Author's note
This story is a side story to "Moments forever faded". As you will find supporting characters in both stories.
Read a riddle
"A successful trickster does not need to lie to survive, because those who have been tricked will always protect him." (Shakespeare)
What if it's the other way around? What if the trickster gets tricked in return by his own actions?
Chapter 1
The 'me' that loves you
Somewhere along the lines a question popped into her mind.
'Is this his true self, how he appears in front of me?' She looked at the lines, as her expression turning sadder by the second. She sighed and closed the book. That sentence made her think of that person. It described him well because he was known as the trickster of Rikkai, Niou Masaharu.
Niou was often described as a swindler because of his reputation. He didn't hide it. He changed his appearance on a daily basis. His behavior could change every day. He could make a person believe anything he was at that moment. Her brother was friends with him. They had known each other since Junior High and they played tennis together.
Her brother had the reputation of being a gentleman. It's true. He was kind and polite to everyone. As funny as it seemed, he was too polite, even against his opponents during a tennis match. That is how he got the nickname 'The Gentleman'. The gentleman and the trickster would often be paired up for doubles. That's right, Niou Masaharu and Yagyuu Hiroshi.
"Hitomi! Stop reading that book and come down! We'll be late otherwise!" called out Hiroshi to his sister. The said girl rushed down the stairs, closing her bag.
"Okay, nii-sama!" she called to him. Hitomi stopped in front of her brother, sending a wide grin.
"Good morning, Hiroshi nii-sama." she said gently.
Name: Yagyuu Hitomi
Age: 17
Hair: long/purple (the same color as her brother's)
Eyes: brown
Siblings: older brother Hiroshi (they're separated by almost a year but she's in the same year as him)
Hobbies: tennis, reading books, watching plays
Vice-captain of the tennis team; in her third year of high school (in the same class as Marui).
"Good morning. Let's go now." said Hiroshi, returning the smile.
The girl grabbed her tennis bag and followed her brother outside. Both siblings always walked to school together but there were times when she had to walk back home without him. Hiroshi was the library rep, so he had to stay in school longer than usual, sometimes even having to skip practice.
Hitomi often borrowed books to read and spent some time in the library. She didn't have to walk home alone though. Her brother was rather protective of her, so he made Niou walk her home. He knew about Niou's doings but he also knew him well enough to trust him with his sister. They all got along since Junior High and Hitomi got friendlier towards Niou. At first she was timid and distant towards him but as time passed she realized he's not that bad of a person.
The Yagyuu siblings got into the subway train. A few stops later, they got off. The school wasn't that far but still Hitomi enjoyed the whole trip.
As they entered the school gate, she overheard several girls talking. A lot of rumors spread around the school but what she heard couldn't be defined as a rumor. What those girls were talking about was true because it was about him, Niou.
"Hey, I heard Niou Masaharu got his hands on a second year girl." said a girl with short brown hair.
"Yeah, poor girl. She totally fell for Niou's appearance and he took the chance to use her." said the other girl. The first girl who started the topic blushed and wailed.
"Ehhh! You mean-" the girl didn't finish because her friend understood. She nodded plainly.
"Huh, it seems he teamed up with two other guys from his class. They see this as some sort of an amusement - getting every girl in school." said the black haired teen.
"Oh… Then we'd better watch out." said the brown haired this time.
"They're not interested in us."
"Huh? Why's that?" asked the brown haired blinking abruptly.
"Haven't we already been swindled by that jerk?" retorted the black haired teen as they walked into their classroom.
Both of them were in their third year just like Hitomi. She and Hiroshi had to walk behind them for a long time to get to their classrooms. Both of them overheard the conversation. Hitomi gripped the handle of her schoolbag as she lowered her head. Her eyes reflected a sad glow, as she found it interesting to look at her feet making one step after the other. Her brother sighed, scratching his head.
"Ahh… Niou's at it again. Jeez, what the hell is he thinking? School has just started and he's already on the loose." said Hiroshi.
That's right. Only a couple of weeks had passed since the start of a new school year when Niou had already broken a record of dating a girl for less than a week. Hitomi made a depressing look, shrugging her head even deeper down, so that her eyes were covered with her bangs.
Hiroshi reached his classroom. He was about to walk in but stopped to wish his sister a nice day. Hitomi jerked her head to one side, giving a tiny smile.
"I'll see you later, nii-sama." she said.
Hitomi then turned around to walk to her classroom. Hiroshi smirked in return and walked inside. Hitomi really loved her brother, and looked up to him in everything he did. She didn't call him 'nii-chan' or 'nii-san' because she thought it was too soft to call him like that. She added the more respectful suffix because Hiroshi was the one who always took care of her and helped her with things. Their parents were rarely home, so Hiroshi was basically the one who raised her to be who she was.
Other people found the brother/sister love cute, wishing to have that kind of relationship with their own siblings. Hiroshi cared deeply for his sister. He had the sense of responsibility as the older brother, therefore he made sure his sister didn't feel mistreated or picked on. Though sometimes, he got too protective. He didn't even let other guys approach her or ask her on a date; not even when they had no ill intentions. Hitomi would get angry at times but then tended to lighten up because she knew he meant only the best for her.
Hitomi reached her classroom and walked inside. Some girls were chatting. She overheard them, hearing the same name again.
"Hey! Is it true that Niou-san asked you out?" asked Aya. She was the class rep and a real magnet for rumors. There wasn't one rumor that she didn't know or got to know of first.
"Y-Yeah. How did you know?" asked Azumi. She was really caught off guard by the question. She was new in Rikkai, so Hitomi really didn't know her that well but one thing was sure, she was cute and kind of timid. Aya just waved her palm, grinning widely.
"That's not important. So, when's the date?" she asked eagerly.
"Supposedly today." answered Azumi, making a distance from the impulsive girl in front of her.
Hitomi glanced in their direction but soon made her way to her desk next to the window… fast. She didn't want to hear anything more. It didn't frustrate Hitomi, rather she got even more depressed.
Hitomi dropped her bag on the table, as she sat down in her place. She instinctively rested her chin on her hand and stared out of the window. She didn't listen to what the girls had to chat about anymore. She didn't care.
"Good morning, Hitomi-chan." said a deep voice. Hitomi turned her head the direction and saw her classmate leaning on her table with a wide grin.
"Good morning, Bunta-kun." she answered.
The redheaded volley specialist just grinned back at her. Marui was one of the people she was close with. She knew all of her brother's teammates and hung out with them sometimes. However, Marui was the only one she could call as her best friend in Rikkai.
He was rather arrogant sometimes and silly, but nonetheless really sweet. He would always ask her to lend him her notes, and she would scold the redheaded sugar addict when he wouldn't bring them back in time. But he always made it up to her. He brought some cakes and other sweets specially picked by him, and would apologize in a child like manner. For that, Hitomi found him adorable.
"Why the long face?" he asked.
Hitomi frowned, jerking her head in Aya's direction. Marui blinked for a second, and then turned his attention to the chattering girls in the middle of the classroom.
"Ahh… Niou has done it again." commented Marui as Hitomi sighed.
"Yeah, seems like Niou-kun broke up with the previous girl." said Hitomi, finding the scenery outside of the window rather interesting. Marui turned his attention back to Hitomi. He smirked.
"More like he used her and then dumped her with no second thought. He's just as despicable as his two classmates." he said. Hitomi turned her head in a flash, her eyes wide open. Hitomi opened her mouth to say something but Marui beat her to it.
"Don't look at me as if you don't know." retorted Marui with a roll of his eyes.
He looked straight into her eyes seriously. Hitomi knew what he meant by that. Niou would not only just date them but rather mistreat them; make them lose something important… sleep with them. Hitomi lowered her head and her eyes became sad, as if her soul had perished into thin air. Marui then grinned at her, patting his best friend on the shoulder.
"Well, don't think about it too much, Hitomi-chan." he said, trying to be comforting.
"Un." Hitomi nodded slightly. At the same moment the bell rang, as Marui made his way towards his desk.
The lesson started but Hitomi didn't bother listening to the teacher. She didn't have to. It was literature, and they had to read Shakespeare out loud. Hitomi had read most of Shakespeare's works several times; she could recite every single quote out of his books. She just had that good of a memory. What actually occupied her mind was what Marui had said earlier.
'They just don't know him that's all. So what if Niou-kun can be leveled with the other two guys? So what if he changes to a different person every time he approaches a girl? So what if he substitutes a girl within a week? So what if he mistreats them? So what if he-' Hitomi stopped in her mid rant, as her fingers gripped into her book, sinking her nails into the cover. The same line skipped through her mind that she had read in the morning.
'Do I even know the real Niou Masaharu?' she asked herself.
She thought she knew him like no one else did because he treated her kindly, and found stuff to laugh with him about. Was that his true self or just one of his facades? Could she even trust the trickster?
A set of rushing footsteps could be heard through the hallway getting closer to Hitomi's classroom.
Hitomi sighed, hiding her eyes deeper under her bangs.
'Even though I know what he's doing-' thought Hitomi.
The footsteps stopped in front of her classroom door.
'-I still can't help but li-' the door of the classroom sprung open.
"I like you, Yagyuu Hitomi-san! Please, date me!" screamed out a boy, standing in the door.
He was breathing hard, as he looked seriously right across the classroom. His eyes stopped on the said purple haired teen, sitting next to the window. All of the teens in the classroom were startled by the sudden confession, as they started whispering to each other, sending glances at Hitomi.
Hitomi widened her eyes in shock but it only lasted for a mere second because this wasn't the first time she had to put up with this kind of situation. It was because of her brother, who intercepted the boys before they could even confess to Hitomi. She was just startled by the boy who cut her off in her thoughts. Hitomi sat there for a while, staring around the classroom.
The teacher blinked stupidly with his jaw open, dropping his charcoal. But he quickly regained his composure.
"Hey, you! What class are you from?" asked the teacher. The said boy opened his mouth to say something but Marui stood up, grinning widely at him.
"Man, you sure have the nerve to go this far. Could you leave, please? You're disturbing our lesson." said Marui calmly with the how-do-you-like-my-genius move look all over his face.
This should have been said by the class rep but because of his slight arrogant nature, he liked to take charge of the class rep's role. The boy twitched at his remark.
"And whose fault do you think it is that I'm here during a lesson? That devil brother of hers is always around-" Marui cut the boy in mid rant with an even wider grin.
"Try saying it to his face." said Marui, pointing behind him.
The boy blinked and turned around, only to find Hiroshi standing behind him with a blank face expression. The poor boy sweat dropped in horror.
"I'm kindly asking you to leave this classroom this instance. You're disturbing the environment with your uninvited appearance." Hiroshi politely asked the boy as he adjusted his glasses. Despite the calmness of his voice, there was something that brought fear from that stoic figure of his.
"Why the hell are you even here? You're class is at the other end of the hallway!" stated the boy. Hiroshi raised his eyebrows.
"Oh, that. I heard someone dashing through the hallway and excused myself from class. Just when I opened the door I heard you screaming into this classroom." said Hiroshi plainly. The whole classroom sweat dropped. The boy in front of him made a face, as he turned his eyes to the ground.
"I had a feeling you'd attempt something like this. I told you before - Hitomi will not date you! Now, would you follow me to the principle's office, Su-ba-ru-kun?" said Hiroshi, punctuating every syllable of the said boy's name.
He put his hand on Subaru's shoulder. The poor lad's face turned pale.
'How the hell did he know my name?' thought Subaru in horror. He felt the menacing aura behind that polite smile, as he freaked out.
"Wait a second! You have no right to decide-" yet again Hiroshi silenced the boy with another smile that clearly said 'shut up if you know what's best for yourself.'vMarui scratched his head, sighing.
"Yagyuu, don't you think this is going a bit too far?" asked Marui.
"Hm?" Hiroshi turned his attention briefly to Marui.
"As much as I hate to admit it, that guy is right. Hitomi-chan has the saying here- Hey, are you even listening?" barked Marui the last sentence. Hiroshi ignored Marui's comment, as he started pulling the boy outside.
"Nii-sama, that's enough." said Hitomi, standing up. Hiroshi stopped, glancing at his sister. He frowned the second he noticed that she was a bit angry at him.
"I know you're doing this because I'm your sister but it's really unfair to others. I believe it's better if they hear a proper answer personally than be threatened by someone else." she said honestly.
Hiroshi shrugged for a second. She really didn't have to call it 'threatening'. It's as if stating that he's some sort of a stalker. Well, he did act like one when it came to his sister, he had to admit. Hiroshi let Subaru go, mumbling some sort of profanities under his breath. Hitomi sighed and took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry, Subaru-san. I can't date you. I'm sure you'll find another girl that you will like." said Hitomi with a smile.
Subaru dropped his jaw open, as he stared at Hitomi for an entire 10 seconds before dropping his head dramatically. He started sulking. Hiroshi adjusted his glasses again and walked out of the classroom along with Subaru.
"Please, excuse us." he said, closing the door. Marui felt his jaw twitching as he stared at the door for a while.
'Just what was the whole point of this?' he thought in disbelief.
The lesson finally continued in peace. Hitomi went back to staring out of the window. This wasn't the first time something like this had happened but this time, she just felt like saying it candidly. She didn't mind her brother intercepting anyone who had the intention to ask her out because she knew he had a keen eye on people; he knew how to judge them. So, she trusted him with it.
Even though Hitomi had the chance to date the most popular guys in school, she still gave up because she wasn't interested in them… because she already had someone she liked. No, loved.
Marui glanced at Hitomi, noticing that she had the same look on her face as always, when she heard about Niou. He had already guessed that the purple haired teen had feelings for the trickster but he didn't know how deeply she cared for him. He sighed, as he turned back to his book.
It would be troublesome if Hiroshi found out. Sure, the trickster and the gentleman were friends but Hiroshi would never accept Hitomi choosing someone like him. He would kill Niou if he would ever attempt anything with Hitomi. This would cause a dispute among the team, and they couldn't afford an internal break down before the Nationals! That's why Marui kept quiet, taking the role of a silent observer for the time being.
Tennis practice
The girl's tennis team started their practice a bit earlier. They lost to Seigaku the previous year in the Kantou tournament, and didn't get to pay them back during the Nationals, so they decided to do some serious training. The girls were determined, especially their captain, Sato Akira. She was ready to pay back Koyumi Sayaka for last year's defeat, as she couldn't wait for the day when she would face her again.
Hitomi was doing some serving. She was the vice-captain, and helped out Akira quite often. They got along very well. There even were times when the two went shopping together too. They didn't consider each other to be best friends though; they were teammates and even rivals at some point.
Akira was strong. She could beat Hitomi most of the times but she wouldn't be satisfied by the result; she thought Hitomi could do a lot better. This made Hitomi reach higher, vowing that one day she will defeat Akira. She was a good captain but too soft compared to Sanada and Yukimura. The boys' training was harsher than theirs.
The girls took a break. Hitomi took her towel, as she softly brushed the sweat from her forehead. When she raised her eyes, she noticed Niou chatting with two other boys outside of the courts. She blushed for a mere second but then recognized the two boys next to him. They were his classmates, who had the delinquent type reputation, Fuuhara Hideki and Sakibara Kou.
Niou was standing the two boys on the other hand sat on the bench. Both Hideki and Kou were in the basketball club; they were the top regulars. They tended to skip classes, and weren't that great academically but they were popular, when it came to their sport.
Hideki was a kindhearted looking boy with light brown hair and brown eyes. He tended to be rather talkative, observing things carefully. From his looks, no one would ever say that he'd joined Kou; mistreating and humiliating every girl that caught their eyes. He was the type who hid behind his innocent looks.
Kou, on the other hand, was rather silent, and talked in a harsh manner, when it was needed. He wouldn't hesitate to insult a person. His looks said everything about him. He had black hair and grey eyes. His face expression alone showed that he's not the type to listen to orders. Some would say that he hated Niou at some point but nevertheless he hung around him because he thought that they had something in common.
Hitomi observed the threesome for a while but then she quickly casted her gaze to the ground.
"Hitomi-chan, bring me that set of balls, please!" called out Akira, pointing at the set of balls to Hitomi's right.
"Yes, captain!" answered Hitomi, as she turned to Akira first, then walking towards the appointed request.
Not far from the courts, the three teens were observing the female tennis players. Kou rested his left hand on the backboard of the bench. He raised an eyebrow.
"Heh… I just noticed that there are two girls that haven't been taken yet." said Kou. Hideki smirked at the comment, rubbing his chin in interest. His eyes sparkled in Akira's direction.
"Hm? That Akira girl looks so fine in a tennis uniform. What do you think, Niou?" Hideki glanced at Niou who was standing - slightly leaning, to be precise - on the flowerbed with his arms crossed.
"Well, kind of." he said completely uninterested in the topic. Hideki snorted at him.
"I guess you're not interested in those girls anymore, since some of them have been swindled already." said Hideki again. Kou sighed. He currently noticed Hitomi walking back to her tennis bag.
"You wouldn't mind if we start our fun with that captain, would you Niou?" asked Hideki.
He was rather talkative today. Niou didn't really listen to what Hideki had said; he was busy looking at Hitomi. His expression softened at the sight of the purple haired teen. Then, abruptly Niou stood up and took his bag.
"Do what ya want." he retorted. As he was about to walk away, Kou's words made him stop short.
"That Yagyuu Hitomi is very cute. I bet she would taste very sweet." said Kou with a malevolent grin. Niou twitched.
"Heh… Now that you mention it-" started Hideki but didn't get to finish because Niou shadowed the brown haired teen.
"Don't you ever even dare lay a finger on that girl." grunted Niou with his eyes narrowed.
He clearly glared at the boys, sending a deadly threat. Hideki sweat dropped, as turned away, catching onto Niou's tone of voice. Kou just 'hn-ed' at Niou, when he left his classmates for practice.
"My, my. It seems our dear Niou cherishes his friendship with that girl's brother." said Hideki, smirking evilly.
"Tsk, this is ridiculous." retorted Kou, more to himself than anyone else.
He stood up, walking in the other direction that Niou went off to. He got irritated by what Niou said to them. Kou knew that he shouldn't even think about trying to get Hitomi because she was protected by both sides: her brother and Niou.
Niou had already warned them before to stay away from her but only because he didn't want to put his friendship with Hiroshi on the line. They were also teammates, and it would be a pain to argue when the Nationals were ahead. It's BECAUSE they were teammates that Niou cared about this. However, this time Kou sensed that there was some other reason.
Niou was walking towards the locker room to change for practice, looking rather irritated. He remembered Hitomi's soft and gentle face when she was walking around the courts. He remembered her long and silky hair hanging down her shoulders. She had become more womanly for the past two years. He couldn't leave it unnoticed. Her popularity among guys rose rapidly during this time.
The same sentence that Kou said not too long ago skipped his mind. He smacked his hand to his face, remembering his threat to the boys.
'I'm starting to lose it.' he thought.
Niou gritted his teeth, as he then smashed the hand that covered his face against the wall. He stared at the ground, his face expression turning back to normal… slowly.
Since Niou had known Hitomi since Junior High, they had become close during that time. At first he thought he cared for her only because Hiroshi was his friend and he didn't want to cause a dispute between them. However, he realized even back then that he cared about her more than just his friend's sister. He cared deeply for her. He had thought that he would confess to her but he decided not to, he suppressed his desire because of what Hiroshi once said to him.
"I will not let Hitomi date anyone I consider unworthy of her. Be it friend or teammate."
These words shattered Niou's hopes. If he even tried to come closer to Hitomi more than just a friend, it could result in a disaster not only for their team or his relationship with Hiroshi but also it would break Hitomi's and Hiroshi's relationship.
'She's your friend's sister, nothing more. Face it, Niou Masaharu.' he told himself quite often, usually in order to control himself.
Niou finally regained his senses, as he proceeded with his former intentions.
Both the girl's and boy's tennis teams ended their practice. Hitomi walked towards the boy's side to spare her brother from coming to her; the school gate was closer to that side anyways. They were supposed to walk home together. Hiroshi would rarely let her walk back alone. Besides that, they were just used to always walking together.
When Hitomi reached the boy's side of the courts, she noticed that the regulars had already changed their clothes and so she sped up.
"Nii-sama!" called out Hitomi waving happily to her brother. Hiroshi turned his attention to her. He smiled, as she stopped in front of him.
"We're leaving first. Bye!" said Yukimura, leaving along with Sanada and Yanagi. Hitomi waved to them, causing Yukimura to smile gently at her. Hiroshi finally turned his attention to Hitomi.
"Sorry, Hitomi. I have to stay a bit longer today." he said. Hitomi blinked for a second. This wasn't the first time her brother had to stay after the club activities.
"Oh, that's okay, I'll just-" started Hitomi but Hiroshi didn't let her finish. He turned to Niou this time.
"Niou-kun, walk her home, will you?" asked Hiroshi. More like demanded but his voice wouldn't say that he did. Niou raised his hand as an agreement.
"Okay. Just give me a sec." he said, pulling his cell phone out.
He quickly typed something. He then put it back into his pocket. Hitomi realized that he probably had postponed his date with Azumi. She only now remembered what the girls in her class had talked about this morning.
Hiroshi adjusted his glasses as he left, leaving Hitomi to Niou. Hitomi sent him off with a wave, reminding him to come soon. She then noticed that Marui was still standing around.
"Why are you still here, Bunta-kun?" she asked. Marui popped his chewing gum.
"Ah, the brat told me that there is a new sweet's shop that he recently favored. So, he's showing it to me." said Marui.
With 'the brat' he meant Kirihara Akaya; Niou and Marui referred to him as 'brat'. They enjoyed teasing him. Just then Akaya walked out of the locker room.
"Sorry for making you wait, senpai. Oh, hi, Hitomi-san." greeted Akaya. Hitomi returned it with a smile and they soon parted ways.
Niou walked next to Hitomi, as silence remained for a while. Hitomi liked to walk with Niou. He would always cheer her up when she was feeling down, and his presence naturally drove away her worries from school and the rumors she heard there.
Sometimes she wondered if she was a bother to Niou; he would put away any business, following Hiroshi's request – or more like orders - to walk her home. Niou would say that it's fine because he lived not far from them. That was true. He only needed to walk 10 minutes more to reach his place.
Hitomi gripped the handle of her tennis bag. She took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry that my brother uses you when he wants." she said timidly. Niou sighed silently.
"Don't worry. It's no biggy." he said, not looking at his companion. Hitomi widened her eyes, as she spun her head his direction. She stopped, slightly blocking his way.
"What about you-" she started but then swallowed the words.
She almost burst it out. She almost mentioned his date with Azumi. Niou stopped in his pace and blinked. Hitomi cursed herself, as she tried to find something to look at. Her eyes searched for a suitable object to divert her attention. It made her nervous when Niou stared at her. She tried to keep herself from blushing. Niou smirked gently, as he took a few steps closer.
"What about 'what'?" he asked. Hitomi didn't answer. Niou chuckled at the purple headed girl in front of him.
"You don't have to worry about it, Hitomi-chan." he said cheerfully.
Hitomi glanced back at him. She opened her mouth to say something but Niou put his hand on her head.
"Besides, I'm not doing it unwillingly." he said with a smile all over his face.
Despite her efforts, a faint shade of pink appeared on Hitomi's cheeks. Niou patted her head, signaling her to walk again. It was true what he said. He didn't escort Hitomi unwillingly. If that was the only time he could spend with her alone, then he would gladly put away all urgent matters, storm off to her… For her only he would go this far.
They got into the subway train. It was kind of full, since a lot of people got off work and headed home. Hitomi and Niou didn't push through further, since they needed to get off pretty soon. So they chose to stand right in front of the exit. They were currently discussing how gluttonous Marui actually was. Niou commented that he might actually turn into a blob if he keeps up to this kind of lifestyle.
Hitomi felt someone's hand slipping under her skirt, slowly reaching towards her buttocks. She blushed a great deal, making a face of embarrassment. Niou noticed it. Before things could get ugly, he withdrew the culprit's hand, holding it tightly. Hitomi spun around, as she noticed a man in a suit with glasses, staring at the silver haired teen confused. Niou narrowed his eyes and stared at the man seriously.
"You know, in China people would get their hand chopped off for stealing or sexual harassment." said Niou his voice lowering by a tone.
As he punctuated the last two words properly, the man in front of him sweat dropped, yanking his hand from Niou's grip, appearing horror-struck. Niou then smiled innocently. This was the last string for the man to freak out and stand elsewhere.
"I believe that was in Saudi Arabia, Niou-kun." commented Hitomi. Niou just grinned back at her.
"I know that. Just wanted to see his reaction, hearing the nearest country." said Niou innocently. Hitomi blinked at him but then sent a 'thank you' smile.
"Stand here, Hitomi-chan. It's safer like this." he said again, gently pushing her against the door, with her back to it.
He leaned over her, as this kind of position made Hitomi blush in all shades of pink. She tried to prevent herself from staring at him; she glanced in between, when trying to look at something or someone else. Niou noticed her nervous behavior, as he thought that she was flustered because there were a lot of people there. She was completely oblivious to his action.
Niou smirked as he came closer to her face. He just couldn't help but tease the purple headed girl. Hitomi widened her eyes in surprise, as she blushed even more, feeling her body losing all power.
"W-Wait… N-Niou-kun…" Hitomi fumbled with her words but felt her tongue losing its function. Niou ignored her as he went even closer.
"I thought I told you, you can call me 'Masaharu'." he said in a whisper.
Hitomi lost her breath, his face getting closer. He almost touched her nose, when Hitomi closed her eyes, sensing his lips near hers. Five seconds passed but she didn't feel anything. Hitomi slowly opened her eyes and noticed Niou grinning widely, holding back his laugh. He chuckled. Hitomi's eyes widened as heat rushed to her cheeks from anger.
"Haha! Sorry, Hitomi-chan. I just couldn't help it." said Niou, as he suppressed his laughter, it becoming fainter.
He stood further from Hitomi now, who puffed her cheeks, turning her look away, with anger written on her face.
"Niou-kun, you idiot. I hate it when you do something like this, it's not funny!" she mumbled, as Niou chuckled again, patting her head.
"I'm sorry. I won't do it again. Promise. You know that I seriously wouldn't do something like that to you." he said, calming the girl in front of him down.
Hitomi's heart cracked at his last sentence. She glanced sideway at him, her eyes becoming sadder but she didn't let him notice. For a moment there, she actually wanted him to do it … to kiss her.
Niou smiled at Hitomi. He then pulled her out of the subway train. They walked again for a while before reaching Hitomi's house. Hitomi slowed her pace down. Niou did the same. She didn't want him to leave. She wanted to spend some more time with him, just like this… Truthfully, Niou felt the same. He intentionally submitted to her change of pace.
Hitomi wanted him to act sincerely towards her, not hiding his true self. She wondered if the one next to her was the real Niou Masaharu. Well, one thing was for sure, she never had seen him act like this towards other girls. They were friends and she figured that he had another fixed way to act towards those kinds of people. They reached her house. Niou smiled softly to her.
"See ya tomorrow, Hitomi-chan." he said, waving in goodbye.
"O-Oh- Sure. Take care." she said, fumbling again.
She didn't get to thank him for walking her home. Hitomi watched his back, as she then took a few steps towards the disappearing figure. She reached her hand; she wanted to ask him to stay for dinner maybe but then restrained herself. She thought that maybe she could stop him from going to that girl, to a new girl… Azumi.
Hitomi dropped her hand, as she kept on staring at Niou walking away. It pained her to even think that he had another girl, that he touched them… She just wanted him to look at her as more than a friend. She wanted to know what the trickster had in mind, what was in his heart. Hitomi knew though. She knew that he will never look at her like at an ordinary girl.
'To Niou Masaharu… to the man I love I'm just his best friend's sister.'
Hitomi got upstairs into her room. She didn't bother changing. She just dropped herself on her bed. She lay on her side like a lifeless doll for a while. She then took her pillow and hugged it. She stared at one point of her wall, wondering if Niou had already met up with his current girlfriend.
As Niou took a turn around the corner, he put his hand against the nearest wall, leaning against it, searching for support. His eyes showed a dazed off glow. He had flashbacks of Hitomi; her smiling face, her sweet voice, her soft silky hair, her beautiful brown bright eyes… He just couldn't stop the flashbacks from penetrating his mind. He knew he had to stop it, forget it.
He then pushed his back against the wall. Staring up at the sky first, he made a sorrowful and pained expression. He then slowly lowered his head, placing his palm onto his face, anguish reflected in his eyes.
'Ah, no matter how many times I imagine Hitomi instead of those girls, it's still not enough. How can I quench this thirst in my heart? Hitomi…' he thought, as he reached his hand up to the sky.
Niou then closed his eyes, gritting his teeth as an effort to control himself; pain and suffering written all over his face. He balled his hand into a fist and let his fingers sink into his palm.
'Get your act together, Niou Masaharu.' he chanted.
He needed to calm down, and erase the real Niou Masaharu for the rest of the evening. He only let a few people see his true self; Hitomi was one of them. Niou finally took a deep breath, letting out a long sigh. His eyes still closed, he finally managed to calm down. He put his hand in front of his face once more.
As Niou pushed himself from the wall, he slowly removed his hand from his face, opening his eyes. He had changed, his eyes were different. His expression turned into full confidence, being slightly on the arrogant side. He smirked and loosened up, showing a small mischievous grin.
"Well, let's see how Atobe's charms work on her then." Niou said evilly, walking towards his date – no, prey – to be precise.
Next chapter
Marui has a fateful encounter the other day, which doesn't let him forget a melody, played that evening… "It's just that your eyes become scary that way, and it's not the usual Niou-kun that I know."