Wai!!!
Welcome to Chapter 6! *cartwheels* Woooo. Wondering why I am in genki mood today? It's because of my very nice reviewers! *forces a smile* ^_ _ _ _ ^ Hehe. jk.
Iron Kitty-sama. Thank you again for the inspiration.
Blah blah blah blah blah. School is very tiring, so yeah, I hope you guys are having much luck than I am. Lastly, Happy Holidays to everyone!
Enjoy!
Chapter 6 - Three's a crowd
The public library was closed due to renovation. Fujima sullenly slumped on the stairs trying to think of what to do on this pleasant Saturday morning. He was waiting for the weekend to arrive to do some school work since he couldn't surf the internet because there was no phone line in his room yet.
Of all the days for the library to get renovated. Why today? He had no agenda for the whole day except for his research. The paper was due next week but he wanted to start early, of course. Back in senior high, he and his friends often visited the library to finish their school work. They would pass it a week early so that they would have time to practice basketball. Being in the basketball club was a privilege. One got to be treated with respect and idolized by many. As former captain and coach of the basketball club in Shoyo, his studies and responsibility mixed very well.
College however, was different. One was all alone. He wanted to go back to playing basketball but he knew it was going to be hard. He wanted to finish his first year before joining club.
The first step is always the hardest. He kept that quote in mind thinking of the amateur turned Tensai player of Shohoku.
Fujima wiped his face with his handkerchief and stood up, walking to his car.
There was absolutely no way he could research for his paper today. He didn't have anything else to do. The apartment would be empty and boring by this time. His friends may already have their own plans for the weekend. That left him alone and his Celest.
"Maybe it's time I get to visit the mall for a while." He told himself, starting the engine.
* * *
The mall in Nagai was a lot bigger than those back in his hometown. Different kinds of people, young and old, flocked the place. More people came in rather than going out. Fujima stood behind the line and waited for his turn to enter.
When he got inside, he looked around and found the reason why the place was packed. There was a mall wide sale held this day.
He decided to visit his favorite department: the sports section. This would be a great time to check out the latest in basketball gear and equipment. Before he left to study in Daigo, he left all this practice materials back at home. It wouldn't hurt if he played the sport once again; he needed some exercise anyway. He passed by his favorite men's apparel first and looked around.
"My dad would like this suit." Fujima noted as he moved closer to the window. The coat was very expensive however. Everything in that store cost over a thousand. He shook his head, disappointed, but entered the store.
He supposed that something in that store would be on sale. He walked in between some clothes racks, carefully looking for a size. There was another nice looking suit near the fitting room. Immediately he looked for the tag revealing its price.
"Not bad." He grinned, lifting its sleeves and checking out the hems. "It's too early for Christmas, but I would never find another designer suit as cheap as this."
"I bet that looks good on you." A woman's voice said to him.
Fujima turned his head to his surprise and found Sen behind him. She was with a small girl who shyly hid behind her legs.
"Nishimura-san!" Fujima bowed. "Forgive me if I didn't see you earlier…"
"Oh, it's no problem at all." Sen smiled sweetly back at him and bowed her head. "We were just looking as well. I need to find a birthday gift for my uncle."
"Her father?" Fujima pointed at the small girl.
Sen shook her head. "She's my daughter."
"Oh." He looked stunned as he swallowed a lump in his throat.
"Surprised, aren't you?" Sen knelt down in front of the little girl and fixed the ribbon by her collar.
Fujima nodded.
"Fujima-san," She looked up to him, "This is my daugther Arisa. Arisa, this is Kenji-niichan. He was the one who helped mommy the other day when her ankle hurt." Sen introduced them, a warm smile on her face. She stood up and pushed the little girl gently to walk over to Fujima. The former Shoyo captain went down on one knee and patted the girl on the head.
"I'm pleased to meet you, Arisa-chan." He smiled.
The little girl blushed and nodded then went back beside her mother without saying a word.
"She doesn't really like to talk." Sen informed him sadly.
Fujima looked a little concerned. "How old is she?"
"She's turning four this summer." Sen replied, smoothing the hair of her dauther. "Are you going to buy that suit?" She looked back at him, changing the subject.
He turned back at the mannequin and sighed. "It's an excellent kind, isn't it?"
Sen nodded. "Like I said, it looks good on you."
Fujima laughed. "Oh no, it's not for me. I was planning to give it to my father. He's a lawyer and lawyers need nice suits."
"And then I bet, the two of you just look the same!" She softly chuckled. "If you really want to give it to him, then buy it." Then she extended her arm to check out the price tag. "Not bad for a price."
"Yeah, I think so too." He agreed. "Well, then. That settles it. Will you excuse me for a while, Nishimura-san?" His eyes fell on the two ladies.
Sen laughed and nodded while her daugther just blushed again.
Fujima walked towards the counter and talked to a thin man with glasses and a tape measure hanging on his shoulders. The thin man slowly took the outfit off the mannequin and handed it to a lady by the fitting room.
"Would you like to fit it, sir?" The man asked.
Fujima gave a brief nod.
"This way, please." The lady called out. She led Fujima to the last door and handed him the suit.
Sen was waiting for him by the corner with her daugther still behind her legs.
"You look like a lawyer!" She exclaimed, clasping her hands to her chest.
Fujima ran his fingers through his thick brown hair and grinned. "Thanks, I think. It's too big on me." He said moving closer to a mirror.
"It's for your father, remember?" Sen reminded him.
"Oh, oh yeah." He raised his eyebrows and scratched the back of his head. "Well?"
Sen titled her head and looked at her daugther. "What do you think, Arisa?"
The shy girl just nodded.
"Alright then. I'll take it." Fujima signaled to the thin man again, then he looked back at them and winked. "Thank God I have two great fashion consultants."
Sen just laughed at the compliment.
Fujima paid for the suit and the three of them left the store. Sen and her daugther separated ways from him afterwards, leaving him alone again. He felt a little glad to see Sen in the mall. At least for a moment, he wasn't alone. Although the news about someone looking as young as her having a daugther really shocked him. He had some questions for her, but he decided to save it till their next meeting.
The sports outlet was packed with teenage boys when he arrived. It really wasn't a good plan to go there at that time. Raging young men fought over discounted t-shirts, jerseys, jackets and more. Fujima left the store at once and headed for the music store instead.
At least that place wasn't too much occupied. The music section was a little bit more refined. The soothing music of some famous band raided the airwaves, making it more comfortable to go in.
Walking to check out the "New Releases" stall, he saw a familiar looking figure. The young woman had earphones on her head and listening innocently to the music with her eyes closed. It was Kana.
He liked what she wore today: baggy army jeans, a black shirt and an orange bandanna on her hair. She looked cute and sporty, he noted. He just wished that he could see her belly ring again. The idea made him laugh and shake his head. Fujima marched towards her, carrying his father's early christmas present in his hand.
She was listening to BoA's latest single. He smiled. BoA was one his favorite artists. Fujima just stood there waiting for her to finish the song, eyeing her excellent stature with his blue eyes.
Finally she opened her eyes and was startled as soon as she saw Fujima standing in front of her.
"Fujima-kun! How long have you been there?!" Kana quickly removed the headphones from her head and placing it down.
"Just a few moments ago." He shrugged, looking at the CD in her hands. "You like BoA?"
Kana smiled. "Uh-huh. She's really cool." Then she looked around and placed her gaze back on him again. "I suppose you like her too?"
"Yeah. I think she's really pretty and her voice is different from the others."
"I thought you were going to the library? What are you doing here then?"She asked curiously, patting the CD case on her palm. "Looks like you've been shopping." Her eyes shifted on the bag behind him.
Fujima felt a slight blush creep on his face and looked at the bag."Oh, this one? It's for my father."
Kana's eyebrow arched and smiled. "Ahh, you're a nice son." That was all she could say about that.
"Thanks." Fujima replied. "You come here often?" He asked but before she could answer, Eichiro suddenly appeared beside Kana, sliding his arms around her waist and nuzzling his face on her hair.
"Hey, how's it goin', Kenji?" Eichiro greeted, removing his hands on her waist and placing in on Kana's shoulder.
"Fine." He answered casually.
Eichiro turned to Kana and frowned. "You going to buy that or what? I'm starving. We've been here for almost an hour."
"Yeah, just a minute." Kana rolled her eyes and avoiding Fujima's stare. Kana squared her shoulders and walked over to the counter leaving the two.
"Whatcha doing here?" Eichiro asked Fujima lazily, leaning on the stall.
"Killing time." He replied coolly. "I was supposed to go to be at the library but it was closed."
"Library on a Saturday?" Eichiro raised his voice. "Man, are you sick? You have a week for school and only two days for rest!"
Fujima shrugged. "I've got nothing else to do."
Eichiro shook his head and laughed. "You need to learn how to hang-out. Kana and I can show you around sometime. If you want…"
What does this guy think I am? Some sort of geek? Fujima confronted his thoughts. I do know how to hang out. I just don't like wasting my time on unproductive things.
He forced himself to smile. "Yeah, sure."
"So, where do you guys wanna eat?" Kana asked as they left the store. She stood in between Fujima and Eichiro.
"I should be going now. I'll let the two of you eat your lunch alone." Fujima looked around.
"Nah." Eichiro slapped his back. "We don't mind, do we, Kana?" He looked back at her.
"Guess not." She mumbled.
Fujima shook his head again. "I'm fine, I'm really not that hungry. And…" He hesitated.
"Just come with us, okay?" Kana suddenly spat out. "It's only lunch! We're not going to eat you or something."
"Yeah." Eichiro nodded, looking at little surprised. "We're all roomies here, remember? We should get along... y'know, chill out?"
Fujima shrugged. "If you say so." He finally agreed.
They ended up in a pizza parlor and entered the booth.
Kana and Fujima looked for some seats and waited while Eichiro went to the counter to place their orders. Suddenly, Eichiro came rushing to Kana and pulled her out of her seat. He dragged Kana to a corner and hissed. "Quick, lend me some money!"
"What?!" Kana exclaimed.
He looked embarassed. "I used all my money. Can I borrow some?"
"I only have a few here left! I spent it all already. How did that happen?" She scowled. "You're the one who's hungry!"
Eichiro rolled his eyes. "I used all my money in the arcade."
"Then cancel the order, you idiot!" She shot back. Her eyes nervously looking at Fujima. He was staring at them curiously.
"Er, I can't." He sighed. "The lady just punched it in."
"Damnit!" Kana swore. "Let's get out of here then."
"What about him?" Eichiro squeezed Kana's arm and pointed at Fujima.
Kana passed a hand over her face and frowned. "We'll tell him the truth. God, I can't believe you would do something stupid like this!" She said as they approached the table.
The girl stood beside Fujima and lowed her head. Fujima looked up in her eyes and stared at them. "Is something wrong, Kana-san?"
"We have to go, Fujima-kun." Kana confessed, looking embarrassed. "Uh… Eichiro forgot his wallet." She mumbled, pretending to scratch an itch on her ear.
"No problem." Fujima stood up and reached for his wallet. "I'll pay for it."
"You will?!" Eichiro's face brightened.
"Shut up!" Kana nudged him on the stomach with her elbow. Then she turned to Fujima again. "It's okay, we can eat when we get home. It's no big deal."
Fujima shook his head and insisted. "I said, it's alright. Besides, you guys must be hungry." He started to walk to the counter.
"We'll pay you when we get back." Kana muttered, giving up.
The former Shoyo captain, looked back at her and grinned. "You don't need to bother. It's my treat."
Kana gaped in shock as Eichiro pulled her back to take a seat.
"I really have to go now." Fujima stood up, wiping his mouth with a tissue paper. "I have to finish some paperwork."
The two looked up at him and nodded.
"Thanks again, Fujima-kun." Kana bowed her head. Eichiro did the same thing.
"Anytime." He replied. "See you guys back at the apartment." He waved and walked out the store.
* * *
Fujima was back in his room around the mid-afternoon. His hands were behind his head and he let his thoughts wander off again. He was seriously thinking of putting up a phone line in his room. If the library was closed, he sure needed the internet for backup. First, he would need to ask Teru about that.
It has almost been a week since he started to live in Nagai and he was feeling a little used to it by now. Teru was a good roommate, even though he was kinda noisy at night due to his guitar. But, nevertheless, he played nice tunes. He was a little worried about Hanagata's cousin. He took his music career more seriously than his studies. Fujima didn't want to interfere, but he thought Teru needed some help when it came to his schooling. Kana, was just like him. He often saw her hanging around the hallways with Eichiro. Not that Eichiro was a bad influence on her but the both of them were a little happy-go-lucky. He could still remember those things they talked about when they were together. He noticed how different the way she acts towards him and other people. It was puzzling. Fujima shoved those thoughts away, leaving behind Kazuya. Kana's older brother. He never saw Kazuya during the day and only a peek of him at night when he wanted to borrow something from Teru. Kazuya was the oldest, next to Teru. The man was probably busy with school. He was taking up engineering, or he could have a job. He really didn't know, maybe one day he could ask them about that.
The young musician came back late that night. He looked a little tired and drained. Fujima welcomed him by the couch as he watched TV. Teru slumped on the seat and stretched his arms, yawning.
"What have you been up too?" Fujima asked.
"We had a gig and Ryutaro had a fight, we all got mixed in." He massaged his shoulder.
"How was it? I mean the gig."
"The same. We got banned in the bar." Teru looked a little dissappointed. "It always happens. No biggie."
"How's that?"
"Well…" Teru began, "There was this chick by the counter and that bastard, Ryutaro who was drunk, came to her and slapped her ass. Of course the girl got mad and slapped him on the face."
Fujima nodded, waiting for him to say more.
"The next thing we know is, the girl was the daugther of the guy who owned the bar and he threw us out!" Teru gritted his teeth.
"I can imagine how…" He thought for a while, "…how Hiroshi looked."
"Yeah," Teru agreed. "That was the fight. Anyway, it's eleven already, why you still up?"
"I was going to ask if it was okay if we put a phone here. I need it for the internet." Fujima explained, shuting the TV. off.
Teru looked around. "Sure, as long as you're going to pay for it."
"I will." He said, standing up.
"Do whatever you want." Teru shrugged and grinned.
"Thanks." Fujima bowed and walked to his room. "Good night."
"Yeah, you too… and hey," He called. "Dinner, tomorrow, Kazuya's room. We always have sort-off family gathering every Sunday night. Kana's cooking."
Fujima nodded briefly. "Sure." Then he locked the door.
----------
Rah rah rah! Go go go!