Note: I have nothing to do with Here is Greenwood and its characters except to be a fan who enjoys the OVAs a lot. This story is my extrapolation of the storylines as seen in the OVAs. I apologize if this story doesn't quite fit in with the manga.
The curtains were drawn shut, but there was illumination enough that the room's light was unnecessary.
Two boys, nearly men, lay on the lower bunk, the blanket stretched across their midsections barely covering them. The older of the two lay flat on his back, his silver-lavender hair slightly mussed. He had his arms wrapped around the shoulders of the other boy, one of his hands gently stroking his red hair. The younger boy's cheek rested softly against the older boy's chest while his free arm lay across his bedmate's waist.
At first glance the younger one seemed to be asleep, but then his eyes slowly opened.
"Senpai," he whispered, tilting his head.
The older boy looked down at him. "Yes?"
"Thank you," the younger one answered softly. "For what you've given me, thank you."
The older boy smiled. "No, thank you," he said. "I didn't hurt you did I?"
The younger boy shook his head. "You could never hurt me, senpai."
The older boy leaned down and kissed the other boy's forehead. "Not willingly or knowingly," he corrected his lover gently. "But I'm glad just the same."
The younger boy lowered his head back to the other's chest. Then, abruptly, he yawned. "I'm a little sleepy, senpai," he said softly.
"Then sleep, koibito," the older said. "I'll be right here when you wake up."
"I want to be with you forever, senpai," the younger one whispered. "Please say we won't ever be apart again."
The other boy leaned down and kissed his lover again. "Silly," he said softly. "Only death will ever part us, and I'll wait until we can be together once more. And then we will truly be together forever." He kissed his lover a third time. "You're mine, Ken-chan, and I'm yours. For now and forever."
"Forever?" Kenichi asked. His voice was the merest breath as his eyes closed.
"Forever."
"Ai shiteru, senpai," Kenichi breathed, nestling against his lover's chest.
"Ai shiteru, Ken-chan," Seishiro said softly, closing his eyes.
"Ai shiteru."
* * *
"Cut!"
Shinobu opened his eyes as Kazuya rolled off of him. He glanced over at his friend, noting how calm and relaxed he looked.
After their tumultuous first kissing scene by the koi pond, subsequent kisses had been child's play. The strange, unexpected passion and emotion he'd felt that first time had never arisen again, but it didn't matter. There was a new closeness between Kazuya and himself, and it was worth any discomfort that the movie had caused for them.
He liked being an older brother. Kazuya came to him more readily than before, and was slightly less nervous around him. Before he'd turned almost exclusively to Mitsuru for comfort and support. He'd turned to Shinobu only when there was something far beyond the ordinary threatening them, like Misako's two visitations.
Now, though, they were almost affectionate towards each other. He was always tempted to reach out and ruffle Kazuya's hair the way Mitsuru sometimes did, but he usually settled for simply squeezing Kazuya's shoulder in greeting. On the whole, it made up for all the hardships he'd suffered because of Nagisa's plots and machinations. It was like something had been missing in his life, only to finally be filled by Kazuya's love and trust.
"Shinobu-senpai," someone said.
Shinobu sighed and turned. "Are we through, Tochizawa?"
The bespectacled boy grinned. "It's a wrap!" he said excitedly. "Everything went perfectly!"
"I'm glad. Now get out of here so Hasukawa and I can get dressed."
"Right." Tochizawa nodded, still beaming. "Thanks, senpai, Suka!" He turned and exited, closing the door behind him.
Kazuya rolled onto his side again. His arm reached across to grasp Shinobu's far hip. He moved his head to rest it against Shinobu's chest once more.
"Kazuya?"
"Aniki," the other boy said, and Shinobu felt the same thrill of pleasure and happiness he'd felt the first time he'd been called "older brother" by Kazuya. "You don't mind, do you?"
Shinobu shook his head. "No." He reached up and gently stroked Kazuya's hair.
"I wish we didn't have to get up," Kazuya said softly. "I like being here with you."
Shinobu's eyebrow rose and he glanced down at his friend. "Really?" He felt Kazuya's head move as he nodded.
"Yes. I feel safe and warm and protected here with you. And being this close to you I feel loved and cherished."
"You are loved and cherished, Kazuya," Shinobu pointed out. "Mitsuru loves you, and Shun loves you. So do Kazuhiro and Sumire." He leaned down, burying his nose in Kazuya's fine red hair. "I love you."
"And I love you." They were silent for a moment, then Kazuya sighed. "But I guess I'll never be this close to you again."
"Not like this, no," Shinobu said, agreeing. "But do you need us to be this close?" He smiled to himself as Kazuya flushed.
"I guess not," he said, sighing again. "But I wish that we could be this close, on occasion."
Shinobu wasn't sure how to respond to that. He, too, enjoyed their special closeness, which seemed most clearly expressed when they were together like this, or when they had kissed during the other scenes. Truth be told, he enjoyed kissing Kazuya. Despite his brusqueness, the younger boy could be gentle and tender, qualities that became more evident when they were sharing something intimate. Igarashi Miya was a lucky girl.
It wasn't that he had designs on his friend. That wasn't what their relationship was about. They loved each other, as friends and as brothers, and that was all either of them wanted. Still...
"We could arrange for it," he said softly, glancing down at Kazuya. "If you really wanted to, we could always go someplace together during one of the vacations."
Kazuya blushed. "No, it's not necessary."
Shinobu's lip twitched. "I didn't think it would be." He shook his head and drew away, slipping out of bed. "We'd better get dressed." He pulled his jeans on over the briefs he'd been wearing all along and tossed Kazuya's clothes to him before pulling on his shirt.
Kazuya sighed. "I guess so." He, too, got out of bed and began dressing.
Shinobu studied his friend. The marks left from the scabs had nearly faded away, but one in particular remained pale and noticeable.
Shinobu scowled. He'd come close to losing his friend--his brother because of Nagisa's blind jealousy. Lost him before he'd found him. On the other hand, he would never have found out how much he truly cared about Kazuya or how close they'd become if Nagisa hadn't kidnapped and tortured him.
Shinobu reluctantly conceded that he owed Nagisa a small debt of gratitude, although in the overall picture it was Nagisa who actually owed him a lot for not telling their father about everything she'd done or tried to do to him.
"Aniki?"
He shook himself out of his reverie. "Yes, Kazuya?"
"I was wondering if--" The younger boy broke off, blushing brightly.
"Wondering what?"
Kazuya swallowed. "I was wondering if I could kiss you one last time." Still flushing, he closed his eyes and turned away.
Shinobu didn't say anything. He reached out and grasped Kazuya's shoulder, pulling gently on it to turn the younger boy around. Then he touched his palm to Kazuya's cheek, reveling in the way Kazuya leaned into it. Then, slowly, he lowered his head and kissed his friend.
The kiss didn't last too long, but it was long enough.
Shinobu straightened and smiled gently at his friend's trembling lips. "You need only ask, Kazuya," he said. "Seishiro is a part of me now, and he'll always be there for his Ken-chan."
"Senpai," Kazuya gasped.
Shinobu chuckled. "Ai shiteru, 'Ken-chan.' For now and forever."
* * *
It took Aoki and Tochizawa a week after the final shooting before Tochizawa finally pronounced the movie ready for viewing. That left a single week before the contest deadline, but Tochizawa had arranged to deliver his entry by hand, so he still had time to make last minute changes. It wasn't a lot of time, but it was there if he needed it.
Kazuya was happy. Not so much that he was finally going to be able to see what the final product of all their hard work was like, but that Tochizawa wasn't going to be showing it in room 210 as he'd done before with "Here is Devilwood." This time it would be in the reception room downstairs.
The residents of Greenwood had decided to turn the whole thing into a party. Someone had bought several large cases of canned drink, from soda to fruit juice to coffee and tea. A few beer cans were also in evidence. Others had brought in bags of chips, boxes of mochi, rolls of sushi, and hordes of other foodstuffs.
The mood was festive and infectious. As Kazuya navigated the room to return to his friends he was the victim of much good-natured teasing. He didn't mind, though. Having spent so much time with Shinobu-senpai, he was now able to remain calm and controlled. More than that, he saw that Shinobu-senpai didn't let the teasing bother him so he didn't let it bother him.
Actually, Kazuya was ambivalent about the whole thing. Whatever Tochizawa and Aoki had concocted couldn't compare to the reality that had, however temporarily, existed between Shinobu-senpai and himself. Seishiro's relationship with Kenichi was only a pale imitation of real life, and it was nothing compared to what he now shared with his "big brother." The only thing that Kenichi got to do that Kazuya couldn't was kiss the young man that he loved and sleep with him, but Shinobu-senpai's promise of ready availability for kissing had neatly sidestepped that problem.
He finally reached his friends near the front of the room where a large video screen had been set up. Because they were the stars, he and Shinobu-senpai had managed to commandeer two of the more comfortable chairs all to themselves. Mitsuru-senpai and Shun were there also. All three of them had small paper plates loaded with food, but the moment he approached Mitsuru-senpai's chopsticks flashed out, and one of the goodies Kazuya had taken vanished.
Kazuya sighed. Some things never changed.
"So, how are you feeling, Hasukawa?" Mitsuru-senpai asked after he swallowed. "Nervous?"
Kazuya shook his head as he sat down. "Not really. I left nervous behind a long time ago. Sort of when we started shooting the rape scene. Right now I just feel numb."
"An understandable sentiment," Shinobu-senpai said calmly, "considering that all the hard work is behind you and all that remains is no longer in your hands."
Kazuya nodded. "I can't do anything about what's going to happen, so why worry?"
"You're growing up," Mitsuru-senpai noted.
Kazuya felt himself bristle. "What do you mean, 'growing up'? I am grown up."
Shun laughed. "The two of you!"
Kazuya glared at Shun, then felt slightly embarrassed. "I guess that wasn't very mature, was it?"
"You're definitely growing up," Mitsuru-senpai said again.
Kazuya started to answer, but Tochizawa had moved to the front of the screen and was waving to get everyone's attention. Kazuya turned to face him.
"Thank you for coming to the preview of our movie," Tochizawa said. "It's been a long time coming, but we've finally completed all the editing and preparation. The working title of the movie was 'Dawn of Love,' but I've decided on a new title that keeps with Greenwood's tradition. I'd like to thank each and every one of you that helped in the production, but I'd especially like to thank the movie's two stars, Tezuka Shinobu and Hasukawa Kazuya, whose inspired performances are what made this movie possible. I really believe we have a chance of winning this national contest."
"So show the film already!" someone called from the back of the room.
Tochizawa looked irritated, but he had someone turn off the lights.
Kazuya bit back a smile. The same thing had happened when they'd previewed "Here is Devilwood."
The projector threw the opening images of the film onto the screen. As before, a stylized picture of Greenwood appeared, with the words "Greenwood Presents" above and below it. Then, the title of the movie appeared. Kazuya suddenly understood what Tochizawa had meant by "Greenwood's tradition." The first movie had been called "Here is Devilwood."
Tochizawa had changed the title of his new movie to "Here is Love."
Kazuya leaned back in his chair to watch the movie.
* * *
The words "The End" appeared on the screen, and slowly faded out. There was silence for a few long moments, then loud applause and cheers. Someone turned on the lights.
Mitsuru didn't know what to think. When he'd sat down this evening, all he could think was that he wouldn't be able to stand watching himself manhandling Hasukawa. But when the movie started, it was as though it wasn't him. Which it wasn't, he told himself. He'd been disturbed by the scene, but it was more because of the subject content instead of that it was him playing the scene.
But what was really astonishing was that it didn't look like Shinobu and Hasukawa acting either. It was easy to believe that the two characters, Seishiro and Kenichi, were real people with no ties whatsoever to Shinobu and Hasukawa. It was a testament to how truly skilled and professional the two of them could be. He had to agree with Tochizawa: if either one of them wanted to be an actor, he could really make a good living at it.
In a way, though, he was mildly jealous now. Shinobu and Hasukawa were closer than ever, and it seemed as though Hasukawa spent more time with Shinobu than he did with Mitsuru. He had never realized it before, but he enjoyed being with Hasukawa, even if they did sometimes argue. Now, with his two best friends existing in a new relationship, he felt shut out and abandoned.
He sighed as he got to his feet. Well, they'd always be his friends, so he at least had that. And nothing would ever change that.
Shinobu, Hasukawa, and Tochizawa stood by the screen, beset by the Greenwood residents that crowded forward to congratulate them. Mitsuru, moving through the crowd to the door, also received his share of congratulations. He was relieved, however, when he finally made it out into the hall.
He started up the stairs back to his room. It wasn't until he was right outside the door that he realized he wasn't alone. Startled, he stared at Shinobu and Hasukawa.
"Is something wrong, Mitsuru?" Shinobu asked. "You left the party so quickly."
Mitsuru shook his head. "No, it's nothing," he lied. "I just felt a little sick after watching the rape scene again."
Shinobu stared at him with that penetrating gaze of him. Mitsuru felt himself flushing, knowing full well that Shinobu was probably aware of everything going on his head.
"Let's go inside and discuss this," Shinobu said, pushing past Mitsuru and opening the door.
Once inside, Shinobu sat at his desk while Kazuya sprawled on his bed. Mitsuru leaned against the door, not willing to admit what he was feeling.
"You're jealous, aren't you?"
Mitsuru blinked and stared at his roommate. "What? Of course not!"
"Mitsuru," Shinobu said mildly, "you know you can't hide anything from me. You're jealous because Hasukawa and I are closer now and spend more time together. Before the movie he spent time with you. Now he seeks my company out more often than yours."
Mitsuru felt himself growing angry, but he bit back his retort.
"Mitsuru, Hasukawa and I are close, and we share a special relationship, but that doesn't mean we don't care about you. We both love you. You're our friend, after all."
"Yeah, senpai."
Mitsuru felt a little better, but he wasn't quite ready to let go of his anger.
"Mitsuru," Shinobu said, gazing speculatively at him, "perhaps you'd like to share in our relationship?"
Mitsuru blinked. "What? I don't understand."
"Well, Kazuya, shall we show him?"
Kazuya? Mitsuru glanced at Hasukawa.
The younger boy was flushing. "Do you think we should, aniki? He might freak out."
Aniki? Kazuya? What was going on? Mitsuru stared at Shinobu.
"Consider it as poetic justice and rightful vengeance for the stunt he pulled during your first summer here," his roommate advised their neighbor.
Now Mitsuru was really confused. He felt a chill run through him when he saw the mischievous smirk that rose onto Hasukawa's face. He watched as Hasukawa got up from the bed and went to Shinobu, who had risen to his feet. Their heads moved steadily towards each other.
Mitsuru had a sudden flash of memory. At the beginning of Hasukawa's first summer at Greenwood, he had teased the younger boy with a rather cruel joke. He'd implied that he wanted to be alone with Shinobu because they were more intimate with each other than anyone suspected. He'd stopped when he realized that Hasukawa was panicking.
But surely they wouldn't try to tease him like that, right? He watched as Shinobu gathered Hasukawa into an embrace and leaned his head down. Any moment now they'd stop and laugh. Any moment now...
Mitsuru's jaw dropped. Even after the movie was finished? "You two...you mean you're..."
Shinobu gazed at him, a slight smile playing on his lips. "No, Mitsuru. We aren't lovers. But we're close enough and trust each other enough that we can kiss each other without letting it interfere in our other relationships." He held out his hand. "Would you like to share in our relationship?"
Mitsuru couldn't speak. The whole thing was so strange.
He suddenly felt a pair of arms wrapping around him. He looked down and saw that Hasukawa was holding him, gazing up into his eyes.
"Please, aniki?" he asked, pulling Mitsuru's head down towards his own.
Mitsuru was unable to resist as their lips touched.
It wasn't so bad, he thought, rather nice actually. He didn't feel any sort of desire for Hasukawa. Or should he start calling him "Kazuya" as Shinobu did? But he felt suddenly better. If what Shinobu said was true, then he and Kazuya were close enough that being this intimate with each other would have no effect on their relationship. If anything, it brought them closer. Oh, how much love and trust did Kazuya have for and in him to do this?
He felt his friend draw away slightly. "How was that, aniki?" Kazuya whispered.
"Kazuya," Mitsuru whispered, pulling the other boy into his embrace.
"Aniki."
Shinobu moved closer and slipped his arms around both of them. "My brothers," he said softly. "My family."
Mitsuru couldn't agree more.
Get your own Free Home Page