As soon as they reached Rukawa's residence gates, he leaned his bike
against the wall and towed out his keychains to unlock 'em. Meanwhile,
Ririku herself was still busy drying her damp face.
"You live alone?" She dared to inquire even when her voice is still quivering.
Rukawa shrugged and paused to think for a moment. "For a while, yes. Not quite also, though. My parents, they left to Germany to see how my Ni-san's doing." When the gateway had been unlocked, Rukawa placed the keys back in his pockets and then lead Ririku in. She looked around in ashtonishment. The house was considered to be called big for an average Japanese houses. In fact, it is way more humongous. It has gardens as wide as castle and the walls are tall.
"Sugoi yo… It's so huge…"
Rukawa didn't reply and walked straight into the house. As the door slammed shut, he quickly hit the lights for it was very dark inside and he could bump onto any fragile furnitures and break them. Inside, it was decorated nicely in european style; classy and posh. "Want drinks?," the Shohoku ace offerend shortly.
"…Yeah, cocoa will be fine." Ririku rested down her backpacks upon the white granite floor as she took off her shoes.
"'kay… Go have a seat down at the dining room and start doing your works," instructed Rukawa Kaede. He was saying it aloud from the kitchen, where he was capable of making 2 cups of hot cocoas. When he's done, he rushed into the dining table and then handed her the drink.
"Where are you going?" Promptly she threw out the question when she saw him starting to leave again. He was uninterested in answering the question. However Ririku's face seemed like she demanded for a respond.
In his mind, he fixed a sentence and then retorded in a monotone, dull voice. "…something."
Whoa, what an uncreative thing to say. And then before Ririku could manage to spit out another question or pleads, a black ball of fur jumped onto his chest and Rukawa kindly greeted it in his arms. "Kitty," he started.
She was amazed. Wow, this ice prince whom everybody knows of being so careless and boring has a pet cat. A black cat, perhaps. However, Kitty sounds too dull to be a name. "Kitty? You call it Kitty?"
"What," Rukawa snapped back, "you got a problem with that?"
"Stop being so barren and why not you find a better name?!" That wasn't her problem, actually. But Ririku feels like she really needed to throw out her opinions towards him, hoping to cause an effect.
"Shut up. At least I didn't call her Pussy." (a.n : *sweatdrops*) Rukawa snickered as his hands carefully were patting Kitty's neck in a peaceful, steady pace. Kitty herself seemed like she was enjoying to be stoked by Rukawa's firm hands. "Oh come here, little Pussy or else I'm gonna eat you." (a.n : umm.. if u know those 'things' then u'll probably understand ^__^;;. Sorry for underage readers :P) He raised his tone in a sharp and flat voice, mimicking a wicked old corny sorcerer. Ririku Carmenita laughed harder, she almost stumbled down her chair. Rukawa felt eased himself, though. All of these times he had never seen her face in delight, not ever a single once. He himself felt soothed and glad that he could make someone like her laugh like that. "Gomen, Kitty, I gotta study right now." With that he helped the cat to the floor and then loosens his arms. He then walked back towards the table and sat down on one of its chairs. From his bag, he pulled out a brown envelope that contains the materials that he needed to work on during his off-school days. Ririku had hers on the table already. In fact, some were already opened and it seems like she had been working on it previously.
Time passes and half an hour has passed by. Still, Rukawa couldn't figure out how to work on any problems on each of his worksheets. His papers were still empty and there wasn't a single pencil scratch on it. Meanwhile on the other hand, Ririku was sitting there and her crossed arms were rested on the table. Her round eyes were staring straight at him, examining him. "What?" Rukawa finally splitted the dead silence between them that had been going on for quite a long time.
"Not finished yet?" She asked in a queer voice. Meanly, she snatched the top papers that was on top of the piles and then raised her brow as she looked at the clean page. "Wow… clean as new."
"So?"
Ririku handed back the paper to him and then smiled. "I'm finished." She clearly stated with a wide smile on her pink lips.
"Yeah and so?" Rukawa Kaede was getting in the state of getting irritated right here.
She gave no further replies and just quickly pushed her worksheet towards him. "You can copy from it." Wow, she sounds confident in her own work doesn't she? Well, perhaps it is because she really is intelligent. However, Rukawa was still doubtful about her. He took a look at the sheet and noticed that the answers were explained in details. Amazing. Unless she's an extraordinary person, nobody in their average could make such things in a short period of time. By looking at her essay answers, it shows her that she has the brain of Einstein, maybe.
"How on earth did you do this so fast?" Rukawa caught himself stunned by the solutions of the heavy biological questions.
Ririku slumped back on the wooden chair as she smiled in poise. "Simple. I've been through it more than once."
What does that means? What does that values in her definition? To him, it sounds like repeating a grade or so. To reassure everything, he asked, "What do you mean?"
"I think I said it clear," she explained simply, "That means I repeated grade 11 twice."
…..
Simply unbelieavable.
"How come?"
"I don't know… I was absent a lot, perhaps?" That couldn't possibly be the right truth, her face shows it all. It seemed like she was keeping a big secret to herself.
"Oh…" Rukawa gently snatched the paper to his' side and begin copying the meticulous solutions written in sharp, led pencil.
"Oh!" Abruptly, Ririku stood up from her chair and glanced at the watch. Her face showed those peculiar expressions. Rukawa raised a brow as he lifted his eyes off the sheets towards her. "Oh gosh! I'll never make it in time!!!" She slapped her forehead with her open palm.
"What? A date?," Rukawa asked sarcastically.
"No!!"
"Then what?" Right now his mind was crammed with puzzlement. Unexpectedly, his heart was pining for an answer.
Ririku went straight panic. She initiated a wobbly walk; back and forth, across the room. "No time for that," she stated as her mind were busy flying off in other directions. "Do you have a car?"
What? She sounds threatening this time. Just what exactly is the problem here?! "Yeah."
"Can you drive, then?"
"Yeah…"
Suddenly to his shock, Ririku jumped in glee. Just what on earth is happening here? "Aaaaaa… Rukawa-kunn… can you pleasee, pleaseee… drive me to Yukishiro Hospital?" (a.n : hey I used that hospital in 'Story Of Us' :P) Ririku clamped her fist together and starts to demand in entreaty. Her eyes shone wide, tearful and moist. With the sight of that, Rukawa only sweatdropped.
"Wait a minute," he helds his hand in front of Ririku's face while the other's holding the pencil, "I didn't know what the hell's up. And yet you asked me to drive you to that… what?! What's that frickin' hospital's name?!" His tone raised up in stipulation.
"Yukishiro da! C'mon, I'll itemize everything in the car! Please?"
Rukawa scratched his head, thinking deeply. After crossing his arms before his chest, he then closed his eyes and shook his head negatively. "No."
"Why?!"
"What do you think? I'll just make myself tired and then… what do I get after that?"
"What you'll get?! Hey I'm just—" She then paused hastily and rubbed her chin. Her face lines turned serious as she wears herself thinking. "I know," her face lightens up suddenly, "Here's the deal… I'll allow you to cheat. That's if you'll allow yourself to drive me with your car around the prefecture for 15 days."
"Are you crazy?!" Rukawa retorded sharply. His eyes were fully round by now, unlike his usual sharp and piercing eyes. "15 days is too much."
"Oh, please, Rukawa-kun…" Again she starts to solicit again, bending her backs so that her head will be able to face Rukawa's. "I'm not gonna go anywhere, anyway… Well… Umm… Well these craps right here is hard! And all you gotta do is just drive…"
"… do you think driving is easy? I haven't got a license and it's too risky. Besides in 15 days you could go anywhere you want like to Gunma or something, I dunno…"
Without hesitating any longer, Ririku snatched his arms from the table and drag him to the direction of the garage which had appealed to himself from outside the gates. She didn't let Rukawa gave excuse anymore. She now tried to threaten him with those beseeching looks along with those weepy eyes, ready to burst anytime. Rukawa kept silent. Inside he knews that all these was just foolish intimidations by her. 'Oh no you ain't got me with that look. I'm not dumb,' Rukawa said inside his mind.
They stopped before the white-painted steel garage doors, staring at each other. Ririku then bawled down to her knees and cried loudly. Neighbors began to spread out from their houses. Some were peeking through their window to see what had happened. The neighbors started to whisper to each others. In this scene, Rukawa was the one who looked guilty. "Dammit!"
"Waaaa…!! How could you, Rukawa-kun?! All I ever wanted from you is just love and now when I got home I caught you sleeping with your housemaid. Who am I to you? All I am is just a faithful loving partner, can't you at least treat me with respec---" Rukawa quickly cupped her mouth and then looked around that everybody was glaring at him with those disgusted looks.
"It's… just a play rehearsal!!" And after that he instantly pulled her slim body into the garage, hiding from everybody's eyes. "What are you think you're doing?! You're out of your mind, you know that?!" He screamed out to her but not loud enough to be heard from the yards. Ririku flashed those fiendish smile on her lips as she wiped her phony teardrops away from her face.
"Drive, or would you want some more action?" She straightforwardly jeopardize him with those unfussy sentence. Rukawa was getting angry with this but he knew he couldn't get away with it or else the fellow citizens will start talking ill about him. This girl is definitely crazy!
After spending a little time on his thoughts, Rukawa gave up on it. He raised his hands in the air and gave her those defeated look but the glower in his eyes were still pinned on his face. "Okay. Whatever. I'll drive. Happy with that?!"
The russet straight-haired cute girl jumped high in the air in glee. She then threw herself towards the tall ace of Shohoku and cling to his shoulder. "Arigatou~~~~~!! I really, really appreciate it!! As promised I will let you cheat on those exercise!!" Seeing this joy in her, Rukawa's fury melted down and those fierce look on his eyes subsided.
Without longer talks or babbles, Rukawa grabbed the vehicle keys that were hunged on the walls at once and then unlocked his SUV, one of the latest fashionable models from BMW, X5. "Show me the directon, all right?"
Still smiling, Ririku nodded in agreement. She then get up to the car and sat down on the seat beside the driver's. "Really, Rukawa-kun… I appreciate this. I won't have to keep Ka-san waiting anymore." This time her accent were subtle but is still streaked with delight.
"Ka-san?"
"Yeah, ya know, my mom. Lately she had to spend some time in the hospital and I gotta do visit her too, you know… She's the only one left in my family. I don't have a brother or sister. My father left us…" She explained softly.
"Geez," muttered Rukawa, "if it's for your mother, I would've agreed to drive at first. I thought it was your… fiance or something…"
"Aah… Suman!" Ririku smiled sheepishly. "Aah! Rukawa-kun! To the left to the left!!!" She instructed in alarm. "Gomen ne… I better stop talking. I'll tell you everything when we get there…"
a.n : ehehe… T__T gomen ne for the lateness of the update. I got loads of works to do since it is the last time of the school session. It's full of assignments… ~__~ I just hate school… Anyways, I wanna inform that about the other fics, it wouldn't be updated until the next, next week. Me n my friends gotta work our grade 9's farewell party thing… T__T please forgive me, I'll do a lot after that to catch up the loss! Arigato~!
"You live alone?" She dared to inquire even when her voice is still quivering.
Rukawa shrugged and paused to think for a moment. "For a while, yes. Not quite also, though. My parents, they left to Germany to see how my Ni-san's doing." When the gateway had been unlocked, Rukawa placed the keys back in his pockets and then lead Ririku in. She looked around in ashtonishment. The house was considered to be called big for an average Japanese houses. In fact, it is way more humongous. It has gardens as wide as castle and the walls are tall.
"Sugoi yo… It's so huge…"
Rukawa didn't reply and walked straight into the house. As the door slammed shut, he quickly hit the lights for it was very dark inside and he could bump onto any fragile furnitures and break them. Inside, it was decorated nicely in european style; classy and posh. "Want drinks?," the Shohoku ace offerend shortly.
"…Yeah, cocoa will be fine." Ririku rested down her backpacks upon the white granite floor as she took off her shoes.
"'kay… Go have a seat down at the dining room and start doing your works," instructed Rukawa Kaede. He was saying it aloud from the kitchen, where he was capable of making 2 cups of hot cocoas. When he's done, he rushed into the dining table and then handed her the drink.
"Where are you going?" Promptly she threw out the question when she saw him starting to leave again. He was uninterested in answering the question. However Ririku's face seemed like she demanded for a respond.
In his mind, he fixed a sentence and then retorded in a monotone, dull voice. "…something."
Whoa, what an uncreative thing to say. And then before Ririku could manage to spit out another question or pleads, a black ball of fur jumped onto his chest and Rukawa kindly greeted it in his arms. "Kitty," he started.
She was amazed. Wow, this ice prince whom everybody knows of being so careless and boring has a pet cat. A black cat, perhaps. However, Kitty sounds too dull to be a name. "Kitty? You call it Kitty?"
"What," Rukawa snapped back, "you got a problem with that?"
"Stop being so barren and why not you find a better name?!" That wasn't her problem, actually. But Ririku feels like she really needed to throw out her opinions towards him, hoping to cause an effect.
"Shut up. At least I didn't call her Pussy." (a.n : *sweatdrops*) Rukawa snickered as his hands carefully were patting Kitty's neck in a peaceful, steady pace. Kitty herself seemed like she was enjoying to be stoked by Rukawa's firm hands. "Oh come here, little Pussy or else I'm gonna eat you." (a.n : umm.. if u know those 'things' then u'll probably understand ^__^;;. Sorry for underage readers :P) He raised his tone in a sharp and flat voice, mimicking a wicked old corny sorcerer. Ririku Carmenita laughed harder, she almost stumbled down her chair. Rukawa felt eased himself, though. All of these times he had never seen her face in delight, not ever a single once. He himself felt soothed and glad that he could make someone like her laugh like that. "Gomen, Kitty, I gotta study right now." With that he helped the cat to the floor and then loosens his arms. He then walked back towards the table and sat down on one of its chairs. From his bag, he pulled out a brown envelope that contains the materials that he needed to work on during his off-school days. Ririku had hers on the table already. In fact, some were already opened and it seems like she had been working on it previously.
Time passes and half an hour has passed by. Still, Rukawa couldn't figure out how to work on any problems on each of his worksheets. His papers were still empty and there wasn't a single pencil scratch on it. Meanwhile on the other hand, Ririku was sitting there and her crossed arms were rested on the table. Her round eyes were staring straight at him, examining him. "What?" Rukawa finally splitted the dead silence between them that had been going on for quite a long time.
"Not finished yet?" She asked in a queer voice. Meanly, she snatched the top papers that was on top of the piles and then raised her brow as she looked at the clean page. "Wow… clean as new."
"So?"
Ririku handed back the paper to him and then smiled. "I'm finished." She clearly stated with a wide smile on her pink lips.
"Yeah and so?" Rukawa Kaede was getting in the state of getting irritated right here.
She gave no further replies and just quickly pushed her worksheet towards him. "You can copy from it." Wow, she sounds confident in her own work doesn't she? Well, perhaps it is because she really is intelligent. However, Rukawa was still doubtful about her. He took a look at the sheet and noticed that the answers were explained in details. Amazing. Unless she's an extraordinary person, nobody in their average could make such things in a short period of time. By looking at her essay answers, it shows her that she has the brain of Einstein, maybe.
"How on earth did you do this so fast?" Rukawa caught himself stunned by the solutions of the heavy biological questions.
Ririku slumped back on the wooden chair as she smiled in poise. "Simple. I've been through it more than once."
What does that means? What does that values in her definition? To him, it sounds like repeating a grade or so. To reassure everything, he asked, "What do you mean?"
"I think I said it clear," she explained simply, "That means I repeated grade 11 twice."
…..
Simply unbelieavable.
"How come?"
"I don't know… I was absent a lot, perhaps?" That couldn't possibly be the right truth, her face shows it all. It seemed like she was keeping a big secret to herself.
"Oh…" Rukawa gently snatched the paper to his' side and begin copying the meticulous solutions written in sharp, led pencil.
"Oh!" Abruptly, Ririku stood up from her chair and glanced at the watch. Her face showed those peculiar expressions. Rukawa raised a brow as he lifted his eyes off the sheets towards her. "Oh gosh! I'll never make it in time!!!" She slapped her forehead with her open palm.
"What? A date?," Rukawa asked sarcastically.
"No!!"
"Then what?" Right now his mind was crammed with puzzlement. Unexpectedly, his heart was pining for an answer.
Ririku went straight panic. She initiated a wobbly walk; back and forth, across the room. "No time for that," she stated as her mind were busy flying off in other directions. "Do you have a car?"
What? She sounds threatening this time. Just what exactly is the problem here?! "Yeah."
"Can you drive, then?"
"Yeah…"
Suddenly to his shock, Ririku jumped in glee. Just what on earth is happening here? "Aaaaaa… Rukawa-kunn… can you pleasee, pleaseee… drive me to Yukishiro Hospital?" (a.n : hey I used that hospital in 'Story Of Us' :P) Ririku clamped her fist together and starts to demand in entreaty. Her eyes shone wide, tearful and moist. With the sight of that, Rukawa only sweatdropped.
"Wait a minute," he helds his hand in front of Ririku's face while the other's holding the pencil, "I didn't know what the hell's up. And yet you asked me to drive you to that… what?! What's that frickin' hospital's name?!" His tone raised up in stipulation.
"Yukishiro da! C'mon, I'll itemize everything in the car! Please?"
Rukawa scratched his head, thinking deeply. After crossing his arms before his chest, he then closed his eyes and shook his head negatively. "No."
"Why?!"
"What do you think? I'll just make myself tired and then… what do I get after that?"
"What you'll get?! Hey I'm just—" She then paused hastily and rubbed her chin. Her face lines turned serious as she wears herself thinking. "I know," her face lightens up suddenly, "Here's the deal… I'll allow you to cheat. That's if you'll allow yourself to drive me with your car around the prefecture for 15 days."
"Are you crazy?!" Rukawa retorded sharply. His eyes were fully round by now, unlike his usual sharp and piercing eyes. "15 days is too much."
"Oh, please, Rukawa-kun…" Again she starts to solicit again, bending her backs so that her head will be able to face Rukawa's. "I'm not gonna go anywhere, anyway… Well… Umm… Well these craps right here is hard! And all you gotta do is just drive…"
"… do you think driving is easy? I haven't got a license and it's too risky. Besides in 15 days you could go anywhere you want like to Gunma or something, I dunno…"
Without hesitating any longer, Ririku snatched his arms from the table and drag him to the direction of the garage which had appealed to himself from outside the gates. She didn't let Rukawa gave excuse anymore. She now tried to threaten him with those beseeching looks along with those weepy eyes, ready to burst anytime. Rukawa kept silent. Inside he knews that all these was just foolish intimidations by her. 'Oh no you ain't got me with that look. I'm not dumb,' Rukawa said inside his mind.
They stopped before the white-painted steel garage doors, staring at each other. Ririku then bawled down to her knees and cried loudly. Neighbors began to spread out from their houses. Some were peeking through their window to see what had happened. The neighbors started to whisper to each others. In this scene, Rukawa was the one who looked guilty. "Dammit!"
"Waaaa…!! How could you, Rukawa-kun?! All I ever wanted from you is just love and now when I got home I caught you sleeping with your housemaid. Who am I to you? All I am is just a faithful loving partner, can't you at least treat me with respec---" Rukawa quickly cupped her mouth and then looked around that everybody was glaring at him with those disgusted looks.
"It's… just a play rehearsal!!" And after that he instantly pulled her slim body into the garage, hiding from everybody's eyes. "What are you think you're doing?! You're out of your mind, you know that?!" He screamed out to her but not loud enough to be heard from the yards. Ririku flashed those fiendish smile on her lips as she wiped her phony teardrops away from her face.
"Drive, or would you want some more action?" She straightforwardly jeopardize him with those unfussy sentence. Rukawa was getting angry with this but he knew he couldn't get away with it or else the fellow citizens will start talking ill about him. This girl is definitely crazy!
After spending a little time on his thoughts, Rukawa gave up on it. He raised his hands in the air and gave her those defeated look but the glower in his eyes were still pinned on his face. "Okay. Whatever. I'll drive. Happy with that?!"
The russet straight-haired cute girl jumped high in the air in glee. She then threw herself towards the tall ace of Shohoku and cling to his shoulder. "Arigatou~~~~~!! I really, really appreciate it!! As promised I will let you cheat on those exercise!!" Seeing this joy in her, Rukawa's fury melted down and those fierce look on his eyes subsided.
Without longer talks or babbles, Rukawa grabbed the vehicle keys that were hunged on the walls at once and then unlocked his SUV, one of the latest fashionable models from BMW, X5. "Show me the directon, all right?"
Still smiling, Ririku nodded in agreement. She then get up to the car and sat down on the seat beside the driver's. "Really, Rukawa-kun… I appreciate this. I won't have to keep Ka-san waiting anymore." This time her accent were subtle but is still streaked with delight.
"Ka-san?"
"Yeah, ya know, my mom. Lately she had to spend some time in the hospital and I gotta do visit her too, you know… She's the only one left in my family. I don't have a brother or sister. My father left us…" She explained softly.
"Geez," muttered Rukawa, "if it's for your mother, I would've agreed to drive at first. I thought it was your… fiance or something…"
"Aah… Suman!" Ririku smiled sheepishly. "Aah! Rukawa-kun! To the left to the left!!!" She instructed in alarm. "Gomen ne… I better stop talking. I'll tell you everything when we get there…"
a.n : ehehe… T__T gomen ne for the lateness of the update. I got loads of works to do since it is the last time of the school session. It's full of assignments… ~__~ I just hate school… Anyways, I wanna inform that about the other fics, it wouldn't be updated until the next, next week. Me n my friends gotta work our grade 9's farewell party thing… T__T please forgive me, I'll do a lot after that to catch up the loss! Arigato~!