I'm so glad my reviews are starting to pick up! Thanks so much to everyone who's followed, reviewed, or favorited so far. Please continue to review especially! I know I said this chapter was gonna be about Junpei, but since last chapter had Shinji, I decided it'd only be natural to have Aki in the mix this chapter! So enjoy!
Ch.2-Akihiko's Match
Akihiko knew a lot about fighting. Cross jabs and right hooks.
And special one-two knockout combos… but when it came to girls, well, he was at a loss.
Talking to Mitsuru was like having an especially nagging mother.
Other girls always giggled and flirted, but he didn't really get what they wanted from him.
Then there was Minako…she was different in all the right ways.
Hanging out with her was always a new adventure, and she seemed to genuinely enjoy spending time with him, even the awkward, stoic, non-interesting him.
Most girls only seemed to like the champion fighter, popular him.
Lately though, he wasn't sure what he was really feeling about Minako.
When he saw her fight, he got…angry. No, nervous. Nervous that she would get hurt and he wouldn't be able to protect her somehow.
"I don't understand it, myself really." he told Shinji over beef bowls later that night. A quiet sigh as he looked up at the ceiling, and then back to his steaming hot bowl, "She's just... something special. Something I know I don't deserve but can't help but feel drawn to."
Shinjiro, for his part, listened intently, "And you think I'm the person you should be talking to about this shit?"
Aki gave him a particularly wry look, "Well, no. I mean look at you—you're just as hopeless as me. But I'll be damned if I talk about this with Misturu or Takeba. And Junpei is definitely out of the question."
One eye closed in deep contemplation, Shinjiro studied his friend, and silently cursed him. 'Damn Aki. He would have to go and come to me with this bull crap when I don't even know what the hell I'm feeling myself.'
He recalled the feelings he'd had when he'd seen the perky leader of S.E.E.S. conversing with the blond in the hall at school.
Or when she was talking to that pompous ass from Student Council who kept inconspicuously rubbing her arm.
He gritted his teeth at the memory. So he'd accidentally knocked into the guy and caused him to fall flat on his ass. So what? What was he gonna do? Hand him a detention slip?
"Hey Shinji, are you even listening to me?" Aki's low voice brought him back to reality. He sounded peeved.
The loner gave his friend a particularly petulant look from the corner of his eyes, resting his chin in one hand with his elbow propped on the counter, "Yeah. Look Aki, I—"
The familiar jingle of the door opening seemed to slice through the noisy din of dining patrons.
"Hello! What can I get for you?" the cook called cheerfully.
"Um, one special with an extra egg, please." Both boys instantly sat up at the all-too-recognizable voice.
'Well damn. Speak of the devil…' Akihiko turned, and sure enough, there she was in the doorway.
Minako Arisato had just walked in to the shop and was fidgeting with the cord of the shiny red headphones draped around her neck.
Her eyes glanced around nervously as she noticed some of the men at the bar sending some not so subtle looks her way.
Akihiko sighed, wondering how she didn't notice that men were always watching her.
"Hey Arisato, over here!" he found himself calling out.
He tried his best to keep the eagerness in his voice to a minimum as she smiled his way and strolled over to them.
Shinjiro vaguely glanced at his friend, then at the small brunette with the captivating red eyes, but quietly went back to eating.
"Oh, hi," she sounded honestly surprised. "I didn't expect to find you guys here. What's up? Is it a boy's night out or something?" she queried as she climbed onto a vacant stool in between them. "I'm not interrupting, am I?"
Shinjiro scoffed into the broth. "If you were, don't you think I'd let you know by now?" Despite his terse words, she laughed softly, understanding the teasing nature of the statement.
"Guess you're right, huh?" Just then, the cook came back with a steaming beef bowl and set it down in front of her. Her small lips formed a circle and her large eyes went even wider. "Oh! I forgot how big their specials are…"
"No worries, I've seen you put away way more than that before." Akihiko nodded towards her, looking proud.
She grimaced slightly as if remembering something painful, "Y-yeah…that was when I was with you though. You ordered us all that food because you said we needed our stamina for training, but I ate so much, I was rolling around on my belly for days." Minako groaned, rubbing her stomach absently.
Akihiko laughed at her expression. "Well, if you couldn't eat it all why didn't you just say so?"
She rolled her eyes with a good-natured grin. "I tried senpai," she broke apart her chopsticks and delicately set into her food. "You're a guy that doesn't take 'no' for an answer."
Akihiko looked slightly embarrassed and Shinjiro muttered, "Got that right."
"S-so anyway…" the boxer quickly tried to change the subject. "You're in a lot of different clubs at school, right Arisato?"
She nodded, smiling, "Yeah. I get to meet all kinds of people from other classes. And learning new hobbies is never a bad thing, right?"
"But doesn't it take up a lot of your spare time. I mean, it must be hard to balance so many activities and…train right?" Akihiko made sure to lower his voice indiscreetly as he said the word 'train'.
Minako shrugged, looking thoughtful, "Maybe you're right. But I've made so many new friends, so it's worth it. I sew with Bebe, practice cooking with Fuuka, work-out during volleyball with Rio, write columns for the school paper with Saori and discuss school affairs with Hidetoshi. So there's never a dull moment."
"Well, it's definitely impressive. I have enough stress just balancing boxing practice with college searching." Akiiko replied.
"And on your off days, I spend time with you, sempai!" Minako looked at him with such a bright smile, that Akihiko couldn't help but flush. Shinjiro looked at them from the corner of his eyes, gauging his friend's reaction, and Minako turned to him curiously, blinking. "Oh! That reminds me… you should come with us to hang out too, sometimes, Shinjiro-sempai."
Shinjiro was honestly a little surprised she'd invite him. But from what he gathered, this Minako girl could befriend a damn rock. He thought about it as he chewed and swallowed quietly.
He was sure that normally Aki would want him to come along, since he always complained he spent too much time alone, hanging with the wrong crowd, even if he didn't actually associate with any of them.
But with this girl, it was different. When she asked him to come with them, Aki got a strange kind of possessiveness in his eyes. He figured his friend wanted the bubbly leader all to himself.
Kami only knew how infatuated his Aki already was. Maybe he would finally get a damn clue and tell her one of these days. But it was Aki, and that was hoping for a lot.
"Nah, I think I'm good doing my own thing." Shinjiro said finally, "I wouldn't wanna cramp your style."
"But you wouldn't be imposing! I'm inviting you, so you have to come. Right, Akihiko-sempai?" Her face looked so hopeful and tinged with disappoint, Shinjiro almost felt something inside him lurch. Almost.
This girl…he was right all along. She was dangerous. Akihiko felt completely backed into a corner when he was affronted with that face.
How could he say no without being a repulsive jerk? Denying her something when she looked like that was like admitting to hating puppies. "S-sure. Feel free to come with us anytime, Shinji." He looked at his friend with wide, pleading eyes.
Shinjiro suppressed the urge to snicker. Aki was wrapped around her little finger. And she had no clue.
Sorry I ended it right there. These are the shortest chapters I've ever written...but I promise to start making them normal length if you guys promise to read and review. Also, I've been thinking of adding Minato into this too, so let me know what you think before next chapter so I know. If I do include him, should he be Minako's brother, or just a friend from school? You decide, or I'll do it myself. Until next time!