Memories
By Songwind
Notes- I just thought this up and I HAD to start writing it. I'm not exactly sure how long this will be, but I hope you'll enjoy it all. This is how Kouran, Houjun and Hikou became friends. (Grins) It takes 'em a while, but they get there. This is mostly just a kawaii story to make you smile.
Disclaimer- I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.
Chapter One- Meetings
"Houjun! Ne, Houjun!"
A young boy, about six or seven, opened one eye, then the other. He stretched and ran a hand through his light hair. "Hikou?" he asked sleepily. "Whatcha doin' here?"
The other young boy, around the same age (but with darker, shorter hair), was standing at the edge of Houjun's cot hopping up and down. "Come on, come on! What's takin' ya so long t' wake up, Houjun?!" he asked excitedly.
"Hikou-kun..." Houjun sat up and stretched again. Then he rubbed his eyes and looked out the window. He sweat-dropped. "What time is it?"
"Right after sunrise," Hikou beamed. "C'mon, Darrun just found a frog at the lake and we're gonna go and find more wit' 'im!"
Houjun shook his head, still trying to understand why his friend was in his room so early in the morning. Granted, it was his best friend, and there wasn't a problem with him being there. However... this early? Hikou? In Houjun's room? "Hikou, lemme sleep," he murmured, and fell back onto the cot with a thump.
"Aw, come on Houjun!" the other boy complained. "Yer missing out on th' fun, you know?"
"I'll come later, go 'way." Houjun waved one hand, then turned on his side to go back to sleep.
"Why?" Hikou asked. He poked his friend in the back a few times. "Houjun, why're ya so sleepy an' stuff today? It's a frog, we rarely catch 'em!"
"I know..." Finally, his friend's words hit his still-sleepy brain. "A frog?!" He jumped up and turned to his best friend. "How big? Has it given anyone warts yet? Is it ugly?"
"Come on, let's go and find out!"
Houjun jumped out of bed and stuffed on his boots. Then he glanced into an old mirror, ran his hands over his hair a couple times- after all, it wouldn't do to go out without being at least somewhat presentable. After a moment, he was ready. "Let's go, Hikou-kun!"
"Haaaaai!"
The two ran out of Houjun's tiny room, out into the cool morning. For a moment, the two paused, breathing in the air and just grinning for the heck of it.
The blue-haired boy took a moment to look around at his village. It was pretty small, but it had a bunch of huge hills and the like all around it, giving him and his friends plenty of places to explore. There were at least fifteen or so families at current count, and most of those families had at least one kid. There were a few stands at market. Once in a while, they would get lucky and catch a Bard or a peddler who would bring them news about their surroundings and the like.
But enough thinking. They had to get to that lake!
The boys were preparing to race their way there when a sleepy voice called from behind them, "Houjun, where are you going?"
Houjun froze, and turned around. "Ohayo, Mama," he mumbled. "Just to th' lake- someone caught a frog."
"Did you forget I'm taking you to market with me in two hours?"
"Aw, Mama, I'll be back by then!" he protested.
A woman came to stand in the doorway, crossing her arms over her chest. She was tall and fairly slim, though muscular from years of hard labor. Mai gave Houjun a skeptical look. "The last time I let you run off and gave you a set time to return you were three hours late."
"But that was special, Mai-san," Hikou stepped in. "It's not every day you see Akena getting stunk up by a skunk!"
Houjun's mother sighed. "Gomen, Houjun, but I can't let you go right now. Come back in here and we'll have something to eat, then head to the market. There's someone you have to meet anyway." With that, she turned around and headed back into the house.
The blue-haired boy let his shoulders slump in disappointment. Hikou patted him on the back sympathetically. "I'll tell ya all about it," he promised.
"I wonder who I gotta meet, and today?" Houjun groused.
"Prob'ly that new family that just traveled in. Stay 'way from their lil' girl," Hikou warned. "She's mean, she talks too much and she's too honest."
"Okay. Thanks Hikou." Houjun gave his friend a smile.
"Houjun!"
"Hai, coming Mama. You'd better go, Hikou-kun..." Houjun sweat-dropped when he saw his friend had already dashed off. "Never mind..."
The young boy reentered his mother's house and sat down on a stool, where his mother handed him a fruit to munch on for breakfast. His excitement at getting to see the frog was wearing off, and Houjun found he only had the energy to mumble a thank you to his parent.
Mai smiled at her son, patted him on the head, and went to prepare for the day ahead.
"Mama, who're we meeting?" Houjun finally asked, swallowing the last of the fruit.
"That new family that came in from the nearby village. I thought it would be nice if you could be their daughter's friend for a while, show her around, introduce her to your friends, that sort of thing."
"What?! But Mama!" Houjun protested. "She's mean and talks too much!"
His mother turned around and gave him a small smile, one hand on her hip. "And how did you come by such information, young man?" she asked.
"Hikou," he stated. "An' he knows everythin' to know about new kids." He nodded, waiting for her to admit defeat and let him meet his friends at the lake.
"He thinks he knows everything, anyway. She's a nice girl, Houjun. You'll see." Mai ran a hand through her royal blue hair and flashed a broader smile at him before returning to fixing up a basket for the day.
Houjun sighed dejectedly. This was going to be one of those long, boring days...
~*~
"Mai-san, Mai-san, we just got a lot of new bolts of cloth from the capital of Konan!" called a young woman sitting behind a stand.
Houjun looked up at his mother, wondering again what a bolt had to do with fabric. After all, wasn't a bolt of lightning dangerous? Mai, however, was busy calling back to the woman. "Arigato, but I have a pressing meeting to get to with someone today," she said with a smile.
"Ah, Houjun-kun, try a new honey-cake?" a man asked from another stand.
The named boy lit up with hope and eagerness, walking over and reaching up towards the offered cake. "Hai, arigato-"
"He just ate a while ago," Mai said, pulling him away firmly. "You can get one later, Houjun."
"Aw..." First no lake, no frog, and no friends- now there was no honey cake. This was definitely not fair. Houjun gave a deep sigh to show how upset he was, but his mother ignored him, continuing to lead him through the small market area towards a house he'd never been in before.
"Ohayo, the house!" Mai called as they approached it.
The door opened, and a middle-aged woman peered around it. Her face lit up. "Mai-san! It's good to see you!"
"And good to see you. I was just coming to the market and decided to drop by." Houjun began to open his mouth to protest that she'd only come here to make him meet some girl he wanted nothing to do with, then stopped as his mother continued talking. "So where is your daughter?"
"Ah, she's right in the house. Why for? Oh..." The middle-aged woman smiled at Houjun. "Houjun-kun, I take it?"
For some reason he found himself blushing and shifting uncomfortably. "Ah, hai, hai," he mumbled.
"I'll be right back with her." The woman disappeared.
"Mama-"
"Hush. You will get along with this young lady."
"Hai, Mama," he said. He scuffed his toe against the ground, frowning at his feet.
After a moment, the middle-aged woman came back out with a young girl in tow. The girl had her hair tied back in a braid, and was hiding behind her mother while peering out curiously.
Their eyes locked.
The girl stared, then looked away with a pout on her face. Houjun wondered if she'd seen him frowning, and tried to look merely interested.
There was a long silence.
"Well, aren't you going to say anything, Kouran-chan?" the middle-aged woman prompted.
"Ohayo," the girl muttered.
Houjun felt a nudge from his mother. "Hi," he said back.
There was another long silence, in which Houjun scuffed his toe against the ground again and Kouran looked off into space.
"Well, it's a start," Mai laughed. "How about I come in and help you with something? Anything you need?"
"Oh, don't I ever," the middle-aged woman replied. "I need advice on this awful cobweb I just can't reach. Kouran-chan hates it, and she has to sleep there..."
The two women wandered off, leaving the two alone.
Houjun finally looked up to see the girl was staring at him. Again he blushed, and managed a small wave. "Um, so what-" he began.
"You're a boy," she accused.
He blinked. "Hai," he said, not quite sure what she was implying.
"I hate boys!" she declared, and with that turned around and marched off.
"N-nani? Wait a second!" He sighed as she ran off. "Mama'll kill me if I let her go off," he muttered to himself. Sighing again, he ran after her.
~*~
So what did you think? I'm sorry that the chapter's a little short, but there will be more to come, I promise!
A note- I don't know if Chichiri's mom's name is mentioned anywhere, or Kouran's parents, or whatnot, so I'm making those up. Just to let you know.
Please review, everyone! Thanks!
By Songwind
Notes- I just thought this up and I HAD to start writing it. I'm not exactly sure how long this will be, but I hope you'll enjoy it all. This is how Kouran, Houjun and Hikou became friends. (Grins) It takes 'em a while, but they get there. This is mostly just a kawaii story to make you smile.
Disclaimer- I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.
Chapter One- Meetings
"Houjun! Ne, Houjun!"
A young boy, about six or seven, opened one eye, then the other. He stretched and ran a hand through his light hair. "Hikou?" he asked sleepily. "Whatcha doin' here?"
The other young boy, around the same age (but with darker, shorter hair), was standing at the edge of Houjun's cot hopping up and down. "Come on, come on! What's takin' ya so long t' wake up, Houjun?!" he asked excitedly.
"Hikou-kun..." Houjun sat up and stretched again. Then he rubbed his eyes and looked out the window. He sweat-dropped. "What time is it?"
"Right after sunrise," Hikou beamed. "C'mon, Darrun just found a frog at the lake and we're gonna go and find more wit' 'im!"
Houjun shook his head, still trying to understand why his friend was in his room so early in the morning. Granted, it was his best friend, and there wasn't a problem with him being there. However... this early? Hikou? In Houjun's room? "Hikou, lemme sleep," he murmured, and fell back onto the cot with a thump.
"Aw, come on Houjun!" the other boy complained. "Yer missing out on th' fun, you know?"
"I'll come later, go 'way." Houjun waved one hand, then turned on his side to go back to sleep.
"Why?" Hikou asked. He poked his friend in the back a few times. "Houjun, why're ya so sleepy an' stuff today? It's a frog, we rarely catch 'em!"
"I know..." Finally, his friend's words hit his still-sleepy brain. "A frog?!" He jumped up and turned to his best friend. "How big? Has it given anyone warts yet? Is it ugly?"
"Come on, let's go and find out!"
Houjun jumped out of bed and stuffed on his boots. Then he glanced into an old mirror, ran his hands over his hair a couple times- after all, it wouldn't do to go out without being at least somewhat presentable. After a moment, he was ready. "Let's go, Hikou-kun!"
"Haaaaai!"
The two ran out of Houjun's tiny room, out into the cool morning. For a moment, the two paused, breathing in the air and just grinning for the heck of it.
The blue-haired boy took a moment to look around at his village. It was pretty small, but it had a bunch of huge hills and the like all around it, giving him and his friends plenty of places to explore. There were at least fifteen or so families at current count, and most of those families had at least one kid. There were a few stands at market. Once in a while, they would get lucky and catch a Bard or a peddler who would bring them news about their surroundings and the like.
But enough thinking. They had to get to that lake!
The boys were preparing to race their way there when a sleepy voice called from behind them, "Houjun, where are you going?"
Houjun froze, and turned around. "Ohayo, Mama," he mumbled. "Just to th' lake- someone caught a frog."
"Did you forget I'm taking you to market with me in two hours?"
"Aw, Mama, I'll be back by then!" he protested.
A woman came to stand in the doorway, crossing her arms over her chest. She was tall and fairly slim, though muscular from years of hard labor. Mai gave Houjun a skeptical look. "The last time I let you run off and gave you a set time to return you were three hours late."
"But that was special, Mai-san," Hikou stepped in. "It's not every day you see Akena getting stunk up by a skunk!"
Houjun's mother sighed. "Gomen, Houjun, but I can't let you go right now. Come back in here and we'll have something to eat, then head to the market. There's someone you have to meet anyway." With that, she turned around and headed back into the house.
The blue-haired boy let his shoulders slump in disappointment. Hikou patted him on the back sympathetically. "I'll tell ya all about it," he promised.
"I wonder who I gotta meet, and today?" Houjun groused.
"Prob'ly that new family that just traveled in. Stay 'way from their lil' girl," Hikou warned. "She's mean, she talks too much and she's too honest."
"Okay. Thanks Hikou." Houjun gave his friend a smile.
"Houjun!"
"Hai, coming Mama. You'd better go, Hikou-kun..." Houjun sweat-dropped when he saw his friend had already dashed off. "Never mind..."
The young boy reentered his mother's house and sat down on a stool, where his mother handed him a fruit to munch on for breakfast. His excitement at getting to see the frog was wearing off, and Houjun found he only had the energy to mumble a thank you to his parent.
Mai smiled at her son, patted him on the head, and went to prepare for the day ahead.
"Mama, who're we meeting?" Houjun finally asked, swallowing the last of the fruit.
"That new family that came in from the nearby village. I thought it would be nice if you could be their daughter's friend for a while, show her around, introduce her to your friends, that sort of thing."
"What?! But Mama!" Houjun protested. "She's mean and talks too much!"
His mother turned around and gave him a small smile, one hand on her hip. "And how did you come by such information, young man?" she asked.
"Hikou," he stated. "An' he knows everythin' to know about new kids." He nodded, waiting for her to admit defeat and let him meet his friends at the lake.
"He thinks he knows everything, anyway. She's a nice girl, Houjun. You'll see." Mai ran a hand through her royal blue hair and flashed a broader smile at him before returning to fixing up a basket for the day.
Houjun sighed dejectedly. This was going to be one of those long, boring days...
~*~
"Mai-san, Mai-san, we just got a lot of new bolts of cloth from the capital of Konan!" called a young woman sitting behind a stand.
Houjun looked up at his mother, wondering again what a bolt had to do with fabric. After all, wasn't a bolt of lightning dangerous? Mai, however, was busy calling back to the woman. "Arigato, but I have a pressing meeting to get to with someone today," she said with a smile.
"Ah, Houjun-kun, try a new honey-cake?" a man asked from another stand.
The named boy lit up with hope and eagerness, walking over and reaching up towards the offered cake. "Hai, arigato-"
"He just ate a while ago," Mai said, pulling him away firmly. "You can get one later, Houjun."
"Aw..." First no lake, no frog, and no friends- now there was no honey cake. This was definitely not fair. Houjun gave a deep sigh to show how upset he was, but his mother ignored him, continuing to lead him through the small market area towards a house he'd never been in before.
"Ohayo, the house!" Mai called as they approached it.
The door opened, and a middle-aged woman peered around it. Her face lit up. "Mai-san! It's good to see you!"
"And good to see you. I was just coming to the market and decided to drop by." Houjun began to open his mouth to protest that she'd only come here to make him meet some girl he wanted nothing to do with, then stopped as his mother continued talking. "So where is your daughter?"
"Ah, she's right in the house. Why for? Oh..." The middle-aged woman smiled at Houjun. "Houjun-kun, I take it?"
For some reason he found himself blushing and shifting uncomfortably. "Ah, hai, hai," he mumbled.
"I'll be right back with her." The woman disappeared.
"Mama-"
"Hush. You will get along with this young lady."
"Hai, Mama," he said. He scuffed his toe against the ground, frowning at his feet.
After a moment, the middle-aged woman came back out with a young girl in tow. The girl had her hair tied back in a braid, and was hiding behind her mother while peering out curiously.
Their eyes locked.
The girl stared, then looked away with a pout on her face. Houjun wondered if she'd seen him frowning, and tried to look merely interested.
There was a long silence.
"Well, aren't you going to say anything, Kouran-chan?" the middle-aged woman prompted.
"Ohayo," the girl muttered.
Houjun felt a nudge from his mother. "Hi," he said back.
There was another long silence, in which Houjun scuffed his toe against the ground again and Kouran looked off into space.
"Well, it's a start," Mai laughed. "How about I come in and help you with something? Anything you need?"
"Oh, don't I ever," the middle-aged woman replied. "I need advice on this awful cobweb I just can't reach. Kouran-chan hates it, and she has to sleep there..."
The two women wandered off, leaving the two alone.
Houjun finally looked up to see the girl was staring at him. Again he blushed, and managed a small wave. "Um, so what-" he began.
"You're a boy," she accused.
He blinked. "Hai," he said, not quite sure what she was implying.
"I hate boys!" she declared, and with that turned around and marched off.
"N-nani? Wait a second!" He sighed as she ran off. "Mama'll kill me if I let her go off," he muttered to himself. Sighing again, he ran after her.
~*~
So what did you think? I'm sorry that the chapter's a little short, but there will be more to come, I promise!
A note- I don't know if Chichiri's mom's name is mentioned anywhere, or Kouran's parents, or whatnot, so I'm making those up. Just to let you know.
Please review, everyone! Thanks!