- Trouble Comes Prettily Packaged
(Part 3)
Author's Note: Hmm, story is still G-rated but umm, strong words will be used here and there. As Scar would say, be prepared!
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"Hachi-kun, have you seen my brother?" Kotori walked up to Hachi who
had just left the boys' shower room. Hachi looked around warily, checking to
see that none of Fuuma's friends were around to see him talking to Kotori. They'd
been known to spy for him; his classmate had just received a 'warning' from
Fuuma.
The classmate in question had chatted Kotori up while they were in the school
library. Fuuma was (obviously) not there but there were a few sophomores around
and some had made it their business to inform Fuuma of the incident. Hachi
personally felt that the same sophomores were sucking up to Fuuma. What a bunch
of bloody sycophants. He was pretty sure they wanted Kotori themselves (he
nobly refrained from using cruder terms) but were too cowardly to attempt to
bypass Fuuma.
"Err, no. He was still talking to the coach the time I
left the field. He should be coming soon, I think," Hachi replied, inching
away from Kotori. He had no intention whatsoever of landing up on Fuuma's hit
list.
"Oh, what a pity," Kotori pouted prettily. "Well, I know, you
can stay and keep me company until Oniichan comes!" She clapped her hands
in glee.
"Err...I don't mind but won't Fuuma get angry?" Hachi winced and
scratched his head. He was torn between running far, far away from this girl
and her lethal older brother but on the other hand, Hachi was a chivalrous boy
who didn't have the heart to turn down a harmless invitation from a girl.
"Oh, he won't, trust me. I don't know why you boys are so afraid of him,
he's such a gentle person..." Kotori's voice trailed off, tapping her
finger against her lip.
Yeah, as gentle as a lion!
"Walk with me to the main door of the school won't you? Oniichan promised
to meet me there," Kotori began walking. Hachi grudgingly walked a safe
distance behind; taking surreptitious glances over his shoulder to make sure
Fuuma wasn't going to burst in on the scene suddenly.
They both reached the main door and waited for Fuuma to come. By then, huge sweat
drops were forming on Hachi's forehead, thinking of his fate once Fuuma spotted
him with Kotori.
Suddenly, without warning, a group of girls burst through the door, rudely
shoving past Kotori & Hachi. "Oh, sorry," a girl shouted in
passing. Kotori stumbled back, losing her balance as one girl rushed past her.
"Aaah!"
Hachi immediately stepped forward to cushion her fall, grabbing her by the
waist. Kotori swayed slightly as she tried to regain her footing. "Thank you,
Hachi-kun," Kotori turned her head slightly to thank him. "That was really
nice of you," she continued, blushing when she realised that Hachi's hands
were still around her waist.
Unfortunately for Hachi, Fuuma chose to appear at that inopportune moment.
"Hachi!" he yelled sharply.
Hachi immediately let Kotori go. Damn, damn, damn!!! He swore inwardly.
Kotori swayed even more, confused by the sudden loss of support. He stood next
to Kotori with is hands firmly behind his back like a recruit in the army. He
desperately wished for an earthquake - it didn't have to be a big one - a small,
localised one would do where the floor would split and swallow him up so that
he didn't have to meet Fuuma.
Oblivious to Hachi's future suffering, Kotori ran up to meet Fuuma.
"Oniichan, you're late! Oh, meet my classmate," she dragged him by
the hand and brought him over to where Hachi was glued to the floor.
"He kept me company while I was waiting for you and he
stopped me from falling over just now. Those girls were so rude! You know him
don't you, he's your teammate right?" Kotori asked happily, glad that her
older brother was around.
"Yes, he's on the team. And he's not too bad a player. So, he stopped you
from falling didn't he Kotori? And he kept you company too?" Fuuma raised
an elegant eyebrow and Hachi perspired profusely
"Thank you, Hachi." Fuuma's low, calm voice was
heard. Hachi gulped. He heard that tone before, it was the particular tone he
used to pulverize foolish juniors who wasted simple penalty kicks.
"Yup!" Kotori answered happily. "He's such a nice boy." She
continued chatting to Fuuma blithely; unaware of the dagger glares Fuuma was
sending Hachi. Hachi would have resembled a porcupine if Fuuma really had
daggers with him.
"Indeed. Well, I'll be seeing you be-fore training tomorrow, Hachi. We
have some matters to settle remember?" Fuuma spoke calmly, narrowing his
eyes in a threatening way. Hachi was no fool; he caught the hint. "Ah yes,
the thing on the jerseys..." He nodded his head weakly. "Yes,
Monou-sempai... I'll turn up tomorrow."
"Good, that's settled then. Let's leave now Kotori, give me your bag. And
see you tomorrow Hachi, don't forget." With that ominous parting remark,
Fuuma walked out with Kotori.
"Damn!" Hachi swore rapidly and creatively. It wouldn't matter to
Fuuma what that he was honestly trying to help Kotori. All that mattered to the
Demon God was that a lowly male like him had dared touch his precious sister.
Damn Kotori for asking him to stay! Another voice in his head told him to shut
up. It's not her fault she's got a monster for a brother.
"Oy! Hachi, what did he want?" Fujima turned up. Hachi whirled
round and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. "You brat!! Where were
you when I needed you? Rat deserting a sinking ship!"
"What, you don't expect me to go up against the Demon God do you, not
after what you did?" Fujima defended his actions. He had been around, he
himself had arranged to meet Hachi after training but had wisely chosen to hide
behind some lockers when he saw Fuuma approaching. Unfortunately, by then he
had no means to warn Hachi on his impending doom.
"Let go! What did he want?" Fujima protested. "I saw that look
on his face." Reminded of his coming death, Hachi immediately let Fujima
go and slumped down to the floor. "He wants to see me before training tomorrow...To
settle some matters."
Fujima paled at that. "Serious, he wants to see you? He'll kill you!!
Don't go! You can't go, you'll die!!" Fujima threw his arms around Hachi.
"I don't want you to go!!"
Hachi shook his head sadly, the expression of that of a man on death row. He
inhaled deeply, putting on a benevolent look. "He'll kill me more if I
don't turn up. But Fujima..." he said in a small voice, holding his best
friend's hand tightly.
"Yes?" Fujima could feel tears coming to his eyes. Not having Hachi
meant no more skipping PE, no more whines early in the morning to borrow
homework, no more having to support football matches where he still failed to
understand what the offside trap was. Wait - that last thought had
possibilities... Fujima began envisioning a future with no more football but
Hachi's voice drew him out of his sweet fantasy.
"Fujima, tell my parents I love them...And I want white roses on my grave,
OK?" Fujima nodded his head gravely. He would see to it personally that
his friend's last wishes were granted. The two boys sat in the middle of the
corridor, each contemplating a future without the other. And all because of
that Demon God's tyranny.
end chapter 3