[Music Interlude]
Izumi Takuto hopped around, fumbling with the knot in the lace of his
left shoe as he tried desperately to untie it
before he lost his balance. Failing which, he fell backwards, sprawling
on the ground in an ungainly heap.
"Koji will be back late today...got a video to shoot first...meanwhile...I've
got to get dinner ready... Hmm...what
should I cook tonight? That Koji! The way he picks at his food... yet
his physique... you'd think he eats whole
elephants for dinner..." Takuto mumbled as he finally managed to get
rid of his shoes.
[spin the wheel]
Izumi busied himself in the kitchen, humming one of Koji's songs softly to himself as he cooked.
[spin the wheel]
Balancing two trays laden with plates of food, Izumi moved with the
precise grace and poise of the waiter he
was as he proceeded towards the table in the hall and laid out their
dinner.
[spin the wheel]
Placing the last napkin in place, he flopped down on the sofa and waited.
A quick glance at the clock told him
that Koji would be home any moment.
[spin the wheel]
He turned on the television, constantly flipping channels in an attempt
to find something that would capture his
interest, a football match... one of Koji's music videos... no such
luck. Minutes crawled by, time always passed
in a whirlwind of activity when Koji was around.
[Music Interlude]
Though he hated to admit it, for all the pain and misery Koji had caused
him, Koji did brighten up his life. He
yearned for Koji's smile, his gentle caress, his warm breath tickling
Izumi's ear as Koji whispered his name,
Koji's strong arms wrapped around his slender waist. Yearned for that
undeniable feeling of warmth and
security as he laid quietly in Koji's embrace.
...Izumi...I love you...
He hugged himself, waiting... his eyelids slowly growing heavy and he finally succumbed to a disturbed slumber.
[five o'clock in the morning]
A crash woke him up. Outside, a thunderstorm raged. The screen before
him buzzed, a mesmerizing flurry of
grey snow. He sighed and turned off the television. The clock read
5am.
[you ain't home]
Dinner had long since gone cold. A small frown creased his brow. Where
in the world was Koji? Why wasn't
he home yet?
[I can't help thinking that's strange, yeah yeah]
Koji should be home. He usually rushed home right after his recording sessions. Rushed home... to be with him.
I can't even stand to be one second away from you. I love you so much, Izumi.
[baby, I just want you to know]
Lightning streaked across the skies beyond the window. "Koji, where
are you?" Izumi's whisper echoed eerily
back at him in the silent room.
[I won't go through it again]
"Gomenasai Takuto!" A broken voice called out.
'Kaasan! With a knife in her hands. And... 'Tousan, lying supine in a pool of crimson liquid.
"...gomenasai Takuto..."
[yeah yeah, those clouds are closing in]
Izumi clutched at his wound, hot white pain searing through his fragile frame.
"'Kaasan! 'Tousan! It hurts!" Tears streaked down his cheeks.
[baby love]
"I love him!" His mother's voice cried out.
[and I will not accept this as part of my life]
NO! Izumi covered his ears and fled. Away from all the merciless taunts, all the cruel whispers...
"Don't go near him! Don't play with him! He's bad luck! A jinx! His
mother killed his father! He's an unwanted
child!"
THAT'S NOT TRUE! He raged silently to himself. 'Tousan was smiling. 'Kaasan said she loved him.
[say you love]
I love you. Koji's raspy whisper caressed his ear.
[I will not live in fear]
Izumi curled himself up into a fetal position on the sofa, shuddering.
[of what may be]
Unconsciously, his hand drifted to the scar just below his left hip.
[baby love]
A younger Izumi laughed innocently, perched on his father's shoulders.
[and the lessons I have learned...]
"Gomenasai Takuto!" His mother's crazed voice rang out shrilly in the empty room.
[I would rather be alone than watch you]
Izumi walked away from the family that had adopted his younger siblings.
Each step he took shredding his
heart...
"Niisan! Don't go!"
He would return for them, his sister and brother, the only family he
had...once he had the means to support
them, till then...
[spinning that wheel for me]
He strode on, never stopping, always alone, always by himself, until...
[you've got a thing about danger]
Koji...
[ain't you getting what you want from me]
"I just want you to be happy, Izumi!"
[ain't you getting what you want from me]
"I never wanted to be your burden!"
[you've got a thing about strangers]
"I'm not lying, Izumi!"
[baby that's what we used to be]
Izumi jogged past a prone figure lying unconscious in the rain.
[baby that's what we used to be]
A drunkard. Still, Izumi couldn't just leave him lying in the rain. He might die.
[you've got a thing about danger baby]
Izumi halted and turned back to the beautiful stranger lying amongst the bags of rubbish at the back of a bar.
[I guess the hungry just can't see ]
He went over and placed his hand over the stranger's brow.
[one of these days]
The stranger's eyes fluttered open. He reached out, stroking Izumi's cheek...
"Finally... I've found you." He said softly, before falling away into a dead faint.
[you're gonna bring some home to me]
Izumi sighed. He could not believe he just dragged a drunk stray home.
He must be getting soft. What in the
world was he to do with him now? The stranger was burning up with fever.
He should not have brought him
home. What if he died on him?
[Music Interlude]
"Don't die on me." Izumi prayed. He stripped ailing man of his damp clothes and tucked him in bed.
"...cold..." The stranger muttered, shivering. His breath came in short gasps.
Izumi frowned, then crawled in next to him, hoping his body heat would
be enough to warm the stranger. The
stranger quietened and fell into a deep healing sleep.
[six o'clock in the morning you ain't phoned]
Izumi started. He must have fallen asleep again. He looked at the clock.
6am. Koji wasn't back yet. Why didn't
he even call?
[I can't help thinking that's strange, yeah yeah]
"Koji...please...come back soon..."
[it seems everybody takes their chances]
"Don't let anything happen to him."
[these days]
Izumi looked out at the unrelenting downpour. The beat of the storm
strangely in synch with the erratic beating
of his own heart.
[oh yeah, we're standing in the rain]
An image of Koji flitted across his mind's eye. Koji standing by the goalpost in the rain. Waiting. For him.
[baby love]
"...Izumi..." Koji's desperate plea tore down his defences, shattered the glass wall surrounding him.
[and I will not accept this as a part of my life]
Why, Koji? Why are you screwing up my life? I am a guy! I can't fall in love with you! It's not right!
[say you love...]
"Izumi, I'd love you no matter what your gender is. I'd love you just
the same whether you're a male... or a
female... I love you for who you are, not what you are..."
[I will not live in fear]
Koji...
[of what may be]
Koji...stop!
[baby love]
"Stop crying, Izumi. I'll protect you. I'll make sure no one ever hurts you again."
[and the lessons I have learned...]
Koji hugs a younger Izumi who sobs quietly into his shirt.
[I would rather be alone than watch you]
Go away, Koji!
[spinning, spinning that wheel for me]
Izumi hit out at Koji when the latter tried to hug him. He hardened
himself, ignoring the hurt which was all so
apparent in Koji's violet eyes.
[you've got a thing about danger]
Koji's eyes, cold, harsh, cruel, when they weren't directed at Izumi.
[ain't you getting what you want from me ]
Koji pinned the struggling Izumi to the wall. Trapped, Izumi felt like
a butterfly with its wings clipped. He
squeezed his eyes shut, and waited for the inevitable.
[baby don't you love that trash]
"Izumi, I'm sorry. I can't help it. I need you." Koji's voice took on a desperate edge.
[you've got a thing about strangers]
Tears trickled down Izumi's cheeks.
[baby that's what we used to be]
Izumi stared unseeing at Koji as he looked sadly down at him.
[I know you're always chasing that]
Koji hugged Izumi from behind and promptly got a rain of pans, pots and kettles flying at him.
[you've got a thing about danger baby]
"Izumi, I just want you to be happy."
[I guess the hungry just can't see ]
"I'll leave you alone now."
[just can't see]
"And when you get married someday, I hope to stand by your side and
laugh with you. Or would you prefer
that I stand in the shadows and laugh to myself?"
[one of these days]
"Anything is fine with me. As long as you're happy, Izumi."
[you're gonna bring some home to me]
An image of Koji with his arms draped round a woman tortured him.
[baby love]
"It's still better to love a woman. They are made to love a man, soft, sweet-smelling..."
[how can you love me]
Koji, please, come back.
[say you love]
I'll never say it but deep down inside I know, I love you too. Deep
down inside, a small part of you has
taken residence in my heart.
[when you're playing with my life]
Don't you dare walk out on me!
[you say give me time]
Not after making me fall in love with you.
[baby love]
Koji!
[and I'll do better I swear]
You are my burden to bear!
[give me time and I'll lead you back to]
Your life belongs to only me, only I can kill you!
[you've got a thing about danger]
As mine belongs to you.
[despair]
You said you'd return!
[Ain't you getting what you want from me]
Why aren't you back here with me? In my arms. Liar!
[and I don't want to go back there]
I don't want to be alone again. Not ever.
[you've got a thing about strangers]
Koji?
[baby that's what we used to be]
I love you, though I'll never tell you that.
[I don't want to go back there]
So cold, so alone.
[You've got a thing about danger baby]
I hate you!
[I guess the hungry just can't see]
And I love you.
[I'm never going back to that and that's a fact baby]
You're stuck with me, Koji. I'm never leaving you alone.
[one of these days]
The sound of key-metal grating in the lock stirred Izumi from his reverie.
[you're gonna bring some home to me]
He looked up to see a figure silouetted against the doorway.
[to me]
Koji.
[to me]
"Izumi? I'm sorry, I'm late. I got held up. Dinner's cold, but never
mind, I'll still finish it, because you made it,
Izumi. I'd do anything for you."
[Music Interlude]
Izumi stared at Koji, relief flooding his entire being. He stood up.
The lingering scent of liquor and a woman's
perfume wafted over to his senses. He moved over to the unsuspecting
Koji and slapped him.
"Liar! Get rid of it!"
"What?" Koji asked confused.
"That woman's perfume! It makes me want to puke!"
[spin the wheel]
I don't want to be alone.
[spin the wheel]
Izumi falls into Koji's arms.
[spin the wheel]
Don't ever leave me alone again.
[spin the wheel]
Koji's arms tightened around him.
[spin the wheel]
"I hate you," Izumi spat venomously at Koji.
[spin the wheel]
He clenched the material of Koji's shirt tightly in the ball of his fist.
[spin the wheel]
"Why must you always make me worry about you?!"
[spin the wheel]
And I love you, Koji, only I'll never tell you that.
The End.
Rurouni: It's mushy! Oh dear! It's too mushy. What do you think?
Sano: It's mushy.
Rurouni: Wah! I knew it! It's too mushy!
Sano: But Koji and Izumi are born to be mushy!
Rurouni: Ok...
Sano: Why didn't Koji 'get' Izumi?
Rurouni: ~sweatdrop~