Student x Teacher - Boy x Boy (Completed)

Rain Changes Everything

I arrive home to my small one bedroom apartment that afternoon after school. I hear the pitter patter of rain drops on the glass window then it gets heavier. I am glad I got home before the rain hit.

I lie down on my bed staring up at the white ceiling with my legs dangling down off the side of the bed. I spread out like a starfish with my bag just plonked beside the bed at my feet. It is silent in the apartment. Not a sound anywhere. It's just the way I like it; no one talking or making any noise at all. Pure silence as if time froze but what disturbs the silence is the rain.

I roll onto my side and look out the window beside my bed. The rain drops trail down on the glass like a waterfall. It is raining quite heavy now. The room feels cool and is dark. All I want to do is lay in bed and listen to the rain that pelts down from the heavens.

I can see myself in the reflection of the glass. I'm just an average boy who has experienced something that would so rarely happen to other people. My brown hair looks a mess. It is like I have no pride in myself but I'm not on this Earth to impress anyone with my looks. I've grown skinner and frailer over the last few years. I feel as if my energy is slowly draining from me. I don’t eat much in general so I guess that will be why I get headaches and feel fatigue.

It has been seven years since I moved into this apartment. I was only young and my memories are still fuzzy. I was told one day that I was now alone in this world. To a kid, that wouldn't make much sense but now I'm older I now understand what that means. I chose to live alone. Maybe it was good or maybe it wasn’t a good idea at all. I like the dark, the emptiness or having no one around. I can think to myself, I can work hard without distraction. I keep telling myself to stay away from everyone. I don’t need to lose anyone else.

I can never go back in the past but all I can do is suffer alone. That is what I want. That is what I will keep telling myself.

A sudden knock sound and I flinch and sit up. It came from the door. I stare at the door for a moment. 'Who could that be?' I think to myself as I get off the bed and slowly walk to the door. I try not to make my footsteps loud as I stay silent listening to see if the person is still there.

"Shiro? You home?"

I look apathetically at the door but inside I am confused on who is here. I can't recognize the voice as it is muffled by the door between us. I reached out and slowly turned the handle of the door. I opened the door and there standing in front of me was that busy body teacher Mr Tanazuki. ‘What could he want now and how does he know where I live?’

"Sorry for turning up like this all of a sudden but you left your jumper and text book at school." He held the items in his arms and held them out to me. I looked up at him then at his arms. He is still in the white shirt and long pants he wore today at school.

‘What do I do? He looks drenched by the rain. Did he walk all the way here without an umbrella? I thought he said he had a car. Gosh this is so annoying. There goes my peaceful afternoon.’

I took the items silently and moved off to the side allowing him to come in. I think I shocked Mr Tanazuki a little but I could see him smile softly from the corner of my eye as I half faced him. Mr Tanazuki hesitated before he stepped in a little. He took of his shoes at the entrance and looked around.

"Quite a spacious little apartment you have here. Do you live alone?" Mr Tanazuki waited just inside the door before looking at me.

Why would he ask that? I glanced at him before walking off heading to the main part of the apartment. I turned my head and look at him for a moment before waiting for him to follow. I don't want to talk much to Mr Tanazuki but if I offer a drink and let him dry off a bit then he can leave very soon. Inviting him in is a big problem but there's no backing out of it now. Akatsuki hesitantly walked over to where I am and glanced around again. I walked into another room and came back to the living room with a dry towel.

"Here." I held out the towel to Mr Tanazuki who Looked at the towel then gently took it from my hands. "You may sit." I walked away into the small kitchen just beside my bedroom.

The kitchen is tiny but it is just enough for a person who lives alone. I pressed the button down turning the kettle on and leaned against the bench. "What do you drink? Tea? Coffee?" I spoke loud enough so Mr Tanazuki could hear.

"Oh uhh, just a plain green tea will do thank you. No sugar please." He replied. I heard the creak of the couch as I guess he sat down. I find it weird to have a teacher here in my apartment. I’ve only just met him so I hope this doesn’t become a routine. Better make sure I don’t leave anything at school again.

Soon the kettle came to a boil and I got two porcelain cups out from a cupboard above me and two green tea bags from the cupboard beside it. I poured the boiling water into the cups and stirred them around letting the tea leaves soak into the water giving it flavour. I picked the cups both up and walked back into the living room carefully trying not to spill it on the carpet. I handed Mr Tanazuki his tea.

"Thank you." He sipped on his tea then lowered his hands and rested them on his lap. He had the towel wrapped around his shoulders which caught the drips of water from his hair. I took a seat opposite him and drank some of my tea. "So Shiro, where do your parents stay? I mean this apartment isn't that big to keep a family right? It would be nice to meet them."

That topic again? Man he is quite nosey asking personal questions like that. I remain quiet and sip on my tea pretending I didn’t hear him. I don’t have a real family at all but I guess adoptive parents count as half family. I don’t even talk to them.

“You’re only fifteen that’s all but I guess everyone has their reasons." Akatsuki paused before taking a swig of his tea again. “Did you grow up around here Shiro?”

This guy...is starting to get on my nerves. Does he always ask so many personal questions? It is really annoying and quite invasive.  He is now really poking his nose into my business. "Yes." I lied so he would get off my back. I’ve never lived around here. I don’t know where I grew up but it surely isn’t anywhere near here. I’ve lived here since I was adopted seven years ago but my memories before seven years ago are fuzzy but I have nightmares of this one event every single night.

"Oh I see. So have you been living in this apartment since you were very little with your parents?”

I put my drink down on the coffee table in front of me. I felt Mr Tanazuki's eyes looking at me as I looked down towards the ground. Do I keep lying to him?

"I like being alone..." I suddenly said giving him hints to drop the subject. Is it so hard for him to figure out that the kind of questions he is asking are personal? He vacillated slightly before he spoke again.

"But why would you want to be alone? Wouldn't you like to be comforted or even want to be around others?" My eyes widened a little. Do I really want to be alone or am I just telling myself to think that I do want to be alone. He is exposing me. I don’t like it.

"I'm tired. Sorry, please leave. Thank you for returning my things. Thank you." I got up and didn't even look at him. I can’t take it with all this questions he is piling on me. I hate the fact that he is trying to get closer to me. Sorry Mr Tanazuki but I can't let anyone get close to me and that’s it.

"Oh..." I heard the disappointment in his voice. He rose up from his chair and folded the towel neatly and rested it on the arm of the couch. "Thank you for the tea and the towel. I'll...I'll see you at school tomorrow then?" I turned away from him. I don't even reply. It's decided. I don't care if I'm rude anymore. No one else is allowed to enter my personal life anymore. It's final.

With that, Mr Tanazuki left my apartment. I don't regret what I've done or said. I never will regret.