"Ne, Aka-chan…" Luke-chan said to me while arranging a futon on my bedroom's floor, "I'm really glad you found those guys."
I smiled to him, "Yeah, I'm glad too… Saikyo no teammates."
"The best, huh? What about me, then?"
"Well, you're definitely the best onii-chan I could ever ask for."
"Uwah I'm happy Aka-chan~"
Just like that, we ended the day with the two of us falling asleep after catching up for the one year we lost.
*downstairs*
"This Luke guy is really good in basketball, right?" Daiki said while grabbing one of the milk cartons in the fridge.
"Yeah-ssu! He's really good! And the way Akari-cchi played withLuke-cchi was so fluid, I can see waters-ssu."
"Her shots are becoming more accurate when he's the one that is passing to her-nanodayo." Shintarou was polishing some of his lucky items on the table; one of them is a raccoon statue, and a smaller size of it that he's planning to give to me tomorrow morning.
"That is true. There may be something that we don't know about her skill, I think she haven't showed us her 100 percent yet, maybe because she just joined us, it'll work out in time. In the meantime…" Akashi grabbed one Maiubo box lying next to him and stretched his hand out to Atsushi "… here's another box, Atsushi. Afterwards, let's go to bed, we have school tomorrow."
"Arigatou, Aka-chin~ Haaaaaai~ "
"… do you think Akari-san 'likes' Luke?" Tetsu suddenly said.
"?!"
*time skips to 3 days after*
*beep beep*
My alarm beats be to waking up again. I rolled over to shut down the alarm that was on the other side of the bed. I got out of the bed, stumping over Luke-chan's sleeping body, "Oof! Sorry, Luke-chan!" and went to the bathroom after taking out the kit I need to go to school. After I get dressed, I knocked on Ryouta's room, and opened the door, seeing three figures sleeping around with different styles. I skipped Tetsu's bed seeing how peacefully he was sleeping below his blanket. Then I saw Daiki sleeping across Tetsu, Wuah, what a wild way to sleep. His blanket was totally blown and his body is in a strange pose. Never mind that, I continued to Ryouta's bed to see him sleep, I shook on Ryouta's body, asking him to wake up and being careful not to wake up Daiki and Tetsu. "Uunh… Akari… -cchi?"
"Wake up, Ryou-chan… Uh! Wait- !"
Ryouta long hands grabbed my sides pulled me on to his bed. I feel my cheeks flush a bit when I realize he's hugging me in his bed, replacing the pillow he hugged. "Ryou- Ryouta!"
He opened his eyes and it was shot up, confused on how and why he's hugging me. "AKARI-CCHI?! Why… What… Ho-" I slammed his mouth shut, making sure he doesn't wake Daiki and Tetsu. Putting one finger in front of my own mouth, I hushed him. After he calmed down, I grabbed his hand, pulling him outside of the room and to the living room.
"Ryou-chan why do you have to scream?"
"Ah… Uh…. Gomen ne Akari-cchi. I was confused and aaaahhhh… And I didn't mean to make you scared or something like that-ssu. I just had a dream about…" Ryouta stare at me for a while, keeping me wondering of what his dream looks like.
"Ryou-chan?"
My calling to him made him startled and was quickly answered by "Ah, it's nothing!" as he turns his head around to hide his pinkish cheeks. "So, why are you dressed to go to school so early in the morning? I thought you wanted to play basketball first?"
I turned my head down and said "Ryou-chan, I- I wanted to go somewhere, could you come with me?"
"Huh? Really? I can come with yo- rather, you want me to go with you-ssu?"
"Ye-yeah… Would you come with me?"
"Yeah! Yeah of course-ssu! Let me get my school kit ready first-ssu!"
He runs off to his room to prepare, while I left a note to the other guys that I'll be leaving first with Ryouta, and that they should go to school without waiting for the two of us to come back.
Uwah, is this for real? First I had that dream about Akari-cchi cuddling with me, and that I woke up holding her and Akari-cchi just asked me to come with her. If this is still a dream, please don't let me wake up! Wua~ I'm excited! Kamisama, arigato~
"Akari-cchi I'm ready! Should we head out?" Ryouta said to me after closing the door to his room, which I answered by walking towards the front door and taking out my grey and pink Nike shoes, putting them on and opened the front door. Ryouta followed me swiftly as he grabbed my hand after closing the door, leading me towards the elevator we're using to go down.
We head out of the elevator and started following the road that my feet remember automatically. Ryouta seems to have notice that I am carrying a big brown paper bag by my side and asked, "Ne, Akari-cchi, what's in the bag-ssu? Where are we going-ssu? Why are you looking down-ssu?"
I paid attention to what he's talking about and hold on to the bag he's talking about up in front of my chest, "Ma, ma, Ryou-chan, calm down. Its just flowers, roses, to be exact. We're going to see a special place of mine."
"Then, can I carry your bag, Akari-cchi? It looks heavy and I wanted to be cool in front of you-ssu."
I laughed at his response and gave him the paper bag as we managed to get to the place I mentioned to Ryouta. "Ne, Akari-cchi? Is this really the place?"
I turned my head to Ryouta, who's confused at the place that I'm showing him. "Yes, Ryou-chan, this it the place."
"But it's… A cemetery-ssu."
"It's special. It's where they're sleeping."
"They?"
We went up to the top of the cemetery that was built on a hill. There, on a hill overlooking the sea there was one only one pedestal, named 'Kobayashi'. There lies the pedestal for three people I looked up to, Uncle Hayama, aunt Chiisa, and Sena. I told Ryouta that they're the parents and sibling of Chiza, which made Ryouta startled and asked me what am I doing there.
"Ryou-chan, uncle Hayama and aunt Chiisa was the best people around me when I am still in elementary. While Sena-niisan was what made basketball… come to life… Back then though. They died in a car accident while trying to get to my basketball match, taking Chiza with them. Chiza survives, but her family doesn't. Their ashes were brought here to Japan from the States so that they could reside here. Chiza said that I stole her family from her, making her miserable, making her alone, yet still outranking her in basketball."
I told Ryouta the whole story of Chiza, "Akari-cchi…" Ryouta hugs me and he gave me the flowers meant for the Kobayashi grave. I put the roses in front of the pedestal, saying my prayers to the people that I loved, and said to Ryouta "Thanks for coming with me Ryou-chan."
"It's no problem Akari-cchi, I'm happy that you pick me to come with you rather than the other guys." Ryouta continues his hug to me.
"I'm just sad that Chiza hates me. I-"
"That's right, Akari. I hate you very much."
Ryouta and I heard a voice coming from the direction we came from earlier and we saw a figure walks closer. The rising sun is beginning to reveal its identity. My feet shuddered from the revealed figure and Ryouta leans closer to me as I can't feel my legs anymore. "Akari-cchi!" Ryouta held me up as I'm beginning to lose the strength in my legs.
"Why are you here…"
Ryouta were confused of the way I'm acting, "Who are you?"
"Me?" The girl walks closer towards Ryouta and me, holding a rose bouquet in one hand. "My name is Kobayashi, Shizuka."
-chapter 9 end-
She finally comes forth, what do you think would happen next?
