Author's Note: I would like to thank all supporters of this story.  By

                                now, I think some of you who read manga might see

                                some similarities between this story and a couple of

                                manga.

Chapter 2

  When Aoi finally woke up, he was surprised to find himself in a bed.  He sat up in a shot, wondering what had happened to him.

  "You're finally awake."  Aoi turned to find Koji perched on a chair, watching him intently.

  "Azaka," Aoi blinked.  He looked around and realised that he was in the infirmary.  "What happened? How did I get here?"

  "You fell asleep during the first period, and nothing could wake you up.  So we brought you here," Koji informed him.

  "What time is it now?" Aoi started getting out of the bed.  "We should still be in time for the last period- "

  "Don't bother," Koji told him.  "School is over."

  "What?" Aoi stopped moving completely.  Koji obligingly repeated himself.  Aoi started mourning, "All that time – wasted!"

  "If you want to blame anybody, you can blame yourself," Koji said severely.  "Miss Fukawa said that you'd overworked yourself and severely lacked sleep."

  "Work!" Aoi suddenly remembered.  "I have to rush to get to work!"

  "Forget it," Koji said flatly.  "You'd best go back home straight and get some rest.  Your body will break down if you continue stressing yourself out."

  "Who cares?" Aoi snapped impatiently, pulling on his shoes.  "As long as I manage to save enough money by next week…"

  "Are you saving for Yuriko's medical fees?" Koji asked.  Aoi nodded.  "How much more do you need?"

  "About 10,000 yen," Aoi replied slowly and he tried to recalculate the family accounts.

  "Ten thousand?" Koji repeated.  "Then I can lend you the money- "

  "My family – the Nashida family – has a very strict rule all of us learn to obey: We cannot spend or use money we do not use our own hands to earn," Aoi told Koji solemnly.

  "Why does your family have such a rule?" Koji groaned.  "That means the 10,000 yen I dropped into your letter-box hasn't been used yet?"

  "You were the one who gave us the money?" Aoi stared.

  "Yeah," Koji admitted.  "That was the other half of the money that I won from that bet."

  "Very good.  Come by later and I'll return the money to you," Aoi picked up his school bag which Koji had brought to the infirmary for him.

  "But if you use it, you don't have to work so hard for some time," Koji protested, opening the door for Aoi.

  "The Nashida family rule- "

  "Look," Koji grabbed hold of Aoi's upper arm to stop him from leaving.  "What if you earned the money?"

  "Earned it?" Aoi stared, puzzled.  "What do you mean?"

  "If I want you to do something for me, and the salary is 10,000 yen, would you accept?" Koji asked, his eyes bright as an idea sprang to mind.

  "As long as it doesn't involve spending the night with you or anything like that," Aoi said firmly.

  "Very good," Koji was pleased.  "Then what you can do now is to go back home and get some rest."

  "But dinner- " Aoi protested.

  "Dinner is on me.  How about that?" Koji smiled.

  "But you help us financially and now you're treating us…" Aoi hesitated.

  "I never said that the job could be finished within the day," Koji smiled.  "So it's natural that I should pay for a couple of dinners."

  "Good point," Aoi frowned.

  "Let's go," Koji smiled, satisfied that Aoi now saw his way too.  "Your brother is probably worried about you now, isn't he?"

  "How do you know Nachi is always worried for me?" Aoi asked.

  "Because he doesn't like you to have any boyfriends," Koji grinned.  "He isn't in love with you, is he?"

  "Definitely not!" Even though Aoi knew the real reason why Nachi didn't like Koji, he was definitely not telling.

*                           *                         *

  Nachi watched Yuriko as she obediently swallowed the pills, accompanied by glasses of water.

  "Nachi, the medicine is bitter," Yuriko made a face.

  "C'mon, just swallow them," Nachi almost begged.  "I don't know how to handle small children."

  "Brother, I'm not small anymore.  I'm twelve," Yuriko reminded him.

  "If you didn't tell me, I might have forgotten," Nachi smiled.  He glanced out of the open door once more.  "What is Aoi doing? Doesn't he intend to go to work today?"

  "Maybe he wore his uniform to work," Yuriko suggested.

  "Isn't that even worse?" Nachi stood up in consternation.  "Everybody at the construction site knows that he's a guy despite his outward appearance.  If they ever see Aoi in his uniform…"

  "Aniki is gonna be on the receiving end of plenty of strange looks," Yuriko finished for him.

*                      *                      *

  "This should be more than enough vegetables?" Koji asked faintly as Aoi juggled with the carrots he had chosen.

  "Once we are done with the carrots," Aoi promised as he finally chose two out of the six carrots he was holding.  "This meal is on you anyway.  Buying a little more won't hurt."

  Aoi watched as Koji paid for the food.  The girl smiled at them as she accepted the money, "Mister, both of you make a really attractive couple."

  "He isn't my- " Aoi started, but was interrupted.

  "Is that so?" Koji was pleased, and it showed from his tone and broad smirk.

  They left the supermarket.  "Let's go," Koji said cheerfully to a rather silent Aoi.

  Aoi looked up at Koji, who was helping him carry the bags cheerfully.  He wondered if he should continue keeping his real identity under wraps.  I should probably keep an eye on the situation before coming to a conclusion.  Wouldn't do for me to make a rash move right now, Aoi finally decided.

  "C'mon, I'll help you carry your school bag," Aoi offered.  Koji obligingly gave up his satchel to Aoi.

  "Cooking won't exhaust you, will it?" It suddenly occurred to Koji to ask, and he looked down at Aoi's seemingly fragile frame, a trifle worried.

  "If cooking could exhaust anybody, I would be bed-ridden by now, you silly idiot!" Aoi laughed.  "Let's run.  The sooner we get back, the sooner I'll finish cooking."

*                  *                 *

  Yuriko did an imitation of a dying human, "Where is Aniki? I'm starving!"

  "I hope nothing has happened to Aoi," Nachi was starting to get worried.  He turned to see Yuriko gyrating across the floor.  "Hey, quit rolling around.  You'll bring the roof down around our ears if you're not careful."

  "I'll starve without any food," Yuriko said mournfully as she continued to roll across the room.

  "You're not the only hungry person here," Nachi gave up trying to stop her.  He was contemplating whether he should join her when Aoi looked in cheerfully.

  "Hi! I'm back!" Aoi stared down at Yuriko who was still in the process of gyrating around.  "Yuriko, get up before I step on you."

  "I'm starving!"

  "I'm cooking tonight."

  "Yes!" Nachi cheered.  "It has been a long time since we had your cooking!"

  "Where did you get the money to buy the food?" Yuriko asked, sitting up properly.

  "It's Azaka's treat tonight," Aoi beamed, stepping into the house and removing his shoes.

  "Koji-kun!" Yuriko greeted happily when she saw her brother's classmate step into sight.

  "Hello," Nachi greeted Koji stonily.  He turned to Aoi, "Aoi, aren't you supposed to be working today?"

  "Well, yeah…" Aoi admitted.  "But I've got Yuriko's medical fees ready, so it's not really necessary for me to work today."

  "Really?" Nachi did not seem very convinced.  "Because I can always go out and work."

  "It's really not a problem!" Aoi dropped the two school bags he was carrying and took over the food from Koji.  "Azaka, you're staying for dinner too, right?"

  "Well…" Koji hesitated.

  "If you can't stay, it doesn't matter," Nachi said encouragingly.  Yuriko stamped on his foot discreetly.

  "Please stay, Koji-kun.  Aoi's cooking is the best.  You'll regret it if you don't stay," Yuriko smiled angelically.

  "Oh, alright," Koji accepted the invitation.  "Could I borrow your telephone…"

  "Oh, we didn't install a 'phone here," Aoi called from the kitchen area.  "It costs too much."

  "There's one down the street," Yuriko told him.

  "Thanks," Koji smiled.

  Nachi waited until he was sure Koji had gone out of hearing before he spoke, "Aniki, why did you bring him back?"

  "How could I not ask him the stay since he is the one who is treating us to dinner?" Aoi responded.  He picked up the empty kettle and handed it to Nachi.  "Fill this up in the park.  We are running on empty again."

  "But- " Nachi started again.  "If he discovers that you are male…"

  "I was thinking about that," Aoi stopped suddenly.  "I was wondering if I should tell him the truth."

  "And if he treats you as a cross-dresser?" Nachi demanded.

  "That's why I hesitated to tell him," Aoi started dicing the carrots.

  "Aniki, I think that you should take this chance to change out of your uniform since Koji-kun isn't back yet," Yuriko said.

  "Good idea," Aoi abandoned the carrots and knife.  "Nachi, help me keep watch outside."

  "Sure, why not?" Nachiw as tired of arguing with his brother.  "Why don't I hug Azaka and call him my brother while I'm at it?"

  "Nachi, you talk way too much," Aoi closed the door.  It took him less than a minute to change.  He opened the door to smile at Nachi.  "Get that water quickly.  I need it for the chicken curry I'm making tonight."

  "Yes, yes," Nachi sighed.  He headed towards the park, and saw Koji coming out of the telephone booth.

  Koji looked up and saw Nachi too.  He didn't know what to say.  It was obvious that Nachi didn't like him much.  Koji was about the pass without a word, when Nachi stopped him.  "You like Aoi?" Nachi asked abruptly.

  "Huh?" Koji was hopelessly lost.

  "I'm asking you if you like Aoi," Nachi repeated.

  "Well, liking is not in the scene…  I mean, Nashida is my classmate…  Ok, so she is good-looking – well, maybe more than just good-looking," Koji rambled on.  Then he finally gave up, "Ok! Fine! So I like Nashida.  So sue me!"

  Nachi paused.  Then he spoke up carefully, "Don't take this the wrong way.  I've got nothing against you – well, not much anyway.  But Aoi is really not for you.  Women are plentiful in this world.  I'd advise you to forget about my sister.  She'll never fall in love with you."

  Koji looked down at Nachi, and met his clear gaze.  He could see the Nachi really meant what he had just said.

  "I know you mean well," Koji finally spoke up.  "But I feel that this is between me and your sister.  It's up to us to decide whether we are compatible with each other in the end.  Plus that, it's against my principles to give up something without a fight."

  "In that case," Nachi pointedly turned away from the older boy, "not even I can help you any more.  You can just go and watch your own self-destruction if you continue this way."  He headed towards the park, away from Koji.

  Koji frowned thoughtfully, "It can't be that serious, can it? 'Self-destruction'?"  Then laughing softly to himself, Koji shrugged and went back to the Nashidas' house.

blue_arc: Sorry if you spot any typing errors or any other mistakes.  This

                 was mostly typed while I was half asleep.  Busy at work these

                 days…

                 I'll try to keep my eyes wider open the next time… I promise.

                 ^_-