A/N: Here's a long chapter to make up for the previous short one.
Very much appreciated all your reviews! Muito Obrigado!
Chapter 14: Armistice
The Shohoku team was in high spirits as they exited the stadium, basking in the afterglow of winning their first match. The players were chatting amiably, fervently discussing what transpired at today's game.
Third year student Yasuda, paused his conversation with one of the freshmen, and looked around, realizing that something was amiss. Amidst all the excitement- the loud, obnoxious voice of a certain redhead seems to be missing.
It dawned on him that he hasn't heard the redhead make any announcement of how his excellent performance during the game paved the way for their team's victory. He never passed an opportunity to brag about how much of a genius he is. Yasuda's eyes found Sakuragi, whose standing still and staring into space while wearing a stupid grin on his face. After a while, Yasuda shook his head and resumes his conversation, knowing very well that Sakuragi was not one to remain silent for long.
xxxxx
'This must be what heaven feels like.'
Sakuragi was on cloud nine. He felt like he was floating on air. His cheeks hurt from grinning too much but he found that he didn't give a damn. He was blissfully happy.
And why wouldn't he? He did great in the game.
'No', he pondered, shaking his head in disagreement. 'The word great is not enough to describe my performance. I was fantastic, magnificent,awesome…' He then filled his thoughts with a myriad of compliments meant solely for him. '…impressive,impemcable -er, impaca – er, what's that word again?... Ah never mind, I am definitely a genius!'
A hand on his shoulder broke his reverie. Sakuragi turned around and came face to face with a smirking Ohkusu. "You sure are one lucky guy, Hanamichi." His blonde-haired friend informed him. Before he can demand an explanation from Ohkusu, Takamiya suddenly butted in.
"Totally!" The portly guy exclaimed, "What are the odds that you, my friend, will not get a single foul from the game? Can you believe that?"
Noma joined in the teasing, raising both hands heavenwards. "For once, fate was working in your favour."
Sakuragi's elation quickly turned to indignation. How dare these commoners make fun of the Tensai? Those who attempt to ridicule him ended up with a beating of their lifetime.
And that's how the three find themselves soaring to the sky with their mangled faces after receiving a deadly kick from the fiery redhead.
Mito, who wisely kept his mouth shut merely shrugged his shoulders indifferently.
"Good riddance!" Sakuragi announced while dusting off his hands.
The first year players, who were still getting familiarize with the redhead's antics, gaped at him with their mouths hanging open.
"Ah, It's such a shame Haruko-chan was unable to witness my spectacular, jaw dropping basketball moves during the game."
"Not to worry, Sakuragi-kun. I've recorded today's game." Fellow sophomore Kentaro Iishi informed him. He never got a chance to play in a real game from the previous year, but for today's match with Yokosuka, Coach Anzai decided to include him. Even though he was called in during the latter part of the game, Iishi was still grateful for the experience.
Upon hearing this vital piece of information, a huge smile broke across Sakuragi's face."Really, Megane-kun? Why didn't you say so before?" He darted towards the bespectacled player to grab the camcorder from him.
Not long after, Ayako together with Ryota, exited the stadium. Clad in white shirt and jeans and wearing her cap backwards, (as always) Ayako praised the team for their brilliant performance.
"Nyahaha! As long as genius Hanamichi Sakuragi is here, we're going to be victorious!"
"He thinks he's so great." Rukawa muttered from the sidelines.
Glaring at his arch enemy, the redhead mockingly asked him, "By the way, how did the winter tournament go? Ya know, the one where you went without this genius' talent and skills?"
Rukawa scowled back at him, extremely pissed off to be reminded again of their failure to claim the winter cup.
Sensing the tension, Ayako quickly interfered. "Hey! You two! No fighting, okay? We just had our first taste of victory. And this day calls for a celebration. Don't you agree, boys?"
The players around her shouted agreement.
"Here's the good news. Coach Anzai was feeling exceptionally generous so he decided to shoulder the expenses for today's dinner. Yay! Isn't it fantastic?" Ayako said, excitedly moving her arms around.
Cheers erupted from the team, thrilled beyond measure at the prospect of free food.
"Did anyone say free food?" Takamiya asked, suddenly appearing out of nowhere.
Before Sakuragi could beat the gluttonous Takamiya again, Mito grabbed the latter roughly by the arm and began dragging him away from the group. They couldn't hear what Mito was saying as his voice was drowned out by the portly guy's loud protests.
As soon as the two were out of sight, Ayako turned her attention back to the group. "So, what do you guys like for dinner?"
She belatedly realized that asking that particular question was not a really good idea. All at once, the players started arguing – well, it was mostly Sakuragi and Ryota with Rukawa adding insults every so often to the redhead's choice of food.
They were busy arguing among each other when Ryonan's players arrived at the scene.
"Darn! We miss the game!" Hikoichi Aida's high-pitched voice interrupted the trio's petty squabble.
Upon seeing their rival's team, Sakuragi and Rukawa immediately went into defensive stance. Narrowing his eyes, Sakuragi threw a menacing glare at them – directed mostly to Ryonan's ace player, Sendoh Akira.
The redhead stepped towards them, crossing his arms over his chest. "What is Ryonan doing here? Have you come to spy on this Tensai?"
"Spy on you? You make me laugh." said Ryonan's assistant captain, Hiroaki Koshino, who was obviously miffed at Sakuragi's arrogant claim.
"Yep. He's the court jester, alright!" Noma gushed as he landed on Sakuragi's head after his not so brief exploration of the Kanagawa skies.
"Get the hell out of here!" Sakuragi bellowed as he kicked him, sending Noma flying back to the azure sky.
Sendoh let out a low whistle at the redhead's display of strength. "I see you're back in good shape, Sakuragi."
The spiky haired boy's remark had Sakuragi's ears perking up. "Of course, pineapple head! No injury could stop me from beating your scrawny butt."
Sendoh simply laughed at his comment. "I'm glad to see you still have your sense of humor after rehab."
"There is no cure to his delusions." Rukawa interjected, much to Sakuragi's ire.
"Guys, please." Ayako pleaded. "Can we go for just a few hours without you two at each other's throats?"
Noticing her exasperation, Ryota came to her rescue at once. "Enough of that, you two. We're supposed to be chilling. Don't ruin the team's celebratory mood."
"Oh, so you won against Yokosuka?"
Ryota nodded his head at Hikoichi's query.
The smaller boy shook his head in disappointment. "Darn it, I really want to see Sakuragi-kun play again after his injury."
"There's really nothing to see."
"Shut up, you stinky fox!"
Ryota sigh in defeat. Those two are just hopeless. Trying to act nonchalant, he turned to Sendoh to inquire on their match against Takezato. It came really as a no surprise to him to learn that Ryonan came out as the victor, especially with a brilliant player like Sendoh on their side.
"The team are also going to dine out to celebrate our very first winning." Ryota heard Hikoichi said to Ayako.
"Oh really? Where are you guys planning to have your celebration?"
"Actually, we were thinking of going to Captain Uozumi's restaurant. Have you heard, he's a chef now, and he's really pretty good at making sushi and stuff."
"That's good to hear." Ayako responded amiably.
"Why don't you join us?" Hikoichi then asked out of the blue.
"What?!" A dozen voices cried out in unison.
"Are you mental?" Koshino sputtered, shaking the younger boy by the shoulders. But Ayako's response had him questioning her sanity.
"Why not? I think it's a nice idea. Despite our school being opponents in the basketball court, Ryonan had assisted Shohoku during the match against Kainan. And I've always regarded Ryonan as a friendly rival." Ayako stated, causing several shocked faces from both teams.
"What do you think, Miyagi?"
As soon as they heard Ayako questioned their captain using that sickeningly sweet voice of hers, the Shohoku team immediately knew it was a lost cause. He was terribly putty in her hands.
"I'm craving for some sushi." Ryota answered dazedly.
Ayako turned to look at Sendoh."What say you, Ryonan's Captain?"
A slow smile appeared on his face.
"Considered this a truce then. An armistice of sort."
xxxxx
Mizuki gritted her teeth in frustration, her patience wearing thin. She couldn't count the number of times she had tumbled into an ungraceful heap on the floor because of some hyperactive kids who enjoys pushing her so they could watch her lose her balance. Giggles erupted once again as she flails her arms and legs helplessly, unable to pull herself up. Under other circumstances, she wouldn't hesitate to use force in order to teach these young punks better manners, but right now, her current predicament had prevented her from doing so. Wearing a mammoth size onigiri mascot head weighing 20 pounds is such a physically demanding task, not to mention that it's messing with her already poor coordination.
She should have bolted out the door the moment her boss' son suggested the mascot idea. He said that it would surely attract more patrons if there is an adorable mascot guarding the restaurant's entryway. She did not fail to notice the evil glint in his eyes and knew right away what fate awaited her.
Ten minutes later, Mizuki found herself wobbling outside the restaurant, donning a ridiculous looking and humongous triangular shape onigiri on her head. Her monkey of a boss even had the gall to advise her not to remove the costume as she looks much better on it. She bit back the retort that he should be the one wearing it as she was certain that it was his menacing looks that drives away customers.
Finally back up on her feet after a lengthy struggle with the hefty costume, Mizuki felt her temper rising and a furious growl emanated from her throat. She was seconds away from throwing the damn thing off her head onto the ground when she heard the unmistakable sound of Sakuragi's booming laugh.
She stood motionless, surprised at his unexpected arrival. 'What is he doing here? I thought he's going to play pachinko with the gang after the game.' Quickly assuming that her cousin Mito is with him, panic gripped her and she looked around for a place to hide.
Initially, her uncle opposed to her having a part time job, explaining that she should just focus on her studies. She insists that she wants to help with the finances and her aunt, reading what's on her mind, gently assures her that she's not a burden to the family. But still, she kept on pleading with them, until her uncle finally relented.
She didn't exactly keep her part time job a secret from the gang, but she didn't make any attempt to inform them either. Her job at the restaurant had just started a few days ago and she wanted some peace and quiet while she's at work. Knowing them, they would probably barge into the restaurant the moment they discovered her whereabouts. They simply enjoy disturbing her, and she doesn't want to get distracted by them so she continued to be mum about the subject. Heaven knows she's got a lot of things on her mind these days.
She knew that they will eventually found out but she didn't expect it to happen sooner, especially now that things were still awkward between her and Mito. And it just have to happened today of all days - when she have to play the essential role of the delectable onigiri.
Dang. She hated being caught unprepared.
The voices were getting closer now, but Mizuki remained frozen on the spot, uncertain what to do. But then, she remembered that she didn't have to hide from them, since they would certainly not recognize her beneath the hideous attire she had no choice but to wear. All she had to do was carry on with what she was doing - portraying the appearance of an adorable mascot.
And getting pushed around by several hyperactive kids.
Mizuki let out a yelp as the ground gave way under her feet, sending her tumbling backward once again.
Her plan to go unnoticed instantly went out the window, as she only managed to draw more attention to herself. The kids surrounding her laughed loudly, immensely enjoying their little game of who gets to knock down the mascot.
"OI! What do you little punks think you are doing?!" Sakuragi's deafening voice immediately ceased their laughter.
Despite herself, Mizuki smiled. Contrary to popular opinion, Sakuragi actually have a big heart. He may act brash and uncouth, but he doesn't tolerate ill-treatment and abuse on defenseless individuals.
Mizuki remained lying on the ground, staring at the clouds above her as she listened to Sakuragi reprimanding the little rascals.
Just then, a shadow fell over her, obstructing her view.
"Hey. Are you ok in there?" said the shadowed figure.
Mizuki watched through her costume's peep hole as a tall guy with spiky hair offered his hand to help her up.
"Whoah! What is this stuff made of? Weighs like a ton!" The spiky haired boy joked as he struggles to lift her amidst her bulky costume.
"Here, lemme help you, Sendoh-Senpai" An overly eager voice chimed in.
"Thanks, Hikoichi." Together, they raised her up and set her back on her feet.
Grateful for their assistance, Mizuki expressed her thanks by a slight bow and a single hand in front. She repeated the gestures as she waited for them to leave, thinking that they were only passing by.
To her disappointment, the two guys decided to stick around for a chat.
"Oh man, that was a nasty fall. Are you sure you're not hurt?" Mizuki felt her cheeks burned with more than embarrassment as she stared at the guy named Sendoh. "What an eye candy,"was her thought as she finally got a good look at him. Her initial dislike to her costume turned to gratitude as it allowed her to conceal her reactions, mainly from gawking unabashedly at mister nice guy standing in front of her.
Realizing that he was waiting for her response, she nodded her head vigorously and made a thumb up sign. Sendoh flashed her a smile that left her dazed.
"You idiot!"
Boss monkey's booming voice broke her out of her stupor. For a second, Mizuki thought that his wrath was aimed towards her, but when he moved past her, she instantly identifies the person to whom his fury was directed. She wobbled after her boss, trying to prevent the bloodbath that would likely occur knowing that both men had such a fiery temper. Her steps faltered when she heard Boss monkey called out Sakuragi's name.
'Wait. They knew each other?' She silently wondered.
Jun Uozumi, the captain of the Ryonan High School basketball team turned chef, was busy working in the kitchen when one of his staff nervously informed him that there was a commotion outside. Pissed that some troublemaker dares to disturb him while he's currently engrossed with his sushi making, he quickly went outside to investigate. And he cannot believe his eyes when he saw a tall guy with red hair terrorizing some kid.
'What the heck?!'
Uozumi only knew of one person with red hair.
He hasn't seen Sakuragi since the game with Kainan, and it seems that the redhead hasn't changed at all - he's still a hot headed nuisance.
"You idiot!" He bellowed.
With smoke coming out from his ears, Uozumi quickly ran towards the redheaded buffoon and grabbed him by the back of his collar and hurl him to the ground.
"Why don't you pick someone with your own size?" Uozumi barked as he glared down at Sakuragi who's currently sprawled on the pavement.
Not anticipating an attack, Sakuragi fell face first. Immediately, he saw red and felt his blood boiling. "Who dares attack this Tensai?!" He got up on his feet and swung his right fist onto his assailant's face. But unlike him, his 'attacker' anticipated his move and dodges his punch.
"Seriously? Is that the best you got?" Uozumi crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes taunting him.
Sakuragi was about to throw another right hook but his fist stopped mid-air when he recognized the person who's stupid enough to provoke him.
The redhead blinked numerous times before muttering, "King of the Apes?"
Uozumi's eyebrows began to twitch.
Sakuragi grinned, all the animosity dissipated. He reached over and repeatedly taps the older guy's shoulder. "Nice to see you again, Monkey King!"
At Sakuragi's remark, a cross popping vein appeared on Uozumi's forehead. Oblivious to the dark aura exuding from the latter, Sakuragi continue talking. "By the way, what's with the ensemble?" He asked, eyeing the taller guy from head to toe. The redhead let out a snicker before adding, "The color white doesn't suit you at all!"
Multiple tick marks pop up from the back of Uozumi's head.
Standing a few feet behind them, Mizuki sweat dropped. Dozens of vertical lines with dark shading appeared under her eyes, mortified beyond doubt at Sakuragi's lack of tact.
A sense of dread filled her as she cast a glance at her superior. She was sure the look on Uozumi's face was enough to give her nightmares for months.
But Sakuragi wasn't the least bit perturbed as he kept on talking. "Should I call you the Great White Monkey then? All Hail the – oomph!"
Not knowing what else to do, Mizuki rapidly approached him and clamped her large gloved hands over Sakuragi's mouth to prevent him from further aggravating Uozumi and to protect her friend from her boss' fury.
"Hey! What's the big idea?!" Sakuragi yelled, swatting the offending hands away from his face. Irritated that someone rudely interrupted him, he turned around to glare at the mascot. "I just saved your butt a while ago."
Mizuki held up both hands in a placating gesture. Having his attention diverted from Uozumi, Sakuragi failed to notice the dark atmosphere emanating from behind him. A furious growl was heard.
"SAKURAGI….."
"Eh?" was the redhead's reply when he heard his name. Slowly, he turned around and almost had a heart attack when he saw the enraged look on the ex-captain's face. Towering over him, Uozumi's face was filled with throbbing cross popping veins, his mouth contorted on a vicious scowl baring sharp jagged teeth.
Unconsciously, Sakuragi took a step back. He glanced at Sendoh and mumbled something about their Captain Monkey being possessed.
Before Uozumi could beat the tactless redhead to a pulp, Sendoh leapt into the scene and slung his right arm around his former team Captain's shoulder.
"Ah, Uozumi-senpai. I was just telling the guys of Shohoku what a great chef you've become. " Sendoh informed him with a lazy smile, nodding his head towards the direction of a group of people standing a few feet away.
'Did she just hear him mention Shohoku?' Mizuki thought incredulously. In spite of the cool spring weather, she found herself perspiring profusely beneath her oversize onigiri costume. It felt like she's been in a sauna for hours. Slowly, Mizuki turned around, and sure enough, almost the entire team of Shohoku basketball players were there, watching the ruckus before them with varied expressions.
Didn't she just mention earlier that she hated being caught unprepared?
'This can't be happening.' She sighed. She knew that there's no reason to be ashamed, but she can't help feeling self-conscious, well aware that Rukawa was one of the audience.
Ryonan's former captain, Jun Uozumi, was excessively distracted with Sakuragi that he failed to notice Sendoh and the rest of the players. The sudden presence of his former teammate completely caught him by surprise. When Sendoh's words finally registered in Uozumi's mind, he threw the spiky-haired boy an incredulous look as if to say, "Why are you fraternizing with the enemy?"
Sendoh simply grinned and shrugged. Stepping closer, Hikoichi took the initiative to explain the situation to his upperclassman.
"- so both teams agreed to disregard the rivalry for now and celebrate the two school's victory in the preliminary game." Hikoichi finished saying.
"Whose stupid idea was that?" Uozumi growled at the younger teen.
Too stunned to speak, Hikoichi took a step back, conspicuously hiding behind Sendoh.
Ryota, whose stomach was grumbling for food, decided to join in the conversation. "Uozumi-senpai, it's good to see you again. How are you doing?"
Uozumi eyed the curly haired boy wearing sunglasses suspiciously before replying, "I was doing extremely well until that idiot ruined it."
"Hey, who are you calling an idi-ooommpph!" Ryota roughly elbowed Sakuragi's ribs, effectively shutting him up. Before the redhead could make any nasty remark, Ayako quickly stepped in and pulled him by the ears, dragging him away from Uozumi.
"As the team captain of Shohoku, I deeply apologized for Sakuragi's rude behaviour towards you. But, I also want to point out that he was simply trying to protect your co-worker from being bullied by those kids." Ryota explained as he pointed his thumb towards Mizuki. "That's your mascot, right?"
Uozumi nodded, his mouth set into a thin line.
"Anyway," Ryota continued, " Sakuragi maybe reckless, foul-tempered –
"Idiot," Rukawa interjected.
"Yeah, that too." Ryota said, nodding his head in agreement.
"HEY!"
"Loud-mouthed," someone from Ryonan's team piped up.
"Uncouth," another one commented.
"Barbaric- ouch!" Sakuragi escaped Ayako's grasp and choked one of the players whose bad mouthing him.
"Yes,yes, he's all of that. But you cannot deny that what Sakuragi did a while ago was absolutely heroic."
'Upon hearing Ryota's praise, Sakuragi immediately released his chokehold on one of his 'tormentors.' The vexation on his face transformed into one of pure bliss.
"That's right, Ryo-chin! I'm not only the Tensai but also the defender of the weak! Nyahaha!" Sakuragi announced with both hands on his hip and chest puffed out proudly.
Ryota rolled his eyes in response. 'He's too gullible.' He thought.
Being the team captain, Ryota had learned to read all of his team member's behaviour. With Sakuragi, he finds it exhausting to be constantly knocking some sense into the troublemaker's head. He's always reminding him to be cautious with his words, but it seems like he's talking to a brick wall. So he a come up with a temporary solution; that is to stroke the redhead's already over inflated ego.
Ryota could tell by the look on Uozumi's face that he was not impressed with what he heard. "Well, perhaps you could ask your co-worker to tell us what really happened." Ryota suggested, pointing his thumb over his shoulder.
Mizuki could feel their eyes on her, waiting for her response. "Well, you see…" she started, her voice muffled by the huge onigiri attached to her head.
Luckily for her, Sendoh confirmed Ryota's statement. "That's completely unnecessary coz I for one witnessed Sakuragi's display of gallantry."
Koshino choked at their ace's comment. 'He must be really hungry to be saying those things.'
"And there's no need to be hostile, senpai. Both teams had agreed for a ceasefire, and the entire Shohoku team had come all the way here to have a taste of your superb cooking."
'With the way he was sugar coating things, Sendoh's definitely hungry.' Koshino thought.
Uozumi was silent for a moment, before exhaling a defeated sigh."All right, all right, I'll let it pass this time."
"It's settled then." Sendoh said with a grin as he patted the large guy on his shoulder. Turning to the group, he announced, "Let's go inside, everyone."
"Finally! "I'm starving!" booms Sakuragi and immediately opened the door, not even bothering to wait for his teammates.
As Ryota was about to enter the restaurant, Uozumi blocked his path, towering over the much shorter player. Fixing Ryota with an icy glare, he said through gritted teeth, "You better keep a tight rein on that annoying player of yours."
Ryota nodded, a wry smile on his face. "Don't worry. I'll put a muzzle on that mouth of his."
"Don't forget the leash." Ayako added with a laugh.
Satisfied with his reply, Uozumi step aside to let Ryota pass. The rest of the Shohoku team followed suit.
Mizuki released the breath she's been holding, relieved beyond words when all of the players were finally out of view. However, her relief was short-lived when the tall figure of her boss suddenly loomed over her.
Wearing what seems like a permanent scowl on his face, Uozumi shoots her a hard gaze. "I don't want that idiot within a 10m radius from this place. If you see him next time, inform me ASAP. Got that?"
Mizuki could only nod in response. She came to a conclusion that she could never tell Sakuragi and the rest of the gang where she's working. That could only end in trouble. And she couldn't risk getting fired from her job.
xxxxx
Sitting alone on a cement step outside the bus terminal, Mizuki mentally cursed her rotten luck. Worry creases her face as she checked her watch for the umpteenth time. The cold midnight air made her shiver, and she rubbed her palms together to keep them warm and to stop herself from incessantly biting her nails. Glancing nervously around the deserted area, she fervently hopes that she wouldn't encounter some drunkard pervert or any type of paranormal activity. Kami knows how much of a scaredy-cat she was when it comes to ghosts and other creepy stuff.
Extremely drained from working overtime, she fell asleep on the bus, causing her to miss her stop. What was supposed to be a 10 to15 minutes bus ride home turned to more than an hour ride. Even more embarrassing was that the driver had to wake her up numerous times, informing her that they were already at the terminal. To make matters worse, she couldn't take another bus home as it was already past midnight and there were no more trips available. She didn't want to take the risk of taking a cab all by herself, and even if there's no issue about safety, she doubt she could afford to pay one, and asking her aunt or uncle to shoulder the taxi fare is absolutely out of the question. They will most probably tell her to quit once they learn how much her part-time job is wearing her out. Asking Hanamichi for help was also not a good idea; knowing how stubborn the redhead can be, he will most likely pester her until he gets the answer to his questions. Another reason was she didn't want to disturb him as he's definitely exhausted after today's game.
In the end, Mizuki was left with no other option but to call her cousin. Swallowing her pride, she dialled their house number and was extremely relieved when it was Mito, and not her aunt or uncle, who answered the phone. She immediately informs him of her present predicament and was silently grateful when he didn't ask her to further elaborate.
Trying to distract herself from the fact that she was currently alone in the terminal during the wee hours of the morning, Mizuki's thoughts inevitably went back to what had occurred at the restaurant. As soon as the embarrassing memory flooded her mind, she immediately regretted thinking about it. She dragged her hands over her tangled hair and started pulling them out of frustration, hoping to erase the cringe worthy event permanently from her brain.
Mizuki was supposed to enjoy her fifteen minute break, free from the confines of her heavy costume, the suffocating heat, her demanding boss, and most of all, the ridicules and insults she received from some troublesome customers. Honestly, she couldn't blame them as mascots were supposed to look 'kawaii' but sadly, hers was utterly appalling.
Still wearing her costume, Mizuki headed to the back of the restaurant, being extremely cautious not to be seen by any of the Shohoku basketball players. She was pretty sure that everybody was inside the premises enjoying their food at the moment and that no one will bother to hang outside where the dumpster is located so she allowed herself to relax and let go of her guard. As soon as she reaches the back of the building, she quickly removed the gigantic head of the mascot and breathes out a sigh of relief. "Ah, freedom."She muttered with her eyes closed, enjoying the feeling of the cool breeze of air caressing her damp face.
The moment she opened her eyes, she was met by the piercing glare of Rukawa's cobalt orbs and an amused expression from the guy who help her out earlier. She recalled one of the players called him Sendoh.
Mizuki was so shocked to see them that the onigiri head she was holding slips from her hands. Never had she expected that she would encounter two of the most gorgeous guys she had ever laid her eyes on at the dumpster area, of all places. What in the world are they doing out here?
She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again, not knowing what to say. Lips gone dry and hair sticking on her forehead, Mizuki knew she looked completely ridiculous with her head poking out from the huge costume covering the rest of her body. Standing before the both of them, Mizuki never felt uglier in her entire life than this exact moment.
It was Sendoh who broke the awkward silence. "Er, hi there."
Still unable to find her voice, Mizuki nodded dumbly in response.
A smile formed on Sendoh's lips and Mizuki cannot help but envy the guy's easygoing nature, like everything's all sunshine and roses in his life. "We apologize for invading your sanctuary."
They heard Rukawa snort in disagreement, as if to say she's the one who interrupted him and the spiky haired boy's conversation by unexpectedly barging into them.
Mizuki scratched the back of her neck as she gave a nervous laugh."Nah. It's me who should apologize. I didn't mean to barge in a private conversation. I just didn't expect to find anyone here."
With the absence of her onigiri head, Mizuki felt absolutely naked. She was blushing so hard she could feel her face was about to explode. She suddenly misses the sense of anonymity her costume provided.
"Um- Please continue with your conversation."She stammered, refusing to look at any of them. "Don't mind me. I'll be leaving now."Bending down to grab her head costume from the ground, Mizuki forgot to take into consideration the current state of her getup and that small action made her teetered for a second before losing her balance.
As she wobbled, both guys went to reach for her. Since Rukawa was standing just a few feet behind her, he was able to catch her first before she could stumble, holding her steady with his hands on her shoulders.
His close proximity sent Mizuki's heart tripping, thus turning her into a nervous wreck. Panic seized her, triggering her klutz attack. As she took a step back to put some distance between them, one of her hands accidentally hit him in the face. Rukawa staggered a bit from the unexpected blow. He managed to regain his posture – for only a few seconds – as Mizuki once again lost her footing and this time he wasn't able to prevent her from toppling over him. He found himself pinned to the ground with her behemoth of a costume on top of him.
Rukawa remained motionless on the ground lest he unintentionally injured her by pushing her heavy weight away from him. He let out a sigh of defeat as he heard her repeatedly mumbled her apologies while flailing her arms helplessly. He then glanced up and saw Sendoh looking down at the two of them with a huge grin on his face. Clearly, he finds their current situation very amusing.
Having notice the death glare that Rukawa was sending him, Sendoh tried to hide his amusement behind a cough.
"Need help?"The spiky haired boy asked, trying his best to stifle his laughter. Not waiting for a reply, he began to lift Mizuki's costume clad body before she could squash Shohoku's ace with its load.
Mortified beyond expression, Mizuki wanted nothing more than having the ground open and swallow her up. Out of all the people, it had to be Rukawa who had to witness, and worse, become a victim of her clumsiness.
And then there was Sendoh who also saw the whole thing.
Great. She managed to make a fool out of herself in front of two good looking guys.
'Way to go, Mizu.' She thought bitterly.
"Maybe you ought to ask Uozumi for a health insurance for your job. That costume is quite lethal." Sendoh commented as he handed her the mascot's head.
Mizuki absentmindedly took it from him, her gaze still on Rukawa as she checked to see if he's okay.
Sendoh shook his head in amusement. Obviously, Rukawa had gotten himself another fangirl. But then, much to his disbelief, he saw the reserved player of Shohoku gave a brief look – was that concern? – to the girl. Curiosity got the better of him, so he asked. "You two knew each other?"
Face still red from the humiliating incident, Mizuki lowered her head as she answered shyly. "Ah, yes. Classmates."
"Oh. You also go to Shohoku." Sendoh remarked, his interest piqued. Leaning forward, he whispered in a conspiratorial manner, "Are the stories about Rukawa always dozing off and going totally berserk if someone tries to wake him up in class, real?"
Confused by the unexpected question, Mizuki raised her head and looked at the boy with the easy going smile and eyes sparkling with mirth.
"Eh?" was her not so smart reply. She blame that the fuzziness in her brain was due to the fact that she had hit her head too many times today and certainly not because of the two attractive guys standing in front of her. She shot a glance at Rukawa, whose eyes were boring into her, as if daring her to answer Sendoh's query. She gulped, not wanting to get on his bad side. After all, she made a promise to be nicer to him, when he finally agreed to do the interview. She could pretend and tell Sendoh that she doesn't have any idea, but that is just too big of a lie to tell. Or she could just make a snappy remark about him minding his own business, but looking at the spiky haired boy, she found that she couldn't be mean to him. He seems like a gentle soul, like the type of person who always stops to say hello to dogs and then pet them.
In the end, she opted for diversionary tactic.
Feigning surprise, Mizuki pointed to Sendoh's dark blue jacket with the latter's school's name printed on it. "Oh, so you're from Ryonan."
Sendoh nodded in affirmation and if he'd noticed her ruse, he didn't mention it. All of a sudden, he smacks his head as he realizes something.
"Sorry. How awfully rude of me. I forgot to introduce myself." He said, smiling sheepishly before slightly bowing his head. "I'm Sendoh. Akira Sendoh."
"Yohei Mizuki."
A thought clicked in his mind. "So, you're a second year student like Rukawa. How about Sakuragi, he's a sophomore too, right? Are you in the same class with him also?"
"No." Mizuki answered all too quickly.
"Oh well, I'm positive that the teachers had intentionally separated them." Sendoh said, a glint of humor in his eyes. "There's no stopping the chaos as long as those two are within close distance." Then, as an afterthought, he asked casually, "Or are they finally getting along now?"
Mizuki furrowed her brows, his inquisitiveness igniting a flame of suspicion in her. She watched him warily, trying to figure out what his intentions are. Maybe he's just playing nice. After all, he is from Ryonan, a rival of Shohoku. Perhaps he's spying on the team, trying to find any weakness on their players.
She was not given enough time to examine his motives, as Rukawa finally decided to join the conversation. "Afraid, Sendoh? That Shohoku will beat Ryonan again?"
Sendoh blinked at Rukawa's unanticipated comment. And then, his mouth quirked up into a grin. "Geez, always so intense."When Rukawa's glower didn't abate, Sendoh raised his palms in a placating gesture. "I don't have any ulterior motive, I'm just curious is all."
The spiky haired boy let out a sigh when he noticed that Mizuki was still eyeing him with a wary expression. In an attempt to lighten the mood, he jokingly asked her if she had any favourite player among the Shohoku team. Imagine his shock when she answered –
"Sakuragi Hanamichi."
Her answer left Sendoh speechless. Honestly, he didn't expect to hear the redhead's name. Not because he thinks that the self proclaimed genius of Shohoku was not a worthy adversary, but because Sakuragi was overshadowed most of the time by Rukawa's popularity as majority of the girls prefers the latter. He turned to look at the stoic guy besides him and discovered that Rukawa was not pleased with her choice of player. Based on the - more than the usual - scowl on Rukawa's face, this info must have really pissed him off. Again, Sendoh was taken aback by Rukawa's behaviour, as the normally quiet player of Shohoku was not one to care about his fan base. But then again, she must have somehow damage his ego when she picked Sakuragi over him.
Mizuki frowned at their reactions, her previous embarrassment all forgotten. Miffed, she instantly went into defensive mode."Why act so shocked? Sakuragi is a great player. He has been instrumental in helping Shohoku gain victory against Sannoh." Raising her chin proudly, she added, "And in case you haven't heard, he's the Tensai."
Sendoh cast a questioning glance at Rukawa, who merely shrugged and slightly raised his arms. The smile on Sendoh's lips broadened and a laugh bubbled up from within him, "Yes. I think I've heard that from him on countless occasions."An idea suddenly occurred to him. "I'm sure Sakuragi will be very pleased to know that he had such a loyal fan. Would you like to send your regards to him?"
Mizuki balked at his suggestion. "No!" She replied all too loudly. Her cheeks flushed crimson again as she frantically think of a ruse for her behaviour.
Luckily for her, Sendoh came up with an explanation of his own. "Oh, I understand. You want to keep it a secret." He stated matter-of-factly.
Mizuki wasn't exactly keen with what he's insinuating, but having no other excuses, she decided to just go with the flow.
"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me."Sendoh said assuredly, winking at her, which caused her eyebrows to shot up in surprise and her blush to deepened. Unaccustomed to 'pretty' boys suddenly paying attention to her, Mizuki hurriedly plopped the onigiri costume on her head, only to be met by complete darkness. Apparently, she had mistakenly put the mascot head backwards.
Both guys watched her struggle to rotate it in its correct position. Sendoh sweatdropped at the sight before him while Rukawa puffed out a frustrated breath and lifted his shoulders in a defeated shrug.
The spiky haired boy stood still, torn between sympathy and amusement. Taking pity on her, he raised his arms to help her removed that ridiculous thing off her head but for the second time that day, Rukawa beat him to it.
'Is everything a competition with this guy?' Sendoh mused, his attention focused on the two Shohoku students. After some difficulties, Rukawa finally had the mascot head in its proper orientation.
Alas, Mizuki's nerve endings went into overdrive again as she couldn't handle her personal space being invaded by Rukawa. History repeats itself and the ace of Shohoku found himself slumped to the ground once more.
Unable to contain his emotions, Sendoh burst into laughter. It was refreshing to see the normally composed Shohoku player looking so vulnerable and awkward while currently sprawled on the floor.
'Who am I kidding?' Sendoh thought, still grinning. He totally enjoys seeing his rival make a spectacle of himself.
As Sendoh bent down to assist the pair, the back door cracked open and Hikoichi's face peeked out, scanning the area. The younger boy's eyes widened in surprise as soon as he spotted the trio. But before he could voice out his query, the door suddenly swung open wide, causing him to lose his balance and landed face down, joining Mizuki and Rukawa on the cold, hard ground.
Hiroaki Koshino, stood at the door and surveyed the scene in front of him. His eyebrows knotted in confusion as he tries to come up with an explanation as to why Rukawa is being crushed by the restaurant's mascot. He recalled the Shohoku ace approached their table out of the blue and requested - more like demanded - to have a private conversation with Sendoh. Koshino didn't have to make any assumptions for he was sure of what Rukawa wanted. A one on one with Sendoh. The rest of Ryonan players respected his appeal for privacy but when it took longer than expected, Koshino decided to check on them, with Hikoichi tagging along.
"What's going on here?"Koshino asked, puzzled and intrigued at the same time.
"It seems that Rukawa here has a thing for onigiris."Sendoh answered him with obvious glee. His teammates stared back at him with a confounded look on their faces, while Rukawa openly glared at him.
And Mizuki was thinking about seriously moving to Mars for good.
Back at the terminal, Mizuki buried her head in her arms as she willed the memories to go away. She started pulling her hair again but with much force this time as she repeatedly muttered something to herself about her being unlucky. She was too preoccupied with her pity party that she didn't hear the approaching footsteps.
"Careful now, Mizu. You don't want to end up like Old Sayo."
Mizuki jumped at her cousin's voice. She raised her head and saw Mito looking down at her wearing his trademark lop sided grin. She slightly frowned when his off handed remark finally sink in.
Old Sayo is a spinster in her neighbourhood in Chiba who's widely known for her eccentric behaviour and potty mouth. She, together with Sakuragi and Mito were usually on the receiving end of her wrath - not that they didn't deserve it as they were often caught sneaking around into her backyard plucking some of her precious plums. They watched her out of boredom and they witnessed her talking to herself a number of times while smoking a pipe. Later, they discovered that the old lady believed that there are gnomes in her garden and that it was those magical creatures she was talking to.
Mizuki got up and began dusting off the back of her jeans. "About time you got your lazy butt in here." She'd meant it to sound snappy, but found it lacking. She cannot contain the relief she felt when her cousin arrived at last.
Aware that Mito was silently observing her, Mizuki busied herself with wiping the imaginary dusts on her pants. She couldn't help her lips curving into a smile when she heard him say, "Geez, Mizu, you look terrible."
And just like that, they are back to their old bantering selves.
Mizuki raised her head and with one eyebrow arching, she replied, "Why thank you, cousin of mine, you look like shit yourself ."
A huge grin spread across Mito's face. "Well, I think I'm allowed to not appear like my usual dapper self once in a while."
At his smug comment, Mizuki merely rolled her eyes in response.
Upon spotting Mito's motorbike, she pursed her lips sarcastically. "Are you sure that ancient bike of yours can take us home before the sun rises?
Handing her a helmet, Mito clucked his tongue in disapproval. "I find your lack of faith disturbing."
"Oh well, if it's capable of carrying the heavy load of Takamiya, I think it can survive the ride back home," says Mizuki as she adjusted the straps on her helmet.
As soon as both of them were securely seated, Mito started the engine and drove off.
The streets were deserted, except for the occasional passing cars. They were silent for a while, their playful mood gone as both were lost in their own thoughts.
Mizuki felt a pang of guilt shot through her over the way she treated her cousin. Unable to cope with this uncomfortable feeling and desperate to patch things up with him after that awful argument, Mizuki finally muttered, "I'm sorry."
"Dummy! What are you apologizing for?" Mito asked, glancing briefly over his shoulder. "If I remembered correctly, you're acting just your usual busybody self. You have nothing to be sorry about."
He let out a chuckle when she whacked him hard on his back.
"Hey, I'm being serious here!" Mizuki huffed, resisting the urge to bop him on the head. "Sorry for being concerned for your well being." She stuck out her tongue at him, unable to contain the childish impulse.
"Look. I stopped smoking, that's the truth." Mito said, his tone earnest.
"But when I asked you to show me what's inside your pocke-"
"Just believe me, okay?"
"Okay."
There was a brief silence.
"But, what are you hiding in your pockets anyway?"
"Nothing that should concern you."
Again, a moment's silence as Mizuki pondered on his answer.
"Alright." She replied after a few minutes, "I already know why you choose to keep it a secret. And I don't need to hear about your se- umm your, ummm," Stuttering with the word, she decided to just spell them out. "Your S-E-X life. In fact, I don't want to ever– aaahh!" Her words were cut off when the motorbike suddenly swerved off the road.
"Be careful, Mito!" Eyes shut; it took her some time to regain her bearings.
"What the heck, Mizu? Wherever did you get that absurd idea?!" He shouted, scandalized by what she's insinuating. Too shocked, Mito completely failed to notice her discomfort from the swerving incident. "It's not condo- ummh, it's not what you think, okay! I don't have C-O-N-D-O-M-S in my pockets." He slapped his forehead in frustration for acting like a sissy. 'For cripe's sake, he couldn't even say the word.'
"Besides, I don't have a girlfriend." He added bitterly.
Tearing her mind away from dwelling on negative thoughts, she raised her head and stare at the moon above. "What about muffin girl?"
"Who?"
"Muffin girl, you know, the person responsible for your bloated face."
Shaking his head, he answered abruptly. "She's not my girlfriend."
Mizuki didn't miss the wistful tone in his voice. "Are you ever going to tell me who she is?"
"No. I don't know. Maybe someday. But not today." Mito raised his right hand to run his fingers through his hair – a sign that he's agitated – but dropped them back to the bike's handle when he realized he's wearing a helmet. "Look, I promise that I will reveal to you her identity."
"But not today." Mizuki repeated his words.
"Not today."
"Okay." She couldn't help teasing him a bit more. "How about tomorrow?"
"Mizuki!"
"Okay, okay! Sheesh, no need to be grumpy."
The rest of the ride home continued in a pleasant journey and Mizuki was very sure her streak of bad luck has ended.
But she thought wrong.
It was several blocks away from their apartment when Mito's scooter started making funny noises.
"Mizu…."
"Yeah?"
Silence...
"We run out of gas…"
"Seriously?!"
A/N: Poor Mizu-chan. But hey, she gets to have Rukawa in the end, not so unlucky in love after all. =P