Chapter 1: Rice Balls
The two High School girls giggled as they walked down the side walk. It was the first day of the new school year, and both were hoping to finally make t into the popular circle.
Now, turn attention away from the bimbos and focus on the main character.
Sirens rang throughout the streets and heavy footsteps kept getting closer to the two girls. A boy their age burst past them, knocking them down.
He yelled a quit, “Stay out of my way!” and kept running.
Ronmaru Miyabe, or Ring as his gang, and the police, called him.
He had been walking to school that day when the police stopped him. Naturally they were suspicious, and Ronmaru, being Ronmaru, thought it would be funny to start running, making him seem even more suspicious.
He laughed, noticing him ahead of the police. He turned his head forward again and rammed into a short boy.
They both fell to the ground and Ronmaru groaned and rubbed a red spot that was forming on his head.
“Alright! Whoever knocked me down his fucking dead!!” he stood up and froze.
A boy, who looked to be around 14 years old.
“Uh, sorry?”
The boy opened his eyes and looked up at Ronmaru, forcing him to blush slightly under his teal-blue gaze.
Suddenly he shot up, “I’m so sorry! Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Um, no. I should be the one apologizing,”
The sirens seemed to get closer, and Ronmaru grabbed the boy, pulling him behind a tree near the park and covering his mouth.
The police drove past and Ronmaru sighed.
He let go and the boy stumbled forward. He turned to Ronmaru.
“Sorry bout that kid,”
“Kid? I’m 17,”
Ronmaru shot back, “You look like you’re 14!!”
“A lot of people say that,” the boy said, a smile on his face.
“So, you’re new or something?”
The boy nodded and put his hand out, “Yuuya Suikoku. It’s nice to meet you,”
“Ronmaru Miyabe,”
Ronmaru walked back out to the sidewalk and looked both ways.
“Um, were you running from those police?” Yuuya asked timidly.
“Yea,”
“Why?”
Blank stare.
“Actually, for once, I don’t know,” Ronmaru said, looking up.
Yuuya turned, “Well, I have to go to school,”
“You’re going the wrong way,”
Yuuya turned and walked the other way, “Right. Bye then,”
Ronmaru started walking the opposite way.
“Heeey, look at this cutie,”
Ronmaru turned and gaped.
Two drunk looking men were in front of Yuuya.
“Wanna come play with us?”
“Sorry, I have school,”
“Don’t be shy, we can let you pick out the toys,”
“Really?”
Ronmaru punched the two guys and they fell to the ground bleeding.
“Just how airheaded are you!?” he asked.
Yuuya was walking away again.
“Geeze. I’ll walk with you. If I don’t you might get kidnapped,”
“Thanks,” Yuuya smiled at him.
Ronmaru just rolled his eyes.
They got to the school a little later, and Ronmaru groaned.
“Guess I have no choice,” he mumbled to himself.
He lead Yuuya up the stairs into the school.
At the sight of him, students pressed up against the walls and lockers. Bullies dropped their victims and ran away down the hallway.
Nothing’s changed much. Ronmaru thought.
“Um, Miyabe-san?” Yuuya stated, walking faster to keep up with him, “Do you go here?”
“Yea,”
“What class,”
Ronmaru shrugged.
They got to the homeroom class and looked at the paper taped to the door.
“Yup. I’m in this class. You are to,”
He blinked and drew his finger down the list.
“Wonder if Tetsuya’s gonna show up or not,”
“Who?”
“A friend,”
They both entered the class room and the teacher screamed.
“Oh, M-Miyabe-kun,” he stuttered, “P-please take a seat,”
Ronmaru sat in the back and people moved at least one seat away from him. Except for Yuuya who sat next to him.
The class started and Ronmaru just sat there. He was nearly asleep when the door slammed open.
He fell back on his chair and there was laughing.
“Tetsuya,” Ronmaru sighed under his breath.
He sat neck up and looked to see a tall red head standing near the door, a humorous look on his face.
“Just sit down, Izumi-kun,” the teacher sighed.
Tetsuya skipped over and sat in front of Ronmaru, who just shook his head.
The bell rang and everyone sprinted from the room.
“Why are you here?” Ronmaru asked his friend.
“Why are YOU here?” Tetsuya asked back.
Ronmaru pointed to Yuuya.
“Oh, you found an Uke?”
Ronmaru punched Tetsuya, who just laughed.
Yuuya stared at them, confused, “What’s an Uke? A food?”
Tetsuya laughed harder and Ronmaru stood up.
“I think I’ve had enough for today. I’m going home,”
“What? It’s still school!” Yuuya stood up too.
“So?”
“We still have classes!”
“Your point?”
Yuuya grabbed Ronmaru’s arm, “You’re the only one I know here!”
Ronmaru stared at him for so long it seemed like an eternity.
“Fine,” he sighed rubbing his head.
Yuuya sighed in relief.
Tetsuya stared at Ronmaru for a second, then jumped up.
“Well, I gotta split. Busy today,”
Ronmaru narrowed his eyes, “If you’re planning on starting trouble-,”
“I’m not, I’m not!” Tetsuya giggled, “Quit worrying. I’ll see you at the house,”
He walked out of the room and Ronmaru turned to Yuuya.
“What class do you have next, or whatever?”
Yuuya showed Ronmaru a paper.
“Alright, let’s go to History,” he sighed, “This is such a hassle,”
“Sorry. I’ll make it up to you, okay?” Yuuya said, his eyes sparkling.
Ronmaru waved his hand, “Don’t bother. Let’s just go,”
Ronmaru led Yuuya to History class, and after that Biology. Then it was lunch.
“That kid is following Miyabe around like a baby duckling,” someone whispered.
Ronmaru shot them a death glare and they dashed away.
He stopped and Yuuya walked into him.
“Why the hell do you keep following me around!?” Ronmaru screamed.
Yuuya stepped back, his eyes wide. He looked at the ground, “I…um….I’m sorry. I just….thought you were nice…….and you helped me earlier……and, um,”
Ronmaru rubbed his eyes, “Nice? I’m not nice. I’m far from nice. Haven’t you noticed all the people running away from me?”
“I…..I just thought-,”
“No, you didn’t! You’re a fucking airhead! Space cadet! Ditzy fucking idiot!”
Yuuya looked down, his eyes wide.
“I……..I know I’m not really……,” he looked up, confused, tears streaming down his face, “I don’t get it,”
Ronmaru gaped at Yuuya, shocked.
“What?”
Yuuya wiped his eyes, “I’m not sure why you’re yelling at me,”
“Dude! You’re such a kid!”
Yuuya looked up, “I-I’m following you around because I like you. You seem nice,”
“I’m fucking not nice!”
“B-but you’ve been acting nice! Why would you act like that if you weren’t really like that?”
Because if I don’t someone might steal you.
Ronmaru spun on his heel and folded his arms, “Because you act like a fucking five year old and that could get you in serious trouble. There are bad people out there who would love to do bad things to you,”
“Bad things like what?”
“Jesus are you really that innocent?!”
Ronmaru sighed and rubbed his forehead, “Fine. I’m sorry okay?”
Yuuya blinked, more tears sliding down his face.
“You’re sorry?”
“Yea,”
“Do you mean it?”
Ronmaru rolled his eyes, “Yes,”
“You swear you’re sorry?”
“YES!”
Yuuya stared at him, more tears sliding out.
Stay calm.
Ronmaru took a breath, “Yes, I am very sincerely sorry for yelling at you,”
Yuuya looked him up and down, “Okay,” he said, and grabbed his arm, “I’m hungry,”
“Well, it’s lunch,”
“I brought a bento,”
“Who the hell makes a bento?”
“My grandma made it for me,”
“Well, I refuse to sit with those idiots in the cafeteria,” Ronmaru snarled.
“Is there a way onto the roof?”
“Yea,”
Ronmaru and Yuuya walked up to the roof and sat down.
Yuuya handed Ronmaru a rice ball.
“What’s that?”
“Food, silly,”
Ronmaru looked away, “Don’t need it,”
“But if you don’t eat you’ll have no energy,”
Ronmaru sighed ad took the rice ball.
Yuuya stared at him till he took a bite. He gagged, “This is fucking sweet!!!”
Yuuya’s face turned sad.
“I mean. Yummy,” Ronmaru took another bite and Yuuya smiled.
______________________________________________________________________________
“Fine! I’ll walk you home!” Ronmaru sighed.
Yuuya blinked, “I didn’t ask you to,”
Ronmaru grabbed his hand and dragged him away from the school.
“Your house is this way, right?”
“Y-yes,”
They slowed down and ended up walking.
“Y-you can let go of my hand now,”
Ronmaru snatched his hand away, blushing, “Sorry,”
Yuuya smiled.
“Hey, Miyabe-kun, where do you live?”
“Same direction,”
“Who do you live with?”
“No one, really,” he said, “My mom’s sick and in the hospital, my dad walked out on us when I was still really young. Tetsuya sleeps over most of the time,”
“Is he your friend?”
“Yea. We’re pretty close,”
“How did you meet?”
Ronmaru bit his lip, “That’s not important,”
He looked sideways at Yuuya, “What about you?”
“I live with my grandma and grandpa. My mom and dad died in a car accident,”
“I see,”
Yuuya nodded, “I live here,” he stopped in front of a Japanese style house and waved to Ronmaru, “See you at school tomorrow,”
“Yea,”
Ronmaru turned and walked down the street till he turned a dark corner.
He slipped through a chain link fence and stopped in the middle of a group of guys.
“Finally. Where have you been, Ring?” one guy asked.
“Pre occupied. I have my own life you know,”
The guy, a burly man with black hair, laughed, “Yea, I bet. You’re little friend was making trouble today,”
Ronmaru held his breath.
“Don’t worry though, we taught him a lesson about respect,”
Ronmaru narrowed his eyes.
“If he’s lying in an alley way somewhere-,”
“Oh, don’t be so uptight. We saw him stumble away,”
Ronmaru folded his arms and glared menacingly at the people around him.
“I’m leaving now,” he said and walked through the crowd.
“Be careful Ring,” the black haired guy said, “Not all of us are terrified of you,”
Ronmaru passed through the junkyard and slid through another hole in the gate. He walked a few blocks until he got to a two story house with the light on in the living room.
He unlocked the door and closed it, making sure to re lock it. The blinds were closed, and Tetsuya was lying on the couch.
He opened his eyes, saw Ronmaru and sat up, wincing.
“Welcome back,”
Ronmaru sighed and grabbed a box from the dining room table, then sat down next to Tetsuya.
“I thought I said not to make any trouble,”
Tetsuya laughed, wincing, “I know, I’m sorry,”
Ronmaru opened the box, revealing a first aid kit. He got a wet cloth and started dabbing a cut over Tetsuya’s eye brow.
“So, how was school?” Tetsuya laughed.
“Terrible. I can’t believe I actually stayed,”
He put a band aid on the cut and wiped blood away from his lip.
“And that kid?”
“Yuuya,”
“Already calling him by his first name? Someone’s made a new friend,”
Ronmaru pressed down and Tetsuya jumped.
“Ouch!”
“Woops,”
Ronmaru stood back, “Come on, I know they kicked your stomach too,”
He pulled out and ace bandage and turned to Tetsuya, who pulled his shirt off wincing.
“He was a cute kid,” Tetsuya said, “A bit rape-able,”
“What?! That’s not even a word!”
Tetsuya laughed and winced.
Ronmaru started wrapping the bandage around his stomach.
“He was cute though,”
“Mm,”
“Why’d you stay, huh?”
Ronmaru sat back and closed the box, “I don’t know. There was something about him that I wanted to protect,”
“You make the cheesiest comments,”
“Want me to tighten that wrap?” Ronmaru glared.
Tetsuya laughed more and gripped his side.
“What happened anyway?”
Tetsuya shrugged, “I was passing through like I usually do and they just started wailing on me,”
“So the Mad Man lied,” Ronmaru mused.
He tossed Tetsuya a pillow and blanket, “Sleep there tonight. Don’t move too much, alright?”
Tetsuya nodded and laid down, “You going back to school tomorrow?”
Ronmaru set the box down and thought about it. The teachers sucked, the students were all crazy, the subjects were boring as hell, but for some reason, he wanted to see Yuya again.
“Yea, planning to,”
“For that kid?”
“Shut up,”
“Don’t deny it. Your glowing, Ring. I think the big bad Gang member has a little crush,”
“Tetsuya! We’re both guys,”
Tetsuya stared at him, “So? I’m gay,”
“You’re serious?”
“Yea. I mean, I don’t like you, but I’m gay. What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing. I just never really thought about it before,”
“Well, here’s your chance,” Tetsuya smiled, “I mean, he might not like you back, but what’s the harm in exploring your feelings?”
“Dude, you know I just met him, right?”
“So? Look how much he’s bonded with you already. Even now you’re thinking about how sweet he was,”
“You’re a fucking bastard,”
“That’s what I’m here for,”
Ronmaru turned the light off and climbed the stairs to his own room.
He pulled his shirt off and fell onto his bed.
He just met Yuuya, but he had been so nice to him.
“That rice ball,” he mumbled, “Really did taste terrible,” he turned on his side, “But why didn’t I tell him that?”