Yukinari stared at the reflection looking back at him from the mirror in his room. He pats his hair making sure that it was neat and combed and surveys his school uniform to make certain that it was free of stains or wrinkles. "This won't matter too much. I'm coming back to change into something nicer anyways" he noted buttoning the front of his uniform. "Maybe I should shave?" Yukinari thought to himself as he found more facial hair springing up on his face. "I guess dad's genes are finally kicking in. I was wondering if that would ever happen" Yukinari pondered recalling the moderate beard his own father sported at times when he was still working locally. "I wonder if Kirie likes facial hair?" He then observes his physique allowing himself a little vanity. "I know she likes this" he says flexing his chest and abs.
Just next door, Kirie too was looking herself over in her dresser mirror. This was no different than on any other school day morning other than one major difference: on this day, Kirie had decided to try on some cosmetics, something she did not recall ever caring to do. "So... how do I put this on?" Kirie wondered as she looked down at a cosmetics kit set before her on her dresser. "Eye liner? Eye shadow? I don't even know the difference!" Kirie exclaimed fidgeting with the little instruments that came in the kit. Kirie was without a doubt a girl but she had often been a tomboyish one finding things likes sports and martial arts much more interesting than soaps or gossip magazines. "I know what lipstick is" Kirie confirmed twisting the base of a plastic tube pushing a red lipstick upward. "And I've seen other women put it on so..." Kirie parts her lips as she positions the lipstick near her mouth. At the last instant however, she hesitates. "...Mom" Kirie suddenly directed at the door to her room. "I know you're there" Kirie said opening her door.
"Oh! Hello dear!" Kirie's mother, Misuzu Kojima, greets.
"Eavesdropping mom?" Kirie asked unamused.
"Only because I sense you've got something major coming up!" she said noting the lipstick in Kirie's hand. "Going out on a date later today? This must be a first! I've never seen you use makeup before" Mrs. Kojima recalled.
"Um, yeah" Kirie answered somewhat embarrassed.
"Where's Fukuyama taking you this time?" Kirie's mother asked.
"Mom, I've broken up with him!" Kirie protested. "I'm not going out with him anymore."
"Oh really? Well that's a shame. He was so handsome!" Mrs. Kojima complimented.
"Yeah, but he was unbearable" Kirie countered.
"That makes sense. You never looked like you were enjoying yourself around him" Misuzu recollected.
"In any case, I'm going out with someone much better!" Kirie declares happily.
"You are? So? Who's the lucky boy?"
"Yukinari!" Kirie answered proudly.
"Yukinari!?" Mrs. Kojima responds surprised. "The boy next door?"
"Yep!"
Kirie's mother stares at Kirie for a moment. "So you've finally mustered up the courage to ask him out? Good for you!.. Or did he ask you out?"
"He asked me out" Kirie informed. Misuzu chuckles.
"I always thought you two looked so cute together! So how'd he finally ask you out? Did you have to hint at it?" Kirie's mother asked beaming.
"W-well, you see-" Kirie began nervously.
"Or did you two do something special?" Misuzu asked, a dangerous look accompanying the uncomfortable question.
"Y-yes! Yes, I hinted at it" Kirie answered quickly wanting to avoid the subject. "Anyways, I need a little help."
"Ah yes! The makeup" Kirie's mother said shutting the cosmetics kit. "Kirie, you're not the kind of girl who needs make up to look pretty."
"You're just saying that because you're my mom" Kirie accused.
"No, I'm serious. And if you were to apply makeup, it would be best to save it for some sort of big social event. And of course, you'd need the fancy clothes to go along with the eye liner and such." Misuzu takes the lipstick from Kirie's hand. "And this shade of red is too dark for simply going to school in an everyday school uniform" she adds making Kirie feel silly. "Try this" she says handing Kirie a light pink lipstick. "This color complements your skin tone very well rather than clashing with it. Subtlety is key."
Kirie accepts the new lipstick color and stares at herself briefly through the mirror again. "That, that looks nice!" she voices as she imagined the light pink on her lips. "Thanks mom!" Kirie says accepting her mother's advice gratefully before embracing her in a warm hug. "I hope Yukinari will like it."
"You're very welcome!" Misuzu says beaming. "And of course he will like it! He will love it!" A moment of silence.
"Uhh, mom... How do you put lipstick on?" Kirie asked awkwardly. Kirie's mother giggled again.
"You've never worn lipstick have you?"
"N-no!" Kirie responded feeling somewhat ashamed. "You should be helping me! Not laughing at me!" Kirie complained.
"Of course dear" Mrs. Kojima returns as she takes the lipstick from Kirie's hand and explains the proper technique. Shortly later, a knock comes at the front door.
"Oh, that must be him" Kirie alerts. "Can you get that for me while I finish getting ready?" she asked urgently revising her hair and straightening her school uniform.
"Of course!" Kirie's mother answers proceeding to the front door. Opening the door, she finds Yukinari standing there somewhat rigidly but retaining an aura of confidence.
"Hello, good morning Mrs. Kojima!" Yukinari greets politely. "Is Kirie ready to go?" he asked.
"Why yes she is!" Misuzu answered with enthusiasm. Just behind her appears Kirie, her book bag hanging from her shoulder. She joins her mother at the front door.
"Good morning Yukinari!"
"Good morning Kirie! All ready to go?"
"Yes, of course." Kirie steps out and joins Yukinari's side. "It's really nice that you've woken yourself up this morning by the way!"
"I don't always sleep in Kirie" Yukinari answered. "Today's important after all."
Yukinari and Kirie smile at each other but then both Yukinari and Kirie turn their gaze toward Kirie's mother who was wearing a look of absolute fascination with the two.
"Oh-oh! Don't mind me! You two continue talking and pretend I'm not here!" Misuzu requests grinning sheepishly.
"Mom!" Kirie protested.
"So Yukinari, where will you be taking her today?" Mrs. Kojima asked as though she were devouring juicy, delicious gossip and making Yukinari uneasy in the process.
"Mom, don't pester him!" Kirie protested again.
"It's you two who are standing at my front door. Get going!" Misuzu Kojima says nudging Yukinari and Kirie out and away from the entrance. "Have fun you two!" she yells out, her arm waving them both goodbye as Yukinari and Kirie make their way towards school.
"Sorry about that Yukinari. Mom's got a thing for gossip. She did the same thing when she learned about Fukuyama and I."
"It's okay Kirie, really" Yukinari assures walking beside the brunette. He taps her left palm with his fingers and with affectionate smiles, their hands clasp each other.
"And don't sweat where you'll be taking me today Yukinari. Just choose any good eating spot. You don't have to bend over backwards on my account" Kirie assured. "Any place where we can spend time together is fine with me!"
"S-sure" Yukinari said shoving the issue aside for later. "I really like your lipstick by the way. You look very pretty."
"Do you mean that!?" Kirie asked delighted. She couldn't help but feel great joy that Yukinari noticed she was wearing it.
"Yes Kirie, of course" Yukinari finished.
"Thank you Yukinari! Mom helped me with it" Kirie admitted awkwardly. "It's kind of embarrassing that I needed her help to put it on."
"You needed her help?" Yukinari asked incredulously.
"Don't look at me like that!" Kirie protests. "The shame is more than enough. I mean, it was something so simple!"
"Hehehe, I would think so. And it makes sense: you were never into that stuff" Yukinari recalls. "But I like it Kirie!" Yukinari repeated.
"I'm glad" Kirie returned through a warm smile as both walked on. This closeness did not fail to turn heads their way the instant they had set foot on Mizuno High campus. "I-is that Yukinari with Kirie!?", "No way! When did 'that' happen?", "How did he score a girl like her!?" was among the hushed chatter floating around. Yukinari and Kirie, too distracted by each other, fail to notice any of it and proceed to class. In the middle of class, Yukinari sat at his desk pondering deeply something that he had set aside earlier that day. "So... where should I take Kirie?" he wondered holding his head. He stared at Kirie who was busy cleaning the blackboard. "Taking her somewhere to eat seemed too average so... Maybe a space museum? She likes science after all... Maybe we could take a tour through a haunted house? Some people like a good scare. No, that's not so with Kirie. That really freaks her out. She hates that stuff.."
"Oh yes, that's right. I 'am' sexy" a conceited, self-absorbed voice enunciated from some other desk within the classroom. "What's that? Why yes, I 'am' handsome 'and' rich! Not to mention have lots of money!"
"That must be Fukuyama" Yukinari thought wearily.
"I'm so glad you dumped that ogrish brunette" a high-pitched girly voice declared from the same general area.
"Yeah, now we can have you all to ourselves" another equally girly voice resumed. Yukinari, turning his head towards the voices, finds Fukuyama holding two female students in his arms, one with long, dark purple hair and another with short, bright orange hair. Yukinari turning back to Kirie at the blackboard, cannot help but sense an irritation within Kirie growing and festering into an anger.
"Dumping her was the greatest decision I have ever made. Ugh! She was soooo needy and soooo boooring! You girls should have seen and heard her crying and screaming for me to take her back. It was so unsightly and embarrassing. It was difficult for me to turn my back on her but she deserved it: just using me to get a free limo and meal. Oh the curse of being me!"
"Kirie, don't let him get to you Kirie" Yukinari thought looking at Kirie whose fist and arm were twitching in rage. The grip on the blackboard eraser, Yukinari could tell, was tightening.
"One can only pity her now. No more free meals for her" Fukuyama said clearly.
"Definitely" one of Fukuyama's girls agreed. After all of this, Kirie, to Yukinari's surprise, straightens up and places the eraser down. She apparently does not acknowledge Fukuyama's clear provocations and instead proceeds towards Yukinari's seat and sits on his lap.
"Kirie? What are you doing?" Yukinari asked Kirie who wraps an arm around his shoulders and starts to stroke his hair.
"I'm sorry Yukinari, I'm just feeling exhausted for some reason. There was a lot of hot air in this room a few moments ago so I'm feeling a bit drained" Kirie explained. "That and I want to appreciate a real man for a change rather than some shallow, spoiled, one-dimensional pretty-boy who needs to wear gloves because of his mental hang-ups."
"Kirie, you're only egging him on" Yukinari whispered.
"I'm not egging anyone on, I'm just talking to you" Kirie said rubbing her cheek with Yukinari's. "Oh! Your facial hair tickles! I can't wait to see you with a five o'clock shadow. Of course, only real men are able to grow beards." Yukinari, deciphering Kirie's facial expression, could tell she was having a blast getting back at Fukuyama. This was only to be expected since Kirie could be quite competitive. "Yep! Dumping Fukuyama was the best decision of my life. It was a gain! I can only feel sorry for the floozies who end up with him."
"Fukuyama dear? What's wrong? You look upset" one of the girls held by Fukuyama asked outloud. Fukuyama, to his own surprise, was finding Kirie's words particularly irksome, every word feeling like a finger jabbing him in the back. It was enough that his own pride was hurt when he, the great and mighty Kazuharu Fukuyama, had been dumped.
"Man, Yukinari's so lucky" a boy with braces sitting within Fukuyama's wide hearing range began. "He's got Kirie as a girlfriend. She's sitting on him damn it! How the hell did he manage to get her!?"
"Yeah, it boggles the mind" another boy answered. "Kirie's from another planet so how Yukinari got her I'll never know. I mean she's the only girl to have ever dumped the school pretty boy, Fukuyama! She dumped THE Fukuyama and now she's with Yukinari."
"She dumped Fukuyama!? I thought that was an urban legend!" a tall boy joined in with a gasp.
"I think Yukinari and Kirie have known each other since they were kids" the boy with braces continued. "That's home field advantage at work: of course she'd fall for him."
"From the looks of it, that Yukinari's been working out. I guess Kirie likes the fit types" the tall boy finished.
"What's this!? They should be envying me, not that Punynari!" Fukuyama thought annoyed. Not only was Fukuyama's dating life no longer the subject of other boys' envy but his once-perfect dating record was also tarnished. No one dumped the great and mighty Fukuyama! No one!.. No one except Kirie. "Kirie, did I hear right?" Fukuyama asked Kirie across the room. "Did I just hear that 'you' dumped 'me'!?"
"That's right! You know it and I know it! I dumped YOU!" Kirie insisted standing up.
"Kirie, just ignore him" Yukinari whispered.
"No! I only took pity on you Kirie, pining away for Yukinari like that. I knew your motives since day one. You were pathetic!"
"As if I'd ever need pity from the likes of you!" Kirie countered irritated. "Someone who I'm willing to bet doesn't even know the names of his own floozies. What are their names Fukuyama?"
"Who-whose names?" Fukuyama asked.
"Ours!" the two girls standing behind Fukuyama immediately voiced.
"Your names? Uhh" Fukuyama struggled with recalling their names. "They are... uhh." An awkward moment of silence followed, Fukuyama's girls glaring at him. "...Crap! Hey, where are you going?" Fukuyama asked as the two girls walked out of class.
"Serves you right" Kirie said sitting back down on Yukinari's lap.
"Damn it Kirie!" Fukuyama restarted angrily but then, abruptly, he calmed himself. "Hmph!" He walks up to Kirie and says "Kirie, this proves you miss me and you never truly got over me!"
"No" Kirie said confidently. "And again, I dumped you. You didn't dump me" Kirie said not even looking in Fukuyama's direction.
Yukinari noticed Fukuyama's patience wearing thinner and thinner and Kirie, calmly and quietly leaning on him. Yukinari couldn't help but be surprised by this. He was expecting Fukuyama to get to Kirie, Kirie to lose her temper and beat Fukuyama after Fukuyama had said such things. It's happened before. But she didn't: she stayed seated. "Damn it Kirie, look at me when I'm talking to you!" Fukuyama demanded. Kirie, with an exhausted sigh, stands up a second time and faces the blonde pervert.
"Okay Fukuyama, what the hell do you want now?"
"You've cost me my girls!" Fukuyama exclaimed. "How do you plan on compensating?"
"I didn't cost you anything, that was your own fault. And now you're ruining my day. Go sit down" Kirie said again sitting back down on Yukinari's lap, her cold shoulder jabbing Fukuyama.
Fukuyama's face was twisted in anger but, as though he were afflicted by mood-swings, it very quickly was engulfed with a sloppy, goofy, perverted face as his arms hovered around Kirie, his gloved hands threatening her chest. "It's okay Kirie. I can think of one way you can repay me! Hihihihihihihihihihi!" Fukuyama cackled licking his lips, his brow glistening with sweat. His hands struck quickly and Fukuyama was in bliss: he lived to enjoy a woman's chest and Kirie's was among the best in Mizuno. Kirie's chest was perfection: her bountiful bosom felt excruciatingly painful and almost crushed his wrist bones. This was bliss! "...W-wait a minute..." he suddenly thought. Looking down, he found Kirie up and safely behind a standing Yukinari and his hands not caressing Kirie but rather in Yukinari's fierce grasp. "When did you-?"
"Hey Fukuyama" Yukinari said, an anger behind a soft smile. "Last time you tried something like this, I simply stood and watched. I don't intend to let it happen again" Yukinari finished as he squeezed Fukuyama's lecherous hands tighter.
"Pu-Punynari! Damn it, that hurts! Let go!" Fukuyama demanded struggling. After Yukinari lessens his grip, he tears his gloved hands out of Yukinari's grasp and begins to massage them. Fukuyama, directing his words towards Kirie, says with a grin "well, now that you and Punynari are so close, it would seem I was right: there was indeed a ravenous lust dormant within Punynari, he's a man after all. I can't help but feel a sense of pride and relief that Lisa was spared such a fate."
"Yes, we're very close" Kirie answers with pride. "Now do like me and go sit down" Kirie finishes growing tired of the conversation.
"Like you? Do you want me to sit on another man's lap then?" Fukuyama remarked slyly. "I had two girls sitting on my lap until you interfered."
"That would actually be pretty funny. I'd pay to see that" Kirie returns with a smirk to Fukuyama's grumble. "Look, if it means that much to you, you dumped me. There, your ego is saved" Kirie said. It was then that the teacher finally walks into the class and Fukuyama, without another word, stomps back to his desk.
"Ravenous lust?" Yukinari voiced in confusion.
"Fukuyama likes listening to himself talk. Pay it no mind" Kirie dismissed.
"You handled that well Kirie" Yukinari complimented. "I was expecting you to beat him up."
"Yes well I was considering slapping him a bit. I came real close."
"So what was his deal?" Yukinari asked.
"He's got an ego: I'm the only girl to have ever dumped him, the great and mighty Fukuyama."
"Sucks for him I guess" Yukinari said looking in Fukuyama's direction to find him seated with arms boastfully folded, his chin proudly up in the air. Yukinari chuckles. "Heheh! It's not hard imagining him obsessing over something silly like that."
"By the way Yukinari, what is that?" Kirie asked rubbing against Yukinari's lap trying to get more comfortable.
"K-Kirie... P-please don't do that..." Yukinari said slightly anguished.
"Yukinari... You pervert" Kirie disciplined, a hand to her flattered grin.
"And you keep that away from my sister!" Fukuyama shouted from across the room. At the teacher's command, Kirie returns to her desk, one seat in front of Yukinari's.
An hour and a half later, Yukinari and Kirie stood at the entrance to detention, Kirie readying to resume her sentence after she had hit Shinichi several days ago. "Well, detention's gonna drag out today" Kirie said just outside the detention room. As was expected, she was only very eager to go on her date with Yukinari.
"So I'll come pick you up once it's done. Give me a call if it ends early though! I'll be at the club working out."
"Of course" Kirie agrees and purses her lips for a goodbye kiss. Yukinari follows along and their lips meet for a good moment. They wave goodbye and Kirie enters detention. With that settled, Yukinari heads for the UFC where he greets Nina as had become his routine.
"You're looking in good spirits" Nina praised.
"Yeah, I have reason to feel good: I have a date coming up later today" Yukinari seemed to boast.
"Oh really? Who's the lucky lady?"
"Kirie" Yukinari reveals.
"Really? I suspected she had a thing for you!" Nina said. "But what about Lisa?"
"...Lisa..." Yukinari voiced becoming somewhat somber. "She wished Kirie and I luck..."
"..I see."
"I'm still a little saddened that we couldn't stay friends though" Yukinari goes on. "But then again, it was probably for the best. It would have been cruel to just have her as a friend, always watching from the outside. Kind of like how Kirie used to be..." Yukinari said recalling Kirie's past as witness to Yukinari's past romantic dealings.
"I'm sorry to hear that but I agree that it's for the best that she moves on" Nina returned.
"Yeah" Yukinari agrees simply. "What?" he questions as Nina maintains a curious gaze.
"Just wondering what your kids will look like" Nina said.
"Please don't" Yukinari responds nervously.
"Oh c'mon! What are you nervous about? Isn't it fun to think about this sort of thing? It's not like you two-" Nina stops briefly, Yukinari growing more nervous. "Yukinari, did you and Kirie-"
"Erm, w-we may have" Yukinari admits as a menacing look arrives to Nina's face.
"Yukinari, did you make sure?" Nina asked, her voice firm and almost accusatory.
"D-did I make sure?" Yukinari asks.
"Did you make sure to wear protection?"
"O-oh! Yeah! Yeah!" Yukinari agreed quickly.
"...Okay, as long as you made sure. No real problem then" Nina said, her menacing look vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. Yukinari exhales with relief. "So you think the baby will have your eyes? Her hair and your eyes would look nice on that baby!"
"M-Miss Nina! Please!" Yukinari almost begs.
"You're no fun!" Nina condemns. "...So? Where you taking her?"
"W-well actually, I've been thinking about that since this morning.. Maybe a movie or a nice restaurant?"
"It doesn't really matter where you take her Yukinari" Nina says. "She'll be happy either way as long as you're there with her but I think I know where she would absolutely love to go today."
"Really? Where?"
"You head off to the training room and do your thing. You'll find out by the time you're done" Nina instructed. Yukinari, obeying Nina's orders, headed off to the training room. About an hour later, after finishing with exercise, Yukinari was unable to articulate how thankful he was to Nina for the incredible favor she had done him.
"Miss Nina, are you sure about this?" Yukinari asks astounded.
"Yeah, they're in your hand aren't they?" Nina said. "I'm very sure."
"Why would you do this?"
"You two look so cute together" Nina said.
"Thank you Miss Nina!" Yukinari said eternally grateful. "Kirie loves baseball but I could never afford something like this!"
"You're very welcome! Now you go take Kirie and show her a good time" Nina commands.
"Yes ma'am!" Yukinari obeys and makes his way out of the club. He hurried home to get out of his school uniform and freshen up. In the middle of this, he gets a text message.
"Yukinari" Kirie's text message read, "just wanted to let you know that I'll be done with detention in 10 minutes. Can you come pick me up in 30? I want the extra time to get ready."
"Take as long as you need to. Text me when ready" Yukinari texted back.
"Okay!" Kirie responds, a heart icon beside her text. Yukinari then calls up a cab to show up after 20 and upon arrival, is driven to his school. He finds her just outside of Mizuno High's school grounds waiting for him patiently out of her school uniform and in a pink tube top, denim jacket, skinny jeans, boots, and a fresh application of lipstick.
"Kirie? When did you change into those clothes?" Yukinari asked completely impressed.
"Right after detention. I snuck 'em in this morning!" Kirie reveals cheekily. "The school does have showers and lockers for girls you know."
"Wow! You look stunning Kirie!" Yukinari compliments.
"Thank you!" Kirie says fashioning pink dots on her cheeks.
"So? Shall we go?" Yukinari asks presenting Kirie his forearm.
"Let's" she answers wrapping her arm around his own. "But where will we be going?"
"You'll see" Yukinari said as he helped Kirie into the taxi. "Try guessing" Yukinari challenges, both seated in the back.
"Hmm" Kirie pondered as the taxi drove forward. "The new restaurant that opened up in the shopping district? 'Urusawa' I believe it's called?"
"Nope!"
"Okay... I'm going to guess Mizuno theme park. That's a hot-spot for couples" Kirie guessed a second time.
"Wrong again" Yukinari disappoints his date.
"Scraping the bottom of the barrel here: petting zoo?"
"Is that a place for couples?" Yukinari asked.
"The zoo animals can be cute" Kirie answers.
"Well I'm out of ideas" Kirie surrenders. "I give up! Where are we headed?"
"You'll find out soon enough" Yukinari answered pulling Kirie close, their faces approaching. "No more talking."
"Make me" Kirie challenges. Inevitably, both start to kiss and forget all about the driver at the steering wheel. Their lips press and cross and their arms wrap around each other during most of the drive. Eventually, amid the smooching, the taxi begins to slow down.
"Ahem!.. Alright love birds, don't get any of it on the back seats. We're approaching our destination" the driver announces and finally, Yukinari manages to tear himself away from Kirie.
"..Oh, sorry" Yukinari apologizes and, after Kirie helps wipe the lipstick off his face, hands the driver the fee. With that done, he and Kirie exit and the taxi takes off.
"Mi-Mizuno stadium!?" Kirie exclaims surprised taking in the massive structure standing before her, a large and imposing stadium with people wearing 'Mizuno Mavericks' shirts and jerseys flowing in. "Yukinari, you can't be serious!"
"I'm very serious Kirie" Yukinari declares presenting the two tickets Nina had handed to him back at the UFC. Kirie takes the tickets as though they were made of the rarest yet most delicate material on Earth.
"Yu-Yukinari, tickets to this game must have cost a fortune!" Kirie gasped. "These are coveted seats! I-I can't accept this!"
"Actually, Miss Nina got these for-"
"What the hell are we waiting for then!?" Kirie exclaimed interrupting Yukinari, seizing his hand and pulling him toward the stadium. "Let's go!" she shouts speeding towards the entrance, Yukinari struggling to keep up. "I was going to watch this game on television today but passed it up when you asked me out. I never thought you'd bring me here of all places!" Kirie revealed as they both entered the baseball stadium. "Look at the size of this place!" Kirie shouted taking in the entire scene before her: the rows upon rows of seats circling the baseball diamond, the massive lights shining down on the stadium, and the countless number of baseball fans all settling down to watch a baseball game.
"It's really big alright. Looks so small on tv" Yukinari remarked taking in the stadium.
"Over there Yukinari! Our seats are over there!" an elated Kirie exclaimed reviewing the tickets. "This is great! This is great! This is great!"
"Kirie, you're really into this" Yukinari thought admiringly. "Good to see her enjoying herself. And the game hasn't even started!" he observed humorously. Soon, both he and Kirie took their seats though Kirie would rarely stay seated. Several innings later, bases were loaded and the Mizuno Mavericks, one of Kirie's favorite sports teams, were at bat.
"Hit it out of the ball park Shigeru! You can turn the game around!" she shouted, a fire ablaze in her eyes. Shigeru takes a swing and strikes out. "Shigeru, you piece of crap! What the hell was that!?" Kirie exclaimed leaning over the railing. "That should have been an easy hit! You were doing so well previous innings!... Ugh!... We still love you though!" Kirie added as Shigeru returned to the dugout. "Matsumoto coming up, he'll hit it out of the park!"
"She shouts at the television the same way" Yukinari thought with a chuckle.
"Hey lady! Sit down will ya?" a man shouted from somewhere behind her.
"You shut it! I'm enjoying the game!" Kirie shouted back. "You should stand up and support your team!"
"Yeah man, leave the lady alone!" a fellow fan wearing face paint responded in defense of Kirie. "She's a fellow Mavericks fan and she's here for her team!"
"Thank you sir" Kirie said gratefully. "Us Mavericks fans need to stick together!" she declares proudly.
"Hey lady, show your pride and lose the top!" another man with a beer shouted loudly from higher up in the seats.
"I'll rip your head off!" Kirie shouted back angrily, covering her chest with her denim jacket.
"Kirie" Yukinari says joining her, "let's go sit down." He wraps his arm around her and leads her back to their seats.
"But I'm having fun..." Kirie says somewhat demoralized.
"Shouting at people can't be that fun" Yukinari observes.
"It can be" Kirie answered. "Okay, fine. But only because you asked" she agrees and both together take a seat. "...The guy's lucky though. I would have thrown something at the bastard" Kirie threatened.
"But then you'd get in trouble and we'd probably get kicked out" Yukinari warns being familiar with Kirie's temper. "That wouldn't be much fun... Here, I got you this" Yukinari said presenting Kirie a baseball mitt. "If they hit a strike this way, maybe you'll catch it."
"A homer, Yukinari" Kirie corrected. "In this case, a grand slam!"
"Sorry, I still don't know too much about baseball" Yukinari excused handing the mitt to Kirie.
"Hope you've been able to follow the game regardless" Kirie said.
"I feel I understand enough: it's fun how the ball can be sent flying" Yukinari answered.
"I guess now would be a good time for me to teach you then" Kirie suggested. She fits the glove over her hand. "It's highly unlikely Yukinari. But then again, Matsumoto is at bat so-" the sound of a bat hitting a baseball echoes throughout the stadium and the ball flies high up in the sky. At this, several in the audience eject a loud and powerful cheer and the baseball players at the diamond take flight. "He hit it! It's going that way!" Kirie exclaimed getting up from her seat, her gloved hand flying up, her legs taking flight and sending her around along the circumference of the stadium. "I, I got it!"
"Kirie, hold on!" Yukinari shouts running after her. His pursuit comes to a stop as soon as she halts believing her location was where the ball would land.
"It's coming this way!" she lets out bending her knees ready to leap up and catch the grand slam.
"It's too high" Yukinari remarked tracing the ball's path as others in the audience were also standing up ready to wrestle for the ball.
"I, I've got it!" Kirie claimed but Yukinari, not ready to see Kirie disappointed, suddenly grasps her by her waist. "Yukinari, what are you-" With a flick of his arms, Yukinari lifts Kirie upward, the reach of her arm flying up higher. "Whoa!" she exclaims as she flies up and then, just as quickly, falls back down to be caught in Yukinari's arms. "Yukinari! What was that for!?" she gasps wrapping her arms around him.
"Did you get it?" Yukinari inquired. Kirie, opening her baseball glove, finds the ball safe and secure within her grasp.
"We got it! Yukinari! We got it!" she cries out and she tightens her embrace around Yukinari.
"And the Mavericks are in the lead! A grand slam for the Mavericks!" the announcer proclaims to which the audience explodes into a frenzy of celebration, the stadium screen joining in on the excitement. On the same screen, after showing the baseball players running to home plate and after some of the cheering had died down, Yukinari and Kirie are depicted in elation. "And we have a lovely and lucky couple celebrating an extra victory folks. They make off with a souvenir this afternoon!"
Yukinari and Kirie, looking up at the monitor, see themselves in each other's embrace.
"Whoa! We're on the stadium monitor!" Kirie says red in the face and hiding partially behind her mitt.
"We are" Yukinari agrees and waves at the direction of where he believed the camera was. And then, as though by instinct, they look into each others' eyes and, overcome by emotion, lock lips briefly. An "aww" is let out by the audience.
"Well, isn't that sweet ladies and gentlemen? Love and baseball, they go hand-in-hand" the announcer broadcasts and his co-announcer rolls his eyes. Yukinari and Kirie quickly take a seat partly due to Kirie preferring not to have her affections broadcasted on a giant monitor at a televised baseball stadium...
After a close and tense Maverick victory, Yukinari and Kirie exit the stadium and re-enter a taxi ready to head home. "Today was wonderful Yukinari. Greatest baseball game ever!... And I'm exhausted" Kirie says resting her head on Yukinari's shoulder, both seated in the back seat, the baseball caught during the game firmly in her grasp.
"You really went after that baseball" Yukinari recalled.
"Was worth it" Kirie said pressing up further against Yukinari.
"I'm glad you had fun Kirie" Yukinari said with satisfaction, glad things turned out this way. At the same time however, he couldn't help but recall a time when he felt this way when he was with Miharu. It was a frightening thought but ultimately, he acknowledged this was a risk he had to take when it came to love. "...I'm starving Kirie. You wanna go eat somewhere?"
"I want to go home Yukinari. I'll cook you something once we get there!" Kirie offered.
"Mind if I help?" Yukinari asked.
"Not at all."
"Okay, sounds like a plan! We should work up an even bigger appetite by then too!"
"Sure..." Kirie agrees before both lock lips again. "...Yukinari, we should head to the UFC first. We need to thank Miss Nina for today."
"You're right Kirie" Yukinari agreed, an arm wrapped around her. "Driver!" Yukinari started and instructed the driver to head towards the club. Moments later, they are dropped off at the entrance and Yukinari instructs the driver to wait for them there. "Good afternoon Miss Nina! We're back from our date!" Yukinari announced entering.
"Oh! Welcome back Yukinari! Kirie! Did you two have fun?" Nina asked from behind the front counter.
"Lots! Greatest game ever!" Kirie claimed. "Thank you so very very much Miss Nina!"
"It was nothing Kirie, really" Nina said.
"It's about damn time you got back!" a familiar voice sounded out. Turning towards the voice, Yukinari finds Seiichirou sitting on the floor, his arms behind his back.
"Hello Yukinari, Kirie" Maharu, Seiichirou's older sister, greets watching over Seiichirou.
"I've been waiting here forever Sasaki!" Seiichirou continued annoyed.
Author's note: Loved writing this one. A bit indulgent but I like it! I find it romantic... Thanks for your patience and for reading!