship and will only be working the afternoon shift."

"Yoroshiku onigaishimasu!" Rei bowed her head, several others doing likewise.

Some of the crowd dispersed and returned to their former tasks, others remained and introduced themselves to the intern. Kurosawa shot Ryo an inquiring look but caught him instead with narrowed eyes as he scrutinized the newcomer. Ryo's face displayed a look of utter confusion, so many twists and wrinkles he almost seemed disgusted. Then, as if he could picture how repulsive he appeared, he assumed an expressionless look.

"Average," Ryo muttered with a small nod. "I think I'm gonna stick her with you for a while."

"Huh?" Kurosawa found himself lost as he watched Ryo approach the young woman.

"Welcome to the account services department," Ryo greeted with a dimpled smile and an outstretched hand. This was the first time Kurosawa had seen the man act in a professional manner.

"This is Nishikido Ryo, the account executive," the man Rei had walked in with explained.

"The what?" Kurosawa barely whispered.

Rei bowed once again. After Ryo exchanged a few words with the man, he walked past Kurosawa with the intern trailing behind and directed the girl to her cubicle. Kurosawa tailed the two until he reached his own part of the office.

"The majority of your internship will take place in the account services department," Kurosawa overheard Ryo explain. "To give you better exposure to the agency however, we will be transferring you to other facets of the company every few days. Of course, you were probably already informed of all this." Ryo turned and revealed the cubicle behind him. "The guy who sits to your right is Kurosawa Akihiko. He's new here too. Just hired about a week ago."

Kurosawa showed a small smile. Why would she want to work here, he asked himself. She looks bright... Kind of above average, if you ask me... I don't see what's so fascinating about advertising. And how come all I got for a welcome was 'uhmm… yeah' when I'm an actual employee? Moreover, if this guy's the account executive and everyone in this office is under him, doesn't he assign the cubicles himself?! Kurosawa resignedly sighed as Ryo continued.

"In a couple days, I'll have you start researching and analyzing information regarding some of our competition. For now however, I'll just be informing you of our current client so you can get an idea as to what..." Ryo's voice trailed off as he quickly spun around and glanced at his desktop. "Oh shit."

"Huh?" Kurosawa unconsciously replied, his brow raised in question.

"My file folder, the one with all the client's information in it... I left it back at the library during my lunch break." Ryo distractedly glanced at his watch. "I have a meeting in 30 minutes."

"Do you need it for the meeting?"

"No, but regardless, that kind of information cannot be left lying around in a public facility where anyone can get at it. I can't believe I freaking left it there... Dammit. I'm going to need you to get it for me."

"Hai," Kurosawa complied without question.

"Take Rei with you as well," Ryo instructed. "She's never been to the library yet and she'll have to start making good use of it. I'd take her along with me but it'd be last minute… So anyway, once you get that file, leave it on my desk for me."

"Hai."

Ryo raised a pointed finger at Kurosawa, his mouth partly gaping as if to say something, yet nothing was said to the latter. "I need to get going," Ryo muttered to himself as he snatched a suit coat from the back of his chair and walked out the door.

Kurosawa's eyes followed the troubled man out of the room and then came to rest upon the young intern before him. There was a slight twist in her lip as she tried not to smirk at her employer. She was enthused, Kurosawa could tell. He didn't know what it was she saw, but something in this company sparked an interest in her. Something drew her to this environment. He was envious of her obvious passion wishing he could find something he equally enjoyed.

"Well... Let's go, then," he said with a smile.

~ ♪ ~

How convenient, Kurosawa thought. He had wanted to visit the library since he discovered it the past weekend, and now he was being told to go there—during work no less. It was refreshing.

There wasn't a single moment of awkwardness between Kurosawa and Rei once they left for the library. They had no trouble finding something to talk about since Kurosawa instantly took note of Ryo's words; Rei had never been to the library before. Junno had mentioned that the massive library was the best information center he had ever come across, containing materials that spanned several subjects. Universities had the basic necessities of course, but if you wanted something specific, some bit of information that almost seemed impossible to obtain, this library was the place to look for it. It was almost like magic, able to produce written materials holding the exact details one was in search of. If Rei had never been there before, chances are she didn't attend a nearby university.

And Kurosawa was right. Rei came from a city further up north. When she heard that she could come here on an internship, she immediately applied. After all, who wouldn't want a chance to work for one of the most successful advertising agencies in the country?

~ ♪ ~

Rei and Kurosawa stared in awe as they proceeded up the front steps of the library. The Great Hall itself was intimidating, making the two feel as if they were mere dolls in an over-sized playhouse. Before them was an archway leading into another room, and on either side of the Hall was a grand staircase leading to the north and south wings. With each step Kurosawa took upon the glossy tiled floor he could hear an echo. He turned to look at Rei and caught the girl staring up at the beautifully decorated stain glass ceiling; shades of blues and greens blended together to create a soothing effect. The intern could hardly conceal her amazement. Her lips slightly parted in awe, but once she realized Kurosawa was watching with an amused look, her jaw snapped back up.

If the sight of the Great Hall alone stunned the coworkers, the rest of the library would surely impress them. Passing under the archway, the two came upon the reading room. They stood on the ground-level floor of the tower Kurosawa had seen protruding from the surrounding buildings. Below their feet was a deep red carpet leading to the center of the room where a circular information desk was located. The room itself was octagonal, eight walls with a massive pillar at each vertex. With eyes still wandering, Rei and Kurosawa gravitated toward the desk where they could see a librarian. He was a young man with light brown hair, and he busily rummaged through books on the counter.

"Excuse me," Kurosawa interrupted, the librarian too caught up in his task to notice anyone.

"Yes?" the man glanced up, his eyes slightly widened in question. His voice was soft, though not timid. His hair was slightly wavy, and hovered an inch above his shoulders before curling outward. His bangs, however, were straight, and clashed with the top of his thick black plastic-rimmed glasses. "Ah, wait, did Ryo send you?" he asked.

"Hai," Kurosawa answered.

Without another word, the man produced a file folder from beneath the desktop. "He's lucky I noticed it before someone else did," he said before handing the folder to Kurosawa. "Is he okay? It seems like something's wrong. He looked really out of it today." The man frowned. "Usually when he comes here for his lunch break he's busy going through his client information, reading, researching, jotting stuff down... Today he just looked beat. He kept staring at the floor or rubbing his head. Didn't seem like it was out of frustration or anything, though. More like because he was in pain. Headache, maybe," he suggested. "Oh well, at least this is one thing he won't have to worry about."

Rei quietly nodded along with Kurosawa.

"Are you the intern?" the librarian suddenly asked, changing the topic of conversation.

"Ah, no, she is," Kurosawa corrected as he pointed a finger in Rei's direction.

"Oh, that's right. Ryo said it was a girl," the man said as he took in Rei's appearance. "Ah, I'm sorry. I didn't even introduce myself yet; I'm Ueda."

"Matsura Rei." Rei bowed.

"Kurosawa Akihiko," Kurosawa said with a slight inclination of his head.

"I didn't mean to go off like that," Ueda apologized before turning back to his books.

Rei stole a glance at Kurosawa, waiting for him to say that it was okay, but found that he was too busy surveying the interior of the room. "It's fine," Rei assured Ueda with a smile as Kurosawa continued to let his eyes explore the room.

The architect that Junno had spoken of was truly remarkable, as was whoever did the interior decorating; their combined efforts were anything but wasted. The warm colors of red and gold that painted the walls made the place feel so welcoming. Kurosawa half-wondered if this city he had come upon by chance was some hidden utopia, a well-kept secret.

Wanting to further explore the library, Kurosawa made a hand motion and took a step away from the information desk. Rei had busied herself with Ueda anyway; the two were having a useful chat about the library and its resources. Around the information center were several smaller desks, each with its own reading light; they were arranged in a circular fashion around the room. As Kurosawa walked down an aisle between the rows of desks, he found himself looking up. The ceiling was high, and a balcony that could be accessed from the second floor circled around the wall. A few people stood upon it, staring down into the main reading room with their arms hung over the railing. Kurosawa leisurely strolled over toward a wall, all of which had archways leading into a room that surrounded the reading area. As he wondered in, he was met with a maze of bookshelves. People read as they stood. Some smiled as if they had just read something sweet, others had their mouths gaping as if something terrible would happen in the next sentence. Some even sat upon the floor near the glass wall letting the natural sunlight spill upon their book. One such person caught Kurosawa's attention.

Kurosawa curiously eyed the man who sat with his back wedged into a corner. His legs were pulled up near his chest, and his head hung low. As the office worker approached the man's side, he saw a closed book propped up against the other's legs, a single hand resting over the cover. A Wire fell from his ear and led to what must have been some mp3 player hidden in his pocket.

"Kame?" Kurosawa whispered as he bent over to get a better look at the pianist's face.

Kame's eyes were shut.

"He's sleeping...?" Kurosawa mused. However, as he straightened his figure, he took note of the other's foot. It was a very subtle movement, but it was definitely tapping against the carpeted floor. With a few steps, Kurosawa placed himself near the glass wall. He stretched out a hand and waved it, casting shadows over Kame's face.

His reaction was almost instant; the pianist's eyes flashed open. "I'm not sleeping, you know," he said with a small smile as he removed his headphones and let them hang around his slender neck.

"I didn't think you were," Kurosawa said with a little laugh. "What are you doing here?"

A wide grin spread upon Kame's face as he looked down at the book cover. The smile seemed so exaggerated that when he answered with, "I'm reading," it appeared there was some bigger reason behind his being in the library.

"So how are you, Kurosawa?" Kame asked, head still down.

"I'm fine, I suppose... Had to come here because a coworker left his file folder behind..."

"Ryo?"

"Yes, you know him?"

"I've talked with him a bit, don't really know him too well. Ueda talks to me about him occasionally. He likes to come here often for his lunch break," Kame said as if reminding himself. "A lot of people do, actually," he added as an afterthought. "Well, except for people like you." Kame cracked a smile. "You seem to love that café."

"Well... it's a bit more than the café," Kurosawa spoke slowly as if he wasn't sure of it himself.

Kame nodded. "First time here?"

"Hai."

"Like it?"

Kurosawa opened his mouth, but encountered one of those cases where there was so much he wanted to say that nothing came out for several moments. "I... It's... I mean, of course I like it," he said in a 'that's-so-obvious' tone. "It's amazing." His answer, though simple, appeared to make the other happy.

"I like it, too."

"Do you come here often?"

"Everyday." Kame smiled.

Everyday, Kurosawa thought. Kame played at the music shop nearly everyday, but when it came to the library, he was there everyday. Kurosawa wondered what the boy did for a job, what he did to support himself. There was a different question that surfaced his mind at that moment however, and though he didn't feel like bringing it up, it wouldn't stop nagging at him until he did.

"Could I ask you something?" Kurosawa finally requested.

Kame's brow furrowed for a second as if wondering what the question could be, and then nodded.

"Are you... blind?" the office worker asked feeling a bit stupid, like he should know something like that by now. Kame didn't reply right away, which made Kurosawa nervous about his question and caused him to start rambling. "I mean, the other day..."

"You came again? To the music shop?" Kame questioned.

"Well... yeah."

"Oh," the pianist said in surprise. "I didn't know..."

Kurosawa still waited for an answer, waited for the words to come from Kame's lips and confirm whether or not he was as blind as he appeared, or if Junno had been telling the truth.

As if he could sense the other's anxiety, Kame answered. "I'm blind," he said with a single, sullen laugh. Opening the book in his lap, Kame held it up to Kurosawa. There were no words; no ink could be seen on the page, only several raised dots.

Despite the feeling that told him he already knew it, Kurosawa couldn't bring himself to fully believe it. How had Kame looked straight into his eyes before? How was he able to tilt his head up at the perfect angle to meet someone else's gaze? The moment had become awkward; Kurosawa wanted to ask these questions, but couldn't. He had done enough for the day. How could he just dismiss himself now, though? As he pondered this thought, he felt something ram into his leg.

"What...?" Kurosawa turned and watched as the dog he had seen Kame with run around his foot and jump into the pianist's lap.

"Ran!" Kame's face instantly brightened as he tussled the dog's golden fur.

Dogs are allowed in here, Kurosawa silently thought. It was strange, but he could have cared less. At least the uncomfortable atmosphere was broken, and that was most definitely thanks to Ran.

"How did you get down here?" Kame whispered to his furry companion. "Nakamaru must've let you in the elevator," he said, a hint of disapproval in his voice.

Kurosawa watched with a sullen smile. It was such a shame, he thought, that someone so content with life had to go through it without one of the greatest gifts one could have. Kame would never be able to see the vibrant colors of spring slowly change to rich shades of amber and red; he would never be able to watch the snow fall, the sun rise, the birds fly. Kurosawa could not even begin to imagine how much different his life would be if he was deprived of his sight.

Kame reminded him of a young, innocent child as he sat upon the floor talking to this dog named Ran; his delicate smile was so meaningful, so grateful. He needed nothing more than that warm sunlit spot on the floor and Ran to make him smile like that. The image he portrayed here greatly contrasted with that of the sophisticated pianist back at the music shop, yet there was no mistaking that they were both the same easygoing, soft-spoken Kame.

"Ah..." Kurosawa glanced down and saw Ran circling him once more. A quick look in Kame's direction and he saw another smile.

"She likes you," Kame said.

"Apparently..." Kurosawa crouched down and scratched Ran's ear; she placed her front paws on his knee and lifted herself up to lovingly lick his face. "Your... guide dog?" Kurosawa asked.

Kame shook his head. "Not really. She isn't the type of dog that's used for that, but she can be helpful. Most people use a cane. I don't like that, though. I usually just take a taxi... Ueda walks with me from the music shop when his shift starts in the afternoon."

"Ohh..."

"Kurosawa..."

"Hai?"

"Kurosawa-san," a woman's voice suddenly whispered from nearby.

Crap, Kurosawa silently thought upon hearing the intern's voice. Almost forgot why I came here…

"Come by the music shop again?" Kame asked as Ran returned to his lap. "If I don't notice you, say something. I won't mind, even if I'm in the middle of a song. Okay?"

"Of course," Kurosawa said with a smile. "See you later, then."

Kame's headphones found their place over his ears once again as Kurosawa turned and found Rei waiting patiently.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," she apologized.

Kurosawa just shot her a glance; 'it's all right'.

~ ♪ ~

"YOU FOUND IT!" There was a pause as Ryo flipped through the papers in the file; he just arrived from his meeting. "Nice job," he complimented Kurosawa. "And you, did you learn anything?" he asked the intern without looking up from his papers.

"I... uh..." Though there was plenty she learned from Ueda, Rei stumbled over her words at the unexpected question. Ryo didn't seem to take note of this.

"Great! Don't be late tomorrow and we'll get started on your uh... intern stuff."

Rei raised a brow as if to say, "This man is the account executive? Surely it's a lie..." Kurosawa's expression asked the same, though he wore a smirk that Ryo didn't take a liking to.

"What?" The executive asked.

"You're really account executive?" Kurosawa inquired.

"Ohh," Ryo said as if he knew exactly why the two coworkers looked the way they did. "Yeah, sometimes I wonder about that too," he replied before turning to head out the door.

~ ♪ ~

The next morning held no surprises for Kurosawa. Ryo had already sent Rei away to the creative department with the director, so Kurosawa was once again the executive's source of entertainment. Ryo always seemed so unfocused in his work; Kurosawa wondered how he ever managed to meet deadlines.

"Kurosawa, I need you to go make about 30 copies of this," Ryo requested. However, as Kurosawa reached for the paper the man held, he realized that nothing was printed on either side.

Kurosawa bit the side of his mouth. "Sure, I'll go make your copies..."

~ ♪ ~

"You never come in here without that look on your face," Junno remarked.

"Someone's a liar~" the office worker sung.

Junno's mouth gaped. "I lied?" he said with a furrowed brow. "When? About what?"

"The other day." Kurosawa cleared his throat and began speaking in a high-pitched voice. "I don't know what you're talking about, Aki~ Kame can see perfectly fine."

"I do not sound like that," Junno said in a monotone voice with narrowed eyes. "And I didn't lie. Well, not completely... Kame can see. Just not in the way we can."

Kurosawa widened his eyes as if to say, "Continue."

"There's varying degrees of blindness you know, of course. Though he's blind, he's pretty good about making out shadows and things. It depends on the lighting, really. He can usually tell when there's someone nearby, too. He's got great hearing... Why do you do that, exactly?" Junno stifled a laugh.

"Huh?"

"This." Junno imitated Kurosawa's facial expression and filled his mouth with air. "You look like a puffer fish."

"...So?"

"If the girls here knew how strange you were I don't think they'd want to serve you so much."

"...Huh?" Kurosawa mumbled uninterestedly as he yawned and glanced over at the music shop; Kame wasn't there. He felt unusually tired. It was probably because he hadn't had much work this morning and spent his time doing nothing but listen to Ryo's occasional banter.

"What do you mean 'huh'? You're not exactly bad looking, Aki. During closing time I have to listen to all of them rant about you all the time." Junno paused to see if the other was paying attention, which he clearly wasn't. "It's okay though, I told them all you have a thing for the pianist over there and now they've given up on you."

"Ohh..."

"Aki!"

"I was joking!" Kurosawa laughed. He really did have the tendency to zone out whenever he was in the café. It must have been annoying to Junno sometimes, he thought. Though the waiter appeared carefree, he had to have had off-days as well. Whenever Kurosawa came to Kazen, the two only ever talked about him and his morning in the office, never about how Junno was or how his day went. Kurosawa only just now realized that he knew barely anything about the younger man besides the fact that he was a waiter and went to university with Kame. Junno was already gone however, busing tables and taking orders, so he would have to save their conversation for another day. As Kurosawa left, the waiter spared an energetic wave coupled with his usual grin.

~ ♪ ~

In the back corner of the office, Kurosawa wondered why Kame wasn't at the music shop. Could he be at the library? Kurosawa imagined the pianist sitting in the sunlit spot, a halo glowing atop his head as his hair shone in the sun. Maybe he had found an interesting book. Maybe he was spending time with family. Maybe he was talking with other friends of his. Kurosawa didn't know, and whenever he thought about how ignorant he was of others, he felt as lonely as when he first relocated. It had been over a week, and though he had met people, he knew nothing about them. Just give it time, he told himself. Things'll fall into place. He tried to think of other things to keep him occupied since no one had asked him to do anything yet, and Ryo wouldn't be coming back from his meeting for at least another 20 minutes. Kurosawa's mind wandered back to the former subject however, and he almost shot up in his chair when a sudden thought occurred to him. Kame couldn't have been waiting for him at the library, could he? When he said that he was at the library everyday, he said it in a way that was quite clear. Was it another invite like from before? 'I'll be here tomorrow.' Kurosawa was pulled from his thoughts however, as Ryo had arrived earlier than predicted.

"KUROSAWA!" Ryo shouted from the office entrance as he sped toward the back corner. "What happened to my copies?!"

This had happened to at least four other people since Kurosawa entered the company, Ryo barging into the office and someone's name rolling out of his mouth. He figured he would be the executive's victim sooner or later, and today was the day. Apparently he needed the copies for his meeting. That explained why he was already back in the office.

"Your...? Oh!" Kurosawa remembered, the blank sheet of paper Ryo had passed him before his lunch break. "Are you serious? There was nothing on it, weren't you just messing around again?"

"There was...? What do you mean...?!" Ryo disappeared from Kurosawa's cubicle and walked over to his own. Papers could be heard shuffling all over the place before a loud "DAMMIT!" echoed within the office and Ryo was standing before Kurosawa again. "This," Ryo said, a paper outstretched in his hand, "is what I wanted you to copy."

Kurosawa just stared, his glance bouncing between the document and his coworker. "O...kay?"

"Why didn't you tell me the paper was blank?" Ryo whined.

"Like I said, I thought you were joking!" Kurosawa defended. "You really can't blame me," he argued, a smile making its way onto his face though he tried to resist it.

"But I can fire you."

Kurosawa's eyes widened as he jumped forward in his chair; his mouth gaped, he didn't know what to say. Is he serious? he thought. I was just hired!

"Just kidding!" Ryo flashed a smile, though it left as fast as it had appeared. "But next time double check with me, okay?" he said before leaving.

"Haaai," Kurosawa replied.

~ ♪ ~

"You don't take pictures with a camera, but with your heart and mind," Junno explained as Kurosawa listened intently, a rarity for the waiter.

Junno was majoring in photography. This fall he would enter his last year of college. He was infatuated with the subject and everything about it. It amazed Kurosawa how in-depth the other was in his discussion.

"Landscapes, that's what I like taking pictures of the most. There aren't many great photographs under that category that can be taken here, though. I want to travel the world."

"You don't like photographing people?" Kurosawa asked.

"Nah, not really. I mean pictures like that have lots of sentimental value, but from an artistic point of view, there's not much to them..."

"Ahh..." Kurosawa nodded.

"But anyway, my break is over. You should go visit Kame. I know how hard it was for you to listen to me when he's just over there, right? I kept thinking I would lose you somewhere, but you actually paid attention..." Junno looked amazed.

Kurosawa opened the door to Kazen, the bell ringing as he stepped out and quickly walked over to the music shop. His chat with Junno had taken most of his free time, though there was still five or so minutes left.

He walked into the shop and quietly made his way into the small building. For the first time, he noticed the rest of the store. Near the back, several guitars were lined along the wall. There were keyboards that lay on shelves, silver trumpets displayed on top of their cases, and flutes placed on stands. Kurosawa's eyes wondered until a small bark caught his attention; he instantly spotted Ran who dashed out from behind a counter. He bent down and moved a finger to his lips, regardless of how futile it was. Kame's piano playing stopped and he faced the office worker as Kurosawa fondly pet the dog.

"Come here," Kame asked with a knowing smile. "Do you know this song?" he asked as he began to play a piece, one different from the song he normally played.

Kurosawa listened as Kame played the intro. The opening chords sounded familiar, but he couldn't yet put a name to the piece. "I'm not sure..."

"Wait..." Kame gently replied.

The piece started out simple, very mellow and smooth; it was easy on the ears. As Kame got into it, his hands began to move slightly faster, the song a bit more complicated, yet beautiful nonetheless. And then he came upon the part of the song that made Kurosawa's jaw drop; he knew the song, he could hum it as Kame played it, yet he couldn't remember the name. It was a common song in the world of classical music. It could also be found as the basis for several other songs put out by pop artists.

"I know it, but... I can't remember..." Kurosawa confessed.

"Canon," Kame answered. "I played it the other day at a friend's wedding."

"Ohh..." So that's why he wasn't here the other day, Kurosawa said to himself.

"It was beautiful... It took place outside. Her nieces and nephews were all running around playing with Ran. The bride was beautiful; long white elegant gown, and the sun made her glow like an angel when she walked down the aisle with her father." Kame smirked knowing Kurosawa must've been confused; a blind man talking as if he could see.

Kurosawa hesitated before speaking softly. "But..."

"At least, that's how I imagined it," Kame smiled. "This is one of my favorite songs," he said as he finished the piece. "Do you play anything?"

"Yes," Kurosawa replied matter-of-factly. "I play the piano."

"Do you really?" Kame asked interestedly. "Play me something."

Kurosawa bit his lip as he contemplated the request. "Okay, but it's not going to be as good as anything you play." He sat beside Kame, lifted a single hand, and began to play.

Kame's head tilted to the side as he listened. His face was puzzled, but after a few more notes Kurosawa noticed a big smile make its way onto the pianist's face.

"Hyakunen yasumazu ni," Kame sang, and Kurosawa found himself singing with the other.

"Ojiisan to issho ni, chiku taku chiku taku, ima wa mou ugokanai sono tokei."

The two smiled as they sang; it was a child's song, yet here they were, two young men sitting in a music shop singing a nursery rhyme.

"So, how was I?" Kurosawa asked.

"...Funny how you played that song."

Kurosawa waited for Kame to elaborate on the statement. He wondered what connection he had made with the song, what Kame had been reminded of. Kame said nothing more on the subject, however. Instead, he appeared to reminisce something bittersweet, his face wearing a smile and frown at the same time, his mind recalling a moment of fondness and pain.

"I've got to get going..." Kurosawa informed in a soft voice, not wanting to pull Kame out of his reverie. Kurosawa didn't ask what Kame had thought about; he wasn't one to pry into another's business. As he left the pianist to his own thoughts, Kurosawa found himself wondering about an additional topic. How did he know how to play Okami Fukudokei?

Kurosawa enjoyed music as much as the next person, but he was no musician. He didn't know how he knew which keys to push; it just came to him as if he had played it every day. Even if someone were to try and play it by ear, surely there would be a few mistakes before the right key was found. It couldn't have been pure luck, could it? The subject frustrated Kurosawa, yet amused him at the same time. "Maybe I was a pianist in my past life," he mused.

~ ♪ ~

Days rolled by and Kurosawa found that Rei was quite amusing herself. Whenever she returned to her cubicle after a briefing from Ryo, she could be heard quietly muttering complaints. It started with his careless attitude and the general way he went about his work, but now it could be about anything from his 'annoying' voice to his 'bland' office attire. Once, when she was mumbling to herself, Rei had caught a glimpse of Kurosawa stifling a laugh as he looked in her direction. She could only turn away. The last thing she wanted to do was appear unprofessional or ungrateful for the internship she was offered.

Kurosawa had a ridiculous amount of free time since the intern was being given the majority of the work. Ryo had tried to convince the office worker to leave early and spend his time doing something productive; something Kurosawa had tried not to laugh at since it seemed so hypocritical. Kurosawa stayed however. He couldn't think of anything entertaining to do back at his apartment, and at least this way he was still around people. He tried bugging Ryo a few times; their roles apparently reversed. Ryo managed to remain on task though, and actually worked. Diligently. Kurosawa's efforts to get the man to talk about the product he was advertising didn't meet much success. The executive only let out a couple words, something along the lines of 'Blackcomb' and 'Vienna', neither of which Kurosawa could make sense out of.

Breaks were now mostly spent in the music shop. Kurosawa would order something from Kazen, have a quick chat with Junno, and then rush across the street. The nursery rhyme Kurosawa played for Kame seemed to have made an impression, as the pianist had taken it upon himself to teach Kurosawa a more complicated version involving the use of chords. "It's not that hard," Kame had insisted as he reached out and ran his hand down Kurosawa's arm until he came upon the office worker's hand. "Place your hand like this," he had instructed. Kurosawa wondered why Kame was attached to Okami Fukudokei. There must've been some sentimental meaning behind it. Maybe it involved his childhood, or a sibling. Whatever the reason, Kurosawa didn't mind. He even looked forward to his short lessons with Kame, always accompanied with a pleasant conversation. Today he did not need to come back for an afternoon shift either, so his time with the pianist was extended. He wasn't having the best of luck, though.

"Kurosawa, what're you doing? Are you making all these mistakes on purpose? You sounded better the day before," Kame said. "There aren't even any sharps or flats... You shouldn't be anywhere near those black keys," Kame pouted.

"Sorry," Kurosawa laughed. Maybe he wasn't a pianist in his past life after all. "I didn't mean to... My finger slipped."

"I give up. You're hopeless." Kame grinned.

Kurosawa's mouth gaped. "I can't believe that came from your mouth."

"Why not?" Kame asked.

"I didn't think you were that crude..."

"I was partly joking," Kame explained.

"That means you were partly serious as well, then." Kurosawa played along with a smile.

"Don't pretend you're sensitive."

"Hai," Kurosawa obediently replied.

"It's two..." Kame suddenly said, mostly to himself. Time passed by quicker than it normally did since Kurosawa had kept him company.

"How did you know that?"

Kame raised a slender wrist and Kurosawa glanced upon it; there were even watches made that told the time with Braille, he discovered.

"I usually get a taxi and leave now, but... Would you walk me home instead?"

"You want...? But I don't even know where you live," Kurosawa thought aloud.

Kame laughed. "I can give you directions, but you do know where I live," he continued.

Kurosawa furrowed his brow. "...I do?"

"Yes," Kame nodded. "Remember where you went to pick up Ryo's file?"

A/N (Aisu): Let's see...
1) This fic will contain absolutely no Ryoda.
2) I bet you've all heard Okami Furudokei... It was covered by Ken Hirai; I uploaded it for you guys here if you wanna listen. Lyrics [ translated & romaji ] if you're interested are here.
3) No one's been bugging me on MSN about Meet Death, so I've been watching The Big Bang Theory... haha! :X
♥) Matsu, whenever I hear Canon now, I think about you, haha~

SPARE ME - Entry #05

2008-01-06T00:50:26Z

SPARE ME - Entry #04

2008-01-05T03:33:52Z

SPARE ME - Entry #03

2008-01-03T03:08:39Z

Title: SPARE ME
Author: Aisu
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Akame
Genre: AU, comedy, romance
Disclaimer: Story = mine. :]
Summary: Quiet studious Kame meets loud playboy Jin through a series of flirtatious encounters.
A/N: Inspired by a true story.

[ 00 | 01 | 02 ]

ENTRY #03

Extra help.
Or study hall.
Whatever you wanna call it.
Well I mean, I call it study hall, but the purpose of it was to have students go to other classes that they need, well, extra help in.
I never go anywhere for study hall, though.
And so I ran into that guy again.
{ ♥ }
Kame sighed. It was hard to believe that he would have to go through this study hall thing for the next two years. Another day. Another 25 minutes wasted sitting in the same seat staring at the opposite side of the room, or rather, at Jin. The playboy was displaying his typical behavior.

{ ♥ }
He really does flirt with everyone he sees.
It amazes me.
And apparently he has a girlfriend?
How the hell did he manage that?
Obviously she's the shallow type that goes for looks only.
...Wait, I just complimented him.
{ ♥ }
This time, Jin was out of his seat trying to kiss some girl who kept pushing him away. It was actually pretty funny to watch. Kame was just waiting for the moment when the girl's hand would reach out and accidentally slap Jin right across his pretty boy face. It didn't happen though, much to his dismay.

Whatever it was Jin had missed school for on Thursday, he never mentioned it. He just came back like nothing was wrong. Apparently it wasn't anything all that important if he was already acting like this again. Maybe he was just putting on one of his acts. Maybe he just wanted to hold someone else's attention for a while.

{ ♥ }
There's this kid who sits two desks in front of me and to the left.
His name is Jiro.
There's this... routine that happens every now and then.
Pretty Boy,
or, Jin,
will walk over to Jiro and ask him a series of questions...
{ ♥ }
"Hey Jiro, are you Canadian?" Jin asked, leaning on his palms that lay flat upon Jiro's desk.

A part of Kame felt sorry for Jiro. The kid was foreign, clearly. Part Japanese and part whatever. It didn't matter to Kame either way, but for Jiro to have to put up with Jin's endless questioning because he was foreign, well that must have been hell when all he wanted was to sit in peace and read his book.

Jiro had answered Jin's repetitive query with a no, and as a result was pummeled with another. Jin was playing another one of his guessing games.

"Are you British?" Jin went on.

Jiro shook his head.

Kame turned to his left where Hiro sat. They exchanged the occasional glance while watching Jin make an idiot out of himself.

Hiro had dark red hair and wore those plastic-rimmed glasses you see everywhere. He wasn't too social, but he wasn't an outcast either. He was the only one Kame ever really talked to in study hall. Everyone else was annoying in one way or another. The three guys to Kame's right had their own little group going on, and the girls that sat in front of him were a bunch of gossips.

"Then what are you?" Jin finally gave up. "Oh, wait, you're American!"

Kame swear he saw Jiro's eyes widen in astonishment, though it was only for a fleeting second, and he returned to reading his book. Or at least, he tried to until Jin made a random request.

"Give me a hug Jiro."

Kame thought Jiro handled the situation quite well, completely ignoring the other and continuing to read. However, Jin wasn't one to give up that easily. He made his way to the side of Jiro's desk and reached out to pull the boy into an embrace. Of course, Jiro pushed Jin away from him, who in turn kept trying to hug Jiro, who in turn kept pushing Jin away.

"Cooome on Jiro. Beee niiice~"

{ ♥ }
...What the hell?
{ ♥ }
Kame tried not to laugh, but the sight was just far too amusing. Hiro must've thought the same, because when Kame looked over, the two began laughing. It was a stifled laughter, however. The last thing they wanted to do was draw attention to themselves. Yet, it would appear that nothing escaped Jin's watchful eyes.

The Pretty Boy's gaze shifted and he took a step forward. His eyes bounced between Hiro and Kame before settling on the latter. There was an awkward staring contest taking place, and just as Kame was about to turn away, a sentence flew from Jin's mouth.

"You're kinda cute, have I ever told you that?"

What... What was that, Kame thought. I'm cute? Hell no! I'm not one of your 50 girlfriends; don't even try that shit on me. "Go away," Kame instructed.

{ ♥ }
Of course, he doesn't listen.
Why did I even bother?
{ ♥ }
"You play the flute, right?" Jin asked.

Kame just nodded, not even caring to know why the other kept bringing up his flute.

{ ♥ }
I'm not even going to repeat what he said after that.
Perverted prick.

A/N (Aisu): ...This is what the RL playboy said: "Do you wanna play with my flute?"

SPARE ME - Entry #02

2007-12-31T22:47:35Z

Title: SPARE ME
Author: Aisu
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Akame
Genre: AU, comedy, romance
Disclaimer: Story = mine. :]
Summary: Quiet studious Kame meets loud playboy Jin through a series of flirtatious encounters.
A/N: Inspired by a true story.

[ 00 | 01 ]

ENTRY #02

There were a lot of people missing from study hall today.
There was no sitting next to me, or in front of me.

It made me feel exposed...
{ ♥ }
Jin strolled into the room right on time, as usual. Damn, Kame thought, now more than aware of the other's presence. He looked away from the windows, and stared at the top of his desk not wanting to establish any sort of eye contact by accident. He didn't want to lure Jin over to his side of the room, because he knew that if given a chance, the boy would take advantage of it.

Please don't talk to me, Kame silently prayed over and over in his head. He didn't want to become another daily victim of Jin's self-entertaining antics.

{ ♥ }
Do I even have to say it?
I'm sure you know what's going to happen.
{ ♥ }
About halfway into the study hall period, Jin became uninterested in the girl beside him. The pen in his left hand became his only source of amusement as he twirled it around his lean fingers in concentration. As he mastered the motion, he sped up, only to have the pen come clattering upon the desktop. He mouthed the word 'damn' as he let out a long sigh and looked out across the room, searching for something to cure him of his boredom.

Kame had zoned out, his eyes locked onto the tag of the instrument case placed on his desk. How much time was left before study hall was over? Channel One was already done airing, so at least 15 minutes had passed. Yeah, he was tired of wasting his time doing nothing, but he would've rather sat in silence than hear that voice that was becoming too familiar.

"Hey guy who doesn't talk."

Kame glanced up, and sure enough, there he was. There was Jin, on his side of the room. For once, Kame wished the girl that annoyed him like hell was sitting in front of him in her assigned seat, but she was away today. Probably busy with some student council matter. Jin didn't sit in her desk, though. Instead he situated himself on the one to Kame's left, leaning back on it to sit and cross his legs.

{ ♥ }
He was close. Too close.
But he acted different when he talked to me. He didn't talk like he did with other people.
He wasn't flirty or anything, and the fact that I'm a guy wouldn't have changed that.
Yes, he has flirted with other guys before.
Of course, he was joking with them.
...I think...
{ ♥ }
Jin reached out and pointed a finger to the case on Kame's desk. "Is that a flute?"

"Yeah," Kame answered, though he dreaded what would come next. Oh, God, he thought. Here it comes. He's going to make fun of me because I'm a guy and I play the flute. I can't stand this. I've heard it all too many times.

It's not that Kame was ashamed in the least. In fact, it was quite the opposite. He was better than the majority of the girls, only three able to play better than him during auditions. He liked to flaunt his ability, even. It was just that he didn't feel like dealing with the stereotypes that came with it.

{ ♥ }
Guys who play the flute are gay? I don't think so.
I'm not.
{ ♥ }
Sure, he could have avoided it by taking to his locker, but why make that extra trip and inconvenience himself just because of other people's mindless teasing? He wouldn't give them that satisfaction.

Jin however didn't seem to be in a teasing mood today. He found nothing about it funny and was quite serious when he asked, "Will you play it for me?"

"No," Kame instantly replied. Is he crazy? I'm not just going to start playing in front of the class during study hall... It's supposed to be quiet... You're supposed to study!

"Why not?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Because."

There was a silence as Jin thought of what to say next. Clearly asking 'why' wasn't getting him anywhere. He had to try something else, he had to find a new approach.

"Can I play it?"

Kame finally looked up from the flute case and glanced at the boy standing just beside him. There was no stupid grin on Jin's face, no sign of mockery. He stared at Kame as he awaited an answer to his question, his dark brown eyes serious, yet sad at the same time. Kame had never seen Jin like this, but then again, it's not as if he had seen much of the boy before now. "No," Kame repeated in the same dull tone after turning back to his former position.

Another awkward silence.

{ ♥ }
I thought he'd leave me alone after that and just walk away.
Someone like him seems to get annoyed with one-word responses; there's not much to go off of.
No luck.
He kept trying to start up a conversation.
What he asked next made me think he was a complete moron...
{ ♥ }
"Does your flute have a spit thingy?" Jin asked, desperate for any kind of conversation starter.

Kame raised a brow.

"Like... one of those things that you open and spit drains out of it."

{ ♥ }
A 'spit thingy'.
Wow.
It's called a spit valve.
Only brass instruments have those...
...
Okay, so he's not a music person, but still.
Spit thingy?
Thingy?
That word is so elementary.
{ ♥ }
Despite the many things Kame could have voiced in response, he resorted to his usual, simple answer.

"No."

"Ohh..." was all Jin could come up with as a reply. He had found a sudden interest in the tiled floor, his eyes glued to the teal squares. "...Will you play your flute for me on Thursday?"

If I won't play it today, what makes you think I'll play it Thursday, Kame wondered. He didn't know what it was this Jin wanted from him. He was annoying. Period. And why hadn't the bell rung yet? It seemed like an hour had passed when in reality it wasn't even a minute.

"Why Thursday?" Kame asked. If Jin wasn't going to leave, he decided he could at least meet halfway. Surely this response was better than the flat-out 'no' he loved to answer with.

"I won't be here tomorrow," Jin said, lifting himself from the desk to walk away.

Oh, now you leave, Kame silently thought.

Double Jeopardy - Chapter 2

2007-12-29T08:51:48Z

Title: Double Jeopardy
Author: Aisu
Rating: PG-13 (Eventually NC-17)
Pairing: Akame
Genre: AU, angst, drama, mystery, romance
Disclaimer: I still don't own them. x)
Summary: Kamenashi Kazuya was a successful student on his way to graduating from high school when his life took a drastic turn; he was found guilty of a murder he did not commit. With the indisputable evidence presented against him, he was sentenced to prison. Time goes on however, and once the boy was released, fate would have his eyes fall upon a familiar face. Discovering that the man he supposedly killed was still well and alive, Kazuya sets out with the objective to befriend the man. He would learn everything he could about the other, and use it against him to commit the crime he had been accused of, a flawless murder. However, once he begins to pursue this goal, how badly would it backfire once he learned the other side of the story?
A/N: First off, this fic has absolutely nothing to do with the movie by the same name. I didn’t even know there was a movie by this name until I saw my parents watching it the other day… how coincidental. It just HAPPENS that the plot in this fic shares one major thing with the plot in the movie. I haven’t even watched the movie, so hopefully they don’t end up alike.

[ 00 | 01 ]

NOTE: For those that read chapter one already, there were alterations made; you must re-read chapter one in order for chapter two to make sense.

CHAPTER 2

The ride was a long one, and Kamenashi was unable to stay awake as the rhythmic motion of the train lulled him into a deep slumber. He would have missed Akanishi getting off the train if it hadn't been for the moron that managed to trip and crash into the seat next to him. Now Kamenashi was hot on the man's heels, his face only staring straight ahead with a look of determination no one could match. His hands were placed in the pockets of his dark jacket as he followed after Akanishi at a quick, constant pace, his legs never tiring.

The streets were much more populated compared to back home. Kamenashi had no problem blending with the other civilians; he didn't even have to worry about concealing himself from the man's view. His hair color wasn't exactly common, but it's not like it was a shade that drew much attention. It was a deep red, the color only revealing its true beauty when the sun cast down upon it to reflect the crimson locks. If he were being sought after, however, it wouldn't take long for someone to pick him out from the crowd.

Kamenashi was here because of a spur of the moment decision. He hadn't thought out anything. All he knew was that he wanted to get away from that place he lived all his life, and now he was wandering the streets of some foreign city. Where would he sleep? He wouldn't be able to support himself for very long on the money he had with him; he would have to get a job. Kamenashi easily dismissed these thoughts, however. He did not want to be distracted in his pursuit.

Akanishi seemed to know exactly where he was heading, not a care in the world as he casually strolled along, completely unaware of the fact that he was being tailed by a man whose actions were fueled solely by revenge.

"Where the hell is he going?" Kamenashi asked beneath his breath. A shiver ran down his spine as the wind began to pick up; it was around noon, the sun high in the sky, yet providing little heat. "It's only spring, why is it so cold?" Kamenashi complained as he zipped up his jacket and ignored the buttons as he slipped his hands back into his pockets and ducked his mouth beneath the collar of his coat.

The fact that Akanishi seemed to take his sweet time as he ambled along looking at every storefront sign he came across only further pissed off Kamenashi. Every second Kamenashi spent following after this man, the more the rage built up within him. "Here he goes, wasting away my life again," Kamenashi said as he leaned against a street pole waiting for Akanishi to get done staring at whatever it was he found an interest in. "It's been five minutes; what's so damn eye-catching over there?" Kamenashi shivered against the pole.

When Akanishi finally turned away, Kamenashi hurried over to the glass window and peered inside. It was a music store, and lined up at the front of the shop for those passing to see were several guitars.

"Musician?" Kamenashi mused before quickly stalking after Akanishi.

The longer they walked, the less people there were. Nicely paved sidewalks became rubble, and the surrounding area looked shady, to say the least. When an apartment building came into view, Kamenashi slowed his pace. He would have to stay back a bit further now; otherwise, Akanishi could easily turn around and discover him.

The apartment didn't look special by any means. In fact, from the outside it appeared quite run-down and unkempt. It was no wonder people weren't swarming around here.

Is he dirt poor or something? Kamenashi raised a brow as he watched. The dark haired man reach into his back pocket and extracted what Kamenashi assumed to be a key to the door. Within the next few seconds, the door flew open and Akanishi disappeared behind the walls of the rickety structure. "Well, that's that..." Kamenashi spoke aloud to himself. "He either lives there, or he's close enough friends with someone that he'd have a key to their apartment room." He paused and looked up with a thoughtful look upon his face. "I'm going to guess it's the first one..."

The golden-eyed man remained stationary as his eyes penetrated the door Akanishi passed through minutes before. "I need to find a place to sleep..." he sighed as he spun on his heel back in the direction he came. "And a place to eat," Kamenashi concluded as his stomach growled.

It was only hours before that Kamenashi spotted this 'dead' man, and he already managed to locate the residence of Akanishi. That seemed to be enough work for one day, he thought as his eyes wandered the storefronts looking for a place to eat. No big fancy joints. Some nice small quiet place he could eat without too many people; that's what he needed.

The stores continued to drift by, and Kamenashi silently contemplated whether or not he would go in. It took a good half hour before he finally made up his mind and stopped in front of a small bakery. It wasn't a place where he could get a very decent meal, but as they say, beggars can't be choosers. The prices were cheap, which suited his needs at the time, and since it was the afternoon, the bakery wasn't cluttered.

A smirk made its way onto Kamenashi's face as his eyes ran across a 'NOW HIRING' sign displayed in the door. "Perfect," he remarked before pressing a hand against the door and let himself in.

He instantly noticed a change in temperature as he entered the bakery; the heated air enveloped his entire body as if embracing him for a warm welcome. Beneath a countertop was a glass display case filled with several empty baskets; there were only a few that still had anything, however the scent of various breads and pastries still loomed in the air making him hungry with each intake of breath. Across the tiled floor were a few plain wooden tables, matching chairs neatly arranged around them. It was well kept compared to the other buildings in the surrounding area, and Kamenashi had to wonder why it was located in such a dump.

"Irrashaimase~!" an employee called.

At the counter to his left, Kamenashi found a young man with dark hair. His appearance was deceiving, making him look younger than he really was. When he smiled, his face was so bright and adorable and innocent. Kamenashi could only think of how sheltered the boy's life had been, wondering if he could still smile like that if he knew of the cruel events that took place in the world—but then his mind took a turn. Maybe this boy was just one of those optimistic types only seeking out the positive in any given situation. For a mere second he considered whether or not he could work with such a boy. Either he would find him to be a complete nuisance, or he would become someone that Kamenashi could confide in, someone that could give his heart a boost when he felt like the world was crashing down on him as it inevitably would.

"Have you been waiting long? I was in the back helping out and only just now noticed you," the boy apologized.

"Actually I just walked in," Kamenashi explained. "About that..." he started, raising his hand to point toward the hiring sign with a thumb.

"Oh! You're interested?" The boy seemed delighted, his eyes practically lit up at the mentioning of the sign.

"Ah..." Kamenashi gave a nod, though he sounded unsure.

"One minute, okay?"

Kamenashi watched as the dark haired boy followed the aisle behind the counter leading into another room. There was someone else there, someone with a louder, sharper voice. A few seconds passed as Kamenashi waited in the seating area, giving the interior a cursory glance. The Sweet Confectionary; that was the name of the bakery. For some reason Kamenashi felt a laugh try to escape from his throat at the idea of him working at such a place.

"Is this him?" Another man emerged from the backroom and stood behind the counter. The man was taller, tanner, and nothing about him was adorable or innocent. The way he looked at Kamenashi wasn't exactly welcoming either; if anything it was more of a challenging glare. Around his waist was a plain white apron, and beneath that a dark colored shirt with the sleeves pushed up past his elbows. On his pants were random patches of white powder, which Kamenashi assumed to be flour.

"Be nice, Takuya," the younger pouted.

"Hah?" The one named Takuya raised a brow. "What're you talking about? I didn't even do anything yet!"

"He's been rejecting everyone the second they walk in the door," the dark haired boy explained.

"They clearly don't meet the standards," Takuya defended himself.

"What standards?"

"My standards."

"And those would be? All you wrote on the sign was 'now hiring', you didn't specify a-ny-thing."

Kamenashi watched with some amusement as the two co-workers bickered. Despite the fact that they were arguing, Kamenashi could tell they were close. Takuya was probably always stingy to a degree, but it wasn't in a harsh kind of way. The younger one clearly had a high level of tolerance, and could therefore deal with the snappy outbursts the latter must frequent throughout the day.

"Don't you get mouthy with me," Takuya glared, and the other could only sigh in response. "What's your name?" Takuya asked, finally acknowledging Kamenashi's presence.

As his lips parted, Kamenashi uttered the alias he created for himself without hesitation. "Odagiri Ryu."

"Odagiri Ryu?" Takuya repeated as he gave Kamenashi a thorough look-over, scrutinizing his outer appearance and attire. "And where are you from?" Another long sigh left the younger boy's lips, and Takuya only redirected his gaze to give another glare before someone at the door caught his eye. "Ah..."

Looking toward the entrance, Kamenashi saw a woman, her hair a medium brown and messily tied at the back of her head. Her movements were elegant, even when doing something as simple as opening a door.

"Mariko~!" The dark haired boy smiled at the young woman that stepped into the bakery.

"Ai-chan~" Mariko sung out, her eyes falling upon Kamenashi. "Ah, is he...?"

"Nope, not yet. Takuya won't approve. He's been turning down everyone."

"What?" Takuya instantly shot back.

This time it was Mariko that sighed as she walked behind the counter. She tilted her head as she looked over Kamenashi, doing just as Takuya had done only in her own way. This made Kamenashi half-wonder what it was they were so insistent upon discovering merely from his appearance.

"You can work here," she said, her words sweet.

Kamenashi bowed his head and would've voiced his thanks, but Takuya took it upon himself to disapprove. From his view, Kamenashi saw the girl as the one in charge, and Takuya had difficulties in accepting this. He didn't like having to be 'under' someone.

"What?" Takuya almost screamed. "You can't just take in any stranger, you-"

"Taku," the young woman called as she reached out a finger to silence his lips, "be a good boy."

Kamenashi just watched as Takuya stood dumbfounded. Even after the girl had disappeared into the back of the bakery, Takuya remained staring before him as if Mariko had never left. Then, as if he were suddenly awaking from a trance, he blinked and turned toward the backroom. "Don't touch me! Nothing gives you that right!" he shouted like an outraged child, unable to find anything else to say.

The younger one referred to as Ai-chan laughed to himself and Takuya didn't hesitate to bite back. "What're you giggling about? How can you even let her call you that? Isn't it demeaning? It's a girl's name!" he said, feeling the need to inform the other as if he didn't know. Ai-chan didn't bother to retaliate however, as Takuya had already redirected his attention to Kamenashi. "You," he said with a pointed finger, "do you know anything about working in a bakery?"

Kamenashi never did have a job. During his high school years, his parents told him to focus on his studies, and his free time was dedicated to baseball. After becoming apprehended for 'murder', there was no way that getting a job seemed possible for him.

"He doesn't need to know all that much," Mariko answered from behind Takuya, a sheet of paper in her hand. "Come here," she beckoned Kamenashi. "We'll take care off all the food preparation, but we need someone who can help collect the ingredients and serve the customers."

Mariko talked Kamenashi through the usual procedures and what he would be expected to do, Takuya shaking his head behind her back all the while. It's gonna be a pain to get along with him, Kamenashi silently thought to himself.

"I need you to fill this out," Mariko instructed Kamenashi as she slipped him the paper.

It was your standard application with contact information and the like in case anyone needed to get in touch. The first line was the easiest to fill reading 'name', however the rest proved to be a bit troublesome. Kamenashi had no number, no place of residence, nothing. So, he lied. He explained that he had just moved into the area, and didn't yet have his address memorized. He gave a general location, referring back to the apartment that Akanishi resided in. Mariko nodded, apparently knowing of the structure. "I didn't think anyone lived there," she had said only to have Kamenashi state otherwise.

"Why would he move here if he wasn't relocating because he already had some sort of job? Why would anyone move here?" Takuya whispered to Ai-chan who pretended not to hear the man who doubted Kamenashi's every word.

"Will you hush back there?" Mariko silenced Takuya once again. "We're really in need of the help," she confessed, and Kamenashi could tell with a quick glance that Takuya was going to disagree, but instead figured he'd save himself from the embarrassment.

After Kamenashi slid the paper back to the girl, Mariko dawned another smile. "I'm Mariko," she said, introducing herself properly. "This is Takuya," she indicated the tall figure behind her, "and that's Daisuke..."

"You mean Ai-chan?" Takuya mumbled to himself.

"What should we call you?" Daisuke asked.

Kamenashi looked at the three behind the counter for a few seconds before answering. "Ryu is fine."

¿ † ?
After he had introduced himself to the trio at the bakery, Kamenashi's stomach had taken another turn and growled unexpectedly. At this, Daisuke had smiled and offered him what was left remaining in the baskets. It would all have to be thrown out the next day anyway, as it was no longer fresh. Once he had finished his business Kamenashi immediately left and headed back toward Akanishi's apartment.

"Akanishi Jin..." Kamenashi breathed. "Have you been hiding here the whole time? In this rundown place?" he wondered aloud as he walked around the apartment building. "Are you afraid to come out into the open? Afraid someone will recognize you?"

As Kamenashi made his way behind the structure, his eyes stilled upon an insecure fire escape. The ladder that led to the first platform with a staircase was missing several rungs. Clearly it was dangerous; it could fall away at any moment if it had to support any weight. Though, as intimidating as it looked, Kamenashi didn't think twice about climbing it. He placed a foot on each rung and slowly shifted his weight from one foot to the other making sure it wouldn't give way, and carefully pulled himself up. He wasn't very heavy to begin with, having a lean body typical of a female. Occasionally the structure would creak beneath his light weight, but Kamenashi didn't notice it as he ascended the fire escape. He could only think about how Akanishi was just feet away from him, and how the man would be under his watchful gaze.

Reaching the roof of the apartment, Kamenashi dove a hand into his pocket to pull out another cigarette, lighting it, inhaling it, and savoring it. This was it. This was the start. He had to learn everything he could about this Akanishi. Everything. The more he knew, the easier it would be to complete his ultimate task. Before that however, he had to find out why the man was still alive and not dead as everyone claimed him to be.

As he stood looking out from the rooftop, Kamenashi took in a deep breath of air, watching as the smoke rose from his mouth and dissipated.

A/N (Aisu): ~~I'm gonna end up writing myself into a corner with this one...~~

I need some harsh criticism here. x)

SPARE ME - Entry #01

2007-12-27T06:18:56Z

PRICELE$$ love - Chapter 7

2007-12-26T06:44:23Z

Title: PRICELE$$ love
Author: Aisu & Kuriimu
Rating: PG13 for now
Pairings: Akame
Disclaimer: We ~~don't~~ own Akame.
Summary: Jin's a crowd-pleaser; always adapting his personality to suit others, trying to uphold his family name by keeping up false pretenses. He's sick of people sucking up to him and pretending to be his friend when all they want is a connection to his social status.

Kazuya's a realist; he hates people who are 'fake', or rather, aren't true to themselves, and it makes him sick watching them live their day to day life as a constant lie.

When the two meet at a goukon for the first time, their personalities clash. While Kazuya's ready to leave in a heartbeat after the event, Jin can't help but linger behind lost in his thoughts. He had never met anyone like Kazuya before. Maybe he was just what he needed to help him escape his world of lies.
A/N (Kurii): This chapter's dedicated to pixisticks for her persistence and constant nagging. =] Hope this update won't disappoint you~

[ 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 ]

CHAPTER 7

Kazuya and Pi were already setting the tables and getting ready for the evening service when a flustered Jin burst through the door of Kazen Café. Smoothing down his wind-blown hair, Jin walked through the doorway and nodded his acknowledgement to the two who were working before quickly going to the backroom to change into his t-shirt and put down his belongings.

"Pi, I'm leaving your lunch in here!" Jin yelled out from the backroom, slipping the t-shirt over his head. "What did the manager want?" Jin asked as he walked out from the backroom while tying a bistro apron around his waist.

"Hm? Nothing much. Just wanted to check in with us and see how we're doing," Pi replied from his position behind the cash register.

"Ah, that's good." Jin picked up a stack of napkins and wandered over to where Kazuya was setting tables to lend him a hand. "Hey, Kame. About that thing I was talking to you about earlier..."

"About what?" Kazuya wandered away from where Jin was standing to start setting up the next table.

"About moving in with me. No, wait, about me helping you out." Jin strolled over to where Kazuya was and placed the napkins next to the plate. "Lending you a hand."

"Mmhm, I'll think about it."

"And how you found out- Kame, are you even listening?"

The younger boy had gone into the backroom to put away the extra settings and proceeded to the entrance of Kazen Café to help their first customer for the evening service.

Once Jin had finished setting up the remaining tables, there was a steady flow of customers coming in and he didn't get a chance to talk to Kazuya throughout the service.

When 8 o'clock rolled around, the stream of customers had slowed down considerably. Jin silently watched Kazuya as the younger boy wiped down the tables, performing the usual tasks necessary for closing.

"Just go over and talk to him." Pi's voice traveled his to his ear, startling Jin out of his thoughts.

"Huh?" Jin turned and directed his gaze to the cashier.

"You've been shooting glances at him the entire night, just go over and tell him whatever's bothering you."

During Jin and Yamapi's conversation, Kazuya had gathered his stuff and was already heading out the door. "I'm gonna head home now," he announced. "Later!"

"See you!" Pi gave a cheery wave as Kazuya opened the door and stepped out.

"W-wait!" Jin yelled in an attempt to stop the younger boy from leaving, but Kazuya had already stepped out of the Café and the door closed behind him. If he had heard the older boy, he didn't wait to hear what Jin wanted.

~*~
After his last failed attempt to talk to Kazuya that night, Jin went back to his apartment to do some thinking for himself. He was sure he had taken a great deal of care to make sure that the younger boy would not find out about his father's business; he hadn't even disclosed his family name to the boy, conveniently leaving it out and simply introducing himself as 'Jin'. How Kame was able to suddenly blurt out the name Nishi Records was still a mystery to him.

"Did he already know when we met at the goukon?" Jin mused out loud, letting himself fall back onto the bed, staring at the blank ceiling in concentration as if it held the answers to his questions. "If that's true though, then maybe he really does hate me...? He's definitely not acting like the other people that know me..." Jin turned in his bed, his brows furrowed as he pondered the situation. "Why's this kid gotta be so confusing? Usually I can figure people out to some extent... I don't know what he thinks about me at all." Jin sighed. "At least he said he'll think about moving in." He scratched his head lightly as he sat up on the bed. "Thinking is just as good as saying yes. Might as well start clearing out the extra room so I can drag him over next morning."

~*~
The next day, Kazuya woke up to the sound of a loud banging on his door. He groaned as he forced himself out of bed to see who was so intent on finding him at eight in the morning. He had no work or classes today, and his plan on catching up on lost sleep was destroyed. Dragging his feet to the door, Kazuya opened it abruptly and narrowly escaped his visitor's fist about to knock on the door once again.

Upon seeing the younger boy's sleepy face, a wide grin appeared on Jin's lips as he hurried to straighten up. "Ohayo!" Jin lifted a hand up in acknowledgment.

Kazuya groaned as he turned around, leaving the door ajar, and walked back to his bed to bury himself under the layers of sheets.

Smiling at his success in getting into Kazuya's dorm room, Jin picked up the stuff he had brought with him and ambled in after the sleepy boy. "Kame. Get up!" Jin tugged at the multitude of layers covering the boy, gripping his shoulders until he got Kazuya to sit up.

"What do you want?" Kazuya mumbled, blinking blearily at Jin while being completely wrapped in his comforter so that only his face was shown.

"Look! I brought some empty boxes over!" Jin practically jumped in his seat on the bed opposite of Kame's. "I spent the entire night clearing out the extra room, too!"

"Mmph, too early." The younger boy fell back onto his bed; it was definitely way too early to have to deal with Jin's hyper-activeness.

"C'mon, it's already..." Jin glanced at the clock, "eight in the morning."

It certainly didn't feel that early seeing how awake Jin was. He hadn't even bothered to think of the time since he'd rushed out of his apartment the moment the sun was up.

"...Alright," Kame sighed and slowly sat up. He knew he wouldn't be able to get rid of the other man until he did what was wanted from him. "Why don't you run down to the convenience store and get me some coffee while I take a shower and attempt to wake myself up."

Jin's eyes lit up as he watched Kame plod slowly to the bathroom. When the door was closed and the sound of running water was heard, Jin got up from his spot on the floor and left the dorm to get the boy his coffee.

~*~
Jin was already sitting on Kame's bed, sipping his own cup of coffee when the younger man walked out with wet hair and clothes sticking to his body where it hadn't been properly dried. He handed Kame his cup of coffee with four sugars and two creams, just the way the younger boy always had his coffee whenever they were together at Kazen.

"Thanks." Kame took a sip from the steaming cup before picking up a towel that was hanging from a nearby chair to dry his damp hair. "What are all these boxes for?"

"For you to put your stuff in."

"And why would I need to put my stuff in them? I've got enough drawers and space here."

"So you can move the boxes over to my place."

"...Ah, yes, that discussion. I've thought about it and I appreciate your generosity, but I'm not going to freeload off of you."

"You're not 'freeloading' off of me. You're going to help me split the rent." Jin waved off the other boy's protests. "Renting such a big place isn't cheap you know? So if both of us pay the rent together, it'll be a lot cheaper. You'd actually be helping me out and not the other way around."

"I guess, but... I don't know..."

"Plus, seeing as how you're so freakishly neat, you can help me keep the place tidy! I won't have to waste money to hire cleaners every week." Jin smiled proudly seeing how his logic was making sense and that Kazuya seemed a bit more convinced now. "You know it's a great deal for us both. You wouldn't be able to get such a nice place at the same price, and it's relatively close to your university, too. The extra money that you save will help you out with tuition." Jin raised his brows a few times and looked at the boy still deep in thought. He could practically see the wheels churning in Kazuya's head as he mentally calculated what he spent and what he would save from this 'bargain'.

"Are you sure this is alright with you?" Kazuya questioned; he didn't want to cause anyone more trouble than necessary.

"Yes! I'm positive!" Jin jumped up from his spot on the bed and dragged Kazuya over to his desk. "You start clearing your desk and I'll start on your closet."

It took them the rest of the morning and the better part of the afternoon to pack up Kazuya's belongings. Most of the things that Kazuya kept in his dorm included his school books and the basic necessities, so there wasn't a lot to pack. The majority of his belongings were still in his room at his parent's place.

"Is this everything?" Jin asked when he went back to Kazuya's dorm and saw the boy going around the room to double check that they had packed everything.

"Yeah. The rest of my stuff is still at my parent's place. We can get it tomorrow or something." Kazuya turned around and walked out of the door followed closely by Jin.

"Oh? You're moving out of your parent's place too?" Jin stepped aside for Kame to lock the door.

"My parents plan on selling the house soon since they've already got their own places now. I don't want to have to pick who to go with after the divorce, so I think moving out completely would be the easiest. I'm able to support myself now, anyways." After turning the knob once more to check that it was indeed locked, Kazuya turned around to face the other. "Ready?"

"Yep. I drove my car here so all your boxes are already loaded in the trunk." Fishing his keys out from his back pocket, Jin led the way his car in the parking lot. "Should I drop you off at my... our place, first? That way you can start unpacking while I go get us something to eat?"

"Sounds good, I'm starving."

~*~
Kazuya hummed a little tune to himself as he carefully stacked his books up onto the bookcase. After a quick lunch, he and Jin had shopped around a bit to pick up some basic necessities for Kazuya. They had ended up buying new matching sets of cups, chopsticks, and other stuff that Jin otherwise already had in his apartment, but felt the need to match Kame's new things. Kazuya smiled to himself as he remembered how eager Jin had been, hopping from one place to another, picking up matching things for the both of them. It's like we're lovers who're moving in with each other or something, Kazuya mused. However, when the sound of the door slamming shut reached his ears, he snapped out of his reverie and silently berated himself for having such thoughts. Standing up from his kneeling position, Kazuya smoothed the creases in his shirt before walking out of this room, now his, to see if it was Jin bringing back the food.

Juggling with the numerous take-out bags, Jin clumsily reached into the front pocket of his jeans to retrieve his keys. He wasn't sure what Kazuya liked best, so he'd ordered a little of everything. After successfully finding the house keys, Jin fumbled as he slipped one into the key hole and opened the door to their apartment, slammed the door to stroll into their living room, and dumped the many bags of food onto their dining table.

Hm, our apartment; has a nice ring to it. Jin smiled to himself, prepared to yell for Kazuya to come out to eat until he saw the younger boy already walking toward him.

"You got all of that just for the two of us?" Kame strolled over, staring down at the mountain of food. "You do know that it's impossible for us to finish this, right?"

"I didn't know what you like, and I've always liked variety in my food anyways," Jin replied in his defense and headed towards the kitchen cupboards for the new cutlery that they had bought today to set the table with.

~*~
The majority of the meal passed by in silence. A few random comments were thrown out when something playing on the television caught their attention, but apart from that, the sound of chopsticks against bowls, and the low mumble from the television itself, the apartment was silent. It was a comfortable silence however that gave them both some time to think by themselves.

Kame filled his bowl halfway with the coconut rice that he had seen Jin eat numerous bowls of; an obvious favorite of the older boy's. He looked up when he heard Jin clear his throat and place down his chopsticks. He looked ready to either give a serious speech, or announce something grave.

Seeing as he had successfully captured the latter's attention, Jin opened his mouth to ask what he had rehearsed in his head many times during the course of their dinner.

"Kame, I was just wondering if-" Before Jin was able to ask his well thought-out question, he was cut off by Kame's hand, signaling for him to pause.

"Wait, before you continue, let me say this first to make things clear between us and so I won't forget later on." Kazuya looked at Jin's face and continued upon seeing the older boy nod. "My moving in here and... partaking your hospitality has nothing to do with your status or anything, alright? It's merely a friend accepting the help of another friend."

"Isn't that what I've always been trying to explain to you?" Jin replied amusedly.

"That's not the point. I just don't want you to think that that's the reason I'm friends with you - because I'll gain merit from befriending you, which is not true."

If Jin had had any doubts about Kazuya's intentions, it was then that they disappeared. There weren't many to begin with, but after hearing what the younger boy said, Jin couldn't help but feel a bit elated; he had just made a new friend on his own. Not a childhood or family friend, not someone who was more interested in his family's business than himself, a true friend; someone who liked him for himself and not because of his family name.

By now Jin knew that Kazuya knew about his father's business, but when Kazuya looked at him, he wasn't seeing Nishi Records, or Akanishi-kun, heir to Nishi Records. He was seeing Jin. Plain Jin. Jin, the waiter at Kazen Café; his co-worker, friend, and now, roommate.

"Yes, yes. I know." Jin replied, with an uncharacteristically large smile as a reply to such a statement from Kame.

"Good. What did you want to ask me before?" Kame questioned, picking up his chopsticks again.

"Hm? Nothing, I forgot." It didn't matter how or when Kazuya found out about his background. What mattered is how Kazuya saw him, and if Kazuya saw him as Jin, then there wasn't anything more he needed to ask.

A/N (Aisu): Chapter's all written by Kurii. My head's about to explode; if I missed any typos/grammatical errors please point them out for me. :] Actually, if you EVER see a grammatical error EVER please don't hesitate to tell me.

A/N (Kurii): I was beginning to think that we wouldn't get this chapter out until next year! XD I'm really sorry for the short length and how long it took us. Hopefully this chapter isn't too disappointing since it took me forever to think of how to write this chapter. Feedback much appreciated! =] And Merry Christmas everyone!! (btw, it's still Christmas from where I am. It's just cus Aisu posted it, so the date's not the 25th D:)

Meet Death - Chapter 12

2007-12-25T08:59:27Z

Title: Meet Death
Author: Aisu
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Akame
Genre: AU, comedy, romance
Disclaimer: I ~~don't~~ own Akame.
Summary: While Kazuya fights a losing battle for his life, a strange figure appears just as his heart beats for what should have been the last time. Introducing himself as Death, Kazuya is bound to the figure that brought him back from the dead.

[ 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 ]

CHAPTER 12

"Jin, a doctor?!" the man from The Underworld questioned unbelievingly.

"What was I supposed to do?!" Jin asked. "I was desperate, I can't leave yet, I don't know what to do..." Jin's hands went to his head as he tussled his hair in frustration. "I don't... I don't... I..." Jin sighed, so troubled that he couldn't even finish his sentence. His eyes looked far beyond the walls he was confined by. "I can't do this... How do you do this? Why do I have to be here? Why... Why were we picked? ...Kazuya, he has questions... lots of them... but so do I. How am I supposed to answer his questions if I don't know the answer to half of my own?!"

Jin's back lay against a wall; his head leaned back as he stared up at the ceiling. His mind spun, his own world twirled about him as he stood dizzied by its unpredictable nature. The doctor seemed to be his only reasonable choice; who else would he possess? Some normal civilian who had no connection to the couple that stood in the room? At least a doctor's words had some value attached to them; the couple would at least give some sort of consideration toward them, hence gaining Jin more time.

As Jin took another glance at the woman before him, he felt like crying. She took slow steps toward his bedside where his lifeless body lay; she knelt down beside him, taking his lifeless hand into her own; she held it, tightening her grip with each second as if it would somehow bring him back to life.

Jin hated this, seeing his own helpless self resting in a bed unable to do anything, unable to reach out and talk with the people he cared most about. Seeing himself only reminded him of how careless he had been to end up like this. What hurt the most however was having to watch others live with the loss—and not those just affected by his state.

Death experienced many miserable partings; too many for his liking. And he had to live with each one clearly embedded in his mind. He had to live hearing the cries of the dead every waking second. It was the worst kind of torture imaginable, and no matter what you tried, nothing would save you from it. It wasn't some nightmare that you could just awake from, it was a reality you had to face and overcome, otherwise you would surely break and fail in your task. Hope was something you had to create for yourself and believe in.

"Mom..." he whined in a childlike manner, wishing she could hear his voice as he clenched the hand she held, wanting to feel his mother's warmth though he knew it was no use. "Don't let go, I'll come back..."

He couldn't believe that he had actually forgotten about his parents after becoming Death and falling into what felt like an eternal slumber. The only reason he even knew about his parents now was because of the man that stood beside him, the one that always watched over him and made sure he was okay regardless of whether or not that was his duty now.

Death was not supposed to know the location of his or her body. They were not to have any connection to the life they had while they were alive. It was thought that if Death were to have a connection, they wouldn't be able to focus on their task. Their mind would constantly wander, and their emotional instability as a result would further ruin their chance of success. However, in Jin's case, someone had thought otherwise.

Jin had received help from the most unexpected person. The only one he was truly connected to in The Underworld, the one that stood by him right now in this room, the one that who, because of his role, would normally avoid Death instead of seeking him out, had reached out and guided Jin instead of hoping that he would follow in the footsteps of the previous Deaths.

This man that looked after Jin had made a decision on his own. Regardless of the fact that previous Deaths had died in The World of the Living, thus preventing them from completing their task, this man could not stand back and watch Jin suffer from the same fate. He could not let it be over just like that, without sufficient time, without a chance. Life isn't fair; that's what they say. However, this man did not want the same to be said about Death.

Jin couldn't help but cross the room and kneel beside his mother. Though it was futile, he lifted a hand to run his fingers across her cheek, careful not to actually touch her and see his hand pass through her figure, because then the reality of the situation would hit even harder and he didn't need to know she couldn't feel his touch; he already knew that.

Jin silently watched his mother at this close proximity and took in every detail. Her face was, as always, full of meaningful expression. She was fair-skinned, her face gleaming with tears as she forced a small smile upon her rosy lips. She pushed a stray lock of brown hair behind her ear and returned her hand to the still body before her. "Jin... you know I love you, right? You know that I want you to come back, don't you?" She choked back her sobs as she raised herself and leaned over the bed, looking down at her son, and placed a hand upon a side of Jin's face. "I can't stand seeing you like this anymore... Three years... Isn't it a bit too much to continue believing you'll come back? Isn't this just false hope? ...But I want to keep believing... I want to believe that one day when I walk into this room, you'll be standing beside that door, hiding from me so that when I walk in you can come out from behind me, wrap your arms around me, and say something stupid like you always do so I'll know that you're really back."

"I just need a bit more time," Jin whispered.

And a bit more time is what he had received.

After possessing a doctor, Jin had lied to his parents. He told them that the man that lay in the bed had actually begun to show signs of recovery; though after three years of being in a coma, there was almost no chance of waking up again. He had, as his mother had said, instilled false hope into her heart. He gave them something to hold on to. A lie. And after doing so, Jin walked the doctor out from the room and returned by himself to watch his weeping mother.

"Jin..." the one from The Underworld breathed, a worried expression on his face. He had stepped through the wall, hoping to give Jin a moment of privacy, but instead stumbled upon unexpected company and returned.

Jin glanced up, looked at the man, and followed his gaze, only to have his eyes widen at the sight of a confused boy. "Kazuya," he whispered. "Dammit!" Jin's form instantly relocated from the bedside to Kazuya, a fiery glare in his eyes as he stared at the boy. "What are you doing here?" Jin immediately questioned.

Kazuya barely had time to respond to Jin's sudden presence, let alone answer his question with all the thoughts running through his head.

"It doesn't matter," Jin concluded. "Stay out of this; get out of here Kazuya. Don't ever come back here again, got it?" he ordered in a firm voice.

Kazuya's face clearly conveyed a feeling of confusion, his mouth slightly agape as if about to ask a question, only he couldn't decide on which one to voice. He could only look upon the one that held the answers, unaware of anything that was happening around him.

"Got it?!" Jin shouted in need of a reply.

The boy flinched at the loud voice. Now, not only was Kazuya now confused, but pissed. He couldn't very well retaliate, however. No one else could see Jin, and the hospital wasn't exactly the appropriate place. Either way, he didn't feel like having a shouting match just then.

Jin wouldn't forget the hate that burned in Kazuya's eyes that moment as the boy turned from him and walked at a quick pace toward the hospital's exit.

x♠x
Kazuya gazed out the window as he sat in his bed, his back wedged into a corner of his room as he clutched at a pillow in his lap. "That bastard," he muttered through gritted teeth. "Who the hell does he think he is, just suddenly yelling at me like that? It's not like I showed up there on purpose. It's not like I ever even asked to get involved in this." Kazuya planted his face into the pillow he held, the soft material soaking up what tears had formed in his brown eyes. "I hope he doesn't come back," Kazuya mumbled as he shifted, causing the silver chain to fall from his pocket. "...What am I going to do with something like this, Obaachan?" Kazuya sighed as he reached for the chain and held it up, watching the key dangle from his hand once again before he clasped it around his neck, stuffing it beneath his shirt.

Just then, he was reminded of a particular sentence that left his dying grandmother's lips as she stared at Death head-on.

"I thought I saw you in another part of the building."

"She... she knew?" Kazuya's eyes widened at the thought. "I need to sleep," he concluded as he adjusted his pillow and curled into a ball, tugging at his blanket.

Sleeping wouldn't solve anything; he knew that. But it provided him with a moment to himself in which he was able to leave the stress real life presented him with. For just a while, everything would be okay; for just a while, his life would be a dream.

x♠x
"I'm not exactly a child anymore and... You're not listening to me, are you?" came the slightly annoyed voice of Pi. "Kamenashi Kazuya, you. Need. To. Take. Full. Re. Spon. Si. Bil. I. Ty," Pi said with a light tap on the counter emphasizing each syllable.

"What?" Kazuya asked indifferently as he wiped down a table in Kazen.

Pi sighed. "Your ojiisan! He's an older man! He shouldn't be acting so immature for someone his age! This teasing needs to stop."

"Oh," Kazuya replied without interest. "Well, pink is your stereotypical girl color."

"Kazuyaaaaaa, you're supposed to be on my side," Pi said as he pointed to himself, though he found the action to be quite useless as the whole time he had been looking at Kazuya, his eyes only met the boy's back. "...Poor guy," Pi mumbled to himself, his cheerful mood now sullen. "Well, the funeral was only just yesterday. He shouldn't even be at work..." There's something else though, Pi thought. Kazuya hadn't quite been himself the past few weeks at Kazen. His mind was always somewhere else; he was always out of it.

"Hey Pi," Kazuya suddenly called, drawing Pi out of his own thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"How do you know if someone loves you?"

x♠x
As he walked home from work, Kazuya pulled a sheet of paper from one of the textbooks he carried. Earlier in the day when he had classes, he had run up to the library to find a computer and pull up a search engine. In the search box, he typed ‘Akanishi Jin' and hesitantly pressed enter. He couldn't help but feel as if he were being watched every moment, and that if no one else were around, Jin would suddenly appear at his side to ask what he was doing. However, Kazuya could only be left in the dark for so long. He had stumbled upon this bit of information, and he intended to use it to his advantage.

When the search page loaded, there were a few snippets from news articles containing the name Akanishi Jin. Clicking on the first link, Kazuya waited for the page to load and then his eyes began to rapidly scan the page.

----------------------------

MAN DIES AFTER JUMPING IN FRONT OF ONCOMING TRAIN
A man died after jumping in front of a train at a railroad station in downtown Tokyo on Wednesday morning in an alleged suicide, police said. The man has yet to be identified.

Witnesses also claim that Akanishi Jin, a young man also at the site of the suicide, mysteriously fainted at the very moment the suicide was committed. It was reported that he has lapsed into a coma and is currently being hospitalized.

"It happened simultaneously," Naoko Suzuki described the event as she had witnessed. "The young man was watching as this other guy jumped out in front of the train, and the second the train collided with his body, the boy fainted as if he had been hit as well."

----------------------------

"It happened simultaneously...?" Kazuya repeated the sentence to himself. "How could he just faint for no apparent reason?" The boy continued to read through the paper several more times. "I have to be missing something... There's got to be something..."

When Kazuya's apartment came into view, the boy shook his head as thoughts of whether or not Jin would be there waiting for him crossed his mind. "I can't think right now..." he said as he slipped the paper back under the cover of his book. "Why the heck am I hesitant about walking into my own apartment..." Kazuya mumbled as he pushed open the front door.

As he shut the door behind him, Kazuya turned his head searching for any signs of Jin. "Not here..." he breathed. With a few steps he tossed his books onto the table and walked over to the window.

"I thought I told you to stay out of this."

Kazuya spun around, and sure enough, there was Jin; there was Death. He stood with the paper Kazuya held just seconds earlier, a stern look on his face as he scanned the article.

"What is this?" Jin asked as he glanced up from the paper. "Why don't you ever listen to me?"

What is this, Kazuya silently repeated to himself. What is this? Is he chastising me like some kid? Does he really expect me to go on being happily ignorant? Who the hell does he think he is just suddenly walking into my life and thinking he can control me?

"Maybe you've forgotten that we have a contract."

"You've gotta be fuckin' kidding me," Kazuya spat, heading toward the door again. He didn't need this right now. Just the fact that he was the one having to leave his own apartment pissed him off enough.

"Do you need a recap of what that contract states?"

"I don't give a damn about your stupid contract, Jin!" Kazuya shouted as he whipped around. "Take my fucking soul and be done with it already!"

Death's appearance remained calm and collected, though Kazuya was clearly far from that. Surely Jin could feel the hate the boy directed straight at him. Kazuya's harsh gaze didn't let up for a second, but when he turned to leave the apartment something made Jin snap.

"Don't you walk away from me when I'm talking to you!" Jin demanded in a loud voice as he strode over to the latter and took Kazuya's wrist in a tight grip. "Do you realize how big a pain in the ass it is for me to be paired up with an insolent, disobedient, mouthy brat like you?!" he shouted just inches from Kazuya's face, the boy now silent as he took in Jin's words.

"So that's what you think of me?" Kazuya asked, though it was almost said as a statement.

"If you want my honest opinion, yes, that's what I think of you," Jin confirmed in an unwavering voice, his eyes locked with Kazuya's as they exchanged glares.

Kazuya would have tried to free his wrist, but he knew that by trying he would look like a fool. Jin's grip was too strong. He couldn't leave, so instead he just stood his ground without a word.

"And that's because you are those things, and you know it, Kazuya," Jin continued in a normal tone of voice, and Kazuya couldn't believe what he was hearing. There was a short pause as Jin appeared to collect his thoughts.

Jin couldn't do this; he couldn't yell at his Kazuya, the one that guided him through day to day life, the one that treated his cut after being careless, the one he watched sleep with a peaceful face. Of course he didn't want Kazuya to go behind his back and research things that he shouldn't know, but wasn't that inevitable? If Jin himself came upon some sort of information that helped him better understand his role as Death, wouldn't he take advantage of it?

Now what, Jin wondered. He had never lost his temper like that before, so why now? How was he supposed to fix this? Kazuya wasn't even up to bickering, and Jin didn't want to know how long the boy would leave for if he let go.

"...Jin? Jin, what're you...?!" Before Kazuya could even fully voice his question, he was cut off as Jin's lips captured his in a gentle kiss. The man's hand was still tightly wrapped around Kazuya's wrist, but that didn't stop the boy from using his other hand to push the other away.

Jin looked at Kazuya questioningly. "What?" he asked, innocently.

"What?" Kazuya quietly repeated, more to himself than the other. "What do you mean what? We're fighting; you don't kiss someone when you're in the middle of a fight!"

Though he had heard the words, Jin didn't understand. He stood blinking, a puzzled look plastered upon his face. "...Why?"

"Because you just don't, okay?!" Kazuya yelled in frustration. "Let go of me!"

"No."

"Jin, let go of me, now."

"I said no."

Kazuya closed his eyes as a long sigh escaped his lips. "Jin, I get it already, okay?! But I still wouldn't have acted any different. You can't just expect me to do nothing. Moreover, did you have to be such an ass about it?!" Kazuya yelled. "Even on the same day as the funeral," the boy muttered to himself. "Heartless bastard. But then again, what else should I expect from someone like you?"

"...I meant what I said about you." Jin avoided looking up, lest he be met with another glare. "But that's not the only way I think of you. You're not just those things."

"Are you going to insult me more?!" Kazuya asked incredulously.

"No, I... Kazuya," Jin released his grip on the boy and reached out, only to have his hand slapped away.

"It's not like I went there on purpose! How the hell was I supposed to know you were in that room?!" Kazuya asked as rubbed his wrist.

You weren't, Jin thought to himself.

He had been reckless in handling the situation, his only thought to get Kazuya as far away from that hospital as possible. Jin couldn't believe the location of his body himself. Of all places, the same one that Kazuya had been hospitalized in.

Once Kazuya had settled down, or at least appeared to have settled down, Jin began mumbling to himself. "I don't think I like this... being human," he said as he sat on the arm of the couch. "You're too vulnerable..."

Where did that come from, Kazuya wondered, though he was rather taken aback by the sudden confession. "So you'd rather go through life as some zombie? With no emotions? Without being able to feel?! What's the point in living if you can't experience that? So what, you have to endure pain, you have to deal with the unwanted feelings; it's not as if that's the only thing life has to offer!"

The boy was starting to work himself up again, and that was something Jin wanted to avoid. Everything that came out of his mouth seemed to be misunderstood. He half-wondered if he should just shut up instead of trying to clear things up, but he figured he couldn't screw up any more than he already had. "That's not-"

"Apparently I haven't taught you anything. Maybe I should just let you have my damned soul, maybe-"

"Just listen to me, okay?!" Jin interrupted. "I'm stupid; I know that. I'm an idiot, right? But just listen to me for a minute. I'm still not used to all of this," Jin admitted. "I'm still not used to your world, to people... I don't know how to deal with things the way you do. At least I'm not lying. I really don't like feeling vulnerable. I've never had to worry about feeling vulnerable as Death... but now... I don't know. This feeling of helplessness, I'm not used to it. It's you, Kazuya. It's your fault. You make me vulnerable."

Though words had flown from his mouth just seconds before, Kazuya found that he had no response to Jin. If anything, he wanted to ask how it was his fault; how did he make him vulnerable? But he could only remain silent as minutes began to pass and he leaned against the doorframe.

"...Are we still fighting?" Jin quietly asked.

Kazuya looked up from the floor and found Jin's expression to match that of a confused 10 year-old. That's not the type of question you ask at a time like this, Kazuya thought. Of course, it's not like he could say yes and prolong the silence even more. He was done with his ranting anyway; what else could he have to say after Jin's little accusation?

"No," Kazuya faintly replied. And as soon as the word left his lips, he somehow knew that Jin would then walk over to him and wrap his arms loosely around his waist in a gentle embrace.

"...I don't want your soul, Kazuya," Jin said as he rested his chin upon the latter's shoulder.

I want your heart.

A/N (Aisu): I was debating on whether or not to cut that last line from this chapter... But, eh, I'll go with it for now. For some reason I'm not too fond of this chapter...

- It's 3:57am; I hope you're all SATISFIED. XDDD I'm not going to bother editing this one until tomorrow (which is later today, actually) but I thought I'd at least get it up for you all to read.

And with that~

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Or whatever else it is that you celebrate. :] ♥
~~I'll take comments as a nice xmas gift~ ;D~~

SPARE ME - Prologue

2007-12-23T23:30:00Z

Title: SPARE ME
Author: Aisu
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Akame
Genre: AU, comedy, romance
Disclaimer: Story = mine. :]
Summary: Quiet studious Kame meets loud playboy Jin through a series of flirtatious encounters.
A/N: Inspired by a true story.

NOTE: Italicized text [when not being used to emphasize specific words] is used to indicate Kame's thoughts.

PROLOGUE

This kid in my homeroom apparently 'discovered' me today.

The seating arrangement is kind of odd in that room,
but anyways. I sit in the back.
As always.

I like the back because you can't draw much attention to yourself.

I'm getting off-track...

{ ♥ }
When Kame walked into study hall that day, he wasn't expecting anything out of the ordinary to happen. He thought everything would happen as it usually did; the last twenty-five minutes of his day would be spent watching the boring, yet supposedly educational Channel One for the first fifteen or so minutes of class, and then he would sit in silence just staring at the windows on the opposite side of the room.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

His name is Akanishi. Akanishi Jin. Everyone knows him; he's the biggest flirt ever. It doesn't matter if you know him or not, because if you don't, you can guarantee that he'll remedy that. He'll approach you. Easily. And he'll strike up a stupid conversation that'll make you question why God creates such egotistic morons.

And right now, Kame was staring at him while he walked across the room.

{ ♥ }
He usually does that, walks around the room not able to sit still.
It annoys the hell out of me, because I can't stop looking at him when he does it.
I mean there's nothing to do in study hall anyways.
So, if he's the only thing moving in the room, my eyes just go to him.
It's a reflex.

Ah, that's another thing. Your homeroom class is the same as your study hall class, so I get the misfortune of seeing him two times every Tuesday and Thursday as opposed to the usual one.

{ ♥ }
Akanishi Jin wasn't a fan of the whole 'let's-extend-the-school-day-by-15-minutes-and-create-a-study-hall' idea. He was quite restless whenever he walked into this classroom every Tuesday and Thursday with nothing to do. Or rather, with nothing he wanted to do.

Sometimes he would stay put in his seat, flirting with the girl that sat to his left in the dumbest ways possible, and Kame would try not to watch, though he usually ended up doing so because watching Jin amused him.

Today however, while Jin was up walking around the classroom, his eyes fell upon Kame's lean figure at the back of the class. Kame was caught off guard; he didn't expect that one day he would end up being the victim of Jin's routine boredom.

"Hey! You're in this homeroom?" Jin asked. "I've never seen you here before. Have you always been in here?"

Kame nodded.

"Really? How come you don't talk much?" Jin continued in his usual conversational manner.

"I talk..." Kame slowly replied, not wanting the other to think he wished for the conversation to continue.

"He was in my Spanish class!" someone from across the room shouted.

"Oh, do you speak Spanish?" Jin then asked interestedly, though Kame didn't respond. "¿Cómo estás?"

{ ♥ }
I don't get why he was talking to me.
I wish he didn't, really. Because I don't like the attention from the others watching in the class.

{ ♥ }
Kame remained quiet as Jin continued to stare expectantly, waiting for an answer. Thankfully the bell was about to ring however, and everyone was packing up and moving toward the door. Following suit, Kame lifted his backpack from the floor and slung the straps over his shoulders. As he walked down the aisle of desks, Jin stopped him again.

"I like your style~" he said, referring to Kame's attire, a plain white t-shirt worn over a plaid blue one with a collar and cuffs un-tucked and hanging out of his pants.

Kame just nodded. Why is he talking to me?

And then, out of the blue, Jin looked straight at Kame, a cute smirk on his lips as he asked, "Do you think I'm handsome?"

{ ♥ }
Talk about being speechless...
What kind of a question is that?!
I didn't say anything.
And what does he do in response?

{ ♥ }
Jin stared at Kame, a dorky look on his face as he went, "Ahhhh~!" in an accusing tone, as if Kame had confessed with his silence, and then he dashed out the door the second the bell went off.

A/N (Aisu): Jin's character here is based on a real life playboy I’ve had the great misfortune of encountering during my years in high school. x) I always told my friends about what stupid things he had done, and one of them suggested that I write about it in a journal format and turn it into a fic... which I did, and it was called SPARE ME. However, something has possessed me to turn this into an Akame fic as well, so here it is.

This probably won't be like other Akame fics, and I know that it definitely won't be like my other fics. It's not written in my usual style, or at least I don't think it is.

But basically, SPARE ME will be made up of a bunch of random blurbs, and they will all - for the most part - be very short, just like this, so don't worry. They will not interfere with my other fics, i.e. Meet Death. xD (which, at this point, I've only written a little over 1000 words for)