Meant To Be

A month into their last year of junior high, the ninth grade, Omi and Kaoru both began applying to high schools. They had already made a pact to each other to attend the same one, so they applied to the same schools. They both got acceptance letters from a local school that was good, but not exactly the most prestigious place, while Kaoru also got acceptance letters from every other school he had applied to, including one that he hadn’t: Bell Liberty.

It was quite a notorious academy. You couldn’t apply to go there; they applied to you. They had dozens of scouts scouring Japan for the best and the brightest, and they let you know if they had picked you. It was quite an honor to be selected, and Kaoru was thrilled when he got his “platinum paper” of acceptance. The thrill wore off, however, when Omi did not receive one.

It couldn’t be helped, they supposed. Kaoru was an extremely bright student in all his subjects, and he particularly excelled in mathematics. He was the president of his junior high’s math club and the math team, and his team had come in first place at the national competition. So, of course, the attention of Bell Liberty was attracted.

Omi, however, wasn’t such a shining student. He did well in his classes, made good grades, but having spent the first 10 years of his life in another country was a sore blow in many ways. The things he would have learned as a child, he had to learn as quickly as he could when he arrived in order to catch up. Things like math were the same, and of course he breezed through English classes, but Japanese history and literature were always weak subjects for him. He always passed, but it wasn’t the same as it was for Kaoru.

Omi also had a special skill when it came to computers. However, his true talent was in hacking. It started as a joke, when the boys wanted to get into Omi’s father’s laptop to use it. Omi figured out a way to get through the security system, and from then on, he had learned more and more on the subject, making it his sort of hobby. He hacked into the school systems for fun, never doing any damage or altering anything, just doing it to see if he could. He was never found out, of course. “Hacking” wasn’t exactly the best skill to put on a high school application, so he just wrote “Computer skills” and left it at that. But since Bell Liberty looked for students that were doing things that garnered attention, such as winning competitions and awards, Omi had slipped under their radar.

Omi pushed down his own regrets and fears, and put on a brave face to encourage Kaoru to accept the scholarship to Bell Liberty. “It’s the chance of a lifetime for you,” he reasoned calmly. “You can’t let this pass just because of me.”

“But, we promised to go to the same school,” Kaoru protested. He was lost in thought for a while, and then he spoke. “Omi…maybe you could hack into their system and add yourself to the list of students.”

Omi’s violet eyes widened. “I…I couldn’t do such a thing. It would be discovered immediately.”

Kaoru shook his head, his strawberry blonde hair moving from side to side. “You’ve never been found out before…you’re the best. If anyone can do it, it’s you.”

Omi cleared his throat. “But, you do understand that it would be illegal?”

Kaoru’s emerald eyes glittered with intensity. “I don’t care. Please, Omi,” he begged, his voice suddenly becoming piteous. “I want more than anything to go to Bell Liberty, but…I can’t live without you, either.” Omi gasped, and Kaoru continued. “So, please, please…do it for me.” Omi lowered his head in assent.

The game had begun. Omi hunkered down at the computer, tentatively feeling his way into the Bell Liberty system. It had security measures that he had never even heard of, but his skills were impressive, and his resolve was firm. Kaoru had asked him to do this for him, and he would never let him down.

Omi worked tirelessly to crack the codes and slip into the system. Hours flew by like minutes, and he was startled to feel Kaoru’s hands suddenly at his shoulders, kneading the tense muscles. Omi sighed happily at the feeling, but continued hacking away. Kaoru rubbed him for a while longer, then leaned down, pressing his lips lightly against Omi’s cheek. Omi couldn’t help but blush at the simple display of affection, and Kaoru brushed his lips against Omi’s ear, murmuring there. “Thank you for doing this for me…I love you.”

Omi’s heart pounded happily, and he looked away from the screen up into Kaoru’s gentle face. “I love you, too, Kaoru…” he whispered, and Kaoru kissed him once again, this time on the lips. He didn’t linger however, knowing that Omi had work to do. He patted him softly on the shoulder, then quietly left the room. Omi turned his attention back to the screen, which was demanding a multi-sequence pass code at that moment.

A few minutes later, Kaoru reentered the room, holding two steaming cups of tea. He handed one to Omi, who winced inside as he prepared himself for the bitter taste of tea the way Kaoru liked it. Kaoru must have been able to sense his friend’s apprehension, because he smiled gently. “Three lumps of sugar, right?” he purred quietly, and Omi looked up in surprise. He sipped gingerly at the hot fluid, and smiled up gratefully at Kaoru as he tasted the thick sweetness.

“Yes, it’s just like I like it…thank you.” Kaoru often teased him about his sugar loving ways, but tactfully refrained from it right then. Omi set the cup down and turned back to the computer, concentrating.

It was almost 3am when Omi finally finished up. He had done it; he was able to crack into the system, add his name to all applicable listings of students, and then slip out again like he had never been there. Fortunately, it was the weekend, and they didn’t have to get up early the next morning. Omi collapsed down onto the bed, weak with exhaustion and relief. Kaoru, who had napped on and off while Omi worked, chuckled happily, standing up to tug the comforter out from underneath his friend and attempt to cover him with it. He clucked his tongue a little a how far Omi’s legs stuck off of the bed.

“When did you get so tall?” he admonished playfully. Omi had a growth spurt the preceding summer, shooting up to a full six feet.

“Remember, I’m half American…” Omi murmured, his face half buried in a pillow. “I can't help it,” he yawned in English, and Kaoru laughed, settling down next to him in bed and shutting off the lamp.

They nuzzled together, holding each other tightly. “Omi…we’ll always be together…no matter what,” Kaoru vowed, and Omi nodded in assent. They drifted off to sleep together.

They slept until almost noon the next day. Even though it was Sunday, Omi’s father was nowhere to be found, and the boys went down into the kitchen, making themselves lunch. They were just finishing eating when the doorbell rang. Omi looked at Kaoru, who shrugged, and then Omi went to answer his front door.

Kaoru heard Omi gasp slightly before he had even opened the door, and he rushed out to the foyer to see what it was. “Look!” Omi cried, pointing out the glass partition. There was a black limo drawn up outside, and a young blonde man in a gray suit waited patiently at the door, flanked by two imposing men in black suits.

Omi’s face faltered. “It’s the police…how did they figure it out so fast?” Kaoru just shook his head dumbly, and Omi finally answered the door, greeting his doom head on.

The young blonde spoke. “Shichijo Omi, I presume?” he asked in a calm voice. Omi nodded grimly, and backed up so that he could enter. The blonde man waved away the other two men, telling them to stand by. Kaoru hovered in the background as Omi and the blonde man sat down in the living room together. The blonde man looked over at him, and spoke. “You’re…Saionji Kaoru, aren’t you?” Kaoru and Omi both felt their hearts skip a beat, wondering how this man knew all this. The man motioned for Kaoru to sit with them. “Go ahead, this will involve you as well.” Omi’s heart sunk, devastated that he had drawn his best friend into this mess.

The man finally introduced himself. “I am Suzubishi Kazuki, the chairman of Bell Liberty. Your…activities have not gone unnoticed. As flawless as your methods were, I happened to be personally performing a server check last night.” Omi lowered his head grimly, cursing his bad luck. “I suppose that you are that desperate to go to Bell Liberty?”

Omi faltered, trying to speak. However, Kaoru piped up first. “It was all my idea. I’ve already been accepted - I guess you know that, that must be how you knew my name already - but Omi wasn’t. In all respect, that was a grievous error on Bell Liberty’s part. Omi is a genius with computers, so he would have been a great asset to your school. I came up with this idea so that he could come to the school with me.”

“Kaoru,” Omi warned quietly. “Don’t.” He raised his voice louder. “He’s just saying that, Mr. Chairman. This was all my idea, because I wanted to get in the school. He’s just my friend; he had nothing to do with the hacking. Please don’t punish him for my indiscretions. I hope that his scholarship is not compromised by this.”

The Chairman cleared his throat and spoke. “Actually, I’m here to work out a…deal with you two.”

Kaoru and Omi both gaped. “A deal?” Kaoru whispered.

The Chairman nodded, then continued. “As devious as it was, I find myself impressed with your hacking skills, Shichijo-san. I think that your skills could be used for the forces of good, in the way of creating a hack proof security system for my company. And Kaoru, your math skills would be a wonderful asset to our school Treasury. The deal is, I admit both of you, erasing all evidence of this whole hacking incident, on the condition that you agree to work for me. You will have to keep my identity secret, for reasons that I cannot divulge.”

Kaoru and Omi just stared, trying to absorb the information. Finally, Omi spoke. “I refuse,” he said flatly.

Kaoru gasped, wheeling on his friend. “What?! But, Omi, he says we can both go to the school and he’ll overlook everything!”

Omi shook his head, addressing the Chairman. “If you want to sue me or have me arrested, then do it. But I cannot agree to this arrangement that basically indentures us to you. I would agree to it if it was just me, but for you to drag Kaoru into it, just because he is my friend…that’s just inexcusable.”

Kaoru protested. "But, Omi..."

Omi turned on him, his face full of emotion. "No! I don't want you to have to be indebted to this man because of me! I love you too much to allow that!"

Kaoru gasped, blushing, and he flashed a surreptitious glance at the man sitting across from them. The Chairman was tactfully looking away, but he seemed to understand their predicament all too well. He cleared his throat and spoke up. "I assure you, I'm not asking you to become my slaves. You are both free at any time to leave my service; which of course would mean you'd break the agreement and have to transfer out of the school, but I'm not asking you to pledge yourselves eternally to me. I just think we can be mutually beneficial to each other."

Omi just stared at him, his fists balled up in his lap. Kaoru continued to reason with him. "Please, Omi...I need you. Please do this for me. I'm the one that got you into this in the first place, so you don't have to worry that I'm suffering because of you." Omi glanced at him, his face wavering. "I mean it," Kaoru continued in a lower voice. "I need you..."

Omi thought for a long time, then turned back to the chairman, giving a simple nod. "Fine, I agree."

The Chairman looked pleased. "I assure you two that you have made a fine decision." He took his leave, and Omi and Kaoru just sat for a while, trying to fully absorb what had happened.

Finally, Kaoru turned to Omi, pouncing on him suddenly. Omi rolled back to the floor as Kaoru pressed his body on top of his. His full red lips pressed to Omi's thin pink ones, and they kissed happily on the floor. Kaoru lifted up slightly, gazing into Omi's amethyst eyes. "Omi...we can be together...we can be together..." Tears started to well up beneath Kaoru's long lashes, and they dripped suddenly onto Omi's cheek. Omi gasped in surprise. Kaoru apologized, wiping the tears away. "I'm sorry, it's just that I'm so happy...I was going crazy, trying to imagine living every day without you..."

Omi swiftly rolled on top of him, crushing their lips together urgently. He broke away for a moment to speak breathlessly, "Oh, Kaoru...don't worry...we'll always be together..."