MM 4
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"Bold" English for dialog
"Normal" Japanese when used for dialog
"Italics" Flashback, Important Stuff, Locations, etc.
Masochistic MEMOIRS
By Sweet Obsidian Rain
MEMOIR Four: Wavering Thoughts
Oshitari’s Apartment, 10:45 A.M.
“Otou-san! Otou-san! Shi-nii-chan is talking to me!!” The energetic voice of a young child about the age of six or so reached through the phone quite loudly. Oshitari winced at the volume and rubbed his ears before putting the call on speakerphone.
“Haruka-kun, I see you are well.”
“Hee hee!” Oshitari could sense the child beaming at the phone. “How are you, Shi-nii-chan?”
“Nii-chan is fine. Is there anything you want?” The man smiled to himself when he heard Haruka’s high-pitched giggle. The phone crackled and a different voice spoke through the phone.
“Ahh… Yuushi.” The smile on Oshitari’s lips died; the bluenet stiffened.
“Otou-san…”
There was a soft cough before Oshitari Tanaka spoke. “Yuushi, Okaa-san- your obaa-san, has been asking to see you. She’s been feeling unwell lately.”
The former Hyoutei player froze. “She has?”
“Yes.” A tired sigh.
“I see… I shall go see her next weekend, if she is fine with that.”
Another crackle and Oshitari could tell that his father was laughing. “That should be fine.”
A tense silence followed soon after until a shriek pierced through the air, and through the phone connection. Tanaka sighed, “Haruka’s in his rebellious stage already.” A pause. “I think he just dumped his milk on one of the maids.”
The statement made Oshitari chuckle. “I’ll make sure to visit him when I go see Grandmother.”
“Then I’m positive that Haruka will be looking forward to your visit. I have to go now, so take care of yourself… Son.”
“I will. Thank you, Otou-san.”
“Goodbye.”
“Bye.”
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Oshitari stood there, staring at his phone before setting it down. His breakfast had gone cold, but he had lost his appetite. His family had called, and he would be returning back to the uncomfortable life as the eldest son of the rich Oshitari family. Things had gotten out of hand after his release from the hospital. It was then he had decided to move out, under certain conditions, such as attending to the family’s needs when called for. He had refused at first, saying that if he agreed to those conditions, he would have to accept the title and responsibilities as the ‘heir’ to the Oshitari family.
And he didn’t want that title. Instead, he fought until they agreed to his terms. They made Haruka, his younger brother who was at age two back then, heir. They agreed to stay out of his life unless he was really, really needed. And vice versa. He fought until his family accepted his decisions.
Putting on his casual shoes, Oshitari exited his apartment to take a short walk. It would help him clear his head, set him back into the good mood he was previously in.
And maybe he would meet up with Gakuto again.
Funny. After his encounter with the other man, his thoughts became much freer. Lively was a word that could describe his thoughts. He could think of Gakuto without that cold, forbidding, feeling he had always felt ever since that fateful day four years ago. He did it again. Gakuto. He had used ‘Gakuto’ instead of ‘him’ or any other pronoun he could use when he thought of the redhead.
The pain used to be almost unbearable whenever he used that name. But now, it was like he was a small child, an infant, and the first he had said was ‘Gakuto’. It was a word, a name, which felt like he had been using ever since he existed. Natural.
---
“How do you do that?
“Do what?”
“That. You make everything sound so easy.”
---
It was ironic really, how he had been in pain. Suffering from depression. But all it took was one meeting with the love of his life before everything became normal for him again.
Except it wasn’t normal. The man he thought was dead came back to life. His family was calling him again. He had spent the last few years in what he called a ‘nightmare’. And he was walking on the sidewalk doing goodness knows what!
The man stopped walking and looked up at the sky. It was a warm day, not too hot, or too chilly. A perfect day for tennis…
He didn’t play the sport anymore though.
The mere thought of tennis reminded him of Gakuto. It had hurt too much. Had. He briefly wondered if he could play the sport again, after not playing for such a long time. Would he have to revert back to playing like a small child who just got a racket shoved into his hands, or would he remember the movements and play as he did back then?
Back then. The two words made him remember something else that was ironic.
“In social relationships, there has to be a ‘me’, ‘you’ and ‘us’. One should not depend too much on others,” the PE teacher, a lady in her sixties said, looking at all her students as if they were little children that would not understand her unless she talked to them slowly and thoroughly.
---
The bell rang and students all charged out of the classroom. A certain redhead was among that throng of people, dragging a blue-headed tensai with him. “Ne, Yuushi…”
“Hmm?” Oshitari was trying his best to stay on his feet, dodging the flailing arms from the people around them.
“What Farri-sensei said back there, about the ‘me’, ‘you’ and ‘us’, I think that’s bull. I mean, an ‘us’ is definitely much more powerful and has more of a chance to succeed, right?” Gakuto looked up with the eyes of an eager child.
“Ah.” Oshitari’s hand twitched, wanting to pet his friend’s head much like the way one does when petting a dog.
“Well, then if you take the ‘me’ or the ‘you’ away, then the other will be left behind and become less powerful. Wouldn’t you rather depend on each other to stay strong?” Gakuto scrunched up his face. “If that is really what a healthy social life is, then I’d rather have an unhealthy relationship with my friends.”
Oshitari gave Gakuto an amused smile and voiced his opinion. “Well, I think you only mean that when you are around really close friends. For example, if I was seriously in love, I wouldn’t want to feel like I’m weak when I’m away from someone whom I am only attracted to. I only want to feel that way for the one I love.”
The redhead shot his friend an odd look. “And people call me weird…” he muttered under his breath, aware that Oshitari could hear him.
“That’s not nice, Gakuto.”
“Che.”
Oshitari quirked the left corner of his lips to the side, and sighed. “Ne, Gakuto… I guess I did end having an unhealthy relationship with you.”
The man continued to walk on, shaking his head to clear away his thoughts about the crazy things this already insane world. Lost in the silence of his walk, Oshitari did not notice his surroundings until it was too late.
“Watch out!” he heard someone shout before he felt another’s body collide with his own.
T.B.C.
Because I have never experienced ‘romantic love’, I do now know how it works, what it really feels like, etc. Anything that has to do with the subject is merely just my theories and ideas on ‘love’. By no means do I encourage people to have an ‘unhealthy relationship’ etc. It’s fine if you disagree with me
Anyway, this ended in a somewhat cliffie. xD Who was the one that ran into Yuushi? What drama is the Oshitari family going to bring into Yuushi’s already crazy life? Better yet, what happened?
Nya I will try to update as soon as possible! Reviews do help me. xD -wink wink-
First Unrevised Version 11.21.07
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