~Strong Enough~
All standard disclaimers apply: don't own the characters, don't sue. ^_^
Please read & review!
Chapter 3 - Yuu's Fans
"How was your day Miki?" her mom-her real mom-asked her.
Miki glanced over the dinner table at Rumi.Matsuura, it was Matsuura now. She smiled. "It was pretty good. I passed my English test and I understand what we're learning in History. And I beat Namishi Samura in our impromptu tennis game."
"Congratulations!" said Chiyako Koishikawa, her "official" mom now that she had married her dad, Jin Koishikawa, and her "real" mom had married Youji Matsuura.
"Thanks."
"So Yuu," Jin began, "how was your day?"
Yuu shrugged. "It was fine."
"Only fine? What happened?"
"Yeah, you can tell us anything! You know that, right?"
After swallowing a spoonful of soup, Yuu shrugged again. "There was this new student transfer, Aiko Shino." He gave Miki a funny look. "How long was she at the tennis courts anyway? Two minutes?"
Miki looked surprised. "Something like that." She pouted. "It was like she didn't even want to see the courts, I mean, what's the point if you're only going to stay for a minute then run off to buy an after school snack?"
"She didn't," said Yuu. He bent his head back towards his soup.
"What do you mean she didn't?" Rumi voiced Miki's question. "What did she do?"
"Actually, she might have bought an after school snack," Yuu said to his soup, "but only after going into the library and coming on to me for a full fifteen minutes." He rolled his eyes. "I practically had to shove her off my lap once." Looking up, he smiling blandly and held out a plate. "Pork anyone?"
Miki gaped at him. "She came on to you?"
"If that's what you would call her touching my arm every two seconds, cozying up to my side until I was half off my chair, and giving me these hot looks, then yeah, I'd say she came on to me." Yuu looked more irritated than flattered.
"Oh honey, she likes you!" Chiyako sounded genuinely delighted. "How wonderful!"
"Yuu's going to have a girlfriend," Youji bragged with a grin.
Jin patted Yuu on the back. "Girls just can't resist your charm, eh?"
"He's irresistible," Rumi pitched in with a wink.
"Stop it!" Miki shouted, shooting to her feet. She couldn't stand hearing all of this about Yuu and Aiko. It was bad enough that Arimi Suzuki, Yuu's totally gorgeous ex, still wanted him back, but to have the beautiful new transfer student after him too was beyond Miki's limit. Especially with her parents enthusiastic support! How was a girl supposed to compete with all of that?
"What's wrong, Miki?" Chiyako looked concerned.
"Are you jealous?" Jin asked, peering at his daughter.
Miki flushed red. Refusing to look at Yuu or acknowledge her father's question, she flew out of the dining room and up the stairs to her room. She missed the look the four adults exchanged as well as the one Yuu sent trailing after her.
Angrily, Miki threw herself on her bed, bouncing as the springs recoiled. It wasn't fair! How come everyone wanted Yuu? How was he ever going to notice her if there were fifty girls after him, all of them prettier than she was? He had his own fan club, she thought furiously. An all female fan club.
It's hard enough being a sixteen-year-old Japanese girl living with four parents and a totally cute stepbrother who is alternately sweet and annoying, thought Miki with a sigh, rolling over, and it's even worse to be in love with that stepbrother, but to have competition from three gazillion girls for Yuu's affection was way beyond what any teenage girl should have to deal with!
A knock came from her door.
Miki looked up.
"Hey Miki?"
Yuu. Heart pounding, she slowly got up and opened her door. "What?"
"You okay?" His concerned blue eyes peered down at her. When she didn't say anything he went on. "Hey, I just wanted to let you know that I didn't take Aiko seriously." He trailed off as Miki wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly to her. "Hey," he said, surprised.
Miki knew she was probably red from embarrassment at her bold, reckless move, but she had been so touched by the fact that he'd taken the time to come reassure her. Could he possibly know how I feel about him? Her breath hitched with hope. And, despite all his fans, could he possibly feel the same way?
All standard disclaimers apply: don't own the characters, don't sue. ^_^
Please read & review!
Chapter 3 - Yuu's Fans
"How was your day Miki?" her mom-her real mom-asked her.
Miki glanced over the dinner table at Rumi.Matsuura, it was Matsuura now. She smiled. "It was pretty good. I passed my English test and I understand what we're learning in History. And I beat Namishi Samura in our impromptu tennis game."
"Congratulations!" said Chiyako Koishikawa, her "official" mom now that she had married her dad, Jin Koishikawa, and her "real" mom had married Youji Matsuura.
"Thanks."
"So Yuu," Jin began, "how was your day?"
Yuu shrugged. "It was fine."
"Only fine? What happened?"
"Yeah, you can tell us anything! You know that, right?"
After swallowing a spoonful of soup, Yuu shrugged again. "There was this new student transfer, Aiko Shino." He gave Miki a funny look. "How long was she at the tennis courts anyway? Two minutes?"
Miki looked surprised. "Something like that." She pouted. "It was like she didn't even want to see the courts, I mean, what's the point if you're only going to stay for a minute then run off to buy an after school snack?"
"She didn't," said Yuu. He bent his head back towards his soup.
"What do you mean she didn't?" Rumi voiced Miki's question. "What did she do?"
"Actually, she might have bought an after school snack," Yuu said to his soup, "but only after going into the library and coming on to me for a full fifteen minutes." He rolled his eyes. "I practically had to shove her off my lap once." Looking up, he smiling blandly and held out a plate. "Pork anyone?"
Miki gaped at him. "She came on to you?"
"If that's what you would call her touching my arm every two seconds, cozying up to my side until I was half off my chair, and giving me these hot looks, then yeah, I'd say she came on to me." Yuu looked more irritated than flattered.
"Oh honey, she likes you!" Chiyako sounded genuinely delighted. "How wonderful!"
"Yuu's going to have a girlfriend," Youji bragged with a grin.
Jin patted Yuu on the back. "Girls just can't resist your charm, eh?"
"He's irresistible," Rumi pitched in with a wink.
"Stop it!" Miki shouted, shooting to her feet. She couldn't stand hearing all of this about Yuu and Aiko. It was bad enough that Arimi Suzuki, Yuu's totally gorgeous ex, still wanted him back, but to have the beautiful new transfer student after him too was beyond Miki's limit. Especially with her parents enthusiastic support! How was a girl supposed to compete with all of that?
"What's wrong, Miki?" Chiyako looked concerned.
"Are you jealous?" Jin asked, peering at his daughter.
Miki flushed red. Refusing to look at Yuu or acknowledge her father's question, she flew out of the dining room and up the stairs to her room. She missed the look the four adults exchanged as well as the one Yuu sent trailing after her.
Angrily, Miki threw herself on her bed, bouncing as the springs recoiled. It wasn't fair! How come everyone wanted Yuu? How was he ever going to notice her if there were fifty girls after him, all of them prettier than she was? He had his own fan club, she thought furiously. An all female fan club.
It's hard enough being a sixteen-year-old Japanese girl living with four parents and a totally cute stepbrother who is alternately sweet and annoying, thought Miki with a sigh, rolling over, and it's even worse to be in love with that stepbrother, but to have competition from three gazillion girls for Yuu's affection was way beyond what any teenage girl should have to deal with!
A knock came from her door.
Miki looked up.
"Hey Miki?"
Yuu. Heart pounding, she slowly got up and opened her door. "What?"
"You okay?" His concerned blue eyes peered down at her. When she didn't say anything he went on. "Hey, I just wanted to let you know that I didn't take Aiko seriously." He trailed off as Miki wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly to her. "Hey," he said, surprised.
Miki knew she was probably red from embarrassment at her bold, reckless move, but she had been so touched by the fact that he'd taken the time to come reassure her. Could he possibly know how I feel about him? Her breath hitched with hope. And, despite all his fans, could he possibly feel the same way?