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.
Kazuya watched the scene unfolding before him. Whatever other objections he had to Tochizawa writing their lives into his scripts, he had to admit that the other boy was a good writer, though the quality of the actors made a difference, too.
"You will go to Chiisanamachi High School the way every male member of this family has done for the past two generations!" Furusawa-senpai shouted, giving his role as Tachibana Daisuke--Shinobu's character's father--impressive credibility. "You will obey me in this, Seishiro!"
"I have chosen my own path, Father," Shinobu-senpai--as Tachibana Seishiro--said quietly. "I will attend Ookiishi High School in Tokyo. You will not dissuade me."
Kazuya watched, impressed, as Furusawa-senpai went off on a tirade about disobedient sons with wild dreams. Some of the other boys being filmed--in their roles as Seishiro's brothers--nodded, laughed, and smirked as their parts required. As for Shinobu-senpai, he remained quiet as the scene drew to a close.
Kazuya frowned. There was something strange going on with Shinobu-senpai. He remained as calm and as impassive as ever, but there was a strange tension in his stance, and the knuckles on his right hand--which, because of his position by the door, was the only side Kazuya could see--were growing steadily whiter, as though he were clenching his fist more and more tightly. And if he looked closely, Kazuya could even see the strain in Shinobu-senpai's face. It seemed as composed as ever, but Kazuya suddenly realized that his cheeks seemed more taut and his jaw more tense than he'd ever seen them before. It was like he was gritting his teeth for some reason.
"Have I made myself clear, Seishiro?" Furusawa-senpai roared, drawing his lines to a close.
Shinobu-senpai nodded. "You have," he said.
Kazuya's jaw dropped. Shinobu-senpai could make his voice as cheery as Shun's, as irritated as Mitsuru-senpai's, or as dead and empty as a doornail if he chose to, but in all the time he'd known his friend, Kazuya couldn't recall a single instance when he'd heard such tension in Shinobu-senpai's voice. No one remarked on it, so perhaps his voice sounded the same. To someone like Kazuya, though, who had spent a considerable amount of time in Shinobu-senpai's company, the difference was glaringly obvious. There was a ragged quality to it that reminded him vaguely of the time he'd gone home with Mitsuru-senpai and had witnessed the confrontation between the two Ikeda sons. Mitsuru-senpai's voice had possessed a similar tension and pain to it, but Shinobu-senpai's voice sounded even more distressed.
He watched as Shinobu-senpai turned and walked across the reception room--which was serving as the Tachibana living room--towards the door.
"Where do you think you're going?" Furusawa-senpai shouted.
Shinobu-senpai stopped and turned back. "I am going to Tokyo, Father," he said in that same quiet but strained voice. "I will use my inheritance from Mother and her parents and will pay my own way through school. You will not need to worry about me anymore." He turned and glided smoothly out the door.
Kazuya, standing by the door, saw a shudder run through his friend as he walked past. He started after Shinobu-senpai.
"Cut!" he heard Tochizawa cry behind him. Fortunately, these scenes were the last scheduled for the day, so he ignored the applause back in the reception room and followed his friend out of Greenwood.
Kazuya had expected that the older boy would stop just outside the dormitory, but instead Shinobu-senpai kept walking. Now extremely concerned, Kazuya trailed after his friend.
Their path led them back towards the school, and after a few minutes they were crossing the bridge over the koi pond. Kazuya remembered the pond well. It had been here--or on the steps they'd just climbed--that he'd admitted to his friends how much he thought about a girl he'd barely known then, Igarashi Miya. After that confession, his friends--especially Mitsuru-senpai--had helped him win Miya's trust and affection.
That whole incident had served to bring him and Mitsuru-senpai closer so that they understood one another much better. To be honest, though, he also owed a lot to Shinobu-senpai for his common-sensical suggestions. He'd been bound and determined to go over to Miya's home and confront her--the absolute height of rudeness and the course of action most likely to alienate her--but Shinobu-senpai had convinced him to wait for her outside her school. That idea had worked much better, even if she had been in the hospital most of the times he'd been waiting for her. That hadn't been Shinobu-senpai's fault, though, and ultimately the whole thing had convinced Miya that he cared about her. She'd come to Ryokuto the next day, in fact, and they'd been together ever since. And now he owed Shinobu-senpai at least a friendly ear to hear whatever was bothering him.
Up ahead Shinobu-senpai had settled himself on the steps leading down from the bridge. They were nearly identical to the ones on the other side. Kazuya slowed his pace and approached the older boy hesitantly. As he drew closer, he could see that Shinobu-senpai was still struggling with something. The older boy's shoulders shuddered, and his fists remained tightly clenched. His eyes were closed, and the tension Kazuya had marked earlier was still evident in his more-closed-than-normal expression.
Kazuya stopped a few steps behind the older boy, waiting to be noticed. When Shinobu-senpai--who had an uncanny way of knowing everything that went on around him--didn't seem to recognize his presence, he became even more worried. "Senpai?" he called softly.
Shinobu-senpai didn't start up, but Kazuya got the impression that he'd surprised his friend anyway, and that scared him. What could so disturb the older boy that it upset his normal degree of control and composure?
"Go away, Hasukawa," Shinobu-senpai said coldly.
Maybe if it had been another time and under different circumstances, Kazuya would have obeyed. This time, however, he stuck his jaw out and stood his ground. "No."
"I won't be responsible for the consequences."
Kazuya closed the distance between them. "I don't care, senpai," he said stubbornly. "Something's bothering you, and I'm not leaving until you tell me what it is." He reached out and gripped the older boy's shoulder with his right hand.
He gasped as Shinobu-senpai's hands caught his in a crushing grip more intense and more powerful than anything he'd ever felt before. He started to struggle, then stopped himself. Shinobu-senpai had warned him and he'd refused to leave. He gritted his teeth and prepared for whatever would follow.
To his surprise, after a minute or two Shinobu-senpai's grip loosened until he was simply resting his hands on Kazuya's. The tension seemed to have drained from the older boy's body and manner. Kazuya sighed in relief and started to pull away, but Shinobu-senpai caught his hand and held it fast.
"Thank you, Hasukawa," the older boy said quietly.
Kazuya nodded, suddenly knowing that this time--unlike before--his friend would sense what he'd just done. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.
For a few moments Shinobu-senpai remained silently. Then he nodded. "Here," he said, tugging gently at his arm. "Sit down."
Kazuya did as he was told. He tried again to extricate his hand from Shinobu-senpai's, but the older boy held it fast. His eyes widened as his friend started to gently massage his fingers.
"I'm sorry about this," Shinobu-senpai said softly, lifting one hand away and revealing the bright red imprint left from his vise-like grip. Then he continued the massage. "I didn't mean to hurt you like this."
"It's okay," Kazuya said. "Senpai, what's wrong? I know something happened while we were doing your scenes back at Greenwood." As uncomfortable as the tableau made him feel--sitting next to his friend while the older boy massaged his hand--there was something nice about it, too. It was like the kind of closeness he'd felt to Mitsuru-senpai when Masato--Mitsuru-senpai's brother, Sho--had asked him about how his brother got along at Greenwood. He'd been happy then to describe how much everyone at Greenwood--at Ryokuto, really--liked Mitsuru-senpai. And of course, he'd been grateful to the older boy for inviting him to share--however briefly--in his family: Sho had been friendly enough and Mrs. Ikeda had been so open and free and impartial with her affection that he'd felt like he was a part of the family. He'd felt close to Mitsuru-senpai then, and had tried--to the extent he could--to allay the doubts Sho seemed to harbor about his brother's happiness at Ryokuto.
He felt something similar now. It was a new experience to feel that way with Shinobu-senpai, and it felt a little strange and awkward. All the same, though, it felt nice.
For a while no one spoke. Then Shinobu-senpai sighed heavily. "Hasukawa, what do you know about my family?"
Kazuya blinked. "Your family? Only what you've told me, senpai. I mean, I've met Nagisa twice now so I know about how you get along with her, but other than that, nothing."
The older boy nodded. "That is the way I want things to be. I prefer that as few people as possible know the truth about the Tezuka family. Mitsuru knows about it--more than he wants to, probably--and would already understand why what happened today happened. He warned me that it might happen the night Tochizawa and I announced the movie." He sighed. "I think it's only fair for me to tell you the truth as well, especially after I practically crushed your hand."
"You don't have to if you don't want to, senpai," Kazuya said immediately. As much as he wanted to know about his friend, he could see that it was a painful experience for Shinobu-senpai to force himself to remember.
"It's okay, Hasukawa," the other boy said softly. "As I said, you have a right to know." He took a deep breath.
"Listen, Hasukawa, to the true state of affairs in the Tezuka clan."
* * *
A short distance away a man in a black business suit wearing dark glasses lowered a pair of binoculars from his eyes. He turned to another man dressed in similar clothing standing on the other side of a black Mercedes. "It's him," he said.
"Which one of his friends is with him?" the other man said.
The first man raised the binoculars back to his eyes. "It's the one with the red hair. He's interfered before, but I don't remember his name."
The second man reached into the car and pulled out a large envelope. He opened it and thumbed through the contents. "Is this him?" he asked, pulling out a picture and turning it around.
The first man glanced over his shoulder. He nodded. "That's the one."
The second man reached into the envelope again. "His name is Hasukawa Kazuya," he reported. "Right now all we have on him is his name. For some reason he wasn't at Ryokuto when we started files on that other one, the one that looks like a girl but isn't." He peered at something in the envelope. "That's right, Kisaragi Shun."
"Here's our chance to start a file." The first man reached into his coat and drew out a cellular phone. He flipped it open and immediately thumbed the "redial" button. A feminine voice answered after the second ring.
"We've found him," he said. He listened to the woman on the other end. "No, he's with one of his friends. The red-haired one, Hasukawa Kazuya." The woman spoke again. "Yes, the one that interfered last time." He paused. "No, he seems to be holding the other boy's hand in his lap. Massaging it, I think." Another pause. "Yes, massaging it." A longer pause followed before he spoke again. "As you wish. We'll begin immediately." He closed the phone and slipped it back into his pocket.
"Well?" the other man demanded impatiently. "What did she say?"
"We're to begin observation of Hasukawa Kazuya. She wants to know his daily schedule, his relationship to the target, and anything else that might be important or useful."
The other man nodded. "Right. Shall we check the school first?"
The first man lowered the binoculars from his eyes. "Yes. After that we can start looking for more details elsewhere." He got into the Mercedes and waited impatiently for the other man to get in and start the car.
"The mistress will be pleased."
* * *
Across the city in a darkened room a woman lowered a phone back into its cradle. A cold, angry smile spread across what would otherwise be counted a beautiful face. She raised a goblet to her lips, savoring the flavor of the Italian wine as it flowed across her taste buds.
Her other hand rubbed deliberately--almost sensually--along the length of the riding crop that lay across her lap.
* * *
Hasukawa gently tugged his hand away. Shinobu let it go.
"I never realized," the younger boy said softly. "I've never understood why Nagisa hates you so much. Now I understand why today's shooting upset you."
Shinobu nodded. "I don't know how Tochizawa managed to strike so closely to the truth. In many ways today's scene replayed Akira's departure from home, only this time I was Akira instead of an observer to the event. That day marked the beginning of Nagisa's continual torment of me. Until that day she'd constantly antagonized Akira because he was the oldest child and the focus of Father's harsh affection. When Akira left, everything from Father's attention to Nagisa's antagonism transferred to me." He paused. "I think now that Nagisa was key in Akira's desire to leave home."
"What is he like?" Hasukawa asked softly. "Your brother, I mean?"
Shinobu glanced at him, curious about the younger boy's interest. He immediately recalled that Hasukawa's relationship with his brother was strained at best. The two loved each other, but there were things Kazuhiro had done that had raised a wall between them that they were only now just dealing with.
Shinobu sighed. "It is strange," he said. "I know many people consider me cold and reserved."
"That's not true!" Hasukawa objected.
"I appreciate your loyalty," Shinobu said, smiling slightly, "but it is true. I keep my feelings to myself and rarely confide in others. That is something I share with my father. I also share his strong spiritual powers. He is as sensitive to the comings and goings of spirits as I am, and can sense when things are amiss with only a little concentration."
He paused, then continued. "Nagisa, on the other hand, has inherited Father's strong passions, ferocity, and tenacity. Father could be reserved, but he also had a violent temper and a fierce adherence to propriety and tradition. Possibly it is this that has caused so much friction between them. Nagisa is too strong in her passions and lacks the control that I inherited. In this way she does not fit Father's image of a proper young woman."
"She doesn't fit my idea," Hasukawa muttered.
Shinobu smiled again, then let it slip away. "As for Akira," he began, then trailed off. "My brother resembled our mother far more than Father, but if he inherited anything from Father, then it was his stubborn pride and his strong will. Today's scene was very similar to what happened with Akira. Father had planned his life according to the life he'd led himself, and Akira wanted nothing of it. Rather than go to the school Father had gone to as a boy--and Grandfather before him--Akira wanted to enroll in another school much farther away where he would have to live in the dormitories or find his own apartment. As much as Father shouted at him, Akira shouted back and finally carried out his own wishes. Father has refused to acknowledge him since."
"Do you ever see him?" Hasukawa sounded sad.
Shinobu shook his head. "I hear from him fairly often," he said. "He sends me letters and postcards more or less regularly. Since that day, though, I've only seen him once. He paid me a visit the day after I moved into Greenwood, and that was to wish me luck at Ryokuto Academy and congratulate me on escaping from Father's tyranny. Other than that, I haven't seen him."
"Do you miss him?"
Shinobu sighed. "Not really," he admitted. "His personality is much like Mitsuru's, which I experience every day. Moreover, we are too dissimilar for any strong affection to develop between us. I have been infected with Father's drive for perfection and success. Akira will do his best on anything he does, but he will accept mediocrity if that is all that results. In some ways he is also too much like Father for comfort." He smiled. "Akira is the only person Nagisa fears as much as she fears Father. She knows that Akira has a temper to match Father's and will respond to any attack against his pride with sharp jabs of his own. She also knows that he has even more reason to despise her than I do."
"The way she antagonized him as a child."
Shinobu nodded. "It is the basis of their current relationship, and it is deeply rooted in her being a daughter and therefore of little consequence to our tradition-minded Father while Akira as first-born and as a son received far more attention. She couldn't scold Father, but she could commit any number of petty crimes against Akira, and he wouldn't be able to do anything because Father expected all of us to be self-reliant and to deal with problems on our own. Akira chose to leave his problems behind by leaving home."
"Leaving you stuck with Nagisa."
Shinobu sighed. "Father's constant criticism of her and favoring of me never sat well with her. Nagisa has long had an inferiority complex, and I suspect the reason she became the way she is now is because she cherishes having power over others. It makes her the superior as opposed to the inferior."
For a time neither said anything. Shinobu felt strangely better for having told nearly his entire life story to the Hasukawa. Perhaps there was something to the European's Catholic institution of confessional.
"Compared to your family, my problems with Kazuhiro are nothing."
Shinobu turned and gazed steadily at the younger boy. "Don't ever say that, Hasukawa," he said firmly, shutting the past away in his mind once more. "Everyone is different, and the problems that one person faces may not have the same importance to someone else. I've lived with my problems my entire life, so to me the problems you have with your brother are more important than my own."
"I don't know, senpai," Hasukawa said slowly. "I suppose it's true, in a way, that when we've lived with problems for so long they seem trivial compared to someone else's." He looked up. "But at least my problems have never involved kidnappings and hostages. Or shooting message-filled darts with a high-powered replica rifle at me."
Shinobu laughed softly. "I expect you're right, Hasukawa," he said. "But truly, my problems are trivial to me. And they'd be trivial to you, too, if only Nagisa would stop trying to involve those around me, like Mitsuru and Shun's brother Reina. I suppose that elevates my problems from trivial to dangerous."
"Senpai, you know you can count on us to stand by you if you need us," Hasukawa said.
"Nagisa is my problem, Hasukawa," Shinobu said. "I'll deal with her if I have to, but I don't want you or anyone else more involved than absolutely necessary." He held up a hand to forestall the other boy's next words. "I appreciate your promise of assistance, but I want you to stay out of it as much as possible, okay?" He looked eyes with the other boy.
Hasukawa sighed and nodded.
Shinobu nodded in return. "Good," he said softly. He stood up and started back up the steps, then stopped. "And Hasukawa," he added.
"Yes?"
"Thank you." Shinobu smiled briefly at the other boy then continued up to the bridge.
"Senpai!"
Shinobu turned. "Yes?"
Hasukawa joined him at the start of the bridge. "Please promise me you'll come and talk to me if you feel you need to, senpai."
Shinobu shook his head. "You don't have to do this, Hasukawa."
"You're my friend, senpai," the other boy said stubbornly. "Friends do these things for each other."
Shinobu sighed. He hadn't wanted to involve Hasukawa at all and had tried to keep him away during Nagisa's two previous visits, but circumstances had forced them all together. He sighed again. "All right," he said. "I promise. But only if you promise me that you'll do the same."
Hasukawa blinked, then nodded.
"Let's go home, Hasukawa," Shinobu said. He turned and led the way back to Greenwood.
* * *
Kazuya lagged a few steps behind Shinobu-senpai.
The feeling of closeness he'd felt while the older boy massaged his hand hadn't gone away. If anything, it had increased. He felt closer now to Shinobu-senpai than he'd felt during his entire time at Greenwood thus far.
It wasn't that he didn't like the older boy. Shinobu-senpai had been just as responsible for his initial success at Ryokuto as Mitsuru-senpai. And while he maintained a cool reserve and quiet control even with his closest friends--just as his friend had stated and as he had denied--it was easy to like Shinobu-senpai.
Kazuya had always felt closer to Mitsuru-senpai. Part of it was because the older boy reminded him so much of how his older brother had been when he'd been a student at Ryokuto. The filming of "Here is Devilwood" and all the events leading up to him and Miya had only brought the two of them closer together. It was easier to like Mitsuru-senpai most of the time, even if his jokes and tricks could be rather cruel.
Despite that, though, Kazuya remembered two occasions when he'd clung to Shinobu-senpai in terror. True, both times had involved being visited by a ghost, but he somehow always felt safer when he was with Shinobu-senpai. He felt more comfortable with Mitsuru-senpai, but it was as if Shinobu-senpai exuded an air of strength and competency that even Mitsuru-senpai couldn't quite match.
Now he felt like he was finally getting to know Shinobu-senpai better. It was oddly gratifying to know the older boy trusted him enough to reveal so much about his past. It was a tremendous compliment to his ego.
It had been good, too, to sit down and just talk to Shinobu-senpai about something that had very little or next to nothing to do with school and academics. It made the older boy seem more...human.
"Hasukawa, are you coming?"
Kazuya looked up and blinked. Shinobu-senpai was already moving down the far steps. "Wait for me!" he shouted, running the rest of the distance.
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