NERVOUS VENUS Chapter 7 (by WASEDA Chie, originally published in Amie August'97) --- Note: I just realized that a lot of people might not know what is meant by the term 'shotgun wedding'. This is an American expression for when a couple has to get married because the bride has gotten pregnant. ^^;; Note II : Some of the language/situations might be kinda +18m you're adviced. ^^ --- "I looked for the place where my smile was..." Seki walks down the hall, pants unzipped, shirt half-off, eyes downcast. The teacher yells, "Hey!! What's with this sloppy look!? Can't you even do up buttons properly!? They're _all_ open! What'd you think you're doing!? Fix your pants yourself!" (Seki's thoughts: "What am I doing...what am I doing?") Back in class, Seki's homeroom teacher is saying, "And so...the national mock exam results are out, so those who took them, go to the teachers room to pick them up. Who's on day duty?" Kanda is looking over at Seki, who's laughing and smiling with classmates. In the bathroom, toilet flushes...Seki has just thrown up. Reiji spots Kanda outside class and calls out, "Hey Kan-Chan! You by yourself?" "Ah, no...he's in the bathroom." is Kanda's reply. Then Kanda continues, "Is something wrong with him? It's like...he's right on the edge. Reiji's smile fades, "When he heard it was a 'shotgun wedding', he threw up. I've never seen You-Chan like that." (Seki is sitting on the floor of a bathroom stall while Reiji continues...) "He might've been under some unconcious pressure since then..." Seki's house...Seki comes in, saying "I'm home!" He finds Sakura and his family laughing over some photographs. His mother says, "Welcome back...c'mere Youji, look! look! These're polaroids of them trying on their wedding clothes! They're so funny! Tooru looks like he's dressed for shichi-go-san!" (i.e. - he looks like a little kid all dressed up) Tooru blushes, "Oh, be quiet! Who cares about me anyway? The woman's the star of the ceremony anyway." (Seki's eyebrows slant downward, thinking: 'Ceremony?') Tomoya teases, "Nope, you in you're little kiddie suit's gonna be the highlight!" Tooru cries, "Tomoya! Why I oughta..." (CEREMONY!?!) Reiji looks at Seiji nervously. (Why dontcha just do whatever ya want!?) Seki smiles slightly and begins, "What's with the dress and the ceremony, her all knocked up like that, huh? Gettin' all excited over some goddamn ceremony that's just for keepin' up appearances...it pisses me OFF!!" "Hey!", Tomoya tries to interrupt, but Seki continues, "She's already been knocked up a long time...and y'all pretend like nothing's happening!" (Seki's thoughts: Pisses me off...) "Her and Tooru are SCREWING...y'know, fuckin' like bunnies!!" (Seki's thought's: Everybody's fuckin' PISSIN' ME OFF!!!) Standing up, addressing Sakura, "How dare you even BE HERE!!! You're nothin' but a WHORE!!" Reiji gets up, red-faced, screaming, "You-Chan!!", when Tooru puches Seki in the face, so hard he hits the floor. Everyone else is speechless. Tooru says, "Saying such filthy things to Sakura...I'm gonna smash your head in!!" Seki gets up and walks out, slamming the door. Tomoya shouts, "Damn, there's no cure for that jerk! Sorry about this..." Tooru says, "I don't get it...he isn't normally like this..." "No, its..." Sakura begins, then gets up, saying, "S'cuse me, I'll be right back." Sakura enters Seki's room, a worried look on her face..."Youji-Ku..", she starts, when a piece of paper is abrubtly thrust at her. "I took it", Seki says without looking at her. She looks at the paper, which reads: National Mock Exam (Comprehensive Results). She appears stunned as she thinks to herself, "He made #2 in the entire country!" "I took it...", Seki says, "I really took it you know!?" Seki turns away from her, thinking, 'This is pitiful, disgraceful..." Sakura says, "You're Tooru's brother...that makes you..." Seki shouts, "Then what can I do to make you love me!?" "You're my _brother_!!" Sakura shouts back. (I wanna die...) Seki looks and sees a compass on his desk, grabs it and stabs himself. Sakura immidiately grabs and yanks it away from him. His ear is bleeding. Sakura cries, "You...why'd you have to be so rash!?" (Loving someone even though it's hopeless...) "Cause I want you! I want you, all right!?" (How do I make this feeling go away?) "Even if I have to share you!!" (As he remembers the teacher that's always yelling at him, and Nakanashi smiling...he thinks, 'Somebody tell me...TELL ME!!') Sakura looks at him for a moment, then takes out one of her earrings..."Remember this...", she says as she hands the earring to him. "Even if you were 26, I'd still love Tooru." Glaring at her, Seki replies, "I know _that_, stupid!!" He leaves, slamming the door. "You-Chan!", Reiji shouts at Seki as he's about to leave, "It's almost 9! What's going..." "Just SHUT UP!!", Seki screams back. Reiji's stunned for a moment, then looks very serious, "Just come back, all right? Cause I'm on your side, you know." (I've been praised ever since I was a kid...made me get arrogant...pretended like I didn't care about it...I...I!!) Seki is riding his bike, ear still bleeding, tears streaming down his face: (I thought I could have anything!!) House nameplate reads: Kanda. Kanda's mom looks startled, "Seki-Kun! What happened?!" Seki is unable to even speak. Kanda takes his arm and says, "It's ok...I understand, so you don't have to cry..." "Just like the ear...is there...a place where the heart connects to the body?" Seki says between sobs. "If there is, I want you to tell me...right now!" "...it's over", Seki announces and starts to get up. There's a bandage on his ear. "What? You're goin' home?" Kanda asks. "Stay over! I mean, you're..." "Reiji told me to go back", Seki replies, managing a weak smile." Kanda grins, "So responsible, just like an older brother!" Seki replies, "Aw, shuddup! Gimme back my 'cherry'!" Seki gets on his bike when Kanda shouts, "Hey...don't force yourself to stop the feeling...you're really cool, just like today, really cool. I don't think you should drag along after her, but love her all you want. Without bothering her, I think it's okay to love her until you come to accept it." Turning red, Kanda adds, "Anyway...that's what I think...not that it matters..." Seki snickers, "My, Kan-Chan aren't you grown up?" "Oh shuttup!", Kanda shouts, embarrased. Looking away from him, Seki says, "Cut it out, Kan-Chan, you're making me cry." Kanda falls silent. Then Seki rides off, shouting, "I assign you to be 'my friend'! Farewell!" Kanda waves and mumbles a puzzled, "Thanks..." As he watches Seki ride away, he thinks, "He's gonna become quite a man!" Seki rides up to his house to find Reiji's already asleep. Seki pulls up his covers abruptly, and lays down beside him. Reiji's eyes open, and he puts his arm around Seki's shoulders. Seki's eyes open wide, but Reiji's eyes are closed again. Seki closes his eyes and begins to cry. (On that day, I learned what it is to have a 'broken heart') ...and because of my brother's promotion, the old bag went to live in New York... At school, Seki looks over at Reiji, who's looking wide eyed back at him. Seki turns red, scowls, and turns away. "HEY!! You've got an...an...earring!!", the teacher shouts at Seki. Striking a pose, Seki says, "Sensei, let me make you a promise...until I graduate a year and a half from now, I'm going to make #1 in my grade, so..." Then he runs away shouting, "Overlook this one thing!" (The past is a footstool to the present...No matter how many people praise me, making the one I love think I'm cool is what matters. It's being told "I love you" by the one you love that's most important. That's what it 'being cool' is for me...) Flashback: Seki on the 1st day of school. He thinks, "9:30...going in now'd be conspicuous...I'll skip the new school ceremony." Suddenly there's a loud sound...someone coughing, which startles Seki. He goes over to see what it is, and finds Haru sitting, smoking a cigarette and crying. She gives him a hard glance. He leans in, smiling, and says, "Here, have a stick of gum! Open your mo~uth!" "I don't want any!!!", Haru shouts back. (And to fall in love...under the cherry trees in full bloom...) End of Chapter 7. This text is copyright of Suka-chan: sukachan@postoffice.worldnet.att.net You can find other synopsis by her of this and other mangas serialized in the Amie monthly magazine at: http://www.swb.de/~zahara/amie/amie.html Comments are welcome! And remember this is not for profit and is meant to be a guide for the people who wants to understand the manga or read more about it! ^^