Chapter 3
Wednesday, December 11
The next morning, Yamato did something unconventional. He arrived at Mei's house early in the morning before she left for school. He stated that he wanted to walk with her to school that morning. It surprised her and made her blush somewhat at the fact that he would go out of his way to do something like this for her. But, then again, he was Yamato Kurosawa. He always went out of the way to help others.
The walk to school was slow but uneventful. He chatted with her a bit as they walked through the snow, trying to keep her mind at ease. Halfway to school, they randomly met up with Aiko who agreed to walk with them the rest of the way.
"So how did last night go?" Aiko asked.
"It went all right," Yamato replied. "I got a chance to talk to her mother and I learned about what's going on." He saw Mei's face turn red at the mention of it and decided to change the subject. "Hey, Mei." She looked up at him at the mention of her name. "We're all going out to the mall this Saturday to do some Christmas shopping. Care to join us?"
"Yeah," Aiko chimed in. "It should be fun. It'll definitely help with everything. Getting a chance to take your mind off everything and have some fun."
Mei pondered the idea for a second before responding with a nod and a simple "Sure."
"All right," Yamato said in response. He saw Mei's face dip down a bit and turned to face her. Reaching towards her, he gently cupped her chin and turned her face towards him. "I love you," he said before leaning in to kiss her. It wasn't a very long kiss, but every time they kissed, Mei felt like it was an eternity.
"I love you too," she said after their lips separated. Yamato smiled and pulled her in close.
Arriving at the school, Mei and the others were greeted by Asami and Kenji, who both gave her a big hug. "Yamato told us what happened," Asami explained. "We're really sorry for you. Just remember that we're here for you, okay?"
"Thanks guys," Mei replied. "That means a lot."
She walked over to her locker to retrieve her school shoes. But when she pulled the door open, several pieces of paper fell out. In the past these would usually be hate letters like the ones she had gotten when she kicked Yamato. But instead, they were a bunch of support notes. One had a couple pictures of some cute kittens and a note that said, "Whenever I'm sad, I like to look at cute kittens to cheer me up. Maybe it will cheer you up too. Stay strong Tachibana."
Mei couldn't believe it, and neither could Yamato and the rest. "Where did all these come from?" Yamato asked picking up one of the notes.
"They're technically from me," came a voice from behind them. They all turned around to see Megumi Kitagawa and Momoko Sasano standing there. "Asami-chan told me about what was going on," Megumi explained, "so I decided to do something to help and got a few other students to help as well. I hope you like them," she said with a smile.
Everyone was shocked. They knew that there was a bit of a rivalry between the two over Yamato, so they didn't expect her to do something like this. "You… did this? For me?" Mei asked.
"Of course," she replied "I had to deal with not having a father in my life too, so I know what it's like. Also, I want to try and make things better between us."
"Oh, Megu-chan," Asami said.
Megumi walked up to Mei and gave her a hug. "Stay strong Mei-chan."
"Thank you, Megumi-san," Mei responded.
The rest of the day was filled with everyone spending as much time as possible with Mei. Even during their classes, there was always someone with her supporting her and cheering her up. At lunch time, everyone gathered in homeroom to eat together. Even Kai joined them, even though he normally ate lunch in the cafeteria.
"Hey, I've got an idea," Yamato said as they chatted. "Why don't we all go out bowling after school?"
Aiko and Masashi instantly saw where this was going. "That's an awesome idea," Masashi said. "Mei's awesome at bowling and I want to see her in action again." Mei blushed at the flattery. Sure she was great at bowling but she always tried to tone down her skills, saying it was just luck.
"I actually haven't been bowling in years," Megumi said. "It sounds like fun. I'll call the agency and tell them I won't be able to come in."
Mei was startled. "No. You don't have to do that. Won't you get in trouble?"
"Nonsense, this is for you, not me. And besides, I'll tell them it's an emergency. It's no big deal, really,"
"If you insist," Mei responded, still trying to figure out what had changed in Megumi.
After school, everyone met up at the bowling ally. In order to have some fun, Yamato made a suggestion. "How about we have a tournament?" he said. "We'll each split up into teams of two and compete against each other. Whoever wins the first round will compete with the winning team of the second round."
"That sounds fun," Asami said. "We could each be paired up into couples. You and Mei-chan, me and Kenji, Aiko-chan and Masashi, and…" It was then that she realized that there were nine people, but only enough room for eight players.
Before anyone said anything, Momoko spoke up. "I'll sit out. I'm not much of a bowler anyways. That would leave Kai and Megu-chan on the fourth team."
This caused Megumi to blush considerably. "Hey, wait a minute. You can't just pair me up with him," she shouted.
"Too late," Momoko replied slyly. In reality, she had done it to get Megumi and Kai to spend a little more time together. She had a strong sense that Megumi had feelings for Kai, but didn't want to admit them.
Kai just chuckled. "Come on Megumi, it's not that bad to play a game with me."
Megumi looked at the taller man. She did in fact have some feelings for him. Maybe it was his rugged looks. He had visible muscles that were to die for. And his dirty blond hair, shaved into a thick cut Mohawk, made him look like a guy that could carry himself in even the roughest of neighborhoods.
Or maybe it was his no nonsense attitude. When he saw someone acting out of line, he usually confronted them about it. He had done it with her multiple times when she was trying to interfere with Mei and Yamato's relationship. Regardless of the feelings she didn't want to publicly admit, she reluctantly agreed. "Fine," she said. "But just for the record, this was not my idea."
The game started off with Mei and Yamato going up against Asami and Kenji. After setting up the game on the computer, Asami went up first, managing to get a decent eight spare. Next up was Yamato who got a nine open. After him was Kenji who managed to get a four open with a gutter ball because he was showing off a little too much. Finally, it was Mei's turn.
"You got this Mei," Yamato encouraged her.
Aiko leaned over to Momoko and Megumi and whispered, "Watch this."
Mei picked up her ball and walked up to the lane. Clutching the ball in her hands, she closed her eyes and bowed her head slightly, standing in silence for a moment. Right when some of the group thought that she was having another depression phase, Mei's head popped up and her eyes snapped open, with what could almost be described as a look of rage in them.
With all her strength she swung the ball back, took three solid steps forward and pulled her hand forward. With an audible groan, she released the ball which went flying down the lane. At first it looked like it would be a gutter ball as it pulled to the right. But as it got to the two-thirds mark it arced left and sailed into the pins, knocking all of them down in a perfectly executed strike.
Everyone who hadn't seen Mei bowl before was certainly impressed. It definitely impressed Megumi. "Are you kidding me?!" Kenji said.
"That's what I was talking about earlier," Masashi said. "She looks innocent enough but she's secretly a bowling ninja!" Mei blushed at the over-exaggerated comment but thanked him for it anyways.
The game continued with Asami gaining a score of 179, Kenji a score of 108, and Yamato a score of 149. Mei, however, dominated the game and continued to baffle everyone at how good she was with a score of 206, easily beating Asami and Kenji's combined score of 285 with her and Yamato's combined score of 355, winning the round for the two of them.
After the first round, the four of them headed off to get some refreshments while Aiko and Masashi prepared to go up against Kai and Megumi. After getting some food, Mei and Yamato headed over to the soda machine. Yamato smiled at her. "So how are you doing?" he asked gently. "You look like you're doing better."
Mei smiled slightly. "I am," she replied. She looked out across the bowling alley in the direction of their friends. She truly was happy that she had friends that would go out of their way to spend time with her. And it definitely helped with her emotions. "Thanks for suggesting we go here."
"No problem," he said with a smile. "Good game by the way. I'm still impressed that you're such a good bowler."
Mei blushed at the compliment. She was too embarrassed to respond with a 'Thank you'. "You need to loosen up your wrist," she said instead.
Yamato looked at her a bit confused. "Huh?"
"When you bowl; your wrist, it tightens up," she explained. "That's why you got those gutter balls in the fourth and sixth frames. If you loosen up your wrist and spin it around as you throw the ball, it'll help the ball curve down the lane and avoid the gutter."
Yamato smiled at her. "Thanks," he said. "I'll try it out next round." He leaned in and gave her a quick kiss before they headed back to watch the second round.
In the second round, Aiko managed a score of 152 while Masashi only got 99 for a combined score of 251. Kai and Megumi however proved to be a hard match. Megumi got a 192 while Kai got 191 for a combined score of 383. The others were impressed that a fashion model like Megumi was so good at bowling. They also noticed that Kai and Megumi seemed to be having a competition more with themselves than with Aiko and Masashi. This was especially noted in the way she prouded herself in getting a higher score than Kai, who countered her, stating it was by only one point.
But, the final round came up and they went up against Mei and Yamato. "Good luck Senpai," Kai said. "I have to say, you're a great bowler."
"Thanks Kai," Mei replied. "Good luck yourself."
The final round started with all four of them getting strikes on the first frame. Yamato already saw the improvement with his gameplay when he loosened up his wrist like Mei suggested. By the end of the fourth frame, Megumi had an eight spare, another strike and a nine open, Yamato had an eight spare, a seven spare and an eight spare, and Kai had additional strike, a seven spare and a six spare. Mei already had an additional strike and a six spare. On this frame however, she knocked down eight pins with the first ball but was left with a split between pins 7 and 10.
"Good try Mei," Yamato said. "Just go for the one."
Their game had managed to gain a small group of spectators who were standing behind the group of nine friends, watching the game unfold. Mei picked up her ball after it was returned and walked up to the lane. She shifted her position so that she was more towards the left side and set herself up.
Concentrating everything on her hand movements, she swung the ball back, stepped forward, pulled her hand forward and let the ball go. It sailed down the lane in the direction of the number 10 pin. As the ball advanced down the lane, it inched closer and closer to the right gutter. But just before it fell in, the ball slammed into the side of the number 10 pin. The pin flew across the lane and smacked into the number seven pin, knocking it over for a 7-10 conversion.
Everyone cheered loudly when the seven pin dropped. None of Mei's friends had ever seen something like it before, nor had any of the bystanders watching them. Yamato ran up to her and swept her up in a big hug. "I can't believe you just pulled that off!" he said excitedly as he picked her off the ground.
"I can't believe it either," she replied with a huge smile before kissing him.
By the eighth frame things were heating up and the small crowd had gotten bigger. Megumi had practically forgotten that she was on the same team as Kai and focused all her efforts onto beating him rather than Mei and Yamato. But the further she went, the more frustrated she got.
No matter what score she got on what frame, Kai always overtook her on his next frame. She just couldn't get an edge on him. By this point she already had an additional eight spare, a strike and a nine spare. She was determined to beat Kai no matter what and prove to everyone that he was below her league.
With all her effort, she threw the ball down the lane with an audible groan. The ball sailed into pins 1, 3, 5 and 9, creating a domino effect that knocked the remaining pins down for a strike. "Beat that," she said to Kai as the computer displayed a calculated score of 128 compared to Kai's calculated score of 102.
But she failed to take into consideration the last three frames that Kai had rolled. He had a seven spare and two strikes on his record. After Yamato rolled his eighth frame, Kai picked up his ball and headed for the lane, trying his hardest to remember that this wasn't between him and Megumi, but between them and Mei and Yamato. His first ball of the frame managed to get seven pins, bringing his score up to 129. His second ball got the remaining three pins which brought his score up to 149.
Megumi mentally facepalmed herself for not taking that fact into consideration and, for the first time that game, she actually realized the possibility that she would loose to Kai. But before long, they were on the final frame.
Megumi still had only a calculated score of 128, but she had a second strike under her arm from the ninth frame. Focusing all her energy on the game, she rolled a nine on her first ball, bringing her score up to 157, finished the spare on her second ball, bringing her score up to 177, then finished her game with a strike on her bonus, giving her a final score of 197. Looking at the scoreboard, she mentally congratulated herself. As long as Kai messed up on his tenth frame, she'd beat him a second time.
Yamato was up next. He was currently at a score of 150 with the addition of a five spare, a strike, a seven spare, another strike and another seven spare. He definitely saw the improvement in his game as this had to be the best game he had ever bowled. Focusing on his hand movements, he managed to get a six spare with a six on his bonus, giving him a final score of 182. He walked back to the group where Mei stood up to give him a hug. "Great job," she said.
"Well I had a pretty good teacher," he said with a smirk before leaning in and kissing her. "Thanks for the help, Mei-chan." Mei just blushed
Next up was Kai. He was fully aware of the scores between everyone, including his own score of 165 and the six spare he had gotten last frame, but he wasn't worried. He was in this for fun, but maybe beating Megumi would actually make things a bit more interesting. He grinned at the thought and turned around to face her. "Hey Megumi, I'd like to make a little wager with you," he said calmly. "If I beat your score, you get to go out with me for a day. But if I don't, I'll do one thing that you ask, no matter what it is."
Megumi chuckled inside as she thought of all the things that she could do to embarrass him. "Deal," she said as she shook his hand. "I just hope you don't regret those words."
"I don't plan on it," he replied. He turned around and walked up to the lane. His first ball managed a six for a score of 181, but he was left with a split between pins 2, 4, 7, and 10. Focusing on the three pins on the left, Kai let the ball loose. Everyone watched and the ball sailed into the pins, sending pin 2 to the right. The pin knocked into the number 10 pin, making it wobble back and forth a bit before it finally fell over, giving him a spare and a bonus ball.
As long as he got seven pins he would beat Megumi and win the bet. But if he got less he'd have to do whatever she asked. He was determined not to let that happen. Using his desire to not loose, he let the ball loose down the lane. The ball first knocked down one pin, then three, then six, and finally seven as it sailed into the back of the lane.
Kai smiled at his accomplishment. "Looks like you just won yourself a date with Kai Takemura," he said as he turned around.
Megumi was furious that she'd lost to him. She knew deep down that it was just a pride thing, and she really did want to go on a date with him, but she had a public image to keep up. "Don't say it like that," she quickly countered. "We're just going out as friends for an evening, that's it."
"If that's what you want to call it," Kai smirked. Everyone else laughed.
Finally, it was Mei's turn. The game had literally come down to the wire. Kai and Megumi's total score had brought them up to a score of 395. In the last five frames, she had gotten a seven spare, a turkey which impressed everyone, and a nine open that she wasn't extremely worried about, that brought her score up to 188. With Yamato's final score, it brought them up to 370. All she needed was 26 points to win the game.
She heard a flurry of encouragements come from her friends as she stepped up to the lane. She put in as much power and focus as she could and sent the ball flying into the pins for a strike. When the ball returned, she did the same thing again. The crowd that was watching the game had managed to create such an uproar that almost the entire bowling alley was now focusing on her. The final bonus ball came up and Mei stepped up to the lane. She closed her eyes and was brought back to her childhood memories of her and her father bowling together.
"Daddy, look what I did," a ten year old Mei said as she bowled her first strike.
Her dad picked her up and spun her around. "I'm so proud of you, my little marshmallow," he said.
"If I keep this up, will I become a great bowler like you someday?"
"Absolutely," he replied. "And no matter where you play, when you play or how you play, I'll always be with you, cheering you on. My spirit will always be with you, Never forget that."
"I promise I'll make you proud daddy," Mei said. "I'll become the best bowler ever!"
"I know you will, my little marshmallow."
Mei smiled as a small tear formed in the corner of her eye. This is for you, daddy, she said silently. She pulled the ball back, took three solid steps forward and pulled her hand forward. She let out a loud "HUUUUUUGH!" as she let the ball go sailing down the lane. The ball sailed into the pins knocking all of them down, except for the 9 pin. The 10 pin, however, bounced off the wall of the lane and pushed the 9 pin to the left. The pin slid across the lane, staying vertical but wobbling a bit. It almost looked like it would stay standing, but the 10 pin bumped into it again and the 9 pin fell with a clunk.
Everyone cheered as the computer displayed the animation for a Turkey before displaying the winning score of 218, and a total score of 400 for her and Yamato. Everyone cheered as Mei was suddenly rushed by her friends who gave her a huge group hug.
Yamato pulled her aside and gave her a huge kiss, still not believing what she'd just pulled off. "I'm so proud of you," he said smiling.
"Thanks Yamato," she replied. "I couldn't have done it without all of your support." She leaned in to kiss him again before turning to look at all of her friends cheering for her. Yes, this was a happy day for her. And it was all thanks to the love and support of all her friends.