Whither Bound:

I do not own The World Ends With You, Square Enix does!

Written for Twelve Shots of Summer - Week 8…

The crazy thing about people was the wonderful experiences you create with them... Izo disagreed on that notion wholeheartedly. The only thing you had to do was walk away from them, and you'd still have a decent life without them breathing down your neck. Izo didn't need to have people flocking him, it annoyed him how the imbeciles couldn't last a day without their friends...

But he could, seeing that he had none.

In Science he took down notes quietly, making sure he lent one ear to his teacher while the other tried to block out the idiotic chatter the girl beside him had with her friend. He didn't care who she was, but he wished she would shut up!

The twelve year old could feel his fingers tighten around his pencil harder than he should have, making it harder to write, but he couldn't help it. Who in their damn mind would talk during a lesson!? Valuable knowledge would be lost if they kept this up, so he had to wonder how they managed to squeeze through grade one and land themselves in his class.

No sooner did he finish his current paragraph was when the bell rang, causing him to scowl from how annoying it was. His teacher in response stopped mid-speech and adjusted his glasses, clearing his throat as he spoke dully, "Oh, it would seem we ran out of time..."

Already half of the class had fled the room, and some of them were still fiddling with their belongings when Mr. Kouno sighed. "Homework for tonight is questions four to thirteen on page 405 in the textbook." After a heartbeat, he shook his head. "Have a nice day."

With that, Izo scribbled down his homework in his notebook before he started to put away his belongings. Other students had also stayed, most likely those who valued their education. But it didn't matter if they were the overachievers or the underachievers, they were just as annoying to him as they would always be.

Sadly it was lunch time, a time that made it nearly impossible to think. Izo decided the only way to have some form of peace was to make haste to the library, so he slid his shoulder strap over his head and onto his shoulder then proceeded to leave the room.

It took at least five minutes for him to reach his destination, seeing that the hallways were pretty much clustered with many loud and hyperactive students. Unlike Rei, who would most likely fit within this environment, he did not. He would rather read a good novel over loitering with friends in the cafeteria... Which left him with going to the library. And due to how the librarian chased out those who would disturb the silence it held, it was the perfect location for him to dwell in at this time.

The moment he sat down at an unoccupied table, far from the other students who were either studying or working on homework, he put down his satchel and pulled out his Science textbook. When he found the page he was looking for, he flicked his longer bangs out of his face and started to read... stopping when he angrily swatted at his longer bangs the moment they returned and covered his right eye. It was tempting to search for some sizers and chop it off, but he refrained from the action seeing that his hair would grow back anyway. So he simply returned to reading over the material.

Izo felt somewhat relaxed, but that didn't mean he would sigh in relief or sing his praises. This was merely a limited amount of time to have peace, to finish his homework, and to be away from those who made his blood truly boil. It didn't matter if he didn't have a chance to eat his lunch, as long as he was away from anyone or anything that could ruin his day, this was the only way to minimize the stress he felt at the moment.

The final bell rung just as Izo finished the last question he had to do for Social Studies. He got up and began to put away his belongings before he set off.

When he got downstairs, he noticed the bulletin board had been updated lately. So he went over to it. He always wanted to see what was going on in the school, just to make sure he was aware of anything that could jinx his school life. That way, he could avoid it at all costs. But what he read was pretty much triviality, so he breezed through most of the nonsense he saw until he noticed a particular headline.

Student Exchange Programs - Available For Registration!

Izo was surprised at how the headline delivered what was necessary, unlike the other notices the bulletin board was pinned up with. But despite that, he wasn't interested in that sort of thing.

After a while, he soon found that he had lingered near the board longer than he intended to as he stared at that notice. So with a grumble about how he wasted his time, he turned around to go retrieve his shoes from his shoe locker so he could leave.

When Izo got home, he closed the door quietly. With a quick look to the living room he narrowed his eyes as he spotted the (sadly) unforgettable figure of Rei laying on the couch while on her stomach. With her cellphone pressed to her ear, she was chatting away idly as her legs kicked in the air once and a while.

He didn't want to deal with her today, he was tired enough as it is. Her antics always managed to get him riled up enough, so he knew if he wanted some peace and quiet he had to act quickly in order to arrive at his room without a shred of anger coursing through him.

So he quietly walked up the stairs, taking care for each step he took in order to distribute his weight in a way he would create no noise. Hopefully her addle-minded conversation would distract her long enough for him to slip by without any detection...

"Hahaha... Yeah, yeah..." obnoxiously laughed Rei downstairs when Izo was halfway up the stairs. "I have to go, my Fos-Bro got here!"

At once Izo froze, recovering quickly enough to have sense to hasten his steps in order to reach the top and to make for his room. He managed to put his hand on the doorknob when he felt himself be yanked back, alarming him to try to tighten his hold on the doorknob... unsuccessfully as his hand slid off of it as his body was restrained.

As Rei giggled madly, Izo let out a cry of frustration, "R-Release me!"

"Whoa... that's no way to greet me, Fos-Bro!" chirped Rei as he felt her rest her chin on his shoulder. "Seriously? I wait all afternoon for you to get home and I don't even get a 'hello'? Can't you at least do that?"

"No!" he spat irritably as she held him.

"Sheesh, why not?" she asked, oblivious to how she was squeezing his ribcage too hard. Soon she gasped before she chirped cheekily, "Oh... I get it! If you wanted to play ninja, I think you need to try harder next time!"

The twelve year old let out a growl as he thrashed and tried to loosen her grip on his body, however she managed to keep a firm hold on him. He hated how she had to do this, no matter how many times she made excuses for herself or said it was good for him. But now... this was utter lunacy! He was not some toy she could squeeze the life out of when he got home!

He cursed his strength, how it couldn't help him fend off the seventeen and a half year old at the current moment. Many times during Physical Education when his class was sent to the weight room, he tried to give himself a balanced workout of strength and speed. However, he could tell his physique was faltering in strength, so he knew he should try harder with strength training. But he knew such strength could only be acquired by long hours of training, but he didn't want to waste all of his precious time doing that. He had other pastimes that held his interest in higher regard. But that didn't change the situation at hand...

"Let go!" he hissed as she didn't stop hugging him.

"Look," she said lazily as she let go, only to slither around him to block entry to his room. She turned around to face him, her long blonde hair bouncing in the breeze to cover her face briefly before she brushed it to the side. "I don't understand why you're being grumpy, but it would be nice if you'd be more social with me for once!"

Izo let himself recover the oxygen he lost, slowly adjusting his glasses as he threw a glare at her. He spat sharply, "Remove yourself from my door!"

Instantly Rei leaned against it, giving a smug smirk to him. "I ain't moving! Not when you speak like that!"

Izo narrowed his eyes into slits, taking a step forward as he hissed, "I don't care about what you think about my diction! Move!"

The blonde lifted her hand to cover her mouth as a yawn escaped her lips, shaking her head lightly as she replied, "I don't feel like it..."

Izo couldn't believe she was mocking him! He just wanted to go in and save what was left of his sanity at the moment.

"It's my room!" he snarled, only to stiffen when his voice heightened in octave for a trice.

The blonde gave a squeal of laughter, causing him to grimace as she chirped, "Aw... your voice cracked! Hey! Do you know what that means...?"

"I know what that means!" he snapped furiously as he fought to not blush in front of her, but the squeal she gave told him otherwise.

"Aw... my Fos-Bro is growing up so fast..." sang Rei as a grin popped onto her face. She clasped her hands together as she swayed a bit, piping cheerfully, "Ooh! That means Dad owes me 1500 Yen!"

"Get out of my way!" he snarled bitterly, trying to ignore how his voice once again altered sharply. He lunged forward, only to have his vision turn blurry the moment his glasses were fished off his nose. Promptly he smacked into his door, feeling his oxygen flee his lungs as he stumbled slightly. When he grabbed his doorknob in order to not fall down, and to help him stand as he steadied his balance, he heard a hearty fit of laughter from Rei.

"Hahaha... Try to catch me, Fos-Bro!"

"Rei!" he roared furiously as he let out a growl of anger. "D-Dammit!"

Thumps sounded down the stairs, and he heard Rei holler back to him, "Another Yen to the swear jar!"

That comment made him want to punch the wall beside him. Better yet... Rei's door.

He could only squint at his door, breathing heavily in anger. He opened it shortly and dropped off his bag beside the entrance, closing the door before he felt for the wall beside him. Using it as a guide, he moved his hand along it as he slowly walked forward, trying to be careful so he wouldn't fall down the stairs and lose more of his dignity. Or worse, gain broken bones...

When he went down the stairs, he couldn't help but seethe. Rei was horrible, she was nothing but a thorn that would wedge into your toe and refuse to leave. There was no telling when she would come along and disrupt tranquility, and that was the problem: she was unpredictable. It was sometimes hard to read her, yet there were some moments he could. So it was hard to avoid her, seeing that one moment he may deem he was safe, but then the next he would be glomped by her... He had to wonder why he felt some form of respect towards her when he was younger, but he could only reason that he was naive. Yes, that had to been it. He was simply unaware of how dumb and intolerable she truly was.

The moment he was safely on the main floor, he squinted again and picked out a few vaguely familiar shapes. None of them could be remotely labelled Rei, but he would find her eventually. All he had to do was track her down and retrieve his glasses, but it was harder to contend when he needed his glasses to do that! It was a mere problem within itself, and he cursed the circumstances he was subjugated to.

Izo was about to let out a growl of frustration when he heard the door unlock and swing open. Squinting again, he turned his head towards the source of the noise and scowled.

"Oh, Izo?" he heard Genji say with surprise lacing his tone. "I didn't expect to see you downstairs?"

"Save it!" he spat as he took in a shaky inhale, squinting again as he growled, "I've had enough of her playing dim games with me! I don't want to commence one with you!"

"Ah, Rei," said Genji in a calm note, stepping closer as he placed a hand on Izo's shoulder. In response Izo jerked away and shoved the hand off. "I understand you're in a foul mood because of her..."

"Why wouldn't I be!?" snarled Izo as he clenched his fists. He soon turned his head away to snort, "Omit the tedious pleasantries and mind your own business!"

"You can't do it on your own."

"I'm not addle-minded to fail in comprehending that!" snapped Izo as lashed his hand out, guiding himself backwards with the help of the wall. Stiffly he stood still as he added bitterly, "I can't stand it..."

Izo heard Genji move past him before he felt himself being pushed forward gently. So he tried to stop his adoptive father, but he already felt himself being forced to sit down and he curled his lip in displeasure.

"I know you and Rei haven't met eye to eye, but you two need to learn how to get along with each other," said Genji sadly as he sighed. "I won't always be here to mediate your disputes-"

"Hmph," Izo snorted and turned his head away. "Why not enlighten your daughter that?"

A sigh sounded from Genji. "Coexistence depends on your part as well, Izo. Wait here."

Izo merely snorted at that, listening as Genji's footsteps faded away as he began calling for Rei. The dark blue haired boy didn't care about getting along with Rei, she couldn't see the end of a book to the beginning of it. There was no way to communicate to her and have her understand what he was trying to say, as it would seem her brain was nonexistent. Why should he bother? She would never understand his life, even if he dumbed it down for her. The distance between them was too vast, nothing more than that.

If he were to say what Rei's purpose in life was meant to be, he would say it was to destroy any moment of peace he held. If there was a way to get her to leave him alone, he would take it in stride. To not deal with her would be a true vacation, not that he knew what it was like to go on vacation other than the ones his schools over the years supplied... He overheard some students talk about how they went to beaches or spa resorts... but he had thought that their exploits were too petty to even consider doing.

Izo stopped that thought, backtracking a bit to think on the matter. He had to wonder why the thought of having a vacation was appealing to him so suddenly. Normally he would scoff at the idea of traveling somewhere to relax, considering the fact that he would have to interact with people and there would be hassle along the way if he didn't plan accordingly... But the thought of getting away from home seemed to spur his thoughts back to the notice he regarded earlier today.

That notice... He didn't check its details, but he felt that he should check it out when he could. At that thought he furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head. 'Why am I thinking about that!? There's no need to pay heed to what that page had to bargain...'

But then again, the need to check it out filled his mind.

When Genji came back with his glasses, Izo wordlessly took them and went to his room. He didn't feel like dinner tonight.

Student Exchange Programs - Available For Registration!

Come and study abroad for a year in one of the countries in Europe! A once in a lifetime opportunity to find out what it's like to learn in a different learning environment than our own! A new experience for those who are in the younger grades.

In order to qualify for any country, be sure to fill out a registration form and include some of your languages that you know fluently so we know the placement that's meant for you! Drop by the front office with your form before June 15th, 2001 in order to secure a spot for the next year!

For more information, please see Mr. Sakona in Room 117!

It seemed as though the headline had adaquate rationality. But Izo felt the writer was too enthusiastic to be taken seriously when he looked at the rest of it. He had to wonder why the very person was drafted to create this notice in the first place.

Izo wondered if it was worth it, to take a chance and leave. It wouldn't be bad of course, there were some benefits to being away from Shibuya. In fact, if he did leave he would be away from Rei... There were some bumps along the way as well, but Izo felt he would try to solve any of them to the best of his abilities.

Yet, Izo didn't see a point of why he had to go. As tempting as it was to partake in this exchange program, what was impacting his life to spur him on to actually do it? Well, other than Rei of course, he didn't want her to be the sole reason for him to do this. But would transferring to another environment, where it was likely that there were imbeciles as well, be rational? It wouldn't be any different, except knowing that at the end of the program he would sever the ties of the people he met...

With a frustrated sigh, he closed his maroon eyes as he shook his head. 'Am I really debating this?' It was pointless, to be honest. Standing here and mulling it over would do him no good, it would be better to just go home.

After he checked over the clasps on his satchel, he went to retrieve his shoes and gave one last glance to the bulletin board. A few seconds later he left the premise of the school.

Life is naught by the friends we make,
To live is naught to find purpose,
Wade past anything to pave it for your sake,
You reach out above your surface.

Izo paused, idly twiddling his pencil above his notebook as he searched for the words he wanted. He had sat down and wrote what came to mind, but when he read it over he felt a slight tinge of disgust pulse through him. He had the power to create poetry, yet when he looked at this one he couldn't figure out an argument for why it was twisting out of his influence and not making sense. Why wouldn't it be so hard to finish his assignment if it was in his vantage? He knew what he wanted to say, but it was becoming iffy the moment he scribbled it out. He had to wonder what was wrong. It was easy normally, but now his mind drew a blank.

With a curse, Izo blamed the booming of the stereo downstairs. It was hard enough to think as he felt the ground reverberate as each sound came out. He knew it was Rei, she had turned it on when she was making dinner. In fact, he knew it would be best to skip her concoction than risking his life to satisfy his hunger.

He tried to ignore it, tried to hold his pencil without breaking it... His thoughts felt spewed as he tried to concentrate...

'Dammit!' He pushed himself up and headed to the door. 'No one can have peace with her ruckus!'

As soon as he got downstairs, he set a glare towards the kitchen. He wrinkled his noise at the smell of burnt noodles before he stalked into the room.

Rei was doing some idiotic dance as she twirled a wooden spoon in her hand, doing a twirl and stepping back and forth as she was oblivious to how the pot had boiled over (at least twice). By now the smell made Izo nauseous and the booming of the stereo made his ears already numb.

He clenched his hands into fists briefly, trudging straight to the stereo to jab the power button.

When the room quieted drastically, Rei's humming ceased and she stiffened. She looked dazed as she whipped her head around before she gazed at him, her eyes wide in alarm as she shouted, "Why'd you do that, Fos-Bro!?"

"You had it up so loud I have to wonder why you're not deaf yet!" spat Izo harshly as he narrowed his eyes.

"It was my jam!" Rei protested as she shook the spoon at him.

"I don't care about your favouritism!" retorted Izo as he snorted. "It was eroding my muse!" He hardened his eyes as she clenched the spoon harder, pushing his bangs away as he growled, "I need to do homework yet your noise was grating and destroying my progression!"

The blonde huffed, stepping over to him as she poked at his chest with the spoon. He yelped in pain, sending a glare at her when she cried hotly, "Why can't I listen to it!? It's my favourite band-"

"You said that about another one last month."

"Well, pff..." She rolled her eyes as she shrugged. "That other one was old... I mean, the lead singer was nearly thirty! Thirty for crying out loud!"

Izo let out a growl of annoyance, "That's not old..."

"Yes it is!" protested Rei before Izo's head was whacked with the spoon. "Twenty is younger!"

The dark blue haired boy couldn't believe he was hearing this! He would rather be doing his homework than dealing with Rei, so having an argument with her instead wasn't on his agenda for tonight. If he were to finish his assignment, Rei had to get it in her head to not have volume on the stereo that loud. Never mind that, Izo felt too frustrated to even stand in his house a moment longer.

He turned away and started to walk away when his wrist was grasped. He closed his eyes and growled when Rei cried, "Wait a minute, Fos-Bro! We're not done yet!"

"Let go of me!" he snarled when he tugged at his wrist, not able to move away as Rei clung to his wrist. His blood began to boil as he growled out louder, "Let go!"

"But we're not done!"

Izo grimaced as he pulled harder, grunting as he tried to escape from her firm grip. He couldn't take it, he wanted to leave, he didn't want to stand in the room any longer smelling the burnt noodles and feeling his anger rise within him. Why couldn't she get it!? He wanted to be alone more than ever! But she was acting childish and immature! That's what she always has been and ever will be!

"I said-" He gritted his teeth as he spun around to face her. "Let go, you TYKE!" he roared out furiously.

At once he found her hand loosened and he slipped his wrist out, backing away as he shakily inhaled and threw the nastiest glare he could muster. "Why can't you comprehend what I said? Are you that dim-witted!? A moron?" he snarled harshly as he clenched his fists. "I can't stand you! I can't stand another moment breathing in the same oxygen as you, sleeping in the same house as you, in fact- why am I even here!? You don't understand anything I try to convey to you, yet you act like everything is fucking okay! Nothing's fucking okay! Why? Because you treat everyone and everything like a child would! A tyke! A stupid tyke! You're a stupid tyke who sees the world as a toy to play with! A game! A stupid effing game! And I hate that! So why can't you see how annoying you are!?"

Ignoring how she stood frozen, crying silently, he turned to run. He went upstairs to hastily put his textbooks and notebooks into his satchel before he buckled it and went back downstairs to head to the door. Izo unlocked it before he threw it open, not caring when he slammed it closed.

Now outside, he finally let out an exhale before taking in his surroundings. Seeing how people busily walked by, he pushed himself into the stream. Keeping his space clear and shuffling away when people came near, he mulled to himself where he could go at this time of day. He didn't really have a particular place in mind, but somewhere quiet would suit his needs best. His poetry assignment wasn't going to write itself, so he needed a place to think.

Well, it was already past five so he figured people were bound to go home, which was a relief. Less people meant he could be less stressed at the moment, and it was better that way. But the place he needed had to be less occupied, so he mentally slashed off over half of the districts in Shibuya. He cursed how the majority of Shibuya was shopping districts, considering his... He shook his head and pressed on.

By the time he took a break, he found he had gotten to the 104 Building. He curled his lip as he heard a few older teenagers squealing as they exited one of the current shops, looking away as he debated which direction he should go next. He did have a goal of finishing his assignment tonight so he knew he had to pick a location promptly. So he spotted a nearby tourist map board and headed for it.

Checking it over, he found that most places had indeed lost his favour. He figured the backstreets of Udagawa wasn't ideal either, seeing how he was aware of the local news reports that hovered in that area. If he thought he was lucky enough to avoid any skirmishes from gangs that paraded in the district then he was as dumb as Rei.

With a snort he scanned the map again before he focused on one district: Miyashita Park. As far as it was, he didn't mind taking the walk, but he also hadn't heard much about it. Faintly he remembered his old orphanage took its children to it for certain holidays, which excluded him of course seeing how the old caretaker who ran it hated him. It must have been nice enough, well, that's what he believed when he spent time by himself locked in his own room. Back then, he used to imagine what it was like being outside of the orphanage's walls. He was a child back then so he felt during most of those days he must have built upon his creativity that way, other than trying to teach himself how to read vainly.

Izo shook his head at that, trying to refocus on his task. He didn't think there was any noteworthier place that he could go, so he adjusted his shoulder strap as he tried to memorize the route he had to take.

As he walked on the sidewalk, he soon found a set of stairs that he headed down. By now the sky was turning into a tinge of peach, and the park below him was basked in shades. A slight murmur was heard as he slowly neared the bottom, and he blinked as he let his gaze travel over the location. By now it was cooler, which was suitable considering how hot the days were becoming. And that presented him a destination he hoped was worth the exercise he exerted.

After he managed to find an open space that was devoid of skate ramps or climbing walls, he breathed in as he searched for a place he could sit down. There were only a few benches sprawled along the park so he settled in one and put down his bag.

As nice as it was quiet, he couldn't help but think back to Rei. He narrowed his maroon eyes, clenching his hands into fists as he sat there. He couldn't believe he went here only to still feel ill-tempered about Rei- no, the Tyke suited her more. Yes, that sounded perfect. The Tyke probably was eating her miserable meal, sobbing from the consequences of her stupidity. She should feel bad, it was justified seeing how long she kept to her immature tendencies. Izo wanted nothing more than for her to experience the woes she should have, for her to actually realize how annoying she was... Yes, Izo wanted to feel satisfied knowing that justice has been served...

The twelve year old wanted to laugh bitterly over the whole situation, seeing how he finally managed to get through to her for once. What he did was right, he didn't regret anything he said! Rei deserved that! Even if it hurt her, someone would have slapped the same reality to her eventually. She should be grateful that it was himself who told her, or it could have taken decades for her to finally have heard it! No, she wasn't that smart enough to do that! She was immature, scatterbrained, irritating, brash, obnoxious...

His brain suddenly throbbed.

With a groan of pain, he pressed his hand to his temple. He didn't understand the cause of his headache, but he was irked it came to him at this moment in time. He shook his head and wanted the pain to dispel, but whatever it was didn't seem to offer mercy to him now.

Suddenly a burst of anger filled him, he let himself glare at the ground as the thought of the Tyke came to him again. The more he thought of her the more he yelled in his head of all the things he hated about her. It all came in flashes.

All the times she blamed him for the things she did wrong, putting up a front that caused him to get in trouble...

How she dragged him into shopping malls despite his phobia...

Stealing his glasses in the morning and keeping them from him...

Pranking him...

Hitting him with objects...

Whining to her parents...

Not listening to him...

Giving him food poisoning once...

All these instances flew through his mind, his headache increased, his anger rose...

Then it all ebbed away.

A swell of happiness suddenly waved through him.

Then he sat there, confused about what happened.

He was... here to do his homework, right? But when he looked at his satchel it wasn't open and he had nothing out... He looked up and found the sun was lower in the sky... Izo had to wonder how long he spaced out.

Scratching his head, he blankly stared at the ground, pondering about why he hadn't been working on his homework... unless he had already finished it? He closed his eyes and thought quietly, 'Strange... I don't waste time like this normally... Unless...' he remembered the argument he had with the Tyke. 'It had to have been her. Grr, why can't she leave me alone when she's not here! Why does she plague my thoughts and ruin my life!? How can I spend a day without her doing that!?'

Then a thought came to him. 'Take a vacation.'

Without a warning he let out a shout, "I should take a vacation!" After a moment, he grimaced as he glanced around, hoping nobody heard him yell that out mindlessly. In fact, he had to wonder why he did that. He didn't normally yell out what came to mind, but somehow the thought made sense.

Izo mulled it over and the appeal he had felt earlier about it grew stronger. It was as if someone was nudging him along that path, but he scoffed at the idiotic idea. But the other idea wasn't quite bad, he only wondered if he should.

After he pondered it a bit more, another thought came to him, 'Go for it!'

"Screw it, I should go for it!" Izo yelled as he got to his feet, feeling his spirits lift and his mind whirled at the idea. "Yeah! I don't see why I'm hesitating, so I should!" An urge to smile came to him, but he forced it away instead. There was nothing to smile about, he only solved the dilemma he had about the exchange program.

Right away he wanted to run home and tell Genji about it, but then he had to tell himself to sit down. He came here for a reason, and he wasn't going to leave until he finished his assignment.

With his pencil in hand, hovering above his paper, he started to write down fervently as though he was struck with a shower of all the world's wisdom.

We cannot always bring out and break through,
Fall down, get hurt, lick our wounds...
But all we need is one drive to bring out our brew,
Motivation, inspiration, a boom...

There's no luck, we only have pure skill,
Something that shines out...
Through our hardship, with a muster of will,
We will all follow the right route!

Call it out, wield it with our hands alone,
Only those know their powers...
Let no one stop you, go out there and roam!
Take your ambitions over the towers!

Life is just that! Take it in stride and move!
Get out of your memory...
Do naught your best! Stay out of that soothe!
In life, there is no reverie!

Pleased with his work, he put away his belongings as his mind still spun.

The next day at school he went to retrieve what was needed for the application.

When Izo got home, he checked to make sure the Tyke was nowhere in sight. Seeing she wasn't here, he went upstairs to put away his things. But as he passed by his adoptive father's office he paused, gazing at the door as he frowned.

This was it, all he had to do was knock and begin his proposition. Surely Genji wasn't too busy, but he felt Genji could take a break. The man worked almost every day, mostly due to being called in every day for the reason that Genji put it as: "They are almost at a loss without me..." And Izo knew the man was home, he saw Genji's vehicle was parked outside the house so Izo knew Genji would be cooped up in his study.

Inhaling, Izo knocked a few times before waiting. He remembered how many times he did this during his childhood, wanting to speak to Genji about... almost anything really. He used to feel a strong sense of respect for the man, but nowadays that respect was dead, mostly after the time Izo was nearly expelled from school when he was ten years old. Slight traces of it were left, enough for Izo to have a decent conversation with the man when it was required. But Izo didn't do this often, finding that explaining why he hated people was a topic that Genji had little interest in...

Slowly the door opened, followed by Genji's voice, "Yes?"

Izo looked up, trying to meet the brown eyes peering curiously from behind the door. "Are you busy?"

"Mmm... I was brushing through some notes, but I think I can spare you a moment."

With that the door opened up enough for Izo to slide through with ease.

Inside, Izo noticed how Genji neatly had his notes out on his desk, which was snug in the corner as always. The only source of light, a lanky lamp, lit the room in a dim lighting so Izo had to squint a bit as he crossed the floor. He sat down in an armchair that had deep green fabric which was beside its twin, which was tucked into the desk.

Soon Genji joined Izo, pulling out his chair so he could sit down and place his hands on his lap as he faced Izo. "So then," said Genji in a pleasant note, smiling gently as he asked, "What can I do for you, Izo?"

Izo simply inhaled, trying to buy himself time by brushing his bangs out of his face to figure out a way to begin. He already had something figured out before, but now it was dissolved from his memory, as though the pressure of the situation flushed out his resolve. But nonetheless he cleared his throat before he began, trying not to fidget under Genji's calm gaze, "I want to apply for an exchange program." There was no way Izo was going to fluff up the truth.

"Mmhmm..." hummed Genji as he rubbed his thin blond moustache, blinking his brown eyes slowly as he mused mindfully, "I see..."

After a second or two, Izo realized Genji was waiting for him to go on. So Izo did, trying his best to not growl it out, seeing that it could lower his chances at getting what he wanted. "I... just need to get away for a year..." Izo couldn't believe he was nervous at the moment, when the prime time he had was in his hands. "To think, to gather my thoughts..." The underlaying sense of being interrogated filled him, making him pause as he tried to reach for words to accompany his proposition.

But then the blond haired man asked, interrupting Izo when he finally found something to say, "Is there a reason for why you want this?"

Izo grimaced, his thoughts suddenly scrambled for a moment and he tried to pull them back to make a comprehensible response. "It's... I can't take it anymore!" he replied in frustration. Right away he tried to calm his tone, he couldn't let himself slip up now. If he did, it would be dire to let his anger ruin everything. "I can't stay here, it's driving me mad. Everything makes me want to bang my head against the wall to quell it all..."

"Which wouldn't help at all, seeing that you need your brain." Genji inhaled slowly, frowning as he went on, "I know you're quite smart, so it's a good idea to avoid doing that."

"I know, I know!" hissed Izo as he shook his head, feeling his heart quicken as he growled, "It's how I feel!"

Patiently Izo's adoptive father waited, so Izo picked up how it was his turn to speak again. Trying to not panic, he looked at his lap as he spoke as calm as he could, "If only a year, one year to be away... That's all that I'm asking for."

Genji let out a sudden laugh.

Izo stiffened, wondering why the man found his response was hilarious. So he flushed as he growled, "Stop laughing! Here I am trying to tell you what I want and you're acting as though I'm a fool for doing so!"

"I couldn't help but notice how you nervous you are, Izo." Drawing his hands together, from what Izo could see, Genji mused lightly, "You're keeping your head low, hunching over, trying to not look up... You're hardly holding in your frustration, trying to stay from being flustered... What's stopping you from having a nice conversation with me where we can talk normally like we used to? Without all this stressed calm?"

"Did you heed a word I conveyed!?" snapped Izo in ill-temper as he whipped his head up to scowl at Genji, who was smiling. His eyes were glinting with amusement as Izo flushed more in anger, clenching his fists as he snarled, "I can hardly believe you would mock what I want after I- after I-"

"Lighten up, Izo..." said Genji mildly, closing his eyes as he laughed, "This isn't an interrogation..."

"You're not making it that way!" spat Izo as he shook, grimacing as his voice cracked.

"Relax, Izo." Genji put a hand on Izo's shoulder, sighing as he spoke lightly, "I would rather hear you speak your case than seeing you squirm before me."

"You're the devil's incarnation..." Izo snorted, crossing his arms after Genji withdrew his hand.

"Eh, I've been called worse," noted Genji as his smile broadened.

Izo merely frowned deeper, looking away from Genji as he growled, "So, what do you think?" If Genji did hear his words, that is.

"Hmm..." Genji was silent for a few moments. "Might I ask you something?"

"What?" growled Izo. He felt as though his chances were good as gone now.

"Does this have to do with Rei?"

At that, Izo narrowed his maroon eyes into slits, adjusting his glasses when they slipped slightly. He clenched his fists as he tightened his frown, earning a sigh from Genji.

"I see..." said Genji sadly, pausing briefly when Izo turned his head back to him. "Do you understand how you hurt Rei's feelings?"

Izo refused to reply, snorting instead.

"Were you stressed? Angry at her?" asked Genji sternly, now frowning. "Your actions and words towards her didn't reflect your normal self... Did something happen?"

"You're not a therapist..." growled Izo sourly with a roll of his eyes.

"Very true, I'm a detective," remarked Genji sternly as he blinked. "And it's my job to sniff out the truth..." After a moment or two, Genji put in, "This is not a therapy session, it's an interrogation."

Izo felt himself flinch at once.

"So, why did you hurt my daughter's feelings then?" asked Genji as Izo caught a dangerous glint in the man's brown eyes. "I'd like to know, Izo."

Izo bit his lip, feeling his chest constrict as it felt harder to breathe suddenly. He instantly looked away, searching for something to work with in order to keep as much of his composure as he could at the moment.

"...She wouldn't let go..." he said quietly, feeling as though his mouth became parched in the last moment. "I-I had to do my homework, and she had the stereo volume too high, and I couldn't do my homework... I tried to turn it off then she didn't understand that it was too loud..." As he talked, he knew he was becoming a mess the longer Genji stared at him. There was nothing else Izo wanted more but to escape from Genji's scrutiny, but he felt paralyzed for some reason. The only thing that moved was his jaw, working to help him explain to Genji his reasons for what he said to the Tyke, "A-And then we argued then she wouldn't let go, and it made me so angry th-that I couldn't get away..."

Soon a hand rested on his shoulder, snapping him out of the panic he experienced. Looking up slowly, Izo saw Genji warmly smile at him as he spoke, "Thank you, Izo. That's all I need." Then he lightheartedly chuckled after that.

Izo couldn't believe he was just subjected to Genji's technique... And he survived, luckily.

When Genji removed his hand, Izo felt a shudder pass through him. And when he brushed his fringe away, he found that there was a sheen of cold sweat on his forehead. He thought bitterly, 'D-Dammit... He's like a truth serum... forcing me to talk when I didn't want to...' Slowly he let himself scowl at the man. 'H-He's truly the devil's incarnation...'

"Now then," Genji said calmly as he nodded at Izo. "Other than the incident with Rei, you also left home without permission or letting anyone know where you were going... Then you came home late, a few minutes past your curfew..." He met Izo's scowl. "It's fine time to decide upon your punishment, seeing that I have the evidence I need to make a fair decision for you."

Izo grimaced at that.

"Hmm..." Genji closed his eyes. "Let's see... what would be best..." He snapped his fingers and chirped, "Ah! I have it!" After a pregnant moment, he nodded. "For the week, you will be Rei's assistant when she does her share of the chores!"

"No!" Izo exclaimed as he glared at Genji. "You know she'll force me to do it all without lifting a finger to help-"

"It's decided then," chirped Genji with another nod. "You're Rei's assistant."

Izo let out a growl. 'Fuck...'

As Izo got up to leave, he heard Genji call, "Did you get a form for the application?"

Izo turned, confused for a moment before he remembered it was in his pocket. With a grumble, he got it out and walked over to put it in Genji's awaiting hand, watching him place the form down and flatten it out on the desk. Once flat, Genji put it on the side and turned back to nod at him.

"I'll see what your Mother thinks then we'll chat a bit more about this," said Genji as Izo nodded.

Just as Izo was about to turn around and head back to his room, Genji's voice sounded behind him, "Oh, I have one more question, Izo?"

"What?" Izo asked curtly,

"Are you planning on running away the moment you get to the country you're assigned?"

At once Izo flushed, setting a tight frown on his face as he stormed out, ignoring Genji's laughter from behind him.

As soon as the car stopped, Izo stopped looking at the plane ticket he had as Etsu turned to look at him.

"Well, we're here," she said gently as she brushed her brown bangs to the side, blinking her brown eyes at him when he stiffly nodded back.

Getting out of the car, he instantly went to the back and waited for Etsu to get his suitcase out of the trunk. He looked up at the sign that said, West Exit Bus Terminal, which was faintly seen from the dim lighting.

It had been one year since he applied for the exchange program, and he did not regret waiting that long for his chance to come. Unlike the other students that went to his school, he wouldn't be joining them in any of their classes. He would be in France instead...

After they were ready, they went inside and bought a bus ticket for him. And just as they got to the gate, Izo turned and regarded Etsu, who was reminding him of not getting in trouble with his host family. He didn't bother to listen, instead humming or grunting back in response as he stood beside her. When the time came for him to leave, he carried his luggage onto the bus and found a seat.

As the lights flashed by as the bus flew from the station, he took out his new phone. He merely stared down at its glinting stormy blue grey surface, not wanting to ruin its polish in order for it to stay the same. It was a present from Genji, to celebrate the occasion that he was going to France. The cellphone was a model that came straight from the very country...

The dark blue haired boy understood it wasn't going to be the only thing that came from a foreign country. When he arrived in France, the roles would be flipped. But unlike his cellphone, its arrival wouldn't harbour the same bitter reasons he did.

It was merely a tool to serve anyone's needs.

He was a person, wanting to serve his own needs.

Yet the both of them together would go hand in hand.

It was a bitter contradiction.

I hope you enjoyed the story! =3

...

EeveeGen9988: Uh... I have no clue how this entry got so long... ...T-To tell you the truth, I was shocked at how long it got... I'm not kidding... *faints*

So we have another Izo One-Shot... a very long one... I knew it was going to be long, but oh dear... O_O What's wrong with me this got out of hand!? *double facepalm and EeveeGen9988 speaks Pokemon gibberish because of how flabbergasted she is*

...I took [Escape] and [The Distance Between]! Basically Izo wanted to [Escape] from the place he currently was living (and Rei) and [The Distance Between] him and Rei is too great for them to get along... and it's used by Izo when he describes his and Rei's differences...

Fun fact! As you have read, Rei's natural hair colour is blonde! And that could only mean one thing... she dyes her hair ashen grey! =D