Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basket or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. I only own the OC.
Mikoto grunted as she received an unexpected blow to her side from her opponent, effectively ending the fight as the impact knocked her to the floor. Falling onto her side, the girl panted heavily as she struggled to get back up- the dark-haired boy who had beaten her in the first place was breathing just as heavily as she was. Shuuzo Nijimura wiped his hand across his face as he brushed the sweat off his skin, wincing slightly as his bruised forearm stung from the movement. He'd gotten those from blocking Mikoto's assaults- something he now regretted. The girl could hit like a man for her short physique.
"That's another win for me, Shirato." He announced as he fixed the black belt around his karate uniform, not offering a hand to the girl who tried to get up- she wouldn't have appreciated the concern, anyway. Mikoto's arms shook as she pushed herself to her feet- something that didn't escape his keen eye.
"One more round." She declared as she clutched her aching side- her strong voice would have sounded much more impressive if she hadn't started swaying slightly on her feet as soon as she tried to stand up from her crouch.
"Not until you give yourself some breathing space." Shuuzo replied tonelessly as he simply lifted a foot and lightly kicked her shoulder to knock her back onto the floor. He didn't feel any guilt for doing so- Mikoto had a habit of insisting on getting her way until authority was exerted, and she could handle it. "You look like you're gonna pass out at any second."
The girl must really have been tired out, because she complied without complaint. She just let herself fall back onto the ground without even trying to find a more comfortable spot. Shuuzo decided to join her as well, and he settled himself next to her on the floor- though in a much more graceful manner than she did.
With just a few more weeks until graduation, the boy decided he'd call Mikoto up and offer one last spar before they parted ways- just for old time's sake. She had readily agreed, and he had to admit, he was almost proud to see how much she'd improved under his tutelage. Her skills now far exceeded the first time he'd seen her pathetic attempt at fighting, that was for sure.
"You've improved." Shuuzo praised, rolling his shoulder a few times as he did so. "Your kicks are starting to hurt like hell."
"That's good, then." Mikoto shot him a glance, a small smile on her lips "I owe it to you. I never would have gotten this far without your guidance."
The comment served its purpose as it fed Shuuzo's ego, and he felt a smile pulling at his own lips as well. He just leaned back on his elbows and tilted his head back, relaxing as he reminisced about all the years that had flown by. He'd gone through various phases of his life- some of which he wasn't too proud of- but he couldn't say he regretted them, since they had all contributed to his growth into person he was now. A small laugh left his lips as he recalled the first time he'd actually noticed the girl sitting next to him just then- even though they had been attending the same dojo for years, he hadn't really noticed Mikoto until one particular incident.
"I never got to thank you."
"For what?" Mikoto tilted her head.
"Backing me up that one time." Shuuzo elaborated, his smirk growing wider as he remembered being ganged up upon during his first year of high school. Just when he'd thought he was outnumbered and was going to get his ass handed to him, a tiny brunette just came out of nowhere and socked his one of his assailants right in the face, giving him the opening and backup he needed to gain the upper hand again. "Heard you got into a lot of trouble with your parents."
"It was nothing." That was a lie- he had seen her sulking for quite a while after the incident after being grounded. The fact that they'd both gotten some demerits for getting involved probably hadn't helped her mood either, given her studious nature. "I couldn't have just stood aside and let those punks beat you up."
"Still, you shouldn't really have interfered." Shuuzo rebuked. "It was my fight, and you risked your own safety."
"Hey, I didn't have to sprain my wrist for you." Mikoto grumbled, though there was no bitterness in her voice. "It's not always a matter of personal security. I just didn't like standing by when I could do something to help. So I did."
It was still dumb to get herself involved for a fight someone else started, Shuuzo wanted to retort. But he kept his mouth shut- it was the sentiment behind it that mattered, even if he did think it was irrational. Mikoto always possessed a sense of nobility that- more often than not- got her into trouble, but he had to give her credit for having the guts to stand up for what she believed was right. Besides, if she hadn't interfered, he would have been in serious trouble- and he probably would never had gotten to really meet her. She was a decent person, and he really didn't mind helping her with her karate- her punches were crappy, anyway. Plus, she whipped up some pretty nice lunches for the basketball team sometimes.
"You know, if we'd ended up going to the same high school, I might've considered asking you out." Shuuzo commented idly.
"H-huh?!" The girl flushed bright red almost immediately, and Shuuzo was almost worried that she would faint from how quickly the blood rushed to her face. Besides, he was just stating a fact- with her moving to Akita and he to America, there was just no way to make it work out, anyway.
"I'm just saying. You're not half bad, Shirato." He pushed her head lightly, knowing she would get more annoyed at having her hair messed up than to be too bothered by his comment. "I'll miss having you around to try and fail to beat me... and your cooking."
"That's the real reason, isn't it?" Mikoto groused, earning a grin from her friend.
"Don't ever change, spitfire." Shuuzo muttered, his voice almost fond as he lay back on the ground, his hands folded behind his head. He'd miss this easy routine, that much was for sure.
"Don't call me that." Mikoto muttered. However, her voice became a little softer as she added, "But… I'll miss you, too. I hope all goes well for you and your family."
Shuuzo's smirk softened a little, and he nodded once in affirmative. "I appreciate it, Shirato."
"It's really no big deal."
The boy spared a glance out of the corner of his eye, catching a glimpse of Mikoto as she rested her chin on her knees, which she hugged close to her chest. It was so odd to see just how deceiving her appearance was- an iron will lay beneath that quiet face, yet it was reinforced with a kindness that was entirely unconditional. An odd contradiction, but somehow... it worked. Hers was definitely a face he would not soon forget, for he doubted if he would ever encounter anyone quite as interesting Mikoto Shirato anytime soon.
However, unbeknownst to Shuuzo, his assumptions would be proven wrong. Because within the first 24 hours after he arrived in America… he met Tatsuya Himuro.
Chapter 21: Understanding
Over the next few days, it wasn't uncommon for guests to drop by the Shirato household. Ever since Mikoto had been released from the hospital, lots of her friends had dropped by to check in on her. The word 'friends' didn't really encompass a wide group of people, since it referred only to Hinata- who had been the first to see her the moment she was allowed to leave the hospital, and had even helped her hobble along on her crutches to help her get used to them- the basketball team, and oddly enough the underclassman who had tried to patch up her foot on the day of the accident.
The redheaded first-year had introduced herself as Reiko Komatsu, and in all honesty Mikoto had been highly surprised to have her company. Apparently, though she herself had not really acknowledged Reiko's presence before this, the younger girl held her in high regard due to her gymnastics skills- something she had admitted quite eagerly during her first visit, much to Mikoto's embarrassment. She wasn't used to being admired, but the second-year found herself growing a little more comfortable with Reiko's presence over time, no thanks to the easy manner in which the underclassman conversed with her.
As for the guys on the basketball team, they had reported the news of her situation back to the coach. Mikoto nearly dropped dead of a heart attack when none other than Masako Araki dropped by her home for a visit- she was more shocked by the coach's mere presence than she was to see the woman sitting at her dining room table across from her mother, both of them smiling and carrying casual conversation as though they were old friends. She didn't have time to ask any questions though, because the coach immediately cut to the chase. Masako's demand that she explain the entire situation was what prompted Mikoto to admit to the truth behind her injury- the guys had supposedly heard of the cause as well- and the teacher had taken swift action by reporting the case to the school authorities once she had confirmation. Mikoto's mother hadn't been too pleased that she hadn't said anything about the sabotage, though. The day after that, the principal called up Mikoto's parents and had informed them of Yuki's suspension- apparently, she had confessed the entire thing after Hinata had taken the initiative of attesting on Mikoto's behalf as well.
Despite the serious manner in which she handled the situation, Coach Araki was kind enough to offer her a few words of support, even telling her to take a break from her duties for as long as she needed to. She hadn't said it, but Mikoto was actually rather happy that the coach seemed to be looking out for her. The guys on the basketball team seemed pretty satisfied with the coach's actions after that, since they never evicted any signs of bitterness against the first-year after that. It almost relieved Mikoto of her concern regarding the whole fiasco.
...Well, almost.
"You didn't even confront this girl?"
"Uh-huh."
"And you don't plan to?"
"Yeah."
"She broke your freaking leg, and you're letting her off the hook?!"
"Mmhm."
"Are you completely nuts?!"
"Sure."
"…Miko, the house is on fire and everyone is dead."
"Mmkay."
"Dammit Miko, listen to what I'm saying!"
"What?" Mikoto finally snapped back to attention at Daiki's sudden change of tone- once he started rambling, she had automatically tuned him out. The girl was halfway munching on a biscuit as she spoke through her headset to her cousin on the other end of the line, grateful that she'd turned off her laptop's camera so he couldn't catch her ignoring him. At the foot of her bed, Toshi was sleeping on the floor- the dog couldn't very well drape itself over her lap when her leg was hurt.
"Sorry. Kind of lost focus for a bit. What were you saying?"
Judging from the sound she heard from her headphones, Mikoto decided it was safe to assume that Daiki had just smacked his palm onto his face.
"Miko." He sighed, sounding very annoyed with her current demeanour. "You don't just let this sort of thing slip by. The bi-... kid put you in a hospital, for crying out loud."
"You hesitated." Mikoto pointed out, carefully manoeuvring her bandaged ankle as she adjusted her position on her bed. It had been two days since she'd been released from the hospital, and she'd been pleasantly surprised to see that Daiki had tried to contact her- apparently, her dad had informed Aunt Shiori of her latest predicament. "And besides- her punishment's been handed out already. Enoshima-san's going to be suspended from the first two weeks of school when it reopens, and from what I heard her parents didn't take it well, either. So can we please drop it?"
"Miko-"
"Daiki, please don't make me sit through another rant." Mikoto cut in, groaning as she ran a hand through her hair. "Mom's already done that twice since she found out."
There was a brief silence as Daiki seemed to mull over his choices, but eventually the boy sighed again- he'd been doing that a lot since the beginning of the call.
"Tch. You can be a real pain sometimes, you know that?"
Mikoto's lips twitched into a smile. "I've been told as much."
"If I were there I'd kick your ass first before I dealt with this Enoshima kid."
"Just let it be. What's done is done."
"Doesn't mean you should encourage her to get away with it."
"I'm not encouraging her. I'm just giving her a chance." Mikoto corrected. Before her cousin could interrupt, the girl quickly added on to that statement. "I do, however, appreciate your concern. Thanks."
"Who said I was concerned?" He groused, his voice gruff. Despite his denial, Mikoto could imagine that he was simply putting on a front again. And they called her the shy one...
"Yes, I'm positive that you're only calling because Satsuki-chan told you to." The brunette commented, positive that Daiki was now bristling at her words- and that he had forgotten about the earlier topic. She knew how to push his buttons far too well.
"She wouldn't stop bugging me until I did."
"Riiight. I believe you."
"Shut up." Daiki growled, inciting a small giggle from Mikoto. Before she could reply, the door to her room opened, and the girl turned to see her mom peeking her head in.
"Miko, Himuro-kun is here to see you." She announced quietly, and Mikoto pretended not to see the delighted sparkle in her eye as she spoke.
"Alright. Thanks, mom." She nodded, waiting for her mother to duck out of the room again before she returned her attention to her cousin. "I guess I'll call you back later, Daiki?"
"Pretty Boy's visiting you?" Daiki questioned, though Mikoto could detect a vaguely distasteful note in his voice. Huh, she wondered why that was. "He's that desperate, huh?"
"Visiting an injured friend doesn't make one desperate, Daiki." Mikoto huffed. "You're being overly dramatic."
"Being friends is one thing. It's another thing if one 'friend' is trying to get into the other's pants-"
"Sorry?" Mikoto interrupted, before she put a hand over her mouth and made a hissing sound to resemble static. "Can't hear you. You're breaking up."
"This is an online call, dumbass! You can't-"
Mikoto ended the call.
Ha. Revenge was sweet. She might have started cackling manically and rubbing her hands together too, had a certain shooting guard not entered the room and was currently staring at her oddly.
"...Did I interrupt something?" Tatsuya questioned, sounding equal parts entertained and bemused. Toshi had awoken at some point and was now trotting over to the boy, who absently scratched the dog behind its ears as he made his way over to the seat next to her bed.
"No, not at all." Mikoto shrugged, before passing him the box of biscuits she held in her hands. "Want a cookie?"
Before Tatsuya could answer, an alert tone beeped out from Mikoto's laptop, prompting the two of them to look back at the screen. It announced that Daiki was trying to call her again, much to Mikoto's entertainment. She just closed the screen and turned back to Tatsuya, whose amused smirk only seemed to widen.
"Not going to answer?"
"Nope."
"I approve. Playing hard to get is enough to hook any man." Tatsuya commented, taking hold of a biscuit and popping it into his mouth. Mikoto made a face at his comment.
"That's my cousin you're referring to. Please don't ever say anything about him in that context again."
"So sensitive." Tatsuya laughed shortly, before he finished off his biscuit. "You know, these are pretty good."
"That's because they're laced with drugs." Mikoto replied, her tone bland.
"Wonderful. My favourite."
And that was how Mikoto was the one to ignore Daiki for once, leaving the latter to fume silently all the way across the country as her companion did little to encourage her otherwise. Tatsuya would never admit it, but he quite enjoyed Mikoto's more vengeful side when it wasn't directed at him.
...Plus, her cheekiness was kind of cute, too. But she'd kick him if he ever told her that.
"What are you staring at?"
"Just thinking about how gorgeous you are."
"...Shut up."
"Will do."
Mikoto almost stumbled into her living room as she squeezed through the doorway on her crutches, welcoming the sight of the couch as she plopped herself down on her favourite seat, sighing in relief. Just as she was beginning to relax however, the doorbell rang- this earned more than just a few mild curses from the girl.
"I'll be right there." She called out, pushing herself to her feet once more and heading for the door. Her parents had to go back to work that day, and so she was left alone in the house- that meant she had to open the door for any guests that came by. Mikoto cursed her luck, but she supposed it was a good thing that she was getting used to her crutches.
When she finally reached the front door, she spared a glance through the peephole first. A figure with red hair stood in the doorway, also attempting to peep through the hole on the other side of the door as well. Mikoto gave a small "hmph" at that- after what she'd been through with her Yosen boys, Reiko's antics hardly ever fazed her, though her lively nature was something to be admired.
"Hiya, senpai!" The redhead greeted cheerfully as Mikoto opened the door for her, beaming at the second-year so brightly that Mikoto just had to return the smile.
"Komatsu-chan. What brings you-" Mikoto trailed off abruptly when she suddenly caught sight of the girl standing behind Reiko- a girl she hadn't noticed earlier. Her eyes widened slightly when she recognised the girl with the short, wavy hair, and she couldn't stop herself from balking.
"G-good afternoon, Shirato-senpai." Yuki Enoshima bowed politely towards Mikoto, a slight shake in her voice. Upon her words, Mikoto shook herself out of her stupor- had Yuki actually acknowledged her as her senpai?
"Well... I can't say that I expected you, Enoshima-san." Mikoto wore the half-smile that she had picked up from Tatsuya, deciding to keep her expression neutral for the most part.
"I just thought that I should..." The first-year trailed off uncertainly, looking down at her feet as she appeared to be at a loss for words. Mikoto made no move to add her input either- she had no idea what to say, anyway...
"Well, then!" Reiko took the opportunity to cut in just then, breaking up the awkward moment before the atmosphere got too tense. The girl discretely nudged Yuki into the house, closing the door behind her as she did so. Ignoring the incredulous looks from both Mikoto and her companion, she just beamed cheerily. "Enoshima-chan wants to say something to you, senpai. In the meantime, I have to use the washroom, so I'll leave you two to it."
And then the redhead just waltzed right past Mikoto and towards the kitchen where the toilet was. The older girl was stunned by the sudden bomb the underclassman had just dumped on her without warning, and she blinked owlishly at the spot where Reiko once stood before understanding what had just transpired. Even Yuki looked confused.
"She's... quite energetic." Mikoto commented, raising an eyebrow at the remaining underclassman.
"Yeah." Yuki agreed, starting to look a little uncomfortable as she shifted her feet nervously.
"Did she talk you into coming here?"
"Yes. She thought that I might be able to, uhm, clarify some things with you."
"Alright, then." The brunette nodded, before nodding towards the living room. "Mind if we take a seat? I'd prefer not to stand too long."
"Oh. Of course." Yuki quickly agreed- not that she really was in any place not to do so. Mikoto lead the way, supported by her crutches, and settled herself back into the seat she had taken earlier, taking a deep breath as she did so. Oh, boy- this was going to be interesting.
Yuki sat in the couch opposite of Mikoto, directly across the small coffee table that sat between them. The girl looked a little antsy, not even relaxing in her seat as she sat straight-backed, her gaze darting everywhere from the carpeted floor to Mikoto's eyes, before immediately looking back at the floor again. Mikoto observed all of this patiently- not simply because she wanted to make Yuki uncomfortable, but simply because she didn't know what else to do. Thankfully, the younger girl seemed to gather her wits together long enough for her to get to her feet once more, before she bowed deeply before her upperclassman.
"Senpai, about what I did with the sugar... I'm truly, truly sorry. I never intended on getting you hurt." Here, Enoshima glanced up hesitantly, her eyes filled with remorse. Mikoto couldn't say that she was surprised by her words, but she hadn't quite expected an apology, either. "I was... I wasn't thinking. It was stupid."
"I cannot say that I understand your reasons, but I appreciate the apology. Thanks." Mikoto replied, heaving a sigh. She couldn't help but feel at least a smidgen of pity for Yuki- in addition to all of her punishments from the school board and her parents, it probably wasn't easy to face her friends now, either. The fact that she'd gathered the courage to stand before her now and apologise was... admirable, somewhat.
"T-that's... it?" Yuki straightened up, her voice filled with disbelief and a hint of wariness. Blinking owlishly at Mikoto, her surprise was written all over her face. "How can you just forgive me like that? Aren't you angry?"
Mikoto mulled over her words for a moment before lifting a shoulder in a half-hearted shrug.
"I'm just tired, really. I'm not entirely happy, but it was an accident. And grudges are petty things- sometimes it's better to just to move on and try to fix things." Mikoto answered, feeling a small twinge in her chest as she said that- if only she could have taken her own advice.
Yuki looked lost, and she just shook her head in surrender. "I don't understand."
"Trust me, I don't quite get it, myself." Mikoto acknowledged. Her expression softened a little as she glanced at the first-year, her voice sympathetic as she continued, "But.. I think you've learned from this experience. We all do stupid things sometimes- we just have to learn from them. And I hope that you'll remember that."
"Senpai..." Yuki trailed off, apparently unable to find the words to respond. There was a mixture of surprise and incredulity in her expression, but if Mikoto's eyes weren't deceiving her, she looked a little relieved- hopeful, almost.
"I can understand liking a guy. Believe me, I've been there." Mikoto commented. "But instead of fighting off the competition, you really should just try to get close to him on your own. Trust me- it's much easier, and less troublesome."
"I'm sorry. It's just... I don't know what I was thinking." Yuki admitted, her voice heavy with regret. "I was just trying to be spiteful. It was wrong to let my emotions get the better of me."
"It's good that you see that now." The second-year agreed. Mikoto then leaned back in her seat, making herself a bit more comfortable before deciding to switch the topic. "By the way, how did it ever occur to you to use sugar in the chalk?"
That made Yuki flush, and she slowly sank into her chair as she cleared her throat. "I, uhm... read somewhere that people cheat by using sugar on sports equipment to make them more difficult to hold. I thought the same would work."
"Huh, interesting. They don't teach you that in Chemistry."
"Still, I didn't know the effects would be so..." Yuki glanced at the leg Mikoto still had bandaged up, her mood evidently dampening again. Noticing this, the older girl tried to shift the topic elsewhere again.
"So, how long have you and Komatsu-chan known each other?" Mikoto asked, honestly curious. She had to wonder if the two were close even before the incident- it sure seemed that way, given that she'd been the one to accompany her...
"We just started talking, actually." Yuki admitted, surprising Mikoto with her answer. The girl herself seemed a little confused, too.
"I see." Mikoto placed a hand to her chin in thought, before she raised her voice a little. "Well then, it's no wonder she feels no guilt for eavesdropping on our conversation."
At her words, Mikoto could almost hear Reiko flinching from her position behind the wall next to the living room entrance. Yuki seemed to catch on as well, and quickly followed Mikoto's intent gaze. Indeed, barely a moment later a head of red hair peeked out from the doorway, followed by brown eyes and a sheepish grin belonging to one Reiko Komatsu.
"...Oops?" The girl's smile faltered slightly, cringing a little beneath the stares of the two girls she'd been listening in on. There was no point denying it, anyway.
"Why didn't you just come on in?" Yuki questioned, her voice laced with a hint of exasperation.
"It would have ruined the moment." Reiko shrugged, earning a deadpan look from her fellow underclassman.
Mikoto on the other hand just heaved a sigh, though a small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. She had a feeling things would be a little more interesting now that she had such a strange kouhais around.
'And besides...' Mikoto caught Yuki's eye for a moment and shot her a small smile- one that the younger girl hesitantly returned.
At least there was some semblance of good that came out of this whole mess.
If there was one thing Mikoto could commend her teammates for, it was definitely their ability to instantly make the atmosphere lighter simply by being their usual, oddball selves. This much was exemplified when she was enjoying her book as she relaxed in the armchair in the living room, only to have the piece of literature flung from her hands in shock when a loud, booming voice called out.
"Shirato-chan! We're here to cheer you up!"
"You're loud, Okamura." Kensuke's voice reprimanded, and Mikoto spun around in her seat to behold several members of the basketball team standing in the archway to the living room. She had been so absorbed in her book that she hadn't even noticed that her dad had invited them in- she caught a glimpse of him grumbling to himself as he retreated back into the kitchen, too.
"Oh. Sorry, sorry!" The basketball team captain rubbed his head sheepishly, offering Mikoto an apologetic grin. The girl couldn't help but return it- no one could ever be mad at Kenichi for long. He was just too nice.
"You guys are here?" Mikoto asked, placing her book down in her lap as she bookmarked it.
"No. We're clearly just holograms." Kensuke replied, and Mikoto found her eyebrow twitching again- typical.
"My arms are uninjured, Fukui-senpai. I can still throw stuff at you." She threatened, but Kensuke just snorted in response. The girl's sight then trailed over the others standing there- aside from the two upperclassmen, there was Atsushi, Liu…
"Muro-chin isn't here with us." Atsushi pointed out when he noticed Mikoto's line of sight. The boy held a large plastic bag in his hands as he chewed on some sort of candy- he'd probably made a stop by the grocery store along the way. "He had to go to school today for a Student Council meeting. They're discussing something about the school sports day."
"Oh." Mikoto nodded, ignoring the slight disappointment she felt at this piece of information. "That's understandable."
"Here." Atsushi then proceeded to dump the plastic bag he'd been holding onto her lap, and Mikoto almost made a noise of protest at his blatant disregard for her book. However, her the item that lay within the plastic bag caught her attention, and she peered at it curiously.
"You guys got me this?" She asked, staring at the clear plastic container holding what looked to be a cake within it.
"Murasakibara was the one who brought them." Liu corrected, and Mikoto looked up at the violet-haired boy in intrigue. Atsushi just shrugged.
"Onee-chan heard about your accident. She told me I still had to repay you for all the lessons you gave."
"Give her my thanks, then." Mikoto smiled, before a thought crossed her mind. The plastic container holding the cake didn't look like a typical bakery container, and even the plastic bag it sat in had the logo of a hardware store on it. Could it be that he hadn't bought this?
"Did you... make this yourself?" Mikoto asked, blinking in surprise.
"I didn't want to go out and buy something I could make." Atsushi complained, though Mikoto could have sworn that she heard a hint of disgruntlement in the boy's voice. Oh, he was getting defensive- but she chose not to push it.
"I appreciate it, Murasakibara-kun. Thank you."
"What are we, chopped liver?" Kenichi scoffed, producing a small bundle of flowers from the bag he was holding. "We even got you these."
"You'd think I was severely injured..." Mikoto mumbled, accepting the flowers with a hint of embarrassment. These guys were spoiling her…
"Your lack of attendance during practice has hindered our progress." Liu informed her, sounding almost condescending.
"Some of us have had to take on your duties." Kenichi added. "Didn't realise that a manager had to handle so much stuff."
"So get better already, woman. The Winter Cup is coming." Kensuke added with finality, and Mikoto had to repress an annoyed sigh. Way to kill the moment.
"I have my own stuff to do too, you know. Like gymnastics."
"But Shira-chin's foot is broken." Atsushi pointed out. "You can't do any fancy twists or flips with that."
"Thanks for the uplifting comment." Mikoto muttered, her bitter tone earning a vaguely apologetic look from Atsushi.
"Sorry."
"You'll recover soon enough." Kenichi assured her, attempting to get rid of the tension. "And then you'll be free to vault and land on even more unsuspecting people."
"That was one time." Mikoto huffed. They really wouldn't let that go, would they? But before she could attempt to save her face, an inquiry from Liu interrupted her.
"Who were these from?" The boy asked as he walked over to the vase of fresh cosmos flowers sitting on the coffee table. Attached to the blossoms was a 'Get Well Soon' card- they were evidently meant for her.
"Oh, Enoshima-chan brought them when she dropped by the last time." Mikoto replied.
Everyone gaped at that- except for Atsushi, who just seemed unimpressed.
"Enoshima was here?!"
"What for?"
"She came here with Komatsu-chan to apologise the first time. After that we just... sort of started hanging out." Mikoto shrugged, feeling uncomfortable under their disbelieving stares.
"You didn't kick her out the moment you saw her?" Atsushi asked, frowning.
"Well, she's trying to make up for what she did." Mikoto shrugged, but Atsushi shook his head.
"I was talking about Ko-chin."
"'Ko-chin'?" Mikoto repeated in confusion, before she realised that Atsushi was referring to Reiko. "Oh. Why would I do that to Komatsu-chan?"
"Never mind." Atsushi muttered darkly. There was probably some history behind that- Mikoto made sure to store that little detail away for future conversation.
"Shirato, I think your fall damaged your brain. You might wanna see another doctor." Kensuke suggested, tapping his knuckles against her skull. The brunette just scowled and batted away his hand exasperatedly.
"I'm perfectly fine!" Mikoto snapped. "Just… live and let live, right? There's no point fussing over things that have already happened."
The boys all stared at her as though she had a third head, their expressions varying from deadpan to complete surprise. Mikoto supposed she could understand their disbelief, but she really didn't want any further conflict between the basketball club and Yuki any further. She had done her best to settle the problem at its source, and it was better now to just let bygones be bygones.
In the end, Kenichi was the first to break the silence with a loud sigh, and the third-year ran a hand through his short black hair as he shook his head.
"I'll never get how someone like you ended up with Himuro." He lamented, sniffling. "It's not fair. I'm a nice guy, right? Why can't I get a girlfriend, too?"
"Look in the mirror and you shall have your answer." Liu responded, which resulted in Kenichi falling to his hands and knees as he once again wailed over his poor dating prospects.
"Uh, I'm not dating Tatsuya-kun." Mikoto pointed out awkwardly, unsure as to why she was even trying to justify that to Kenichi when he was having another one of his moments.
"At this point, Shirato, no one believes you." Kensuke chipped in, and Mikoto returned his flat stare with one of her own.
"Why not?"
"Because Muro-chin keeps making goo-goo eyes at you." Atsushi added his two cents through a mouthful of cake.
"He does not. And don't talk with your mouth full."
"I can do what I want."
"My house, my rules."
"Shira-chin is a meanie."
"I wish someone would make goo-goo eyes at me…"
"Impossible. Anyone who gazes upon you would be rendered blind immediately."
"Liu, you're a cold, cold bastard."
"You are not in any position to say so, Fukui."
"Touché."
Amidst all the misplaced conversation going on between the teens, Hajime Shirato paused at the doorway to the living room. Glancing between his cup of coffee and the newspaper in his hands, he looked thoughtfully at the scene in the hall, wondering if he should try and make his way over to his usual seat…
"Hey, Shirato, boxers or briefs?"
"…What?"
"Well, you know how all of us guys-"
"You know what, forget I asked."
The man grimaced and chose the smarter of the two options he had, making his way back to the kitchen as he decided to read at the dining table instead. There was just no way he was going to involve himself in the affairs of these crazy teenagers.
Tatsuya flipped through the hardcover storybook in his hands, his eyes briefly scanning the pages as he stood by the bookshelf in Mikoto's room. It was the middle of the afternoon, and the girl he had come to visit was currently asleep, much to his chagrin. He'd initially intended on visiting earlier that day with the rest of his teammates, but a last minute meeting organised by the Student Council had put a halt to those plans. Tatsuya initially considered leaving upon seeing that she was sleeping when he arrived, but then he thought better of it- he didn't mind waiting a little longer to keep her company. He quite enjoyed visiting her over the last few days- except for the fact that every time he came up here alone when Hajime was downstairs, he'd be bombarded with the heaviest, most scrutinising look from the man until he finally got out of his range of sight. Toshi was napping in the corner of the room too, the dog having been sent in by Hajime just in case Tatsuya attempted anything funny.
He had to admit- Mikoto's father was a scary man.
When Mikoto began to stir, Tatsuya's eyes were immediately drawn to the movement. The girl's eyelids fluttered while she tried to wake herself up, her hands moving to rub at her eyes as she attempted to push herself into a sitting position. Her mouth stretched into a wide yawn that she didn't bother to conceal, and Tatsuya smothered an amused smile when he noticed her dishevelled hair. It was clear that she hadn't noticed him yet, since she seemed so unarmed and casual- and it felt like he was witnessing something private, almost. He hoped he wasn't going to freak her out with his being here while she slept.
"Hey there." Mikoto immediately tensed up at his voice, her hands automatically clenching into fists. He was glad he'd chosen to sit a bit further away from the bed before speaking aloud- if he'd been too close, he may have gotten a pretty nasty black eye. "I'm sorry for intruding. Your parents said I could come in, but I didn't know you were asleep. I hope this isn't too creepy of me."
The girl took a moment longer to regain her bearings, blinking at him repeatedly as she tried to shake herself from her drowsiness. When she finally got a good look at Tatsuya, she seemed to relax as she gave a sigh. "You weren't watching me sleep, were you?"
"Don't worry. Your sleeping habits are still a mystery to me." Here, he smiled slightly, gesturing to his head as he raised his eyebrows at her. "Well, mostly."
"Oh!" Mikoto's hands flew to her hair immediately as she understood what he was saying, and she began finger-combing through the messy strands as best as she could. Tatsuya, feeling somewhat bad for teasing her, immediately went to the dresser near her bed and took the hairbrush off the countertop to hand it over to her.
"It was a joke- really, you look fine. But you might want to use this."
"Thanks," Mikoto murmured, accepting the brush from his hands- their fingers brushed a little as she did so, and Tatsuya had to repress a shiver. As she pulled herself up into a better sitting position in her bed and began brushing out her long, russet waves, she said, "I thought you were at a Student Council meeting today."
"I was. It ended at two." He then nodded towards her leg, asking, "How's the foot?"
"I still need crutches to walk, but I should be able to attend school when it reopens," She replied, and Tatsuya couldn't help but laugh at her answer.
"That was your main concern, wasn't it?" He raised an eyebrow knowingly as he took a seat next to her bed. Mikoto just ignored the question, running her hands through her hair one last time as she continued.
"You didn't have to visit today if you were busy, you know. You were already here yesterday."
"There's no harm in giving you a little company."
"Your parents don't mind that you stay out so long?"
"Not really- I'm often given a certain modicum of freedom." Tatsuya replied, a somewhat half-hearted smile on his face. "I don't spend all that much time at home anyway."
"Oh. Sorry."
"Why would you be?" He glanced up upon hearing Mikoto's apology, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.
"It says something if you'd rather spend time elsewhere than with your family." Mikoto muttered, her response surprising Tatsuya with its simple, yet profound message. His silence seemed to unnerve Mikoto, since she quickly glanced away. "My apologies. I shouldn't make such assumptions without knowing anything."
Normally, Tatsuya would have answered with one of his casual comments, letting the topic slide by to avoid discussing anything too personal. However, as he watched the girl with the blue eyes, who hardly ever asked for him to reveal anything to her when she placed her trust in him so fully... he diverged from his usual course of action.
"My dad isn't home often, so there's not all that much going on."
Mikoto looked up in surprise at his admission, though her expression immediately softened when she realised the implied context of his statement. "Oh, Tatsuya-kun. I didn't know..."
"Don't be sorry, please." He raised a hand to halt her apologetic statement, before continuing in a somewhat casual tone, "My father is a wonderful person. He just focuses on his work a lot to keep us afloat. Does a lot of travelling, too."
"It must be lonely," Mikoto murmured- and Tatsuya would be lying if he said her words hadn't hit close to home. Still, he just shrugged it off with a smile.
"It is, a little bit. That's why I'm fine with staying out with company most times," He confessed, though he kept an eye out for her reaction. As Mikoto seemed to mull over this information in silence, Tatsuya began preparing himself for the inevitable onslaught of questions this would inevitably open up- but he was caught off-guard nonetheless when Mikoto looked up with an almost determined look in her eye.
"Well, you can come over any time you feel like it," She offered without hesitation- much to Tatsuya's surprise. "My mother likes you, anyway, so you can come over for visits, or dinner, or whatever you feel like. Just give me a heads up so we can prepare a spot for you."
Tatsuya couldn't help but blink, momentarily stunned into silence by her offer. "That's not what I expected."
The way Mikoto's face fell was almost comical, and Tatsuya couldn't help the fond smile that crossed his face at that. Leave it to her to throw him off like that. "What did you expect, then?"
"More questions, I think. What my father works as, where my mother is, things like that."
At his words, Mikoto's expression grew solemn again- and when she reached out to touch his hand, Tatsuya's incredulity only heightened even further. Still, as he looked into her eyes, he saw nothing but sincerity when she said, "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious. However, I do know that your comfort comes first. You're my friend, Tatsuya-kun- I want to be there for you. And I don't want to force you to say anything you're not comfortable with right now."
Once again, she'd rendered him speechless. He didn't understand just how she was able to do this, completely subverting his expectations at every turn. Here she was again, just being so… giving. Though there was the faintest glimmer of curiosity within her deep blue irises, she was still putting his wellbeing first- and that was what made his hesitations disappear.
"Can I be a little more selfish right now and confide in you just a bit more, then?" He asked, placing a hand over hers where she rested it against his arm. Though Mikoto seemed a little surprised at the action, her eyes merely flickered up to him as she nodded- with barely any indecision in her reaction.
"I'm listening."
With her affirmation, Tatsuya then glanced away, pausing for a moment as he thought about where to start. Try as he might though, he couldn't suppress the feeling of reluctance that bubbled up in his chest as he came to terms with what he was about to reveal to her. Telling people about this never got easier- but as he focused on the warmth and softness of her hands on his, he felt it was easier to get his thoughts in order. With that in mind, he took the leap.
"My parents' relationship wasn't the best," He began quietly, his eyes taking on a faraway expression as he spoke. "Even as a kid, I'd started to notice that they were either arguing or just not talking to each other more and more often. For a while, they were trying to make things work- but then one day, my mom got fired from her job. It was hard on her- she was already dealing with other problems, so that was just the thing that pushed her over the edge. I guess it all became a little too much for her to handle, because that night... she came home drunk."
Tatsuya halted briefly, breathing in slowly before he continued. "Dad was upset. There was a lot of shouting involved, and it woke me up." There was a tilt at the corners of his lips, and yet his expression revealed more bitterness than joy. "I was too young to understand what was going on when I tried to intervene. Just so happened that my mother had a bottle on her."
Here, Tatsuya touched his fingers to the curtain of hair shielding the left half of his face, glancing up at Mikoto as he asked, "Have you ever wondered why I wear my hair like this, Mikoto-chan?"
He heard Mikoto's breath catch, her eyes revealing her mortification as she made the connection.
"You mean she- the bottle-"
"Yeah. I have a... reminder, so to speak." Tatsuya had to suppress the urge to grimace, though he did attempt a faint chuckle. "Dad packed up all our things, took me, and left immediately after that incident- never looked back. I haven't seen or spoken to my mother ever since the divorce."
Mikoto's hand squeezed his arm gently, though in contrast, her eyes were firm. "He made the right choice. Anyone who would hurt their own child doesn't deserve to be near them."
"You sound angry," Tatsuya pointed out, surprised to hear the note of resentment in her voice.
"I am angry." Mikoto's eyes glinted like cold sapphires under the lights, but she took a deep breath, averting her eyes as she murmured, "She hurt you. That's not something I can forgive anyone for."
Her words made Tatsuya's shock wane, a look of understanding taking its place instead. The idea that she would feel so strongly about this had been surprising- but it also made his face warm in mild embarrassment and gratitude. He grasped her hand between his and lowered it onto the edge of her bed, murmuring, "You don't need to be angry on my behalf. She's out of my life, and I'm not letting her back in."
"Good," Mikoto said, taking another deep breath as she attempted to calm herself. "Still... I'm sorry you had to go through all of that. I can't imagine how difficult that must have been."
Her words hit just a little too close to home, and for a moment Tatsuya found his expression growing taut. Difficult? That barely even come close to describing it. However, the look on her face was not one of sympathy- it was one of assurance and admiration, as if she was commending him for doing the right thing. That was enough to make his discomfort subside- and he shot her a weak smile as he attempted to lighten the mood.
"Believe me, it wasn't as difficult as having to adjust to wearing a prosthetic eye." At her incredulous look, he explained, "The injury was bad- my eye got infected, so the doctors had to remove it. I can't actually see anything out of this side anymore."
"Is that what you meant by 'a reminder'?" Mikoto asked, seemingly in shock. Tatsuya just nodded, though he felt his chest tightening as the next words left his mouth. This never got easier- but he had to know.
"Do you want to see?"
"Do I- what? Tatsuya-kun, are you really comfortable with that?" She questioned immediately, and Tatsuya almost wanted to smile. Always so concerned about his comfort instead of herself...
"Yes, I think I am." He nodded, his hand reaching up to gather the bangs covering his face. Just before he pushed the dark strands away, he shot her one last smile. "Just... try not to be too freaked out, alright?"
And he pulled his bangs back. Tatsuya waited to hear Mikoto's gasp of surprise, or for her to recoil as he revealed what he had hidden beneath his hair for so long- the pale, faded scar that cut through a bald spot on his eyebrow, and the fake eye that just didn't fully match his real one, static and unmoving in comparison. Tatsuya watched her expression carefully, bracing himself for her reaction...
"Tatsuya-kun, may I...?"
But what he didn't expect was for her to raise her hand slightly as she asked in a low, meek voice for his permission to put her hands on his face. For a moment, all Tatsuya could do was stare at her worried expression in mild disbelief, unsure if he had heard correctly. There was no apprehension in her gaze, or even the slightest hint of hesitation... nothing but unadulterated concern.
"I... yes." He managed to comply once he finally found his voice again, his expression uncharacteristically evicting his surprise. Mikoto just nodded silently at his permit, and after another moment's pause, reached out to lay her hand on his face.
He flinched at first when her hand came into contact with his skin, but he somehow stopped himself from scooting away. Instead, he stayed stock-still as her fingers gently trailed over the scar above his eye, her own gaze intent as she followed the movement with her eyes. Her touch was soft- almost featherlight- and Tatsuya involuntarily found his eyes fluttering shut for a moment against the gentle caress. He didn't recall the last time anyone had touched him with such tenderness like this.
"I'm such an idiot," Mikoto murmured, capturing his attention as he snapped out of his thoughts. She looked almost ashamed as she admitted, "I thought your hairstyle was a fashion statement all this time."
Tatsuya couldn't help himself- he laughed at her comment.
"Well, I can't blame you." He smiled at her, and he was rewarded with a brief flicker of amusement in those cerulean eyes before Mikoto's expression turned into one of curiosity.
"The colour is slightly off, isn't it? That's cool. Kind of like heterochromia."
"That's about the only cool thing you can really say about this," He chuckled slightly, before he felt a sudden rush of self-consciousness. His prosthetic didn't move the way his real eye did, and he was certain that the way it made him look was disturbing to her. "It… looks strange, doesn't it?"
"It's certainly different," Mikoto agreed- and though she didn't attempt to let him down gently with her straightforward agreement, Tatsuya was almost relieved by the fact that she appeared so casual about it. Her lips pursed slightly for a moment, and he couldn't help but shudder as her thumb brushed over his eyebrow. "But I'm more concerned about this scar over here. Makes you look like a delinquent."
Tatsuya couldn't hold back a snort of amusement at that. "What, you don't think I'm a delinquent?"
"Of course not. I have no doubt you're an absolute saint of a human being." Mikoto replied, rolling her eyes at him. It was as if they were having a completely normal conversation like all the others they'd had before- and Tatsuya could hardly believe it. She had accepted it all a lot better than he'd expected, but most of all, she still looked at him the same way she always did. There was no pity, or disdain... she just seemed to see him for him.
"You're seriously... not repulsed?" He asked, his voice quiet. Mikoto just frowned and shook her head, looking almost offended that he had asked such a question.
"I couldn't care less what you look like. I like Tatsuya Himuro more as a person than as a pretty face." Mikoto admitted before she glanced away, her cheeks tinting pink. "And in my opinion... I think you still look good."
Another moment of silence accompanied her indirect admittance, and Mikoto suddenly found her face growing hotter with each passing moment. Perhaps she shouldn't have added that last part...
"So, you think I'm handsome," Tatsuya deduced, and Mikoto's mouth fell open at his bold statement.
"I didn't say that," She retorted, though she still didn't look up for fear that her expression would betray her true intentions.
"But you admitted that I look good," Tatsuya pointed out, and Mikoto scowled as she spun back around to face him.
"I-" She didn't get to continue, as her reply died on her tongue the moment she met Tatsuya's eye. The expression he wore was something Mikoto had not expected- it wasn't one of anger or embarrassment, but instead... he was smiling. A true, genuine smile that revealed two rows of perfect white teeth, his eyes crinkling at the corners in such a heartfelt expression of delight way that the girl found her heart stuttering to a stop.
Mikoto knew she had thought of Tatsuya as good-looking before, but now, when he wore such a genuine expression, he looked heart-stoppingly handsome.
"At a loss for words?" He jested, raising an eyebrow at her. That snapped Mikoto out of her stupor, and she blushed upon being caught staring.
"Take it as you will." She responded curtly, immediately looking away. Her blush growing darker, she also continued shyly. "And... thank you. For trusting me with this knowledge."
"It really should be the other way around." Tatsuya murmured in reply. His expression then turned wistful, and Mikoto had to consciously remind herself not to reach out and touch his face again in a gesture of comfort. It was somewhat odd to see him this way- the confident, self-assured Tatsuya Himuro, looking so pensive and his hair pulled back to reveal the scar on his eyebrow and the eye that wasn't his own. He looked almost like an entirely different person, and yet... not quite.
It didn't matter either way, Mikoto realised- for he was still the Tatsuya that she had come to know and cherish.
"So," Tatsuya looked up just then, startling Mikoto with his sudden change of tone and demeanour. "I guess this means you can't go with me to the fireworks festival this Friday."
His casual statement caught Mikoto completely off-guard, and she struggled to put her surprise into words.
"W-what?!"
Yep. Top-notch vocabulary skills.
"I was planning on asking you to go with me. It's the last of the festivals before the end of summer." Tatsuya elaborated, appearing amused at her shock. "But it looks like that's not really an option now."
"You were planning to go to the festival. With me." Mikoto repeated, sounding almost dumbfounded.
"Yes."
"You have a horde of acquaintances, and you wanted to go with me."
"Yes..."
"I don't mean to be rude, Himuro-kun, but did you hit your head on the way here?"
"You don't have much self-confidence in your social skills, do you?" Tatsuya shook his head, chuckling. "I'm serious, though. I really was looking forward to going with you."
"Whatever you say." Mikoto's voice was unnaturally tight as she forced the words from her throat, and she found it increasingly difficult to force down the blood that rushed to her face. That was odd- why did she feel so flustered?
"You don't believe me?" Tatsuya raised an eyebrow, his mismatched eyes seeming to dance with entertainment.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Mikoto huffed.
"Are you in denial again?"
"I could call my mom to chase you out for abuse."
"She wouldn't believe you. I'm an absolute saint of a human being, aren't I?"
"Shut up," Mikoto growled, but it only served to add to Tatsuya's amusement. Upon seeing his smile widen, Mikoto felt her face growing even hotter, until she finally turned away and murmured, "You could always just bring me back a souvenir or something. It'll be good enough for me."
"Yeah. We could go with that." Tatsuya agreed, still smiling fondly at her. The two of them fell into a comfortable silence after that, only occasionally piping up to comment on some odd topic or other while Tatsuya invaded her book collection once again. Time passed by in a flash after that, and before Mikoto knew it, she was waving at Tatsuya as he prepared to head home before nightfall, his hair moved back over his eye as he left.
But all the while, Mikoto couldn't help but notice that the smile he wore never left his face.
Mikoto hugged a pillow to her chest as she lay back on her bed, having abandoned her book after she found herself staring at the same page for half an hour. It was Friday night- two days since Tatsuya had revealed his history with his family to her- and she found herself almost bored to death while the rest of her friends had gone to Tokyo for the fireworks festival. If she was honest, she was kind of disheartened at being unable to go- she would have liked to have met up with Daiki and Satsuki, maybe even enjoyed the scenery by the riverbank as the sky lit up with hundreds of fireworks. But at the moment, only one person occupied the brunette's mind- and that was Yosen's enigmatic shooting guard.
She had always liked the silver shade of Tatsuya's visible eye, and she'd always assumed that his other eye would be the same as well. Yet after he had confessed his secret to her, the image of his face- one side as smooth as porcelain with his right eye a metallic silver, and the other scarred with his eye just a shade off from the other- was seared into her mind. His eyes didn't match like she'd always imagined, and yet... she didn't feel disappointed by the revelation. If anything, as she recalled his brilliant, merry smile, she found that he was even more handsome than he ever was before.
A fluttering in her chest sent her hand flying towards the source of the discomfort, making her breath hitch slightly in surprise. It didn't help, however- if anything, it felt as though it was beating even faster than before. She didn't understand- what was going on? Was the nausea and palpitations some sort of side effect from her medication?
Before she could ponder upon her predicament for too long, her phone's notification alert sounded several times, startling the girl with the sheer number of times it sounded. Was someone spamming her with text messages?
A frown pulling at her lips, Mikoto reached for her phone and turned it on... only for her surprise to grow when she realised that all the messages she had just received were from one person.
'Tatsuya Himuro'
Utterly baffled at this point, the girl opened up the first message, only to be greeted with an image of both Tatsuya and Atsushi garbed in yukata. Below that, there was a caption.
'Sorry I couldn't give you live updates, the signal was terrible around the area. But here's a recap of the events today.'
A whole thread of pictures followed after that, each one captioned with details of what was going on in each one.
'Atsushi won all of this in the games. Didn't know he was so good with these things.'
'He is also terrifying with a monster mask, by the way. Never again.'
'Got one of these bird whistles for you. Maybe we can use them to annoy Fukui one of these days.'
'We ran into Nigou again here, too. You think Toshi would enjoy his company?'
'The fireworks display was beautiful. Wish you could have been here to enjoy them with us.'
And at the very end, there was a single picture of Tatsuya, with Atsushi in the background. The former had hus fingers lifted into an uncharacteristically cute peace sign, a smile on his face as he coupled it with one last message to round it all up...
'Hope you're not feeling too bored and that this cheered you up. We'll take you with us the next time around- I promise. Good night, Mikoto-chan!'
There it was again. The way her heart seemed to skip a beat. Mikoto found her eyes trained on the picture of Tatsuya at the very end of the message thread, unable to look away. For once, she actually looked at him, her eyes trailing from the slant of his brow to the curve of his jaw. She recalled every expression she'd ever seen on that face- from that half-smile he always wore, to the scowl that pulled his lips downwards and furrowed his brow... to the grin he wore just two days ago, right in this very room.
"...Oh no." Mikoto placed a hand over her mouth, her eyes widening in horror as realisation dawned on her. "No, no, no..."
She wouldn't. She couldn't.
...But she was.
She was falling for Tatsuya Himuro.
AN: So… there we have it. Lots of stuff happened this chapter, and I can't believe I even managed to finish it OTL. My fingers are just about numb lmao. And I apologise if my sudden use of first names all around is sort of disorientating- I figured I should stick to one particular style to avoid making things messy. Sorry for the confusion 8'D
And again, regarding Reiko- I have no plans for any romance between her and Atsushi thus far, so fret not. I just needed a character to be the 'Murasakibara' to Mikoto's 'Himuro' in a sense… and also to act as a plot device, haha!
A little note, by the way! I'm having my first sem exams in May, so I'm not sure when the next update will be. I do hope you guys will be patient with me, and hopefully this chapter will satisfy you guys for a little while. Until then, I hope you enjoyed it~
Now on to the credits! Thank you so much to VanillaMilkshake18, Chocogirl24, VixenOfMeiraz, Indirianna, PhoenixRage92, Yonacchi, TheBloodyArrow, VioletFan123, LadyAmazon, Lady Syndra, Tamani, LincoeAlisson3298, Human Marshmallow, ashleybruch5, amy1945, Bliss Autumn, Noiz Viruz, royalpurple153,ty4ryuut, My Name Is Alice, lostinthefridge, XxTealJadexX, AnimeLoverHaruka and Dancing Peony for reviewing! I loved reading all of your comments and your opinions, and again I apologise for replying late to you guys! Just know that I truly appreciate each and every one of you, and I will always try to respond, even if it takes weeks for me to do so! 8D