To Stay By Your Side
Discaimer: I own these characters, nothing else...
Kitsune lay under the sakura tree, trying to figure out what to do. She had serious problems, but then,
she couldn't pin the blame on anyone else since it was her decision to go to Buckley.
As a child, it was always Kitsune's dream to go to Buckley. Her father went there when he was young
and he instilled the dream in Kitsune. She thought his early death would destroy the dream but luckily,
a sports scholarship program came her way, letting her go to the prestigious school for free. She could
study all throughout her senior high for free, as long as she played kendo, and that included
board and lodging, food, and allowances. It was a great deal, but it came with a catch. That year, the
only scholarship slot available was for the Boy's team.
They all knew her as a boy.
Her reverie was suddenly broken by a shrill shriek. Next thing she knew was pain, and an outburst of
boisterous laughter. She quickly sat up cupping her nose protectively.
"Gomenasai, Yuki-kun!" She looked up to find one of her classmates bowing low to her. Her
face was flaming bright red when she looked up, and her eyes were teary. Kitsune almost wanted to
hug the girl and tell her it's all right, but then, she can't, can she?
"Daijobu desu, Nami-chan. I wasn't hurt at all, I was just surprised." She took the volleyball from
beside her and handed it to the girl. "Go on with your game, and don't mind me, I'm really all
right." She smiled slightly, trying to control her face from showing the pain she really felt. The girl
bowed low again.
"Gomen, Yuki-kun! It was my fault. I'll try to be more careful next time." And with that, the girl
quickly rushed off to her teammates, head held down in embarrassment. Kitsune heard barely muffled
laughter and traced the source of it to a boy standing four feet away from her. He grinned at her then
quickly sat down beside her, much to her chagrin.
"Gomen, Yuki-kun! It was my fault. I'll try to be more careful next time." The boy copied the
retreating girl perfectly. "Man, Yuki ," the boy laughed, "you're really a ladies' man. You just
broke that poor girl's heart!" Kitsune glared at the guy. Sometimes, she just can't understand Miwa.
One minute he's so nice to her, the next, he's poking fun at her to the point that she wanted to slam
his smug countenance with an anvil. A really solid iron anvil.
On yeah, now that we're on the subject of Miwa, may I mention that not only is Miwa really
incomprehensible, he's also Kitsune's roommate. Did I forget to mention that she lives in the Boy's
Dorm? With the rest of the kendo team?
"Will you stop laughing?" She glared at him, still holding her nose. "It hurts you know. Just because
you have a stubborn unbreakable nose doesn't mean I can't have a delicate one." Miwa leaned
to her and pulled her hand down, to inspect her nose. Kitsune supressed a fledgling blush. Despite
living with this guy day in, and day out, there were still times when she became awfully aware that
he's a guy. And being physically up-close with Miwa was always one of them.
Miwa quickly got up, and dragged her to her feet. "Come on, let's get you an Ice Pack," he said then
led her to the direction of the Nurses' Office. Ah, Miwa. What a conundrum. One minute an
annoying brat, the next, a caring brother, and sometimes, a really cute sensitive guy. Kitsune
quickly shook her head, trying to clear it of thoughts of him. It won't do to fall for him, not
with her situation. She reminds herself about that, everyday, but somehow, with the way things are
going, she's fighting hard to keep it up.
* * * * *
Miwa was waiting for her by her shoe locker that day. They usually had a break from practice on
Wednesday afternoons, so they had to meet by the lockers before going home together. Despite his
occassional obnoxiousness, Kitsune found Miwa really good company. He never failed to draw a
smile from her, and his companionship was so uncomplicated. There were no strings attached at all.
Probably because he thought she was a guy.
"What do you say we get some ramen before we hit the dorms?" Miwa asked her as she opened her
shoe locker. When he didn't get a response, he looked over to where she was looking. His eyes widened to
saucers as he saw a scented pink envelope propped against her shoes. "Eh, another one?" InuYasha asked,
then quickly, he grabbed the letter.
"Hey, stop it!" She shouted, grabbing his shoulders before he could make a run for it. Miwa, being
faster than her, dangled the pink letter out of her reach. "What is this, the sixth this month?" He teased her.
There was a mad scuffle for the letter which ended in Kitsune's slipping. Miwa was quick to catch
her by grabbing her by the shoulders, his face just mere inches away from hers. His eyes were sparkling
and looked directly into hers, and it took all her will power to look away and steady herself. While
Miwa was still off guard, she grabbed the letter from him.
"Give me that." She glared at him, once again fighting the flush which was threatening to creep up her
cheeks. Miwa smiled at her.
"Hey, no need to get all heated up! I was only teasing you. Or is that one from THE special girl?" He
smiled that annoying smile again. The one which reeked of smugness and arrogance that simply made her
all the more aware that he was a guy, and a cute one at that.
She quickly opened her locker, slipped on her outdoor shoes and crammed the letter in her book satchel.
She pointedly ignored Miwa who was leaning against the shoe lockers.
"You know how you're acting like?" He asked lazily, not really waiting for her to answer, but pausing
nevertheless. "A girl." He said succintly, not budging from the lockers, while gauging her reaction.
Kitsune glared at him, half-afraid at being revealed. He can be such an asshole sometimes, she thought.
She leaned close to him, then slammed her fist on the locker door he was leaning on, right beside his face.
"Screw you." She cursed, then turned on her heel and left.
Miwa smiled a knowing smile, then thrust his hands in his pockets, and lazily trailed after her. His
smile grew even wider as he seemed to deliberate on some secret thought going through his brain, as he
followed Kitsune on the way home.
* * * * *
Kitsune was already out of her school uniform and in a loose baseball jersey when she heard a few
quick knocks on the door. She sighed, bidding the peace and quiet goodbye as the knock heralded the
arrival of her boisterous roommate. 'Just like Miwa to forget his room keys,' she thought, as she rose to
open the door. 'No point in remaining angry at him,' she figured. To her surprise though, it wasn't
Miwa who was standing by her door, but on of her classmates, Shinichi.
"Hey, Yuki!" Shinichi smiled, lifting a blue folder and a bag of burgers. "I heard you were pretty
good at English. I've a practical exam tomorrow. If you'll tutor me tonight, I'll look upon it as a favor to be
repaid." Kitsune pulled open the door and invited him in.
"Well, it would be a pity to let those burgers go to waste," she gestured, ushering him to the heating table at
the center of the room. "Besides, it might be a good idea to brush up on my english too, since I'm getting
my practical exams next week. Make yourself comfortable," she told him, as she riffled through her study
desk, trying to find the right book.
"Hey, cool! I always wanted one of these." Shinichi said, making himself at home by the heating table.
"Hey, where's your roommate? It's Miwa right?" He asked, as he began unpacking the burgers.
"Ah, I don't know where that jerk is!" Kitsune took her English notes and sat beside Shinichi. "Probably
traipsing after some poor girl who doesn't know any better." She fumed. Shinichi laughed.
"Haha, another one of your fights huh? I hear it's getting quite famous in our class. One of the boys even
remarked once that if you just weren't both guys, we'd start thinking you were boyfriend and girlfriend.
Funny huh?" Shinichi laughed again, not knowing how dangerous the ground he was treading on was.
Kitsune laughed along forcibly.
"Shinichi-kun, where exactly do you need help?" Kitsune asked, trying to change the subject. Luckily,
Shinichi thought nothing of it, and searched his notes. "Here, with this chapter," he pointed.
They were well into the English lessons, when the door opened to allow a smiling Miwa in.
"Yuki, I bought us some ramen-" Miwa was cut short when he saw Shinichi sitting close to
Kitsune. An eyebrow immediately shot up.
"Hey Miwa," Shinichi greeted him. "Hope you don't mind me crashing in your room. I've an English
practical tomorrow, and Yuki's helping me out."
"I don't mind." Miwa replied, putting the ramen he was carrying on the table. He sat there, and opened
his ramen amidst all the notebooks and paper scattered. "Itadakimasu!" Unmindful of Shinichi and
Kitsune, he started eating, slurping through the whole thing. Kitsune started giving him dagger stares
but he just ignored her. Stray droplets of soup were splashing on the table, and occasionally, even little
flying noodles. He was just starting on the second one when Kitsune stopped him.
"Hey, I thought that one was mine!" Kitsune exclaimed, unprepared to sit through Miwa slurping
down another bowl of ramen.
"Nah, I changed my mind. I'm still hungry," he exclaimed, then got ready to commence the annoying
slurping again. Kitsune started counting to ten, unwilling to lash out at Miwa, when Shinichi
closed his notebook.
"I'm ready to call it a night, Yuki-kun. I think I'm ready for my practicals." He said, despite
having covered only two thirds of the exam material. He stood and headed for the door. "Thanks a lot, you
sure helped plenty."
"No prob, Shinichi, glad to be of help." Kitsune walked to the door. "Let me know how you do."
"I will." He said, then turned on his heel and left. As soon as the door closed, Kitsune turned to face a
suddenly quiet Miwa. "What, pray tell, was that all about?" She glared at him.
"He was in my room. I wanted to relax. I can't relax when there's someone else in here." He replied, peeling
off his uniform jacket.
"So you had to be a total ass?" She said, still annoyed at his atrocious behavior.
"I wasn't a total ass. An ass, yes, but not a total ass." He stood and headed for the bathroom. "Besides, I did
get the job done." He winked at her. In spite of herself, Kitsune had to smile. Miwa can get away
with anything, with that charming smile of his. "Hey, have the rest of that ramen, it's for you anyway."
Kitsune sighed and stared at the ramen. She took a fresh pair of chopsticks and started eating. She had
just taken a few bites when Miwa came out of the bathroom in just his pajama bottoms. "Hey,
Yuki, who was today's love letter sender?" He asked mischievously, as he rummaged through his
closet for a shirt.
"Some girl," she mumbled, quick to look away. Kitsune had seen Miwa with his shirt off a lot of
times, but still, she can't help but be affected. Rigid training with the kendo team had sculpted Miwa's
torso into a muscular leanness, and many times, she had to stop herself from thinking sensual thoughts
about it. One of the temptations of living with a cute guy.
"Is she cute?" InuYasha asked, his back still turned to her.
"How should I know?" replied Kitsune, hiding her blush under the ramen.
"How should you know? How should you know?" Miwa turned to face her, exasperatedly waving his
shirt. "Don't you care about girls at all? How are you going to get a girlfriend? Are you gay or something?"
"I AM NOT GAY!" she shouted, looking up from the ramen. Miwa smiled at her.
"If you say so." He said, smiling that knowing smile again. He slipped his shirt on then headed to his bed, a
manga in tow. Kitsune stared at his retreating back, feeling silly at her outburst. Sometimes, she can't
help but wonder whether Miwa knows more than he lets on.
* * * * *
Kitsune and the rest of the kendo team were on their way back to the dorms, jubilant in their entry into
the Nationals. They had just come from celebrating in karaoke, when Miwa pulled her aside.
"Hey, do you mind if we have some of the guys over in our room? You know, so we can celebrate some
more?" He asked. Kitsune, also still ecstatic from the win, immediately responded.
"Sure, why not? We deserve to celebrate!" InuYasha smiled back.
"Great!" He cleared his throat. "Guys, post-party party, my room! Yuki'll let you in, I'll go buy
some refreshments." He announced, then dashed off, dragging along their fellow team member Kei
with him.
Kitsune and the guys who opted to go were laughing their heads off with silly jokes, when Miwa
returned with Kei, carrying big plastic bags.
"What did you guys get?" Asked Naota, ripping the bags open. To their surprise, out came cans of
beer.
"What the hell do you think you're doing? BAKA! We can't go drinking, we're underage! We're in a school
dorm! We might get caught! They'll punish us!" Miwa just smiled at her and gestured to the others.
She was shocked when she saw that they all had beer cans in hand already. Kei threw one at
Kitsune.
"Lighten up, Yuki," said Kei, who was already opening his can. "We just got into the
National Championships. Wasn't that our goal? We have to celebrate!"
"B-b-but we might get drunk! Sensei-" Kitsune replied, only to be cut off by Naota.
"We don't have class tomorrow. Neither do we have practice, for once. So what if we get drunk? We can
sleep it off!" Naota took a long pull from his beer can. Kitsune looked at the rest of the team
defeatedly.
"Well, since you put it that way...." she said. Miwa slapped her on the back.
"That's the spirit, Yuki!" He took her unopened beer can and handed her a newly opened one.
"You start! Just don't tell Benito-sempai." He said, grinning largely at her. Kitsune took a
tentative sip.
"Eaugh! This is so bitter! Why do you guys drink this?" The rest of the team laughed at her.
"To celebrate! Whoever drank beer because it tasted good?" Kei raised his beer can. "Kampai!"
The rest of the team followed suit and raised their beer cans too.
"Kampai! On to the Nationals!"
Everything proceeded in the same light vein. They talked about the upcoming competitions; they discussed
the schools which could pose a threat. They jokingly complained about the coach's strict training regimen.
By the time they were through celebrating, most were too soused with beer and the excitement about the
Nationals to walk straight.
Of course Miwa was no exception. By the time everyone had left, Miwa was sprawled facedown
on the floor while Kitsune was dying to climb into bed. She poked Miwa's side with her toe, in an
effort to wake him up and make him move to his bed. The most she got was drunken mumbling.
"Oi, Miwa!" Kitsune squatted beside her unconscious roommate. "Oi, wake up! Move to your bed."
She tried to shake him awake but to no avail. Mumbling to herself, she pushed him on his back, and then
slapped his cheeks lightly. "Hey, Miwa...."
Deciding that there was no chance he'd wake up, she took it upon herself to move him to his bunk. Just as
she was laying him on his bed, he stirred and raised his arms. To her shock, Miwa pulled her down and
kissed her! On the lips! While being asleep the whole time! Kitsune quickly tried to pull back, but was
met with resistance. Miwa refused to let her go! And he was pulling her down next to him. She
struggled but since he was much stronger, it was a futile effort. Miwa had her locked in his arms! She
found herself being caught in his embrace, and truthfully, she didn't find it too horrible.
'Snap out of it!' she quickly told herself. She peeled Miwa's arms from her, and after a few attempts,
she was successful. As fast as she possibly could, she climbed up to the top bunk and wrapped her blankets
around herself. Despite freeing herself from his arms though, she realized she could not free her thoughts of
him. Her body still tingled from the warmth emanating from his body as he hugged her, and the softness of
his lips as he kissed. She touched her lips where it met his, and found herself blushing. 'Did it really
happen?' she asked.
At the bunk below, a pair of eyes slowly opened and looked up at the bottom of the bunk above him. A
small smile crept up on Miwa's face, and a wistful expression that hovered, and then remained. A few
moments later, he closed his eyes once more, and shifted, grabbing his blankets and tightly cocooning
himself in them, a peaceful smile planted on his usually playful face.
* * * * *
Benito went up to the front of the classroom and cleared his throat. Automatically, the whole swimming
club paid attention. He always had that ability, to control the team with a simple gesture. Maybe it was his
responsible air, or his leader aura. Or maybe he was just plain scary.
"Now that I have your attention," he said, his authoritative voice quietly booming through the borrowed
classroom. "May I remind you all that the Cultural Festival is in three weeks? I'm cutting our team
practices down to two a week so we can prepare for the festival, but what do you guys suggest that we do?"
The room was abuzz with excited whispering. Practices down to two a week? And they'll get to have fun
with a Festival activity?
"Let's just do a kendo demo," someone suggested.
"NO MORE KENDO!" the whole group chortled.
"A food booth!" Kei suggested. Everyone laughed of course. Kei's appetite was a big joke
among the club.
"And who's going to cook?" Naota countered, to which everyone agreed. "Uhm, actually, if you
guys would like to try something new, I have a suggestion. My cousin studied in the States and she told me
about this fun fair she went to once. It had a Marriage Booth."
"A what?" Miwa asked. Everyone's interest was piqued.
"Well, a Marriage Booth. Basically, we pair people up then pretend to have a wedding ceremony. Maybe a
western one so it'd be even more interesting. After that, they sign a wedding log, then we charge them a
wedding fee, regardless of whether the couple is willing or not. If they refuse to pay, we keep them tied up
in the booth for the rest of the day. It's great fun, my cousin said, since they have to chase after unwilling
people. A lot of times though, some of the students themselves arrange to have be paired with the one they
like secretly, and just pretend that it's against their will. The girls will probably get a kick out of this."
Naota explained.
Evil grins sprouted on a lot of the team members' faces. The words fun, chase, unwilling and fee echoed in
their brains and before Benito could even start a formal vote, they all knew that Naota's
Wedding Booth idea was a winner.
* * * * *
"Remind me again why I have to wear this?" Benito asked. The team members were forcing him
into a long cassock.
"Because as Team Captain, you're the one with vested authority to marry people off!" Naota joked.
"Besides, you're the only one with a poker face to pull this one off." Miwa entered the room in a tux.
"Why can't I wear that instead?" Benito asked, pointing to Miwa.
"Will you make him stop?" Naota beseeched Miwa. "I've been repeating myself all week!"
"But this feels like a skirt!" Benito said.
"Hey," Kei admonished. "You're lucky you only have to wear something which feels like a skirt.
Remember how you guys all coerced Yuki in THAT dress? How do you think he feels?" With
that statement, Benito piped down. He'd rather be in something which looks like a dress, than an
actual dress.
"Where is Yuki anyway?" asked Miwa. To his surprise, a white bundle of cloth barely
squeaked, "Here!" Miwa's eyes widened at the bundle.
"Yuki? What is that? Is that Naota's idea of a dress?"
"No, baka. He refuses to come out of the blankets." Naota replied, straightening Benito's
sleeves. "I dunno why though, I think he looks just like a girl in the dress. Or maybe that's why he refuses
to come out."
'Idiot! I'm scared of being discovered!' Kitsune thought. Aloud though, Kitsune could only
complain. "Why do I have to be in a dress anyway? Who needs bridesmaids? And why couldn't we have
gotten a real girl?" she lamented.
"Because all the girls I asked are busy with other club activities. And the girls' kendo team has their own
presentation to mind." Naota exasperatedly said. "You're just as bad as sempai here, when it comes
to complaining!"
"Besides, take one for the team, Yuki!" Miwa teased. Kitsune glared. Well, at least tried
to glare. Deep inside, she was enjoying staring at InuYasha. He looked so handsome in his tux. The tux fit
him perfectly, and the way he moved in it was so confident that he easily looked right at place, despite the
fact that everyone else, with the exception of Benito in his minister's garb, and Kitsune in her
blankets, was in casual clothes.
Tearing her glare-stare from Miwa, Kitsune, bundled up and all, trudged to the covered booth,
leaving all the others behind. The rest of the team set aside a corner of the room and draped it with
blanket walls to create a 'chapel-booth.' She entered the empty booth, and took a seat. Inside, her emotions
were slugging it out. On one hand, she was sort of happy, being in a dress again. It was one of her prettiest
outfits, a calf-length floral sundress, with thin ribbon shoulder straps, and strappy flat sandals, which she
passed off as something she borrowed from a cousin. It felt great to be a girl again. And she didn't have to
wear that binding vest she usually wore to hide her chest.
On the other hand though, there was that niggling fear that she'll be discovered. Her dress seemed filled out
just right, now that she thought about it, and she might have a hard time passing off her chest as wadded up
tissues. She just looked way too girly in that dress, and not at all like a cross-dressing guy as she was
supposed to be right now.
Just then, Miwa lifted the curtain entrance, which covered the booth and entered with the box of toy
rings they were using for the 'ceremonies'. "Still in your blankets?" he asked, as he put box down and took
a seat beside her. "Come on, you can't stay in those blankets for the whole day! People will think that
you're some sort of wedding pudding instead of a bridesmaid," Miwa tugged at her blanket.
Kitsune sighed.
"I'd rather be a wedding pudding than be called a transvestite," she replied.
"You? A transvestite? I wouldn't go that far. With your build and features, you can easily pass as a girl." He
said, still tugging on the blanket. "Besides, you'll have to take off this blanket eventually. Or are you
worried about losing your fan girls?"
"Fan girls?" Kitsune laughed dryly. "That's one thing I'd be glad to get rid of. I guess you're right,
though. No point in me sweating under this thing." She stood, then started pulling off the blanket. "But
don't laugh," she glared. "I hear one chuckle out of you, and YOU'LL be the one wearing this dress
tomorrow."
Miwa raised his pinky. "Yakusoku. No laughing." Kitsune slipped her blanket off to reveal the
bright, pretty sundress. In her embarrassment though, she didn't catch the split-second look of astonishment
and sincere admiration on Miwa's face.
"Well, partner!" Miwa stood and offered his arm. "You look fine, if I do say so myself."
In gratitude for his not teasing her, she gamely slipped her arm in his. Benito entered the booth, and
took his place behind his make-shift podium while Kitsune and Miwa took their places on chairs
beside the podium, all awaiting the first victims, whether willing or struggling, of the Kendo Club Marriage
Booth.
* * * * *
It was a hot, busy afternoon and for once, Kitsune was happy that she was in a strappy sleeved dress.
The Wedding Booth was a hit, especially with the girls. They kept cornering members of the kendo team
and pointing out their crushes so they could be paired up. Even the team members were almost not spared,
as their fan girls tried to get ahold of them. Good thing Benito put his foot down and ruled out that
team members on duty cannot be 'captured,' a ruling which disappointed a lot of girls, especially
Miwa's fans.
Benito called for a break, and the whole team happily plopped down on chairs surrounding the booth.
"Put it here, Naota!" Kei high-fived Naota. "Your idea's a success! We now have
adequate funds for new equipment. Or maybe we can have a team vacation."
"Well, I'm so tired, but the booth's success is worth it." Naota loosened his collar. "All that running
around after everyone...it's even more strenuous than training!"
"Yeah, I'm ready to fall into bed." Kei announced. "I don't know what's worse though, running
around all day, or being forced to sit around in a pretty dress," he smiled at Kitsune's direction.
"You should've seen his fan girls," Naota piped up, referring to the hordes of girls who regularly
cheered Kitsune's matches. "They were all ogling him with shock. Never occurred to them that he could
be prettier than all of them," Naota laughed.
"Yeah," Kei added. "Even some of the our sempai were asking where we got our bridesmaid.
Imagine their shock when they realized it was Yuki. Heck, some of them wanted to be paired up
with him at first, before they found out. We should've let them!" Everyone laughed. Kitsune's face was
burning red from all of the teasing, but all that couldn't have prepared her for what was going to happen
next.
"But why not?" Miwa asked, oblivious to the grave he was digging beneath his feet. "Look at him!
He's really pretty, I wouldn't mind..." Evil glimmers appeared in the kendo team members' eyes. Before
InuYasha could even finish, he was bound and dragged to the Marriage Booth. With Kitsune of course.
* * * * *
Kitsune opened her closet and grabbed a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. She headed to the bathroom to
change, pointedly ignoring Miwa the whole while.
"Look, I'm sorry!" Miwa apologized, trailing after her. "How was I to know those guys would
victimize us?"
Kitsune glared at him. "If you had been more careful with your statements," she started. "Ah, never
mind!" she turned her back to him again, her hand resting on the bathroom door knob.
"Come on, it was done in the spirit of fun! Besides," Miwa's voice lowered a bit. "I did mean it."
Kitsune was incensed! How dare Miwa make fun of her! She spun on her heel, only to find out that
InuYasha was right in front of her, a bit too close for comfort. Instead of flaring in anger, she was taken
aback by his discomfiting gaze.
He leaned closer, til she could almost feel his warm breath grazing her skin.
"I SAID, 'I meant it'," he repeated, stressing every word heavily. "I meant it then, and I still mean it now."
Kitsune could not move, with Miwa closing in. He slammed his arms on the wall, pinning her
between them.
"I thought you were very pretty earlier. No, I take that back. You are beautiful." Kitsune was panicking;
she didn't know how to react. Here she was, trapped in the arms of the guy she was in love with,
speechless.
"Uhm, Miwa," she tried to push him away but he refused to budge. "Stop it Miwa! Quit it, I'll
start thinking you're gay or something!" she said, chuckling nervously, trying to pass off what was
happening as a joke.
"No I'm not," he replied, leaning even closer. "And you know it," he added, as his lips descended on hers.
* * * * *
As the intial shock of his kiss died down, Kitsune closed her eyes, and lost herself in the moment. She
refused to think of what this means, of how it could drastically affect her future in Buckley. How it
possible that Miwa was just making fun of her, and how she could be hurt. All she could think about
was the now, lost in Miwa's kiss, him being so near that she could hear his own heart beat.
Gently, she felt Miwa pull away, and as she opened her eyes, she could see his brown eyes gazing at
her tenderly. It was not the gaze of one playing a mean trick. It was a loving gaze, and she knew then that
Miwa could not possibly break her heart.
"How-" she started to ask only to be stopped by Miwa pressing his fingertips on her lips to silence
her.
"I knew from before Buckley."
Kitsune's eyes widened. She could not believe what she was hearing. "What did you say?"
"I know, Kitsune," he said, putting emphasis on her name. Her real name. "Will you let me explain?" he
asked. Still unable to believe it, she simply nodded. He then led her to the low table in the middle of their
room.
"I saw one of your kendo matches in Junior High. I was there to watch a cousin's team play, when I saw
your match. At that time, kendo was beginning to bore me. Sure, I was good, but then, there were a lot of
others who were better than me. I thought I'd be better off with other sports." Miwa smiled faintly.
"But watching you, I couldn't help but be astonished. You were losing, your opponent's lead was so large
that I didn't believe you'd win. But then, you suddenly got this look on your face and your game took a
turnaround. You played with such renewed vigor, with such focused intensity that I couldn't help but
admire you. I never could play like that. And then you went on to tie the game. If only you went on and
won, it would've been a dream game. I wanted to speak to you after the game, but I couldn't find you. And
I never did see you again. Until kendo practice."
"I...my...my father just died then," she said quietly. "He was my kendo coach. That was my first game after
he died, so I really didn't want to play, my school was just forcing me. I was throwing the game, but I
suddenly, I saw his face in my mind, and I knew he wouldn't have wanted to see me play at less than a
100%. Yes, I lost then, but after giving more than a 100% those last few minutes, I felt like a winner
already.
"Our school got eliminated, so I stopped kendo for a while, but it was never far from my thoughts. So when
I found out about the scholarship, I grabbed it... not knowing it was a male scholarship. But I wanted
to go to Buckley so bad, because of my father, so here I am." She smiled wistfully. "But then, now that you
know, I guess my cover's blown. I just don't know how the rest of the guys will react when they find out-"
Miwa quickly wrapped her in his arms. "Do you think I'm letting you go?" He buried his face in her
hair, hiding his pained expression. "Not after finally finding you. You're not leaving my side. I love you,
Kitsune." He pulled back to face her. "Is it too much to ask that you stay by my side?"
Kitsune stared at Miwa, gentleness and longing flooding his face. Her heart leapt at the realization
that he loved her. She smiled and slid her hand under his chin.
She pulled him closer to her as she leaned forward. "No, it's not too much to ask," she replied, right before
she sealed the request with a kiss.
-end-
Discaimer: I own these characters, nothing else...
Kitsune lay under the sakura tree, trying to figure out what to do. She had serious problems, but then,
she couldn't pin the blame on anyone else since it was her decision to go to Buckley.
As a child, it was always Kitsune's dream to go to Buckley. Her father went there when he was young
and he instilled the dream in Kitsune. She thought his early death would destroy the dream but luckily,
a sports scholarship program came her way, letting her go to the prestigious school for free. She could
study all throughout her senior high for free, as long as she played kendo, and that included
board and lodging, food, and allowances. It was a great deal, but it came with a catch. That year, the
only scholarship slot available was for the Boy's team.
They all knew her as a boy.
Her reverie was suddenly broken by a shrill shriek. Next thing she knew was pain, and an outburst of
boisterous laughter. She quickly sat up cupping her nose protectively.
"Gomenasai, Yuki-kun!" She looked up to find one of her classmates bowing low to her. Her
face was flaming bright red when she looked up, and her eyes were teary. Kitsune almost wanted to
hug the girl and tell her it's all right, but then, she can't, can she?
"Daijobu desu, Nami-chan. I wasn't hurt at all, I was just surprised." She took the volleyball from
beside her and handed it to the girl. "Go on with your game, and don't mind me, I'm really all
right." She smiled slightly, trying to control her face from showing the pain she really felt. The girl
bowed low again.
"Gomen, Yuki-kun! It was my fault. I'll try to be more careful next time." And with that, the girl
quickly rushed off to her teammates, head held down in embarrassment. Kitsune heard barely muffled
laughter and traced the source of it to a boy standing four feet away from her. He grinned at her then
quickly sat down beside her, much to her chagrin.
"Gomen, Yuki-kun! It was my fault. I'll try to be more careful next time." The boy copied the
retreating girl perfectly. "Man, Yuki ," the boy laughed, "you're really a ladies' man. You just
broke that poor girl's heart!" Kitsune glared at the guy. Sometimes, she just can't understand Miwa.
One minute he's so nice to her, the next, he's poking fun at her to the point that she wanted to slam
his smug countenance with an anvil. A really solid iron anvil.
On yeah, now that we're on the subject of Miwa, may I mention that not only is Miwa really
incomprehensible, he's also Kitsune's roommate. Did I forget to mention that she lives in the Boy's
Dorm? With the rest of the kendo team?
"Will you stop laughing?" She glared at him, still holding her nose. "It hurts you know. Just because
you have a stubborn unbreakable nose doesn't mean I can't have a delicate one." Miwa leaned
to her and pulled her hand down, to inspect her nose. Kitsune supressed a fledgling blush. Despite
living with this guy day in, and day out, there were still times when she became awfully aware that
he's a guy. And being physically up-close with Miwa was always one of them.
Miwa quickly got up, and dragged her to her feet. "Come on, let's get you an Ice Pack," he said then
led her to the direction of the Nurses' Office. Ah, Miwa. What a conundrum. One minute an
annoying brat, the next, a caring brother, and sometimes, a really cute sensitive guy. Kitsune
quickly shook her head, trying to clear it of thoughts of him. It won't do to fall for him, not
with her situation. She reminds herself about that, everyday, but somehow, with the way things are
going, she's fighting hard to keep it up.
* * * * *
Miwa was waiting for her by her shoe locker that day. They usually had a break from practice on
Wednesday afternoons, so they had to meet by the lockers before going home together. Despite his
occassional obnoxiousness, Kitsune found Miwa really good company. He never failed to draw a
smile from her, and his companionship was so uncomplicated. There were no strings attached at all.
Probably because he thought she was a guy.
"What do you say we get some ramen before we hit the dorms?" Miwa asked her as she opened her
shoe locker. When he didn't get a response, he looked over to where she was looking. His eyes widened to
saucers as he saw a scented pink envelope propped against her shoes. "Eh, another one?" InuYasha asked,
then quickly, he grabbed the letter.
"Hey, stop it!" She shouted, grabbing his shoulders before he could make a run for it. Miwa, being
faster than her, dangled the pink letter out of her reach. "What is this, the sixth this month?" He teased her.
There was a mad scuffle for the letter which ended in Kitsune's slipping. Miwa was quick to catch
her by grabbing her by the shoulders, his face just mere inches away from hers. His eyes were sparkling
and looked directly into hers, and it took all her will power to look away and steady herself. While
Miwa was still off guard, she grabbed the letter from him.
"Give me that." She glared at him, once again fighting the flush which was threatening to creep up her
cheeks. Miwa smiled at her.
"Hey, no need to get all heated up! I was only teasing you. Or is that one from THE special girl?" He
smiled that annoying smile again. The one which reeked of smugness and arrogance that simply made her
all the more aware that he was a guy, and a cute one at that.
She quickly opened her locker, slipped on her outdoor shoes and crammed the letter in her book satchel.
She pointedly ignored Miwa who was leaning against the shoe lockers.
"You know how you're acting like?" He asked lazily, not really waiting for her to answer, but pausing
nevertheless. "A girl." He said succintly, not budging from the lockers, while gauging her reaction.
Kitsune glared at him, half-afraid at being revealed. He can be such an asshole sometimes, she thought.
She leaned close to him, then slammed her fist on the locker door he was leaning on, right beside his face.
"Screw you." She cursed, then turned on her heel and left.
Miwa smiled a knowing smile, then thrust his hands in his pockets, and lazily trailed after her. His
smile grew even wider as he seemed to deliberate on some secret thought going through his brain, as he
followed Kitsune on the way home.
* * * * *
Kitsune was already out of her school uniform and in a loose baseball jersey when she heard a few
quick knocks on the door. She sighed, bidding the peace and quiet goodbye as the knock heralded the
arrival of her boisterous roommate. 'Just like Miwa to forget his room keys,' she thought, as she rose to
open the door. 'No point in remaining angry at him,' she figured. To her surprise though, it wasn't
Miwa who was standing by her door, but on of her classmates, Shinichi.
"Hey, Yuki!" Shinichi smiled, lifting a blue folder and a bag of burgers. "I heard you were pretty
good at English. I've a practical exam tomorrow. If you'll tutor me tonight, I'll look upon it as a favor to be
repaid." Kitsune pulled open the door and invited him in.
"Well, it would be a pity to let those burgers go to waste," she gestured, ushering him to the heating table at
the center of the room. "Besides, it might be a good idea to brush up on my english too, since I'm getting
my practical exams next week. Make yourself comfortable," she told him, as she riffled through her study
desk, trying to find the right book.
"Hey, cool! I always wanted one of these." Shinichi said, making himself at home by the heating table.
"Hey, where's your roommate? It's Miwa right?" He asked, as he began unpacking the burgers.
"Ah, I don't know where that jerk is!" Kitsune took her English notes and sat beside Shinichi. "Probably
traipsing after some poor girl who doesn't know any better." She fumed. Shinichi laughed.
"Haha, another one of your fights huh? I hear it's getting quite famous in our class. One of the boys even
remarked once that if you just weren't both guys, we'd start thinking you were boyfriend and girlfriend.
Funny huh?" Shinichi laughed again, not knowing how dangerous the ground he was treading on was.
Kitsune laughed along forcibly.
"Shinichi-kun, where exactly do you need help?" Kitsune asked, trying to change the subject. Luckily,
Shinichi thought nothing of it, and searched his notes. "Here, with this chapter," he pointed.
They were well into the English lessons, when the door opened to allow a smiling Miwa in.
"Yuki, I bought us some ramen-" Miwa was cut short when he saw Shinichi sitting close to
Kitsune. An eyebrow immediately shot up.
"Hey Miwa," Shinichi greeted him. "Hope you don't mind me crashing in your room. I've an English
practical tomorrow, and Yuki's helping me out."
"I don't mind." Miwa replied, putting the ramen he was carrying on the table. He sat there, and opened
his ramen amidst all the notebooks and paper scattered. "Itadakimasu!" Unmindful of Shinichi and
Kitsune, he started eating, slurping through the whole thing. Kitsune started giving him dagger stares
but he just ignored her. Stray droplets of soup were splashing on the table, and occasionally, even little
flying noodles. He was just starting on the second one when Kitsune stopped him.
"Hey, I thought that one was mine!" Kitsune exclaimed, unprepared to sit through Miwa slurping
down another bowl of ramen.
"Nah, I changed my mind. I'm still hungry," he exclaimed, then got ready to commence the annoying
slurping again. Kitsune started counting to ten, unwilling to lash out at Miwa, when Shinichi
closed his notebook.
"I'm ready to call it a night, Yuki-kun. I think I'm ready for my practicals." He said, despite
having covered only two thirds of the exam material. He stood and headed for the door. "Thanks a lot, you
sure helped plenty."
"No prob, Shinichi, glad to be of help." Kitsune walked to the door. "Let me know how you do."
"I will." He said, then turned on his heel and left. As soon as the door closed, Kitsune turned to face a
suddenly quiet Miwa. "What, pray tell, was that all about?" She glared at him.
"He was in my room. I wanted to relax. I can't relax when there's someone else in here." He replied, peeling
off his uniform jacket.
"So you had to be a total ass?" She said, still annoyed at his atrocious behavior.
"I wasn't a total ass. An ass, yes, but not a total ass." He stood and headed for the bathroom. "Besides, I did
get the job done." He winked at her. In spite of herself, Kitsune had to smile. Miwa can get away
with anything, with that charming smile of his. "Hey, have the rest of that ramen, it's for you anyway."
Kitsune sighed and stared at the ramen. She took a fresh pair of chopsticks and started eating. She had
just taken a few bites when Miwa came out of the bathroom in just his pajama bottoms. "Hey,
Yuki, who was today's love letter sender?" He asked mischievously, as he rummaged through his
closet for a shirt.
"Some girl," she mumbled, quick to look away. Kitsune had seen Miwa with his shirt off a lot of
times, but still, she can't help but be affected. Rigid training with the kendo team had sculpted Miwa's
torso into a muscular leanness, and many times, she had to stop herself from thinking sensual thoughts
about it. One of the temptations of living with a cute guy.
"Is she cute?" InuYasha asked, his back still turned to her.
"How should I know?" replied Kitsune, hiding her blush under the ramen.
"How should you know? How should you know?" Miwa turned to face her, exasperatedly waving his
shirt. "Don't you care about girls at all? How are you going to get a girlfriend? Are you gay or something?"
"I AM NOT GAY!" she shouted, looking up from the ramen. Miwa smiled at her.
"If you say so." He said, smiling that knowing smile again. He slipped his shirt on then headed to his bed, a
manga in tow. Kitsune stared at his retreating back, feeling silly at her outburst. Sometimes, she can't
help but wonder whether Miwa knows more than he lets on.
* * * * *
Kitsune and the rest of the kendo team were on their way back to the dorms, jubilant in their entry into
the Nationals. They had just come from celebrating in karaoke, when Miwa pulled her aside.
"Hey, do you mind if we have some of the guys over in our room? You know, so we can celebrate some
more?" He asked. Kitsune, also still ecstatic from the win, immediately responded.
"Sure, why not? We deserve to celebrate!" InuYasha smiled back.
"Great!" He cleared his throat. "Guys, post-party party, my room! Yuki'll let you in, I'll go buy
some refreshments." He announced, then dashed off, dragging along their fellow team member Kei
with him.
Kitsune and the guys who opted to go were laughing their heads off with silly jokes, when Miwa
returned with Kei, carrying big plastic bags.
"What did you guys get?" Asked Naota, ripping the bags open. To their surprise, out came cans of
beer.
"What the hell do you think you're doing? BAKA! We can't go drinking, we're underage! We're in a school
dorm! We might get caught! They'll punish us!" Miwa just smiled at her and gestured to the others.
She was shocked when she saw that they all had beer cans in hand already. Kei threw one at
Kitsune.
"Lighten up, Yuki," said Kei, who was already opening his can. "We just got into the
National Championships. Wasn't that our goal? We have to celebrate!"
"B-b-but we might get drunk! Sensei-" Kitsune replied, only to be cut off by Naota.
"We don't have class tomorrow. Neither do we have practice, for once. So what if we get drunk? We can
sleep it off!" Naota took a long pull from his beer can. Kitsune looked at the rest of the team
defeatedly.
"Well, since you put it that way...." she said. Miwa slapped her on the back.
"That's the spirit, Yuki!" He took her unopened beer can and handed her a newly opened one.
"You start! Just don't tell Benito-sempai." He said, grinning largely at her. Kitsune took a
tentative sip.
"Eaugh! This is so bitter! Why do you guys drink this?" The rest of the team laughed at her.
"To celebrate! Whoever drank beer because it tasted good?" Kei raised his beer can. "Kampai!"
The rest of the team followed suit and raised their beer cans too.
"Kampai! On to the Nationals!"
Everything proceeded in the same light vein. They talked about the upcoming competitions; they discussed
the schools which could pose a threat. They jokingly complained about the coach's strict training regimen.
By the time they were through celebrating, most were too soused with beer and the excitement about the
Nationals to walk straight.
Of course Miwa was no exception. By the time everyone had left, Miwa was sprawled facedown
on the floor while Kitsune was dying to climb into bed. She poked Miwa's side with her toe, in an
effort to wake him up and make him move to his bed. The most she got was drunken mumbling.
"Oi, Miwa!" Kitsune squatted beside her unconscious roommate. "Oi, wake up! Move to your bed."
She tried to shake him awake but to no avail. Mumbling to herself, she pushed him on his back, and then
slapped his cheeks lightly. "Hey, Miwa...."
Deciding that there was no chance he'd wake up, she took it upon herself to move him to his bunk. Just as
she was laying him on his bed, he stirred and raised his arms. To her shock, Miwa pulled her down and
kissed her! On the lips! While being asleep the whole time! Kitsune quickly tried to pull back, but was
met with resistance. Miwa refused to let her go! And he was pulling her down next to him. She
struggled but since he was much stronger, it was a futile effort. Miwa had her locked in his arms! She
found herself being caught in his embrace, and truthfully, she didn't find it too horrible.
'Snap out of it!' she quickly told herself. She peeled Miwa's arms from her, and after a few attempts,
she was successful. As fast as she possibly could, she climbed up to the top bunk and wrapped her blankets
around herself. Despite freeing herself from his arms though, she realized she could not free her thoughts of
him. Her body still tingled from the warmth emanating from his body as he hugged her, and the softness of
his lips as he kissed. She touched her lips where it met his, and found herself blushing. 'Did it really
happen?' she asked.
At the bunk below, a pair of eyes slowly opened and looked up at the bottom of the bunk above him. A
small smile crept up on Miwa's face, and a wistful expression that hovered, and then remained. A few
moments later, he closed his eyes once more, and shifted, grabbing his blankets and tightly cocooning
himself in them, a peaceful smile planted on his usually playful face.
* * * * *
Benito went up to the front of the classroom and cleared his throat. Automatically, the whole swimming
club paid attention. He always had that ability, to control the team with a simple gesture. Maybe it was his
responsible air, or his leader aura. Or maybe he was just plain scary.
"Now that I have your attention," he said, his authoritative voice quietly booming through the borrowed
classroom. "May I remind you all that the Cultural Festival is in three weeks? I'm cutting our team
practices down to two a week so we can prepare for the festival, but what do you guys suggest that we do?"
The room was abuzz with excited whispering. Practices down to two a week? And they'll get to have fun
with a Festival activity?
"Let's just do a kendo demo," someone suggested.
"NO MORE KENDO!" the whole group chortled.
"A food booth!" Kei suggested. Everyone laughed of course. Kei's appetite was a big joke
among the club.
"And who's going to cook?" Naota countered, to which everyone agreed. "Uhm, actually, if you
guys would like to try something new, I have a suggestion. My cousin studied in the States and she told me
about this fun fair she went to once. It had a Marriage Booth."
"A what?" Miwa asked. Everyone's interest was piqued.
"Well, a Marriage Booth. Basically, we pair people up then pretend to have a wedding ceremony. Maybe a
western one so it'd be even more interesting. After that, they sign a wedding log, then we charge them a
wedding fee, regardless of whether the couple is willing or not. If they refuse to pay, we keep them tied up
in the booth for the rest of the day. It's great fun, my cousin said, since they have to chase after unwilling
people. A lot of times though, some of the students themselves arrange to have be paired with the one they
like secretly, and just pretend that it's against their will. The girls will probably get a kick out of this."
Naota explained.
Evil grins sprouted on a lot of the team members' faces. The words fun, chase, unwilling and fee echoed in
their brains and before Benito could even start a formal vote, they all knew that Naota's
Wedding Booth idea was a winner.
* * * * *
"Remind me again why I have to wear this?" Benito asked. The team members were forcing him
into a long cassock.
"Because as Team Captain, you're the one with vested authority to marry people off!" Naota joked.
"Besides, you're the only one with a poker face to pull this one off." Miwa entered the room in a tux.
"Why can't I wear that instead?" Benito asked, pointing to Miwa.
"Will you make him stop?" Naota beseeched Miwa. "I've been repeating myself all week!"
"But this feels like a skirt!" Benito said.
"Hey," Kei admonished. "You're lucky you only have to wear something which feels like a skirt.
Remember how you guys all coerced Yuki in THAT dress? How do you think he feels?" With
that statement, Benito piped down. He'd rather be in something which looks like a dress, than an
actual dress.
"Where is Yuki anyway?" asked Miwa. To his surprise, a white bundle of cloth barely
squeaked, "Here!" Miwa's eyes widened at the bundle.
"Yuki? What is that? Is that Naota's idea of a dress?"
"No, baka. He refuses to come out of the blankets." Naota replied, straightening Benito's
sleeves. "I dunno why though, I think he looks just like a girl in the dress. Or maybe that's why he refuses
to come out."
'Idiot! I'm scared of being discovered!' Kitsune thought. Aloud though, Kitsune could only
complain. "Why do I have to be in a dress anyway? Who needs bridesmaids? And why couldn't we have
gotten a real girl?" she lamented.
"Because all the girls I asked are busy with other club activities. And the girls' kendo team has their own
presentation to mind." Naota exasperatedly said. "You're just as bad as sempai here, when it comes
to complaining!"
"Besides, take one for the team, Yuki!" Miwa teased. Kitsune glared. Well, at least tried
to glare. Deep inside, she was enjoying staring at InuYasha. He looked so handsome in his tux. The tux fit
him perfectly, and the way he moved in it was so confident that he easily looked right at place, despite the
fact that everyone else, with the exception of Benito in his minister's garb, and Kitsune in her
blankets, was in casual clothes.
Tearing her glare-stare from Miwa, Kitsune, bundled up and all, trudged to the covered booth,
leaving all the others behind. The rest of the team set aside a corner of the room and draped it with
blanket walls to create a 'chapel-booth.' She entered the empty booth, and took a seat. Inside, her emotions
were slugging it out. On one hand, she was sort of happy, being in a dress again. It was one of her prettiest
outfits, a calf-length floral sundress, with thin ribbon shoulder straps, and strappy flat sandals, which she
passed off as something she borrowed from a cousin. It felt great to be a girl again. And she didn't have to
wear that binding vest she usually wore to hide her chest.
On the other hand though, there was that niggling fear that she'll be discovered. Her dress seemed filled out
just right, now that she thought about it, and she might have a hard time passing off her chest as wadded up
tissues. She just looked way too girly in that dress, and not at all like a cross-dressing guy as she was
supposed to be right now.
Just then, Miwa lifted the curtain entrance, which covered the booth and entered with the box of toy
rings they were using for the 'ceremonies'. "Still in your blankets?" he asked, as he put box down and took
a seat beside her. "Come on, you can't stay in those blankets for the whole day! People will think that
you're some sort of wedding pudding instead of a bridesmaid," Miwa tugged at her blanket.
Kitsune sighed.
"I'd rather be a wedding pudding than be called a transvestite," she replied.
"You? A transvestite? I wouldn't go that far. With your build and features, you can easily pass as a girl." He
said, still tugging on the blanket. "Besides, you'll have to take off this blanket eventually. Or are you
worried about losing your fan girls?"
"Fan girls?" Kitsune laughed dryly. "That's one thing I'd be glad to get rid of. I guess you're right,
though. No point in me sweating under this thing." She stood, then started pulling off the blanket. "But
don't laugh," she glared. "I hear one chuckle out of you, and YOU'LL be the one wearing this dress
tomorrow."
Miwa raised his pinky. "Yakusoku. No laughing." Kitsune slipped her blanket off to reveal the
bright, pretty sundress. In her embarrassment though, she didn't catch the split-second look of astonishment
and sincere admiration on Miwa's face.
"Well, partner!" Miwa stood and offered his arm. "You look fine, if I do say so myself."
In gratitude for his not teasing her, she gamely slipped her arm in his. Benito entered the booth, and
took his place behind his make-shift podium while Kitsune and Miwa took their places on chairs
beside the podium, all awaiting the first victims, whether willing or struggling, of the Kendo Club Marriage
Booth.
* * * * *
It was a hot, busy afternoon and for once, Kitsune was happy that she was in a strappy sleeved dress.
The Wedding Booth was a hit, especially with the girls. They kept cornering members of the kendo team
and pointing out their crushes so they could be paired up. Even the team members were almost not spared,
as their fan girls tried to get ahold of them. Good thing Benito put his foot down and ruled out that
team members on duty cannot be 'captured,' a ruling which disappointed a lot of girls, especially
Miwa's fans.
Benito called for a break, and the whole team happily plopped down on chairs surrounding the booth.
"Put it here, Naota!" Kei high-fived Naota. "Your idea's a success! We now have
adequate funds for new equipment. Or maybe we can have a team vacation."
"Well, I'm so tired, but the booth's success is worth it." Naota loosened his collar. "All that running
around after everyone...it's even more strenuous than training!"
"Yeah, I'm ready to fall into bed." Kei announced. "I don't know what's worse though, running
around all day, or being forced to sit around in a pretty dress," he smiled at Kitsune's direction.
"You should've seen his fan girls," Naota piped up, referring to the hordes of girls who regularly
cheered Kitsune's matches. "They were all ogling him with shock. Never occurred to them that he could
be prettier than all of them," Naota laughed.
"Yeah," Kei added. "Even some of the our sempai were asking where we got our bridesmaid.
Imagine their shock when they realized it was Yuki. Heck, some of them wanted to be paired up
with him at first, before they found out. We should've let them!" Everyone laughed. Kitsune's face was
burning red from all of the teasing, but all that couldn't have prepared her for what was going to happen
next.
"But why not?" Miwa asked, oblivious to the grave he was digging beneath his feet. "Look at him!
He's really pretty, I wouldn't mind..." Evil glimmers appeared in the kendo team members' eyes. Before
InuYasha could even finish, he was bound and dragged to the Marriage Booth. With Kitsune of course.
* * * * *
Kitsune opened her closet and grabbed a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. She headed to the bathroom to
change, pointedly ignoring Miwa the whole while.
"Look, I'm sorry!" Miwa apologized, trailing after her. "How was I to know those guys would
victimize us?"
Kitsune glared at him. "If you had been more careful with your statements," she started. "Ah, never
mind!" she turned her back to him again, her hand resting on the bathroom door knob.
"Come on, it was done in the spirit of fun! Besides," Miwa's voice lowered a bit. "I did mean it."
Kitsune was incensed! How dare Miwa make fun of her! She spun on her heel, only to find out that
InuYasha was right in front of her, a bit too close for comfort. Instead of flaring in anger, she was taken
aback by his discomfiting gaze.
He leaned closer, til she could almost feel his warm breath grazing her skin.
"I SAID, 'I meant it'," he repeated, stressing every word heavily. "I meant it then, and I still mean it now."
Kitsune could not move, with Miwa closing in. He slammed his arms on the wall, pinning her
between them.
"I thought you were very pretty earlier. No, I take that back. You are beautiful." Kitsune was panicking;
she didn't know how to react. Here she was, trapped in the arms of the guy she was in love with,
speechless.
"Uhm, Miwa," she tried to push him away but he refused to budge. "Stop it Miwa! Quit it, I'll
start thinking you're gay or something!" she said, chuckling nervously, trying to pass off what was
happening as a joke.
"No I'm not," he replied, leaning even closer. "And you know it," he added, as his lips descended on hers.
* * * * *
As the intial shock of his kiss died down, Kitsune closed her eyes, and lost herself in the moment. She
refused to think of what this means, of how it could drastically affect her future in Buckley. How it
possible that Miwa was just making fun of her, and how she could be hurt. All she could think about
was the now, lost in Miwa's kiss, him being so near that she could hear his own heart beat.
Gently, she felt Miwa pull away, and as she opened her eyes, she could see his brown eyes gazing at
her tenderly. It was not the gaze of one playing a mean trick. It was a loving gaze, and she knew then that
Miwa could not possibly break her heart.
"How-" she started to ask only to be stopped by Miwa pressing his fingertips on her lips to silence
her.
"I knew from before Buckley."
Kitsune's eyes widened. She could not believe what she was hearing. "What did you say?"
"I know, Kitsune," he said, putting emphasis on her name. Her real name. "Will you let me explain?" he
asked. Still unable to believe it, she simply nodded. He then led her to the low table in the middle of their
room.
"I saw one of your kendo matches in Junior High. I was there to watch a cousin's team play, when I saw
your match. At that time, kendo was beginning to bore me. Sure, I was good, but then, there were a lot of
others who were better than me. I thought I'd be better off with other sports." Miwa smiled faintly.
"But watching you, I couldn't help but be astonished. You were losing, your opponent's lead was so large
that I didn't believe you'd win. But then, you suddenly got this look on your face and your game took a
turnaround. You played with such renewed vigor, with such focused intensity that I couldn't help but
admire you. I never could play like that. And then you went on to tie the game. If only you went on and
won, it would've been a dream game. I wanted to speak to you after the game, but I couldn't find you. And
I never did see you again. Until kendo practice."
"I...my...my father just died then," she said quietly. "He was my kendo coach. That was my first game after
he died, so I really didn't want to play, my school was just forcing me. I was throwing the game, but I
suddenly, I saw his face in my mind, and I knew he wouldn't have wanted to see me play at less than a
100%. Yes, I lost then, but after giving more than a 100% those last few minutes, I felt like a winner
already.
"Our school got eliminated, so I stopped kendo for a while, but it was never far from my thoughts. So when
I found out about the scholarship, I grabbed it... not knowing it was a male scholarship. But I wanted
to go to Buckley so bad, because of my father, so here I am." She smiled wistfully. "But then, now that you
know, I guess my cover's blown. I just don't know how the rest of the guys will react when they find out-"
Miwa quickly wrapped her in his arms. "Do you think I'm letting you go?" He buried his face in her
hair, hiding his pained expression. "Not after finally finding you. You're not leaving my side. I love you,
Kitsune." He pulled back to face her. "Is it too much to ask that you stay by my side?"
Kitsune stared at Miwa, gentleness and longing flooding his face. Her heart leapt at the realization
that he loved her. She smiled and slid her hand under his chin.
She pulled him closer to her as she leaned forward. "No, it's not too much to ask," she replied, right before
she sealed the request with a kiss.
-end-