Ma Cherie: Chapter Sixteen
Author: Scarlet Kozi
Közi watched Klaha suspiciously.
It was Monday, the day after the weekend. It was in the morning of classes, only in history, which was another class that Közi and Klaha shared. Today, since Yu~ki, Közi's desk partner, had been absent, Közi had taken the opportunity to snag the chair next to Klaha, so that they were no partners. Klaha had looked up when Közi sat down, but hadn't said anything. Közi had been studying him the entire class, and had definitely noticed something.
'Something's wrong,' he could only think.
First of all, the most obvious thing was that Klaha's left cheek was slightly bruised. All of the other students, at least those who had the courage to speak to Klaha, attempted to laugh it off and tease Klaha about having gotten in a fight. "Ooh, Klaha-kun, who did you beat up?" But he had ignored them. And this was more than his usual tiny little smile of apology that he didn't want to talk to them, when they bothered him. Now, he didn't even look in their direction.
But more than that, Közi could sense something in Klaha's mood. The other boy seemed overwhelmed with some kind of inner struggle, as though playing memories over and over in his head. His eyes glowered out the window, staring at the sky that was becoming more blue as spring flourished, and his fingers either fidgeted with something or remained still almost like marble upon his lap or the desk. Közi watched him with an eyebrow raised, seeing this great change in Klaha. A few times, Klaha's eyes almost seemed to fill with tears, but by the time Közi, startled, had tried to lean in for a better look, Klaha had blinked them away.
Közi was determined to talk to Klaha about it, whatever it was. But not in class, with all these strangers surrounding them. He resolved to wait for the bell ... although, the moment it rang, Klaha left.
He gathered up his papers swiftly and busily, stuffing them into his bag, almost forgetting his pencil. Then, still without a look at Közi, he stalked through the crowd of students who were rising from their chairs, and he quickly vanished out the door.
Közi almost laughed. 'Thinks he can get away, does he?'
He gathered his things just as quickly, knowing that if he lingered too long, Klaha would get away. He took the less guarded approach of actually shoving through anyone who was in his way as he rushed towards the door. A few protests and annoyed comments, yet mixed with others of awed bewilderment, reached his ears, but Közi ignored them and hurried out into the hallway.
A flood of people was milling about, getting their things and going to their next classes. Közi searched for Klaha, then saw the other boy slip past a crowd and disappear. Közi hurried in that direction.
"Klaha," he called.
Klaha pointedly ignored him.
Közi felt a little spark of anger and frustration, for he hated being ignored. Now it made him only run faster through the people, until he cornered Klaha at the end of the hallway. At this point, his hand came down on Klaha's shoulder and he shoved Klaha against the locker, not hard, but enough to stop him from running off. Most of the other students were down the hall from them anyway, so they a bit of privacy.
"What, are you trying to run away from me?" Közi demanded, with a raised brow.
Klaha stood there for a moment mutely, trying not to look at him.
Közi sighed and shook his head. The noise of the crowd was annoyingly loud, so he had to raise his voice a bit so that Klaha could hear him. He wished that the rest of the school just didn't exist for a few moments. "Listen, I don't know if you remember this, but I told you that I'm here for you."
---I actually said that I was here in case you ever wanted to get fucked, but oh well, I can alter that slightly.---
"Don't think that you can get away from me so easily!" he finished.
Klaha seemed to be surprised to have to think of Közi as someone to confide in. He'd run from him so much in the past that it was difficult to picture Közi as an understanding shoulder to cry on.
The furrow between Közi's brows deepened at Klaha's silence. "Oi, Klaha ..."
Klaha bit his lip hard and looked away, fighting the urge to break down.
"... Talk to me." Közi made his request calmly, refusing to look away from Klaha's eyes.
Klaha seemed to weaken when he felt the magnitude of Közi's stare upon him. At first, standing there leaning on the locker, he tried to remain silent and keep looking away, but at last he couldn't resist. His eyes desperately slid back onto Közi, at which point they filled with tears. Klaha's entire wall that he had put up seemed to crumble a little bit, and he almost choked on his words when he tried to speak.
"Calm down, Klaha." Közi put his hand on his arm. "Just tell me what's wrong."
Klaha took a deep breath, and said, his voice shaking, "They ... They drove Gackt away."
Közi blinked. "Nani?"
"They kicked him out. They made him leave."
Közi frowned slightly, unsure of what was going on. He vaguely remembered the fact that Gackt had been staying at Klaha's house, so that could only mean ...
"Who kicked him out? Your parents?"
Klaha managed a tiny nod, as a few tears spilled from his eyes.
A small group of female students, clutching their books and hurrying to their next class, passed them at this point, their eyes falling on Közi and Klaha as their conversation softly died away into whispers. Közi glanced over his shoulder at them carelessly, knowing that they were whispering about the two of them, that they were shocked to see Klaha and Közi speaking together and wondering what the cause for Klaha's tears was. Annoyed with them, Közi gave them a stare that made them hurry along, even though they were giggling, and when they were gone he turned back to Klaha.
For a moment he allowed his eyes to search Klaha. He'd never seen the other boy quite like this. He wanted to make Klaha tell him everything, right here, right now, but other people were going to wander along sooner or later, like the female students. That would ruin it all.
Therefore, putting his arm around Klaha's shoulders, Közi asked, "Want to skip next class with me?"
Klaha looked up at him slowly. Then, letting out a little sigh as he wiped his tears, he nodded.
"Come on then."
Közi's next class was English, and Klaha's was music, but it didn't matter. Both were classes that weren't important enough to try to attend right now. Közi led Klaha out of the crowds of the hallways, waiting until just the right moment when everyone had disappeared into the classrooms, and then he took Klaha towards one of the doors marked faculty. Even though Klaha seemed a little surprised, for he hadn't really skipped class in this way before, Közi brought him along.
They went up the faculty stairwell and found themselves on the roof of the school. Luckily, today was a day when there were no other rebellious students to bother them. Közi seemed used to this practice of skipping, and he was satisfied that they were alone.
Now that they were on the roof, he turned to Klaha and folded his arms. "Now tell me."
"I did," Klaha protested weakly, filling with emotion again. "My parents, they ... they drove Gackt out ..."
For a moment Közi only gazed at him. He could only think to himself that Gackt, apparently, was out of the picture. Shouldn't he be happy, then? Közi was alarmed to know that he was more concerned for Klaha's sake than he was happy. Normally he would have been cruelly delighted and would have instantly begun thinking up more schemes to get into Klaha's pants. But lately his thoughts had been taking a little turn. Now he felt sympathetic to see the grief on Klaha's face, even though he wasn't now and probably would never become all that fond of Gackt. He knew that he had to try to help, somehow.
To begin with, he decided, he'd have to ask Klaha more about it. Coming a bit closer, he looked carefully into Klaha's eyes, and said, "Tell me HOW this happened, then."
Klaha buried his face in his hands and shuddered. "Oh, I don't even know ..." he whispered.
His shoulders began to shake. It took Közi a moment to realize that he was crying, but when he did, he was taken by surprise. When he'd told Klaha that he and Gackt had slept together, Klaha had seemed on the verge of crying, but he hadn't done it in front of Közi. Now Klaha seemed to be unable to have any more reservations about it. His face hidden, his shoulders shook with silent sobs, and it appeared that a tear or two crept out from between his fingers, snaking down his hands to moisten the skin there.
Közi stared at him for a long moment, not sure what to do. He rarely had to comfort anyone. Unsure, he just patted Klaha on the back at first, but this didn't help. Klaha kept crying. Letting out a sigh, Közi felt himself being filled with compassion for Klaha. Awkwardly, he pulled Klaha into his arms, trying to hug him, expecting to be pushed away. "Daijoubu ..."
But Klaha didn't push him away. He seemed desperate for some comfort now, any kind of comfort, and he slid his arms around Közi. His grip quickly tightened into one of helpless surrender, and he buried his face in Közi's shoulder, hugging the other boy almost fiercely. His tears were probably moistening Közi's shirt, but for the time being, Közi was so stunned that he didn't care. He felt a little shiver of excitement to have Klaha so close to him, but he ignored that quickly. "Klaha ..."
"I tried so hard just to be with him," Klaha whispered in his ear, between sobs. "I really did ..."
"I know," Közi could only offer softly, attempting to rub his back with his hands as he held him.
"When I met him I didn't know he was a prostitute, I only thought he was poor, but even then I knew that I wanted to get to know him better. I ... I could feel something even then for him. And when I found out what he was, I felt so ..." Klaha coughed now, unable to express his feelings in words. "You don't even know the way I felt. It was horrible, to know what he felt obligated to do."
Közi merely nodded.
"I had to skip school, had to lie to my parents, so that I could come and see him, even when I knew that I wasn't supposed to. I ... I'd never had to lie before. But I fought to see him, I knew I HAD to see him---" He gave a shudder. "He trusted me. He showed me things about him that I knew he didn't tell anyone else, Közi. I'd never really had any friends before---it felt so RIGHT to be able to trust someone, finally ... I ... I don't know when I realized that I cared about him, but it ... I knew it would be so hard to tell him ..."
"Why?" Közi asked.
Klaha only shook his head, crying silently for a moment again, as he tried to reach up behind Közi's back and wipe his tears away. His body was still shaking, and he kept clinging to Közi, needing his presence right now.
"So many horrible things happened to him. Things I couldn't stop." Klaha swallowed hard. "He ... He got raped, beaten up, all the time. The person who took care of him ... the person who was supposed to love him ... was so horrible to him. Every time I saw him, there would be another bruise somewhere. And I hated seeing it! I hated it! I hated seeing him in pain and knowing that there was nothing I could do to change it!"
Közi was stunned. He almost felt a bit guilty all of a sudden. Raped? Beaten? He'd never known that Gackt had to go through quite THAT much. If there had been any bruises on Gackt the first two times he'd met him, on one of which occasions he'd gotten very familiar with Gackt's body, then he'd been too drunk to notice.
Klaha sobbed again. "I knew that someday I was going to take him away from it. I HAD to ... I couldn't just leave him like that ... And I---I tried to tell him the way I felt about him. He seemed to know already, and maybe he felt the same way for me that early, but he was afraid of it ... Then all of a sudden, his---his lover died, his solicitor, and he had nowhere to go. So I let him stay with me. THAT when I let him stay ... and ..."
"And?" Közi prompted quietly.
"And it all happened," Klaha whispered, clutching him tightly, sniffling. "I kept him from killing himself one morning. He started to trust me even more. He told me even more of his secrets, and I ... I finally told him that I wanted him. I wanted him to be the one to ... to ... for the first time ..." He said these words questioningly, as though he didn't want to say what they implied but he hoped that Közi would understand anyway.
Közi sighed. Klaha's virginity, which had long ago been lost to him. "Hai."
"I asked him to, and he said no, even though he wanted to. I knew he wanted to. But a little after that, neither of us could stay apart anymore, so we ... it happened." Klaha sniffled again, trembling. "It was so important to me, Közi. I told him I loved him, and he told me that he loved me. No one's ever really said that to him before, but then, never to me either. I'd worked so hard just to get him to trust me, just to make him let me into his life, and now, to know that he loved me ... It meant so much." He fought back the urge to cry again, for now. "I thought everything was going to work out. Even when I found out that you ... that you and he ..." Again he trailed off. "Even then, we found a way past it."
"But not anymore," Közi could only say.
"No. Not anymore." Klaha laid his head upon Közi's shoulder, squeezing his eyes shut. "My parents wanted him to leave, they thought he was going to have a bad influence on me, because they didn't know. I got angry because of how they talked about him, so I ... I told them everything."
Közi was surprised. Even his own parents didn't know about some of the things he indulged in. "You did?"
"Hai," Klaha answered, in a barely audible voice.
"And that's what happened?"
Klaha only nodded a little. "My ... My mother fainted," he said, almost dryly, "when I kissed him in front of them. I had to show them that they couldn't control me forever, and that it was ridiculous for them to think that they could talk about Gackt like that and get away with it. My father got angry, and he ... he kicked Gackt out. He said that if he ever found out that Gackt and I made any contact again, he'd ... call the police, and tell them to arrest Gackt. I don't know what he'd say to them to make them do it, but he's got enough money to pay them off if he has to." His voice was bitter here.
Közi nodded, heaving a little sigh, and he pulled back now. He released Klaha, but only when he was certain that Klaha was ready to release him. They stood apart now, with Közi's hands in his pockets, and with Klaha still trying to wipe away his tears. "So that's how."
Klaha nodded weakly.
Közi shook his head, amazed at the twists and turns of life. "When did all this happen?"
"Yesterday."
"And where's Gackt now?"
Another flood of grief, worry, and immense pain came into Klaha's eyes now. Forcing away another rush of tears, in case they came to claim him, Klaha shook his head now, and when he spoke his voice demonstrated what he felt. "I have no idea."
Közi watched him sympathetically. "So what's going to happen? You going to forget about him?"
Klaha's gaze snapped up to lock on him, shocked. "Never!" he said vehemently, not angry with Közi but a bit appalled at the very suggestion. "I can ... I can never do that. I'll never be able to forget about him, after this. Now that everything's happened, he's more important to me than ... anyone." He swallowed, eyes searching the ground now. "I don't care what it takes. I don't care what my parents think, either. I'm going to find him, and I'm going to keep seeing him."
Közi nodded, feeling a little swell of pride towards Klaha. He couldn't help but feel encouraged by the fact that Klaha wasn't weak and cowardly enough to just back down and obey his parents. Közi knew that if he himself was in the same position, he certainly wouldn't have been that way. "Good for you," he said with a little smirk.
Klaha only nodded, trying to compose himself.
"So, what's home life like for you now?"
Klaha managed a little laugh at Közi's joke. He only gave a little shrug. "Worse than it was before Gackt came, if that's possible. My parents aren't speaking to me, but I'm grateful for the silence," he added darkly. "I'd never speak to them again if I didn't have to. I'll never forgive my father for throwing Gackt out, and I don't appreciate anything my mother said any more than that, either. They forced me to come to school today, even though they only threw Gackt out yesterday. They could tell that I was upset this morning, but they made me go. They have no regard for my feelings whatsoever."
"Some parents are like that," Közi assented. "Are you grounded?"
"Until I move out," Klaha said with a tinge of sarcasm and a nod. "Actually, they didn't say until how long, but I'm sure they'll be watching me like hawks until I'm out of their way too, just like my brother and sister."
Közi took this in and nodded. "In that case ..."
Klaha glanced up. "Hai?"
For a moment Közi almost reconsidered. Only a few weeks ago he wouldn't have done what he was thinking of doing right now, and that was helping to get Gackt and Klaha back together. But Közi couldn't deny that he was feeling less carnal towards Klaha in recent times. Since he was able to recognize Klaha more as a person than a body, it was becoming increasingly harder to just lust after him as he'd lusted after people in the past. He actually respected Klaha now, and when Klaha had cried in his arms and told him about the love he and Gackt had exchanged, Közi couldn't help but feel compassion for him. Though he hated to admit it, he knew that it would be cruel to do anything else to destroy a relationship like Klaha's and Gackt's.
Sighing, he said, "I'll do you a favor."
"A ... A favor?"
"Hai." Közi nodded. "I know that your parents are probably never going to trust you again, since they don't approve of the fact that you and Gackt fucked, and in their house, too. They probably think that you're going to sneak out and do something despicable, and I don't want to see you get in trouble for that. So ... I'll go out and I'll look for Gackt for you." He winced even as he said the words.
Klaha's eyes widened. "You ... You will?"
Közi nodded reluctantly. "I'll find him, Klaha. I'll even try today, after school."
"K-Közi ..." Klaha could only say, as he stared at the other boy. "You'd do that?"
"I just said I would, didn't I?"
Klaha didn't know what else to say. A few months ago he would have trusted a stranger a little bit more than he would have trusted Közi, considering the way that Közi always used to look at him. But Közi had been growing more and more understanding, and now, Klaha could even consider him a friend. Therefore, he bowed his head to Közi, unable to think of anything else to say. "D-Domo arigato ... I owe you so much."
Közi watched him with mock interest. "Well, I think a free fuck should make up for it."
Klaha froze suddenly and stared at him.
Közi resisted the urge to burst out laughing at the expression on Klaha's face, and waved him off with a little smile as he headed for the stairs back into the building. "Daijoubu, Klaha-kun! I'm just kidding! You ought to see the look on your face." He grinned. "Anyway, I'll look for Gackt, and I promise to tell you the minute I find out anything. Come on, we should get back to class."
Klaha sighed and rolled his eyes, then followed Közi to the door, his heart just a bit lighter than it had been.
[After school that day]
"Damn it, I don't know why the hell I'm doing this," Közi muttered.
He was walking home the way from school that he knew Klaha went. It was a way that could have either taken a path, a longer path, through the slums, or one could just go over the bridge and walk to the district of nice homes beyond. As he had promised, Közi was beginning his search immediately for Gackt.
Klaha had told him that if he found Gackt, he should tell him a certain number of things that Klaha wanted him to know, too. Közi felt a little irritated at the thought of having to tell Gackt how much Klaha loved him and so on, but then, he HAD agreed to be a pawn. He didn't mind that much, except for that Gackt was involved.
'Well, I can't really hate him,' Közi thought as he walked nonchalantly down the street, not in the slums but a ways before the bridge. 'Not anymore, anyway. Even I can feel sorry for someone who's been through that much. It doesn't mean I'm not resentful that he took Klaha, or that I'm not jealous since he got to fuck him, but still.'
Now, where could Gackt be, Közi wondered?
"Maybe I SHOULD check the ghettoes ..."
For a moment, he honestly considered it. He'd been hoping he wouldn't have to go that way, because it would be almost impossible for him to find Gackt like that. After all, he didn't exactly remember where Gackt's apaato was, and even if he did, Klaha told him that no one lived in it anymore. It had been sold. Gackt certainly wouldn't be there. He probably wouldn't want to go back to that place ever again, no matter how desperate he was, thanks to all the memories that it held.
Közi had two options now: take a sharp right into the ghettoes and search possibly into the night for someone as hard to find as Gackt, or abandon his search, which had so far been fruitless, and go home. Közi decided with a sigh that he would have to go into the ghettoes and look. He wouldn't be able to deal with his conscience otherwise. He had no idea where to look, though ...
"Now, where was it that I found him when I picked him up?" Közi mused silently. He couldn't even remember.
For about an hour, he roamed aimlessly around the slums with a general idea of where he'd come in, so he would be able to find his way out again when he was done. A swarming of faces would meet him at every corner and on every street: mostly the unfamiliar eyes, both hungry and wary, of prostitutes or hobos, and then even some familiar ones, of friends that Közi had made around here. Közi knew people everywhere in this city. The slums were no real exception, but he tried to cut conversations with old acquaintances short, because he WAS doing Klaha a favor, after all.
Then on one street ...
"Wait a minute," Közi thought at one point, stopping in his tracks.
Across the street, he saw someone sitting against the wall. Little did he know that Klaha had found Gackt almost exactly in this manner the first time that they had met. Közi could only think that the person looked strangely familiar, even though they were several paces away. It was a boy with slightly long hair, leaning his back against the wall with his legs drawn up, his arms around them, and his chin on his knees. He was dressed in black clothing, which Közi did not know he'd borrowed off of Klaha. Since Gackt had been kicked out only yesterday, he wasn't too dirty or mussed-up yet, but his posture indicated his distress. There were no tears on his face as he rested his cheek against his knees and sat there hopelessly, dully, but his grief was easy to tell.
'Gackt,' Közi realized silently.
For a moment he didn't know what to do. Then he remembered Klaha's request, and cleared his throat. "Oi! Gackt!"
The boy jolted. Gackt looked up at him suddenly, shocked that someone would call his name, and when he rested eyes upon Közi he seemed to be overtaken with something. Fear, apparently. Just looking at Közi made Gackt grow frightened. He immediately started to shrink away, even despite the distance between them. Normally he'd grow angry, but now, due to everything that had happened to him, he was terrified.
"Wait a minute!" Közi tried to stop him.
However, Gackt only shook his head as he rose unsteadily to his feet, leaning against the wall. He cast a few glances at Közi that showed his anxiety around the other boy, and then he straightened fully, only managing to say in a voice that was barely audible to Közi, "G-Go away." That stated, he turned and began to run away. Blinking, Közi started to go after him, but by the time he even reached the place where Gackt had been sitting, Gackt had already disappeared around the corner.
'Kuso,' Közi only thought, catching his breath. 'It's useless to go after him now.'
But what was Gackt doing around here again, Közi only thought to himself? Now he'd have to tell Klaha.
When he did, and when he explained everything that had happened regarding his search and location of Gackt, Klaha had seemed to become nervous and frightened for his lover. "I ... I want to go look for him myself," he told Közi apologetically, "but you know how closely my parents are watching me ... Gomen nasai. Are you sure you really don't mind doing this for me?"
Heaving a sigh, Közi shook his head. "No, no, I'll go back and keep looking for you."
"Domo arigato, Közi-kun."
But Közi could see the worried tears in Klaha's eyes, for Gackt.
[Over the next couple of weeks]
As often as he could, Közi went out to try and find Gackt for Klaha. Sometimes he went into the slums, in hopes of finding Gackt where he'd seen him last time, but occasionally he would check the surrounding areas of town as well, just in case. It wasn't to say that Közi had no life: in fact, he was rather busy and even grew a little resentful of having to do all this for Klaha, when other things were occurring with his friends that Közi couldn't attend. But he respected Klaha as a friend now and knew that he had to help out, after the trouble he'd caused Klaha before.
One day, after school, Közi walked out of the slums, sighing. He'd just performed yet another search of the streets there, but hadn't found a trace of Gackt. He headed for the bridge, thinking that he would just go home now and search again in a couple of days.
The bridge looked beautiful today, Közi thought.
As he walked towards it, he didn't really notice the figure that was sitting on the little wall on the edge of it, above the water. After all, there were people around here all the time. It was a nice bridge, and the water far beneath it was beautiful. It marked the boundary between nice neighborhoods and unpleasant ones, so it was always a crossing for many interesting people. What was another one?
But his eyes roved over in that direction curiously as he walked.
He blinked. An odd person, that was ... Közi was less naive than Klaha, and could tell a boy when he saw one. Klaha had mistaken Shinya for a girl a long time ago, and it would have been just as easy to mistake this stranger for a girl now, but Közi had a way of being able to tell these things, and he could tell that this was a boy. He was rather tall and lanky, with the body of a model. His long black hair was neatly combed straight down his back, and there were some bangs fluffing over his forehead. He had a beautiful face, and was dressed casually but prettily. He just sat there.
Közi realized for a moment that the boy's eyes were on him also, and so, after a moment, he slowed. Unable to be polite to strangers, he almost snapped, "What are you looking at?"
The boy raised an eyebrow at him, and then, he stood up. He made a very mysterious figure, considering his movements. Közi noticed that the way this boy moved was similar to the way that Gackt moved: graceful motions, even though not quite as catlike. It was just the way that prostitutes of their kind tended to move after a while in the business, though Közi didn't yet know that this boy had been a prostitute, or that he wasn't anymore.
The boy came over to him and studied him curiously, unoffended by his remark. "Can I ask ...?" he began.
Közi looked at him. "Hai?"
"Klaha-san, deshou?"
Közi was taken by surprise. "Nani? No, my name is Közi."
"Oh." The boy's cheeks flushed slightly in embarrassment, and he moved as though to back away and go back to his spot. He bowed his head in apology. "I've confused you with someone else, then. Gomen."
Before he could leave, however, Közi found the courage to speak up. Something told him not to disregard this person, especially since he knew Klaha's name, whoever he was. Közi could tell that this boy didn't know Klaha personally, or else he would have been able to recognize him, but still. Finding his voice, Közi interrupted, "Matte yo ... I'm Klaha's friend."
The boy halted. "Did he send you to look for Gackt?"
Közi blinked. "Hai."
With that, the boy searched him once more. Then a little smile came over his face. Beyond his prostitute's carefully expressionless front, he really did seem to be like a childlike and sweet person. He held out his hand to Közi now. "My name's Toshiya."
Közi shook his hand, watching him. "And how do you know Klaha, then? I'm confused."
"It's a long story," Toshiya admitted, sighing. "I'm a little confused myself."
"Well, you tell me what you know first."
"All right, that sounds good." Toshiya smiled at him and nodded, then thought back for a moment. He almost seemed to grow sad. "The way that I came across Gaku-chan again isn't at all something that I want to talk about, but if you know Klaha, then you probably HAVE to know."
"Then you know Gackt?"
Toshiya looked sheepish. "A little bit." In a quieter voice, as though speaking of things that he no longer wished to think about, he said, "I used to be a prostitute, like Gackt was. Of course, I know that Yoshiki-san was Gackt's solicitor, but I never had one. I worked for the money, without an attachment. I'm not a prostitute anymore, in any case ... Now I work as a secretary in a doctor's office, which pays enough for me to get by, though it isn't the best job. But one way or another, last year, Gaku-chan and I met somehow, and we remembered each other now, when we ran into each other again a little while ago."
"And how did you meet again?" Közi hoped that this person could tell him where Gackt had been, where he was now, and what was going on.
Toshiya sighed and looked at the ground. "I was walking down the street after work," he began, sounding a bit upset. "I saw someone standing on the street underneath a street lamp, talking to a man. It seemed as though they had both just walked out of a building. I recognized the younger one, the one dressed in black, and it was Gaku-chan." He paused, sighing again. "Because I used to be a prostitute, I figured out what had happened. Of course, they'd just had a date and had come out of the building, and I watched the guy pay Gackt and leave.
"I was surprised, ne? And it made me sad to see Gaku-chan like that." Toshiya seemed to feel sorry for Gackt. "I'd heard that once Yoshiki-san had died, Gackt had quit being a prostitute. And I could tell that now, coming back to the slums for whatever reason was probably the last thing he wanted to do. But I guess he had no choice."
Közi nodded, since he knew about how Gackt had been thrown out of Klaha's home.
"So after the man left, Gaku-chan just stood there waiting for another customer. I could tell how upset he was, so I went up to him. He recognized me, and he seemed ... really upset." Toshiya's eyes became absent with sorrow. "I'd never seen him that way before. First of all, I'd never even seen tears in his eyes, and when I walked up to him now he started to cry. I knew that something horribly wrong had happened, to make him this sad, to bring him back to do what he hated the most. I brought him back to my apaato and forced him to tell me what happened to him. I assume that if Klaha-san is your friend, then you know what happened ... ne?"
Közi nodded again. "Hai. Klaha told me today."
"It's a terrible thing," Toshiya said quietly. "If only you knew how upset Gackt is. Being thrown out as though he was still nothing more than a prostitute was incredibly shattering to him. It seemed like he didn't even want to talk to ME, but he had to, because I made him. He explained that after he'd gotten thrown out two weeks ago, he hadn't had anyplace to stay, anyone to go to. All he could do was whore himself to pay for a room, and that was what he'd been doing up until the point that I found him."
Közi was slightly shocked, as all of this now sank into his mind. "So you're saying that he went back to prostitution? That he's been doing it for the last two weeks?"
"Hai." Toshiya sighed and shook his head. "I was upset to find that out, too. He seemed ashamed to talk to me about it, and he tried to leave, but I wouldn't let him. I made him give up his room and stay with me, so he doesn't have to do it anymore."
Közi blinked at him, putting a hand on his hip. "He's staying with you now, then?"
"Hai." Toshiya nodded.
"Well, at least now I know he's safe." Közi shook his head. "Klaha is really worried about him."
Toshiya smiled almost brightly, apparently relieved. "I'm glad to know that Gackt is with someone who's worth him, then," he said softly. "Even last year, before I knew Gaku-chan very well, I could tell that he was someone who deserved much better. When Gackt told me yesterday about Klaha, I could only hope that whoever he is, he cares for Gackt the way that Gackt deserves to be cared about."
"Oh, he does." Közi smiled slightly, shaking his head. "Trust me."
"That's good to know." Toshiya nodded, not sensing the dry humor.
"So let me get this straight," Közi reiterated now. "After getting kicked out, Gackt spent the last two weeks whoring himself to pay for a hotel room, until just recently when you came across him and made him stay with you."
"Hai."
"All right." Közi nodded. "At least now I have something to tell Klaha."
"I was hoping that you WERE Klaha, actually," Toshiya confessed to him, a hand at his mouth.
"Ano?"
"Well, you remember that when you came onto the bridge, I asked you if you were him." Toshiya glanced down, his eyes taking in what Közi was wearing once again. "I noticed your uniform, and so I immediately assumed that you had to be Klaha. Gaku-chan gave me a brief description of Klaha-san---he would barely talk at all this morning---and it wasn't much to go by. I only figured that you were him because of your dark hair, your uniform, and the fact that you don't have much weight to you."
Look who's talking, Közi almost thought defensively. But he saw that Toshiya was smiling, being a rather friendly and outgoing person, and decided to let that one slide. He said, "Why would you be out here looking for Klaha, anyway?"
"Gaku-chan told me to."
"He did?" Közi was surprised.
Toshiya nodded. "He asked me if I would go out and look for Klaha for him. He said that he was too ashamed and upset to see Klaha himself, but he wanted him to know that he was all right. So I asked him where I could find him, and he told me where to wait and at what time, because this is usually the way that Klaha-san supposedly comes home after school."
"Not today," Közi briefly summarized. Klaha had told him about why he himself couldn't go this way today. "His parents scheduled him a doctor's appointment for today."
Toshiya blinked. "An appointment? Why?"
"Well, Klaha told them that he and Gackt had had sex," Közi carefully explained, deciding not to use any really rough language in front of Toshiya, who seemed to have forsaken any vulgar ways as the past, "and his parents, of course, were shocked. They don't understand how Gackt and Klaha can be in love, and Klaha told me how upset they were when he said that they'd slept together. Klaha said that they didn't even want to wait a couple of weeks to have Klaha go to get checked out, but the doctor was booked up until today. His parents think that Klaha may have caught some diseases from Gackt or something."
Toshiya frowned, looking upset and hurt. "I hate when people jump to conclusions like that. How can they think that Gackt is that careless?"
"They don't know him, so they make assumptions."
"I see."
"But Klaha wouldn't have been able to come anyway," Közi explained. "His parents are keeping a real close eye on him now that they've found out about him and Gackt. They want to make sure that nothing else like this happens, so Klaha practically can't even go out of the house except for school."
"That's horrible." Toshiya just sighed and shook his head. "In any case, Gaku-chan sent me out today to find Klaha and tell him where he is." He reached into his pocket and withdrew a little business card, the embossing of which showed on one side the address where Toshiya worked. "Ignore the part about the doctor's office---that's just where I work. I steal these things all the time to write on." He smiled and flipped the card over, showing that he'd scrawled another address on the back. "This is where I live. Where Gackt is staying."
"Arigato." Közi took the business card and studied it, turning it over.
"Give that to Klaha. That way he can come and visit Gackt. It's not too far from where Gackt used to live, but you probably don't know where that is." Without waiting for a response, he explained also, "And you can tell Klaha that my apaato is in a bit better of a neighborhood than Gackt's old one ... in case he was uncomfortable with coming there before."
"He would have walked through the sewers to see Gackt." Közi gave a grin.
Toshiya smiled. "Hmm."
Közi remembered something at the last minute. "Oh, that's right! Klaha told me that if I found Gackt, I should give him a message, but ... obviously, I'm not going to see him today. Would you do me a favor and give Gackt a message from Klaha?"
"Of course!"
Közi thought to himself for a moment. "He said that if I saw Gackt and found out where he was, then I should tell him that Klaha was coming to see him as soon as possible, during school hours. Klaha just assumes that he'll skip, if I tell him where he can find Gackt, so he can be with him. He can't come during after school hours, of course, since his parents will know."
Toshiya nodded. "That's fine. I don't mind if Klaha-san ever comes by. I might be at work anyway."
"And, let's see, what else ..." Közi heaved a sigh and rolled his eyes. "Klaha wanted to tell Gackt that he apologizes for his parents' behavior, because he's really angry at them and can't believe they said all those things and threw Gackt out. He wants to tell Gackt that he misses him, a lot ... and he loves him." Looking away, Közi's cheeks flushed a little bit. He felt annoyed that he had to say things like this. Oddly, it wasn't because he was jealous, since he'd pretty much given up on Klaha, but it was just a humiliating situation.
Toshiya smiled in muffled delight and patted Közi's arm. "I'll tell Gaku-chan, I promise."
"Arigato."
"Tell Klaha to come soon. I'm sure that Gackt would like to see him as soon as possible," Toshiya said, then started to back away. "Take care, ne?" With that, he gave Közi a little smile and a wave, and then turned and walked back off in the direction of the slums. Közi watched him go and then prepared to go home. Tomorrow at school he'd give Klaha the business card with the address.
NOTES~I know ... Yet again I've turned an innocent person into a former whore. Now Toshiya too! Don't worry, I love Toshiya also, and admire him a lot. Anyway, please review me somehow!
Glossary
oi: hey
nani: what
daijoubu: it's all right
hai: yes
(domo) arigato: thank you
kuso: shit
gomen (nasai): I'm sorry
deshou: right?
ano: huh?
To Be Continued
To the next part