Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply... Duh. I'm actually too tired to put anything interesting here...
A/N: in a tired monotonous voice Hi everyone. Sorry to have kept you waiting. I was a bit preoccupied. Been exorcising writer's block demons in my head.. pair that up with schoolwork, among other things.. You get the point. That's why I had to do many all-nighters. Poor me, more bags under my eyes... Luckily, I recovered before I completely went out of it.. Anyway, here's chapter 9.
Legend:
~place/time/flashback~
"dialogue"
//thoughts//
inserts
*sigh or something like it*
/*stuff outside the fic*/
Chapter9: Chaos
Something's changed. Hanamichi was not himself. Thus was the observation that only Yohei was capable of seeing. He was the redhead's bestfriend, after all. He ran through the earlier events in his head: their being bored throughout the educational trip except Kogure, their going to the mall and being bullied by Hanamichi into going to the sports shop, the unexpected appearance of Sendoh, Rukawa paying for the shoes Yohei was the only one who saw it, Sakuragi missing, their meeting with Rukawa, their eating lunch in uneasy silence, their searching for the missing Hanamichi, Rukawa spotting their lost friend... Sakuragi eating with Sendoh, and the unusual way with which Sendoh and his bestfriend addressed each other..
Yohei analyzed each microfibril of those memories, slicing up everything and examining it under great scrutiny. Hanamichi was acting as he normally did, until....
//... until he got lost and we found him!// Yohei finally got it. //Why, though? I'm pretty sure nothing bad happened... Sendoh was with him all the while..// Slowly, everything made sense. //It's Sendoh... He has feelings for Hanamichi... That explains the expression I managed to see on Rukawa's face a while ago...// Indeed, Yohei was an intelligent person. He made a mental note to talk with Hanamichi later.
However, he was not the only one whose thoughts were in turmoil. It would seem as though he was his usual aloof self, but one can be proved wrong once he or she gets a gist of the thoughts Rukawa Kaede was currently having.
//Hanamichi.... Don't you know how worried I was when you went missing? Or how relieved I was when I saw you?//
The memory flashed breifly in his mind. Then...
//Doushita, Hana?//
He squeezed his eyes shut... And saw Sendoh caressing the redhead's face.
//Do you like him?//
His brow twitched. He will never like the mere thought of it.
//Love him?//
This brought a bitter taste to his mouth. It lingered there for a while longer than he would've wished.
Thankfully, someone saved him from his musings, giving him momentary rest from hurting himself more and more mentally, as well as emotionally.
"Oi, Rukawa, wake up! We've arrived!" Ryota was shaking him.
He pretended to wake up from sleep. He blinked at Miyagi and went about with what he was supposed to do: open the gates and have the whole thing, and possibly the whole day, over and done with.
Instead of getting out of the car, he reached for a remote control in one of the compartments of the limo. Pressing a few buttons, the gates opened to admit them. Tiredly, they alighted from the vehicle and proceeded to go inside.
*yawns* "The tensai is tired.... I think I'll take a little nap in my room..." Sakuragi was making his way up the stairs, yawning in timed intervals.
"Are??? Oi, baka! Where do you think you're going?! All the rooms there are occupied! Where will you sleep? It better be not in my room...." Mitsui growled at him.
The redhead's sleepiness suddenly dissolved, and he found himself laughing his trademark laugh.
"NYAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Don't worry, Micchy! I won't sleep in your room, because the tensai's room is way better than that!!! NYAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!" was the boisterous reply.
"Oh, really..." If Mitsui's aim is to provoke Sakuragi, he's definitely on the right track.
"Temee... Are you saying that the tensai is a liar?!"
Mitsui shrugged and smirked. "I didn't say that. Apparently, you did."
"I'm not lying!"
"Got proof?"
"Of course I have! I will show you the tensai's magnificent room!!!" He looked at Rukawa. "Is it okay to take them there?"
"... Do as you like..." Rukawa turned away and disappeared to some other part of the house.
//E? Why did he have to ask permission from the guy?// Everybody else thought.
Hanamichi was beginning to get annoyed. "You coming?"
"Let's go then," Mitsui said, beckoning to the others to follow.
And so they set off for Hanamichi's in Mitsui's opinion 'nonexsistent' room. The redhead scoffed at the smirk that was practically plastered on his senior's face.
"Hmph! Mark my words, Micchy, because you will eat yours later..."
Another smirk. "We'll see about tha--oof!" Mitsui was about to provoke the monkey again; but Kogure, the kind soul that he is /*A/N: Thank God for that...*/ elbowed him conveniently in the ribs to shut him up. He expertly knew of other--ahem--better and more effective methods but judging from the current number of people per square meter in the vicinity, he figured that he would make do with this for now. Mitsui glared at his lover but stopped acting like a child nonetheless. Kogure smiled a not-so-innocent smile. Tough luck. He would just have to make it up to him later... Not that he didn't like it, mind you...
The group stopped as soon as they were directly in front of a large painting at the maximum point of the arched corridor. Hanamichi lifted the piece as Rukawa did just the night before. It seemed as if the earlier event was copied and pasted from last night to now; only, this time, the gang was at the receiving end of the shock upon finding a secret elevator that led to secret floors and rooms. The group flocked around one of the doors while Hanamichi whipped out his card key. He unlocked the door to his room and announced somewhat annoyed, "Guys, my room is THIS way. You're all on Rukawa's door." Instantly realizing their mistake, the skeptics and the curious sheepishly proceeded to explore the now open room. Their feet had barely landed their first steps and already each individual was doing his or her own version of immitating a goldfish foolish enough to jump out of its bowl and cut off its supply of dissolved oxygen.
".....Wow...." Aside from this and random gasps of awe and surprise, the only soundwaves capable of ricocheting off the walls were those of silence.
Mitsui approached the bathroom. He cautiously opened the door and peered inside. His eyes widened at the sight, and spoke the first word that came into his mind.....
"Fuck..." //Oh, the things I could do with such facilities!!! This is so NOT fair.//He then closed the door. Feeling slightly nauseated, he groped around for a piece of comfortable furniture in the room. After actually finding something, he sat on it and was relaxed almost immediately.
A single realization hit him squarely in the face.
He.
Was.
On.
A.
Mother.
Fucking.
Waterbed.
//No, sir.. This is ABSOLUTELY not fair at all.//
"I really hate to say this, but, I told you so, Micchy.." the redhead said apologetically.
God! How he hated those four words. //At least he had the decency not to gloat about it now....// Mitsui thought.
Hanamichi just couldn't keep a straight face. He finally burst out laughing. "NYAHAHAHAHA!! No, I lied. I love saying it! NYAHAHAHAHA!!!"
But then again, one could only hope so much. Some things just never change. Perhaps it was too much to wish for; much less hope for. Mitsui sighed, defeated. "Yeah, yeah, whatever.. Mi-- I mean, Kogure, I'll be in our room." Mitsui almost gave himself away. After all, he didn't know how the others would react to THAT. The three-pointer rushed out of the door.
"Um, I think I'll go too.. See you guys at dinner!" Kogure waved at them and followed Mitsui.
"Since everybody else is going, I might as well follow suit..." Miyagi said. All others nodded in agreement and soon, Hanamichi was left alone to ponder on everything that has been happening to him.
Now that he came to think of it, he was slowly analyzing things about himself, like his sexuality for example.
//Am I gay?// he silently questioned himself.
He tried to recall the earlier events and his reactions to them. He had to admit that he often found himself admiring the male physique than the feminine one. Yup, he's gay.
//....B-but, I like Haruko... Does that mean I'm bi? This is so confusing....// And confusing it is; for had he been thinking outside the box that is his life often enough, he would've realized that the thing he felt for the said girl was a mix of wanting to be friends with someone other than the gundan and the team, and gratitude. After all, he owed what he was now to her.
//I know! After dinner, I'll find out if I still have feelings for Haruko....// Finally, a stroke of brilliance.
Even though he's getting more questions than answers, he was somehow satisfied with what he had accomplished. He then surrendered himself to the heat of the afternoon, and slipped out of consciousness. Unknowingly, he had also surrendered himself to the chaos within.
A/N: Omigawd! I finally had a move on.... Guys, I'm really sorry that I posted this just now... But under the circumstances I was subjected to, well... I hope you understand... So don't be so pissed off at me, ok? Also, this chapter was supposed to be long... too long in my opinion, so I split it.. the other half will be chapter 10..
Anywayz, thank you all for the reviews... they are very much appreciated.. your encouraging words push me to try and do better for your sake as well as my own.. Well, I hope you do enjoy this.. Sorry for all the profanity c/o mitsui.. my friends say I'm repressed.. maybe I am... Never mind that... HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!! pls, r&r...
A/N: in a tired monotonous voice Hi everyone. Sorry to have kept you waiting. I was a bit preoccupied. Been exorcising writer's block demons in my head.. pair that up with schoolwork, among other things.. You get the point. That's why I had to do many all-nighters. Poor me, more bags under my eyes... Luckily, I recovered before I completely went out of it.. Anyway, here's chapter 9.
Legend:
~place/time/flashback~
"dialogue"
//thoughts//
inserts
*sigh or something like it*
/*stuff outside the fic*/
Chapter9: Chaos
Something's changed. Hanamichi was not himself. Thus was the observation that only Yohei was capable of seeing. He was the redhead's bestfriend, after all. He ran through the earlier events in his head: their being bored throughout the educational trip except Kogure, their going to the mall and being bullied by Hanamichi into going to the sports shop, the unexpected appearance of Sendoh, Rukawa paying for the shoes Yohei was the only one who saw it, Sakuragi missing, their meeting with Rukawa, their eating lunch in uneasy silence, their searching for the missing Hanamichi, Rukawa spotting their lost friend... Sakuragi eating with Sendoh, and the unusual way with which Sendoh and his bestfriend addressed each other..
Yohei analyzed each microfibril of those memories, slicing up everything and examining it under great scrutiny. Hanamichi was acting as he normally did, until....
//... until he got lost and we found him!// Yohei finally got it. //Why, though? I'm pretty sure nothing bad happened... Sendoh was with him all the while..// Slowly, everything made sense. //It's Sendoh... He has feelings for Hanamichi... That explains the expression I managed to see on Rukawa's face a while ago...// Indeed, Yohei was an intelligent person. He made a mental note to talk with Hanamichi later.
However, he was not the only one whose thoughts were in turmoil. It would seem as though he was his usual aloof self, but one can be proved wrong once he or she gets a gist of the thoughts Rukawa Kaede was currently having.
//Hanamichi.... Don't you know how worried I was when you went missing? Or how relieved I was when I saw you?//
The memory flashed breifly in his mind. Then...
//Doushita, Hana?//
He squeezed his eyes shut... And saw Sendoh caressing the redhead's face.
//Do you like him?//
His brow twitched. He will never like the mere thought of it.
//Love him?//
This brought a bitter taste to his mouth. It lingered there for a while longer than he would've wished.
Thankfully, someone saved him from his musings, giving him momentary rest from hurting himself more and more mentally, as well as emotionally.
"Oi, Rukawa, wake up! We've arrived!" Ryota was shaking him.
He pretended to wake up from sleep. He blinked at Miyagi and went about with what he was supposed to do: open the gates and have the whole thing, and possibly the whole day, over and done with.
Instead of getting out of the car, he reached for a remote control in one of the compartments of the limo. Pressing a few buttons, the gates opened to admit them. Tiredly, they alighted from the vehicle and proceeded to go inside.
*yawns* "The tensai is tired.... I think I'll take a little nap in my room..." Sakuragi was making his way up the stairs, yawning in timed intervals.
"Are??? Oi, baka! Where do you think you're going?! All the rooms there are occupied! Where will you sleep? It better be not in my room...." Mitsui growled at him.
The redhead's sleepiness suddenly dissolved, and he found himself laughing his trademark laugh.
"NYAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Don't worry, Micchy! I won't sleep in your room, because the tensai's room is way better than that!!! NYAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!" was the boisterous reply.
"Oh, really..." If Mitsui's aim is to provoke Sakuragi, he's definitely on the right track.
"Temee... Are you saying that the tensai is a liar?!"
Mitsui shrugged and smirked. "I didn't say that. Apparently, you did."
"I'm not lying!"
"Got proof?"
"Of course I have! I will show you the tensai's magnificent room!!!" He looked at Rukawa. "Is it okay to take them there?"
"... Do as you like..." Rukawa turned away and disappeared to some other part of the house.
//E? Why did he have to ask permission from the guy?// Everybody else thought.
Hanamichi was beginning to get annoyed. "You coming?"
"Let's go then," Mitsui said, beckoning to the others to follow.
And so they set off for Hanamichi's in Mitsui's opinion 'nonexsistent' room. The redhead scoffed at the smirk that was practically plastered on his senior's face.
"Hmph! Mark my words, Micchy, because you will eat yours later..."
Another smirk. "We'll see about tha--oof!" Mitsui was about to provoke the monkey again; but Kogure, the kind soul that he is /*A/N: Thank God for that...*/ elbowed him conveniently in the ribs to shut him up. He expertly knew of other--ahem--better and more effective methods but judging from the current number of people per square meter in the vicinity, he figured that he would make do with this for now. Mitsui glared at his lover but stopped acting like a child nonetheless. Kogure smiled a not-so-innocent smile. Tough luck. He would just have to make it up to him later... Not that he didn't like it, mind you...
The group stopped as soon as they were directly in front of a large painting at the maximum point of the arched corridor. Hanamichi lifted the piece as Rukawa did just the night before. It seemed as if the earlier event was copied and pasted from last night to now; only, this time, the gang was at the receiving end of the shock upon finding a secret elevator that led to secret floors and rooms. The group flocked around one of the doors while Hanamichi whipped out his card key. He unlocked the door to his room and announced somewhat annoyed, "Guys, my room is THIS way. You're all on Rukawa's door." Instantly realizing their mistake, the skeptics and the curious sheepishly proceeded to explore the now open room. Their feet had barely landed their first steps and already each individual was doing his or her own version of immitating a goldfish foolish enough to jump out of its bowl and cut off its supply of dissolved oxygen.
".....Wow...." Aside from this and random gasps of awe and surprise, the only soundwaves capable of ricocheting off the walls were those of silence.
Mitsui approached the bathroom. He cautiously opened the door and peered inside. His eyes widened at the sight, and spoke the first word that came into his mind.....
"Fuck..." //Oh, the things I could do with such facilities!!! This is so NOT fair.//He then closed the door. Feeling slightly nauseated, he groped around for a piece of comfortable furniture in the room. After actually finding something, he sat on it and was relaxed almost immediately.
A single realization hit him squarely in the face.
He.
Was.
On.
A.
Mother.
Fucking.
Waterbed.
//No, sir.. This is ABSOLUTELY not fair at all.//
"I really hate to say this, but, I told you so, Micchy.." the redhead said apologetically.
God! How he hated those four words. //At least he had the decency not to gloat about it now....// Mitsui thought.
Hanamichi just couldn't keep a straight face. He finally burst out laughing. "NYAHAHAHAHA!! No, I lied. I love saying it! NYAHAHAHAHA!!!"
But then again, one could only hope so much. Some things just never change. Perhaps it was too much to wish for; much less hope for. Mitsui sighed, defeated. "Yeah, yeah, whatever.. Mi-- I mean, Kogure, I'll be in our room." Mitsui almost gave himself away. After all, he didn't know how the others would react to THAT. The three-pointer rushed out of the door.
"Um, I think I'll go too.. See you guys at dinner!" Kogure waved at them and followed Mitsui.
"Since everybody else is going, I might as well follow suit..." Miyagi said. All others nodded in agreement and soon, Hanamichi was left alone to ponder on everything that has been happening to him.
Now that he came to think of it, he was slowly analyzing things about himself, like his sexuality for example.
//Am I gay?// he silently questioned himself.
He tried to recall the earlier events and his reactions to them. He had to admit that he often found himself admiring the male physique than the feminine one. Yup, he's gay.
//....B-but, I like Haruko... Does that mean I'm bi? This is so confusing....// And confusing it is; for had he been thinking outside the box that is his life often enough, he would've realized that the thing he felt for the said girl was a mix of wanting to be friends with someone other than the gundan and the team, and gratitude. After all, he owed what he was now to her.
//I know! After dinner, I'll find out if I still have feelings for Haruko....// Finally, a stroke of brilliance.
Even though he's getting more questions than answers, he was somehow satisfied with what he had accomplished. He then surrendered himself to the heat of the afternoon, and slipped out of consciousness. Unknowingly, he had also surrendered himself to the chaos within.
A/N: Omigawd! I finally had a move on.... Guys, I'm really sorry that I posted this just now... But under the circumstances I was subjected to, well... I hope you understand... So don't be so pissed off at me, ok? Also, this chapter was supposed to be long... too long in my opinion, so I split it.. the other half will be chapter 10..
Anywayz, thank you all for the reviews... they are very much appreciated.. your encouraging words push me to try and do better for your sake as well as my own.. Well, I hope you do enjoy this.. Sorry for all the profanity c/o mitsui.. my friends say I'm repressed.. maybe I am... Never mind that... HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!! pls, r&r...
