The Pauper Prince[ss] - Chapter 29

Pairing: Akame
rating: pg-13
summary: To end the war that has desecrated the lives of the people between two kingdoms, an alliance in the form of an arranged marriage has been made between the two royal families. however, when the princess runs away to avoid being married, the unwilling look-a-like pauper, Kamenashi Kazuya, somehow finds himself brought in to play the part of the princess and decieve Prince Jin. But Kazuya never expected to fall in love...



So~~ I am back with this update~~ I swear, i didn't mean to take so long after coming back from HK to update this...but it's a really long chapter? And I had to think really hard about the reactions of jin and kame. I'll explain more on that at the end of the chapter ^^

Also, keep in mind. There are two 'Yuya' s in this fic (and this chapter =P) one is Tegoshi, another is Kame's younger brother. So entirely two different people. The only way you'll be able to tell in narrative that it's one or the other is that I use Tegoshi in narrative. So, if you see 'Yuya' in narrative, it's not Tegoshi ^^ However, if you see it in dialogue, you have to look at the situation ^^ Although, it's usually Tegoshi if it's in the present ^^ Kame's brother won't appear a lot, if at all, anymore.


---- START CHAPTER ----

Despite the doctor’s reassurances that Kazuya would be okay, and the way the messengers had quickly spread word of that fact, worry had settled over the village. It was a feeling that was replicated tenfold in a room in the inn, where a group of people wavering between falling asleep and sleeping, had barricaded themselves in.

The door creaked open just a little bit, but the minimal noise was enough to make the person on the other side of the door wince as he poked his head in.

Looking around, his eyes settled on a form that was blinking blearily, as though he had just woken up. Koki rubbed his eyes as he looked over at the door. Then he scowled, and as though remembering something, turned it into a forced friendlier frown.

“Oh, it’s you” he said as quietly as he could, “What do you want?”

“Great way to show gratefulness for the one bringing you all food” Ryo snapped in a whisper, “Maybe I’ll just take your share for myself –”

A hand hit him from behind.

Ryo hissed and turned to glare balefully at Uchi.

“You will not” Uchi whispered in a no-nonsense tone, “Give the man his food Ryo-chan”

“He was rude to me” Ryo grumbled but he listened and threw a bag of chips at Koki, who caught it. A loud sound echoed through the room from Koki catching the bag and they winced.

“His fault” Koki pointed at Ryo when Nakamaru shot him a ‘what the hell are you doing?’ look after being woken up by the sound.

“My – my –”

Uchi sighed and slipping his arm over Ryo’s shoulder from behind, he clamped a hand over the older man’s mouth.

“They are sleeping” Uchi hissed, “If you two would stop arguing, maybe you can keep the counter of people you wake up, to one”

Ryo tried his best not to pout at being scolded. Then he stepped over sleeping bodies and took a seat on the floor against the wall near the window, right beside where Yamapi’s chair was. It was also where half of Yamapi was – the other half was draped on the side of Kazuya’s bed, using the small portion of unused space as a pillow.

Yamapi was most likely going to regret sleeping in that position when he woke up, due to the possible soreness that came from sleeping like that. Ryo had an urge to poke the younger man awake just to get him to move into a more comfortable position than that.

A hand over his stopped him and he protested, “But he’s going to be all sore when he wakes up”

“You just want to wake him up” Uchi said, trying to hide the humor in his voice.

“Do not” Ryo protested.

“Yes you do”

“I do not”

“Yes you do” Uchi retorted, “You like to wake him up – just like that time Tatsuya sent you to help him wake up and you ended up half-molesting him while he was half-asleep”

Ryo spluttered, “And I told you – I was playing around. I didn’t molest him, and I wouldn’t do that now when I know how worried he’s been about Kazuya and –” he stopped.

From where he was, Koki sent a look over at Ryo, “What, finally going to admit you really are trying to get into my friend’s pants, Nishikido?”

Ryo shot him a glare, “No. But I think Kazuya’s waking up” he said, pointing to where he had caught the younger man’s eyes fluttering open, and lips parting to let out what must have been a silent groan.

All of the others that were awake – namely, Uchi, Koki and Nakamaru – gave a start and their heads whipped around to look at the bed. The actions that Ryo had caught had gotten more obvious now, as the man’s eyes were now staying open long enough to cast looks around the room before fluttering to a close again. Kazuya’s body was shifting in the weak, groggy way that was expected of a person who had been unconscious for nearly two days.

The movement, however, was all that was needed to encourage Nakamaru to spring into action and jump over people sleeping on the floor and rush to Kazuya’s side. Koki wasn’t far behind, and Uchi ventured to the other side of the bed, trailing after Ryo who had slowly gotten up to stand next to the bed.

Brown eyes stared up at them all, fluttered to a close again, and then opened once more. The younger man opened his mouth, trying to say something, and came out with a pained groan and a raspy incoherent word.

“Water. I’ll get water” Koki said right away, rushing out of the room, looking deliriously relieved that Kazuya had woken up and other than a dry throat, seemed okay.

It could have been the attempts Kazuya kept making at speaking, or the way Uchi and Ryo were reaching over Yamapi to help Kazuya sit up, or it could have been the way Koki loudly ran back into the room, but Yamapi stirred awake. Groggy eyes met groggy eyes and a loud shout of relief echoed through the room as realization of what he was seeing broke through his sleepy mind and Yamapi wrapped his arms around Kazuya tightly in a hug.

“Oh god, you’re okay, you’re okay” Yamapi babbled, as though until this moment of seeing Kazuya awake, he hadn’t been able to trust what the doctor had reassured them all of. He wasn’t the only one that had been worried; it wasn’t that Kazuya’s injuries had been incredibly serious. It was just because of the way he had screamed with so much fear that had made them more concerned than necessary. And right now, with Kazuya awake, the fear and worry they had held for the younger man was slowly fading away to relief.

Kazuya looked confused for a few seconds, but he wrapped his arms around Yamapi, offering comfort to his best friend who was still repeating “you’re okay” like a mantra.

Ryo and Uchi watched with smiles – because Ryo had failed in his attempts to hide his – as Kazuya struggled to say something again, and they were astonished when Yamapi responded to that rasping attempt at speaking with a tearful laugh and a retort of, “Of course I’m going to worry when you get thrown off a horse!”

Apparently, Yamapi could understand Kazuya even when no one else could.

To make things easier for him though, Koki quickly handed Kazuya the glass of water he had fetched.

“Y-you, how did –” Ryo was at a loss as to how Yamapi could understand that.

In an attempt to relieve his confusion, Koki walked over to pat Ryo consolingly on the shoulder, “Don’t get gray hairs over it. We don’t understand how they do it either”

It seems the glass of water had done the trick, because now they could hear Kazuya quietly reassuring Yamapi that no, he didn’t feel like he had been run over by a truck, nothing hurt too much, and no, there was no need to kick everyone out of the room so he could recover in peace and quiet.

“Pi, has anyone ever told you that you worry too much and you have circles under your eyes?” Kazuya commented hoarsely.

Yamapi’s response was a short laugh, followed by, “Only you, Kazu-chan” as he hugged Kazuya again while Uchi dragged a just-awoken Kusano out of the room to fetch the doctor to tell him that his patient was awake.

* * *

It was probably about ten minutes after the man had awoken that Jin heard that Kamenashi was awake. He had been lying on his bed, playing the video game that he had taken captive from Junno, and was working on ignoring everything around him. He didn’t want to listen to Junno’s attempts to cheer him up with lame jokes; he didn’t want to hear about how everyone in Kamenashi’s room was still so worried, or how his own friends, Ryo and Uchi, had gone to get them food earlier.

However, there was no escaping hearing the news of Kamenashi waking up when Tatsuya came back into the room, and plucking the video game from Jin’s hands, announced with a coolly raised eyebrow that the younger man was awake.

Jin squirmed under his friend’s gaze, “I’ll go later then” he said idly, trying to reach for the handheld game again. Tatsuya sent a look at Junno, who with a relieved grin, raced out of the room, video game safely clutched in his hands.

“Tat-chan! What’d you do that for?”

“For you, Jin, ’later’, most of the time, translates to ‘as long as I can possibly put it off’” Tatsuya retorted.

Jin crossed his arms, “You always think the worst of me”

“Most of the time, I’m right”

“Doesn’t mean you’re right this time!” Jin retorted, digging through one of the suitcases by his bed, looking for something.

“Jin…” Tatsuya sighed, “Are you going to run away from this even after you’ve already agreed to do it?”

Jin stilled and stiffened, “Maybe I should. Then I could be just like the real Kazumi. Maybe then I’d get along with her when she comes back. Our hobby could be promise-breaking” Jin said jokingly, but failing to keep the humor in his voice.

“Jin!”

“Yeah, yeah, getting off topic” Jin muttered darkly under his breath, “Besides, why should I have to seek him out? He’s the one that wants me to listen; I’m happy being ignorant”

Tatsuya let out a little noise of frustration as he gripped Jin’s shoulder to turn him to face him, “Go see him, Jin. I don’t care when today, or even tomorrow, but go see him eventually before you’re forced to do it”

“Why the hell do you even care so much about this?!”

“Because you’ve been nothing but aggravating ever since you found out about him. Talking might help” he added an, “I also think it’d be better to go without being forced”

“So you just think I’m being annoying and he’ll make me less annoying?!” Jin accused.

“Like that” Tatsuya pointed, “Because you’re going to be king in the future, and despite being your friend, I don’t think I can be completely loyal to a king that acts like this and doesn’t listen to his people. I don’t think I can follow a king that chooses to lash out and get people angry at him, than do what will end in less fighting and listen to the other party”

“You sound like you’re talking about war instead of a stupid conversation!” Jin yelled, wide-eyed and confused as to why he was hearing this.

“What’s the difference, really?” Tatsuya said without humor in his voice, “It may be on a smaller scale, but it’s the same two options. Keep stubbornly hating someone and hurting those around you – war – or just listen and avoid war if you can – peace. It just affects more people when you’re king. You always say you’ll be a better ruler than your father, but at this rate, if you can’t even try to do what he did – consider the option that war isn’t solving things and that perhaps it’s time to listen, you’ll be worse. Much worse.”

“So you’re saying I’ll be a bad king, is that it?” Jin asked furiously.

“No. You’re still learning, and I’m sure once you actually take over your father’s duties, you’ll realize what’s at stake and be a fine king. But if you keep acting like you do right now, I don’t think I want to follow you” he took a deep breath, “I’m saying this to you as a friend Jin – you don’t need to be perfect, you don’t need to be a king adored by his people like King Tsubasa is, but you do need to consider how many people you’re hurting in the process and if it’s worth it to continue: in war, or in your relationships. So what I mean is…don’t just take the easy way out all the time, Jin”

“I’m –”

“Then talk to Kamenashi. On your own free will. Basically…stop being a brat”

And with that, Tatsuya left Jin in silence.

* * *

When the doctor came to check up on Kazuya, the others were ushered outside to give him more space – and so that he could ask Kazuya questions on how he was feeling without Kusano jumping in and insisting that Kazuya didn’t have to talk if it was still hard to talk and he could try to interpret for Kazuya. Kusano was, of course, promptly hit over the head by Yamapi for that.

Which was why Uchi had wisely decided to drag Kusano off to find King Tsubasa and Captain Tackey, seeing as it seemed that the workers at the inn had been unable to locate them. Kusano had decided to drag Koki and Maru with them, claiming that they could help instead of sitting around, being lazy. Massu had gone to see if the kitchen was still open, in order to get food for Kazuya, and Tegoshi – Tegoshi was currently still in Kazuya’s room. As he had been the only one who hadn’t woken up, they decided to just let him sleep.

Which left Ryo and Yamapi sitting outside Kazuya’s room.

“I see you didn’t tell him yet” Ryo commented idly, trying not to sound too curious.

Yamapi tilted his head, “You think I should have told him right after he woke up?”

“Well – I was thinking that might be what you’d do…”

Yamapi shook his head, “And then he’ll jump right up, go racing to find the prince, ignoring that he’s just been out for nearly two days and we need to make sure nothing’s wrong with him”

“That’s a good point” Ryo said with a wince. He could just imagine the younger man doing that too.

“Of course it is. So I’ll tell him after the doctor’s done with him” Yamapi decided with a small nod as if convincing himself that withholding the information even just for this little while was a good idea.

Ryo grinned and stretched his legs – right across Yamapi’s. The younger man jumped just a little and staring incredulously at the legs on his, he glared balefully at Ryo, “Are you starting that again?”

“Starting what?” Ryo asked innocently.

“That!” Yamapi pointed.

“I’m sorry to tell you this, but you and I were born with these legs. They’re not new”

“Not that!” Yamapi spluttered, glaring at Ryo, “The ‘touching me more than necessary thing’ that you kept doing before all this came out and you –”

Ryo grinned, “Oh. That”

“Yes. That” Yamapi tried not to hit his head in frustration. Just when he thought he was finally seeing a decent, non-touchy, side of this guy.

“You were fidgeting and looking at the door a lot” Ryo explained with a yawn, “My legs are merely there to distract you so you can concentrate on putting all your efforts to try – but probably fail – to get them off until the doctor is done with Kazuya”

Yamapi blinked.

Ryo put more weight into his legs and sat back so that his palms were propping him up from behind, and shot a grin sideways at Yamapi, “Now stop worrying so much about something you can’t control”

Yamapi shook his head, trying to hide his amused smile, “…you’re insane”

Ryo raised an eyebrow and pointed at their legs.

“Oh, c’mon; you know I can just stand up and you’ll topple over and look like an idiot don’t you?”

“Would you really risk damaging my irresistible sexiness by doing that?” Ryo adopted a wounded expression.

Yamapi stared incredulously at Ryo. His lips threatened to turn upwards into a grin, and he made to stand up, watching Ryo’s expression turn into one of equal disbelief. Then he stopped.

“Now you know how I feel”

“Disbelief that you’re so completely unconcerned about my sexiness?” Ryo asked grumpily.

“Not quite, but I guess for you, it’s about the same thing” Yamapi retorted, “Are you going to get off now?”

Ryo opened his mouth to answer, but his reply was cut off by a, “Oh god, you two”

They swivelled around to blink up at Uchi and Kusano, who had come back with Tackey and Tsubasa in tow. The king and captain wasted no time in approaching the closed door and knocked. Then, announcing themselves, they entered the room, and the four outside could hear them talking to the doctor and Kazuya.

“What?” Yamapi asked when he kept getting a crestfallen look from Kusano.

“You ruined all my hopes and dreams” the younger man accused.

“W-what?” Yamapi exclaimed in confusion.

“I think he’s referring to all the pictures he makes everyone take of you and Kame-chan having your moments” Koki said from where he was just coming down the hall, “I don’t think even he knows how many times he’s coerced me to do it”

Yamapi let out a growl of frustration, “I thought I told you all – Kazu and I are not like that!”

Kusano sulked, “I figured since the prince is being an asshole, you and Kame-chan would somehow end up together after Kame-chan got over his heartbreak, go and adopt a cute little baby and I could baby-sit and when the baby learns to talk, he can call me Uncle Notti and we can name the baby some random amalgamation of both your names and – and see what happiness will come about if you had just listened when I told you what I wanted for my ‘weird old man climbing down chimneys’ day that one year?” he said cheerfully.

“…you’re joking right?”

“If I say no, will I get a baby of nephew-ish relation?”

“No!”

“Then yes” Kusano said seriously, trying not to show that he was trying not to grin.

Yamapi let out a sound that sounded like a cross between a cry of frustration and just a cry. He opened Kazuya’s room door without knocking, making the four – five if you included the still sleeping Tegoshi – occupants look up as he grabbed a pillow from under Kazuya, leaving him with two pillows and a surprised look. Then he marched back out of the room and promptly threw the pillow at Kusano’s face.

“I don’t want to know” Kazuya commented.

“You really don’t” Yamapi agreed, shooting a look at Ryo who was snickering behind his hand, “Shut it Nishikido”

“Ryo” the older man corrected.

“Nishikido”

“Ryo” he took a step closer.

“Nishikido”

“Ryo”

“Nishi –” Yamapi cut himself off with a yelp when Ryo latched himself onto his arm. The older man grinned, “Now I’ll stick to you like glue until you deem yourself close enough to me to call me that”

Yamapi glared at the man on his arm. He knew – just knew – that the older man knew how much this would annoy him and was probably actually enjoying this.

Kazuya coughed lightly, making Yamapi swivel his head around to look at his best friend.

“Good, got your attention” Kazuya commented dryly, “Now, did all of you take some sort of caffeine pill while I was unconscious or something? You’re all really hyper for some reason…except Yuya” he added, pointing to where the younger boy was still sleeping.

“We’re just all really relieved and happy that you haven’t gone into a coma from being knocked off a horse!” Kusano chirped up.

“Well” the doctor interrupted crisply, “Other than what seems to be a very mild concussion that is the cause of your headache and slight dizziness, and some bruising from the fall, you’re fine” he said to Kazuya, and refrained from making a direct address, as though not knowing what he should be calling Kazuya – refer to him as the male he now knew he was, or keep referring to him as the female he was still pretending to be, “It’s a very, very mild concussion, and the dizziness and headache will go away in time – probably no more than a few days”

“Does he need to stay in bed?” Tsubasa asked in concern.

The doctor paused, “If he needs to go somewhere, it’s advisable to have someone with him” he said finally, “Just in case, say, a bout of dizziness while on the stairs”

Tsubasa and Tackey both nodded at the same time and Uchi quirked a smile, knowing that this was one of the reasons they were so easily fooled by the ‘Kazuya is my daughter. Really, he is’ act – the two of them were so obviously concerned about him.

“And if there’s nothing else” the doctor cast a scrutinizing look at the rest of the group, as if suspecting that one of them had a distaste for seeing the doctor and was hiding some life threatening injury. Finding none, he stood up with a polite smile, “I’ll take my leave then”

He paused, “Oh, and your majesty, I would very much appreciate if you listened to my medical advice given to you yesterday and go take a nap. I know you haven’t slept well in a while and I really prefer not to use the privilege of being the only one in the room with medical expertise to coerce your captain to make you get some rest”

Tsubasa stared, flabbergasted.

“You heard the professional, your majesty” Tackey said, grinning at his king, “Let’s go. Kazuya’s fine, and we’ll talk to him later”

“B-but –”

“Do you want to be the one to explain to King Hitoshi why you’re confined to a bed because you didn’t listen to the good doctor?”

“Tackey!” Tsubasa protested but he let himself get led out of the room. The doctor bore a satisfied look on his face and followed.

After the doctor left, Yamapi cracked an ‘I know something you don’t’ smile at Kazuya, which made Kazuya raise his eyebrows as the doctor left. Now, everyone was crowded into the room again, although Yamapi really didn’t know why Ryo was still in here – and still on his arm – he looked harder at Kazuya, trying to win an argument with his own head.

Should he do as he told Ryo he’d do, and tell him now?

Or should he wait for the prince to appear, just in case he got Kazuya’s hopes up too high?

He bit his lip.

“Pi, what’s wrong?” Kazuya asked, tilting his head curiously. Everyone else was silent, staring at Yamapi as the obvious one to deliver the news.

“It’s –” Yamapi faltered again. He just didn’t know which one would be better – tell Kazuya right now and get his hopes up and if the prince came, and saw that Kazuya already knew, maybe he would think that Kazuya had planned out a story to tell him? Jin hadn’t exactly been very trusting in anything Kazuya had to tell him lately…

Almost as if sensing his friend’s dilemma, Kusano rushed forward, carefully climbing onto Kazuya’s bed, “Hey, Kame-chan~ remember that ‘weird old man climbing down chimneys’ wish I had when I was ten~?” he asked, distracting Kazuya from Yamapi for the moment.

Kazuya cast a worried frown in his best friend’s direction but turned to Kusano with an exasperated look, “Notti, not again. I’ve been telling you for ten years, it’s physically and realistically – in terms of the two people you want it from – impossible”

Yamapi never thought he’d be this grateful for Kusano’s ability to distract Kazuya with his strange ideas. As he sighed, he felt a poke in his back and turned to look at Ryo, “I thought you were going to tell him” Ryo muttered.

“I – I was…I don’t know…” Yamapi shrugged, “It feels like I’m going to get his hopes up and…I want the prince to not even consider the chance that Kazuya has made up what he tells him, and if Kazuya doesn’t know…”

Ryo nodded, “I guess, but how long do you think your friend can stall him like that?” he raised an eyebrow at Kusano who was still chattering away to Kazuya.

“It’s Notti” Yamapi shrugged, “He can keep this up for hours if he wants to”

Ryo adopted a surprised look, “Impressive” he mused and then he paused, casting a look backwards at Uchi, “Say…Hiroki…”

Uchi smiled innocently, “What? I didn’t get it from him, Ryo-chan”

Ryo’s eyes narrowed but then they widened in surprise. He nudged Yamapi with his shoulder, “Looks like you don’t have to stall for hours…”

Yamapi’s head snapped around to look at the doorway, where a certain prince had shown up, his expression blank. A satisfied and approving Tatsuya trailed behind him, and the room had gone silent once everyone realized exactly who was there.

Jin was walking forward, confidence in his steps, but a childhood of knowing the man told Ryo that he was actually very nervous about this – nervous about the fact that he had made nearly everyone in the room angry at him at some point, or at hearing what Kazuya would want to say, he didn’t know, but Jin was nervous.

“I see you’re awake” Jin said stiffly.

Kazuya’s eyes were wide, staring at the man standing at the foot of his bed, “J – your highness?” he corrected himself quickly, wincing as he remembered the last time he had tried to call Jin by his name.

“I’m…going to get coffee” Kusano announced, getting off the bed and grabbing a surprised Uchi’s hand to drag him with him.

“Coffee?! You’re already hyper and –” they could heard Uchi saying as he was dragged down the hall.

“I’m…going to make sure Massu hasn’t eaten everything in the kitchen!” Maru announced.

“Hey, wait for me! You need more than one person to tear Massu away from food!” Koki yelled as he followed.

“W-what are you doing here?” Kazuya was asking, slightly oblivious to everyone making their exits.

Jin had a surprised expression on his face. He sent a look at Ryo and Yamapi, who shook their heads and then he had a slightly more relaxed expression as he answered, “I’m going to listen to what you say. The truth” he emphasized as if he still doubted that anything Kazuya had ever said was the truth.

“What?” Kazuya’s eyes widened even more, “But you said –”

“I’m giving you a chance to explain it to me – why...you did what you did, that is” Jin said, and he looked with wary eyes at Kazuya, “I’m only giving you this once chance to tell me why. Just one sentence right now, and I’ll see if I’ll listen to the rest”

His eyes settled on Ryo and Yamapi, “Does that suit you?” he asked them snippily.

Outside, Tatsuya could be seen hitting his forehead with his palm. Junno offered him a weak grin and a pat on the back, followed by a lame attempt at a joke that caused Tatsuya to look up with a watery smile and mutter, “Failed. I’ve failed. We’re all doomed”

Ignoring this, Yamapi shrugged, “I guess you can’t change over the span of two days” he said dryly, knowing that if anyone had a chance of convincing Jin to listen to the whole story, it would be Kazuya.

Ryo sighed, “It was my hope that you’d get over yourself and just listen, but that would make you a good little prince” he smirked, “And that would make you Reio”

Jin glared, “I’m still very mad at you”

“Then I guess I’ll leave before you exile me or something” Ryo snapped back, “C’mon Tomohisa”

“Hey!”

“This way, you’ll find calling me by my first name much easier” Ryo was heard saying as he tugged on Yamapi’s arm.

“Wait – Yuya” Yamapi stopped to try to shake Tegoshi awake. The younger one mumbled something incoherent under his breath and swatted Yamapi’s hand away, “G’way. Tired” he mumbled before turning on his side.

“It’s okay, Pi – he’s asleep anyways. And you know how he is when he’s asleep; nothing will wake him up” Kazuya offered a reassuring smile to hide the nervousness he was feeling, “He won’t bother us at all”

“If you say so” Yamapi said dubiously as he left the room with Ryo. They closed the door behind them.

“So…” Jin crossed his arms.

Kazuya fiddled nervously with the edge of his blankets, “One sentence to explain why I did what I did?” he asked aloud, frowning when Jin nodded. He honestly wasn’t sure he could sum it up in one sentence – why did it have to be that it could only be one sentence.

Why did he do what he did?

Because I didn’t want war.

Because I wanted to help.

Because I wanted to be happy…

Because –

“I’m going to listen to what you say. The truth”

I need the truth, not excuses…

“Because I was being selfish” he said finally, biting his lip.

Jin started, looking at Kazuya with eyes that were slowly turning furious. He stood up abruptly, chair skidding across the floor loudly. Kazuya winced, but he kept looking up at Jin unwaveringly. The prince stared at the younger man for a long moment.

This isn’t some half-truth made up with pretty words…or another lie. If he wanted to lie, he’d say something that would make me forgive him, not make me angrier…

This is the truth…

He sat back down, “Continue”

* * *

{part 2}