A NEW BEGINNING
Chapter 1
Kazuha looked up the tall building in front of her, ignoring the stream of students around her.
Shohoku high school. I'll probably last at the most a month in here.
Drawing a deep breath, she straightened her shoulders and walked… straight into the back of a very tall, red headed guy. She staggered momentarily before falling down.
She picked herself up and walked away as if nothing had happened.
The boy, who didn't move an inch when she crashed into him, spun around with his eyes blazing shouted after her, "Hey! There's a word called 'sorry' you know!"
She stopped and without turning said emotionlessly, "Gomen…do'aho."
And continued on her way, leaving a speechless but fuming Sakuragi Hanamichi behind her.
******
Sakuragi was still fuming when the Gundam gang caught up with him.
"What's wrong Sakuragi? You looked ready to explode!"
"Yea, I bet you had a run in with Rukawa - poor you, on the first day of school too."
"No! I haven't meet the kitsune yet - and don't mention him or I'm going to get even madder."
"No chance of him getting crazier than he already is," whispered Takamiya to Yohei. They sweatdropped as suddenly a thunderous Sakuragi loomed before them.
They both ended up with a bump each after Sakuragi headbutted them.
"So what's your reason for being angry early in the morning Sakuragi?" asked Yohei while rubbing his steaming forehead. The rest of the gundam nodded, wanting to know.
"Well you see there was this girl - serious, bookish type - who bumped into me. She -"
"I know! She didn't apologized!" this from Noma.
He got headbutted.
"Will you let me finish! And you, Yuji, do want one too?!" Sakuragi turned to the only member of the Gundam gang without a lump on his forehead. Yuji who was in the process of opening his mouth to make comment wisely closed it and shook his head quickly. "No? Thank you!"
"As I was saying, she didn't apologized - "
"You didn't say that - you only said that she bumped into you -"
"Arrrrrggggghhhhh!"
Midway of the thrashing, Sakuragi suddenly stopped and slowly his cheeks went pink. The reason came skipping lightly towards them.
"Ha-Haruko-chan."
"Ohayougozaimasu!" The sweet girl announced cheerfully.
"Ohayo, Haruko-chan!!" They replied with Sakuragi scratching his head in a bashful way while the others picked themselves up.
"So spirited early in the morning - I guess I can correctly assume that you're ready for basketball this year, aren't I'm right, Sakuragi-kun?," she enquired.
"Yes, yes, of course you're right Haruko-chan," answered Sakuragi who could not see anything wrong with Haruko at all.
"No, it was because of this girl…," Takamiya stopped as Sakuragi glared at him.
"Girl? Oh! Sakuragi, you better tell me all about her," said Haruko winking at Sakuragi, obviously jumping to the conclusion that Sakuragi had met a girl he liked.
"No Haruko-chan! It's not like that!" Sakuragi exclaimed loudly, distressed should that his lovely Haruko be upset at the idea. (snort)
"How else can it be?" she puzzled and the gundam gang nodded simultaneously at her question.
"I guess I'll start at the beginning - without interruption," he glared at the gundam. They shrugged noncommittedly.
"Well this girl bumped into me but she didn't apologized -"
"Probably fainted in terror at the sight of you," the gundam snickered. They sweatdropped when Sakuragi gave them a glance full of retribution. He couldn't very well start a fight in front of Haruko, so he continued.
"I had to wrestle the apology out of her," the gundam raised their eyebrows. "Metaphorically! And not only that, she had the nerve to call me a do'aho! Can you believe that!" His voice was rising in volume with every word in the last sentence.
"I find it hard to believe that some girl had the courage to call you 'do'aho' within your earshot." Takamiya commented. The other gundams nodded in agreement.
"Nani!!! You don't believe the tensai?!"
"Everybody! Run!" shouted Yuji seeing that Sakuragi was turning bright red.
"Nobody can call me a liar!"
With a loud roar, Sakuragi chased after them into the school building, leaving a trail of smoke and a giggling Haruko.
Crash! T'buk! She turned and her eyes immediately turned heart-shaped at the sight of Rukawa Kaede, although at the moment he was sprawled undignifiedly beside his bicycle. He brushed his trousers lightly before putting his bicycle into the bike rack.
"O-ohayo, Rukawa-kun," Haruko greeted him shyly with her cheeks colouring.
He glanced uninterestedly at her for a moment before replying "Ohayo."
Haruko nearly fainted in happiness.
The school bell rang.
Thus, this was how the second term of high school for Sakuragi, the gundam, Haruko, Rukawa and not to mention Kazuha, the new girl, started.
*****
"Class, I would like you to meet a new student. Please introduce yourself."
"I'm Mitsuhito Kazuha." She stared at the teacher, obviously not attempting to go further than that.
"… Err, and that's it I guess. You can sit next to Akagi Haruko," he pointed to an empty seat besides a pretty browned hair girl with a smiling face.
Kazuha walked towards the seat ignoring the stares she got. The girl named Haruko gave her a friendly smile as she seated herself.
"Hi! As you know I'm Haruko, and let me be the first to welcome you to Shohoku High," she extended her hand.
Kazuha stared at the hand for a long time before touching the tip of Haruko's fingers for a fraction of a second.
"You're going to love it here! Kazuha-chan, if you don't mind me calling you that, do you?" Haruko whispered as the subject teacher arrived.
Kazuha merely shrugged slightly. Haruko smiled before turning to face the front of the class. The lesson started and Kazuha immediately filed Haruko with the rest of insignificant matters into the back of her head.
*****
Rrrriiiingggg!!!
"Finally! I'm starving and it seems like hours after I've had my breakfast," sighed Haruko while rubbing her tummy. "Are you coming Kazuha- chan? No? Why, you must be hungry too. Let's go!" she looked expectantly at Kazuha.
"No."
"But I want to introduce you to-"
"Haruko-chan!" The bellow stopped short her sentence. It was Sakuragi and the gundam.
"Sakuragi-kun! Hi!" Haruko waved her hand cheerfully. She also greeted the others.
"I-I-want to see if-if you w-would like to go to the c-cafeteria with us," Sakuragi stammered while blushing furiously, his eyes staring at his shoes. He raised his eyes to see Haruko's response before dropping them. Eh?! He raised them again and scowled at the person behind Haruko.
"You! What are you doing in Haruko-chan's class!"
"It's her class too Sakuragi-kun."
"Nani?!"
"Um-hm, she's new, today's her first day in Shohoku and I was planning to introduce her to everyone."
"Was?"
"She refused," Haruko turned towards Kazuha with a hopeful look.
"No."
"Hey new girl! Nobody says no to Haruko wants!"
"She has a name Sakuragi-kun, it's Kazuha - Mitsuhito Kazuha to be exact. Isn't it such a cute name?"
At that point Sakuragi was in a dilemma, "I-err-ah-well-"
Haruko who was slow at catching up with things finally realised something and asked Sakuragi, "Sakuragi-kun, do you know her? You seemed to know her well."
"She's probably the girl he told us about," said Yohei, lending his voice to the conversation as Sakuragi looked quite stuck with words.
"Eh? How you know?"
"Well you wouldn't react so strongly to a girl except if she had done something to anger you or caught your interest." Sakuragi turned even redder at the pointed reminder of his infatuation with Haruko. He glared at Yohei.
"I'm sure she didn't mean it. She was just nervous and probably quite shy at the prospect of meeting new people and new environment." Haruko defended Kazuha.
"Of course! Of course! I forgive her already!"
"I know you did Sakuragi-kun, you're a nice person."
"Err, you guys, don't you think it's rude to speak of a person as if she 's not there?" Noma pointed out.
"Oh dear! I'm so sorry Kazuha-chan…." Her words died down.
Everyone turned to look. Kazuha, who feeling annoyed at being the topic of the conversation, at some point had tuned them out and was at the moment fast asleep.
*****
"She must be tired. Look at those circles under her eyes, I think she must have been really nervous, she didn't get enough sleep last night. Poor girl."
"Ceh! Bad timing to sleep - in the middle of break time. Better wake her up now Haruko-chan or the teacher will be cross if he finds out."
"Maybe later, a few minutes before break ends. You know Sakuragi-kun, since I couldn't quite introduce her to everyone now, I was thinking that maybe I can bring her to basketball practice later to meet the team."
"I don't think that's such a good idea, Haruko-chan," commented Yuji. "Ya, ya" everyone else seconded.
"Why not?"
"I don't think she wants to meet anyone, after all didn't she refuse your offer just now?"
"Maybe she'll accept this one."
"Maybe," but don't hold your breath waiting "Well, are you coming with us Haruko-chan?"
"Sure."
"Let's go then."
*****
"Umm, ano…Kazuha-chan, I was wondering if you would like to go with me to basketball practice later?"
"…"
"You don't have to go if you don't want to."
"…No."
"Ah well then, maybe some other time then. Ja ne"
"…"
*****
"She said no."
"Figures.." Sakuragi muttered under his breath.
"I'm going to ask her again tomorrow Sakuragi-kun."
"Eh? But Haruko-chan, why bother? I mean it's obvious she not the social type - she's a loner and probably prefers to be that way too."
"I know."
"???"
"Which is why I'm trying to befriend her. It must be a lonely life and so sad too. After I'm done, she's going to be the warmest and friendliest person around!"
With that she skipped away towards the bench to sit with Ayako, cheer the team and make starry eyes at Rukawa. Sakuragi who couldn't get angry at Haruko merely sighed, scowled at Rukawa and started practice.
Chapter 1
Kazuha looked up the tall building in front of her, ignoring the stream of students around her.
Shohoku high school. I'll probably last at the most a month in here.
Drawing a deep breath, she straightened her shoulders and walked… straight into the back of a very tall, red headed guy. She staggered momentarily before falling down.
She picked herself up and walked away as if nothing had happened.
The boy, who didn't move an inch when she crashed into him, spun around with his eyes blazing shouted after her, "Hey! There's a word called 'sorry' you know!"
She stopped and without turning said emotionlessly, "Gomen…do'aho."
And continued on her way, leaving a speechless but fuming Sakuragi Hanamichi behind her.
******
Sakuragi was still fuming when the Gundam gang caught up with him.
"What's wrong Sakuragi? You looked ready to explode!"
"Yea, I bet you had a run in with Rukawa - poor you, on the first day of school too."
"No! I haven't meet the kitsune yet - and don't mention him or I'm going to get even madder."
"No chance of him getting crazier than he already is," whispered Takamiya to Yohei. They sweatdropped as suddenly a thunderous Sakuragi loomed before them.
They both ended up with a bump each after Sakuragi headbutted them.
"So what's your reason for being angry early in the morning Sakuragi?" asked Yohei while rubbing his steaming forehead. The rest of the gundam nodded, wanting to know.
"Well you see there was this girl - serious, bookish type - who bumped into me. She -"
"I know! She didn't apologized!" this from Noma.
He got headbutted.
"Will you let me finish! And you, Yuji, do want one too?!" Sakuragi turned to the only member of the Gundam gang without a lump on his forehead. Yuji who was in the process of opening his mouth to make comment wisely closed it and shook his head quickly. "No? Thank you!"
"As I was saying, she didn't apologized - "
"You didn't say that - you only said that she bumped into you -"
"Arrrrrggggghhhhh!"
Midway of the thrashing, Sakuragi suddenly stopped and slowly his cheeks went pink. The reason came skipping lightly towards them.
"Ha-Haruko-chan."
"Ohayougozaimasu!" The sweet girl announced cheerfully.
"Ohayo, Haruko-chan!!" They replied with Sakuragi scratching his head in a bashful way while the others picked themselves up.
"So spirited early in the morning - I guess I can correctly assume that you're ready for basketball this year, aren't I'm right, Sakuragi-kun?," she enquired.
"Yes, yes, of course you're right Haruko-chan," answered Sakuragi who could not see anything wrong with Haruko at all.
"No, it was because of this girl…," Takamiya stopped as Sakuragi glared at him.
"Girl? Oh! Sakuragi, you better tell me all about her," said Haruko winking at Sakuragi, obviously jumping to the conclusion that Sakuragi had met a girl he liked.
"No Haruko-chan! It's not like that!" Sakuragi exclaimed loudly, distressed should that his lovely Haruko be upset at the idea. (snort)
"How else can it be?" she puzzled and the gundam gang nodded simultaneously at her question.
"I guess I'll start at the beginning - without interruption," he glared at the gundam. They shrugged noncommittedly.
"Well this girl bumped into me but she didn't apologized -"
"Probably fainted in terror at the sight of you," the gundam snickered. They sweatdropped when Sakuragi gave them a glance full of retribution. He couldn't very well start a fight in front of Haruko, so he continued.
"I had to wrestle the apology out of her," the gundam raised their eyebrows. "Metaphorically! And not only that, she had the nerve to call me a do'aho! Can you believe that!" His voice was rising in volume with every word in the last sentence.
"I find it hard to believe that some girl had the courage to call you 'do'aho' within your earshot." Takamiya commented. The other gundams nodded in agreement.
"Nani!!! You don't believe the tensai?!"
"Everybody! Run!" shouted Yuji seeing that Sakuragi was turning bright red.
"Nobody can call me a liar!"
With a loud roar, Sakuragi chased after them into the school building, leaving a trail of smoke and a giggling Haruko.
Crash! T'buk! She turned and her eyes immediately turned heart-shaped at the sight of Rukawa Kaede, although at the moment he was sprawled undignifiedly beside his bicycle. He brushed his trousers lightly before putting his bicycle into the bike rack.
"O-ohayo, Rukawa-kun," Haruko greeted him shyly with her cheeks colouring.
He glanced uninterestedly at her for a moment before replying "Ohayo."
Haruko nearly fainted in happiness.
The school bell rang.
Thus, this was how the second term of high school for Sakuragi, the gundam, Haruko, Rukawa and not to mention Kazuha, the new girl, started.
*****
"Class, I would like you to meet a new student. Please introduce yourself."
"I'm Mitsuhito Kazuha." She stared at the teacher, obviously not attempting to go further than that.
"… Err, and that's it I guess. You can sit next to Akagi Haruko," he pointed to an empty seat besides a pretty browned hair girl with a smiling face.
Kazuha walked towards the seat ignoring the stares she got. The girl named Haruko gave her a friendly smile as she seated herself.
"Hi! As you know I'm Haruko, and let me be the first to welcome you to Shohoku High," she extended her hand.
Kazuha stared at the hand for a long time before touching the tip of Haruko's fingers for a fraction of a second.
"You're going to love it here! Kazuha-chan, if you don't mind me calling you that, do you?" Haruko whispered as the subject teacher arrived.
Kazuha merely shrugged slightly. Haruko smiled before turning to face the front of the class. The lesson started and Kazuha immediately filed Haruko with the rest of insignificant matters into the back of her head.
*****
Rrrriiiingggg!!!
"Finally! I'm starving and it seems like hours after I've had my breakfast," sighed Haruko while rubbing her tummy. "Are you coming Kazuha- chan? No? Why, you must be hungry too. Let's go!" she looked expectantly at Kazuha.
"No."
"But I want to introduce you to-"
"Haruko-chan!" The bellow stopped short her sentence. It was Sakuragi and the gundam.
"Sakuragi-kun! Hi!" Haruko waved her hand cheerfully. She also greeted the others.
"I-I-want to see if-if you w-would like to go to the c-cafeteria with us," Sakuragi stammered while blushing furiously, his eyes staring at his shoes. He raised his eyes to see Haruko's response before dropping them. Eh?! He raised them again and scowled at the person behind Haruko.
"You! What are you doing in Haruko-chan's class!"
"It's her class too Sakuragi-kun."
"Nani?!"
"Um-hm, she's new, today's her first day in Shohoku and I was planning to introduce her to everyone."
"Was?"
"She refused," Haruko turned towards Kazuha with a hopeful look.
"No."
"Hey new girl! Nobody says no to Haruko wants!"
"She has a name Sakuragi-kun, it's Kazuha - Mitsuhito Kazuha to be exact. Isn't it such a cute name?"
At that point Sakuragi was in a dilemma, "I-err-ah-well-"
Haruko who was slow at catching up with things finally realised something and asked Sakuragi, "Sakuragi-kun, do you know her? You seemed to know her well."
"She's probably the girl he told us about," said Yohei, lending his voice to the conversation as Sakuragi looked quite stuck with words.
"Eh? How you know?"
"Well you wouldn't react so strongly to a girl except if she had done something to anger you or caught your interest." Sakuragi turned even redder at the pointed reminder of his infatuation with Haruko. He glared at Yohei.
"I'm sure she didn't mean it. She was just nervous and probably quite shy at the prospect of meeting new people and new environment." Haruko defended Kazuha.
"Of course! Of course! I forgive her already!"
"I know you did Sakuragi-kun, you're a nice person."
"Err, you guys, don't you think it's rude to speak of a person as if she 's not there?" Noma pointed out.
"Oh dear! I'm so sorry Kazuha-chan…." Her words died down.
Everyone turned to look. Kazuha, who feeling annoyed at being the topic of the conversation, at some point had tuned them out and was at the moment fast asleep.
*****
"She must be tired. Look at those circles under her eyes, I think she must have been really nervous, she didn't get enough sleep last night. Poor girl."
"Ceh! Bad timing to sleep - in the middle of break time. Better wake her up now Haruko-chan or the teacher will be cross if he finds out."
"Maybe later, a few minutes before break ends. You know Sakuragi-kun, since I couldn't quite introduce her to everyone now, I was thinking that maybe I can bring her to basketball practice later to meet the team."
"I don't think that's such a good idea, Haruko-chan," commented Yuji. "Ya, ya" everyone else seconded.
"Why not?"
"I don't think she wants to meet anyone, after all didn't she refuse your offer just now?"
"Maybe she'll accept this one."
"Maybe," but don't hold your breath waiting "Well, are you coming with us Haruko-chan?"
"Sure."
"Let's go then."
*****
"Umm, ano…Kazuha-chan, I was wondering if you would like to go with me to basketball practice later?"
"…"
"You don't have to go if you don't want to."
"…No."
"Ah well then, maybe some other time then. Ja ne"
"…"
*****
"She said no."
"Figures.." Sakuragi muttered under his breath.
"I'm going to ask her again tomorrow Sakuragi-kun."
"Eh? But Haruko-chan, why bother? I mean it's obvious she not the social type - she's a loner and probably prefers to be that way too."
"I know."
"???"
"Which is why I'm trying to befriend her. It must be a lonely life and so sad too. After I'm done, she's going to be the warmest and friendliest person around!"
With that she skipped away towards the bench to sit with Ayako, cheer the team and make starry eyes at Rukawa. Sakuragi who couldn't get angry at Haruko merely sighed, scowled at Rukawa and started practice.