[kasumi_yyh07]

Hey people! This is a fanfic about Only The Ring Finger Knows. For those of you who don't know, OTRFK is a yaoi novel series (meaning it involves boy x boy relationship) written by Kannagi Satoru and illustrated by Odagiri Hotaru.

The series spans for 5 volumes, 3 of which are licensed and translated into English. The 4th volume has yet to be translated in English, while the 5th volume was recently released in Japan this last September 2008.

A manga version was made, however, it only spans for one volume, and it only covers half of the first novel. There have been no other announcements that it will be continued into a full manga series. You can read the manga version here (follow the link). Summaries of the novels can be found here.

Now, I'll apologize in advance for the double-post, but I intend to use this first post for announcements and status regarding my story. Tell me what you think, okay?

Disclaimer: Only The Ring Finger Knows does not belong to me. It belongs to Kannagi Satoru and to all its proper copyrights.

Current Story: The Untouched Ring
Chapters: 1 (ongoing)
Genre: Drama, Romance
Setting: Fictional events for Volume 4

Warning: May contain spoilers for the novels.

Plot-summary: As a request from his ex-girlfriend, Kazuki goes to New York to accompany her for her surgery, but promises to return to Japan soon. While he is away, Asaka approaches Wataru for a favor. In order to help him deal with a persistent fiance-candidate, he asks Wataru to pretend to be his lover. Weighed with certain circumstances, Wataru reluctantly agrees. But what's going to happen once Kazuki returns?

Notes: Although this story integrates details and certain events from the novels, please bear in mind that this is a fanfic, and is merely a speculation or a theorized plot of the 4th volume. I also use the Japanese way of saying their names, i.e., family name then given name.

In the novels, Kannagi-sensei gives a description on how they look. But I also adore Odagiri-sensei’s beautiful illustrations, so I’ll compromise. Yuichi will still be blonde but not the striking color yellow. Let’s say his type of blonde is the type that borders to very light brown. I think it’s called honey-blonde? I’ll have the eyes be ice blue because I think it suits him.

Wataru’s eyes will be black as Kannagi described it to be, and the hair will be of chocolate brown as in Odagiri’s illustrations. Asaka’s hair will be a reddish brown color because I think it suits his personality, but he still has tan eyes.

[kasumi_yyh07]

Chapter One: An Indecent Proposal

“You want me to what?!” Wataru sputtered, disbelieving his hears. He gaped at the man seated across him, a playful grin gracing his features. And for a moment, Wataru wondered how things led to this situation…

It probably started a couple of weeks ago when he and Kazuki were on a “date”…

“You worry about it too much, Wataru,” Kazuki had said. “I said it’s okay.”

“No, it’s not!” the younger whined. “You… You should go. She asked for you to accompany her, right? Look, just go. This is probably a really scary time for her.”

“She’s practically eight years older than me, Wataru. She’s not a kid so she can take it.”

“But Kazuki—!”

By this time, Kazuki was getting rather annoyed. He got even more annoyed when he saw a familiar silhouette approaching them. He frowned as the elder man, in one felt swoop, grabbed hold of Wataru and entrapped him in his embrace. “Good day to you, Wataru-kun,” he more than chirped. Wataru titled his head upwards to meet the man’s soft and playful gaze. “Asaka-san!” he exclaimed. “What… That is… Good day to you too.” Kazuki frowned at the way his boyfriend blushed.

“Asaka-senpai,” he said, ice forming in his voice. “What a pleasant surprise, but somehow, it doesn’t feel like a surprise at all.” He reached out and grabbed Wataru, yanking him back to his side where he belonged. “Oh, what a terrible atmosphere,” Asaka said. “And here I just wanted to greet my cute kohai and his adorable boyfriend. But enough about that, what’s this I hear about Kazuki-kun being a heartless bastard.”

“You were stalking us?!”

“It’s Kazuki! He won’t go and accompany Mizuho-san as she undergoes the most life-threatening situation she’s in.”

“What? Oh my, how cruel of you Kazuki-kun. Leaving a girl to all her troubles.”

Kazuki frowned. “I’m sorry, senpai. But I don’t recall this being a matter of your business.” Asaka snorted and waved his hand nonchalantly. “Don’t be mean, Kazuki-kun. She’s your ex. All the more reason for you to go.” “How did you know she’s my ex?” the younger of the two stared dumbfound, before realization slowly dawned on him. “You talked to aniki, didn’t you?”

“I might have.”

“Look, I’m not going. What’s the point in going, anyway?”

“Kazuki,” Wataru interrupted, letting them know that he was still with them. “Mizuho-san made a request of you. It’s probably because you’re the person she trusts the most in this entire world. Please go.”

“Wataru… Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

“Of course, I’m sure!”

“But… what about you?”

“Kazuki, this isn’t about me. Don’t worry about it. She really needs you now. So please go to her.”

A look of uncertainty was still evident on Kazuki’s face, but he sighed in defeat. He would always find it quite difficult to refuse that pleading look on his boyfriend’s face. “All right,” he murmured. “I’ll go, only because you insist.” Wataru smiled at hearing those words. “Thank you, Kazuki.”

“That’s right, Kazuki-kun, no need to worry,” their elder senpai spoke. “I’ll take good care of Wataru-kun while you’re away.” He slung an arm around the young boy and pulled him back into his chest. Kazuki scowled and glared at the elder man. “One week,” he said. “I’ll be back in one week because I don’t trust this guy.” Afterwards, he grabbed hold of Wataru’s wrist and pried him from the elder man’s arms once again. “Let’s go,” he dragged his boyfriend off, leaving a thoughtful Asaka behind.

Arrangements were quickly made and, a few days later, the blonde student boarded a plane bound for America. Wataru breathed a heavy sigh as he gazed out the window and into the clear blue sky. It was a perfect day for flying. He glanced back at the test sheet in front of him and took another deep and heavy breath.

All right. Time to decide this.

He felt bad about not being able to see his boyfriend off, but what could he do? The date of Kazuki’s flight was on the same day as his exams. As much as it pained him, he was hoping the latter would understand. Earlier that morning, he had sent Kazuki a text message saying, “Have a safe trip.” After that, he got a reply saying, “Good luck with your exams.” Instantly, he felt his heart flutter and eagerly awaited the end of the week.

Although Kazuki had only been gone for two days, already Wataru was beginning to miss him. Even though he was the one who insisted that Kazuki go, he still wished that the blonde would just hurry back so that they could be together again. The depression was practically written all over his face that it caught the attention of Asaka.

“Go out with me,” the brunette said. Wataru stared dumbfound at the request. “Looking so glum clearly doesn’t suit you,” he explained. “Let’s go out and have some fun, okay?” Before he could even utter a word, Asaka had taken hold of his hand and dragged him off. Before he knew it, he had practically spent the entire day with the man, and here they are now, seated in a café drinking some iced latte, despite the cool autumn temperature.

It had started out with a casual conversation, until Asaka brought up a very disturbing suggestion…

“You want me to what?!”

“Come now, Wataru-kun. You heard me.”

“I heard you, but I don’t think I quite understand you,” Wataru noted that Asaka’s playful grin was not helping his situation. “There’s a fiancé-candidate that your grandmother picked out for you, and you want to get rid of her?”

“Precisely speaking, “ came the monotone reply.

“Why don’t you just dump her?”

“I already tried that, but she’s stubborn. That’s probably the reason why obaasan picked her. Anyway, she won’t back down unless it’s definite I have someone else.”

“And why does it have to be me? Can’t you ask someone else? I’m sure there are about a million other girls more than willing to take on the job.”

“You don’t understand, Wataru-kun,” Asaka sighed. “I, uh… kind of let it slip that I’m gay.”

“What? And she still wants you…?”

“I told you she’s stubborn. Anyway, she was being insistent and I got so irritated that I blurted out, without thinking, that I already have a boyfriend. And now she wants to meet him.”

“Good luck with that.”

“Wataru-kun…”

“And what do you want me to do? Play pretend while Kazuki’s away?”

“He’ll never know. Please?”

Wataru regarded the man uneasily, his fingers toyed around the straw of his drink. “I don’t know…”

“Wataru-kun…”

The next thing he knew, Asaka had leaned across the table, pulled the sides of his head towards him, and caught his lips in a passionate kiss. It took a few moments before everything clicked into his head. When it did, Wataru began to struggle against his grasp. He raised his hands to push the other man away, but Asaka caught his wrists easily, making his attempt futile.

Wataru felt a tongue probing his mouth, and he gasped in surprise. But that caused Asaka to enter his mouth, deepening the kiss. Running out of options, Wataru bit down on the offending tongue, causing the man to quickly reel back, hissing in pain. As he did so, Wataru felt Asaka’s hand slide down his left wrist and graze his fingers.

“Ow…” the elder man spoke while rubbing his lip. “That hurt.”

“Sorry, but you started it.”

“I take it you won’t even consider my request.”

“Absolutely not. Even if it is a farce, it’d still be like betraying Kazuki. And I would never do that.”

“I see… Then I suppose you won’t mind if I keep this…” Asaka held out his hand to Wataru to reveal a shining silver ring with a golden band around it. Wataru gaped. What? How? He quickly looked at his left hand to discover his ring missing. In other words, the ring that Asaka had now was, in fact, his ring!

The kiss! A startling revelation washed over him. He used the kiss to get it!

“I don’t know about betraying Kazuki-kun, but…” the elder man’s sly voice spoke out. “I don’t think he’d like it very much if he discovers your ring missing.”

“S-So what?” he stammered. “Kazuki and I already agreed that if the rings do get lost, we’d get new ones. After all, it’s the feelings that count.”

“Really?” Asaka raised his eyebrow. “You sure about that? You mean he’d be okay to know that the ring—your precious ring—is with me?” It took a moment for those words to process in Wataru’s head and fully analyze the situation. Asaka is Kazuki’s handsome and charming senior. His liking to the latter’s boyfriend is pretty much well known, which could also mean that he is Kazuki’s rival in love. Not really the right person to gain possession of the very ring that symbolizes their love and commitment to one another.

When all of this finally clicked, Wataru began to falter. “Tell you what,” the man added. “You do this favor for me, and I’ll give you back this ring. What do you say?”

“Asaka-san, that’s blackmail!”

“It is, isn’t it?”

Considering his options, Wataru hung his head and sighed in defeat. “Fine. I’ll do it.”

Unknown to Wataru, a figure was looming around, watching and listening in on their conversation…

--

To be continued…

Japanese terms used:

Senpai / Kohai – means upperclassman (senior) and lower classman (junior) respectively

Aniki – another way of referring to your elder brother

Note: The honorifics used in this fanfic are the way I heard them call each other in the Drama CD.