Disclaimer: Ya da…ya da…ya da… The usual disclaimer that everyone's annoyed about applies. Slam Dunk does not belong this lazy neko, and it'll never be, 'cos Takehiko Inoue sensei is its rightful owner! But…the OC's are mine and mine only! Bwahahahahahaha~ :D K…so what if this neko's a loony? Hahahahahaha~ :P =^.^=
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Thank you to all the reviewers ^_^ Doumo arigatou gozaimashita!
Iluvenis Telperien Wah! You changed your penname! No wonder I couldn't recognise you b4 ne… *waves* :D But…it's really glad to hear from u ne Eddy :D Btw, is there a meaning to your new penname?? :D Eetou…the scar? Hehehe… That's for me to know and for you to find out ;) :P So…guess you'll have to continue reading and find out in later chappies ne :P Cheers~ :)
Fyrelighte Snowfall First of all, thanks for sending me your fic to post on my site ne :) As for the possibilities of fighting scenes in the fic…err…don't think I can whip up proper fight scenes since I know peanuts about fighting skills :x But, I'll try to put some in ne :) But no promises ^_^;
Fiery-Ice Fiery-chan! *huggles* ^_^ Huh? I start all my fics mysteriously meh? Haven't noticed ne :P hehehe… Anyways, I did tell you I'll write this fic sooner or later one mah… hehehe… so… here it is lor ;)
Spetti Hi! Thanks for the review. Here's the next chappy :)
Frozenfemale Anou…Frozenfemale-san…I'm not Japanese ne. In fact, I've only known 2 Japanese in my life so far and they're my Jap teachers! Also, I've just started learning Jap ne… ^_^;; So, with the question you asked me about the clans and things…sowwie to say that I can't tell you anything about it, since I really don't know anything about them :x
KISS rocks Thanks :)
Unquestionable Hi and thanks ;) Well…this neko's from the land of kangaroos and koalas ;) hehehe… but… I was from Brunei originally, but came to kangaroo land when I was quite young :P hehe… Her scar…well…that's something you'll have to keep reading to find out lor :P hehe… and…Samurai X? That's Rurouni Kenshin right? Well, I've seen bits of it, not all and I think it's quite interesting too :) Anyways, hope you'll enjoy this chapter ne ;) Cheers!
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NB: "…" Character's speech
… Character's Thoughts
(…) See neko's notes…
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~ Chapter 1: The Shadow Acts ~
The noisy ruckus of students in the classrooms and hallways was silent by the chimes of the school bell, announcing the start of another academically driven day in Shohoku High. The form room teacher, Morinaga sensei of Class 3 – 2 walked into the class casually with a new student following behind him.
"Kiritsu! Ichirei! Ohayou sensei." The class prefect called out and his fellow classmates followed suit to greet their teacher.
"Ohayou mina-san. Please take your seats." The middle-aged sensei replied. He then turned and motioned the new student to stand next to him and wrote the new student's name on the board. "Today we have a new student with us. He's just transferred here from one of the most prestigious high school in Kyoto. Misaki-kun, can you introduce yourself to the class?"
A young man about 175cm tall with his long black hair tied in a pony tail and well-defined features stood before the class and bowed deeply. He wore a polite smile on his lips, and his rimless glasses sat promptly on the bridge of his nose. "Watashi wa Misaki Kumori desu, douzo yoroshiku."
The classroom began to hustle and bustle as students whispered amongst themselves about the new student.
"He's cute." Some girls giggled.
"Wow, is that a bokken he's carrying?" A male student whispered.
"OK class, that's enough." Morinaga sensei said, silencing the class. "Now, Misaki-kun, why don't you tell us something about yourself?"
Kumori nodded and smiled politely at his sensei and fellow student. However it was a smile that did not reach his glassy black orbs. Those ocular gems remained emotionless and cold as ever.
"As you all know, I've just transferred from Kyoto. In fact I've just arrived in Kanagawa yesterday. So, I hope we'll be able to get along well." Kumori paused a little then continued, "I've been a long-standing member of the kendou club of my old schools and I hope to join the kendou club here."
"Sou…" Morinaga sensei smiled. "Let me see…where should we seat you? Aa, there's an empty seat next to Rukawa-kun, so you may sit next to him."
"Hai sensei." Kumori nodded and walked to the end of opposite end of the classroom, and took his seat next to a dozing raven head at the far right corner of the room. He glanced at the sleeping form of his seatmate then pulled his chair to take his seat.
As soon as Kumori was seated, Morinaga sensei began the day's lesson.
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So…this is what high school is like…weird! Kumori thought as he remained in his seat, putting some of his books away during recess. What's more is youkun's in-class behaviour. Does he sleep through all his classes?
At this moment, someone came and interrupted his trail of thoughts.
"Ne Misaki-kun, do you really practise kendou?" A member of the Sakuragi Gundan, Mito Youhei strolled over to Kumori's desk and asked, with Sakuragi tagging along.
Kumori looked up and saw one dark-haired and one red-haired male. His mental analysis system kicked in and found his new classmates data. Sakuragi Hanamichi, youkun's team mate and vice-captain of the basketball team. Mito Youhei, Sakuragi's best friend and a member of the Sakuragi Gundan.
"Yes. I've been practicing kendou ever since I was a young child." Kumori replied.
"Sou ka? You must be really good at it then." Youhei smiled. "By the way, I'm Mito Youhei; you can call me Mito or just Youhei. And this big guy here is Sakuragi Hanamichi."
"Glad to be of acquaintance, Mito-kun, Sakuragi-kun." Kumori bowed slightly while he remained seated.
"Nyahahahahahaha! You can call me the Tensai Basketo Man. Nyahahahahahaha!" Hanamichi boasted.
Unlike everyone who sweat dropped at Sakuragi's trademark outburst, Kumori just smiled at the red head.
"Do'aho." A flat monotone sounded beside Kumori as a very groggy kitsune stared daggers at the red head.
"Teme kitsune!" Hanamichi balled his fists at his arch nemesis as he hissed through gritted teeth.
"Hanamichi! Please!" Youhei shouted as he struggled to keep the irked Hanamichi in place.
Ignoring the akai ozaru, Kaede finally noticed his new seatmate. He glanced at Kumori and asked flatly, "Dochirasama (1)?"
Kumori smiled at him with his now trademarked polite but cold smile. "Misaki Kumori desu, douzo yoroshiku."
Kaede looked at him then stood up and walked out of the classroom without replying Kumori's greetings. Kumori watched as Kaede's figure disappeared into the corridor.
Should I follow him? Kumori asked himself silently.
"Ch! Baka kitsune's always rude. Don't worry about him ne, Misaki." Hanamichi sputtered.
"Iie, daijoubu. Everyone has a way to express him or herself." Kumori said calmly.
"Express!? You call that expression!? Hello! Is there something wrong with your head, Misaki? How can you call the way kitsune acts as a type of expression?" Hanamichi wailed in disbelief.
"Hanamichi, stop being such a baby and overreact on very thing." Youhei sweat dropped at his friend's antics.
"Youhei!" Hanamichi retorted.
"Urusai (2)!" Youhei shouted as he felt a headache coming up.
Even cold and calm as Kumori is, he also sweat-dropped to the scene Hanamichi created in front of him.
o o o o o
After the last class, students filed out of the classroom and rushed to their lockers either to grab their belongings to head home or they dashed to the respective clubs for their after school activities. Kaede and Hanamichi had gone off to the basketball club together albeit them squabbling all the way. Kumori on the other hand headed to the kendou club, which was located next to the basketball club. An appropriate arrangement for him to keep an eye on his youkun, Kaede.
"You're the new transfer student from Kyoto huh? Heard that you've been practicing kendou since a young age?" Kendou club's captain Genji asked Kumori in a smug tone.
Kumori ignored the captain's overconfident behaviour and smiled, "Hai. That is so."
"You must be really good then? But how come I've never heard of your name in the circle before?"
"Because I've never entered into any competitions before, and I intend to keep it that way after I've joined this club." Kumori shrugged.
"Nani!? You've never competed before? Hahaha… What makes you think that you can join our team and not compete? There is a policy here that all senior club members must compete in the prefecture's interschool competitions." Genji continued arrogantly.
"Hai. That is because I practice kendou for the honour of kendou and not for the mere thrills of winning in competitions." Kumori said smoothly, his words piercing at Genji's pride.
"OK, if you think you're so good at the sport, why don't we have a match now, you and me. If you win, I'll let you join the club as a non-competing member, but if I win, you'll have to bow down to me and follow my orders for as long as you're in this club."
"Sure, if that is the way you want it."
"Let's begin then. Spread out everyone." Genji ordered.
The other members of the kendou club spread out in the doujou, making room for Genji and Kumori's match immediately. Kumori placed his bag on the tatami then unwrapped the piece of navy cloth covering his bokken. Genji took his bokken from one of his kohai and assumed a stance waiting for Kumori. Kumori stepped in front of Genji with such casualty that he did not look like he was going to have a sword fight with one of the prefecture's finest swordsman. This irked Genji further.
"Who do you think will win?" A junior asked another.
"Genji senpai of course, silly. He's one of the top three swordsmen in high school division of kendou." Someone replied.
"That Misaki guy's gonna get it from Genji." A senior snickered.
"Yeah, poor guy." Another added.
Kumori disregarded all the negative whispers around him and closed his eyes when he stood in front of Genji, waiting for the team's captain to make his move.
"What is that racket those kendou guys are making?" Hanamichi frowned as he finished his warm up.
"Yeah…that's really odd, they're normally quite quiet." Added their team manageress, Akagi Haruko who was standing next to the red head. "Why don't we go take a look and see what those guys are doing?"
"Not a bad idea, we're due for a five minute break now anyways. Let's go." The vice-captain said thrillingly.
Haruko nodded and turn to leave while Hanamichi went to one of the gym's corners and pulled Kaede along with him. During which, he also dismissed the players for a five minute break.
"Hanasei do'aho." Kaede said deadpanned, eyes darting icicles at Hanamichi.
Hanamichi ignored the raven head's words and continued to drag him along to the kendou club. "I heard your new seat partner's gonna try out for the kendou club, maybe all that noise is coming from kendou is because of him. Aren't you curious?"
"Do'aho."
"Teme kitsune! If I didn't know you better, I'd have head-butted you right here." The red head growled impatiently.
"Do'aho." Kaede rolled his eyes in dullness.
"Whatever!" Hanamichi also rolled his eyes at the predictability of Kaede's reply.
Over the years, Hanamichi and Kaede had grown to acknowledge each other's presence and ability on and off courts. This could be seen as a mutual understanding between the two stars of the Shohoku basketball club. Although they still called each other the names they had designated to each other since their junior years, their petty fights however had lessen significantly. One could say that both the akai ozaru and the kitsune had matured over the years.
The basketballers came into the kendou doujou just in time to see the start of the match between Kumori and Genji. After Kumori took a stand in front of Genji, the kendou club's captain did not disappoint anyone by attacking Kumori fiercely as the onlookers cheered. However, no matter how hard Genji tried, he was not able to make a direct hit at Kumori while Kumori dodged and intercepted all his attacks with ease and perfect graceful moves. Not long after they started, Genji had already broken into sweat and was drawing air into his hypoventilated lungs heavily. Kumori on the other hand was still dry and fresh as he was before their match commenced. Sensing Genji's tiredness and hopelessness, Kumori decided to end the match there and then. With a swift move of his bokken, Kumori attacked Genji head on and the force of bokken against bokken snapped Genji's bokken. The tip of Kumori's bokken ended up touching Genji's throat, petrifying Genji as it left a small bruise mark on his tan skin while the audience watched in awe. The match ended in matter of minutes.
"Sugoi desu!" Someone in the audience gasped.
"I guess I don't have to participate in any of the competitions that will be taking place soon ne, Genji-kun?" Kumori asked with his usual smile as others in the doujou gawked at him in disbelief.
"Kuso! Teme…" Genji snarled, but was interrupted by someone's clapping.
"Well done, that was a terrific fight." Kendou club's coach, Abe Miyahito clapped his hands as he walked onto the tatami covered floor. "You have displayed skills that are most interesting, Misaki-kun. We are glad to have someone with such superb skills joining us. Welcome to Shohoku's kendou club."
"Doumo arigatou, sensei." Kumori bowed at Abe sensei respectfully. "I hope that sensei will exclude my name in all competitions."
"Of course. I understand that someone of your calibre do not belong in the high school arena." Abe said uneasily, while his mind screamed uncontrollably, Who the hell is this kid? How can he possess such magnificent skills at such a young age?
"I hope you will aid me in training your fellow students for the upcoming prefecture elimination rounds, and help bring our school into the nationals."
"I will be glad to." Kumori smiled and nodded. These people have no idea about the true art of kendou…
"If I may be excuse, I need to go and change into my hakama." Kumori bowed to take leave, but he stopped abruptly and turned to Genji. "Genji-kun, you may not know this, but there is a saying: 'A sword is a weapon. Kenjutsu is the art of killing. Pretty words maybe used to beautify its art, but you can never deny its true nature (3).' Kendou was born from Kenjutsu, and what I have studied all my life is in fact Kenjutsu, not kendou."
Upon finishing his lines, Kumori nodded at the stunned team captain and left the doujou for the lockers leaving the people present stupefied.
"Misaki-san wa sugoi desu ne." Haruko said as she watched Kumori's disappearing figure.
"I have to agree with you there Haruko-chan." Hanamichi blurted, for he too was overwhelmed by Kumori's display of skills.
On the other hand, Kaede frowned at what he saw and heard. Where have I seen that before? And…that speech, I'm sure I've heard if from somewhere before. But…where?
"Oh, it's time for us to get back to practise ne, Sakuragi-kun, Rukawa-kun." Haruko said suddenly.
Without answering her words, the raven head took leave and returned to the gym with Hanamichi and Haruko following behind.
o o o o o
The day soon ended and members of various clubs began to pack to go home. Similarly, the basketballers ended their practise session for the day with two freshman assigned to cleanup duty while the senior members left. As Kaede turned the corner to step out of the school gate, he bumped into someone smaller in frame than him.
"Gomen." The other person apologised to Kaede.
The familiarity of the voice made Kaede looked at the person who'd just bumped into him. "Hn!"
"Aa, Rukawa-kun. Kitaku (4)?" Kumori asked with a smile.
Kaede did not reply. He just walked out of the school grounds and headed in the direction of his apartment. The smile on Kumori's face disappeared as soon as Kaede turned his back. Replacing that polite smile was cold aloofness and his glassy black eyes shimmered dangerously as he followed Kaede's footsteps, eyeing the shadow of a well-hid hit-man under a tree beside the main gate. A predatory smile curved his lips as he reached into his uniform's jacket, pulling out three long needles, and shot it at the shadow's owner. All were done swiftly and fluidly. Soon, a soft thud was heard as the shadow's owner lay lifeless on the ground next to the tree he was hiding behind previously.
"Why are you following me?" Kaede asked in an extremely irritated tone.
Kumori smiled at the raven head innocently and pointed at the apartment building they're standing in front of, "I'm not following you, Rukawa-kun. I just happened to be living here."
"What do you mean you live here?" Kaede asked in a tone colder than icicles as he narrowed his kitsune eyes.
"Exactly what the words meant." Kumori smiled again.
"Ch!" Kaede turned and walked into the building.
Kumori tagged along behind him and they entered the elevator that had just arrived together. Kaede pressed the ninth floor button as the elevator closed. Kumori did not press any of the buttons and stood watching each of the numbers on the indication panel light up as the elevator ascended. Kaede frowned again at Kumori but remained silent about it.
When the elevator reached the ninth floor, both boys stepped out and walked in the same direction. Kaede being extremely irked by Kumori presence turned in mid stride and stared daggers at the shorter boy.
"What the hell are you doing?" Kaede demanded in a cold tone with his anger suppressed.
"Going home." Kumori smiled innocently as he pointed to a door that was next to Kaede's.
"You live next to me!?" The raven head asked disbelievingly.
"Afraid so, Rukawa-kun."
"Hn."
Kaede shot another death glare at Kumori then took out his security card to open his door. He stepped into his apartment without giving Kumori another glance.
Looks like being his shadow is harder than beating ojiisan at a game of Shougi (5). Demo sa…at least there's one less assassin after him after today… Kumori thought as he watched Kaede slammed the door in his face. He then turned and took out a security card to open the door to his apartment and stepped inside, closing the door softly behind him.
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Akane の Teahouse…
First of all… The explanations~
(1) Dochirasama ~ who are you?
(2) Urusai ~ Noisy
(3) This bit information about Kenjutsu and Kendou…I've read it somewhere but…can't recall where, so if there's anything that's incorrect there, please tell me about it so I can change it. 10x ;)
(4) Kitaku ~ going home?
(5) Shougi ~ Japanese Chess
Ne mina-san… Anou… How do you like this chappy? Good? Bad? No comments? Anyhow…please send me a review ne, so I can improve on the next chapter. Doumo arigatou gozaimasu *bows* :)
Cheers~
The Lazy Neko signing off~~ =^.^=