REVISED AND REWRITTEN
A Trickster's Heart
A sinister grin stretch across my face. I've just pulled another tiny trick on the Girls Tennis Club earlier today. I had a blast filling the lockers in the changing room with amazingly real looking rubber snakes but pulling a trick isn't as fun as ending one. The look on the girls faces were absolutely priceless! Their shrieks and shrills made everything worth doing. The thrill of not being caught - yet - made my heart leap. A sense of endangerment is the most amazing feeling in the world. Hahh... those dumb chicks haven't even realized it was me yet. Complete buffoons are what they are. Their only value for their existence is to breed and populate the planet. I'm no sexist. I love girls - pranking them that is. I'm simply serving their worthless existence entertainment for me.
Heading to the courts I immediately took note of Sanada glaring darkly towards my direction along with the Girls Tennis team Captain, Matsumoto Mikura. Yukimura Seiichi beside them had a look of complete disapproval on his face. They probably had to apologize on my part. I gave a grin, walking over to them whistling innocently. That was when I noticed a rather plain girl hiding behind the three. She was surprisingly so plain that she disappeared into the background, unnoticed.
"Niou, care to tell us why you put rubber snakes in the Girl's Locker Room?" Yukimura question, unamuse by my false innocence. My cocky grin hadn't fade. "Well Captain, I had to put it somewhere and Sanada wouldn't let me bring them into our Locker Room, end of story~" Purposefully putting blame on Sanada just to piss him off a little more. I'm already in trouble anyways, what's a little more punishment to go around?
Sanada's glare harden. "You will be punished."
Oh~, How nice. "How many laps this time," I asked earning a chuckle from my azure haired captain.
"No laps."
Confusion struck me. Laps were the usual punishment.
"Then what-"
My question was cut short by Matsumoto. "You will be showing our new freshman around. You know, be her guide and if you do anything to Sakuno... You. Are. So. Dead." Her malice made a small chill pass over me.
I waved my hands in front of myself, assuring that I would not do anything terrible to this Sakuno.
Matsumoto flashed a large grin which I found a bit creepy how she bounced back so quickly. "Good. You will be my step cousin, Ryuzaki Sakuno's guide." She pulled the plain girl out in front of them. ...This Sakuno chick look like a complete and utter nervous wreck. I don't blame her considering what I did to take her as my punishment.
"Sakuno-chan, this is your new mentor!" Matsumoto grinned. Sakuno blushed, fidgeting with her fingers as she kept her gaze down to the ground. Why was she blushing anyways? Is it because its me or is her blush naturally that way?
"Niou Masaharu," I calmly introduced myself. The girl bowed formally, "Konichiwa, Niou-sempai. I'm Ryuzaki Sakuno." I was a little derailed by her formalities...
"Sakuno-chan, be careful around him." Matsumoto warned. Tch if she didn't trust me she shouldn't have given me this punishment in the first place! I scoffed, "Che, I ain't going to do anything to her, Matsumono."
Matsumoto glared at me, giving another warning, "If you do, do something to her-"
"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm dead." I sigh, letting myself become compliant.
"Good that you understand. Now, Sakuno-chan, go with Niou. He is your new mentor for the whole week."
Thrown off guard my eyes grew larger in surprise. "Hold on! A week?"
Yukimura nodded. "Yes, but look on the bright side, now you get to show her around school, eat lunch with her, walk her home, and have practice with her too. Isn't that exciting?" Yukimura's smile was telling me, Do-it-or-else. I didn't want to know what the latter of that 'or else' was...
"H-Hai." I stuttered, reluctant about agreeing. Yukimura can be creepy at times…maybe even more the Fuji Syusuke.
x x x
"A-Ano…Niou-sempai, I'm really sorry for causing you all this trouble. I know I'm not someone you'd like to spend a week with..." I heard Ryuzaki said in guilt. I looked behind my back to see Ryuzaki had stop following in tow with me. Her eyes were becoming glossy with tears.
Tensing up at the display I quickly said, "It's fine, Ryuzaki. It'll be fun..." Gritting my teeth through the lie. She look up at me with wide watery eyes. "Really Niou-sempai?"
Honestly my weakness are girls crying…well only when I didn't mean to make them cry intentionally.
I sighed and walked closer to her. She flinched as my thumb rubbed away the tears from her large doe eyes. "Better? C'mon Ryuzaki, I still need to show ya your classroom." She smiled warmly, a pink hue dusting over her cheeks.
"H-Hai, Niou-sempai!"
I began walking again with her as my shadow and smirked. Maybe this won't be such a damned week after all.
x x x
Four days sped by in a blink of an eye. Four days in counting since I became Sakuno's mentor. I kept my promise and never pulled a trick on her. I never wanted to surprisingly enough since she is the type that would usually be my target. She was very considerate almost all of the time, often shying away from people and my friends whenever I spoke to them. She never wanted to be a bother to me. Although admittedly the first time we did tennis practice together the entire team of both Girls and Boys team stared at us as though we were aliens. It didn't take long for me to get adjust however.
Through the week Sakuno and Rikkai's brat became fairly good friends. I'm extremely annoyed by the fact that she mostly hung around him when we had practice together. It's like he's taking my practice partner... She's not even that good so why bother training with her? Perhaps there's something between them although if there were then I would've been one of the firsts to know, first would be our data specialist Yanagi.
She and Marui are in pretty good terms as well. Gradually our whole team started to practice hitting tennis balls against a wall with us. It was odd having the regulars do such basic training.
Sakuno kind of became part of the team in her own way. The regulars are fond of her, Akaya mostly. What pisses me off most is whenever she would spend her time with the bratling rather than me. We were together most of the time- It's just Akaya would invite himself to spend time with us. Sakuno often exchange more pleasantries with him rather than me... I'm not ashamed to say I'm bothered and possibly jealous. I ain't an idiot. I already knew I was becoming attached, drawn to Ryuzaki Sakuno.
x x x
Sakuno and I were walking home together. She slowly crawled out of her shell after the first few days which I find pleasant. After an entire week I found out things about her that I never really thought I'd be attracted to in a girl. I hated being absolutely deceitful and playing the 'nice guy' on the first day but that acting didn't last long because before I knew it I became that nice guy when it came to her.
"Niou-sempai, ano…its been great having you as my mentor for the last week." I heard her spoke up, her footsteps coming to a halt. I glanced back at her with a coy smile. "It was fun having ya around too. Why do you sound like we won't be hanging out again?"
I was met with silence.
Sakuno held her head low, bangs shadowing her eyes. She's looking down - like the first time we met.
"Ryuzaki...?"
She slowly glanced back up at me. It then dawned on me that my words were exactly her thoughts. Did she... still think she was a nuisance this entire time?
"Sakuno..."
She shook her head and looked up at me with a smile once more. "Ng... I was just thinking about silly things. Don't mind, don't mind Niou-sempai." She proceeded to take steps again. I nodded slowly and lead her home.
I sighed deeply. Even though it was the last day of me being her mentor, it wasn't the last day of spending as much time with her, at least I hope so. I've never been so eager to spend time with a girl before. Maybe it was because, she was the first girl that I ever let get close to me. Maybe it was the way she smiled every time she fed me some of her bento. Maybe it was how she is grateful for the little things. It was something but I did know, whatever this feeling was, it wasn't going to leave me alone.
x x x
It was odd to walk alone to school. Akaya caught up to me along the way and asked me why Sakuno isn't with me. The had brat probably forgotten about my week of 'punishment'.
During lunchtime she was also nowhere to be seen. I was beginning to get an inkling that she's possibly avoiding me...
Something tight pulled against my chest, his stomach tying into uneasy knots.
School hours came and went. Tennis Practice felt so foreign to me. So strange, like something was missing. Akaya continue to complain about Sakuno not being here. Brat... how do he think I feel?
It didn't take long for Yukimura to bench me because I wasn't concentrating. I ended up going to the girl's court and dragged Matsumoto to the side. The Girl's team captain crossed her arms, quirking a brow. "What'ya want Niou?"
"Your house keys."
"...Eh?"
"Did I stutter?"
She gave a knowing smile, handing me what I wanted. "Did you want to see Sakuno? She has the flu y'know."
The flu...? Although relieved that Sakuno wasn't avoiding me the illness is still worrisome.
x x x
Balling out on practice is another capital punishment. Although if my punishment ends up like the last one I wouldn't mind at all.
I ended up bringing getting things to take care of my kohai with. Slipping inside the home with a bag of supplies I took off my shoes and looked around the home Sakuno lived in. It's a pretty feminine place with a lot of female touch... From observation it's pretty obvious only females live here.
"Neechan...?"
I heard a ill dry voice from upstairs. Following the voice to a room and knocked. "Ryuzaki..." There was a thud on the other side of the door. I smiled, knowing that she probably fell out of her bed. I turned the knob and opened without asking if she's decent yet.
She was curled up like an inch worm in a blanket on the carpet floor. "Aa...? Ryuzaki what are ya doing down there~?" Inviting myself in I picked her up from the floor, nestling her back into bed and tucking her in. Her face was flushed with red. Not unusual to see in a sick person but he wonder how much of that blush was for him.
"W-What are you doing here sempai?" She looked as though she was brimming with questions.
"I'm going to nurse you back to health."
She hid her face up to her nose with her blanket. Her expression saddening. "I'm not your problem anymore sempai... A week is already up... You don't have to bother with me anymore..."
I let out a quiet sigh then took her clammy hand into mines, bringing it to my chest and smiled down toward her. "I adore you Sakuno..." I gently squeezed her palm. Her eyes were large in shock, as expected.
"B-But you always... send mean looks to me..." Her eyes gleamed with tears threatening to spill. She became shaky and overwhelmed. The feeling was contagious because my calm nature began to crumble. "Mean...looks...?" What did Ryuzaki mean by that?
I slowly began to recall all those times Akaya spent time with us. Those looks were meant for him, not her!
"...It's my fault for not conveying my feelings properly... I'm the Trickster and yet I tricked my own feelings astray into making you think you're a nuisance."
I felt a hand cover over mines and looked over at Sakuno, blinking.
She brought my hand that I had around hers closer until her lips touch my knuckle, smiling gently in the kiss. Before I knew it my features became warm with a pale blush dusting over my cheeks. I never thought I'd be so taken in by a girl of this nature.
"I'm loved... I'm adored by my sempai... thank you so much sempai..."
I shouldn't be blamed for what I did next. This girl is too overwhelming for me... I've gotten into bed with her, crawling over her I let myself study her features. From her doe eyes to her cherry lips. She was nervous by this action, but her illness made her seem a little drunk from my adoration towards her.
I'd like to think I became a warm comforter for her instead of a big teddy bear as she drifted back to sleep.
The 08' version was made when I was 13. I'll be revising or rewriting most of my fics on this account! If you want to read the 08' version I'll gladly send it to you, but be warned it's cringeworthy.
If enough people want it, I'll probably work this into a multichap. Please read "You Told Me Once" as well! It's a NiouSaku poem that I created when I was 13 as well, and I am pleasantly surprise at how in depth my younger self was with the poem considering how I wanted to slam my head into the wall repeatedly as I read my old fanfiction.