Chapter 10 - Small Gap
The first day of the week, Makoto arrived early at school. He on the school rooftop, in his hands was a book. The silent morning interupted with loud bang of the opened door.
He closed the book, looking at the person who disturbed his great morning. It's Kazuya.
"The teachers have the meeting now." He noted to him.
Makoto went past him and climbed down the stairs to the meeting room.
Outside of the meeting room, Naomi was waiting for Makoto to be there. By her side was Kojiro. He accompany her.
"He'll be late. You can go in first. He not selfless to think how long other wait for him." Kojiro said in his usual calm voice.
"He'll be here. Just a while." She replied.
His grey orbs looked at her. "What you think of him actually?"
"In which way?" She looked back.
"Everything. You seek for help from him that time. Do you trust him that much?"
She opened her mouth to say something but it seemed she couldn't explain it. Her mouth closed, clenching her hands.
"I-..."
"Hanamiya." Kojiro called his name.
She stopped herself from say it. A few steps of his shoes made clear sound in the silent hallway.
Makoto touched the knob of the door. "Come on. You'll fight that bitch back right now."
She nodded to his phrase. "Yes." A weak smile formed on her face.
As always Naomi is the type that let someone went first. Before she entering the room she paused her steps near Kojiro.
"He is more than a normal friend."
Kojiro leaned on the wall with his eyes close. "I already know it. Thanks."
Naomi will face one of her fear in this room.
Around ten peoples in the meeting room. Her palms sweaty from nervousness. This is not her comfortable surrounding, peoples too focus on her. She didn't like this awareness. There is no other option if she wanted to save Makoto from being suspended from school, and also for the sake the basketball club, they need Makoto in their team.
A mid-age man with few strains grey hair read through a set of paper carefully. He flipped the paper and read the next page. The papers settled down on the coffee table front him.
He looked tensely at Naomi. "Are you really sure Makoto was not the person that hurt you during the time?"
"Yes." She answered.
"If it was not him, who is the real person? Is that person in this room?"
"Yes. It is Kimiko. Also with her friends that not in this room."
The brunette protested. "Hey! Why I involve in this matter? Just tell them it is Hanamiya. I don't have any reason to harm you."
Naomi looked straight into her eyes. She didn't flinch. She need to be brave, even a little, not that she told a lie.
"You have. You like Hanamiya but he rejected your confessesion few days before you meet me. I heard it, he rejected you badly. And from my observation, you must mistaken me for something else to be related to Hanamiya and attacked me since I am the only girl in the club. But you're mistaken, I am there because of my brother. Your jealously lead you into the darkness." She stated boldly.
Kimiko gritted her teeth holding back her anger. She didn't expected Naomi could be like this. She just a weak shy little girl back then. If this going on, she'll fall in her own trap.
Naomi's parents glad to see their daughter could go through this by her own. There no need to afraid. Naomi was doing the right thing.
"Thank you." Makoto said in whisper to Naomi. She tried to hide her blush.
The principal was thinking the evidence in their conversation. He need more to confirm this.
"How about you, Kimiko? Anything to say." He doubted her.
"Of course." She said with confident, hiding the fact she was nervous. Her palms sweaty. "Hanamiya has always be known as 'bad boy' in school. There no doubt that he is the player in this event. He doesn't has nice discipline record. When Naomi went missing, don't you ever think that he threaten her. He also lives alone and to take Naomi with him, there must be a chance he does something bad to her. Or maybe the otherwise, we can't always trust innoncent look girl."
"Damn you!" Makoto almost charged to her. Then his sleeve pulling back by Naomi.
"Calm down. There is no use." She slowly said.
Makoto pulled his arm harshly to make her hands let go his sleeve.
"NO!" Anger obviously on his face. "She foul-mouthed you and you just keep your head down ?!"
"Love-quarrel ?" Kimiko smiled widely to her plan.
The principal hit the table with his palm. Both went silent.
"Now. It's your turn Hanamiya. Prove it that you're not guilty."
"I can't prove anything. But I can tell you what this stupid brunette and her friends did to Naomi in the washroom. She recorded a video but I've threw the memory card and the phone in the toilet. During Naomi missing, I went to see her to ask her to help me clear my name from the thing I didn't do. But I came in wrong time, she had problem with her family and it had solve. I've told you everything I know and I can't accept it if the real person who harm her don't get punishment."
The principal taped his fingers on the table.
"Wait outside. I need to discuss it first."
During waiting outside of the room, Makoto separated Naomi away from Kimiko. He also didn't bothered to talk with the girl anymore. Naomi had trying her best, he couldn't destroyed her effort.
Ten minutes passed, a teacher called them in.
The principal keep his serious look. "We have reach our agreement. With your explanation, it's not good enough so we add more evidences that we heard from the students. I'm sorry though to say this."
There was short silent. "Kimiko alongside the students who with her will get suspend from school. For Hanamiya, you can come to school normally and lead your basketball club again. Thank you for your cooperation. Dismiss."
Kimiko's parents that came obviously embrassed with their daughter. They went out of the room with silent.
Makoto and Naomi went to the gym after a long time. Kojiro was in charge to be a sub-captain because Seto just too lazy and sleeping somewhere in the gym hall.
" Yo, Hanamiya! " Seto woke up when he heard the door opened and saw them.
"Naomi-chan! You're back!" The orange headed shouted out excitedly.
"Get away from my sister." Kojiro demanded boldly almost shout.
"Aww~ You totally have sister complex. I've said so." Kazuya teased.
Kojiro didn't say anything but gave him a glare.
"Nice to meet you all." Naomi greeted happily but blushing at the same time since they not meet each other for a while so it a bit uncomfortable.
Makoto just walked out from the change room with his jersey on. With mischievous smile he said, "Now, welcome to the hell of training. Don't think I'll be lovey dovey because I just come back."
"No..." Some of them whined.
"20 rounds! Now!"
"You need to tell her." Kojiro said to Makoto.
They just finished their training. Kojiro started a conversation while they were sitting far away from other.
"What? No way. Why you think that?" Makoto questioned him back.
"Just to remind you that I'm not blood-related to her. I can be your rival." He answered with monotone voice yet dead glaring look.
"I'll think on it. "
"Don't wait too long. I'm okay if it's you but not that creepy Toõ's."
"Oh. You mean Imayoshi. He scared me off during our dinner before. His look could kill me."
Kojiro stood up from the bench. "I want to take a shower before going home." He walked away. "And I think it's okay for both of you. I approve it. Get her now before I take her back and you'll regret it."
"Wait!" Kojiro looked back when Makoto called.
"I'll walk her home today." Makoto said with monotone yet a small blush formed on his cheeks. Luckily his hair helped to cover the blush.
Kojiro nodded in reply. As he went to the bathroom, his lips curved upward, smiling.
Kojiro spotted a man wearing red-black sweater was waiting front just beside the schoolgate. He also saw Kojiro and responded walks towards him.
"What do you want here? It's annoying to see Toõ's here." Kojiro monotonely said stating at Shoichi's jacket.
He chuckled. "Not like it'll cause you any trouble. You seem never to like me as always."
"I admit that. Who'll like a two-faced fox like you? "
"Fox? That's great too. I love fox." Shoichi looked sharply into his eyes. "Especially cute little fox. Your sister is that type right. Innoncent and pure."
Kojiro didn't feels threaten with his words.
"My sister isn't a liar fox like you. She's a butterfly. Unfortunately for you, a spider wants her too." Kojiro smirked and walked to his way.
Shoichi clenched his fist. He didn't wait for Naomi to walk out from the school since he felt something happen.
Running towards the school's gym hoping that his nightmare will not be true. He wouldn't lose her after all this time he waiting for to get her and now someone wanted to steal it from him. His heart beated faster than ever from the running and frightening.
He stopped when he saw Naomi, almost smiling. But his smile disappeared just in a second.
Everyone has going back earlier than usual. Normally Kojiro will wait for her before going back but today he missing in a second. Then she spotted Makoto near the gym entrance.
"Ha-Hanamiya-senpai." She called him.
"You're a bit late so Kojiro told me to send you home. He get some important thing to do." He answered the unspoken question in her mind.
"O-Okay..." She felt awkward to walk with him.
They walked side by side to the bus stop not far from there. Makoto didn't like the silentness. He started a normal conversation with her.
"Hmm... Naomi. Furuhashi... I mean Kojiro. He told once you afraid of men. Why?" He asked her, remembering their first meeting.
"Is it matter ?"
"No. Don't answer it if you don't want to."
"It's okay. I just too shy to face new peoples especially when they're the opposite gender than me. But now I'm okay with the team, it does takes time but I can communicate with them without stuttering." She smiled on her improving. "And thank you, Hanamiya-senpai. Because of you I be able to confront her for my own right."
"You're welcome." He smiled too, a small smile.
"Ah! I owe you before during I ran away from hospital. What should I do for it?"
He smirked. " You told me like you trust me so much that I wouldn't make you do something dangerous to you."
Her eyes sadden. "So you want me to do something dangerous? Like jump off from building to building?"
"Why you're so innoncent minded?" He sighed.
The bus arrived exactly when they reached the bus stop. They continued their conversation after getting their sit. Luckily, they still got sit side by side.
"Tell me. I don't want to owe you for a long time. I'll feel guilty for it."
"I'll tell you later. Just wait a little bit." He smirked to see her curious face when wanting an answer. It's cute.
The bus arrived on their destination. They started walking again.
They exactly in front of Furuhashi's house.
"Thank you for walk me home this far." She bowed before heading home.
Makoto held her arm. "Did you forget your deal with me?"
"I'm sorry! " Makoto chuckled to her sudden almost cry-apologize face.
He gestured her to come near to him. She just walked until their gap make Naomi need to look up to see him.
"You're pretty innoncent don't you? " Naomi gave him questioning look.
He continued. "Listen. This weekend meet me at 9. I'll message the place. And do you like someone? Not normal like, I mean like love."
Naomi blushed madly. Then she remembered their position and her feeling. She backed suddenly and covered her red cherry face with bot her hands.
"I-I..." She peeked through her hands and saw Makoto smile to her reaction.
He walked to her and hold her hands away from her face. It was obviously red. She couldn't look at his eyes after what he saying.
"You really love me. It's true. I need to trust Furuhashi next time." He chuckled.
"Kojiro-nii told you.A-aaa... I'm sorry." She tears a bit. She afraid if he will get angry towards her to like him.
"Why I invite you to date if I get angry? "
"You don't?"
"No. I'm really angry." He teased her.
"You do." She cried.
"I'll punish you for it." He smirked.
"B-But..."
She saw him leaning closer. His lips softly touched hers. The feeling is different from her first kiss. She felt to kiss back.
And she did.
Makoto thought of it as approvement as he kiss her deeper and held her head. When Naomi pushed his chest, he broke the kiss.
"Hanamiya-senpai, you almost make me drown and my spine break." She whined and teared at the same time.
"I can make more than that if you get marry with me." He gave a seductive smirk.
She blushed understand what he means.
"We'll meet again tomorrow." He noted to her that half-conscious after that kiss.
"A-ah, yes!" She almost shouted because of the realization. "Thank you. I'll going in for now. Be ca-careful on your way home, Ha-Hanami..."
He held her face near him. She could felt his breath. Her face become redder.
"Just Makoto. If you call me other than thar, I don't know what I'm get to do to you." He warned with a smile on his face.
"Y-Yes, I will."
"I'll remember your promise."
He pushed her back softly to her door house. She knocked the door and revealed Kojiro opening the door. He saw Makoto few steps away from them was waving to him and walked away.
Looking down her short sister, he could see what had happening between them. Her peach skin turned red like cherry. She might be blushing so bad.
"Welcome back."
They walked in and closed the door.
Kojiro wondered Shoichi next step. He needed to be more cautious as Shoichi can be unexpected.
I did it lastly another chapter. I'm pretty busy with my school life. I don't think I can end this story early, it can take until next year. I promise to update 2-3months once but I failed. I'm so sorry.
I can't promise when the next chapter will be update but I'll try my best.