Chapter Eleven: Going For Broke
A girl hurriedly shut the door of the room on the other side of the hall and the sound echoed throughout the now empty hall. Mitsui saw Miyagi flinch at the sound but Mitsui didn't make a single noise to get Miyagi's attention. Instead, he stayed rooted at the spot, looking at Miyagi, his right shoulder straining against the weight of his bag.
Miyagi's eyes lacked the usual spunk it always had and there was something on his mind. Mitsui was about to say something to get Miyagi's attention when Miyagi finally noticed Mitsui's presence, as if on cue. Mitsui was surprised to see anger in his junior's eyes; even worse, he also saw humiliation.
"Why did you do it?"
Mitsui wanted to slap himself. What was he expecting anyway? That Miyagi would thank him for what he did and run into his arms? The question told Mitsui that Miyagi did not want to beat around the bush so he also answered it bluntly. "It was the least I could do."
Miyagi opened his mouth to reply but thought better of it and looked down instead. Mitsui understood that Miyagi left the task of talking up to him. Finding no other words to say, he said, "Thank you."
This brought Miyagi's attention back to him. Miyagi, with his angry, piercing glare. "What for?"
"Thank you for freeing me."
Miyagi huffed. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"I didn't know either," Mitsui admitted, "but just this morning I realized what you've done for me. All these years, I also don't know why I continued to hurt people. Maybe it was because I felt justified. I just wanted someone to feel the pain I felt back when Hideki dumped me. But no one did. All they cared about was having their dream relationship. It was unfair. I used to believe in a dream relationship but because of what happened, I stopped believing. I hurt those people because I wanted to show them there is no such thing as a dream relationship. When you made that bet with me, I was betting on something I didn't believe in the first place; love."
Mitsui stopped and looked at Miyagi. The other boy was looking at Mitsui and he made no move to interrupt Mitsui or scorn him. This gave Mitsui the courage to continue. "What happened in the cafeteria yesterday. What Hideki did to you was the same thing he did to me back then and I should be happy right? I got what I wanted. Someone knew how I felt. But there's something that's eating me up inside and I don't even know what it is. You knew that the only way to free me was to go through what I did. You didn't deserve to be treated that way and I'm sorry."
"What now?"
"Huh?" Mitsui asked. After his long explanation, Miyagi's question seemed out of the blue.
Miyagi shook his head in disbelief. "So what now? Am I supposed to forgive you? And if I forgive you, do you expect everything to be the way it was before?"
That was the same question he asked himself a while ago and now, as he looked at Miyagi, Mitsui could see the same answer in the younger boy's eyes. "No, I don't."
"What?"
It's now or never, Mitsui thought. "About what you said to me outside the cafeteria yesterday.Ryota, I need to know. Do you. do you love me?"
Miyagi could hardly believe Mitsui's question. Miyagi shook his head in disbelief once more. "I. I have to go, Aya-chan's waiting for me at the school gates." Miyagi shifted and faced the door.
Mitsui sprang into action and blocked Miyagi's path by extending his hand and placing his palm against the wall. "No. Ryota, I have to know plea-"
"No I'm not!" Miyagi almost screamed, his voice shaking.
"Ryota."
Miyagi faced Mitsui and the latter could see the former's eyes brimming with tears. "There is no love in these relationships remember?" Miyagi spat out. "You guys are all in it for the fun and once it ain't fun anymore, you just dump the guy!"
"I can prove you wrong."
"On the contrary, you proved me right."
"Fine!" Mitsui said, holding up his hands in exasperation. "You're right then! We're nothing but a bunch of heartless jerks. Hell the whole school knows! I said it over the school speaker system! There! Happy?"
"No!" Miyagi countered, his voice bordering on despair. "Don't you get it? I admit, at first, I made the bet with you because I didn't believe in it, but later, it was so I could prove myself wrong! Let me tell you this: I've never hated myself for being so right before."
"If you don't believe in love, what do you feel for me then?"
"Nothing!" Miyagi said, his voice soft but firm that garnered no arguments from Mitsui. Miyagi looked down for a second or two before looking at Mitsui again, now calmed and composed, and continued in a more subdued voice. "And what if I had? Why? Would you make me think I'm special so you can get what you want from me then dump me? I'm sorry but Hideki already beat you to it."
Mitsui saw that Miyagi believed he led him on, and that no amount of words would convince Miyagi that he wasn't like Hideki and his interests weren't purely physical. So Mitsui sighed and pressed his lips against Miyagi's but immediately drew back before the latter can react. As Mitsui opened his eyes, he could see Miyagi's own eyes looking at him in bewilderment.
Twice Miyagi tried to open his mouth to speak but he couldn't find the words to say. "S.so what? I...it's not like I haven't been ki...kissed by a guy before."
"Well, has a guy ever confessed his love to you?"
Miyagi's heart skipped a beat. "Wh.what?"
Mitsui took a deep breath. He had practiced this in his mind a thousand times and he hoped he wouldn't start shivering. "Ryota. I.I lov-"
"Mitsui kun!!!"
Surprised, the two turned towards the doorway, where a newcomer now stood. The newcomer was a guy about Miyagi's age and was looking at Mitsui with a love struck expression in his eyes.
"Tadaki?" Mitsui asked. He had forgotten the names of most of the guys he went out with.
"Of course Mitsui kun!" Without waiting for an invitation, Tadaki sauntered into the room and gave Mitsui a huge smile. "I thought that little speech over the school system was sooo romantic! I never knew you had it in you!"
With a sinking feeling, Mitsui realized that Tadaki thought that the speech over the school speaker system was for him. "Err, Tadaki?" Mitsui started, "Look man, you might think that -" Mitsui broke off when he caught Miyagi glaring at him.
Miyagi shook his head and started out the room. He barely heard Mitsui calling out his name. "What?!" He almost screamed as he turned around abruptly, causing Mitsui, who was right behind him, to halt suddenly.
"Look, this is just a little setback okay?" Mitsui tried to explain. "Let me just talk to Tadaki. I really need to tell you something."
Miyagi shook his head. "I'm sorry Mitsui san. This isn't going to work."
"No!" Mitsui cried out desperately and he gripped Miyagi's arm. "You can't do this. Not now. Ryota, you freed me!"
Miyagi wrenched himself away from Mitsui's grasp. "That doesn't mean I changed you." With that, Miyagi turned and walked away. This time, Mitsui didn't make a move to stop him. He went back inside the room where Tadaki was waiting for him.
"Did I do something wrong?" Tadaki asked, looking at Mitsui's expression.
"No," Mitsui answered. "Listen Tadaki. Before you say anything, I have to tell you this. I'm really sorry for what I did to you back then but that whole speech over the school system, it was.for somebody else." Mitsui finished. He looked at Tadaki and hoped that the other boy wouldn't be mad. Tadaki might not look it, but he delivers a mean punch.
To Mitsui's surprise, Tadaki started laughing. "That's so cute Mitsui kun!" Tadaki said, after his laughter died down. "I know that wasn't for me. I'm disappointed Mitsui kun. You know I'm always ahead when it comes to rumors and I know what has been happening these past two weeks."
"Oh," was all Mitsui could say. He suddenly felt embarrassed and stupid.
"Really, don't expect all of us to keep rooting for ya after ya dumped us like yesterday's paper." Tadaki continued, enjoying Mitsui's embarrassed state.
"That's true."
Mitsui and Tadaki turned towards the source of the voice. There on the doorway, stood Seiko with Mikoshiba right behind him.
"Sei!" Tadaki shrieked and waved at Seiko.
Mitsui narrowed his eyes at Seiko. "Aren't you supposed to be in Tokyo?"
Seiko smiled. "Nice to see you too Mitsui kun. Ayako called me last night and told me to come over. She told me you did something really bad to Ryota. Tsk tsk tsk. "
Mitsui looked at Mikoshiba, then at Tadaki, then finally at Seiko. "What is this? Some kind of conspiracy?"
"On the contrary Mitsui kun, we're here to help you," Seiko answered with a smile. He then looked at Tadaki. "Miko-chan told me Mitsui kun here did a speech thingy over the school system. Is it true?"
Tadaki nodded with all enthusiasm. "You should have heard it."
"Damn," Seiko said, laughing. He turned towards Mikoshiba, who was also giggling. "Ne Miko-chan, did you do everything I told you to do?"
"Yup," Mikoshiba nodded. "All we need is Mitsui kun here to comply."
"Comply with what?" Mitsui asked.
"We have a plan for you and Ryota to kiss and make up!" Seiko announced happily.
Mitsui sweatdropped. "What do you think I was doing? We were over the kissing part and was about to make up when this crazy psychopath here," he nudged towards Tadaki's direction, "decided to show up."
Tadaki scoffed, clearly insulted. "Even if I didn't show up, your plan wouldn't have worked. You always have a way of screwing things up Mitsui kun."
"Maa maa," Seiko said, sighing. "Let's get on with it. Mitsui kun, would you cooperate with us?"
Mitsui smirked, "Do I have a choice?"
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Hideki opened the back door to the school auditorium and peered into the empty backstage area. He had been talking to Ueno when he saw Miyagi run in this direction. "Miyagi kun?"
No answer. Hideki stepped into the dark room and closed the door. Hideki squinted as he searched for Miyagi among the props in the backstage area. Somewhere in the darkness, he heard someone sobbing.
Miyagi was huddled beside a backlight, with his arms around his legs and his head on his knees. Hideki knew the sobs came from Miyagi and he called out again, softly this time. "Miyagi kun?"
The sobbing stopped but Miyagi didn't lift his head. "Go away Hideki."
"Are you crying?" Hideki asked, mustering all the sincerity he could afford without gagging. He stepped forward and sat down in front of Miyagi. "Is it Mitsui kun?"
"I said, go away!" Miyagi repeated, this time louder. "And I am not crying!"
"Tell me about it."
Miyagi didn't tell Hideki to go away. Instead he lifted his head and looked at Hideki. "What is it with you playboys anyway? Do you enjoy hurting people or something?"
Hideki took a deep breath. He was on the verge of leaving Miyagi alone but he told himself he needed this. It was wrong of him to dump Miyagi so soon, especially now that he found out that Mitsui liked Miyagi. Hideki decided it would be better to try to make up with Miyagi and parade around the school with him for a few more days to hurt Mitsui further. "What did he do this time?" He asked instead.
"He doesn't love me."
Hideki smiled and shook his head. "What did you expect anyway? Once a playboy, always a playboy."
"It's just that. I can't pretend. Even if. he did love me, what would it mean? I.anywhere in school, I look around and see someone he's been with. I." Miyagi stopped and looked at Hideki. How could he tell someone who hurt him so much, his feelings?
Hideki laughed. "Miyagi kun, you must have us confused with normal relationships. You wanna know one thing?" He looked at Miyagi for a cue to go on. When he got it, he said, "There is no such a thing as happy ending for a gay person. We get what we can when it's there and. nothing is permanent so we move on."
Miyagi was about to say something but Hideki interrupted him. "I don't really want to stomp on your naïve dreams of romance and love Miyagi kun, but that's not the way it is with us. You just have to get it while it's there so you won't regret it when it's gone."
"Why should I believe you anyway?" Miyagi spat out. "You're the one who dumped me in front of the whole school."
"I'm sorry about that Miyagi kun," Hideki apologized, "I didn't mean the things I said and I wish I could take it back." he stopped before continuing, ".I wish I could take YOU back."
Miyagi scoffed. "You have to be kidding me. I'm not an idiot you know."
"At least I'm not promising anything," Hideki said. "There is no such thing as love and what we're doing is just living for the moment. You should do the same you know. Enjoy yourself." Hideki smiled. "And you know what?"
"What?"
"I bet Mitsui is interested in you. If he sees you with me, he'll be really sad. Think of it as payback for what he did to you."
Miyagi shook his head. "I'm not like the two of you. I won't sink so low."
Hideki was about to say something when they heard something rustling from behind the huge velvet stage curtains. Hideki stood up. "Wait a minute okay?"
Miyagi watched as Hideki cautiously approached the curtains. Hideki separated the curtains to take a peek.
Miyagi barely had time to blink when he saw something appear from behind the curtains and hit Hideki on the head. Miyagi watched as Hideki fell with a thud on the stage floor, unconscious. Miyagi resisted the urge to run away and instead approached Hideki's sprawled body.
"Ryota!"
Miyagi blinked. He knew that voice. "Seiko?"
Seiko appeared from behind the curtains a moment later. In his hand he held an archer's bow, which was used as a stage prop.
"What are you doing here?" Miyagi asked as Mikoshiba and Tadaki appeared behind Seiko.
"I think you hit him too hard," Tadaki said, clicking his tongue. "Look at what you did! His beautiful face is broken."
"Whatever," Seiko muttered.
"What are you doing here?" Miyagi repeated.
"There," Seiko said, pointing to the auditorium's main door. "Someone wants to see you. Talk to him and forgive him or else-" Seiko waved the archer's bow threateningly.
"But what about you-know-who?" Miyagi asked, looking at Hideki.
Mikoshiba smiled mischievously. "Leave him to us."
"And Ryota," Seiko added. "Remember what I told you that day I came by Shohoku to get some papers? About how he made me feel special like I was the only person in the whole world for him? I told you it was a wonderful feeling and. I think you deserve to feel that, after all you've been through. For once will you be nice to yourself?"
Miyagi smiled and nodded. "I'll try."
Seiko grinned and waved Miyagi off. "Now go. You don't want to hang around here and see what happens next."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Mitsui paced back and forth worriedly. "They've been in there too long." He murmured, looking at his watch. Seiko told him to wait out here and he would stay put for another -
Suddenly, the Auditorium doors opened, almost knocking Mitsui over if he hadn't been able to jump back just in time.
"Mitsui san."
"Ryota!" Mitsui exclaimed. "Where's Seiko?"
"He's in there, with Hideki and Miko -" Miyagi broke off as someone locked the Auditorium from the inside. "
"Hideki? What's Hideki doing there?"
"Forget him," Miyagi said with a smile. "I have something to tell you."
"What is it?" Mitsui asked, looking at Miyagi. His junior was smiling; it had to mean good news right?
Miyagi's smile widened. "Just remember that if I see you flirting with another guy, I swear I'm going to kill you."
Mitsui was shocked. "What? Ryota, I-"
"I told you that I wasn't a martyr. I didn't do what I did just for you. I did it for me too." The smile was still there but Miyagi's eyes started to water a little. "When you won the bet, I didn't know what to do because at that point, I would have kept my part of the deal. But I didn't want you to be with me just because it was part of the bet. I wanted you to be with me because you loved me."
Slowly, Mitsui took Miyagi into his arms. Miyagi didn't move. "Ryota, you're such an idiot. Even if you didn't go with Hideki that day, I wouldn't have forced you into anything you didn't want to do."
Miyagi smiled and rested his head on Mitsui's shoulder. "Do you still love me even after.after Hideki?"
Hearing the name made Mitsui instinctively hold Miyagi tighter. "Hideki who? I don't know him. He doesn't exist."
A warning tone. "Mitsui san."
Mitsui laughed. "Hai hai. I love you. Very much." Another shiver passed through him, but this time it wasn't a cold chill, but a warm glow.
"Let's get out of here."
"Now that's a good idea." Mitsui didn't want to stick around to find out what will happen to Hideki. "My place?"
Miyagi smiled. "You bet."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Hideki groaned and clutched his head in pain. What happened? Hideki blinked several times before the blurred image in front of him finally cleared up. He could see 3 guys in a huddle, talking. He tried to move, but Hideki realized that he was sitting on a chair with his hands tied behind the back of the chair. "Oi!"
The 3 turned towards him. Hideki only recognized Seiko among them. The other two he didn't know well. Seiko smiled at him and said, "Nice to know you're awake already Hideki kun!"
"Where's Miyagi? I remember that I." Hideki stopped as Seiko approached him, swinging a fake bow menacingly. "Oi! Untie me you little idiot!"
"Aw, don't be so afraid Hideki kun," Seiko cooed. The other 2 approached Hideki as well. "We're gonna have so much fun."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
END!!!
Okay, so that totally sucked. I'm sorry for all the people I've disappointed with the ending. I'll appreciate your reviews nonetheless. Okay so I ran out of juice. This may be my last fic in the fandom, for a while. I think I might come back when the time comes that I can say that I'm satisfied with my work. *sighs* I want to thank everyone who supported this fic from start to finish. When I do return to the fandom, I promise I will write better fics. Any suggestions will be welcomed ^___^
A girl hurriedly shut the door of the room on the other side of the hall and the sound echoed throughout the now empty hall. Mitsui saw Miyagi flinch at the sound but Mitsui didn't make a single noise to get Miyagi's attention. Instead, he stayed rooted at the spot, looking at Miyagi, his right shoulder straining against the weight of his bag.
Miyagi's eyes lacked the usual spunk it always had and there was something on his mind. Mitsui was about to say something to get Miyagi's attention when Miyagi finally noticed Mitsui's presence, as if on cue. Mitsui was surprised to see anger in his junior's eyes; even worse, he also saw humiliation.
"Why did you do it?"
Mitsui wanted to slap himself. What was he expecting anyway? That Miyagi would thank him for what he did and run into his arms? The question told Mitsui that Miyagi did not want to beat around the bush so he also answered it bluntly. "It was the least I could do."
Miyagi opened his mouth to reply but thought better of it and looked down instead. Mitsui understood that Miyagi left the task of talking up to him. Finding no other words to say, he said, "Thank you."
This brought Miyagi's attention back to him. Miyagi, with his angry, piercing glare. "What for?"
"Thank you for freeing me."
Miyagi huffed. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"I didn't know either," Mitsui admitted, "but just this morning I realized what you've done for me. All these years, I also don't know why I continued to hurt people. Maybe it was because I felt justified. I just wanted someone to feel the pain I felt back when Hideki dumped me. But no one did. All they cared about was having their dream relationship. It was unfair. I used to believe in a dream relationship but because of what happened, I stopped believing. I hurt those people because I wanted to show them there is no such thing as a dream relationship. When you made that bet with me, I was betting on something I didn't believe in the first place; love."
Mitsui stopped and looked at Miyagi. The other boy was looking at Mitsui and he made no move to interrupt Mitsui or scorn him. This gave Mitsui the courage to continue. "What happened in the cafeteria yesterday. What Hideki did to you was the same thing he did to me back then and I should be happy right? I got what I wanted. Someone knew how I felt. But there's something that's eating me up inside and I don't even know what it is. You knew that the only way to free me was to go through what I did. You didn't deserve to be treated that way and I'm sorry."
"What now?"
"Huh?" Mitsui asked. After his long explanation, Miyagi's question seemed out of the blue.
Miyagi shook his head in disbelief. "So what now? Am I supposed to forgive you? And if I forgive you, do you expect everything to be the way it was before?"
That was the same question he asked himself a while ago and now, as he looked at Miyagi, Mitsui could see the same answer in the younger boy's eyes. "No, I don't."
"What?"
It's now or never, Mitsui thought. "About what you said to me outside the cafeteria yesterday.Ryota, I need to know. Do you. do you love me?"
Miyagi could hardly believe Mitsui's question. Miyagi shook his head in disbelief once more. "I. I have to go, Aya-chan's waiting for me at the school gates." Miyagi shifted and faced the door.
Mitsui sprang into action and blocked Miyagi's path by extending his hand and placing his palm against the wall. "No. Ryota, I have to know plea-"
"No I'm not!" Miyagi almost screamed, his voice shaking.
"Ryota."
Miyagi faced Mitsui and the latter could see the former's eyes brimming with tears. "There is no love in these relationships remember?" Miyagi spat out. "You guys are all in it for the fun and once it ain't fun anymore, you just dump the guy!"
"I can prove you wrong."
"On the contrary, you proved me right."
"Fine!" Mitsui said, holding up his hands in exasperation. "You're right then! We're nothing but a bunch of heartless jerks. Hell the whole school knows! I said it over the school speaker system! There! Happy?"
"No!" Miyagi countered, his voice bordering on despair. "Don't you get it? I admit, at first, I made the bet with you because I didn't believe in it, but later, it was so I could prove myself wrong! Let me tell you this: I've never hated myself for being so right before."
"If you don't believe in love, what do you feel for me then?"
"Nothing!" Miyagi said, his voice soft but firm that garnered no arguments from Mitsui. Miyagi looked down for a second or two before looking at Mitsui again, now calmed and composed, and continued in a more subdued voice. "And what if I had? Why? Would you make me think I'm special so you can get what you want from me then dump me? I'm sorry but Hideki already beat you to it."
Mitsui saw that Miyagi believed he led him on, and that no amount of words would convince Miyagi that he wasn't like Hideki and his interests weren't purely physical. So Mitsui sighed and pressed his lips against Miyagi's but immediately drew back before the latter can react. As Mitsui opened his eyes, he could see Miyagi's own eyes looking at him in bewilderment.
Twice Miyagi tried to open his mouth to speak but he couldn't find the words to say. "S.so what? I...it's not like I haven't been ki...kissed by a guy before."
"Well, has a guy ever confessed his love to you?"
Miyagi's heart skipped a beat. "Wh.what?"
Mitsui took a deep breath. He had practiced this in his mind a thousand times and he hoped he wouldn't start shivering. "Ryota. I.I lov-"
"Mitsui kun!!!"
Surprised, the two turned towards the doorway, where a newcomer now stood. The newcomer was a guy about Miyagi's age and was looking at Mitsui with a love struck expression in his eyes.
"Tadaki?" Mitsui asked. He had forgotten the names of most of the guys he went out with.
"Of course Mitsui kun!" Without waiting for an invitation, Tadaki sauntered into the room and gave Mitsui a huge smile. "I thought that little speech over the school system was sooo romantic! I never knew you had it in you!"
With a sinking feeling, Mitsui realized that Tadaki thought that the speech over the school speaker system was for him. "Err, Tadaki?" Mitsui started, "Look man, you might think that -" Mitsui broke off when he caught Miyagi glaring at him.
Miyagi shook his head and started out the room. He barely heard Mitsui calling out his name. "What?!" He almost screamed as he turned around abruptly, causing Mitsui, who was right behind him, to halt suddenly.
"Look, this is just a little setback okay?" Mitsui tried to explain. "Let me just talk to Tadaki. I really need to tell you something."
Miyagi shook his head. "I'm sorry Mitsui san. This isn't going to work."
"No!" Mitsui cried out desperately and he gripped Miyagi's arm. "You can't do this. Not now. Ryota, you freed me!"
Miyagi wrenched himself away from Mitsui's grasp. "That doesn't mean I changed you." With that, Miyagi turned and walked away. This time, Mitsui didn't make a move to stop him. He went back inside the room where Tadaki was waiting for him.
"Did I do something wrong?" Tadaki asked, looking at Mitsui's expression.
"No," Mitsui answered. "Listen Tadaki. Before you say anything, I have to tell you this. I'm really sorry for what I did to you back then but that whole speech over the school system, it was.for somebody else." Mitsui finished. He looked at Tadaki and hoped that the other boy wouldn't be mad. Tadaki might not look it, but he delivers a mean punch.
To Mitsui's surprise, Tadaki started laughing. "That's so cute Mitsui kun!" Tadaki said, after his laughter died down. "I know that wasn't for me. I'm disappointed Mitsui kun. You know I'm always ahead when it comes to rumors and I know what has been happening these past two weeks."
"Oh," was all Mitsui could say. He suddenly felt embarrassed and stupid.
"Really, don't expect all of us to keep rooting for ya after ya dumped us like yesterday's paper." Tadaki continued, enjoying Mitsui's embarrassed state.
"That's true."
Mitsui and Tadaki turned towards the source of the voice. There on the doorway, stood Seiko with Mikoshiba right behind him.
"Sei!" Tadaki shrieked and waved at Seiko.
Mitsui narrowed his eyes at Seiko. "Aren't you supposed to be in Tokyo?"
Seiko smiled. "Nice to see you too Mitsui kun. Ayako called me last night and told me to come over. She told me you did something really bad to Ryota. Tsk tsk tsk. "
Mitsui looked at Mikoshiba, then at Tadaki, then finally at Seiko. "What is this? Some kind of conspiracy?"
"On the contrary Mitsui kun, we're here to help you," Seiko answered with a smile. He then looked at Tadaki. "Miko-chan told me Mitsui kun here did a speech thingy over the school system. Is it true?"
Tadaki nodded with all enthusiasm. "You should have heard it."
"Damn," Seiko said, laughing. He turned towards Mikoshiba, who was also giggling. "Ne Miko-chan, did you do everything I told you to do?"
"Yup," Mikoshiba nodded. "All we need is Mitsui kun here to comply."
"Comply with what?" Mitsui asked.
"We have a plan for you and Ryota to kiss and make up!" Seiko announced happily.
Mitsui sweatdropped. "What do you think I was doing? We were over the kissing part and was about to make up when this crazy psychopath here," he nudged towards Tadaki's direction, "decided to show up."
Tadaki scoffed, clearly insulted. "Even if I didn't show up, your plan wouldn't have worked. You always have a way of screwing things up Mitsui kun."
"Maa maa," Seiko said, sighing. "Let's get on with it. Mitsui kun, would you cooperate with us?"
Mitsui smirked, "Do I have a choice?"
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Hideki opened the back door to the school auditorium and peered into the empty backstage area. He had been talking to Ueno when he saw Miyagi run in this direction. "Miyagi kun?"
No answer. Hideki stepped into the dark room and closed the door. Hideki squinted as he searched for Miyagi among the props in the backstage area. Somewhere in the darkness, he heard someone sobbing.
Miyagi was huddled beside a backlight, with his arms around his legs and his head on his knees. Hideki knew the sobs came from Miyagi and he called out again, softly this time. "Miyagi kun?"
The sobbing stopped but Miyagi didn't lift his head. "Go away Hideki."
"Are you crying?" Hideki asked, mustering all the sincerity he could afford without gagging. He stepped forward and sat down in front of Miyagi. "Is it Mitsui kun?"
"I said, go away!" Miyagi repeated, this time louder. "And I am not crying!"
"Tell me about it."
Miyagi didn't tell Hideki to go away. Instead he lifted his head and looked at Hideki. "What is it with you playboys anyway? Do you enjoy hurting people or something?"
Hideki took a deep breath. He was on the verge of leaving Miyagi alone but he told himself he needed this. It was wrong of him to dump Miyagi so soon, especially now that he found out that Mitsui liked Miyagi. Hideki decided it would be better to try to make up with Miyagi and parade around the school with him for a few more days to hurt Mitsui further. "What did he do this time?" He asked instead.
"He doesn't love me."
Hideki smiled and shook his head. "What did you expect anyway? Once a playboy, always a playboy."
"It's just that. I can't pretend. Even if. he did love me, what would it mean? I.anywhere in school, I look around and see someone he's been with. I." Miyagi stopped and looked at Hideki. How could he tell someone who hurt him so much, his feelings?
Hideki laughed. "Miyagi kun, you must have us confused with normal relationships. You wanna know one thing?" He looked at Miyagi for a cue to go on. When he got it, he said, "There is no such a thing as happy ending for a gay person. We get what we can when it's there and. nothing is permanent so we move on."
Miyagi was about to say something but Hideki interrupted him. "I don't really want to stomp on your naïve dreams of romance and love Miyagi kun, but that's not the way it is with us. You just have to get it while it's there so you won't regret it when it's gone."
"Why should I believe you anyway?" Miyagi spat out. "You're the one who dumped me in front of the whole school."
"I'm sorry about that Miyagi kun," Hideki apologized, "I didn't mean the things I said and I wish I could take it back." he stopped before continuing, ".I wish I could take YOU back."
Miyagi scoffed. "You have to be kidding me. I'm not an idiot you know."
"At least I'm not promising anything," Hideki said. "There is no such thing as love and what we're doing is just living for the moment. You should do the same you know. Enjoy yourself." Hideki smiled. "And you know what?"
"What?"
"I bet Mitsui is interested in you. If he sees you with me, he'll be really sad. Think of it as payback for what he did to you."
Miyagi shook his head. "I'm not like the two of you. I won't sink so low."
Hideki was about to say something when they heard something rustling from behind the huge velvet stage curtains. Hideki stood up. "Wait a minute okay?"
Miyagi watched as Hideki cautiously approached the curtains. Hideki separated the curtains to take a peek.
Miyagi barely had time to blink when he saw something appear from behind the curtains and hit Hideki on the head. Miyagi watched as Hideki fell with a thud on the stage floor, unconscious. Miyagi resisted the urge to run away and instead approached Hideki's sprawled body.
"Ryota!"
Miyagi blinked. He knew that voice. "Seiko?"
Seiko appeared from behind the curtains a moment later. In his hand he held an archer's bow, which was used as a stage prop.
"What are you doing here?" Miyagi asked as Mikoshiba and Tadaki appeared behind Seiko.
"I think you hit him too hard," Tadaki said, clicking his tongue. "Look at what you did! His beautiful face is broken."
"Whatever," Seiko muttered.
"What are you doing here?" Miyagi repeated.
"There," Seiko said, pointing to the auditorium's main door. "Someone wants to see you. Talk to him and forgive him or else-" Seiko waved the archer's bow threateningly.
"But what about you-know-who?" Miyagi asked, looking at Hideki.
Mikoshiba smiled mischievously. "Leave him to us."
"And Ryota," Seiko added. "Remember what I told you that day I came by Shohoku to get some papers? About how he made me feel special like I was the only person in the whole world for him? I told you it was a wonderful feeling and. I think you deserve to feel that, after all you've been through. For once will you be nice to yourself?"
Miyagi smiled and nodded. "I'll try."
Seiko grinned and waved Miyagi off. "Now go. You don't want to hang around here and see what happens next."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Mitsui paced back and forth worriedly. "They've been in there too long." He murmured, looking at his watch. Seiko told him to wait out here and he would stay put for another -
Suddenly, the Auditorium doors opened, almost knocking Mitsui over if he hadn't been able to jump back just in time.
"Mitsui san."
"Ryota!" Mitsui exclaimed. "Where's Seiko?"
"He's in there, with Hideki and Miko -" Miyagi broke off as someone locked the Auditorium from the inside. "
"Hideki? What's Hideki doing there?"
"Forget him," Miyagi said with a smile. "I have something to tell you."
"What is it?" Mitsui asked, looking at Miyagi. His junior was smiling; it had to mean good news right?
Miyagi's smile widened. "Just remember that if I see you flirting with another guy, I swear I'm going to kill you."
Mitsui was shocked. "What? Ryota, I-"
"I told you that I wasn't a martyr. I didn't do what I did just for you. I did it for me too." The smile was still there but Miyagi's eyes started to water a little. "When you won the bet, I didn't know what to do because at that point, I would have kept my part of the deal. But I didn't want you to be with me just because it was part of the bet. I wanted you to be with me because you loved me."
Slowly, Mitsui took Miyagi into his arms. Miyagi didn't move. "Ryota, you're such an idiot. Even if you didn't go with Hideki that day, I wouldn't have forced you into anything you didn't want to do."
Miyagi smiled and rested his head on Mitsui's shoulder. "Do you still love me even after.after Hideki?"
Hearing the name made Mitsui instinctively hold Miyagi tighter. "Hideki who? I don't know him. He doesn't exist."
A warning tone. "Mitsui san."
Mitsui laughed. "Hai hai. I love you. Very much." Another shiver passed through him, but this time it wasn't a cold chill, but a warm glow.
"Let's get out of here."
"Now that's a good idea." Mitsui didn't want to stick around to find out what will happen to Hideki. "My place?"
Miyagi smiled. "You bet."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Hideki groaned and clutched his head in pain. What happened? Hideki blinked several times before the blurred image in front of him finally cleared up. He could see 3 guys in a huddle, talking. He tried to move, but Hideki realized that he was sitting on a chair with his hands tied behind the back of the chair. "Oi!"
The 3 turned towards him. Hideki only recognized Seiko among them. The other two he didn't know well. Seiko smiled at him and said, "Nice to know you're awake already Hideki kun!"
"Where's Miyagi? I remember that I." Hideki stopped as Seiko approached him, swinging a fake bow menacingly. "Oi! Untie me you little idiot!"
"Aw, don't be so afraid Hideki kun," Seiko cooed. The other 2 approached Hideki as well. "We're gonna have so much fun."
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END!!!
Okay, so that totally sucked. I'm sorry for all the people I've disappointed with the ending. I'll appreciate your reviews nonetheless. Okay so I ran out of juice. This may be my last fic in the fandom, for a while. I think I might come back when the time comes that I can say that I'm satisfied with my work. *sighs* I want to thank everyone who supported this fic from start to finish. When I do return to the fandom, I promise I will write better fics. Any suggestions will be welcomed ^___^