Gomen! I didn't update this one along with my other fics a week ago. But to make up to it, I wrote what seemed to me like an extra long chapter! Enjoy, minna!
Disclaimer: For the XIVXXIIVV'th time, Slam Dunk does not belong to me.
Fiery-ice: Come and see what I have 'cooked up'! Ha ha!
Rapt142: Annoying? You? Get real, Rapt142. I love you for actually bothering to review! Arigato! And thanks for being my fan – and no, I'm not thinking it as another way. Ha ha! Enjoy this chap!
Patty g: I don't know what Fujima's up to. You never know with that kind of a guy…
Tensaispira: Cool! Does your mom like Kaede? (SHE MUST! SHE SHOULD!)
Mimi: I'll think about the Sakuragi fic – but I really don't know what to do with him! It's because he's already got a suitor, see (read: Haruko) I only do well with OC's! You might have noticed I didn't write anything about Miyagi either!
Jo-sen7: Thanks! Read on!
Joy: Left you hanging?? Now, why is that? I've updated! (readers: About damn time!)
Frozenfemale: Why? You don't like seeing Fujima flirt? He he!
Alexia: What happened to my other fics? I dunno. Why? What happened to them?
SLL: Thanks for your support, sll-san- and remember, I'm supporting your fic too (even though you're not writing anymore) *pulls a face to make sLL guilty*
Tiran: Ha ha! The day you like Fujima is the day I'm seventeen years in my grave!
Lazuli: Good to know you like this!
Fer-chan: Yes, that's the right spelling ^_^ Ha ha! *ooks down at fer-chan down in the ravine* hey, did you hear me???
Shirodachi: I agree. *nods firmly*
Reika Zelon: Thanks! And yes! Fujima – a FLIRT! *gives Fujima a congratulatory pat on the shoulder*
Leviathan: Thanks! I dunno about another fics about Fujima (how on earth will I come up with an OC to rival Rui??) but I promise you if I write anything else, I'll dedicate it to you. Is that okay?
Kylie: The next chapter's out already! Patience, my dear, patience!
He was, Rui decided, the most annoying of his kind. She glared determinedly at her captain's back, her eyes all but digging a hole there. His stupid charm. His idiotic calmness and unbearable cool head. Very, very annoying. Especially when she couldn't match up to it.
Rui had woken up that day determined to forget the undoubtedly embarrassing conversation she had exchanged with him yesterday – and was doing fine acting as if nothing had happened until he emerged from the tent he shared with Kiyota and Sakuragi.
He hadn't done anything out of ordinary.
He had looked at her and smiled, as usual. But that smile gave out a dozen meanings. Rui hissed quietly. A whole lot of meanings indeed.
Too absorbed with her thoughts, Rui tripped over a massive tree root.
Almost automatically, Fujima turned with his hands halfway out to catch her from a disastrous fall. Rui quickly and forcibly stabled herself and shot him a furious glare. "I'm all right," she muttered, sounding a little sulky. "It's just a root."
To his credit, Fujima didn't even smile. "Of course," he said seriously and then turned back before allowing a grin to grace his face. The girl was uncomfortable around him. What fun. (^_^)
Behind them, a very loud squabble was going on.
"Three sips, I say!" Kiyota insisted. "Three sips only!"
Sakuragi was twisting the cap of Kiyota's water bottle gaily, ignoring its babbling owner.
"You idiot!" Kiyota continued. "Even the stupidest guy would know to bring his own water bottle into the jungle." Then his mouth dropped open. "I SAID THREE SIPS!" He grabbed his bottle back and peeked into it disdainfully. "You finished it!"
"BUUUUUURRPP!" came Sakuragi's cheerful reply.
"Why you –"
A series of punches issued.
Rui tried to stifle her laughter and struggled for a serious frown. "I think you better stop them, Captain."
Fujima gave her a dismissive shrug. "Let them. They lessen the tension and entertain us at the same time."
Rui agreed, but her pecky mood made her decidedly rebellious. "You're taking it very lightly." She muttered testily. "They'll kill each other."
He glanced back at her. "Why? Are you going to miss them?"
She glared at him.
He grinned. "If it were me, are you going to miss me?"
"If it were you," she replied hotly. "I'd be the first in line to see you get buried."
Fujima gave her a tragic sigh. "Some people," he said then, "have funny ways of showing their affection."
Rui looked firmly away.
"I have my own way of showing my affection too," Fujima continued. "Would you like to share it, Rui? I'm sure I have some to spare."
Rui simply turned around and walked away to the end of the line, where Minami tagged along. Her friend raised an eyebrow at her as she approached. "What happened? He demoted you to the end of the line?"
"No, I demoted myself." Her eyes were still bright and furious. "Otherwise, I would have given into the urge of pushing him over the hill or whacking him with a tree root."
Minami smiled. "He's teasing you, isn't he?"
"I'd say the word is 'bully'." Rui gritted her teeth. "For all his innocent and angelic looks, he's a red-butted devil inside. He knows he's good-looking and he's using it to its full uses." Rui glared over her shoulder. "Just for the fun of it."
"He likes you, Rui."
"Hah! I bet he's flirting with every other girl in camp as well." Her eyes narrowed. "And I bet they're all falling around his feet like dead chickens." She glanced one more time at Fujima. "He's a lady-killer, that's what. And a corrupted playboy as well."
Minami laughed lightly, kicking a gnarled, rotten branch out of her way. "Oh, I can guarantee you he's been very well behaved with the rest of us girls," she assured. "Not at all like a red-butted devil or a lady-killer or a corrupted playboy."
Rui glared sideways. "Whose side are you on?"
"Yours, of course."
"Well, then act and sound like it."
"I just want what's best for you," Minami replied calmly. Her eyes glinted mischievously. "It's pretty obvious that you like him."
"Here we go." Rui sighed and closed her eyes, holding back the blush with fierce determination. "He's a user, Minami. He uses people. And he's using me, for entertainment purposes. There is no way I will like such a –"
"I don't think so," Minami disagreed, and her reasonable tone only further annoyed Rui. "I've seen the way he looks at you, darling. If he is using you, he's surely taking a great risk by mixing in his emotions."
There was a faint blush on Rui's cheeks, though she was clearly struggling to cover it. "Well now, since when were you an expert in stuff like this?"
Minami smiled. "You're angry," she chuckled. "You know why? Because I'm right. You usually hate it when other people are right."
Rui blew a huge breath. "Let's talk about something else."
"Why? This topic is interesting enough."
Rui hissed and walked away to the centre of the line, joining (with certain reluctance) Sakuragi and Kiyota who were still arguing about water and the lack of it. Minami laughed delightedly behind her.
The Rangers were gathered in a circle that evening in the centre of their camp. Fujima crouched directly in the middle, with a stick in his hand. When everybody had arrived, he cleared his throat, looked one last time in Rui's direction and proceeded to explain the newly thought-up strategy.
"Tomorrow, we will likely collide with the other Ranger team," he told them, his voice precise and loud. "And quite obviously, we'll have to fight. The winning team will finish trekking through the jungle, whereas the losing team will stay here and wait for the pick-up truck before parading into the Forest Management Square like big losers in front of the winning team." He paused. "Which one do you all want to do?"
"FINISH TREKKING THE JUNGLE!"
"And watch the losers parade themselves like fools." Rui added.
"Fantastic." Fujima nodded approvingly. "Now that we've all got the right mind-set, keep it that way. Now, for the strategy…" He went on to explain in length about scouts and spies and back-up support. "If all else fails," he said, "crash into their campsite and do as much damage as you can," he looked around, "just don't give up and climb a tree."
"DEFINITELY NOT!"
"Do we all know what to do tomorrow?"
"YES!"
"Do we all look forward to seeing the enemies' crestfallen faces?"
"YES!"
"Absolutely," Rui nodded firmly, thinking of the detestable enemy captain.
"Then let's get ready."
With an energetic roar, the Rangers set forth to prepare the trenches and defence wall. Fujima stayed for a moment and looked over the squiggles he'd drawn on the ground one more time. Rui stayed too, and watched him.
Presently, he looked up. "Yes, Rui?"
Embarrassed at being caught staring, she coughed awkwardly. "You're putting too much emphasis on defence, Captain," she informed him tightly. "Why are we taking a defensive stand? Why shouldn't we attack them just as hard as they'll attack us?"
"Because they'll expect it," he replied. "Because it's exactly what you've always done. They'll be in for a surprise."
"How are we going to win just by standing behind walls?"
He looked as if he was about to say something, but then stopped himself with a shake of the head at her. "Trust me, Rui," he assured her. "Just trust me."
She scowled. "I hate it when people say that."
He grinned at her. "That's why I said it." He laughed lightly when she shot him a murderous look. "You're angry with me," he said then. "For some other reason than the fact that I annoy you."
She had no idea where he was trying to head the conversation to. "Why yes, a whole lot of other reasons. You're stubborn, you're way over-confident, you're –"
"You think I'm playing with you."
She stared at him, baffled. "What?"
"I'm not a corrupted playboy. Neither am I a red-butted devil."
Understanding and vowing to kill Minami next time she came in sight, Rui reddened unwillingly. "I don't know what you're talking about or why you're even attempting to discuss this at a time like –"
He stood up straight, much to her discomfort and looked at her right in the eye. "I really do like you," he said seriously then. "As a matter of fact, it probably goes a little deeper than just 'like'." He grinned when her cheekbones grew stiff. "I know, I'm not all that excited about it either. I hardly understand what's happening between you and me, and I hate it when I don't understand something. We've been playing games with each other, and I think it's time we get slightly more open with our feelings."
She took a deep breath. "What are we using as weapons?"
Fujima simply raised an eyebrow at the cowardly retreat. Then he smiled. "I don't know why the prospect of us getting friendly bothers you so much," he muttered. And then he answered her. "Rotten eggs."
Glad that they were on an entirely different topic, Rui eagerly pounced on it. "Rotten eggs? Where on earth are we going to get rotten eggs from a place like this?"
"Have you noticed just how smelly Kiyota and Sakuragi are?"
Rui thought about it. "I don't know, I've never really paid any attention or attempted to sniff at them but …yeah, actually, they do."
"They've got dozens of boxes of rotten eggs in their backpack, courtesy of Sakuragi's aunt's noodle shop." He beamed. "It's a perfect choice, if you ask me. Eggs easily break, and the stench stays on for days. Weeks, even, especially if you get it in the hair."
She had her eyes narrowed at him. "You prepared for battle even before you came here?" she asked a little testily. "Did you know you were going to be captain beforehand?"
"Actually, no. I made Kiyota and Sakuragi bring the eggs along thinking I'd suggest it as our weapon. But now that I'm captain, I guess I don't have to suggest it to myself." He blinked then. "Sorry. I didn't mean to rub it in your face."
"No offence taken." But of course, she was insulted.
"And," he added then, "I've also had the Rangers pick up these types of fruit as additional and back-up weapon." He took out a small bag of thorny small dried fruits. "They were scattered all over the forest floor. It'll hurt if you get hit at the right spots."
"I didn't know we were supposed to pick it up." She sounded slightly dissatisfied. "I have none of those."
He shrugged. "You probably weren't around when I gave the order – or," his eyes glinted, "you probably weren't listening. I have spare bags of it anyway, so you can have some of mine."
She tried to find something wrong about that, something to argue about, but found none. "All right," she accepted five packets. "Thanks."
"They're not free."
Rui frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means you have to pay," he replied easily. "A peck or two on the cheek would be enough."
Her glare was murderous, and it contrasted with her flaming face. She grumpily walked away at maximum speed without returning the fat packets.
Fujima smiled softly. "You owe me that," he murmured, "among other things," and then went to give a helping hand to the other excited and hard-working Rangers.
*nothingtodo punches the air* Oh yeah! I just love imaginig Fujima doing that last bit!!