(u)(n)(e)(x)(p)(e)(c)(t)(e)(d)
ACT 4: Operation Redhead
===================================================================================
A/N: Ey guys! I finally got to writing a new chapter! Sorry for the long wait! I've been really busy the past few months... Hopefully, I can update more regularly... I'll try to as long as projects don't start pouring in again. o_0 At any rate, you can place your email address with the review, and I'll email you when I'll update. :D Oh and:
Please review! Comments are VERY welcome!
Disclaimer: Don't own Escaflowne, much to my chagrin.
Advertisement: Please read my other Esca fic, "Into the Abyss", if you have the time. It's a more angsty fic than this one. For Roswell fans: I suggest you read "It Was You" -- Liz/Zan fic :)
Thank you so much to those who reviewed!
fireangel: thanks again for the review! unfortunately, you did make sense. hehe ^_^ van's more of a dense idiot than a jerk. hehe. Anywayz, thanks for the review! i always enjoy reading your reviews. :)
Snooptopian, Rhapsody9: thanks mucho for the review! ^_^
Liarra/Jellybean2: nope he won't. he's just an ordinary human being here.
Esca-lover: i'm glad you liked that i made van not pick Millerna (um did what i say make sense?). Millerna's pretty much a b**** here. hehe. thanks for the review!
katana-chan: dont worry... van and hitomi will get together... eventually (insert evil laughter)
naria4: im glad you liked the twist. Anywayz, sorry to have kept you waiting with this new chapter... Been really busy. Hope you enjoy it!
Aya_chan: Yup I'm going to finish this story. And reviews will certainly help motivate me. :) (hint hint. hehe)
van lover: i so agree! ^^ (sighs dreamily) ...van!
===================================================================================
There was a long moment of silence, one that was usually a product of stupor. Van hadn't counted on Hitomi actually being willing to help him, nor did he count on Hitomi knowing Yukari more than just exchanging friendly smiles when they passed each other in hallways.
At that moment, only one thought crossed his mind:
Damn. Was he lucky.
Hitomi, growing more impatient by the seconds that ticked in silence, finally cleared her throat and spoke, "So...? What exactly do you want my help for?" She didn't mean to sound so annoyed... Or maybe she did. All in all, the new revelation was getting to her. Sure, she was glad that Van didn't like Millerna after all, but Yukari...? She was just as bad as Millerna, in her opinion.
Even worse.
After all, Millerna had never been Hitomi's friend... But Yukari had been. In fact, they were best of friends, the operative word being 'were'.
But she had agreed to help Van already, so she wasn't backing out now.
Van, too happy to actually notice the hint of irritation dripping from Hitomi's voice, finally got out of his trance.
"Well, I hadn't counted on you actually knowing her well, but since you do, then you'd be even a bigger help!" Hitomi slightly flinched. "I was wondering if you could introduce me to her, and tell me what she likes and stuff." Van's tone was definitely more excited than his usual self.
The sandy brown-haired girl was taken aback by Van's favor. "Woah! Me? Introduce you to her? And tell you what she likes? You know what, on second thought, I can't help you."
"Why not? You're her best friend, right?"
"WERE her best friend."
"Well, still! You should know something about her..."
"No way! How should i know what Kari likes now? Last time i checked, she disliked the popular people, thought cheerleading was a dumb sport, and said that we would be best friends forever!!!", Hitomi let out all the repressed anger she had been bottling up inside of her ever since Yukari joined the cheerleading squad and decided that Hitomi just wasn't cool enough to hang out with. She was talking so quickly as the words just came rushing to her mouth.
Van, however, remained stubborn.
"Well... I don't think she would have changed THAT much. Come on! I'm sure she's still the same person you knew before. She seems really nice."
Hitomi rolled her eyes.
"Whatever. Look. We're not even speaking anymore. I don't think I'm up to approaching her while she's with her prissy friends, and risk being sneered at by Millerna and the rest."
"Oohhkay. Then I'll approach her. No biggie. But you have to help me and tell me what she likes to do..."
Hitomi was about to interrupt when Van finished his sentence, almost as if he knew it was going to clear up Hitomi's anxiety.
"Or what she _used_to_ like to do", Van said, still too dense to see that Hitomi was getting really pissed off at their phone call. He didn't know why, but he felt comfortable talking to Hitomi, so that he didn't mind being so straightforward. He felt like he had known Hitomi since he was still playing in a sandbox.
"Fine then. I'll tell you what she _liked_. She _liked_ listening to pop music, _enjoyed_ eating Italian food and anything listed under the dessert menu, _loved_ to watch mushy soap operas and gush over her favorite male actors, and..."
"Woah. Hold on. Let's do this right. We could meet up or something...?"
"What for? I'm going to babble about what she likes just the same!"
"Well... actually, I need more than your babbling...", The last word faded with the air as Van's uneasiness started to resurface again.
"What else would you need me for?", Hitomi queried. Her irritation was now overshadowed by curiosity.
"I used to study in an all-boys school, and I'm the only child in our family, so..."
Hitomi had a vague idea what he was getting at.
"I'm not really that good with talking to women."
The emerald-eyed girl's prediction was correct. And somehow, it wasn't hard to believe. With the few days she had known him, she had found out that he wasn't very smooth with words.
Heck. He rarely even talked.
And if he was ever going to try to go out with a girl, he would need to be a little more talkative. Especially a girl such as Yukari. If Van _was_ right and Yukari hadn't changed, then she would still be the same perky, extremely loquacious person she had known.
She imagined how the two would go about their first date. They seemed to be exact opposites. The redhead would probably talk a hundred words per minute about any topic under the sun, and he'd be nodding and giving her his half grin. It could spell disaster. But then, stranger things have happened. And they do say that opposites attract, right?
Hitomi mentally slapped herself. What was she doing, helping the enemy? And hoping for her good fortune?
The girl shook her head, as if it were to clear her thoughts. In truth, it didn't really matter. She would help Van, just as she promised, and if Yukari was the snobbish brat Hitomi pictured her to be, then he'd probably drop the whole thing. But, on the other hand, if Yukari was really the same person she knew, then it will all be great. Either way, Hitomi wouldn't be on the center of the situation. She'd be on the sidelines, supporting Van, like a good friend. It pained Hitomi, but somehow, she valued the friendship she and Van had formed over the days and wasn't going to act immaturely over her predicament.
Her cerebral battle finally ended. Her good nature had won over her bitterness.
"Let's meet up at Yugetsudo, the one just a few blocks from our school. I'm free after my track practice, which is around 5 pm."
Van smiled. "Cool. 5 pm it is."
Hitomi grinned, "Well, I'll see you then..."
"Hitomi..?"
"Hmm...?"
"Thanks. I owe you big time."
She laughed, "That you do."
And they hung up the phone, Hitomi sighing heavily.
The things she does for a friend...
She lost herself in her deep thoughts, but immediately snapped out of it to call a certain girl with pink hair, anticipating the hysterical outbursts of Merle.
She dialed the eight-digit phone number of Merle, and after one ring, a girl spoke up, panting heavily, as if she had ran towards the phone.
"Hello, Merle?"
"HITOMI! WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?! DOES HE LIKE MILLERNA?!?!?!"
"Calm down, Merle! And no, she doesn't like Millerna..."
"But...? I know there's a but to it, Tomi."
"Yeah there is. He likes Yukari instead."
"WHAT??! THAT B**** YOU TALKED TO ME ABOUT BEFORE? WHAT THE HELL?!"
Hitomi braced herself for the long and loud conversation she would be having with Merle, and realized she would be having her dinner late again.
====================================================================================
Van sat comfortably on the sofa by the window, his right ankle resting on his left knee. He strummed his fingers rhythmically on the table, so that the sound it produced almost resembled a horse galloping in the distance. Beside his tapping hand lay a large white mug with steam swirling out of it, and his black cellular phone, which he had dug out from his pocket, just in case Hitomi couldn't come at the last minute.
He stared out at the glass window just a few inches beside him, and gazed intently at nothing special, deep in empty thoughts. He recalled all that happened today, and heaved a sigh, as he remembered his cousin's over reaction toward his attraction to a 'popular' girl. During the whole lunch hour, Merle was ranting on and on about how Van had betrayed her, and how all this will lead to his destruction. Hitomi, however, remained quiet the whole time, and Van wondered if Hitomi was on his side or Merle's. Dilandau was also unusually quiet, probably because he, too, was afraid of the "cat girl's" wrath. It was a frustrating hour for all of them and none of them seemed to have touched their food. He wondered why her cousin was so angry at the popular people, and mentally made a note to ask Hitomi about it.
A familiar figure appeared in his peripheral vision shortly after. It was Hitomi, still in her running pants, and a sporty tank top. Her cheeks were still pink from the workout she had probably received from track, and a few strands of her hair were still damp from her recent shower, as strands of it clung onto her forehead.
Van grinned. She was pretty, no doubt. He had seen it from the first time they were introduced. She seemed to radiate this glow about her, which he couldn't explain. Sure, she wasn't supermodel pretty, like Millerna was, but that was actually a good thing, in his opinion. She liked the natural look on women, after all. Hence, his liking towards Yukari.
There was a question nagging at the back of Van's head but he was interrupted by the chimes of the door, as his chestnut-haired friend entered the room. He saw her look around the room, searching for him, craning her neck every now and then. Seeing that Hitomi was having a difficult time seeing him, he waved his arms in her direction. Soon, the girl's emerald eyes acknowledged him, and she moved towards the table, smiling warmly.
"Hey", Van said, a twinkle in his russet eyes, offsetting his relaxed smile.
"Hi!", Hitomi replied warmly, her breathing still ragged from her training.
She sat herself opposite of Van and heaved a sigh.
"Rough training, huh?", Van asked, making small talk.
"Yeah. Coach Miguel Labariel made us run THIRTY laps straight, without a water break!"
"Woah. He must be in a bad mood."
"VERY. My other teammates, remember Eito and Zan? Well, they came to practice thirty minutes late. And they knew from last week's training that Coach Labariel won't tolerate any more tardiness from any of us. You should have seen the look on his face when Eito and Zan finally arrived."
Van chuckled momentarily and silence once again ensued.
Hitomi observed that when she was talking to Van there were always moments of silence, some awkward but mostly comfortable. Either way, Hitomi would always be the one to open up a conversation again.
A grumble in her stomach distracted her though and Van, for some reason, had sensed that she was hungry and gave her the menu that was lying around in the table. Hitomi opened the menu and immediately saw the big, red letters in the center, adorned by an intricate border.
*****************************************************
TRY OUR SPECIALTY!
Strawberry Cake .................... Y700/slice
*****************************************************
Hitomi smiled solemnly and instinctively spoke. "Yukari and I used to come here all the time. After track practice, she'd force me to come here so she can satisfy her craving for Strawberry Cake. With the way she ate desserts, I could not imagine how she managed to stay thin", Hitomi chuckled.
Van frowned a little at Hitomi.
Seeing Hitomi sad affected him and somehow, he felt it was his fault.
After all, if he hadn't asked help from Hitomi, then she wouldn't have to remember Yukari. He cursed at himself for being so selfish. He wanted to apologize to Hitomi and tell her that she could back out, but he was never one to apologize. He was far too stubborn to do that.
Hitomi's state, however, seemed to be affecting Van way too much. His conscience was starting to berate him now and he was about to speak when his thoughts were once again interrupted by the same chimes.
Coincidentally, someone had a craving for strawberry cake that day and had come to the best place to have it.
Hitomi gasped and hid herself behind the menu. Van was too befuddled to do anything. Luckily though, Yukari was too immersed in something else to see them, although she sat at a table very close to them. The emerald-eyed girl put down the menu.
"Well, well. She didn't come with her cronies this time?"
Van cocked up an eyebrow, "I thought you were going to help me with her? How come you're still hating her?"
"Sorry. Force of habit", Hitomi said with a touch of sarcasm.
Just then, a familiar mobile ring tone rang from the redhead's direction. Hitomi knew immediately what song it was.
'Yakusoku wa Iranai.'
Yukari had always been a huge fan of Maaya Sakimoto.
The redhead placed her phone on her ear, and seemed to be exasperated about something. She did, however, plaster a fake smile suddenly.
"Hi Millerna. I'm SO sorry I couldn't come to your pool party. You see my mother's sick and I have to take care of her and stuff."
"I know. It's like such awful timing. I really did want to go to your party. You guys have fun and tell me all about it tomorrow okay? Bye!"
Yukari placed her phone back in her back not before sticking out her tongue.
Hitomi and Van had heard the whole conversation.
Van smirked. "So she doesn't like Millerna so much after all."
Hitomi grinned a little but immediately wiped it off. "Well that doesn't prove anything. It just proves she's a psychopathic liar."
Van shrugged. "Whatever you say."
"So, Van. Why don'tcha go up to her now? Then, I wouldn't have to help you anymore!", Hitomi said in a happy outburst.
Van groaned.
"What am I supposed to tell her? You haven't even told me what she likes!"
"I did tell you what she likes! On the phone, remember? That's pretty much it. Come on, don't be such a sissy! I'm sure she'll like you. You've got a great personality. Order her some strawberry cake and you'll get on her good side. Just don't order her any drink with caffeine. She'll get WAY too hyper and she's already hyper as it is. Okay? Just be a good listener, laugh at her jokes, all those stuff, and I'm sure you'll be fine. ", Hitomi said, slightly feeling her cheeks warm up when she told him he had a good personality.
"But...", Van interjected
Hitomi placed her palm over his face, a gesture to make him stop talking.
"No buts, Van. Just go there. I'll leave you two alone. I need to do some grocery shopping, anyway."
Seeing Van freeze, Hitomi nudged him a little, winked at him, and left the store.
"It will be alright, Van. Tell me how it goes tomorrow!"
And with that, Hitomi jogged towards the door and left, the chimes making a noise again.
The redhead, who was too lost in her thoughts, suddenly snapped out of her trance, and intuitively looked at the door to see who went in, only to see a retreating back, whose hair looked oddly familiar. Yukari, however, dismissed her suspicion and instead, searched for a nearby waiter with her brown eyes.
Van saw this, and took this opportunity to go to her, cooly.
Yukari's chocolate irises caught Van's russet ones and Van couldn't help but blush a little. He regained his composure, though, and gave his trademark, suave grin. Yukari could only look at him, puzzled, trying to remember if she had met him somewhere, perhaps at one of Millerna's social mixers. She prayed though that he wasn't one of those braggarts she had met, since she wasn't in the mood to talk to any of them. Yukari felt that her prayers have been answered since those guys were most likely all in Millerna's pool party, flirting with every girl there.
Van cleared his throat a little to make sure his voice doesn't come out croaky.
"Hey. You don't really know me, but we go to the same school and I see you around."
Yukari smiled a little. He seemed really nice, and he wasn't one of the jocks that hang out with Millerna's crowd.
"Oh, Hey!"
There was an awkward silence, before Van seized the moment.
"So... um... would you mind if I bought you some cake... Maybe some strawberry cake? I heard it's really delicious."
Yukari grinned even broadly at the sound of her favorite dessert.
"Not at all! Sure, have a seat."
Van took the black velvet chair in front of the redhead, and sat comfortably.
"So, your name is...?", Van asked, even if he knew what it was already, from Hitomi. Heck, he didn't want to make Yukari think he was a stalker and scare her off.
"Oh yeah. I'm Yukari... Yukari Uchida. And you are?"
"Van Fanel."
There was another moment of silence, so Van decided to call the waiter just a few tables away from them.
"Two strawberry cakes please, and..."
He turned to Yukari.
"What would you like to drink... some lemonade?"
"Uh, sure!", Yukari said in her perky voice.
Van placed her attention back to the waiter.
"And two lemonades please."
The waiter jotted them down on his pad, "Will that be all?"
"Yup."
"Okay then, the food will come shortly."
The waiter tucked his note pad on his apron and grabbed the menu on the table and left.
"So..." Van thought of something to start up a conversation, when Yukari cut in.
"I haven't seen you around, Van. Are you also in your senior year?"
"Yup... Actually, I just moved here this year. I'm a new student."
"Oh, I see. No wonder I haven't seen you around."
"How about you? How long have you been living here?"
"Ever since I could remember. I've been studying in Kamakura Kita since kindergarten."
The conversation continued, and pretty soon, the awkward moments of silence had dissipated into laughter and casual chit-chat.
===================================================================================
Phew! Another chapter done! And a pretty long chapter at that. Hope it wasn't boring. I decided not to write the full conversation between Yukari and Van anymore, since it's going to be dragging. I hope you like this chappy! Well, like I said this won't start as a V/H fic immediately. Right now, Hitomi's being the good friend she is and doing some matchmaking (kinda against her will but then she DID agree to it anyway), but sparks will fly between Van and Hitomi soon. Why, when, where, and how that happens, you'll find out soon enough. :D In the meantime, please do review! If you have any suggestions, you can place it with your review and I'll try to insert it in my story.
Oh and by the way, is Maaya Sakimoto the one who sang "Yakusoku Wa Iranai"? If not, who sang it? Thanks!
Bye for now! ^_^
-------------- SabrinaYutsuki
s===================================================================================
ACT 4: Operation Redhead
===================================================================================
A/N: Ey guys! I finally got to writing a new chapter! Sorry for the long wait! I've been really busy the past few months... Hopefully, I can update more regularly... I'll try to as long as projects don't start pouring in again. o_0 At any rate, you can place your email address with the review, and I'll email you when I'll update. :D Oh and:
Please review! Comments are VERY welcome!
Disclaimer: Don't own Escaflowne, much to my chagrin.
Advertisement: Please read my other Esca fic, "Into the Abyss", if you have the time. It's a more angsty fic than this one. For Roswell fans: I suggest you read "It Was You" -- Liz/Zan fic :)
Thank you so much to those who reviewed!
fireangel: thanks again for the review! unfortunately, you did make sense. hehe ^_^ van's more of a dense idiot than a jerk. hehe. Anywayz, thanks for the review! i always enjoy reading your reviews. :)
Snooptopian, Rhapsody9: thanks mucho for the review! ^_^
Liarra/Jellybean2: nope he won't. he's just an ordinary human being here.
Esca-lover: i'm glad you liked that i made van not pick Millerna (um did what i say make sense?). Millerna's pretty much a b**** here. hehe. thanks for the review!
katana-chan: dont worry... van and hitomi will get together... eventually (insert evil laughter)
naria4: im glad you liked the twist. Anywayz, sorry to have kept you waiting with this new chapter... Been really busy. Hope you enjoy it!
Aya_chan: Yup I'm going to finish this story. And reviews will certainly help motivate me. :) (hint hint. hehe)
van lover: i so agree! ^^ (sighs dreamily) ...van!
===================================================================================
There was a long moment of silence, one that was usually a product of stupor. Van hadn't counted on Hitomi actually being willing to help him, nor did he count on Hitomi knowing Yukari more than just exchanging friendly smiles when they passed each other in hallways.
At that moment, only one thought crossed his mind:
Damn. Was he lucky.
Hitomi, growing more impatient by the seconds that ticked in silence, finally cleared her throat and spoke, "So...? What exactly do you want my help for?" She didn't mean to sound so annoyed... Or maybe she did. All in all, the new revelation was getting to her. Sure, she was glad that Van didn't like Millerna after all, but Yukari...? She was just as bad as Millerna, in her opinion.
Even worse.
After all, Millerna had never been Hitomi's friend... But Yukari had been. In fact, they were best of friends, the operative word being 'were'.
But she had agreed to help Van already, so she wasn't backing out now.
Van, too happy to actually notice the hint of irritation dripping from Hitomi's voice, finally got out of his trance.
"Well, I hadn't counted on you actually knowing her well, but since you do, then you'd be even a bigger help!" Hitomi slightly flinched. "I was wondering if you could introduce me to her, and tell me what she likes and stuff." Van's tone was definitely more excited than his usual self.
The sandy brown-haired girl was taken aback by Van's favor. "Woah! Me? Introduce you to her? And tell you what she likes? You know what, on second thought, I can't help you."
"Why not? You're her best friend, right?"
"WERE her best friend."
"Well, still! You should know something about her..."
"No way! How should i know what Kari likes now? Last time i checked, she disliked the popular people, thought cheerleading was a dumb sport, and said that we would be best friends forever!!!", Hitomi let out all the repressed anger she had been bottling up inside of her ever since Yukari joined the cheerleading squad and decided that Hitomi just wasn't cool enough to hang out with. She was talking so quickly as the words just came rushing to her mouth.
Van, however, remained stubborn.
"Well... I don't think she would have changed THAT much. Come on! I'm sure she's still the same person you knew before. She seems really nice."
Hitomi rolled her eyes.
"Whatever. Look. We're not even speaking anymore. I don't think I'm up to approaching her while she's with her prissy friends, and risk being sneered at by Millerna and the rest."
"Oohhkay. Then I'll approach her. No biggie. But you have to help me and tell me what she likes to do..."
Hitomi was about to interrupt when Van finished his sentence, almost as if he knew it was going to clear up Hitomi's anxiety.
"Or what she _used_to_ like to do", Van said, still too dense to see that Hitomi was getting really pissed off at their phone call. He didn't know why, but he felt comfortable talking to Hitomi, so that he didn't mind being so straightforward. He felt like he had known Hitomi since he was still playing in a sandbox.
"Fine then. I'll tell you what she _liked_. She _liked_ listening to pop music, _enjoyed_ eating Italian food and anything listed under the dessert menu, _loved_ to watch mushy soap operas and gush over her favorite male actors, and..."
"Woah. Hold on. Let's do this right. We could meet up or something...?"
"What for? I'm going to babble about what she likes just the same!"
"Well... actually, I need more than your babbling...", The last word faded with the air as Van's uneasiness started to resurface again.
"What else would you need me for?", Hitomi queried. Her irritation was now overshadowed by curiosity.
"I used to study in an all-boys school, and I'm the only child in our family, so..."
Hitomi had a vague idea what he was getting at.
"I'm not really that good with talking to women."
The emerald-eyed girl's prediction was correct. And somehow, it wasn't hard to believe. With the few days she had known him, she had found out that he wasn't very smooth with words.
Heck. He rarely even talked.
And if he was ever going to try to go out with a girl, he would need to be a little more talkative. Especially a girl such as Yukari. If Van _was_ right and Yukari hadn't changed, then she would still be the same perky, extremely loquacious person she had known.
She imagined how the two would go about their first date. They seemed to be exact opposites. The redhead would probably talk a hundred words per minute about any topic under the sun, and he'd be nodding and giving her his half grin. It could spell disaster. But then, stranger things have happened. And they do say that opposites attract, right?
Hitomi mentally slapped herself. What was she doing, helping the enemy? And hoping for her good fortune?
The girl shook her head, as if it were to clear her thoughts. In truth, it didn't really matter. She would help Van, just as she promised, and if Yukari was the snobbish brat Hitomi pictured her to be, then he'd probably drop the whole thing. But, on the other hand, if Yukari was really the same person she knew, then it will all be great. Either way, Hitomi wouldn't be on the center of the situation. She'd be on the sidelines, supporting Van, like a good friend. It pained Hitomi, but somehow, she valued the friendship she and Van had formed over the days and wasn't going to act immaturely over her predicament.
Her cerebral battle finally ended. Her good nature had won over her bitterness.
"Let's meet up at Yugetsudo, the one just a few blocks from our school. I'm free after my track practice, which is around 5 pm."
Van smiled. "Cool. 5 pm it is."
Hitomi grinned, "Well, I'll see you then..."
"Hitomi..?"
"Hmm...?"
"Thanks. I owe you big time."
She laughed, "That you do."
And they hung up the phone, Hitomi sighing heavily.
The things she does for a friend...
She lost herself in her deep thoughts, but immediately snapped out of it to call a certain girl with pink hair, anticipating the hysterical outbursts of Merle.
She dialed the eight-digit phone number of Merle, and after one ring, a girl spoke up, panting heavily, as if she had ran towards the phone.
"Hello, Merle?"
"HITOMI! WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?! DOES HE LIKE MILLERNA?!?!?!"
"Calm down, Merle! And no, she doesn't like Millerna..."
"But...? I know there's a but to it, Tomi."
"Yeah there is. He likes Yukari instead."
"WHAT??! THAT B**** YOU TALKED TO ME ABOUT BEFORE? WHAT THE HELL?!"
Hitomi braced herself for the long and loud conversation she would be having with Merle, and realized she would be having her dinner late again.
====================================================================================
Van sat comfortably on the sofa by the window, his right ankle resting on his left knee. He strummed his fingers rhythmically on the table, so that the sound it produced almost resembled a horse galloping in the distance. Beside his tapping hand lay a large white mug with steam swirling out of it, and his black cellular phone, which he had dug out from his pocket, just in case Hitomi couldn't come at the last minute.
He stared out at the glass window just a few inches beside him, and gazed intently at nothing special, deep in empty thoughts. He recalled all that happened today, and heaved a sigh, as he remembered his cousin's over reaction toward his attraction to a 'popular' girl. During the whole lunch hour, Merle was ranting on and on about how Van had betrayed her, and how all this will lead to his destruction. Hitomi, however, remained quiet the whole time, and Van wondered if Hitomi was on his side or Merle's. Dilandau was also unusually quiet, probably because he, too, was afraid of the "cat girl's" wrath. It was a frustrating hour for all of them and none of them seemed to have touched their food. He wondered why her cousin was so angry at the popular people, and mentally made a note to ask Hitomi about it.
A familiar figure appeared in his peripheral vision shortly after. It was Hitomi, still in her running pants, and a sporty tank top. Her cheeks were still pink from the workout she had probably received from track, and a few strands of her hair were still damp from her recent shower, as strands of it clung onto her forehead.
Van grinned. She was pretty, no doubt. He had seen it from the first time they were introduced. She seemed to radiate this glow about her, which he couldn't explain. Sure, she wasn't supermodel pretty, like Millerna was, but that was actually a good thing, in his opinion. She liked the natural look on women, after all. Hence, his liking towards Yukari.
There was a question nagging at the back of Van's head but he was interrupted by the chimes of the door, as his chestnut-haired friend entered the room. He saw her look around the room, searching for him, craning her neck every now and then. Seeing that Hitomi was having a difficult time seeing him, he waved his arms in her direction. Soon, the girl's emerald eyes acknowledged him, and she moved towards the table, smiling warmly.
"Hey", Van said, a twinkle in his russet eyes, offsetting his relaxed smile.
"Hi!", Hitomi replied warmly, her breathing still ragged from her training.
She sat herself opposite of Van and heaved a sigh.
"Rough training, huh?", Van asked, making small talk.
"Yeah. Coach Miguel Labariel made us run THIRTY laps straight, without a water break!"
"Woah. He must be in a bad mood."
"VERY. My other teammates, remember Eito and Zan? Well, they came to practice thirty minutes late. And they knew from last week's training that Coach Labariel won't tolerate any more tardiness from any of us. You should have seen the look on his face when Eito and Zan finally arrived."
Van chuckled momentarily and silence once again ensued.
Hitomi observed that when she was talking to Van there were always moments of silence, some awkward but mostly comfortable. Either way, Hitomi would always be the one to open up a conversation again.
A grumble in her stomach distracted her though and Van, for some reason, had sensed that she was hungry and gave her the menu that was lying around in the table. Hitomi opened the menu and immediately saw the big, red letters in the center, adorned by an intricate border.
*****************************************************
TRY OUR SPECIALTY!
Strawberry Cake .................... Y700/slice
*****************************************************
Hitomi smiled solemnly and instinctively spoke. "Yukari and I used to come here all the time. After track practice, she'd force me to come here so she can satisfy her craving for Strawberry Cake. With the way she ate desserts, I could not imagine how she managed to stay thin", Hitomi chuckled.
Van frowned a little at Hitomi.
Seeing Hitomi sad affected him and somehow, he felt it was his fault.
After all, if he hadn't asked help from Hitomi, then she wouldn't have to remember Yukari. He cursed at himself for being so selfish. He wanted to apologize to Hitomi and tell her that she could back out, but he was never one to apologize. He was far too stubborn to do that.
Hitomi's state, however, seemed to be affecting Van way too much. His conscience was starting to berate him now and he was about to speak when his thoughts were once again interrupted by the same chimes.
Coincidentally, someone had a craving for strawberry cake that day and had come to the best place to have it.
Hitomi gasped and hid herself behind the menu. Van was too befuddled to do anything. Luckily though, Yukari was too immersed in something else to see them, although she sat at a table very close to them. The emerald-eyed girl put down the menu.
"Well, well. She didn't come with her cronies this time?"
Van cocked up an eyebrow, "I thought you were going to help me with her? How come you're still hating her?"
"Sorry. Force of habit", Hitomi said with a touch of sarcasm.
Just then, a familiar mobile ring tone rang from the redhead's direction. Hitomi knew immediately what song it was.
'Yakusoku wa Iranai.'
Yukari had always been a huge fan of Maaya Sakimoto.
The redhead placed her phone on her ear, and seemed to be exasperated about something. She did, however, plaster a fake smile suddenly.
"Hi Millerna. I'm SO sorry I couldn't come to your pool party. You see my mother's sick and I have to take care of her and stuff."
"I know. It's like such awful timing. I really did want to go to your party. You guys have fun and tell me all about it tomorrow okay? Bye!"
Yukari placed her phone back in her back not before sticking out her tongue.
Hitomi and Van had heard the whole conversation.
Van smirked. "So she doesn't like Millerna so much after all."
Hitomi grinned a little but immediately wiped it off. "Well that doesn't prove anything. It just proves she's a psychopathic liar."
Van shrugged. "Whatever you say."
"So, Van. Why don'tcha go up to her now? Then, I wouldn't have to help you anymore!", Hitomi said in a happy outburst.
Van groaned.
"What am I supposed to tell her? You haven't even told me what she likes!"
"I did tell you what she likes! On the phone, remember? That's pretty much it. Come on, don't be such a sissy! I'm sure she'll like you. You've got a great personality. Order her some strawberry cake and you'll get on her good side. Just don't order her any drink with caffeine. She'll get WAY too hyper and she's already hyper as it is. Okay? Just be a good listener, laugh at her jokes, all those stuff, and I'm sure you'll be fine. ", Hitomi said, slightly feeling her cheeks warm up when she told him he had a good personality.
"But...", Van interjected
Hitomi placed her palm over his face, a gesture to make him stop talking.
"No buts, Van. Just go there. I'll leave you two alone. I need to do some grocery shopping, anyway."
Seeing Van freeze, Hitomi nudged him a little, winked at him, and left the store.
"It will be alright, Van. Tell me how it goes tomorrow!"
And with that, Hitomi jogged towards the door and left, the chimes making a noise again.
The redhead, who was too lost in her thoughts, suddenly snapped out of her trance, and intuitively looked at the door to see who went in, only to see a retreating back, whose hair looked oddly familiar. Yukari, however, dismissed her suspicion and instead, searched for a nearby waiter with her brown eyes.
Van saw this, and took this opportunity to go to her, cooly.
Yukari's chocolate irises caught Van's russet ones and Van couldn't help but blush a little. He regained his composure, though, and gave his trademark, suave grin. Yukari could only look at him, puzzled, trying to remember if she had met him somewhere, perhaps at one of Millerna's social mixers. She prayed though that he wasn't one of those braggarts she had met, since she wasn't in the mood to talk to any of them. Yukari felt that her prayers have been answered since those guys were most likely all in Millerna's pool party, flirting with every girl there.
Van cleared his throat a little to make sure his voice doesn't come out croaky.
"Hey. You don't really know me, but we go to the same school and I see you around."
Yukari smiled a little. He seemed really nice, and he wasn't one of the jocks that hang out with Millerna's crowd.
"Oh, Hey!"
There was an awkward silence, before Van seized the moment.
"So... um... would you mind if I bought you some cake... Maybe some strawberry cake? I heard it's really delicious."
Yukari grinned even broadly at the sound of her favorite dessert.
"Not at all! Sure, have a seat."
Van took the black velvet chair in front of the redhead, and sat comfortably.
"So, your name is...?", Van asked, even if he knew what it was already, from Hitomi. Heck, he didn't want to make Yukari think he was a stalker and scare her off.
"Oh yeah. I'm Yukari... Yukari Uchida. And you are?"
"Van Fanel."
There was another moment of silence, so Van decided to call the waiter just a few tables away from them.
"Two strawberry cakes please, and..."
He turned to Yukari.
"What would you like to drink... some lemonade?"
"Uh, sure!", Yukari said in her perky voice.
Van placed her attention back to the waiter.
"And two lemonades please."
The waiter jotted them down on his pad, "Will that be all?"
"Yup."
"Okay then, the food will come shortly."
The waiter tucked his note pad on his apron and grabbed the menu on the table and left.
"So..." Van thought of something to start up a conversation, when Yukari cut in.
"I haven't seen you around, Van. Are you also in your senior year?"
"Yup... Actually, I just moved here this year. I'm a new student."
"Oh, I see. No wonder I haven't seen you around."
"How about you? How long have you been living here?"
"Ever since I could remember. I've been studying in Kamakura Kita since kindergarten."
The conversation continued, and pretty soon, the awkward moments of silence had dissipated into laughter and casual chit-chat.
===================================================================================
Phew! Another chapter done! And a pretty long chapter at that. Hope it wasn't boring. I decided not to write the full conversation between Yukari and Van anymore, since it's going to be dragging. I hope you like this chappy! Well, like I said this won't start as a V/H fic immediately. Right now, Hitomi's being the good friend she is and doing some matchmaking (kinda against her will but then she DID agree to it anyway), but sparks will fly between Van and Hitomi soon. Why, when, where, and how that happens, you'll find out soon enough. :D In the meantime, please do review! If you have any suggestions, you can place it with your review and I'll try to insert it in my story.
Oh and by the way, is Maaya Sakimoto the one who sang "Yakusoku Wa Iranai"? If not, who sang it? Thanks!
Bye for now! ^_^
-------------- SabrinaYutsuki
s===================================================================================