What? A sequel? I thought I said I wouldn't make a part two of this story? What in the blazes... err. Yeah. That's me, Miss I-cannot-keep-my-word. And bah, I love periberi too much anyway.
Enjoy?
Oh, unbeta-ed, as always.
WHERE IS YOUR BOY TONIGHT: REPRISE
Shinji Mimura, ex-playboy extraordinaire (emphasis on the ex), ranked second in the recent "Most Desirable Male Student in Shiroiwa University" poll done by bored student council members led by Yukie Utsumi. (It was rumored that Yukie started the poll in hopes of proving to everyone once and for all that Shuuya Nanahara was the hottest boy alive; unfortunately, said boy ranked only fourth, in between stoic Kazuo Kiriyama and dark and mysterious Shogo Kawada.) Shinji was bested only by newcomer Rei Otohata, a transferee from the district of Shibuya who had already modeled for several prestigious magazines since his high school days. But since said model was rumored to already have a fiancee back in Tokyo, most of the female population pinned on Shinji instead.
Had the poll been made a year ago, when Shinji was still his old, rascal self, the former ace basketball player would have used the results to his advantage – scoring with hordes of screaming, dimwitted girls. Unfortunately for him (or for the screaming, dimwitted girls, rather), Shinji Mimura, ex-playboy extraordinaire (emphasis on the ex), can no longer appreciate the results of the polls, whether he liked it or not (and for the sake of future generations of little, bouncing baby Mimura's, all should assume that he did not like it one bit). Because Shinji Mimura was currently exclusively dating (emphasis on the exclusively) the Most Desirable Female Student in Shiroiwa University, besting even hardcore Mitsuko Souma, and said Most Desirable Female Student preferred not to share him with other girls.
Yes. For two months and counting, Shinji Mimura had succeeded in making Takako Chigusa go out with him, under the condition that he could not date another girl while she was in the picture. And, although he was a playboy to begin with (ex-playboy now), Shinji vowed to do everything in his power to make sure that Takako would not be out of the picture, ever. And for two months, he had succeeded.
But then, like in most love stories, something happened.
And what happened? Or rather, who happened?
Simple.
Hiroki Sugimura, Takako's first love, happened.
Curse closure and all that shit.
It was a Friday. Shinji remembered it well enough; it was the eve of a big game against a university in another district. He had just finished basketball practice and was on his way to pick up Takako from the track team's locker room. He was carrying two bottles of mineral water, one for him and the other for Takako, just as was his routine ever since she had agreed to go out with him every so often.
Shinji was generally in a good mood, hell, he was even whistling a happy tune, the song that had played in the ice cream parlor where he had taken Takako for their first official date (gawd, he was getting cheesy as hell, but then again, it wasn't everyday that Shinji was smitten by a girl). He had plans for the evening; he was going to take Takako to a nice spot which overlooked the beautiful city lights below and boasted the even more beautiful starry sky above. They were going to eat some apples and chocolates while lying side by side on a checkered blanket, throwing senseless banter at each other (more like him saying something suggestive and Takako telling him to fuck off). The evening was going to end perfectly, with him bringing Takako back to her dorm room, and maybe receiving a nice little kiss on the lips if he asked nicely enough (he still hasn't scored a kiss with her yet, but he wasn't in a hurry either).
Shinji was grinning like a little school boy daydreaming about his little school girl crush, when all of a sudden he heard voices in the locker room. Snapping out of his daydream, Shinji realized that said voices belonged to, one: his girlfriend (but Shinji never officially asked her to be his girlfriend), and two: Kayoko Kotohiki.
Now Shinji wasn't an eavesdropper (not usually), but something made him stop dead on his tracks and listen in to the conversation instead of simply opening the door and making his presence known. There was something in Kayoko's voice that disturbed him – it was half-whining, half-pleading, half-threatening (who knew little, harmless Kayoko Kotohiki could ever threaten someone, much less than kickass babe Takako Chigusa?).
"I don't see what the problem is," he heard Takako say, and Shinji could almost taste the venom that his girlfriend (she is not your girlfriend, well, not officially) was spitting out.
"Please Takako, I'm begging you," Kayoko was saying, and Shinji pressed his ear against the door to be able to hear better.
"Beg?" A chuckle from the former ace sprinter. "You can do more than beg."
"Why are you being so selfish?"
Silence. Shinji suddenly feared for Kayoko's life. He half-wondered if he should barge in and stop his girlfriend (enough with the girlfriend shit!) from stabbing Kayoko's eyes out, but before he could even complete that thought process, Takako already responded, voice dripping with cold sarcasm.
"Just who the fuck do you think you are anyway?"
Shinji began to hear sobs, and he was certain that the sobs didn't come from Takako.
"You already have Mimura. Isn't he more than enough to keep you entertained for ages?"
More sobbing. Shinji felt a knot in his stomach, tightening by the microsecond. It didn't help that Takako chose to respond to Kayoko's last statement with a cold, brutal silence.
And then, Kayoko's last words:
"Just stay away from Hiroki, okay!"
Shinji dropped the bottles of mineral water on the cold, hard floor.
The next thing he knew, he was heading towards the dojo, where he knew the traitor Hiroki Sugimura would be. Oh how he would love to beat the hell out of that martial artist (wait, step on the brakes please, didn't you say martial artist?) and teach him not to mess with his girlfriend (again!). Did he not already had his chance with her for eight fucking years and more? Wasn't he the one who rejected her when she had so blatantly confessed her feelings for him at the eve of their first day in high school? Wasn't he the one who chose Kayoko Kotohiki over her, his best friend since childhood? Just who the fucking ass gave Hiroki the right to steal Takako from right under his nose? Oh he really had it coming for him, that Hiroki.
He spotted his target at a corner of the dojo, currently wiping his face with a blue towel he had brought with him. Seeing him so relaxed and content, happy even, made Shinji's blood boil all the more. He charged.
"Sugi!"
Hiroki turned around, face contorted in an expression of surprise as he watched one of his closest friends lunge at him with all of his might. Instinct kicked in, and before he knew what he was doing, Hiroki had already thrown Shinji on the floor.
"Mim!" Hiroki said. "I'm sorry! You surprised me and I..." He tried to offer a hand, but all it succeeded in doing was getting his body dragged downwards, with a kick on the face to boot. Hiroki, using everything he has learned in martial arts, succeeded in tackling Shinji with great ease. "Mim!" he said, a little irked but still confused, "What the hell?"
"You traitor!" Shinji yelled, trying to break free from Hiroki's grasp. Damn. He had always wondered what would happen if he and Hiroki had a match. He knew he was street-smart and all that crap, and he could pretty much put up a decent (more than decent, actually) fight against anyone, but Hiroki had him locked down and he couldn't move a fucking muscle! "You fucking traitor!"
"What are you talking about?" Hiroki asked, letting go of Shinji and hopping backwards to keep himself a safe distance away.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about!"
"Would I ask you what you're talking about if I knew?"
"Don't pretend that you don't know!"
"I DON'T know!"
They sounded like two girls bickering, hurling angry words at each other but not making a move to start scratching the other's eyes out.
"I thought you were my friend," Shinji said, his voice toning down a little.
Hiroki seemed genuinely puzzled. "From what I can remember, I was still your friend two hours ago."
"Fuck you," Shinji replied before turning around and walking away.
"Mim!" Hiroki called out, following him. "What is wrong with you?"
Shinji swiftly turned around, eyes blazing. "What's the deal with you and Takako, huh?"
Hiroki froze. Oh the look on his face was priceless, and it made Shinji angrier, more murderous. "W-what?"
"You heard me, friend," Shinji replied icily, taking a step towards the martial artist. "I'm asking you what's the deal with you and my girl."
Hiroki frowned. "Takako isn't anyone's girl."
Shinji matched the frown with his own. "Says who?"
Hiroki remained unmoved. "Says she."
It was Shinji's turn to freeze. So they were seeing each other behind his back. That little, two-timing... no. Shinji couldn't bring himself to say it. No matter how hurt he was, he couldn't call Takako a slut. It just didn't fit her. Sluts were for the Mitsuko Soumas of the world. Takako – she was on a different scale than most girls.
But still. Shinji couldn't believe that Takako would actually cheat on him. With Hiroki, of all people! With the guy who broke her heart!
Everything suddenly made sense to Shinji. Kayoko – she knew about the Takako and Hiroki's affair, and she was begging Takako to stop trying to steal her boyfriend away.
Shinji shuddered involuntarily; his rage was pouring out from every pore on his skin. He wanted to lunge so badly at Hiroki, to beat him to a bloody pulp, just so that he would stay away from Takako. He wanted to do it so bad, to the point that he almost did, had not the most (un)welcomed intruder entered the dojo.
"Sugi are you here–."
Both guys turned to the direction of the voice, and there stood Takako Chigusa, Most Desirable Female Student of the Year, blinking blankly at them.
"Come on Mim," an exasperated Shuuya tugged at Shinji's arm, as said guy tried to down the ninth can of beer on the table. They were in a little diner a stone throw away from the campus, and Shinji was currently aiming to deplete the diner's supply of canned beer before midnight. Ever-reliable Shuuya came to the rescue while Shinji was on his fifth beer, but had little success in stopping The Third Man from wasting himself even more.
"I oughta have (hic) his nuts busted out of his (hic) groin," Shinji hiccuped, "That way, Taka can never (hic) have his babies (hic)."
Shuuya shook his head in exasperation and tried to grab the can of beer from Shinji's hand. "Come on Mim," he said, "I need to get you back to the dorm. You're already wasted."
"(hic) And to think I trusted (hic) him with my life," Shinji continued, not really hearing Shuuya's words. "He was like a fucking brother to me! (hic) I wasted years (hic) of not making a move on (hic) Takako because I didn't want (hic) her to get between him and me (hic)! And how does he (hic) repay my goodwill (hic)? He steals my girl (hic) right from under my nose (hic)!"
Shuuya sighed. "Chigusa's not your girl," he said before realizing it was a mistake.
Shinji shot him a dirty look. "What the fuck are (hic) you talking about? Takako is miiiiiiiiiiiiiine (hic)."
Shuuya rubbed his head to prevent a migraine from forming. "Alright Valentino, Chigusa is yours, fine. Can I bring you home now?"
"(hic) That stupid Sugi stole my Takako from me," Shinji continued. "I might as well (hic) die."
"Idiot," Shuuya said. "Did Sugi or Chigusa actually tell you that they're dating?"
"(hic) … (hic)."
Shuuya sighed. "Just as I thought." A pause. "Come on, I'll take you home."
Still, Shinji didn't budge. "Say, Shu (hic)."
"Hmm?" Shuuya asked, distracted, probably imagining the journey they had to make before reaching the dorm.
"You ever (hic) loved a girl so fucking much (hic) you're insides literally (hic) hurt?"
Yuuya paused and seemed to consider. In his drunken state, Shinji imagined that Shuuya was thinking of Yukie Utsumi, whom Shinji knew Yuuya had been crushing on since junior high. He watched as Shuuya smiled and shook his head sheepishly. "I don't think I'm at that point yet," his friend answered.
Shinji snorted (then hiccuped again). "There were times when I feared (hic) that I would wake up and realize that (hic) Takako paying attention to me was (hic) only a fantastic wet dream."
Shuuya chuckled. "I think," and then paused, weighing his words carefully. "I think that, at least, Chigusa sincerely considered you as decent enough to actually go out with you. That," and another chuckle escaped, "or she finally gave up after you won't stop bugging her to no end."
Shinji smirked. "Fuck you (hic)." His head was woozy, and his stomach felt bloated and gurgly too. The knots were still there, and they didn't appear to be leaving any time soon.
Shuuya laughed and pulled Shinji up. "Come on," and Shinji actually stood up this time. "I need to take you home before..." And without warning, Shinji heaved his entire dinner on Shuuya's new red shirt.
Ahh. That felt better (not for Shuuya, unfortunately).
Shinji spent the rest of the week avoiding not only Takako or Hiroki, but almost everyone else, save from Shuuya, Yutaka and Yoshi, in campus. After classes and basketball practice (he skipped the track team's practice altogether) he would silently slink away before anyone would notice. News of his breakup (Funny, weren't you and Takako never official to begin with?) spread like a virus, and before the week had ended Shinji was again being chased around by rabid fangirls. Adding injury to the insult was another rumor that was quickly spreading – that of Takako Chigusa dating her childhood sweetheart (what the fuck?) Hiroki Sugimura of the Martial Arts Club.
Shinji wasn't one who believed in rumors, but the latest gossip item irked him anyway. He wished the ground would just split open and swallow everyone who was discussing his miserable love life behind his back (What? He loved his life enough to not want it to end. He certainly couldn't say the same for the gossipers.). He became moody, sullen, and even Shuuya and his friends were having a hard time cheering him up. He concluded that college sucks, love sucks, and everything good and proper in the universe just plain suck.
It was on the eight day of his self-induced isolation that he was finally found out by the one person he wanted (and didn't want) to see the most.
"There you are."
Shinji lifted his head up from his face-down position on the red, checkered blanket on a nice spot which overlooked the beautiful city lights below and boasted the even more beautiful starry sky above, only to see the prettiest girl he has ever seen looking down at him with the most annoyed glare he had ever experienced his whole life.
"Ulp."
"Ulp yourself," Takako replied, shoving Shinji to his side with her foot to make space for her to sit down beside him. "I brought you something."
Shinji eyed the container that Takako offered suspiciously. Why was she talking to him as if nothing extraordinary (like her breaking his heart) had happened?
Takako sighed. "It's apples coated in chocolate," she answered his unspoken question. "I thought you might like them. Made them myself, even."
Shinji blinked. He had never mentioned to anyone his plan of treating Takako to a snack of apples and chocolates. And how the hell was she able to find him? Did she plant a homing device on his scalp while he wasn't looking?
"Shuuya told me you might be here," Takako said, again answering his unspoken query. "He said you had discovered this place a few months back and thought it, uh... "rocked" was his term, I think."
So that explained her finding him. It still didn't explain the apples. Still.
Shinji watched as Takako looked down at the pretty city lights before looking up to the heavens. "It's really beautiful." Shinji spotted a small, contented smile, and his intestines suddenly twisted and turned into a dangerous new level. Takako suddenly turning to him didn't help ease the queasiness he felt.
"You fucking moron," she spat.
"W-wha?" Shinji blurted stupidly. It really shouldn't have surprised him; it was normal for Takako to curse him and call him names.
"I can't believe you didn't ask me about it before you jumped into stupid conclusions."
"Eh?"
Takako sighed and whacked Shinji on the head. "Stupid." She frowned. "Whatever gave you the idea that I was dating Sugi behind your back?"
Shinji blinked stupidly, Takako's words still not making sense to him.
"I thought you were smarter than that," Takako continued, that lovely pout still sitting on her lips. Oh how Shinji wanted to kiss her. But then again, chances were that Takako would neuter him if he as much as tried. "For some inexplicable reason, you put together pieces from different jigsaw puzzles and formed an ugly picture of your own." A pause. "You were eavesdropping on Kayoko and me, weren't you?"
Shinji's face reddened in humiliation. How in the world would she know about it?
"I saw the bottled water outside the track team's locker room," Takako explained. "You're the only one in the track team who buys that brand. Then I though, oh fuck, he heard. So I rushed to the dojo to talk to Sugi, and guess who I see?" A pause. "You, a split-second from getting your ass kicked. And yes, Sugi can beat you into a pulp if needed be. Don't ever test it."
Shinji continued blinking stupidly, not knowing what to say. How could she be so insightful and oblivious at the same time?
"Seriously," Takako said, rolling her eyes. "Of all people."
"Well," Shinji said slowly, finding his voice back. "Then what was that all about?"
Takako sighed and lied down on the blanket, crossing her arms across her chest. "Sugi confessed to me."
Shinji froze. So he had been right. Hiroki indeed realized what he had been missing and attempted to make Takako his again. Fuck him.
"He asked me out for dinner and then confessed to me." A pause. "He had broken off with Kayoko prior to that, not wanting to appear like a two-timer." She smiled. "I guess that's what I love most about him. He's so honest, so... so Sugi-like."
Shinji felt the knots in his intestines tighten.
"We... you and I, we're exclusively dating, but we're not officially boyfriend and girlfriend, so he thought he'd let me know about his feelings before anything became official." A pause. "I told him I have to think about it." Another pause. "In all honesty, a part of me was thrilled that he had confessed. Hell, I had been in love with him for close to eight years."
Shinji failed to notice the use of the past tense of the verb.
"Next thing I know, Kayoko came charging at me, begging me not to steal Sugi from her." A chuckle this time. "Like fuck. Sugi had been mine long before she came to the picture."
Another tightening of the knot.
Takako turned so that she was face-to-face with a frowning but utterly gorgeous Shinji Mimura. "I told him I don't love him that way anymore."
The knot started loosening slowly.
"But then you disappeared, just like the idiot you are, and it took me eight fucking days, and a lot of threatening to a now mentally-scarred-for-life Shuuya, before I finally found out where you are." And before Shinji could think of a response, Takako shoved the container to his face again. "Now, apples?"
Shinji took the container, placed it on the blanket, and lowered his lips on Takako's instead. "Strawberry lip gloss sounds more appetizing now," he whispered against her lips.
Forty-five minutes later, Shinji and Takako still laid together on the red, checkered blanket on a nice spot which overlooked the beautiful city lights below and boasted the even more beautiful starry sky above.
"Taka," Shinji whispered, eyes looking intently on the pretty girl in his arms.
"Hmm?" said girl responded, eyes focused on the stars above.
"Will you be my girlfriend?" A pause. "Officially?"
A chuckle. "About fucking time you asked."
END
Rei Otohata is from the manga GALS! Cameo mention, I know. But.
And apples and chocolates. Cough cough. Shameless plug of my other story. Go read it people!
And mind not the OCC-ness. Shinji angsty is Shinji love.
Uhh, reviews? Seriouly, I would heart them.
