Author: I own the characters that are NOT from Slam Dunk…. If they are from Slam Dunk, they are property of Inoue Takehiko. Please don't sue me… Also, a foreword, I tend to be long winded when writing my fics, so at least you get the overall picture, as well as the locations/background, and worth your dollar on Internet charges! LOL Please do email/review me, and I can update the previous chapters. Thanks!
Words in italics or between slashes are thoughts, words within ^^ are actions, unless otherwise stated, words in brackets are locations usually before each section.
(=^_^=) Chapter 26 – Kimiko, Are You In The Pantry (=^_^=)
(L.I.D.[author]: Please note, before reading on, if you have the song, "I Quit" BY the singer Hepburn on your pc or CD, please listen to it later during the fic. Thank you!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(June)
One night, after work, Kimiko went to the rooftop, to just reflect about her life. About what had happened in school, Mitsui, Kogure, and other things. She had had enough, and was so frustrated. What was she going to do, was she over Mitsui? Yes. Maybe not. She didn't know the answer. But she so desperately wanted to quit. Quit being in love with Mitsui and quit denying she also had feelings for Kogure. And a song came to her mind, and she began to sing.
(L.I.D.[author]: Hepburn - Title: I Quit)
There was a time when I would
Go walking backwards round the world if you said you're mine
And I'd run blindfolded down the King's Road Monday morning
If you just for once arrived on time
But you turned into another liar
And you came on like a new Messiah
So before you say what you desire
I'm telling you now
Chorus :
I quit, I quit
'Cos loving you's a job I don't just need
Ain't gonna go to work no more
I quit, I quit
The situations vacant for me
Ain't gonna go to work no more
Ain't gonna go to work no more, ain't gonna go to work
I got my hands dirty while you rolled cigarettes
With one eye on the time
I tried my hardest
I've been conscientious
But I'm taking back that heart of mine
You can't roll me round your tongue no more baby
It's time to clear up your emotional debris
And if I'm falling overboard, please don't save me
'Cos I'm telling you now
[Chorus]
Na da dai dai dai da-dai, da da dai dai dai
Baby, na da dai dai dai
If you'd like to say you're sorry
You're just like every other lover
A shot rings out and you go running for cover
And I'm sorry I can't be your mother
And I'm telling you now
[Chorus]
I quit, I quit
Na da dai dai dai
I quit, I quit
Na da dai dai dai
I quit, I quit
Na da dai dai dai
Ain't gonna go to work no more
Ain't gonna go to work no more
Ain't gonna go to work
(End of Song)
Kimiko had made a decision, and took off the ring that Mitsui had given her, before putting it back on. She looked at it, staring. She was going to do it. She had to do it. Soon. Somehow.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(July)
After basketball practice at Shohoku High one night, Kimiko rallied everyone to assemble.
"All right! Everyone, I'm pleased to announce that you're all doing a good job, and that's all I have to say for tonight! Ha ha! No long lectures tonight!"
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Kimiko: "MOU! (Humph!)" ^Sweat drop^
With that, she dismissed everyone, and waited for Kogure outside. The 12th of July was Kogure's birthday, and Akagi had hinted that she should celebrate it with him, alone. And celebrate it together they did. Kimiko brought Kogure to a quaint restaurant serving western food, and after the meal, the two walked the streets of Kanagawa, side by side, back to Kimiko's home.
"Kogure-sempai… This is a little gift for you…Happy Birthday!" blushed Kimiko, as she handed him a small maroon box, with purple ribbons.
As Kogure opened the box, his eyes began to tear, and he smiled at Kimiko.
It was a shiny silver pendant accompanied with a silver chain, (for guys) which could hold pictures inside. It had one laminated picture inside on the right side, which was a photo of Kogure and Kimiko that had been taken during Kimiko's birthday. And behind the pendant, were these engraved words, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If that is so, then in the eyes of this pendant, the wearer is the most beautiful of all. Happy Birthday, Kimi-kun. ~ Kimi-chan".
Kogure flung his arms around Kimiko, and hugged her close to him, crying.
"Is it all right, if I call you Kimi-kun, Kogure-sempai?" whispered Kimiko into Kogure's ear. "Daijobu desu ka? (Are you all right?)"
"H…Hai, ore wa no Kimi-chan…(Yes, my Kimi-chan…)"
The two hugged each other for a long time, before parting reluctantly, and Kimiko smiled at Kogure, indicating that there was something else she wanted him to know.
"Nani(what), Kimi-chan?"
Kimiko just smiled, and revealed her hands. It was bare.
"Kimi-chan? Naze(why)?"
"Omae.(you)" Kimiko said simply.
With that, the two lovebirds went back together, hand in hand, loving each other's presence. Unknown to them, something was going to take a turn for the worse.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"She's here, and she's with that guy. You guys know what to do."
"Hai, Tokuna-kun. She's going to be tough to carry! No wonder you have a van ready!"
Tokuna: ^Sweat drop^
When Kimiko reached the gates of her house, several men attacked her, and they punched Kogure, rendering him unconscious, and covered Kimiko's mouth with a cloth to keep her from screaming, and with chloroform. Seconds later, the unconscious body of Kogure could be seen outside Kimiko' house, but Kimiko's was nowhere to be seen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Somewhere dark, maybe an old warehouse)
"Hah! Won't the boss be happy to see the bitch who made me lose face!" cackled Tokuna.
"Yeah, she's one hell of a fighter! But not good enough!"
A tall male, with dark blue hair entered the premises, along with his companion, Ken.
"Here she is, boss!"
The male looked at the limp figure which was Kimiko lying on the makeshift cardboard that was on the floor, and gasped.
"Is ~she~ the one who beat you all up?" asked the tall brooding male. (L.I.D.[author]: A brooding male!! *swoons!*)
"Yes, boss. How shall we deal with her?"
"We don't." said Ken, his companion, stepping in front.
"Nani?" exclaimed Tokuna. "Why, Ken-san?"
"Don't you know who this is?"
"No." Tokuna shook his head.
"This is the boss's girlfriend."
Tokuna felt his blood leaving his face, and sweat dropped. "She's… the… boss's…g…girlfriend?" looking at Ken, and then at Mitsui, before extreme fear gripped his bones.
Mitsui nodded. "Ken, teach the son of a bitch a lesson for hurting her." Said Mitsui, his eyes flashing coldly.
Ken nodded, and Tokuna was promptly brought outside for a sound thrashing. A loud howl of pain was heard outside continuously as well as pleas of mercy.
Mitsui bent down, his hair covering his face from the others, and looked at the sleeping Kimiko, his eyes softening.
/You're something you know that? You never cease to amaze me, Miko-chan. I never knew you could fight. Not like THAT! / Thought Mitsui, chuckling inside, holding her hands.
Suddenly, he realised something. She wasn't wearing the ring he had given her! /Masaka! Where could it have gone? Did she throw it away? /
However, he managed to spot the ring hanging from her neck, and heaved a sigh of relief. /She should never know about me. What I've become, and what I will be. Nothing. That's what I will be. But I will keep my previous promise to you, Miko-chan. I will do it! /
That night, Mitsui told Ken to mention to the others never to bother Kimiko anymore, and to see to it that Tokuna apologised to Kimiko, for that was his orders. Ken nodded.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Oh my God, where am I?" mumbled Kogure, as he struggled to stand up, rubbing the bruises on his face, and his head.
/KIMI-CHAN!!!! /
"Kimi-chan, where are you? WHERE ARE YOU?"
Kogure roamed the streets of Kanagawa, searching for Kimiko, and even called Akagi and Yuki to help him find her, with his bandaged head. Their search was in vain. The trio then went to Akagi's house, where Kogure cried his heart out, and blaming himself for not being able to protect Kimiko.
"Kimi-chan!!!!!!!!!!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Oh my God, where am I?" mumbled Kimiko as she struggled to get up from the bed.
"Glad to see you're up, Toyowara-san." Said a male voice.
"Who are you? How do you know my name?!" demanded Kimiko.
"That doesn't matter. Men! Bring him in!"
Tokuna was brought in and kneeled down in fright in front of Kimiko.
Kimiko: ^Sweat drop^ "What IS this? YOU! What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you not to show your ugly face again? You want more, is that it?" shouted Kimiko, waving her fist in the air liked a deranged animal. (L.I.D.[author]: ^Sweat drop^)
"I'm so sorry, Toyowara-san! I didn't mean to offend you! Please accept my apologies!" Tokuna then proceeded to prostrate his head to the floor many times, bowing to Kimiko.
Kimiko had a HUGE yellow question mark when she heard what he said, and had an equally HUGE sweat drop. /This day is getting weirder by the minute! /
"Tell me, who sent you?" Kimiko shouted, before turning to the mysterious male. "Oh yeah, that isn't enough, please beat the shit out of him some more."
"Very well, miss. Men! Bring the sticks!"
Tokuna then got another severe beating, much to Kimiko's neko grin. (L.I.D.[author]: ^Sweat drop^)
"You don't need to know who sent us, miss." Replied the male. "Just know that he will never bother you again. Sumanu. (I apologize)"
With that, Kimiko was knocked unconscious, and was driven away from the premises, and back to her home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next morning, Kimiko was found outside her home shivering, by a relieved Kogure, Akagi and Yuki. The three rushed to send her to bed, and warmed her up, fearing she had been out in the cold, and didn't know what happened to her. When Kimiko regained consciousness, she told them what had happened to her, and all had huge question marks on their heads by the time she finished. Akagi and Yuki discreetly left the two alone, and Kogure cried into Kimiko's arms.
"Hush, Kimi-kun, it's not your fault…"
"But it is… I wasn't strong enough to protect you…"
"They were fighting dirty, how could you have won?"
"But…"
"Oh just shut up…"
Kimiko shut Kogure up by kissing him on his lips, which was very effective. Both broke the kiss reluctantly, but had to, for they needed oxygen, in order to stay alive.
"Wow…" gasped Kogure.
"You can say that again…"
"Wow…"
Both grinned, and Kogure looked after Kimiko, taking care of her, in case she got a cold.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(=^_^=) Meow!
I am soooo tired! But inspired! *Hears some crackles and pops, thankfully no snap, as she stretches herself*
Replies!
Nikka-san: Okie, I have included translations throughout my fic, but I don't see the need to keep repeating them, but for you, I will. ^_^ Thanks for your support, and please come again! ^_^
Ghostwriter-chan: LOL Well, now you know! And please post leh!
Madiha-chan: Arigato! Hope you like this chapter!
Popochi-chan: I have a rough idea when it's going to end, but it's for me to know, and for you readers not to know, so you can enjoy the journey, ne? ^_^ Sure thing, will insert your request, but you have to stay tuned to my fic! ^_^ Thanks for your support! ^_^
F5C-chan: Really? LOL Thanks so much!
Super rookie-chan: *looks at all the looks super rookie-chan has and sweat drops* LOL Hey, to protect the one he loves? Any guy would do so ne? Hope you enjoy this chapter! Yep, I am a Singaporean, and I have no exams… eating snake for 1-month liaoz… got about 1 plus more month to eat snake. LOL
Icko14-chan: It's ok… ^_^ LOL Hot is a good word to describe him! And yep, am a BSB fan, I like their music.
Mitsui no Miko-chan: Well, try not to sink too fast, or you might miss the lifesaver. ^_^ And Kogure will fight if need be, didn't you see how he handled Mitsui when he was angry? LOL
Fehrocious-chan: LOL! I'm glad you made up for the missed review! *hugz you* Hai, I DO forgive you, so get off your knees… LOL!!!!! (j/k) *looks at how fehr-chan ignores Mitsui and LOL!* // ~you~ lost it? What about me when I read your review??? *LOL until tears come out* like I said, it wasn't 'shine', it was sheenae!! LOL! I could imagine you laughing your eyes out when you told me you lost it! Like you, I LOVE tall guys, who play basketball, and if they have glasses, so be it! ^_~ Your reviews always crack me up! LOL Love you girl!
SyiveSe-chan: Yay! Fangirl like me! *Dances with SyiveSe-chan* Too bad Akagi's not in the fighting scene… yet.