Disclaimer: I do not own Slam Dunk!! *boo hoo!* And, I certainly do not own Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata! ~_~ Life is just so unfair isn't it?? *pouts*
A big thanks to the reviewers again! ^_^
Tensaispira: You like Zhi Ying?! :D hehehe… Moon-san was glad to hear that! Since it is her that I've got in that ^_~
sLL: She's kooky isn't she? Hehehe… And, rimless glasses…nice… I had one pair made before also, but… it's too thick, so I didn't wear it :P hehehe…
Evil Within: Well…believe it or not, but one pair of glasses can do miracles to a person's looks :P hehehe… So, are you considering changing to a pair of rimless as well?? ^_~
Fiery-chan: Kiang?? Me?? Nah, you must be talking about someone else… hehehe… As for the big secret, can't tell you that ne, if not, it won't be a secret anymore, right? :P
NB: … Thoughts
"…" Character's speech
(Numbers) Explanations in akane の teahouse
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Chapter 2 – A Normal Day at School?
"Miss Zhi, have you been terrorizing your juniors again?" The administrative secretary asked in a faint tone.
Ying grinned widely at the middle aged woman. "In fact, I've been a good girl today. I even brought you the new transferee." She said sweetly.
The woman looked at the quiet girl beside Ying. "Ah, you must be that transferee we've been waiting for. Our principal has been waiting for you and has asked to see you when you arrive. Just bear with me for a moment while I contact him."
Hisae nodded while Ying leaned an elbow onto the counter and tapped her fingers impatiently.
The secretary put the phone back on its hook and smiled at Hisae. "The principal is waiting for you now," she pointed to a door on the right far side of the room. "His office is just there, so you can go ahead."
Hisae bowed slightly in gesture of thanks and walked to the said office.
The secretary then turned to Ying scowling a little. "As for you, young lady, the principal said since you're in the same class as Miss Shitsuki, you'll show her to your classroom and give her a tour around our school later. For now, please take a seat and be good while you wait."
Ying raised an eyebrow and grinned at the secretary naughtily. "Yes ma'am!" She even saluted before she went over to the row of chairs by the wall.
The secretary rolled her eyes at Ying's antics and went back to her work.
Hisae knocked on the door labeled with kouchoushitsu (1) three times before twisting the knob and opening the door.
"Shitsuki-san, please take a seat." The principal, a man in his late fifties said with a kind, friendly smile.
Hisae bowed and sat down in one of the chairs before the large oak desk.
"We've been waiting for you for some time now, Shitsuki-san." He said slowly.
"Eh?" A questioning sigh escaped Hisae.
"Did you not know that you were enrolled in Shohoku from the beginning of the semester?" He asked in surprise of her incomprehension.
Hisae shook her head. "Iie, I didn't know sir. My brother only told me that every thing has been arranged for me and my guardian will tell me at which school I'm enrolled when I arrive in Japan."
The principal scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Sou ka?"
She nodded.
"Well, although I know little about your situation, but I guess I have a hunch on why your brother didn't tell you anything about your new life here in Japan earlier." He smiled understandingly. "But, the main thing is, you are here now. So, I hope you will enjoy your stay here. And, I've acknowledge your request about not using your full name while you are here."
He stood up from his seat and offered a hand to Hisae. "Welcome to Shohoku High, Shitsuki Hisae-san."
Hisae stood up and took his hand. "Arigatou kouchou sensei." She smiled an appreciative smile as she shook his hand.
"Right, the second bell will be going soon. I trust that Zhi Ying-san will take you to your class and show you around the school grounds during the breaks. So, enjoy your day."
"Hai. Doumo arigatou." Hisae bowed deeply and turned to leave the office.
Ying jumped to her feet and hurried over to Hisae as she exited the office.
"Let's go, the second bell's gonna go anytime now, and we have Eguchi sensei for history in the first period. He'll kill us if we're late! C'mon!"
Ying dragged Hisae out of the admin office and ran through a few corridors then up a few flights of stairs to get to their classroom. Both were huffing and puffing by the time they reached their classroom's door, and were just in time to meet up with their approaching teacher.
"Maa, maa, what have we here?" Eguchi sensei smirked at the two girls who were gasping for air. "Miss Zhi, are you going to go into the class by yourself or do you want me to put you in it?"
Ying scowled before looking up at the sensei with a sweet face. "Why of course I will walk into the classroom myself, Eguchi sensei. I can never think of troubling you just to have you put me into the class." She said in a honey covered voice that was emanating with sarcasm.
Ying waltzed into the classroom before Eguchi sensei could retort to her statement, but not before pushing her nose up with a finger to imitate porky pig behind the sensei's back. Hisae saw her little demonstration and stifled a smile. Eguchi sensei then noticed Hisae.
"You are?" He asked coldly.
"Watashi wa Shitsuki Hisae desu, sensei. A tennyuusei (2)." She replied politely after bowing.
"Oh ok. Do you have a transfer slip from the main office?" He asked more friendlily this time.
"Hai." She handed him a piece of blue B5 sized paper.
"Yosh. Come with me then."
He slid the door of Class 3 – 6 opened and stepped inside with Hisae following close behind. Upon his entrance, the whole class quieted and sat up straight facing the front of the room. The prefect called for everyone to stand up and bid their teacher good morning before sitting down again at their teacher's signal.
Eguchi sensei stood behind the desk and cleared his throat. "Good morning class. Today, we have a new transfer student with us. Please welcome her with your friendly manner and help her when she requires your help."
He gestured for Hisae to move forward and introduce herself.
"Watashi wa Shitsuki Hisae desu, doumo yoroshiku." Hisae said as she bowed deeply.
"Are you related to Mitsui? How come your names sound so much alike?" Someone shouted from the back.
Hisae looked up with question marks covering her face. "Huh?"
Ying scowled and sighed hopelessly at her classmate. Why am stuck in a room with that idiot?
"Ano, sumimasen, but who is Mitsui?" Hisae asked in befuddlement.
"OK, listen up people!" Ying stood up suddenly and exclaimed, "She's not related to Mitsui Hisashi! She's a transfer student from Australia. For goodness sake, if you haven't noticed, she's a gaijin, how can she possibly be related to that brainless mule Mitsui!?"
Hisae looked at Ying with thanks for getting her out of the mess. But low and behold, some of the class's female population began to uproar to Ying's comments on Mitsui. Hisae sweat-dropped at the situation whilst Eguchi sensei's throbbing temporal nerve became visible as his temper rose to new heights.
"URUSAI! ALL OF YOU!" Eguchi sensei boomed. The class silent immediately while sweat-dropping acutely as they could see smoke began to appear from their sensei's head.
"I do not want to hear anymore of this…this stupidity! Now, we'll get started on today's lesson." He growled.
When everyone hurried to take out their text books and note books, Eguchi sensei turned to Hisae and spoke softly, while trying to keep his temper in place.
"There's an empty seat next to our prized student, Kogure, so you may sit there." He pointed in the bespectacled boy's direction.
"Hai sensei."
Hisae bowed and walked toward her seat and new seatmate slowly. She nodded at Kogure when she reach the allocated sit and pulled back the chair to sit down.
"Hi, Kogure Kiminobu desu. Yoroshiku." Kogure said while smiling mildly.
Hisae smiled back at him. "Shitsuki Hisae. Nice to make your acquaintance."
"Touché." He smiled.
Hisae raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You know French?"
Kogure laughed lightly. "Nope. But I do remember catching that word in a few movies I've seen before."
"Naruhodo…" She smiled at his reply.
Before they could get more acquainted with each other, Eguchi sensei had started the day's lesson.
o o o o o o
All the students were finally able to catch a breath and relax when the recess bell rang. Everyone in the classroom let out a sigh of relief.
Ying bounced over to where Hisae and Kogure were from the other side of the room, and sat down in the now empty seat in front of Hisae. She leaned her elbows onto Hisae's desk while her hands cupped her face.
"Ne, Hisae-chan, you wanna have lunch together?" Ying asked cheerily.
Hisae smiled. "I'd be glad to. Thanks for the invitation"
"Great!" Ying yelped happily.
"Ying-san, I think you really did it this time. Eguchi sensei was really mad just now." Kogure spoke softly as he arranged his books.
Ying rolled her eyes. "Let me ask you this, Kogure-kun, when is any teacher not mad at me?"
Kogure stopped for a moment as if to think about Ying's words.
"You're right, Ying-san. Guess I worry too much then." He said teasingly.
"Ying-san is in trouble with the teachers?" Hisae asked her new friends.
Ying laughed it off. "Ha! It's more like the teachers are in trouble with me! Hahahahaha…"
"Huh? I don't get it." Hisae said confusingly.
"Let me explain." Kogure said as he pushed the nose piece of his glasses with a finger. "You see, Ying-san here is…well…shall I say, too active for the teachers too handle. But the teachers can't put her in detention or anything because she always manages to keep herself from crossing that boarder, just. And academically speaking, she's one of the top students in Shohoku, so the teachers can't do anything to take out their frustrations."
"Sou…" Hisae nodded.
"Ne Kogure-kun, aren't you mad about me down-grading your teammate like that?" Ying asked while blinking innocently.
Kogure scratched his head feebly. "Ano…I really have no comments on that one. But I do wonder why you hold such a grudge against Mitsui."
Ying shrugged carelessly, but her flamingly eyes betrayed her. "Like I said, he's a brainless mule."
"Sou ka?" Kogure smiled thoughtfully.
"Hn." Ying shrugged again. "Just the mention of scar boy agitates me from here to Rome and back! Argh! That chauvinistic brainless mule. I'll get him one of these days and deflate his ego for all it's worth." She clenched her hands into balls of fists as she spoke.
Both Kogure and Hisae could see the dangerous flame that was dancing in Ying's eyes.
"Ano, Ying-san, don't you think you're overreacting? I mean, Mitsui's not such as bad guy after all." Kogure tried to cool Ying's temper and defend his teammate at the same time.
"Not a bad guy my foot!" Ying snubbed.
The bell indicating the start of another string of lessons sounded before the Kogure could say more for trying to make peace between Ying and Mitsui. Ying returned to her seat as their English teacher entered the classroom. The teacher frowned upon seeing her running to her seat.
o o o o o o
After the double period of English, everyone in Class 3 – 6 almost shouted "hail to the life saving lunch bell". English, although in the Japanese society it was not used that often in the common daily life, it was still a necessity to learn and know the language. For most of the Japanese, it wasn't an easy language to learn, so most of the students would have a hell of a time whenever they had their English lessons. However, within Class 3 – 6, less than a handful of students found English difficult. These were the top students, Ying, Akagi, and Kogure. Hisae on the other hand, was of course not stressed by the language since she grew up in a western country.
"Hisae-chan, let's go and I'm starving." Ying shouted as she waltzed over to Hisae's seat.
Hisae took out her purse from her bag and stood up to go. She turned to Kogure before they left, "Would you like to join us, Kogure-kun?"
Kogure declined as he pushed his chair into position. "Thanks for the invite, but I'm can't join you I'm afraid. We've got practice."
"Oh, what sort of practice?" Hisae asked out of curiosity.
"Basketball of course." A voice boomed behind them.
Kogure smiled at his best friend. "Aa, Akagi. You ready to go?"
"Of course."
Ying let out a mushroom breath. "You're a slave driver Akagi-kun." She said to the giant towering above them, but Akagi just smiled at her.
Hisae looked at the new comer and was quite surprised by his height.
"By the way, this is Shitsuki Hisae-san." Kogure began to introduce his new seatmate to his best friend.
"I know Kogure, she introduced herself this morning." Akagi said to the vice-captain and offered a hand to Hisae. "Akagi Takenori. Captain of the basketball team. Nice to meet you."
"Like wise." Hisae shook his hand briefly and smiled.
"OK, we'd better get going Kogure." Akagi said.
Kogure nodded and waved at the girls. "See you guys later."
The girls waved back then went off in the opposite direction.
After buying their bento boxes from the cafeteria, Ying and Hisae found a shady spot under the blooming sakuras to have their lunch.
"Ne Hisae-chan, I think it's really a pity that you cut your hair." Ying said as she chewed on a piece of tori karage (3).
Hisae looked at her questioningly. "Why do you say that Ying-san?"
Ying shrugged. "You've got nice hair. Oh and by the way, drop the san thing, it is so ewe~" She made a gesture shuddering at the mention of the suffix. "Besides, formalities and I don't mix."
Hisae smiled at her friend's relaxed attitude. She is such a free spirited girl. How I wish I could be like her, but… She sighed mentally.
"Hisae? Earth to Hisae!" Ying waved a hand in front of the seemingly lost Hisae.
Hisae snapped out of her reverie and smiled apologetically. "Gomen. Where were we?"
Ying pointed at her head. "Your hair."
"Oh yes. Well, I have my reasons." Hisae smiled dimly.
"Okies. Everyone has their own little secrets, so I won't ask anymore. But you know what? That pair of glasses you had on when you were at Tengo was really disastrous; this new pair is way nicer." Ying winked at her.
Hisae blushed a little at her comment. "Aa…thanks."
Ying laughed out loud at how easily Hisae blushed.
"Hey, you wanna go and watch the basketball team practice later? When we finish our lunch I mean." Ying asked suddenly.
"Basketball team?" Hisae asked hazily.
"Yeah! Akagi and Kogure are there, oh and Kogure's the vice-captain of the team if you don't already know." Ying said in a shrilled voice. "I heard they have a really good chance at making it to the prefecture finals this year."
"Sou ka? He doesn't look it though." Hisae mumbled.
"Hey, there's the saying 'looks can be deceiving', remember?" Ying winked at her.
Hisae smiled and said. "OK, since we have nothing better to do."
"Yosh! Let's finish our lunch and go then."
Hisae nodded. Just as she was going to start at her bento again, she remembered something and looked at Ying suspiciously. "Ying, why were you at Tengo yesterday? And how come you know how to hair dress?"
Ying's chopsticks stopped in midair and she let out a nervous laugh. "Ano… hehe… well… you see… um… my mum's the owner of Tengo, so… um… you know what I mean." She said sheepishly.
Hisae let out a small laugh at her seemingly nothing-can-beat-me-down friend's nervous gestures. "I see, and thank you for cutting my hair so nicely for me Ying. I really like it."
"You do?" Ying's eyes brightened at her words.
Hisae nodded. "Uh huh. I think you've got really skilled hands."
"Yes!" Ying exclaimed and balled her right hand into the air, along with her chopsticks. "You're my first master piece Hisae, and I'll guarantee there's more to come."
Hisae just smiled at Ying's happy actions. So this is what it feels like to have friends… She smiled a silent smile to herself.
o o o o o o
Ayako looked over to the door as it was pushed open. In came two girls, one whom she was familiar with because of the well known fights she had with Mitsui, and one she had never seen before. She quickly scanned the new girl from head to toe and found that girl looked somewhat familiar, yet she couldn't remember where she'd seen her before. She tilted her head to the right slightly and looked at the new girl again. The girl had chin length, layered brown hair that framed her oval face nicely. She's definitely taller than most Japanese girls, and her features shouted the word gaijin. She's not the drop-dead-gorgeous type, more like the soft spoken types that you have to really look to find her attractive in the most subtle of ways.
Where have I seen that face before? Ayako asked herself silently. Oh, whatever, it'll come to me when the time comes.
The curly hair manageress of the basketball team walked over to Ying and Hisae. "Ying-sempai, so nice to see you today."
"Hey Ayako-chan, how's things?" Ying smiled at her junior.
"Considering how things are going, it's not bad." Ayako shrugged. "Ano sempai, who's your new friend?"
"She's Hisae, a new transferee, and my new classmate." Ying introduced briefly.
Ayako grinned brightly. "Aa." She bowed, "I'm Ayako, the team's manageress. Doumo yoroshiku."
Hisae bowed in return. "Shitsuki Hisae. Doumo yoroshiku."
"Hisae-sempai, you sure look like a gaijin, where are you from?" Ayako asked excitedly.
"I'm from Australia."
"Your mother must be an Australian then, since you've got a Japanese surname."
"Iie. My mother was from Japan. I'm just using her maiden name. My father was from originally France." Hisae told her junior.
"Sou ka?" Ayako's eyes widened. "How come you're not using your father's name then? Shouldn't you use his name?"
"My French surname is too long and besides, I'm in Japan now, so using my mum's maiden name would make things a lot easier."
"Aa. Let me just ask you one more question, then I'll shut up." Ayako smiled sheepishly. "Do you speak French then?"
Hisae smiled at her cheerful junior and nodded. "We speak both French and Japanese at home, that why I can communicate with you now in Japanese."
Ayako nodded her head energetically. "OK, I will now shut up." I definitely don't remember knowing or meeting such a person before. Wonder why I feel she looks familiar…
Hisae let out a small laugh upon Ayako's frantic nodding.
The two then noticed something, Ying's quiet. Too quiet in fact. So they turned to look at Ying and found her in an intense staring contest with who-else but the former junior high MVP, Mitsui Hisashi. Fiery sparks could be felt reverberating in the air. Guess this is what happened when enemies met.
"What are you looking at you brainless baka?" Ying snarled at the indigo head.
"Look who's talking. And who are you calling a brainless baka, you lame-brain onna!" Mitsui snorted. "Also, if you don't cap that cockiness of yours, you're definitely going to be boy-friendless for the rest of your high school life."
Immediately, all eyes on court were turned to the bickering pair.
"Lame-brain, am I? I wonder who was it that failed almost every single subject in last term's exams. Besides, cockiness suits me. I like being cocky and who said that I'm worried about not having a boy friend?"
Mitsui stomped over to the sideline where Ying was standing and tried to intimidate her with his height and size. Ying did not feel unnerved at all by Mitsui's stance. Instead, she smirked at him, degradingly.
"Why you!?" Sparks of anger could be seen burning in Mitsui's blue eyes. Miyagi quickly ran forward and held the point guard back as he was about to lunge for Ying.
"Mitsui-san! She's a girl for god's sake! You can't beat up a girl! Besides, don't you remember what you promised Anzai sensei?" Miyagi shouted as he increased the pressure of his arm lock on the taller boy.
Mitsui glared daggers at the smirking Ying and took a couple of deep breaths. Calm down there Hisashi, calm down…
Kogure jumped into the scene sweat-dropping. "Mitsui-kun, calm down please..."
"Don't worry Kogure, I'm a civilized person, not some brut. I don't hit ladies, especially not shrews like her." Mitsui shoved Miyagi off and grunted. "Ha! But, if she's a lady then the real ladies must be on the extinct creatures' lists! Hahahahaha…"
Everyone sweat-dropped at Mitsui's words. But he was suddenly 'swept off' his feet at the blink of an eye and fell backward with a loud thud. Before he had a chance to figure out what happened, Ying loomed over him and knelt a knee into his groin causing him to hiss at the pain. She pulled his collar, lifting his upper torso slightly above the ground.
"Listen up you dickhead, a word of advise to you is: kill that blasted oh-I'm-so-great ego of yours; if not, I can guarantee you that I'll kick your ass to the moon and back one of these days!" Ying sneered at him.
Kogure's glasses became lop-sided at what he saw and gawked at what was happening before him, together with the others.
She let go of the indigo head and strolled toward the shocked Ayako and Hisae. She then stopped in mid stride and looked back at the still down point guard and grinned evilly. "By the way, I'd think twice before I'd take revenge if I'm you, cause, I'm a black belt in Judo."
"Let's go Hisae. I'm sure you don't want to get infected by that baka's absurdity." Ying pulled the stunned Hisae out the gym smiling happily. "Bye Ayako." She shouted without looking back.
"Wow! I sure don't wanna get in her way." Commented the stunned Ayako.
Miyagi turned to Mitsui in slow motion. "Ano…Mitsui-san, I wouldn't do anything stupid if I were you."
Kogure hurried to help Mitsui up. "You OK, Mitsui?"
Mitsui darted a death glare at the mushroom head and mumbled. "Yeah…"
I swear I'm gonna get that baka onna back if not my name's not Mitsui! He growled mentally.
"Nyahahahahahaha! Micchy's butt was kicked by an onna! Nyahahahahahaha!" Sakuragi burst out laughing his maniacal laugh while pointing a finger at flushed Mitsui.
"Teme kono aka ozaru! Urusai!" Mitsui growled, fists clenched.
"Nyhahahaha…" Sakuragi chose to ignore his senior and continued laughing.
"Do'ahos." The Ice Prince who witnessed the whole scene silently finally commented.
"Teme kitsune, who…ITAI!" Sakuragi yelled and held his hands up to his head, rubbing a newly formed, steaming hot bump.
"What was that for gori!? I didn't do anything!" The red head cried.
Akagi ignored the red head and shouted. "Get back to practice now people!"
Everyone snapped out of being stunned and got back to what they were doing before the Mitsui-Ying brawl.
Through gritted teeth, Mitsui grumbled, "I swear, I'll get her back for this…"
Meanwhile, Ying and Hisae strolled along one of the corridors.
"Ying, was that really necessary just now?" Hisae asked cautiously.
Ying looked at her and grinned. "Of course. I've wanted to do that for so long and today, I found the chance."
"But, don't you think that was a little too…um…too much?"
"Definitely not! That guy needs his ego squashed, big time!"
"But don't you think that Mitsui-kun could be hurt badly? I mean, psychologically speaking."
"Nah! That guy's too tough to fall because of what happened just now." Ying's grin widened at that. "I bet'cha he's gonna think of something to get back at me. Although I don't know what it'll be, but I'll be anticipating."
Hisae looked at her friend strangely. "It seems to me that you enjoy conflicting with Mitsui-kun."
"Of course I enjoy them, why else would I be so happy now?"
Hisae sweat-dropped at her friend's declaration. What is she thinking?!
The rest of the day was a peaceful one, compared to what happened during their lunch break. After the final bell rang, Hisae and Ying walked out of the school grounds together. When they reached the T-junction to the right of the school gates, they said goodbyes and headed for home in different directions.
That…ended the first day of Japanese high school life for Hisae and her second day in the land of the rising sun.
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akane の teahouse…
Ano…guess the first thing this neko needs to do is run and hide from the Mitsui Fans?? O.o But, think about it… I'm not that harsh on him am I? :x hehehe…
Anyways…Here are the explanations for some of the terms:
(1) Kouchoushitsu ~ Principal's Office
(2) Tennyuusei ~ Transfer Student
(3) tori karage ~ deep fried chicken, Jap style *yumz~*
Okies, Okies…So…Reviews plz~~~ :D Doumo arigatou~ (begging on hand and knees here…so…be kind and drop a line?? Thankies…)
The lazy neko signing out… =^.^=