Rukawa
Stupid girl. Why do I care if she comes back or not? It's none of my business. But for some reason, I want to make it my business.
I thought of pressing the bell again, but on second thought- maybe not. I'll let her win today. But tomorrow...it'll be a different story.
Sakuragi
I can't believe he actually came all the way to ask me that. Is he nuts? I strongly believe he is. Nutcases shouldn't walk the streets. So I called Youhei to tell him what happened.
Mito
I think the 'baka kitsune' likes the 'd'aho'. The 'd'aho' however, has no idea.
This should be interesting.
Rukawa
Do I like her or something? This is a bit too sudden....nothing significant happened between us to attract me to her, and it's not like she's nice to me or anything. The contrary actually. So why do I miss her during basketball sessions?
She's never showed any feelings for me and doesn't seem to care whether I'm dead or alive...neither has she deliberately picked fights with me. I'm the one doing all that and more.
I feel stupid. I should be contented with basketball and not bother about such folly.
Sakuragi
Swimming today was fun- Youhei, Noma, Okusu and Takamiya came to watch. We(being the other swimmers and myself, and not Youhei and co) played water polo and I was the goalie. Noma and Okusu pushed Takamiya into the deep end of the pool when he wasn't looking. He can't swim but given his frame, he was able to float easily.
They're going to Danny's again later....and maybe try to sneak into the Pachinko. I'd like to come along but I have to go to work. Even with them paying for my meals, I still need to work to support myself.
School's fine- although I don't go straight home now, I'm still ahead of the others in schoolwork. I've done almost all the questions in the textbooks as well as in the assignment books- so I've pretty much covered all the homework I could possibly get this year. Which leaves me free for other activities.
I'm going to be late if I don't hurry now.
Rukawa
I'm going to risk it. I'll go for the romantic approach.
Where's the nearest candy store? I've bought the flowers already.
What tastes nice? Mint-filled chocolates? Or Milk chocolates? Chocolates with macadamias or chocolates with berries? Dark chocolate or white?
ARGHHHH!!!! I'm developing a splitting headache looking at the wide selection!
"Can I help you?" a friendly voice asks.
I turn to the speaker, relieved. And start.
Sakuragi
Oh my. What's HE doing here with a bouquet of flowers and choosing chocolates? Let me guess.....it's for his girl. I sigh. Of course. I wish I could sell him rotten tomatoes instead but......the customer is always right. And besides, my boss is supervising me from the counter.
I clear my throat. "What kind of chocolates would you like, sir?"
He looks slightly amused at that. "I don't know."
"Well sir, what kind of chocolates does she like?"
"She?" he blinks stupidly.
"Your girlfriend. You're getting this for her right?" I ask, eyebrow raised.
"Um, yeah."
"So?"
"So?" he echoes.
"What kind of chocolates does she like?" I say, throwing my hands up in exasperation.
"I don't know."
Now it's my turn to blink. "You. Don't. Know." I repeat slowly.
He nods.
"What, are you stupid or something?" I ask, amused, "How can you not know what your girlfriend likes?"
I hear a gasp come from the counter. Oh bloody hell. I forgot my boss is here.
"Satisfied?" I snap at him.
He doesn't respond.
"I lost my job because you were too dumb to know what your girlfriend likes. Happy now?"
My boss had booted me on the spot and had made me apologize to him for my rudeness. She didn't even give me my pay for this month! And, she even made me pay for the chocolates that he bought! And I noticed he selected the most expensive type of chocolates in the shop.
I kick a stray can in frustration. Now I'd have to go job-hunting. Again.
"You know what, kitsune?" I say suddenly.
He looks at me but doesn't say a word. Fine.
"I hate you." I don't know if I really mean it or not- the words just slipped out.
He doesn't do anything. Just stares at the sky.
"I'm going home," I say bitterly.
"Oi."
He dares to address me so rudely after what he's done to me? This guy sure has a thick skull.
"What?" I snap. All I really want to do is cry, actually.
He places the bouquet in my arms as well as the box of chocolates and before I can open my mouth, he leaves.
"The nerve of him.....asking me to dump these for him," I curse bitterly, my tears starting to overflow.
I'm just about to dump it all, including the cursed chocolates, into a trash can when I notice a card attached to the bouquet. Curiosity getting the better of me, I open the card. My eyes widen.
In a neat scrawl, there was only one word written:
'Aishteiruu.'
I swallow, hard. I can't deny that I'm feeling more than a little jealous. I never knew the kitsune to be like this. His girlfriend is really lucky. Really lucky.
For some reason, I throw the flowers away but keep the card, although it wasn't addressed to me.
Now for the chocolates. I've decided to keep the chocolates. After all, I paid for them and it'd be stupid for me to throw them away just because I'm angry with the kitsune.
The boys will like these treats anyway.
I walk slowly towards home....my hands fingering the card in my pocket every so often.
Youhei came over for dinner. He helped me prepare dinner and we sat down to lovely meal(courtesy of his skill as a chef) of shiitake mushrooms and grilled eel. After which I placed the box of chocolates in front of him and urged him to eat some.
He looked at me curiously before obliging.
"There's money in here!" he said, surprised.
I blinked.
I removed the bills delicately from the box and counted it- it covered more than the cost of the chocolates..and more than what my boss owed me....and among the bills, there was a note.
Sumimaseng.
My eyes widened. This seemed to be addressed to me. What of the flowers then? Were they for me too?
I shook my head. Not possible. Not possible at all.
I've been lying in bed for the past three hours but I can't seem to go to sleep. My thoughts keep drifting to him. Were the flowers meant for me? If they were, did he really mean what he wrote? Or is he just pulling my leg? I sigh. I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight.
Mito
Let me guess: both Sakuragi and Rukawa won't be sleeping tonight.
Rukawa
I can't sleep. I can't SLEEP. This is ridiculous. Sleeping is what I do best. Aside from playing basketball that is. The d'aho's face keeps appearing before me.
Stinking trash- I can't SLEEP!!!!
Sakuragi
My head feels woozy today. I don't think I'll go to school.
Rukawa
I didn't get a wink last night so now I'm pretty much incapacitated. No school for me today, by order of the family doctor, who's my uncle by the way.
Sakuragi
I was bored and restless, so I wandered out.
I'm in a very unfamiliar part of town...a very rich and posh estate. I look in wonder and envy at the huge mansions with their enormous front lawns and huge, towering gates.
I think I should make a u-turn here.
Rukawa
Nurse agreed to let me out for some air so now I'm strolling along the private road leading to the estate. I can't get her (not the nurse. HER.) out of my head damn it. Everything I see reminds me of her.
Even that girl in front of me.
I blink. Sakuragi Hanami? Here?
I pick up my pace......slowly at first, eventually breaking into a run.
"D'aho," I say, just to make sure.
She turns around in surprise, freezes in mid-stride, recovers, then yells back at me.
"Teme kitsune!"
Yep. It's her all right.
Sakuragi
Rukawa? What's he doing here? Oh. I get it. He lives here. Obviously. My IQ seems to be dropping 20 points every day.
"Kitsune," I say, not knowing what else to say.
"D'aho."
I break off eye contact and stare at the ground. "Arigatou," I whisper.
"Hnn."
I contemplate asking him about the flowers when he speaks.
"One-on-one?"
"Do the same conditions apply?" I ask.
He nods.
"But why? I'm better off not being in the club and you know that! You didn't even bother teaching me how to shoot because you knew how hopeless I am," I protest.
"One-on-one," he stubbornly insisted.
"Fine. I don't see why we should even bother," I comply.
But I'm not going to quit swimming no matter what.
He starts first and easily scores within seconds. My turn and I dribble the ball easily, trying to find a way to cut in and get past him. There. An opening.
I slip through and aim to shoot. As anticipated, the ball rebounds off the net. I leap to get the rebound but be grabs the ball first.
He shoots and scores.
This hopeless game goes on till the score is 9-0 with the odds against me. Another point and he'd win.
I'm especially determined to let him win. My logic is that maybe he'll realize that I am a hopeless case after all.
So when he tries to shoot, I don't bother trying to block. The ball rebounds off the net.
Again he shoots, and again it misses.
And again. In my annoyance, I actually guard him properly this time. And the ball goes sailing in.
I raise an eyebrow in question.
"You don't play, I won't either, d'aho."
"So I lost. See? I'm hopeless! The club should give up on me!" I tell him.
"I won. You have to return."
"No no, you see, all the more I SHOULDN'T come back!" I press.
"No."
"Yes!"
"No."
"Yes!"
"No."
"Yes!"
"Yes."
"No! I mean yes! Baka kitsune! You're sly!" I shake a fist at him.
The corners of his mouth twitch. I can't help but notice how cute he is when he's like that.
"I'm not quitting swimming!" I declare defiantly.
"You are."
"Am not!"
"Are."
"Not!"
"Are."
"Not!"
"Are."
"Not!"
"Not."
"Not!" I stuck my tongue out at him, "NYAHAHAHAH!!! You can't fool me twice!"
His mouth curves into the tiniest smile.
"You should smile more, kitsune," I say without thinking.
"Hnn."
"I don't want to quit swimming, please," I can't believe I'm actually begging him, but I am.
"Hnn."
"Kitsune, don't do this to me," I plead.
"Hnn."
I sniff.
Rukawa shifts uncomfortably.
I sniff louder.
He twiddles his thumbs nervously.
I cover my face and turn away, sobbing as if my heart would break. Well, my heart would break if I had to give swimming up.
"You can still swim d'aho. Training days are different."
I freeze then slowly turn to him.
"You should have told me sooner!" I yell, enraged, pointing an accusing finger at him.
He shrugs.
"TEME KITSUNE OTOKO!!!! You're sly!"
He smiles. As in, he really smiles. I stop and stare.
"Ne, kitsune, you've got a nice smile you know that?" I say absently.
"You've got a loud voice."
"TEME!!! I was complimenting you!"
"So was I."
"Oh."
Silence.
"I should go now....."
He nodded.
"Jya ne."
We parted ways...me feeling more than a little reluctant to leave.....why?
Stupid girl. Why do I care if she comes back or not? It's none of my business. But for some reason, I want to make it my business.
I thought of pressing the bell again, but on second thought- maybe not. I'll let her win today. But tomorrow...it'll be a different story.
Sakuragi
I can't believe he actually came all the way to ask me that. Is he nuts? I strongly believe he is. Nutcases shouldn't walk the streets. So I called Youhei to tell him what happened.
Mito
I think the 'baka kitsune' likes the 'd'aho'. The 'd'aho' however, has no idea.
This should be interesting.
Rukawa
Do I like her or something? This is a bit too sudden....nothing significant happened between us to attract me to her, and it's not like she's nice to me or anything. The contrary actually. So why do I miss her during basketball sessions?
She's never showed any feelings for me and doesn't seem to care whether I'm dead or alive...neither has she deliberately picked fights with me. I'm the one doing all that and more.
I feel stupid. I should be contented with basketball and not bother about such folly.
Sakuragi
Swimming today was fun- Youhei, Noma, Okusu and Takamiya came to watch. We(being the other swimmers and myself, and not Youhei and co) played water polo and I was the goalie. Noma and Okusu pushed Takamiya into the deep end of the pool when he wasn't looking. He can't swim but given his frame, he was able to float easily.
They're going to Danny's again later....and maybe try to sneak into the Pachinko. I'd like to come along but I have to go to work. Even with them paying for my meals, I still need to work to support myself.
School's fine- although I don't go straight home now, I'm still ahead of the others in schoolwork. I've done almost all the questions in the textbooks as well as in the assignment books- so I've pretty much covered all the homework I could possibly get this year. Which leaves me free for other activities.
I'm going to be late if I don't hurry now.
Rukawa
I'm going to risk it. I'll go for the romantic approach.
Where's the nearest candy store? I've bought the flowers already.
What tastes nice? Mint-filled chocolates? Or Milk chocolates? Chocolates with macadamias or chocolates with berries? Dark chocolate or white?
ARGHHHH!!!! I'm developing a splitting headache looking at the wide selection!
"Can I help you?" a friendly voice asks.
I turn to the speaker, relieved. And start.
Sakuragi
Oh my. What's HE doing here with a bouquet of flowers and choosing chocolates? Let me guess.....it's for his girl. I sigh. Of course. I wish I could sell him rotten tomatoes instead but......the customer is always right. And besides, my boss is supervising me from the counter.
I clear my throat. "What kind of chocolates would you like, sir?"
He looks slightly amused at that. "I don't know."
"Well sir, what kind of chocolates does she like?"
"She?" he blinks stupidly.
"Your girlfriend. You're getting this for her right?" I ask, eyebrow raised.
"Um, yeah."
"So?"
"So?" he echoes.
"What kind of chocolates does she like?" I say, throwing my hands up in exasperation.
"I don't know."
Now it's my turn to blink. "You. Don't. Know." I repeat slowly.
He nods.
"What, are you stupid or something?" I ask, amused, "How can you not know what your girlfriend likes?"
I hear a gasp come from the counter. Oh bloody hell. I forgot my boss is here.
"Satisfied?" I snap at him.
He doesn't respond.
"I lost my job because you were too dumb to know what your girlfriend likes. Happy now?"
My boss had booted me on the spot and had made me apologize to him for my rudeness. She didn't even give me my pay for this month! And, she even made me pay for the chocolates that he bought! And I noticed he selected the most expensive type of chocolates in the shop.
I kick a stray can in frustration. Now I'd have to go job-hunting. Again.
"You know what, kitsune?" I say suddenly.
He looks at me but doesn't say a word. Fine.
"I hate you." I don't know if I really mean it or not- the words just slipped out.
He doesn't do anything. Just stares at the sky.
"I'm going home," I say bitterly.
"Oi."
He dares to address me so rudely after what he's done to me? This guy sure has a thick skull.
"What?" I snap. All I really want to do is cry, actually.
He places the bouquet in my arms as well as the box of chocolates and before I can open my mouth, he leaves.
"The nerve of him.....asking me to dump these for him," I curse bitterly, my tears starting to overflow.
I'm just about to dump it all, including the cursed chocolates, into a trash can when I notice a card attached to the bouquet. Curiosity getting the better of me, I open the card. My eyes widen.
In a neat scrawl, there was only one word written:
'Aishteiruu.'
I swallow, hard. I can't deny that I'm feeling more than a little jealous. I never knew the kitsune to be like this. His girlfriend is really lucky. Really lucky.
For some reason, I throw the flowers away but keep the card, although it wasn't addressed to me.
Now for the chocolates. I've decided to keep the chocolates. After all, I paid for them and it'd be stupid for me to throw them away just because I'm angry with the kitsune.
The boys will like these treats anyway.
I walk slowly towards home....my hands fingering the card in my pocket every so often.
Youhei came over for dinner. He helped me prepare dinner and we sat down to lovely meal(courtesy of his skill as a chef) of shiitake mushrooms and grilled eel. After which I placed the box of chocolates in front of him and urged him to eat some.
He looked at me curiously before obliging.
"There's money in here!" he said, surprised.
I blinked.
I removed the bills delicately from the box and counted it- it covered more than the cost of the chocolates..and more than what my boss owed me....and among the bills, there was a note.
Sumimaseng.
My eyes widened. This seemed to be addressed to me. What of the flowers then? Were they for me too?
I shook my head. Not possible. Not possible at all.
I've been lying in bed for the past three hours but I can't seem to go to sleep. My thoughts keep drifting to him. Were the flowers meant for me? If they were, did he really mean what he wrote? Or is he just pulling my leg? I sigh. I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight.
Mito
Let me guess: both Sakuragi and Rukawa won't be sleeping tonight.
Rukawa
I can't sleep. I can't SLEEP. This is ridiculous. Sleeping is what I do best. Aside from playing basketball that is. The d'aho's face keeps appearing before me.
Stinking trash- I can't SLEEP!!!!
Sakuragi
My head feels woozy today. I don't think I'll go to school.
Rukawa
I didn't get a wink last night so now I'm pretty much incapacitated. No school for me today, by order of the family doctor, who's my uncle by the way.
Sakuragi
I was bored and restless, so I wandered out.
I'm in a very unfamiliar part of town...a very rich and posh estate. I look in wonder and envy at the huge mansions with their enormous front lawns and huge, towering gates.
I think I should make a u-turn here.
Rukawa
Nurse agreed to let me out for some air so now I'm strolling along the private road leading to the estate. I can't get her (not the nurse. HER.) out of my head damn it. Everything I see reminds me of her.
Even that girl in front of me.
I blink. Sakuragi Hanami? Here?
I pick up my pace......slowly at first, eventually breaking into a run.
"D'aho," I say, just to make sure.
She turns around in surprise, freezes in mid-stride, recovers, then yells back at me.
"Teme kitsune!"
Yep. It's her all right.
Sakuragi
Rukawa? What's he doing here? Oh. I get it. He lives here. Obviously. My IQ seems to be dropping 20 points every day.
"Kitsune," I say, not knowing what else to say.
"D'aho."
I break off eye contact and stare at the ground. "Arigatou," I whisper.
"Hnn."
I contemplate asking him about the flowers when he speaks.
"One-on-one?"
"Do the same conditions apply?" I ask.
He nods.
"But why? I'm better off not being in the club and you know that! You didn't even bother teaching me how to shoot because you knew how hopeless I am," I protest.
"One-on-one," he stubbornly insisted.
"Fine. I don't see why we should even bother," I comply.
But I'm not going to quit swimming no matter what.
He starts first and easily scores within seconds. My turn and I dribble the ball easily, trying to find a way to cut in and get past him. There. An opening.
I slip through and aim to shoot. As anticipated, the ball rebounds off the net. I leap to get the rebound but be grabs the ball first.
He shoots and scores.
This hopeless game goes on till the score is 9-0 with the odds against me. Another point and he'd win.
I'm especially determined to let him win. My logic is that maybe he'll realize that I am a hopeless case after all.
So when he tries to shoot, I don't bother trying to block. The ball rebounds off the net.
Again he shoots, and again it misses.
And again. In my annoyance, I actually guard him properly this time. And the ball goes sailing in.
I raise an eyebrow in question.
"You don't play, I won't either, d'aho."
"So I lost. See? I'm hopeless! The club should give up on me!" I tell him.
"I won. You have to return."
"No no, you see, all the more I SHOULDN'T come back!" I press.
"No."
"Yes!"
"No."
"Yes!"
"No."
"Yes!"
"Yes."
"No! I mean yes! Baka kitsune! You're sly!" I shake a fist at him.
The corners of his mouth twitch. I can't help but notice how cute he is when he's like that.
"I'm not quitting swimming!" I declare defiantly.
"You are."
"Am not!"
"Are."
"Not!"
"Are."
"Not!"
"Are."
"Not!"
"Not."
"Not!" I stuck my tongue out at him, "NYAHAHAHAH!!! You can't fool me twice!"
His mouth curves into the tiniest smile.
"You should smile more, kitsune," I say without thinking.
"Hnn."
"I don't want to quit swimming, please," I can't believe I'm actually begging him, but I am.
"Hnn."
"Kitsune, don't do this to me," I plead.
"Hnn."
I sniff.
Rukawa shifts uncomfortably.
I sniff louder.
He twiddles his thumbs nervously.
I cover my face and turn away, sobbing as if my heart would break. Well, my heart would break if I had to give swimming up.
"You can still swim d'aho. Training days are different."
I freeze then slowly turn to him.
"You should have told me sooner!" I yell, enraged, pointing an accusing finger at him.
He shrugs.
"TEME KITSUNE OTOKO!!!! You're sly!"
He smiles. As in, he really smiles. I stop and stare.
"Ne, kitsune, you've got a nice smile you know that?" I say absently.
"You've got a loud voice."
"TEME!!! I was complimenting you!"
"So was I."
"Oh."
Silence.
"I should go now....."
He nodded.
"Jya ne."
We parted ways...me feeling more than a little reluctant to leave.....why?