" They don't teach me what I want to be taught", Said Chūya to his friend Tarõ. The chilly air of early March was blowing freely despite the Sun who was showering its warm rays. Chūya pulled his blazer closer as the wind blowed and fiddled with his hair.
Tarõ would be lying if he won't admit how much he is attached to this stubborn redhead. A sigh crept out of his mouth as he said, "It's because you only wants to be taught literature and philosophy". Chūya slightly pouted on his words and started complaining. It wasn't his fault that he liked to feel everything deeply unlike others who are happy to know the epidermis. That was why he was so much interested in knowing what people have a say about this life. He once shuddered at the thought of feeling the pain more deeply than he already do and yet he was intrigued by it. While Tarõ would be pushy about him talking like a anthropologist yet having a firm belief in the supreme power, Chūya would wave him off by saying that it has been weaved into him since he was a kid.
The sound of school bell pierced through his ears- oh God what does the peon eat before ringing the 'reassess being over' bell.
The school bell rang through the school tearing off the peaceful environment. Seriously, What does the peon eat before ringing the 'reassess is over' bell. Or maybe Chūya was imagining. Anyways, Chūya stood up from his place on the school ground and hurried up to his classes. It was geography class and it sucks, not like other subjects don't, but still social science was the most boring subject of them all. Tarõ seems to be comfortable with it though. He would sail through all the classes without releasing a single yawn or a single word. Sometime he could be as boring as the lessons. Chūya was fiddling with his pen as he considered all the major flora and fauna found at a hot desert. It was such a pain to learn it all. ( key: hot desert have very scarce flora and fauna)
The teacher stopped his boring lecture to ask for any doubt which he had none. How can he when all the things went above his head? After solving some unrelated/ impossible doubts, teacher sighed and muttered something like 'insufferable students' under his breadth and asked, "Did you yet complete your work Nakahara kun?". The syllabus is almost completed and test series are going to begin and here was Chūya stuttering over his words to answer back. Teacher took his stuttering as a no and told him to submit his pending work by tomorrow. Teacher left the students before the next teacher could come to take up from there. Tarõ patted his back to comfort him, "Now then Miyajawa san won't be happy to see his disciple in misery."
As expected it resulted in an outburst by Chūya, but a friendly one stating that, "Insult me as much as you want but don't include Miyazawa San" Sure Chūya respected him too much for that to happen. And here started the world war 3 between the two. But unlike the pitiful result of the world war, this one war of the bickering ended with both laughing out loud. All, including Tarõ, were mesmerized by the lively laughs of Chūya. Just like his name Chūya, was as pure as clear water. Too honest to thrive in this world of lies. They decided to walk home together. Chūya didn't like to go alone but at the end of the walk he would always be left alone. He had many friends and yet no one. Many admirers and yet alone. Alone to find the spark of light in this world of thorns of misery.
Tarõ said his good bye at the usual place: 2 blocks away from Chūya's house. He was the only permanent friend of Chūya who could keep up with the latter's antics; rest would run away after a few months no matter how much Chūya charm him. Sun might look glorious from afar yet no one has the capability to even step near it.
Chūya bid his goodbye and continued on the rest of the path alone. Over the past months he had learned to live on his own, though not monetarily. He was too young for that. He was sent to Kyoto by his parents but he wanted to come to Tokyo with Tarõ and Yasuko, so he did. He had to recover from the 'loss' of failing a grade, and with it failing his parents. Though in his language his plan of cutting off the chain biding him, was a success.
The asphalt of concrete turned to a duller shade as he crossed a block to his apartment. Chūya never called it his home, because it wasn't. No matter how stiff and blizzard-like childhood he had but nothing could rival that golden era. The sun shining over head and his clothes were soaked with sweat. It might as well rain in a few days. Ameonna must come soon or the ginger might die from the heat. Chūya's legs were giving up for he hadn't had much rest. He made a mental note to walk more from now on. No he don't like to seem weak; after all he has a reputation to maintain. Chūya looked at his apartment and started ascending the stairs which creaked in the procedure after being warned out with age. One can take him as a prodigal (they should see the age of poor boy at the moment), but not some money wasting device. Spending on drinks in this age doesn't count, right? That, and the major reason was that he didn't had a reason to show off. He wasn't interested at all. He slowly walked through the hall way because he doesn't wish to disturb his neighbour, that, and he didn't wished to alert the landlady who has the ears of a coyote. Chūya was dense enough to not to notice that why the young lady (if you can call her that in her 30s) spoiled him rotten. He took the poor woman as an irritating and over protective mother. *sigh* only if he had known how many hearts he has stolen in his apartment and school through just simply passing by their sides. Sometime even boys would gawk at him, but no one had the courage to handle a very stubborn and short tempered chibi, maybe except Tarõ. But the latter knows well enough that the heart of the ginger had already being taken by an aspiring actress, Yasuko. Once Chūya heard Tarõ say something to himself when the latter met Yasuko for the first time. Though poor Chūya couldn't interpret it. Tarõ said to himself, 'It is ok Tarõ. Maybe next time.'
Chūya slides the hagi door of his room open which creaked in a protest. He sheepishly went to his study table which was apparently a chabudai. He sat directly on the tatami floor without grabbing a cushion. He opened his bag and took out the books to prepare for the upcoming exam. But first the young adult had some business to take care of: to write a letter for Yasuko that could express his feelings for her. He would have avoided taking first step or better forgot about her as he did for Michiko (after knowing about her disgusting truth) if he had known what future had stored in for him. Love can't be forgotten and he would have always kept them in his mind, but sometime for consequences you have to do what's best even if that mean to walk on lava. Latter in his life he would regret ever falling in love on the first place, for it is going to left a big hole in his heart. But then universe will give him a chance to recover, ne? It will give him a shoulder to cry on and a chance to become the shoulder to relay on, right? The universe must give him his last hope. But until the avalanche comes Chūya can hum quietly and write a cryptic letter for his beloved.
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Word count:- 1376
▪︎ The name of this chapter is taken from a story by Dazai San
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Last Hope (Soukoku)
Fanfiction"They don't teach what I want to be taught", Said a ginger to his friend. "It's because you only wants to be taught literature and Philosophy",Tarõ said in return. For Chūya his life has always been an implied inconvenience and covered with so much...
