Fifteenth chapter!! I have a feeling this story is going to get really long. I dunno if that's good or not. Anyhow, I hope you don't mind if this story like, expands up to more than twenty chapters. Sorry! I know some ppl don't like long stories – I'm one of them! (Unless the story is good)
Tokiya_kitsune: Yeaaaa! Got it right! *congratulates herself and gets all puffed up* Heh heh. Why you changed your name? What does KKA stands for, BTW?? Hope you like this chapter!
Leviathen: Hullo! Thanks a lot for reviewing!
Nellie: (coincidentally, I am listening to Nellie's 'Hot in Here'). Hope your doubt clears soon!
SLL: Hey, first time someone said Akima was cute! Ha ha ha! Anyway, thanks a lot. I didn't notice the reviews had gone over a hundred until you mentioned it. : ) Unbelievable. *tears starts rolling down her cheeks as she recites her thank-you speech that goes on and on and on and puts Gwyneth Paltrow's speech at the Oscars to shame*. Read on!
Joy: Why are you drawing Chili? *tries to recall the last time she drew something that resembled a vegetable* BTW, enjoy the story!
Rukawa Joycie: You know something? I really like you. (no hentai thoughts!!). I'm even thinking of handing this story down to you and see the things you come up with!! Ha ha! I really like your version –and I swear, if I had seen it before I updated, I would've posted that one up!! Don't worry about writing long reviews. Plz don't think you HAVE to do it, because you don't have to if you don't want to. I hope I'm not pressurizing you into writing long reviews, am I? *gets worried and scratches her leg where a stupid mosquito had bitten her*
That scar of yours must be troublesome. Is it ok now? I've got a friend who got into an accident with a dog (she was on a motorcycle and the dog suddenly dashed out of nowhere and caused her mother who was driving the motorcycle to swerve to the side). She had nasty cuts all over her body and you can see the meat underneath her skin and all. My other friend and I got crazy, took a telescope and zoomed in into her scar. It looked like small blueberries in a bunch. Ha ha ha! Yeah, I know, I'm a sick person. BTW, the scar is still there.
And hey! You wrote another version of your POV!! Thanks! But I'm not planning on the mothers finding out yet – sorry. And spoilers: It's not a dream. And it's not the basketball game either – sorry again, I know you wanted me to get it to it! Maybe in the next two chapters?
Shadow of Solitude: Thanks! Read on!
Tiran: Thanks a lot! Hope u like this one!
Renei: Hana yori dango sounds great! Man, how come I didn't know about it??? Thanks for explaining it to me! Anyway, if you were asking whether Rukawa Joycie and I knew each other as in whether we're friends since kindergarten and we go to the same school, then the answer's no. We have never met each other. But I do know her now, and I guess I'm glad about that! Ha ha! And I didn't post her version cause I did not read her review yet when I posted the chapter. (this is to Rukawa Joycie: I'm guessing you're reading this because you were so anxious about what I'm going to tell Renei. I'm right, aren't I? Ha ha ha!)
Tensaispira: Thanks! It's your fav cause they kissed right?? Ha ha!
Mimi: Thanks for telling me about Hana Yori Dango. Right now, I'm surfing to find info about it! My anime knowledge is rather embarrassing *blush*. Heh heh. I only know Doraemon, Cardcaptor, Inuyasha, Spirit, Ayashi no ceres, You're Under Arrest, Ah my goddess and of course, Slam Dunk!! Hope to hear more from you too. : )
Miss Univerz: Thanks for loving my fic! : ) *am so touched that eyes get watery* I really appreciate it!
Silhouette Panther: For a moment there you sound like Sakuragi. : D Ha ha! Anyway, thanks! Keep on reading!
Maemi: *struggles to write because she is too busy laughing at your review* Hope the mental hospital discharged you in time for this chapter!!
Nayomi-chan: Wake up, Sleeping Beauty. : )
Sakura Riu: Hi! Thanks a lot! Am continuing!
Girl_sport 17: Wow. You actually understood my way of thinking!!! *gets all excited* Actually, yeah, that was the way I wanted it to be. Not exactly like a phobia, but she does hate it when she becomes someone else's maid's daughter cuz she believes everyone's just the same as Ika when put into that situation. Man, you described it better than I did here. Anyway, don't feel obliged to review. Makes me feel guilty when you have to go out of your way for something as petty as this – well, it does matter to me, but it is rather troublesome for readers. : )
Leika: Relax! You did NOT sound like a bitch from hell. I think it's very uplifting that someone wants to read the next chapter of my fic quickly. That means they like it! Ha ha! As for Rukawa shoving a muffin down Akima's throat, I should've thought of that!! Ha ha! But still, I'm sure his mom would kill him for that. I don't think Rukawa can catch Akima (I dunno how heavy she is, but Rukawa's rather skinny, isn't he? Can he do it?? Heh heh! I like that idea very much! Maybe I can make another climb-the-tree-and-then-fall-into-Rukawa's-arms scene!) And I'm so glad I made your day. Hopefully, this chapter will make your day too. : )
Mistress of darkness: Study hard! (that reminds me, I have to study too!)
Aoitsuki: I dunno. Wait and see. : )
Naohmee: Read on! (I wish I had a bf like Rukawa in this fic too!)
Reiko: Thanks! I thought Rukawa was way OOC… but never mind! I like Akima too!
BTW, before you get to the story, I wanted to tell you that a few days ago, I went to my friend's house and got chased by her dog – so like what Akima experienced – only, I didn't exactly climb up a tree. It was so scary! I don't have dogphobia, but when I saw those jaws, I went crazy. Ran all over my friend's house, screaming like a lunatic. That dog almost got me once, but my friend rescued me just in time by doing this Charlie's Angels' jump. That's all I wanted to tell – thought it was funny that it should happen to me – scared me to death too! Sorry for wasting your time : ). Read on!
Fifteenth chapter!
"Akima, lamppost."
Blinking back to earth, she narrowly avoided a collision with the sturdy, black source of light. Her mother looked on in dismay and shook her head. "What's the matter with you?" she asked. "Your head's in the clouds ever since we left Rikaru's house – that's Mrs. Rukawa's house for you."
"Right." She agreed absently, rubbing a hand over her face, and quickly stepped to the side before she walked headlong into the rubbish bin by the roadside.
Her mother made disapproving sounds. "Are you sick?"
"Yes… no …– what did you say?"
Mrs. Hanashi kept the sigh in check. She decided sighing wasn't even worth it. "Never mind. Forget it."
Akima struggled to keep her vision of the road clearly in her head, but it didn't seem possible. For heaven's sake, she'd just been kissed – and by him, to make matters even more of a big deal. What can you expect? That she'd recover from it as if it was one of every day happenings and walk off whistling???
Neither of them had walked of whistling – or smiling even. She clearly remembered his reaction.
[Flashback]
"What was that for?"
The look on his face was one of blank astonishment. "Damn if I know." He stepped back cautiously, and at a great distance, and next thing she knew, he'd picked a ball up and with his eyes still a little wild, he'd walked off to the mini-court at the back of his house, leaving her alone.
[End of flashback]
Akima had to admit that at that very moment, all her romantic fantasies had crashed down to the underground. For a rather stupid moment, she thought he'd actually PURPOSEFULLY done what he did. That he had actually felt something for her and the need to make some kind of physical contact with each other.
But no, she thought, wincing, by the look on his face, it was probably a mistake. Then, in a sudden fury – Still, he could've apologised! Grabbing me like that and then saying: "Damn if I know"! I'll damn him, all right, whether he knew or not. Stupid idiot. Saying I need him! Puh-leez. What makes him think my life revolves around him? It doesn't. OF COURSE it doesn't. Sure, I have a crush on him – no use denying – but he's not my EVERYTHING. Something, yes, but not everything. I can very well survive without him. I mean, the dog? I'm sure if I had been given time to calm down, I could have taken that stupid animal on. Seriously, I –
At the sound of a car screeching to an abrupt stop, Akima instinctively leaped to the side. Stabilizing herself, she heard her mother screaming curses at the sleek, posh car in bright red that had stopped right beside them, and spared a moment to direct a thought to her mother: And you were wondering where I learnt all those foul words from.
"What were you thinking, you son of a b****!" Her mother was on full swing. "You almost killed my daughter! Why, you should be sent into jail and sacrificed over a blazing fire! What if you had run her down??"
The shaded window of the car rumbled and slipped down. "I wouldn't have run her down," came the slow, rumbling voice. "She's my daughter too."
Akima bent down to see a boy sitting in the passenger's seat, clearly startled, and a man in the driver's seat, way into his fifties, looking back at her. Eyes widening, an audible gasp escaped her throat.
"Dad!"
He was still practicing – if you can call staring at the hoop practicing.
He'd suspected he was getting loony ever since he got on rather friendly terms with that Akima, but now he was SURE he'd gone way past loony. He was probably already in the crazy stage and heading for Lunatic City.
Shit.
He tossed the ball and watched it go into the hoop.
At least he could still shoot goals.
Sitting down and staring at the hoop all over again, he settled into his thoughts – something he rarely takes the trouble to do. That incident – he couldn't find any other words to describe it – was accidental – it had to be! He certainly didn't plan on doing it, neither did it ever cross his mind. The only explanation he could come up with was that his hands and mouth had nothing better to do.
Right.
If only that explanation didn't sound as stupid as it really is.
He was feeling uneasy. He didn't like these analysing sessions on self and feelings and such. He'd always thought human beings should have never been given emotions. It complicated things unnecessarily. If everybody could live without mixing emotions into life, things would be so much easier – for him, that is.
He was willing to admit that he liked Akima – even though she was incredibly flawed with an unimaginable ego to go with those flaws. Yes, he liked looking at her. Yes, at times – when they weren't too busy snapping each other's heads off – he enjoyed her company. Yes, he even wanted her to be there in his games.
He had never wanted anybody to come to his games before.
It just didn't matter then.
Yes, he admitted and decided that this was the hardest one to admit – she mattered to him. For unknown reasons, she did and there was no helping it. Hell, if you could just kick someone in and out of your heart like you swap a fly, he'd have done it ages ago.
He didn't want her to matter.
She had no right to be in his mind and thoughts and … well, his heart.
She had no reason to be there.
Sometimes, a quiet voice of wisdom sounded at some point in his cerebral cortex, there are simply no reasons for something.
But I kissed her. There should be a reason for something so unnatural.
I don't know. Maybe the reason is because you're a pervert..
Yeah, yeah. Shut up.
Deciding he'd better pay his attentions to the upcoming game against Ryonan, he stood up and started to warm up. He had to beat a certain someone there, and he won't be able to do it by lazing on his butt.
Wonder what she's doing now…
HeH HeHHHHH