Staunch fan

Author: Silhouette

Email address: silhouette_panther@msn.com

Web:

http://www.silhouette.cjb.net

http://www.thunderstormsenru.cjb.net

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply.

Chapter 5-Part I

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Eriko stared out of the window. A bird flew by.

/I think I was too mean towards them…it was actually no big deal, you know. /

She regretted what she said or did.

/That beefsteak could have been wonderful. /

Eriko stared at the phone receiver.

/Oh well, I think I'll apologize. /

* * *

"Hello? Ishii? Is Akira in?"

"Yeah, he's asleep, wait a minute."

"Eh, don't bother waking him up, eh, yah, don't bother."

/He's going to kill me if Ishii ruined his hair again. /

There was thumping of the staircase in the background before some violent sounds.

"Hello? Sendoh Akira here, who's that please?"

"A…Akira, it's me."

"…Eri? You are not angry anymore?"

"I…I just want to apologize, sorry I was so rude."

She never found talking to someone so difficult before; maybe it was the ruined steak, yeah.

"Oh, it's okay, really, I want to apologize too, and sorry I was rude about your name."

"Nah…thanks." Eriko smiled in relief; at least Akira's very forgiving.

"Oh," She remembered something. "I thought you were asleep?"

"I heard the phone, and I thought it would be for me. I managed to throw Ishii off the sofa, you know."

* * *

"Hello? May I speak to Rukawa Kaede please?"

"Speaking."

"This…this is Eriko here."

"…"

"I…I just want to say sorry for today."

"Oh."

"Eh, I'm really sorry about being rude about your name as well."

"Same here."

"So…I guess you forgave me?"

"…"

"Ru…Rukawa?"

A light snoring indicated that the person on the other end of the phone was fast asleep.

* * *

Eriko smiled at the two boys walking beside her. Ah, it was so nice to be guilt-free and having friends again.

"Why this sudden interest in ice-skating?" Sendoh asked. Eriko never knew how to skate, and she said she didn't want to.

"Well, I just thought it would be fun to experience it. It looked fun."

"Yeah, it's fun, but…" Sendoh sighed heavily, "You've got to fall down first."

"I think I'll be fine with that." She smiled cheerfully.

* * *

There were not too many people at the ice skating-rink, and Eriko was pretty happy about that.

"Ah, not too many people to embarrass myself before. Darn the shoes." She struggled to stuff her feet into the too-tight skating shoes. "Ugh, I hate these shoes." She scowled.

Sendoh laughed at her expression, "You'll get used to it."

Rukawa merely snorted and slipped his on.

"Hey Rukawa, you like skating?"

"It's my second hobby to basketball playing."

"Oh cool! It means you can skate well?" Eriko squeaked happily.

[Eriko: Squeaked? SQUEAKED?!

Eddie: Eh…heheh..hehe…*shrinking away…..*]

"So-so."

"Ah! You will teach me how to skate, ne?" She struggled with the shoes again, "Ugh."

"I can skate well too." Sendoh pouted indignantly, "You always came with me when I skate."

"Yeah! It means I'll have two experts-cum-bodyguards to guide me along!" Eriko fastened the shoelaces. "Done! Oh man," She wobbled along, "I can't even walk properly on normal ground."

The two 'experts' stood up quickly after her and went into the skating rink.

"You better hold on to the railings first." Sendoh advised, holding on to her arm. Meanwhile, Rukawa had sped off.

He looked just as graceful as he was on basketball court, all stylish and cool. Eriko voiced that out.

"Hey, I can do that too." Sendoh went off.

"W..wai…..yeaaaaaahghh!" Eriko fell over instantaneously. Sat down right on her butt.

"Oh, sorry, sorry!" Sendoh dashed back again, helping her up.

"Baka!" She scowled, "I think I can rely on the railings more than you."

"Sorry, sorry!" He apologized again.

"Nah, it was my first fall anyway, so…ugh, how do you get up?"

"Here," Sendoh extended his arm. Eriko grabbed his arm and struggled up. She lost footing again and…"Yearrrgh!" The pair of strong arms went round her, steadying her again. "Arigatou."

Sendoh then realized he was holding Eriko in something like a hug. His face flamed up instantly, and he felt like letting go again, but she was now smiling up at him so gratefully he couldn't bring himself to let go.

"Argh, terrible." She muttered, struggling to the railings, one arm on those and another on Sendoh's.

"Go slowly, step by step, let's go, you bend your knees a little, yeah, lift your feet off…"

* * *

"Yeah! Way to go Eriko! You are doing excellent for a beginner!" Sendoh shouted across the rink. Eriko was a fast learner and now already 'running' all over the place with ease. She smiled and waved cheerfully back at him, "Thanks!"

"Hey! Isn't that Sendoh from Ryonan?" One high pitched excited voice shrieked.

"Yes!! What's he doing here?" Another excited voice screamed.

"Oh look! That's Rukawa from Shohoku! Ahhhhhhhhh!" Three very excited voices screeched.

"Sendoh's going over to that girl with long hair, hey, he's talking to her!" A jealous voice commented.

"Both of them knew Rukawa…oh! They came together!" A second jealous voice growled.

"Who is she anyway? How dare she touch both of them the way she is?" Three very jealous voices snarled.

* *

Eriko patted Rukawa's shoulders, "Hey Rukawa, can I just call you Kaede? It's so much nicer than 'Rukawa.' "

He shrugged, "Whatever."

"I'm really enjoying myself! This skating thing is so fun. No wonder you keep coming here on Sundays." She grinned at Sendoh who was beside her. The three are now skating in a horizontal straight line round the rink, not seeming to notice the attention they were getting. Well, two of the best male basketball players in Kanagawa, the most good looking ones too, was skating with the one of the best female basketball player in Kanagawa, the most pretty one…oh, not exactly, the most attractive one. What do you make out of it?

Nothing.

* * *

Two girls stayed by the side of the rink, glaring at Eriko jealously.

"I can't stand her anymore, she's gloating about her excellent first time in skating now."

---

"Hey Akira! I am enjoying this first time a lot! Kaede! Look! I can swerve around….like…this."

Well, that's not exactly 'gloating' is it? You never know what jealous people would say. Shrugs.

---

"Let's make her 'happy first time' hell, Nako."

"Right."

Two pink figures sped off towards a cheerful Eriko happily laughing and speeding along.

Wham.

"Watch it…yearrrrrrrrrrgh…" She was about to fall down on her butt again when two strong hands grabbed her arms, steadying her.

Both Sendoh and Rukawa had helped her.

"Whew, thanks guys." She was already half on her knees and struggling to stand up.

Unknown sparks flew between the two boys as they let go instantly.

"Waaaaaaah…"

Plop.

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Chapter 5 – Part II

"I don't care," Eriko glared at Akira.

"But, it's such a long walk."

"I don't care." She repeated.

"But, why can't you do it yourself?"

"I don't care." She insisted.

"But…"

"My butt still hurts and thanks to you, you were guilty of letting me go just when I managed to struggle up properly. You knew I will fall," She prodded his chest with a finger, "You did it on-purpose." Eriko stressed the last sentence.

"B…But it was not on purpose, it…it was some distraction." Sendoh tried to defend himself.

"I don't care." She went back to her first line, "Do it now or I'll make sure Ishii flips your bed over each morning."

Rukawa sat on the sofa on the other end, rolling his eyes.

/So much for fetching an apple from the fridge./

"Kaede."

"…?"

"Darn, I feel like I'm talking to a woodblock, never mind, want to play one on one tomorrow?"

"Okay." He nodded. The girl plays well anyway. He remembered something and stared at her intensely.

She frowned, "What?"

"I'm not a woodblock." He muttered monotonously.

* * *

"Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!" screamed the phone.

"Moshi moshi?"

"Hey, Eriko?"

"Oh, hi, Natsumi! What's hot in town again?"

Natsumi was her friend in school and she was well known for picking up gossip all over the place. Eriko secretly thinks that Natsumi would go very well with Hikoichi Aida.

"You really wanna know?"

"Yes. Just spill."

"Ryonan High School and Shohoku High School Ace Basketball player seen out-going with Ryonan High School Number One tomboy on many occasions."

"…you are talking about me?"

"Yes. T'is the hottest news in town and now everyone is trying to place a bet on who you are actually going out with, actually Sendoh and Rukawa together are their favorite vote, though."

"A…Akira and Kaede?" She spluttered, "Wait a minute."

/Thank goodness I haven't been drinking anything or I'll have spewed everything out. /

"Akira." She stared at the spiky-haired boy beside her, "How come I didn't know you were dating Kaede?"

Both boys happened to be drinking then.

…

"We…we are dating?" Akira spluttered.
"How come I didn't know that? " Kaede mumbled, resuming to watch the NBA game on TV.

"Okay, thanks." Eriko grinned cheekily, returning to her phone conversation.

"They are not dating, Natsumi." Eriko insisted.

"How do you know?"

"I just asked them, and they both spat their drinks out. My poor carpet…" She sighed.

"You mean they are actually at your house?" Natsumi sounded very excited now, "Tell me, are you planning a hot…blood boiling…threesome?"

/Wrong move, Eriko, this is the Town Gossip you are talking to now. /

Well, this is just a mite too late.

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[The next day in school]

"I'm ruined. Ruined!" Eriko screamed at a bewildered Akira the moment she stepped into his class during break.

"Wha…what? Cool down." He came over to her, patting her shoulders.

"How can I cool down? All morning guys have been winking and waving at me. There was this geek who asked me how my 'night' was."

"Oh."

"I dumped him into the bin, but the next moment Your stupid fan club came after me, screaming stuff like 'you slut!' or 'Go to hell Eriko!' Ugh! Resolve this!" She prodded a finger in his chest, a familiar act that she had done over the ten years she knew this porcupine.

But well, to the others, this was such an intimate act like Husband and Wife, with the angry wife screaming at her husband or something. Whispers started spreading around the class about the school Ace and the Ace year One student.

/Whoops, wrong move again, Eriko. This is Akira's class you are talking about./

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"Damn you, Natsumi, Damn you." She glared venomously at the girl before her, who was shrinking away fearfully. "Didn't I tell you they went to my place to watch NBA games? Didn't I tell you we met only for basketball playing sessions and lunch? Everything's related to basketball and Damn you." She cursed again, her hands rolling up in a fist, "Didn't I tell you Akira is only my Childhood Friend? We've known each other for TEN years. Ten whole F… no vulgar, ten whole Damning years!"

She looked like a chili now, red and flaming. That was what Natsumi thought.

"So…sorry, I didn't mean to when I told Chieko." She stammered, squirming uncomfortably.

/No more gossiping about Eriko anymore, mental note one, no more gossiping about the two excruciatingly handsome Basketball aces as well. You can't afford to die without knowing how, Natsumi. /

"CHIEKO?" Eriko nearly tore her own hair out, "You told her? Didn't you know that she'd distort everything you say and spread it? What did you tell her?"

"Eh, I told her both boys are spending their night at your place."

"YOU WHAT?"

/Goodness gracious me, how will this sound like to that b…no vulgar, that damned Chieko? 'Eriko enjoys sleeping around with boys.' Oh no. Eriko. You are damned to hell for eternity. /

Right after school she called Akira's mobile.

"Hello Akira?"

"Yah."

"Where are you now?"

"On my way out, wait."

A tap on the shoulder made Eriko realize that he was actually behind her.

"Akira, help." She stared helplessly at him.
"I wasn't faring well too, my teammates kept asking why I went for the tomboy and the pretty boy." He sighed.

She groaned. Oh no. Oh no. Oh no.

"We must really do something about it, " She started walking with him, and slung an arm on his shoulder (the side closer to her) listlessly.

"Yah, maybe you could just pretend you were only dating one of us, and tell the rest of the world that the other one was only extra."

"Maybe. Who then?" Eriko glanced at Sendoh, "You? Or Kaede?"

"Me."

"Why?" She raised an eyebrow.

"You see, I've known you for ten years and most people thought we were a couple even before Rukawa came into the scene, and you are in my school so makes it more convenient for news to spread."

"How?" Spread the news?

"Like this."

He pulled her into a hug.

"Ugh…Akira, this is…" She muttered, aware of the stares that they are receiving, and the familiar rustle of whispers all across campus. "Shh…"

/I think I like to hug her…she feels so nice to embrace. And what is this warm, fuzzy feeling rising up in me? /

After quite a while, when they were pretty certain that the whole school knew about it, Eriko drew herself away from Akira. "Eh, you sure this is going to solve the problem?"

"With this." He dropped a kiss on her cheek, and even lingered there for a while.

Eriko fought to control the strange feeling oozing out of her heart. It seemed just so natural…him kissing her.

"And tell Natsumi." He smiled warmly at her.

"…Oh." She tried to smile, her face all flushing red and she thought she'd be redder than a lobster. "Thanks, I guess."

"Anytime." Sendoh ruffled her hair lightly, "We've got to go for basketball practice, let's go."

He put an arm round her waist in a protective gesture and they left for the gym.

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"Did I just see what I thought I saw?" (Girl A)

"Sendoh is hugging and kissing Eriko, and look at how close they are!" A voice whispered. (Girl B)

"Yeah, maybe they are a couple, and just hanging out with Rukawa." (Girl C)

"But Rukawa is so aloof, you know, how can he just 'hang out' with them if he has nothing to do with them?" (Girl B)

"Well…I don't know, but Eriko just told me she is now officially dating Sendoh." (Natsumi)

"Oh…well, I think that's for the best. I like Eriko, though." (Girl A)

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Chapter 5 – Part III

Eriko read the letter, crushed it in a practiced motion, and flung it into the bin without even looking.

The phone screamed, "Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!"

She switched it on to speaker mode and continued opening the letters piled on her desk,

"Moshi moshi."

"Eri? T'is me here."

"Hey Akira." She answered listlessly, crushed another letter, and threw it away.

"That sounds like paper…what is that?"

"This? This is the tenth letter that said 'Eriko Watanabe you bitch, get your filthy hands off my Sendoh-kun.'"

"…oh."

"And this, let me read it to you, it's a real masterpiece," She gritted her teeth sarcastically. "Dear Watanabe-san, I understand that you are dating Sendoh Akira now, and I do envy your good fortune,"

"That didn't sound too bad, at least it's friendly."

Eriko ignored him and continued reading, "But I've seen you hanging out with Rukawa Kaede of Shohoku high before, and I think it is totally unethical of you to do so. You are a slut, Watanabe, a slut." She crushed the paper and threw it away. "Shoot, my bin's full again, got to empty it."

Sendoh could hear a tired sigh issuing from the other end of the phone, "Empty the bin for the fifth time tonight." He heard her groan.

"Eri, so…"

"I really cannot continue with this anymore. Darn you Sendoh Akira, why do you have to be the superstar of the school? Why can't you just be someone like…someone like Uekusa? Always there but never noticed. And oh Kami-sama, why do I have to be your best friend of all people…"

He could hear a faint thump and realized that she must have slumped on the desk in exasperation.

"Sorry, I guess." He suddenly felt bad, maybe he shouldn't have given the others the impression that he and Eriko are an item, she wouldn't have gotten into that many problems then. But somehow, he still liked the idea of her being his girlfriend…it just seemed…natural.

"I don't blame you, they got this idea on the very first day I entered Ryonan Campus on your bike with you." She sighed again.

"Hey, don't sigh too much, you'll grow old." He tried cheering her up. "You know, be optimistic, you could use those Spam letters as rough paper for doing arithmetic."

"Ha-ha-ha," She forced a laugh, "No thanks. I can't find my school work under all these." She picked up the whole lot and stuffed them into a large trash bag. "I have had enough of reading these crap, these girls simply have no imagination. Their vocabulary is limited to 'bitch', 'slut', 'shameless', and blah, and blah."

She suddenly felt very tired, and very frustrated. "Akira."

"Yes?" She was silent for quite a bit of time, and he was getting a little worried.

"Can you come out now? You know, to my house. I'm dying to have company." Her parents just went to Tokyo on business trip and she was so very bored. But that was for the best, since she didn't know what they would say when the mailman brings in an entire sack full of threatening letters for their daughter.

"Okay."

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The two just sat on the lawn, looking up at the night sky. Eriko looked very tired and Sendoh felt sorry for her, maybe he shouldn't have…oh well, "Eri? Are you all right? You've said nothing ever since we came out here."

But she still said nothing.

He sighed, and resumed looking at the sky, arms slung over folded knees. "Know what, Eri? I think…"

/Akira, what is the big problem? Just tell her! /

She remained silent.

"Eri, I eh…I…"

This time, she turned to look at him, her blue eyes questioning.

/Just get it out and done with, Sendoh Akira! /

"Eri, I think…I think I like you."

/Ah, there you go, you've said it, Akira, now all it takes is a yes or no from Eri. /

She lowered her head and muttered, "I'm your best friend, and it would be natural that you like me."

"H…Huh? I don't get you."

"I mean, how can we be best friends if we don't like each other?"

"I don't mean 'like' as in friendship, I mean, I want you to be my girlfriend. My /real/ girlfriend." He looked at her, awaiting a response.

After a moment of silence, she finally spoke, "I don't know. We've been friends for so many years, and so familiar with each other. It…it is just so strange." Eriko looked at Sendoh, "Sorry…but I guess I'd like to keep our friendship at the common level. It would be better, don't you think? Just pure, untainted friendship love."

"I get you, Eri, but I still want to love you as … oh, never mind." He smiled sadly, "Maybe that's for the best."

"It's getting late, 2 am, I'm so sorry for bothering you," Eriko stood up, with Sendoh after her. The night wind made her feel cold and she is seriously sleepy now.

"Nah, it's okay, are you feeling better now?"

"Yes, thank you so much," She smiled at Sendoh, "Good night."

"Good night."

When Sendoh stepped out of the gates…

"Akira,"

"Yes?"

A tall slender figure came out after him and hugged him, "Thank you for being understanding."

He felt so warm, so comfortable and she felt as though she could just stay in the embrace forever.

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