Kogure Kiminobu half-dragged himself to his classroom.
"Ey, megane-kun!" Sakuragi yelled from behind.
Kogure was too tired to even reprimand Sakuragi from calling him that. All he could muster was a grunt.
Sakuragi peered at him. "aaah, you're like Rukawa today, aren't ya? You look even more exhausted than he usually does."
Kogure smiled weakly. "Sorry, I'm just worn out from last night."
"AH!" Sakuragi wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "You had a hot date?"
Kogure groaned. "I didn't get any sleep because my uncle and his family arrived home from the States last night; at about midnight and since they had jet lag, they couldn't sleep and I ended up entertaining them and telling stories."
"Too bad," sakuragi replied. "You should skip class or something and go home."
"Nah, I can't afford to miss class."
"You better get going then, you're gonna be late!"
"yeah."
"Nyahahahaha! I'll see you later at practice! I wanna show you this new kind of move the tensai has been practicing lately! Nyahahaha!"
(Kogure teardrops)
******************************************************
Megumi Satomi quickly grabbed a sandwich, yelling, "Mom! I'm gonna be late for school!"
Megumi looked around and found her books and she stuffed them in her bag.
"Moooooom!"
Megumi went to her parent's room. Both were sound asleep. She tried to wake her mom, but her mom just slept again.
"AAAARGH!" she fumed.
Her brother, Aoshi, emerged from his room. "Guess this means you'll have to ride your bike to school."
"Aoshi! Could you please please please drive me to school? I'm soooooo late!"
"Sorry, I'm running late myself. You better go now."
"ARGH! This has got to be the worst way to start my first day (author: hey that rhymes!) at shohoku!"
Aoshi simply looked at her calmly. He was used to her hysterics.
*****************************************************
Megumi pedalled as fast as she could, and she didn't stop even though her legs were cramping. She reached Shohoku just in time before the bell rang - and she would have made it if this sleeping idiot in a bicycle had been looking ahead.
"Hey! Why don't you watch where you're going?" she yelled to the idiot.
He looked at her and muttered, "do'aho."
"BAKA!" she yelled loud enough to catch the attention of the other late- comers.
*****************************************************
The bell rang but Kogure didn't even hurry his slow-as-a-snail-pace. He could hardly even stand as it is.
WHAM!
He fell forward and his glasses fell to the floor.
*****************************************************
"OhGODohGODohGOD!" Megumi chanted. I'm so late! She hurriedly looked for her room, running in the silent hallways.
WHAM!
She slammed in the back of a guy and they both fell.
"Ohmigod! Gomen! Daijobu?" Megumi said.
Kogure snapped awake, his sleepiness forgetten. "I'm okay."
"sorry," Megumi said, handing him his eyeglasses which were broken. They both stood up.
"I'll pay for the repair," Megumi offered.
"No need," Kogure said, smiling (even though he couldn't see much in that state)
"Sorry to leave you but I'm really late!" Megumi said. "And I think I'm lost!"
"lost? You're new?" Kogure asked. "What's your room and section?"
"room 403, section 4-a," Megumi answered.
"Oh, so you're the new student sensei was telling us about yesterday. I'm one of your classmates and I'm Kogure Kiminobu. And you are?"
"Megumi Satomi."
"Come on, let's go to class."
***************************************************
Megumi:
Great. It's my first day of school here at shohoku high and I create a scene. Good thing nobody saw us! It was so humiliating.
I smiled at Kogure - I didn't think he even knew what I looked like, it was obvious he really needed his glasses and I apologized again for having deprived him of that.
He simply smiled and said that it was okay. I told him the he looked cuter without his glasses anyway and he blushed.
Sigh. I'm about to swoon here! I've always been a sucker for a guy who wears glasses. And for a guy who's a gentleman.
We entered the classroom and immediately, all the eyes rested on us.
I quickly introduced myself while Kogure excused his being late to the teacher. I heard the teacher excuse him; apparently, he was quite the teachers' favorite.
Kogure sat down in one of the chairs upfront and I sat beside him.
**************************************************
Kogure:
I'm blind as a bat without my glasses. I couldn't do anything about it then, though. I wasn't angry at Megumi; she didn't mean to wreck my glasses and I could hear from her voice that her apology was very sincere.
I wanted so much to get my glasses repaired - I wanted to see what Megumi looked like - her voice was so sweet and angelic that-
WAIT! Is this actually possible? Me? Liking a girl?
Don't get me wrong; I'm NOT gay but for a while in my teen years I thought I was because I didn't go courting girls like the boys in my class did. I guess I'm pretty old-fashioned (and very picky) - I didn't just want to have a girlfriend for the sake of having one. I wanted to have a girlfriend because I loved her. I never did find that girl - well maybe except for her.
Flashback:
Kogure:
"Happy 15th birthday!" okaasan greeted me.
"Arigato," I replied, grinning.
I excused myself and went to the park for a walk. I brought a basketball and I walked to the court to shoot a few hoops.
I mostly practiced my three-pointer shots. Most of them went in so I was pleased.
"May I join?"
I looked behind me and I saw a girl, and from the looks of her, I gathered that she had been watching me for quite a while already.
She wasn't pretty - she was beautiful. She had long blond hair that was up in a ponytail, and she had violet eyes that were strikingly deep. She smiled and there was a dimple on her right cheek.
I blushed.
"Um, sure."
We started to play - though we didn't as much as say a word to each other. She was good-very good. Even though she was smaller than I, she easily matched my speed.
I started to shoot three-pointers, and I had to admit that I was impressed and surprised to see her shoot three-pointers so she could catch up with me.
35-35.
It was a tie and I had the ball. Her defense was very good, in fact she was able to steal the ball. After a few seconds, I got it back.
The clock beside the court chimed and she froze.
6:00 pm.
I, too, stopped.
"Gomen ne, I have to go," she said. She smiled at me and ran off.
And there I was, with the ball in my hands, standing and staring at her retreating figure like a dumbstruck fool.
I didn't know her name but I knew that I would never forget her.
END OF FLASHBACK
I reprimanded myself for bringing up the thought of her again.
Baka Kogure.
***************************************************
Their sensei wrote something in the board. It was a poem by the famous poet Pablo Neruda. Their seatwork: to translate it into Japanese and to be able to pronounce the whole poem correctly.
Kogure couldn't read it even though he was sitting in the front row. He asked Megumi to read the whole poem to him while he copied it.
Megumi spoke English fluently; without hesitation. She said that she stayed in the United States for a whole summer to visit her relatives who lived there.
She recited the poem to Kogure slowly, enabling him to copy it in his notebook:
"I don't love you as if you were the salt-rose topaz Or arrow of carnations that propagate fire: I Love you as certain dark things are love, Secretly, between the shadow and the soul.
I love you as the plant that doesn't bloom and carries. Hidden within itself the light of those flowers. And thanks to your love, darkly in my body Lives the dense fragrance that rises from the earth."
Megumi stopped when she saw the next stanza. The words of the next stanza repeated itself in her head as if a mantra.
"Er, Megumi? Is it finished?"
Megumi blushed and she was thankful that Kogure couldn't see her do so.
"a. no, I'm just. well." Megumi cleared her throat and started to recite again.
"I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where, I love you simply, without problems or pride: I love you in this way because I don't know any other way of loving.
But this, in which there is no I or you, So intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand, So intimate that when I fall asleep it is your eyes that close."
Kogure felt his cheeks redden; there was something in the third stanza that grabbed him as it kept on replicated itself inside his head.
Baka Kogure, he said to himself inwardly.
***************************************
Megumi:
Finally, class had ended. I could hardly wait to go home.
It was raining outside; but it was more of a light drizzle. I had to smile- I love the rain (but not when it's pouring hard).
I stepped out of the building and I started to walk home.
"Satomi!"
I looked behind me and saw Akagi, a classmate of mine with a small girl with brown hair and a pretty face. He had the biggest umbrella ever! I think it would cover about 5 people.
I walked towards them and akagi introduced me to the girl. Her name was Haruko and she was his sister. They offered to share the umbrella with me but I politely declined, saying that I actually liked the rain.
I thought Akagi would be a bit surprised but he didn't even look a teensy- weensy-bit surprised. Where I come from, people thought I was nuts for wanting to stay out in the rain.
"Just like someone I know," he murmured before I left.
**************************************
Kogure:
It was raining. Akagi always warned me about walking in the rain. He kept on saying about how I would get sick, etcetera, etcetera. I just ignore him, and recently, he doesn't say anything about it. Guess he's gotten used to the sight of me walking in the rain. It's a habit of mine that I couldn't get rid of no matter what.
Good thing it wasn't raining that hard; I like rain but I'm not one for the drowned-rat-look.
"Kogure!"
It was Megumi. Naturally I squinted because I couldn't see her but it didn't matter because somehow, I knew her voice as if I had heard it a million times before. For some reason, there was this familiarity with her.
"Megumi! Don't you have an umbrella? You might get sick!" I said.
She grinned (at least I think she did). "That's funny coming from someone standing in the rain."
I blushed. I hate it when I blush. I think I'm the only guy in school who blushes. (well maybe except for ryota whenever he sees aya-chan.)
**************************************
Megumi:
I saw a lone figure standing at the corner of a street, waiting for a red light so he could cross the street.
It was Kogure. I opened my mouth to call him and then closed it - what do I call him? Kogure-san? Er. too polite. Kogure-kun? Um.. No.. Kogure- chan? Argh! No! He might think that I feel like we're good friends already.
"Kogure!" I finally shouted out to him. I walked towards him and as I was standing beside him, he asked, "Megumi! Don't you have an umbrella? You might get sick!"
I had to grin at that. "That's funny coming from someone standing in the rain."
He blushed.
AAAAAKKKK! I just love it when he blushes! He's so cute and I had to fight this urge to go and hug him right there in the middle of the street under the rain.
**************************************
Kogure:
"I like the rain," she stated, looking at the cars passing by.
"a..a.." I didn't know what to say.
"I like the rain, too." I didn't say anything else but I think she understood me.
We crossed the street when it occurred to me that I didn't know where she lived.
"Um, megumi?"
"Yes?"
"So, um. where do you live?"
"Near the baseball stadium."
"oh." I was running out of things to say. Near the baseball stadium, huh? So she probably lives near me.
"Wait," I said. "Do you occupy the big house with the green roof?"
"Yes," she answered. "You've seen it?"
I smiled. "Yeah, that's the house behind our house. Okaasan told me that we had new neighbors. So then, I'm also your neighbor."
I tried to see how she would react to that but because I wasn't wearing my glasses, I couldn't see much of her expression.
"Sugoi!"
um. I'm running out of things to say.
**************************************
megumi:
Kogure lives at the house behind our house? I must be dreaming. Pinch me anyone!
This has got to be the closest thing to a miracle. No, not closest, it really is a miracle!
Anyway, we just talked about school after I that. I could see he was really shy, and I was surprised that I still found myself attracted to him because I usually like guys who are really sure of themselves, guys who are outgoing, I guess.
But he was different. I knew he was.
I think I'm in love.
**************************************
Kogure:
"Musuko," Okaasan greeted when I entered the house. She smiled at me mischievously.
"Why are you smiling like that?" I asked her, looking at her warily.
"Oh, nothing. Would you please set the table?"
"Okay."
"So," my mom started in a conversational tone, "who was that lovely-looking girl you were walking with awhile ago?"
I groaned. So that was what the smile was all about.
"She's our new neighbor. The one you told me about. I met her this morning, she's my classmate. Then I found out that she was the neighbor you were talking about so I accompanied her home."
"That's nice," she remarked. I became suspicious of her when I saw this glint in her eyes.
**************************************
megumi:
Aoshi was munching on an apple when I came in.
"What's with the dreamy look?" Aoshi questioned me.
I stole the apple he was eating and I took a bite. He punched me lightly and took back his apple.
"I'm in love!" I answered languorously, reclining on the comfy couch and staring at the ceiling.
Aoshi snorted. "you fall in love about two times a month - at the least."
"He's different!"
"That's what you always say," Aoshi said, chuckling.
"No! He really is different! He's smart, he's shy, he blushes,--"
"Are you sure he isn't gay?" Aoshi interrupted.
I shook my head vehemently. "He is DEFINITELY not gay! And on top of that, he's cute, he wears glasses, and he's a complete gentleman!"
"Wait if he isn't gay, maybe you're a lesbian," Aoshi said, laughing.
I glared at him and he stopped laughing.
"Wait. did you say he was SHY? I've never known you to like a shy guy!" Aoshi said, his voice infused with disbelief.
"He's my soulmate." my voice trailed off. My head was up in the clouds already.
"Personally, I think you're crazy-"
"Crazy in love" I cut in.
"You don't even know the guy yet!"
"But that's exactly it! When I looked at him, I felt as if I knew him since the day I was born. Don't you get it? I recognized him! Didn't I tell you that if I recognize the guy, he would be the one?"
"Yeah, whatever," Aoshi said. He rolled his eyes. "the things I put up with. So who is this Mr. Perfect?"
"His name is Kogure Kiminobu. Isn't his name so heavenly?"
Aoshi looked at me as if I were insane. "since when have you been uttering words such as heavenly except to describe coffee-crumble-ice-cream?"
"Since kogure."
"uh-huh. Whatever. This isn't going to work out, trust me."
"what makes you say that?" I inquired.
"remember, once you said you recognized this person, I think you were 14 - no - 15 I think, and nothing ever happened."
"What? I don't recall that."
"Well at least I'll leave you with something else to think about," Aoshi said, grinning. He went in his room and slammed the door.
**************************************
Kogure:
"Happy 17th birthday!" okaasan greeted me.
"Arigato," I replied, grinning.
I excused myself and went to the park for a walk. I brought a basketball and I walked to the court to shoot a few hoops.
I mostly practiced my three-pointer shots. Most of them went in so I was pleased.
I stopped. Something in what I was doing was recognizable and it hit me, for some reason, I did exactly the same thing I did when I turned 15.
I took a shot and it went in.
Too bad the girl wasn't here. I shook my head and tried to forget her.
"May I join?"
It was her, I knew from the voice-
I whirled around-but instead of the blond, violet-eyed girl that I was expecting, the girl standing there had black hair and sea-green eyes.
Megumi.
**************************************
Megumi:
I woke up early today. It was a Saturday and I had nothing to do so I went out of the house.
I walked all around the two nearest streets and soon, I was at the basketball court.
Hmm. Somebody was playing. At this time? I walked towards the court to see who was playing and suddenly, I remembered something that had happened so long ago.
Flashback:
I went to my aunt's house today, and I met my cousins. As usual, we had lots of fun. We played truth or dare (it's one of our traditions when we get together) and they dared me to dye my hair yellow and put on these freaky contacts (I still shudder when I think of how long it took me to put them in correctly) and go out and pass myself off as a 20-year-old and buy a cigarette (not that anyone of us smokes). I had until six o'clock to complete the dare - which gave me thirty minutes. It was a long walk to the nearest grocery store.
I was halfway there when I noticed that someone was shooting hoops in the basketball court along the way. I love basketball so I stopped by the court and watched who was playing.
He looked about my age, and he was making three-pointers. Most of them went in and I was amazed.
He ran towards the other end of the court and shot another three-pointer. From my view, I could see that he was wearing eyeglasses.
I've always thought that eyeglasses made one look nerdy and meek, but this guy wore it with aplomb - it suited him very well. It didn't make him look nerdy, instead, it made him look intelligent and mature.
I couldn't resist him - I asked if I could join.
Soon thereafter, we were really into the game. We reached a tie, 35-35 but then this big clock near the court chimed and I saw that it was 6:00. I had to get home, we were leaving at 6:20 and it was a long way back.
I hastily left, leaving him behind. But I knew that I would never forget him - no matter what happens, no matter who I meet, and no matter where I go.
End of flashback
Then I remembered Aoshi saying something about this guy I that I said I had recognized. It was him. Unfortunately, I couldn't remember what he looked like. Well, except that he wore glasses. Gee. What a big clue.
Anyway, I just watched the guy playing in the court; he was mostly shooting three-pointers. I almost laughed aloud at the familiarity of the situation. It was almost ironic.
Then the guy ran towards the other end of the court and shot another three- pointer. From my view, I could see that he was wearing eyeglasses.
I froze. The situation was familiar because it what was happening was what had happened exactly two years ago. I peered at the guy and I gasped.
It was the same guy - only he had grown taller and he looked more mature.
It was him.
It was Kogure.
**************************************
Kogure:
"Um, sure." I handed her the ball and we started to play. All the while, I couldn't shake the feeling that Megumi was her.
It couldn't be - the girl had blond hair and violet eyes. Megumi had sea- green eyes and had black hair.
We played for a long time. Soon, the score was 35-35 and I had the ball.
I hesitated for a moment - déjà vu. She smiled at me mischievously as if saying "I-know-something-you-don't." Then her smile grew wider and she was grinning at me.
I felt like a fool.
She stole the ball from me a few moments later but was unable to shoot. I got it back and then, the clock chimed.
6:00 am.
We both stopped and just stared at each other.
It was her.
It was Megumi.
**************************************
Megumi:
Kogure dropped the ball but I don't think he noticed. He was just staring at me. Well I couldn't blame him as I was staring back at him.
He walked to me, and he was very close. His hands touched my cheeks and he quoted (and in perfect English (), "I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where, I love you simply, without problems or pride: I love you in this way because I don't know any other way of loving."
He kissed me.
I couldn't help comparing him to the (many) others that I had kissed before. He kissed me gently and softly, and well. the kiss was unlike any I had before, because even though he was so gentle, the kiss was the sweetest one I had ever received.
**************************************
Kogure:
I lifted my head. What had gotten over me? I didn't know, and frankly, I didn't care.
"It is you," Megumi whispered.
"How--?" I touched her hair and caressed it.
She laughed softly. "I dyed my hair back then and was wearing colored- contacts."
I smiled.
"I love you, Kogure. I don't know why but I just do," Megumi admitted, still smiling. Tears started to fall from her eyes and I brushed it away.
*end* (well, at least for now. ()
Author: Haha! What do you think? *sigh* please give me reviews! This is my very first fanfic. Sorry if it's a bit confusing, the words just rushed into my head and I guess I wasn't typing fast enough for my mind. Sorry for the errors (if there are)
"Ey, megane-kun!" Sakuragi yelled from behind.
Kogure was too tired to even reprimand Sakuragi from calling him that. All he could muster was a grunt.
Sakuragi peered at him. "aaah, you're like Rukawa today, aren't ya? You look even more exhausted than he usually does."
Kogure smiled weakly. "Sorry, I'm just worn out from last night."
"AH!" Sakuragi wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "You had a hot date?"
Kogure groaned. "I didn't get any sleep because my uncle and his family arrived home from the States last night; at about midnight and since they had jet lag, they couldn't sleep and I ended up entertaining them and telling stories."
"Too bad," sakuragi replied. "You should skip class or something and go home."
"Nah, I can't afford to miss class."
"You better get going then, you're gonna be late!"
"yeah."
"Nyahahahaha! I'll see you later at practice! I wanna show you this new kind of move the tensai has been practicing lately! Nyahahaha!"
(Kogure teardrops)
******************************************************
Megumi Satomi quickly grabbed a sandwich, yelling, "Mom! I'm gonna be late for school!"
Megumi looked around and found her books and she stuffed them in her bag.
"Moooooom!"
Megumi went to her parent's room. Both were sound asleep. She tried to wake her mom, but her mom just slept again.
"AAAARGH!" she fumed.
Her brother, Aoshi, emerged from his room. "Guess this means you'll have to ride your bike to school."
"Aoshi! Could you please please please drive me to school? I'm soooooo late!"
"Sorry, I'm running late myself. You better go now."
"ARGH! This has got to be the worst way to start my first day (author: hey that rhymes!) at shohoku!"
Aoshi simply looked at her calmly. He was used to her hysterics.
*****************************************************
Megumi pedalled as fast as she could, and she didn't stop even though her legs were cramping. She reached Shohoku just in time before the bell rang - and she would have made it if this sleeping idiot in a bicycle had been looking ahead.
"Hey! Why don't you watch where you're going?" she yelled to the idiot.
He looked at her and muttered, "do'aho."
"BAKA!" she yelled loud enough to catch the attention of the other late- comers.
*****************************************************
The bell rang but Kogure didn't even hurry his slow-as-a-snail-pace. He could hardly even stand as it is.
WHAM!
He fell forward and his glasses fell to the floor.
*****************************************************
"OhGODohGODohGOD!" Megumi chanted. I'm so late! She hurriedly looked for her room, running in the silent hallways.
WHAM!
She slammed in the back of a guy and they both fell.
"Ohmigod! Gomen! Daijobu?" Megumi said.
Kogure snapped awake, his sleepiness forgetten. "I'm okay."
"sorry," Megumi said, handing him his eyeglasses which were broken. They both stood up.
"I'll pay for the repair," Megumi offered.
"No need," Kogure said, smiling (even though he couldn't see much in that state)
"Sorry to leave you but I'm really late!" Megumi said. "And I think I'm lost!"
"lost? You're new?" Kogure asked. "What's your room and section?"
"room 403, section 4-a," Megumi answered.
"Oh, so you're the new student sensei was telling us about yesterday. I'm one of your classmates and I'm Kogure Kiminobu. And you are?"
"Megumi Satomi."
"Come on, let's go to class."
***************************************************
Megumi:
Great. It's my first day of school here at shohoku high and I create a scene. Good thing nobody saw us! It was so humiliating.
I smiled at Kogure - I didn't think he even knew what I looked like, it was obvious he really needed his glasses and I apologized again for having deprived him of that.
He simply smiled and said that it was okay. I told him the he looked cuter without his glasses anyway and he blushed.
Sigh. I'm about to swoon here! I've always been a sucker for a guy who wears glasses. And for a guy who's a gentleman.
We entered the classroom and immediately, all the eyes rested on us.
I quickly introduced myself while Kogure excused his being late to the teacher. I heard the teacher excuse him; apparently, he was quite the teachers' favorite.
Kogure sat down in one of the chairs upfront and I sat beside him.
**************************************************
Kogure:
I'm blind as a bat without my glasses. I couldn't do anything about it then, though. I wasn't angry at Megumi; she didn't mean to wreck my glasses and I could hear from her voice that her apology was very sincere.
I wanted so much to get my glasses repaired - I wanted to see what Megumi looked like - her voice was so sweet and angelic that-
WAIT! Is this actually possible? Me? Liking a girl?
Don't get me wrong; I'm NOT gay but for a while in my teen years I thought I was because I didn't go courting girls like the boys in my class did. I guess I'm pretty old-fashioned (and very picky) - I didn't just want to have a girlfriend for the sake of having one. I wanted to have a girlfriend because I loved her. I never did find that girl - well maybe except for her.
Flashback:
Kogure:
"Happy 15th birthday!" okaasan greeted me.
"Arigato," I replied, grinning.
I excused myself and went to the park for a walk. I brought a basketball and I walked to the court to shoot a few hoops.
I mostly practiced my three-pointer shots. Most of them went in so I was pleased.
"May I join?"
I looked behind me and I saw a girl, and from the looks of her, I gathered that she had been watching me for quite a while already.
She wasn't pretty - she was beautiful. She had long blond hair that was up in a ponytail, and she had violet eyes that were strikingly deep. She smiled and there was a dimple on her right cheek.
I blushed.
"Um, sure."
We started to play - though we didn't as much as say a word to each other. She was good-very good. Even though she was smaller than I, she easily matched my speed.
I started to shoot three-pointers, and I had to admit that I was impressed and surprised to see her shoot three-pointers so she could catch up with me.
35-35.
It was a tie and I had the ball. Her defense was very good, in fact she was able to steal the ball. After a few seconds, I got it back.
The clock beside the court chimed and she froze.
6:00 pm.
I, too, stopped.
"Gomen ne, I have to go," she said. She smiled at me and ran off.
And there I was, with the ball in my hands, standing and staring at her retreating figure like a dumbstruck fool.
I didn't know her name but I knew that I would never forget her.
END OF FLASHBACK
I reprimanded myself for bringing up the thought of her again.
Baka Kogure.
***************************************************
Their sensei wrote something in the board. It was a poem by the famous poet Pablo Neruda. Their seatwork: to translate it into Japanese and to be able to pronounce the whole poem correctly.
Kogure couldn't read it even though he was sitting in the front row. He asked Megumi to read the whole poem to him while he copied it.
Megumi spoke English fluently; without hesitation. She said that she stayed in the United States for a whole summer to visit her relatives who lived there.
She recited the poem to Kogure slowly, enabling him to copy it in his notebook:
"I don't love you as if you were the salt-rose topaz Or arrow of carnations that propagate fire: I Love you as certain dark things are love, Secretly, between the shadow and the soul.
I love you as the plant that doesn't bloom and carries. Hidden within itself the light of those flowers. And thanks to your love, darkly in my body Lives the dense fragrance that rises from the earth."
Megumi stopped when she saw the next stanza. The words of the next stanza repeated itself in her head as if a mantra.
"Er, Megumi? Is it finished?"
Megumi blushed and she was thankful that Kogure couldn't see her do so.
"a. no, I'm just. well." Megumi cleared her throat and started to recite again.
"I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where, I love you simply, without problems or pride: I love you in this way because I don't know any other way of loving.
But this, in which there is no I or you, So intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand, So intimate that when I fall asleep it is your eyes that close."
Kogure felt his cheeks redden; there was something in the third stanza that grabbed him as it kept on replicated itself inside his head.
Baka Kogure, he said to himself inwardly.
***************************************
Megumi:
Finally, class had ended. I could hardly wait to go home.
It was raining outside; but it was more of a light drizzle. I had to smile- I love the rain (but not when it's pouring hard).
I stepped out of the building and I started to walk home.
"Satomi!"
I looked behind me and saw Akagi, a classmate of mine with a small girl with brown hair and a pretty face. He had the biggest umbrella ever! I think it would cover about 5 people.
I walked towards them and akagi introduced me to the girl. Her name was Haruko and she was his sister. They offered to share the umbrella with me but I politely declined, saying that I actually liked the rain.
I thought Akagi would be a bit surprised but he didn't even look a teensy- weensy-bit surprised. Where I come from, people thought I was nuts for wanting to stay out in the rain.
"Just like someone I know," he murmured before I left.
**************************************
Kogure:
It was raining. Akagi always warned me about walking in the rain. He kept on saying about how I would get sick, etcetera, etcetera. I just ignore him, and recently, he doesn't say anything about it. Guess he's gotten used to the sight of me walking in the rain. It's a habit of mine that I couldn't get rid of no matter what.
Good thing it wasn't raining that hard; I like rain but I'm not one for the drowned-rat-look.
"Kogure!"
It was Megumi. Naturally I squinted because I couldn't see her but it didn't matter because somehow, I knew her voice as if I had heard it a million times before. For some reason, there was this familiarity with her.
"Megumi! Don't you have an umbrella? You might get sick!" I said.
She grinned (at least I think she did). "That's funny coming from someone standing in the rain."
I blushed. I hate it when I blush. I think I'm the only guy in school who blushes. (well maybe except for ryota whenever he sees aya-chan.)
**************************************
Megumi:
I saw a lone figure standing at the corner of a street, waiting for a red light so he could cross the street.
It was Kogure. I opened my mouth to call him and then closed it - what do I call him? Kogure-san? Er. too polite. Kogure-kun? Um.. No.. Kogure- chan? Argh! No! He might think that I feel like we're good friends already.
"Kogure!" I finally shouted out to him. I walked towards him and as I was standing beside him, he asked, "Megumi! Don't you have an umbrella? You might get sick!"
I had to grin at that. "That's funny coming from someone standing in the rain."
He blushed.
AAAAAKKKK! I just love it when he blushes! He's so cute and I had to fight this urge to go and hug him right there in the middle of the street under the rain.
**************************************
Kogure:
"I like the rain," she stated, looking at the cars passing by.
"a..a.." I didn't know what to say.
"I like the rain, too." I didn't say anything else but I think she understood me.
We crossed the street when it occurred to me that I didn't know where she lived.
"Um, megumi?"
"Yes?"
"So, um. where do you live?"
"Near the baseball stadium."
"oh." I was running out of things to say. Near the baseball stadium, huh? So she probably lives near me.
"Wait," I said. "Do you occupy the big house with the green roof?"
"Yes," she answered. "You've seen it?"
I smiled. "Yeah, that's the house behind our house. Okaasan told me that we had new neighbors. So then, I'm also your neighbor."
I tried to see how she would react to that but because I wasn't wearing my glasses, I couldn't see much of her expression.
"Sugoi!"
um. I'm running out of things to say.
**************************************
megumi:
Kogure lives at the house behind our house? I must be dreaming. Pinch me anyone!
This has got to be the closest thing to a miracle. No, not closest, it really is a miracle!
Anyway, we just talked about school after I that. I could see he was really shy, and I was surprised that I still found myself attracted to him because I usually like guys who are really sure of themselves, guys who are outgoing, I guess.
But he was different. I knew he was.
I think I'm in love.
**************************************
Kogure:
"Musuko," Okaasan greeted when I entered the house. She smiled at me mischievously.
"Why are you smiling like that?" I asked her, looking at her warily.
"Oh, nothing. Would you please set the table?"
"Okay."
"So," my mom started in a conversational tone, "who was that lovely-looking girl you were walking with awhile ago?"
I groaned. So that was what the smile was all about.
"She's our new neighbor. The one you told me about. I met her this morning, she's my classmate. Then I found out that she was the neighbor you were talking about so I accompanied her home."
"That's nice," she remarked. I became suspicious of her when I saw this glint in her eyes.
**************************************
megumi:
Aoshi was munching on an apple when I came in.
"What's with the dreamy look?" Aoshi questioned me.
I stole the apple he was eating and I took a bite. He punched me lightly and took back his apple.
"I'm in love!" I answered languorously, reclining on the comfy couch and staring at the ceiling.
Aoshi snorted. "you fall in love about two times a month - at the least."
"He's different!"
"That's what you always say," Aoshi said, chuckling.
"No! He really is different! He's smart, he's shy, he blushes,--"
"Are you sure he isn't gay?" Aoshi interrupted.
I shook my head vehemently. "He is DEFINITELY not gay! And on top of that, he's cute, he wears glasses, and he's a complete gentleman!"
"Wait if he isn't gay, maybe you're a lesbian," Aoshi said, laughing.
I glared at him and he stopped laughing.
"Wait. did you say he was SHY? I've never known you to like a shy guy!" Aoshi said, his voice infused with disbelief.
"He's my soulmate." my voice trailed off. My head was up in the clouds already.
"Personally, I think you're crazy-"
"Crazy in love" I cut in.
"You don't even know the guy yet!"
"But that's exactly it! When I looked at him, I felt as if I knew him since the day I was born. Don't you get it? I recognized him! Didn't I tell you that if I recognize the guy, he would be the one?"
"Yeah, whatever," Aoshi said. He rolled his eyes. "the things I put up with. So who is this Mr. Perfect?"
"His name is Kogure Kiminobu. Isn't his name so heavenly?"
Aoshi looked at me as if I were insane. "since when have you been uttering words such as heavenly except to describe coffee-crumble-ice-cream?"
"Since kogure."
"uh-huh. Whatever. This isn't going to work out, trust me."
"what makes you say that?" I inquired.
"remember, once you said you recognized this person, I think you were 14 - no - 15 I think, and nothing ever happened."
"What? I don't recall that."
"Well at least I'll leave you with something else to think about," Aoshi said, grinning. He went in his room and slammed the door.
**************************************
Kogure:
"Happy 17th birthday!" okaasan greeted me.
"Arigato," I replied, grinning.
I excused myself and went to the park for a walk. I brought a basketball and I walked to the court to shoot a few hoops.
I mostly practiced my three-pointer shots. Most of them went in so I was pleased.
I stopped. Something in what I was doing was recognizable and it hit me, for some reason, I did exactly the same thing I did when I turned 15.
I took a shot and it went in.
Too bad the girl wasn't here. I shook my head and tried to forget her.
"May I join?"
It was her, I knew from the voice-
I whirled around-but instead of the blond, violet-eyed girl that I was expecting, the girl standing there had black hair and sea-green eyes.
Megumi.
**************************************
Megumi:
I woke up early today. It was a Saturday and I had nothing to do so I went out of the house.
I walked all around the two nearest streets and soon, I was at the basketball court.
Hmm. Somebody was playing. At this time? I walked towards the court to see who was playing and suddenly, I remembered something that had happened so long ago.
Flashback:
I went to my aunt's house today, and I met my cousins. As usual, we had lots of fun. We played truth or dare (it's one of our traditions when we get together) and they dared me to dye my hair yellow and put on these freaky contacts (I still shudder when I think of how long it took me to put them in correctly) and go out and pass myself off as a 20-year-old and buy a cigarette (not that anyone of us smokes). I had until six o'clock to complete the dare - which gave me thirty minutes. It was a long walk to the nearest grocery store.
I was halfway there when I noticed that someone was shooting hoops in the basketball court along the way. I love basketball so I stopped by the court and watched who was playing.
He looked about my age, and he was making three-pointers. Most of them went in and I was amazed.
He ran towards the other end of the court and shot another three-pointer. From my view, I could see that he was wearing eyeglasses.
I've always thought that eyeglasses made one look nerdy and meek, but this guy wore it with aplomb - it suited him very well. It didn't make him look nerdy, instead, it made him look intelligent and mature.
I couldn't resist him - I asked if I could join.
Soon thereafter, we were really into the game. We reached a tie, 35-35 but then this big clock near the court chimed and I saw that it was 6:00. I had to get home, we were leaving at 6:20 and it was a long way back.
I hastily left, leaving him behind. But I knew that I would never forget him - no matter what happens, no matter who I meet, and no matter where I go.
End of flashback
Then I remembered Aoshi saying something about this guy I that I said I had recognized. It was him. Unfortunately, I couldn't remember what he looked like. Well, except that he wore glasses. Gee. What a big clue.
Anyway, I just watched the guy playing in the court; he was mostly shooting three-pointers. I almost laughed aloud at the familiarity of the situation. It was almost ironic.
Then the guy ran towards the other end of the court and shot another three- pointer. From my view, I could see that he was wearing eyeglasses.
I froze. The situation was familiar because it what was happening was what had happened exactly two years ago. I peered at the guy and I gasped.
It was the same guy - only he had grown taller and he looked more mature.
It was him.
It was Kogure.
**************************************
Kogure:
"Um, sure." I handed her the ball and we started to play. All the while, I couldn't shake the feeling that Megumi was her.
It couldn't be - the girl had blond hair and violet eyes. Megumi had sea- green eyes and had black hair.
We played for a long time. Soon, the score was 35-35 and I had the ball.
I hesitated for a moment - déjà vu. She smiled at me mischievously as if saying "I-know-something-you-don't." Then her smile grew wider and she was grinning at me.
I felt like a fool.
She stole the ball from me a few moments later but was unable to shoot. I got it back and then, the clock chimed.
6:00 am.
We both stopped and just stared at each other.
It was her.
It was Megumi.
**************************************
Megumi:
Kogure dropped the ball but I don't think he noticed. He was just staring at me. Well I couldn't blame him as I was staring back at him.
He walked to me, and he was very close. His hands touched my cheeks and he quoted (and in perfect English (), "I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where, I love you simply, without problems or pride: I love you in this way because I don't know any other way of loving."
He kissed me.
I couldn't help comparing him to the (many) others that I had kissed before. He kissed me gently and softly, and well. the kiss was unlike any I had before, because even though he was so gentle, the kiss was the sweetest one I had ever received.
**************************************
Kogure:
I lifted my head. What had gotten over me? I didn't know, and frankly, I didn't care.
"It is you," Megumi whispered.
"How--?" I touched her hair and caressed it.
She laughed softly. "I dyed my hair back then and was wearing colored- contacts."
I smiled.
"I love you, Kogure. I don't know why but I just do," Megumi admitted, still smiling. Tears started to fall from her eyes and I brushed it away.
*end* (well, at least for now. ()
Author: Haha! What do you think? *sigh* please give me reviews! This is my very first fanfic. Sorry if it's a bit confusing, the words just rushed into my head and I guess I wasn't typing fast enough for my mind. Sorry for the errors (if there are)