Chapter 4 – What did you say?! Love?
Beep…beep…beep. 'I hate Mondays…' I thought to myself. "See you at school on Monday…"That's what Sendoh said to me the day before. I immediately jumped out of bed. "Good morning sleepyhead! It's – huh? You're awake?!" Kasumi yelled as she entered my room. My faithful human alarm clock, I could always rely on her to wake me up.
"You sound so disappointed Kasumi. I thought you'd be proud of me for once." I teased. "Ha, ha, ha; very funny. Hurry up and take a shower before Satoshi beats you to it." Kasumi said as she shoved me out the door.
I took a quick shower so that I wouldn't have to wolf down my breakfast for once. As I came down the stairs, I heard a big fuss at the front door. I went to see what was causing it. "Good morning Sekami." Sendoh said with a smile. My jaw dropped like a sack of potatoes. "What on earth are you doing here?" I asked flabbergasted. "I thought I'd pick you up. Unless that is, you want me to go." Sendoh said modestly. "Of course she doesn't mind." Kasumi interjected. Sendoh smiled. "All right then. Let's go."
The three of us, Kasumi, Sendoh and I, were now on our way to school together. "My name is Takahashi Kasumi by the way. But you can call me Kasumi. I'm Sekami's cousin." Kasumi said shyly. I've never seen her become so shy before. "Nice to meet you. Too bad you weren't able to come with Sekami and me last Saturday for lunch." As they talked, I ate my breakfast. I tried to distance myself from the two so that they wouldn't include me in their conversation. I remembered the last time I talked with my mouth full.
We finally reached school and had to go separate ways. "See you two at basketball practice." Sendoh said as he waved goodbye. "See you later." I said with a wave. "Bye Sendoh!" Kasumi said. She waved as if she would never see him again. I sighed and pushed her to her classroom.
It was break time and I decided to go to the library. I sat at a table near the window. The sky was so clear and perfect. I felt like flying a kite. "Rukawa what took you so long?" said a voice. I quickly stood up and looked for him. "Rumiko I've been waiting so long for you what took you?" continued the voice. I turned slightly red. "I must be tired, I'm imagining things." I whispered to myself.
I had opened my book to study when I heard a voice…Rukawa's voice. I put down my book and looked for where the voice was coming from. I almost fell backwards when I saw him in front of me. I couldn't believe my eyes. I blinked several times in disbelief. "Sekami…" whispered Rukawa. I closed my eyes and rubbed them softly. When I opened them, he was gone. "That's it," I said as I closed my book. "I'm officially delirious."
A minute later I heard someone calling me. "Excuse me, miss…" I opened my eyes. "Miss, you'll be late for class if you don't hurry." It was a student from a different section. I looked at my watch. He was right. I gathered up all my stuff. "Thanks for telling me!" I yelled back as I headed for my classroom. I reached it just in time.
"Really? I wonder what that could mean…" It was finally club time and I told Kasumi what had just happen during break time. "You don't look sick. It could be a mild case of food poisoning." Kasumi suggested. I gave her a stare. "What? I was just fulfilling my part of the conversation."
We entered the gym to see the basketball club resting. "Hey." It was Sendoh. "What's wrong?" he asked. Kasumi pointed at me. "She's delirious. She said she saw Rukawa in the library." Sendoh smiled and put his hand on my forehead. "Well, you don't have a fever. But I think I know what that might be." I looked up at him. "What?"
But just as Sendoh was about to tell us, Coach Taoka called all the members together. "I'll tell you tonight. Wait for my call." Sendoh said as he went to join the others. "He knows our number?" I asked. Kasumi stared at the floor. "…"
After dinner was over, Kasumi quickly rushed to the phone. "What's that all about?" asked Satoshi. "She's waiting for Sendoh to call." I replied as I helped Satoshi with the dishes. After all the dishes were cleaned, I went to my room and laid down on my bed. I couldn't stop imagining the smile on Sendoh's face when he told us he knew what it might be. I was just about to call my family when the phone suddenly rang. I picked it up before Kasumi.
"Hi Sendoh." I said as I picked up the phone. Kasumi picked up the phone downstairs. It took a while before Sendoh convinced her to put it down. "So, what was it you wanted to tell me?" I asked. "Love," he said. "What?" I was caught off guard by that one. "Love," Sendoh continued. "That's what made you hallucinate."
"What?!" I yelled. "I can't be in love! I don't even know him that well to love him!" Sendoh chuckled. "Don't you believe in love-at-first- sight?" I thought for a moment. Could it be true? Was I falling for Rukawa? Had I already fallen for him? These were the questions that went spinning through my mind. I remained silent.
"Sekami, are you still there?" asked Sendoh. I quickly snapped back. "Oh, yeah. I'm here. Sorry about that Sendoh." I was doing it again. My thoughts were trailing off again. "Don't try to deny it Sekami. It'll only get worse." I smiled. "Ok. Thanks for your help Sendoh. I appreciate it." He laughed. "It was no problem at all. Anything for a friend."
I hung up the phone slowly. Trying to process everything Sendoh had said to me. I smiled to myself as I laid back down. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. "I love you…Rukawa."
Beep…beep…beep. 'I hate Mondays…' I thought to myself. "See you at school on Monday…"That's what Sendoh said to me the day before. I immediately jumped out of bed. "Good morning sleepyhead! It's – huh? You're awake?!" Kasumi yelled as she entered my room. My faithful human alarm clock, I could always rely on her to wake me up.
"You sound so disappointed Kasumi. I thought you'd be proud of me for once." I teased. "Ha, ha, ha; very funny. Hurry up and take a shower before Satoshi beats you to it." Kasumi said as she shoved me out the door.
I took a quick shower so that I wouldn't have to wolf down my breakfast for once. As I came down the stairs, I heard a big fuss at the front door. I went to see what was causing it. "Good morning Sekami." Sendoh said with a smile. My jaw dropped like a sack of potatoes. "What on earth are you doing here?" I asked flabbergasted. "I thought I'd pick you up. Unless that is, you want me to go." Sendoh said modestly. "Of course she doesn't mind." Kasumi interjected. Sendoh smiled. "All right then. Let's go."
The three of us, Kasumi, Sendoh and I, were now on our way to school together. "My name is Takahashi Kasumi by the way. But you can call me Kasumi. I'm Sekami's cousin." Kasumi said shyly. I've never seen her become so shy before. "Nice to meet you. Too bad you weren't able to come with Sekami and me last Saturday for lunch." As they talked, I ate my breakfast. I tried to distance myself from the two so that they wouldn't include me in their conversation. I remembered the last time I talked with my mouth full.
We finally reached school and had to go separate ways. "See you two at basketball practice." Sendoh said as he waved goodbye. "See you later." I said with a wave. "Bye Sendoh!" Kasumi said. She waved as if she would never see him again. I sighed and pushed her to her classroom.
It was break time and I decided to go to the library. I sat at a table near the window. The sky was so clear and perfect. I felt like flying a kite. "Rukawa what took you so long?" said a voice. I quickly stood up and looked for him. "Rumiko I've been waiting so long for you what took you?" continued the voice. I turned slightly red. "I must be tired, I'm imagining things." I whispered to myself.
I had opened my book to study when I heard a voice…Rukawa's voice. I put down my book and looked for where the voice was coming from. I almost fell backwards when I saw him in front of me. I couldn't believe my eyes. I blinked several times in disbelief. "Sekami…" whispered Rukawa. I closed my eyes and rubbed them softly. When I opened them, he was gone. "That's it," I said as I closed my book. "I'm officially delirious."
A minute later I heard someone calling me. "Excuse me, miss…" I opened my eyes. "Miss, you'll be late for class if you don't hurry." It was a student from a different section. I looked at my watch. He was right. I gathered up all my stuff. "Thanks for telling me!" I yelled back as I headed for my classroom. I reached it just in time.
"Really? I wonder what that could mean…" It was finally club time and I told Kasumi what had just happen during break time. "You don't look sick. It could be a mild case of food poisoning." Kasumi suggested. I gave her a stare. "What? I was just fulfilling my part of the conversation."
We entered the gym to see the basketball club resting. "Hey." It was Sendoh. "What's wrong?" he asked. Kasumi pointed at me. "She's delirious. She said she saw Rukawa in the library." Sendoh smiled and put his hand on my forehead. "Well, you don't have a fever. But I think I know what that might be." I looked up at him. "What?"
But just as Sendoh was about to tell us, Coach Taoka called all the members together. "I'll tell you tonight. Wait for my call." Sendoh said as he went to join the others. "He knows our number?" I asked. Kasumi stared at the floor. "…"
After dinner was over, Kasumi quickly rushed to the phone. "What's that all about?" asked Satoshi. "She's waiting for Sendoh to call." I replied as I helped Satoshi with the dishes. After all the dishes were cleaned, I went to my room and laid down on my bed. I couldn't stop imagining the smile on Sendoh's face when he told us he knew what it might be. I was just about to call my family when the phone suddenly rang. I picked it up before Kasumi.
"Hi Sendoh." I said as I picked up the phone. Kasumi picked up the phone downstairs. It took a while before Sendoh convinced her to put it down. "So, what was it you wanted to tell me?" I asked. "Love," he said. "What?" I was caught off guard by that one. "Love," Sendoh continued. "That's what made you hallucinate."
"What?!" I yelled. "I can't be in love! I don't even know him that well to love him!" Sendoh chuckled. "Don't you believe in love-at-first- sight?" I thought for a moment. Could it be true? Was I falling for Rukawa? Had I already fallen for him? These were the questions that went spinning through my mind. I remained silent.
"Sekami, are you still there?" asked Sendoh. I quickly snapped back. "Oh, yeah. I'm here. Sorry about that Sendoh." I was doing it again. My thoughts were trailing off again. "Don't try to deny it Sekami. It'll only get worse." I smiled. "Ok. Thanks for your help Sendoh. I appreciate it." He laughed. "It was no problem at all. Anything for a friend."
I hung up the phone slowly. Trying to process everything Sendoh had said to me. I smiled to myself as I laid back down. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. "I love you…Rukawa."