Warning: infrequent crude remarks

Chapter 2

Preliminary

"And she said his previous partner is Iwajima! That freaking Iwajima who stole our place a year ago!"

"Takahiro Iwajima? He came second to us last competition, right? I heard he's joining this season too, Onii-chan."

"Who's his partner now then?"

"I didn't quite recall... Mishima-san, I guess..."

"Yuriko Mishima? Shit, this competition would be on fire with them joining too. I can't wait to beat their asses." Gaju grinned.

"But if Natsumi-nee can't catch up with your standards routines..."

"She danced standards years before with Iwajima. If she could beat latin in a year with no experience, she could beat standards in a month under my awesome leading skill." He boasted.

"Good luck onii-chan." Mako smiled. Well, she sure glad her brother is in good, fiery mood as always.

Today is the competition.

"Onii-channnn, Natsumi-nee!" Mako run towards Gaju and Natsumi along with Sengoku.

"So this is your partner? Cute." Sengoku asked. Natsumi blushed.

"I'll kick your ass if you flirt with her, ya jerk!" He defended her.

"Well, well, looks like our brat is moving on from Shizuku... Good luck on beating Hyoudou and Tatara."

"Not gonna give me a pep talk, old man?"

"Hmm, you usually kick me when I give it, but I'll give some. Don't sweat it 'cause Hyoudou is gonna beat you. Beat him in latin. And keep an eye on number 14, you're in the same heat."

"Iwajima? Of course."

"Good luck then, Mako-chan and I will cheer you from up there."

"You sure have a nice company, Gaju-kun... With Kaname Sengoku on your back."

"Huh, he's an asshole but the best mentor any dancer could have."

"Pairs number 1 till 20 please be in the stage. The first heat will begin in five minutes."

"Let's go." He grabbed her hand.

"Wait, our number seems off a bit." She pressed the number 19 on Gaju's back.

"I'll do my best, Gaju-kun." She gave the good luck pat.

"I know. We'll tear the dance floor apart."

"Waltz, preliminary first heat. Pairs number 1 till 10 please come to the floor."

"Hyoudou is in first heat." Pair number 7, Kiyoharu Hyoudou and Shizuku Hanaoka easily captured the crowd's eyes. Mako could hear some chatter behind her.

"Is that Mako Akagi? Why she's here?"

"But I heard the Akagis is joining too. Then with whom Gaju is pairing?"

"Waltz, preliminary second heat. Pairs number 11 till 20 please come to the floor." He offered his hand to her.

"We'll beat the shit out of Iwajima." And they danced. She followed his lead perfectly, some eyes were on them but Iwajima captured more.

"Dammit, I should not underestimate them." Gaju gritted his teeth. He could feel Natsumi's grip loosen off.

"Hey, Nakajima." Her eyes were not into their dance. It was Iwajima.

"Natsumi!"

"!" Gaju led them to the open space. They could feel all the judges' eyes were hurling to them. As the music ends, Gaju held her to his face. Still nothing. They bow down and went to the side.

"We beat him at Tango, Nakajima." She doesn't respond.

"... Hiro-kun... Never been so happy like that with me... He always look so bored with me... What did that woman do... To ever get that smile from him?"

"What that woman could and I..."

"Shut up! I said we beat the crap out of them in Tango so heat up! Trap your eyes inside mine!" He shook her.

"... Focus on us, Nakajima. Don't let it bugs you."

"Gaju-kun."

"Let's get some step." He grabbed her into his hands. They danced in Tango as third heat of Waltz is on the floor. Tatara and Chinatsu were stealing the eyes of the crowd.

"Crap, that kid is getting good." He thinks.

"But I gotta focus on beating Iwajima first."

Tango, preliminary second heat.

Again, all the judges and crowds were in awe with Iwajima pairs.

"Crap, if we still doing mediocre like this, we won't pass into semifinals." He thought. He looked straightly into Natsumi. Her mind is still bugged.

"Focus, Natsumi. The hell you thinking about that asshole?"

"That girl, Gaju still cannot capture her. Her body might be dancing with him but her mind is not with him. If they still dance separately like this, they won't get into semifinals." Sengoku commented.

"Onii-chan..." Mako prayed. Suddenly, Gaju lifted Natsumi face up.

"Look at me!" He shouted. As they dance came to an end, he locked her gaze to his.

"He locked her only to him. What a way to end, Gaju." Sengoku said.

"But can he endure it?"

"What's wrong with you, Nakajima?!" He slammed his fist to the wall. She remained silent.

"Is this what you want? You want Iwajima win and look at you despisely?! Crap, even a beginner like Tatara danced better than us!" He pointed to the couple in the third heat.

"Sorry... I'm a burden... I'm always a burden to Hiro-kun... And now to you too, Gaju-kun..." She clenched her fist.

"I thought, a wild grass like me now have a chance to bloom into a beautiful flower when I'm with you. But now... I'm a burden who dragged you down. I didn't even know why I want to do standards anymore after he left me. Why I even foolishly think of that? I should not take Mako-chan's place because I know that she and I are not in the same level. She is the flower who bloomed beautifully, but I... I'm just a freaking wild grass... You should not pair up with me in the first place!"

"Shut up!" He pushed his lips against hers.

"I-I don't need your rambling, ya damn woman! Just focus on our dancing and it will be fine!" He shouted with a red face.

"F-Foxtrot is coming up, so do your best! Don't let him bugged you again!" He stuttered and averted his eyes.

"Gaju-kun..."

Slow foxtrot, preliminary second heat.

They said a kiss is like a charm. And so it is.

"Man, number 19's waltz and tango were quite mediocre, but their dance is getting good."

"Who's his partner, anyway?"

"No clue, but she's good. Too bad Mako-san couldn't get in there. Even though it would not be an easy win though."

"Yeah, I know right? With number 14 in the same heat, all other pairs were just extras to their lead."

Mako heard some comments about his brother.

"Onii-chan, Natsumi-nee, good luck."

Standards preliminary is over. As always, Hyoudou pair is getting all the checks, along with Iwajima

and Fujita pair. And Akagi pair only got half of the checks. The only way they could go to the

semifinals is to get all full checks in latin.

"Beat them in latin." She nodded.

Cha cha cha, second heat

Number 19 is stealing the crowds attention.

"The hell is wrong with number 19? Their standards first is a wreck and now they wrecked the floor with latin."

"I never see such a strong partner in latin like her." Compliments after compliments flew to them.

They were king and queen in latin.

"And now we announced pairs for semifinals: Number 7, Kiyoharu Hyoudou and Shizuku Hanaoka. Number 14, Takahiro Iwajima and Yuriko Mishima. Number 19, Gaju Akagi and Natsumi Nakajima, Number 23, Tatara Fujita and Chinatsu Hiyama, Number 26..." As the announcer announced the pairs, Natsumi glanced to number 14 who still bowing to the crowd. She never see such delight in Iwajima.

"We, should not dance together anymore, Nacchan..." He broke off their hands.

"! W-why?"

"... For years I have been holding you. Hold my step to wait for you. But I cannot be like this forever. I cannot wait you to catch me because I myself is still catching up to the others. I'm sorry, but I need a new partner who could keep up with me."

"Hiro-kun... Please, I would do my best to keep up with you! Please! Don't leave me, Hiro-kun!"

"...mi! Natsumi!" Gaju shook her.

"Geez, change up. We still have to do standards again and now we're in the same heat as those three. Don't let your guard down!" She nodded.

"And about that before foxtrot... I-I'm sorry... I cannot think straight with you rambling in my ears..." Suddenly she hugged him.

"Thank you. I won't let you down again" She let her hug and walked away from him into the changing room, leaving Gaju with a red face.

"... Dammit!" he cursed.

"Don't play with my heart, woman..."

Continued in Chapter 3