Disclaimer: Don't Own.
To Recap: People almost froze to death last chapter. That is all.
Sorry for not updating. Anyways, here it is.
To Catch A Falling Star-Chapter Twenty: Rest, Recovery and Animals
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Sayaka peered into the kitchen. Something smelled good. Then again, good smells usually came from the kitchen. That is, unless she was cooking. "Eiji-senpai, are you cooking again?"
To her surprise, she didn't find Kikumaru, but Kawamura, Aiko and Kaidoh instead. "Good morning, Sayaka-chan…?" Aiko's greeting carried the tone of a question, as if asking her whether she was saying the words right. 'Am I saying good afternoon by accident instead?' Although she could often understand what others were saying, speaking it was entirely different.
"Good job!" Sayaka replied in English, flashing her a thumbs up. "Kaidoh, what is that?" There was a delicious homey smell coming from the stove.
This time Aiko said something that sounded like "knowing," which obviously didn't make any sense. A glance at the stove helped Sayaka decipher her meaning. "Soup." Sayaka said clearly, grinning. The words were almost identical in sound, so it was easy for Aiko to make a mistake. Her accent was still there, after all.
Aiko copied her pronunciation. "Soup."
"See?" Kawamura said encouragingly. "You're learning well."
"Thank you." She always looked for an excuse to say 'thank you.' It was the one phrase she could nail with almost no accent.
"So what is that?" Sayaka asked.
Kaidoh grunted, ladling the soup into two bowels that were on white plastic trays. "What she said. Soup."
"I didn't know you could cook!" Sayaka said. "That's nice... Are those for Sakuno-chan and Chiharu-senpai?"
"Yeah. Not like you can expect sick people to cook for themselves…" he said indifferently. Miko leaped onto the counter and sniffed at the two bowls. "Oi. Not for you. Go away." She mewed reproachfully and he went "Fshh…."
The rest of them smiled. Kaidoh was showing a more caring side, despite how much he tried to hide it.
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"Izumi-san?"
She turned to see Fuji, who was carrying a tray with a bowl on top. The soup was steaming hot. He smiled. "Kaidoh wanted me to bring this up to Oshiro-san…"
She couldn't help but move a little away. What happened on Christmas day was still engraved in her mind. "I… I wanted to see how Chiharu-san was doing, but Tezuka-san's still with her, so—"
"Still?" Fuji chuckled. "My, my, what are they doing?"
'He could've done a lot more,' she thought to herself, thinking about their desperate attempts to warm Chiharu up yesterday. She colored slightly. 'If only you knew…' If the evidence that Tezuka had feelings for Chiharu was accepted, then he was either completely dense or he had an extreme amount of self control. But, she reminded herself, the situation was dire and everyone acts differently in an emergency.
"I wish I could see what you're imagining now, Izumi-san." Fuji said in a teasing tone.
"Wh-what! I—"
"Just kidding," He smiled some more before looking at the door. "Well, it's a pity that we have to intrude on them, but this soup won't stay hot forever."
Izumi noticed that he didn't have any hands to open the door with, so she knocked on it and opened it for him.
"Thank you…"
"Fuji. Morioka." Tezuka stood up.
Fuji presented the soup. "Here. Kaidoh made it for Oshiro-san."
"Kaidoh… did?" Chiharu thought she heard an echo of disbelief in Tezuka's voice, but it might've been her imagination.
Apparently Fuji heard it too. "Heh… I'm sure it's edible. Oshiro-san, can you sit up?"
She struggled a little, but managed to prop her head up against the headboard. The doctor had warned her that she wasn't going to have much energy today, and that she shouldn't try to move around too much anyways. If she did, all of her warm blood would flow to her arms and legs, and the cold blood would go to her heart and vital organs. And that would not be good.
Fuji placed the soup on the bedside table. Then, in a low voice that only she could hear, he said, "Shall we make Tezuka jealous?" He sat next to her, looping an arm around her shoulders, holding her upright. With his other hand, he raised the spoon to her lips. "Say aaah."
Chiharu felt too weak to protest. She leaned against his support and sipped at the soup. "It's… good…" she managed to say.
Tezuka, if he was jealous at all, wasn't showing it. Instead he turned to Izumi. "How are you feeling?"
Her hand went to her forehead. "I'm fine."
"If you get a fever, you're going to the hospital." A direct statement.
"Hai."
"Izumi-san, we should probably go," He winked. "We wouldn't want to disturb Tezuka and Oshiro-san too much."
Her lips curved up a little. "Yeah… let's go…"
He gently set Chiharu back against the headboard. "Tezuka, you should help her with the rest of her lunch."
Tezuka merely closed his eyes, as if weary from the constant teasing and suggestions. However, he did move next to Chiharu, causing the latter to blush a little more. Fuji closed the door firmly behind him.
"He really likes her, you know…" Fuji said. "I just wonder how long it'll take him to actually realize it."
Izumi nodded, staring at the door. "Maybe… maybe a part of him doesn't want to realize it. Because when you finally realize some things… they become more real, and reality tends to frighten people. It's like admitting to yourself that you're wrong," She shivered, as if the thought itself was cold. "And no one wants to be wrong."
"Do you ever have that feeling?"
Her eyes met his for a brief moment. And then she looked down and whispered, "Every day. All the time."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Hee hee, Mamushi is such a homemaker!"
"Urusei!"
Kaidoh kicked down the door to Sakuno's room, clearly not in the best of moods. He banged the tray with the soup onto Sakuno's bedside table forcefully, causing the lamp to jump half an inch into the air. "Oi. Eat it."
"H-hai!"
He just stood there, arms crossed. Sakuno then realized that he meant for her to try it in front of him. She scooted over to the side of the bed, bending down to reach the bowl. She picked up the spoon, blew on it a few times, and gingerly put in her mouth. Her eyes lit up. "It's really good! Kaidoh-senpai is amazing!"
His cheeks went a little pink and he went "Fshhhhh" in a satisfied manner.
"Hmm…" Ryoma poked his head out from around the tall second year. "Soup made by Kaidoh-senpai… Is it edible, Ryuzaki?"
"Why you—" Kaidoh made an attempt to grab Ryoma by the scruff of his shirt, but he ducked away just in time.
"Oi, Kaidoh, we shouldn't be too rowdy in Ryuzaki's room…" Momoshiro said, laying a hand on his shoulder. "She's still recovering."
"Fshh…" he hissed disapprovingly, but nonetheless turned to the girl. "Eat." And left.
Momoshiro leaned over to Ryoma. "Be nice. And try to take her mind off her injuries, okay?" He rumpled Ryoma's hair, much to the annoyance of the latter, and followed his fellow second year out.
Ryoma leaned back on his chair, watching the two leave with a concentrated frown. Sakuno gulped down her mouthful of soup, also staring at them, but unable to find anything unusual. "Ryoma-kun, is something wrong?"
He frowned some more. "Ne… If Kaidoh-senpai is a viper, what is Momo-senpai?"
Sakuno pondered this thoughtfully. There was a loud crash outside, followed by some loud voices. Clearly they were arguing again. She giggled. "Probably a chimpanzee…"
"Or a donkey." Ryoma said. He thought again at the way Momoshiro laughed and yelled. "No, a chimpanzee, actually."
"And Oishi-senpai?"
"That one's easy," Ryoma said with a grin. "A mother hen. He can't be anything else. And Kikumaru-senpai's obviously a cat, with all the "nya"s and everything…"
"Sayaka-senpai's a dolphin." Sakuno said after a while. At first, when she was thinking about it, all she could see was a catfish.
"Hmm… not a cat? Not a lioness or something?"
"Aiko-senpai's a lioness. Sayaka-senpai is too… fun-loving to be a lion."
"Oh. I guess so. Morioka-senpai?"
Sakuno concentrated hard. "A whooping crane."
"Hmm… not bad." Ryoma smiled. The essence fit the animal perfectly. "You're pretty good at this."
"What about Fuji-senpai?"
That took a lot more effort. Ryoma stared into space, thinking. What animal was evil enough?
"A fox?" Sakuno finally offered.
While slit eyes didn't necessarily equal smiling eyes, the personality seemed to match. "Yeah. That works, because you never know what he's up to." Ryoma said. He still carried a grudge. "And Inui-senpai's a blowfish."
"A… blowfish?" Sakuno repeated. Sure, the hair was spiky, but…
"Because he's poisonous and tastes horrible."
She giggled some more. Ryoma actually had a sense of humor behind that cold exterior. "Ah… What about Tezuka-buchou?"
Ryoma shook his head. "Don't know. Even animals have more facial expressions than him."
Sakuno laughed.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
It was a fun and exciting trip, but it had finally come to an end. All of them had recovered from the icy escapade a few days before. (Except for Sakuno, she was still limping a little.) The regulars thanked Suzume's mother for having them and piled into the bus one by one, and headed home. The train ride was around 7, and at that point most of them slept through it. The few that didn't continued to play poker or some other road game. Kimiko pulled out a monopoly game out of nowhere, and several of them got engaged into that for a while.
Kikumaru was going through his leftover snacks when he pulled out a packet of popcorn. "Man, I really have a craving for this right now… why isn't there a microwave here…" he whined.
"Oh!" Kimiko exclaimed. "I have a microwave in my bag!"
Everyone awake dropped what they were holding.
"What?"
"You have… a microwave…" Momoshiro repeated, just to be sure. "In your bag?"
She fumbled through her giant sausage bag and pulled out a box-shaped electronic device, which was clearly a microwave. "I knew this would come in handy!" she said, presenting it with a flourish. She peeked back into her bag. "I guess I really didn't need the portable fridge, huh…"
"…" all of them replied.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
When they got to Tokyo Station, they divided themselves into several carpools. (Except for the Momoshiro twins and Echizen who decided to walk home.) Izumi once again found herself in the same car as Fuji. Tezuka and Aiko were also with them, but that seemed unimportant.
However, the car ride was uneventful, and for that she was thankful. When they got to the Morioka residence, Tezuka and Izumi both got out. Tezuka only had to walk a short distance to get home. His home estate was only a street away, after all. Aiko lived closer to Fuji's house and remained in the car.
"Thanks for the ride." Izumi said, with a small bow towards Fuji's sister.
Fuji climbed out of the car as well. "I'll walk you to your door."
Her heart rate accelerated. "There's really no need. I'm perfectly capable of walking the last 20-so meters alone."
He just smiled and said, "I'll walk you there anyways."
She didn't reply and just began walking. He caught up to her and put his hand in the small of her back, escorting her. His touch sent a jolt through her, and she stiffened slightly. He noticed.
When they reached her door, she turned around and hoped for a quick good night. "Well… I'll see you in school in a week…"
"Izumi-san…" he said in that tone she feared, that tone that made her stop breathing. "Have you thought about… what we talked about the other day?"
'How could I forget?' As if their conversation in the hallway hadn't been plaguing her mind for the last couple days. Why else was she avoiding him as much as possible?
For a moment she stared at the ground, gathering her courage. Finally, she brought her eyes up to his. Her eyes were slightly glazed, unfocused. She looked at his eyes, but she forced herself not to see, to be blind. Maybe that's why she was able to tell the lie. "Fuji-san, things are fine this way… Why don't we just leave them as they are?" And before he could reply to that, she gave a polite bow, and slid the bamboo door shut behind her.
Leaning against the bamboo door, she was sure she had shattered into a million pieces.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"So Nee-san," Fuji said conversationally at the dinner table. It was just the three of them; their parents had gone off on a trip themselves. "How are things going between you and Kimura-san's brother?"
Yuuta shot him a look.
"Um… that is…"
Fuji opened his eyes, concerned.
"We… we've been having a few problems…" Yumiko said softly. It was then that Fuji noticed how quiet his sister had been on the whole drive back. He had been too caught up in what Izumi said to have noticed beforehand.
"What happened?"
Yumiko exhaled. "Well, I guess it started when I saw him kissing another girl at the subway…"
"What." Fuji's voice suddenly became steely.
"Oh no, it wasn't him. It was his twin Ren, actually. I made a mistake. But… then there were some insignificant fights… he said some things… I said some things… It just—it's not working out. And he hasn't called… so I guess it was never meant to be, anyways." She forced a smile.
That's when Fuji looked at her. Really looked at her. Her hair seemed lank and unkempt. The skin under her eyes seemed stretched and dark. She'd made no attempt at makeup. Her posture seemed slightly slouched, as if bending down in mourning.
She looked miserable.
His cell phone rang. Excusing himself, he answered the call and walked into the adjacent room. "Just the person I wanted to talk to."
"Does your sister look as bad as my brother right now?"
"That depends. How bad does your brother look?"
"He didn't even ask me to put out my cigarette, and he burned the meatloaf for dinner. He's supposed to be f*cking professional chef."
"That sounds bad."
"You have no idea, because you don't have to eat it."
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"How do you do it!" Sayaka yelled, frustrated at the Kikumaru that was hopping around on the street tennis courts. She had called him out that afternoon in order to help her randomize her movements somehow. He never seemed to do the same movement twice. How? How? Even his signature moves, like "Kikumaru Beam" didn't look the same the second time he did them. She, on the other hand, performed the same sequence of movements over and over. She, like Reina said, performed her routine on the courts.
"Hmm…" Inui said. "Momoshiro-sa—"
"Sayaka!" she insisted for the 5th time. Yes, she'd called Inui out to practice too. She needed all the help she could get. After losing to Reina again a couple days ago, she knew she had to work on it somehow.
"Sayaka-san. Let's call your back handspring, twist and triple salto—sequence A," he was saying. "Your full twisting double back and roundoff—sequence B." He went on to list some more sequences, up to the letter E. Sayaka was surprised that they all fit the safety regulations, and when she asked him about it, he replied, "I took the liberty of checking into the rhythmic gymnastics rulebook." He picked up his own racket and entered the court. "Let's see if this works."
Inui served the ball gently, and she returned it with her forehand. Immediately after the ball left her racket, she tossed it into the air and prepared to start off with a simple front flip.
"Sequence C!" Inui called out.
She froze, quickly trying to remember. There wasn't much time. 'Oh right!' Tucking her head in, she performed a standing back flip, a back tuck, and caught her racket to hit a backhand before performing a single front salto.
Inui hit the ball and called out "Sequence A!"
"What!" she yelled, already airborne. "I can't perform a standing back handspring now!"
"Sequence A!" He repeated.
"Damn it…" Sayaka cursed under her breath. She would have to pull herself directly into a back flip, skipping the handspring part. It went against her plan. She'd never done it like this before, and she wasn't sure if it could work.
Her eyes flicked towards the racket, which was revolving as it fell through the air. Another revolution and it would be within perfect grasping distance. She might barely make it. 'Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT.' She'd never tried to do anything without planning first.
With a shout, she threw herself into a back flip, her hands touching the ground for a brief second. As soon as her feet landed, she whipped her arm out and almost missed the racket, but managed to catch it with her fingertips. Her fingers tightened the grip. The ball was flying close.
She twisted into a corkscrew spin. The ball was already too close. By the time it bounced, it would be behind her. On impulse, she somersaulted forward and slammed her racket into it directly.
The ball streaked by Inui. He was unable to move.
It hit the fence with a sharp rattle.
"S-sayaka-chan…" Kikumaru said. "That… that… what was that?"
Inui smiled, touching his glasses briefly. "That wasn't part of your routine, was it? Looks like the data needs to be updated."
Her heartbeat gradually went back to normal. She flexed out her fingers. "It just… it just came to me. I don't know. You forced me to do sequence A at an impossible position… so I changed it…"
He continued to smile. "That's all there is to it. That's all you need to do to evolve your style into something unpredictable."
Kikumaru leaped onto the court and pulled her into a giant hug. "Sayaka's data seal—broken!"
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Echizen Ryoma was speechless.
(Note that this almost never happens, for Echizen Ryoma can usually come up with a snide remark or two in any situation.)
But he was rendered speechless.
Ryuzaki Sakuno, Ryuzaki of all people, was beating him in tennis.
All right, a tennis video game, but still.
A quick glance told him that Ryuzaki didn't even know what she was doing. She was just button mashing the controllers, and yet her character was pulling off service aces, smashes, and… was that a drive volley?
Good god.
Ryoma tried to button mash as well, but his character seemed to disobey him completely. In fact, the movements were so skittish and choppy that it looked like his character was performing a retarded version of the jitterbug. After Sakuno scored her final winning ace, Ryoma sighed and put down the controllers.
"Mada mada dane," she said, pointing at him. "Right?" She laughed.
Ryoma scowled, but couldn't help smiling a little. He reached for his tennis racket and stood up. "C'mon. Let's play a bit of real tennis."
He needed to redeem his dignity.
Not that it would help him much. For god's sake, he was playing against a girl with a beat up ankle.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The new school term had begun. Many of them were trapped in a transition phase between break and school life, causing their homework to pile up. Both Momoshiros were classic examples of this. Momoshiro ran into Sayaka's room and begged her for her English homework, only to find that she didn't do it either. Kikumaru, much to Oishi's distaste, resorted to quickly copying Fuji's answers before class.
Izumi was an exception. She went back to her late night studying with caffeine as her best friend. She finished all her work and was already reviewing for tests a few weeks later. When she wasn't working, she would go to the gym's aerobics room, turn up the music and dance. (Occasionally bringing her racket with her) Other times, she practiced kyudo at home. She also borrowed the novel that Tezuka got from Sayaka for Christmas and read it during her free time. She found plenty to do, and yet she felt… empty.
She cautiously lifted her eyes up to the tensai a couple seats away. He was facing forward, listening to the teacher's every word with the same smile he always wore. They hadn't spoken in about a week.
She actually had expected him to treat her the same way even after what she said. Instead, he seemed to have started to give her the cold shoulder. It shouldn't have surprised her… and yet it did, somehow. She didn't talk to him either; she wasn't one to take the initiative.
'Two can play at this game,' she thought to herself. If he wouldn't talk to her, she wouldn't talk to him. It suited her just fine.
Well… somewhat fine.
When class ended, she carefully packed up her papers and books.
"Fuji-senpai?" Suzume had entered the room. Several third years turned to stare; second years weren't normally allowed on the floor. However, Suzume wasn't one to respect the rules anyways. They talked in quiet voices, quickly and rapidly, as if discussing something urgent. Then he smiled.
'See...?' Izumi told herself. 'It's not as if that smile is reserved for you. It's the same for anyone.' She clutched her books to herself.
Suzume jerked her thumb at the door, indicating that they should leave and do whatever they were planning. He nodded, putting a hand in the small of her back, and leading her out. Fuji was a gentleman, perhaps a sadistic one, but still. She never should've read too much into his moves.
'It's like Yumiko said. It's not as if you're receiving any special treatment.' She thought.'Put yourself in another girl's shoes for a day and he'll treat you exactly the same.'
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
She didn't realize exactly how true those thoughts were until the next day.
Really, she'd only meant to buy some cranberry juice (which she loved), and non-fat cartons of milk for her mom (which she hated), and maybe pick up some flowers for Yukimura, whom she would visit later.
How was she supposed to know that she would bump into Fuji Syusuke at the supermarket?
She suddenly froze. Since when did she begin referring to him as 'Fuji Syusuke' in her mind again?
Before she got to know him better, he was always 'Fuji Syusuke'. Someone you could only call by first and last name in your mind, or with your friends (although Izumi had none). Maybe it was because on the academic ranking list, they listed first and last name. Maybe because that's how all the fangirls said it. Maybe because it made him seem all the less approachable, and that's just what Izumi wanted. Fuji Syusuke was Fuji Syusuke.
Except… after she'd joined the team, after she'd modeled for him and actually spoke to him… he'd become 'Fuji-san'. Even if she'd always said his name like that with her lips, it'd taken time for her thoughts to speak like that as well.
Now it seemed that they had gone back in time. Before the whole female team had formed. They were treating each other the same way as they did back then.
While she'd been lost in her thoughts, he had seen her and had begun approaching her. It was then that she saw he was not alone.
A gorgeous looking girl was on his arm. 'Gorgeous' was too vulgar a term to describe her. Her face was a bit angular and fierce upon close inspection, Izumi realized, but she had a figure that all the girls in the world would've died for. She was about an inch taller than Fuji—Fuji Syusuke—himself, with long, lean—not skinny, slender with just a hint of muscle—legs that seemed to make the very ground below them holy. Her perfect S line body was graced with full curves that redefined the golden ratio.
Izumi had always thought of Akane as curvaceously attractive, Reina as stunningly beautiful, and Chiharu as naturally pretty. But this girl must be a goddess.
Only Fuji Syusuke could get a girl like that.
"Izumi-san," Fuji said with his usual smile. "What a coincidence to see you here."
"Same goes for you." she replied. Her eyes drifted over to the girl questioningly. Was it just her, or did she latch on to Fuji's arm tighter when Izumi came into view?
"Oh, this is Konishi Ayako…" Fuji said, introducing the two. "Ayako-san, this is Morioka Izumi, a classmate."
Classmate, he'd called her. On top of that, he'd referred to Ayako by her first name. Izumi willed her facial features not to react, even though something inside her was plummeting.
Ayako shook Izumi's hand coldly. "I model for him." she clarified, a smug smile gracing her lips.
Izumi struggled to keep her surprise hidden. "I see…"
"Izumi-san used to model for me too," Fuji added, and Ayako gave her a sharp glance.
Izumi forced a tiny smile. "Used to." she repeated. Then she gave both of them a polite bow and carried on her way as normally as she could.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
After a couple days, even Kikumaru noticed a sort of tension between the two. Sometimes when he was talking to Izumi in the classroom, then Fuji walked over, she would end their conversation abruptly and leave. Once, when they were walking together in the hall, he mentioned that he was meeting Fuji at the front gate. She had suddenly bid her goodbye and walked in the direction of the back gate, leaving him standing in the hall.
Even now, as they were packing up for tennis practice, Izumi had distanced herself from Fuji, literally. She was practically at the other end of the classroom. Kikumaru looked back and forth between the two, confused. "Is something going on?"
"No," Fuji said with a smile. "Nothing. Isn't that right, Izumi-san?"
"Let's go to the courts now!" Kikumaru said, switching to a cheerful tone that he hoped would disrupt the awkward atmosphere.. "It's the first practice after break!"
Izumi picked up her test wordlessly (a couple points higher than Fuji, she noted, slightly satisfied) and headed to the courts on her own, leaving the two boys in the empty classroom.
During water break, Kikumaru found her at the fountains. "Morioka-chan, something wrong. What is it?"
She unscrewed the cap to her water bottle and held it under the stream. "Nothing."
How could she tell him? The way Fuji was ignoring her, as if he'd just switched his affections to everyone else in an instant. Wasn't that what she wanted? Hadn't she tried over and over to convince herself that he was only nice to her because she was his photography subject, because he was getting something out of it? How could she admit that she felt used? Now he'd switched to a new model, without even telling her. How could she admit that she felt betrayed? How could she… how could she admit to him, to herself that she felt… jealous?
How could she admit that… she made a mistake?
"You can tell me. We're friends, aren't we?"
'Friends.' "I guess…"
He pouted. "What do you mean, you guess?"
Her water bottle was overflowing now. She retracted it and screwed the cap back on, hoping that after she finished he would forget about the question. After all, Eiji had a small attention span. However, he was still staring at her.
"Eiji," she finally said. "You don't need me as a friend."
"Something's wrong. You look so sad these days." He reached out to pull her into a hug.
"I don't need a hug." Izumi said, pulling away.
"Maybe you'd feel better if you had one!" he tried to say cheerfully.
"No, I wouldn't."
"Maybe!" he whined.
"No!" She glared.
Kikumaru's eyes widened.
She hadn't glared at him since… since that time he followed her into the girl's bathroom. That time after Fuji had beaten her on that test. That time she still seemed so icy, so cold to him. He didn't even notice how much she had changed since then. And now it felt like they had traveled back in time, like their friendship progression had been thrown into reverse.
However, the glare was less harsh this time. Like a cracked coconut with the soft flesh showing, he could see her vulnerability through her eyes. She looked so desperate.
"What has Fuji done to you?"
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Life was confusing. Tennis was confusing. The fact that she got a D on her math paper wasn't confusing to her—because the test had been confusing.
Yet Sayaka felt even more confused by the exchange happening in front of her, which resembled a lover's quarrel. Or at least, Kikumaru seemed to be the one trying to console Izumi and she seemed to be… angry with him? Were the two dating? But what about all the rumors that Morioka and Fuji were going to be an item in the near future? Maybe a love triangle?
The two could be competing for her, she thought as Kikumaru tried to hug Izumi and the latter. pulled away. Although she didn't understand why Izumi would go for Fuji instead… And Kikumaru seemed like the type to back down if his best friend was interested.
Kikumaru could be gay, she reminded herself. He certainly dressed well enough to be. And certainly that "Oishi oishi oishi" nagging was a hint. Confusing, confusing, confusing.
But surely Oishi was straight? Akane was probably practical enough to check his sexual orientation before she developed a crush on him. So maybe it was one-sided love for Kikumaru?
What was even more confusing was when Kikumaru saw Sayaka standing there with a puzzled expression on her face, he blushed slightly, and threw up his hands and said, "It's not what you think!"
How did he know that she was suspecting him of being gay? This was confusing.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"You're… LEAVING?" Tachibana Ann all but shouted, a betrayed look on her face.
Sakiko shrugged a little. "Well, trying to."
"WHY?"
She shuffled through the application papers in her hands. "I love tennis, but I don't think I'll be going pro. And Fudomine is a public school. It doesn't look as good as some other schools on my application."
"Lots of people get into good schools here!"
Sakiko shook her head. "People who do don't have a delinquent background. You're a second year; you don't understand. I have to get into college, and that means sacrificing a lot."
Ann didn't know what to say so she turned away.
It was a while before she finally spoke again. "Will you still play tennis?"
Sakiko smiled. The smile seemed so foreign to Ann; happy with a touch of wickedness. She'd never seen such an un-Sakiko-like expression before. And then she said, "Hmph. As if I could give up tennis."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Tezuka watched the injured members of his team carefully, especially Chiharu. This was the first practice after break, and he didn't want any of them to overexert themselves. He watched Chiharu the most carefully because she was the number one seed, and he couldn't afford to lose her at this point in the tournaments.
At least, that's what he told himself.
She looked different. No, she looked the same. He shook his head. Ever since that incident on the mountains, he had never been able to look at her the same way. The way the sun outlined her hair in glowing incandescence. The way sparkles of exhilaration danced in her amber eyes. He knew not to take anything for granted anymore.
"Chiharu…"
She looked up, brushing the sweat from her brow.
He didn't know what he wanted to say. Instead, he cleared his throat and said, "Take a break. That's enough for today."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Izumi-san, can we talk?"
She didn't even look at him as he sat down next to her. She pretended to be watching Inui and Momoshiro's match extremely closely. "What is there to talk about?"
"Eiji said… that you got angry at him earlier?"
"I didn't."
Fuji let out a breath. "You've really gone back to the way you used to be. Izumi-san, I don't know what you expect me to do."
Her gaze hardened as she kept staring ahead, into the distance. It was easier than lying to his face. "The thing is, I don't expect anything from you..."
For a while, they both stayed silent. Then, out of the blue, he suddenly said, "So are you free to model on Friday?"
"Eh?" Her head snapped up as she looked at him in confusion. "What… I thought… Isn't… Konishi-san modeling for you now?"
"Not anymore. I only hired her to do a few shots for a new concept I'm trying out. But it doesn't really work for me." His smiling face was back. "So, Friday?"
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Hey, Suzume…"
Suzume turned around and saw the last person she expected to see.
"Saki-senpai?"
The white-haired girl inclined her head in a nod through the green fence. "Play a match with me."
Suzume was speechless for a moment. "Uh… wait, what? Now? Are you serious?"
She held up a ball. "One point. That's all I'm asking for."
Suzume glanced at Tezuka. When he nodded, she smirked with anticipation. "All right, let's do it."
They took one of the free courts at the end of the area. Although Tezuka already yelled at the others to continue practice normally, most of them were craning their necks, watching the two girls with curiosity.
"Tezuka, are you sure it's a good idea?" Oishi asked worriedly. "We're playing St. Rudolph soon."
"It's one point. It should be fine."
"But—"
"I think this match is vital to her as a tennis player," Tezuka cut him off, explaining. "If we want Kimura to grow, we have to let her have this match."
"I'll keep a watch on her." Chiharu offered, and he nodded.
Suzume bounced the ball on the ground a couple times. She wasn't sure why she agreed to play against Saki. She still had mixed feelings toward her senpai. After learning why Saki had undergone such a huge change, she felt that she couldn't lay any blame on her senpai anymore. It was like this huge ball of hurt had been floating around and yet now it was evaporating. She couldn't hate Saki.
At the same time, she was excited. She hadn't played new Saki yet and she wanted to see how she would fair against the Nitouryuu style. When she saw it on the courts during the Fudomine matches, she remembered thinking it wasn't as strong as Saki's old style. This might be her chance to defeat her.
"You sure you want me to have the serve, Saki-senpai?" she asked, taunting her. "What if I hit an ace?"
Sakiko adjusted her bangs before lowering her stance. "You haven't hit an ace on me since you were seven, Suzume," she said. "Don't get your hopes up."
The dark-red haired girl paused, ball clutched in her hand. That didn't sound like the new Sakiko. That sounded like the old Sakiko.
Suddenly she felt apprehensive. Clutching the ball tightly, she swung her racket back and served.
Sakiko was already flying across the court to the exact position of the ball. Of course she was, Suzume told herself. Why was she even surprised at Sakiko's skill? How many times has she lost to that skill herself?
White pigtails swishing, she tossed her racket to her other hand in a smooth motion…
'Nitouryuu…' Suzume barely had time to think, turning on her heel and shooting off in the other direction.
…and hit the ball back.
Suzume spat out a curse as her racket connected with the ball. The force was strong, causing her arm to strain under the pull of the strings. The ball exploded from her end and shot across the net once more.
"Kimura-senpai is a wasp…" Ryoma murmured quietly. Sakuno glanced at him. They exchanged a smile. "Because she's reckless and wild and ready to kill herself for a point."
All eyes went to Sakiko's end.
Suzume froze in shock.
"What is Matsuyama doing?" Momoshiro suddenly shouted.
Ryoma lifted his eyebrows.
Sakiko had anticipated it. She swung her racket in a horizontal way causing the crowd to gasp. The frame of her racket slammed into the ball.
"I need to get this point!" Suzume leapt for it. The ball seemed to disperse in a flash of bright yellow in front of Suzume's eyes. It connected against the ground, hissing, then bounced irregularly to the side, meters from her racket.
The crowd had hushed.
"My point." Sakiko said, her lips quirking into a small smile.
"Well…" Momoshiro said after a while. "I think we learned where Kimura got her reckless style from…"
Suzume pushed herself up from the ground, staring at her senpai. 'That move… that style… that personality… It's like she never changed…' "That… that was your old style, wasn't it? You've gone back. You'r—"
She was once again shocked r into silence when Sakiko took out her rosary and said a small prayer of thanks.
"Saki-senpai, I don't understand—"
"Suzume," Saki said patiently. Then she smiled. "Thank you."
"For… what?" she asked, almost suspiciously.
"You helped me realize that just because I have new beliefs doesn't mean I have to give up my old ones," she explained. "I can be strongest if I make the best out of both."
A shadow of disappointment blurred Suzume's features. "Then you haven't really gone back…"
"You can't go back," Sakiko told her. "You just keep moving forward."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
A few days later…
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Akane-senpai?" Sakuno timidly said to the older girl, now that they were the only two left in the changing room.
"Hmm?" Akane toweled her ginger hair dry as she spoke. "What's up?"
Sakuno fidgeted a little. "Is it true… that Matsuyama Sakiko-san is transferring here?"
Akane paused for a second, then went on toweling her hair like nothing was wrong. "Where did you hear that?"
"O...Obaa-chan mentioned something…"
The former captain folded her towel into a thinner strip and placed it around her neck, shaking out her ginger hair. Tiny droplets of water were flung around, some of them hitting Sakuno. "Gomen," Akane said. She picked up her tennis uniform and put it in her bag, turning away from the girl. "It's true that Matsuyama is trying to transfer here."
"I… I see…" Sakuno bit her lip. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again, her eyes looking downward. "Ano… will she be joining the tennis team?"
"You mean to ask: 'will she be replacing you'." Akane said, with her back to Sakuno. She turned around, fixing her eyes on the freshman. "Right?"
"H…" She lowered her head. "Hai…" Sakuno admitted shamefully.
Akane stayed silent for a while. In that instant, Sakuno knew. Akane didn't need to answer. The silence provided her an answer already. Her hand reached for one of her braids in sudden anxiety and dread. She'd made so many friends. She wanted to stay on the team so, so much.
"Matsuyama is a strong player…" Akane finally said. "She plays number one singles for Fudomine. If we want to be the best, we need to have the best on our team."
She knew that Akane would say that, but hearing it still hurt. Akane was always being blunt, always being practical. Sakuno felt unwanted tears sting her eyes and forced them back.
The sun was setting, casting a pink-orange incandescence into the room. The ginger headed girl zipped up her bag and slipped it over her shoulder, preparing to leave.
"You could've replaced me a long time ago, am I right?" Sakuno suddenly burst out, extremely close to tears. "There are plenty of people that can play better than me out there! Even in this school, there are better tennis players!" She breathed in sharply, trying to contain her tears.
Akane looked over her shoulder. She was against the light, so Sakuno could barely make out the expression on her face. The sunlight spilled out from behind her, forming a bright background so all that could be seen was her graceful silhouette. "You don't give yourself enough credit, Sakuno."
She breathed in, looking confused.
"It's true," Akane continued. "There are people in this school that may be able to play better than you. They can probably run faster, hit the ball harder, whatever. But that's skill that you can train for easily. Sakuno—"
Akane took two steps closer to the girl and bent down so they were eye level. "You have something special. You have this… feel for the ball that rivals Chiharu's. That talent is hard to come by. And I can't name a single person who loves the sport more you do." She winked, got up and walked to the door again. "Sometimes that's what makes the difference."
Sakuno clutched her racket tighter, feeling inspired.
"If Matsuyama is admitted into Seigaku, I'll put her in the ranking matches. If you can take more than four games away from her, she won't be on the team for the next month and you can keep your spot." She smiled. "And if you want something enough, Sakuno, I have no doubt that you can keep it."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Click. Click.
Izumi had never felt more puzzled in her entire life.
First, she pretty much told Fuji that they should not be friends. And then she did the same with Eiji. And then Fuji actually listened and was distant. And then she regretted doing it. And now Fuji was treating her normally. He'd even asked her to model for him again. Everything was the same. He'd waited for her after practice and he made small talk on the way to his house. They'd sipped at green tea with Yuuta before going into the studio. It was as if she never asked him to stay away from her. Weird how sometimes you can get what you wish for.
He was working on a new concept, with shadows this time, so there were several more light fixtures in the room than usual. All around, she could see three or four sets of her own shadow, circling her, taunting her.
Why had she agreed with Fuji, anyways? Why was she letting herself do this? It wasn't fair to either of them. But she…
She wanted to be friends.
Izumi suddenly broke out into a cold sweat as her forehead contracted. She began to see spots in the corner of her eyes. 'Damn it…' she thought to herself, recognizing the symptom. She was on the verge of one of her fainting spells. She blinked a couple times, trying to force herself to snap out of it.
"C-could we take a small break?" she asked Fuji as nonchalantly as she could. She needed to sit down for a bit.
He was peering at the image on the back of his camera. "A few more, okay? I'm almost done. I just want to finish before the sunset light in the window disappears completely. Then we can wrap up."
Izumi gripped the edge of the dress she was wearing and managed to nod her consent despite the wave of nausea that just hit her. Her breath shortened. But what was she supposed to say to him? 'Um, I'm going to faint. Could we stop for a moment?' The words sounded ridiculous even in her mind. Fuji was an artist. He knew that the light and color could change in an instant. She refused to be the victim. 'Just for a few more minutes.' she encouraged herself.'You can hold on for a few more minutes.'
The glowing spots invaded her vision and began to cluster in front of her eyes. She heard Fuji telling her to look at the camera and turned her head toward the general direction. She couldn't see anymore. Her eyes went out of focus. Fuji said something else but she couldn't hear it—the flashing spots in front of her eyes were already taking up too much of her concentration. Her mind blanked out and the next thing she felt was falling.
She heard the thud of the camera on the ground and the quickening footsteps toward her side. She felt his arms lifting her upwards. She barely managed to utter the words "I'm fine" before her vision went dark.
The last thing she remembered thinking was that Fuji was surprisingly strong.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Aiko moved off of the bike at the workout area and went back to the weights. She needed to work some more on her arm muscle strength. Although she knew she was stronger than all the girls on the tennis team—and some guys too—she wanted to be stronger. She wanted to surpass everyone else.
The gym was surprisingly quiet. Only a couple other people were here. She doubted anyone else worked out quite as religiously as she did. Except for Kaidoh, but he was a beast. He didn't count.
"A-Aiko-senpai!"
She looked up, not pausing from moving the dumbbell up and down. It was Sakuno. "Oh, hey girl!" she said in English. She didn't like to call her Japanese friends by their names much, for fear of mispronouncing it. Everyone else because "girl". It probably defied some ancient rule of etiquette her mom would reprimand her on, but none of them seemed to mind.
"Ano…" Sakuno always felt a little intimidated when talking to this senpai in particular. Aiko seemed extremely fierce and Sakuno wasn't very good at English anyways. "What weights should I use?"
Aiko pointed to some much smaller weights. "You might wanna take your wrist weights off first., though," she warned, eyeing the pink bands on the girls arms. "You don't wanna overstrain your muscles."
"S-Sorry?" Sakuno tilted her head, feeling a bit shameful. Ryoma would have understood.
Aiko pulled out her electronic dictionary and punched a few words in. In a second, a tinny voice said, "Wrist weight… you take off… muscle strain…"
"Oh!" Sakuno said, and then she couldn't help it—she giggled. "Sorry, the voice is funny," she explained in Japanese.
"This whole dictionary is funny. When I typed in "take off" the suggestion that came up was "your clothes" ". Both of them laughed. Aiko rolled her eyes. "Really, it assumes I'm a pervert."
After discarding the wrist weights, Sakuno tentatively picked up a dumbbell and tried to copy Aiko's movements with it. At first it seemed too easy and she pondered about going for a heavier weight. But gradually the dumbbell seemed to get heavier. Soon she was tired.
Suddenly the tinny voice said "Sa-ku-no."
"Eh?"
"Sa-ku-no…" Aiko echoed the electronic device. "…-san?" She looked at the girl in question.
"Chan!" She insisted.
"Sakuno…-chan…" Aiko repeated. She gave an exasperated sigh. "What's with all these different honorifics! You Japanese people are so formal."
Sakuno giggled. "Aiko-senpai is really f-formal too…" she said, tripping over the words a little.
"Not really, once you get to know me. I was just so intimidated by all you Japan folk." She switched arms and Sakuno did the same. "Even though I'm half, I feel different. Like a whole world away."
That wasn't too hard to understand. "I'm scared of Aiko-senpai's English!" Sakuno told her in a reassuring manner and Aiko laughed.
"Hey, you should lift your arm a bit more…" she pointed out, pausing her workout and adjusting Sakuno's arm. "It's more effective in building up your muscles. Why are you here anyways?"
Sakuno didn't quite understand what Aiko was saying about muscles, but she was glad her senpai was helping her. "Ano… I just want to get better, I guess."
"Don't we all…" Aiko said.
"How's your partnership with Kimiko-senpai?" Sakuno asked.
"Oh, Kims?" Aiko had shortened her name to something much more American. "She's really good. It's working out pretty well. I still want to play singles sometimes though, so I hope I can do that. Sorry our partnership didn't work out."
"It's fine! I partner better with Sayaka-senpai, I think. We should all just try out best! Fight-o!" Sakuno lifted her dumbbell in a victory pose only to flinch at how heavy it was, causing them both to laugh.
"I like working out with you," Aiko said. "You should come more often."
She beamed.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Izumi bolted upwards, taking in her surroundings in a desperate bewilderment. She had been lying down in a bed in what appeared to be Fuji's room. The shades had been drawn and the lights were turned off. He was nowhere to be seen, however. The darkness outside told her it was evening already.
It started coming back to her… the wave of nausea and then falling… She remembered that he was at her side, helping her. Had he called an ambulance? Had he called her parents? No doubt her mom would make her go back to the hospital. She hated it there.
An uncontrolled hot tear slid down her cheek, followed by another. She hated being the victim. It was like a cheesy Asian drama, how the girl keeps fainting into the guy's arms and it's all cute and romantic. Another tear rolled its way down. It wasn't like that at all.
It embarrassed her. She didn't want to be 'special'; she wanted to be just like everyone else. She didn't want to get a lighter training menu. She didn't want others to go easy on her. She was just a normal girl. Well, somewhat normal.
Her eyes and nose were red. She brushed away her tears roughly, refusing to appear sad in front of him. Fuji's room was extremely tidy, so she figured that she should fold the blankets. It was just when she began getting out of bed that the door opened.
"Ah, you're up?" Fuji turned on the light, causing her to be blinded for a brief moment. She shielded her eyes, keeping her face turned slightly away so he wouldn't see the tears. "I called the hospital, and they just said to make you comfortable and keep you under observation. How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine." she emphasized, her voice shaking slightly.
He must've detected something was wrong because he walked towards her. She could only turn so far away to hide herself. When he saw the tear streaks on her cheeks, his tone became more concerned. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
Hot tears of embarrassment filled her eyes as she nodded.
He didn't question her and merely said, "Okay." The bed shifted slightly as he sat down next to her, although he still put a certain amount of distance between them. It was some sort of innate urge that made him want to comfort her, want to hold her, wipe away her tears and tell her that everything would be okay, as he had done so many times with others. But she was different. She probably would not have welcomed his concern, his sympathy, and he did not want to ruin their friendship anymore. It was like the last of winter ice on a sunny spring day, so fragile that one puff of wind could snap it forever.
He normally was adept at knowing how to act around people, but around her he was completely lost.
When her breathing had calmed down, she asked, "Did you tell anyone?"
"No. Yuuta just got back, and he's in his room. Nee-san's out for the day."
She breathed out, slightly relieved.
"Maybe you should call your parents—"
"Thanks," she cut in. "But no. Can we pretend that it didn't happen?"
He hesitated. She didn't seem like she was a sickly, fragile thing. It really wasn't his place to berate her about her health, anyways. "Sure…"
'Just add that to the list of things we pretend never happened…'
A beam of light skimmed across the window as a car drove by outside. "Fuji-san," she suddenly said. "Wasn't Konishi-san modeling for you?"
"Oh, her," He nodded. "But it was getting too expensive, and I was tired of that concept."
"You… hired her?"
"Yup. She's one of Nee-san's contacts. Why?"
"…nothing. I just… I thought you would've told me if you were done photographing me." That bitter feeling was back. She had to admit it to herself. She had been jealous.
"But I wasn't done," he said quietly and she looked up. He was still smiling, yet his tone had a much more serious air. "As I photographer, I know how fast things can change. For example, your hair—" She self-consciously felt for it as he was talking. "—could have a green sheen one instant, and then look ebony the next, or have an orange tint, depending on the light. So I like to experiment with different concepts. It keeps me from getting bored. But,"
He paused, his face earnest. "I could never get bored of photographing you."
Her heart began to beat erratically. "I…" She swallowed. "Why? I've been so cold to you… why are you still asking me to model? Why are you being so nice?"
He smiled. "I just want to be friends." Another beam of light traveled across the room, outlining their shadows against the wall. "What about you? Why did you accept?"
Her eyes went to the window, waiting for the next car to pass. It wasn't just lighting and color that could change in an instant. It was everything. They both knew this.
"I think… I want to be friends too…"
He extended his hand to her in a handshake. "Friends, then."
She took it and smiled slightly. "Friends."
Their hands lingered in the handshake. His thumb traced a semicircle around the back of her hand. Her heart beat even faster. She looked directly at him, as if anticipating that something was going to happen.
Abruptly, the door opened and their hands dropped immediately. "Aniki? It's time for dinner. Nee-san brought pizza."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Play tennis with me."
Ryoma blinked.
Not because it was surprising to see Sakuno on his doorstep with a racket, they'd practiced tennis plenty of times. It wasn't the wrist weights or ankle weights that surprised him either, as she'd been wearing them more and more often nowadays. It was the fact that she wasn't asking him to play tennis with him.
She was demanding it.
His eyes glinted in anticipation. "Sure. Let me get my racket."
About an hour later, Ryoma found out he was actually tired. Sakuno was hitting the ball with a ferocity he'd never seen on her before. Her shots actually had some sort of strength in them. He parried them back, "I think Ryuzaki is a beaver!"
"Eh?" She scrambled to get the shot he'd hit to the corner; his statement had caught her by surprise. She whacked her racket into it. It was so close to the baseline he almost missed it. "Why?"
"Because," He hit another ball back, feeling the vibrations along his arms. "You're hardworking…"
-pok-
"…and busy…"
-pok-
"…you look small and cute..."
She blushed.
-pok-
"…but you've got a bite!"
Her final shot streaked by him. He could've reached it if he really tried, but he let this one pass. "That was a good rally." he said, moderately impressed.
"Thank you." Sakuno adjusted the grip on her racket. "I want to keep my spot on the regulars. I want to be better."
Ryoma smiled. She'd finally reached the point where she wasn't just playing for fun, she was playing towards a goal. He nodded. "That's good goal. Where did it come from?" he added curiously. It was a pretty sudden change in her.
"Akane-senpai said that… if I could take four games away from Matsuyama-senpai, I could stay on the regulars…"
Ryoma grasped the ball in his hand, frowning slightly. "I feel like Ito-senpai says a lot of things…" He couldn't help but feel uneasy around the ginger haired senpai. Everything she said seemed to have the effect she wanted it to. It was like she was some sort of psychological analyst. Almost Fuji-like. He shuddered. "She's like a snake."
"No!" Sakuno said defensively. "She means well, really! Besides, snakes are silver-tongued and Akane-senpai is blunt. It doesn't work."
"Then what do you think she is?"
"A raccoon. She can be sly and clever but when it comes down to it she'll take matters into her own hands."
"It works." Ryoma shrugged, tossing the ball up. "We still haven't got one for buchou…"
"Right…"
"Anyways," He held the ball up. "Shall we continue?"
"Hai!"
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Well, looks like we'll be playing you soon, Yuuta!"
"Aniki…" Yuuta said in a voice that made him open his eyes. "Be careful. Tell Izumi-senpai and rest to be careful too. St Rudolph is dangerous."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Kimiko hit the last ball into the net. Now, she was able to make the ball travel farther and farther up so she could hit it lower into the net. The giant spin on the ball caused it to roll itself up. However, this one was another fail. It fell down after reaching the very top. She gave a frustrated sigh. "So hard, so hard…"
A small object hit her chest and bounced off. She picked the lollipop up from the ground, grinning at Kaidoh. He was always bringing her lollipops whenever she was frustrated. "Maybe I should pretend I'm frustrated sometimes just for the free candy!"
He growled at her and she giggled.
"Oi!" Coach Ryuzaki yelled across the courts. "Gather around here for a minute!"
The regulars all circled around a whiteboard. Kimiko had to squeeze into the front so she could see.
"Here's the roster against St. Rudolph. We have doubles two, Inui and Kaidoh. Doubles one, Kikumaru and Oishi. Singles three, Momoshiro. Singles two, Fuji. Singles one, Ryoma. Tezuka will be sitting this one out."
Tezuka put his hand over his arm slowly.
"For girls, we've got Ryuzaki and Momoshiro in doubles one. Komboi and Marui in doubles two. Singles three, Ito."
There were some murmurs of excitement. Akane had never played an official match yet.
"Singles two, Morioka. And singles one, Watanabe."
"Hey! I want a chance to crush those St Rudolph b*tches!" Suzume burst out.
"Language!" Oishi reprimanded.
"Kimura and Oshiro, you'll be playing in mixed doubles with Kawamura and Tezuka if all goes well." Coach Ryuzaki glanced at Tezuka when she said this.
'Doubles with Tezuka?' Chiharu thought to herself. She secretly looked forward to that.
"Back to practice!" Tezuka commanded.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Later, in the middle of practice, Ryoma suddenly pointed at Tezuka and screamed "Eagle!" in sudden inspiration, causing Sakuno to choke on her drink. He got laps.
But it was worth it.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
A/N: Revieeeew! Thank you!
Yay for character development! Go Sakuno!