CHAPTER 3
"That is such a waste! Waya, you could have win Isumi if you didn't make that mistake over there!" Hikaru commented Waya's game.
"Sigh. Yeah... I think Isumi is very lenient in this game." Waya stares at Isumi.
"Eh? Really?" Well, what good act he's trying to put up! Hikaru can see that Isumi did not try his best to win... but try his best to lose. But Waya's mind focused too much on Hikaru that he could not concentrate on the game. He was constantly eyeing Hikaru and Akira throughout the game.
"And Ochi won on the other group. So it's going to be Isumi and Ochi?"
"I want go to too..." both Waya and Honda said in a disappointed chorus.
"Eh, Honda, Isumi said there's another way! We can share money for the hotel accommodation. It will be cheaper that way."
"What are you saying?" Honda was confused. His mind is still with the match he loses to Ochi.
"I am saying that we join them in the trip but on our own expense!"
"Oh, that's a good one." Hikaru chirped in.
"You think so too? Honda, let's meet with the organizers... they can get cheaper price for us." And he pulled Honda out of sight.
"Waya is really keen on going... Isumi, you should have performed better." Hikaru looks at Isumi. He knew Isumi's strength very well because they had had a few matches. What happened to Isumi today?
"Haha... yea... I think I was too reckless..." Isumi was uncomfortable in confronting Hikaru. He walks away.
"Touya, don't you think Isumi is a lit—"
"Touya Akira." Ochi appears from behind.
Akira just stares at him. What does he want? When he thought he finally has sometime alone with Hikaru. Ochi interrupted them.
"I will be going. To China. See you next week." And Ochi turned around, leaving both of them puzzled.
"What does that mean?" Hikaru looks at Akira.
"I don't know..." he looks thoughtful but did not say anything.
"Whatever it is... let's go for lunch. I'm starving. Ramen Ramen! Here we come!"
"Ah? Ramen again? We just had that last week!"
"That was LAST WEEK. This week is this week."
"The same shop?" Akira sighed.
"What's wrong with that!? Their ramen is the best!" and the two kishi walks away happily...
**************************
Day passes by very quickly. Soon it was a week later and our six heroes, nope make it seven (since Yashiro is meeting them at the airport) will be going for a 2-weeks long trip to Beijing, China.
"Alright! Who's not here yet?" Kurata who just arrived at the airport look at the group.
"Shindo, Yashiro and Honda." Akira counted.
"Sigh. It will be twenty minutes to departure. What are they doing?" Waya's nervousness is beginning to affect the rest of the group. Akira looks around impatiently. Where is he?
Ochi notice that Akira is being restless. "Hikaru is to be blame" he said that softly, unheard by anyone.
"If they come any later we'll just have to leave them and board the plane ourselves."
Everyone stares at Kurata. Is this the man who will look after them in the next two weeks?
"There! Kurata-san!"
Running towards them is Hikaru, Yashiro and Honda. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. You'll never know what Kurata will do when he made his decision.
"Huh... huh... sorry... we... we... huh...we are late..." Yashiro apologizes.
"What are you guys doing?"
"... Yashiro didn't know the way here so I waited for him at ... at the station and we came here together. On our way we met with Honda."
"Yea... it was such a jam outside..." Honda added as soon as he catches his breath.
"No time for further chat. Let's go."
Ochi overtook Hikaru and walks with Akira although he knew Akira wanted to say something to Hikaru. Isumi just walks lamely as Waya pull Hikaru's hand and pull him forward so that they are walking at the same pace. Yashiro senses a weird atmosphere surrounding him but couldn't quite get it right. What is with these people? It's barely two months since he sees them again. Isn't this trip supposed to be fun (apart from gaining experience)? Yashiro turns his attention Akira. The black hair boy is walking silently but his expression is somewhat disappointed. He then observes Ochi who's walking on the left of Akira and constantly turning his head to Akira. Yashiro suddenly realizes that Isumi is walking with his head down. What? And then he spots Isumi's longing eyes wandered to a laughing Waya. Oh boy, this is not looking good...
"This is going to be a fun and exciting experience!" Waya whispered to Hikaru with Isumi eavesdropping from behind.
"Fun alright... "Yashiro murmured from the side.
"What did you say?" Hikaru asks him.
"Nothing..." and he think it's better if he stays out of this...
"That is such a waste! Waya, you could have win Isumi if you didn't make that mistake over there!" Hikaru commented Waya's game.
"Sigh. Yeah... I think Isumi is very lenient in this game." Waya stares at Isumi.
"Eh? Really?" Well, what good act he's trying to put up! Hikaru can see that Isumi did not try his best to win... but try his best to lose. But Waya's mind focused too much on Hikaru that he could not concentrate on the game. He was constantly eyeing Hikaru and Akira throughout the game.
"And Ochi won on the other group. So it's going to be Isumi and Ochi?"
"I want go to too..." both Waya and Honda said in a disappointed chorus.
"Eh, Honda, Isumi said there's another way! We can share money for the hotel accommodation. It will be cheaper that way."
"What are you saying?" Honda was confused. His mind is still with the match he loses to Ochi.
"I am saying that we join them in the trip but on our own expense!"
"Oh, that's a good one." Hikaru chirped in.
"You think so too? Honda, let's meet with the organizers... they can get cheaper price for us." And he pulled Honda out of sight.
"Waya is really keen on going... Isumi, you should have performed better." Hikaru looks at Isumi. He knew Isumi's strength very well because they had had a few matches. What happened to Isumi today?
"Haha... yea... I think I was too reckless..." Isumi was uncomfortable in confronting Hikaru. He walks away.
"Touya, don't you think Isumi is a lit—"
"Touya Akira." Ochi appears from behind.
Akira just stares at him. What does he want? When he thought he finally has sometime alone with Hikaru. Ochi interrupted them.
"I will be going. To China. See you next week." And Ochi turned around, leaving both of them puzzled.
"What does that mean?" Hikaru looks at Akira.
"I don't know..." he looks thoughtful but did not say anything.
"Whatever it is... let's go for lunch. I'm starving. Ramen Ramen! Here we come!"
"Ah? Ramen again? We just had that last week!"
"That was LAST WEEK. This week is this week."
"The same shop?" Akira sighed.
"What's wrong with that!? Their ramen is the best!" and the two kishi walks away happily...
**************************
Day passes by very quickly. Soon it was a week later and our six heroes, nope make it seven (since Yashiro is meeting them at the airport) will be going for a 2-weeks long trip to Beijing, China.
"Alright! Who's not here yet?" Kurata who just arrived at the airport look at the group.
"Shindo, Yashiro and Honda." Akira counted.
"Sigh. It will be twenty minutes to departure. What are they doing?" Waya's nervousness is beginning to affect the rest of the group. Akira looks around impatiently. Where is he?
Ochi notice that Akira is being restless. "Hikaru is to be blame" he said that softly, unheard by anyone.
"If they come any later we'll just have to leave them and board the plane ourselves."
Everyone stares at Kurata. Is this the man who will look after them in the next two weeks?
"There! Kurata-san!"
Running towards them is Hikaru, Yashiro and Honda. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. You'll never know what Kurata will do when he made his decision.
"Huh... huh... sorry... we... we... huh...we are late..." Yashiro apologizes.
"What are you guys doing?"
"... Yashiro didn't know the way here so I waited for him at ... at the station and we came here together. On our way we met with Honda."
"Yea... it was such a jam outside..." Honda added as soon as he catches his breath.
"No time for further chat. Let's go."
Ochi overtook Hikaru and walks with Akira although he knew Akira wanted to say something to Hikaru. Isumi just walks lamely as Waya pull Hikaru's hand and pull him forward so that they are walking at the same pace. Yashiro senses a weird atmosphere surrounding him but couldn't quite get it right. What is with these people? It's barely two months since he sees them again. Isn't this trip supposed to be fun (apart from gaining experience)? Yashiro turns his attention Akira. The black hair boy is walking silently but his expression is somewhat disappointed. He then observes Ochi who's walking on the left of Akira and constantly turning his head to Akira. Yashiro suddenly realizes that Isumi is walking with his head down. What? And then he spots Isumi's longing eyes wandered to a laughing Waya. Oh boy, this is not looking good...
"This is going to be a fun and exciting experience!" Waya whispered to Hikaru with Isumi eavesdropping from behind.
"Fun alright... "Yashiro murmured from the side.
"What did you say?" Hikaru asks him.
"Nothing..." and he think it's better if he stays out of this...