kumi (n.) - modern usage: team, group, class of same-aged students; older usage: 
small band of samurai who fought for the same Lord; ancient: referring to threads 
brought together, band, braid

kumi (n.) - modern usage: team, group, class of same-aged students; older usage: 
small band of samurai who fought for the same Lord; ancient: referring to threads 
brought together, band, braid



The Kumi
 



"Welcome to Yodobashi High School. We are very pleased to have you with us and we 
know you will be excellent students and citizens of our school."

The principal didn't mince words. He looked at the two boys standing before him with 
a critical eye. The dark-haired boy seemed serious enough, but Takamura-sama, the head 
of Yodobashi High, suspected he might be one of those aloof teenagers who believed the 
rules do not apply to him. (Takamura-sama blamed this, when he saw it, on students 
eating too often at McDonald's and watching too many American films.) The other boy..
.well, the other boy stood grinning cheerfully at him and looking suspiciously American. 
He was wearing his newly-issued school uniform correctly, the principal couldn't deny 
that. This made it all the more puzzling that the boy's appearance should seem to 
radiate casualness. His jacket was buttoned, his tie was tied correctly, his shoes 
were polished - all true - and still there was something of the unbuttoned about him.

Takamura-sama frowned slightly and chided himself.

Well look here, even the boy's braid was very neatly plaited...

His *braid*?

He had been so busy analyzing the grinning boy's demeanor that he had overlooked 
entirely the long, thick rope of hair that fell to the suspected-American's hips.

Well, that would certainly be dealt with. Takamura-sama cleared his throat 
importantly.

"You have been given a copy of our 'Rules for Students', so it appears you are ready for 
class. I'm assigning both of you to grade 10, kumi number 3. That's room 217 and class 
begins in 20 minutes. I'm sure you'll want to get there early your first day to make a 
good impression." The principal went on.

"Also, since you both have arrived after the beginning of classes, dormitory space is 
scarce, so you will have to take what we can give you. You'll be rooming together in 
325 East Wing. I trust there will be no problem with that."

Takamura-sama was not looking at either boy as he said this, and did not in the least 
expect a reply. He was, however, graced with one in spite of this, from the long-haired 
boy.

"Oi, no!", he drawled cheerfully, throwing an arm around the other boy's shoulders. 
"Heero here is a great guy - great guy! We get along like a house on fire, don't we 
Heero?" He grinned at his companion and gave the boy's shoulders a little shake.

If that boy's looks could kill, Takamura-sama thought, his "friend" would now be dead.

"Oh, yeah," the cheerful boy continued. "We only just met in the hallway outside your 
office and already we're just like that," he said, holding up two intertwined fingers.

Heero's expression went from glare to menace.

"I mean, you can see why, ne?", the no-longer-suspected-but-positively-identified-American 
went on, oblivious to the impending doom hanging over him. "Heero's quite a guy! You 
should see him - ow!!"

The braided boy stopped in mid-sentence and reached for his foot. Takamura-sama seized 
the opportunity offered by the brief moment of silence to speak again.

"I'll give you the nameplates for your door and then you should be off to join your kumi." 
He turned away and began flipping through a large filing cabinet.

Not turning his head an inch, Heero hissed under his breath, "Don't...touch me...again."

Duo, still rubbing his abused instep, blinked at Heero, then pouted.

"Geez, just tryin' to be friendly, man."

"Here you are," said the principal as he presented the two boy with laminated strips of 
paper with "Heero Lowe" and "Duo Howard" written neatly on them. "Now get to class, please. 
Oh, and Howard-kun - that braid of yours is highly irregular and will have to come off. 
Report to Minami-sensei's office tomorrow at during third period. He will be taking you 
to get it cut. That's all, thank you."

Heero turned to go and, as he did, he saw Duo in a state that seemed positively unnatural. 
Deathscythe's pilot was was standing perfectly still, staring straight ahead, his mouth 
open slightly - not making a sound.

"Duo," Heero said in a low voice and began walking towards to door.

"Duo."

Impatiently he pulled at the other boy's arm, dragging him out of the office into the 
hallway beyond. He stared at Duo in annoyance for a few moments and then turned to go. 
As he did he heard a small voice.

"He can't...he can't."

"What?", Heero growled, turning back impatiently.

Duo stood in the hallway, his braid clutched protectively in his hands.

"He can't make them cut my hair, can he?", the American pilot asked, sounding suddenly 
younger than his 15 years.

"Hn," Heero replied and started walking away again. "We don't have time for this," he 
called back over his shoulder.

Duo worked hard to focus on Heero's retreating back and ordered his legs to follow.

**********

Standing in front of the class of cooling appraising boys and giggling, wide-eyed girls, 
Heero couldn't help but notice the attention his fellow pilot was receiving. He was getting 
a fair amount of stares and smiles himself, but nothing like those being thrown Duo's way. 
He stole a sideways glance at the other boy and was surprised and relieved to see his 
cheerfulness had returned. Better for him to be that way and not cause trouble.

When the homeroom teacher had asked them to introduce themselves, the long-haired boy had 
grinned widely and said, "I'm Duo Howard and it's really nice to meet ya!" For some reason 
inexplicable to Heero this caused several boys to grin back and a great number of girls to 
blush and sigh.

What's wrong with them all? They're acting like idiots. He just said his name for gods' 
sake.

A faint sound, much too soft to decipher, came from somewhere far away in Heero's mind.

This isn't good. He stands out too much. He's too noticeable and that could get us into 
real trouble. First the hair - and now this. We don't need him making buddies and winning 
hearts...

When his turn came, he grunted out, "Heero Lowe," and left it at that. Then they were each 
given a seat, Heero by the shy girl who was class leader this week, and Duo by a smiling 
boy introduced as Oyamada-kun.** The boy whispered something to Duo as the pilot sat down 
and both boys grinned at each other.

Heero felt an completely inexplicable wave of anger and fought to shrug it off.

"Ogawa-san, would you like to offer a greeting to your new classmates?", the teacher looked 
at the girl next to Heero. She stood, blushing furiously, and bowed, first to Heero, then 
to Duo.

"Welcome Lowe-kun, Howard-kun. This is a very good kumi and we are proud of it. We are happy 
that you have joined us and we know that you will work hard for our kumi and do things to 
make us proud." She bowed again and sat down, still red-faced.

Heero found himself growing more and more irritated.

Kumis. Waste of time. Better to be on your own. To rely on nothing and no one but yourself. 
I'll blend in long enough to get the data we came for, but loyalty? Camaraderie? Inefficient 
and potentially dangerous. I know that well enough, and that long-haired idiot better 
understand it, too.

At the end of first period, Heero and Duo's schedules diverged until the last class of the 
day. Lunch, of course, was different. All students were expected to eat in the classroom 
with the kumi.

As they left the homeroom class, Duo pulled Heero aside and asked in a somewhat plaintive 
voice, "Can we talk at lunch? I need to figure out what to do about the braid thing and I 
could use some help."

Heero stared impassively at Duo, then replied, "Just get it done. Long hair serves no purpose 
and will probably cause trouble for you or someone else in combat, not to mention making you 
stand out here. That's all I have to say about it. No need to meet at lunch. I'm going to my 
next class."

Heero turned abruptly and walked off in the direction of his history class, leaving Duo gazing 
after his retreating figure for the second time that day.

**********

Lunchtime with the kumi. A small crowd of girls had surrounded Heero, who had hoped to do 
homework during the noon hour, so he could use the evening for reconnaissance of the office 
where OZ was keeping a small but important piece of data. No such luck. Ogawa-san, the shy 
class leader, unintentionally began what resulted in an inquisition by asking if he liked 
soccer. Several high-pitched voices chimed in at once.

"Oh, yes, Lowe-kun, do like soccer?"

"What position do you play?"

"Or maybe baseball?"

"No, it's archery, isn't it? You look like a boy who likes archery!"

"You must look so cute in your uniform!", this followed by a fit of giggles from all the females 
present.

Heero soon found himself in that rare situation of facing a task for which he had no training. 
Making polite conversation was not among the skills that either Odin Lowe or Dr. J had taught 
him. Human fighting machines rarely have a need for small talk.

Obviously not a problem for *that* one, Heero thought as he looked across the room at his fellow 
pilot. Duo was surrounded by a large group of both sexes, working the crowd with the ease of a 
true professional, trading boasts with the boys, flirting outrageously with the girls, and making 
everyone laugh.

The Japanese boy brought his plate to the front of the room, found an empty desk, and began to 
do his homework. Beginning calculus - something he had learned long ago. It should have taken no 
time at all, but his eyes kept straying to that large group, growing larger by the minute, and to 
its bright center. He began to berate himself for lacking discipline, but then stopped.

Obviously I have to keep an eye on him. Make sure he doesn't say or do anything that they might 
suspect. Of course that's why I keep looking over there. He could do something stupid at any 
moment.

Somewhere, from very deep inside of him, a small voice sang,

Not the reason, not the reason, not the reason...

Shut up,

A soft, boyish giggle bubbled up from far below - an eerie sound in the silence of Heero's 
orderly mind. Mirthful, with a small touch of the insane...

Stop it. Just shut up.

Everything he says - you listen... Everything he does, you watch...I watch him too...graceful..
.hypnotic...I like watching him...

Do you?, Heero growled at the giggling voice. Do you really?

Y-yes...the voice was less confident now. There's nothing wrong with that. It doesn't affect 
you at all...it's...just something...for...me...

I don't think so. You are just waiting to die down there. And a dying man doesn't need 
entertainment.

What are you saying?? What do you mean?? I don't like it when you talk like that...makes 
me nervous...the voice had an edge of desperation to it now.

Take a last look.

No!! Not that!! Please! I'll be quiet...I promise! Please, please, please!!!

Too late, baka. Heero turned the eyes off on the pleading voice.

Noooooooo! I can't see, I can't see, I can't see!!!Turn them back on!! I'll do anyth-

The scream stopped abruptly, as if a heavy cell door had closed.

**********

2pm - last class. They sat and listened to the teacher lecture about the Analects of 
Confucius. Outwardly, Heero was attentive and taking notes on the finer points of being 
an Honorable Man. Inwardly, he struggled to keep his eyes off the boy in the seat diagonal 
to him.

Get you eyes off of that baka. Have you completely lost your discipline?

Faint screams from far below, but easy enough to ignore.

The object of Heero's inner struggle also appeared to be listening, but had given up taking 
notes and was absently fingering the end of his thick, chestnut-colored braid. Heero 
wondered briefly what Duo was thinking about, realizing that he had absolutely no idea 
of the kind of thoughts that might inhabit the American pilot's head.

That hair of his is absolutely useless - a nuisance, or worse perhaps. Something to stick 
in the mind, something to be recalled should a description be necessary.

Heero glowered inwardly. He had no use for half-hearted soldiers who cared more about their 
appearance that the mission at hand.

Why can't I look away...his hands...slipping through that silk...brushing it against his 
fingertips... ...what would it be like...to touch...

Far away, a blind and broken boy started groping along a cold cell wall, looking for an 
exit that had to be there.

**********

Duo paced the small dormitory room like a nervous cat, rapid-fire chatter coming fast and 
furious. Heero did his best to ignore it, while Duo seemed set on getting a reaction, any 
kind of reaction, from him.

"Oi! Heero, didja see those girls who were checkin' me out today? Gorgeous, eh? They all 
seemed pretty interested - looks like I'm going to be very busy on the weekends while we're 
here...I already have a study date with Miho-chan tomorrow. Isn't she a knockout! And she 
practically begged me! But of course, I don't wanna limit myself. Gotta play the field at 
our age, eh Heero? Yup, spread yourself around, that's what I say. So many girls and so 
little -"

Heero's chair scraped backwards loudly, stopping Duo in mid-chatter.

"Miho-chan? Since when is it Miho-chan? You just met her today."

Duo crossed his arms and gave Heero a rakish grin.

"Yeah, well, we kinda hit it off, ya know? Thinks I'm great, Heero. Unlike you."

"Hn. Why should I think you're anything special? You're just another soldier, like me. We're 
not great. We're expendable."

Duo's hands moved to his hips, fists curled in little balls.

"Well lots of people here disagree with you Heero. they seem to be willing to be friends with 
both of us, although why they give your gloomy face a chance I'm sure I don't know!"

The long-haired pilot stopped, dropped his hands to his side, and grinned.

"Know what Miho-chan said about you? She said -"

"No. I don't want to know. I don't want to know anything about her. I don't want to hear her 
name again. She'll probably laugh at you tomorrow when that stupid braid is gone."

Heero stopped. He couldn't believe his pulse was racing, his anger like electricity between 
them. Why did he give a damn? What did this matter to him?

Why was Duo looking that way?

Deathscythe's pilot had frozen in place. He stared at Heero with a face that looked a perfect 
mask of hurt, his violet eyes wide with pain. Slender hands reached back for the silky plait. 
He stood for a moment, looking at Heero, then sliding his gaze down to the braid in his hands. 
After what seemed like hours, he spoke, his voice a hoarse whisper.

"Guess I'll go down to the TV room. Oyamada-kun asked me to watch a Western with him."

With that, he turned and fled the room.

 

**********

The boy was tired, but he knew he must be making progress. He had been groping his way steadily 
upward since discovering the small hole, low in the wall of his cell. A hole that the Soldier, 
Heero Yuy, had intended to seal up, but for some reason hadn't. Now, his fingers were the only 
guides as he climbed. They were wet, probably with blood. The walls of the cell had been smooth, 
but these walls were rough, as if they were made of stone. His blindness was total and there 
wasn't a sound to be heard from any direction. But it didn't matter, because he was on his way 
to the surface. ..to the surface, where he hadn't been in years.

It was the other boy who had done it. He was so lovely, and the blind boy wanted him so much 
to be near him. He felt heady with desire and that had been enough to get him out of the cell 
and now the air was freshening. He was getting there - ever so slowly - but getting there.

**********

Heero had been sleeping restlessly when Duo slipped into the room, just under the curfew time. 
The American undressed and put on loose pajama pants, but instead of getting into his bed, he 
crossed the room silently and sat in the window seat, looking out at the small meditation garden 
at the back of the dormitory building. He didn't move, but it was the stillness of a cat - 
intense energy reading for motion at any time. Heero rolled over and looked up at his roommate, 
frowning.

"What are you doing up?"

"Just go back to sleep, Heero. It's nothing to do with you."

The dark-haired boy frowned again and threw the covers off of himself. He walked slowly 
over to the window seat.

"You can't help with the mission if you're too tired to do anything. Go to sleep."

"Go to hell!" Duo looked up at Heero as he swore. He put his head in his hands and fell 
silent again.

Heero planned on moving back towards his bed, but felt an odd resistance. He didn't want 
to speak, but felt compelled to.

"This isn't about your hair again, is it?"

"What do you care?" Duo's voice was muffled misery. "I'm sure the idea of it getting chopped 
off makes you very happy."

"It's not practical."

"It's not meant to be!"

Against his better judgment, Heero found himself sitting down at the far edge of the 
window seat.

"Why have it, then?"

Duo gathered the thick rope of hair into his hands and stared down at it. He ran his hand 
along it's length and hefted it, as if to reassure himself of it's solidity. Then he looked 
up at Heero, blue-violet eyes turned to silver by the moon outside the window.

"I don't keep it for myself. I keep it for the others. The ones who are gone now. It's,,,it's 
my way...to remember them...to honor them..."

He held the braid up in both hands.

"It seems like one thing, doesn't it? Just something for me, by myself. But look -"

He deftly pulled off the black elastic band that encircled the end of the braid and pulled 
the three, thick strands apart. Heero wasn't prepared for the sheer mass of silky hair that 
fell around Duo's face. Somewhere, too close for comfort, he heard a small sigh.

"Look -", Duo repeated, running slender fingers through the gleaming strands. "It's not one 
thing, it's made of a lot of things. And there were a lot of them that day...so many people, 
crowded into the church...all those people...like all of these..." He caught more strands 
with his fingers and let them fall around him.

Can't see it...can't see it but...I can touch it...I know where he is - right in front of me, 
not two meters away...

Heero felt dizzy - out of control. On the inside, a presence was making itself known, was filling 
his head with crazy ideas, ideas that weren't his...ideas about the boy over there... And on the 
outside, the boy himself. Eyes glowing, thick silk wrapped around his fingers, his face 
beautiful and pensive.

"I can't lose them now," Duo said. I've come all this way and I've had them with me the whole 
time. I love bringing them all together and making them one, strong thing. That way, I...I feel 
like I'm protecting them...like I couldn't protect them back then...like I should have..."

The world was tilting strangely for Heero. He saw Duo, and he saw utter blackness. He felt trapped, 
needing to get away from the moonlit boy across from him, and he felt drawn. Drawn to the gleaming 
silk, to the large eyes full of agony, to the slender hands gripping the loosened mass of hair.

The soldier raised a fist, but the blind boy darted under his arm and reached out as he hadn't 
done for so long. Reached out blindly for the silky treasure he sensed nearby. He reached, and 
Heero's hand closed around a lock of Duo's hair.

Duo looked up at Heero in stunned surprise, not daring to move, afraid that the dark-haired pilot 
would strike him. Heero, the soldier and the boy, sat perfectly still, fingers burrowing into 
the soft mane, clutching at it, drawing it over his fingertips. His face was completely relaxed, 
his mouth loose and slightly open, his eyes directed at Duo's hair. Duo himself felt his breath 
catch and found it impossible to look away from that darkly beautiful face.

"Heero -", he breathed.

The fist came down, hard on the blind boy's cheek, knocking the arm away from it's burrow and 
causing a sharp exhale from Heero. He stood abruptly and felt a part of him falling from a 
great height.

"I'm taking a walk. Back later," he growled and left Duo alone and confused in the moonlit room.

**********

Yes, he was falling. Yes it was all the way down, back to the bottom of the great stone well. 
Back to his tiny cell with the smooth, cold walls. But he didn't mind all that much. He had 
done it. He had broken out. The soldier was not invincible; he could be defeated, if only 
briefly.

And he had touched the lovely boy. He had reached out and grabbed ahold of that silky hair, 
had run his fingers through it for a blissful eternity before the soldier regained his wits. 
His fingertips held a pulsing memory of it all. He held them to his lips, and kissed them as 
he fell.

**********

It had been no trouble at all to bypass the security system to the large computer lab on the 
second floor of the science building. No doubt the system that protected the Vice Principal's 
office, where the data he needed was kept, would be much more formidable. But that would come 
later. Tonight, he had an equally important, and even more secretive mission to accomplish.

A flicker of a smile crossed his lips as the hack was completed and the principal's message box 
appeared on the screen.

**********

Duo was prepared to fight. He walked into Minami-sensei's office as the third period bell was 
chiming, fists curled, a veritable stone wall of determination. They would not take away his 
prize, his only treasured possession, that easily. Oh, no - they thought they could but 
obviously they hadn't counted on Duo Maxwell.

Minami-sensei turned from his bookcase as Duo walked in.

"Ah, Howard-kun. You're here. I thought perhaps the principal had reached you. Never mind - we 
received the letter from your clergyman first thing this morning."

Duo blinked. His mind raced through all the possible scenarios he had come up with in preparation 
for this meeting. The particular scenario that was unfolding, however, was not among them. This 
could be bad.

"My clergyman?"

"Yes," Minami-sensei replied. "We had no idea, of course, that some Catholic sects on the colonies 
made their members forsake cutting their hair as a penance for original sin. A very interesting 
concept, if I might say so. My field of study in graduate school was comparative religion. We 
should talk about your version of Catholicism some time."

"My...my version..." Duo was thoroughly baffled. But under the bafflement he understood one thing. 
His hair would not be cut. His braid was his to keep. The friends and loved ones he had brought 
with him through a terrible childhood would remain by his side, and down his back. He was overcome 
with a wave of relief. Minami-sensei's phone began to ring, and the teacher waved him away politely.

Duo ran out of the building with a whoop. Heero was standing outside on the quadrangle, his class 
having been dismissed for study time due to the teacher's absence. He turned as the American pilot 
approached, braid flying, an idiotic grin on his face.

"Heero! Heero! I'm saved! I don't have to get my hair cut! There was some weird thing about a 
priest or something, but - anyway, I keep the braid! I am *sooo* cool with this! Isn't it great! 
C'mon! I'll buy you a bottle of tea!"

The soldier was back in control.

"Hn. Nice for you. I'm going to study."

Duo's face fell for a moment, only to be revived by the cheerful voice of Oyamada-kun, coming 
up behind Heero.

"What's all the fuss about?", he asked good-naturedly. "Oi! Duo - come and get a snack with 
me."

"Yeah, sure," Duo replied. "I'll be right there." The braided boy looked at Heero again, his 
face questioning, as if he were trying to work out a complex puzzle.

"You sure you don't want to come, Heero? I'd like it if you did."

"No. I'm studying. Tonight we start working on that security system, so you'd better not play 
all afternoon."

Duo rolled his eyes and made a face.

"Yeah, yeah - I know the drill. See ya later!"

Heero stood, watching Duo and the other boy walk across the campus, their heads close together, 
laughter loud and happy. Far down, in a very dark place inside of him, a broken boy dreamed of 
fingers running through silk. The soldier scowled in disgust at the weakness, but the boy smiled 
blissfully. And Heero Yuy found himself greatly disturbed, feeling both.

 

>>> owari <<<

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