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.

"I still can't believe it!" Mitsuru said. "What did you do, kiss him into submission?"

Kazuya, reluctantly eating the nearly week-old Christmas cake Shun had brought back with him, sighed and leaned back from the table. Once, such teasing would have sent him into a furious flush, but now he only shrugged. Given what had transpired between himself and Shinobu-sempai during the filming of Tochizawa's last movie, and knowing that Mitsuru knew all about it, it was a fair accusation. Still, whatever strange things the movie had prompted--and aggravated by Nagisa's unwelcome return to their lives--had settled, and they had returned fairly quickly to their normal relationships of teasing and tormenting each other, although they were a lot closer.

"Hardly," he said, and it was true. But he couldn't just tell Mitsuru the truth. "Shinobu-sempai decided it was more economical to stay with me until after New Year's." And that was the truth...at least it was what they'd told Kazuhiro and Sumire. "Sumire's parents did think it strange when we took Shinobu-sempai with us when we visited them, but they didn't really say anything about it."

"Well, I still find it hard to believe," Mitsuru said. He shoved his own empty plate aside and grabbed Kazuya's half-eaten cake.

"Hey!" Kazuya yelled, reaching for it. "I wasn't finished yet!"

Mitsuru deftly deflected his hands with a quick flip of his arm. "So," he mumbled as he quickly ate the rest of the cake, "what did the doctor say about your leg? Are you getting it out of that cast any time soon?"

Kazuya sighed and gave the cake up for lost. "I'm going to the doctor tomorrow," he said. "Shinobu-sempai said he'd go with me."

"Speak of the devil," Mitsuru said as the door to the room opened.

"I'd just as soon you not use such terms," Kazuya heard his other sempai say. He looked up as Shinobu-sempai and Shun entered and sat down on Shun's bed.

"Given our current situation," Shinobu-sempai continued, "they are highly inappropriate."

Mitsuru grimaced. "I forgot," he said. "I spent the entire vacation hoping that the whole thing was just a bad dream. Then I'd see the newspaper and know that it wasn't."

Kazuya nodded silently. According to the latest reports, the mummy that Shun had summoned from the Osaka museum was already somewhere in Tokyo. At least, that was the way they read it. There were reports about a strange sickness popping up in small communities all the way from Osaka to Tokyo. Since the symptoms were the same as what had affected the security guards in Osaka--who were, they were glad to hear, making speedy recoveries thanks to the efforts of doctors from all around the world--they were sure the mummy had already entered the city.

"I'm surprised the mummy got here so quickly," Shun said, "and with no one seeing it, either. I mean, you'd think that someone would have seen a shambling, rotting corpse walking along the road."

"It probably isn't following the road," Mitsuru said. "I think it just headed straight for Tokyo, completely ignoring how difficult it is to walk over mountains and through forests."

"That would take it right through Ise Bay," Shinobu-sempai pointed out, "and we know it didn't do that because there are people getting sick in all these inland communities."

"Maybe it stays hidden during the day and only walks at night," Kazuya offered.

"There's no way it could get here so quickly," Shun said. "It would have to walk day and night to get here in only about three weeks, especially when it's only being held together by bandages." There was a slightly nervous note creeping into Shun's voice.

"You're forgetting something, Shun," Shinobu-sempai said, but Kazuya could hear the gentleness in his friend's voice, "it's not alive, so it doesn't need to rest. It can walk all night at a single, steady pace, and it won't ever tire so it won't ever stop. I think Hasukawa's right and the mummy stays hidden during the day."

"And remember," Mitsuru added, "it's also held together with whatever magic you used to summon it here. Something's keeping it together and it's going to keep it together until it reaches Tokyo."

Kazuya glowered at his two friends. He knew they meant well, but couldn't they see how much they were scaring Shun? "Sempai," he snapped, "lighten up, will you?" He turned to his roommate. "Look, Shun, the mummy's coming here, and there's nothing we can do about it right now since we have no idea where it is."

"And you're telling us to lighten up?" Mitsuru grumbled.

Kazuya ignored him. "But until it gets here, you may as well relax. There's no sense in worrying about it until it happens. And even if the mummy does come, do you really think that a rotting corpse stands any chance at all against the four of us?"

Shun looked at him, then smiled hesitantly. "I guess not," he said. "All right, I'll stop worrying."

"Good," Shinobu-sempai said. "Now--" He broke off at a sudden commotion in the hall.

"Did you see--"

"What do you think he brought--"

"It has to be a joke--"

Mitsuru frowned and went to the door. "Hey," he called, stopping two of the boys rushing down the hall. "What's going on?"

"It's Furusawa-sempai," one boy said. "He left his motorcycle here over the vacation, and he came back to school on a mini-tractor, or something!"

Mitsuru blinked. "This I have got to see," he said. He joined the boys running through the hall.

"Wait for me!" Shun said, jumping up. He, too, disappeared down the hall.

"We'll be right back," Shinobu-sempai said as he stood and left the room.

Kazuya looked around the now empty room, then glared at his cast.

"One more day," he vowed to it. "Then you're gone!"

* * *

"Aniki," a voice called softly.

Shinobu couldn't help feeling the same shiver of pleasure that raced up his spine each time Kazuya called him that. "Yes?" he said, eating the last of his own piece of Shun's cake.

"Do you think we should tell the others about Haru?"

Shinobu looked over at Kazuya, who was lounging on the lower bunk. "Do you?"

They were alone. He, Mitsuru, and Shun had gone downstairs to see what was so amusing about Furusawa's return to the dormitory. It had turned out that he'd been straddled atop a moped dwarfed by his huge frame and a far cry from his powerful motorcycle. What had been even more amusing was the trailer it had been pulling along behind it. Somehow, the tiny moped had managed to lug the trailer all the way from wherever Furusawa had spent his vacation back to Greenwood.

He had returned to Room 210 while Mitsuru and Shun helped Furusawa unload all of his belongings, many of which had been tools and parts for his motorcycle. As a result, he and Kazuya could talk freely...but not too loudly. After all, Greenwood's walls were notoriously thin.

"I don't know," Kazuya admitted, falling back onto his pillow. "I'm not sure if they'll understand about...you know..."

Shinobu nodded. He understood how Kazuya felt. It was important that they tell Mitsuru and Shun about Haru's presence, but he had no idea how they'd react to knowing that he and Kazuya had voluntarily given their blood to Haru. Well, a case could be made that Kazuya had been gradually drawn into it, but he'd stepped in with his eyes wide open. On the other hand, he'd done so to help Kazuya, who had been giving up entirely too much blood all by himself. Either way, though, he had no regrets about doing what he had done...or about continuing to do so.

There was something rather enjoyable about the process. Haru was very gentle and considerate, and that had made the first time that much easier. There had been a moment of pain when Haru had bitten down on his neck, but it had passed quickly. Shinobu wasn't sure if he actually enjoyed feeling his life's blood being drawn away or if he enjoyed the fact that it was for a good cause. Regardless, the process didn't induce any physical pleasure in him--how could it when he was wholly aware of the blood loss--but it made him feel better inside somehow. But that was how he felt about it; Kazuya plainly felt something different.

The two were close; that was obvious. Kazuya had somehow managed to break through some of Haru's barriers--no surprise there, he'd managed to get through his easily enough--and become vitally important to the other boy, and in other ways besides being a source of sustenance. And Haru had found a way into Kazuya's heart, earning his trust, his respect, his loyalty, and the same brotherly love that he already shared with Mitsuru. Not that he was jealous, though.

And there was the added dimension of the exchange of blood. He hadn't taken any of Haru's blood, but he hadn't needed it so much as Kazuya had. He'd started off perfectly healthy, and the good food Sumire had pressed on him and the long peaceful days he'd spent with Kazuya's family--certainly a far cry from the kind of days he spent in school or with his own family--had kept him healthy. Kazuya, however, had started off with a mending injury, and all the blood being drawn off had slowed his healing process. Haru's blood had reversed that entirely, and Kazuya was much better now.

But just because they told their friends that didn't mean they'd immediately understand.

"No," he said finally. "I don't think we should tell them just yet."

"Will we ever tell them?"

"Of course," Shinobu said calmly, "just not right away. There are reasons to remain silent on the subject right now."

"And those would be..."

"First of all, there's Shun."

"Shun?"

Shinobu nodded. "I had a long talk with him while we were helping Aoki reorganize the arcade. It seems he spent the entire vacation worrying about the mummy and its approach. He couldn't tell his family what he'd done, and we were all apart, so there was no one he could talk to about it." He sighed. "He was very happy about being back in the dormitory with us."

Kazuya smiled briefly. "No mention of a succubus, a rusalka, or a vampire?"

Shinobu smiled himself. "No mention of a succubus, a rusalka, or a vampire," he said. The name of the Russian spirit came easily now, since they'd been saying it several times a night for the past week or so in their discussions with Haru. "But I didn't think he would. The mummy's disappearance made the news, and it's the one whose progress Shun can follow. It's no wonder that he was worried about it."

Kazuya shook his head. "Haven't we all seen enough monster movies to know that it's the things you can't see that get you in the end?"

"Kazuya," Shinobu chided, "be nice. Shun never meant to cause so much trouble."

"I know," Kazuya said.

"As I was saying, though," Shinobu continued, "Shun spent the entire vacation worrying about the mummy. If we told him about Haru, he'd 'freak out,' as he'd put it. And it wouldn't simply be because he was so close to danger. He'd be very upset to know that you were the one who had to...suffer...in his place."

"It's hardly suffering," Kazuya objected. "Now, if the succubus had managed to get into the dormitory, that would have been suffering."

"My point," Shinobu said, "is that Shun wouldn't understand that, not unless we really sat him down, talked to him, and prepared him for the truth about what's been going on. And we can't do that until we get his mind off the mummy, and that won't happen unless something either very, very good or very, very bad happens to distract him."

"All right, I understand," Kazuya said. He frowned. "You said there were several reasons not to tell Mitsuru and Shun right away."

"Mitsuru is another reason," Shinobu said.

"I don't understand."

Shinobu sighed. "Whether you realize it or not--and you should, after all the suffering all of us went through during Tochizawa's movie--Mitsuru's very protective of you. He hates hurting you in any way, even though he hides it behind sometimes very brutal teasing, and he really doesn't like it when anyone else hurts you, including your brother."

Kazuya looked down, flushing. "I...think I do know," he said softly.

"Good," Shinobu said. "Then you can imagine how he'll react when he finds out that a vampire was visiting you from the night Shun summoned him. Unless I can explain it all to him in a way so he'll know that you weren't suffering or being tortured in any way."

"Okay," Kazuya said.

"And then there are some other, more practical things to consider," Shinobu continued. "Assuming that we can tell both Mitsuru and Shun about everything and keep them from going crazy, what do you think they're going to do then?"

Kazuya shook his head.

"Knowing the two of them," Shinobu said, "they'll probably volunteer to give their blood to Haru as well. Mitsuru will do it because he wants to protect you--"

"Even when I don't need it," Kazuya said.

"To protect you," Shinobu said, "because he'll feel that you're unable to defend yourself from Haru." He held up his hand. "Before you say anything, just remember that he doesn't mean anything derogatory by it. It's all coming out of his desire to keep you safe."

Kazuya said nothing, but Shinobu could tell that his point had hit home.

"Shun, on the other hand," he continued, "will be filled with self-loathing for endangering you to begin with, and for you falling victim because Haru couldn't reach him. He'll immediately offer to take your place and let Haru take his blood if he'll leave you alone."

Kazuya snorted. "That's ridiculous!" he said. "It isn't his fault--"

"Remember what you told him that night?" Shinobu interrupted. "Something about nothing happening to him that didn't happen to you first?" He saw his friend blink in surprise. "Well, your prophecy came true, and how do you think that's going to make Shun feel?"

Kazuya sighed and shook his head.

Shinobu nodded. "So they're going to volunteer their own blood," he said. "I'd rather not involve them in that part of the situation. It's true that they'd relieve the burden on you, but two of us giving blood to Haru is enough. If all four of us were to do it, the rest of the dormitory might become suspicious of four extremely pale residents."

"Okay," Kazuya said. "I guess we would look out of place, wouldn't we?"

"There's one more important thing to consider first," Shinobu said.

Kazuya frowned. "What's that?"

"What else?" Shinobu said. "We have to ask Haru first."

* * *

"Shun, why don't we trade rooms for a few nights?"

Kazuya blinked, his sempai's offer taking him by surprise. He sat up in his bed to stare at his friend.

"What?" Shun sounded confused. "Why?"

"All right, Shinobu," Mitsuru said, his eyes narrowed, "what's going on?"

"Nothing is 'going on,' as you put it," Shinobu-sempai said. "I was just thinking that perhaps Shun would feel better--feel safer--if he roomed with you for a while."

Kazuya couldn't quite suppress the irritation he felt at the implied comparison. "Thanks a lot, sempai," he muttered.

Mitsuru was shaking his head. "I don't get it," he said.

"Neither do I," Shun said. "Though I wouldn't mind it."

"I didn't think you would, Shun," Shinobu-sempai told him. He turned back to Mitsuru. "Shun and I were talking earlier today," he said, "and I think he'd get a better night's rest with you to protect him than if he slept here, where he'd have to protect Hasukawa."

Mitsuru blinked. "What? Protect him from what?" He blinked again.

So did Kazuya. What was his sempai doing now?

"Shun hasn't been sleeping well lately," Shinobu-sempai explained. "He's been worrying about the mummy all vacation long. And he's been worrying about it alone, since he can't very well tell his family, and the three of us were away. Now we're all together again, so I'm sure he feels better about it, but the mummy has probably reached Tokyo already, and there's no telling how soon it will get here."

Kazuya glanced at his roommate and saw how pale he'd become. His eyes widened as Shun started to shake. He could sympathize, having gone through the same sort of reaction when he'd learned more about the book. "It'll be all right, Shun," he said. He had a feeling he understood precisely what Shinobu-sempai was trying to do...he only hoped it worked. If it didn't, Shun would probably never be able to sleep again.

He noted with relief that Mitsuru had reached out to squeeze Shun's shoulder.

"And since you're the stronger and more athletic of the two of us," Shinobu-sempai continued, "I'm sure Shun will feel better sharing a room with you than with me."

Shun nodded and looked at Mitsuru. "I would, sempai," he said.

"And what will you be doing, Shinobu?" Mitsuru demanded.

"I'll be here protecting Hasukawa...if he needs it."

"I don't need--" Kazuya began, but he broke off at Shinobu's quick frown.

"Don't you think I'd be the better candidate to protect Hasukawa?" Mitsuru demanded.

Shinobu-sempai shook his head. "To be honest, Mitsuru," he said, "you'd be in greater danger than I would be. If what Misako told us is true, then the mummy is after Shun. But you're better suited to physical combat than I am, and you'd have a better chance of successfully fighting the mummy, if it comes to that."

"I don't think I like the sound of that," Mitsuru said.

"At the same time, though, both you and Shun are able to move about freely. You wouldn't actually need to stay and fight. The two of you can run, and fight only if absolutely necessary, which is where your experience and skill comes in."

"That makes sense," Mitsuru admitted grudgingly. "I suppose."

"I, on the other hand," Shinobu-sempai continued, "might have a better chance of holding the mummy at bay than you would, since I have certain...alternatives...available to me, which wouldn't require me to actually fight the mummy. Should the mummy go after Hasukawa, I can buy him time enough to call for help...call for you, probably. Then you and Shun can come to the rescue and get Hasukawa to safety while I hold the mummy off."

Kazuya frowned. Some of what his friend was saying made sense, but...

Mitsuru's eyes narrowed again. "Let me get this straight," he said. "You want Shun to room with me so I can cover his escape should the mummy come, and you want to room with Kazuya so I can help him while you cover our escape."

"That is correct," Shinobu-sempai said.

"There's a hole in your logic somewhere, Shinobu," Mitsuru said. Then he yawned. "But I'm too tired to think about it now." He looked over at Shun. "Come on, Shun. Let's get everything switched around."

"Okay," the other boy said. He turned to Shinobu-sempai. "Thank you, sempai," he said.

"You're welcome."

Kazuya waited until Shun and Mitsuru had gone back to 211 for the night before he asked. "Aniki, what was all that about?"

"I explained everything to Mitsuru," his friend said.

"Aniki," Kazuya objected, "even I saw the holes in your plan."

"Isn't it obvious?" Shinobu-sempai said. "I'm trying to make things easier for Haru. You know that he can only come into this room."

"You could have just invited him into your room," Kazuya pointed out. "Wouldn't that have been easier?"

His friend shook his head. "Mitsuru is a sound sleeper, but I wouldn't be able to keep Haru's visits a secret from him for long. Besides, there's no telling when Misako might appear and wake him up."

Kazuya shivered. "Good point," he said.

"There's something else," Shinobu-sempai said quietly.

Kazuya blinked. "Oh?"

"I trust Haru," his friend said. "And I know that he would never take advantage of the invitation to my room to bite Mitsuru, just as he didn't take advantage of your invitation into your house to visit your brother or his wife."

Kazuya shivered again. "I never thought of that," he whispered. "I put them in danger, didn't I?"

Shinobu-sempai shook his head. "As I said, he didn't, and I trust Haru not to do that here either. But I'd rather that at least one of us--and by that I mean Mitsuru--be at full strength should we have to fight against the mummy. As I told you earlier, if Mitsuru knew about Haru and you and me, he would offer to help himself...once he finished shouting at us, of course."

Kazuya grinned. "Of course."

"Should something happen, however," his friend continued, "we'll need Mitsuru at full strength, since your mobility is still limited, I'll be slightly weakened by blood loss, and Shun will be a complete terror-stricken wreck."

"It's a good plan," a voice said. "And I approve one hundred percent."

Kazuya suddenly felt immensely happy. "Haru!"

"Good evening, Haru," Shinobu-sempai said. "I was wondering when you'd come down."

"I had to wait until your friends left, of course," the other boy said.

"Of course," Shinobu-sempai said wryly. Then his face became serious. "There are some things we need to talk about."

"I thought there might be," Haru said. "But do you mind if we..." His voice trailed off.

Kazuya shook his head. "By all means," he said, pulling the collar of his pajama top to the side.

"Thank you," Haru said. He sat down on the bed next to Kazuya.

Kazuya closed his eyes and waited expectantly for the peaceful, relaxed pleasure that was about to come to him.

He wasn't disappointed.

You are the th visitor to this page since February 16, 2001.

Back Home

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page