Chapter Two: First Encounter
A few friends of mine suddenly began to talk softly and excitedly among themselves. We were hanging out after school since it's a Friday and all, so why not?
But, this is getting really troublesome. Every time one of them has a crush, I have to go and ask the crushes out for them.
Really, can't they swallow their pride and blurt it out themselves? Typical. One thing I don't understand about "normal" girls. If I had someone I like, I would go right in their face and say I liked them, but since I don't have a crush, I can't judge… Right?
Then, one of them, called Miyu, poked my arm. "Neh, Sayu-chan." I slid my eyes to her. "Yes?"
"Umm….Do you know who Yamaguchi Kenji is?" I pondered for a moment. The name sounded familiar but I couldn't remember who it was so I shrugged. "Nope. What's up?"
She blush a soft scarlet and muttered softly for me to hear. "Well….I was thinking. Perhaps you can ask him out for me? As in…" She swallowed and continued shyly, "Go out with me…Like a date?"
I raised my eyebrows, trying hard to hide my disgust and surprise, "Can't you ask him yourself?" She blushed harder and I blew out my cheeks. "Fine then, if Miyu-chan likes this guy so much, I'll try. If we see him today, I'll ask him for you."
Her eyes shone in such a puppy-like way I almost laughed out loud. "Really? Oh, thank you so much, Sayu-chan~!" She hugged me like a plush doll. I laughed boyishly and shrugged out of the embrace.
"Then, can you ask him now?"
I watched her confused. It was like a falling rock to the head.
"Eh?"
She grinned shyly and pointed to a small café beside us. I followed the direction to where her finger was pointing and my gaze fell on a blonde. He was wearing a blue parka, with a white coat over the top. His palm was supporting his head and he was watching his companions laughing and talking by themselves.
Somehow, he looks familiar. I shook the déjà vu feeling of me. Turning to Miyu and she blush a deep beet red at the sight of him. I sighed and looked back at the other girls and they all were encouraging me with their pitiful eyes. I sighed wearily at them and they grinned. I don't even know why I'm doing this. I walked into the café and looked around.
Catching sight of him, I sighed again. God, I'm going to regret this. I really hate getting involved with other people's love issues.
Slowly walking up to him, I cleared my throat, trying to catch his attention. He turns his head towards me with his bored hazel eyes. "What?"
I sniffed in disdain. Nice first impression, boy. I thought to myself and asked with a bored voice, "Are you Yamaguchi Kenji?"
"And why do you want to know?" His eyes stared at me in a bored way, matching my mood.
I continued indifferently, "My friend there," I tilted my head towards the back, where I caught sight of Miyu and the others huddled nearby, "wants to go on a date with you."
He look behind me and sniffed. "Tell her to ask me herself."
I folded my arms. What an arrogant ass. Now, it's taking all I have not to pound his pretty face into the café table. Yeah, sue me for hating little rich spoil brats.
I shrugged, "Either you give me a yes or a no. I'm nobody's messenger girl." He blinked at me for a split second, surprise in his eyes, then smirked.
"No, then."
I nodded coldly and as I started to walk away, two guys step in front of me.
"Hi~ what are you doing here, pretty?" They gave me flirty smiles and they laughed cheerfully upon seeing me. "I'm Mabo~ what's yours?" said one of the boys. "I'm Tomio~" His friend piped up beside him.
I raised an eyebrow at them. "Sayuki. And I was helping my friend get a date. Now, if you'll excuse me."
They didn't move but only increased their flirting. "Who? Who? We can be their dates~ we can be yours too~" I rolled my eyes, "Not very picky aren't you? Well, I don't think they want you."
They blinked, "Why not, neh?"
"You're ugly."
I stated simply and the air around them cracked. I squeezed past them and walked towards Miyu.
"Let's go. I don't want to be involved any further. He said no." Miyu looks as if she was about to break down. Patting her head, I softened my gaze at her, "Don't worry, there are plenty other fishes out there in the ocean." Taking her arm, I led her out the door. "Let's go, hmm?"
And we walked out with the other girls huddled behind us.
Yamaken P.O.V
I watch the girl walked out of the café. She's very blunt. Like Mizutani. Hmph. Interesting.
Mabo whimpered and he looked so stupid I almost laughed. "She called me ugly…" Tomio sink into a chair beside me and hit his head on the table.
Well, at least she made an amusing impact on them. Joji look at them and asked curiously, "Why are you so depressed? She is just one of the many girls that called you two ugly."
"Do you guys even know who she is?" Tomio groaned as I sipped my drink, "Couldn't care less." Tomio looked up, "She's, like, the most popular rumor at Kaimei, Yamaken. Didn't you hear about it? You have no idea how many guys have a crush on her."
"And she plays basketball!" Mabo continued, with his eyes shining.
Joji tilted his head to the side, "So?"
Mabo complained further, "Have you ever seen her games? She's so cool and pretty~" His eyes shone, "If she was my girlfriend, I would be in heaven."
"So you'll be dead by the time she asked you out?" Joji pointed out innocently and Mabo shouted at him, "NOT LITERALLY, IDIOT!"
I ignored them and started sipping my drink again. That girl did seem interesting, and you have got to admit that she was pretty. Her dark green eyes did remind me of someone though, but I could not put my finger on it. It's frustrating so I push it to the back of my mind.
We were at the café for awhile, with the three of them talking about girls and mainly about, Sayuki.
Suddenly, Tomio exclaimed excitedly, like he won a jackpot, "Hey, Mabo! Look at this!"
Mabo turned away from Joji and read something on Tomio's phone and a smile burst from his face. "WOAH! Sayuki-chan is at the basketball court now?! Let's go and see!" The both of them look at both me and Joji and grin, "Let's show you how cool Sayuki is."
"Not interested." I said and suck at my drink. Mabo grinned, "Of course, since you like the studybug!" A vein popped from my head and I ignored them.
"Hey, let's go to the basketball court then!" Tomio said and the three of them agreed immediately.
I, naturally, was dragged there with them.
XxXxXxXxXx
"Look! There she is!" Mabo exclaimed and the three of them look through the netting around the basketball court. I peek through the netting. It wasn't hard spotting her since she was the only girl there.
She had taken off her jacket and had it wrapped around her waist. Her school uniform was replaced for a black tank top and loose cargo pants. Her hair that was tied into a short ponytail and she looked prettier than she was just now.
I blinked. Did I think of her as prettier? What was wrong with me?
She stole the ball from a boy and she was off running, dribbling the ball and laughing. Another boy closed in on her and she turn around, her back facing him. He tried to get the ball from behind her by a bear hug, but she faked a left and swerved to the right swiftly, making the boy fall forwards on his face by her momentum. She passes the ball and the boy who caught it threw it into the hoop.
"Score!" She shouted and pumped her fists into the air in triumph. "Team Sayuki wins!" The boys crowded around casually and some fell on their backs and sat down, wearily. They complained about her and she just shrugged innocently and step away nimbly from a boy who wanted to trip her playfully.
She laughed casually and ruffled the hair of the boy who had fallen down from her swerve.
"Yah, Sohma-kun~ you're getting worse everyday! Time to get back on your game, slowpoke~" They were laughing at the joke. Suddenly one of the boys caught sight of us and nodded at our direction.
"Neh, Sayu. Looks like you have got some new fanboys." She stopped laughing and turns to us.
Mabo and Tomio waved like idiots but I turn my head away quickly. Great, right after rejecting her friend's request, she caught me with them stalking her. I blinked again. Why do I even care of what she might think?
I looked back slowly and I was caught by surprised. She was jogging towards us with a grin. "Yo, weirdoes! What's up?" The air around us cracked at her greeting and she laughed it off casually.
She stood before us and she rubbed a towel to her temple. "So, what are you doing here? You guys need something?" Mabo and Tomio grinned at her stupidly and started talking all types of nonsense, and introducing Joji to her, in whom she commented on his glasses, looked cute in a funny way.
I was observing her while they were talking. She seemed rather cold and collected at the café just earlier, but now she was so friendly and charming to those three. She's a bit weird, in my book.
She blinked and look up to me, and her friendly eyes became bored immediately after realizing who I was.
"Oh, hi, spoilt brat." A vein popped from my head while the guys snickered. I turn my head away with a huffed.
"Your insults mean nothing, tomboy." It was really meant as an insult, but she just laughed. "Oh? Thanks for the compliment, Blondie. So touched you cared." I just stayed silent.
She smiled at us, "Well, gotta go. You guys can come in from the front if you want to watch." She started away and waved, "Well, see you~"
We watched her run off, get a sip of water and ran off to the basketball court to play. I folded my arms and walked away. "If you guys want to watch her all day, go ahead. I'm going back." Tomio was the only one that heard me and he grin, "You sure you won't get lost?"
I ignored him and walked away. I'm not going to stoop so low as too watch a basketball game invited by just a pretty girl. She has brains, but probably no brains, like most girls are.
