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:: Rambles ::

This is supposed to be a very LIGHT-HEARTED fiction … so don't expect some BIG TWIST of events somewhere down the line … Hopefully it won't bore you off (which it most definitely will). =P

To Alexia
Sure, you can post it wherever you want!
And about title … you'll know later when the story develops itself.
(The question is, WHEN! Hahahha)

To Neffie
Yes, I AM WAITING FOR YOU TO CONTINUE YOUR FICCIE.
And I will wait no matter how long it takes!

To Suisen and Nabiki
Hahahaha … The Hanagata fangirls! I'll make him more 'droolsome' for you two!

To Nellie
I'll make sure Fujima has his part.

All hail the great Center!

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:: Snow-Covered Dreams – Hanagata's Side Story ::

[ 2. Perfect Stranger ]

It was the start of a new season – which also meant that it was the start of another new school term. Students of Shoyo High were rushing here and there with everyone practically gathered around the hallway, like as though a giant pep convention was being held there. Hitomi Natsuko battled her way down the corridor, clutching her textbooks in front of her like a shield. It was her first day in her new school – yes, in Shoyo High – and she was out treasure hunting for her locker. The only thing that she got from the dorky guy who was supposed to be one of the student officers was a small slip of white paper with her combination messily written on it.

Even though her mother had decided to name her after the season she loved most – summer – things had never seemed to turn out right for her in that particular period of the year. The day she left Kanagawa with her family almost two years ago was the first day of summer. She had never wanted to leave – she could never be, especially when things were going so well for her. She had just graduated from junior high, and was getting excited over the fact that she was soon attending high school with her best friend. She had even planned what she was going to do for the next three years of school life. But, life had to choose that precise moment to ruin everything and she had to leave the town she had grown up in.

But it was still okay for her. Despite being reluctant at first, after a few months of getting used to her new home, life in Osaka was not as bad as she thought it would be. She made new friends even though she had missed her best friend tremendously; her new high school life was perfectly in place and then, her father had to announce that they were all going back to Kanagawa. Apparently, the local hospital in her old hometown needed him for an urgent operation that would last for quite some time. Her father was a well-known heart specialist, and he thought that it would be best if they had all returned together. Yes of course, she had always hoped to return – but one and a half years away from her old town was more than enough to make a total stranger out of her. And it was also in one sunny summer day.

She stopped her meaningful recollection as soon as she caught sight of the gray-colored shelves that stood by the side of the hall. She promptly searched her pockets for the piece of paper with the three magical numbers to her locker. And just as she thought she had made it safe to her destination, someone had to accidentally bump into her, and sent all her books flying away, scattered across the hall. Pages from her loose-leaf notepad fluttered to the floor like autumn leaves.

Great! Summer can never be better.

Natsuko then heaved in a deep sigh and grimly proceeded to pick up her belongings.

~~~~~~ ****** ~~~~~~

Hanagata hesitated to move further when he sighted her, so he leaned against the post by the hallway instead, silently observing her from afar.

She was sitting alone beneath the tree by the school field, apparently buried deep in her thoughts. And it could be because of a miracle or perhaps the thick-framed spectacles he had on comprised of razor-sharp lenses that he was able to get a clear view of every detail on her face even from that distance. She was working on some papers – most probably her homework – and had a pencil in her mouth. He continued to watch for another minute while she wrinkled her forehead, glanced at her watch, scratched her head and grimaced. Yet to him, no matter what expression she wore, she was still as beautiful as ever.

He would have approached her then and there. He knew he could have helped her out with whatever problems she was facing difficulties in solving. Being the class genius that he was, he knew just about everything there was to know on the subjects taught in school. Well, that statement could have been exaggerated but still, Hanagata knew much more than any of those oblivious students did. Furthermore, he was one year her senior. And then maybe, the both of them could have gone out for a cup of hot cocoa.

He could. He would. If only he had not made a complete fool out of himself the first day he met her.

~~~~~~ ****** ~~~~~~

The summer sun had finally taken its place in the sky. And to him, summer was a constant reminder that the Inter High Championship was just around the corner. Hanagata hurriedly ran passed the corridors, holding a cup of milk in his hands, to his locker so that he could deposit his books away and then head towards the gymnasium. Although he knew practice would only start in an hour's time but he could not care less if no one would be there yet. Basketball had always been a part of his life, and he had always spent whatever spare time he had on it. Moreover, the event that he had been so looking forward to was just one month away.

While he was twisting the steel dial to his locker, he heard a loud thud. He promptly turned to the source of the sound and found a girl – her hair braided in a way that had few strands of them sticking out perfectly to frame her face, something, he thought to himself, that must have taken a massive amount of time to succeed – was squatting down by the hallway, helplessly collecting her belongings. He could tell that the girl was either a freshman or a sophomore, and most probably someone who had just been transferred to his school recently. How could he have known? Well, because if there was a girl like her in his school or in the same year as he was in and he could actually forget about her, he must have been walking in the school with his eyes shut or it was time for him to have his glasses changed!

Not bothered about placing his stuffs first even though the door to his locker was already wide open, he crouched down and started picking up her books. The girl seemed to be very pleased of his kind offer – she then looked up to him and smiled, thanking him in advance. And if one smile could take someone's breath away, that would be it for him. He had a terrible feeling that he was going to spend a substantial portion of the remainder of the year thinking about her.

Things would have turned out great. For him. She would introduce herself to him and him to her. He would offer to show her around Shoyo High. They would get to know each other better. And somehow maybe, he would find a chance to ask her out. And who would know what could happen then? Yes, it should have been that way.

If only he had not spilled the cup of milk he was holding onto her books and spoiled everything.

"Ah, gomen!" Hanagata apologized while trying desperately to wipe off the flowing liquid with, erm, his sports jacket. He could come up with thousands of feeble excuses how it ended up that way later. But the fluid was far too quick for him and it soon seeped into her books, staining them entirely. By that moment, the girl was already completely annoyed.

"Great! What a great way to end the day!" the girl groaned.

Hanagata stopped fiddling with the mess and stared at her for one long moment, frowning as he tried hard to think of what to say. He could think of nothing and so he said the only thing that crossed his mind at that particular moment in time. "The stains could probably come off if …"

How can anyone get rid of those stains?

"Yeah, only if I tear those pages off!" She agreed sarcastically.

She then snatched her books back from his hands and stood up. "Don't bother!"

And with that, she stormed off, leaving Hanagata to think about her and nothing else for the whole day through.

~~~~~~ ****** ~~~~~~

"Toru?"

The slight touch on his shoulder snapped him back to reality. He blinked his eyes and turned to his side to find his best friend staring at him confusingly.

"Kenji!" He gasped.

Fujima Kenji then raised his heels and peeked through his shoulders to get a glimpse on what he was looking at. Well, anyone would need to raise one's heels if they ever wanted to look over someone as tall as Hanagata was.

"What are you looking at?" His best friend teased.

"Nothing." He paused for a moment, trying hard to recall what was it that bothered him about Fujima's presence there. And then it dawned onto him. "Why are you here? I thought you were still practicing!"

Fujima stared at him blankly and drawled, "Well, that was one hour ago."

"What?" Hanagata exclaimed. Have I been standing here for that long? He then glanced at his watch.

"Kidding! I thought that I could use some rest." Fujima chuckled. "Hey, aren't you supposed to hand in those documents?" He spoke again as he pointed to the brown envelopes Hanagata was holding.

"Yeah, I'm on my way."

"Well, you should be. Since that 'nothing' you were staring at has already left." Fujima mused again.

Flabbergasted, Hanagata could only gawk dumbly back at him.

Fujima smiled slyly, satisfied with the outcome and then patted his back before turning away. "Ja!"

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(to be continued)