I was thinking, What if Allen played a Japanese instrument versus piano? It then became this story. Oh well, ENJOY~!
Disclaimer: I can't draw to save my life. So, obviously I don't own -Man.
Geisha Boy
Chapter 1:A Little Japanese Restaurant
The room looked like all of traditional Japan had been thrown on it. Kotatsu* were replacing modern day tables with pillows as the chairs. The walls were covered in patterned fabric that had a certain shine to it with bamboo bordering the edges. There was a small wooden stage in a corner of the generally small room. The stage was about the size of one of the three kotatsu in the room. It was a perfect room to be part of the Japanese restaurant it was in.
For today, only two of the tables were occupied by customers. One had two drinking business men with the light cover on the kotatsu already stained with fallen drops of sake*. They were laughing and saying inappropriate things about the waitress decked in traditional Japanese dress, her hair long and black. She was smiling, but it was obviously forced as she set down another two masu* filled with more sake. The women quickly rescued the fragile ochoko* they had been using before.
At the other, there sat three boys, all generally young. The oldest, named Daisya Barry, was legal at 21 years old, so he, like the business men, was drinking sake from a masu and flirting drunkenly with the waitress. His brown hair was messy, and the triangles of purple makeup under his eyes were smearing. The second oldest, who was known as Noise Marie, was twenty and was apparently blind with his eyes shut and his ears covered with headphones, that could emphasize sound to help him around. He was smiling and shaking his head at his neighbor, who was still drinking like there was no tomorrow. His few black braids on his mostly bald head swung back and forth with each shake of his head. On the opposite side on the kotatsu sat the youngest, an eighteen-year-old high school senior named Kanda Yu (though his first name was Yu, he stuck to keeping to his Japanese customs). He was glaring at the two, clearly annoyed, brushing his fringe of black bangs out of his cold, cobalt eyes. Two strands of long black hair framed either side of his sharp-angled face. The rest hung behind him, past his waist and pulled into a ponytail.
Though the three couldn't look more different, they were brothers. They had each been adopted by Froi Tiedoll, a retired army man. It was the same Tiedoll who was running late to the dinner that Kanda had began to hate with a passion.
"I can't believe I got dragged here..." muttered the teen, mentally-urging someone to hand him some food, instead of just water. He didn't want his pride to be shattered by something as petty as his stomach growling.
Marie turned, beaming kind-heartedly. "Kanda, we don't have family dinners a lot, since Daisya and I are in college. So, can't you try to enjoy it? For Tiedoll's sake?"
"Che. We aren't family."
"Yes, we are. As much as you don't want to admit it."
"Tch." What Marie was saying was only slightly true. Kanda respected the people who'd raised them, even the idiotic Daisya, who had taught him useful skills and lessons (though half were probably not suitable for people under eighteen, they are important), but would never call them family. After seeing his parents die, he would never call these people family because that title was taken.
Sighing, the blind man gave up on the lost cause. He knew the boy across from him would never admit he cared for them or anyone else. One day, he hoped, Kanda would find someone that could open his heart and accept everything that would come out. 'And maybe make him smile for the first time,' Marie thought, turning toward the almost-drunk Daisya. He grabbed the cup from his lips, setting it down. "Daisya, he'll be here soon, and you know he doesn't like it when you're drunk. Drink some water and sober up, please."
Daisya grumbled lowly, but complied. After this short exchange, Kanda had started glaring at the door. He knew he couldn't stop his stomach from growling, and it would be starting to sound its complaints loudly in the next ten minutes or so.
Luckily at that moment, the sandy-haired, old man came into the room, pulling his curly frizz into a high ponytail. Tiedoll hugged the two oldest, who were pulled into it by their shoulders. The two said their greetings, Daisya giving a 'Hey, Pops' and an 'It's good that you made it' from Marie.
Walking toward Kanda, the man jumped in an attempt to embrace the boy, who was highly trained in the way of the samurai. He missed, face-planting into the wood floor. Kanda looked back at him. He had dodged the man by leaning forward. "Tch."
The former general looked up, his glasses cracked slightly. "Yu-kun is so mean to his father!"
"Ain't no father of mine."
"Ain't isn't a word, Kanda, and you used a double negative," Marie remarked.
"Yu-kun..." Tiedoll sniffed. Kanda sighed. 'Why is he always so quick to cry? Wasn't he in the army?'
"It's... good to see you... Tiedoll," the boy said in a low voice. "Now sit down and have some dignity."
The old man sniffed once more, smiling and complying with his adoptive son.
The food was ordered and brought out quickly to Kanda's carefully-hidden delight. As he took his chopsticks and made to pick up some of his soba, Tiedoll started talking.
"There was a reason I asked you boys to come here versus just going to the house."
Kanda stopped his attempt at eating. He wasn't one to be overly rude, especially to people he respected. Even if his stomach was about to scream with hunger. "Tch. What reason is that, old man?"
"There's a musician here. They play a classical Japanese instrument called a gagaku biwa*. Very well as well, I've heard. So, I wanted to hear it for myself with my dear sons."
"Che. Music, that's your reason?" Kanda remarked, picking up some soba with his chopsticks.
"Well- Oh! There's the musician!" The old man shifted to look at the door.
The eldest boys turned and looked as well (well Marie just listened). Daisya let out a 'Whoa'.
Kanda glanced, to see what his adopted brother was fussing about. His eyes widened, and his mouth opened a bit. The forgotten soba fell from his chopsticks.
Marie smiled. 'This will be interesting.'
TBC...
*Kotatsu- those low tables in Japan that have the cloth on top (bad description...)
*Sake- rice wine
*Masu- wooden, square cups for sake, a safer option for drunk men
*Ochoko- cups for sake, in this case they are made of porcelain
Oh Marie, you know it will be. I'll try to update this as much as I can.
Until then~, 13
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