A/N: I know It's been over a year since I updated this story, but I will explain that all in the author's note at the end. So just wait till the end of the chapter for the explanation!
I don't own Kodocha or any of its contents.
Thoughts
"Speech"
"Flashback/Dream"
Two Worlds Collide: Book I: A New World: Chapter 21: Discovery
-O-
"Sometimes people don't want to hear the truth
because they don't want their illusions destroyed."
- Friedrich Nietzsche
-O-
He didn't know why he was always stuck with unfortunate luck. It was as if all the mistakes from the past we're finally catching up to him, in the worst ways possible. Ever since he was kid, he knew that his life wasn't going to be easy. He knew it was going to be difficult, tragic, strenuous road for him. Especially after he turned six.
The life of a Royal Knight meant sacrifice. He sacrificed his entire childhood, his entire teenage hood to be where he was at this day. He's spent countless hours training, mentally and physically. He's broken about every single bone in his body, bones he didn't even know we're capable of breaking. He worked every hour of his life, never overslept, was always critical with his diet, worked himself dead just to attain the position he did.
So he just had to ask himself what he did wrong to deserve the type of torture he was receiving now.
"You say you don't like me, BUT you still hang out with me? What's with that?" He inwardly groaned, rolling his eyes. This girl made him want to pluck his ears off with her constant pestering and questioning. It was entirely aggravating and wished for nothing more than to be done with her already.
"Don't flatter yourself. I'm not doing this for you." Hayama Akito gazed over at the kind-of lookalike Kurata Sana. She looked hurt from his statement. He didn't care.
The dark auburn haired girl sighed, rubbing her arms. She wished that the Hayama that she saw with Kurata Sana would be the Hayama that would be around her.
"Sana's nice. I like her."
'I do too.'
"She's annoying, just like you." Yes, Sana was very annoying, but he wouldn't deny how her constant pestering was also somewhat adorable.
"But you don't act the same way around me that you do with her." Kaori pointedly said as she stopped walking. Hayama casted her a glare, wondering what the hell that meant.
"When you're around her, you're a lot nicer. Your eyes aren't cold like they are around me. And you tease her a lot, but in a good way. With me, you're just really mean." The dark hazel eyed girl sighed as she played with the front of her uniform.
Was he really that different around her? Hayama thought to himself as the girl in front solidly pointed out. He wasn't aware of his change in personality. He didn't even know there was a certain way he acted around Sana compared to others.
"You're imagining things." He scoffed, walking again.
"You like her, don't you?" Akito stopped walking and turned around, gazing at her with this incredulous look. Him? Like Kurata Sana? The overbearing, obnoxious, loud-mouthed girl he had come to know?
"No, I don't." But he knew he was lying. When did he become a liar?
"Ha, okay. You keep telling yourself that buddy." She cruised right past him, an annoyed scowl etched on her pale, pale skin.
Hayama inhaled deeply, doing everything in his power to refrain himself from strangling the girl in front of him. He had lots of patience, courtesy of dealing with Kotetsu Kyo his entire life. But even she was testing his limits.
"And what would you know? You don't even know me." The blonde inquired.
Her face fell in a frown, knowing that the golden eyed boy in front of her was right. She knew nothing about the boy in front of her. All she knew was his name. And that he apparently liked sushi. And that he was enthralled by Kurata Sana. But other than that, she knew nothing about him.
"Well, I don't. But that doesn't mean I'm not a good judge of character!"
The lone wolf wanted to laugh at her naivety and childishness. She wouldn't be able to guess the first thing about him.
"You wouldn't be able to judge my character no matter how hard you tried. You will never know the things I've been through or the experiences I've encountered. Stop kidding yourself."
Kaori was taken aback at his sudden tone in voice and how dark his eyes turned. She thought that Hayama Akito was hot. And he was. The teenage boy in front of her was very attractive and she would have never thought that this dominant personality was associated with that type of face. But now that she had gotten to know him and his personality, everything meshed perfectly. And everything she thought of him before had completely vanished.
He was right. She wouldn't understand. Even if she wanted too, he wouldn't let her because he already had someone else that he could open up too.
And that made her jealous.
Hayama stared down at her with a penetrating gaze. He was done with people trying to understand him and save him. The blonde was already reluctant with Sana, but the auburn haired girl had somehow wiggled herself into his heart and slowly, unfreezing his frozen organ. But she was different. Kaori was just a fly on the wall compared to Kurata Sana.
The only reason he had spent so much with her was because of she was possibly the princess. But each night, the golden eyed boy silently prayed that he was just playing cat and mouse and that she was not the princess he had been searching for this entire time.
"Hayama!"
Called teenager broke his gaze and looked over the voice calling out to him. Medic and best friend Sasaki Tsuyoshi was running up to the blonde haired captain with a smile adorning his face.
Hayama remained silent as Tsuyoshi caught up. When the brown haired medic reached his long time friend's side that was when he noticed the girl next to him. And he was surprised to see someone who looked oddly similar to a certain auburn haired girl.
"Oh. Who's this?" The brown haired boy asked. Akito merely turned away, a glare etching on his face.
"I'm Kaori." The dark auburn haired girl introduced herself with a small smile on her face.
"I'm Tsuyoshi. Nice to meet you." He greeted back with a small smile.
"Just like with Sana, I'm sure Hayama failed to mention me." She laughed slightly, not missing the way Hayama's eyes glared.
"It's okay. Don't take it too personal, Kaori. He's always been like that. So, I'm sorry for any inconvenience he has caused you." The medic formally apologized. He shot his captain a glare, one that Akito dismissed.
Tsuyoshi was surprised to see Hayama here with another girl, one that looked remotely similar to Sana. Of course, they had their differences, but nonetheless, they shared some similar traits. It was odd to see him act like this, making friends with complete stranger. But she was nice. Not hyperactive or energetic like Sana, but just a nice girl.
As they talked, Kaori had begun to wonder how a guy like Hayama Akito could be friends with people like Sana and Tsuyoshi. Sana was so welcoming and easy to talk too and Tsuyoshi was a nice, friendly guy. Hayama was the polar opposite. She didn't get it. She didn't think she ever would.
After a few minutes of conversation, Kaori excused herself and made the excuse of having to study with her friends. Tsuyoshi said his goodbye while Hayama just grunted. Kaori walked away with a frown, wondering what it was that had Hayama inclined to continue hanging out with her when she knew he didn't particularly enjoy her presence like she enjoyed his. It was a question she was going to ask him next time they saw each other; if there was a next time.
"Since when did you start making friends?" Tsuyoshi asked as they walked towards their apartment complex.
"She's not a friend." He so blatantly stated.
"Then why were you hanging out with her?"
Akito sighed, knowing that it was time to tell Tsuyoshi what he had been up too the past few weeks.
"I think she's the one we've been looking for."
-O-
Kurata Sana sighed loudly as she tapped her pencil on her desk. The math homework in front of her was long forgotten as she went off in her own day dream. She was currently stuck in writer's block with her next song when her next audition was only a few short two weeks away. The next audition was mid-March and she needed to write the perfect song to move on to the next stage.
Not only that, her 17th birthday was approaching fast this weekend on March 6th. But that was that last thing on the auburn haired girl's mind because she had so much to do than worry about her birthday.
She sighed again, hoping something, anything would come to her. Rei wanted her to get the song done ahead of time so they could practice, practice, and practice. That meant she was going to be stuck in a recording studio for the longest time. The auburn haired girl didn't mind that all that much though. She liked getting lost in the music.
"Oi. Kurata."
Called girl broke out of her trance and turned towards the intimidating golden eyes staring deep into hers. She blushed immediately, realizing that she was staring and most likely blushing. She jumped back immediately, her heart pounding so loud she could hear it faintly in her ears.
"Geeze Hayama! Don't scare me like that!" Sana watched as he rolled his eyes.
"Quit tapping your pencil. It's annoying." He commented. Sana threw him a glare.
"I'm thinking!" She countered with a harsh hush. The blonde smirked.
"Well, that's a first." The auburn haired girl's eyes narrowed as her glare became sharper.
"What's that supposed to mean!?" Sana shouted as she stood up in her chair.
"Ms. Kurata? Is there a problem?" Sana blinked as she looked around the classroom, all eyes on her. She gave an embarrassed laugh as she rubbed the back of her neck.
"Oh! No! Not at all! I'm just wondering what the heck this math problem on the worksheet meant!"
Her teacher eyed her carefully until he shrugged his shoulders and accepted her lie. She sat back down and threw daggers at the menace in front of her.
"I hate you." The blonde in front of her wore a proud smirk as he taunted her.
"You're such a jerk." She muttered to Hayama as he wore a haughty smug. He only wanted her to stop tapping her pencil, but seeing her get all flustered and embarrassed was a plus.
Class ended and it was off to lunch they went. Both Hayama and Sana walked out at each other's side. The blonde haired captain noticed that for it being lunch time, the auburn haired girl was extremely quiet. Usually, she'd be rambunctious and go on about what she was going to eat. But instead, she was deep in thought.
"What's got you so quiet today?"
The hazel eyed teenager looked up at the blonde with a puzzled gaze. He rose a brow, thinking how this was the first time he had ever seen her so troubled.
"I'm stuck in writer's block." She sighed, her shoulders slumping.
"I didn't know you were a writer."
"I'm not writing anything! I mean, I am. But not like a book or anything. I'm writing a song, remember?" She was annoyed. She'd think the boy cared enough to remember something that important. But she guessed not.
"Is it that difficult to write a stupid song?" He questioned.
Sana wanted to wring him. "Of course it is! The song you write represents who you are and shows your ability in song writing! It makes you that much more qualified!"
"I thought it was about how well you sang." Sana dead panned. Hayama Akito was smart. He was just music illiterate.
"Well yeah, it's that too. But artist like to see that you know what you're doing."
Akito remained quiet, somewhat understanding what she was saying. He didn't think it was a huge dilemma, but it was to her. And seeing her so troubled really stirred something within him.
"Hey. I'm skipping out on lunch today! I really need to get this done. I'll meet up with you guys later, okay? Tell everyone I said sorry!" Sana gave him a small smile, then turned around and ran the opposite direction. He watched her retreating form and frowned.
Knowing there was nothing he could do now, Hayama walked towards the school's courtyard, where he usually ate lunch with Sana and company. When he got there, Tsuyoshi and Aya were already there. He took a deep breath, knowing that he would have to deal with the couple's disgusting lovey dovey-ness on his own. Usually, the auburn haired teenager kept him entertained enough to ignore the couple's fluffy and overbearing antics. But today, he was alone.
"Hey Hayama!" Tsuyoshi greeted him first. Aya followed behind him with a soft hello.
"Where's Sana-chan?" Aya asked.
"She had 'writer's block'," he quoted, "and ran off somewhere." He shrugged his shoulders and sat down against the trunk of the tree, facing away from the couple. The blonde wasn't in the mood to deal with their mushiness today.
"Well, then this is perfect! We could plan something for Sana's birthday!"
Tsuyoshi choked on the bite he just took from his sandwich and Akito looked back at the ashy brown haired girl with slight surprise.
"He-Her birthday!?" Tsuyoshi went wide eyed as he pounded on his chest to digest his food.
"Yes! Honestly, I really am surprised that she hasn't been going on about it yet! Normally, she'd be so excited and off the walls, but I suppose this year is different. She's probably so busy with her music, she put it aside."
"That sounds just like Sana." Tsuyoshi chimed in with a laugh. "Wouldn't you say, Hayama?"
Hayama Akito sat in silence, scoffing at his medic's comment. How would he know what Kurata Sana was like? Sure, he knew that when she was stressed or worried about something she would scrunch her eyebrows together and bite down on her lip. And sure, he knew that when she was happy, her face split in two and her eyes burned with such an intense light. And sure, he knew that when she was lost in thought, her face went off into this dreamy trance where she stopped listening to everyone around her.
But did that constitute to him knowing what she was like?
"So what should we do for her birthday?" Aya asked, throwing out suggestions like a surprise birthday party or dinner.
The blonde haired captain sat in his own thoughts, a certain auburn haired girl smiling at him.
He really wasn't one for birthdays. He never really celebrated his all that much. He was turning 18 this year, which apparently in this world, was a huge ordeal. He didn't completely understand, but it made some sense.
Should he get her something? Was there anything she'd really like? Of course Tsuyoshi would just say that Sana would be happy with anything he got her.
He mentally groaned.
Why was he even thinking about things like this? Sana's birthday shouldn't even matter to him.
"Hayama? Where are you going?" Tsuyoshi asked as Akito stood up, scratching the back of his head.
"Restroom." And with that, he went off, to his own thoughts, leaving the mushy couple to themselves.
Hayama Akito was a royal knight. He was a protector of peace, a warrior, a fighter, and bringer of justice. So why was he so caught up in something as stupid as a birthday gift for a stupid, obnoxious teenage girl?
-O-
She groaned, her head in her pillow, a blank piece of paper at her side.
Kurata Sana decided that writing a song was probably one of the hardest things she would ever have to do. Even harder than math. And that was certainly saying something.
She just couldn't put words on the piece of paper in front of her. The auburn haired girl had ditched lunch with her friends all week, not to mention that she hardly had been putting attention during class. With the deadline coming soon, she rendered it impossible.
Also, her birthday was on Saturday.
And she totally would have forgotten had it not been for Aya and Tsuyoshi who had reminded her the other day. The auburn haired girl groaned, considering a cover piece rather than her writing her own song. The option was much easier and there were no rules against that idea. And she could always put her own twist on the song, much to her chagrin.
If she did, in fact, do a cover, she would have time to do something on her birthday after all. That would make her extremely happy.
Pulling her phone out from under her, she quickly opened her message box and searched for Rei's name, typing a quick message saying:
To: Rei
Hey, decided to do cover instead. Let you know of the song tomorrow. Good night!
When her phone vibrated, she was honestly surprised at how quickly her manager had responded. The hazel eyed girl was sure he was spending the night with his longtime girlfriend and famous actress: Asako Kuremi.
Opening the message, her eyes went wide, shocked at the name blaring at her from the tiny screen in her hands.
From: Nao :D
Hey, Sana! I have some reception in the hotel I'm currently staying at. Decided to text you, see how you are doing? Also, Happy Early Birthday, just in case I don't have reception to call you :)
A grin spread on her lips, her fingers typing away viciously at the small letters on her phone.
To: Nao :D
OH MY GOD. NAOZUMI. HOW ARE YOU. Btw, I'm great! Working really hard, still not letting you show me up, ya know? ;D Thanks btw. (:
The auburn haired girl pressed the send button, anxiously waiting for her long time friend's reply. And when her phone vibrated as quickly as she typed the message, her grin split her face in two.
From: Nao :D
Lol, I'm great. The job is good. I'm learning so much and the cast is amazing. And you better not be slackin. Don't want to embarrass you now. ;)
To: Nao :D
Puh-lease! As if you can! I can still beat you plenty, Kamura. Remember when I beat you in that arm wrestling contest? Ho! Ho! Ho!
From: Nao :D
Physically Sana, yes, you are much tougher than me. Though, I don't think that's something I should really admit out loud. *sigh*
Sana couldn't stop from giggling because everything Naozumi had said was absolutely true. He was by far, weaker than Sana and had no strength. People would ridicule him constantly with this fact, but he never took it with malice.
The two teenagers continued on their conversation, texting late into the night. When Naozumi had to go, he reassured her he would see her again, soon. And Sana went to bed happy, her best friend in her dreams for the night.
-O-
"She's what?!" With eyes as wide as saucers, Tsuyoshi's mouth dropped as they sat in the quarters of Hayama Akito's apartment.
The blonde haired captain rubbed his eyes, sighing roughly as Tsuyoshi asked for the nth time.
"Yes!" He said in aggravation.
With his mouth hanging open, the brown haired medic leaned back against the couch, hands in his lap. Thoughts began to race through his mind; thoughts that shouldn't have been there in the first place. Thoughts that included his new girlfriend and his new friends and his new life here in Tokyo. A life where he wasn't in constant worry over the lives of the knights and praying to God they would come home.
"Are you certain?"
Hayama shot daggers at him.
"She fits the description, doesn't she?" Biting down on his lip, Akito leaned over and rested his chin on his now entwined fingers. "The only real confirmation is this."
Tsuyoshi watched as his longtime friend pulled up his soft tee and showed off the Moon Kingdom insignia tattooed on his chest. The brown haired boy's eyes went wide. Akito pulled his shirt back down and waited for a reply.
"And how do you intend to find that? Do you even know where it was placed?"
"On her lower back."
There was a moment of silence, before the medic exploded.
"On her lower back!" Akito sighed, rolling his eyes. "How do you intend to find it? By lifting up her shirt? There are laws against that you know!"
"You act like I don't know that." He gave his medic a pointed look.
"Sometimes I wonder."
They glared at each other for a few moments before Hayama roughly sighed, running his hands through his hair. Did he have a plan? Not really, which was a first because he always had a plan. As the captain of such an elite group, he always had to be on his toes, always have a Plan A and Plan B, maybe even a Plan C.
"I have it under control."
Tsuyoshi sighed, not liking the way his captain was handling the situation. "Of course you do."
Hayama had half a mind to give him a good slap across the head. But he refrained himself from doing so. Instead, the blonde haired captain threw him a glare.
"I can't believe you waited all this time to tell me." Tsuyoshi huffed, feeling slightly hurt by the decision of his captain.
Akito shrugged. "I wanted to be sure." But of course, the knight would not tell his medic that he wanted to make sure for his sake, to spare him some time with his new girlfriend; a girl that the blonde noticed, he had real feelings for.
"How are you so sure now?"
"I'm not, Tsuyoshi. I'm not."
-O-
Something had been itching at him for a while, feeling... off. Back in his world, he had to be on his guard at all times, never knowing when a surprise attack would come at them. He slept with one eye open, his hand at the hilt of his blade at all time. He was accustomed to living this way, any noises or sudden movement springing him to action.
But when Hayama had taken residence in Tokyo, Japan, that feeling of caution had dimmed. Nothing out of the ordinary, he was just a simple teenage boy. He offered no threat and hardly had a reason to be watched.
So then why was it he felt so uneasy?
Checking over his shoulder, he noticed nothing out of the ordinary. The sidewalk was colored in Jinbou High School uniform. Definitely nothing unusual for a normal school setting. As much as he wanted to forget this feeling of dread in his chest, he couldn't.
"Hayama!"
Broken out of his concentration, he looked back to see a very… giddy Kurata Sana. The smile plastered on her lips split her face in two. He arched a brow.
"Guess what!"
"Even if I don't care, you're going to tell me anyway, right?"
Sana opened her mouth, pondering on that statement. She then shrugged her shoulders and smiled lightly at Hayama, indicating that he was in fact right.
"You know me so well!" She laughed, slapping his shoulder slightly. He threw her a small glare.
"ANYWAY, guess who text me last night!"
The blonde haired captain arched a brow.
"Naozumi! Out of nowhere, too! We talked for a few hours." She smiled, her eyes gleaming in the sun, "It made me realize how much I've missed the guy!"
Hayama Akito's already foul mood turned south as the name of her feminine like boy rolled off her lips. He didn't know what it was, but that damn Kamura really irked the hell out of him. Whether it was his all too confident smile, or the way he was so damn possessive of the idiot in front of him, or just simply his disgusting presence, Hayama Akito would rather spend a day with the bastard Oshido Ituko than deal with the damn Kamura.
And it certainly didn't settle well with him with the way the stupid girl in front of him was smiling like a blubbering fool.
"I can't wait to see him again! It's been so weird not having him around, considering he's been my best friend my entire life. It gets kind of lonely, ya know? He's the only one I can really count on so it's been a little hard without him." Sana commented as she turned towards the blonde haired boy next to her.
But when she did, she noticed something off about him. He looked rather… angry.
"Hayama?"
He didn't know why, but all of a sudden, he found himself livid with Sana's words. Why? The blonde haired captain didn't know. But it didn't settle right with his stomach and he found himself scowling.
"What do you want?" He spat back, Sana taken aback by the aggressiveness in his voice.
"What's wrong?"
What's wrong? That's what he'd like to know, Hayama thought to himself. Everything had been going well, and there was some sort of relationship that had formed with the auburn haired girl and himself. Ever since that Kamura left, they grew closer.
And it infuriates him to know that the purple haired, girlish looking boy can entice that smile from her. Because he sure as hell can't.
"Nothing." He said, low and angry. Hayama glared, his chest burning with something he couldn't put his finger on.
"What the hell, Hayama? What's up with you all of a sudden?" Sana asked, thoroughly confused by the sudden change in demeanor of the blonde. Not even two minutes ago he was fine! Sana was perplexed, lost at why Hayama was acting so unreasonable.
But he ignored her as he began to stalk off without her.
'Only one she could count on?' Hayama thought to himself. What the hell did she take him for?
"Wait! Why are you walking away from me?" Sana reached for his arm and grabbed it tightly. "You know you can talk to me, right?" The hazel eyed girl said with concern.
Turning around, his eyes cold and icy, Hayama said "Why don't you just go talk to Naozumi since he's the only one you can count on?"
Sana was left agape as he brushed her off, not sparing her another look.
And she was left in the midst of the hallway, wondering what the hell just happened?
-O-
The auburn haired teenager sat in her seat, her mind reeling with the sudden change in the blonde's demeanor. Sure, he was always broody and rude, but, Hayama was angry. She hadn't seen him with a look like that in a long time. And it bothered her as it pulled at her heart.
Hayama Akito had become such a constant in her life since he had arrived. Even when he wasn't there, he was there. Aside from his rough personality and brooding nature, he was possibly one of the most constant friends she's ever had. And Sana appreciated his friendship. So it did hurt when he brushed her off the way he did.
She casted a look over at the man in her thoughts, watching as his eyes were entirely unreadable. Not that she ever had a lot of luck ever really reading the blonde, but Sana would say she's better at than most, except for Tsuyoshi who had known him his entire life.
He had become distant from her, avoiding her all day and even rudely lashing out at her. It had been some time since he had been so… aggressive with her, resulting in her being frightened by his actions. When she showed signs of being scared by him, he retreated even further.
Sana felt like no matter how many steps forward she took towards getting to know him, she always ended up stumbling and retreated twice as many steps back.
But, she still couldn't understand why he was so upset. She recalled the conversation over and over in her head and the auburn haired girl just couldn't come up with the answer to her problem. Sighing in defeat, she casted her gaze away from the blonde and returned her attention towards the board up front.
Unbeknownst to her, the blonde haired boy was very aware of her constant looks. He tried his best to ignore them, but it was growing irritating.
Especially because he still didn't understand why he was so damn angry. The entire day, he sat, contemplating what it was exactly that ticked him off. Was it the damn Kamura that engulfed the irritation? Was it because of how happy Sana was at the mention of her best friend?
Or was it pure jealousy?
Frowning at the revelation, Hayama inwardly growled.
Him being jealous? Since when had that word even reached his ears? Hayama Akito wasn't jealous. He never got jealous, or envious. As a member of the 6 Royal Knights, such petty emotions were tossed aside. As such were all the other types of feelings he may or may have not felt.
But jealousy was not something he felt often.
Frustrated, he stood up, interrupting the lesson the teacher was going over, and walked towards the door.
"And where do you think you're going, Mr. Hayama?"
"Bathroom." He shot back with an eerie glare that made everyone's bones chill.
For a brief moment, he locked eyes with the auburn head. He could see the concern in her eyes. Quickly turning away from her, he stalked out of the classroom, his mind spinning.
Why?
Why was he so mad?
He didn't understand!
What he really needed was to go back to his apartment, grab his blade, and head over to the old man's shop for some practice. There, he would know all the answers to his doubts. There, he could focus and be more in tune with himself.
There, he wouldn't have to see a certain hazel eyed, auburn haired girl that was constantly pushing her way into his mind.
-O-
"-and then he just stormed out of class like he owned the place! I don't know what the hell is wrong with him! One minute he's okay, and the next, he's pissed off at the world! And then he takes it out on me!"
Tsuyoshi sat in thought as Sana recited the events of the day. The brown haired medic knew there was something wrong with his blonde haired captain the moment he saw him seething this morning. When the knight walked into the room, his eyes blazed and a fierce glare etched on his tanned face, Tsuyoshi knew that whoever made him like this, was royally screwed.
Because Hayama Akito was not a force to be reckoned with when he was steaming with anger.
So, instead of asking, he simply observed and watched his interactions with the few people he associated himself with.
And it was an ah ha moment when he rudely and aggressively pushed back Kurata Sana and angrily made his way out of the classroom. Of course Kurata Sana was the reason why he was upset. It all made sense, especially with the history with those two.
"You know him better than anyone Tsuyoshi! What's his deal?" She asked, her voice sounding worried.
"Uh-" But the medic was at lost for words as he truly didn't understand why his captain was acting so… jealous.
Oh.
That's when it clicked to him.
The reason he was so upset with Sana.
"I can't wait to see him again! It's been so weird not having him around, considering he's been my best friend my entire life. It gets kind of lonely, ya know? He's the only one I can really count on so it's been a little hard without him."
It couldn't be, Tsuyoshi thought to himself as he remembered what Sana said only a few moments ago. She had informed them of the conversation she had with Naozumi and Tsuyoshi didn't think about it at the moment, but now it all made sense!
"Oh boy." He muttered, shaking his as he laughed slightly.
"What is it, Tsuyoshi-kun?" Aya asked as she grabbed onto his shoulder.
"Sana." Called girl eyed him carefully, arching a brow in his direction.
"Yeah?"
"I've known Akito my entire life. For as long as I could remember, he dropped all dead weight from his life. He only kept a very few, selected amount of people close to him. And even those few, they don't know much about what he feels and what he's endured." Sana was nodding as she took in every word Tsuyoshi spoke.
"He doesn't make friends easily."
"No kidding." Sana added as she pouted. The brown haired boy half smiled.
"And it's really hard for him to open up to people. He doesn't trust easily and there's a lot about him that people wouldn't even come close to understanding." The girl was now confused, not sure to where the boy was getting at.
"Well, yeah. I understand that. It's pretty easy to see that there's a lot he doesn't say and a lot he's hidden away." Tsuyoshi nodded at her statement.
"So when he holds people close to them, it's because he has come to acknowledge that person as his friend. He's come to respect them and sees them as an equal."
'An… equal?' She thought to herself as her memories with Hayama raced into her mind.
"He's always been the guy that people turned to, as surprising as that may sound. Despite his personality, people look to him for help and as someone they could count on."
'Someone they could count on?'
Sana's eyes went wide with realization. It hit her, like a lightning bolt crashing against the hard earth. She was so caught up in her own worries and insecurities that she didn't see it before.
Tsuyoshi smiled as he realized that it finally clicked in the auburn haired girl's mind. It was a shocking realization, especially for him.
Because the last thing he would have suspected was his captain, the heartless, ruthless, stoic man that has watched over the people of his country and its king, was hurt by the auburn haired girls words. Not only hurt, but jealous of a certain purple haired boy that was in love with Kurata Sana.
"Oh man. I'm an idiot." Sana groaned as she facepalmed her forehead. Tsuyoshi could only laugh.
"You're not an idiot, Sana." The long time medic reassured, "Trust me, this comes surprising to me as well. Akito isn't the type of person who invests himself into emotions. The guys really done a solid job of relinquishing himself of any sorts of feelings."
Tsuyoshi chuckled awkwardly, but Sana remained frowning.
She felt guilty. Now that she thought about it, if Hayama had said something along the lines like that to her, she would have taken it the wrong way also.
"I have to find him and apologize." She declared as she gazed over at the brown haired medic.
"Well, you know where he lives." He commented and she smiled.
She nodded and gathered her stuff. She was ready to go, but before leaving, she turned towards the brown haired medic.
"Hey Tsuyoshi?"
Called boy raised a brow.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for the help." She grinned and made her way towards the path he knew so well already. "See ya later, Aya!"
"Bye, Sana!" Aya shouted.
The couple stood in place for a moment. Tsuyoshi had so many questions on his mind. And they all revolved around his best friend.
Why was he so hurt by Sana's words? Hayama Akito was the pro at throwing away unnecessary emotion and feeling. He wasn't offended at the choice of words that consistently came his way. Why did this girl make him so mad?
Unless…
Unless he harbored feelings for Kurata Sana.
Then that would be the answer to all his questions.
"Tsuyoshi-kun?" A worried Sugita Aya called out.
Called boy looked down at his girlfriend and smiled. "Ah, sorry. I zoned out for a moment. Are you ready?"
Casting him a hesitant look, Aya sighed and succumbed to the loving gaze of her boyfriend. She entwined her hand with his and nodded.
"Yes, I am."
-O-
He couldn't shake off this… uneasiness that settled within him.
Over the years, he had perfected all of his 5 senses. It was essential that he did so. The moment one of his senses was disabled to him, he had to rely on the other 4. He had to adjust to the conditions around him. Over time, he had created a 6th sense. He wasn't quite sure what to call it, but it saved his ass many times in the past.
He just knew when things were going south. He just knew when things were going to go wrong.
And though the discomfort in himself didn't give off that impression, it was incredibly close.
Antsy, he clutched his sweaty hands that ached for the grip of his katana. It had become a habit over the years of his life to rely on the black blade that he inherited from his father. With the blade at his side, he was at ease. He felt confident, invincible almost.
Getting accustomed to not carrying it around at all times felt different.
And he wasn't too happy with it.
But now more than ever, Hayama Akito wished the blade was tied to his hip.
-O-
Who knew finding one kid would be so difficult?
Roku rubbed the back of his neck as he watched the blonde boy make his way into the convenience store. The surname Hayama was an uncommon one, that was sure. But, Akito popped up all over the map of Japan.
If it wasn't for the description given to him by his boss, Roku probably most likely wouldn't have found the kid.
For the back couple of days, he followed this young boy around, taking detailed notes about the life Hayama Akito led. Oshido Ituko demanded to know everything. And he wasn't going to deny the request of the man who gave him the money to provide for his family.
So he did just that.
Careful not to blow his cover, he recorded all that the blonde did, all those he interacted with, where the blonde attended school, everything. He never got close enough to overhear conversation, but he did manage to write some names.
But Roku could tell that the boy was starting to become wary.
And that meant that it was time for him to leave and report what he found to the man above.
Roku could only wonder, what the hell did a man of that statue want with this kid?
-O-
Reclining against his chair, Oshido Ituko chuckled darkly to himself.
His spy worked quickly and the dark haired man was impressed with the results. In front of him laid out all the reports and notes that his dear friend Roku had piled together.
Everything he needed to know about Hayama Akito in this world was given to him without as much as a fuss. Ituko had all the information necessary to plan his next move, to see where the man he detested so much would go next.
All the pieces were finally coming together.
All he needed was a little… push.
A/N: Yo! Long time no see! I'm back! And more than ready to continue onwards with TWC! I didn't mean to wait for a year to update. I've explained in my other stories in their more recent updates that I kind of lost interest in my Kodomo no Omocha stories. I opened up the document to write, even if it was just a little, and nothing came to mind. It was blank. So I stopped writing for Kodocha and thought that maybe trying another anime/manga would help ease my writer's block for my stories.
For all you followers of mine, you've probably realized this, but I became indulged into the Fairy Tail world. I got sucked in and stayed there. I wrote story after story after story. I was so focused on my Fairy Tail stories, that I just kind of forgot about my Kodocha stories. Anyway, long story short. I read this amazing Kingdom Hearts story that just blew me out of the water. And it saddened me to see that the last update was 6 years ago. It made me realize that it really sucks. These amazing stories are written, but people don't finish them.
Not to say that mine is amazing or anything, but I feel like I set up this whole story, this whole plot only to let you guys down by not sharing it with you all. So here I am, saying that I'm not going anywhere and will see this to the end! So just bear with me okay?
Now, to the story… foreshadowing everywhere! Sana and Akito are just dancing around each other, Akito is struggling internally, like always, and Tsuyoshi learned the truth about Kaori! Things are going to move rather quickly from here on out. The story is moving towards the end of Book 1 so a lot of things are going to be happening. I would love to hear what you guys think! So I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!
Reviews, comments, criticism, etc. are all encouraged! If it wasn't for all of you who reviewed, I would have given up a long time ago. You guys are honestly what keeps me going to update. Let me know what you think, yeah?
Until next time!
-Dark Waffle
Preview:
Sana's birthday is around the corner, but the birthday girl is hardly thinking about turning the big 1-7. With the contest looming right around the corner and her relationship with Akito straining, Sana feels like she bit off more than she could chew. Meanwhile, Tsuyoshi and Akito make a shocking discovery that raises many questions that they don't have the answers too.
Next time on Two Worlds Collide:
Book 1: A New World: Chapter 22: Speculation and Doubt