False Advertising

style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:
"Courier New";color:black'>Forty-Seven

            Changed into a set of fresh clothing, his brown sweats
with the tan patches, Shun grumbled as he stepped out of the room.  That
dope!  He was supposed to come back and face his problems! Shun would
have to talk to Kazuya about his bravado.  Then again, thoughts of
something much more severe passed though him as he walked down the hall. 
Frowning, he hazarded to think about the kinds of insecurities that could
possibly flare up.  If they did, this disabling information might be
enough to—

            "No," Shun whispered harshly as he stepped onto
the first floor.  "Suka-chan is way too smart and way too strong to
do that." Nodding firmly he looked around, about to ask class=SpellE>Makado if he'd seen Suka before a voice called out to him.

            "Kisaragi-kun!" Turning, he saw the Dorm Mother
wave to him.  Trotting up to her, he asked:

            "Hai?"

            "You'd better tell Hasukawa-kun that he's in serious
trouble.  He left the dorm an hour ago!  He knows when curfew
is." Shun raises a brow.  "Not a very effective dorm
president."

            "An hour?!  Do you know where he went?!"

            "Ai, gomen. 
I have no clue!  But when he gets back you tell him that I want to talk to
him!" Shun gave somewhat of a nod as he raced the short distance to the
door, grabbing his shoes from the rack without bothering to put them on. 
"Wait! Kisaragi-kun?"

            "I'll be fine!" he shouted back, pushing
through the door.  Out on the front path he stumbled as he tried to put
his shoes on, nearly tripping three times before he managed to stuff his feet
into them.  "Shit!  Shit! Even if he did just go out to think,
he wouldn't break curfew!  Oh Kami, don't be an
idiot!—"

            "Oi, Shun."

            Stopped cold, Shun whipped his head to the side and
nearly fell again.  " Suka-chan!!" There he sat, idly rocking on
the swings as Shun raced up, grabbing him by the shoulders.  Hasukawa
flinched slightly, staring at the ground.  "Are you alright?!"

            "As fine as I can be." His hands dropped from
Kazuya's slumped shoulders, hanging at his own sides with a slouch.  Shun
sighed, taking the swing next to him.

            "Right. . . I guess . . . Hiro
told you, huh?"

            ". . . It just feels like a dream. . ." Shun
twitched a bit, allowing himself to sway as a cold wind crawled by.  He
shivered freely, the fall night doing him the injustice of chilling him at a
time like this.  "But while it's like you're a stranger, I still feel
like I've known you forever. . ."

            Shun felt someone give him a good punch to the stomach.
"I guess that's reasonable. . ." He mumbled as his feet scraped along
the ground.  He twitched again, hands tightening around the chains of the
swing before he let go, falling forward to his knees with the flare of hot
cheeks.  His hands fell to the dirt, tears springing forth like an
overflowing well.  "Damnit!" he
hoarsely screamed, clawing into the hard soil.  "I never wanted this
to happen!  I just wish I could go back to before any of this!  It
hurts too much!" He sobbed before letting his sore fingers rest, a shudder
wracking his body. He collapsed back, his knees pressing into his stomach.
"Oh, Suka-chan. . ." he managed to say, "I'm so sorry. . . I
just wish I'd told you from the beginning. . . I'm so sorry. . ."

            Hasukawa dropped down next to him, gently placing a hand
on his back.  "Shun! No!  . . .
I still would have felt this way, wouldn't I? I'd still have memories of you
being what you weren't. . . But we can still be friends!  I don't want to
stop that—"

            "No," Shun interrupted weakly.  "You,
you forgot. . ."

            "What?"

            Shun sniffled, wiping at his nose with his sleeve. 
"This entire ordeal has made me realize too much about myself for me to
question . . . when I said I loved you, I meant it. . ." He sat up,
resting back on his legs as he looked to Kazuya with blurred eyes.  "Suka-chan.
. . I'm . . ." he took a deep breath, averting his gaze slightly. 
Softly, he whispered, "I want to be yours."

            "Sh-shun. . . "

            He winced, wiping at his eyes a little.  "B-but
is it so different?  Can't it happen?  If, if you said you loved me
for any other reason than who I was for what it matters. . ." He point to
his own chest, flattening a shaky palm over his heart.  "In here. . .
Then you'd just be . . . shallow!  And an idiot!" Hasukawa stepped
back a bit, rising with Shun as he stood.  Speechless, he watched as his
hand fell away, Shun wiping still at a few persistent tears.  "Don't
be a bastard . . . please. . . Just don't—I. . ." Shun shut his eyes
tight, clenching his fists as he suddenly ran, pushing Kazuya to the side,
racing back into Greenwood Hall.  A stunned Hasukawa took only a moment's
deliberation before he took off after, pushing through the door and nearly
hopping out of his shoes.

            "Shun wait!"
he cried, shouting apologies at those he pushed past, tromping up the stairs
and into his hall.  Not seconds later was he at his door, making his way
in with little delay.  There he saw Shun sit on his bed, sadly pawing at
determinedly wet eyes as he looked away.  Hasukawa shut the door,
frowning, shaking his head.

            "Shun, I. . ."

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