Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ I Fall in the Rain ❯ Surreal ( Chapter 1 )

Part. one
Part title. Surreal
Authour. ~sushisama~ (sushivice@netscape.net)
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Notes. Not much in this part, more of an introduction to the situation and a bit into the next part. Unfortunately, due to social life, I don't think I'll have part two up tomorrow. Sorrie. My Spring Break's coming up, though, so I should be able to do a lot of writing then. ;D Read and review, please.

/ / = thoughts [ ] = dreams ( ) = flashbacks
::*~~*::

Ken's days seemed so surreal nowadays. Ever since Osamu's death six months ago, he couldn't think straight. He would look through his textbooks mindlessly, going through school solely by his subconscious. He understood everything he was taught, but had trouble concentrating. But he couldn't let that stop him: now that Osamu was gone, he had to match up to his brother. In his mind, he had to, anyway.
His mother and father missed their eldest son so much. Sometimes Ken felt that they forgot about his very existence as the grieved his death. So he tried to be as good as Osamu, sacrificing all of his free time with friends and playtime, just to get a little attention from his parents.
But there was one person close to him that paid more attention to him than to Osamu's death: Motomiya Daisuke. The auburn-haired boy had been his friend since they had met at a soccer game. The boy was so friendly, open, and honest, the exact opposite of Ken in so many ways.
Daisuke had been there for Ken for everything in the past three years, but the past six months they had been inseparable, surprisingly by Daisuke's choice. Ken himself just wanted to withdraw from everyone, but his friend wouldn't let him, dragging him everywhere, never leaving the blue-haired genius alone aside from school and soccer.
What Ken was glad for was the fact that Daisuke did not make it a big deal to hang out with Daisuke's other friends, like Takeru, or Taichi, or Hikari. He always had a feeling that they didn't like him and he tried avoiding them at all costs. Daisuke had noticed this and did not make him hang out with them unless he wanted to.
Otherwise, it was always just the two of them.
But even though Daisuke had taken care of him so willingly, Ken couldn't help but feel that he was becoming a burden on his friend, though the tan never showed it. After all, it had been six months, everyday spent with each other. Ken did love his time spent with the younger boy, but he wondered how long it would be before Daisuke thought of it more as a chore than just helping his friend.

It was just another afternoon in Ichijouji Ken's life. He left his school and approached a wall near the entrance, his eyes lighting up at the familiar sight of Daisuke lounging on the stones as he did everyday.
"Afternoon, Dai-kun," Ken said in his normal gentle matter, faint traces of a smile on his lips. It had become increasingly easier to smile ever since Daisuke had started to take so much care of him.
Daisuke turned his cinnamon gaze to Ken, a lazy smile on his lips. He stood up straight in order to properly address his friend. "Hey, Ken." He jumped off the wall, grabbing his bag from its spot on the ground and swung it over his shoulder. "Ready to go?"
Ken nodded and they began their trek to his apartment. The two boys preferred staying over there because Ken's parents tended to work late and not come home until very late hours, by which time the boys would normally be passed out on the floor of Ken's room. It was such a common occurrence that when Mrs. Ichijouji came home, she went to her son's room first just to check to see if Daisuke was there, in order to know if she needed to give his mother a call and tell her where her son was.
When they got to the small apartment, the two boys went for one of their favourite places in the entire household: the kitchen. Every afternoon they would rummage for food and then sit around the kitchen table, finishing homework and talking softly to one another. Everything was a routine by now.
Sometimes Ken wondered if that's the way it was supposed to be between friends.
Daisuke set right to work when they got into the kitchen, digging out his textbook and starting on his homework. Another routine: Daisuke would do his homework the second they got to his house(less Ken would start to lecture him on the importance of keeping in school) and Ken would get the food ready for when he was done. Ken hardly had homework because he did most of it in his last class, which was akin to study hall.
"How much do you have to do tonight, Dai-kun?" Ken asked pleasantly as he took a cup of instant ramen from the shelf.
"Not much. I'm already almost done," he lied. To his relief, though, Ken did not notice his fib, which was a miracle considering he was normally horrible at lying. But he wanted to spend the day with Ken, as much of it as he could. After all, today was a very special day.
"There anything to do tonight?" Ken furthered the inquiry, having stuffed the cup in the microwave and waiting for it to cook.
"Yeah, a fair's come to town and I wanted to take you," Daisuke replied as he finished the last of his math problems(though he had much left to do in other classes) and stuffed the papers into his bag before Ken could get a look at his incomplete work.
"A fair?" Ken asked curiously. "I-"
"You've never been to one, I know," Daisuke interrupted with a smile. Ken looked at him questioningly before the brunet responded, "You've always seemed like someone that doesn't have enough fun, Ken. I figured that you never had gone to one, which is one of the reasons I wanted to take you."
"Only one of the reasons?"
Daisuke blushed a bit. "Um... yeah... Only one of them."
"What are some of the others?"
"Can't tell you," the younger boy replied with a mischievous grin.
"Why not?" Ken asked with a mock pout.
"Because it would ruin the surprise."