special for the people who encouraged me to write MomoKai fic; sorry it turned out very brainless overall... but this is MomoKai we're talking about ^^;;; lame excuse...
disclaimer: Konomi Takeshi, Shounen Jump, TV Tokyo, etc. etc.
warnings: MomoKai, shounen ai, some humor, PG-13
million thanks to Tiggy for another beta job, knowing that you're very busy...
*hugs*
* * * * *
The Disastrous Love Letter
It was a very hot day, a perfect day to have tennis practice, or so Kaidoh
thought. He threw his empty juice can into the nearest trashcan and walked to
the tennis clubroom. He'd left all his practice gear inside a while ago, and now
he was going to pick up his racket. He really didn't want to be late for
practice; he'd been waiting for it for the whole day. Tucking his regular jersey
tighter, he reached for the doorknob as two girls emerged from the door.
"Su-Sumimasen!" the girls said in unison and ran away, probably scared of him -- everybody was scared of Kaidoh Kaoru. But more importantly, no one except for the tennis club members was supposed to enter that room. And those girls were definitely not members. What the hell were they doing inside?
Shaking his head, Kaidoh entered the room. He reached his gear bag on the bench and almost fell over in shock as he saw a pink envelope on top of it.
A pink envelope. With a heart-shaped sticker on it. A realization came to him like thunder.
A love letter. A love letter on top of his bag. A love letter for him. The first ever love letter for Kaidoh Kaoru....
With shaky fingers, Kaidoh reached for the pink envelope, eyeing it curiously. Masaka...?! It was from the girls who had run out of the club room before?! No, no, no... This couldn't be possible....
He turned the envelope over, still with shaky fingers. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He counted to three before opening his eyes. He read the name on the front of the pink envelope, and his jaw almost dropped to the floor.
To Momoshiro Takeshi.
Momoshiro... Takeshi....
Momoshiro....
Geh! He couldn't even say his name. The love letter was for Momoshiro, his archrival, his enemy… his... his....
How could those girls put a letter that was supposed to be for Momoshiro on top of his bag for God's sake....
Hissing, Kaidoh calmed himself. It worked all the time, well, almost all the time. And a small problem such as one silly love letter was not a problem at all for him. He hadn't even expected to receive a love letter from anyone anyway. It wouldn't be a big deal, if only it didn't involve Momoshiro Takeshi.
Fusshuuu...
Now what to do?
His eyes swept the entire room, searching for Momoshiro's bag. It would be easier if he put the letter on that annoying guy's bag and let it be. Let Momoshiro find the stupid letter and be happy about it. He didn't care one bit. Besides, it didn't concern him. Momoshiro always said that he wanted to be liked by many people; Kaidoh thought that it had worked somehow. He wondered why people were so attracted to him. Maybe the fact that Momoshiro was friendly to everyone, even the freshmen; unlike him.
Sighing, he walked closer to where Momoshiro had put his bag. He flicked the pink envelope and stretched out his hand to put it on top of the blue bag, when suddenly the door opened.
"Hee? Kaidoh? What's that in your hand?" A familiar chirping voice could be heard coming from the door.
Kaidoh turned his head and frantically hid the letter behind his back. It was a stupid thing to do, but he hadn't realized it until it was too late. "K-Kikumaru-sempai?!" A bead of sweat dropped from his forehead.
Kikumaru beamed and rushed to his side, trying to peek behind Kaidoh's back as he did so. "What is it? What is it? I want to see...!!" His eyes brightened. "Kaidoh! I want to see...!!"
Kaidoh took a step backwards and leaned against the wall. He didn't even know why he'd tried to hide the love letter; he was certain that he looked really silly now. And his sempai's persistent whine didn't help at all. "It wasn't anything important, really..."
"Hum?!" Kikumaru winked, "...so why do you insist in hiding it?! Come on, you can tell me!! I'm the best sempai you ever had, ne?! ne?! neeee?!"
Kaidoh sweatdropped; he couldn't do anything but keep his distance from Kikumaru. He knew he would get into trouble once that letter was in his sempai's hands. He wouldn't do anything stupid here; he wouldn't give the letter to his sempai, no matter what. Even if his life was at stake, he would never let his sempai get hold of that letter.
But the next thing that happened was outside Kaidoh's imagination. He unintentionally loosened his grip in the letter. They both gaped in silence as the pink envelope landed on the floor between them. Their eyes met, a deafening silence. And with a swift move, Kikumaru bent down and grasped the letter. Kaidoh's eyes couldn't get any wider as his sempai finally had the envelope in his two hands, smiling wickedly at him.
"Now let's see what this is, neeee?!" Kikumaru smiled widely as he studied the back of the envelope, apparently noticing the heart-shaped sticker. "Woaaah! A love letter!! Lucky Kaidoh!"
"Kikumaru-sempai! It wasn't..." He didn't have the chance to continue as Kikumaru waved the letter in the air and grinned at him. "It wasn't for me...!" was the only thing came out of his mouth afterwards. And he cursed himself for it.
The red-haired sempai blinked. "Eh?!" He studied the envelope more carefully, and finally read the name on the front. His eyes widened even more. "Hey, it's for Momo?!" A long pause, and then, "EEHH?! MOMO?!!"
Kaidoh sighed. "That's why I told you earlier that it wasn't for me. It was--"
"YOU WROTE A LOVE LETTER FOR MOMO?!"
"Huh?!"
A long minute passed as Kaidoh tried to plant those words inside his head. He saw Kikumaru's eyes turn as wide as saucers before finally the senior beamed cheerfully. "I KNEW IT!!" he chirped happily, "I just knew it! Although you two are always quarrelling every time you meet, there is something special between you two!!"
"Eh?! But--!" the sophomore tried to speak.
"It's okay, Kaidoh! I saw it with my own eyes that you were about to put this letter on Momo's bag just then, ne?! You don't need to hide anything from me! I can understand! I'm not one of those close-minded people..." Kikumaru shook his head dramatically.
Kaidoh gaped. "No, Kikumaru-sempai, listen to me--"
"Yatta! This is wonderful, Kaidoh! This letter is a great start! I'm sure Momo will be so happy to receive this! Yosh! It's decided then!" Kikumaru sighed in delight and peered over to see Kaidoh's expression, which by now had turned pretty much pale and terrified.
Smiling, Kikumaru patted his junior's shoulder and gave the love letter back. "Here you go. Make sure you give it directly to Momo and not just put it on his bag or something like that. He might not see your sincerity." He stopped for added effect, before he continued, "Now, let's get to practice before Tezuka punishes us with running twenty laps around the court, ne?"
"Kikumaru-sempai!" Kaidoh was in deep panic, but his sempai had already disappeared through the door.
He was in big trouble...
* * * * *
Momo picked up his racket from the bench and started cleaning the grip. Nobody was in the mood for practicing that day, except maybe the regulars who were busy preparing themselves for the next tournament. The seniors were practicing with each other on the courts, while the freshmen were still busy picking up the balls. Just the same routine….
"Oi, Arai! Want to play a game with me?!" He stood up and walked in his classmate's direction. Arai was swinging his racket, warming up, and grinned as he heard Momo's challenge.
"Are you sure you want to be beaten by me today?" Arai lifted his chin.
Momo smirked. "You still need a hundred years to do that." He swung his racket to the right, carelessly, unintentionally hitting someone on the head. The next thing he heard was a hiss. Without turning, he knew who he had hit just a second before.
"Warui na, Mamushi. I didn't see you there." Momo smiled almost sincerely towards Kaidoh, who was now glaring dangerously at him.
But it seemed that the viper was already getting ready for a fight. "You're not even going to say sorry, are you?!"
Momo glared back andsnapped, "I said that I didn't see you there! It was an accident!"
"Really?! There are too many accidents concerning you!" retorted Kaidoh.
"You want to start a fight?" Momo barked and was answered with a hiss by Kaidoh, "You want to go at it, Mamushi?!"
The other Seigaku tennis club members were starting to gather around them, apparently too afraid to separate the two sophomores. Especially since Kaidoh was involved. It would be a miracle to see them getting along with each other. Only the captain or the vice captain could stop their quarrels.
"Oi, someone get Oishi-sempai here!" someone yelled hurriedly. But before they had the chance to do it, Kikumaru entered the court. "Oi! Oi! Oi! Cut it out, you two!"
The two kept glaring, not really taking notice of their surroundings until Kikumaru showed up between them and pushed them apart. "Ooooi..! Stop it already!!"
"Eh? Kikumaru-sempai?!" Kaidoh was startled to see the redhead sempai standing before him.
"You two are very lucky that Tezuka and Oishi were called by Ryuzaki-sensei to her office, or you'd have to run fifty laps around the court!" Kikumaru glared. "Now, Momo! You should apologize to Kaidoh!!"
Momo blinked. "Eeeh??! But, Eiji-sempai...!"
"No buts! Kaidoh tried to make up with you but you didn't even appreciate his efforts!"
"EH?!" the sophomores chorused.
Kikumaru winked over at Kaidoh and smiled widely. "Ne, Kaidoh, you have to give it to Momo today, okay?!" And then he turned to Momo. "And you! Behave yourself and apologize!"
"Give what to me?" Momo's eyes darted to Kaidoh's. He saw the viper trying to think hard, eyes boring into Kikumaru's. And then, totally unexpectedly, Momo thought he saw faint color in Kaidoh's cheeks.
Momo was almost in a state of panic. "O-Oi, Mamushi! What's this all about?!"
"Urusai, yarou!" Kaidoh snapped and turned away; he looked towards his sempai and saw Kikumaru was trying to suppress laughter.
"Eiji-sempai, what is it all about? Give what?!" Momo was really confused, something was definitely odd. And something told him that it wasn't something good. "Eiji-sempai, you're hiding something, aren't you?"
Kikumaru only smiled wickedly. "Hi-mi-tsu." He winked.
Something was very wrong....
* * * * *
Kaidoh walked to and fro inside the club room, thinking hard about how he was going to give that stupid letter to Momoshiro. It was an easy thing to do actually; he just needed to put the letter on top of that guy's bag and leave it there. So why was he feeling so bad about it? It wasn't his fault that those girls had put it on the wrong bag. Why did he have to feel this way? Damn it....
He opened his sports bag to put his racket back and he saw the pink envelope inside. He had thrown it inside his bag before they started practice. He really had to put that damn letter in a place where only Momoshiro could find it. Maybe he should put it inside the guy's bag? No, no, no... What would his mother say about that? Opening someone else's bag without permission.
This was all Kikumaru-sempai's fault, Kaidoh decided. If he hadn't seen him earlier trying to pass on the love letter, than everything would have been just fine. No one would know that the letter was put on top of his bag when it was supposed to be on Momoshiro's.
And what on earth made Kikumaru-sempai think that the letter was from him? He and Momoshiro were rivals, enemies, everybody knew that. And it wasn't like that Momoshiro had anything to be liked for. Sure, he was cheerful, friendly, and acted nice around everybody but him. He was also a great tennis player; his play was fast and powerful, something that was so... Momoshiro.
Geh, he was starting to ramble...
He wasn't the one who had a crush on Momoshiro Takeshi. Yes, he admired him, a little bit. Just a tiny winy bit, not bigger than an ant perhaps. But he didn't have a crush on Momoshiro! He didn't even like him!
Did he?
"ARGH!" He shook his head and grabbed the letter from his bag. He just had to put it on top of that idiot's bag and pretend that he didn't know anything about it. Maybe that was for the best....
And for the second time that day, he reached out his hand to put the letter on top of Momoshiro's bag. But before he did, the door opened, and Momoshiro and Kikumaru stepped inside.
* * * * *
Just slightly, Momo was worried. Kaidoh wasn't acting like himself today. He avoided him all the time during practice - not that that was anything new - but the way he did it was just... different. Kaidoh usually glared at him, hissing silently at his every act, or muttering something under his breath. But not today. He just stared at him with a blank look and turned away. That happened every time their eyes made contact.
Nobody seemed to realize that but him, but Momo was certain that Kikumaru knew something. Every time his and the viper's eyes met, he could hear the red-haired sempai giggling behind his back. But it seemed that Kikumaru didn't want to say anything to him just yet. Something about a secret, or so he said.
But he was definitely worried....
He didn't even realize the practice session was over until the members left the court one by one. There was only him and some freshmen who were still busy picking up balls after the routine exercise. He wondered if Kaidoh had gone home. Maybe he should ask him if there was something wrong with him today. Or maybe he could give him a ride home with his bicycle....
Hey, wait. Since when did he actually care for the viper?
Momo, you baka....
"Oi, Momo! Let's go already!" Kikumaru's cheerful voice startled him.
Momo stood up and smiled, walking off the court and to the clubroom with his sempai. He hoped that Kaidoh was still in the room. And it seemed that his prayer was answered when the door opened and he saw Kaidoh there.
And what was that in his hand? A letter?!
"Oi, Mamushi." Momo opened his mouth as he saw him; his eyes flew to the pink envelope in Kaidoh's hand. "You're still here? And what's that?"
"Aaaaaah! Baka Kaidoh!" He heard Kikumaru suddenly whine as he saw the object, the redhead rushing to Kaidoh's side. "I told you to give it directly to Momo! It won't be meaningful if you don't give it in person!"
Momo was oblivious, while Kaidoh snorted and hissed. Kikumaru glared even more at Kaidoh, making the sophomore rolled his eyes in irritation. And then suddenly, the viper stretched out his hand and handed him the letter he was holding. "This is for you."
"NANI?!" Gaping, Momo took the letter, noticing another blush creeping up Kaidoh's cheeks. His heart thumped so hard he could almost hear it.
Ma-Masaka?! Noooo waaaay... Mamushi couldn't possibly... he couldn't possibly give him a....
The envelope was pink, with a heart sticker on it. And it also had his name on it. It was a love letter.
He felt color creeping up his own cheeks, probably worse than Kaidoh's. No, no, no... He must not blush. How could he possibly be blushing, for God's sake?!
"Ma-Mamushi, this is...." Momo tried not to stutter, but failed miserably.
Kikumaru patted his shoulder hard. "Nya! It's a love letter, Momo! Can't you see that?!" He smiled widely and then lifted his face to look at Kaidoh. "Good job, Kaidoh!"
Momo read the name on the letter over and over again. It was his name. There. Momoshiro Takeshi. That was his name. Kaidoh gave him a love letter. A love letter. So this is what Kikumaru meant by a secret. Kaidoh -- of all people -- giving him a love letter.
"Uhm--" Kikumaru's voice brought him back from his thoughts. As Momo turned, he saw Kikumaru already had his bag on his shoulder and was headed for the door. "I think I'm interrupting something here. I better go, he he..."
"Eh? Wait!" Kaidoh suddenly called out. "You need to hear this too, sempai!"
Kikumaru blinked. "No, no... Just tell me everything in the morning, okay?" He winked at Momo and then, "Ja naaaa... Mata ashitaaaa...!"
The door closed and silence once again surrounded the two boys. Momo wasn't expecting Kaidoh to be the one to break the silence in this situation. "Two girls put it here just before practice." Kaidoh's voice was its usual low and flat tone.
"Eh?" Momo lifted up his face, eyes narrowed a little bit.
"Two girls put it on top of my bag, mistaking it for yours." He pointed to Momo's bag with his chin, "I was just going to put it on your bag when Kikumaru-sempai came in. Somehow he thought that it was from me..." He shook his head.
"So...!" Momo wasn't sure how to react, jaw dropping to the floor. "So it's not from you...?!" Seconds after that he just realized that it was a stupid question.
Kaidoh's eyes bulged, glaring dangerously and a faint color rose on his cheeks. "OF COURSE NOT! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING, YOU MORON!"
He would usually have yelled back when Kaidoh did that, but not this time. Somehow he didn't know what to do. He didn't know whether he was supposed to be happy or sad about what he'd just found out. Kaidoh was right, he was a moron. How could he possibly think that the love letter was from Kaidoh?! That would be the end of the world….
"Warui, warui..." Momo tried to laugh, but something choked him. He saw the love letter once again, read his name on top of it and realized that something had changed. It didn't interest him so much as it had before. It wasn't from Kaidoh.
Chotto matte...!! What the hell are you thinking, Momoshiro Takeshi...?!
He slapped himself mentally and raised his chin to meet Kaidoh's gaze. "Thank you then..." he said, almost sincerely, "for giving it to me..."
"Hm," was the only answer. Kaidoh picked up his bag and walked to the door. "So, are you going to read it?"
Momo turned to him, eyes wide in confusion. "Eh?" He saw Kaidoh roll his eyes and turn away. He didn't really know what to say anymore. "Yeah, later... maybe..."
"Hn," Kaidoh snorted softly. "You better explain everything to Kikumaru-sempai tomorrow."
"He he, okay. Don't worry." Momo said sheepishly, and then, "I can imagine how he'll react... Wait... what if he doesn't believe it, Mamushi?! You know how Eiji-sempai is!!" he added half-jokingly.
He wasn't expecting Kaidoh to turn to him so fast, his eyes bulging to their maximal size and looking very very worried. "D-Don't joke around, yarou!" he said with an obvious wary tone. "You'd better fix everything, or else...!"
"Oi, oi! I'm just joking... I can show him the love letter and prove it that it's not from you." Momo lifted his hands. "Geez... you're so easy to tease..."
The faint colors were back on the other sophomore's face and Momo forced himself not to stifle laughter. "Come on, Mamushi. I'll give you a ride home, I've got my bike just outside."
"IDIOT!" the viper snapped and slammed the door. But before he left, Momo could see another faint wash of color creep up his rival's ears. He never knew that Kaidoh could blush like that before. What a discovery... that love letter was worth something after all. Maybe he would have to say thanks to whoever sent him that letter. Or maybe he should write one...
He bet that Mamushi would be so shocked to find a love letter with his name on top of his bag this time.
-owari-
uhm, that's it... reviews are very much welcome :) *gives cookies*
- kaz misaki (misaki_kaz [at] yahoo.com)
