This chapter is dedicated to Alexia, my first reviewer - thank you for
your reviews! (Author is crying shamelessly in happiness TT)
A NEW BEGINNING
Chapter 4
The team was in a subdued mood. It had been three days since Kazuha was called away and she hadn't come to school or practice ever since.
Where is she? The aisu never missed practice, wondered Sakuragi.
Bonk! A ball hit his head. "Hey! Watch where you throw that thing! The tensai might get hurt you know!"
"With that head of yours? I doubt it. Anyway, you should be concentrating - we're going to have a big game, remember?" replied Miyagi in sarcastic tone.
Two gori punch landed on their head. "We have no time for fights, practice! Practice! Practice!" Akagi boomed.
"Bakayarou," Rukawa muttered in passing.
"Nani!"
And so practice continued. But the team kept losing their concentration.
"What's wrong with everyone?!" Akagi shouted in exasperation.
"I dunno boss, but it just seems that… well… how can I put this… Something's missing!" Mitsui let out.
"Yeah! Something's not quite right." Miyagi seconded.
"It's the Aisu!" Sakuragi finally voiced out everyone's concern.
"I should have known. Look, I know all of you are worried about her, but can't you push that aside for a while?"
"Look who's talking." Commented Rukawa. Akagi turned a shade of red.
"Well," Ayako tapped her chin with her fan, "Why don't we just get this over and done with. Cancel practice for today and go find out what's wrong."
"But-"
"Ho ho ho, a good idea Ayako-san." Anzai sensei interrupted.
"That settles it then, those who want to come with me get ready in about five minutes."
*****
They arrived at Kazuha's grandparents' home a bit later than they expected. When everyone was ready, it appeared that nobody knew where she lived. Even Haruko, who had taken Kazuha to be her newest role model, didn't know.
"Hoi kitsune! Wake up!" Rukawa opened a slit of an eye. He had fallen asleep standing while waiting for the others. The gundam was also there, he noted.
"Maybe we can ask the people who came in the general area where she lives, I know for a fact that she always come to school from the west side of town," Ayako suggested after a few minutes of brainstorming.
"I know where she lives."
"What! How come you know?!" Sakuragi fumed as it appeared that Rukawa had once again got the limelight.
"Passed it everyday."
"Okay then, let go!"
"Hai!"
They stood in front of the old house, unsure what to do next. Someone pushed Ayako towards the door. She turned and glared at the perpetrator, Sakuragi. "Go ahead Ayako, it was your idea."
"Coward."
"Nani! I'll show you!" Hook, line and sinker, he fell for it. Sakuragi pushed his way forward and rang the bell a few times.
The door opened. Kazuha stood at the threshold, her surprise quickly masked by indifference. She tilted her head slightly in question.
"May-may we come in?"
She opened the door wider and led them into a rather small but cozy livingroom. It was a tight squeeze, but somehow all of them managed to fit into it. "I'll make tea."
"No! I mean don't bother." Ayako quickly forestalled her. "We-we-" she looked at Akagi, he nodded in reply, she took a deep breath and rushed, "We came here to know if you're allright since you didn't come to school for the past three days and if there's anything we can do to help."
Kazuha was silent for a while before replying, "I may be moved to another relative and transfered to another school."
There was a collective "What!" and Haruko was beginning to sniffle. She turned to the nearest person in search of comfort. Yohei, the person next to her was surprised but he enveloped her in a hug as the sniffles turned to tears. He looked at Sakuragi to see his reaction but Sakuragi was staring intensely at Kazuha, his fingers balling into fists.
"But, Kazuha-chan why? We thought you're happy here," Ayako asked the question that was in everyone's mind.
"My grandfather had a stroke. My grandmother had enough in her hands as it is without me," she answered.
"Maybe we can help-" Haruko started but was cut short by a sharp "No!"
Kazuha took a deep breath, " It's my problem. I'll handle it myself."
"Well, if that's what you want, we can't stop you. Come on guys - there's nothing else we can do."
They left one by one, all looking back at her expecting her to change her mind. She stared at the floor wishing they would leave quickly before she done something she never did - burst into tears. Rukawa didn't leave, instead he approached her.
"Baka."
She snapped her head back up. Her eyes glistening with tears but they didn't fall. Her face immediately composed itself into the usual stoic expression she always wore. She looked at him cooly, "What do you want?"
"Baka."
She didn't reply.
"They care about you, even the do'aho Sakuragi. But you didn't even seem to care. If that's the sort of person you are, you don't deserve them."
He turned to leave but stopped when he heard a small sound. " I don't want to leave." He looked back at her and this time, her voice was stronger and full of conviction, "I don't want to leave."
He smiled briefly and said, but this time with amusement, "Baka."
He left.
*****
Sakuragi was leaning outside the door when Rukawa came out. "What did she say, Kitsune?"
"She doesn't want to leave." He walked away.
A slow smile spread on Sakuragi's face. I knew you wouldn't Aisu, you belong here.
He whistled.
A NEW BEGINNING
Chapter 4
The team was in a subdued mood. It had been three days since Kazuha was called away and she hadn't come to school or practice ever since.
Where is she? The aisu never missed practice, wondered Sakuragi.
Bonk! A ball hit his head. "Hey! Watch where you throw that thing! The tensai might get hurt you know!"
"With that head of yours? I doubt it. Anyway, you should be concentrating - we're going to have a big game, remember?" replied Miyagi in sarcastic tone.
Two gori punch landed on their head. "We have no time for fights, practice! Practice! Practice!" Akagi boomed.
"Bakayarou," Rukawa muttered in passing.
"Nani!"
And so practice continued. But the team kept losing their concentration.
"What's wrong with everyone?!" Akagi shouted in exasperation.
"I dunno boss, but it just seems that… well… how can I put this… Something's missing!" Mitsui let out.
"Yeah! Something's not quite right." Miyagi seconded.
"It's the Aisu!" Sakuragi finally voiced out everyone's concern.
"I should have known. Look, I know all of you are worried about her, but can't you push that aside for a while?"
"Look who's talking." Commented Rukawa. Akagi turned a shade of red.
"Well," Ayako tapped her chin with her fan, "Why don't we just get this over and done with. Cancel practice for today and go find out what's wrong."
"But-"
"Ho ho ho, a good idea Ayako-san." Anzai sensei interrupted.
"That settles it then, those who want to come with me get ready in about five minutes."
*****
They arrived at Kazuha's grandparents' home a bit later than they expected. When everyone was ready, it appeared that nobody knew where she lived. Even Haruko, who had taken Kazuha to be her newest role model, didn't know.
"Hoi kitsune! Wake up!" Rukawa opened a slit of an eye. He had fallen asleep standing while waiting for the others. The gundam was also there, he noted.
"Maybe we can ask the people who came in the general area where she lives, I know for a fact that she always come to school from the west side of town," Ayako suggested after a few minutes of brainstorming.
"I know where she lives."
"What! How come you know?!" Sakuragi fumed as it appeared that Rukawa had once again got the limelight.
"Passed it everyday."
"Okay then, let go!"
"Hai!"
They stood in front of the old house, unsure what to do next. Someone pushed Ayako towards the door. She turned and glared at the perpetrator, Sakuragi. "Go ahead Ayako, it was your idea."
"Coward."
"Nani! I'll show you!" Hook, line and sinker, he fell for it. Sakuragi pushed his way forward and rang the bell a few times.
The door opened. Kazuha stood at the threshold, her surprise quickly masked by indifference. She tilted her head slightly in question.
"May-may we come in?"
She opened the door wider and led them into a rather small but cozy livingroom. It was a tight squeeze, but somehow all of them managed to fit into it. "I'll make tea."
"No! I mean don't bother." Ayako quickly forestalled her. "We-we-" she looked at Akagi, he nodded in reply, she took a deep breath and rushed, "We came here to know if you're allright since you didn't come to school for the past three days and if there's anything we can do to help."
Kazuha was silent for a while before replying, "I may be moved to another relative and transfered to another school."
There was a collective "What!" and Haruko was beginning to sniffle. She turned to the nearest person in search of comfort. Yohei, the person next to her was surprised but he enveloped her in a hug as the sniffles turned to tears. He looked at Sakuragi to see his reaction but Sakuragi was staring intensely at Kazuha, his fingers balling into fists.
"But, Kazuha-chan why? We thought you're happy here," Ayako asked the question that was in everyone's mind.
"My grandfather had a stroke. My grandmother had enough in her hands as it is without me," she answered.
"Maybe we can help-" Haruko started but was cut short by a sharp "No!"
Kazuha took a deep breath, " It's my problem. I'll handle it myself."
"Well, if that's what you want, we can't stop you. Come on guys - there's nothing else we can do."
They left one by one, all looking back at her expecting her to change her mind. She stared at the floor wishing they would leave quickly before she done something she never did - burst into tears. Rukawa didn't leave, instead he approached her.
"Baka."
She snapped her head back up. Her eyes glistening with tears but they didn't fall. Her face immediately composed itself into the usual stoic expression she always wore. She looked at him cooly, "What do you want?"
"Baka."
She didn't reply.
"They care about you, even the do'aho Sakuragi. But you didn't even seem to care. If that's the sort of person you are, you don't deserve them."
He turned to leave but stopped when he heard a small sound. " I don't want to leave." He looked back at her and this time, her voice was stronger and full of conviction, "I don't want to leave."
He smiled briefly and said, but this time with amusement, "Baka."
He left.
*****
Sakuragi was leaning outside the door when Rukawa came out. "What did she say, Kitsune?"
"She doesn't want to leave." He walked away.
A slow smile spread on Sakuragi's face. I knew you wouldn't Aisu, you belong here.
He whistled.