The Dream Shifter

Chapter 135

The two boys were a little reluctant, but they could see that their teacher was not backing down. His insistent glare made it clear to them. Both hurried out the class leaving the two alone. Haruo stood up carrying his bag with books over his shoulder planning to leave. Mr. Asanuma put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Yoneda, you have a little time to spare? I'd like to show you something, if it's alright with you."

Haruo looked up at the teacher in silence with a pensive look that seemed impossible to penetrate. 'I wasn't sure why he had done all that for me. No one ever bothered and I didn't think they should. I had planned to just turn him down and leave without a word, but there was something that made me a little curious. Perhaps I just wanted an answer, but I followed him.'

His teacher led him out of the school and a few blocks away to his house. He offered Haruo his bath to use to clean up while he had his clothes cleaned. After a bath, there was food on the table where they remained in silence. Once finished Haruo was considering leaving, but he still had questions. 'Mr. Asanuma gave me these chances and yet I still was looking for a reason, an angle that he was working. I had to know.'

Haruo pushed the plate away from him. He stared across the table at his teacher. "Why?" There was a serious deep expression on Haruo that had never known simple kindness. It was so foreign for him.

"Do I need a reason?" his teacher quickly replied to Haruo. "I did it because I wanted to help someone in a problem. That's what people do. When you can't do it alone there are others to support you." He picked up the plates and put them over on the counter by the sink.

Haruo stood up from the chair refusing to believe it was so simple. "What do you want? No one does anything for nothing! That's not the way it works!"

All Mr. Asanuma did was smile for a moment pleased by something that Haruo could not fathom. "I'm pleased to hear your voice. I think that's the most I've heard from you even in class."

"You're weird."

"Perhaps, but I don't think silence is your answer. You have strong mind and patience. There's a lot you can do."

"They aren't worth the time. Everyone's got selfish interests, it's best just to ignore them."

"I see…" His teacher became quiet once more thinking deeply. It was several minutes before he said anything again. "It's decided then!"

"What is?" Haruo stepped back catching the look in the man's eye as he had come up with a plan. The idea to leave came to him once more.

"I'm aware of your situation. So I want you to stay here!"

That was enough for him. Haruo narrowed his eyes and started to walk away. "It's pity for you isn't it? I won't accept it. Everyone's the same. I'll do this alone." He walked off back to the door starting to put his shoes back on.

Mr. Asanuma gave a sigh and entering the hallway looking down to the door where Haruo's back was turned to him. "I guess I shouldn't make decisions for you. How about this then? My door is always open for you to come and use my house whenever you need. If you need a bath it's here. If you need food to eat it's here. Come on your own terms, but you don't have to be alone."

Haruo did not say anything opening the door. He paused for a moment before leaving and disappearing into the evening veil of darkness. 'I was determined. I thought he was doing it so that I owed him or for his own self satisfaction, yet he never asked or said anything. I found new uniforms at my desk in the morning that fit me. Eventually, I ended up returning insisting it was only for a bath since I had no money to afford it myself and he still said nothing to me. It was exactly as he said… He was…my support…'

Haruo shook off the memories looking back at Yuki. The words he had said still ringing lightly in his ears. He let out a small sigh still not convinced of anything, but there was something that he was certain about. "You're weird…"

Yuki simply smiled back to Haruo. Being called weird was nothing new for Yuki and it was bit of something that he embraced at the point that he had reached. However, there was something else that he was feeling upon the words. It was subtle, but it seemed like there was a connection made. Yuki could be pleased with that for the time.

A wind blew through them echoing the silence. The windows of the house that they rested near rattled a little with its attention not reaching anyone. There was a large tree that had clearly sprouted up from Yuki's imagination with it feeding around two of the houses and cement property wall. Its sudden growth had not cracked or destroyed the wall that it was being vivisected at the base of the trunk. The large extended canopy provided the two boys with ample shade from the unguarded sun.

Nearby around the stretch of houses Yuki could hear the distant murmurings of voices from the students on their lunch break. It made him remember that he had left in the middle of his food. It had only been chance that he had seen a group of boys ganging up on someone that spurred his need to save someone. Up until then he had been getting used to being the one that was bullied with his refusal to fight back at all. The life of a fighting delinquent had been something that he had left behind. However, ever since he had cleared out the fog around his repressed memories he changed his decision. Fighting or taking the beating was not the issue for him any longer. It was that he had strength and the ability to do something, but he had been letting it be wasted on fears and uncertainty. He could help those in trouble and that had always been something that was paramount for him even if he had painted it over repeatedly with excuses and empty reasoning.

Now he was going stop hiding and move to the front on his own. The brief scuffle with the street punks had made him feel good. There was something new that seemed completely natural for him and yet not like what he had felt before. It puzzled him a little, but he felt grateful to Haruo even if it might seem like he had been used for Yuki to make his own discovery. 'I'm going keep trying with him. I think I might have a chance this time!' Yuki took a firm nod in affirmation before standing in front of Haruo. "I've decided!" Yuki exclaimed with excitement that only managed to get a long and questioning look of annoyance from Haruo. "We're going to be friends!"

Haruo managed a bit of a twisted look of confusion as he became very still. 'He's decided?' Familiarity in how similar the words were had not been missed on Haruo, yet it was something else that had him frozen. He understood Yuki less the longer that he listened to him. The only thing that seemed to be consistent was the unexpected. 'Why?'

What had him numb was something far more subtle. It would have seemed fairly unimportant for most, but it was as unfamiliar to him as it was to know the love of a parent. '…Friend?' The word hung in his mind like a haunting tune. It had almost seemed impossible for him to say at first. He had never considered anyone friends, even Mr. Asanuma he saw a teacher or at best an acquaintance. Haruo was not sure what to make of Yuki's bold statement. He had wanted to snap back at him quickly with a response that would send him away or even just walk off himself, but neither his legs nor mouth were going to help him. There was something he could not explain that seemed almost curious. The sensation was beyond his words to describe.

All of the reactions had gone completely oblivious to Yuki. Yuki was distracted partly in his thoughts of what he was going to do with his newly declared friend. He was determined, unfortunately none of that was getting through to Haruo anymore. "So you hungry? I know I am! I was starting lunch when I came out to help you. Haruo?" When he had figured out that Haruo was not catching anything that he was saying Yuki reached out with his hand touching his shoulder. "You in there, Haruo?" It had taken a moment for him to come around, but once eye contact had been made so Yuki was pleased. "You want some lunch? We've got plenty back at school. I bet Saki will be surprised to see you!"

The only response that Haruo gave was silence. It became a little colder after Yuki had spoken about the school leaving Yuki a little puzzled. 'Haruo is certainly a man of few words. I don't think I've seen anyone this quiet before.' Yuki was going to get an answer out of him, that he was certain. "You're pretty strong looking. You could probably help out with the school if you want as well. I was a surprised by how many of the students actually turned out to help. What you say, Haruo?" Yuki stared over at Haruo with the expectation that he was going to get a reply.

Haruo thought to himself further having been broken out of his cycling trap. He had seen the school earlier and planned to avoid it. Yuki's offer had not changed his mind on that matter. 'Why's he being so persistent about this?' Haruo tried to move out of the way now that his legs were working once more. Leaving was going to be his answer to Yuki. It would have been if Yuki had not stepped around him quickly to get in his way. At each step Haruo was countered by Yuki.

Eventually, it came down to the two almost glaring at each other hardening themselves to the standoff. Both were refusing to give up their positions. Yuki wanted an answer and Haruo wanted to leave. No one had been so stubborn with Haruo. He was used to having patience to outlast others, but this was the first time it was seriously being put to the test. Yuki had already worn him down some from before leaving him short before this new faceoff began.

"…No…"

It was such a brief answer that Yuki had nearly missed Haruo even speaking, being caught up in being a roadblock. "Why?" Yuki held his ground making it clear that he was going to be satisfied with a simply answer.

Haruo refrained from speaking again figuring that it would be enough. It had bought him a little more patience, but seeing that Yuki was not back down made him frustrated. Explaining himself to anyone was not the way he worked. A part of him however was starting to feel like changing that after the way that Yuki was acting. Something reacted on its own not even going through his layers of filters usually held before speaking. "Because I don't like being in crowds."

"Huh?" Yuki questioned. He had an answer, but it was not what he had thought it might be. "But you're at school anyway during the week. It's the same people!"

"I tolerant it while at school."

"I see…" The answer was making Yuki come up with even most questions. There was more to Haruo that he wanted to understand. He was not sure if he would have another chance to talk to him as he was now. "How come you don't like crowds?"

"It's a long story…" Haruo replied becoming a little distant like he was being distracted by something.

Yuki looked around the grass street that they were standing in. There was nothing that he could find though. As far as he could see there were houses and grass kept in a natural chaos. The tree provided them with enough shade for it to be a decent spot in Yuki's mind. A thin light ring spread out from his feet that produced two wooden crates each placed behind the two of them. Yuki sat down and looked up at Haruo's questioning stare. "Thought you might want to sit. If you don't like the crate I can come up with something else."