Guys Don't Like Me

Chapter 16

  Ryuu woke up the next morning and stretched, moaning slightly as he tried to work out the various knots in his muscles from sleeping sitting up. Then he turned around, curious, and saw that Kazu - male Kazu - was still sleeping on the couch, only somehow with his transformation, his clothing had changed slightly. The shirt was gone - although Ryuu wondered if Kazu had done that himself - and he was wearing boxers now.
Ryuu couldn't help but stare at Kazu's face, comparing it in his mind to the girl he'd seen last night, but then Kazu blinked open one eye and caught Ryuu staring.
"Like what you see?" Kazu said, and Ryuu scowled. "Stop being so self-conscious, Ryuu. I'm the same Kazu I've been every other day."
Ryuu just stared at Kazu. "No, Kazu, you're not. Everything's different now..."
Kazu glared at Ryuu, his anger working to rouse him from his sleep and he stood up. "It's not my fault you found out. If you can't handle it, then maybe you should just stop talking to me, Ryuu. Go find yourself some other charity project and befriend them instead," he snarled before leaving the room and slamming the bathroom door. A minute later, the shower started.
Ryuu leaned back and sagged into the couch. I guess I was being pretty insensitive...How do I apologize to Kazu? Does he really want to cut ties with me, or is he just temporarily mad?
With a slight start, Ryuu realizing that he was unconsciously referring to Kazu as a male. But that reminds me...I never thought to ask him the question...But if he's a boy during the day and a girl at night...then what is his REAL gender?
The thought shocked Ryuu into momentarily forgetting about Kazu's angry outburst.
A few minutes later, the shower shut off and Kazu came out wearing only a towel around his waist.
"Get out" were his only words on his way to get dressed.
***
When Kazu came out of his room, hair still dripping onto his unbuttoned shirt, Ryuu was in the same position on the couch, but Kazu ignored him and went to get something to eat - ramen, again.
"At least let me cook something for you," Ryuu said quietly, approaching Kazu and snatching the ramen packet out of his hands. "Do you know how many carcinogens are in these things?"
Kazu didn't try to take the ramen back, but he looked fairly pissed. "I thought I told you to leave me the hell alone."
Ryuu just stared back at Kazu. "I can't do that."
Kazu stared Ryuu directly in the eye. "Yeah? Then take responsibility and marry me."
The statement achieved the desired affect - Ryuu choked slightly. Kazu, who hadn't been serious in the first place and had only wanted Ryuu to stop bothering him, turned away, easily reclaiming the ramen and putting the noodles in the boiling water.
Then Kazu proceeded to ignore Ryuu's presence until they had to leave for school.
***
From that point on, Ryuu stopped by in the mornings before school to pick up Kazu and walk him to school, but one morning was different.
Ryuu stopped by an hour earlier than usual after having gotten a text from an unknown number.

[NUMBER]: so do you know when Kazu's birthday is?

Ryuu immediately suspected who it was. Katsu...is he trying to tell me that it's Kazu's birthday? That's right...Kazu's never even mentioned his birthday...
Ryuu decided to celebrate by going over and making Kazu (non-ramen) breakfast, so he got up early and headed over, slipping in the back door, as he was now accustomed to doing. He was making something in a frying pan (scrambled eggs, if you're curious) when he felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist and hug him from behind.
"Wha-" Ryuu yelped, startled, and he turned his head to see Kazu, her eyes closed, clinging to him as though he was a life raft saving her from the ocean (also know as the kitchen floor). "Kazu! Get off of me!"
Kazu just made a low moaning sound. "Nooooo," she groaned, sounding like a little kid. "Don' wanna. Tired..."
"Kazu!" Ryuu yelled, blushing, but he didn't know how to dislodge her. Plus, he wasn't used to moving with the weight of an additional person, so as he tried to navigate around the kitchen with a 17-ish-year-old girl clinging to his back, he tripped slightly and fell, having just enough sense to turn slightly, sliding his hand underneath female Kazu's head so she wouldn't hit the floor hard.
Which only made the situation worse...
...because they'd landed in an awkward pose, with Ryuu holding himself up with one hand over Kazu, who laid on the floor, her eyes only a quarter of the way open.
"S-sorry!" Ryuu stuttered, trying to get up, but Kazu still wouldn't let go of his shirt. "Kazu! Let go-" Ryuu tried to pull away from Kazu's grip but ended up slipping and falling...
...only this time, the collision wasn't Kazu vs. floor, but rather Ryuu's lips vs. Kazu's.
What...am I touching...Ryuu wondered, for he had closed his eyes instinctively as he fell, but now he opened them to see...Kazu's face...three inches away.
What...
Oh.
Shit...
Ryuu internally panicked for a second before hurriedly pulling back and standing up, looking away. At least it wasn't male Kazu...I think I'd just die if that happened...In fact, I kind of want to die right now...
"Per-vert," was Kazu's initial response, followed by a glare. She was still lying on the kitchen floor.
Ryuu blushed, unable to stop his heart from thumping loudly and quickly within the protected sanctuary of his rib cage. Until Kazu snaps my ribs, that is!
Her next words completely caught him off guard. "If you wanted make-out practice, you should have just asked first."
"What?!" Ryuu asked, spinning to face Kazu, who was illuminated by the sun just peeking in through the window.
She sighed, rolling her eyes. "You're lonely because you don't have that Momo chick anymore, right? Isn't that why you've been bothering me so much lately?" she said, standing up and placing her hands on her hips. "So you want a new girlfriend. If it will keep you from annoying me so much, I'm even willing to help. And because I'm such a generous friend, I'll teach you how it's done, got it?" Without another word, Kazu leaned forward, one of her hands gripping Ryuu's face and the other behind his neck, and she brought her lips to his, sealing off his protest as she kissed him hard, not even having to bend down because she'd maintained male Kazu's lofty height. After a long, heated moment, she pulled back, staring at him blankly while casually wiping off her lips. "That's how a girl wants to be kissed, Ryuu. Now go out and catch a fish," she said, gesturing toward the door.
Ryuu's mind was in a state of ruin... He just stood there gaping like an idiot, his mouth still partially open.
Kazu raised an eyebrow. "If you don't shut that huge mouth of yours, I'm going to jam my tongue all the way down your throat," she threatened calmly, and Ryuu quickly followed her orders.
After a moment, Ryuu looked away from Kazu, not able to face her, and noticed a clock. "Hey, wait a second," he said, completely trying to ignore that awkward moment. "It's already (time). Shouldn't you be...you know...normal by now?"
Kazu shrugged. "The days are getting shorter, which means the sun rises a little bit later every day." Suddenly, she laughed dryly. "Imagine if I had switched back while kissing you."
Ryuu blushed from head to toe and tried to do damage control on his stuttering and wounded ego. "B-but, look, Kazu. The sun's already out."
Kazu looked out the window and sighed, frowning. "Crap. I forgot..."
"Forgot what?"
Kazu tilted her head slightly. "Looks like I'll be stuck like this for a bit."
"Like what?" Ryuu asked, panicked.
Kazu grinned wickedly.