I apologise for Kiyota's OOC-ness. Me am so used to writing OCs that me turns the SD boys into something else! *rubs head sheepishly* Heh heh! Gomen!
Jennifer: Me like bad boys!!
Alexia: Ha ha! Come on, Kiyota's not THAT stupid (or at least, I'm trying to believe so!!)
Akane: Updated!
Fer-chan: Sorry about your internet connections. *sheds tears of understanding* Hey, me facing my O levels too! Only we call it SPM in Malaysia! Ha ha! Good luck!
Unchained: Thanks for tolerating Kiyota's un-monkey-ness. Would you like me to make him climb a tree and get you a coconut? Ha ha!
Maemi: yep, of course I remember you. Hope to hear from you too!
Mimi: Wow, mimi, you're the only supporting Kiyota's actions! You're very understanding!
Tensaispira: Really? He has blue eyes? I never noticed! I thought they were brown. But I agree, blue eyes are way better.
SLL: Let's just say Shouri is a strict and disciplined girl (unlike the one who created her). I actually am very fond of Kiyota, so yeah, I get really irritated too when I read fics that lowers him to a SLIME status!
Fiery-ice: Yep, I like LOTR. Watched it a week ago. SUGOI! Legolas was so… *droolz* And Aragorn was cool too. But the war thing kind of freaked me out, especially when they made little boys and old men fight.
Evil Within: Thank you!
Kkk: Really? Aiyah. I'll get him back him on track!
Jo-sen7: Next chapter up!
Tiran: Thank you! Merry X'mas to you too, even though it's too late.
Chidero: Thank you! Hey, you reviewed two times! Ha ha!
Patty g: That's okay. I don't like Jura too, but I can tolerate her… so it's okay. ^_^
Joy: You can kick anyone to anywhere you like, joy-san (unless it's me) ^_^
"For some reason," Shouri muttered the next day as she and Jura settled into one table with their food, "everybody seems to be smiling at me today."
Jura snorted. "Must be the trick of the light."
Right at that moment, the basketball captain, the all-famous Shin-ichi Maki paused by. "I saw what happened yesterday," he started conversationally at the shocked girls. "And I apologise on behalf of my dim-witted player. He's not right in the head."
Shouri blushed. "No," she mumbled ashamedly. "It was my fault. I – I deserved it."
Maki shrugged. "No self-respecting gentleman would do that. Enjoy your food." And then he was walking away, with Shouri and Jura gaping at his back.
"All right," Jura breathed. "So it's not the trick of the light."
"Wow." Shouri murmured. "I should put this in the news. Front page. 'Shin-ichi Maki, most popular sophomore, most sought-after bachelor and winner of 'Sexiest Guy' title in Kainan High for three consecutive years – and oh yeah, an excellent basketball player too – speaks to Shouri Hanataka during recess and tells her to enjoy her food'."
"Instant fame," Jura shrugged. "I guess messing with Kiyota elevates you to the popular throne." She looked far away. "If that's the case, I can't imagine what throne it'll be if I become his girl."
"Asylum throne." Shouri supplied. "You'll be right on top with him and rule all the crazy people of planet Earth – God save them." She speared a shrimp from her plate and looked at it critically. "Are you sure these are dead? I swear I saw one blink."
"They're deep friend, Shouri. Of course they're dead."
Shouri stared doubtfully at her dead food, and then blinked when one particularly fat and big shrimp disappeared from her plate. Eyes wide, she looked around wildly when a chomping sound made her look up. Kiyota was happily looking down and flashing a smile at her. "Thanks," he said as he swallowed the shrimp. Then he ruffled her hair and walked away laughing loudly.
Shouri glared after him. "You're not welcome," she yelled back, furiously taming her mussed hair.
He turned and insultingly blew her a kiss. Then he laughed again and joined his friends at the far-end table.
Jura was gaping, wide-eyed. "Oh my."
Shouri was frowning at her plate. "He took TWO!" she exclaimed, whirling around to glare at Kiyota all over again. "That idiot took ANOTHER SHRIMP while I wasn't looking!" As if he heard her, Kiyota revealed a second fat shrimp from his fisted hand and waved it at her.
Jura didn't seem to be listening. "Oh my."
"There's nothing to be 'oh my' about." Looking at her cousin in slight disgust, Shouri pushed her tray aside. "I'm done," she announced sulkily. "I'll never have lunch in this area again." Then, grabbing hold of her plate which still held two shrimps, she stalked over to Kiyota's seat and slammed it in front of him.
Kiyota merely blinked.
"You can have them," Shouri muttered hotly. "You touching my food has spoiled my appetite for the day, and I hate to waste good food." Just for the heck of it, she took hold of one shrimp herself and then unprofessionally stuffed it in Kiyota's mouth.
"Mmprgh!"
"You like it?" she asked pleasantly as the table erupted with laughter, contented now as the boy choked on the soft meat. "That should teach you to get your own lunch!"
About a dozen first-year girls were rushing over to save Kiyota. He spat out the dead animal, and then tried to make a grab for Shouri before she escaped, but missed by a mere inch. "Come back here!" he yelled. "I'll make you pay for that!"
"No," she countered, turning around and walking backwards. "YOU'RE the one who's going to pay – those shrimps cost me today's allowance. But I'll retrieve my debt from you some other time – when you don't have white stuff sticking to your chin."
He hastily shook the white meat clinging to the sides of his mouth, and with one feral growl, leaped out of his seat and ran after her. Shouri's eyes popped wide at the open attack, and not even thinking about it, she started off on her feet too, striving to get away from the enraged boy.
They were out of the canteen and dashing past corridors in no time. Panicked, Shouri ran into any opening that was conveniently in her way, with Kiyota stubbornly behind her. Taking a risk by glancing over her shoulders, Shouri tripped over an inconspicuous bump on the floor and dived down. "Ack!"
Kiyota braked just in time before he toppled over her, and took a step back triumphantly. "Hah! Ha ha! Ha ha! Try running away from this champ and this is what you get! Now, about the payment we were talking about –" his gleeful laugh was cut short when he realised she was holding back tears with difficulty.
Shouri was clutching at her knee in a strong grip, as if the more she squeezed it, the faster the pain would go away. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Her quiet whimpers of pain tried to go unnoticed and she struggled to compose herself when he carefully crouched down and assessed the situation.
"Twisted limb," he muttered with a sigh at the spoiled fun, reaching out for her. "Let's get you to the sick bay."
"No, it's okay, I just – Aaargh!" she cried out when he pulled her up. He was gentle enough, but the pain wasn't. "That hurt, you block of wood!"
"Hey," he said defensively, balancing her with one arm banded around her shoulder and another around her waist. "Who told you to run? Any fool would know not to with limbs as weak as yours."
"Weak?? Excuse me, you – Aaaah!"
"See? You can't even limp around." He took a deep breath, scratching at his head. "Looks like I'll just have to lug you." That was said with a resigned tone.
"LUG me?? I'm not a tree trunk, you – hey!"
He grunted, adjusting to her weight. "I should've known you were heavier than you looked," he tried to shift her, to spread her weight around, and winced. "Much, much heavier."
She tried to slap him.
"Don't jerk around, or I'll drop you." He started for the sick bay. "And as much fun as that will be, I don't exactly want your lawyers running after me." He silently thanked the stars that the sick bay wasn't very far off.
She glared at him and then tried to relax, but found it impossible. The sight of him from the position she was in made her breath stick stubbornly in her throat. When she was sensible enough, she could clearly see what it was that made Jura mad about him. Quickly, she groped for insensibility. "I don't know why you even – I mean, what will people think if – oh, gosh, this is so embarrassing –"
"Shut up. You're a burden enough without opening your mouth."
"I'll kill you. Once I get my knee back in shape, I'll use it to kick you all the way to the centre of the earth!"
"You're in my arms at the moment," he reminded her, catching sight of the sick bay and not noticing the blush on her face. "I can kill you first. Now behave!"
"Did you just tell me to –"
The school nurse interrupted with a concerned look, suddenly popping out of the door. "What's the matter here?" she demanded shrilly. "What's happened to the girl?"
"I –"
"Fell flat on her face," Kiyota supplied, hurrying in as the nurse pointed them to a bed. "Twisted her knee a hundred and eighty degrees and still managed to operate her mouth with surprising efficiency." He dropped her onto the mattress, tenderly enough to be sure, but with just enough energy to make her plop slightly (and embarrassingly) on her bottom.
"I'll kill you, you hear me? Once I –"
The nurse pushed a few bright coloured pills and a glass of water in Kiyota's hands. "Give her these painkillers, darling boy, while I go to the back and find a cast to fit her knee."
Kiyota's eyes gleamed. "My pleasure." Then, without warning, he took hold of Shouri's chin, pried her mouth opened, and stuffed in the pills in the same fashion as she had stuffed the shrimp in his. "Take that!" he then poured in water mercilessly. "At least, this is going to make you healthy!"
Shouri choked and then swallowed, eyes burning. "When I –"
"Ms. Nurse," Kiyota called out. "Find a cast to fit her mouth too! You'll need it!!"
She'd recovered faster than expected. Only got the chance to skip school for two days – which she could've enjoyed if it wasn't for Jura helpfully coming over to rant away about how careless she was and how she had mortified the very name of the family (including the Wanakus) in front of Kiyota and how he must be thinking that Jura was as loony as her cousin.
Shouri thought it was really unfair.
Number one, she was only trying to help Jura get over her supposed 'break-up'.
Number two, she had suffered enough humiliation apologising to Kiyota.
Number three, now Kiyota apparently couldn't stand the sight of her sitting peacefully without creating trouble to get her into.
Plus, Shouri really didn't care what he thought of Jura.
As a matter of fact, she wasn't even sure if the boy was capable of producing thoughts.
She hadn't bumped into him at all today (and it was already after-school), which was good, in a way. In a way that he wasn't able to play pranks on her. But in some other way, that only meant it was coming, and that she had to be extra alert. The guy was one grudging and unforgiving fellow.
Then again, so was she.
She stopped abruptly and gawked at the basketball court which she had unconsciously been heading for. What on earth am I doing here? She mused, surprised. The fall must've hurt my brain more that it hurt my knee. With a disgusted grunt at herself, she started to turn when she heard familiar sounds coming from the adjoining second gym. Quite unable to help it, she went forward and peeked in.
Accurately enough as she had expected, about ten gymnasts were doing their thing over the carpeted floor. One of them was particularly skilful with the pink, rubber ball. The others were okay too, but Shouri paid much more attention to the one with the ball, reminiscing.
Someone poked her back. "Have you come to see me?"
Shouri didn't even bother turning. "Get lost, Kiyota. Why would I want to see you?"
He laughed, stepping up beside her. "There are a dozens of reason why you would want to see me, Hantaka. I'm the super rookie of the entire district in basketball, I've got moves to live up to it, and looks to match up with it." He said extravagantly. "What else is there worth seeing?"
"You didn't mention an ego to go with it."
He ignored her and instead gave a wolf whistle to the girl with the pink ball. "Looking good, Ruriko!" he called out, making the girl wobble in the middle of her cartwheel and flush a furious pink – a shade matching her ball. "You look a whole lot better in those rubber next-to-nothing clothes than anything else, sugar!"
Shouri had whacked his head with a hand before she could stop herself. "You stupid pervert!"
He gave her an injured and surprised look. "I was talking to her."
Shouri hissed. "I know."
"Then what on earth did you get mad about??"
She was rescued from answering when Ruriko bounced over with a beam on her face. "Hi there, Nobunaga," she greeted brightly. "Nice of you to drop by. Basketball practice?"
"Yeah, but I came here to wash my eyes over the pretty sight of you."
Again, Shouri felt her hand itch, but managed to hold herself. Ruriko didn't seem to mind the statement (she looked flattered, even), so there was no reason why Shouri should mind it. "Extra practice," Ruriko was explaining to Kiyota, for some reason placing a hand on his arm. "The competition's just around the corner, and I want to get some medals for myself."
"That's great. Mine's about to begin too, actually."
Ruriko grinned. "I can't wait to see you in action." She crooned sweetly.
Kiyota nodded. "Me too, baby. Me too."
So obnoxious! So arrogant! So self-centered! Shouri grunted audibly, causing Ruriko to turn and realise her existence. "Your friend, Kiyota?" she asked curiously, and almost carefully.
At that, Shouri and Kiyota exchanged a look.
"Well –" Kiyota started.
"Actually –" Shouri began.
A look of helplessness wavered across both faces. "I don't know," they confessed then. They stared at each other again.
"We're not friends," Shouri informed quickly, alarmed at her own vague response. "Not exactly – he's always –"
"Wait a second," Ruriko interrupted, peering at Shouri closely. "Have I seen you before?"
Shouri coughed suddenly. "Um, no, I don't think so. Hey, you know what? I think I see someone calling me –"
Ruriko had called one of the other gymnasts over.
It was the captain, Misako Okada. At first sight, her eyebrows rose. "Hanataka!" she exclaimed with surprise, rushing over to stop Shouri's getaway. "I didn't know you were back. How have you been?"
Shouri smiled weakly. "Fine."
"I thought so," Ruriko said with satisfaction. "It was those huge eyes, see."
Shouri's smile grew even weaker.
Beside her, Kiyota flashed Ruriko a confused look. Pulling him aside, Ruriko whispered. "Former gymnast, that girl who's with you. Former medallist, as matter of fact, in junior high. She sprained her knee in January at the qualifying tournament though, and has been hospitalised since." She looked back at Shouri who was distractedly listening to Misako. "We weren't informed that she was back, however."
Kiyota was looking directly at Shouri's knee with a speculative look on his face.
"How come you didn't report back into the team?" Misako was asking when the two crept back into the conversation. "Aren't you aware that we're nearing the competition?"
Shouri paled slightly and wrung her hands nervously. "Um, well… you see, I –"
Misako had paled too. "You don't mean –" she inquired, startled. "You're not saying that –" She didn't bother finishing at the confirmative look on Shouri's face. "Oh gosh, I'm so sorry, Shouri."
Ruriko and Kiyota blinked. "What? What's there to be sorry about?"
Shouri was looking down to the floor. "My injury is um…, well, permanent." She looked up slightly. "I, uh, I can't do gymnastics anymore."
Silence, broken only by Kiyota who muttered: "Career-ending injury."
Ruriko released a breath she had been holding. "I'm so sorry, Shouri."
For some reason, the sympathetic looks they were shooting at her annoyed her. "Don't be," she almost snapped. "It wasn't your fault."
Misako sighed then, preparing to get back to her hoop. "I'm sorry," she said again. "I had hopes that you would … never mind. See you around, Shouri." She waved and quickly walked back to her spot on the blue carpet.
"I'm sorry too, Shouri," Ruriko said softly, patting Shouri on the shoulder as if she had just amputated an arm or something. "I'd heard you were good. Now I guess I'll just have to trust those reports instead of seeing you in action for myself."
Shouri didn't reply.
"Come over again, Kiyota," Ruriko said then, going back to her ball too. "I like it when you do."
He winked. "Same here." When he turned to Shouri, she was already glaring at him. "I didn't say anything!" He said defensively.
Shouri's glare stayed. "But you're about to." She said bitingly. "And I'll kill you if you say you're sorry."
He lifted an eyebrow. "Me? Sorry? What for? I'm sure it was your doing that you got into this mess." The change on her face confirmed his suspicion. "You deserve it then." He started to whistle. "Ah, here comes Maki and the rest of the guys. Later, Hanataka."
He left her standing by the gym, jogged over to the other side of the gym, but then stopped and turned to look at Shouri with a serious look on his face. "Hey, Hanataka!" he called out.
Shouri looked back at him stiffly.
"Take up a new sport," he told her. "I adore your butt, and I don't want it to get flabby." Flashing a grin, he disappeared into the building, already in the act of taking his jacket off.
Shouri stared after him. "Stupid pervert." Then, she started to laugh.
Next chapter: They go BOWLING!! (Imagine that)