Set Me Free
by Empath no Tenshi
Chapter 1
Tsuzuki poses as a teacher in History, and is introduced to everyone
(leaving the girls drooling and daydreaming). Among the crowd, he saw
someone who was unmistakably his target. Something was different about him,
though Tsuzuki just can't pin point what. --'He's a bit far, I can't see
him clearly form here. Oh well. I'll see if I can have a talk with him
later. . .'--
~)-0-(~
Meanwhile, somewhere else. . .
A young boy is walking at the grounds just a little distant from the
school. Surrounded by sakura trees, pink petals continue to fall to the
ground like winter snow.
--'I'm late. . . I must hurry. . .'-- he thought weakly
He hated being late. It was just too embarrassing and it wasn't in his
personality, being the responsible guy he was. Even just THINKING of being
late made him uncomfortable. But today, no matter how he dreaded it, he IS
late. By two minutes, to be exact. He was just a few meters from the
school's main building, when he felt too tired to even walk any further. He
reluctantly leaned on one of the sakura grove to rest a bit, and before he
even noticed it, he fell asleep already.
~)-0-(~
Later, Tsuzuki looked for his targeted youth. He found him in no time.
He was sitting on a bench and seems to be waiting for somebody. He was even
talking to himself when Tsuzuki tried to approach him.
"Why that---OH! You'll see. This'll be the last time, you hear?
Because next time, I'LL be the one who WON'T show up!!!" he said furiously
to absolutely no one.
"Um, excuse me, are you okay?" Tsuzuki asked curiously.
The boy seems to have been startled. He turned to Tsuzuki with eyes
wide in surprise, then smiled.
"Oh! Hi there! You need something?" he asked cheerfully.
"Well, uh, not exactly, but are you okay?" Tsuzuki asked, trying to be
friendly. . . even after what he had seen ^_^!
"Oh. . . that. You probably think I'm crazy huh. It's just that, I
can't believe Hisoka totally forgot about our agreement. It's not like him
to do this to me, really. . . or so I thought. He IS my best friend after
all." The boy said, slightly blushing from embarrassment.
"Oh. . ." Tsuzuki said, then his eyes widened when he realized that--
"Wa-- wait a minute. Did you just say 'Hisoka'???" he asked in
surprise.
"Eh?" the youth looked at Tsuzuki curiously, he paused for a moment to
think, then. . .
burst out laughing.
"O- oi! What's this laughing fit about?" Tsuzuki asked in surprise.
"Gomen, gomen. . ." the youth said trying to suppress his laughter.
"I didn't realize at once that you, being the new teacher, don't know.
. ."
"Know what?" Tsuzuki asked childishly
"You see, my name is. . . Minase Hijiri."
"Ehhhhh!!!?" Tsuzuki's jaw dropped.
He looked at the boy intently, and noticed, for the first time, that
beside him was actually a violin.
~)-0-(~
"Onichan! Onichan!" (note: 'onichan' here is not used in the literal sense,
just an expression -- eg to express affection, sign of respect, etc. . .)
A little girl's tiny hand was gently shaking the boy's slim shoulders.
He was sleeping under the sakura tree, and a group of what look like
kindergartners were around him. He opened his very beautiful eyes sleepily
and looked around him. The children were looking at him with adorably cute,
curious expressions.
"Onichan, why are you sleeping here?" asked the girl who was shaking
him earlier
"Ne, ne, onichan. Anata wa tenshi desu ka?" (Are you an angel?) asked
a little boy innocently, who was right beside the now-awake youth, looking
at him closely.
"Iie, I'm just one of the students here. I'm Kurosaki Hisoka." he said
nicely, still quite sleepily, and ruffling the little boy's hair. He gave
him one of his very rare smiles. (He has a soft spot for kids, though he
doesn't show it.)
"Oh. . ." the little boy looked a bit disappointed, then smiled
cheerfully at Hisoka.
"My name is Mahou."
"And I'm Kasuza." Said the girl shaking him earlier (yep, she's the
one from Akuma no Toriru a.k.a. Demon's Trill) "Teacher was telling us a
story today about angels! And she described to us how beautiful they were."
She said
"We saw you sleeping here from the playground, so we thought that
maybe you were an angel that fell down from heaven." the boy added
"So if you're not a tenshi, why were you sleeping here?" asked another
child insistently, yet in a cutely sweet voice.
"I felt tired. I wanted to rest here for a bit, but then I fell
asleep." Hisoka told her, then something clicked inside.
--'Sonna. . . I was supposed to meet Hijiri this afternoon. . .'--
He stood up and brushed dirt off his pants.
"Well, I better go. Thanks for waking me up ne." Hisoka told Kasuza,
smiling at her. "Ja ne!"
"Bye bye Hii-chan!" Kasuza waved her hand and smiled widely as Hisoka
walks away.
~)-0-(~
Tsuzuki and Hijiri spent a long time together, with Tsuzuki bombarding
Hijiri with questions about Hisoka the entire time. He used the reason of
being a concerned teacher over an absent student as an excuse. It wasn't
long before they were deeply immersed in a conversation about the youth,
who Hijiri claimed identical to him.
"And you know what, back in elementary, the teachers would always
scream at us, totally pissed of because we'd always switch places! Poor
Hisoka though, those people that I pull pranks on would always go after
HIM!" Hijiri told him, laughing all the time.
"But really, some people would still notice the difference between us.
Even though we're identical, we're really very different. Aside from the
fact that Hisoka actually has a lot paler complexion and hair color (which
you can only tell if we're together), some would easily know who's who,
mainly because of the difference in our personalities. For one, I smile.
Hisoka rarely does, if not never." Hijiri told him once he was able to
subside his laughter.
"So what's he like?" Tsuzuki asked interestedly like a child.
"VERY silent. He rarely talks, probably because of his noble family's
norms and all. Some people think he's cold, but he's the entire opposite.
If you hang out with him as much as I do, you'll see that he's really very
gentle, moody, and adorably cute."
--' Don't say cute about someone who looks exactly like you.'-Tsuzuki
thought.
"Although we're almost of the same age, sometimes I see him as a
little brother. Don't get me wrong though, I said that because, I think
he's the type that needs to be taken care of." Hijiri told him, quite
pleased with himself that he seems to know Hisoka very much.
"Really? Wow. . . you give me the impression that he's someone I'd
really love to get to know. But why do you say he needs to be taken care
of?" Tsuzuki asked curiously.
"Well, for one, he's too reckless. He looks like a meek little angel,
but don't be deceived by his looks. He's more of a daredevil mind you. He's
too careless for his own good. He submits to everything, even if it's not
good for him. . . nor his health. Talk about stoicism."
That made Tsuzuki even more curious of Hisoka. He suddenly asked
Hijiri without thinking.
"Is there any reason why he's like that?"
There was an obvious flash of sadness in Hijiri's eyes. "I think. . .
I'm not in the right position to be the one to tell you about that. It
would be better if you ask him, not me. There are limits to what I can tell
others about him, sensei." Hijiri said seriously, but in the politest way
he can.
"Well, speak of the devil."
Hijiri saw Hisoka coming their way, and Tsuzuki turned to face in his
direction. Of all the things Hijiri told him of Hisoka, the only thing that
lingered in him, as he looks at the approaching figure, was
--'Did Hijiri just say something about Hisoka being like an angel?'--
There was no other word to describe it. . . he was the most beautiful
sight his eyes ever laid on. Such fair complexion that put the fairy tale
princess Snow White to shame, and his hair danced lazily with the wind that
gave Tsuzuki the impression that his hair must be very soft. . . probably
soft as cotton. And his face. . . oh how unearthly it was, such innocence
and exquisiteness. It was even perfectly complemented by his eyes that
shone like green colored diamonds.
"I thought you'd never show up! What took you so long?" Hijiri said,
mocking annoyance.
"Gomen, I fell asleep." Hisoka answered sleepily. (Ne Hii-chan, you
still sleepy??? =^w^=)
Suddenly, Hijiri's mock annoyance turned into an expression of clear
worry and concern.
"Eh? You fell asleep again? You've been like that for the past few
days. What's wrong with you?" he asked worriedly.
"It's nothing really. Maybe I'm just tired." Hisoka said, trying to
ease Hijiri's worry.
"Mou. . . you always say that. You'd be run over by a truck and you'd
still say 'I'm okay'. For once, why can't you just open up and tell me
what's wrong???" Hijiri reprimanded him, like an older brother.
"Hijiri, quit treating me like a kid! I can take care of myself."
Hisoka countered.
Amidst their argument, there was a certain brunette on the verge of
tears, in inu-chibi form. He has an arrow labeled "extra", and a neon sign,
which seems to have a mouth and screaming NOTICE ME!!!!!
He caught Hisoka's attention and the young boy looked at him with an
expressionless expression. (get that? Expressionless expression! What a
grammar! ;-p)
"Who's that?" he asked Hijiri.
"Oh! He's our new history teacher. Tsuzuki Asato-san. Sensei, this is
Kurosaki Hisoka." Hijiri introduced them to each other. Tsuzuki reached his
right hand for a hand shake, but Hisoka merely nodded. The gesture seems to
have offended Tsuzuki, but before he could question it (even in his mind),
Hisoka turned away and faced Hijiri again.
"Shall we go? It's getting late, we better be home before nightfall."
And Hisoka turns to walk.
Hijiri noticed the offended look on Tsuzuki's face, so he whispered to
him as Hisoka looked away. "Don't worry, there's a reason for that too." He
told Tsuzuki gently.
Hijiri and Hisoka walked home together, as they always did everyday.
They were just neighbors anyway, only that Hisoka's house was a few more
blocks away, and even a bit further due to the vast land that it was built
on. Hijiri's house was a simple and modern one. Hisoka's, on the other
hand, was like a manor, and a traditional type. They were a proud and noble
family after all, and they have a legacy in martial arts.
~)-0-(~
One afternoon, Hijiri told Tsuzuki that he had quite a talent in
playing the violin, but it shocked him to find out that Hisoka was actually
a master in martial arts and Japanese archery. ( Gomen, don't know what
that is called ^_^! ) Hijiri just laughed at that.
"He gets that a lot." He said. "Some people think Hisoka is just some
rich guy who does nothing but read, mainly because of his pale complexion,
which gives them the impression that he never goes out, and also because
he's too smart! He loves to read, sure, but it's not like he does nothing
more than that. He's really good at martial arts though, that's why the
thought of making Hisoka angry is really pretty scary."
"Is that so. . .? Wow. Hisoka is really a walking mystery ne? There
just seems to be so many things that you'll find surprising about him, that
you never even thought was there in the first place." Tsuzuki wondered
aloud.
"The kanji for his name means secret. Kind of suits him ne?" Hijiri
told him, smiling.
"Ohhh. . ."
"Well, I better go now. Anou, sensei, if you happen to come across
Hisoka, please tell him that I can't walk home with him today. I have a
practice with the school band. And please tell him also that our music
teacher, Maria-sensei, is looking forward to his participation for the next
program." Hijiri said as he stood up to leave.
"Sure." Tsuzuki replied, but then asked Hijiri one more question before
he left.
"Matte! What did you mean by 'his particiation'?"
"Oh that. . . Hisoka actually has a very sweet voice, problem is, he
never sings in public. But our teacher thinks it would be a waste if he's
not discovered, so she's trying everything she can in order to persuade
Hisoka into it." Hijiri said before walking away and waving his hand.
"Well, ja ne!"
--'Sugoi. . . I'd love to hear him sing some time.'-Tsuzuki mused, as
he tried to imagine how sweet Hisoka's singing voice is. Well, actually, he
was just in the middle of that when a familiar lovely figure showed up.
Hisoka was passing by when Tsuzuki called his attention.
"Oi! Hisoka! Matte!" he called after him.
Hisoka looked at him uninterestedly, but stopped and waited for him
all the same.
"Nanda?"
"Ano, if you're looking for Hijiri, he said that he'll go home late
today. He has a practice with the school band, and also, he said that Maria-
sensei is looking forward to your participation in the program." He said in
the most friendly and sweet manner he can. He's hoping to be good friends
with Hisoka after all.
Hisoka merely sighs. "She never gives up."
Hisoka starts to walk away again, before he realized that Tsuzuki was
following after him. "You still need something?"
Tsuzuki flashes his ever-cheerful smile. "Well, it would be lonely to
walk home all by yourself, so I thought I'd just walk you home."
Hisoka looks up at him curiously, then turns away from him again.
"You don't have to do that sensei. Thank you, but please don't
bother."
He begins to head for home, but is still being stubbornly followed by
Tsuzuki. He sighs in defeat and just let the older man walk with him as he
pleases. It can't be harmful, right?
They walk in silence and Tsuzuki admires the cherry blossoms, but the
boy doesn't seem to appreciate the enchantingly falling petals at all. They
were just halfway across the grounds when Hisoka stops in his tracks.
-- 'Did I. . . hear a voice just now. . .?'--
Tsuzuki, just a few paces away from Hisoka, looks at the boy
curiously. For a split second, Hisoka felt excruciating pain burning
through his skin, then darkness threatened to overcome him. He felt himself
falling, but before he totally lost consciousness, a pair of strong arms
caught him.
~)-0-(~
"Hisoka!!"
Tsuzuki ran to the boy as soon as he saw him collapse. He was able to
support his head before it hit the ground. At first, he thought that Hisoka
twitched in pain. But now that he was holding him, he saw that the boy was
actually deeply asleep. Then he remembered what happened before, when he
met this beautiful boy for the first time. He had told Hijiri that he fell
asleep somewhere, that's why he wasn't able to show up in time.
Slowly, Tsuzuki picked him up and gently carried him towards a nearby
sakura tree.
--'How light. . .'-- he mused.
Tsuzuki sat there and leaned on the tree, while he let the sleeping
Hisoka use his lap as pillow. He gazed at the youth as he was sleeping.
Awake, he seemed so cold and withdrawn, but asleep, you can actually see
the child within. How peaceful, how innocent he looks. He continued to
stare at him as his chest went up and down as he breathed. He was
absentmindedly brushing hair away form Hisoka's face, and he felt how soft
it was. . . like a cat's fur. Inside, Tsuzuki was unconsciously wishing for
this simple and serene moment to last forever.
Reality bites.
It wasn't long before Hisoka woke up. His eyes fluttered open
sleepily. Tsuzuki didn't dare tear his sight away from this adorable
blinking of deep emerald eyes. When he looked up, the first thing he saw
were beautiful amethyst eyes staring down at him with a smile. Then Hisoka
realized what happened. He had fallen asleep, again, and worse than that,
in his sensei's lap nonetheless! He was deeply embarrassed that he blushed
furiously.
"Go-- Gomen nasai, sensei." He managed to say in a whisper.
"Daijoubu. Feeling better now?" Tsuzuki asked, with his smile that
never faded ever since he first laid his eyes on this boy.
"Ah. . . Hai." Hisoka muttered, still with a hint of tiredness in his
voice.
"Yokata."
"I. . . Arigatou sensei. I better go home now." Hisoka said, head
bowed politely.
He tries to stand up, but still wobbles a bit from side to side. He
was about to fall down again as his knees started to give in, when he felt
the same strong arms support him. He looks up to Tsuzuki, and the older
simply smiles at him even more.
"Come on. I'll take you home." Tsuzuki put his arm around Hisoka's
shoulder supportively.
And so he takes the boy home. His eyes widen in awe as he looks at the
huge Kurosaki estate. The Kurosaki family definitely had a say. Their house
was big, but not very extravagant. Instead, it retained its traditional
style, and had a very serene aura about it. He saw someone walking in the
grounds with a woman, presumably one of the maids. The latter left the
former and made her way to the gate as she noticed Tsuzuki and Hisoka
coming their way. She opened the gate to the two, and spoke to them.
"Ah, Hisoka-sama. Welcome back.--" She stopped in mid-sentence, and
surveyed her young master intently, then she understood. Very carefully,
she took Hisoka from Tsuzuki's arms and supported him as well. "Arigatou
gozaimasu, ano. . .?"
"Tsuzuki Asato, his history teacher." Tsuzuki said with a friendly
smile.
"Ah. Arigatou gozaimasu, Tsuzuki Asato-san." And the maid bowed
politely.
Before they even noticed it, the man who was walking in the grounds
was already approaching them. Tsuzuki looked at him and realized he
resembles Hisoka. He too had light blonde hair- only longer, and had
emerald eyes just as stunning as Hisoka's. He had a strong built if you try
hard enough to notice it, though he appears slender at a glance. Hisoka
looked up to him.
"Tadaima. 'Tousama." Hisoka said politely and with all formality.
And that was all he managed to do before he passed out.
The man took Hisoka from the maid and carried him in his arms. He
looked at Tsuzuki to acknowledge him.
"I am Kurosaki Nagare, the current head of this household. Thank you
for bringing my son home. I give my deepest heartfelt apologies for
whatever trouble he might've caused." He spoke in a formal tone, before he
walked away and took the sleeping form in his arms inside the house.
--'Iie. It was no trouble at all. In fact, it was my pleasure.'--
Tsuzuki mused with a smile.
Chapter 2