The unlit cigarette
by ¤b´Ë³·°¨

	Seta Soujirou, 18 years old, the adopted son of Seta Wood and
Matchstick Corporation. Precisely because he was an adopted son, Soujirou was
more often than not, badly treated.

	Tonight was yet another cold, snowy night. Yet still, our dear
Soujirou is not given the chance for relaxation...

	"Soujirou!" His brother called.
	"Ah! Yes!" He quickly ran towards the caller.
	"Are you trying to laze off?! Hurry up! To the streets to sell the
matches!"
	"But... such cold weather... who would be on the streets looking for
matches to buy?"
	"Since when have you been so insolent? Dare you argue with me? GO!
NOW!"
	"Ah! Yes... right away!"

	No matter how much his heart desired to do otherwise, Soujirou did
not wish to receive a beating if he had declined, therefore he thickened his
skin and brought the matches onto street.

	"Matches! Matches! Anybody for matches?"

	But just as Soujirou had predicted, the streets were as cold as the
weather. Yet no matter how cold, there were still a few people strutting to
and fro... and these people became, unsuspectingly, Soujirou's last hope...

	"Mister, would you like some matches?"
	Soujirou directed his sales to a heavily bandaged gentleman who
looked purely dangerous.

	"Little boy, shake hands with me."
	"Huh?"
	"I said, shake hands!"
	"Um... okay!... UAA! Your hand is HOT!"
	"So now you know." Mr. Bandages snapped his thumb and index fingers
together, and a little fire spark occurred.
	"I don't need matches!"
	"Iiiiiiiii..."
	And Soujirou could only bow his head down and watch, disappointingly,
as Mr. Bandages departed.

	Later, Soujirou managed to hold another sauntering gentleman in a big
white manto.
	"Uncle, would you like some matches?"
	"Little boy, let me ask you... can matches be drunk as sake?"
	"Of course not."
	"That's the whole point. Matches are useless to me. Besides, a real
genius does not need the help of matches."

	Poor Soujirou watched again, as his second prospective client
departed with an extremely weird reason.

	Although the day was cold, Police Officer Saitou still went ahead as
usual, patrolling the streets of Kyoto without letup. And he just so happened
to chance upon Soujirou on the streets.

	"Little boy, the weather is so cold and you might freeze to death...
why are you still selling matches?"
	"Obligation."
	"Obligation? With my father?" Saitou casually asked.
	"No, with everybody. Because I only know how to sell matches, and if
I do not sell matches, I will be nothing, that would be no different from
death wouldn't it?"

	(Please refer to Evangelion Episode 6.)

	Saitou thought for a while, then decided to buy some matches to light
up his cigarettes. He would be doing some charity, too.
	"Okay then! If that's the case, I'll buy a box."
	"Really? That's great! Thank you!"
	Soujirou accepted Saitou's money and passed a box of matches to him.

	Saitou drew out one of the matches and decided to light his
cigarette.
	However, the fire died within a little while, rendering the
cigarette unlit.

	"Um?"
	He felt that it was very strange, so he did away with the old one,
took up a new one and tried again.
	The fire died without coming in contact with the cigarette.
	"That's strange?" Saitou sighed.
	"What is it, customer?" Soujirou smiled and asked.
	"The fire just dies within a while."
	"The snow is too fierce! Won't you try it in a shelter somewhere?"
	"That's true."

	Therefore Saitou found a shelter just outside a person's home and
carefully, struck the match.
	But just as expected, the cigarette refused to be lit up.

	"This won't do... forget it! I'll try some new matches!"
	Saitou fished out another matchstick and continued to try to light up
his cigarette.

	Saitou displayed his entire strength as a Caprioconic O blood status
man, and finished up his entire box of matches in trial and error.
	But when the matches said no it meant no!

	"Oh well well... just what is the problem?"
	"Try another box!"
	"Okay. Bring it over!"

	Soujirou's heart rejoiced... he sold another box!
	And now a dumbfounded Saitou continued to try to light up his
cigarette.

	"Bring me another box."
	"It's not working... another one."
	"Still doesn't work... let me try another box!"

	And after a while, Soujirou had depleted his entire supply of
matches, but Saitou still had difficulty lighting up his cigarette.

	"Forget it! I might as well don't smoke... how troublesome."
	Saitou turned and was about to leave.

	"Customer, are you about to leave?" Soujirou called out to him.
	"Yeah."
	"Then can I have one last word with you?"
	"What is that?"
	"You've been trying to light up a wet cigarette all this while."
	"..." (completely fossilized Saitou)

	"I'm so sorry... but I have no idea what expression should I display
under these predicaments... so therefore, I smiled, and I will smile now."

	So under the pale moonlight, Soujirou, smiled.

END FIC

¤b´Ë³·°¨
Unknown date
Translation: bread@bread.freeservers.com
21/20/98