Digging up the Past - End of Volume 1

Hosokai celebrated their victory into the night!

But it was far from over, and following on from a round of 16 clash was the quarter finals. Hosokai may have defeated a lifelong foe, but little did they know, their next opponent would become the biggest threat they had faced.

*-*-*

Over the past few weeks, Usui had become the school’s contact to Yuri. She needed to complete coursework if she was to graduate, and he got a chance to try to work out what had happened that pushed her to this stage.

“Yo, Yuri!” Usui called out. He was getting a lot of enjoyment out of her irritation, it made him smile.

“To what do I owe the honour, Usui? Homework? Another attempt to bring me back?”

…

“Homework?” She repeated.

“Actually I’m here to talk.”

“It’s a little creepy if you come here of your own accord.”

The pain in his chest! The heartache, “aw, and I thought we were bonding.”

She tried to close the door but he bowed and apologised.

They sat at the table. Yuri looked like she wanted to be anywhere other than here, her chin resting on her palm, dead eyes.

Usui was chipper as always, holding his bag on his knees.

She was a good host and grabbed him a cold drink. It almost covered him when he complained about the lack of a coaster.

“So, what are we talking about?”

“Whatever comes to mind!”

Her elbow slipped off the table, “you really are getting carefree, you get someone else to sort your paperwork or something?”

“Not at all, I finished it all before coming here. This is just my relaxation phase, Natsuki always gets a little weirded out by it but I think he’s used to it now.”

“Well isn’t that nice…” she remarked.

Usui looked around the room. The walls were bespectacled with pictures, some of the family but quite a few of just scenery.

“Cool photos,” Usui commented. “Your mother take them?”

“I did.” She responded without looking at him, but he grabbed her hand. He had stars in his eyes, the contact took her by surprise.

“What are you”-

“That’s so cool! I suck at taking pics, they always end up looking flat… or blurry.”

She took her hand back. “It’s not that difficult, I’m more surprised you CAN’T do it.”

“You should be a photographer!” She was blushing again…

“Enough about me… what about you?”

“I know that when I leave school I want to go to college. I want to make sure I keep my options open. But when that’s done, I wanna be a teacher.”

“Oh, you’d be good at that! All I want is something I don’t need to speak to other people for.”

He laughed. “Yep, sounds just like you. But, don’t you ever get bored? Being on your own?”

“With you here I don’t get that luxury” she quipped back. But it was an interesting question, she thought in silence for a second, her head resting on her palm as she looked outside the window at the people passing by. “Sometimes, I feel like I’m in a game. Simulating my life, tuning out when things get boring and only picking up the controller when things get a bit more interesting.”

“That’s a dangerous thing you know. I think we get so wrapped up in the future we forget we are still living. Especially people our age.”

She smirked, “you sound like an old man.”

“I’m being serious! We all have goals we want to achieve, something so great it blinds us. Sooner or later you get to where you want to be but find out it isn’t quite up to the hype.” He took a sip.

“Success is in the journey?”

He pointed for some reason, “exactly! That’s why I want to enjoy the time I’ve got left at Hosokai, and why I don’t want you to give up on it.”

She had never seen such determination in his eyes, it was almost terrifying. “One day you may wake up wishing you tried a little harder.”

It almost sounded like an insult, she took it that way at least. She stood up from her seat, taking his empty cup from him quickly. “As if you’d know.”

“Then tell me.” He didn’t turn to look towards her. “When I told you I could help I meant it, and I intend to keep my word.”

She took a breath. “Why do you care so much?!”

This would be a scene she would remember. He turned, almost in slow motion and smiled like an anime protagonist. “Because I’m your friend.”

*-*-*

The next day began, back to school on Monday. A day every living soul despised, none more than Natsuki however. A full night out with Daichi and the gang left him weary and aching. But he wasn’t the type to miss school no matter how bad he wanted to. The last cool patch was on his forehead, he’d taken pills for the migraine, and drops for his eyes.

Some might say the energy drink was a bad idea, it definitely was, but he downed two of them as if he had lived in the desert for 14 years.

Dance club was a chore most days, but right now, after being out all night and getting no sleep, it was killer. Every movement made Natsuki’s bones creak, each step drained away the energy he had.

He had been paired up with Koma, who was a hell of a lot more tolerable than the ojou. She was a great partner, something he couldn’t say about himself, especially right now.

This sleep deprived state made him sluggish. In the routine they were to perform, it was crucial to be mindful, and read the flow of the melody. Right now Natsuki could only hear white noise.

Eri watched the pair, clipboard in hand, critiquing their every move. She was the leader of their group, it was less of a decision and more of an understanding, she was the best dancer of the three after all. But she was strict at the best of times.

The key change shifted, and the next step called for Natsuki to lift Koma off her feet and keep her steady for about half a second. But he was late to react, which panicked him into the lift. Her hand slipped, he didn’t have the strength to keep her up, and she fell to the floor.

It was a routine fall, nothing painful. Koma was used to it and was ready to go again, but Eri was livid.

“Natsuki. Are we keeping you up?” She questioned him, her voice was sharp as a dagger.

“…sorry?”

“You were dragging your feet on your way in here and you can barely keep your eyes open now. What you do after school is your business, I don’t care. But if it starts affecting your performance, that becomes my business, especially when you are dropping your partner.”

“My lady, I’m fine, really.” Koma tried to reason with her.

“See, she’s fine. What’s the problem?”

She got in his face. “The problem is that you aren’t taking this seriously. Sure Koma didn’t get hurt this time but what happens when you mess up and drop her for real? If you’re going to use our club as a means to an end then get out.”

Natsuki was taken aback by the punchy words, even Koma was at a loss for words.

*-*-*

Practice continued for about another hour, it was solo practice to avoid any more issues, but Natsuki could feel Eri’s gaze at him all the way through it.

Once practice had ended, she spoke with Koma and gave Natsuki the evil eye before heading home.

Koma and Natsuki sat in the club room in silence.

“Is she always this hostile?” He asked out of the blue.

Koma tried to get a smile out but it was forced, and awkward. “She’s a tough girl, passionate too.”

“Yeah? Well she should learn to back off. People make mistakes.”

“We both know that’s not the issue.” Koma said. “You can’t come to practice half asleep, make a mistake and act like it was inevitable, Natsuki. I’ll admit my lady may have gone a little overboard but she is correct.”

He didn’t reply, didn’t have to, he understood and agreed to an extent but, like hell would he say so.

But he still felt bad. “That was a nasty fall…”

“Indeed, you’re lucky it was me you dropped and not lady Kotobuki. I am fine however. If you feel bad about it you may treat me to a confectionery treat”

“If you didn’t talk that way all the time I’d have assumed you’d hit your head.”

“Continue like that and I shall hit yours!”

“Hey, Koma? Why are you so formal with Eri?” It had been bugging him for a while, he knew she was filthy rich, the Kotobuki family were one of the most recognised names in the entire country. But he always thought birds of a feather and all that jazz, Koma didn’t seem like the rich girl type…

“Why, whatever do you mean?”

“Y’know, with the my lady thing.”

“Ah. It seems to be a force of habit I’m afraid. My family have worked for the Kotobuki for many years, I was assigned as my lady’s personal assistant when I was younger.”

“Bet that was a bummer, not getting to enjoy your childhood and look after her”

“On the contrary it was and still is something I cherish. My lady’s elder sister treated my elder brother like a servant, and it seemed rather boring. But my lady did not want a servant, she wanted a friend.”

It wasn’t often Koma spoke to another about the ice queen, things were getting interesting. “Really? So when did you first meet Eri?”

She pondered for a second, looking to the sky to try and remember, “I do believe it was when I was 5 years old. We had been on a vacation; however, my father had things to discuss with my lady’s father.”

“Must’ve been important.”

“It was in regards to the marriage between my elder brother and my lady’s elder sister.”

“Eh?!” Guy must like being a whipping boy… Natsuki started envisioning Eri as the one holding the whip… he thought it was hot and his nose bled. “Man of culture” he thought out loud.

“Indeed. Anyway, when I first met my lady I was very nervous, I did not want to serve. But she grabbed my hand and took me to her hideout, we became friends.”

“Heeeh? Sounds nice. Wouldn’t have imagined she’d have a secret base though.”

“Apparently she was friendly with a boy there previously and he had taken her there. He wasn’t there when our family visited however…”

Wait… doesn’t this feel familiar?

“Koma… this place that you met, it wasn’t a country club, was it?”

“It was indeed, how did you know that?”

*-*-*

Natsuki rushed down the hallways, searching for her. He initially passed the classroom they met in, but he glanced and saw her grabbing her things.

“There you are.”

“Ugh, what do you want? If you’re gonna apologise then do it quickly, I have a study session to get to.” She grabbed her bag and jacket, not even looking at him.

Natsuki slammed his fist against the desk, startling her.

“…what?” She asked sheepishly.

“8 years ago, the country club in Aoyama. Talk.”

Realisation set in. “What’s there to talk about.”

“You know what! That was you? Why didn’t you say anything?!”

Natsuki remembered those days fondly, with the person he had thought was a boy his age, and how he was pulled away from those days.

“Because I knew you’d forgotten. What does it matter anyway? We’re both different people now. I’m the real me, and you’re wearing a mask.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He snapped.

She paused, remembering the boy she knew before.

“I need to spell it out now, do I? Alright, think back Natsuki, think back to how you used to sit alone in class daydreaming, how you spent your breaks trying to reach out to people that couldn’t see or hear you. How you’d eat in the toilets because there was no one else you could sit beside.”

He didn’t respond.

“Now look at yourself. All grown up, friends in high places and not a care in the world! Oh what an improvement!” She said sarcastically and he didn’t appreciate it.

“I seem to recall you being a lot less bitchy.”

“Bitchy? Maybe if you took our club seriously I would be a little nicer. I was more than happy pretending you didn’t exist, then lo and behold, you show up and ruin everything.”

“I didn’t have a choice!”

“Oh please, you had a choice. You always had a choice, you just like to pretend you didn’t. You’ve always been free.”

“Free? What the hell are you talking about?”

“I know what you went through, and how much you’ve changed to deal with it. Believe me I felt for you, but you had it easy. Try being an unwanted daughter! I spent my childhood being told I was to be a boy, to be the heir of the family while my elder sister ran off with a servant, leaving me to pick up the pieces, to inherit a future I didn’t want. At least you could change who you were, you could follow a path you laid out for yourself.

Yet in spite of that, with all the choices you had, you chose to become an idiot. Chose to suck up to parasites like Souta’s group that pretend to be your friend because you do whatever he asks. Chose to live aimlessly, like you’ve always been that way! To pretend like you have no place to go.”

Natsuki snapped.

“I made my choices and I’m happy with them! But it’s getting a little irritating hearing people tell me how to live my life!”

“I’m not telling you how to live, you idiot.”

“Then what are you saying? Just making snide comments as usual? Do you enjoy being this bitchy? Is it something you have to think about or does it just come naturally?”

“Snide comments? I’m showing you how fake you are you fucking idiot. The reason you don’t have any ambition isn’t for a lack of interest, you just don’t want to take the step up in case it falls through and you don’t have anything to grasp at.”

He didn’t have a reply for that, he just started to walk away to cool his head.

“Ooh, too hard to handle?! It’s true though, isn’t it. You think acting like an idiot and being a part of the crowd is the only way to live, cause you don’t want to lose your friends. Friends that laugh at you, not with you.”

Still nothing, he was holding it in.

“What happened to you, Natsuki? You lose your balls along the way? You’re so set on avoiding change you completely threw away who you were. You wiped clean anything that made you you, and for what?! You aren’t Natsuki, you’re an actor.”

“What’s so wrong with that?”

She was taken aback.

“You want to know what changed? I got tired sitting in silence. I got tired of watching others have fun together while I sat alone in the dark. So what if I’m not me anymore, what did I gain from being me anyway?” He asked.

Without a word, she slapped him, hard.

“Not going to say anything?” He asked, tasting blood.

“Y’know back then I wanted to be you.”

A flash of the past played in his mind. Young Natsuki running through the woods, splashing in the lake, climbing up to his hideout, and dancing to the music below, together with Eri.

He was speechless.

“I looked at you the same as me. But I realised how different we really were. You took me to a place away from the expectations, from the family lineage, where I could just be me for once. Only to see you again a few years later, acting like a class clown just to get a bit of attention. You changed everything about yourself… you became the old me.

Me? I got lucky. My family were happy to name my sister’s unborn child their heir instead of me, and I was free to become who I wanted to become. I remembered what I loved and improved.”

She stared deep into his eyes, glaring at his soul. “I love the club, and I won’t let you make a mockery of it. I don’t care if you want to keep playing the idiot and letting them make a fool of you, but you will not come back to the club room unless you cut the bullshit. I’d rather see it burn to the ground than let you make it your excuse.”

She walked past him, slamming the door. Once again, Natsuki was left alone in the dark.