CHAPTER 6 The following days Kusano skipped school. He had actually managed to get Shige to skip school with him two of the days (clearly Koyama had been clingy or something). When the weekend came, he learned that Yamashita was going to move. Everyone had clearly freaked out… after what Shige had told him; Yamashita had been all pale and lost the last week. He had not done any homework and he had thrown all of the homemade lunch in the trashcan or given it to someone else. Yamashita had also skipped Volleyball practise. Twice. He did not participate in gymnastic nor did he in any other lessons. Just sitting there. “Why the heck would I want to know?” Kusano said after Shige was done talking about oh poor Yamashita. “… There is another thing as well” Shige began and snatched the candy Kusano was about to eat. “There’s going a rumour” “Wow… what a shock” “It includes you” Shige said, eating the candy he took from Kusano. Kusano did not reply to what Shige had said. Why would it be going a rumour about him at school? He had not done anything wrong or strange. “Both you and Yamashita actually” this time Shige silenced a laugh with clearing his throat. “And?” The pretty boy stretched his arms and was half yawning. “Come to school tomorrow and you’ll see” Yeah right! He was going to go come to school because of a bloody rumour. Hang on… “ME AND YAMASHITA?” Shige nodded. “Rise and shine, Hironori” his mother said in just as happy tune as ever. “Up up up dear!” “Mnfhghjd” was the respond she got. “I made you breakfast” she smacked his butt (she did not mean to though, it was just a mother way to get kids up). “It’s your fave” “I forgot what it is” Kusano mumbled, pulling the blanket tighter around himself. Sighing at that his mother called for his dad. Entering the room half dressed the dad took the toothbrush out of his mouth. “Yes dear?” “Get him into the bathroom” the lady of the house smiled and gave her hubby a kiss on the cheek. “Yosh!” the dad pulled his jumper arms up, walked over to his son’s bed, ripped the blanket of him, lifted him and carried him into the bathroom. Placing Kusano upon the toilet lock, he asked, “You’re so tough to get up lately, something the matter?” Oh great. His dad was going to have a father to son talk at 7am?! Not in a billion years, Kusano thought. He did not like father to son talks anyway. It always ended up with his daddy being right and he wrong. “Don’t bother ne, I am all fiiiiine” fake smile. “If you say so, but!” his dad turned around “I know you better than so, and that smile is fake” Kusano rolled his eyes before he got up and forced his dad out of the bathroom so he could get ready for the day alone. Arriving at school, Kusano poked Shige in the back since he had not seen him come. “You actually showed up!” Shige smiled, patting his pal on the back. “Don’t ehm… like… take yourself near by the weird looks you’ll receive okay?” “Would I ever?” Kusano cocked a brow at his tall friend. Darn it, he wanted to be tall. “Nope” It should not be allowed to stare at people in the manner people stared at Kusano right now. Just when Kusano had passed someone, they would start mumbling and whispering. Stuffing his hands down in his pockets, Kusano frowned and looked over at Shige. “I’ll just go and pee, tell the teacher I will be right there” “Un” Shige nodded and entered the classroom quickly (Koyama came in their direction). To Kusano’s luck, the hall was starting to get empty as he walked to the toilets. People still sent him weird looks and talked behind his back, but as he had told Shige, he did not care. Entering the toilets Kusano walked into one of the lockers and sat down upon the toilet lock. He was not going to pee, spending some time alone before throwing himself into an I-am-so-fine mood served him well. Rubbing his tired eyes with his hands he suddenly froze. Someone had joined him in the toilet. Hearing the locker beside him being occupied by a boy most likely, he got out of his own locker. Peeking through the small gap in the door to see who it was, Kusano shocked back. Yamashita. It was Yamashita. And he was throwing up. And… crying? Slowly backing off, Kusano held his breath hoping he would not be revealed. Creak. Fuck it! Kusano looked down to see what he had broken. Who the eff had laid a pen there? Yamashita quickly stepped out of the locker, having a paper over his mouth (probably drying himself). “H—Hiro?...” “Yeah erm I was about to go so eh… ja ne!” Kusano turned around but as he opened the door to leave Yamashita fell down onto the floor behind him. Perfect, Kusano thought and walked over to the black haired boy lying on the floor. “You okay?” Kusano sat down on his knees next to the way to pale boy. Was it just Kusano, or was Yamashita thinner? Yamashita did not respond. Actually… he was not moving at all. Not even blinking. “Y—Yamashita?” Kusano grabbed the other boy’s arm and shook him a little. “Mmmm?” “You have to get up… you can’t lay there” blah, it was impossible anyway. It did not look like Yamashita could move. “Okay etto… you can support yourself to me and I’ll help you to get to the nurse room?” When Yamashita did not reply Kusano took the un-happy job to get him on his back and carry him to the nurse room. Just outside the nurse room door Yamashita made himself heavier then usual. “Not there…” he mumbled. “Where to then?” Kusano asked, making Yamashita lay in a more comfortable way for his back. “Outside…” Kusano did as the older boy had told him to. Go outside. Carefully laying Yamashita down on one of the benches under the threes, Kusano just stood there, staring at Yamashita. “Ne…” Yamashita looked up at Kusano “Hiro-chan—” he got interrupted. “You should probably get something to drink, you don’t look well” “No…” Yamashita sat up “I… am m-moving” “I know, Shige told me” Kusano said quickly. “Oh…” sending Kusano a fading smile, he tapped the space beside him. “Sit… please?...” Kusano hesitated for a moment but did so. He did not want to be rude either. Turning his head to Yamashita he waited for the older boy to start talking. “I wanted to move ‘cause I…” he bite his lip “If you don’t want to even try to accept that I am in love with you… I can’t stand seeing you everyday… so… yeah…” “It would be better if you moved you mean? Leaving all your friends ‘cause a idiot wont accept you being” Kusano had a hard time saying the next words, it made him sick “in love with him”. “You’re not a idiot, a baka, but not a idiot” Yamashita corrected. “It can be the same” Kusano bit the inside of his cheek. “Just give me up ne?” It looked like Yamashita had never been that hurt before, because his eyes just started to fill up with tears. “Don’t cry ne! I am nothing much to los—“ he never got to complete his sentence before Yamashita had thrown his arms around him and hugged him tightly. “Urusai…” Yamashita sobbed. “I fancy you and I can’t help it” “I know you do but gah” Kusano shoved Yamashita of him. “Don’t be so… close” was that the right word by the way? Close? “I just” Yamashita took Kusano’s hand “We don’t have to be lovers… just let me be around you… like pals” So suddenly Yamashita could be his pal only? “Etto…” Kusano scratched the back of his head. “If you promise not to do any … gay stuff to me… then its fine” “I promise” Yamshita said without hesitating and hooked his pinkie to Kusano’s. They both fell silent for a moment, just sitting there with pinkies hooked together. Kusano pulled his hand to himself and got up, “I am gonna rent a movie toda—tonight, you could come and watch it with me if you’d like” he really did not have to wait for the reply. Yamashita nodded and dried his eyes for tears. “Let’s” sniff “Go back to our lessons” Kusano could not agree more.