Chapter 17: Thrown Gauntlet
The incident Eagle stumbled into earlier was pretty much the stuff of living nightmares. The worst part of it was, Lantis had the nerve to make a move right in his own house. Now he can't walk into his own damn kitchen without being reminded of the kiss that nearly happened. Honestly, the word aggravating doesn't even begin to describe it.
No thanks to his photographic memory, he could recall with perfect clarity the moment he'd come around the corner and found himself staring at the sharp profile of Lantis. His face was angled towards the short redhead, and his normally stern countenance had softened to a gentle expression. Curious, Eagle hid in the safety of the shadows and kept his silence to observe how the pair acted away from prying eyes.
It was a good thing he did. Because though at first, the atmosphere between the pair seemed fairly innocuous, tension crackled up without warning and soon began to escalate. In all the years he has known his friend, this is the first time he ever witnessed Lantis making the effort and laying on the full-extent of his manly charm towards a girl. It would've been a cause for celebration to witness such an extraordinary spectacle, if the recipient of such romantic overture wasn't Hikaru. Who, by the way, seemed completely spellbound, with that deer-caught-in-the-headlights look in her face.
Simply put, the entire scene rankled him, and he would be a fool not to put a stop to it.
When Eagle finally decided to act and rap on the open door, he caught a flash of anger and displeasure in Lantis's eyes before they moved away. It almost made him want to leer and congratulate himself for his timely cockblocking. Settling for a half smile instead, he wrangled with Lantis for a chocolate he couldn't really care less about. He had to keep it vague and arcane lest Hikaru understood. They were going to have words as soon as she was gone.
Barely a minute after Hikaru left, Eagle broke the silence by saying: " I asked you before if there was a chance we were going to be rivals."
The curtness of his speech was not lost on Lantis. Wanting to tread carefully, he let a few seconds tick by before he replied."I don't recall ever giving you an answer."
Eagle sat on the countertop and crossed his arms. So his friend has decided to pull the evasion card, after all. "Right. I should've known better than to misconstrue your silence. You know I'm not such a huge fan of ambiguity. So, what's the big holdup? Were you ever planning to tell me that we were both pining for the same girl?"
Judging by his acerbic tone, Eagle was just gearing up for a dragged-out session of confrontation. Lantis weighed the options in his head: to resort to reticence or tell the truth and face the music. As much as he hated bandying words, he hated the thought of Eagle hounding him more until he 'fessed up, so he decided he might as well lay it all out in the open. "Eagle, are you feigning ignorance now? Your incessant teasing and constant insinuations tell me you somehow knew. You don't need me to confirm any of this. Revealing anything would only have given you more ammo."
Eagle bristled at this weak excuse. "So you just didn't want to give me fodder for teasing? I was only doing that to ruffle your feathers. I was also gauging you based on your reaction. Call it a hunch, intuition or whatever, but my bullshit radar tells me I can't rest easy with your denial. For the record, it's only today that I discovered my senses were spot-on. How disappointing to know that I can't expect real answers now in a serious conversation with you."
"If it's honesty that has got your knickers in a twist, then I apologize for not telling you," Lantis blurted out.
Eagle turned to look at his friend's countenance. If Lantis had the sense to look at least penitent, then Eagle would've dropped it. But his friend did not seem repentant at all with his choice of words, so he pushed on, determined to nurse his resentment. "Sorry isn't gonna cut it. You may think you just committed a lie of omission, but I feel gypped. Imagine your closest friend stealing your prospect from underneath your nose, killing off your chances covertly."
"Stealing?" Lantis asked, frowning.
"Oh, you think I didn't know how you took over her tutorial lessons in the library last Friday? I heard it through the grapevine earlier. If you didn't want people to talk, you shouldn't have chosen the library as venue. Someone saw you, you know."
Lantis's eyebrows creased. "When have I ever cared about tittle-tattle? I thought you were above that too: their preoccupation with other people's lives."
Eagle snorted. "I don't. But a fat lot of good it did. Has it never occurred to you that you might have unknowingly caused problems for Hikaru? She'll be the object of much jealousy from the girls. And you knew I was pursuing her. Did you want me to find out that way? What's with all this sneaking around?"
"We were not doing anything wrong. And I fail to see how we need anyone's permission for something like this. You might have staked a claim on her, but she is her own person. Not your girlfriend or ex," Lantis retorted.
"Oh-hoh! Throwing down the gauntlet now, are we?" Eagle exclaimed without a trace of humor. "Come to question my claim?"
Lantis ignored the jab. "Like I said, I'm sorry. Weren't you after my apology? Or did you want something else?"
"That sorry seems like it's coming out of your nose. I thought what I wanted was pretty clear. Step back. Or give way. It's obvious, isn't it? We can't possibly court her at the same time. Can you imagine just how troublesome and awkward it would be if both of us are going to compete for her affection? How are we going to act in the company of each other when she's around? Did you ever think about that?"
The knowledge that Eagle was a forceful tactician was something he has always been accustomed to, but being on the receiving end of this assertiveness made his lips curl in faint distaste. Suddenly, he felt inclined to question his friend's state of sobriety. "So you want me to court her only after she has rejected you or you're done with her? No thanks. I don't want your sloppy seconds."
"Sloppy seconds? How crass. You know this is going to cause a rift between us, one way or another. Back off. Can't you see how I've got it bad? I'm trying my best here, but there's no way anything's going to happen with you in the picture."
"You think it's something that I can just switch on or off at your bidding?"
This comeback irked Eagle, to say the least. It was hard to tell under the patina of his stoicism just how deep the thoughts and feelings of Lantis ran and where they lead. So Eagle went on to interrogate him, wanting to pick on his brain.
"Tell me honestly: when did you even start liking her? Was it when I divulged to you my interest in her in the florist's? Did she pique your interest then? Because I'm pretty sure you made no move before that, whereas I've liked her and pestered her since day one. Normally, I am not a sparring partner anyone can just take in a good day. But Hikaru…" Eagle's words tapered off as he struggled to find the right description.
Lantis stared off into space, getting already the gist of what Eagle was trying to verbalize. He couldn't pinpoint the exact moment, but he has always noticed her. Noticed her badass kendo skills, her being a girl behind the mask, her unassuming attractiveness, her petite form, her energy, her simplicity, her limpid and crystal clear personality. The combination of all that chipped off slowly and daily at his armor during bukatsu. If she had clamored for his attention like the other girls, he wouldn't have even given her the time of day. But she was just there everyday in kendo, sitting in the background and watching unless it's her turn on the mats. She didn't even dare approach him or talk to him, unless you counted the kiai during sparring. So it was ironic, really, that he was the first one to bridge the distance.
And as if to bring her further to his attention, he saw her sleeping that day in the library, holding a battered version of Othello, with her wisps of red hair spread out against the white Chesterfield sofa in the library. He never had a concrete type in girls until that moment, when he recognized right away where his tastes ran. There was something about the combination of frailty in her appearance that day and the hidden yet unexpected strength she displayed in kendo that drew his eye. It was actually disturbing how he finds it such a turn-on: the sight of her wearing the black kendogi and hakama, and taking off her mask and hair tie, after a kendo match.
Eagle didn't have to know all that, so he shrugged and answered dismissively: "Does it even matter when? Before I knew it, she has dominated much of my waking thoughts. I didn't notice her just because you took an interest."
Eagle's eyes widened for just a split second before narrowing in dismay. To hear Lantis's admission could only spell disaster for his already dwindling chances. "Well, that just sucks. I'm up against the worst possible rival I can imagine. Because it's not just anyone I'm competing against; it's my own bloody childhood friend, who has always, always won in a fight. To play fair is simply out of the question. I hope you won't hold it against me if I don't lend a hand or fail to feel even an ounce of happiness for you with every romantic development."
Something in his tone raised Lantis's hackles up. Since they were kids, Eagle had always been tenacious in getting what he wanted. He was the type of kid who ate his candies all at once, while Lantis was the type to slowly nibble on his favorite treat and save it only for very special occasions. Eagle was all for instant gratification, while Lantis was a staunch believer in delayed gratification. This thought flashed in his mind now, unbidden. Is Eagle truly smitten or is it just a passing fancy?
Lantis did not mince his words. "Eagle, your sense of entitlement is just unacceptable. Why does everything have to be handed to you on a silver platter? Is this your brilliant game plan? To take out everyone standing in your way like some bulldozer? It's supposed to be a level playing field. I'm not going to indulge you just because you asked me to."
Eagle shook his head, thinking of every single thing that tips the scale in his friend's favor. It was hardly fair. "You might not know it, but it's not a level playing field, at all."
"Do you know what I think? The reason you want her so much is because she poses such a huge challenge to you. She isn't caving in, but once she does and you don't find her interesting anymore, you'll grow tired of her like the rest of the others. Who's to say she'll be the exception?"
Eagle rolled his neck slowly to relieve the tension collecting in his neck and shoulders. Lantis's words were certainly pulling punches below the belt. First, he was accused of being entitled -as if he didn't sweat for anything when he has always worked hard and used his brilliance to achieve things. Second, he was being branded as a player. If he weren't such a levelheaded person, this altercation would've already turned physical already.
"Lantis, you really know how to push my buttons. If you think that is all she had to offer me- a difficulty to overcome, then you're obviously not giving her enough credit. Apparently you don't think highly of me, either. You think your intentions are loftier than mine, don't you?"
Lantis gave him a dark look, his lips narrow and thin. "Don't put words in my mouth. I'm merely questioning your interest in her, given my knowledge of your half-assed dating."
"Really." Eagle deadpanned. "I'm starting to grow weary of you bringing up this topic. Are you deliberately throwing a red herring into our conversation? I'm telling you my interest is real but you want to dissect the intricacies of my past relationships."
"I'm sure I don't need to tell you that it doesn't inspire much confidence." Lantis commented.
"Oh please. I suppose you think, in stark contrast to me, you're the poster boy for good and gentlemanly behavior? Lantis, I've known you for as long as I could remember and you've always had a rebellious streak. Questioning authority, drawing enemies with your cold demeanor, stirring suspicions left and right. It's not as if you haven't dabbled in anything dark for sweet little Hikaru. I'm quite certain that if she got wind of it, it won't score you any points with her."
Lantis frowned. "I never claimed to be a saint. And look who's talking. You're a little too much for her, if you ask me."
"That holier than thou attitude again. Why are you acting like her big brother, being overprotective and all?"
"I can assure you: I am not, in anyway, looking to be her brother. That's the farthest thing from my mind."
Eagle couldn't stop himself from rolling his eyes. "Well, yeah. If you were, then you wouldn't have pulled that stunt earlier. I've got to hand it to you: you certainly know how to make women's toes curl and their knees wobble in a sudden bout of weakness. But if that's the best you can muster, then you're moving in an excruciatingly glacial pace. "
Lantis's face suddenly took on a surly expression. "What do you mean?"
Eagle smirked. He wondered how his friend would react to provocation. "Hmm..Kiss and tell is not really my thing. Pun not intended."
Lantis's scowl darkened. "You didn't."
"Like hell, I didn't."
Surprisingly, his friend didn't rise to the provocation and clammed up like usual. Only the sight of his fists repeatedly clenching and unclenching betrayed how troubled Lantis was at this. Eagle prodded: "Got nothing to say?"
Lantis looked up. "You mentioned it on purpose. if you think that's going to dissuade me or discourage me, then you've got another thing coming."
"What? Are you going to try and beat me by going straight to second base?" Eagle taunted.
"Leave me out of your baseball metaphors and mind games."
"Oi, oi, oiiiii! What's the meaning of this?" Geo's loud voice cut in through their own and echoed in the kitchen. Zazu was standing beside him, sensing a little of the bad air and looking apprehensive.
"What the hell are you two lovebirds arguing about?" He demanded again, when his entry was met with silence.
The two bickering boys kept their mouths shut, not caring to go into details. They turned their faces away and schooled them into a blank expression.
Geo continued, reprimanding both of them. "We're all here to watch the playoffs but you two missed the end of game! Did you want to be briefed about the highlights instead of watching the game yourself? In case you wanted to know, the Softbank Hawks won. I guess, you don't really care about this when you're out here in the kitchen, fighting like morons."
Eagle shook his head and exclaimed in a testy voice. "Well, isn't that just dandy? Another instance of Lantis winning! Just what I needed to make my day…"
"Don't blame me for their loss. I didn't have a hand in it." Lantis bit back automatically.
"I don't know. Maybe you were in the background, pulling all the strings just to spite me."
Lantis gave him a blank look, not appreciating the sarcasm. "Speaking from experience?"
Geo sputtered in disbelief. "What the hell? Can your argument get any punier than this? What's this all about?"
"Nothing. Nothing a strong drink can't fix, anyway." Eagle replied. "Geo, what happened in the last inning? There wasn't much action when I left."
"Mori pitched a scoreless ninth inning. Earned the save, capped the sweep." Geo narrated, sticking to basics.
"And the MVP?" Lantis asked.
"Gracial. 3 homeruns, 6 RBIs."
"Hot damn!" Eagle muttered. He turned to address Lantis. "So I take it we're going to give each other the cold shoulder from now on?"
Lantis's forehead creased involuntarily. "While you may want to behave like a five year old, I'm not in the habit of abandoning my duties to tolerate your juvenile whims. We have a lot of work to do in the kendo club so no. That is not an option."
"Easy for you to say. You're not the one harboring a grudge." Eagle spoke in a flat voice.
Geo shook his head at the two. "Girls, girls, girls… All this talk of grudge is very unhealthy. May I remind you that we still have the Inter-High School Championships to contend with next week? On top of that, we still have two renshu-jiai to prepare for. Don't you leave me hanging."
Eagle waved one hand as if he could care less. "Already taken cared of."
Geo scratched his head, feeling peeved. If the two didn't kiss and makeup soon, he'd be left to do all the dirty work of coordinating for the upcoming event. So he knocked one fist on the counter impatiently and looked at the two. " Oiiii, oiiii! This is unacceptable! You're both essential to the running of our club so we can't have you going at each other's throats! Why don't you nip that resentment right in the bud before it even has a chance to fester? Just duke it out and purge those negative emotions in a real fight."
"Huh? Geo what point are you driving at?" Zazu asked.
Geo ignored him and approached the wall-mounted magnetic knife strip. He took out two 8-inch razor-sharp kitchen knives and waved the pointed end in their direction, taking care to keep a safe distance.
"Here, use these! Gouge each other's eyes for all I care! I implore you to spare us the awkwardness of a fall-out and fight it out here and now. I don't have your shinai at the moment so this will have to do for the both of you," Geo continued.
Eagle and Lantis jumped out of the knives' reach by reflex when he started swaying it in their direction.
Zazu's mouth hung open in alarm. "Geo, what the hell! Have you completely lost your mind? You want them to cut each other up?"
Lantis stepped back and stared at Geo as if he'd gone bonkers. If worse comes to worst, he was going to have to tackle him and disarm him.
Eagle's face was clouded with utter shock, but he recovered from it quickly. "Geo, have you gone totally insane? You're going to kill us both at this rate! Stop flinging that at us and take it away."
From the side, Zazu piped in. "Baka! I swear, if we bleed to death now from your idiocy, I'm going to make sure I cut off your balls first!"
"Oh yeah?" Geo deadpanned. He met the stare of his two seniors and addressed them directly. "From the looks of where your argument was heading, it seems to me that until one of you gets hurt, you two are never going to be bloody satisfied. So humor me and just stab each other to death already…Make yourselves feel better so that we can all go back to our normal lives."
That shut up Eagle quite effectively. At the same time, Ferio entered through the doorway, taking in the scene before him. He wondered where everybody has gone and came to check on Fuu. When he saw her sleeping on the armchair, he left her to Hikaru's care and looked around for the boys to ask permission to bring them home. He never expected to walk suddenly into a hostile environment, complete with kitchen knives.
Ferio took in their heated faces and asked coolly, "So are you guys having a knife fight now? What did I miss?"
Zazu answered for him. "Nothing much. They're only just starting. Geo, like the caveman and idiot he is, wants them to resort to violence to sort out their differences. As if that doesn't exacerbate the problem. He doesn't want a simple fist fight, he wants a bloody armed combat!"
"Huh. So it has finally come to this," was Ferio's only reply.
"I know. It's quite a leap. Want to have a bet? 'Cause my money's on Eagle right now."
Ferio found Zazu quite comical so he considered his answer seriously. "I'd have to say Lantis. He's the captain."
"I don't want to cast the deciding vote, so I'm going to have to abstain," Geo piped in. He was never one to be left behind in a bettors' gamble.
After a few seconds, Eagle started chuckling. Softly at first, and then a little loudly. He rubbed the back of his neck, as if he couldn't handle this absurd turn of events. His bad mood had somehow evaporated from the moment Geo started waving those knives like a madman. On top of that, they now had an enthusiastic audience clamoring for blood. "Are you kidding me? You're seriously going to make bets right now? What is this, an election?"
Geo kept a straight face and relaxed his grip on the knives. "No, it's a duel. And quit laughing. You still have to make this worth our time. Give us blood and gore."
Eagle shook his head. Count on Geo to be the referee and douse their flaring temper with shock treatment. He grinned at him, saying: "Geo, I'd have to say, this is your craziest and most brutal idea yet, to date. If this is your notion of mediating, then I suggest you never enter the field of diplomatic relations. You're going to incite people to war. Anyway, I'm not so sure if Lantis's bloody face is enough to make me happy, but I don't want to be a source of entertainment for everyone so no, I won't oblige your request."
"I'm glad. This saves me the effort of having to stage mass hiring just to replace the lost kendo club members." Geo quipped dryly. He turned to Zazu. "And you, shorty! It's just like you to swindle us out of our money during the worst possible time."
Zazu grinned boyishly.
Ferio smirked, sensing the lightening mood. "You guys certainly have an interesting way of quarreling."
"Uh-uh, just the three of them. They kind of operate on tough love. Never held back." Zazu commented.
"Ahh…So that's what you call it."
Lantis relaxed his stance, feeling relieved that the tension has lifted. He was not sure, though, if Eagle's enmity with him was truly over. "So, what happens now?"
Geo took one look at Eagle's suddenly sullen face and flicked his forehead."I don't know what you two are fighting about, but you're way past the age where altercations like this can even be considered cute. Just please don't tell me it's over a girl, or I would be forced to demote you guys from being the smartest guys in our year to the dumbest. There's plenty of fish in the sea, right? "
Eagle kept his silence. Geo raised one eyebrow. It seems like he touched a nerve. He ventured to give a piece of vague but friendly advice, mostly for Eagle's benefit. He knew where his friend's head was at these past few days.
"Okay… Whatever it is, I'm sure the outcome isn't something you can determine by effort alone. I know you two are both doers and go-getters, but it's best not to push things or force them to your will. Just let it happen or unfold naturally. You won't be met with much resistance if you just let it be."
Eagle's eyes widened at the wisdom of Geo's words. He had a point. But Eagle couldn't resist digging at his unexpected profoundness: "You're quoting Lao Tzu, aren't you? Taken a liking to Chinese philosophy?"
"I wouldn't go that far. It's Bruce Lee. Become like water, my friend."
Another chuckle escaped from Eagle. For some reason, Geo acting all sage-like reminded him of Master Oogway in Kungfu Panda. He suddenly couldn't remember why he was so hell-bent in persuading Lantis to give up, when he knew his friend was obstinate and stubborn to a fault. He can never coerce his friend to succumb to his will, in the same way Lantis can't make him yield. Perhaps, it was from the shock of what he witnessed earlier. He looked back over his shoulder at Lantis's clenched jaw and reluctantly made the first move.
"Lantis, I'm going to forget all the insults you hurled at me, even if they were kind of low, and bury the hatchet. Offended as I may be, I think Geo's not wrong in what he said… I hope you don't mind if I'm not above using underhanded tactics. I mean, I'm not a martyr, so you can't expect me to turn a blind eye to things that will give me unfair advantage."
"Fair enough." Lantis acquiesced. "That means I'm allowed to do it too. But you have to promise that there would be no hard feelings whatever the outcome."
Eagle nodded, but not without adding, "Until then, don't expect me to make it easy for you."
"I wouldn't count on that."
Geo raised his hands as if thanking the God above. "Hallelujah! They've come to an understanding! We are not forced to take sides!"
"So now that your little argument and the baseball game are over, what are we going to do now? Are we still going to celebrate?" Zazu asked, wanting to move on to a game of pool.
At the suggestion of a longer night, Eagle looked suddenly worn-out. "Celebrate what? The Yomiuri Giants just lost. I'm not really in a festive mood. And it's almost 11. "
"Um, celebrate your reconciliation?" Zazu offered cheekily.
"Ehhh…I'd have to take a rain check… It seems to me the girls have had their fill of fun already. I'm going to take the girls and Ferio home, as I originally promised."
Ferio nodded. "I think that's best. Fuu is already dozing off in there. Probably tired from school. I'll go get them right now. Thanks for the feast, by the way."
Eagle waved it off, saying "my pleasure." Ferio then walked out of the kitchen and went to pick up the girls in the recreation room.
Geo gave Eagle a funny look. "You're kicking us out already? Just like that? I thought we were all going to crash in your place. Uncle and auntie aren't here, right?"
Eagle raised an eyebrow. "Yup, they're on a business trip. You guys can stay if you want. Serve yourself coffee and make yourselves at home, like you always do. But I'm going right now to accompany the driver and see to it that the two girls reach their homes safely. I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Can Zazu and I play CoD: Modern Warfare in your Xbox while you're out?" Geo begged.
"Sure. You don't even have to ask." Eagle replied. He looked at Lantis from the corner of his eye. His friend hasn't expressed his intention yet to stay or leave, and he seemed to be bottling up his own objections regarding the transportation arrangement. Eagle called out to him in a taunting voice. "Don't worry Lantis. I'm not going to pull a fast one on you. Are you expecting anything to happen in a short car ride?"
Lantis's face remained unperturbed. Now that it was brought to his attention that Eagle was the one bringing Hikaru home, it seemed pretty immature of him to contest it on the grounds of his mistrust in Eagle's motives. He settled for the next viable option.
"Can I tag along? It's late and I want to call it a night." Lantis asked.
This made Eagle laugh. His friend obviously thinks he's plotting some shrewd scheme again that has to be impeded. He probably will. "Seriously? Is that an order or a request?"
Lantis kept silent.
"Fine." Eagle acquiesced in a cloying voice. "But I'm going to bring you home first. You have the closest house anyway. And you're sitting right beside me."