YnM Fanfiction
"When Cherry Blossoms Fall..."

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Disclaimer: YnM belongs to Youko Matsushita-sensei.

04072001

Sakura trees bloom only in the first week of spring. Their blossoms sleep before and die after.

When Cherry Blossoms Fall...
A YnM fanfic written by Anonym aka Yen
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The air was filled with the sweet fragrance of blossoming sakura. Cherry blossom trees were silver-pink with flowers. Their branches swayed, dancing with the gently blowing breeze. A rustling song sang by both.

Underneath them and walking quickly, Hisoka grimaced. His head was throbbing with pain, and he futilely tried not to breath in too deeply. He detested the smell of cherry blossoms.

He froze suddenly; his eyes, caught on a falling petal. It floated to and fro lazily before landing noiselessly on his shoe. Hisoka flinched as if he had heard a thunderclap and kicked away the petal, which flew off slowly as if reluctant to let go of him.

Hisoka shuddered and wrapped his arms around himself, trying fruitlessly to stop trembling. He looked up at the trees; his eyes, glazed over, and his face was pale. More petals were falling.

It was that time again. Time again when sakura fell.

His stomach like lead, Hisoka found himself paralyzed and staring at the pavement. More petals were falling and falling quickly.

Run!

Hisoka clenched his eyes shut.

You fool! What are you waiting for?! Run! Run away!

Hisoka forced his eyes open and was aghast to find a carpet of cherry blossoms in his way.

... My nightmare again...

*WOOF* Something attacked him from behind.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

"Shiro, bad dog! Get back here!" The weight on the back of his legs withdrew.

Heart pounding, Hisoka turned to see a black dog staring at him with a quizzical expression. It then whimpered and started barking at him. ... Shiro? Thought Hisoka.

"Shiro!" Far behind, the dog's owner yelled again, and Hisoka blinked when he saw it was Terazuma.

Shiro stopped barking and loped towards Terazuma, tail wagging. Its tail dropped when Terazuma cuffed its muzzle sharply.

"Bad dog! I told you not to follow me!" Terazuma reprimanded in such a harsh tone that Hisoka wanted to intervene. He walked towards them, about to call out when Shiro suddenly rolled over on his back and pawed playfully at Terazuma.

"Oh no you don't!" Terazuma yelled. "Go home, Shiro!" Hisoka's jaw dropped when Terazuma said, "I already rubbed your tummy this morning so go home!"

Shiro stilled and gave Terazuma a soulful look.

"... Oh no... Shiro, don't look at me that way... Aw jeez!"

...

"... Terazuma-san?"

"... Kurosaki?! Shiro, get out of here! Now!!! ... Kurosaki..."

"Is Shiro the puppy Wakaba-san gave to you?"

"... Yes, he's the one. ... Shiro's a lot of trouble."

"He looks very healthy. You two look like you get along together very well."

"He's just a mutt," muttered Terazuma. Hisoka got the impression that Terazuma didn't want to be heard. There was a whimper behind, and both turned to see Shiro a few steps behind them, his tail wagging. He looked hopeful.

"Shiro, go home!"

"Why don't you bring him to the office? He must feel lonely while you're at work."

"Are you kidding me? I can't bring Shiro to work with me."

"Why not?"

"... He's not house-trained."

Shiro growled at that remark, and Hisoka folded his arms and stared at Terazuma, who shifted uneasily.

"... You're hiding something, Terazuma-"

"No, I'm not!" Terazuma retorted. He looked guilty. "I just don't want to deal with Shiro while I'm working. I never get anything done when he's around."

"Then, I'll take care of him for you today," said Hisoka.

Terazuma looked alarmed while Shiro joyfully rolled around on his back amidst sakura petals.

Hisoka barely heard Terazuma's complaints. He could only watch Shiro, whose ebony eyes gleamed playfully.

When sakura bloom, it's a beautiful sight. When sakura is on the ground, it's a lovely night.

Hisoka's eyes widened. ... Shiro?

Play, play, play. This carpet of flowers should be played in. It's so soft and smells so sweet.

Shiro's warm dark eyes suddenly turned into ice blue, and Hisoka felt himself falling helplessly. The hard ground bruised his back, twigs cut his skin, the cloying smell of dying cherry blossoms filled his lungs with every breath.

No... not again. Hisoka shut his eyes tightly. No! This is not real! This isn't happening! His fingers dug into the ground.

"... Oi, boy, are you all right?" Hisoka's eyes snapped open upon hearing Terazuma's voice. He heard a whimper, and a wet tongue lapped over his face. He heard Terazuma curse, and the licking stopped. When his vision cleared, he saw that both Terazuma and Shiro were staring down at him with worried expressions.

Embarrassed, he hurriedly pushed himself up and stopped when his head grew dizzy. He didn't notice Terazuma kneeling by his left and barely felt Shiro's nose nudging his right arm.

"You don't look good," Terazuma observed. Shiro gave a short bark, either agreeing with his master or berating the understatement.

"... I'm fine," Hisoka muttered before attempting to stand up again. His palms pushed against the ground for leverage. Suddenly, his right hand slipped. He cried out as he fell heavily on his right arm and elbow.

"Jeez!" Terazuma grabbed his left arm. "Are you all right?"

Hisoka grimaced and lifted his injured arm. It was bruised badly, and his elbow was bleeding. Several moments later, it was healed. Hisoka smiled when a surprised Shiro examined his arm.

Terazuma was irritated. "You're as clumsy as Tsuzuki," he muttered. When he realized that he was holding Hisoka's arm, he let go quickly and stood up, wiping his palm on his trouser leg. Hisoka ignored him and patted Shiro, whose ears flattened against his head with delight, tail wagging furiously with pleasure.

Sorry. Sorry. For you, sakura is pain; sakura is sad. Let's play another time.

Hisoka could only smile. Shiro reminded him of William though the latter never spoke to him. He never even realized that animals could communicate with him ... I know someone who would like to play with you anytime.

Nice. Play is nice. You are nice. Master is nice. Sakura is nice.

Hisoka's head was beginning to ache again. Shiro's thoughts were in fragments that seemed to run around in hectic circles.

"Just what are you doing, boy?" Hisoka heard Terazuma say in a somewhat suspicious tone. Startled, Hisoka looked up at him and stood up hastily. He then brushed off sakura petals from his clothes with a disgusted expression. He jumped when Shiro suddenly barked and went on ahead, plowing through the fallen flowers and leaping up ever so often to snap playfully at the falling petals.

"Shiro!" Terazuma yelled. "Come back here! That's not the way home! ... Stupid dog! He goes crazy every time I let him out of the apartment. Shiro, get back here! I swear I will never let you out again!" He threatened as he ran after his pet.

Hisoka could only stare after them silently as sakura continued to fall around him.

Sakura is nice.

A few petals landed softly, most brushed by with teasing softness.

It's so soft and smells so sweet.

Hisoka caught a few of the petals and stared at them.

For you, sakura is pain; sakura is sad.

His hand trembled. ... Maybe someday, these flowers will mean something else to me.

Let's continue that night.
On the cushion of sakura, embracing under the moonlight....

His hand clenched and crushed the petals. For now, cherry blossoms only reminded him of death.
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Cherry Blossom trees bloom only in the first week of spring. Their flowers sleep before and die after.

Author's note:

When I first wrote this, it was intended to be the 8000-hit gift story, but it didn't work out the way I expected and barely filled out the request.

This fanfic can stand on it's own even if you haven't read "In the Air." The sequel to this fanfic is the 8000 hit gift story.

And yes, I know Shiro means white in Japanese. I figured that Terazuma would be the type of person who would name a black dog white.

(sweatdrop) I thought having Hisoka being able to communicate with animals just a little bit corny. I actually want to rewrite this fic. Rewriting it won't affect the sequel. uhmm... Writing fast is a problem.

And about the cherry blossoms blooming only in the first week of spring. I learned that from my Japanese teacher. He was handing out these little pink cakes which is a lot like "mashi" (a Chinese pastry I like to eat). I forgot what he called them, but they smelled like sakura, he said. I wouldn't know since I never smelled a cherry blossom before. While we were eating them, he talked about how sakura only blooming for one week in April. So right now, cherry blossoms are blooming in Japan. After the one week, the flowers would fall. That is the inspiration for this fic.

I guess Hisoka was you know what by Muraki sometime in the 2nd or 3rd week of April when sakura was falling, and when there are still petals on the ground.

Comments, corrections, suggestions, flames?