A/N: I feel obliged for Bet You Love That for pointing out my mistakes (she's that good); so i somewhat edited it.Bwahaha!
SUMMARY: The Shohoku ace player asks the help of Kogure to pass an exam that'll decide whether he'd play basketball or not; but knowing the former's tendencies, trancelike things are to happen.
ONE OF THESE DAYS
Blissful noir of silence flounced through the seemingly tranquil study room of the russet-eyed, his physicality numb yet patient from all the digits that has roused confusion and stupidity at his company, a certain blue-eyed boy whose defense mechanism against those paperbacks is the most fantastic; that is, dozing off. Somehow, the ambience of the study room felt warm, not because of forty five degree Celsius temperature but from the nuisance of it all, perhaps also from an unknown source of enthusiasm that kicked the brown-eyed lad's psyche, miscellaneous and far-eyed wide. Frustration rolled down again in the chocolate-eyed creature's face, and if his memory serves him right, this sentiment has been chronic for hours.
"Rukawa, please focus on your books because tomorrow'd be the day that'll decide whether you'd play basketball or not,"
"Hnn."
Another bubble, literally; Kogure tried to hold back his temper and instead settled upon a resolve that would at least not make the whole thing futile. It was truism for Kogure to consider these happenstances; of course, it is least of the raven-haired's concerns to acquire the most bewildering grades in school, namely, 'warning' and 'probation', but he is member of basketball club and it necessarily entails... yes, academic excellence. Kiminobu never believes that intelligence is construed by such stipulation, and he is a nerd because incorrigibility is on the top list of his vocabulary. Yeah; it was habitual, customary to be exact – and seeing Kaede's head raggedly rubbing the pages of a certain English book, it was a memory as contrary but thought-provoking nonetheless.
"Kaede." That first name-calling; it was obviously semiotic, the utterance connoting gravity.
The raven-haired immediately roused his head up and looked straight at his sempai, almost sincere but not really; it would be atypical of the ace player to tremble in apprehension just because a certain bore called him by his first name. It was actually guilt; Kaede has asked Kogure to tutor him because the former doesn't want the gorilla's guts when it comes to teaching (apparently he has experienced it already). The pesky redhead is another reason because the gorilla captain offered himself to tutor Sakuragi and Mitsui. Guilt – what a beautiful word to hear.
"You're not paying attention; are you sure you want to be tutored? Akagi-san already told me to not offer any help to you guys because he said it'd be bothersome, but here I am trying my best to teach you English grammar." Obviously, Kiminobu is walking in a thin thread of patience.
"Sorry." Kaede muttered somewhere in his sighs, not sure if the russet-eyed took notice of it. He stretched out the crumpled pages of the book, drawing them out almost mechanically in growing speed. Head low and tresses still coarse but concealing his face, an anxious sweat dropped on Kogure's head. "Wha-what're you doing?"
Insecurities... was the raven-haired unsure of himself? "Stop it," Kogure's hand gently swooshed towards Rukawa's unsettling hands to, primarily, avoid mutilation in his newly bought book, and, to stop such psychosomatic behavior.
Did somebody just whisper 'crick'? Or was it 'trick'? The page was torn. Rukawa's eyes was wide for a far away stranger like him; it was as if his rival Sendoh made a three-point shot and taken the raven-haired aback, and it was again another anxiety for Kogure to endure. The atmosphere of Kogure's room remained noir, silenced in its utmost implication. As if innate in the ethics of Japanese youngsters, specifically of high school students, Rukawa stood up and prepared to leave; the ace player didn't even bother bringing pencils!
"Uh, uhm... Rukawa... sit,"
"Sorry."
"That's I think the seventh time I've heard that word from you; sit, it's okay."
Rukawa blinked; for an apathetic person like him, it was usual to ignore the patience that surrounded his life. It's a manifestation of his nature, to brag his orientation of life, which is indifference; it was somewhat odd of him to feel anxious but he actually is right now – and the predisposition Kogure offered him was a choice open for all its merit. A hour or two of lecture wouldn't hurt him he guessed; he was anesthetized from it – and tomorrow indeed would be a hellish day unless he strives for a passing grade. Yeah, passing, and Rukawa cares less of getting the highest.
"It's my fault; I'm too demanding ne?" Kogure has uttered, trying to mend the ruined book by patching tapes on them; it was futile because the torn page kept on shifting away and he has to let go of the book before the biblical apocalypse could happen in Kanagawa with flames in his eyes.
"Not at all."
"Do you want some tea? I can dredge for something in the fridge if you want,"
"No thanks."
Kogure stood up and walked towards the kitchen with immeasurable confusion swirling in his mind. Rukawa is a stoic, deadpan from any state of affairs and always slashes everything short; as derived from the little discovery he found, being indifferent was perhaps not because of impudence but because emotional security is straightforwardly earned with it. How this egoism reminds him of Mitsui! Kogure has to admit however – it was awe-inspiring; the innocence of it all is perhaps owed to the correlation between preservation of ego and fear in openness – the two are almost automatic in nature.
Kiminobu returned in the study room to find the ruined page already repaired, or at least orderly stitched from the tape. He drank his own tea with meticulousness. "Thank you for mending the book."
Rukawa looked up, actually munching on donuts, actually reading the book. "Uh... uh-huh," he uttered before drinking coffee.
"Now... here," Kogure pointed out. "When you form a sentence using the infinitive, you've got to use the base form of the verb; tell me if this sentence is right – Rukawa has to studied to pass the exam."
"Uh... right?"
Kogure sighed. "It's only an example."
"Oh. It's wrong."
"Good; now, if you use verbs 'did' you must also use the base form of the verb. Tell me if this sentence is right – Did Rukawa drank the coffee?"
"Wrong."
"Good; you're actually much better than Mitsui."
"Hnn."
"Back then, Mitsui would usually make me faint because his grammar his abhorrent. I dunno how he survived our lit class."
Rukawa's brows furrowed. "When I use the verb 'doesn't' and 'don't' I should use the base form of the verb; 'has' and 'have' are perfect tenses; ellipsis is made using three dots; the subject must agree with the verb I would use; précis is the most economic way to reiterate a certain passage while paraphrase can be longer; 'The Idiot' is an existential book by Dostoevsky; 'Satanic Verses' is a book banned by the Muslim community; the square root of four is two; the Fermat's theorem was solved by the Japanese; iron helps the hemoglobin in the blood to distribute oxygen—"
"Uh, uhm... that would be the largest string of words—" Now Kogure knows why the room suddenly became too warm for an average Japanese study room; his glasses toppled and that's all there is, fervor clinging yet in the stillness of everything that seemed to be churning, intangible miniatures of existence that created superfluous sentiments. The chocolate-eyed smelled sweat from Kaede's hours of practice beforehand, calloused hands reaching, touching. He closed his eyes whilst feeling embraced tight in the seeming starkness of the room; both kissed like it was the most natural thing to do – tea against coffee but mingling nevertheless.
Seconds after, Kogure's eyes were wide but can never fix it in Rukawa's seeming stare; his hand covered his mouth to safeguard the stirring perplexity in all the obscurities in this room – perhaps he should re-decorate it? The Feng-shui negativity must be hitting him. He is panting not from exhaustion but from all the series of this day. Kaede Rukawa, too, has this face akin to bolt from the blue – he left afterwards, not really caring if it was ethical or not. And in the isolation of Kogure, "What catch eh?"
Two days after, Kaede Rukawa failed the exam and got 'probation'; one of these days, the raven-haired is going to ask help. Again.
Argh, standard disclaimers apply. Reviews/flames welcome. I'm planning for a second chapter and it will be dedicated to our Highness chelating compounds. Oh well...