(2 weeks ago)
PA System – morning school assembly:
"Good Morning dear students. As you already know, a week from now, our school's Sports Fest will begin. We encourage all students to actively participate and practice our school's core values, which is camaraderie and teamwork.
Complete schedule of activities will be discussed during your Homeroom class. As for the Festival that will be held at the end of Sports Fest, we have decided to change things a bit. We will, for this year do away with the Freshman-Senior & Sophomore-Junior collaborations and let each level present whatever they like. In that way, all of you can hone your creative abilities and proudly present it to everyone.
May this year's Sports Fest be a memorable one for all!"
Duo: "Aarghh!"
Trowa: "Damn…"
Ami & Makoto: (sighs and smiles)
DAY 1
"How annoying! The could have interchanged the schedules!"
"I knooow! Ugh!"
"That's not a problem for me. I will watch the track & field games, no questions about that."
" I can't wait! I even made a banner for Barton-sempai!"
"Well I can just imagine Maxwell-sempai…he'll be so cool shooting all those targets…"
"But the schedule of activities still sucks…"
(blah..blah..blah..)
"Wow…I didn't expect emotions will run this high." Makoto said as she surveyed the girls who were walking past them towards the school.
Ami gave her a sympathetic look.
Makoto chuckled, "But it'll still be interesting how the students will be divided later."
"Will you be watching?" Ami asked, peeping under her bangs.
Makoto turned to her and smiled, "90% no."
The girls continued towards the school's entrance, listening to more rants and raves from their schoolmates.
(Lunch break, at the library)
"Hey, hey Ami-chan. What game will you watch?"
"Huh?" Ami turned to see some of her classmates huddled excitedly around her and dragged her to the end of the book aisle.
"You know, between the Track and the Shooting games." One said in a whisper.
"Well…" Ami stalled, "Both games will start simultaneously at 2 pm but…I also have swimming practice today for tomorrow's game." she bit her lower lip, trying to sound as convincing as she could because in reality, swimming practice won't start till 4 pm, which she can still pretty much watch any of the games.
"Aaww, what a shame…"
Ami could only but manage a weak smile in reply.
"We will split into 2 groups, so if you're interested to know about the track & field game, just ask us. But if you prefer the target shooting game, they'll cover it for you." One of her classmates offered.
"Oh…thanks."
"Well, we'll go ahead ok? We want to get the best seats." Another one said, her voice almost chiming with excitement.
Ami waited for them to be out of sight before she let out a good sigh of relief. It's not much so for pretending that she cannot watch any of the games, but rather, if she will watch …which one? It would have been so much easier if that senior guy hasn't been bothering her thoughts lately.
She tried to shake the thought out of her mind and turned to face the glass wall that lined that end of the library. But what she saw had her heart skip a beat – the track and field lawn was right below her…how can she have not realized!
"Yo, Barton! There you are. Assembly in 30 minutes."
"I'll be there."
Ami swore her stomach just turned upside down. Not only because of the name she heard, but more so because the reply came from the next book aisle from where she was standing. If there was any time she hoped and prayed to the heaven above to hear her, then this is definitely one of those days. She slowly turned around, hoping that when she does, he won't be there.
But she wasn't so lucky this time – Trowa was there, his profile facing her, he held a book in one hand.
If it was only humanly possible to suddenly disappear into nothingness, Ami would have done so. The thought of him hearing the conversation she had a little while ago was enough to feel her body burn up to cinders from the embarrassment that she might just actually disappear into nothingness.
(Elsewhere…)
"Hey, Mako-chan!"
Her eyes twitched at the sound of the voice, let alone the casual manner of speech. "You'll come and watch, won't you?"
Makoto closed the door of her locker, turned around to face him and held out her organizer. "I don't think it'll be possible." Shrugging her shoulders for emphasis.
Duo looked at the page and ran his eyes through:
2 pm – meeting with the Home Eco Club
4 pm – finish reports papers, submit, etc…
5 pm – Karate practice (maybe till 7 pm)
"Hmmmm…" Duo nodded, "The games will last till about 4:30 based on the line-up I saw. There are a lot of players, plus the girls and boys division will be done in turns, so that'll eat up more time." he added and then continued, "I'll try to slow down my pace and not shoot all my targets at once. I can drag the games a bit further so you can make it." He gave a final nod as if he just made a good plan.
"You really are something else." Makoto laughed, surprised at herself that she found his remarks funny rather that irritating.
"Well, that's me! You can say that's part of my charm." Duo smiled at her, his blue eyes almost teasing.
He does have a point. Makoto thought to herself. But that's as far as what she'll admit to herself – that this guy is actually charming. Annoying at times, but nonetheless charming.
"I don't make promises I can't keep." she replied, a small smile formed at the corner of her mouth.
"I'll take that as a maybe then." Duo grinned and turned to walk towards the south end of the building where the target shooting games will take place.
Makoto stood there trying to figure out what to make of this person while he waived his hand to her as he walked away to the other direction.
He saw her. She came, but not for a long time. 20 minutes at tops, but he knew she saw him and his jump. Perfect landing of course and he was proud of that, but he was happier with the fact that she came. At least for today he will admit it freely to himself.
"I can't believe I just did this…" Makoto stared at the freshly baked cupcakes on her hand. One w/ chocolate cream icing, the other strawberry cream, neatly piped over a base of vanilla cake.
"I can't believe I'm doing this…" She carefully placed the wrapped cupcakes over the pile of books.
Makoto then closed the door, placed the semi-destroyed lock back into the hole and walked away. "And I can't believe I just did that…"
"As expected of you Mizuno-chan. 1 min / 6 sec." her coach bent down and told her the time.
Ami smiled as she swam for the rail at the other end of the pool, but she didn't get out immediately. She let the others finish showing first, the less people around, the better for her as she had been trying hard not to get distracted from what she saw that afternoon. Luckily, the water has offered her reprieve.
But she had to come out of the water eventually, and not for long, the flashbacks flooded her head again. It was just a brief moment that she saw him, but the way he looked as he made his jump was what caught her unprepared. Like a frame by frame scene out of a TV drama or a movie.
How can someone look so serious yet with eyes that looked vulnerable as well? Ami wondered about that the longest. She tried to reason and think things over as if she was looking for the answer that she can never have any confirmation of.
"I really am going crazy…" she whispered to herself as she let the water rain down on her.
"It's not even possible to be seeing things frame by frame in the first place!"
And for the next 15 minutes, she went on talking to herself like that.
"Sooo good!" Duo exclaimed to himself while he savored his last bite.
Looking down at the empty plastic box on his lap, he read the note again:
A sample of what our Home Eco club will offer at the Festival. But bear I mind that the next one won't be free.
Just returning the favor that you've invited me to your game.
"And she even knows how to pick a lock." Duo smiled at the damaged lock he held in his hand.
