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逃亡皇后
ーThe Runaway Empressー
by Amanozako-hime
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第11章
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— 日曜日 (20xx年1月17日) —
** Tokyo, Japan **
東京、日本
"Akumicchi! Over here!" Kise waved at the newcomer, and heads turned as everyone in the café looked at the person that had earned the model's attention. A girl with chartreuse hair wearing a gray sweater over black leggings and black boots was smiling pleasantly at the beaming blond, and everyone wondered if she was Kise's girlfriend.
"You're the popular one, do you know that?" she quipped as she sat across Kise, her hand waving a waiter over to their table. She scanned the menu, and Kise followed suit. "Mind keeping it down? I don't want to attract attention."
Kise smiled in his usual carefree way. "Don't worry, Akumicchi! I'll protect you!"
She hummed. "How chivalrous of you~"
"I'm sure you can scare them off if they got too close."
She raised a brow in amusement, then informed the waiter of her choices. "I'll have a mocha frappe and red velvet cake."
"Cappuccino and black forest cake for me!"
The waiter bowed before leaving to get their orders, and Kise found himself staring at the girl before him, his face in his hand, while the chartreusette was busy looking at the people outside through the glass wall of the cafeteria.
Akumicchi is like a doll, he thought absentmindedly, taking in Kimiko's face with her captivating eyes with bewitching golden depths, her long eyelashes that brushes against her rosy cheeks whenever she blinks, her delicate nose, and her pink lips that looks oh so delectably attractive especially when she smiles...
"Beautiful...," he murmured. The girl heard him though and she turned to face him, eyes lit in wonder.
"You were saying, Ryouta?" she asked, and Kise still finds it a bit disconcerting that this new Kimiko was a tad nicer and more mellow than the one he knew from middle school. Not that he was complaining.
Maybe it comes with growing up, he reasoned.
"Nothing, Akumicchi!" he replied with a grin. "Ne, Akumicchi, I am really happy that you are here with me right now."
She stared at him for a moment, then blinked once, twice, before mirroring Kise's position, resting her chin on the back of her hand. Kise had this stupid grin on his face, like he was trying to stop himself from smiling wider, if that was even possible. "You look like an idiot right now."
"Akumicchi!"
She laughed. "I'm happy as well. There's not a single day that I didn't thought of you guys when I was in France."
"So does that makes me special to Akumicchi?" Kise asked excitedly.
Kimiko's lips quirked in a half-smile. Kise really acts like a child. "Of course. You all are. You're like a younger brother to me, regardless of the height difference. I don't know, I just have this tendency to always look out for you."
Kise managed to hide his disappointment pretty well. Since the first time he met the chartreusette, he already wanted to be the one for her. However, he had been a year too late - someone had already managed to lay claim to her heart without her knowing.
"Aww, Akumicchi is so sweet ~!" he said, smiling despite the pain in his chest.
Just then, the waiter returned with their food, and the two talked about Kaijou's ex-captain. Kise told her everything he knew about Kasamatsu, which was a lot — to the point that Kimiko eyed him suspiciously.
"You sure you're not stalking him?"
"I do not! I'm just — observant! Yeah, that's it! I'm just observant!"
"Alright, alright, if you say so," she drawled, not believing him.
"Akumicchi, you have something on your —" Kise placed his fork down and with his thumb, he wiped the icing on the corner of her lips. "There! Gone now!"
"You could have just told me," Kimiko said.
"Hmm, can I have a bite, Akumicchi?" Kise asked, eyeing her red velvet with obvious interest.
"Yeah, sure." And saying that, she surprised him when she took a forkful of her cake with her and offered to him. "Here, say 'Aah!'"
Kise leaned in and let her feed him. He savored the sweetness of it, and closed his eyes in bliss. We're acting like a real couple, he realized, but he tried his best to not let it get to him. How can I ever let go of these unrequited feelings?
"So, how about a new guitar, then? An acoustic?" she suggested. "You've mentioned that his guitar was a bit old. Let's get him a new one."
The two went to a music shop that Kise had visited once with Kasamatsu when Kaijou's captain bought new strings for his guitar. They headed to where several acoustic guitars are on display and Kise's eyes sparkled when he remembered that Kasamatsu had been eyeing one in a metallic blue color that time.
"Akumicchi, I think this one would be perfect," he said, pointing to said guitar. Kimiko smiled. Indeed, the guitar's color was nice.
"If you say so. Get it then, and let's pay up."
Kimiko included a capo and an extra set of strings and Kise went up and paid for it. It cost him quite a fortune but the blond didn't mind; he can always earn that back easily with his part-time job as a model.
As they waited for a cab, Kise suddenly had an idea. "Akumicchi, are you free next Sunday?"
"Yes. Why?"
"Wanna go with me to a photo shoot?"
Her eyes brightened. It was her turn to get excited. "Really?"
Kise laughed. "Hai! Really. I'll pick you up?"
"What time?"
"Around seven in the morning. The shoot starts at 8:30 but if we go early, I'll give you a tour and introduce you to my manager."
"Sure!"
On the ride back home, both had smiles on their faces — one from excitement of seeing how the other's workplace looks like, and the other from excitement of getting to spend more time with the other.
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— 水曜日 (20xx年1月20日) —
** Tokyo, Japan **
東京、日本
It was Wednesday, and Kimiko had nothing to do in her house but to mope around with nothing to do. Yesterday she'd gone to Teikou to check things up with her "students" and she was glad to know that they were all doing fine. However, they don't have practice today due to some school meeting and thus, she has no reason to go to Teikou today. She tossed and turned in her bed.
"What to do, what to do..." she grumbled, lying face down on the soft mattress.
Her phone beeped and she reached for the device on top of the pillow. Her movements were lethargic as she slid open the screen lock with a swipe of her hand and read the message.
[From: Himuro Tatsuya]
10:16AM: Good morning, Akumi.
Kimiko rolled over and smiled as she read the message. She reached out for a pillow and placed it above her stomach as she typed a reply to Himuro.
[To: Himuro Tatsuya]
10:17AM: Ohayou, Tatsuya.
She pressed 'Send' and a few minutes later, he replied.
[From: Himuro Tatsuya]
10:19AM: Are you free this Sunday?
"Hmm? Why would he—" she raised an eyebrow. Her fingers were already typing her reply. She wondered out loud, "He's not asking me on a date, is he?"
[To: Himuro Tatsuya]
10:19AM: I have someplace to go this Sunday. Why do you ask?
[From: Himuro Tatsuya]
10:20AM: I was thinking of inviting you out for a dinner or a movie together, if that's fine with you. How about Saturday?
"Dinner? Movie?" she read out loud. "Hmm, well, he's a nice guy, though. No harm in going out with him to eat ..." She remembered being asked out countless of times back in middle school, however, all of those ended in one of the Miracles or Nijimura scaring out the poor guy for life.
Thanks to them, she was pretty much single in all her years in middle school.
Eh, but I had him back then... she thought, only to shake her head to stop herself from reminiscing.
[To: Himuro Tatsuya]
10:21AM: Sure. We can go out this Saturday. Just tell me when and where.]
[From: Himuro Tatsuya]
10:21AM: I'll get you from your house after lunch. Movie first, then we'll eat out. Is that okay with you?
[To: Himuro Tatsuya]
10:23AM: Yep. I guess you're staying in Tokyo this weekend?]
[From: Himuro Tatsuya]
10:24AM: Yeah. At a friend's house, so you don't have to worry about me getting home late. :P
She giggled at the cheeky comment. "Idiot," she mumbled.
[To: Himuro Tatsuya]
10:25AM: Hmp. Fine. See you Saturday ^_^
[To: Himuro Tatsuya]
10:25AM: Thanks. Gotta go, break's over. Saturday, then :)
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** Akita, Japan **
秋田、日本
It was currently the fifteen-minute break and Murasakibara had caught up with his partner in the cafeteria. However, said partner was not really eating his snack but was busy texting someone and grinning all the while, which was very uncharacteristic of him. Disturbed, Murasakibara cannot help but say, "Muro-chin, stop smiling like that. You look like an idiot."
Himuro glared at the purple giant beside him at the cafeteria and pocketed his phone. "What are you talking about, Atsushi?"
Murakibara frowned at Himuro's retreating form. Muro-chin is being weird.
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** Tokyo, Japan **
東京、日本
"So where to go? Shutoku or Seirin?" Kimiko wandered around Tokyo, and her feet led her to a certain green-haired Oha-Asa follower. It was late afternoon; classes were already out, and several students on their way out stared at the chartreusette as she went the opposite way. The gym was easy to spot since it was huge one. As she neared the door, she can hear the shouts of the club members and the squeaks of their shoes as they did their warm-ups, followed by a dribbling sound and the swish of the ball through the net.
"Kimi-chan?" A voice spoke behind her, and she stopped and turned, surprised.
"Kazunari!"
Takao grinned at her. "Nice to see you again, Kimi-chan! You're visiting Shin-chan?"
Kimiko nodded. "Yeah, thought I'd drop by since I was in the vicinity."
"Then let's go!" Takao led the way to the gym, then he stopped at the door and called out in a loud voice.
"Shin-chan, Kimi-chan's here to see you!"
Midorima, who was in the process of shooting one of his famous high projectile three's, released the ball too early due to Takao's shout, causing it to graze the ring before falling right in. His eye twitched in irritation. He turned to glare at the chuckling hawk.
"Takao!"
"That's the first time I saw that happen to your shot, Shintarou. So this guy here is the one who can make the great shooter to miss his shot?"
Midorima blinked. "Akumi... What are you doing here?"
Before they could continue their conversation, Miyaji passed by him and smacked his head, causing his glasses to get askew. "Talk to your girlfriend later, Midorima! And you too, Takao! You're late! Get to practice! She can watch from the bleachers."
Kimiko could hardly contain her laughter. The look on Midorima's face was priceless! Takao was laughing manically beside her, and she elbowed him lightly.
"Get going, you idiot!" she whispered harshly, and that stopped the boy from his laughing fest. Midorima had already turned his back to them and was talking to Miyaji, probably clearing things up. Takao apologized to her then went to the side of the court and did his own warm-ups before joining Midorima. Kimiko watched them from above and noticed how close the two were to one another. Their plays were perfectly in sync. And it was there that she saw the move that Midorima and Takao used against Akashi during the Winter Cup.
"Amazing," she said to herself. "So that Takao is skilled in passing and a wide field of vision, too. An excellent point-guard..."
Down on the court, Midorima overheard someone say, "Midorima-san's girlfriend is beautiful, ne?"
Takao chuckled at his partner's expression. "What's with the face, Shin-chan?"
"Tsk. Miyaji-senpai just had to open his loud mouth and say that Akumi is my girlfriend. And now everyone in the club thinks the same thing."
Takao slapped him on the back, earning a glare from the ace. "You look pretty cute together, though. And you're pretty close if you're on a first-name basis."
"S-shut up, Takao." Midorima then added, "And Akumi insists on calling her by her first name."
"Eh? Is Shin-chan blushing?" Takao stood on tiptoes and brought his face closer to Midorima's flustered one, causing Midorima to blush even more.
"Get away, Takao!" He shoved the ball he was carrying to Takao's hands and jogged away to the other end of the court, leaving the raven-head confused at his reaction.
What's with him? he thought as he dribbled the ball and ran towards the green-head, who went into his shooting motion, and Takao passed the ball smoothly into his waiting hands. Midorima caught the ball mid-air and shot a graceful three.
Above them, Kimiko smiled mischievously. "Oh my, is that love I see?" She snickered when Midorima automatically held out his hand to receive Takao's high-five. "Hmm, never thought I'd see the day that Shintarou finds his partner," she mused, looking down at Shutoku's very own light-and-shadow duo.
A small smile formed on her lips. "They're doing fine... I'm glad."
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