Forward Momentum (rei ryugazaki love story) Chapter 14
Rei's POV
"I'm not looking to fight you. I just want to talk."
"My sister – is none of your concern. Buzz off!"
"You're wrong, Hirosi. Hitomi is my concern. Because," I close my eyes. Take a deep breath and look at Kenji, "Because I love Hitomi." Kenji goes in complete shock. He backs away from me.
"No. You can't! Impossible! I heard you – that love is illogical!"
"I thought so too. I can believe that in times, love is confusing and there are no right answers, but I know that love is logical. And your sister showed me that." He starts to show more fury on his face. His hair covers his face.
"Shit. This is bullshit!" He charges at me; his hands raise and grabs the collar of my uniform and pins me against the fence. "What do you think you can accomplish for my sister!?" He asks, his face his red. Its silence is as eerie as when I remember Hitomi's face when she walked in.
"Happiness."
"Huh?"
"I want her to have the best life she can have. No more will she feel like she needs to impress you, your brother and the Skate Team. She needs to be free and happy and not to be bullied by the likes of you." Kenji's face turns white. His eyes widen, face expression changes with one eye twitch. His grip on my collar loosens. He backs away from me. "Your sister's happiness and her smile means a lot to me and her new set of friends." As I imagine Hitomi with all of us at the pool, in class, when we went in the cabin to hide from the storm and imagine her with us, all those people that love Hitomi. "Don't you even think about getting in her way about it. And this conversation doesn't reach Hitomi. If you ruin this for her, I won't ever forgive you." I walk away from the Skate Club when I hear another pair of footsteps coming towards us.
"Yo, Kenji – Oh, hey, Ryugazaki." It's the oldest brother, Kenichi. "What's going on here? Come on, we gotta practice." Kenji stomps out towards the field.
"Hirosi."
"Ryugazaki."
"Would you mind explaining how Kenji can be this hostile to your own sister?" I ask Kenichi. His head turns back towards the field.
"I can't. I only wish I went back to the house the same time as Kenji. Only then, I would have protected Hitomi." I continue to look at Kenichi, hoping something positive would come out of his mouth.
"Hitomi should not be bullied by you two." I admit out loud. Kenichi's head twitch.
"She wanted to join; not only because we made her feel like that. She's hoping she could be a tad tougher. In hopes that she can fend for herself. But," As we both watch Hitomi try to skate, but to no avail. She wipes out. Koi skates out to her, "She has too long of a way to go."
"She's your sister. How can you say that? You won't even defend her." Kenichi walks away from me, returning to the field; not responding to my questions.
Hitomi's POV
I wipe out again, rolling on the ground and stopping on my side. I heard another pair of blades coming towards me and it's Koi. She kneels by me.
"Hitomi, maybe you should quit for the day." I shake my head.
"Kenichi…"
"Hey." We both look and it's Tsumeo. "It's your eye, isn't it?"
"It is. She hasn't made it to one full lap today." Koi responds for me, not even thinking about, at least, a little white lie.
"Call it a day." Tsumeo makes a conclusion.
"But, Kenichi- "
"I'M vice-captain. Kenichi has too much to worry about now. Aspects of making nationals means a lot to him." I couldn't tell if I should be glad or sad. I know it's Kenichi's dream to make it to nationals before he graduates, but… is hurting myself worth it?
I'm in the bathroom with Koi, removing my patch and I look in the mirror.
"It's still swollen and blacker."
"It's not as puffy." Koi points out. "Can you see?"
"Just a tad," trying to blink slowly, but needling pain is encircling the whole area of the eye. "Still hurts though." Koi gets a damp paper towel with cold water and gently places in on my eye, while I work on tying the patch.
"I truly didn't think this would be how Kenichi would act. It's not just his teammate; it's his sister." I look down to my feet, not having anything to say to Koi; I just don't know what to say. I wish Rei was standing next to me now. If there's anyone that I want here with me to comfort me, it's Rei.
Koi and I walk out of school.
"Are you sure you don't want to check out the mall?"
"Thanks, Koi, but I don't think it's best I do go out now. I'll be okay going home. Thanks again." She nods her head in silence and walks the opposite direction of me.
I go home and, on the way, I'm just dragging on wanting to face Kenichi. Why does he need to act like this?
"Hito-kun?"
"Huh?" A voice snaps me out of my thoughts. I turn to my right and it's Rei, Nagisa, and Gou.
"Hitomi!" Gou shouts and runs to me, "What happened to your face?" As her hand touches my eye, I wince in the same, needling pain.
"It's fine, Gou." Rei and Nagisa come closer.
"Where do you think you're going? Not home, I hope." Rei asks.
"Well, where else can I go?"
"It's not a good idea that you go home." I want to tell Rei off, a loud clap of hands come from Gou,
"Say, Hitomi! How about a sleepover!"
"A sleepover?" I question, I've never done a sleepover before.
"Yeah! After tomorrow, we have a three day break from school. What do you say!?" Gou gets excited, thinking about how amazing it will be.
"But, what about your folks? Will they be okay with it?"
"It's just my mom. But, I think it will be good for you. And, I got a feeling you're not one with female friends." I nervously chuckle,
"Hehe, it's just Koi, but I see her during practice."
"Then, it's settled! After school tomorrow, we are having a sleepover!" Gou raises her hand in excitement.
"You guys are gonna have a blast!" Nagisa cheers with Gou.
"And I think it would good for the both you to spend some time together, since Hitomi is part of our group now too." Rei speaks, smiling that this is happening.
"Rei, not you too! I'm not –"
"Hito-kun, remember what I said?" Nagisa interrupts me. "You don't need to be part of the swim club to be friends with us. The fact that we know each other through classes and how fun you are, that's enough for us!"
"Nagisa…" I smile and nod. "Alright, Gou. I'll do it. This should be fun."
The next day comes and I have my overnight bag ready so that it's all set and ready to go with my school bags. I take my bags and again, along with a piece of toast, leave early without my brothers. I make it to school and I see Gou, Nagisa and Rei by the entrance.
"Hito-kun! Good morning!" Nagisa says, bright eyed and bushy tail.
"Good morning to you too, Nagisa." I look at Rei and he nods his head in approval, smiling at me again. Oh, Rei. If only you knew how much you mean to me and how I feel about you. But, with everyone around, it's hard to get you alone and to tell you that I –
"Gah! Can't this day just get over and done with!? I wanna go shopping now!" Gou whines.
'I hate shopping.'
Thanks to Gou's wish, the day has come and gone. After class, Gou went to do her managerial duties for the Swim Club. After some consideration, she pulls me in the club too. Not to join, but more so to make sure that I wasn't harassed by anyone, particularly my brothers. I sit on a chair next to Miss Amakata with her white parasol.
At all times that I watch the rest of the guys swim, my eyes are on Rei, not once taking them off him. At times, I had to turn away from him because his eyes came to my direction as well. I just can't get over on how cute he is. And now, Gou's love for muscles has started to rub off on me. Rei's body is just…wow… I can't believe he was in the Track and Field Club before the Swim Club. His formation on performing the Butterfly stroke is so…well… I don't think I can continue anymore; my heart and other things of mine are going to explode!
Nagisa, from time to time, likes to appear and break my thoughts; secretly in my head, thanking him for that. He likes to come and just say hi before Miss Amakata and Gou both yell at him to get back in the pool. I smile, yet I'm jealous. The Skate Team is never this much fun. But, I'm happy.
After practice is done, the boys went to somewhere and Gou and I head to the train station to go to her house. The ride is just a half hour away, living on the other side of Iwatobi.
Finally, we make it. It's just a little house in town, but it's cute. Gou and I walk in,
"Mom, I'm home." Silence. Gou and I take our shoes off and set them on the mat. Right then, I notice a set of men's black and white tennis shoes.
'Men's shoes? I thought Gou said it was just her and her mom. Unless…' I hear rustling from around the corner and peeking his head out, is Rin; Gou's older brother. He steps out, revealing himself, wearing a white jacket and white pants. 'Must be Samezuka's uniform.'
"Oh, Rin? I didn't think you'd be home too."
"We have vacation too, you know. Mom went to the store." He notices me and flashes a smile, his shark like teeth exposed.
'Wait, is he not gonna say anything about my eye?'
"You're Hirosi, right?"
"Yes, but you can call me- "
"Hitomi. I know. I just figured you would want me to be a proper gentleman." His voice is so smooth and cool. The way he speaks… "Besides, Gou. The team decided to have a break from swimming for the weekend."
"Well, that's nice that you gave us a head's up notice."
The night passes and Gou and I put in a rom/com film in her bedroom, which is an average size of a normal bedroom of a normal teenage girl. I didn't discuss her dad because I just didn't want to be rude or be nosy. Rin didn't like the fact that I had brothers that act the way they did with my eye. He pretty much said the same thing that Rei and the rest of the guys said. I admire that Rin said that.
Gou gets the idea of wanting to brush my hair; I let her. I sit in front of her on the floor while she sits on the bed, as she takes my brush and starts brushing my hair and it feels relaxing. Gou and I are silent with no sound other than the rom/com movie playing and few giggles between us. The song Hey Soul Sister starts playing while the end credits are rolling.
"Hitomi, can I ask you something?"
"Sure, what's up?" I ask, a little curious on what she wants to ask.
"You DO know that I know you like Rei, right?" My eyes widen, face feeling on fire.
"Wha-what do you mean, Gou!? That's crazy talk!"
"I see the way you look at him. Your eyes are set on Rei. I see you flush your cheeks every time he talks to you," As she brushes my hair more. I replay Rei smiling and just talking me. His smile makes my heart warm. "And if you think no one noticed you two at the store the other day, you can forget it." I turn to Gou with a stomach drop face, Gou has a sly smile on her face. "Oh, yeah. I saw him kiss you on the cheek. That 'sweet, little peck on the cheek' kiss? It's adorable!" My face flushes more and I turn back, watching the end credits.
I'm a little mad that she knows about that kiss, but at the same time I'm glad she knows. I know that I can trust Gou about this. I'm nervous telling Koi about the incident, just because when there's Koi, there's one of my brothers. I smile,
"Gou, that wasn't my first kiss with him." She stops brushing my hair,
"It's WHAT!?" I turn to her, still smiling.
"I kissed him before…on the lips!"
"You WHAT!?" She drops the brush and sits next to me on the floor. "You have to tell me everything! Details!" Acting as she got a hit on some sweet, juicy story for the paparazzi.
"Gou, it was nothing! He was walking me home one night and some kids were skating towards us, I pushed him in the alleyway," While I talk to Gou, the flashback replays in my mind again of that night, "I looked up to him in his eyes. His eyes were so bright. It was so perfect, Gou. It just made me feel proud that I kissed him. My heart was beating a thousand times more than what was normal. I loved him when I first realized that no matter what, he would support me, help me understand my flaws and learn with me. He's so beautiful, Gou. With the way his mind works. And… he's so cute. ~sighs~"
Gou's POV
After hearing Hitomi speak…and how she swoons at Rei, it makes me realize that Hitomi loves Rei.
"Have you confessed to him on how you feel?" I ask her, Hey Soul Sister is now coming to an end. She shakes her head 'no.'
"I'm afraid to. I don't know how to. Do I just come out and say it?"
'Yep. Just like Rei. I want to tell her so badly that Rei like her too!'
"Gou?"
"Hmm?"
"Promise you won't tell anyone!? Please, Gou?" I smile as I take her hands.
"Don't worry, Hitomi. I won't tell him."
Thanks for reading! If you love this story, make sure you follow/favorite this story to get more updates. Also, check out my other stories, including the very first story that made it, To Ever Love Such a Devil (jin kazama love story), which now is on Part II! Also, check out my Facebook page Cynderella1130 to get story updates and fun pictures. Also, check out my Instagram page at cynderella1130. Want to sing with me? Follow me on Smule at cynderella1130. Thanks and keep me on your watch!